Chapter 77 - The Mage Who Recycles Trash

Me, Shin Na-in, Lee Se-jun, and Hamza.

A heavy silence settled over the four of us as we descended the stairs from the roof. It was probably because of the radio conversations we'd just had.

Then Lee Se-jun finished agonizing.

"Come to think of it, we didn't tell them about the fog, did we?"

"Huh?"

"Isn't that the most important piece of information? Should we go back up?"

"Didn't you leave it out on purpose?"

"Why would I do that?"

Lee Se-jun readjusted the 999K on his shoulder like he'd committed a crime. The radio looked like a heavy tin can, and I let out a hollow laugh.

I'd thought he'd kept quiet because his schemes were so subtle and unfathomably deep. Apparently not. Hamza frowned and tilted his head, seemingly unsure what to make of it.

Rather than watch that disgusting bastard Shin Na-in launch into some impressive-sounding speech, I decided to step in myself.

I beckoned to Lee Se-jun and started down the stairs again.

"Look. We didn't know the fog was helping us either. Neither did you, right, Se-jun?"

"R-right?"

It was obvious he hadn't thought about it, but I decided to let it slide and play along.

"But the fog only helps us mages. It reduces magical backlash and weakens monsters. For mages, the fog really is an ally. It's different for the military, though. Weaker monsters are nice, but that's all they get."

"Ultimately, modern weapons are systems designed to deliver firepower with precision."

Shin Na-in couldn't keep his mouth shut any longer and interrupted, making me scowl.

Still, I could tell his explanation was much more direct than the lesson I'd tailored to Lee Se-jun's level.

"Unless they can clear this fog, they'll have to employ detection methods such as thermal imaging or infrared. Those should allow some degree of identification. But did the things we've encountered in Seoul actually obey the laws of physics? These servants of Satan merely imitate those laws to deceive reality."

"Imitate them?"

Lee Se-jun raised his eyes as he asked. Shin Na-in spoke as though intoxicated with himself, apparently forgetting even his own disgusting behavior.

"Under the laws of the almighty Lord, the powers of hell cannot invade this world. To remain here, devils must deceive His laws by possessing people or creating followers. Countless works of media emphasize this, and even in the Bible, devils merely persuade people to turn away from the Lord. They dare not act directly themselves. These devils cannot possibly belong to this world, so naturally they must have come from hell!"

Shin Na-in seemed almost certain that these monsters were imitating reality's laws.

We trudged down the ten flights of stairs, forced to listen to him.

"Yet people today, estranged from the Lord, do not understand this obvious truth. Even as the powers of hell invade, they dare to judge Satan's hordes with their paltry human wisdom. If we insist that the fog must not be cleared, they'll resist us instead."

"What? Na-in, isn't that going a little too far?"

"Even if they don't resist, they'll be suspicious of us."

Hamza's eyes widened as he questioned him, so I took control of the conversation again.

I shot Shin Na-in a glare telling him to stop showing off, then flexed the left hand Hamza had bandaged before we came down.

"If we tell people the fog is on our side and mustn't be cleared, do you think they'll just say, 'Oh, I see,' and accept it? What's the essence of that argument? There's no solution to the crisis, and the military just has to fight around the fog. Meanwhile, only the mages get to reap the benefits."

"...!"

"Especially since the military must know there's a group of mages inside Seoul. The fog gives mages alone an overwhelming advantage. Non-mages can't compare how strong monsters are in the fog versus in sunlight. Most of them will fucking die as soon as they enter it. The military wants to shell the place, send fighters, send drones, send tanks, but we tell them they can't. And when they ask why, we say the monsters get stronger when the fog clears."

Right.

As I walked down the stairs, talking it through helped me organize my thoughts on why I'd taken it for granted that we shouldn't tell them the truth about the fog.

"Clearing the fog will only fuck us over worse, so let's just keep holding out like this. Until another solution turns up, let's keep living this way, even though we have no idea when this shit will end. Do you think ordinary people who aren't even mages can accept that? What do you think the military holding the cordon right now will think when they hear it?"

