Chapter 46: When the Inside Rots, Even an Old Tree Falls
Chapter 46: When the Inside Rots, Even an Old Tree Falls
The Blue House was on emergency footing day after day.
For three days straight, ministers and senior secretaries couldn’t even go home and were in all-night meetings.
The National Assembly was condemning the government every day under the pretense of questioning the administration.
Just three days ago, the opposition couldn’t say a word in the face of the triumph of victory, but now they were excitedly calling for the administration to step down and even for impeachment.
Watching ministers fight, veins bulging, right in front of him, the president bit his nails.
Where had it all gone wrong?
Just three days ago, he thought only a path of flowers stretched ahead.
But now the country was on the brink of ruin.
Mass bankruptcies among companies hadn’t even begun yet, but there were reports that starting next week even major corporations would stagger and collapse.
The number of people committing suicide had already surged.
All this happened exactly one week after economic sanctions began.
There was still no word on the war reparations China was supposed to pay.
He wanted to release at least that into the market to restore some vitality to the economy, but the Ministry of Economy and Finance was in an uproar.
They said an asset bubble and hyperinflation would come for sure.
If you weren’t printing money, but releasing another country’s reparations, would it still become like that?
But there was no choice.
What mattered most now was next year’s local elections and the general election the year after. If they didn’t win, the president would go to prison after his term.
The opposition stubbornly kept digging at minor issues that had existed right before his election.
If he failed to secure a continuation of power, he couldn’t avoid prison like so many former presidents before him.
More than that, even after achieving victory, he was now being treated like a traitor who ruined the country in only a few days. It wasn’t retirement he had to worry about—he had to worry about impeachment.
He had to calm public sentiment somehow and break through the negative public opinion.
When it came to calming public sentiment, nothing beat handing out money, but the Ministry of Economy and Finance—like a thorn in his eye—was opposing it with their lives on the line.
Normally, the president would have ignored them and pushed ahead, but this time even he was worried. If he rolled out a populist policy just to survive the immediate crisis, it felt like he could wreck the economy before he even finished his term.
After agonizing, the president spoke.
“Proceed. We’ll think about what happens afterward when it comes. Right now, the people are suffering too much. What we politicians must do is ease their pain.”
When the president spoke firmly, as if he had made his decision, the ministers’ faces soured.
Just looking at neighboring Japan’s case made it obvious what today’s decision would do to the country, yet the president was doing this, desperate only to save himself.
And worse, he shamelessly sold the people as his excuse.
At that moment, an aide came running in.
“Mr. President! Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France are all requesting hotline calls at the same time.”
“What? Them? When I requested contact a few hours ago, they said nothing!”
“Russia has also requested an urgent call!”
The cabinet chamber went blank at the sudden development.
The entire world, excluding the Republic of Korea, had banded together to beat Korea with economics. What reason could those “tops” possibly have to contact them urgently?
The president, known publicly as a born gambler, sensed a sign of change.
By instinct alone, he realized something in the situation had shifted. Thinking he needed to get a grasp first, he gave orders to the aide.
“Tell them all to wait. Say we’re currently on a hotline call with another country. And tell them not to wait because there are too many call requests, so we might not be able to contact them within the day.”
The man who had been biting his nails only moments ago casually threw one leg up onto the cabinet table and lit a cigarette.
“Phoo… those sons of bitches.”
When the president showed that thug-like side, a few ministers’ faces twisted, but the ministers from the ruling party brightened.
Because this was the president’s look whenever he was sure he was going to win.
“Activate every organization—the National Intelligence Service, whatever—find out why they’re acting like this! And—did the U.S. contact us?”
At the president’s question, the aide shook his head. The president drew the cigarette smoke deep again and sank into thought.
He didn’t know what, but something had definitely changed.
He thought hard about how to strike back with this.
Underground beneath the desert in Utah, USA.
Inside a massive underground temple.
A man in white sitting on a throne spoke.
“What decision did the U.S. president make?”
“The president, who did not agree to pressure Korea, wants sanctions lifted even now. There was still time before the missiles hit, so we barely stopped him by urging him to watch other nations’ movements and join in.”
“They can’t intercept it? How is that possible?”
“The phenomenon itself is not something that follows ordinary common sense. Each country fired interceptors at the missiles that are descending from the air, but every one of them missed by a hair. It’s the same even using unmanned drones. If the guidance keeps clinging stubbornly, the drones self-destruct.”
“Hmm…”
The man—
The Messiah—rubbed the mask on his face.
He hadn’t felt much interest in the strange movement on the Korean Peninsula earlier. Across long ages, it wasn’t rare for humans to appear with incomprehensible power. But no matter how strong an individual was, they couldn’t face a nation or a system.
Yet now, a single individual was challenging the world itself—and might even win.
World War III.
A massive current called the Omega Project was supposed to begin atop the ashes of the Korean Peninsula. But now it kept going off track.
Minor directional shifts had been frequent, but the plan itself had never gone wrong even once.
“A man named Choi Cheolmin?”
“Yes, Messiah! Cross-checking U.S. sources and our sources, the one threatening the capitals of each nation with missiles is Choi Cheolmin, a 35-year-old Korean man. The type of power appears to be telekinesis—psychokinesis.”
One of the many believers prostrated in the plaza slightly raised their body and played footage in midair.
The scene from Korea a few hours earlier played.
“Because of what those bastards are doing, common people are hanging themselves and jumping into the Han River—it’s chaos. In that case, it’s right for our Pobangbu to turn Europe and America and all those bastards into a sea of fire!”
It was a scene of an East Asian man with skin prettier than a woman’s, a sculpted handsome face, giving an impassioned speech.
