Chapter 476: Unprecedented Moves (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 476: Unprecedented Moves (2)
His heart pounded.
Ever since crossing paths with the man named Roman Dmitry, Kang Min-ho felt as though the past few days had stretched into years.
'To rule the world.'
It was absurd.
Anyone with a shred of common sense would have laughed off Roman Dmitry's words.
And yet.
His wildly beating heart told a different story.
It was a completely ridiculous claim, but for some inexplicable reason, he felt it might actually be possible.
'From the very first moment I met him, Lord Roman Dmitry shattered all my expectations. He wiped out a swarm of soldier ants with nothing but a single tree branch. He instantly grasped the situation around him despite the language barrier. And now, he has slaughtered Red Moon—a giant guild representing Incheon—all by himself.'
Nothing about him.
Was ordinary.
Watching him overwhelmingly crush Cha Dong-cheol—even after the man unleashed his inheritance ability—proved that Roman Dmitry was at least an A-rank hunter. Honestly, even that felt like an understatement. Seeing how unshakeable Roman remained while annihilating Red Moon, Min-ho realized his own common sense could never fathom the depths of this man's power.
Roman Dmitry.
At first, Min-ho had assumed he was just someone similar to Cha Dong-cheol.
He had found it strange that Roman used a name fitting for an inheritor, but looking at his actions so far, he began to suspect there was a profound reason behind it. One thing was certain: Roman Dmitry was not a man of empty words. Whether he was promising to deal with the soldier ants or warning that anyone who crossed him would pay the price in blood, he had proven himself in every impossible situation.
If.
If his recent declaration were to become reality...
Then his daughter, born into this chaotic world, might actually be able to live out the rest of her days in peace.
'I'm nothing but an ordinary hunter. For someone like me, destined for a predictable, mundane life, Lord Roman Dmitry's offer is worth more than a mountain of gold. He has no reason to choose me. I don't know how it happened, but I was there the moment he began his new life, and that fact alone has connected me to an existence I could never have hoped to meet in a lifetime. There's no need to hesitate. If my life is going to remain the same anyway, I might as well take the gamble.'
He clenched his fists tightly.
The moment he decided to follow Roman Dmitry, Kang Min-ho's path was set.
"I will follow you. What would you have me do?"
"Stay by my side and do what you can. What I need right now is information. I want to know the current state of affairs in South Korea—specifically in Incheon."
"Understood."
He nodded.
It was not a difficult task.
Lacking strength but highly attentive to the affairs of the world, Kang Min-ho found that Roman Dmitry had assigned him the perfect role.
"On a global scale, South Korea is a country with a low safety rating. This is because our ratio of Awakened is significantly lower than that of the major powers, and our only S-rank hunter is the Mage in White. Because of this, the South Korean government concentrated everything in Seoul—defense systems, military forces, and all self-sustaining infrastructure. They built a system to protect Seoul at all costs whenever a Great Disaster strikes. This, in turn, led to the creation of local governments with their own independent command structures—a natural consequence of Seoul being unable to accommodate everyone. But as I mentioned before, these local governments possess so little power that their titles are practically meaningless. To give you an example from the last Great Disaster, South Korea faced a grim reality where twenty percent of the population outside of Seoul perished."
The reality of South Korea was steeped in despair.
Currently, the Central Government was trying to resolve national defense issues through diplomacy, but even countries with powerful militaries prioritized their own safety first. As a result, the conflict between Seoul and the provinces was only worsening. While countless people died during the Great Disaster, Seoul secured its own safety before even glancing at the people in the provinces.
And even then, they only sent aid after ensuring they had a sufficient reserve force for themselves.
Watching the relief forces slowly make their way down from the capital, the provincial citizens bitterly criticized the Central Government.
Kang Min-ho continued.
"The Incheon government is in a relatively better position than other provinces. Kim Jun-hyeok, the Mayor of Incheon, gathered the people together. Plus, because we are geographically close to Seoul, support arrives faster here than in other regions when a Great Disaster strikes. If you wish to use South Korea as a base to rule the world, Lord Roman, the method is simpler than you might think."
Everyone knew it.
In this chaotic world, there was only one way to swallow a weak nation like South Korea.
"Become a shield for the people. If you prove that you possess the power to protect them, the hearts of the people will turn away from the Central Government—who only cares for its own safety—and look toward you instead."
* * *
Roman Dmitry's reason for building a force was simple.
The 10 Great Disasters.
No one knew what dangers would strike next.
When facing an unknown enemy, the highest priority was always to eliminate internal discord first.
'It was the same in my past life. During the war with the Demon Realm, the biggest problem was the lackeys of the Demon Realm, like Alexander. Because humanity could not unite, we endured a desperate era. Internal variables must be eliminated before anything else. Stopping the Great Disasters comes after that.'
Of course, there were peaceful methods as well.
If Roman Dmitry built a force and established cooperative relationships with the South Korean government and other nations, humanity could unite. However, that did not suit his nature. As an existence destined to reign, he had no desire for a dual command structure when dealing with the enemies to come.
The pinnacle.
He would ascend to that position himself.
Just as in his past life, he would respect the domains of those who accepted him, but he would utterly crush those who showed signs of discord. Once he stopped all 10 Great Disasters, the moment he faced the Absolute who had plunged this world into an abyss of despair, humanity's problems would reach their conclusion, one way or another.
'The Absolute is an existence akin to a god. If a situation arises where I must face him, I must continuously train myself to defeat him. A stage beyond Heaven, Earth, and Man. The moment I grow complacent and stop, I will hit an unexpected wall.'
The Demon King.
After defeating him, Roman Dmitry had felt a lingering sense of emptiness.
He had thought there were no more walls left to overcome, but the existence of the Absolute presented him with another possibility.
The power to rule over entire dimensions.
