[Translator – Aren]
No matter how important someone was in a disaster like this, getting a hospital room all to yourself was impossible.
People groaning with all kinds of injuries steadily filled up every available space, and before I knew it, the room I was staying in had far more people packed into it than it was meant for. It looked like it had originally been a 4-person room, but now it felt more like an 8-person one.
Most of them were soldiers in combat uniforms.
Even though they were in uniform, I was technically still a civilian, so this whole thing felt extremely awkward. Mixing civilians and soldiers together like this… I don’t know. It just felt unsettling.
Most of them were hurt even worse than me, with arms and legs wrapped completely in bandages, groaning and sweating through fevers all night long.
I ended up sharing my charging cable with the soldiers who regained consciousness first.
The guy’s name was Lee Daemin, and he’d lost his right leg. I didn’t bother asking what had happened. Lee Daemin didn’t ask for my name either.
Instead, we spent our time staring at our phones, watching the world fall apart.
Beyond my cracked screen, people marched through the streets waving signs while martial law troops stood opposite them with shields raised and tanks ready to roll out.As the camera frantically zoomed in and out, the reporter on-site swallowed nervously and began speaking.
[As public outrage toward the government intensifies nationwide, and signs emerge that martial law may expand across the entire country under directives from the President and administration, now relocated to Incheon, public opinion and support continue to shift dramatically. Meanwhile, in smaller cities surrounding Daejeon, Gwangju, Busan, and other metropolitan areas, demands for a change in administration continue to grow….]
"Bullshit."
It wasn’t me who said that. As a law-abiding citizen, I could understand why people were reacting like that.
The one who muttered that delayed curse was Lee Daemin. Twisting the scar on his raised left cheek, Lee Daemin started tapping rapidly at his phone screen. Since it was a livestream, comments were flooding up the side, so out of curiosity I glanced over.
[This incompetent administration got 10 million Seoul citizens killed! Step down already!!!!!!]
[Looks like China finally launched biological warfare. Don’t get fooled, everyone. When China says they want to help, that’s exactly when we need to be on guard.]
[If the military’s just gonna shoot everyone instead of protecting ppl, then why the hell are they taking our taxes?!]
[Bullshit. If those things came pouring out, would you grab a gun and stop them?]
-Tap.
Without hesitation, I closed the chat window.
The toxic side of Korean internet culture had somehow become even more radiant after we met this disaster. Once again I found myself trembling before 5 thousand years of Korean history, one spent devoted to sharpening one’s tongue into a weapon capable of shredding another person’s mental state. So I quickly moved on to other news.
[Power shutdown imminent? Internal documents leaked, suggesting military discussions on cutting power transmission into Seoul to prevent attempts at breaching blockade lines…]
[What exactly were the monsters that overran Suwon Station? Why are the military and government still silent?]
[Hellish screams from the blockade lines… ”The military is no longer trying to protect the people”]
No matter where I looked, the news was an absolute dumpster fire.
Faced with an unprecedented crisis, the entire country had fallen into complete chaos, and nobody seemed to have the knowledge or power to give a clear answer.
Ordinary people like me were hopelessly fractured as well, with countless opinions clashing against one another.
Then one freshly posted article caught my eye.
[Exclusive) Footage of Suwon Station monsters obtained. Citizens decide for themselves.]
I casually checked the upload time.
January 18th, 1:01 PM.
The article itself was quite straightforward. Despite military and government embargoes, they had obtained leaked footage supposedly filmed by a civilian near Suwon Station.
Feeling a bit uneasy, I pressed play. At least at first glance, it didn’t look AI-generated.
Inside the swirling fog, flashing muzzle fire and gunshots mixed together with people’s screams and the Amalgams’ distinctive cries, which sounded like some grotesque brass instrument blaring through the battlefield.
Maybe it had been filmed on a smartphone, because the camera shook violently with the person’s trembling hands as they tried to run. Then an Amalgam suddenly emerged from the fog and charged.
