Chapter 118: Heart-branch Wizard

[Translator – Aren]

May 18th, 2028, 2:28 AM.

I’d already finished all my preparations and come out to the lobby of the Seongnam City Hall Command Post. I’d woken up an hour earlier than my alarm because the nervous pounding in my chest kept me from sleeping properly.

Still, it seems like people really do grow.

Back in high school, I’d sometimes get so nervous that I stayed awake for 24 hours straight before taking my final exams and created the legend of 9-9-9¹ in Korean, English, and math. I remember people calling it Abyss Express 999².

Compared to back then, the adult Baek Jemin was definitely different.

I don’t remember ever taking the TOEIC in my life, but considering my TOEIC score steadily went from 0 to 200, then from 200 to 400, I was sure of it.

I was growing.

But growth requires effort.

Not a single ray of sunlight had appeared yet, but the cold, fresh air unique to the early hours of dawn felt as though it were blowing even through the glass walls, putting me in an unusually good mood. Riding this rare high and reminiscing about my beautiful days of youth, I sat down on a bench set up in one corner of the lobby.

As I did, I moved the eye patch from my right eye over to my left.

My vision was still hazy and blurry, so it was uncomfortable, but they said using the eye would help it recover, so I’d just give it a shot.

And I’d prepared very carefully to make sure I could draw plenty of attention during this operation.

I started by examining the poncho spread out across the lobby floor.

The ancient Hebrew enchantment, now stained red after its effect had run out, was very visible. Since Go Ryeoha had been out of her mind for a while and never repaired it, the pincho had lost the protection provided by this Incantation-type magic.

It pissed me off, but rather than wake the Shitblings at these wonderful hours of dawn just to be forced to look at them again, I’d do it my own way.

First, I drew my combat knife.

For Hands-branch, Stage 2 [Enchant], I decided to draw blood from my left hand.

This time, I had no intention of healing the injury with [Cognitive Dissonance], so I’d even brought disinfectant and bandages.

I could’ve asked Go Ryeoha, who had reached Hand-branch, Stage 4, to enchant it for me, but the pride of Baek Jemin, the man, stirred inside me, while the reason of Great Archmage Baek Jemin rebuked my weak heart.

Baek Jemin. Is that really all you’ve got?

No matter how pretty Go Ryeoha is, no matter how smart she is, how amazing her educational background is, how good her figure is, or how high her Stage is… Does that make her better than you?

Every last non-wizard nobody would probably say Go Ryeoha was better, but that was just narrow-minded thinking.

This was the age of equivalent exchange, where pain was offered up in return for fragments of omnipotence—

While other wizards desperately tried to dump their backlash onto someone else and tried to come up with many tricks that would let them squeeze out one more backlash-free spell, I chose a completely different path. Those people were diminishing their own worth.

It was only natural to offer up the noblest and most precious thing when creating a miracle. Human reason dicated that the most valuable sacrifice should also bring about the greatest miracle.

That was why I chose the method all humanity would agree was right.

For magic, I would offer the one thing in this world that was unique, absolute, and precious beyond anything else in this world.

My pain, my blood, my flesh…

Only I was a sacrifice worthy of the mysteries of magic.

Lesser things could never reach a true miracle.

-Slice!

Once again, I inscribed [Bulletproof] on the poncho in letters of blood.

This time, I had no intention of stopping with just an enchantment. It was time to inscribe the Hands-branch magic symbol, which had already begun healing on the back of my hand, onto the poncho. Taking great care not to damage the Hebrew script, I drew the magic characters with my bloodied left index finger.

A 5x5 magic square.

Ordinary people would probably just think it looked like some kind of grid and show no reaction, but wizards from the 55 Unit who had learned magic would react to it. After all, anyone could use the tactic of opening a Magic Crash Course booklet and knocking non-wizards unconscious.

I was thinking of using the vomit-inducing magic again for the first time in a while.

I inscribed [Silence] using blood on my combat boots again, [Purification] on my gas mask, and [Sharpness] on my combat knife. Then it suddenly occurred to me that I could do something with the eye patch covering one of my eyes as well.

Non-wizards think an eye patch blocks your vision.

But taking magic into the equation changes things.

It was worth trying.

I took off the eye patch and decided to write something on it in blood. While pondering what word to use, I remembered how much trouble I’d had during the Seoul expedition because the city was drowned in fog. If I could reduce the burden of using Eyes-branch, Stage 1, it would make strategically distributing my pain easier as well.

I made my decision.

I wrote [See-through] on the eye patch.

Then I put it over my right eye and decided to test how it actually felt to use.

To see whether I could see through things, I waved my right hand around in front of the eye patch.

"Hmm."

This is horrifying.

