Chapter 35. With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
Chapter 35. With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
An underground bunker near the White House.
Hundreds of people were gathered, but not a single one could open their mouth.
On the massive display installed at the front, the bomb disposal unit was carefully dismantling the missiles stuck into the White House lawn.
Then the screen switched.
It showed Choi Cheolmin walking out of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency building with a light step.
“You told the media it was an emergency drill, right?”
“Yes. We issued guidance to both the National Guard and the police that this was a live-readiness exercise. A few minor outlets are digging noisily, but it won’t grow into a real problem.”
An answer came back immediately to the president’s gloomy question.
“What conclusion did the analysts reach? By now there should be a few hypotheses.”
“They’re estimating either telekinesis-type superpowers, or a new technology that can exert a force equivalent to telekinesis. The bombs’ origin was confirmed as the same stockpile held by the Chinese terrorists.”
“Does that make sense? You’re saying they flew bombs from Korea to here with telekinesis alone?”
“The opponent has already demonstrated the ability to fling even nuclear missiles into space. And… satellite footage clearly captured the bomb backpacks flying at high speed from Korea to here.”
“Ha…”
As if his head hurt, the president chugged a glass of cola on the table. The closer they got to the truth, the more impossible the conclusions became.
A technology that could move objects without even touching them.
“The rubber tub incident as well—those were ordinary rubber tubs, and it’s certain they were moved by telekinesis or by that kind of technology.”
“Wait.”
A thought flashed through the president’s mind.
“The bombs were descending slowly, and the moment we moved and released Choi Cheolmin, they shot off into space. That means they were tracking Choi Cheolmin’s situation in real time!”
“There are two hypotheses for that. First: the one who used the power is Choi Cheolmin himself. He would be a psychic who can extend his telekinesis anywhere on Earth. That’s why he stopped the White House attack once we released him. Second: there is a force behind him that can grasp Choi Cheolmin’s situation through something like telepathy or clairvoyance—whether as an ability or a technology.”
“Either way, it’s clear he’s the key figure.”
“The analysts currently judge it’s highly likely Choi Cheolmin is a superpowered individual far beyond what we imagined.”
“And why is that?”
“If it isn’t a superpower but a technology that surpasses human science, then it would have to be organized in some form. But analyzing the reports our assets have sent so far, there is no organization around Choi Cheolmin capable of researching or operating advanced technology.”
“What about the possibility that someone else is the superpowered one?”
“In every unidentified anomalous event so far, Choi Cheolmin was present. The mountain, the flying rubber tub, and now this bomb terror—all of it leads back to Choi Cheolmin. So the highest-probability conclusion is that he is the superpowered one.”
“This incident openly threatened us to release him. China chose force instead of threats. So it’s accurate that he has no intention of hiding his identity, right?”
“Yes. Based on his actions so far, Choi Cheolmin doesn’t appear to care much about being seen when he uses his power.”
“What does he want?”
“Based on his recent movements, he’s unifying Seoul’s underworld. But in the process, he’s restraining illegal and violent acts as much as possible. He mainly moves to block social destabilization caused by Chinese criminal organizations. His behavior resembles a kind of Korean hero. If we had to label it—he sees himself not as Captain America, but as Captain Korea.”
“If he’s China’s enemy, then he’s our friend.”
The president’s expression, which had been grim, gradually brightened. The analysis was shocking, but it wasn’t bad news.
“Yes. Our best course is not only cooperation, but also to run an operation to bring him over to the US side. The analysis team believes he already knows the identities of the agents who infiltrated around him. So rather than hiding, the most suitable approach is to reveal ourselves and request cooperation directly.”
If someone can detonate bombs on the opposite side of the planet without touching them, that is the strongest power on Earth.
He was so dangerous they wanted to eliminate him immediately, but based on what he’d shown so far, eliminating him might be difficult as well.
If an enemy is too hard to fight, the right move is to make them your ally.
Meanwhile, China’s meeting room was in chaos.
Shock, confusion, and blame flew nonstop.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Analysis of the explosives confirms they are identical to the bombs our agents used at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun.”
“The National Intelligence Service? The Korean military? Is there even a force in Korea that could do something like this?”
“It isn’t Korea. We double- and triple-checked analysis from our agents planted in their government. The Korean government is currently reassured, concluding China wasn’t involved in the Gwanghwamun terror, because an attack happened in Beijing too.”
“Then who the hell is it!”
“It’s definitely the US. Nearly all American agents are currently deployed inside Korea. Even at the moment the bomb went off, we confirmed dozens of agents at Gwanghwamun alone. If you include the unidentified black-ops personnel, there will be more.”
“Is this an American warning? Don’t touch Korea?”
“That’s correct. It’s a message telling us to stop our operation to throw Korean society into chaos.”
“Those filthy Yankee bastards. Do we have to submit?”
“No. Retreating here is the inferior move. If they judge we’re afraid, the US will become even more arrogant. We must push harder and force them to request dialogue. Only then can we negotiate with the US, which is currently occupying North Korea. If we retreat like this, North Korea and South Korea will soon become American vassals. Then we’ll have to face an American colony on our border. Before the North Korean situation stabilizes, we must flip the board quickly.”
A terror attack had struck the Forbidden City, which was practically China’s pride itself, and hundreds had died.
For Chinese people, whose pride mattered deeply, it was a fatal wound.
Chinese society had been wobbling under economic crisis and social instability, but after the Forbidden City attack, the atmosphere reversed.