Only then did the person filming seem to turn and run without even managing to scream. The camera shook even more violently, and naturally the military spotted them and opened fire.
Ratata......
The cameraman dropped instantly. Before long, a pool of blood spread around the fallen smartphone, and the video ended.
Comments exploded onto the screen almost immediately, and the article’s views started skyrocketing.
[Holy shit, what the hell is that?!]
[Military operation going on, and this dumbass went filming nearby lmao deserved]
[Hold on, a civilian just got gunned down, and that’s the reaction you give?]
[Not even one of those things can be allowed through……Kill them all~!!!]
If I had still been sitting safely in the rear somewhere, maybe I’d have felt some insane mix of fear and dopamine watching these articles.
Like some disgusting thrill from a zombie movie becoming reality, mixed with a twisted sense of freedom at watching the world fall apart.
But the current me had already undergone some profound personal growth and emotional maturity.
The old me would’ve immediately jumped into the comments with something like “10 million? Screw that, wipe out all 50 million if you have to~” Just to stir some shit. But the more mature version of me simply smirked and turned off the phone.
My dopamine receptors had finally been restored to factory settings.
This is why people shouldn’t get used to toxic stimulation.
Feeling my own mental health recovering, I finally understood what true freedom meant.
That was when the chatty doctor walked in.
"Baek Jemin-ssi. They're calling for you from the Suwon City Hall Command Post.”
"For me?"
"Oh don’t even get me started. Looking at your injuries, you shouldn’t be discharged until early February, but they said it was urgent enough that they didn’t care if you stayed admitted, they want you brought over immediately. Still, Baek Jemin-ssi, you’re built pretty tough, so with painkillers you should be able to make it to Suwon City Hall. But absolutely do not use your left hand!”
I had no idea what kind of logic it was to wrap someone’s arm up until it looked like a baseball bat and then tell them not to use it.
Still, it had been 8 days since I’d last gone outside. Lying around in a hospital bed was fine for a day or two, but by now I was bored out of my damn mind. I figured I’d go see what happened to everyone else while I was at it.
While I was getting ready to leave, Lee Daemin looked at me for the first time and asked,
“Hey. How exactly did your left hand get wrecked?”
I guess the only other mentally functional guy in the room disappearing was making him feel a bit unsettled.
I looked at his missing right leg for a moment, then grinned and lightly tapped the layers of bandages around my left hand.
"I shot it with a rifle once. And then I seared it with a red-hot rifle barrel.”
The chatty doctor immediately looked absolutely horrified and nearly smacked me across the back before barely stopping himself.
"Baek Jemin-ssi, that is not something to brag about, so hurry up and get going already, Lee Daemin-ssi, it’s time to change your bandages.”
And so I followed the cold nurse downstairs to the lobby.
The place was packed with injured people groaning in pain and visitors waiting for news.
Seeing a familiar face in the middle of all that almost felt like a miracle to me.
Lieutenant Shin Hangi and our quick-witted driver were killing time chatting with each other.
As I headed over, Lieutenant Shin Hangi noticed me and took off his helmet, tucking it under his arm.
"Operatior Baek Jemin-nim. You’re looking pretty lively.”
"You’re not seriously saying that, right?”
"I’m just making conversation. Everyone’s morale has been pretty lousy lately.”
Lieutenant Shin Hangi gave a bitter smile before leading me and the driver toward the requisition van.
“Dirver, no need to rush too much. The Operator’s injuries haven’t fully healed, so they’ll understand.”
"Yes, sir!”
"So this is how you slack off now?”
"Operator, with the tension and weight or responsibility this whole situation brings, you need these kinds of moments to decompress. I’m still just a lieutenant, you know? I still lack seniority to be completely immune to stress.”
And with that, we each settled into the van, slumping in our seats and letting our bodies go limp.
Well, everyone except our driver. He couldn’t relax at all. His eyes kept darting toward the rearview and side mirrors without stopping, checking every direction. Probably because he was on guard against the Amalgams. Even though there wasn't a trace of fog in sight and the weather was perfectly clear.
