Chapter 246
"Around 4 a.m. today, a demonic army of fifty thousand broke through the Northwest Region of the Barrier and began their southward advance."
At Hwayangkwan, where all the students had gathered, a high-ranking officer in military uniform continued the briefing on the current situation. On the scenes projected by the projector, countless red dots representing the demons were scattered chaotically.
"It's an unprecedented large-scale invasion. Despite preparations for an attack, the frontline has been breached. Currently, our military is blocking key points and engaging the enemy, and a General Mobilization Order has already been issued throughout the Republic."
The number fifty thousand caused slight unrest among the crowd. The officer's voice grew firmer as if to quell the anxiety.
"Pursuant to Article 3, Clause 5 of the Cradle's Founding Regulations, all of you present here are now soldiers of the Unified Command. Identification numbers will soon be assigned, and once preparations are complete, you will head to the battlefield. Keep in mind that military law will now apply to you more strictly. Prepare your body and mind, and wait for deployment."
The briefing continued briefly and swiftly. After the officer finished his explanation and left, the students gathered in small groups, engaging in conversations.
Soon, the chaotic atmosphere filled my nostrils.
A belligerent mood permeated everyone. Their voices carried excitement more than fear.
Demons, devils living beyond the Barrier, beasts filled with malice down to their core.
They are the official greatest nemesis of the Republic's system. Given the chance, they ravage the Northern Region and, beyond that, spread demonic energy and dark magic to non-magic-wielding humans, corrupting the lower strata of society with their evil seeds.
Stories told by a clergyman who once visited our village often come to mind.
He said that the origin of demons lies in the disbelievers who once lived in the Northern Land, refusing to believe in the gods. Enraged by their wickedness, the gods dropped a Sacred Star to transform the disbelievers into hideous beasts with horns and fur.
The origin of dark magic also coincided with their creation. The demons, having incurred the gods' wrath, could not wield magic blessed with divine grace and were doomed to rely on dark magic, a force leading to inevitable destruction.
To young me, it seemed like a plausible story. Of course, I now know it is a claim rooted in religious perspective, far removed from the truth.
In reality, demons are humans just like us. Based on what I saw during anatomy class, their organs and ours match entirely in every aspect.
It is the academic consensus that demons are humans whose genes have been twisted due to overmutation caused by exposure to a massive quantity of particles near a Falling Star Impact Site.
There are similar accounts of mutated entities wherever you go in the world. Demonic energy and dark magic are merely means for their twisted bodies to manipulate particles.
On the other hand, we were fortunate enough to be distant from the Falling Star Impact Site, which caused only moderate mutations, enabling us to discover more stable methods to handle particles.
Still, knowing their unfortunate circumstances doesn't calm the hatred toward them. That is purely an academic approach and is, of course, separate from the atrocities these beasts have committed.
Personally, I also despise them. Those beasts were the very ones who burned our village and brutally ravaged the people two years ago.
Since the Unit Commander took me in, I have slain countless demons in the Northeastern Region, but there was no way to fill the sorrow and void.
"Ten Hajeonsa supplies earn you the Silver Prize, and fifty earn you the Military Honor Medal..."
"Three Second-Class Species are enough for a Silver Prize, they say..."
"How much is the pension for that? Just getting one Military Honor Medal..."
Most of those having such conversations were students recommended for their abilities, coming from the frontier. A military major is an essential factor for advancement. In the first place, if we graduate from the Cradle, we are expected to spend a period several times longer in military service to build our specialties.
It's just that this time, that period came earlier. After all, the purpose of the Cradle's establishment was to foster mages for the projection of force, and that was the education we received.
Even the 1st Years, who hadn't completed half the semester, were showing eagerness. As for the 2nd Years, with a more advanced curriculum, or the 3rd Years, who had already been deployed to the battlefield, there's no need to elaborate.
Whether that passion is genuine courage or merely the bluster of the inexperienced remains to be seen.
"The time has come. I always thought a day like this would come."
A large hand thudded down on my shoulder. A burly male student, Choi Woojin, exhaled heavily and bumped his fists together.
