Chapter 92
Baek Jemin’s Bunker Is Dangerous
By the time we emerged from the one-room lodging where the last monster had been lurking, the fog had completely cleared without a trace.
All that remained were grotesquely ruined abandoned houses, corpses scattered everywhere, and the shell casings we had poured out without restraint.
Even so, the three supreme archmages among us didn't remove our gas masks or lower our hoods.
Instead, we took a moment to catch our breath while checking the condition of our firearms.
Click.
Chamber inspection complete. No issues.
Hoo... hoo...
The distinctive sound of breathing through gas masks settled into a calm rhythm.
Only then did Lee Se-jun's relieved voice break the heavy silence.
"These teratomas are getting nastier. Now they're even grouping together and imitating people. They even had heart-type magical script."
At those words, Shin Na-in and I exchanged glances.
Lee Se-jun still didn't know about the Beginning of Eternity.
Of course, what Shin Na-in and I knew was still nothing more than individual speculation. Neither of us had any desire to test it, so it would likely remain a hypothesis forever.
And if it happened to be true, it was a truth no ordinary human could bear.
The weight of truth was brutally heavy.
Part of the reason was that the ecology I suspected the teratomas possessed was utterly revolting.
Because of their poor mobility, teratomas preferred controlling hosts rather than acting independently.
If so, how did they multiply?
Personally, I suspected that just as they used animals as hosts, they either possessed humans in a similar fashion or transformed human flesh into more teratomas.
And considering Shin Na-in never mentioned hearing human voices during the destruction of the Taeguk Cloak Group, the latter seemed more likely.
The horrific weight of that truth pressed down on my mind.
Those trapped inside a monster's body enjoyed eternity.
Even when attacked by monsters like teratomas that shredded and twisted the body apart, it seemed the victim's ego and consciousness remained intact.
The subspecies we had just fought—the Teratoma Colony—was exactly such a case.
Lee Se-jun merely clicked his tongue in disgust, but Shin Na-in and I, knowing about the Beginning of Eternity, felt something entirely different.
How long could a human mind endure when trapped inside a monster's body, forced to sculpt itself from the flesh of monsters?
And to make matters worse...
She had been pregnant.
"Poop-head."
"Yes?"
"Why don't you smoke a cigarette or something?"
I thought I finally understood why Shin Na-in's fanaticism had mellowed somewhat.
The ability of Stage 2 Ears was [Listening to the Hearts of Monsters].
From Stage 3 onward, it became [Conversation with the Remnants of the Dead].
And unlike me, Shin Na-in's ear-magic penalty wasn't temporary or occasional.
I'd forgotten, but getting close to people meant hearing their thoughts for him.
So he must have started hearing things the moment he stepped into the area.
And when he entered the one-room building to kill the Teratoma Colony, he must have heard everything.
The screams of the pregnant woman as the teratoma devoured her.
The cries she must have let out when she felt the fetus inside her being consumed by the monster.
The reason the human consciousness that endured from the moment her body transformed into a monster and was torn apart desperately clung to the monster's flesh.
The cries of a vanished life that the trapped human consciousness tried to recreate by gathering together fragments of monster flesh.
He must have heard all of it.
Anyone would go insane hearing things like that.
For a moment I wondered if someone should inject him with psychotropic drugs like the soldiers at the containment line before he completely lost his mind.
Then—
Tap. Tap.
Shin Na-in tapped his headset and turned toward me.
"Mr. Jemin. I neither drink nor smoke. And I won't be sticking needles into my arm either. Do you know why?"
A trace of fear lingered in his eyes, but that fear burned as fuel for something else.
Righteous fury.
"Because I need to witness and feel every evil deed committed by those demonic fiends. Only then does the fire of righteous indignation burn within this clear mind of mine. Mr. Jemin, I wish to sanctify this life. When the forces of evil spread fear, those who look away remain silent. But those who face it head-on remember the blood that flowed from their wounds."
Rather than arguing, I slung my rifle over my shoulder.
Actions spoke louder than words.
I punched him in the chest a few times and started walking.
"Fine. Do it your way."
There was probably some story behind why a guy like him awakened a transformative-type ability instead of a doctrine-type one, but I hadn't learned magic to play therapist.
What really moved me was something else.
For once, the normally oblivious Lee Se-jun had enough sense to keep his mouth shut.
I was genuinely grateful.
"What are you guys talking about so seriously?"
Never mind.
No need to be grateful for long.
