Chapter 76: The Red Pill We Took

[Translator – Aren]

The first 10 minutes after sending the transmission were utterly pointless.

Hamza, who had been watching Lee Sejun with a doubtful look, even asked cautiously,

"Sejun-ssi. They’re not answering, you know?”

"Radios don’t work very well underground to begin with. Ryeoha-ssi, you did run the antenna extension cable outside, right?”

"Yes! Trying to communicate from aboveground would be far too dangerous, but the fog is so thick that both the cable and the antenna have deteriorated rapidly, so they haven’t been maintained.”

"It’s probably too difficult from underground. We may have to try from the roof of this building instead.”

Even Lee Sejun, who normally would have been too busy complaining about Go Ryeoha, remained perfectly calm this time.

Lee Sejun’s usual behavior was revolting, but true to his background as a former NCO, he still remembered how to operate that tin-can-like 999K.

He had failed to secure a long-term military position and had practically been transferred into the civilian Operator role, so his military experience and knowledge still seemed relatively fresh.

Lee Sejun put down the receiver, pretended to scratch his head for no particular reason, and turned toward us.

"And I don’t know whether you remember the 999K, but its battery drains quickly. We should check the battery while moving it to the road, and the blockade forces probably use 999Ks too, so we’ll need to keep trying. It may take some time.”

"Why is it so complicated? Can’t you just do it?”

The pastor frowned as he spoke, but even Lee Sejun remained completely firm this time.

He examined the 999K from several angles, sighed, and answered.

"We’re lucky it was stored underground, away from the fog, so it’s still intact, but this thing is notoriously terrible. Do you think the military exchanged training notices through KakaoTalk for no reason? Unless they were conducting a radio-network inspection, no one used these because they were a pain in the ass. Most people used wired networks or KakaoTalk whenever possible.”

Unfortunately, that was about the extent of Lee Sejun’s military knowledge.

The bastard had worked as a combat officer, exactly as he looked, so beyond his memories of helping the communications personnel he knew nothing else. He apparently only knew this much because he had been dragged into helping numerous departments during his military service.

In the end, the Supreme Archmages’ connection with the military outside Seoul was postponed for a little while.

After rubbing his chin in thought, the pastor sighed and gave instructions.

"It’s awkward since Hemin can barely move around right now. Sejun, do you need anything else to operate that radio from the roof?”

"I’m not sure. It looks like we already have everything we need…I’ll carry it up and give it a try.”

"Good. Baek Jemin, Lee Sejun, and Hamza will take the radio near the roof of this building and try from there. Nain and I will stay in the laboratory with Ryeoha-ssi, inspect the equipment, and test the generator.”

The pastor was far too delighted about finding one fresh-faced young woman among a crowd of grim-looking men.

Well, I considered it a sad instinct and decided not to call him out on it.

Having split into 2 groups, we shouldered the radio and began climbing toward the roof of the New Engineering Building. Normally, we might have exchanged a few pointless words, but none of us wanted to let our guard down when we were attempting to communicate with the outside world.

Instead, the moment we left the laboratory, all we did was breathe heavily as we put on our gas masks.

Fortunately, the New Engineering Building itself seemed to have been almost entirely missed by the bombardment. Aside from the furniture and equipment scattered everywhere, the building was relatively intact.

Naturally, there wasn’t enough power to run the elevator, so Lee Sejun had to carry the heavy radio up the emergency stairs.

"Jemin-ssi. Hamza-ssi. I know I’m obviously the one who should carry this all the way to the 10th floor, but why does it feel so irritating?”

"It’s normal to feel better after seeing a pretty woman, but you don’t. That’s why.”

"Are you saying I’m abnormal?”

"Calling you abnormal is too kind. You’re repulsive, Sejun-ssi.”

Even Hamza couldn’t resist adding a remark.

Then again, Lee Sejun was definitely nowhere near normal.

Hamza and I let Lee Sejun’s grumbling go in one ear and out the other as we reached the rooftop door. A slightly rusted padlock was hanging from it, but it broke easily when Lee Sejun kicked it.

