Chapter 71

A Naive Heart

Goryeoha was a far friendlier mage than we had expected.

She pulled her mask back up, smiling with her eyes as she crooked a finger with her right hand.

"You must've had a hard time breaking through Olympic Bridge when there wasn't any fog, right? Don't worry about the way in. I've cleared out a lot of them already."

"A young lady with a good head on her shoulders. Do you go to church by any chance?"

"Ahaha. Church and I don't really get along."

Seeing her answer the pastor's evangelizing with a smile, I couldn't help thinking she might belong in the top 1% of Seoul mages in terms of personality.

As if that wasn't enough, Goryeoha brushed the bloodstains off her clothes with her gloved hand and cheerfully made a suggestion.

"I'll guide you. Only use your guns when it's really dangerous. They'll swarm you otherwise."

With that, she turned around and confidently started walking ahead.

I, Baek Jemin, decided to be completely honest with myself as a man.

She's fucking amazing. Goddamn.

Watching her walk through this bleak, dreary fog, her ponytail with stray strands sticking out swaying behind her, made the corners of my mouth twitch upward on their own.

After seven straight days without encountering anything remotely refreshing like this, my cheekbones were practically rising by themselves.

That said, I wasn't staring because Goryeoha was pretty.

Still grinning, I glanced sideways at Shin Nain and raised my right hand in an OK sign.

It was to establish a telepathic link using the Tier 1 Ear spell, [Mind Reading].

As expected of a sharp Ear mage, Shin Nain immediately understood.

'I'm listening, Mr. Jemin.'

What's Goryeoha's level?

'Can't hear anything. If she's learned Alteration, she's at least Tier 4 within a single lineage. Judging from how she caught that amalgam with those strange gloves earlier, she may possess other defensive arts as well.'

Tier 4.

For a mage capable of using Alteration, that was a heavy word.

Eyes, Ears, Heart, Hands, Tongue.

Even Ear magic, which looked like the most useless branch at first glance, boasted overwhelming utility through mind reading and monster identification.

If Heart magic—the most efficient—or Eye magic—the most impactful—reached Tier 4, it was difficult even to imagine what kind of effects they might produce.

Of course, I was still a man driven by instinct.

Even while exchanging telepathy, I had to admit that my eyes kept drifting toward the shape of Goryeoha's legs beneath her tracksuit pants.

But my desires weren't limited to lust.

As a man dreaming of becoming an Archmage, Baek Jemin barely forced his eyes shut against his boiling curiosity and asked:

Shin Nain. Do you think she's an Ear mage?

'...Hard to tell.'

After a moment's thought, I made a decision despite the body driven by base urges forcing me into an awkward crouch.

It was a tearful victory of Human Baek Jemin's reason over Beast Baek Jemin's libido.

Poophead. Even if you detect something, keep it to ourselves. Don't react.

'Wouldn't that damage our trust with Miss Goryeoha?'

No matter how friendly she is, she's still a Seoul mage. And considering she uses a cursed phone, she's probably had contact with the Sixty-Six Society.

If she's an Ear mage with a higher level than us, all our information will leak out. In that case, there's no point talking face-to-face.

We'll just keep handing over information while getting nothing in return, and if she turns hostile afterward, resisting her would be difficult.

We also can't ignore how abstract Hamza's doctrinal magic is.

We need to determine whether she's a higher-level Ear mage than us, whether another lineage is highly developed, or whether she's blocking Ear magic through some bizarre technique.

If we can figure that out, provoking a fight might actually be the best option.

'I will send a signal to the heretical unbeliever.'

As he said that, Shin Nain lightly tapped Hamza's chest with his fist.

Tap! Tap!

"Ugh!"

Suddenly punched, Hamza trembled and glared at Shin Nain, but Shin Nain used the opportunity to whisper something to him.

Hamza reluctantly nodded.

The other Supreme Mages looked at the two with expressions that seemed to ask what they were doing.

