PAST LIFE RETURNER

Side Story 2: That Day Martial Law, Kyeong-Il

Kyeong-Il was not the only one who had made it a habit to check the sky. Those who were called in by martial law often found themselves unconsciously gazing upward.

...It’s clear.

During the time when smoking was permitted outside, Kyeong-Il and his squad members naturally looked up at the sky. Even if the gigantic eye of the evil god Doom Kaos, which was bigger than the sun, appeared again in the sky, people would not find it abnormal.

The contradiction emerged there. The guns they held were not for resisting the evil god, but instead merely tools to control the citizens. He wondered if he still had to obey military orders when circumstances forced the citizens into violent rebellion. That would not happen, but he was concerned just in case it happened.

Should I shoot them if I receive that command?

The mere thought of such an ending sent shivers down Kyeong-Il’s spine.

If something like that actually happens, I will run away from the barracks. I would probably do that… Right?

He saw young girls around his girlfriend’s age greeting people at the entrance to a convenience store across the street. He missed his girlfriend so much. The last time he talked to her was a few days before the Final Stage began, when he was hurriedly packing his uniform. Their call was cut short due to an unstable cell signal.

“They should allow us to use our phones. Don’t you think so?”

When Kyeong-Il voiced his thoughts, similar complaints arose from the midst of cigarette smoke.

“We are not even at war against North Korea.”

If he had to mention the pros of not having phones was that he no longer had to watch the video that had been forcibly installed on his mobile device.

The name of that thing was Orca. The horrifying monster was surprisingly fluent in Korean, and Kyeong-Il could now recite the monster’s speeches by heart as he was forced to watch it nonstop.

Odin was a terror to all of us. You all are under the protection of such a being.

“Odin was a terror to all of us. You all are under the protection of such a being.”

Even now, that monster was still promoting His greatness on the large billboards in the streets. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that the reason the streets remained undisturbed was not due to the soldiers’ presence but perhaps because of this monster’s propaganda.

Anyway, since he was dragged into the military again like he had been on the Day of Advent, he did not do much. He ate and slept when he was told to do so.

However, the anxiety of not knowing when something would happen drove him crazy. He was in a position to obey military orders. His mind had been occupied by worries about his parents and girlfriend, and the frustration of being unable to protect them was tormenting.

I never wanted to wear this again.

When he was serving in the military, he needed a belt as the pants were too big on him otherwise. However, they were now so tight around the waist from his belly fat that he could not put them on without unbuttoning them. Considering how they had not been this tight during the Day of Advent, he probably gained weight over the past six months.

Right then, the atmosphere on the streets changed abruptly. The pedestrians began checking their phones, and the officers of the military looked increasingly uneasy. As expected, a line of military trucks started appearing from the other side of the road.

“Put out your cigarettes!”

A sharp voice struck him, as if he was being hit on the back of his head.

Something had finally happened! It must be the worst-case scenario I have been imagining.

***

The atmosphere inside the cargo hold wasn’t that bad until the live ammunition was distributed. However, the moment they received the ammunition, a sudden sob from one person completely ruined the mood. Kyeong-Il’s anxiety exploded at that moment.

It was worse as someone unexpected had been the one who started sobbing, and that intensified the shock. He was basically the leader of the team that others relied on. Though he never mentioned his original job, he exuded the aura of a solid businessman, sturdy like Caliber, and was a man who could soothe people without saying much. He was the oldest as well.

He was forty-five years old, which was the maximum age that someone could be conscripted under martial law. Although he was unlucky, Kyeong-Il’s team had been relatively peaceful compared to other units because he was there.

Thus, it was only natural that everyone was swept up in it when he cried. Yet, no one in the team looked down on him for being weak. They all looked at him with sympathy.

Keyong-Il was sitting right in front of him.

“It will be fine, sir.”

There was no reply.

The sobbing could no longer be heard, but his throat was still quivering. Even though his face was hidden by the bulletproof helmet, it was clear what kind of expression he had. He was probably holding back tears that were about to burst.

He said he has a daughter. Was she three years old?

Kyeong-Il couldn’t relate personally as he was not married and had no children. However, considering the older man was more anxious and worried about her than Kyeong-Il himself, he felt he could understand.

I am scared out of my mind, too. So he must be terrified.

Kyeong-Il murmured to himself, “They should at least give phones to those with families. This is so wrong in every way.”

Someone chimed in from next to Kyeong-Il, “I know, right?”

“But where are we going?”

“It looks like we are heading for the highway. We are definitely going in that direction.”

The weight of the gun loaded with live ammunition was heavy. In fact, adding a few more bullets should not have made it feel this heavy. Yet, it felt like he was constantly leaning towards the boxes of guns despite trying his best to maintain balance.

