Episode 11
Chapter 4: Awakening (3)
The internet was in utter chaos. First, the aurora phenomenon that had occurred worldwide last night had clearly shaken the entire world.
News searched online was filled entirely with articles about the aurora.
[Aurora Fills Skies Worldwide. Scientific Community Excited]
[Aurora Phenomenon Lasts 10 Minutes. No Effect on Human Body]
Some newspapers published such measured opinions, while there were also newspapers stimulating the imagination like:
[Is the End of Humanity Nigh? A Green Rope Hangs in the Sky]
[Signal from Aliens. Analyzing Aurora Phenomenon to Isolate Alien Signal]
But generally, newspapers and broadcasts seemed to regard it as merely a curious phenomenon. It seemed to be because the aurora had not appeared for long and had not caused any particular problems.
However, internet boards were in a state of chaos due to all sorts of rumors.
If it had simply ended with just the aurora phenomenon, it might have been fine, but once some people who had gained superpowers posted writings and uploaded videos, all kinds of rumors swept across the internet.
Videos and posts drew people in along with the aurora phenomenon; people spread the contents half-believing, while others fabricated rumors with lies, and the originally posted videos and writings even ended up packaged as rumors.
Yeonghun clicked on the video with the highest view count among the superpower videos uploaded to the video site.
The screen showed someone's backyard. A white girl was holding her hand out forward, and in front of her, empty cans and various objects were placed on a wooden bench.
Shortly after, a faint light lingered in the girl's hand, and the objects placed before her began to move.
An empty can shot up and fell, and a fork spun around and hit the spoon beside it. Pencils scattered in all directions before gathering together, and a handkerchief moved fluttering in the air.
And before the video ended, the girl looked at the screen and said,
“this is true"
She was saying that she was showing the truth.
But the comments below that video were no joke. He looked at the contents using an internet translator, and there was all sorts of content.
-Lie
-Who would believe this. Stop joking
-Well directed. I'll give you 80 points.
At first, most comments were like this, mocking or expressing disbelief. But as various superpower videos began to be uploaded, the content began to change.
-Could it be, is the aurora making ability users?
-There's an ability user among the people in our neighborhood!
-I still can't believe it.
And looking at the last comments, it was in complete chaos.
-Aliens appearing!
-The stones seem to have mutated! Everyone avoid them
-Why am I still the same?
-The time of destruction has come!
-I think the pranks will die down in a few days.
People making even more extreme rumors. People who believed. People lamenting that they hadn't changed. People who still didn't believe. All kinds of people were mixed together.
But there still seemed to be many who didn't believe.
It hadn't even been a day yet.
In the other world, it had taken nearly a month for everyone to accept it.
Video sites were not as active either, and due to preconceptions, even though it appeared on TV news several times, most hadn't believed it.
But looking at the current situation, it seemed to be spreading quite quickly here.
Yeonghun tried moving the dimensional power inside his body.
"It's definitely different."
The dimensional power didn't move as Yeonghun willed. It could be because his body was feeling dimensional power for the first time, but the feeling was different from when he had used it in the other world.
Thinking that it was because his body was different and he was older than when he first gained abilities in the other world, he felt the need to train again.
Now, people beginning to gain abilities all started at F-rank, possessing only basic dimensional power.
But those with higher limit levels grew quickly, while those with lower ones grew slowly.
Fortunately, since it was possible to prepare a foundation to grow somewhat faster through training, he needed to train now.
Yeonghun fell into thought.
Ability users were beginning to appear here too. Then monsters would surely come rushing in soon.
The aurora phenomenon in the sky yesterday was a phenomenon that appeared while dimensional power was being strengthened to stop monsters trying to cross over from another dimension into this world.
And as an aftereffect, ability users began to emerge, and before long, small F-rank scout-type monsters would begin barging in here through the gaps in dimensional power.
But even if he talked about it, there would be no one to believe him, and honestly, he had no intention of going through the trouble.
Rather, the hope that he might be able to meet Seonhui again because of the monsters' appearance seemed to arise, and Yeonghun felt excited.
