Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Interrogation and Departure
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Camp Humphreys, Pyeongtaek.
Isolation Zone for Special Operations (SOC).
This was a place no one could set foot in unless they were among the most vital agents or special figures handpicked by the United States. And yet, right now, an utterly unexpected person was sitting there.
Kim Do-hyun, known as nothing more than a standard B-rank Awakener.
"...Mr. Kim, why were you in North Korea?"
"I've told you several times already. It was for training. For an unaffiliated Awakener like me, the only places where I could hunt monsters were undeveloped frontiers. I was hunting near Paju when I must have taken a wrong turn and crossed into North Korea."
"Let me say it again... Making false statements could seriously jeopardize your chances of getting permanent residency or citizenship later on."
"The fact that you're pushing me so hard makes it seem like you want me to lie. Surely the U.S. side doesn't actually believe I'm the 'Genocider' and the perpetrator of that horrific nuclear terror incident in North Korea?"
The nuclear explosion during the military parade.
No one knew if it was a simple accident or if someone had deliberately triggered it.
Realistically, an accident was far more likely. There was no way to predict what could go wrong when deploying nuclear warheads at something as trivial as a parade.
Of course, that was insane in itself, but it was still more plausible than someone breaching security on a detonator that only the North Korean dictator could activate.
'The real issue is that someone knew this accident was going to happen.'
It couldn't have been a mere accidental detonation.
And to top it off, Do-hyun had shown up right at the coordinates provided by the one who tipped him off.
Was that really just coincidence?
But there wasn't a shred of evidence linking Do-hyun to the North Korean terror attack.
"Jim, have you finished comparing the voice from the Forward Command Post recording with Kim's?"
"Confirmed. No match."
"...Figures. But voice modulation is something any Shadow Knight can do."
"Major, do you really think Kim pulled off the nuclear terror attack?"
"...No. Or... I don't know."
There was no evidence, and it didn't make any logical sense.
But it was all too perfectly coincidental.
Plus, there were other suspicious points.
"...Mr. Kim, you really grew your abilities to S-rank in just one month. What's the secret?"
"Didn't I end up in the Graveyard of Stars? I had no choice but to fight like hell so I wouldn't end up like a moth to a flame."
The U.S. officially had 500 S-ranks.
A number that beggared belief.
If this were a novel, the author would've been flamed into oblivion for such an absurd setup.
Not every Awakener was popping out as S-rank willy-nilly to reach those numbers.
S-ranks were so rare they were called Stars, standing out among all Awakeners.
Awakener numbers scaled with population, but S-ranks only appeared at a rate of a little over one per ten million people.
That worked out to roughly 10 to 15 per hundred million. Across the entire globe, there were fewer than a thousand.
With America's population at 350 million, there should've been no more than 50 at absolute max.
The reason they had so many? They'd monopolized every S-rank from around the world.
'Especially those from the Third World—they all head straight for America without exception. Even from decent developed countries, more than half choose the U.S.'
As mentioned before, it was like how the world's best baseball players, no matter where they came from, all ended up in America's Major Leagues.
America offered ironclad treatment.
Wealth, fame, and glory they could never dream of back home.
America could afford this because, alongside hoarding all the S-ranks, they swept up the world's mana stone resources too.
With their overflowing Awakener forces, they secured global mana stones, then used those resources to build even more Awakener power—a virtuous cycle.
'And with so many S-ranks, the burden on each individual is much lighter.'
S-ranks who stayed in their home countries bore immense duties and responsibilities regardless of perks, but America had no such heavy obligations.
Paradise for Stars.
But it wasn't all sunshine.
With so many S-ranks crammed together, competition between them was cutthroat.
The paradise of stars was also their graveyard.
"I worked my hardest because I wanted to become a proud U.S. citizen and serve the United States. But to be treated like a villain? It's disappointing. If I'd known, I would've accepted the offers from China or the EU instead."
"Ah, no, please calm down, Kim. That was never our intention."
Major Bowen's face paled the moment Do-hyun mentioned China and the EU.
America gathered S-ranks not just to bolster their own forces, but to deliberately weaken their rivals' Awakener power.
"If I've offended you, I apologize. This unprecedented situation led to my rudeness. Please understand."
"I understand, but if you keep treating me like a villain, I'll withdraw my U.S. immigration plans."
"...Duly noted. Rest up. We'll coordinate with Immigration and bring you the best possible news moving forward."
Left alone, Do-hyun chuckled inwardly.
'It's only natural they'd suspect me.'
In truth, Do-hyun hadn't needed to contact the U.S. military at all.
With the regime suddenly collapsing, North Korea wasn't in any position to chase him down.
But he'd deliberately reached out precisely to make America suspicious.
'I need just the right amount of aggro for my plans.'
As he'd said many times, Do-hyun had no intention of becoming America's number-one Hunter.
If that were the goal, he wouldn't have caused such a massive incident.
Do-hyun's true aim was to become America's absolute ruler.
The scale was different, but it was something he'd done multiple times before in Korea.
'I need forces, fame, money, and power.'
To acquire them as quickly as possible, he needed to pull some aggro.
But getting definitively pinned as the culprit? That would be a problem.
Even America, which took in villains of all stripes, might balk at a confirmed nuclear terrorist.