It offered no hope.

It even drove home how powerless ordinary non-mages were to do anything.

It might have been different coming from ordinary people, but unfortunately, we were mages.

If we spouted that while stranded inside Seoul, would the military outside really take it at face value? They must know about the Society of 66, too.

Wasn't expecting everyone to unite once we told them the truth about the fog positively overflowing with excessive faith in humanity and optimism about the situation?

To put it less politely, I considered that lazy thinking.

Having worked with the military all this time, we Supreme Mages knew they'd been doing everything they could.

We didn't have to look any farther than Konkuk University. Seeing the shitshow inside Seoul made it clear how fiercely the military had held the line.

It had been an iron-fisted decision to abandon ten million lives in Seoul and northern Gyeonggi without mercy, so that at least forty million could survive.

A heartbreaking resolve to throw away morals, ethics, politics, and everything else for survival.

That was why forty million Koreans were still alive outside without becoming monsters, even if they were still tearing at one another's hair.

But.

Put another way, it meant they could abandon us Supreme Mages, too, the moment they judged us dangerous.

I still remembered the rule of engagement: 'Rescue strictly prohibited.' Rescue strictly prohibited. It seemed cold, but in this crisis, it was a rational, reasonable measure.

And people couldn't help feeling wronged when rationality and reason took aim at them.

"It won't be too late to tell them the truth about the fog once we're outside. It won't even be too late after the Supreme Mages make our triumphant return and enjoy a few perks. If they've already pressed the nuclear button, it's out of our hands anyway."

"Je-min, the way you think is a little terrifying."

Hamza made a fuss, but didn't reprimand me. Apparently he thought I had a point.

"I want to learn magic. Dying while proclaiming the truth isn't my goal. Our value is already sky-high. We can name our price, so there's no need to damage our own worth."

There was one perfectly obvious fact people often forgot.

I was me. The nation was the nation.

I knew very well that the nation's survival overlapped with my own in many ways, but didn't unconditionally guarantee it.

Of course, out of manly loyalty, I'd done plenty to accommodate the nation, but there were lines I could never yield on.

I hoped the military wouldn't hold this sort of thing against me.

Honestly, wasn't the manly Baek Je-min already top-tier talent? I'd answered the mobilization order, achieved all sorts of distinguished feats as a civilian Operator, and charged into Seoul instead of running away.

Besides, the fog wasn't what we really needed to worry about.

Never had I been so relieved by the fact that ten flights of stairs were so damn long. They delayed our arrival at the underground laboratory, even if only a little.

Shin Na-in read my thoughts, narrowed his eyes, and spoke firmly.

"Professor Nowon District was more advanced than I am. Mind Reading didn't work on him."

"So we can't tell whether it's true."

"But it seems highly likely. We need to interrogate Go Ryeo-ha."

"And do what?"

"Make her understand the sin she committed."

BRRRRR.

That vibrating sound wasn't my sorcery phone. It was Hamza frantically flapping both hands.

He couldn't even bring himself to say, 'Please don't,' so he just waved his hands like a madman.

I agreed with him. Fighting Go Ryeo-ha now would only burn through our resources.

"Will making her understand change anything?"

"She could repent. Even if it means being sentenced to death."

"Je-min! Hamza! I told you from the start that Ryeo-ha was dangerous. I wholeheartedly agree with Na-in."

"Se-jun, please..."

Fifth floor.

For the first time, the Supreme Mages were clearly divided.

Shin Na-in and Lee Se-jun formed an unlikely duo.

Kill Go Ryeo-ha.

Hamza and I, being sensible people, said otherwise.

Take Go Ryeo-ha out alive.

"Not everything the professor said will be true in the first place. More importantly, Professor Nowon District is more dangerous, and he didn't deny colluding with the Society of 66. The Society's wishes must have played a major role."

Hamza's rebuttal was calm and composed.

The logic was simple and clear enough for anyone to nod along.

But then Lee Se-jun unleashed an astonishingly intellectual counterargument.

