Chapter 2389 – 2389. Modern Magic War
Korea was finished.
It was a fact that every Korean could agree on, even if no one said it directly.
A president who committed all sorts of corruption and refused to take responsibility, and business tycoons who had already fled overseas.
“The president must step down!”
“Get out of the Blue House right now! The place you should be going is not the Blue House, but prison!”
“The country is collapsing!”
Protests were held in front of the Blue House every day!
The president had to eat and sleep in the Blue House. It was the safest place in Korea right now. He might be assassinated if he tried to go outside carelessly.
Koreans pursued non-violent protests. In fact, they held peaceful protests every night, waving candles. This wasn’t a riot, but a protest. They showed a remarkable sense of civic duty.
But peace isn’t something that can be achieved just because one side wants it.
“It’s been half a month. Why is the Blue House still keeping quiet?”
“Aren’t the prosecutors and police Korean? Why aren’t they doing anything? The Luminus broadcast was fabricated? There’s even evidence! It’s still circulating on the internet overseas, and Korea is being internationally disgraced!”
“Punish the criminals! Sentence the company that conducted human experiments to death, and arrest the doctor who sold drugs! It’s something that should be done in a country ruled by law!”
The public’s mood was starting to turn sour. Politicians who only criticized the president verbally and the silent prosecution and police. To Koreans, they all looked like corrupt officials.
Still, they maintained non-violent protests. And then a video spread on the internet. It was a video of a conglomerate chairman.
-Those pigs are making a fuss again.
-Chairman, things are serious. Sales are continuing to drop. We might be in the red this quarter.
-It’s okay. You know how Koreans are with their short-lived anger. Sales will go back up after a while anyway.
Clear treatment as pigs!
Koreans were naturally furious. And then things blew up. The company headquarters were attacked.
In this world, there were mysterious objects called Grimoires that awakened people as mages, and Grimoires were surprisingly common. Moreover, the number of mages in Korea had recently increased exponentially.
The important thing was that they had gained power in a state of anger. And they had their own beliefs about what was right for Korea. The newly awakened mages committed acts of terrorism against corrupt company offices and public corporations.
The protesters quickly drew a line.
“Those guys are just terrorists. They’re magic criminals, Harriers. They have nothing to do with our protests.”
“What is the Anti-Magic Force doing? Arrest those rebels!”
Even then, Korea didn’t feel a sense of crisis.
Because there was the Anti-Magic Force.
They believed that the Anti-Magic Force, which had protected Korea from the clutches of evil mages, would continue to protect Korea in the future.
But the Anti-Magic Force was too busy.
Many members had left, feeling disillusioned after the corruption of the Anti-Magic Force was exposed, and they were also busy dealing with the Remegeton, who were committing various crimes. The police and prosecution? If you looked closely, it was chaos there too.
Because the corruption of high-ranking officials there had also been exposed. They weren’t functioning properly due to their desire to avoid responsibility and political reasons.
“Those incompetent Order Bureau bastards… They won’t protect us? Then we have no choice but to protect ourselves… Hire mercenaries. Protect the chairman. If any suspicious person gets close, kill them. They’re terrorists.”
“The Order Bureau has filed a complaint.”
“This is self-defense against terrorists. Besides, the Order Bureau is half-paralyzed right now. Just give them a suitable response.”
Many people were leaving Korea. Especially the highly skilled workers with money were trying to leave without looking back.
The airport was attacked. Planes flying in the sky were blown up. The sea? It was no exception.
“Greetings, little Koreans. We are the Remegeton. We are taking over Korea. Any complaints? What are you going to do about it?”
“Look, today our Remegeton fought and won against the Anti-Magic Force. It’s clearly captured on video.”
“Our Remegeton welcomes mages. Mages of Korea, come to the Remegeton! You are worthy to be members of the Remegeton!”
The Remegeton began to operate in earnest.
Koreans were in despair. Yet, they continued their protests. They clung to the protests even more.
“President! The president must take responsibility!”
“If the top is clear, the bottom will be clear too! How long will the president remain silent?!”
“The president must take responsibility and step down! And return Korea to its original state!”
Bang.
A magic terrorist attack exploded in the center of the protest.