An external enemy was driving internal unity.
The Chinese government pointed to Koreans as the masterminds.
A radical terror attack by Korean anti-unification extremists.
Anti-Korean sentiment had already been spreading in China, and this poured gasoline on it. Every day, memorials for the dead continued, and pro-war hardliners held street demonstrations demanding an invasion of Korea.
Public opinion that had criticized the regime vanished.
“Pour everything into the operation to destabilize Korean society. Not just a few enhanced soldiers—send an entire unit, and support them with all our new weapons. Coordinate with the Samhaphoe and collapse Korean society itself!”
“Yes. Understood.”
The US was frightening, but Korea was laughable.
China chose Korea, the US proxy, as its target.
“Tofu. Eat. They say if you eat this, you’ll never eat prison food again.”
When they returned to the motel, Bella—sitting at the counter—held out tofu to Cheolmin.
“Thank you.”
Cheolmin showed Bella a small bit of gratitude and went up to the rooftop. Then he carefully knocked on Kang Chan’s dorm door.
The door opened quickly, and Kang Chan came out—his hair sticking up like he had been lying down.
“I’m back, little brother.”
“Yes. I heard. You worked hard.”
I stared blankly at Cheolmin. But he looked like he had something he wanted to say, hesitating.
“Do you have something to say?”
“No, Master. Rest well.”
In the end, Cheolmin didn’t say what he wanted and went back down.
I lay back down on the bed.
On a day off, proper rest is important.
Back in Room 105, Cheolmin took off his clothes and showered.
Along with saying he’d returned safely, he wanted to tell his Master the resolve he had made at the police station today.
But when he saw his Master’s indifferent expression, he hesitated and came back down.
The police had branded him—who fought foreign criminals spreading drugs—as a drug offender and a member of a violent organization.
He didn’t understand why they released him, but it had been a moment where he might have ended up living in prison for a long time.
At the station, Cheolmin was disappointed in Korea’s system, which was spiraling into a mess, and he decided he had to step in more actively. The state that should stop crime was framing the wrong person as a criminal, and the people were groaning in pain.
Cheolmin had been feeling a kind of mission lately.
It started after his rebirth, after he gained power incomparably stronger than before.
With great power… comes great responsibility.
He didn’t know where the line came from, but he had heard it often since long ago.
Cheolmin assumed it must be the words of some sage like Mencius or Confucius.
He wanted to use the great power he gained thanks to his Master for the world.
Recently, Seoul had been sinking deeper into chaos. The Gangbuk area he managed was a bit better, but Gangnam was lawless.
Public authority was becoming hollow, and murders, robberies, and assaults were breaking out everywhere. The police moved passively, and like today, they often grabbed the wrong person. Exploiting that gap, drugs were spreading in all directions and ruining ordinary lives.
Cheolmin didn’t think of himself as a gangster.
He lived believing he was closer to a righteous swordsman.
And now that he had gained such great power while the world was darkening, he felt his role was large.
A bomb exploded in Seoul, monsters that didn’t seem human appeared, and he gained this power to stop all of it.
With those thoughts, after finishing his shower, Cheolmin looked at himself in the mirror.
It was his body, but even to him it felt unfamiliar.
The knife scars that used to run across his abdomen were gone without a trace.
It felt like he had been reborn.
After a shower, looking in the mirror—an actor was standing there, damp and glistening.
And his face had changed into something practically leading-man caliber.
One thing was certain.
He had to become a hero who stopped the darkness.
He tried a slight smile, and the melancholic look suited him.
Just then, Room 105’s doorbell rang.
Thinking it might be a counter staffer, he opened the door in a robe.
Lauren was standing there.
“What is it?”
“I came because I have something to say. May I come in?”
Seeing Cheolmin in a robe right after a shower, Lauren’s face flushed slightly, and she turned her head as she spoke.
“Yes, come in.”
Cheolmin let Lauren into his room.
“Did things get resolved well at the police station?”
Lauren sat on a chair by the small table in the room and asked.
“Yes. Like I said, it happened because of a misunderstanding. Once it was cleared up, they apologized politely.”
Lauren studied Cheolmin’s face, reading his expression.
Her superiors claimed Cheolmin had threatened the White House to force them to release him, but she couldn’t believe it.
No matter how she looked at him, it felt like her superiors had misjudged.
“Before I tell you why I’m here, there’s something I want to ask you!”
“Yes, ask.”
“You definitely have a hidden power, don’t you?”
“……….”
Cheolmin was briefly flustered by Lauren’s sudden question, but then he said:
“I do have a power I’ve been hiding. No—actually, I don’t intend to hide it. I don’t want to conceal my identity like that, and if necessary, I’m willing to use my power anytime. In fact, today I had just decided I would use my power more actively for the world.”
At Cheolmin’s firm answer, Lauren realized her suspicion had been wrong and her superiors’ analysis had been right. Cheolmin really was an ability user with overwhelming power.
“Since you’re being honest, I will be too. As you’ve probably guessed, I’m a CIA agent. The US wants to cooperate with Choi Cheolmin to confront the many threats hanging over the world.”
“What? CIA?”
At Lauren’s sudden words, Cheolmin asked in shock. Lauren—the free-spirited, cheerful American artist—was a CIA agent?
Seeing Cheolmin’s reaction, Lauren realized the analysts’ prediction that he already suspected her identity was wrong.
But it didn’t matter.
What she had to say next was something she could only say after revealing who she was.