The old man’s gun across from him was especially shaking worryingly.

“Are you okay, sir?”

“...”

Only silence answered him.

“There was no trouble on the Day of Advent. We will be fine this time, too.”

Although he said that, Kyeong-Il could not muster any strength in his voice.

Everyone knew that this crisis was different from the Day of Advent. Looking back, the fact that the world remained unchanged after experiencing the Day of Advent was a miracle. Without the world’s heroes like the King of Hell Jonathan Hunter, who defended the mainland, the weapons in people’s hands could have been rocks right now instead of guns.

The world’s heroes had perfectly defended on the Day of Advent, but the crisis had not ended then and was still ongoing. Then, the evil god Doom Kaos manifested himself in the end.

Everyone had witnessed that terrifying entity. It could not be explained by human knowledge. They could somehow accept the fact that he existed, as massive as the Sun in the universe, and was looking down at humans. It was because everyone around the world saw the same spectacle regardless of their geographical location.

The transcendent and evil being was trying to destroy humanity.

“Odin will win, so don’t worry too much.”

Kyeong-Il turned his head towards the window next to the passenger’s seat. A young officer was watching them as expected. However, his face also seemed tense, so Kyeong-Il abandoned the idea of asking for help.

The truck soon entered the highway. Many vehicles were entering the central highway, and most of them were from the military.

“Ah, shit…”

The man next to Kyeong-Il spoke with a tense voice.

“Why?”

The man pointed to a passing military vehicle passing by, specifically the unit emblem on the truck.

“Did you see it?”

“What is that?”

There was a black triangle in a yellow shield, with a long sword in the middle. It was an emblem Kyeong-Il had not seen before.

“It is the Capital Defense Command.”

“What? What are they doing here…?”

“That is why things are going really bad.”

The Capital Defense Command was the last resort in protecting Seoul. Their primary mission was not combat, but instead they were in charge of the defense of Seoul and ensuring its public safety. They were obligated not to leave Seoul in any circumstances, but they were now heading south, just like them. That was what the man beside Kyeong-Il explained to him.

Then, the man in front lifted his head for the first time since he received the bullets. His eyes, bloodshot from worry about his family, looked truly nervous and sad. He was chasing the already distant convoy truck with those eyes.

Kyeong-Il realized that he could not calm the man down anymore. No words would make a difference. The man had to find his own peace ultimately.

It sounded cold, but who didn’t have a story to tell? Everyone who had been conscripted from their daily lives had their own story. Even Kyeong-Il did…

“Stay strong, sir.”

Although Kyeong-Il knew he was not supposed to, he got up. He stumbled forward and knocked on the window behind the passenger seat. Then, he shouted.

Of course, that young officer would not know because he was just following orders from above.

“Where the hell are we going? Shouldn’t we at least know that much?”

Bad feelings spread fast. Then, the negative energy accumulated and overwhelmed the entire group. That happened to Kyeong-Il’s squad.

However, it wasn’t just in his group. However, the anxiety that sparked from the man everyone looked up to had a greater impact on them. They all felt as if the world was ending.

It had not been long since they had driven down the highway, but it felt endless to Kyeong-Il. The man in the front seat was no longer in his sight. The thought that he might not see his dad, mom, siblings, and girlfriend again was growing, making him increasingly drawn to the gun.

He debated whether to desert the military camp with his comrades. At least then, he could be with his parents and girlfriend in the end. If it was the end of humanity, people had to be with their loved ones.

“This is scary…”

Even when the squad member next to him spoke, Kyeong-Il didn’t stop looking at the sky. If the world was going to end, it would start from there. Then, he decided to rush home without discussing it with his squad, his parents and his girlfriend.

Kyeong-Il tightened his grip on the gun. Then, it happened.

The truck began exiting the highway and heading back to Seoul. It stopped before re-entering the highway back to Seoul. All the trucks, from the same unit in the back and the front, all stopped at once.

The door on the young officer’s side swung open. However, his expression was strange. He was looking at his phone with an odd look that wasn’t quite crying or laughing. He headed toward the cargo section.

“It’s over! It’s all over! He declared the end of the war!”

Kyeong-Il did not grasp the meaning immediately. However, cheers erupted from the lead truck. Before he realized it, Kyeong-Il was also cheering with a man in front of him.

***

Kyeong-Il returned to Seoul and got his phone back. Knowing how much the call volume would have been spiked, he was not frustrated when the connections were difficult. Seeing the man talking happily with his family was enough for him.

Then, he finally connected with his girlfriend through the call.

<Girlfriend: I was so worried that I thought I would die. Are you okay? Are you hurt?>

His girlfriend’s voice trembled as much as his heart. Kyeong-Il decided he could not wait any longer. Now was the only chance.

“Will you marry me?”