Chapter 525: Eye of the Storm (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 525: Eye of the Storm (1)
The 6th Great Disaster.
As humanity faced unprecedented despair, many called it a stroke of luck that the Red Point had spawned in the United States. Had the Red Point been designated in any other country, they never would have held out as well as the United States did. Only a global superpower could have endured this long; the monsters that appeared on the very first day of the Red Time possessed enough power to easily wipe out two or three weaker nations.
The world watched in awe.
They sang the praises of the United States.
Just as everyone thought the Great Disaster would end with a whimper, a shocking event occurred on the final day of the Red Time.
Washington D.C., the capital of the United States.
A new kind of monster appeared.
[Humans. Die.]
It was a humanoid entity.
Standing on the ambiguous boundary between human and skeleton, the monster’s black robes fluttered as it raised a single finger.
Flash.
Rumble!
Lightning struck from the heavens.
In an instant, the American soldiers were swept away. That single attack was enough to prove it was an S-Rank monster. Even then, no one was overly worried. The United States had already repelled several S-Rank monsters, and with their defensive forces concentrated in the capital, they believed they could block the assault without issue.
However, this unknown existence was completely different.
The entity, which had been raining down magic, unleashed a ferocious aura as it stared down the humans charging toward it.
[I smell the scent of death. Revival.]
Whoosh.
Mana surged outward.
The ground heaved, and the dead began to crawl up from hell.
Screeech!
Growl.
Hundreds? Thousands?
No.
Hundreds of thousands.
The monsters that had been laid to rest in this place regained their twisted life force. Even more shocking was the fact that S-Rank monsters were among them. The American soldiers were immediately stonewalled. Far from reaching the unknown existence, they struggled just to handle the undead. The S-Rank undead unleashed the immense power they had possessed in life, sweeping the soldiers away.
Then, the magic began.
Just as the humans divided their roles to coordinate an attack, the unknown existence continuously rained down spells.
[Die!]
Boom!
Crash! Crash! Crash!
It was an absolute catastrophe.
A state of emergency was declared across the United States.
Judging the unknown existence to be a boss monster, the US government mobilized all of America's military forces to the capital to stop the 6th Great Disaster. It was an all-out war. A boss monster was an entity that signaled the end of a Great Disaster. Since peace could only be restored by defeating it, the United States staked the nation's very fate on this battle.
The Commander-in-Chief of the United States, Robert, commanded the soldiers from the front lines.
"Risk your lives! Never retreat! If we defeat the boss monster, peace will return to America!"
Robert was an S-Rank hunter.
He raised his sword and unleashed a blessing.
The mana emanating from him granted boundless strength to the soldiers. Highly valuing his buff-type abilities, the United States had appointed him as Commander-in-Chief. There was every reason not to retreat. If they were defeated here, America would perish. Thus, even as they watched their comrades die, the soldiers stubbornly pushed forward. Tragically, the soldiers who lost their lives on the front lines immediately reappeared as enemies through Revival.
It was the worst possible matchup.
The unknown existence.
To simply classify it as an S-Rank was an understatement; it displayed an overwhelming presence unlike anything seen before.
The city crumbled.
Countless people died.
While straining his voice and dedicating himself to the battle, Robert received shocking news.
[A boss monster has appeared in LA!]
"...A boss monster?!"
It was a terrifying revelation.
The entity before his eyes was not the boss monster.
The US government must have concluded that the monster appearing in LA was even more powerful than this absurd entity in the capital. Robert's face turned deathly pale. He had absolute trust in the United States. Even when he received the report that America had been designated as the Red Point, he had confidently declared that his country would never fall.
But now was different.
An unknown existence and a boss monster.
This was truly the worst-case scenario, with no comparable precedent in the last twenty years.
* * *
A few days passed.
The US government convened an emergency meeting.
Although they had already held dozens of them, not a shred of hope could be found on the faces of the attendees.
The US Secretary of Defense spoke.
"Ten minutes ago, LA's defense system completely collapsed. Much like the unknown existence attacking the capital, the vampire-type monster attacking LA is turning our forces into its hosts, swallowing the entirety of the city in an instant. By the Department of Defense's estimation, our deadline is less than twenty-four hours. Now that the defense system has crumbled, if twenty-four hours pass, all of LA will fall into the vampire's domain."