Yeonghun unconsciously saw his own face reflected in the monitor.
He was smiling silently, the corners of his mouth raised.
Yeonghun raised his hand and touched his mouth.
'I'm definitely smiling because I'll be able to meet Seonhui.'
The thought that he might be glad to fight monsters again briefly crossed his mind, but he shook off other thoughts while picturing Seonhui's face.
***
Yeonghun began training from that day.
Fortunately, he had recovered from his injury at the right time, so he could devote himself to training.
He continued general exercises to improve strength, stamina, and such, such as jogging to the back mountain and bench pressing, and training to move dimensional power inside the house.
Since he was an F-rank ability user who couldn't imbue weapons with dimensional power, he trained sending dimensional power to various parts of his body.
The next day at the office too, the aurora that had spread across the sky on Saturday and the stories floating around the internet were the issue.
"Wow, did you see it? I watched it in a daze. I've never seen such a spectacle in my life."
Team Leader Kim clasped her hands and spoke with sparkling eyes like a young girl.
Since she had maintained a cynical expression after turning thirty, when she made such an expression, the other men all had awkward expressions.
"It was cool. Anyway, all sorts of stories are coming out on the internet now. There are tons of fake videos."
Perhaps because it was Monday, Section Chief Park, who was always soaked in alcohol, spoke with an uncharacteristically clear face.
"Well, everyone seems to be doing it for fun, so it'll probably calm down in a few days. Whatever."
Section Chief Jeong, who was the same age, chimed in with Section Chief Park's words.
"Ugh, I'm busy to death and weird things keep happening!"
Just then, the department manager came in grumbling after work hours had already started. At his appearance, the employees who were chatting all returned to their seats.
And the manager sat at his desk and took out a newspaper. Then he saw Yeonghun, and seeing that he had removed his bandages, he said a word.
"Oh, looks like you're all healed. Don't skip overtime from today. Everyone suffered because of Deputy Kang."
Hearing the manager's words, Yeonghun put down the documents he was organizing and stood up from his seat.
The manager flinched at that sight. Everyone was unaccustomed to Yeonghun's changed atmosphere.
Yeonghun got up and walked toward the manager's desk. As Yeonghun approached, the manager tensed.
"Wh-why are you doing that?"
The manager asked Yeonghun in a slightly trembling voice.
"I'm exercising, so I think overtime will be difficult going forward."
The manager almost nodded his head in the heat of the moment but managed to stop.
Angry at himself for getting nervous, the manager shouted loudly.
"Who do you think you are saying you won't do overtime! You have to do what the company tells you!"
Yeonghun stared at the shouting manager and said,
"As far as I know, there's no overtime pay, so it shouldn't matter if I don't work overtime?"
At Yeonghun's words, the manager's mouth fell open. And the faces of the employees behind Yeonghun hardened stiffly. He had struck a sore spot.
The manager glared at Yeonghun.
"Are you acting up because you want to get fired? Shall I make you write a resignation letter tomorrow?"
But Yeonghun's expression was calm. The world was going to change now. Workplace life didn't help Yeonghun much other than as a means to adapt to this world.
The situation was different from last week.
"I don't really mind. Anyway, I won't be working overtime from today."
Yeonghun informed the manager as such and returned to his seat.
The office felt as if they had entered a refrigerator.
Having frozen the office solid all day like that, Yeonghun left work on time. The manager shouted at Yeonghun's back as he left.
"Let's see what happens tomorrow! Be prepared!"
But Yeonghun didn't pay any attention to the words coming from behind. That wasn't what was important now.
As Yeonghun was going outside, he sensed someone's presence and turned around to see Huisu looking at him from beside the door.
Yeonghun was puzzled but immediately turned his head and headed home.
On his way home, Yeonghun thought about the remaining time.
In the other world, it was known that F-type monsters appeared about four months after the aurora. He didn't know how much difference there would be, but he had to prepare before then. He couldn't die absurdly after encountering monsters.
From that day on, Yeonghun returned home early and devoted himself to training. Every morning he built basic stamina through running, and in the evenings he worked to evenly send dimensional power to various parts such as fingertips and knifehand edges.