-Crash!

With a loud metallic crash, we stepped out into fog that limited visibility to around 100m.

And we quickly realized that the New Engineering Building was a better stronghold than we expected. Large solar panels had been installed across its roof, and if not for the fog, we would have had far fewer worries about electricity.

The three of us headed toward an isolated corner without any solar panels and set the radio down.

What followed felt utterly pointless.

Lee Sejun didn’t keep trying to make contact continuously. Once he picked up the receiver, he waited several minutes before lifting it again.

He turned the dial and attempted communication roughly once every 10 minutes, but all that came back was static.

[Crackle…Craaackle...]

"Isn’t this thing broken?”

"There are too many high-rise buildings in Seoul. Radio waves travel in straight lines, so they keep running into obstructions. And whatever effect the fog has, it’s still full of moisture. We have to keep wiping the radio down so the humidity doesn’t ruin it, and more importantly, the battery is limited, so we can’t transmit continuously.”

According to Lee Sejun.

The equipment had probably been used for months in a Seoul ravaged by the fog, so no matter how durable it was, something could always have gone wrong. More importantly, they had likely avoided charging the battery properly to conserve electricity, leaving it badly depleted.

Now that I thought about it, concern over the battery was also why Lee Sejun only lifted the receiver about once every 10 minutes and otherwise left it in receive mode.

After learning all this, Hamza smacked his lips in disappointment.

"It would’ve been nice if we’d found a Starlink terminal or something.”

"Even if it had been blocked, having it would still feel different from not having it.”

Lee Sejun, Hamza, and I wandered aimlessly around the radio on the rooftop and passed the time.

After we had been waiting for quite a while. Someone began climbing the stairs, so we reached for our guns and combat knives. It turned out to be Shin Nain. Apparently tired from climbing the stairs, he breathed heavily through his gas mask and spoke in an irritated voice.

"What are you doing up here that you still haven’t come back after an hour?”

“The reception is bad, so we have to do this.”

"Tsk!"

Then, just as Shin Nain approached us, 10 minutes had passed, and Lee Sejun lifted the receiver again.

From beyond the ear-splitting static came the faint shape of actual words.

[...staiton…Seongnam...]

At that moment, I drew my combat knife without hesitation and cut my left hand.

I felt blood dripping down.

It was so I could use Hand-branch, Stage 2, [Blood of the Left Hand], to write on the radio. I briefly agonized over what word would work best, but the first word that came to mind was [Best].

My thoughts had followed expressions like "best sound quality" and "best overall quality."

The moment I wrote the word [Best] on the radio, the terrible connection began improving noticeably.

[This is Seongnam Station. Any wireless-network users within Seoul, respond. Over.]

"It’s safe.”

Hamza also said it was fine, so this was the perfect opportunity.

However, just as Lee Sejun was about to answer the transmission, he turned toward us and whispered.

"Shouldn’t we bring the pastor up here?”

It seemed Lee Sejun had finally started thinking.

The pastor’s Dogma-type magic, [Redemptive Conviction], didn’t cause flashy effects, but it specialized in making the events around him turn out favorably.

Idiots who only wanted to use magic for fighting might dismiss it as useless, but from the perspective of this Great Archmage Baek Jemin, I could hardly imagine a better spell.

However, Lee Sejun’s thinking was still one-dimensional.

Annoyingly, Shin Nain, the second-smartest member of the Supreme Archmages after me, stopped Lee Sejun before I could.

"The fact that we established contact while the pastor wasn’t here means the situation is more favorable to us without him.”

"Huh?"

"That’s how the pastor’s Holy Battle Arts are like. It is the Lord’s protection. Sejun-ssi, continue as you are.”

Lee Sejun titled his head, apparently still unable to understand, but followed the instruction anyway. It was exactly the kind of attitude you would expect from an idiot. Today, I found myself fond of the fact that he did as he was told even when he didn’t understand.

Still not entirely rid of his military habits, Lee Sejun answered in a voice that sounded painfully stiff to a civilian like me.