"Damn it."
Sigh.
Everyone grimaced.
The unknown existence.
The vampire.
Both were the worst possible matchups for humanity.
Because they controlled minions, they couldn't be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Above all, the vampire presumed to be the boss monster wielded immense power. Two S-Rank hunters defending LA had their heads severed by him. Faced with such overwhelming might, the US government was certain the vampire was the boss monster. The vampire had spewed dark red blood, reattached the hunters' heads, and turned them into his servants.
From then on, those who had been America's most reliable talents slaughtered their fellow humans and sank their fangs into their necks.
The capital and LA.
Both faced a crisis simultaneously.
The reason LA had no choice but to fall was that all forces had been mobilized to protect the capital.
A fatal imbalance of power.
Yet, they couldn't withdraw their forces either.
In a situation where dealing with the unknown existence was already overwhelming, dispersing their forces half-heartedly could lead to the collapse of not just LA, but the capital as well. The US government had to make a choice. They had intended to secure the safety of the capital first, but as the battle dragged on, LA ultimately fell.
One of the high-ranking officials spoke.
"...Twenty-four hours. If LA becomes a den of monsters, there is no future for America. Is there no way to request aid from other countries?"
"We have already reached out, but no country has the spare capacity to help us. As you know, the 6th Great Disaster has swept across the entire world on a massive scale, matching the long, drawn-out silence that preceded it. They say they will send troops once they resolve their own issues, but it is impossible right now."
"Are you saying we should just abandon LA like this?"
"We are doing everything we can to find a way, but as things stand, there is no solution."
It was devastating.
The absolute worst-case scenario.
The US leadership felt utterly helpless, wondering how things had come to this.
It was then.
The US Secretary of State, who had been quietly observing the situation, spoke up cautiously.
"Mr. President. What about requesting help from South Korea?"
* * *
Instantly, silence fell over the conference room.
The reason for their reaction was simple: South Korea had been a constant topic of discussion in their meetings over the past few days.
The President spoke.
"Secretary of State. South Korea violated international law. Even so, do you believe we should ask for their help?"
The events in South Korea had already been reported to the US intelligence department. Because their actions were so shocking, the United States had planned to decide how to handle South Korea as soon as the Great Disaster ended.
International law was a clear boundary.
They could not accept those who crossed it.
"I am well aware that this is a sensitive issue," the Secretary of State replied. "An entity named Roman Dmitry appeared, formed a rebel faction, and took the bold step of executing President Kim Jeong-tae in clear violation of international law. Furthermore, they changed South Korea's official name to the Korean Empire. His act of crowning himself Emperor must be severely punished for the sake of world peace. But the problem lies in how they resolved the Great Disaster. Roman Dmitry defeated an S-Rank monster in a single blow and resolved all the issues plaguing South Korea in just three days. He is an existence that transcends common sense. Just as people are saying we need to establish a new rank beyond S-Rank for the monsters that appeared this time, Roman Dmitry possesses a power of that exact caliber."
The Secretary of State also felt devastated.
If they could have resolved their own country's problems, he never would have made such a proposal.
"South Korea is currently the only country in the world with the capacity to help another nation. To be precise, if we exclude countries like China that harbor hostile feelings toward the United States, South Korea is our only option. Mr. President, this choice might grant legitimacy to the Korean Empire. Looking far into the future, it is an option we should obviously avoid. But if we simply consider our own nation's safety, we cannot afford to be picky about our methods right now. Isn't the safety of LA's citizens our priority? Before that place is completely destroyed, we must find a way to save LA by any means necessary."
It was a valid point.
That was why they had no choice but to fall into an even deeper silence.
If Roman Dmitry resolved the crisis in LA, South Korea's value would undoubtedly skyrocket in an instant.
The President pondered for a long time.
After an anxious silence, he asked, "What is Roman Dmitry's exact identity?"
"We have not been able to identify him yet. We believe there is a specific reason behind the surname Dmitry, but we have no idea where he came from or what kind of life he has lived."
"There is a high probability that the Church of Maron will push back against this. What are your thoughts on that?"
The Church of Maron in America.