Human skin looked transparent like a jellyfish, revealing the densely packed muscles, bones, nerves, and blood vessels underneath. If I couldn’t control this, I might end up constantly looking at people’s insides in the most literal sense.

Maybe because the vision in my right eye had deteriorated, the range I could see with the [See-Through] eye patch was limited to nearby objects.

It was definitely useful, but I decided to put it on hold.

Maybe once my Stage rose enough for more precise [Enchant] effects. But for someone as delicate and sensitive as me, this wasn’t something I should be using right now.

I rubbed the blood letters off the eye patch with my hand, then wondered what I should inscribe on the back instead.

Now that I knew an eye patch could be used like this, there had to be something useful I could do with it…

Then inspiration suddenly hit me.

[Identification].

I flipped over the eye patch with [Identification] written on it and put it over my right eye.

Even though the eye was covered by the patch and my eyelid was shit, meaning I should have been seeing nothing but darkness, something came into view.

My right hand, which I waved in front of it as a test, appeared as a vivid red glow instead of human flesh. Most notably, I could see the magic symbol inscribed on the back of my hand.

Exactly as I intended.

The result of writing these bloody letters on the eye patch while wishing for [Identification] that could distinguish wizards from non-wizards was obvious. Magic symbols that normally only became visible once the caster died could now be seen while they were still alive.

Based on everything I’d experienced so far, I was able to put together some hypotheses.

1. For magic symbols not to induce vomiting, the viewer must have accumulated enough experience points.

2. Magic symbols inscribed on the remains of a dead wizard either don’t induce vomiting, or the threshold is simply one step lower.

3. Living wizards also have magic characters inscribed on them by default. They simply can’t be seen by the naked human eye without using some type of spell.

For a moment, I thought back to the early days of the crisis.

Back when the mobilization order had first come down and I’d been running around Suwon Station like a madman. Back then, the Amalgams had seemed less aggressive than they were now and were absolutely terrified of being noticed by me.

I’d wondered how monsters could tell wizards apart…

Could they see them?

In that case, now that time had passed and they’d become more aggressive, did monsters prioritize hunting wizards over non-wizards, or were they avoiding them instead?

It all seemed interconnected.

But what mattered right now was something else.

Great Archmage Baek Jemin could now distinguish wizards from non-wizards.

On top of that, Alteration-type magic could lose effectiveness depending on the difference between the caster’s Stage and the target’s, so this was useful for gauging Stages as well. If [Identification] revealed their magic symbols, they were either some low-level wizard weaker than me or around my level. If it didn't, they were either non-wizards or higher-level wizards.

Magic possessed limitless versatility and room for expansion like this.

Just look at everything I’d thought up and figured out myself.

As I gathered up and put on all the equipment I’d covered in blood lettering again, I became even more certain.

Go Ryeoha.

There was no way that was all there was to using Hand-branch magic.

If it really was, it would be an insult to her Stage.

Hmm. This is why dawn is so nice.

I was lucky to have this time alone to think, develop my magic further, and organize my theories about the behavioral pattern of monsters.

I raised my smartphone to check how much time had passed

May 18th, 2028, 3:28 AM.

The start of our operation was approaching.

And so was my despair.

"Jemin-ssi, you’re more diligent about important matters than I expected.”

"Hubae-nim, seriously. You got up so early that you’re making us feel bad now!”

The Shitblings.

Lee Sejun and Go Ryeoha were both walking toward me wearing the trademark ponchos and gas masks of the Supreme Archmages. I wanted to bark at them to take those ponchos off immediately, but I held back for the sake of the soldiers who were probably still asleep.

Lee Sejun’s poncho had the Korean phrase “A Man’s Duty is Devotion to the Nation” written across it in blood, while Go Ryeoha’s had a rabbit mascot character hairpin stuck into it that she got from who knows where.

I subtly turned my head and examined Go Ryeoha’s poncho a little more closely. Sure enough, she’d prepared thoroughly.

There was the neat black ancient Hebrew, of course, along with [Bulletproof] written in blood. She had defensive measures using both Alteration-type and Incantation-type magic, and while she wore her usual Fire-spewing Hand on her left hand, her right was covered by a black leather glove.

There was bloody writing on the leather glove as well, so I took a closer look……

"Penetration?”

"Ah. I’ll show you later.”

Go Ryeoha raised her leather-gloved right hand and wiggled her fingers in a little wave.

"Hubae-nim, I’m a Supreme Archmage too, right?”

"Weren’t you a Sibling?”

Who said she could join the Supreme Archmages whenever she felt like it?

The Supreme Archmages were a secret society open only to those who passed Great Archmage Baek Jemin’s strict standards. This wasn't some place like the Illuminati or Freemasons where you could get in just because you had money and a decent bloodline.

"Hubae-niim~. What’s with that all of a sudden?! I thought we’d gotten close!”