"Seongnam, this is Konkuk. Reading you. Transmission and reception clear. Over.”

[Konkuk, this is Seongnam. Identify yourself. Over]

At that moment, I felt a peculiar sensation crawl up my spine.

Was this how a cat felt when a delicate hand gently ran along its back? Goosebumps rose across my skin, but it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

An intuition closer to pleasure than discomfort settled softly upon my shoulders.

That sensation I had nearly forgotten after spending so long inside Seoul…

As I rummaged through my memories, I finally recalled the most thrilling and magnificent moment of my life.

The moment the Supreme Archmages had proudly strode through the military dining hall at Suwon City Hall’s Command Post while wearing our ponchos.

The thrill of every enlisted soldier and officer staring up at us, whispering and gawking in astonishment.

That smile swelled warmly from deep within my chest, born from the special feeling that stood somewhere infinitely removed from ordinary people!

The moment was being reborn now through the receiver in Lee Sejun’s grip.

"Seongnam. This is Konkuk. We are Aphorism, a civilian operational unit that volunteered to conduct reconnaissance alongside the Korean Armed Forces as a follow-up unit to the initial vanguard reconnaissance team. Over.”

Silence lingered for a while.

Only the faint groans of monsters beyond the eerie drifting fog and the lonely sound of the wind could be heard.

Every one of us Supreme Archmages stood silently before the radio and waited for a response.

Then the radio's distinctive incoming-transmission tone rang out.

The voice of the person on the other end was plainly trembling with emotion.

[This is Seongnam… A-Aphorism. Reading you. Confirmed. Report the number of survivors in your unit. Over.]

There it was.

Sensing that a rush far more exhilarating than what porn could give me was about to wash over me, I gently closed my eyes.

I wanted to savor this conversation more deeply.

At last, Lee Sejun’s response provided the perfect finishing touch.

"Seongnam, this is Konkuk. Five. All alive. Successful contact with friendly survivors. Over.”

Another bout of silence followed.

No proper voice came through the receiver. Yet the second silence was far louder than the first. No conversation was taking place, but it was noisier than any moment before it.

Because before the other side set down the receiver, or just before their transmission ended, we heard cheers erupt.

That was right. They were cheering.

Although the roaring cheers cut off almost as soon as they erupted, that brief instant was enough for us to guess what was happening on the other side of the radio.

After the radio’s distinctive incoming-transmission tone rang out, we were able to hear a much clearer transmission.

[This is Seongnam. Civilian operational unit Aphorism. What about the friendly survivor?]

"This is Konkuk. One female civilian. Practitioner of Localized Invasive Structural Alteration phenomena. Mentally unstable. Confirmed the existence of a group of Localized Invasive Structural Alteration practitioners within Seoul. No solution to the crisis has been found, but we successfully acquired information regarding unidentified species and the magic system. Over.”

At least Lee Sejun spoke reasonably normally whenever he was holding the radio.

I had expected his jealousy to explode again when he indirectly mentioned Go Ryeoha, but it seemed he still retained the bare minimum ability to separate personal feelings from official business.

Feeling rather pleased, I opened my eyes again, only to revise that opinion when I saw Lee Sejun’s face twisted like a wrathful demon.

I could only click my tongue at how hideously contorted he became whenever Go Ryeoha was involved.

But more importantly than Lee Sejun’s pathetic jealousy and inferiority complex were the people in Seongnam on the other side of the radio network.

Just imagining what the military maintaining the first blockade line must have thought upon hearing our transmission made the corners of my mouth twitch on their own.

Of course, the response that actually came back was restrained and utterly businesslike. Even so, there was a nuance to it precisely because the speaker was trying so hard to sound composed.

The person on the other end sounded haggard and exhausted, yet somehow choked with emotion, the ends of their words trembling faintly.

[This is Seongnam. The Korean Armed Forces and…this officer thank civilian operational unit Aphorism for your dedication and accomplishments.]

I wasn’t even sure whether calling them the Korean Armed Forces was still technically correct, but at least for now, no one objected to the term.