The protesters screamed. It was the moment the protest turned into a riot. The police had no choice but to start suppressing the riot. Thousands of casualties occurred that day. It was the day the Republic of Korea began to burn in earnest.
Boom!
KWAANG! Boom!
Explosions rang out in the Republic of Korea.
It was a Harrier’s magic terrorist attack. It happened several times a day. The people trembled and locked themselves in their homes.
“The Anti-Magic Force! The Anti-Magic Force will take care of it!”
“Those damn Harrier bastards!!”
“All mages must be killed!”
They couldn’t actually vent their anger. If they did, magic from the mages would come flying. If they had guns, maybe, but Korea was a country with strict gun control.
Martial law was declared early, and the military began to step in.
And they were defeated miserably.
“Did you think you could stop our Remegeton with the military?”
“The military is nothing in the face of my magic, which controls ordinary people.”
“If mages are serious, the military is nothing. If you’re upset, use a nuclear bomb or something. Oh, does Korea not have nuclear weapons? Hahaha!”
“Even if a nuclear missile were to fall on Korea, we could just teleport away. Using barrier magic to block it is also an option.”
“There is no hope for you. Surrender. We won’t kill you. Instead, you will live as slaves of the Remegeton from now on.”
The Remegeton were full of confidence. They brazenly filmed terrorist attacks and battles and uploaded them to the internet. Korea was collapsing.
But there was still hope for Koreans.
“The Anti-Magic Force is winning!”
“Look at the video that was uploaded today! The commander of the 1st Anti-Magic Force defeated and arrested a Remegeton executive!”
“The commander of the 1st Battalion is the real deal. The director of the Order Bureau? He’s a traitor to the nation! A traitor who sold out this country along with the president!”
“Long live the Anti-Magic Force! Long live the commander of the 1st Battalion!”
“Wait a minute. Why aren’t they killing the Remegeton terrorists? That bastard! He’s the one who terrorized the elementary school a week ago!! My friend’s son died in that bastard’s attack!”
“Death penalty! Execute the death penalty right now!!”
The anger of the Koreans reached its peak.
It was actually a good thing for the president. Because the anger directed at him had turned to the Remegeton.
“My beloved citizens! I will execute the death penalty immediately!”
A member of the Remegeton was executed. The next day, the president was assassinated in retaliation by the Remegeton. The chief of staff fled, and Park Hyun-woong, the director of the Order Bureau, was in critical condition.
After that, the Anti-Magic Force suffered defeat after defeat. Surprisingly, no one died. The Remegeton had spared the Anti-Magic Force instead of killing them. Instead, they broadcast the videos of their defeats through the captured broadcasting stations.
The Republic of Korea was as good as defeated.
Still, Koreans did not give up hope. No, they couldn’t give up. Because if hope disappeared, it would be truly over.
“We have… Commander Sung Yu-jin of the 8th Battalion! If Sung Yu-jin, who killed the Remegeton executive Sage, returns, the Remegeton will be finished too!”
“Sung Yu-jin is still the commander of the 8th Battalion! The director of the Order Bureau did not accept his resignation! Sung Yu-jin will return!”
“The reason the Remegeton aren’t killing the Anti-Magic Force is because they’re afraid of Sung Yu-jin! If they kill the Anti-Magic Force, Sung Yu-jin will be furious!”
“Sung Yu-jin! We were wrong, and you were right! Please come back and save us!”
Koreans clung to Sung Yu-jin, who was nowhere to be found.
Koreans believed in Sung Yu-jin’s overwhelming power. After all, Sung Yu-jin had never been defeated before. Even Bright, the leader of Luminus, had been defeated by Sung Yu-jin. Rumors began to spread throughout Korea that Sung Yu-jin was stronger than the commander of the 1st Battalion and the director of the Order Bureau.
And the Remegeton, as if mocking him, broadcast a video nationwide.
Monolith, who had been hiding his appearance until now, appeared on the broadcast.
He had black hair and pale skin. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he had an overall decadent atmosphere.
“Greetings. I am Monolith, the leader of the Remegeton.”
He mocked everyone who was watching.
“We are grateful to the promised land, Korea. Thanks to you, our plan is already in the final stages. Now, all that remains is the final battle. What is our purpose, you ask? Of course, I was going to tell you. That is also part of the ritual.”