"Nain. What are you doing?"

"Missionary work."

"Oh! Now that I think about it, there's a saying about preaching scripture into a cow's ear. It must mean that even a cow will believe in the Lord if it hears the gospel."

"Mr. Jemin, is that really what it means?"

Lee Sejun asked uncertainly.

"No idea. The pastor's probably right."

While Shin Nain, Hamza, and I were plotting together, Goryeoha, who had been walking several steps ahead, suddenly looked back.

Blinking her eyes above the mask, she raised a hand and waved.

"Did something happen?"

"No. Just some guy talk."

"Hmm."

She looked suspicious.

Not enough evidence to say anything, but clearly enough to feel uneasy.

After raising an eyebrow at us, Goryeoha turned forward and resumed leading the way.

We Supreme Mages followed after her.

When I glanced back slightly, I saw Shin Nain subtly switching his weapon's selector to safe.

Hamza rolled his eyes nervously.

The pastor, unaware of everything, continued scanning the surroundings with his gun raised, while Lee Sejun trudged along with a frown.

The three people in our group with detection abilities—me, Shin Nain, and Hamza—had intentionally stopped working.

All that remained was Goryeoha's reaction.

Several minutes passed.

Then Shin Nain's telepathy arrived.

'Heads. Two.'

The fog had thickened as well. Visibility was down to about fifty meters.

Goryeoha, who had been confidently walking ahead, stopped.

Maybe she had detected something through Ear magic.

I still couldn't be sure.

Even Seoul mages would know monsters swarmed in dense fog.

I narrowed my eyes behind my gas mask and watched her.

Then Goryeoha turned around and smiled reassuringly, waving her hand gently like an older sister comforting younger children.

"Wait here."

Shapes emerged from the pale fog.

Two amalgams.

Each had devoured more than a dozen people.

Their limp-armed charge made it obvious the fog had weakened them.

Yet among their many arms, two hands were still twitching, fingers wriggling like waves.

Were they enduring numbness somehow?

My interest shifted toward the mechanism through which fog weakened amalgams.

And before long, I realized focusing on the amalgams rather than Goryeoha had been the better choice.

Crunch!

One of the twitching hands suddenly twisted grotesquely.

As though an invisible hand had seized it.

The amalgam's hand crumpled like a pig's hoof.

A palm-shaped imprint appeared alongside the sound of crushing flesh.

Then a scream erupted from the single mouth formed beneath the tangled faces.

"Aaaaargh..."

Regardless, the hand tore clean off.

My grandmother had been good at wringing chickens' necks when she was alive.

What happened to the amalgam's hand was infinitely more professional.

Crack!

Something invisible ripped it off in one motion.

The extraction was so clean that tendons still dangled from the severed limb.

Nerves and blood vessels had been pulled out so neatly it almost looked like crab meat extracted from its shell.

Thud!

The hand was tossed aside.

The pastor hurriedly placed a finger on the trigger.

Without a word, Shin Nain grabbed his hand.

Some silent exchange passed between them.

The pastor slowly lowered his rifle and backed away from Goryeoha.

At that moment, Goryeoha's tied hair swayed as she lightly brushed her padded jacket.

My eyes lost track of her.

My ears didn't.

BOOOOM!

A wet explosion followed.

The amalgam's head burst apart.

One punch.

Its skull vanished, spraying disgusting contents everywhere.

The headless amalgam split apart like boiled cabbage.

The fused corpses that had been forced together separated once their shared head was destroyed.

The other amalgam was already crawling across the ground.

All of its legs had been torn off.

Like snapping the legs off an insect.

It writhed while crying through its unified mouth.

"Mom... stop... don't kill me..."

Still a monster.

Even while speaking, its melted face stretched forward like an amoeba as it crawled toward her.

Goryeoha stared down at it and examined her old, worn gloves.

Then—

Clench.

She made a fist.

"What a waste."

She strode forward.

Raised a foot.

And stomped down.

