Chapter 111: Coup d'état (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 111: Coup d'état (4)
The grand conference room of the Seonmin Party Central Committee Headquarters in North Korea.
The Party’s committee members, military generals, and other key figures were all gathered.
Without exception, they sat in silence, their faces rigid.
Amidst the quiet, a man sitting at the head of the table, who had been tapping his fingers against its surface, finally spoke.
“Wipe those looks off your faces. What are you all so scared of?”
It was Ri Kang-ho, Park Gwang-jin’s closest aide and the de facto number two in the current hierarchy.
At Ri Kang-ho’s words, the tense officials managed forced, awkward smiles.
With Ri Hyeok-cheol’s great revolution as the turning point, North Korea’s power structure had become completely different from what it was before the Tower’s appearance.
Climbers had effectively seized control of everything; ranks and titles were mere formalities.
Ri Hyeok-cheol had launched a massive propaganda campaign declaring Climbers to be the chosen people, and in truth, they were monsters against whom even guns were useless, provided their level was high enough.
Is it any wonder the Party's name was changed to the Seonmin Party?
The Climbers were now the absolute ruling elite of North Korea.
Ri Kang-ho scanned the room before continuing.
“Our great Leader, Park Gwang-jin, will soon return after executing the traitor…”
Everyone gathered here knew.
They knew Park Gwang-jin had no intention of honoring the agreement with South Korea and was going to kill Kang Tae-sung.
What worried them was that Saram123 himself had intervened in this matter.
This was, for all intents and purposes, a blatant slap in the face to the savior of humanity.
No one could predict the repercussions of this act.
“You people worry too much. This is our inauguration. A declaration to the world of the new Park Gwang-jin Seonmin Party, which no one will dare to question. Isn’t that right?”
“Your words are wise!”
Ri Kang-ho chuckled, clicking his tongue.
“Saram123 or whatever, who cares? The very idea of a South Korean interfering in the Republic’s domestic affairs is absurd. They call him a savior, and he gets too big for his britches…”
Meanwhile, one man sat quietly, trying to calm his troubled heart.
…I’m sorry, Comrade Tae-sung.
Among the Climbers who had led this revolution, many, like Kang Tae-sung, had genuinely embraced the great cause.
But those who refused to bend had all been killed.
Some had no choice but to ride the prevailing tide.
Kim Baek-pyeong was one of the latter.
The moment he realized the tables had turned, he had thoroughly bowed his head to Park Gwang-jin.
He had chosen to survive, no matter how dirty it felt.
As long as he was alive, another chance would come someday.
But Kang Tae-sung would die today.
No matter how strong a Climber Kang Tae-sung was, there would be no second miracle.
…I won’t be able to face him even in death.
Kim Baek-pyeong could only make a vow.
Hiding a blade within this churning gut of his, he would one day fulfill the dream Kang Tae-sung could not… Hm?
Just then, the Climbers’ gazes all turned toward the entrance.
A faint commotion could be heard from outside.
“…What is that noise?”
Ri Kang-ho frowned.
Soon, the noise grew loud enough for even non-Climbers to hear.
As the Climbers, sensing something was wrong, began to rise from their seats one by one…
CRASH!
The conference room doors burst open, shattered.
Everyone’s eyes widened in shock.
Because… it was Kang Tae-sung.
They were so stunned by his appearance that no one even noticed the masked figure standing behind him.
In Kang Tae-sung’s blood-soaked hand was an object.
It was Park Gwang-jin’s head.
The conference room fell silent. No one could speak.
“H-how…”
Ri Kang-ho, his face completely drained of color, couldn’t even form a proper sentence.
To his eyes, Kang Tae-sung looked like a demon who had returned from hell.
Kang Tae-sung moved.
In an instant, Ri Kang-ho’s body was slammed into the conference room wall.
“Keuk…!”
Kang Tae-sung twisted the neck of the struggling man.
Ri Kang-ho, a mere Level 28, was killed instantly, unable to even mount a proper counterattack.
