Chapter 54

EP 10 - The End of Winter (4)

Politics is the authoritative allocation of social values.

In other words, it's a struggle for power.

Therefore, politics never stops.

Such situations are bound to arise.

- Stimulant! Give me one stimulant! Please!

- Give us the means to protect ourselves!

- Distribute the stimulants! Distribute the stimulants!

Citizens who wanted to survive desired the stimulants,

- Awakening beings should capture the monsters, not just save their own families and run away.

- Is there any guarantee that they won't turn into looters?

- I'd rather awaken the special forces.

The military wanted to monopolize force,

- No, there's no way a gate can open in a clear sky!

- We can't abandon the capital region! Who will take responsibility?

- It's better to fortify and defend Uijeongbu!

- Retreat! Retreat! The gate is about to open!

I wanted a quick retreat.

Political engineering meshed together.

- Hello, citizens, I am Han Seung-moon, a member of the National Assembly. Let me be straightforward. Seoul is dangerous. The national army is aware of this and is committed to the safety and lives of the people...

I stepped forward to calm the citizens,

- We transferred the entire supply to the military support team.

- ...You didn't give it all away, right?

- I kept 25 extra in my bag.

- Well done, Director.

The stimulants were distributed only to the military.

And,

- Seize buses and trucks and cram people in! The road is blocked, so we'll push through with tanks!

- Damn! It's snowing!

- Alright! Alright!

In that cold winter,

- Leave Uijeongbu? That's ridiculous!

- Ah, we also received orders from higher-ups, so we're not sure!

- Ah! Ah! Move out of the way! Damn! The tank is passing!

The mass retreat began.

* * *

“What, what is this nonsense!?”

Bang! I slammed the table and stood up. Commander Yoo Hyun-jong flinched and stepped back.

“Y-Yes, as you heard.”

He pointed at the tactical map with a grim face.

“The Seoul gates have gone berserk, and the defensive lines in Namyangju and Hanam have been breached.”

“...The eastern front has fallen?”

“From what I understand, a secondary defensive line has been formed along the mountain range from Cheonmacheon to Namhansan...”

A siege line is a mess when one side is breached.

Especially when the enemy is not human.

Usually, when breaking through a siege line, a point breakthrough strategy is used, targeting the weak spots.

But monsters wouldn't use such a strategy.

In other words, the same pressure is applied to all siege lines, and if one side is breached...

“...It's only a matter of time before other areas are breached.”

It means the monsters are emerging in overwhelming numbers.

To the point where we can't handle them.

“A secondary defensive line has been set up in the Chungcheong region...”

The commander explained the situation gloomily. He didn't seem very reliable.

I thought he was a division commander, but he was actually a deputy division commander in charge of operations, and his rank was only a colonel.

The commander mumbled dejectedly.

“Apparently, Incheon is also in danger... We received a message that it's on the brink...”

“What about the distribution of the gates?”

“Most are concentrated in the capital region, except for a few in northern Chungcheong and western Gangwon...”

This means the area is densely packed with gates. A sigh escaped everyone's lips.

“Huh...”

“Sigh...”

I looked out the window and muttered weakly.

“...A quick retreat is necessary. Look at the sky. The vortex is getting stronger.”

Wait.

“...”

“...”

An awkward silence filled the room. A blue light came through the window.

That vortex.

I only saw it when I held Jihyun's hand.

Why can I see it now?

“C-Can you see that, Commander?”

“Y-Yes, I can.”

Our eyes met, and his were trembling.

“M-Monsters...!”

“The gate is opening...!”

“N-No...! Ahhhh...!”

The commander, pale with fear, stumbled to his feet and flailed his arms.

"We can't die here...!"

Then, his eyes changed, and he grabbed several radios, shouting into them in turn.

“Hey! Hey! Op B! To Gangwon! To Gangwon! Relay it to other divisions! Request airstrikes in Dobong-gu and move to Yeoninsan Provincial Park! It's not about rescuing and retreating, but retreating while rescuing!”

“Stop seizing buses and trucks and follow us! The elderly and children are mostly on board, so there shouldn't be a problem! We'll match speeds while fighting the monsters! We'll just clear the way, got it?”

“Don't go under the gate, but open the way with mobile units! We'll lead with firepower! Tell Colonel Kim to move the Gongju area to the Sejong-Pyeongtaek Expressway! Tell Colonel Choi of the Jibsan area to bring all the howitzers and clear the way! The military roads are already cleared! Damn it!”

“Hey! It's me! Yoo Hyun-jong! Remember? Yeah! Okay! Okay! ADVON Forward! Already ATC perfect. We need ASM! ASM!

You damn ASM!

Hey? Fill the Apache with ATGMs! What the hell, why don't the U.S. forces stationed in Korea learn Korean? Ah! Me! Damn! If they knew Korean, they would have said it earlier!”

“Two divisions will directly clear the way to Yangju City Hall! I've already radioed the front lines, so they'll be moving south! I've requested airstrikes from the Americans! The assembly area is Unaksan! We'll move up Route 47!”

The commander had awakened.

But it doesn't seem like a normal awakening.

*

A giant vortex hangs in the sky. Blue lines move geometrically, swirling brilliantly as they are drawn into it.

Amid the snowstorm, a blue light descended.

Blue fear lingered in people's eyes.

The group had gathered on the rooftop. We had already secured a large van.

I explained the situation to the group.

“...Yes, that's how it is.”

“Huh...”

“Since the military roads are well-maintained, the evacuation won't be slow...”