"But the professor has very little to gain from lying. Let's say the Society of 66 wants Go Ryeo-ha killed and used him to drive a wedge between us. Yet the professor never once told us to kill her. He left it entirely to our judgment. Before we even consider whether he was trying to evade responsibility, that means the Society has trouble controlling her now that she's mentally broken. Should we really take someone that dangerous out with us?"

"Lee Se-jun, you fucking bastard."

How could anyone's inner and outer selves be so perfectly aligned?

Did his IQ really shoot up this desperately the instant he spotted a chance to get rid of Go Ryeo-ha?

Shin Na-in frowned and gave Lee Se-jun a sidelong look, too. But knowing they were on the same side, he ignored that ugly inner self and added his own opinion.

"Besides, we still haven't fully explained the initial survivor count of 250. The past sight Je-min and I examined only revealed how the fifty-eight bodies came to be. It didn't tell us what happened to the dozens of mages at Konkuk University. Even adding them all together wouldn't get us to 250. It's difficult to determine whether there had been ongoing culling beforehand or people had left because of food and water shortages. We don't know the whereabouts of every survivor, and the account that she enlisted another group to kill them is likely true. Even if only to verify whether it is false... for Go Ryeo-ha's own sake, we must make her face the truth."

"For Go Ryeo-ha's own sake?"

"Someone who sins and then forgets it cannot be saved."

Third floor.

I, Baek Je-min, finally opened my mouth to end the debate.

"The fundamental mistake in this whole situation was the survivors' attitude toward magic."

"What?"

"Huh?"

"Je-min. What are you talking about now?"

Proud of having a more neutral, objective perspective than anyone else, I assessed what had happened at Konkuk University.

Assuming Professor Nowon District had told the truth, of course.

Go Ryeo-ha.

She was a powerful mage, but not mentally strong enough to cull people.

No, she considered taking risks to learn magic wrong.

The Konkuk University mages.

They were mediocrities inferior to me, but I acknowledged the effort they'd put in as mages who'd started before me.

Yet a legitimate arrangement had developed in which they alone could enjoy the power of magic, and they couldn't be happy about it.

If it had been me, I'd have been grateful that ordinary people weren't learning magic. I'd have lived smiling, knowing I could remain special for all eternity.

The ordinary non-mages.

They were the hardest for me to understand. Still, not wanting pain was natural, so it wasn't as if I couldn't sympathize at all.

But why had they despaired at the fact that they had to be prepared to die to learn magic?

If they didn't learn it, they'd die anyway, or meet a similar end.

Besides, magic didn't ask you to hand over hundreds of millions of won. It granted almighty power as long as you endured pain.

Study? Unnecessary. Just retch and retch until you're on the verge of death, and knowledge of magic gets shoved into your brain on its own.

Power? Just live in pain. You could make your opponent hurt as much as you did.

Fear? Wasn't the hollow prospect of my life disappearing without any value more frightening than death?

With a power like magic in existence, wasn't true despair having the ladder kicked away—being the only one unable to see its ultimate heights, potentially trapped for eternity?

In an age of uncertain rewards, magic was the blessing that repaid you most honestly.

You shall take in proportion to your pain. You shall gain in proportion to your struggle.

Rather than die regretting that I never attempted magic, I would challenge it and die without regret the moment I reached my limit!

"They all ended up like this because they lacked that kind of hungry determination. Got it?"

First floor.

Everyone was speechless until Shin Na-in spoke.

"Let's put Baek Je-min in sole charge of Go Ryeo-ha."

* * *

April 22, 2028, 7:14 p.m.

Expedition Day Eight.

We Supreme Mages decided to stay with Go Ryeo-ha until the supplies the Armed Forces had promised were airdropped.

The Armed Forces wanted us to bring her out, but after swallowing far too many red pills, we weren't keen on the idea. We tried to leave her behind naturally.

Thanks to the unfair favoritism of [Soteriological Conviction], our Pastor Park Yo-han hadn't heard Professor Nowon District's bombshell. He knew absolutely nothing about the truth that Go Ryeo-ha had requested euthanasia. Naturally, we hadn't told him, either.

