Chapter 12

EP 3 - The Infallible Strategy of a New Era (4)

"Ms. Yeo."

Deputy Minister Cha Jae-gyun spoke calmly.

"Have you considered enlisting?"

"I'm a woman."

* * *

Deputy Minister Cha gently stroked the broken handle of his wheelchair, looking quite impressed.

"Hmm......"

"It seems that absorbing jewels makes psychics stronger."

Deputy Minister Cha Jae-gyun nodded indifferently.

"If all the magic stones from the front lines were absorbed by Ms. Yeo, what do you think would happen?"

Yeo flinched but sat in her wheelchair and answered calmly.

"Well, she might become Captain Korea, or explode due to overload. She might even turn into a monster. If that happens, I would be very sad."

"I understand."

Conduct biological experiments on someone else.

"Mr. Han Seung-moon."

"Yes."

"Let's take a walk."

*

The others returned to the dormitory. The influential figure in his early 60s, who was the de facto leader of the national army, led me to a secluded control area's private room, despite his casual mention of a walk.

He dragged a chair over and sat opposite me.

"First, thank you for sharing such valuable information."

"It's nothing."

"......You mentioned forming a special committee for kaiju response in the wartime National Assembly, correct?"

I nodded.

The National Assembly has special committees.

These are temporary committees set up for special situations.

The one I suggested setting up is one of them.

And generally, they are 'extremely' powerful.

The Ethics Committee oversees the qualifications and disciplinary actions of National Assembly members, and the Budget and Finance Committee reviews the budget. They have the power to control the state.

The special committee for kaiju response is no different.

Although it's not clear what tasks it will handle, like all special committees, it will likely have very powerful and aggressive authority.

Deputy Minister Cha Jae-gyun showed me the big picture.

"We can supply magic stones collected from the national front lines. What do you think about gathering psychics and using them tactically?"

I answered without hesitation.

"Bring in a half-baked psychic and make her work for us. Pour unlimited magic stones into her and see if she dies or not."

"Are you suggesting a biological experiment?"

"Didn't you plan to do that anyway?"

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Deputy Minister Cha Jae-gyun crossed his legs, sat quietly, and tapped his fingers while deep in thought. He opened his eyes and spoke.

"I am the martial law commander for the Seoul region. I have all judicial and administrative powers in 'Seoul'."

"Yes."

"The headquarters of the National Intelligence Service is in Seocho District, Seoul."

That's a very powerful statement.

"So......It doesn't seem to be a big problem to conscript psychics and invest magic stones in them. We have the National Defense Intelligence Agency and other usable intelligence agencies."

Why did he bring me here?

"What can I do?"

He must have brought me here for a reason. Sure enough, Deputy Minister Cha Jae-gyun quickly spoke.

"In the new special committee for kaiju response in the National Assembly, you will mainly handle legislation related to 'unrealistic' phenomena in this situation. Correct?"

Interpretation: The special committee for kaiju response will be very powerful.

"That's right."

"I hope you will consider the nation's safety when drafting legislation for psychic management."

Interpretation: We're going to organize psychics, so please cooperate.

A few things come to mind.

Prohibition of psychic immigration,

Mandatory enlistment in the national army,

Immediate execution for crimes,

Compulsory nationalization of magic stones.

And so on.

After a moment of thought, I nodded and smiled, not wanting to upset him.

"I will fully consider the national crisis in the legislative process."

"Thank you."

A handshake was exchanged in the private room of the control area.

*

"What should we do?"

Yang Pan-seok, who had heard the situation, sighed and bowed his head. He whispered in a low voice.

"It seems they want to create a psychic army."

"I would have done the same."

The usefulness of psychics has already been confirmed.

I don't know if Cha Jae-gyun plans to use a psychic army for dictatorship or to save the country, but if it happens, it will be very powerful.

Moreover, lifting martial law requires the president and the National Assembly, neither of which exists now.

Command of the national army, martial law commander, psychic army.

Cha Jae-gyun is on track to become the emperor of South Korea.

"We need to gather National Assembly members quickly."

With the support of more than half of the registered members, martial law can be lifted.

This means cutting off Cha Jae-gyun's left arm.

"I think so too."

If National Assembly members gather, they can initiate impeachment. While the Constitutional Court must rule on impeachment, the acting minister (command of the national army) is immediately suspended.

This means cutting off Cha Jae-gyun's right arm.

Whether Cha Jae-gyun is a hero or a villain is unknown,

but politics is about distinguishing between friends and potential enemies.

My survival comes first.

*

"Where have you been?"

"Met with some high-ups and played a game of cat and mouse."

Yeo instinctively tried to hit me but was startled and pulled back her hand.

Suddenly, I remembered how Yeo tightly hugged me by the Han River, carried me on her back, and ran, and stayed close to me the whole time.

But I've never been hurt.

"I didn't feel any stronger...?"

"What?"

"Hit me once."

When I extended my hand, she hesitantly tapped it. This won't work for measurement.

"Ah, harder!"

"Tsk......"