I glanced down at the city.

- Scream!

- Scream!

- Scream!

The roads were filled with people screaming and running in all directions.

“...Fear. Probably.”

Below, a tank led the way, clearing the path. Behind it, numerous trucks and buses followed. The initial response was quick, and almost all the elderly and infants who couldn't move were on board.

“Let's go. Get in.”

The group boarded the large van, and as I held Jihyun's hand and looked up at the sky again,

- Shle Coms-mels-lehSh......

A strange sound echoed in my head.

Buzz. I grabbed my head, swaying, still holding Jihyun's hand tightly.

“...Did everyone hear that?”

“Huh?”

“Get in quickly! Representative!”

The driver honked the horn, but I looked at Jihyun in confusion. Jihyun, with her small hand, held mine tightly.

“A-Auntie! I...! I heard it-”

The sound echoed again.

- Comse me eoSh......

And.

Swoosh.

The light disappeared.

The blue light that had illuminated the world moments ago vanished.

I turned and looked up at the sky, trembling slightly.

The blue gate was gone.

The magical vortex that seemed to engulf the world was gone.

Just.

The sound of the cold wind.

The sky was overcast, and snowflakes swirled.

- Leo Come eoSh Shle Com......

A black tumor, like a cancerous growth, swelled.

Red, glowing spider eyes.

And a black goat with tentacles entangled.

Silently, it looked down at us from the sky.

*

Silence filled the streets.

Just moments ago, countless people were fleeing, making all sorts of noises, but for about 4.5 seconds, there was complete silence.

Then the streets became noisy again.

- Splat!

The tentacles on the black goat's body spread out, - Whoosh!

And the black tumors attached to its body rained down like bombs.

“Falling, falling!”

“Scream-!”

People dove for cover, entered buildings, and prayed to someone.

However.

When one of the tumor masses hit a lightning rod on a building, it exploded.

Unfortunately, it was one of the many tumors attached to the goat's body, but it was large enough to fill a city block.

And.

- Splat!

Black liquid covered the world.

Viscous.

Like black paint had been spilled,

The world was covered in black liquid.

And.

No one could stand up from that black ground.

“...Grrrr.”

Only. Black creatures with glowing red eyes,

made eerie sounds and wriggled.

*

We had to run.

That was the only thought.

The world seen from the hospital rooftop was covered in black, truly terrifying.

Under the overcast sky, the world was black.

There was nothing more to say.

The black liquid bombs exploded.

The world was destroyed.

The body of the black goat, which had shot out the tumor masses, was grotesque, like a beehive.

And.

- Shle leoSh......

The beehive began to fill with tumors again.

The black goat wriggled and shook its tentacles.

The holes that were scattered soon filled with tumors.

My legs gave out, and I fell.

I just stared at the snowstorm under the overcast sky, dazed.

Then, - Whoosh!

A fighter jet flew past the sky I was looking at.

A sonic boom echoed,

and it was moving at a speed that was hard to see.

The fighter jet fired missiles at the black goat.

The missiles split into several as they flew.

Then.

Boom!

The missiles hit the black goat and exploded.

I closed my eyes at the bright explosion.

The black goat was covered in smoke and flames.

Swoosh!

A tentacle emerged from the smoke.

The tentacle grazed the fighter jet.

The fighter jet, spewing black smoke, crashed into Jibsan and exploded.

Swoosh.

The smoke cleared,

and the black goat was revealed.

About half of its body was destroyed.

A black magic stone was half-exposed in its heart.

And.

- Coms mels......

The large magic stone glowed black.

The tentacles, entangled like blood vessels, wriggled.

The goat, which had been half-crushed, regained its shape.

And it dropped more black tumors on the ground.

The tumors exploded,

and the world turned black again.

Scream!

Ah...!

Scream-!

Hundreds of screams reached us.

It sounded like the drop of a roller coaster.

Those screams were probably their last words.

The fighter jets fired more missiles several times.

However,

even if the flesh was crushed,

the black magic stone was not destroyed.

Every time the magic stone glowed, the goat regained its shape.

"Ah......"

A sigh of realization finally escaped my lips.

The scene was so unrealistic that it wasn't even scary.

It felt like watching a childish game ad on TV.

“Damn...”

Just, I felt helpless.

And, I resigned myself.

I was tired.

Because I was holding Jihyun's hand,

I could clearly feel the vast magic power the goat possessed.

I wanted to let go of Jihyun's hand, repulsed by it.

But.

Crack. Jihyun didn't let go of my hand.

The girl spoke with a trembling voice.

"......Let's, let's go."

I answered the little girl.

"......Yeah. Let's quickly run to Gangwon-"

"Let's go and capture the monster, you brat!"

Jihyun kicked my shin.

It didn't hurt.

Jihyun was sobbing.

"If we touch the magic stone, we can absorb it, right!"

"......What?"

The 12-year-old wiped her tears and snot with the sleeve of her children's pajamas.

"That, the black magic stone! If we fly and touch it, it'll work, right-!"

...Indeed, children are fearless.

"Construction workers always say that! If I had a daughter my size!"

"......"

"Do you think I don't know what that means?!"

Indeed, one shouldn't speak carelessly in front of children.

"The world...! The world is breaking down! I have to work instead of a forklift!"

"......"

"Why are you just standing there! If it's broken, fix it!"

Indeed, children resemble their parents.

"That...! Only we can fix that!"

Indeed, today's children are something else.

“I know everything too!”

They grow up so fast.