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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: The Stranger from Another World (2)
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In my memory, North Korea had always been a joke.
They'd spew bullshit about turning Seoul into a sea of fire, or launch shit-filled balloons just to grab some attention.
But after I got dragged into another world, North Korea actually made it a real sea of fire. South Korea first, then the entire world.
Northern monsters.
In other words, through these things called monsters.
I figured only webnovels had Heavenly Demons who could burn the world to ashes, but who knew North Korea actually had one for real.
"Like Siyul said, 'northern monsters' isn't completely wrong. We sometimes call them that since they come from the north."
Honestly, I still can't believe it.
If the records tied to me hadn't survived, I'd probably still be denying it all.
"But."
At that moment, the police officer spoke with firm resolve.
"Northern monsters aren't people, even if you call them that. Unlike defectors, they're not human at all."
"Are you saying North Koreans who aren't Magical defectors just aren't human?"
"No, I mean they're literally monsters!"
I ignored the officer clutching his head and tossed out a sudden question that popped into my mind.
"But even if monsters came down directly to South Korea, how the hell did they invade other countries?"
"Obvious method. They strapped monsters to missiles instead of nukes and fired them off."
"Ah, rocket delivery."
Looking at it now, if I hadn't gotten pulled into another world, the monsters would've dragged me straight back into the military. Either way, it's equally fucked.
Anyway, from this, I could piece together the next part.
"So my parents' status was never confirmed even after the whole mess ended? That's why there's no record."
"High probability. Unless you or immediate family report it, the records stay blank."
"Ha."
It felt so empty.
Utterly hollow.
I'd barely made it back from another world, only to be left with nothing but my title as a 33-year-old high school grad, unemployed with zero experience. Now toss "orphan" on top.
There was a slim chance my parents were still alive, but honestly, I didn't dare hope for it.
They were ordinary folks. Not filthy rich, not hugely connected—just normal people.
And.
Bitterly, when disasters hit, it's those ordinary people who die in droves.
I knew that better than anyone.
I'd seen it enough times in the other world to last a lifetime.
My heart was too worn down from otherworld life for even a single tear, but apparently it wasn't completely shattered after all.
My emotions stirred a little.
Should've at least snapped a photo.
"...Anyway, got it."
"Well, it's not exactly confirmed."
Noticing how down I looked, the cop ventured cautiously.
"Why?"
"After that, Magical asylum applications to other countries were endless."
Thanks to the cop's words, I jotted down a small goal in a corner of my heart.
When the time's right, search for my parents.
Maybe they survived.
If not, at least find their bodies.
"Ah, hold on."
"What is it, Siyul?"
One word had been nagging at me since earlier.
"Why keep saying 'Magical'?"
Deserters, records—everything's prefixed with Magical.
Why not just say it straight?
It gets the point across fine.
"What the hell is Magical anyway?"
"Magical is Magical."
"No, I mean what is it?"
"Explaining it isn't Magical."
"Fuck, seriously."
Maybe because this world's been through the wringer once.
Everything feels utterly insane.
Anyway.
Time to focus on the conversation. I knew zilch about this world, so I had to pry out every scrap of info.
Right now, I was nothing but an outsider.
"Asylum's surprising, though. Korea's still better than most places, right?"
"Not back then. Korea took especially heavy Magical damage."
"Had to for survival."
"Yeah. Plenty couldn't leave."
Makes sense, if that's the case.
Survival comes first, no matter what.
I'd done the same in the other world.
"Even amid that, the well-off squeezed the poor for every last bit. Magical government included."
"Horrific."
"Yeah. Magical suicides everywhere, folks torching Magical government buildings left and right. It's only calmed down lately."
The cop ended with a heavy sigh and clammed up.
Now his initial cynicism made sense.
The world had been total chaos. Plenty lost family overnight, just like me.
Being a cop in that mess must've been one hell of a burden.
Like quelling riots.
"Riots must've sucked."
"Yeah, brutal."
The cop flashed a wry smile and gazed into the distance—probably reminiscing.
Felt a bit sorry, so I offered some light comfort.
"You worked hard."
"Fire just wouldn't catch easy."
"Ah, that side of things?"
Now I got it—the cop wasn't regular police back then. He was Red Team. The ones personally setting government ablaze.
"Still prefer cop work, though."
"They even recruit criminals if they've got skills?"
"Can chuck Molotovs up close."
"Ah, fuck, can't predict shit."
