Chapter 11

EP 3 - The Winning Strategy of a New Era (3)

“I’ve been called a communist many times while living as a democrat...”

- Local police departments have resolved to establish emergency coordination to prevent a coup. Local governments are closely monitoring the movements of the military...

- Enraged citizens have taken to the streets in response to the coup plot exposed by Representative Han Seung-moon. We will connect to the scene.

- Stop the conspiracy!

- Stop it!

- Overthrow the military coup!

- Overthrow it!

Representative Yang Pan-seok smiled and changed the TV channel.

“I’ve never been accused of being a reactionary before.”

“...It’s quite effective.”

“It’s amusing.”

* * *

The media strategy Yang Pan-seok and I planned turned the Republic of Korea upside down.

In a country that has experienced two military coups, mentioning a coup was even more effective than the North Korea smear campaign.

The Ground Operations Command suddenly adopted a loyal attitude, and Vice Minister Cha Jae-gyun quickly took control of the military.

He announced that he would execute a siege operation on Seoul using the 1st Corps and the 7th Mobile Corps.

“The 1st Corps has the largest artillery brigade in Asia, and the 7th Mobile Corps is the largest main force unit of the Korean military, possessing more than half of the tanks in Korea.”

“Eh, um...”

“The 1st Corps will advance slowly from the north with overwhelming firepower, and the 7th Mobile Corps will quickly advance into Gangnam.”

“Is that so?”

“The 7th Mobile Corps and the 1st Corps are the largest and the second-largest corps, respectively. The other corps are forming a siege and guarding the front lines with North Korea. Do you understand?”

I didn’t understand.

“Yes, I understand.”

*

“Here, take this.”

“Thank you, Representative.”

“Ha... I feel like I can breathe again now that I’m back in society. I know how powerless an old man is in the wild.”

Yang Pan-seok sat down next to me and we sipped vending machine coffee in the hallway for a moment.

“Thanks to you, I was able to contact the Ministry of National Defense. What do you mean?”

“I almost died three times. These bastards didn’t even call me once when I was on the brink of death...”

Yang Pan-seok didn’t get along well with his children.

“Didn’t they call you?”

“At best, a few text messages. I was so angry that I didn’t reply. I should have called, I should have...”

“Everyone is probably holding onto their phones right now. Your family members might have also suffered from communication issues. Don’t be too upset.”

Yang Pan-seok let out a hollow laugh and started to smooth out his wrinkled forehead.

“You’re quite a character. You’ve been a representative for six days now, right?”

“I arrived at the martial law command two days ago... Yes, I’m a six-day representative.”

“Let’s enjoy life while we can.”

“Thank you.”

He patted my hand and got up, shuffling off to somewhere.

Suddenly, Yang Pan-seok turned around and gestured.

“Oh, Han.”

“Yes, Representative.”

“Um, about Gam Ji-yoon, Cheon Hwa-ran, and your sister...”

Superhumans.

“Can you talk to Vice Minister Cha Jae-gyun?”

“By myself?”

“Yes, I have an appointment with the deputy prosecutor general right now. The prosecutor general is dead, and this friend is acting as the prosecutor general. I’m trying to recruit him to our side.”

“I’ll just say ‘there are’ and leave it at that. I’ll discuss further actions when Representative Yang comes.”

“I’d be grateful if you could do that.”

*

When we returned to the dormitory, Gam Ki-ja was finally receiving a blood transfusion.

“Oh, Gam Ki-ja. Thank goodness.”

“...Ah, Representative.”

“Did you get the tetanus shot?”

“Yes, I’m feeling better now.”

Cheon Hwa-ran, who was nursing him, smiled softly and nodded.

“Thank you, Representative.”

“Um, can you see the blue things? Ji-yoon didn’t tell you? They float in the air.”

Cheon Hwa-ran nodded with a dark expression.

“...Even if I don’t see the world in blue like Ji-yoon, I can see blue things when Ji-yoon makes them float or fly.”

“So the blue mist is related to superpowers.”

“More precisely, blue particles.”

Gam Ji-yoon, who had been sitting quietly, shook her head.

“No! It’s a cloud! Look!”

“Mom said not to use that...!”

Cheon Hwa-ran quickly grabbed the floating phone and hid it in her pocket.

“Ha. It might look like a mist, but if you look closely, it’s a cluster of tiny particles. And I think these particles are related to superpowers.”

She brought an empty cup and handed it to me, then frowned and waved her hand.

“If I manipulate these particles into the shape of water molecules...”

A few drops of water gathered in the cup.

“...What are you doing?”

“Ugh... Even though it gives me a slight headache, I can make water with these particles.”

“What, what is this? Mana? Magic power?”

“Huh?”

“Ah, no, nothing. It’s something from a game.”

Hey, this is getting interesting.

“I’m going to see the Deputy Minister of National Defense. Do you want to come?”

*

I, Gam Ji-yoon, Cheon Hwa-ran, and Yeo Do-yeon were awkwardly seated in a secret room of the martial law command.

Everyone was too tense to speak. We waited for about 20 minutes for the vice minister.

Vice Minister Cha Jae-gyun walked in with hurried steps and sat down. He gestured for his aide to leave and looked at his wristwatch.

“I apologize for keeping you waiting. The situation is urgent, so time is tight. I’ve made about 20 minutes. Representative Han Seung-moon said you wanted to see me. What is it about?”

He still spoke in a rapid manner. There’s no need for a long explanation.

“Ji-yoon.”

“Yaaaah!”