"You don't need to know, Se-jun."
"Fine, I won't ask Mr. Jemin. Na-in, what were you talking about?"
♪ Amazing grace, how sweet the sound~ ♪
We continued down the village road filled with the stench of blood and rot.
Our footsteps felt much lighter, as though each bullet we'd fired had removed part of the burden from our shoulders.
Just then, drones buzzed overhead through the now-clear sky.
The military stationed at the gas station near the village entrance must have sent them out once the fog cleared.
I waved at one of the drones with my left hand.
And after that came the moment I'd been waiting for.
"Alright, everyone. Get into position. You all know the drill, right?"
"What drill?"
"If you stand in front of me, I shoot. Let's go."
The slackness disappeared from our postures.
Our strides stiffened.
Even the act of switching our rifles to safe somehow felt professional.
I deliberately let out a long breath through my gas mask.
Fwoooooosh—
The ends of our ponchos fluttered with our quickening pace.
And as the ponchos billowed, we stood out all the more in the silent village.
There were only three living people left in this village.
Three people carrying firearms, wearing combat boots, refusing to remove their gas masks, their poncho hoods pulled low.
Only three survivors remained walking proudly through the village where both the cold and the fog had vanished, carrying rifles whose barrels were still warm and smelled of gunpowder.
Me.
Shin Na-in.
Lee Se-jun.
As we walked through the aftermath of slaughter, where bullets had flown and flesh had exploded, murmurs began spreading from beyond the road.
The drone's buzzing replaced the sound of wind.
Shouts overlapped.
Engines roared to life.
The sound of wheels turning surged toward us like a tidal wave.
At the village entrance, soldiers came running with rifles in hand.
One tank and two armored vehicles followed behind them.
Dozens of soldiers emerged from the forest under drone support while the tank rumbled forward on its heavy tracks.
Then suddenly—
The noise stopped.
Because they saw us.
The soldiers wearing military-number tags who had been dismounting from the armored vehicles naturally split to either side and snapped to attention.
With rifles slung over their shoulders, they saluted.
Clink. Clink.
The metal tags rattled from the force of the movement.
Turning my head, I noticed two civilian operators trembling behind them.
My footsteps naturally came to a halt.
Shin Na-in and Lee Se-jun stopped as well.
I looked at one of the soldiers and asked,
"What did these people do to end up as civilian operators?"
The soldier's eyes darted behind his gas mask lenses before he lowered his salute.
"The man refused mobilization orders and was arrested by military police. He's serving as a civilian operator. The woman spread rumors in Jeonju claiming the monsters were fake and was assigned civilian operator duty as punishment."
"There are mages in the provinces?"
"Of course not. The aptitude tests near Seoul and the safety costs associated with awakening localized infiltration-type transformative abilities are entirely self-funded. A very excellent and rational system, if you ask me."
The soldier looked down at the trembling civilians with undisguised contempt.
"It's only fair. Why should we be the only ones fighting the monsters from hell?"
Clink. Clink.
The sound of the military tags colliding felt especially oppressive.
I looked between the soldiers and the civilians and clicked my tongue.
A collaboration between people who couldn't awaken magic and people too ungrateful to appreciate the opportunity to learn it.
This was why Korea had fallen.
The three of us continued onward, leaving the soldiers entering the village behind.
Yet the soldiers didn't immediately advance into the corpse-covered settlement.
Instead, countless eyes followed our backs.
The occasional radio transmissions drifting toward us told the story of what we had accomplished.
"[...16:16 hours. Fog density level zero.]"
"[Situation is...]"
"[...appears to be over...]"
Thank goodness I was wearing a gas mask.
Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to hide my rising cheekbones and twitching grin.
Our footsteps became even more distinct as we walked against the flow of dozens of incoming soldiers.
Step. Step. Step...
Like salmon swimming upstream through a crowd, our backs left behind only questions.
But still.
Even so.
No matter what.
"'There were only three of them,' they're saying."
Shin Na-in finished a heavy sigh, then broke into a grin.
The three transformative-type supreme archmages picked up our pace even more proudly and arrived at the gas station.
The defensive position had grown quieter after sending many soldiers into the village, but the empty space had been filled with shocked voices and uproar.
Major Sweat-Marinated was pointing angrily at his officers.
Then he saw us.
His eyes widened.
Without saying a word, he raised his hand.
Snap!
Actions spoke louder than words.
The major stopped berating his officers and gave us a perfectly formal salute.