"Master. The rules governing a master-disciple relationship are strict. I think you’re being far too familiar with me.”

"Hearing Jemin-ss talk about rules and order really makes it feel like the world has ended. Stop talking nonsense and let’s go.”

Hearing someone from this degenerate age say something like that infuriated me to no end, but since I knew the operation mattered a lot more, I held it in once more.

Being an adult meant knowing how to swallow all your complaints and keep working anyway.

And so, when the Supreme Archmage and the siblings formed a team and stepped out of the lobby, a cool breeze greeted us. Cold, solid moisture pattered against our ponchos, like beads of dew rolling through the grass.

"Let’s just go inside and wait.”

"Jemin-ssi, there’s nothing better than the dawn air. Let’s clear our heads with some fresh morning air.”

"Hmm~. The gas masks do smell kind of musty, though.”

Even in the middle of this chaos, the area in front of Seongnam City Hall was packed with soldiers preparing for the operation.

Soldiers were unloading supplies from the backs of trucks or sitting on boxes connecting cable to communications equipment, while the officers were busy talking nonstop over their radios. Major Shin Hangi stood right in the middle of all that.

"04:05, first reconnaissance drone launches. Proceed north along the river. 04:10, second reconnaissance drone launches. Proceed north through the city. At 04:15, begin reconnaissance of the urban area north of Moran Station. No return or recovery. Continue searching until the batteries run out.”

That was when a few soldiers approached us.

One was a private with horn-rimmed glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose, and the other was a private whose eyes were slightly narrowed.

"Loyalty! Civilian Operators, we'll issue your weapons and ammunition.”

The two privates led us to an area packed with guns and ammunition the soldiers had hauled down. I was surprised to see some M16s mixed in among them.

"Why are there M16s here?”

"If we’re going to issue weapons even to civilian Operators and people cooperating with the military, we have to pull the M16s back out. We’re not going to make you memorize the serial numbers, so just check their condition and take one if you like it better than the K2.”

"No. I’m a patriot, so I’ll use the K2."

Even canteens break after being used for decades. If an M16 had been in service for decades, that said enough.

Some of them looked new, but even then, I figured a K2 was probably better than a new M16.

I took a K2, received 4 30-round magazines, tucked them into my belt, and was adjusting the sling when a heavy metallic clack came from beside me.

I turned and saw Lee Sejun lifting a K15 machine gun while checking the ammunition belt and ammo box.

"Why not just use an autocannon while you’re at it? Just rip one off.”

"That would be excessive firepower against ordinary infantry. You can’t carry much ammunition, compatibility between ammunition types is poor, and most importantly, there’s the size problem. My goal is to apply sustained firepower and put intense psychological pressure on the enemy, reducing their effectiveness as wizards.”

It’s really nice seeing our Sejun come back to his senses when it’s time to fight.

I wish he’d just live as a soldier all the time.

The surprising one was Go Ryeoha.

"No, I’m fine! I’ve never even learned how to shoot a gun.”

"Uhm..."

The narrow-eyed private glanced at us, silently asking whether it was really okay not to give her a gun.

Lee Sejun and I shrugged and nodded.

"Good luck."

"You too, Soldier-ahjussi.”

And with that, the Supreme Archmage and the Siblings finished preparing to deploy.

Once everything was ready, I put on my gas mask and checked my breathing.

-Huff, huff.

It sealed tightly. It worked properly.

As expected of the new-model gas mask the Americans had given us, its performance had barely deteriorated despite everything it had been through.

Feeling pleased with myself, I took the lead. Major Shin Hangi, who had been sweating as he hurriedly directed everyone around him, turned toward us.

"Aphorism.”

"The Supreme Archmage and the Siblings.”

When I corrected him, Major Shin Hangi furrowed his brow.

"Excuse me??"

"Jemin-ssi is talking nonsense again.”

"Ah..."

Lee Sejun stubbornly kept trying to lump the three of us together.

It annoyed me, but after seeing the exhaustion in Major Shin Hangi’s eyes, I held it in again. That made it three times. If he pissed me off again, I was more or less ready to start hitting someone.

Meanwhile, Major Shin Hangi gave us a short briefing, then pulled out an analog wristwatch.

"We’ll launch the drones and draw their attention as you move in. They use drones too, and while we don’t know where they’re getting them from, we believe they recover and reuse them. They’ll probably expect our drones to be shot down or land somewhere. While that’s happening, the three members of Aphorism will scout north and have unrestricted authority to either avoid or engage any hostile entities that reveal themselves.”

Then Major Shin Hangi naturally turned toward the officers.

"Then get a driver ready to take Aphorims, and the vehicle commander will…”

"Hold up."

I raised my hand to stop him, to which he blinked.

"Is something wrong?”