He was openly displaying his competitive spirit.
"What are you thinking so deeply about?"
"That you're acting exactly as you look."
At my blunt reply, Choi Woojin chuckled.
"Well, it can't be helped. To rise to a core position in the military someday, you need at least a double-digit number of battle experiences."
"You're aiming for the Guard Corps?"
"Isn't that obvious? I'm more suited for that role anyway. Besides, my older sister will take care of the family, so I don't have to worry."
Hearing my words, Choi Woojin shrugged his shoulders.
"And about that. For me, that's a compliment. It's definitely better than acting the complete opposite of how you look, like some people, isn't it?"
"Is that directed at me? How would you even know what I look like?"
"Isn't it obvious? You must look like a slender gigolo. That's why the two seniors are always pressuring you."
"..."
Even among students from prestigious families, there wasn't much aversion to the war. They even shared sentiments similar to the previous ones.
It's because the stakes are more about personal and family honor than monetary compensation. As Choi Woojin said, having military achievements is essential for future roles in the military or on the Supreme Council.
"H-Hic..."
Of course, there seemed to be exceptions. One male student, with a pale face, was nervously biting his nails.
"Isn't that right, Guk Jaeryong? You should shed your reputation as the Useless Member of the family now... Ah, what the!"
"U-Ugh..."
Approaching him, Choi Woojin laughed heartily and patted him firmly on the back. Soon, the sound of retching and a splattering noise followed.
***
I left Hwayangkwan and headed for the dorm facility. Although I had few belongings, I still needed to organize them.
My thoughts, which had been chaotic, were beginning to settle.
I have less than two months left to live anyway. In that case, perhaps dying on the battlefield would be a more honorable end.
At least it would be better than a horrifying death where my body collapses completely.
It might even be a better way to repay both the Unit Commander who took me in and the Black Lotus.
Given the situation, Yeon and Yeon Minha will soon leave the Disciplinary Room as well. Compared to a large-scale war, a petty love triangle is a trivial matter.
And if I meet them... I suppose I'll have no choice but to tell the truth then.
I don't think persuading them will be easy. But it's true that I must somehow make them understand... Damn it.
"Haah..."
With a sigh mixed with profanity, I let out a breath. It made sense since even I couldn't find a solution to this problem.
Clutching my ballooning thoughts, I approached the new dormitory. As I was about to enter, I was suddenly seized by a strange sensation.
"Huh...?"
I stopped dead in my tracks, my gaze fixed on one spot. In the middle of the stairs leading to the dorm facility, something was placed.
What was there was something unfamiliar and out of place with the surrounding scenery.
Soon, I realized it was a blood-soaked human arm.
Judging by the direction of the bent fingers, it was a right arm. The scratches carved all over it and the fragments of a broken particle suit made it clear that the owner of the arm was a soldier.
I couldn't stop trembling. It was because I knew exactly who this arm belonged to.
An arm that always held a blade and sparred with me, an arm that occasionally smacked my head with a fist, an arm that hesitated to pat my head when I left for the Cradle but couldn't bring itself to do it.
And now, that arm lay carelessly atop the stairs like a sacrifice for heresy.
The arm before me belonged to the Unit Commander.
"U-Unit Commander..."
I absentmindedly picked it up. The cold, hardened touch of death vividly conveyed itself to me.
My pupils dilated, but my vision was constricted. A chilling foreboding flowed down my spine, and cold sweat drenched my body.
Suddenly, a vivid nightmare from last night resurfaced in my mind.
"Why is this... here..."
-Finally, you've arrived.
And then, a voice came from behind me. It was faint and mixed with static.
I turned around to confirm the voice's source. There sat a white crow on the railing with an empty neck.
The crow, without a head, had dark red blood staining its claws. It was clear that the crow had carried the Unit Commander's arm here.
-So, how is my gift? Do you like it?
Then, with a splashing sound of blood, someone's voice flowed from the empty neck of the crow.
-I told you.
It was a voice I recognized well. I had encountered the arrogant owner of this voice before.
-Soon... I'll send a return gift.