CRACK!

The two amalgams died.

Only then did Goryeoha turn toward us and smile with her eyes.

"Gentlemen, I'll let this slide once."

Smack... smack...

My lips suddenly felt dry.

I'd been caught lying enough times to recognize the feeling immediately.

That strange reaction.

No doubt about it.

She had noticed we'd deliberately stopped using detection.

Now that our intentions had been exposed, there was only one option.

Pretending ignorance until the end wasn't my style.

If you're caught lying, a real man takes the beating proudly.

Of course, I'd already prepared to bite through my tongue just in case.

If things went south, I'd use Tier 2 Eye magic to stop her and shoot.

If that fist hit me, I'd probably die instantly with my brains splattered across the ground.

Prepared for that future, I asked:

"Miss Goryeoha. Did you learn Ear magic?"

"Huh? ...Ah."

She blinked.

Then burst out laughing behind her mask.

After laughing for quite a while and shaking blood off her right hand, she looked at us with eyes full of amusement.

"You outsiders are so innocent. It's obvious even without being an Ear mage."

"It's that obvious?"

"Of course. Around here, betrayals don't take that long."

At that moment, I felt a subtle pressure on the back of my neck.

Thump.

Still looking at me, Goryeoha made a V-sign with the hand she'd been shaking and playfully bent her fingers like pincers.

The distance between us was obvious.

At least fifteen steps.

Under normal circumstances, it would have seemed like a meaningless gesture.

But every time her index and middle fingers curled, the pressure on my neck grew stronger.

Squeeeze...

It felt as though someone was pressing and kneading my neck like the soft pads of a cat's paw.

The problem was that what was being squeezed wasn't a cat.

It was the artery hidden beneath my skin.

I raised a hand to swat away the invisible pressure.

Goryeoha smiled with her eyes and bent those two fingers again.

Grip.

Something invisible touched my pulse.

My aorta.

My flesh.

Something alien beyond my combat suit and poncho gently squeezed.

Press. Press.

The sensation reminded me of the painful stiffness that came from overdosing on caffeine.

Shin Nain.

As terrifying as the situation was, I desperately needed to talk to him.

'Mr. Jemin.'

What's Hamza saying?

'He says it's not dangerous yet.'

That angelic bastard isn't doing his job properly, is he?

Just as I was cursing inwardly, the pressure on my neck suddenly vanished.

"So. Are you coming with me?"

"Or are we parting ways here?"

"And if we leave?"

"Squish squish~"

Resting her left hand on her hip, Goryeoha raised her right hand again and flexed it like a pair of pincers.

The result immediately returned as pressure on my neck.

The difference was that this time it didn't feel like fingers checking my pulse.

It felt like the same grip that had torn the amalgam's hand off moments ago was now resting lightly on the back of my neck.

Squeeeeeeze...

The moment came when Goryeoha pulled out her cursed phone with her left hand.

Still wearing her mask, she waved the phone around and giggled, smiling with her eyes.

"If you military guys aren't going to talk to me, then I don't really have any reason to keep you alive. The Sixty-Six Society. You still don't know?"

"Hey! Hamza! I thought you said it wasn't dangerous!"

Unable to hold back any longer, I shouted.

Hamza replied with a shriveled voice.

"Ah, they say it's still okay... A-And..."

"And what?!"

"Honestly... we're the ones who picked the fight first..."

"Haa..."

Does this bastard not understand loyalty?

He could've just taken my side for once, but instead he's trying to determine right and wrong.

She's Tier 4, damn it.

Forget the eye candy—I had to gauge her abilities!

We might've been able to obtain her remains!

That would've helped me level up!

Help me out here!!!

But Aphorism seemed trapped by ordinary moral standards even in this situation, looking at me like I was garbage.

Especially the pastor.

"Jemin. Let's go. You deserve a scolding."

A short while later, Aphorism and Goryeoha reached a dramatic compromise.