She hesitantly threw a weak punch at my palm. It wasn't very strong.

This won't do. Special measures are needed.

I tapped her waist, which she was holding behind me, on the back of my head.

"What? Why is it so soft?"

"......"

"How long has it been since you exercised that you have a belly?"

- Smack!

"Aaaah!"

"Ah...!"

Yeo, who had hit me with full force, was startled and crouched in front of me.

"Are you okay?"

"Ugh! Ah, ah, ah...!"

"Are you hurt!?"

"Ah, uh, skull, skull!"

Yeo, panicking, got up to call a doctor, but I quickly grabbed her wrist and smiled.

"It's not that bad, right?"

"......"

"The person who broke the wheelchair handle doesn't seem capable of such a hit. It felt like the usual hits, and your belly was soft..."

Yeo smiled at my words.

"Then, you're the only person in the world I can hit without worrying?"

*

"Bro, are you okay?"

"Ah, uh, uh."

Yang Il-ho poked me, who was sprawled on the bed.

"Sis hit you like a dog on a hot day."

"I'm used to it now."

Yeo, after turning me into a pulp, disappeared with a satisfied grin.

It's clear I'm a psychic. Being unharmed after such a beating is abnormal.

Lee Ho-jung, who had somehow found new shoes, approached me with a clack. Her messy short hair was neatly combed.

"Can you still dress up in such an environment?"

Even her torn stockings were replaced with new ones.

"You said you met with some high-ups?"

"Yeah. Deputy Minister Cha was good."

"While you were playing cat and mouse, I gathered information with Il-ho. Do you want to hear it?"

"Our aides are doing a great job."

I nodded and sat up. Lee Ho-jung began her report.

"There are roughly three things to be concerned about.

First, a lot of people have died. At least a million.

Second, the UN has named this the 'Gate Incident' and issued emergency guidelines. But since each country is handling it on its own, you don't need to worry about it......"

The important thing is this. Lee Ho-jung handed me her smartphone. It showed internet articles and community site screenshots.

"Lastly, information about psychics is spreading. It seems we're not the only ones."

"The world is going crazy......"

"Dead bodies, kaiju, psychics, all kinds of photos are flooding the internet and reality. Control is impossible in both."

Yang Il-ho asked with a worried look.

"Bro, what are you going to do now?"

"......We need to use the infallible strategy."

As always.

*

"The evacuation plan is roughly established. It seems a defensive line has been formed in northern Seoul. Goyang, Uijeongbu, and Namyangju. Do you know where they are?"

No.

"Yes. If we can hold the line in northern Seoul, it's fortunate."

"Right. The evacuees are gathered in Dongducheon and Pocheon in northern Gyeonggi Province. They plan to expand and accommodate them in Gangwon Province."

Yang Pan-seok showed me a map on his smartphone.

"North of the Han River is going well. The problem is south of the Han River."

"Is there trouble?"

"There is. A kaiju was found in Anyang."

Damn.

"......It's spread to Gyeonggi Province."

"The 7th Corps moved so hastily that the encirclement was broken. They say they will form a temporary mobile strike force to clean up the rear, but......"

Suddenly, I thought how helpful it would be if psychics appeared now.

Even if tanks and missiles can't be used, people who can kill monsters without destroying buildings.

"......We really need a psychic unit."

"Hmm?"

"No, if Yeo could catch monsters and Gan Ji-yoon could levitate people for evacuation, how great would that be? Of course, we won't order them to do that."

Yang Pan-seok nodded, agreeing with my point.

Anyway, that's not the main issue.

Leave military matters to the military.

We are politicians.

"Does it seem like the power structure of South Korea will change? Is my guess correct?"

"The pyramid's top has already collapsed. Only the climb from the bottom remains."

It's a grim situation.

Politicians must do politics.

The fight against kaiju is not the only one.

All the leaders are dead. A bloody battle for their positions will ensue. A fight between people.

"To gain power, it won't be enough to rely only on National Assembly members."

"......That's true."

If Deputy Minister Cha points a gun, the game is over.

"Mr. Yang, please go to the underground National Assembly and gather the members. Establishing the special committee for kaiju response will prevent people from seeing the National Assembly as a joke."

"......What are you thinking?"

"I will stay in northern Seoul."

Yang Pan-seok's eyes widened.

"What do you mean?"

"Deputy Minister Cha is already preparing to form a psychic unit. Didn't he mention the National Intelligence Service?"

Yang Pan-seok will gather National Assembly members.

"Whether Deputy Minister Cha is on our side or a dictator is uncertain. But the importance of psychics is clear."

I will gather psychics.

"To prepare for a chaotic future, we need to approach it in various ways."

Deputy Minister Cha and Yang Pan-seok might be on the same team.

Or they might oppose each other.

No one knows.

It's a foggy political situation.

It doesn't matter.

"As a confidant of Mr. Yang Pan-seok,

I will stay by Deputy Minister Cha's side."

I will stick with the winner.

EP 3

The Infallible Strategy of a New Era

END