He wasn't an ear mage, so there was no way he could have heard our radio exchange on the roof, and we had no particular intention of telling him.

With his temperament, he'd only kick up a fuss like Shin Na-in if he knew.

That grand undertaking fell to me, Baek Je-min.

I forced my eyes wide open to keep from dozing through Go Ryeo-ha's explanations of the Five Elements, the Five Directions, and all that damned stuff, then spoke.

"You're truly remarkable, Teacher."

"What? Ahaha, junior? Where did that come from?"

"I mean it sincerely. I'm deeply moved by how you work night and day to protect so many survivors in these difficult times. Even amid this national calamity, wildflowers still bloom."

"A-ahaha... Thank you! I... haven't heard anything like that in such a long time...!"

"Baek Je-min. When did you get such a smooth tongue? You little rascal, have you always been able to reel off such polite remarks?"

I heard the watching pastor give a hollow chuckle, but I was fucking serious right now.

I slowly shook my head, putting on an act to deliberately show how full of regret I was.

"In my heart, I'd like you to leave with us, Teacher. But thinking of all the people here who trust and follow only you, I suppose it can't be helped. Naturally, you'll stay here."

Operation Blue Pill, Plan B.

Go Ryeo-ha seemed far too insane, so I'd use her delusion that the survivors were alive to tether her here. It was the smoothest, most elegant, safest way to handle the responsibility those fucking Shitphorism bastards had dumped on me.

Once we got out of Seoul, couldn't I just ask for a barrage of shells on Konkuk University and have Go Ryeo-ha disappear, too?

We wouldn't have to kill her ourselves, we could shift the responsibility elsewhere, and if we said she'd stayed to protect the survivors, she'd be remembered forever as one of Seoul's few heartwarming stories.

I'd come up with it myself, but the plan was simply too perfect.

Admiring my own plan, I couldn't help gently closing my eyes.

"I wish to honor this weighty decision you've made out of your humanistic values, Teacher..."

Just as I was endlessly laying the groundwork to complete a beautiful, heartwarming tale blooming in Seoul's harsh concrete tomb, my wrist was seized.

The grip was unimaginably rough.

And that wasn't all.

That subtle pressure returned, bearing down on the back of my neck.

Feeling cold sweat trickle down my back, I opened my eyes very slowly.

There was Go Ryeo-ha, lightly waving her left hand and laughing awkwardly—ahaha—while she kept hold of my wrist and stroked it for no apparent reason.

"It's fine! I got permission!"

"From whom?"

"From everyone, of course. I promised I'd come back for them, so they encouraged me not to miss this chance and to go with you!"

CLAP, CLAP, CLAP...

I wondered who was clapping. It was the pastor.

Knowing nothing of what had really happened, Pastor Park Yo-han rubbed the corner of his eye with his index finger and spoke in a voice full of emotion.

"Everyone's helping one another get by. Even in this hell."

"Ahaha..."

Apparently, when a pretty woman grabs your wrist, you get goose bumps and your eyes drift toward her breasts for no reason.

I felt an archmage's reason, a man's instincts, and ordinary human emotions tangling together, and I couldn't fight off my bewilderment.

I knew I had to shake her off.

My reason should have been telling me to pull away and shout, 'You stay here'...

But the sensation of a woman's soft touch and the response in my lower body were clouding my judgment. The only thing allowing me to withstand it was an archmage's reason.

Baek Je-min. Get a grip.

Magic mattered more than carnal desire.

Remember only the attainment of magic—your salvation and hope, your joy and ecstasy, your pain and your everything!

As I wrestled with that inner temptation, Go Ryeo-ha discreetly let go of my hand and spoke.

"My squishy junior. I really can be a lot of help. I'll work hard enough to deserve everyone's encouragement. Okay?"

Go Ryeo-ha's madness was shallow, but tenacious.

She knew the truth subconsciously, yet her reason rejected it.

It was obvious all hell would break loose the moment I interrogated her with, 'You're not crazy, are you?'

So I decided to take a step back and ask instead.