A few days later.
Major Bowen returned with exactly the answer Do-hyun wanted.
"Immigration has given final approval for your entry. But there's a condition. Immigration staff will assist with your settlement for a set period."
"Surveillance?"
"...I'd appreciate it if you thought of it as support."
Do-hyun inwardly cheered.
A condition no one would welcome under normal circumstances.
But it was exactly what he'd aimed for.
'No need for cumbersome reports—I can feed everything I do straight to the U.S. government in real time.'
To reiterate, this was no benefit. Any regular person would hate it.
'If you consider the timeline of events in America before Phase 1 hits, there's no room for playing it safe.'
America didn't crumble the instant Phase 1 began.
Federal expulsion from California.
The rise of the 21st-century KKK.
The Philadelphia Massacre.
Civil war sparked by escalating internal strife.
Unexpected defeat in the war against Mexican cartels.
Outer God puppets trying to trigger Yellowstone amid the chaos.
And more.
True to Heinrich's Law—where major accidents are preceded by countless precursors—America faced a barrage of incidents that lit the fuse to its downfall.
'I just watched from across the Pacific. I never dreamed of intervening.'
To seize the most 'intact' America possible, he had to exploit every opportunity.
And that included the U.S. government itself.
'I need to make the U.S. government dance to my tune.'
Having a minder attached would make that far easier.
"So, how do I get to America? Regular commercial flight?"
"There's a flight from Osan Air Base to Hickam Air Base in Hawaii two days from now. We'll take you on that."
Awakeners normally entered via major cities like LA, Seattle, New York, Dallas, or Chicago.
They retook the ranking test at the Awakener Immigration office, then received visas like Green, Gold, or Platinum Cards based on results.
But there was an exception: Awakeners under special scrutiny from Immigration were routed through Hawaii.
'Just in case they decide to bar me from the mainland. Perfect. Exactly as planned.'
The entry route didn't really matter. Awakener tests were the same anywhere.
But Do-hyun had specifically aimed for Hawaii for a reason.
'The Pearl Harbor catastrophe is coming up soon.'
A massive disaster that would eclipse the WWII Pearl Harbor attack.
Post-cataclysm, disasters were commonplace, but one of this scale was rare.
Especially for America, the self-proclaimed superpower of Awakeners.
It was the first violation of U.S. soil since 9/11, bruising national pride like nothing else.
'A fitting stage for my American debut.'
"So, do I have to stay locked up here until then?"
"...No, you're free to do as you wish."
"In that case, I'll head out. Still got some loose ends to tie up."
Arriving at Pyeongtaek Station, Do-hyun confirmed no one was tailing him.
'They don't want to poke the bear unnecessarily.'
His nominal spec was S-rank Shadow Knight.
Without overt surveillance, Stealth made trailing impossible.
For now, he'd cleaned up most of the major villains who would plague Korea in the future.
New ones would crawl out like cockroaches, but things should improve a bit.
One last thing remained, though.
Thwack!!
"Wh-what's that for...?"
Thwack!
"Spare me!! I was wrong!! I swear I won't work for the loan sharks again! I've got an ailing mother at home... Ugh!!"
A bear of a man wept openly, begging Do-hyun.
As he'd confessed, he was a thug working collections for private moneylenders.
'To think this guy becomes Korea's number one in the future.'
Daehan Martial God Kang Cheol-min.
Korea's strongest after Do-hyun himself. But left alone, he'd defect to China and become an Outer God puppet.
In the previous cycle, Do-hyun had kept him close, but not this time.
"I'll teach you a skill."
"M-me? N-no, you can't just learn a skill like that?"
"Follow me."
Kang Cheol-min mimicked Do-hyun and his eyes went wide.
He'd clumsily replicated the knight skill Do-hyun had demonstrated.
Heavenly Martial Physique.
Kang Cheol-min's innate Legend-grade trait.
Currently D-rank, but destined to grow stronger than anyone.
"I'll teach you a few more. Learn them."
"Th-thank you!!"
Cheol-min was practicing eagerly when he hesitantly asked,
"Wh-why are you teaching me this? What do I owe you?"
"Master the martial arts skills I've taught you. That's repayment enough."
"I-I'll do my absolute best!"
"Good. If you don't give it your all, you'll die. So work hard."
"Yes...?"
"Once you've mastered these skills, you'll need to learn the follow-ups. Skip that, and your meridians will twist and kill you. I'll check back in two years—give it everything you've got."
"What? Huh? I must've misheard?"
Whoosh!
He tracked down a few more.
People with massive potential like Cheol-min, but who would become huge problems if left unchecked.
He gave them personalized guidance to set them on the right path.
'Got some time left.'
Do-hyun pondered briefly, then headed to the columbarium where his parents' ashes were kept.
It wasn't far from Osan Air Base.
"..."
Do-hyun had never seriously considered going to America before now—because of his parents.
Their untimely deaths were largely due to a failed immigration attempt to the U.S.
For some reason, he suddenly wanted to see their faces before leaving.
"I probably won't be able to visit this cycle. If I somehow pull off the miracle of stopping this endless apocalypse, I'll come back then."
Do-hyun left the columbarium and headed to Osan Air Base, boarding the plane right away.
Several hours later.
He arrived in Hawaii.