Chapter 133
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: 131. Victory After Victory
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With the Yellow Dragon sunk in the West Sea and victory reports pouring in from Pyongyang, Ha Jung-seok had been growing confident about the war. This call was anything but pleasant.
What could they possibly have to say now that the Yellow Dragon was gone? Why bother calling via magic communicator?
"Isn't this Chairman Jang Hak-che? Did you call to ask how we took down the Yellow Dragon? If that's it, I'll explain after the war ends and we sort out reparations. How about hanging up now?"
[ "You're misunderstanding something, Ha Jung-seok. We still have nukes. Hundreds of them. What do you think would happen if we rained them down on Pyongyang and Seoul? Nukes don't work on monsters, but they sure as hell work on humans." ]
'This pathetic barbarian bastard! They've been hiding them!'
He never imagined they'd stashed away nukes.
"Aren't you afraid of the international community? From what I hear, you're already isolated like back in your student days?"
With humanity uniting against monsters, China had started a war to swallow Korea whole. The world naturally condemned them, leaving China isolated.
With no need for China's markets anymore, there was no reason to maintain ties. China's future looked bleak.
[ "Who cares if we catch you? You bring up the international community, which makes it seem like you have no countermeasures for nukes. Surrender now, and we'll let your country continue as the Joseon Autonomous Region. Of course, all your key hunters will be tried as war criminals." ]
Soon, videos arrived via the magic communicator: nuclear silos, secret tests. They looked real, not faked.
Probably not composites. Jang Hak-che was a show-off with power, but not one for empty bluster.
'This trash dares to threaten me? Who?'
Ha Jung-seok set down the communicator for a moment and called for Choi Ji-su.
"Hey, Chief of Staff."
"Yes, sir."
If they were bringing nukes to the table, he needed to prepare accordingly.
"How many missiles do we have left? I told you to keep a tight grip on my military contacts. You should know that much."
"We've barely got four hundred Hyunmoo missiles left, sir. And those are old ones. They can't compete with China's pre-prepared nukes."
Not even enough to lean on. Then again, they were facing nukes. Even if their missiles could reach mainland China, the country's vast size made it a non-starter compared to the Korean Peninsula.
But bowing his head like this wounded his pride.
Suddenly, a faint whisper echoed in his ear.
—If you've brought things this far, at least serve your country once.
Words from the villain Baek-hwa some time ago.
Serve the country, just once. Until now, he'd lived solely to seize power in Korea. Ha Jung-seok was a man who saw Korea itself as an extension of himself.
He couldn't yield to such threats.
Surrendering to that guy would mean the end of Korea. The end of Ha Jung-seok.
'Fine. They took down the Yellow Dragon, so I should do my part.'
Normally, he'd dismiss it as arrogant nonsense, but now it gave him courage.
Ha Jung-seok picked up the communicator again.
[ "If you don't want a nuclear sauna, then right now..." ]
"Hey, Jang Hak-che. The punk I used to beat up has gotten bold, huh? You idiot. Didn't you learn anything while groveling under me?"
Nuclear sauna? The guy he'd thrashed in school days was acting cocky just because he had China now.
[ "How dare you bring up old times!" ]
"You're Jang Hak-che, and I'm Ha Jung-seok. What's the difference? Nuclear sauna? Fuck off and fire if you want! You think we haven't hidden missiles just because you filthy bastards did? We've got thousands—from pre-Cataclysm stockpiles and secret North Korean ones from the Pyongyang incident!"
[ "What?" ]
Just like back in school.
His voice was angry but flustered. Of course. What did it change if a loser like him became chairman?
"Even a dimwit like you knows these thousands can rain down across China. Your territory shrank post-Cataclysm, so it'll hit even harder."
If they really had conventional weapons left, it might have been true.
[ "You bastard!" ]
"So fire away! Even if Korea falls, we'll make sure you never rise again. Go ahead! Or should I fire first?!"
[ "Who the hell are you threatening?!" ]
Was this hypocrisy?
"Threatening? You're the one shitting yourself over losing the Yellow Dragon and resorting to nukes. Who are you calling a threat, Jang Hak-che? Hiding in your palace after I beat your ass—do you think you're emperor now? I'll give you a choice. Shall I turn China into a half-corpse? Or end this war on the hunters' terms? Go half-crippled, and the world will eradicate you for the nukes. Bottom line: Korea falls, China ends too, punk!"
[ "You son of a—" ]
[ "Mr. Chairman!" ]
Click.
Other voices from the communicator—probably security advisors reining him in.
"What have you done, sir? We don't have that many missiles! You should've threatened with hunters!"
"Listen, Choi Ji-su. You're still green."
And he was the presidential chief of staff.
"Pardon?"
"In international diplomacy, you bluff to survive sometimes. Make big things small, small things big. This era? He can't use nukes."
Ha Jung-seok was right. Soon, an email from the Chairman's Palace Hunter Security Bureau proposed settling the war's outcome in Pyongyang.
As president, he'd done his part.
The Pyongyang Battle ended with Korean hunters and the villain alliance's space defense repelling China's Sin Hunters Legion.
China's hunter army ultimately retreated from Pyongyang.
With some breathing room, the guild alliance leadership discussed the next move.