They were a group that studied the Great Disasters and were the world's largest organization, boasting an immense number of followers globally.
Their purpose was unique.
The Church of Maron had a scripture.
To allow the god they worshiped to descend upon this world, they set forth the goal of preparing the environment for 'Him' in advance. These were zealots who believed that the future descent of their god would resolve all problems. Naturally, they reacted sensitively to South Korea's actions. The Church of Maron was the very group actively advocating for South Korea's punishment, claiming that an entity daring to call himself Emperor was coveting divine authority.
But if the United States accepted South Korea's help?
The Church of Maron would be in an uproar.
Their voice, which carried significant influence worldwide, could never be taken lightly.
"Of course, it will be an issue," the Secretary of State admitted. "The Church of Maron views the destruction of LA as merely a trial. Since they believe all of humanity's problems will be solved once their god descends, they place greater importance on creating a new world to receive Him. That is completely different from the objective the US government must pursue. If we prioritize the safety of our citizens, we must bear the risk right now."
It was a severe dilemma.
There were far too many problems.
Even if they resolved the immediate crisis with South Korea's help, the political aftermath of the Great Disaster would not be smooth sailing.
However, there was no other way.
The President made his decision.
"What matters to us is the safety of our citizens. Contact South Korea immediately. I will request their help personally."
* * *
The communication feed connected.
Across the screen, the US President spoke straightforwardly.
[Please help the United States. If South Korea does not abandon our alliance, the United States will pay as much war compensation as South Korea desires. We promise compensation more than enough to completely restore the damage you suffered from this Great Disaster.]
His voice carried a strange tension.
South Korea had changed its official name.
It was now the Korean Empire, but the United States still called it South Korea despite knowing that fact.
They were not yet ready to acknowledge the change.
By mentioning the alliance and war compensation, they were proposing a deal while delicately sidestepping the sensitive political issues.
Roman Dmitry spoke.
"I will accept the United States' request."
[...Are you saying you will help us?]
"Yes."
The US President was taken aback.
In truth, he had expected Roman to attach various conditions to his straightforward proposal. He anticipated that Roman would demand recognition of the Korean Empire's legitimacy, but Roman Dmitry did not show even a hint of hesitation.
For Roman, it was a simple matter.
He had already reached a conclusion from the moment he heard the news about America.
"Since the outbreak of the Great Disaster, the United States and the Korean Empire have maintained an alliance. Just as the United States helped the Korean Empire resolve many issues in the past, I will not turn a blind eye to the danger facing our ally. However, I intend to settle our past relations with this single act. South Korea has changed its name to the Korean Empire, and from now on, we will start all relations anew under the name of the Korean Empire. Therefore, do not attach any special meaning to this matter. We will fulfill our role as an ally and receive the ample compensation you promised, Mr. President. After that, whether the Korean Empire and the United States remain allies in the future is a matter you can ponder carefully on your own time."
It was a newly born nation.
Just because a new leader had been chosen, Roman Dmitry did not completely discard their past relationship.
But there was a deeper need to help the United States.
It was not simply to settle their past debts.
The United States was a global superpower.
It was a nation possessing the world's greatest military might, so what would happen if he resolved a problem that even they could not handle?
The world would have no choice but to acknowledge the Korean Empire.
Although the Korean Empire had caused many issues, such as violating international law, the sheer power it possessed would create a situation where other nations could not simply remain hostile.
That was his true intention.
Now that the Korean Empire had secured its own safety, Roman Dmitry knew it was time to move personally.
With that.
Click.
He hung up the communication.
The leadership of the Korean Empire was gathered around him.
Having heard Roman Dmitry's intentions, Kim Jun-hyeok stepped forward and spoke.
"Shall we organize a support force immediately?"
"No, there is no need."
Through this support, he would prove his overwhelming might.
Rather than forcibly drafting forces that had not yet been fully organized, he knew a method far better suited for this task.
Roman Dmitry spoke.
"Only Park Min-woo and I will go. You all will be responsible for the safety of the Korean Empire while I am away."
Instantly, Park Min-woo's face brightened.
Even before his opinion could be asked, Park Min-woo sprang up from his seat and shouted.
"I will confirm the coordinates of the United States and prepare the teleportation magic circle immediately!"