It would be an overwhelming power.
The fact that a new realm existed was enough to drive Roman Dmitry forward.
Right then.
Kang Min-ho, who had finished his explanation and was waiting for a response, noticed a message pop up on his phone screen.
"...Lord Roman. I have received a message from Kim Jun-hyeok, the Mayor of Incheon. He wishes to meet you in person regarding the Red Moon incident. What should we do?"
Kim Jun-hyeok.
A meeting with him was exactly what Roman wanted.
"Contact the Mayor of Incheon," Roman Dmitry commanded. "Tell him that if he wishes to meet me, he must come here himself."
* * *
An hour later, Kim Jun-hyeok arrived.
Facing Roman Dmitry, he spoke with polite decorum.
"I heard about the one-month grace period from Mr. Kang Min-ho, but the matter is so grave that I had no choice but to visit you in person."
"Yes, I am aware."
His counterpart was the leader of a faction, and he was showing proper courtesy.
Unlike Cha Dong-cheol, who had openly displayed hostility, there was no reason to antagonize Kim Jun-hyeok when the man offered respect first.
"As you know, Red Moon is a giant guild representing Incheon. Even though Red Moon encroached on your territory first and showed hostility, the sudden destruction of a guild of their scale overnight is not something that can be easily overlooked. Within a few days, the Central Government will send investigators. They will try to determine the circumstances of the incident and find the perpetrator. Even if we try to hide it, it is only a matter of time before you are identified, Lord Roman."
They had already introduced themselves to each other.
The Mayor, too, found Roman Dmitry's name unusual, but he tactfully refrained from commenting on it.
"Let me get straight to the point. This incident falls under self-defense. However, if the Central Government finds out that you are the powerhouse who wiped out Red Moon single-handedly, they will try to suppress you by any means necessary. Whether through an attractive offer or coercion, they will certainly not let a powerhouse slip through their fingers. In light of that, I have a proposal. Join hands with the Incheon government. If the Central Government raises legal issues, we will take full responsibility and resolve everything for you."
This was his true purpose for visiting in person.
An A-rank hunter.
He intended to recruit him.
Even if it caused friction with the Central Government, Kim Jun-hyeok had decided it was a risk worth taking for the safety of Incheon.
Of course, considering the ruthless nature of the man who had just wiped out Red Moon, he had absolutely no intention of being coercive.
"You do not need to take the idea of joining hands with the Incheon government too heavily. We will not exert any binding authority over you, and we will spare no support during your stay here. A single promise will suffice: when the 6th Great Disaster arrives, please protect this place alongside the Incheon government. Of course, what I have said is merely a proposal. Even if you refuse, I will respect your wishes."
It was a reasonable proposal.
A minimal demand.
Having witnessed the devastating aftermath of Red Moon's destruction, Kim Jun-hyeok knew that Roman Dmitry was not a man who could be leashed.
He took a step back.
He respected the other party's domain.
Since what he desperately needed was power, there was no reason to force the other party into submission.
Kim Jun-hyeok waited for an answer.
He believed this was the absolute best proposal he could offer.
And yet.
"I refuse."
Roman Dmitry's response came without a single moment of hesitation.
* * *
The Incheon government.
Roman had already heard plenty about it through Kang Min-ho.
While it was certainly unstable like the other local governments, it had managed to establish a solid foundation around Kim Jun-hyeok. The citizens of Incheon trusted him. Even when countless people in the city were dying during the last Great Disaster, Kim Jun-hyeok had held his ground until the very end.
He was a decent man.
But that was all.
Roman Dmitry had no intention of accepting the shelter of the Incheon government.
"South Korea is a deformed nation," Roman said. "It concentrated its military forces to protect the capital, Seoul, and turned its back on the citizens it could no longer accommodate. From what I have gathered, local governments exist merely as scapegoats for the Central Government to avoid blame. When a Great Disaster strikes and the provinces are devastated, the Central Government uses the existence of local governments as an excuse to claim they did their best. What can such an Incheon government possibly do for me?"
"...I won't deny it. The Incheon government cannot guarantee your safety, Lord Roman."
Kim Jun-hyeok swallowed his bitter feelings.
He knew it was the truth.
Although it was a reasonable proposal, it offered no real benefit to Roman Dmitry.
"If it were purely for your personal benefit, the Central Government would certainly be a better option than the Incheon government. They treat powerful individuals with great respect. Still, the reason I made this proposal is because I sensed that you do not wish to be bound by recent events. In fact, as an A-rank hunter, you could receive far better terms anywhere else in the world. The Central Government would not be the best choice for you either."
"Since you know that, do you understand why I refused?"
"Yes. However, if you make a counter-proposal that the Incheon government can accept, we are willing to review it favorably."
He was persistent.
Kim Jun-hyeok clung to a single thread of hope by any means necessary.
He was an upright man.
A Great Disaster was looming.
In a situation where the world could end overnight, Kim Jun-hyeok—despite being an ordinary human—stood firm and expressed his opinion before Roman Dmitry. In truth, no terms were attractive to Roman. Whether it was the South Korean government or a major global power, whatever proposal they made was highly unlikely to align with his ultimate goal of ruling this entire world.
For that exact reason, he had summoned Kim Jun-hyeok.
When he heard about the Mayor from Kang Min-ho, he knew that Kim Jun-hyeok's future could lie alongside his own.
Roman Dmitry spoke.
"Since you are willing to go that far, I will state my demands. I am willing to work with the Incheon government in the future. However, for that to happen, a single condition must be met."
"What is it?"
Kim Jun-hyeok's face brightened.
As the Mayor's eyes burned with anticipation, Roman Dmitry responded calmly.
"Give me yourself, and all of Incheon. If the Incheon government swears to follow me, I will guarantee Incheon's safety."