Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Killing the Secretary of Defense?!
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Brigadier General Frankie’s eyes bulged at the sudden catastrophe.
"K-Kim?!"
He nearly called for the guards without thinking but caught himself.
He recalled what Do-hyun had said just moments ago.
'Kim wouldn’t do something like that without reason.'
Whether Do-hyun was Genocider or not, he didn’t know.
Did it even matter?
Even if Do-hyun was indeed Genocider, it would have been an act driven by his righteous sense of duty.
A true great hero, utterly unlike the ‘fake heroes’ Brigadier General Frankie had seen up until now.
That was Do-hyun.
"Aren’t you calling the guards?"
"...Didn’t I say I trust you? But can you tell me why you did this? If you can’t explain, it could turn into a serious problem."
Do-hyun nodded.
"I’ll show you the reason myself."
Do-hyun prodded the Secretary of Defense’s ‘corpse’ a few times.
There was, of course, no reaction.
Unless it was a Knight class with super-regeneration, no one could survive a broken neck.
Yet Do-hyun continued his bizarre actions.
"Want to check his pulse yourself?"
"...It’s not beating. He’s dead."
"He’s not dead. This guy’s still alive."
"No way...?"
Brigadier General Frankie looked puzzled.
The neck was snapped, and there was no pulse.
"Keep checking his pulse, Frankie. Now, shall we keep playing?"
Do-hyun pulled out a military knife and slowly slid it into the Secretary of Defense’s thigh, twisting it like he was torturing him.
If this were done to a living body, it would have elicited horrific screams, but naturally, there was no response.
However,
"!!"
Brigadier General Frankie’s face stiffened.
"How is it?"
"Just now... I think I felt a faint pulse. But maybe I imagined it..."
"If you’re not sure, check more. Hmm, where should I poke next? Tell me your favorite spot, darling?"
Do-hyun twirled the knife with a whistle, looking just like a pleasure-killing villain enjoying torture. Brigadier General Frankie shuddered involuntarily.
'Kim is America’s hero. Even this is all for our America.'
Do-hyun’s knife pierced the back of the hand this time, shattering bone with a crunch.
At the same moment,
Thump, thump.
The pulse under Brigadier General Frankie’s fingers beat clearly.
No mistake this time.
It was a reaction impossible unless the Secretary of Defense’s body was alive!
"H-How is this... possible?!"
That was when it happened.
Something shocking occurred.
The Secretary of Defense’s eyes snapped open, lunging at Do-hyun and Brigadier General Frankie!
-KIIIIEEEEEEK!!!
A chilling shriek beyond anything human.
His gaping maw revealed fangs as sharp as any monster’s.
'The Secretary of Defense was a monster?'
It was absurd.
No human-form monsters had ever been reported.
And this was the man in command of the U.S. military.
Details could wait.
Brigadier General Frankie drew his pistol to fire back, but his vision blurred.
'So fast!'
He was a B-rank Awakener.
Yet he could barely keep up.
At minimum, A-rank—at least Lv. 6 speed!
Fortunately, Do-hyun reacted from the side.
He casually blocked the Secretary’s attack, slammed him to the floor, and stabbed his knife into the heart.
-GRAAAAAAAH─!
Then something eerie happened.
The knife turned glowing red, and the Secretary’s body withered like a mummy, as if his blood was being sucked into the blade.
Soon, it became a skeletal husk.
A scene straight out of a movie’s CGI.
"Th-This... how...?"
Brigadier General Frankie stammered, and Do-hyun gave a curt explanation.
"An other race... a vampire."
'Just a Blood Slave rank? Well, even Blood Slave-level blood magic is a huge help at this point.'
Brigadier General Frankie sat in front of Do-hyun, his soul seemingly departed.
"Did you handle it okay?"
"...It’s not fully cleaned up, but I’ll manage somehow. You won’t get in trouble."
"Thank you."
"For now, as you said, we’ll keep it secret that the Secretary of Defense was a vampire... a monster."
"Not a monster—an other race."
"...What the hell is that? Some kind of monster subspecies?"
"Monsters and other races are as different as humans and animals. Just think of them as aliens."
"Aliens? Like E.T.?"
"Not cute ones like E.T.—more like the Alien."
"Pfft. Why isn’t that a crappy joke? Mind if I light one up?"
Brigadier General Frankie lit a cigarette with shaking hands, then fixed Do-hyun with a heavy gaze.
"I’m begging you. Tell me everything you know."
Do-hyun paused for a moment.
'Well, it’ll all come out soon enough.'
This was the current era.
Looking back later, it would be called the Tutorial—a time of peace.
But humanity was steadily progressing to Phase 1 without knowing, and the emergence of other races was one sign.
'In Korea, other races started showing up two years later, but America’s ahead as expected.'
From their perspective, targeting Earth’s strongest nation before small fry made sense, so America first.