Seeing that, Lieutenant Shin Hangi, sitting in the passenger seat as the vehicle commander, set his helmet down on his lap and let out a deep sigh.
"I'd like to tell you not to worry…but I’m really not in a position to say that. Let’s just take it slow. Nice and slow.”
"Yes, sir!”
* * *
Suwon City Hall, when we finally arrived in the requisitioned van, had a strange atmosphere hanging over it.
Before, it had felt like a place preparing for battle, but now… How should I put this? It felt more like a place that had finished preparing to shoot anyone who got on their nerves.
You might wonder what the difference was, but before there’d still been some romantic optimism left, some lingering feeling of ‘things will probably work out somehow,’ but now the looks in people’s eyes were sharp enough to cut skin.
If you dared to step out of line now, they’d shove a rifle barrel in your face before they even bothered hitting you with the buttstock.
Lieutenant Shin Hangi only managed to get through the strict security after showing his identification and stating his rank and name. The quick-witted driver and I followed him out, and from that point on, I started noticing people treating me differently.
"That’s Operator Bek Jemin-nim, so make sure you all show proper respect.”
The moment Lieutenant Shin Hangi dropped that warning, those knife-sharp stares shifted into something strange. They suddenly deliberately tried to look elsewhere while still sneaking glances my way because they couldn't hold back their curiosity.
I was just a civilian wearing combat fatigues with no helmet and with a ton of bandages wrapped around me, but seeing soldiers react this way after those 8 days felt weirdly new.
Keeping pace beside Lieutenant Shin Hangi, I lowered my voice and asked,
"What’s up with these people?”
"After the fog outbreak incident, there was a reevaluation of Localized Invasive Structural Alteration phenomena and civilian Operators. That’s why they’re calling everyone in this time.”
As we walked through Suwon City Hall, a familiar conference room came into view.
Heavily-armed soldiers were already standing guard outside the entrance. The moment they saw Lieutenant Shin Hangi, they silently saluted and stepped aside.
When we entered, familiar faces were waiting inside.
Senior officers in full combat gear, the nameless colonel leading them, and scattered throughout the room, wizards already seated in their places. And among them…even Hamza, the honorary Korean in the turban who’d bailed at the first opportunity, was sitting there.
Looking around instinctively, I realized there were more survivors than I’d expected.
"Hm? You’re here, Baek Jemin-ssi.”
Pastor Park Yohan glanced over while adjusting the slender frame of his glasses.
"You didn’t strike me as the kind of person who’d go down that easily.”
Calmly smiling with his palms pressed together, Monk Cheonghwi greeted me.
And over there, Hamza, Shin Nain, and Sergeant Lee Sejun all blinked at me before waving. None of us had really been that close before, but surviving one absolutely hellish place together must have caused our camaraderie meters to explode.
As I took my seat, I vaguely heard Lieutenant Shin Hangi walk up to the colonel and report with a salute.
"Attention. I’ve brought Operator Baek Jemin, sir.”
"Good. Nice work.”
"Sir.”
Lieutenant Shin Hangi took a place at the end of the officer line.
Only then did the nameless colonel look over us with bloodshot, exhausted eyes. He let out a sigh while rubbing the dark stubble that had grown in from not shaving.
After taking a moment to collect himself, he finally started speaking.
"First, I’d like to explain that Hamza–si did not abandon the operation.”
The colonel tapped the blank white screen with his hand and calmly continued.
"Hamza-ssi ran alone as far as the area near Seryu Station and linked up with the 31 personnel stationed there. During the collision incident in Suwon Sation Line 1’s underground platform, he also played a significant role in rescuing Sergeant Lee Sejun, Shin Nain, and others who escaped via the opposite rail line while holding back pursuing Amaglams. We have decided, following Hamza’s own suggestion, to designate his magic as [Angel’s Intuition].”
"Angels Intuition?”
