Chapter 530: Eye of the Storm (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 530: Eye of the Storm (6)
Just before the battle.
Park Min-woo sat atop a mountain of corpses, watching the situation unfold.
His face was flushed with anticipation, as though he were sitting in a movie theater waiting for the main feature to begin.
To think I will witness the Heavenly Demon's battle with my own eyes.
His heart pounded.
He felt like he might go mad with joy.
When he was Kim Pan-seok, he had been nothing but an ignorant commoner; such an opportunity had never existed for him. When he was Alexander, he had been an enemy of the Heavenly Demon, leaving him no luxury to simply admire the man. It had been a cruel twist of fate. Though he had always sincerely respected and looked up to the Heavenly Demon, he had never once been permitted to stand by his side in either of his past lives.
But now, it was different.
He had entered the Heavenly Demon's inner circle.
To others, this place was nothing but a gruesome pile of corpses, but to Park Min-woo, it was the ultimate VVIP seat.
This was a privilege he had earned by sweeping away the monsters.
Park Min-woo's eyes brimmed with anticipation.
The Vampire Lord is undeniably a monster capable of establishing a whole new rank system. I wonder how long he can hold out against His Majesty? Five minutes? Three minutes? One minute? Those foolish Americans doubt His Majesty's victory, but the standards of this world simply do not apply to him.
It was then.
The battle finally began.
[As the King of the Abyss, I shall give you my all!]
Flash.
Rumble! Crash!
It was a colossal attack.
Right from the start, the Vampire Lord unleashed an explosive burst of mana, fiercely pressing forward as if to tear Roman Dmitry to shreds in a single instant. Anyone watching would have dropped their jaw in awe. The Vampire Lord was undeniably powerful. It was clear why two S-Rank Hunters had fallen to him. Once this Great Disaster was over, a new SS-Rank classification would surely be established with the Vampire Lord as its benchmark.
But that was all.
None of his attacks worked.
Amidst the thick, billowing cloud of dust, Park Min-woo discerned Roman Dmitry's presence.
"As expected!"
He clenched his fists tightly.
Roman Dmitry was completely unharmed.
Even after deliberately taking the attack head-on, he walked out of the dust cloud without a single scratch. A shiver ran down Park Min-woo's spine. This was Roman Dmitry. This was why Park Min-woo had cast aside his reputation as the Mage in White, why he had immediately abandoned the Central Government and changed sides. The reason he had no choice but to switch his allegiance lay in this very sight. Throughout his two past lives as Kim Pan-seok and Alexander, Park Min-woo had never once seen the Heavenly Demon pushed back.
Even that incredibly powerful Demon King...
Had he not been torn to pieces by the Heavenly Demon?
His swelling emotions reached their absolute climax the moment Roman Dmitry unleashed the Heavenly Demon Sword Technique.
[This makes no sense... Arghhh!]
Crash!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Vampire Lord was instantly torn to shreds.
A gust of wind blew.
The monster's massive body scattered in the wind, ruthlessly snuffed out like cremated ashes. Only then did the murmurs of the crowd reach Park Min-woo's ears. They were far more shocked than he was, but in this glorious moment, they did not matter to him.
"Ah..."
He stood up.
Regardless of who was watching, Park Min-woo instinctively pressed his forehead to the ground and cried out at the top of his lungs.
"Advent of the Heavenly Demon, Submission of Ten Thousand Demons! Advent of the Heavenly Demon, Submission of Ten Thousand Demons!"
His voice was drowned out by the din of the battlefield.
But one thing was certain.
In this moment, crying out to the Heavenly Demon, Park Min-woo was filled with the profound satisfaction of finally fulfilling his dream.
* * *
While this sequence of events was an expected victory for Park Min-woo, it was an utterly shocking outcome for the late-arriving LA Response Team.
"...To think he defeated the Vampire Lord in a single blow."
Captain Carter stared at the battlefield with a look of sheer horror.
Just as Park Min-woo had noticed, Carter had intentionally moved his soldiers passively under the orders of the Maron Church. He wanted Park Min-woo and Roman Dmitry to shoulder all the risk, doing just enough to secure an excuse to evade responsibility later. However, once the battle actually began, a completely unexpected scene unfolded.