'But I didn’t expect one posing as the Secretary of Defense already.'
Do-hyun repeated his oft-thought realization.
America’s situation seemed even worse than anticipated.
'But this is also an opportunity.'
They said turbulent times make heroes.
America’s mess was Do-hyun’s chance.
'Let’s weigh the pros and cons. What’s most profitable?'
The conclusion came quickly.
They wouldn’t have targeted just the Secretary.
Then the recent world-shaking U.S. presidential scandal was likely their doing too.
'It’ll delay my plans a bit... but becoming the President’s savior isn’t a bad deal.'
Of course, the current President was mostly a figurehead, beyond recovery.
Still, the intangible and tangible benefits of being the ‘President’s benefactor’ were endless.
As Do-hyun pondered briefly, Frankie spoke in a desperate tone.
"Please, I beg you. This could decide America’s fate. Tell me anything you know."
"Sorry, but that’s not possible."
"Kim?"
"You’re just a soldier, Frankie. You don’t have the power to help with this."
Brigadier General Frankie fell silent.
He understood.
"You mean...?"
"Yes. I’ll speak directly to the higher-ups."
Do-hyun continued in a firm tone.
"Arrange for me to meet President Jonathan. I’ll tell him myself."
Do-hyun altered his plans to head to Washington D.C. first.
Meeting the President wasn’t hard—he had to receive his Honor Visa anyway.
By name, it was supposed to be handed over by the President himself, so that was the perfect excuse.
A plane from JBPH was en route.
'Washington... no Korean restaurants? Damn.'
While waiting, he searched Google Maps...
All that came up were greasy steakhouses and burger joints as ‘top spots.’
Do-hyun was already sick of oily food, despite not being in America long.
'Ha. Saving the world is no easy task.'
Rumble─
The military transport for Do-hyun touched down.
No outdated prop plane—this was a cutting-edge model packed with Arcane Science tech, whisper-quiet and capable of reaching D.C. in two hours.
As he boarded, Brigadier General Frankie grabbed him.
"Hold on a sec."
"??"
A convoy of Humvees rolled up to Do-hyun’s runway. Dozens of U.S. soldiers disembarked and lined up before him.
Super Force Awakener troops.
"Frankie?"
"Can’t just send our hero off like that, right?"
Brigadier General Frankie bellowed to the soldiers.
"Super Force, attention! Salute our Honor Hero!"
Snap!!
The U.S. military lacked formal salute calls.
Not strict on drill, their salutes weren’t perfectly uniform.
But every eye burned with respect for Do-hyun.
Surprisingly, the two S-ranks who’d fled the terror attack were saluting too.
Inspired by Do-hyun’s actions, their gazes held genuine admiration like the rest.
'They’re all so romantic.'
Truth be told... Do-hyun didn’t hate this romance.
Sacrifice,, love, devotion, etc.
He’d grown numb to such emotions, but even in the apocalypse’s despair, this sliver of romance had kept people going.
"Take care of our America."
Do-hyun nodded.
"Leave it to me."
During the short flight, Do-hyun received top-tier treatment.
Honor Visa cardholders qualified for state-guest perks from the U.S. government.
'First time in a luxury charter like this.'
He’d flown private plenty.
But by the time he could in Korea, Phase was advanced—no luxuries then.
Some fancy champagne—brand unknown—and gourmet cuisine were served.
"Filet mignon from the Charolais breed, sir."
...The priciest, top-grade steak.
'Is this brain rot?'
Not why steak again?—America straight-up lacked variety.
Americans ate the same dishes endlessly without tiring.
Stomach churning, Do-hyun held back a cry of ‘Auntie, one plate of spicy pork with soju!’ and forced it down.
Soon, they arrived.
Joint Base Andrews.
The U.S. military base near D.C., used by the President, top officials, and VIPs.
A true VIP airport.
For a civilian like Do-hyun to use Andrews was extraordinary treatment.
True to VIP status, the runway was quiet.
'But it’s too quiet.'
Dead silence.
Aside from a few agents seemingly there to greet him, not an ant stirred.
Do-hyun smirked.
'A ‘welcome’ like this?'
Well, playing along wouldn’t hurt.
He descended the stairs and faced the agents.
Three in total: the front two oddly stiff and tense; the rear one in a deep-pulled military cap, face obscured.
'Front two are A-rank.'
"Welcome to Washington, Kim."
"An honor to meet the hero who saved Hawaii."
The front two offered stiff handshakes.
Do-hyun reached out... then hurled his knife at the capped figure behind.
"!!"
Simultaneously, the capped man unleashed a ferocious aura.
No ordinary S-rank.
The cap flew off, revealing his face.
Commander of U.S. Super Force and one of America’s strongest active soldiers: Smith Edward.
The Lv. 8 Nova superhuman deflected Do-hyun’s knife and charged.