Pastor Park Yohan frowned as he asked, and this time Hamza immediately jumped in to defend himself.
"The Quran. The words of Muhammad, guided by the angel Jibril. Surely Jibril granted me inspiration and led me.”
"Hey you damn bastard. Since when did Gabriel become Jibril just because you people decided so?”
"Pastor Park, enough. Anyway, since Hamza-ssi identified himself as Sunni Muslim, if similar magic manifests among Sunni believers in the future, we’ll classify it as Dogma-type magic and designate it as [Angel’s Intuition]. Save the religious debates for later. Thanks to him, Shin Nain-ssi and Sergeant Lee Sejun survived.”
Pastor Park Yohan glanced over at Shin Nain and Lee Sejung, then folded his arms with an openly dissatisfied expression.
Only Monk Cheonghwi’s quietly murmured chant cut through the silence in the room.
The colonel seemed to realize things had calmed down slightly and rubbed his eyes before straightening himself.
"The reason we’ve gathered the Operators here today is because testimony from the field has proven that these Localized Invasive Structural Alteration phenomena…or magic, as we call it, are far more useful and far more powerful than the military initially believed.”
The officers said nothing while he spoke.
Instead, they remained standing at ease, looking over us while trying to maintain expressionless faces. Though they couldn’t hide the exhaustion on them.
Only the colonel openly displayed his raw fatigue as he continued.
"As such, the military has decided to fully share detailed and confirmed information regarding this incident with all Operators. However, you must agree to a confidentiality pledge stating that you will not disclose any of this information to the media or outside parties. This information is classified at level 3 secrecy or above. Violations may be prosecuted under martial law through military court proceedings rather than civilian courts.”
"Martial law?”
"Martial law will be expanded to include Gyeonggi Province starting January 18th at 4 PM."
‘Hmm…do I really need to know all this…?’
One part of me genuinely thought that, but another part of me immediately clicked its tongue and called out my own laziness.
‘Don’t you want to learn stronger magic? If you want stronger magic, you need information! You’re seriously planning to walk into the fog blind? Are you insane?’
Hearing that voice of reason made me realize just how lazy and complacent I’d been. Right. Only thorough preparation lets one survive the hell inside the fog.
Straightening my posture and steadying my breathing, I prepared myself to listen carefully as the colonel ordered his subordinates to begin handing out binders filled with documents to the wizards.
The first thing was a confidentiality agreement.
"You can either sign or stamp it with your fingerprint."
"I don’t see any ink pad.”
-Click.
The instant I said it, one appeared. Watching them pull it out immediately made me seriously reconsider whether the Korean military had always been this ridiculously prepared.
Why were they acting so different? The military I knew was a place where nothing was ever where it was supposed to be, and whenever inspections came around, they’d borrow supplies from neighboring units like it was a daily routine.
Feeling conflicted, I pressed my fingerprint onto the confidentiality agreement and handed it back. The officers collected them again, and replacing the paper that left my hands was finally an actual document file.
[Seoul Lockdown Timeline]
That was when a PowerPoint appeared on the white screen.
The colonel’s expression sank slightly, just slightly, before he started speaking.
"We’ll begin with the first report of the fog…”
* * *
November 24th, 2027, 3:48 AM.
Initial fog manifestation reported in Bukhansan area. Classified as an unusual weather phenomenon. No full investigation conducted.
December 3rd, 2027, 2:43 Am
First encounter with Cranial Fusion-type Mimetic Organism, codename Amalgam. The government first became aware of its existence after nearby residents filed reports. CCTV footage captured police fleeing toward a station building, only for the creature to hear the sirens of parked police vehicles and flee in apparent surprise.
December 5th, 2027, 10:16 AM.
First reconnaissance operation carried out within an area where visibility inside the fog had become critically limited.
December 6th, 2027, 4:03 AM.
Reconnaissance failed. Contact lost. Bodycam footage revealed that Amalgams hunted intelligently, using surrounding terrain as cover and approaching while disguised as humans.