However, the office maintained an icy atmosphere during that time. No one talked to Yeonghun anymore, and the manager was anxious to tear Yeonghun apart whenever he saw him. But Yeonghun worked indifferently on his own tasks.
After spending three days in that cold, frozen office atmosphere, on the day Yeonghun could now move dimensional power to some extent as he wished, the president called him.
When Yeonghun entered the president's office and greeted him, the tired-faced president saw Yeonghun and had him sit on the sofa.
The president spoke bluntly to Yeonghun.
"I heard you refused overtime and ruined the office atmosphere."
The president with salt-and-pepper hair spoke like a teacher scolding a student.
"I don't know what problem there was, but you can't live a company life like this."
He didn't seem to have any intention of listening to Yeonghun. Yeonghun also didn't think the president's words were very wrong, so he didn't say anything.
"I heard you helped my daughter and was going to forgive you if you changed your mind, but the office opposition is too severe. Work until the end of this month. Hand over the handover to Team Leader Kim."
The president finished speaking and waved his hand at Yeonghun. It meant to leave.
Yeonghun got up and went out of the president's office. The president's voice was heard from behind.
"I didn't think he was like that, but he's very rude. Leaving without even saying goodbye, tsk."
Yeonghun tilted his head. He was the one being kicked out of the company, yet the president was raising his voice.
There wasn't much time left until the end of the month, but the handover didn't even take a few days. He handed over the documents and files that the past Yeonghun had organized well to Team Leader Kim and explained them intermittently.
Team Leader Kim looked at Yeonghun with a strange expression at his somewhat clumsy explaining.
And so the day of Yeonghun's resignation approached.
During that time, the world had rapidly become tumultuous. Especially the internet world was in chaos.
Many people began to believe that ability users had appeared. It started being broadcast on TV news, and daily newspapers began to write articles about it.
Meanwhile, incidents such as murder and arson began to increase. They were clearly the work of ability users.
And ten days after the aurora occurred, the day before Yeonghun quit his job, there was a presidential address.
Yeonghun sat at his desk and looked at the monitor. On the screen, the president appeared and was making an announcement. The president with graying hair looked at the camera and spoke in a calm tone.
[My fellow citizens,
I offer my deep apologies as president for the various incidents and accidents that have occurred due to the aurora phenomenon ten days ago.
Until now, our government has gathered and confirmed various information. I sincerely apologize for our inability to respond until now in order to deliver accurate information and prepare.
First, we have confirmed that some people are using various abilities that cannot be scientifically verified after the aurora phenomenon.
Much turmoil is occurring due to these people who have gained these new abilities. Therefore, the government has decided to conduct ability user registration for these people.
Registration will begin at each provincial and city office in four days. All ability users must register within a certain period after gaining their abilities, and those who do not register will be punished. This is to protect ordinary people from incidents.
Of course, the government plans to provide many benefits to those who register.]
And the president continued with the details.
But Yeonghun let the rest go in one ear and out the other.
Yeonghun was very surprised watching the broadcast.
This was too fast. In the other world, since it was ten years ago, information was delayed, but it had taken over a month for the government to acknowledge it. And registration began in the third month.
Now only ten days had passed, yet they were already acknowledging ability users and registration would begin in a few days—Yeonghun couldn't hide his surprise at such rapid response.
Forum posts were also filled with bewildered netizens expressing disbelief at the incredibly fast government response.
Yeonghun kept searching the internet.
Articles and videos were being uploaded that other countries were also successively making announcements acknowledging and preparing registration for ability users.
It seemed there had been some prior global agreement.
And he stopped his mouse at a photo that appeared in an article from the US.
The article was about a defense contractor preparing for ability user registration in cooperation with the US government and many countries. And the photo was of that defense contractor's CEO.
He was a skinny man in his early fifties with platinum hair and glasses, looking like a scholar.
Arthur Huxley.
His face was one Yeonghun knew. He was the very person who had made the dimensional access device and various other inventions, and who had eventually fallen into a vegetative state four years ago due to the dimensional access device he himself had created.