Gam Ji-yoon raised her hand like Superman and floated in the air. She swam like a frog. Cheon Hwa-ran covered her face in embarrassment.

Vice Minister Cha Jae-gyun gaped in astonishment. I smiled slightly.

“Vice Minister, do you believe in superpowers?”

“...Ah. Yes. This, um, hmm.”

Cheon Hwa-ran demonstrated.

“There are blue particles in the air that ordinary people can’t see. If I combine them...”

Water appeared in the cup. It was a bit more than before.

“I can make water. Also, I don’t know the principle, but I treated my husband who was stabbed with a knife.”

“That’s not all. In the case of my sister, her physical abilities have surpassed those of a normal human. Is it possible for a person to carry someone and avoid a monster?”

Vice Minister Cha Jae-gyun muttered with a dazed look.

“Go on.”

“After the gate opened, superhumans started appearing. Especially, when you look at the bodies of monsters, blue gems come out.”

I pointed to Gam Ji-yoon, who was swimming in the air.

“When this child touched a gem, she absorbed it. She started floating spoons after saying the world was blurry with blue.”

I leaned forward and tapped the desk.

“There’s something here, Vice Minister.”

Vice Minister Cha Jae-gyun mumbled in a dazed manner.

“This isn’t mana or magic stones...”

“You know about it?”

“I read a bit of Lin.”

It must have been Lin.

Vice Minister Cha Jae-gyun pressed the microphone on his shirt collar and spoke to someone.

“The cabinet will handle it. Um, I need about an hour. Call me if anything happens.”

Vice Minister Cha Jae-gyun got up.

“Follow me for a moment.”

He glanced at me and put the microphone to his mouth again.

“Bring a wheelchair.”

*

Vice Minister Cha Jae-gyun opened the door to a secluded warehouse. It was a restricted area where no one passed by.

I sat in the wheelchair pushed by Yeo Do-yeon and entered the warehouse. Vice Minister Cha Jae-gyun turned on the lights and locked the door.

“Actually...”

Swoosh. Vice Minister Cha Jae-gyun removed the waterproof cover.

“The gems from the monster’s body have already been confirmed.”

He brought a ammunition box and placed it on the desk.

“Specifically, they were blue fragments left at the site of the bombardment. I instructed them to collect them just in case.”

When he opened the ammunition box, it was full of blue glass fragments. They glowed faintly, similar to the gems we saw before.

Vice Minister Cha Jae-gyun spoke calmly.

“It seems that Gam Ji-yoon’s abilities improved after touching the gems...”

He put on leather gloves and looked at Cheon Hwa-ran, asking if it was okay to bring the gem powder to Gam Ji-yoon.

Cheon Hwa-ran answered with a slightly distorted expression.

“I’ll do it. We don’t know what might happen...”

Wait, hold on.

“Should we go outside the warehouse?”

“...”

“Ah, no. It might explode...”

I said this out of concern for safety, but people looked at me like I was trash.

“Vice Minister Cha Jae-gyun is an important person, and the others don’t need to be here...”

“...”

“No, let’s go.”

Vice Minister Cha Jae-gyun picked up a handful of gem fragments and slowly poured them into Cheon Hwa-ran’s palm.

“Oooh...!”

With a strange groan, the gems turned into light and entered her body.

“Do you feel any changes?”

“Um, I can see a bit better...?”

“What do you mean?”

Cheon Hwa-ran answered hesitantly.

“The particles. I think I understand what Ji-yoon meant. The world is so blurry, like a blue mist...”

“Then can you not make water like before?”

“No, no. It’s a feeling...”

Cheon Hwa-ran waved her hand in the air, and a bucket-sized lump of water appeared.

“Kyaa!”

- Splash!

The water splashed onto the head of the Commander-in-Chief of the Republic of Korea’s military.

Drip. Drip. Water droplets fell from his hair.

Vice Minister Cha Jae-gyun stared at Cheon Hwa-ran expressionlessly.

*

“...When superhumans touch the gems from the monster’s body, their abilities are enhanced. That seems to be correct.”

Vice Minister Cha Jae-gyun wiped his face with a handkerchief and continued.

“We don’t know how strong superpowers will become, but we need to consider their militarization. Ah, wait a moment.”

Vice Minister Cha Jae-gyun leaned on the desk and sighed deeply. A sigh of lamentation escaped from his covered face.

“How is the world going to change...”

“With the appearance of monsters, it’s not surprising that superhumans exist.”

“I need to gather my thoughts.”

Cheon Hwa-ran was sweating profusely and tightly closed her mouth. Her eyes were darting around.

I poked Yeo Do-yeon’s stomach, who was holding the wheelchair from behind. It was soft.

“Pig.”

“What.”

“Your sister should absorb it too.”

“What?”

“Powerful. Okay?”

Vice Minister Cha Jae-gyun muttered, “This isn’t the Avengers...” and sighed, while Gam Ji-yoon was swimming in the air with a smile.

Yeo Do-yeon hesitantly put her hand into the ammunition box. There were plenty of fragments.

“Shit! ...Ah, sorry.”

She was taken aback by the sudden curse and grabbed a handful of fragments.

“Sister, test your strength.”

Slap. Slap. She quickly approached me and poked my cheek. I felt a bit humiliated but asked calmly.

“Do you feel stronger?”

“I don’t know...”

-Crunch!

The handle of the wheelchair she was holding broke.

No one spoke, and I swallowed hard.

Yeo Do-yeon muttered softly.

“Shit.”