“…”
Kang Tae-sung sat down at the head of the table.
His gaze swept over the faces of the shocked officials before he spoke.
“Park Gwang-jin is dead.”
…It was a fact they couldn’t possibly have missed, even if he hadn’t said it.
Park Gwang-jin’s head was sitting right there on the table.
The only question was how Kang Tae-sung had returned alive, while Park Gwang-jin, who had left with a force of elite troops, had returned only as a severed head.
“The traitors who abandoned our great cause. There are two more left here.”
Kang Tae-sung’s gaze fell upon two men.
Kim Cheol-yong and Ri Gyeong-tae.
The two men shuddered, then immediately bolted for the entrance.
One of them had his head smashed in by Kang Tae-sung.
CRACK!
The other was stopped by Kim Baek-pyeong.
“Guh…”
Having pierced Ri Gyeong-tae’s torso with his Strong Qi skill, Kim Baek-pyeong pulled his hand back.
He turned his head and met Kang Tae-sung’s eyes.
Then, he walked forward and knelt before him.
“Kill me, Comrade Tae-sung.”
He didn’t know what in the world had just happened…
But Kang Tae-sung had returned alive.
That was enough. He could die happily at his hands.
He was, after all, a traitor who had not resisted Park Gwang-jin.
Kang Tae-sung looked down at Kim Baek-pyeong, then placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Baek-pyeong.”
“…”
“You’ve been through a lot. I know what was in your heart.”
Kim Baek-pyeong’s eyes reddened.
“…Too many comrades died in vain. Because of that bastard Park Gwang-jin.”
Patting his shoulder, Kang Tae-sung looked at the other Climbers.
Most of those who had followed Park Gwang-jin from the beginning were now dead.
“Myeong-ho, Ju-gil, Seong-mi, Cheol-i… The same goes for you comrades.”
“…”
“I know you all had no choice. Thank you for surviving.”
They avoided his gaze or bowed their heads, as if they couldn't bear to face him.
Kang Tae-sung spoke, his voice like a proclamation.
“There are no more obstacles. Let us begin again. Our great cause.”
* * *
After arriving at the Central Committee Headquarters, Kang Tae-sung had seized control of the atmosphere in an instant and, just as he’d confidently predicted, rallied the remaining Climbers.
There was nothing for me to step in and do. I just watched.
Now that the situation seemed to be settled, I was thinking of heading home.
“Thank you.”
Kang Tae-sung offered me his final words of gratitude.
“If it weren’t for you, I would have died today, and my homeland would have fallen back into a long darkness. I will consider this a once-in-a-lifetime miracle.”
I nodded.
“I trust you’ll keep your promise.”
“Of course. I will tear this country down to its roots and rebuild it.”
I could feel the sincerity and resolve in Kang Tae-sung’s expression.
Well, I was sure he’d handle things just fine.
But then the Demon King suddenly had to ruin the mood.
– Nine out of ten humans who get their hands on power become corrupt.
‘…Things were ending on a nice note. Why are you suddenly being so cynical?’
Kang Tae-sung didn’t seem like that kind of person.
– There is no impression as certain as fear.
‘What on earth are you talking about?’
– It means you’re always too soft. Let me take over for a moment.
‘Ugh, why again?’
It seemed like he was planning something, so I let him take over.
The Demon King, now in control of my body, stared at Kang Tae-sung.
Did he sense the change in atmosphere?
Kang Tae-sung’s expression slowly hardened, then became stained with a terror that went beyond mere stiffness.
“Ugh…”
Kang Tae-sung trembled as if struck by a chill.
“I will always be watching.”
Kang Tae-sung managed a stiff nod.
The Demon King returned control of my body to me.
Freed from the pressure, Kang Tae-sung gasped for breath.
It seemed like he’d done something similar to what he did to Park Gwang-jin…
I wasn’t sure it was necessary, but then again.
No matter how strong Kang Tae-sung’s convictions were, just as the Demon King said, you never know what the future holds.
