Chapter 1:Prologue.

On a Sunday afternoon at the racecourse, a problem arose before the race.
Horse number 3, a strong contender for the win, began spitting and refused to enter the starting gate.

Seo Ah, who was still six years old, lifted her heels and looked up at the scoreboard, finding the sight of the jockey struggling with the reins fascinating.

On the screen, horse number 3 was irritably shaking its head.

“Dad! I don’t think the horse wants to run!”

“Seo Ah, it’s dangerous!”

Jeong Han, her father, quickly picked up Seo Ah, who was precariously clinging to the railing.
As her view became higher, Seo Ah became even more excited and pointed at the scoreboard.

“The horse spit on that man!”

“Seo Ah. It didn’t spit.”

“Yes, it did. That man looks like he’s about to cry right now. He must be upset.”

Yeon Jin, his wife, finally burst into laughter.
Jeong Han sighed deeply, looking at the jockey who, as Seo Ah said, had a tearful expression.

‘He shouldn’t have bet on horse number 3.’
They say the unpredictability of horse racing, based on the racehorse’s condition, is its charm, but he never expected it to apply to him.

“Dad. The horse is pitiful. Can’t they just not make it run?”

Seo Ah, who had been peering into the starting gate, furrowed her brows.
The horse, continually resisting the jockey, seemed pitiful to her.

Her heart was so pretty.
Jeong Han smiled softly and took Seo Ah’s hand, answering.

“Horses are animals that need to run, Seo Ah. If they just stay still, they can actually get depressed. So, being able to race now makes them happy.”

Seo Ah’s eyebrows shot up.
Jeong Han intuitively knew the child was thinking something odd again and smiled.

“Do you still have questions?”

“Yes! If they’re animals that need to run, why do they live in cages? They should be allowed to run freely.”

“Uh… that’s…”

Taken aback by the unexpected question, Jeong Han glanced at Yeon Jin.
While the two pondered how to answer in a way that would be good for the child’s education, Seo Ah looked up at the scoreboard again.

Finally, horse number 3 gave up its resistance and was shown entering the starting gate.

“Seo Ah, that is to say…”

Just as Jeong Han found a suitable answer, bang! The starting signal sounded, and the gates opened.
Seo Ah watched with her mouth agape as the horses galloped forward.

The jockeys, bent as low as possible, rapidly swung their whips.
Horse number 3 was in the lead.
Along with the excited horses, Seo Ah’s eyes also sparkled brightly.

Jeong Han exhaled a sigh of relief.
He had thought he would have to sugarcoat the living conditions of racehorses for Seo Ah, who usually adored animals.

Then, horse number 3, from a distance, galloped towards their viewing spot.
Seo Ah excitedly clutched the railing.

“Look there! Mom! I can see the horse!”

“Yes, yes. Seo Ah. Mom can see it too,” Yeon Jin said, signaling to her husband, Jeong Han.
Nodding, Jeong Han placed Seo Ah on his shoulders so she could see the horses better.

Horse number 3 came closer and closer.
Along with Seo Ah’s wide smile, the couple’s laughter grew deeper.

“Dad! Look at that!”

“Yes, Seo Ah. Dad’s watching too!”

The running horses streamed past Seo Ah’s family, with the fence separating them.
Jeong Han even cheered excitedly.
Horse number 3 was still running in front.

He glanced at Seo Ah, who was holding onto his head.
Would she be excited from seeing the horses up close?
Or would she be scared because they were faster than she expected?

“Seo Ah. Did you see? The horses’ legs…”

“Dad. Look at that.”

Seo Ah pointed to the spot where the horses had just passed.
Jeong Han tilted his head and looked around the racecourse.
But he saw nothing but dust, except for the large scoreboard in front.

“There’s nothing…”

“Everyone look there!”

It was then.
One of the spectators pointed towards the sky.

“See?” Seo Ah said, pointing above her head again.
A moment ago, her arm couldn’t go up because of her clothes, so she had pointed in the wrong direction.

Jeong Han looked up at the sky, past the scoreboard that announced horse number 3 had come in first place.
By then, most of the spectators were looking at the same spot as him.