Even Lee Sejun’s wrathful expression softened this time. Hamza closed his eyes and let out a quiet sigh, while Shin Nain, for once, removed his headset and smiled with his eyes behind the lenses of his gas mask.

And after that emotional reunion came more practical discussion.

[The Korean Armed Forces promise aerial supply drops to support the civilian operation unit’s return, close air support within clear-weather zones where the fog has partially lifted, and drone support through satellite communications. We will do everything within our power. However, transportation by aircraft or helicopter is extremely limited due to conditions inside Seoul.]

"Why?"

Lee Sejun asked without thinking, and I wanted to smack him but held back. Every time I thought this bastard had finally started using his head, he found some bizarre new way to deserve a beating.

Hadn’t we seen it ourselves at Olympic Bridge? The fog was crawling with airborne monsters, and visibility was so poor that you could barely see beyond a window. Anyone asking why they couldn’t just fly straight in might as well remove their brain and live without it.

The real problem was that Lee Sejun wanted to remove something else instead.

Fortunately, the person on the other end ignored Lee Sejun’s nonsense and continued with an actual plan.

[Therefore, the civilian operational unit will need to travel under its own power to a designated point. Within 3 days, supplies will be dropped near your current position at Konkuk University to ensure that you do not run short of ammunition, medical supplies, or food. Your target extraction point is nearGuri, where the Korean Armed Forces can currently operate drones. When moving, we advise following the Han River eastward whenever possible.]

"They’re probably recommending the riverside because it’ll make our location easier to determine.”

As Shin Nain spoke while gripping the sling of his firearm, Lee Sejun asked about something none of us had considered.

"I heard special forces were also deployed along Line 3. What happened to them?”

[They have already withdrawn. No military forces remain inside Seoul.]

The speaker avoided stating the number of casualties with the practiced firmness of someone experienced, but we had Shin Nain, our Ears-branch wizard.

Despite how he looked, Shin Nain had been capable of reading minds through voices transmitted by electronic devices ever since our time at Suwon Station. Once again proving useful, he spoke during the gap between transmissions.

"Half destroyed. Half survived. 38 made it back.”

"Brutal."

The spell phone had mentioned the military as well.

Had the 66-Society and the military clashed near Line 3? A joint operation by American and Korean special forces had lost more than half its personnel. I couldn’t even imagine what had happened.

The military’s message could be divided into three main points.

1. An aerial supply drop would arrive within three days, so we should retrieve it.

2. We were to head toward Guri in eastern Seoul. Bombardment along the riverside would be restricted for one week.

3. We were requested to rescue and escort the female civilian survivor during our escape.

[This is a point at which friendly contact with local survivors inside Seoul is necessary. We understand that this will add to the burden carried by your civilian operational unit, but the military is in desperate need of more information, so we ask for your cooperation.]

Their words were polite and warm, but I could see some of the cold logic behind them.

The Supreme Archmages had entered Seoul with ordinary soldiers, and now we were suddenly claiming that we alone had encountered Go Ryeoha. Sure, they were helping us, but were we definitely still on their side? Amid their joy, I could see a tiny seed of suspicion beginning to germinate.

A wise man does not adjust his shoes in a melon patch.

In other words, someone truly innocent avoids doing anything suspicious from the outset.

Besides, there was nothing bad about taking my magic master, Go Ryeoha, outside with us and legally sucking every last drop of knowledge out of her.

Of course, ordinary fools even stupider than me would whine about not wanting to travel with Go Ryeoha or insist that we restore her sanity, but that was idiotic.

Why fix her mind?

We could gently coax her and handle her easily.

Why abandon her?

She was a powerful wizard.

And if some mentally ill kid who wasn’t even part of the Supreme Archmages got hurt, what did it matter to us?

As long as she reduced the ammunition we had to spend and fought in our place, wasn’t that enough?

Holding the bomb called Go Ryeoha in my own arms would be a tragic commitment, but throwing her at the enemy would be a decisive, lethal strike.