Correction.
He was police even then.
"Salary confiscated—who gives a damn about public order? Burn it all."
But.
"Waste not to shoot guns too."
"Did that ages ago."
"Good man."
Not worth dwelling on, so I let it slide.
Someone might question it: normal for a cop who lobbed firebombs at the government to stick around?
But when was the world ever normal?
Not just Korea's problem. Even before the other world, the globe was nuts. Countries where cops beat citizens bloody? Dime a dozen.
Besides, cops are human too.
Just trying to survive, end of story.
Extreme situations reveal true nature?
Nah. They reveal cornered people.
Ah, otherworld bastards excepted.
Those psychos are the 'real' deal.
Anyway.
"Enough on Magical answers? Time for the main Magical topic, Kim Siyul?"
"Hold up."
Separate issue—one question lingered.
"You said all records vanished. So why's mine still around?"
Korea's wiped clean, yet my desertion record's pristine. Weird it even existed.
"I said most Magical records gone."
"Yeah."
"Your Magical desertion record isn't in the 'most.'"
"Ha, fuck. Close call."
No, can't even call it close.
I did my full term anyway, fuck.
"Well, couldn't be helped. Your record was with the Military Manpower Agency from the start."
Doesn't add up.
Monster invasion like biblical plague—how'd Defense and Manpower survive? They'd be first to go.
No way records preserved properly.
"Means they didn't collapse, so records survived?"
"They collapsed, sure. Just held out longest, so fewer losses."
"Oh."
Halfway pleasant news, mid-hear.
That godawful Manpower Agency finally bit the dust.
Defense Ministry too, naturally.
"Good news."
Genuine, heartfelt. Anything but those two agencies.
"Actually... not such a great story."
"Yeah?"
"Sounds heroic, holding to the bitter end. Reality? Pathetic."
The cop misinterpreted, face souring as he spilled the ugly side of the "heroic" tale.
"Incidents galore. For real."
Using grunts as meat shields to flee.
Supplies cut from corruption scandals, dying off.
No timely treatment thanks to useless staff.
Commanders brawling over glory right in front of a monster, wiped out together.
"And they still didn't wise up."
Losses like that should've changed policy. Instead, they changed who got dragged in.
Reservists and civil defense, naturally.
Elderly, disabled—even minors.
"Hauled Magical critical patients from hospital beds too. As 'temporary Magical shields.'"
"That dire? No picking men over women."
"Nah, still only men. Brass strong-armed it for their votes. Stirred up Magical gender-war public opinion too."
"Huh, fuck."
Couldn't help but sigh.
Unity short enough, yet they sowed division for self-gain.
Well, same as ever.
Few incompetent assholes pull stupid shit, innocents foot the bill.
"Didn't peg 'em for that level of bullshit even then."
"Water under the bridge. Who survives a bullet to the back of the skull?"
Small mercy: this time, the few incompetent assholes paid up too.
What folks call fragging.
"Fragging actually happened, huh."
"Hey, not fragging—'dotan.'"
"Ah, guided missile."
I nodded with mild admiration.
But the cop shook his head firmly.
"No, dotan. Definitely."
"Why?"
"Shot with eyes closed."
"Ah, dotan for sure."
That's why dotan's terrifying.
No safe spot from dotan.
Flies in anytime, anywhere, anyhow.
Anyway.
"That's the gist. Not a feel-good tale."
Heard only snippets, but my head throbbed. Plenty died in that mess.
Ones who didn't have to.
Personally? Felt like more perished from human greed than monsters.
"Surviving that's impressive."
"Me? Pure luck. Really."
A bit eerie.
If no otherworld trip, I'd be dead too.
This view? Otherworld jaunt not half bad. Dodged death on the sly.
Not thankful, though.
Otherworld still sucks.
Then, something odd clicked.
"But why bring up Magical Girls?"
Monsters boil down to northern ones.
North's invasion nearly doomed South.
Why mention Magical Girls first?
"Who could handle monsters nobody—not even Manpower—could touch?"
"Ah."
Finally clicked somewhat.
Most media? Humans powerless against monsters—just monster chow.
No winning.
Law of nature.
So.
Who faces those monsters?
"Magical Girls."
The answer slipped out unbidden.
The cop nodded.
"Right. When soldiers were dropping like flies post-invasion, that's when Magical Girls started showing up in droves."
Magical Girls—straight out of novels and media.
Now real life.