“Right after that remark, missiles stored by the Korean government were sent to the capitals of each nation. Considering his actions so far, it is not merely a threat. If he doesn’t receive an answer he finds satisfactory, he will not hesitate to turn the capitals of each nation into a sea of fire.”
“How are the other nations moving now?”
“Some are trying to launch ICBMs at Seoul, and some desperately want negotiations.”
“ICBMs won’t work, will they?”
“No. It will be the same result as the North Korean nuclear missile before. That time the missile flew into space, but this time it could even return to the launching country.”
“He’s impressive. I’ve never seen an ability like that. It’s truly an ability worth coveting.”
The man called Messiah spoke with interest.
“What are the European snakes doing?”
“They still haven’t reached a conclusion. Since they waited so long for this Omega Project, they don’t want to stop or abandon it easily. They want to continue the project no matter what. They suggest letting the missiles fall on each nation’s capital, stirring fierce condemnation against Korea, and then inducing World War III.”
“Heh… foolish fools. It’s pointless when they have no way to attack anyway. Still, it would be entertaining. The sight of London and Paris burning was always magnificent.”
At the Messiah’s laughter, a prostrated believer continued.
“Then shall we tell them to proceed? However, bombing Washington is expected to be difficult to clean up afterward.”
“It’s unfortunate, but we must not do that. If we do, that small patch of land called Korea will become the world’s empire. It produces the exact opposite outcome of what we want. Convey my thinking to the Europeans. Their heads are hot right now so they can’t think, but if you relay it like this, they’ll understand.”
“Understood.”
“And stop blocking the U.S. president. Instead, have him actively volunteer to play the role of Korea’s ally and blood brother!”
The Messiah felt pleased that the Omega Project—one he hadn’t been fond of—had stopped unexpectedly. But separately from that, he strongly felt the need to take measures regarding the country called Korea.
“Contact the bat bastards’ boss in Spain. Tell him we’re changing the old contract. Tell him the sanctions placed on the bloodkin will be lifted for the land called Korea alone!”
“What? But if we do that—”
The believer was startled by the order.
“Heh heh heh. Then that small patch of land will become a sea of blood within a few years. It will turn into a place crawling with bloodsucking leeches. No matter how much skill they have, they can’t stop every parasite that eats from within. A great tree always rots from the inside and falls.”
“Understood, master!”
The Messiah couldn’t hide his laughter. More than the world turning into a sea of fire, this kind of method suited his tastes.
“Choi Cheolmin…”
He closed his eyes, and strong interest rose in him toward Korea. He wanted to witness everything happening there with his own eyes.
A motel with not a single guest for hours.
I sat at the counter and quietly trained my muscles with telekinesis. Today was leg day—I was destroying my lower body.
“Junior! Junior! Watch the news!”
Cheolmin-hyung, who had gone into his room hours ago, came rushing out.
I withdrew my strength and calmed the tibialis anterior that was still twitching.
“Huh?”
“The U.S. president is giving an emergency address!”
I turned on the TV in the office.
A familiar, huge blond man appeared, face red, delivering something that was either an announcement or a fiery speech.
“Therefore, I strongly condemn this incomprehensible situation and have decided to stand on the side of justice. Why should we pity the villain and insult the hero? Is that what you call political correctness? They are suppressing our blood ally, the Republic of Korea, using the deaths of many civilians as an excuse—this is clearly victim-blaming! When war happens, countless civilian casualties occur. Think about it. During World War II, seventy million casualties occurred. This time, Korea used excessive force to prevent the horrific outcome of a world war from escalating, with fewer losses. If they hadn’t, China would have dragged other neighboring countries into a vortex of war and caused World War III.”
As he spoke, the U.S. president’s face turned even redder, and I caught a word I knew that started with F mixed in here and there.
“Today, the United States declares it is proud to be Korea’s blood ally, and we withdraw our foolish decision to join in sanctions against Korea. And we declare complete visa-free entry and exit with Korea, with no ESTA required. Also, for the remaining three years of my term, we will abolish all existing tariffs on Korean products going forward, and we abolish the forced exchange-rate appreciation measures. Korea is our proud brother. They are heroes who defeated villains who threatened world peace! I express infinite respect and gratitude to them!”
…What the hell.
What is this…
Even I felt dizzy at the American president’s flashy speech, sucking up to Korea to the extreme.
“Thank goodness. Justice truly wins. I knew the U.S. would stand on the side of justice.”
Cheolmin-hyung sounded like he was about to cry again.
Do people know this man who loves to act heavy is actually this emotional?
Then broadcasts relayed reactions from each sector of Korea, along with an immediate welcome statement from Korea’s president.
“We are grateful for the decision of our longtime blood ally, the United States, and I will not yield to any threats that endanger world peace.”
The Korean president’s statement—unable to hide his smile—was aired immediately.
He had now become the president of the Republic of Korea who called not only for Korean peace but world peace, so his approval rating would probably rebound again.
I first quietly returned the missiles that had been above the U.S. to where the Hyunmu-4 missiles originally were.
Then, a few minutes later, the UK, France, and Russia released statements apologizing.
They said they had become overly emotional at the shocking human toll and failed to properly judge what was right, but after hearing the U.S. president’s speech today, they reflected.
Their posture—apologizing with excessively lowered heads—was almost enough to make me feel sorry for them.
If they’d just withdrawn sanctions, I would’ve removed the missiles anyway.
I removed the missiles placed over the UK, Russia, and France as well.
Now only Japan and Germany remained.
Come to think of it, they had something in common: they were war-criminal nations.
They really had backbone.
You need that kind of backbone to fight the world!