First, there was Park Min-woo.
He was far more powerful than the world knew.
The enemies filling his vision meant nothing to him; he transcended the limits of a mage by easily dispatching S-Rank hosts. It was then that Carter realized things had gone terribly wrong. If Park Min-woo was this strong, just how powerful was Roman Dmitry, the man he served? As his anxiety mounted, he witnessed the Vampire Lord being torn to shreds by Roman Dmitry's single strike.
A single blow.
It was an anticlimactic showdown.
This was the monster that had devastated LA and blown off the heads of two S-Rank Hunters.
The entire United States had been thrown into an uproar just to take down this single Vampire Lord, yet the outcome was so one-sided that it made all their previous struggles seem like a joke. What remained of the Vampire Lord scattered in the wind. Watching this, confusion swirled in Carter's mind. Could it be that the Vampire Lord was actually weak? No, absolutely not. As members of the LA Response Team, the two S-Rank Hunters who had fallen to the Vampire Lord were among the strongest representing America.
If so, the truth was plain.
Roman Dmitry simply defied common sense.
With trembling eyes, Carter instinctively looked around.
"...Wow."
"Does this even make sense?"
"Just how strong is he?"
The people around him wore similar expressions.
Everyone was in shock.
Faced with this unbelievable reality, they could only stand rooted to the spot like stone statues, staring blankly at Roman Dmitry.
Only then did Carter realize.
We miscalculated.
The Maron Church had given wings to South Korea.
The decision they thought would corner him had instead handed Roman Dmitry a monumental achievement to add to his legend.
It was certain.
From this very moment, the name of South Korea—no, the Korean Empire—would take the world by storm.
* * *
At that same time, the United States was in the middle of its operation to reclaim the capital.
Communicating directly with the battlefield, the US President spoke to Commander-in-Chief Robert with heavy emphasis.
"We must reclaim the capital as quickly as possible. Although South Korea has sent reinforcements, we must not be complacent and assume they will solve all of LA's problems. No one in this world treats another's problems as their own. In case the subjugation of LA fails, we cannot afford to waste any more time in the capital."
[We will do our absolute best.]
"I trust you."
Click.
He hung up the communication.
As he leaned back in his chair with a tense expression, the Secretary of Defense, sitting on one side of the conference room, spoke up.
"Just a moment ago, we received word from the LA Response Team that they are proceeding with the subjugation operation. Although South Korea sent no additional reinforcements other than Roman Dmitry and the Mage in White, General Benjamin, who leads the LA Response Team, said they have a good chance of winning. Let us trust them. Since we have sent three S-Rank Hunters, perhaps the issue in LA will be resolved even before we reclaim the capital."
"That is nothing but wishful thinking."
In this chaotic world, the US President had learned a hard truth.
If one pinned all their hopes on a positive outcome, the despair when things didn't go as planned was devastating.
That was why he always prepared for the worst.
The failure of the LA subjugation.
The delay in reclaiming the capital.
These were the worst-case scenarios the US President envisioned.
"Believing that South Korea's involvement will solve all our problems is turning a blind eye to reality. Instead of placing all our hopes on them, we must find value in the fact that Roman Dmitry's presence buys us time. Of course, there would be nothing better than actually succeeding in the LA subjugation, but even if it fails, we can overcome the impending danger if we are prepared for that failure. What matters is the timing of our capital's reclamation. If we reclaim the capital and quickly reorganize our forces, we can assemble additional reinforcements while the LA Response Team buys us time. That is the only way we can solve this problem on our own."
"...It won't be easy. The ability of the Death Magician, who commands the dead, is humanity's natural enemy."
The unknown existence.
They had named him the Death Magician.
While the Vampire Lord required a certain amount of time to create hosts, the Death Magician could raise thousands of the dead with a mere flick of his finger. The more people died, the more enemies they had to face. Although they were cornering the Death Magician through continuous battles, there was no guarantee that this issue would be resolved in a day or two.
It was a grim situation.
As the President of the United States, the only thing he could do was urge them to do their best.
"We must believe. Believe that we are not finished yet. Even if the worst-case scenario unfolds, we will not fall."
He steeled his resolve.
He stood firm without wavering.
Even if his role was limited to giving orders, he knew all too well what would happen if the chain of command collapsed.