December 8th, 2027, 11:00 Am
Restricted zones established within areas where fog visibility fell below 50m in an attempt to contain and prevent Amalgam spread.
December 13th, 2027, 3:22 PM.
Police Special Forces successfully neutralized an Amalgam specimen. Confirmed vulnerable to rapid temperature shifts and heat. Death confirmed when a critical amount of bodily fluid leaked from the primary body structure, the head. Recovery and research of Amalgam corpses initiated.
December 14th, 2027, 9:00 AM.
Amalgam hunting behavior, mimicry, and infection potential judged excessively dangerous. Need to prevent civilian evacuation from Seoul confirmed. Police forces alone deemed insufficient.
December 14th, 2027, 3:12 PM
Containment attempts disguised as public disorder and civil unrest. Partial security martial law declared under the guise of civilian aid and public support operations. Redeployment of personnel and material resources initiated.
December 17th, 2027, 8:17 AM.
Attempt made to separate a fused Amalgam victim, Nearly resulted in biological catastrophe. Facility incinerated as a response. Following this incident, all rescue attempts and corpse retrieval operations prohibited.
December 18th, 2027, 1:00 PM
As fog spread and Amalgam activity range increased, additional restricted zones established. Cooperative framework with the US Embassy initiated.
December 23rd, 2027, 2:13 PM
Amalgam engagement tactics established.
Military, police, and fire departments successfully prevented Amalgams from breaching restricted areas.
December 24th, 2027, 1:34 AM
A different type of anomalous organism distinct from Amaglams discovered at a redevelopment construction site.
December 24th, 2027, 3:11 PM.
Based on biological characteristics and appearance, the newly discovered organism designated ‘Autonomous Mobile Spinal Extraction Entity.’ Experts first raised concerns that Seoul’s ecosystem might be gradually being replaced by an alien one.
December 28th, 2027, 10:00 AM
Countermeasures against Autonomous Mobile Spinal Extraction Entities established. Tactics involving temporary immobilization using pressure from fire hydrants/ and extinguishers and abrupt body temperature changes confirmed effective. Photosensitivity also confirmed. However, due to extreme lethality, high-grade body armor and shields required.
January 1st, 2028
Containment of anomalous organisms outside restricted zones judged successful.
January 2nd, 2028, 7:14 PM
Unidentified anomalous organisms discovered near a Seoul wastewater treatment facility while investigating the disappearance of maintenance workers sent underground.
January 3rd, 2028, 2:11 AM
Confirmed to be cellular colonies originating from human DNA. Designated as ‘Cellular Degenerative Colony Organism.’ First indications that complete containment of the situation may be impossible. Concerns raised regarding an explosive critical threshold for anomalous organism emergence.
January 3rd, 2028, 8:05 AM.
Final reconnaissance attempt conducted inside the restricted zone.
January 4th, 2028, 1:00 PM
Circumstantial evidence discovered within the restricted zone suggesting the existence of additional unidentified species beyond the three already cataloged.
January 4th, 2028, 4:11 PM
Due to risks of Amalgam infection and possible infection from unidentified species, quarantine and evacuation procedures initiated for VIP personnel.
January 6th, 2028, 2:13 AM
Fog visibility began rapidly deteriorating to extreme levels.
January 6th, 2028, 2:31
Critical threshold breached.
January 6th, 2028, 8:11 AM
Containment orders issued to military units stationed along Seoul’s major outer roads.
January 6th, 2028, 11:34 AM
State of emergency martial law declared across all of Seoul. Lethal force and open fire authorization granted.
January 6th, 2028, 1:46 PM
General mobilization order declared.
* * *
After hearing the explanation of everything that had happened, I smacked my lips absentmindedly and flipped through the pages for no particular reason.
"Um."
"Yes, Operator Baek Jemin-nim? If you have a question, go ahead.”
"Where’s the information about magic?”
It felt like a completely reasonable question, but everyone was staring at me like I’d just lost my mind.