"What kind of help?"

"I'll make you various fetish objects suited to the Way of the Five Elements. I can make things like these Fire Marquis Hands, or something similar to a Four-Tiger Sword. What do you think?"

At that moment, I finally couldn't hold back. My eyes flew wide open.

How dare this seductive bitch...!

"Teacher, let's go together. Could you enhance a rain poncho, too?"

"Of course!"

"Je-min!!!"

"Now, now!"

Before Lee Se-jun, who was grinding his teeth, Hamza, whose mouth hung open, and Shin Na-in, who glared in horror, I shouted loudly.

"Hamza. What does the angel say?"

"Th-that she isn't dangerous... Hah..."

"See?"

"What do you mean, 'See'? Je-min, this is Satan's trickery. You mustn't succumb to greed!"

Faced with Hamza and Shin Na-in's objections, I launched into a humanistic lecture on rehabilitation.

"Forgiveness and love. Haven't you heard of them?"

"That's fucking..."

Just as Lee Se-jun began grumbling, the pastor clapped and came to stand beside me.

"Baek Je-min. Didn't I tell you that you were youth-group leader material? Everyone might have seen Ryeo-ha's shortcomings in her situation and felt disappointed. You might have accused her of abandoning the survivors and running away. But when you consider how she'll help people once she gets out, this is the Lord's providence for the greater good."

"Pastor..."

Shin Na-in started to say something, then pressed his lips shut, apparently realizing that [Soteriological Conviction] might break.

I wholeheartedly agreed with the pastor, too.

People could go crazy in such a harsh, brutal environment.

More importantly, I'd never met a bad person who offered me gear.

I scurried over to Hamza, Lee Se-jun, and Shin Na-in and whispered.

"She said she'd give us gear. Gear."

"Ha... You fucking... Je-min, are you insane?"

"Oh, come on. Guys, harsh punishment doesn't accomplish anything. And, huh? Did the ordinary non-mages do everything right? Besides, the professor could be lying. If there's even the slightest possibility, we should presume she's innocent!"

Of course, I was also ready to mercilessly slice Go Ryeo-ha apart, accepting blindness as the price, if she seemed about to truly lose her mind.

But if possible, wouldn't it be better on several fronts to keep feeding her the blue pill and take her out with us?

Shin Na-in read those thoughts, sighed, and spoke.

"Je-min. What will you do if Go Ryeo-ha becomes dependent on you?"

"No, no. That won't happen. I've lived twenty-eight years without dating a woman once. I'm the sort of man women wouldn't take even for free, so there's no problem."

"Lunatics are lunatics precisely because they're incapable of that sort of objective value judgment."

The way this bastard talked was pretty fucking obnoxious, but I decided to bear it.

It was time for rational persuasion.

"We need somewhere to stay for two or three days anyway. There really could be a chance that this Professor Nowon District was trying to turn us against each other, and the Armed Forces told us to bring Go Ryeo-ha out for now. The professor could change his mind while we're leaving. The Society of 66 could interfere, or an unexpected monster could ambush us. Something could happen on the military's end and delay our escape."

"..."

"I might look like human garbage, but I'm not the kind of person who casually discards people I've grown attached to. Our Supreme Mages are worth more than other people, at least. You're precious treasures. But it's a miracle that all five of us have survived safely this far. We don't know what crisis we'll face, and we might end up in a situation where someone has to be spent."

I glanced at the pastor fussing over Go Ryeo-ha, then turned back to Hamza, Shin Na-in, and Lee Se-jun, who had calmed down a little.

"If she's useful, we use her. If we fix her head and she gets better, well, maybe she can become a Supreme Mage. But not yet. We're in a danger zone, and we won't spare the cards we need to play to escape it. We already accepted the risk of entering Seoul. If a risk is manageable, we use it to face the risks we can't control."

We are madness against madness.

Absurdity against absurdity.

Only after I recited that motto did everyone finally seem convinced.

"Je-min. You're really not doing this because she said she'd give you gear, right?"

"Hey. Let me get some gear."