Now was the time to trust in their efforts.
It was not complacency, but faith in themselves.
How much time had passed?
A communication request came in.
The US President and his leadership, who had been expecting news of the capital's reclamation, received an unexpectedly shocking report.
[Mr. President! We have successfully reclaimed LA!]
It had barely been any time since the operation began.
The faces of those in the room were painted with shock.
* * *
Logically, it made no sense.
It was far too fast.
It felt like less than an hour had passed since the operation commenced, yet General Benjamin was already reporting the reclamation of LA.
The US President asked with a grave expression, "How on earth did this happen?"
[South Korea. Their involvement was key. The Mage in White cleared the path, and Roman Dmitry dispatched the Vampire Lord in a single blow. To be honest, I can hardly believe this is reality myself, but the Vampire Lord—who had clearly blown off the heads of two S-Rank Hunters—could not withstand a single strike from Roman Dmitry.]
"...What on earth?"
The President's eyes shook.
The Vampire Lord.
He was a monster capable of reshaping the entire ranking system.
While it was true he had pinned some hope on Roman Dmitry, he had never expected him to produce such an overwhelmingly dominant result.
His expression hardened.
Was this entirely a good thing?
While saving the citizens of LA was a relief, the US President immediately realized the international political storm this would trigger. He was not a man who prioritized other nations. To him, as someone who always put America's security first, Roman Dmitry's actions sent a dangerous message.
"General Benjamin. What kind of person is Roman Dmitry, based on your experience?"
[...Are you asking for my honest opinion?]
"Yes, I need your honest thoughts. Only then can the United States decide its next move."
[Roman Dmitry is a monster. Simply looking at how he dispatched the Vampire Lord in a single blow proves that no one in this world can stand against him. The issue is his disposition. Despite facing the Vampire Lord, Roman Dmitry brought only the Mage in White with him. Even when three S-Rank Hunters from the LA Response Team joined, he made it clear he would face the Vampire Lord alone. He is a man of absolute self-conviction. And looking at his past actions, there is no half-heartedness when he distinguishes between friend and foe.]
In their previous communication, Roman Dmitry had said that this support would mark a new beginning in their relationship with the United States.
Hearing General Benjamin's vivid testimony, the President realized that Roman Dmitry's statement had not been empty words.
Even back then, Roman Dmitry had been certain of his victory.
Knowing he could resolve whatever problem arose in America, he had spoken his mind without hesitation, even to the world's greatest superpower. Where on earth had such a figure come from? While everything about him was a mystery, Roman Dmitry was demonstrating power that even the United States could not handle.
"...I understand. You have worked hard, but until the Great Disaster is fully resolved, focus on reorganizing LA and prepare for any unforeseen circumstances. Your contributions to this war will certainly be rewarded later."
[Thank you, Mr. President. I will do my utmost to defend LA.]
Click.
He ended the call.
The US President and his leadership fell into a long, heavy silence.
The subjugation of LA.
Once the fact that Roman Dmitry was at the center of it became known, the Korean Empire would instantly rise as the eye of the storm. The world would undoubtedly be thrown into an uproar around them. Roman Dmitry had proven himself in a single battle, and any future issues regarding violations of international law would inevitably put them at odds with him.
When that happened, how should the United States act?
The Maron Church would surely protest the mere act of bringing Roman Dmitry into this.
Yet, even taking those factors into account, the thought of making an enemy of Roman Dmitry was unthinkable.
The pride of a superpower, the backlash from the Maron Church... now is not the time to worry about such trivialities. The truth that the United States has witnessed through this incident is that Roman Dmitry resolved a crisis in a single blow—a crisis that the entire nation of America could not handle. If we focus on that single fact, the stance we must adopt going forward is clear.
It was a difficult decision.
Considering the future, they needed to make a wise judgment right now.
The US President spoke.
"Secretary of State."
"Yes, sir."
"Make an official announcement immediately. State that with the help of South Korea..."
He trailed off.
If they were going to accept reality, they needed to do it wholeheartedly, making their stance absolutely clear.
"No. Announce that we have successfully reclaimed LA with the help of the Korean Empire."
The reclamation of LA.
It was the moment the Korean Empire rose as the eye of the storm.