Each of us returned it differently.
I responded with a casual two-finger salute.
Shin Na-in clasped both hands together in prayer.
Only Lee Se-jun came to a complete stop and returned a textbook military salute.
Then, realizing Shin Na-in and I were already heading toward the helicopter, he hurried after us.
"Seriously, why didn't you return the salute properly? You embarrassed the Major."
"We're civilians. We don't need to."
"Amen."
The helicopter pilot shrugged and gave us a thumbs-up.
And so Shin Na-in, Lee Se-jun, and I boarded the helicopter once more.
Clunk!
Only after opening the door and settling into my seat did I remove my gas mask.
"Haa..."
As I exhaled a sweet-smelling breath, the pilot glanced back at me.
I returned a thumbs-up.
Apparently thumbs-up worked regardless of language.
The moment Lee Se-jun closed the door and set down the machine gun, I spoke.
"And."
"Yes?"
"Our market value is officially higher than the Major's now."
The rotor blades began spinning.
Amid the noise and vibration, I naturally held out my hand toward Shin Na-in.
"What?"
"Black bag."
"Why do you suddenly need a bag?"
Suddenly?
As the helicopter began shaking harder and the nausea rose in my throat, I replied slowly.
"I think I'm gonna throw up."
May 7, 2028 — 4:32 PM
When we returned to the U.S.–ROK Combined Command camp in Pyeongtaek carrying a thick black garbage bag, I immediately felt the change in people's gazes.
The doubtful looks asking,
"Are those really the supreme archmages?"
had completely vanished.
Only shock and awe remained.
Leading the way was Baek Jemin, striding forward through the gale blowing from the helicopter's rotors, carrying a tightly knotted black plastic bag.
Behind him followed Shin Na-in, the fanatical religious nut, and Lee Se-jun, the former sergeant aspiring to become a cute TS girl.
Their footsteps were light as they crossed asphalt and concrete, contemplating the number of monsters they had slain.
"Yes, yes, I'm listening. Identified species: Teratoma. New ecology confirmed. Estimated sixty specimens. Subspecies confirmed. Engagement concluded successfully. Operation time..."
Captain Kim Ho-un stopped mid-conversation on the phone and stared blankly at us as we approached.
Then he finished his sentence.
"...Twenty-eight minutes."
There stood Corporal Son Ga-in beside a van, checking his wristwatch, while Captain Kim Ho-un scribbled furiously in a notebook with his phone wedged between his head and shoulder.
The Reality Survival Command took the results of this battle extremely seriously.
The information was important enough that Major General Jeon Min-ho personally summoned us back into the bunker.
This time, however, he wasn't alone.
There was also Lieutenant General Royce Candler, the second commander of Reality Survival Command.
The scar-faced bald man stood up and applauded as he welcomed our trio of transformative mages.
Brigadier General Thatcher, looking half-asleep as usual, and Major General Jeon Min-ho rose and joined the applause.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
As we approached under enthusiastic applause, they offered handshakes.
Refusing wasn't really an option.
Grip!
Royce's handshake wasn't painful, but it carried considerable weight.
"Well done!"
Shin Na-in handled most of the report.
There was no reason for me—with a TOEIC score of 400—to struggle through English when we had a walking translator available.
Shin Na-in occasionally gave us quick summaries as a courtesy.
His report was as follows:
- The true ecology of teratomas. They can use animals as hosts to compensate for their poor mobility and activity levels.
- Discovery of a teratoma subspecies: the Teratoma Colony. The colony consciousness displayed a unique tendency to imitate human appearance.
- Heart-type magical script was discovered within the subspecies.
Then Lieutenant General Royce began having Major General Jeon Min-ho fire off a variety of questions.
This was in Korean, so even I could follow along.
"Was there any sign of avian infection?"
"There wasn't. At least, we didn't find any."
Despite Shin Na-in's firm answer, Lieutenant General Royce, Brigadier General Thatcher, and Major General Jeon Min-ho exchanged serious murmurs.
It was obvious enough to notice even these steel-hearted soldiers narrowing their eyes and shifting uneasily.
After whispering among themselves for quite some time, the generals seemed to reach a conclusion and moved on to other topics.
"And the part about them attempting to imitate human appearances?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. They were... imitating the appearance of a pregnant woman, with a swollen abdomen and all."
Shin Na-in stumbled slightly over his words but managed to finish.
Once again, he remained silent about our theory regarding the Beginning of Eternity.
Knowing would only make things more horrifying.