Specifically, they agreed to use me—Supreme Mage Baek Jemin—as a hostage.

As a result, an invisible hand rested on the back of my neck, kneading it.

The problem was that this hand wasn't rough at all.

It felt more like an acupuncture massage, accompanied by the agony of my meridians being forcefully opened.

As I hurried after Goryeoha, I couldn't help screaming.

"Aagh... ah..."

"Mr. Soldier, you're softer than I expected. Your blood vessels are all springy too. So squishy."

Goryeoha truly was a Seoul mage.

This lunatic was petting me because she liked the sensation of pressing on another person's blood vessels.

And our damn Aphorism members, who had sold out Supreme Mage Baek Jemin, were watching the scene as if it were heartwarming.

"Baek Jemin, you brought this upon yourself."

"Mr. Jemin. Frankly, it was horrifyingly ugly. You were tempted by the devil's whisper into coveting the remains of a perfectly good crusader. You'll be praying with me for a while."

"Treat good people kindly. That's how it should be everywhere."

The only one who took my side was Lee Sejun.

Walking at the rear with his arms crossed, he calmly presented a series of reasonable arguments.

"Everyone's blaming Mr. Jemin, but I think his caution deserves praise. Especially that woman, Goryeoha. Out of everyone, she targeted Mr. Jemin, the Eye mage. If necessary, she immediately identified the mage most capable of restraining her movements and took him hostage. That's not the sort of person you should underestimate."

"Huh? Since when did Sejun start saying smart things?"

"It's not intelligence. It's caution. Look at everything we've seen so far. From that strange technique that fired tiny flames to how easily she subdued Mr. Jemin and dispatched those monsters. In terms of combat ability, all of us together might still lose. The fact that we've entrusted Mr. Jemin's safety to someone like that puts us in a terrible position."

Every word was correct.

Even Shin Nain, who had been criticizing me moments earlier, flinched slightly.

If I hadn't been suffering from the Tier 1 Ear magic penalty, I would've looked at Lee Sejun differently too.

"Strong, beautiful, and possessing unique magic. I can't even imagine how easy her life must have been."

The look of admiration in Shin Nain's eyes instantly turned venomous.

The pain in the back of my neck wasn't the only thing giving me a headache anymore.

Eventually I couldn't help asking.

"Mr. Sejun. Come to think of it, why exactly is becoming a gender-swapped cute girl your dream?"

There were countless ways to win at life.

Reincarnate and invest in Bitcoin.

Use future knowledge to win at gambling.

Become absurdly handsome and dominate the entertainment industry.

Why specifically choose becoming a cute TS girl?

Nobody said it aloud, but I could feel everyone listening.

Even Goryeoha stopped walking and blinked at us.

"What's TS?"

"Ah..."

That's where your curiosity starts?

I couldn't bring myself to explain.

The others from Aphorism also avoided the subject.

Only Lee Sejun spoke, his eyes distant with memory.

His story wasn't disgusting.

It was heavy and cold with regret.

"Children raised in orphanages learn early that love isn't given unconditionally. Even sponsors prefer cute and pretty children."

With that, Lee Sejun uncrossed his arms.

"That's all."

The hostility in Shin Nain's eyes softened slightly.

He slowed his pace until he was beside Lee Sejun and patted his arm.

"I wasn't able to hear the deepest part of your heart, Mr. Sejun. I am ashamed."

"Mr. Nain. You finally understand?"

"Of course. The unconditional love you seek, Jesus gives freely. Come with me."

"Haa... Mr. Nain! Going to church is part of that!"

"Nain, take good care of Sejun. Now that I think about it, maybe his heart was empty and that's why these strange thoughts crept in."

"Yes, Pastor."

"Mr. Sejun, Allah also promises Paradise with seventy-two virgins."

"No! I said I want to become one!"

While Aphorism strengthened their camaraderie in their own bizarre way, my gaze met Goryeoha's.

Her eyes sparkled.

She looked genuinely delighted.