While I grinned happily at the thought of squeezing Go Ryeoha dry, the transmission came to an end.

"This is Konkuk. Reading you. We will rescue the civilian survivor and attempt to escape toward Guri by following the Han River. We will move after receiving the supply drop within three days. Over.”

[This is Seongnam. Reading you. The Korean Armed Forces and this officer wish the civilian operational unit good fortune in battle. Loyalty!]

When Lee Sejun lowered the receiver, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Thanks to my perfectly timed use of Hand-branch, Stage 2, [Blood of the Left Hand], the transmission had concluded with an exceptionally clear connection.

"Whew. What a relief. It ended quickly.”

"You worked hard too, Sejun-ssi. It would have been nice if you behaved like that all the time.”

"Jemin-ssi, Nain-ssi. Shouldn’t Go Ryeoha-ssi stay here because she needs to protect the survivors?”

"Sejun. That’s pathetic.”

I answered indifferently, then suddenly found myself wondering something.

Every Supreme Archmage acknowledged that the pastor’s [Redemptive Conviction] was extraordinarily powerful. So why had communication gone so smoothly while he wasn’t here?

That question was answered almost immediately.

Just as we were about to shoulder the radio, its incoming-transmission tone rang out.

"What? Did the military forget something?"

"My throat hurts from talking, so somebody else do it this time.”

"Okay."

Worried that Lee Sejun might launch into another surprise tantrum, I picked up the receiver.

"Hello~.”

"Hah. Jemin-ssi, please…Who answers a military transmission like that?”

That was the exact moment Lee Sejun sighed while staring at me.

[This is Nowon District.]

A professor-like voice, fierce yet intelligent, every word dripping with tightly suppressed anger.

[Civilian operational unit. Are you really civilians helping the military?]

It was Professor Nowon.

Everyone listening to the voice leaking from the receiver instantly stiffened.

I hesitated for a moment as well.

Maybe I should just cut the transmission.

But after looking at Hamza’s deathly pale face and thinking of the pastor, who wasn’t on the roof, I barely managed to make my decision.

If I did nothing but avoid danger, I would never be able to challenge anything. I would accept the risks I could handle.

I couldn’t let this opportunity to learn more about the person known as Professor Nowon slip away.

"Yes. We’re not soldiers. We really are civilians.”

[Why? Has the country lost its mind? First they shoot the people of Seoul, and now they’re shoving guns into outsiders’ hands and pushing them inside? They even dressed you in military uniforms?]

"Professor. What will you do for us if we tell you?”

[You seem capable of using your head, so why did you crawl into a death trap like this?]

The suffocating frustration of someone looking at a hopeless student came through the receiver.

A sigh. The soft rustle of pages turning. The sticky sound of a tongue wetting dry lips.

At the end of it, the professor spoke first.

[Alright. Since you say you’re civilians… I was somewhat rude because I thought you were soldiers. I apologize. But there is something I would like to ask. Do you intend to keep entering Seoul?]

"Yes."

It was only natural. We had dug up this much magic on our very first reconnaissance, and they expected me to be satisfied after one trip? That would be insane.

I would dig up every last thing before anyone else could.

Believing the other Supreme Archmages probably felt the same way, I answered for them.

"Aggghrraaaaaaah.”

I saw Hamza’s head whip around as he began freaking out, but he was always like that, so I ignored him.

[The military said they would provide supplies, but frankly, I couldn’t trust them at all because of what they’ve done before. Personally, I don’t even want to look at anything they offer, but we do need the supplies themselves.]

"You want us to deliver them?”

[Yes. The Society is currently preventing you from communicating with us through the spell phone, but judging by the military’s actions, once you return, they’ll actively deploy more civilian operational units and continue reconnaissance inside Seoul. They must have realized this time that even elite soldiers have clear limits if they aren’t wizards. When that happens, the Society will have no choice but to turn a blind eye to some of it. The military doesn’t appear likely to lift the blockade anytime soon, and plans to break through the blockade are being wrapped in secrecy and postponed day after day. We need a channel through which we can trade with the outside.]