Hesitating to put bullets into them would only prolong the suffering of the people trapped inside monster bodies.
Major General Jeon nodded as though he understood and proceeded to the next question.
"To be honest, this is the part that concerns us most."
Setting down his folder, Jeon Min-ho rested a hand across his neat, composed face.
Only after rubbing his face once with his right hand did he continue.
"You are certain that you discovered heart-type magical script capable of inducing the awakening of localized infiltration-type transformative abilities within the Teratoma Colony's body?"
"Yes. All three of us saw it. I felt nauseated and looked away, but I believe Mr. Baek Jemin acquired the heart discipline."
"Mr. Baek Jemin. Is that true?"
I nodded proudly.
"Yes. I now wield all five disciplines."
"Five disciplines..."
Lieutenant General Royce and Brigadier General Thatcher immediately clamped their mouths shut.
They must have remembered that Shin Na-in could understand English and read minds.
At first, it seemed like they were deliberately withholding information from us.
But a few seconds later, I realized that interpretation was unfair.
They weren't hiding information.
They simply couldn't reach a conclusion.
They lacked the criteria and information necessary to make a judgment.
Both Royce and Thatcher kept glancing at one another while tapping the table impatiently with their index fingers.
Finally, Royce turned to Jeon Min-ho.
"All five disciplines. Anything notable on record?"
"Nothing, sir... He's the first."
Jeon Min-ho wiped the sweat from his forehead as he answered.
Royce furrowed his brow before turning toward Thatcher.
"Can we get a medical workup on him? I want to know if there's any physiological change."
"If we don't have time, we'll make time, sir."
Thatcher stared directly at me with his sleepy-looking eyes.
Feeling uncomfortable, I turned away and looked at Shin Na-in instead.
Unfortunately, the first thing I saw was Lee Se-jun standing behind him with his arms crossed, clicking his tongue dramatically after being reduced to little more than decorative scenery.
The sight was revolting enough that I focused even harder on Shin Na-in.
"What are they saying?"
"They're saying you're the first person outside the containment line to reach all five disciplines. They want a physical examination."
"That's correct."
Jeon Min-ho interrupted.
By now Royce and Thatcher had straightened their posture, while Jeon continued speaking after steadying his trembling voice.
"You are aware that Pyeongtaek has been conducting medical examinations on users of localized infiltration-type transformative abilities—commonly called mages—to determine what physical changes occur."
"They were?"
That was news to me.
The reason I'd never heard about it became immediately clear when Lee Se-jun spoke up.
"Mr. Jemin, that's how I found out about my Stage 2 heart ability during my medical examination in Pyeongtaek."
"Oh."
Apparently I'd shoved that information into a dark corner of my memory because it involved Lee Se-jun, the person I least wanted to get close to.
The ever-patient Jeon Min-ho sighed before continuing.
"However, it will likely have to wait until conditions along the containment line stabilize. Even so, considering how strongly Unit 66 emphasized the significance of reaching all five disciplines, there is almost certainly something special about it. We'd appreciate your cooperation. If you need anything, we'll support you fully. Captain Kim Ho-un has been assigned exclusively to your team and will handle your requests."
Tap. Tap.
The way he organized his documents made it obvious.
The meeting was ending.
Naturally, both the generals and our trio of supreme archmages stood up.
Another round of handshakes followed.
Royce opened his eyes wide and made an exaggerated fuss while showering us with praise.
Even Thatcher, whose eyelids were usually half-closed, seemed unusually awake as he repeatedly said, "Best."
Then it was Jeon Min-ho's turn.
I expected an ordinary handshake.
Instead—
Whump!
He suddenly pulled me into a hug and whispered into my ear.
"Mr. Jemin. It was Colonel Min's request, but we can't keep covering for you any longer. The omitted report from Suwon is going to move up the chain. Including how you acquired your magic."
"Colonel Min?"
"The CP commander at Suwon City Hall."
At that moment, I remembered the exhausted-looking colonel who had tossed me seventy military vouchers while promising to keep me from becoming a laboratory specimen.
Jeon continued patting my back theatrically while whispering.
"Mr. Jemin. Do you know what's more terrifying than monsters attempting to steal magic through magical script?"
His voice grew darker.
"The fact that people can acquire magic by killing those monsters."
I immediately understood where he was going.
If monsters carrying magical script could be hunted to obtain magic more easily, only one outcome was possible.