“Seo Ah’s dad. Is that, surely…”

Yeon Jin poked Jeong Han’s arm with an anxious face.
Jeong Han, looking up at the sky, swallowed hard.

He knew it too.
A massive object, like several regular polyhedra connected, covered the blue sky.
The racecourse itself instantly darkened, as if it had moved into the shade of a tree.

“The, the horses!”

It was then that a panicked shout erupted from the crowd.
The horses that had reached the finish line suddenly began to run wild.

The jockeys struggled with all their might to control the excited horses and hold onto the reins.
But an accident inevitably occurred.

Spectators screamed as jockeys fell helplessly from their horses.
Eventually, the horses jumped over the fence and began to run towards the people.

Jeong Han and Yeon Jin almost simultaneously hugged Seo Ah and crouched down.
Screams for help erupted from everywhere.
Instead of his sobbing wife, Jeong Han squinted and surveyed their surroundings.

The ground was stained with blood from people trampled by horse hooves.
Terrified by the sight, people were trembling, hidden under the seats.

By the time Jeong Han’s gaze followed the horse hooves, the racehorses had already disappeared somewhere.

“E-emergency services…”

Jeong Han took out his trembling phone.
But at that moment, it vibrated and an alert sound rang out.

It wasn’t just his phone.
The same alert sound began to ring out simultaneously across the racecourse.

[Ministry of Interior and Safety] At approximately 2:23 PM, an unidentified aircraft was confirmed over Gwacheon. An air raid warning has been issued. Citizens are advised to evacuate to underground facilities.

“Everyone take cover!”

Jeong Han, who had been staring blankly at the disaster message with a disbelieving face, suddenly raised his head at a shout from somewhere.

The aircraft that had been visible in the distance was getting closer to the ground.
It looked like it was landing.

“Jeong Han!”

“Seo Ah, quickly get on my back!”

Yeon Jin embraced the bewildered Seo Ah and helped her onto Jeong Han’s back.
The aircraft approached them at a high speed.

Jeong Han gritted his teeth and ran forward.
Yeon Jin followed, but before long, she was pushed away by the surging crowd.

When Jeong Han looked back, she had already vanished.
Seo Ah burst into tears.

“Mom! Mom’s gone!”

Despair crossed Jeong Han’s face.
He wasn’t the only one.
People who had come for family outings on the weekend were all crying out with blackened faces.

That was only for a moment, as a deep shadow fell over their heads.
Jeong Han and the others looked at the same spot.
It was the aircraft.

“Seo Ah. Get under the seats.”

Jeong Han calmly pushed Seo Ah under the spectator seats.
Children who had come to the racecourse with their parents were already huddled there.

Parents in the same predicament as Jeong Han held hands, guarding the area around the stands.
The children’s cries were soon drowned out by the unidentified sound coming from the aircraft.

“Please, God,” a short prayer flowed from someone’s lips.
It didn’t take long for the entire area to be filled with screams.

That day, there were 493 survivors.

Across the entire land of South Korea.

Juseong, having successfully invaded Earth, controlled humanity, and finally established a new world.

The 140th Anniversary of Invasion Day Documentary: “The History of New Earth’s Birth – East Asia Chapter” End.
Part 2, “Europe Chapter,” will begin shortly.

The black and white screen fizzled with black and white lines, then soon changed to a color screen.

On the screen, an MC and a guest sat on a sofa, facing each other at an angle.

“How truly touching! Especially the final scene where Juseong’s military aircraft lands at the Old Earth racecourse was incredibly magnificent and beautiful! Don’t you agree, Guest 1923?”

MC 34 was a main MC, one of only 34 broadcast humans selected over the past 140 years.
He smiled widely at the camera with the skill of a veteran.

In contrast, Guest 1923, sitting beside him, looked somewhat uneasy.
The camera moved past MC 34 to show Guest 1923, who had her shoulders hunched up.

“Y-yes, that’s right. The sight of people hiding under the tables in fear almost looked like they were worshiping Juseong.”

‘Oops. Tables?’
MC 34 gave Guest 1923 a meaningful look and deliberately raised his voice.

“You mean the scene where the children hid under the ‘stands’! Haha! Juseong’s military aircraft wouldn’t be stopped by mere scrap metal like that.”

“Ah, but still, one child survived from there at that time…”