He continued.
“I performed a ritual to create the ultimate magic book, Ars Goetia. I failed in Finland, Romania, and Germany. The reason was that they responded with modern weapons, not magic. The basic condition of the ritual is to create an environment where people are familiar with magic. In that sense, Korea was perfect. There are good mages gathered in the Anti-Magic Force, aren’t there? There is also a reason why we spread the videos. By recognizing magic, you have accelerated the ritual. Your fear, and yet the hope you cannot let go of, has brought the ritual to its final stage.”
Monolith laughed. He laughed for a long time before getting to the point.
“In a week, we will have the final battle in Yeouido. On that day, if we win, Korea will disappear, and a nation for mages will be born. Ordinary people will become slaves, and only mages will be treated well. If you can stop us… try to stop us. Sung Yu-jin. This is for you.”
Whether the Koreans were screaming or not, Sung Yu-jin remained silent. He was busy throwing money at beautiful women in an American strip bar.
• • •
A week later.
The final battle with the Remegeton was broadcast live from the beginning.
Park Hyun-woong, the director of the National Order Bureau, and all the Anti-Magic Force went to the final battle… and were defeated. They managed to defeat the executives of the Remegeton, but they couldn’t stop Monolith, who appeared last.
“Hahaha. I can feel the despair of the Koreans. Thanks to you, Ars Goetia has been completed. We are grateful to you.”
In Monolith’s hand was a book that scattered a black, ominous energy.
The ultimate magic book, Goetia.
Magic that uses all existing magic.
“I’ve achieved my goal… shall we finish this? It’s a shame that Sung Yu-jin didn’t show up until the end… but he has become a symbol of a coward, so it doesn’t matter anymore.”
Everyone was in despair.
Gu Seo-hwa was no exception. She was even resentful of Sung Yu-jin, who hadn’t shown up until the end.
‘How did they defeat the other executives of the Remegeton… Monolith! If only… If only the commander was here…!’
As she sat down, covered in wounds, and swallowed her tears, Sung Yu-jin appeared next to her. He reached out into the air, and a potion appeared in his hand. Sung Yu-jin poured the potion over Gu Seo-hwa’s head. Her wounds healed.
“You shouldn’t have scars.”
“…Commander? Why… Why did you only show up now?!”
“I forgot to stop the auto-play while I was eating. Well, it doesn’t matter since you didn’t die. The main character is supposed to appear at the end anyway.”
“……Huh? Did you eat something wrong?”
Sung Yu-jin looked around.
Collapsed buildings, flames and black smoke rising everywhere, cracked roads. The atmosphere was like an apocalypse itself.
And there were transparent cameras everywhere. It was magic he had seen before. The same magic that Luminus used when they were broadcasting live.
‘The ritual that Monolith was talking about… is it some kind of duel ritual?’
Sung Yu-jin looked at Monolith with narrowed eyes. The amount of magic power he felt easily surpassed his own. But battles aren’t just about magic power.
‘Monolith’s original magic is copying. Magic that copies the opponent’s magic. There must be a limit to the number of times he can use it. Maybe that limit disappeared after he got his hands on Ars Goetia.’
Still, it was manageable. All the commanders of the Anti-Magic Force were alive, and there were few casualties among the members. There was a good chance of a happy ending.
Monolith also noticed Sung Yu-jin’s presence. The transparent cameras all focused on Sung Yu-jin. He felt pressure just from their gaze.
“…You’ve become a monster. Maybe I should have come sooner.”
Gu Seo-hwa trembled, feeling overwhelmed by Monolith’s strength. She felt like a mouse in front of a snake.
“…Are we going to lose?”
“I’ll win.”
A declaration of victory as soon as he arrived!
Sung Yu-jin left Gu Seo-hwa behind and walked towards Monolith.
“You’ve finally appeared at the end. The last hope of Korea!”
“…Why are you suddenly giving me a shitty nickname?”
“I will bring the end to Korea with your death. At the same time, I will announce that my era has begun! Everyone in the world! Look! This is the ultimate magic book, Goetia’s Ars Magna! True Death!”
Crack.
Sung Yu-jin felt his existence shatter under the immense, unavoidable fate.
[Death Resistance has been activated. You will not die for the next 15 seconds.]