With a warning like this, maybe there was no chance, not even one in a million, that he’d get any funny ideas.
Kang Tae-sung looked at me, now completely cowed.
Feeling slightly sorry, I said, “I’ll be cheering for you, Mr. Kang Tae-sung. Well then, I’ll be on my way.”
I took out the Warp Device I had activated beforehand.
It was time to return to the South.
* * *
Kang Tae-sung stared at the spot where Saram123 had vanished.
The man had pulled out an object that looked like an item from thin air.
Then, just as he had appeared out of nowhere, he disappeared.
…What in the world.
The world’s common sense had been upended long ago when the Tower appeared.
But even within that new common sense, Saram123 was an enigma.
The top Climber of Nightmare Difficulty and the savior of humanity, one who freely wielded abilities that an ordinary Climber couldn’t even imagine.
Kang Tae-sung, too, had been saved.
Why had he helped him to this extent?
If it was simply to help a person in distress, if that was the entire reason…
Then he was truly a great figure, one who could not be fathomed by the standards of ordinary people.
At the same time, he was a terrifying one.
Recalling that moment from just before, a chill ran down Kang Tae-sung’s spine again.
Saram123, warning him as if he had become a different being in an instant.
Kang Tae-sung had never once felt fear, even in the life-threatening moments he’d faced while climbing the Tower…
But just now, he had felt a primal terror, as if he were a frog before a snake.
Of course, even without the warning, Kang Tae-sung would have given it his all.
He could finally fulfill his long-held wish to change this rotten country.
“Please, watch over me.”
Since he said he would always be watching, he would surely live up to that expectation.
* * *
The South Korean government, which had been preparing to receive Kang Tae-sung at the Joint Security Area, was thrown into chaos.
South Korea’s intelligence agencies had also been monitoring the situation in the North via satellite.
They confirmed the appearance of an individual presumed to be Saram123, and the deaths of the North Korean Climbers, including Park Gwang-jin.
“…This matter is to be kept under absolute secrecy.”
They decided to bury it as classified information.
Several other countries, including the US, China, and Russia, did the same. They simply kept a close watch on the situation in North Korea.
As expected, North Korea soon announced that its leader had changed yet again.
The public was surprised by the sudden development that Kang Tae-sung, who was supposed to be handed over to South Korea, had suddenly seized power in the North.
[Musician: What the. Kang Tae-sung just took over North Korea?]
[Patatutu: How did he do it? lolololol]
[Airplane: How many revolutions is that now? It’s never a quiet day over there.]
The news reports were limited, so only a few knew the truth.
* * *
I got a call from Villon.
He asked if I had done something related to Kang Tae-sung, so I told him what happened.
That the North Koreans had broken their promise and tried to kill Kang Tae-sung, and things just ended up that way.
Villon told me that the US also knew I had stepped in, as they had been watching via satellite.
And that my own country, China, and Russia probably all knew as well.
Hmm… I guess so.
I had warped back and forth, so it wasn't like they could trace my route. I figured it wouldn't be a big problem.
– …North Korea’s Seonmin Party has changed its name to the People’s Peace Party and has strongly expressed its will to prioritize stabilizing the people’s livelihood and cooperating with the international community…
As time passed, news about North Korea continued to come in.
It seemed Kang Tae-sung had successfully consolidated power without any major issues.
He would even contact me from time to time via Whisper in the Communication Window…
But I stopped paying attention to political matters and returned to my daily life.
The US and China sought my advice on clearing the 7th Floor.
Regardless of whether they would challenge it themselves, their position was that they wanted to be prepared.
I went back and forth to the 7th Floor to help them, hunted in Zone 5.
I did the things I normally had to do.
Time continued to flow…
[Nightmare]
Personnel: 477,636
Time Limit: 94 days, 8 hours, 2 minutes, 0 seconds
Floor Reached: 8th Floor
Slowly, the moment of the next challenge was drawing near.