The phenomena that had been previously incomprehensible could now be explained. Instead of invading them directly, the monster corps had no choice but to open gates near the capital cities of each country. This was likely due to the power of the Old One, who had desired to conquer the earth, which would have impeded their efforts.
When I entered the gate with Yeon-Hee for the last time, the shouts of the Awakened came to a stop as a nostalgic sight that they couldn’t even see in their dreams unfolded in front of them. We were in the middle of the intersection.
「City Hall Intersection」
The road was empty, and the traffic lights were turned off as if they had been dead for a long time. The only things that were vivid were the colorful vases on the sidewalks and blue lights reflected from the signs installed at every junction of the road. These were the true colors of our home!
「↑ Jungang-ro
← Seoul · Sadang · Yangjae
→ Gwacheon Government Complex · City Hall · City Council 」
「 Driving at red light strictly prohibited · Follow the sign 」
「 City Hall Intersection 」
「 → Gwacheon Foreign Language School · Gwacheon Girls’ High School 」
I wasn’t the only one who was scanning the Korean letters on iron signs. Everyone was turning their heads around. Some even murmured the words written on the sign aloud.
The sound of the loudspeaker went off, and everyone focused on it.
“This is a real emergency situation. Please follow the orders from the military and evacuate accordingly. This is a real emergency situation. Please follow the orders -”
A military vehicle with a loudspeaker was the only thing moving on the road.
“I’m terribly glad to see you again, you military punks.”
However, only Seong-Il greeted the vehicle. The other Awakened regarded the vehicle that was approaching us quickly as if it was a monster. It was possibly due to their traumatic memories regarding the soldiers from Act One.
Seong-Il looked back at me as if he was asking for permission. I nodded. Seong-Il’s speed shot up within one second, and he was now faster than that of the military car. He quickly approached the vehicle and rushed into the driver’s seat. The sound of the vehicle braking suddenly was loud and nostalgic. The skid mark was clear behind white smoke.
“What are you surprised about?”
Seong-Il expressed his excitement at the driver’s window. The soldiers disembarked from the passenger and back seats, while the driver remained stunned and speechless. They put their index fingers on the trigger while looking at us as if they had never seen such creatures before.
Although they weren’t aiming their guns toward us, they seemed to have instinctively felt the danger lurking in us. Even those with poor instincts would have found it unusual to see blood on us.
Seong-Il looked at me with an absurd face. I pointed at the military car and Seoul, then Seong-Il grasped the meaning immediately.
“We will take care of this place, so mind your own business,” he announced,
The soldier who got off the passenger seat yelled at him, “Who are you?!”
Seong-Il seemed to be smiling because his voice sounded mischievous. He was sincerely happy that he had returned home. “We are the warriors who have come back from hell.”
“What do you mean…” the soldier sputtered.
Thud!
Seong-Il punched the hood of the car, then he lifted the front end of the military vehicle, which had risen as a result of the impact from his hit. He pointed to a side of the road while grabbing the car on the other hand.
He stated bluntly, “Get out of the way. Don’t intervene because you will die.”
“A…are you guys… Awakened?” stuttered the soldier.
Seong-Il retorted, “Then what else are we? Do you have any hardtack?”
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***
Yeon-Hee breathed heavily, then flared her small nostrils. Her voice was also filled with happiness as she smelled something delicious. There were not only public offices like the police station and fire department, but also the city hall and hotels in the area. Even if it had all been abandoned, there were abundant food ingredients and cooked dishes left everywhere.
However, the hardtack was enough for now. Seong-Il took the food away from the soldiers and shared them with everyone.
Crunch.
Meanwhile, Lee Tae-Han couldn’t take his eyes off the rooftop signs on the commercial building. I thought he was looking for something related to the Ilsung Group, but that wasn’t true. His eyes were fixed on the sign of Daehoo Securities.
I wondered if he was recalling how Jeonil Investment became Jeonil Group by acquiring Daehoo Group. Then, he probably began thinking about how the Jeonil Club was connected to everything.
Seong-Il broke pieces of hardtack into his mouth as he said, “Over there.”
It was from the Seoul Grand Park. I could hear the roar from there by slightly increasing my Sense. Yeon-Hee said that this era was over, but there were still some remnants remaining.
In the past, the Kciphos Corps had been divided into two troops once they entered Gwacheon. One headed to Gwanak-gu[1] by crossing Gwanaksan Mountain, and the other struck Seoul by entering Bangbae-dong[2] after taking Gwacheon-daero. This era would truly end only after eliminating those monsters.
The monsters hadn’t yet been separated into two troops. They were coming out from the extremely poor D-class gate.
I let the severely injured stay behind and sent the rest in that direction.
“My babies live here. Don’t leave anything behind!”
When Seong-Il stomped, the asphalt road broke into pieces and raised debris. Then, he ran quickly using big movements.
Everyone took a shortcut in the direction of where the monsters were gathered. No one used the open road. High-level Awakened such as Seong-Il and Lee Tae-Han leapt over the buildings. The others who couldn’t jump as high quickly jumped over the shorter, tightly shut iron doors of government offices and disappeared.