As a former student, I joined in. I'd rescued Seo Ji-yeon and blocked the hunter alliance with Baek-yeom, so it was natural.
They'd let me into the meeting, so I chimed in.
For reference, Ji-yeon got annoyed and left it to me, heading outside.
Our relationship was out, and she was pretty embarrassed.
Well, we'd been officially recognized as a couple.
"Let's counterattack before they regroup. They might reinforce with a million more, so we should thin them out now."
"Counterattack?"
Yoo Jin-seok seemed surprised by my words.
Honestly, he'd only heard rumors until now. He probably never imagined his shut-in sister had changed like this.
His jaw dropped when he saw me on the battlefield earlier—what more was there to say?
"Yeah."
"Not wrong. We got the Yellow Dragon, but a million more would be tough. Better grab some now."
Shin Ji-woon agreed with me.
Consensus formed on counterattacking, and eyes turned to Elise, the monster army commander.
"Then doesn't Baek-hwa need to come?"
Cha Ji-eun seemed disappointed without Baek-hwa, the White Flower Church leader.
Or was she trying to lure me? But I wasn't biting yet.
"Lady Baek-hwa entrusted command to me."
Elise handled it surprisingly well. Who knew an American-born woman could lead the monster army like that?
"Where's Baek-hwa?"
"She's injured right now. Joining the front lines immediately would be difficult."
Elise made a plausible excuse.
We couldn't have both me and Baek-hwa here, after all.
"National forces are intact, and the church has combat golems. A surprise raid should win. Their position?"
"Retreated to Pyongsong."
Pyongsong was right above Pyongyang on the map.
After their fierce assault failed, even China realized they couldn't win easily.
"Are the church's magic weapons still usable?"
"Yes. How about the guild alliance hunters' mana reserves?"
"Good. Then we move out now."
Church weapons perfect, alliance perfect.
Thus, the decision to advance north was made.
Outside the command tent, Yoo Jin-seok called me aside.
"Eun-ha."
"Oppa?"
"What are you even doing in this war? Sigh."
Wrinkles briefly creased Yoo Jin-seok's face. Even I'd find a sister like me pathetic.
He'd tried to protect me, but here I was on the battlefield.
And his sister was dating a girl—no wonder he was shocked.
"What wouldn't I do for the woman I love? You don't mind me with Ji-yeon, right, Oppa?"
"If you like her, fine. Just take care of yourself. I barely talked them out of mobilizing academy cadets."
Oh, he went that far? Aw, sweet.
"Ooh, playing big brother for once? Honestly, I protect my own girl. Right?"
"Haa. Never thought my little sister was a lesbian."
Yoo Jin-seok rubbed his temple, thought for a while, then shook his head.
"Would you prefer I date a guy?"
His face twisted nicely at that.
Maybe imagining me holding a boyfriend's hand. No worries, though.
"That'd be worse. A girl's better. Ji-yeon's not bad anyway. So you're going to Pyongsong together?"
"Yeah."
"When did you get this strong?"
"Just happened?"
No need for details.
He wasn't the nagging siscon type.
"Fine. Awakening or whatever, and your constellation is War God?"
"Yeah."
"War God, huh. Poor Park Jun-hyuk."
Yoo Jin-seok shook his head, lamenting the lost talent.
"Fell to Sin—that was his mistake."
June 30th. National forces, hunters, and villain alliance finally advanced north.
Thanks to China’s numbers game clearing most North Korean monsters, no losses to beasts.
With Korea's situation improving, foreign war journalists joined too.
"Alright! Crush those Chinese bastards invading our land!"
Even with Sin fragments, China's hunters were low-level, massacred by golem-leading hunters and villains.
Pyongsong became attackers vs. defenders, but masked Choi Si-woo, dark elf Reina, and serpent dragon Magnut joined, turning it to dragon breath chaos.
Fun part?
"Bbeom-mi power!"
"Lady Bbeom-mi, it's embarrassing, so go fight over there alone."
"Wahwa, that's too much! With Geum Tae-yang like this, no compliments!"
"Sigh."
Bbeom-mi and Geum Tae-yang were teamed up.
Chatted after ages, but Bbeom-mi clung, so I bailed.
I sniped Chinese hunters with Baek-yeom, then slipped into Baek-hwa amid the chaos.
"Everyone's idol Baek-hwa arrives!"
In fallen nun Baek-hwa form, the battlefield erupted in cheers.
"It's Baek-hwa!"
"Baek-hwa-jjang!"
"Huff huff. Wanna lick Baek-hwa's soles."
Last guy's gross. Still, with church downing Yellow Dragon and smashing Chinese hunters, my stock among Koreans must've skyrocketed.
So I joined dramatically.
"Party time~!"
Snapped my fingers gleefully.
Snap!
Sin fragments couldn't resist my chaos.
Those resisting my mental attack started killing each other.
"Gaaah!"
"You crazies, what the—urk!"
China's hunters routed from Pyongsong, annihilated, pushed north.
July 1st. Massive alliance offensive chased them to Yalu River; barely 100 left crossing.
July 3rd. Alliance retook to Tumen River; Blue House's Ha Jung-seok declared full peninsula liberation after 105 years.
Doesn't that just swell the chest?
But too early to celebrate.
Sins and dog hordes remained.