"Stealth and mobility are of utmost importance here. Using a loud, conspicuous 2.5-ton truck or some other vehicle would be the worst choice.”

It felt a little like trying to teach an officer how to soldier, but they still seemed to underestimate what wizards were capable of, so I corrected him.

Lee Sejun and Go Ryeoha must have realized what I meant, because they naturally struck some kind of pose behind me. I saw Major Shin Hangi raise an eyebrow.

"We’re Heart-branch wizards.”

Major Shin Hangi seemed to understand everything those words implied and took a step back, his expression strange.

The other soldiers and officers did the same.

Right then, the soldiers were launching the drones as they’d been instructed.

-Buuzzzzzzz.

The rotating wings of what sounded like a giant hornet being enough to kill a man roared through the air as it flew into the black dawn sky.

I looked up at it, then slowly headed toward the main road.

Soldiers had already set up sandbag positions along the road in preparation for a possible counterattack or offensive. Even beneath the dark night sky, I could see them glancing our way with bewildered expressions.

Two drones receded into the distance.

Then, not long after, another hornet-like buzzing rang out.

-Buzzzzzz.

If I were an ordinary soldier, I probably would’ve started trembling the moment I heard a drone.

Honestly, even if I were a low-level wizard, I’d admit that sound would make my knees go weak.

Before setting out, I raised my phone with a cracked screen and checked the time.

May 18th, 2028, 4:14 AM.

Then, without a shred of hesitation, I tossed the smartphone behind me.

-Whoosh!

"Jemin-ssi, why are you throwing away a perfectly good phone?”

"I want a new phone as well.”

I heard a crack against the ground.

Good. Now they’ll really have to replace it.

Now that I was ready, I had no regrets left.

I took the first step forward. At first, I simply walked.

I strode along, looking at the roadside trees, the cracked asphalt, and the graveyard of concrete buildings sitting dark with every streetlight dead. It almost felt like I’d come out for a walk, so I found myself taking a deep breath.

-Huuuff—

Only when the distinctive sound of breathing through a gas mask echoed out did it really sink in.

I wasn’t getting tired.

I wasn’t out of breath.

At some point, my walk turned into a jog.

-Step, step.

I stepped in time with the cadence in my head, and the soft thudding of my combat boots began striking my ears.

But somewhere in the back of my mind, a sense of dissatisfaction started welling up.

As the pounding of my heart grew stronger and stronger, I wanted to twist my whole body into motion.

Before I knew it, my head was practically getting ahead of my feet.

I wanted to run.

Giving in to the urge, I kicked off the ground with all my strength.

-Thud.

The asphalt cracked faintly beneath me.

-Thud.

Fragments of broken asphalt flew up and struck my poncho.

-Tap, tak…

The sound of asphalt pieces hitting my poncho acted as my signal.

I leaped.

The overflowing strength, the power in my legs driving against the ground, lifted me dozens of centimeters into the air. I wasn't getting tired. It didn’t hurt either. I was running, yet instead of becoming breathless, exhilaration was swelling inside me.

I realized why.

The wind was tearing apart.

The scenery at the edge of my vision kept sliding away with incredible ease.

I was running faster than the vehicles traveling on the road.

Despite the weight of all the equipment covering my body, I was bounding along as if dragging a waterlogged body behind me.

Fast enough to keep pace with the drones flying overhead.

Amid the scenery whipping past, I could see streets beyond the road where faint fog was beginning to rise.

-Huuff—.

The sounds of breathing through our gas masks overlapped.

Still in the lead, I darted into an alley before actually entering the city. It was packed with piles of tossed trash and shamed signs. Even getting through it was difficult, but the moment I jumped upward once, the world changed.

I kicked off one wall and sprang toward the wall opposite it.

-Thud!

I saw my footprint left on the outer wall, but the thrill of rebounding backward and climbing even higher quickly drowned that out.

It took only 3 steps to reach the rooftop.

-Thump!

I landed on the roof of a 4-story villa with a stylish hero landing.

Meanwhile, Lee Sejun and Go Ryeoha, who had been right on my heels, were springing up onto the building as well.

Lee Sejun climbed by grabbing the outer wall with his hands and pulling his body upward, while Go Ryeoha simply crouched and launched herself, landing on the roof of the 4-story villa in a single jump.

The fog was still very faint and gathered only down below, so it was extremely easy to make out our ponchos fluttering on the rooftop.

When I raised a hand, Lee Sejun and Go Ryeoha waved back at me.

Lee Sejun gave me a thumbs-up, while Go Ryeoha gave me her usual light, fluttering wave.

This is intense.

This is exhilarating.

3 Heart-branch wizards.

We might be far stronger than I thought.

_________________________________________________________________________

¹He basically got the worst grade in all subjects for his final exam

² In reference to theGalaxy Express 999