The time for choice has come.
For Jinseong, it is a selection, and for them, it is an end where they must make a choice and pay the price.
“It is said that all laws other than victory and survival are useless for the warrior. Unbound even by heavy regulations, and unfettered by the scripture written by the great, singular prophet who descended with the will of the sole existing supreme deity, the warrior is not bound to abstain from uncleanness but may consume it, and though killing is forbidden, the warrior may wield the sword and take life to protect himself, the temple, his family, and his country. Therefore, warrior, for whom all laws become meaningless, your most important task is fighting, and ultimately, survival.”
Jinseong looked at those who had been subdued and lost consciousness.
The people had lost consciousness for various reasons. Some had fainted due to difficulty breathing, others were knocked out by the sleeping agent in the smoke grenade he threw. Some had fallen under the influence of ghosts and others had succumbed to the pain after being bitten by poisonous insects Jinseong had used to suppress those hiding.
“Now, here, by the Will of God, we seek a warrior who wields the sword. This is akin to an angel revealing divine visions in dreams. Though it may be an illusion, it is for the purpose of selection; therefore, warrior of God, you must pass the test and prove your worthiness to bear the sword. Sleep with the sound of wings, dream with the sound of wings, and in the dream world, wield the sword and see blood to do what must be done.”
They all still had a breath of life in them.
But if Jinseong planned to just subdue them and leave it at that, he wouldn’t have stepped foot on Dokdo.
For blood must be seen in order to call for more blood.
Surely, sacrifice is necessary if one seeks to engage in battle.
“Self…how many will perish?”
They all might die, but all might survive.
But…
‘How many among them are warriors, and how many are soldiers?’
It would truly be difficult, as the gate to heaven is small, allowing not just anyone to enter.
“Ugh…where…where am I..?”
When Officer Kim Ichang groaned in pain and awoke, the first thing he saw was a thick fog that obscured his vision.
The fog was so dense, like when he had stepped out to the outpost, and it engulfed all sides, preventing him from seeing where he was.
“Ugh.”
Feeling trapped because he couldn’t see anything, Officer Kim Ichang attempted to rise from his place.
But at the moment he applied force to stand, an excruciating pain surged through his leg.
Surprised by the intense pain, Kim Ichang looked down at his leg and groaned automatically.
“Damn it…it’s broken.”
What caught his eye was the leg twisted in a direction it was not meant to be. With joints bent backward, it lay sprawled as if it were a doll’s limb. With a heavy sigh, Officer Kim resigned himself to the fact that standing was not an option.
Clearly not just a fractured bone, the joint was twisted like a child’s toy, leaving him helpless.
The best course of action was to just stay put.
With a leg twisted like this, it wouldn’t be long before the area began to swell dramatically. The wound could start to bleed, leading to potential shock in the worst-case scenario.
Even in such a situation, to wander around seeking help would be madness.
With the leg in this condition, not only would walking be impossible, but even crawling could risk further injury or infection, potentially leading to permanent disability.
“At least I have my gun, so it’s a lucky break.”
Amongst his misfortunes, there was relief: he had means to defend himself.
The gun.
The rifle and grenades he carried while standing guard at the outpost were still in his hand.
With these on hand, he wouldn’t simply sit and be beaten if attacked by wild animals or enemies.
Yes.
Even if an enemy did come.
“—Help!”
A voice echoed from within the fog.
A voice similar to one he’d heard at the outpost… it sounded like a woman but might as well have been a male voice that hadn’t yet deepened during puberty.
The voice seemed close.
Though the dense fog concealed the exact location, the clarity and volume suggested the speaker wasn’t far.
“Is there anyone there!”
Upon hearing the voice, Officer Kim Ichang cheered up and shouted.
It would be better to have someone else around than to be alone in this thick fog.
“…a person?”
Did the voice hear Kim Ichang’s shout?
The voice that had been pleading for help began muttering to itself.
But this wasn’t Korean—it was a different language.
The close yet distant neighbor:
Japanese.
“見つけた!”
And look at the voice now.
The desperate plea for help had vanished, replaced by an excited tone. The urgency that had sought help had now become the excitement of a hunter who has spotted its prey.
Officer Kim Ichang’s face froze in realization.
‘Shit.’
Had it been a trap?
He realized that the voice calling out for help was akin to the songs of sirens in mythology, used to lure sailors to their doom. He quickly lifted his gun, aiming into the fog.
Though unable to pinpoint the exact position, he roughly aimed toward the source of the voice, his arm tense, ready to fire the moment someone appeared.
And so, Officer Kim Ichang maintained the same posture he had when he was a soldier, glaring into the fog.
Waiting for the enemy to appear before his eyes.
Finally, a shape began to emerge from the fog.
A compact figure with an unmistakably young face.
‘A boy?’
Standing barely 130 cm tall, this person looked no older than a middle school student.
Moreover, his attire was also typical for someone his age, and he carried a school backpack.
And in his hand was…a gun.
‘Is this a boy?’
Is this a Japanese-issue gun?
The gun’s form was unfamiliar to him.
But this boy was clumsily wielding the rifle, aiming it at Kim Ichang with one eye squinted shut, as if mimicking something he’d seen before. A dangerous intensity radiated from his eyes.
The boy shouted.
“死ね!”
While the meaning of the words was unclear, the murderous intent emanating from the boy’s eyes was unmistakable.
Officer Kim Ichang, guided by the instincts drilled into him during his military training, instinctively aimed his rifle at the boy. His training from his days as a soldier seemed to remain intact as the muzzle of his rifle naturally aligned with the boy’s chest.
All that was left was to pull the trigger in compliance with his instincts.
If that happened, several bullets would pierce the boy’s chest.
This wasn’t a difficult task.
It was as simple as following his instincts.
He needed only to respond to the threat as he had been trained to do, to kill the one who sought to kill him.
But strangely, Kim Ichang’s finger wouldn’t budge.
Despite the military experience and memory urging him to shoot the boy, his finger remained still.
Why was this happening?
Why couldn’t he kill the enemy as he’d been trained to do?
‘Ah, damn it. If only it wasn’t a kid…’
That was the problem.
If he’d just shot when he only saw the outline through the fog, it would have been simpler.
But he’d seen the face…
He’d looked into those eyes…
‘Right, damn it. Kill him. Because you hesitated over a kid, you’re gonna die.’
Officer Kim Ichang closed his eyes.
‘Ha, damn. Well, I made the right choice not staying in the military. Clearly, I’m not cut out for it.’
Leaving the military and becoming a police officer was the better choice…
That kind of aimless thought ran through his mind while…
Bang!
One by one, after Officer Kim Ichang, the others began to wake up.
When they opened their eyes, all they saw was a thick fog.
Whether inside a building or outside, everyone woke up enshrouded in the dense fog. They were unable to discern their location and were plunged into confusion. Similarly, they all heard cries for help emerging from the fog.
“Help! Please help!”
A desperate call for rescue.