"You military guys are tough. Most people come to Seoul and spend their time crying and begging to be spared."

"Ah... yes... I guess."

Not knowing how to respond, I simply nodded.

Goryeoha smiled with her eyes.

"Everyone's going to be happy to see you. It means the people outside still care about those inside."

"There must be a lot of survivors."

"Yep! Everyone's hanging in there, barely."

"What about the Sixty-Six Society?"

"Ah. I'm not very close with them. About two months ago, I think? They started ignoring requests for supplies. They do help survivors, but only if those survivors obey them. If not, they're abandoned. So I decided I wouldn't follow their policies either."

"That's... good to hear."

Looking around uneasily, I noticed the remains of destroyed monsters everywhere.

Burned.

Torn apart.

Exploded.

Seeing corpses killed in so many different ways made it obvious Goryeoha was one of Seoul's powerhouses.

Someone confident enough to answer radio calls.

With Goryeoha guiding us, we continued through the fog.

Normally monsters would attack nonstop, but walking past the corpses left behind by another mage felt surreal.

"So the Konkuk University campus is safe?"

"Yep! I clean it regularly. Survivors might show up, after all."

The six of us chatted as we walked through the thick fog.

Yet I couldn't shake the chill running down my spine.

Was it because my neck was still being held hostage?

Even with such a powerful ally beside us, I couldn't relax.

Eventually, thanks to Goryeoha's help, we safely reached the campus.

Since it was my first time at Konkuk University, I wanted to look around, but the fog was too thick.

Aside from dead weeds, nothing was visible.

The campus itself looked gloomy.

After walking for some time, we arrived at a large lake.

Goryeoha spoke proudly.

"The water here is clean. There's still a purifier near the student union building too. Everyone's staying in the basement."

Press. Press.

With the invisible hand still squeezing my neck, I followed behind her like a kitten being carried by the scruff.

Eventually a building came into view.

The student union building.

For a high-school graduate like me, it was the sort of place I'd never set foot in.

Several stories tall.

Huge.

So this is a university?

As I looked around in fascination, Goryeoha waved brightly toward a group of heavily dressed people crouching behind barricades in the shadows.

"Everyone! I'm back!"

Her cheerful response made her look exactly like a bright college student.

Of course, not everyone was like Goryeoha.

Honestly, depression was the more normal reaction.

The guards remained hidden in the shadows, maintaining strict vigilance without moving.

Were they wary of us?

Without thinking, I activated Tier 1 Ear magic.

...Silence.

If they were hostile, I should've heard the sound of flowing water.

The fact that I heard nothing meant they weren't treating us as enemies.

Thankfully, not every Seoul resident hated outsiders.

Maybe the misunderstanding about heavily armed civilians had already been cleared up.

Just as I was quietly feeling relieved, Goryeoha encouraged us.

"Everyone's waiting in Basement Level 1. Follow me!"

"A young lady protecting people like this despite everything. It'd be wonderful if you came to church."

"Tch. Pastor, you have no eye for people. You're just obsessed with appearances."

"Sejun, I'm telling you to come to church."

"How about a mosque?"

"I don't want either!"

While the pastor clicked his tongue and praised her, Aphorism and Supreme Mage Baek Jemin followed Goryeoha deeper inside.

Then Shin Nain tapped my shoulder.

When I turned around, the look in his eyes behind the gas mask was unusual.

Without saying a word, he made a strange gesture with his fingers and rubbed his headset.

At first I wondered what nonsense he was doing.

Then the atmosphere felt wrong.

A bad feeling crept over me.

Every time I used telepathy with this guy, it felt like my internal organs twisted.

But not using it felt even more dangerous.

'Mr. Jemin.'

What is it?

Tap. Tap.

Shin Nain tapped his headset again with his index finger.

To anyone watching, it would've looked like he was simply checking whether it still worked.

But his gaze was fixed on the guards standing watch near the entrance.

'I can't hear the people's voices.'