"There will be people who try to deliver those monsters to wealthy clients. Mr. Jemin, we know exactly how dangerous these creatures are. They must never be allowed to escape into the world. If even one lunatic starts smuggling them into rear cities, everything we're fighting for here is finished."
It was horrifying.
And impossible to deny.
Because humans always look for opportunities, even in catastrophe.
"So even if it comes from Headquarters. Even if it comes from a private sponsor. Don't spare them. Kill every last one."
With that final warning, Jeon stepped back and resumed a perfectly normal expression.
Then he strode after Royce and Thatcher, who were already leaving the bunker.
I stared after him in mild bewilderment before letting out a snort.
Meanwhile, Shin Na-in and Lee Se-jun had apparently overheard the conversation as well.
Both looked deadly serious.
"Mr. Jemin, I don't think that's something to laugh about."
"No, think about it. That's exactly why it's ridiculous."
"Wasn't it a reasonable concern?"
"The concern isn't the issue. The issue is that he said it to me. Seriously..."
I couldn't hide the twitching corners of my mouth or my shaking shoulders.
What began as a disbelieving chuckle quickly became genuine laughter.
Major General Jeon worried far too much.
Because honestly—
"Is he insane? Why would I give my magic to someone else?"
I'm already furious that monsters are trying to steal my magic.
Now rich people want to steal it too?
People like that deserve to die.
I'd kill them myself.
May 7, 2028 — 7:14 PM
All six members had gathered inside the barracks prepared for us supreme archmages.
While Shin Na-in, Lee Se-jun, and I had wiped out the Teratoma swarm in twenty-eight minutes, Goryeoha, Hamza, and Pastor Park had each been assigned to separate non-combat duties.
As we ladled ramen from a bubbling pot atop a portable gas burner, we exchanged everything from trivial gossip to critical intelligence.
After slurping down a mouthful of chewy noodles, I looked at Goryeoha.
"You said you went to the armory. What are they doing there?"
"They're planning experiments to see whether ritual enchantments can be applied to gun barrels so bullets gain magical effects the moment they're fired. They were also interested in Firewater. Because of that, the Konkuk University people promised additional food and medical supplies."
"Oh."
Right.
They were still keeping up the fiction that the Konkuk University group was alive.
I casually looked away from Goryeoha and spotted Hamza.
Hamza stuffed a large bite of kimchi into his mouth before speaking first.
"Chomp, chomp... They showed me maps and asked me to point out the most dangerous areas. Apparently they're planning to gather Muslims like me later and form some sort of danger-assessment organization."
"Even if they gather Muslims, won't they still need to spin the fog lottery? Where are they getting Muslims from?"
"Pakistan. Iran. Syria. Lebanon. Places like that. Offer American citizenship and people will come by the truckload."
"They'd come even with monsters everywhere? Why?"
"Mr. Jemin. Those places already have a monster called poverty."
A place where desperate people begged to be rescued while others rushed in chasing American citizenship.
Truly fitting for Korea, which was rapidly becoming a melting pot of races.
Oddly enough, the loudest person in the group was unusually quiet today.
Pastor Park was silently praying, savoring even a spoonful of ramen broth with reverence.
"With this daily bread You have provided, we warm our bodies. O Christ, I pray that Your children do not lose their way amid tribulation..."
Apparently his work distributing aid and guiding refugees arriving in Pyeongtaek had left him with much to contemplate.
Even so, he hadn't missed the important information we'd brought back.
Tapping his chopsticks together, he finally spoke.
"Two magical scripts. Hand and Heart. Coincidentally, both belong to disciplines less affected by the fog. And considering the true nature of transformative magic, I don't think monsters are actually trying to steal magic."
"I'd like to hear your reasoning, Pastor."
Shin Na-in set down his chopsticks and listened attentively.
Pastor Park stirred the noodles in the pot and began.
"The monk, me, the information Jemin got from destroying remains, those mystics in Pyeongtaek—everyone keeps arriving at the same conclusion. Transformative magic is connected to the number five, the number of humanity. It's magic meant to define what humanity actually is. Miracles powered by pain. Have you ever wondered why pain is required?"
"Because suffering builds character?"
Lee Se-jun said that while spearing a piece of Spam.
I glared at the Spam, but he ignored me and popped it into his mouth.
"Honestly, Se-jun isn't entirely wrong. Humans are clever creatures, but most of us only truly understand things once they hurt. Meditation, cultivation, spiritual discipline—they all involve fasting, self-restraint, proper posture, incense. They focus the mind away from physical comfort and toward contemplation. That's why retreat centers exist. So why do people willingly endure suffering?"