"But we can’t exactly do that for you right now.”

At my words, Professor Nowon seemed to set aside his complaints for the first time and burst into a good-natured laugh.

[You crossed the Han River on a clear day, so you’ve already proven both your nerve and your ability. Judging by the Society’s assessment, every one of you appears to be a wizard as well. Frankly, inside this fog-covered Seoul, my group and I will be more reliable than the military. I’ll give you two things up front without asking for anything extra in return. I’m placing my trust in you, the people who will leave Seoul and then come back again. You said you were at Konkuk University, correct? The people of Nowon District and I are a proper survivor group. We’re also cooperating with the abandoned soldiers isolated in northern Gyeonggi.]

"This guy seems pretty decent, doesn’t he?"

"He does. Last time we spoke, he said he’d show us what he would do without guns.”

"But it’s dangerous. Whatever he’s about to say…”

"Even so, compared with the average Seoul wizard, he seems reasonable.”

When I turned around, Hamza, Lee Sejun, and Shin Nain were all raising their eyebrows in surprise.

But Shin Nain and I had noticed something else.

The part where he had mentioned Konkuk University and then described his own people as a proper survivor group.

"Go ahead…"

[First. I heard earlier that you’re escaping toward Guri, correct? We’ll hunt the monsters and make it easier for you to break through the encirclement near the riverside. We’ll draw their attention away.]

"How are we supposed to confirm that?”

[There will be fewer of the things floating in the sky.]

The first condition was a reduction in the Human-skin Jellyfish swarms.

Not bad.

"What’s the second?"

Go Ryeoha, the leader of the Konkuk group, is insane.]

"We know that."

Anyone could tell she was insane.

I was just starting to feel irritated, wondering why he was telling us something so obvious, when he continued.

[Go Ryoeha wasn't a bad person, but she broke. There aren’t any survivors beside her there, are there?]

"......"

[I’m gathering people under the selfish justification of survival too. Civilian operations Unit…Aphorism, was it? You’ve traveled through Seoul yourselves, so surely you understand. In this place, people who live only for others either go insane or die. Go Ryeoha was the former.]

A certain remark flashed through my mind.

Something the pastor, of all people, had said.

All the altruistic wizards were probably dead or had killed themselves.

[From the very beginning of the disaster, maintaining a group of 250 people in chaotic Seoul while also accepting ordinary non-wizards was impossible. Food and water were consumed far too quickly. Most Seoul wizards who realized that resorted to culling.]

"Culling..."

[They force ordinary non-wizards to learn magic. If they collapse from exhaustion, they kill them on the spot. If they refuse, they exile them. Sometimes, to keep the wizard leading the group from becoming the target of resentment, they ask wizards from another group to carry out the culling and disguise it as an attack. People who aren’t ruthless enough break under the burden. Weak people can’t easily bear the truth that, because they couldn’t save everyone, they had to kill the ordinary people who weren’t wizards.]

By this point, everyone had no choice but to realize what he was getting at.

Hamza’s face had gone deathly pale. Lee Sejun’s eyes were wide behind the lenses of his gas mask, and even Shin Nain let out an uncharacteristic groan.

But it was still only speculation.

Until Professor Nowon said it out loud.

[Go Ryeoha herself asked the Society to euthanize the ordinary survivors at Konkuk University who had failed to awaken magic. Afterward, she was unable to accept that she had done it and went insane. Be careful when you take her with you. Over. Until next time.]

-Click.

Only after I lowered the receiver did I realize that my mouth was hanging wide open.

When I removed my gas mask and brought my fist to my mouth, it slipped right inside.

After moving my lips soundlessly, I pulled my fist back out and forced my jaw shut.

Then I turned toward the Supreme Archmages, who were standing there in a daze, and spoke.

"What did the military say earlier?”

Hamza staggered before sinking to the ground.

"They said…to bring Go Ryeoha-ssi with us…”

"Oh my God.”

Operation Blue Pill.

It seemed we would have to keep it running until we escaped Seoul.

Maybe…

Even after we got out!