I woke up without the help of an alarm.
The faint morning sunlight filtered through the cracks in the window, accompanied by the low, domestic hum of an old refrigerator. It was an utterly ordinary morning, and because of that, it brought an incomparable sense of relief.
I pushed myself up from the creaking bed and opened my dust-covered laptop. Without hesitation, I navigated to the university’s website and checked the academic notice board. There was still plenty of time to apply for reinstatement. My fingers felt clumsy as I clicked through the required documents—the same fingers that, only a few days ago, had been clenching the Authorities of gods.
It was then.
Vrrr— Vrrr—
The smartphone I’d tossed onto the desk vibrated noisily. The name flashing on the screen was 'Jin-su Park.' He was a friend from my mandatory military service and my best friend in the same department.
"...Hello?"
[Hey, Min-jun Jeong! You're alive?!]
An ear-shattering shout erupted from the receiver.
"Uh... yeah. I'm in Korea. I got back yesterday."
[You absolute jerk! You ignored all our messages and went completely off the grid—we thought you’d died in some ditch overseas! Forget it, let's grab a drink soon. I need to hear why you vanished!]
"Sure. I'll call you soon."
After ending the brief call, I found myself chuckling. This was it. This was what I had wanted to return to. A world without gods or mages. Meaningless appointments with friends and the mundane passage of time spent waiting for them. Suddenly, I felt an urge to walk the streets of Seoul, surrounded by this glorious normalcy.
At the same time, in the basement of a traditional estate in Kyoto, Japan.
In a dark room where hundreds of candles flickered, a man in a suit was kneeling before an elderly man sitting in a formal posture.
"I have a report, Elder Renjo."
Soun Renjo, an elder of the Renjo family—one of the four Great Families of the History Compilation Committee responsible for intelligence and subterfuge—sipped his tea with his eyes closed.
"I heard a King has been born in the land of Joseon. How indifferent the heavens are. To think that a 'King' we have craved so desperately has descended upon a barbaric land that doesn't even know the proper rites to serve the gods."
Deep jealousy and contempt were laced within his voice. The Japanese magical world had exerted every effort for centuries to enthrone their own King, only to be met with repeated failure. Yet, a King had been born in Korea, a place that had exerted no such effort.
"I have sent orders to our 'seed' within the Four Divine Guardians. Tell him to poke at that ten-year-old wound once more."
"Hmm."
Soun Renjo slowly opened his eyes. Despite his age, his gaze held a brilliant, piercing light that seemed to see through all things.
"Nothing is easier to manipulate than a man with steadfast convictions. Under the plausible banner of patriotism, he will be justifying his own anxiety and terror. To his ears, our small whispers will sound like a revelation to save his country."
"Yes. He will now move of his own accord. Everything is proceeding according to your design, Elder."
"Heh heh heh... It will be a fine chance to see if this fledgling King of Joseon is truly fit for a throne. It would be ideal if he simply withered away after a desperate struggle with a god. It should be a magnificent spectacle... watching him dance atop the tomb of a sealed god. Begin."
With the old man’s quiet whisper, the latches of a dark conspiracy aimed at the Korean peninsula were silently unbolted.
Immediately afterward, inside the central command room of the Four Divine Guardians.
The air of the strategic meeting was heavy and stifling. Team Leader Kang of the Field Operations Department stood with his arms crossed, staring coldly at Min-jun Jeong’s profile displayed on the screen.
"Viewing him as a 'manageable asset' is nothing more than optimistic wishful thinking. We cannot leave the fate of this nation to his whims."
"Team Leader Kang has a point."
Manager Han of the Strategic Analysis Department spoke up quietly.
"Classifying him as a 'threat' and preparing for the worst is our organization’s duty. However, we must be prudent in how we manage that risk. He is the first King born of this soil. That is both a crisis and a monumental opportunity."
Manager Han pulled up two codenames on the screen.
[Project Homecoming]: Support the target's return to daily life, covertly protecting him from external threats to induce a positive bond with this land.
[Project Damocles]: Analyze all of the target’s Authorities and establish an emergency response manual to minimize damage in the event of a worst-case scenario.
"Team Leader Kang, you will oversee 'Damocles.' Your prudence and crisis management skills are second to none. I will personally lead Project 'Homecoming.' Rash actions are strictly forbidden. Understood?"
"...Understood."
Kang gave a short response and left the briefing room. Returning to his office, he sank deep into his chair. At that moment, an encrypted message arrived via a secure line. The sender was 'Internal Information Asset.'
[Intel: Indications detected of the History Compilation Committee attempting to interfere with the seal of 'Jiha Daegukjeok' on Mt. Inwang.]
As he read the message, Kang briefly closed his eyes against a sharp headache that felt like a needle stabbing his temple. Along with the throbbing pain, a very faint golden pattern flickered deep within his pupils before vanishing. It was the mark of a cunningly implanted mental interference spell. The nightmare from ten years ago surged back vividly in his mind.
...My head... it doesn't matter.
He shook his head to dispel the pain.
Everything is falling into place. The Japanese are aiming for chaos, and the King is wandering this land. This is both a crisis and a chance. To turn his own power against the threat and eliminate it. That is the only way to complete Project Damocles.
He didn't doubt for a second that his judgment was perfectly rational and patriotic. He was blissfully unaware that his trauma and anxiety were being toyed with by a devious enemy. He immediately began issuing secret orders to his team members.
I left my apartment and walked aimlessly through the streets of Seoul.
The busy crowds, the noise of cars, the smell of street food. All of it was endearing and comforting. As I passed through Jongno and reached Gwanghwamun Square, I came to a halt. Beyond the familiar cityscape, a massive rocky mountain loomed in my vision.
Mt. Inwang.
A mountain that usually served as mere scenery suddenly felt unusually grating today.
And in that moment, I felt it.
...What is this?
A microscopic dissonance mixed into the air.
Beneath the vibrant energy of countless people, an unpleasant spiritual vibration was leaking from deep underground. It was a faint but distinct contamination, like a drop of ink falling into clear water. A sensation no ordinary person could ever feel—something perceptible only to those who had peered into the realm of the divine.
My feet naturally turned toward Mt. Inwang.
It wasn't out of curiosity or a sense of duty. It was an instinctive impulse, like an apex predator patrolling its territory to investigate an annoying noise that had entered its domain.
As I reached the trailhead, a low report crackled from Team Leader Kang's radio.
[Team Leader, the target has entered the base of the Mt. Inwang hiking trail.]
"...Good. According to plan, begin the Level 1 unsealing of 'Jiha Daegukjeok.' Keep the output at a minimum. Lure the target so that he 'accidentally' senses the anomaly and ventures deeper of his own accord."
With his command, something massive that had slept for ten years deep within Mt. Inwang began to squirm. And that minute spiritual vibration turned into a clear 'pulse,' transmitted through the earth beneath my feet.
"...As I thought, it wasn't just my imagination."
I took my first step toward the mountain, which was now shrouded in an ominous atmosphere.
The mundane walk of my peaceful day had come to an abrupt, unceremonious end.
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