The pastor calmly filled his bowl with noodles.
"Because they want to become one with God. Because they want to knock on Heaven's door. Because they hope joy continues even after this life ends. Have you ever seen monsters display that sort of longing? I see intelligence in them, but never spirituality. They lack the most fundamental desire shared by all humans. That's why they'll never be able to wield magic that pursues humanity itself."
"The most fundamental desire?"
"Eternity. The desire for life to continue beyond death."
The Beginning of Eternity immediately came to mind.
No human would ever wish for the eternity of being trapped inside a monster's body.
The eternity Pastor Park described was closer to continuing life as oneself.
Then a question occurred to me.
Did the monsters—the grotesque flesh imprisoning human consciousness—wish for their own existence to continue forever?
I'd never considered that before.
And the pastor's theory that followed sounded surprisingly convincing.
"I don't think they're stealing magic itself. I think they're stealing what the magical scripts represent. I'll save this for when the mystics gather later, but I'll tell our BOBs first."
"What they represent?"
"Amalgams. Look at those sticky Dubai-human things. Remember how they originally ran away whenever they heard sirens? No? At first all they could do was imitate human voices and rub their faces together. But over time they've become smarter. We saw it ourselves while retreating."
Slurp!
The pastor pushed his fogged glasses up onto his forehead and swallowed a mouthful of noodles.
"And then Jemin found the Hand script beneath Suwon Station. That creature called Pigweb was officially classified as an Amalgam subspecies—a neural-parasitic Amalgam. They think it evolved because it learned to cling to ceilings to avoid heavy gas. I disagree. It evolved because it ate a mage. What does Hand magic represent?"
The pastor tapped his chopsticks together.
His theory was this:
Monsters neither can nor want to steal magic through magical scripts.
Instead, they are stealing the concepts contained within those scripts in an attempt to understand humanity.
That's why Pigweb beneath Suwon Station possessed the Hand script after devouring Father Jeong Yong-hwan, a mage of the Eye discipline, and Geulmun Bodhisattva, a doctrine-type mage.
"Ultimately every mage possesses an affinity for all five disciplines. Because the five disciplines symbolize humanity itself. The problem is that they're absurdly difficult. So every time monsters devour a mage, they extract fragments of those latent affinities. They forcibly pull related magical scripts out."
Shin Na-in narrowed his eyes.
"And then they select the scripts their species prefers..."
"And strengthen them. Update themselves."
According to Pastor Park's theory, monsters hunt human mages and steal possibilities that once belonged to humanity.
Amalgams — fusion-type mimetic beasts pursue humanity's intellect through Hand magic.
The more Hand magic they accumulate, the more intelligent they become, eventually evolving into subspecies like Bloodline Delta and Pigweb after consuming mages.
Teratomas — parasitic malignant tumors pursue humanity's vitality through Heart magic.
The more Heart magic they accumulate, the greater their life force becomes, eventually evolving into Teratoma Colonies capable of parasitizing non-human hosts.
The pastor even offered a hopeful prediction.
"Which means that every time we kill one of these mage-eating monsters, the stolen magic returns to humanity. They'll gradually weaken and revert to their original state. ...What do you think? Sounds plausible, doesn't it?"
"What if they gather scraps of magic from ordinary non-mages and create magical scripts anyway?"
"Jemin. What do you mean, what if? Protecting people is the whole point, you idiot!"
My perfect counterattack was blocked.
Then everyone started applauding.
"Excellent. A round of applause for the Pastor's insight."
Shin Na-in was the first to rise for a standing ovation.
Lee Se-jun clapped because everyone else was.
Hamza glanced around before joining in.
Goryeoha laughed merrily and applauded enthusiastically.
I folded my arms instead.
The pastor looked far too pleased with himself.
Still, I couldn't deny it.
The theory was impressive.
Hopeless.
Dark.
Terrifying.
Yet somehow...
Hopeful.
Most importantly, I liked how simple the conclusion was.
"So basically, if we shoot them all and take it back, the magic becomes mine again, right? Think it'll raise my level?"
"How should I know, idiot? Just clap, Jemin."
Pastor Park.
A man who perfectly embodied the same church elder energy as those fanatics who used to glare murderously at young Baek Jemin for stealing a thousand won from the offering box years ago.
The fact that he immediately singled me out for not applauding proved it.