In an instant, the only people left around me were the seriously injured ones, Yeon-Hee, her pet, and Orca.
“Are you not going?” Yeon-Hee asked.
I replied, “I better give them a chance first.”
It was their opportunity to protect their home with their own hands. Also, it was impossible to fail since Seong-Il and Lee Tae-Han were there.
***
The sign said ‘Grand Park Road,’ but tanks were blocking the six-lane road. The tanks didn’t have faces, but I could tell what the young soldiers who were armed with rifles behind the tanks were feeling. They were frightened because they knew that the monster corps had made significant progress toward their location.
In addition, the military commander seemed to have a mission to take charge of the first gateway to Seoul, so he turned on the audio to boost their morale. It was Joshua’s speech at a press conference, which had been recorded again by a Korean voice actor.
“The realm known as the Stage of Advent operates on a separate temporal plane from our own. While time may pass within that realm, it does not here. As such, we may reappear fully armed and prepared at any moment, as if we are eliminating threats.”
“We ask that you await the return of those who will enter the Stage of Advent. And to those among us who will be undertaking the trials within that realm, please keep this message and us in mind. Together, we can overcome the dangers that threaten the New World.”
If he knew the truth back then, then the last sentences of his speech would have been different.
I heard the commotion of the battle in the direction of Seoul Grand Park. However, it only sounded like the roar was growing louder to the soldiers, so the commander promptly turned off the audio and ordered them to prepare themselves for action.
When the commander picked up the walkie-talkie, I was in front of him. The files in his hand were then blown away by the wind. The Armored Brigade 2 was in charge of the first gateway to Seoul.
I stated, “There is no need. We will put down monsters. We are the Awakened.”
I pointed at his walkie-talkie with my eyes. Even then, the commander and soldiers around him didn’t know what to do. It was difficult for people to accept that a supernatural being had suddenly appeared in front of them.
Then, a soldier approached with a tablet PC. Yeon-Hee joined behind me and looked at the tablet PC with sparkling eyes. A video filmed from above was being delivered at the moment. It was a crucible of slaughter there. The Awakened were raving, and modern technology couldn’t even track Seong-Il’s movement. Wherever the black dot, believed to be Seong-Il, went, blood splashed here and there.
Seong-Il was already at the top of the gigantic Kciphos’s head. Right then, the camera captured the top of Seong-Il’s head and wide shoulder line.
That was all. The camera failed to film how Seong-Il blew the giant monster up. The black dot shifted again. He was mercilessly killing monsters, and some of the other Awakened were darting swiftly among the monsters as if the video had been fast-forwarded.
It reminded me of the moment I replayed the video of the Eight Evils and the Eight Virtues fighting against the incarnation of Doom Caso multiple times. No matter how much I slowed down the video, it was challenging to keep track of their movements. It was impossible to follow their speed unless I watched the scene in person. That was the limitation of modern technology.
The commander gulped. His confused gaze was slowly shifting from the tablet PC to me.
“Right now, the government proclaimed…”
He glanced at me while slurring the end of his words. Then, his eyes moved toward Yeon-Hee and the pet in her arms. The furry and plump creature didn’t look dangerous. However, he stepped back and placed his hand on the pistol, likely due to knowledge of the Kciphos’s true identity.
He asked from a distance, “Who is in charge?”
I responded, “Me.”
He continued, “Please gather all the Awakened as soon as the suppression is over. Are there…”
Yeon-Hee interjected, “You are making a big mistake now. Oh, my. Hehe.”
Regardless of Yeon-Hee’s laughter, he did his job.
“Are there any more than this?”
The commander looked at the video on the tablet PC. Then, he turned to Orca, who didn’t move from behind my shoulder. He definitely felt an extreme sense of danger from Orca, who was disguised in a necromancer’s robe.
He coughed and said, “I should report to the superior, first.”
“ To martial law enforcement headquarters?” I asked.
“Yes.”
I ordered, “Tell both of them to come here.”
“...”
I demanded, “Both martial law commander and the President. Right now.”
The commander’s face hardened instantly and wrinkles formed between his eyes.
“I will report that…you guys…umm…have requested that. But we, the martial law forces, have the right to control every situation across the country. All the Awakened should follow…”
The tablet PC in the commander’s hand was now in Yeon-Hee’s hands. She threw it on the ground and said mischievously, “No, no. You guys don’t deserve to watch this.”
“What are you doing?” the commander yelled at her.
“What about the military? Hey, Joo-Sang. Do you want to make a bet whether or not you can dress us in military uniform or not? I'm saying this because I feel sorry for you. Stop there and don’t make us hate you even more.”
When I shook my head at her, she stepped back with an apologetic expression.
I said one thing to the commander’s face, “Tell them that Jeonil Group wants to see them. You can confirm my identity with the female chairman of Jeonil.”
This was the world where the name ‘Jeonil’ worked better than the name of the Awakened. This was South Korea, a country ruled by Jeonil.
1. Gwanak District. It is located on the southern skirt of Seoul. ☜
2. Neighbourhood of Gangnam area in South Korea. ☜