Chapter 74
Beyond the border, in the blue expanse of Russia—Moscow, beneath the Kremlin on the third underground level. Seizing the brief window of the update period, an emergency meeting convened in the Russian military situation room. The president, prime minister, and key staff gathered around a single table. Deep, unfathomable fatigue shadowed their drooping eyes, their faces gaunt as if they'd just crawled back from the front lines. The hair of a certain young general, whom they'd seen just a month ago, was now streaked with gray. The air hung heavy with a solemn chill, as if frozen solid.
Russian President Alexei broke the silence with a voice weighed down by gravity. "If things continue like this, Russia will perish."
The situation in Russia was dire. Waves of monsters poured endlessly from their vast territory, offering no respite. Even their ultimate weapon, the nuclear card, had yielded scant results.
"Reporting, sir." A staffer's voice trembled. "B-rank monster, Arachne—survival confirmed. The 5th Battalion reconnaissance team discovered and eliminated it."
"...The nukes didn't work?" The Defense Minister asked, his face rigid.
As the staffer zoomed in on the photo, a vast snowfield buried under ice came into view. The earth and mountains lay in ruins, unrecognizable, as if a massive meteor had struck.
"How many nukes did we drop on it just now?"
"Four warheads, each over 60 kilotons."
60 kilotons—four times the yield of Little Boy, the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. And yet a mere B-rank monster had survived four direct hits. A-rank... no, even regional boss-level monsters would likely emerge unscathed.
"We need to drop even stronger nukes!"
"Have you lost your mind?! You want to turn all of Russia into a radioactive wasteland?"
The Defense Minister slammed the table and shot to his feet, his face flushed red. Someone bowed their head in despair. "But there's no other way. At this rate, it's the path to national extinction..."
"Nearly half our players are already dead. The soldiers are exhausted; holding the front lines is barely possible anymore. We're truly at our limit!"
"I regret to say, but we have no paths left."
Hope had vanished from the staffers' faces. The Defense Minister swallowed a venomous retort, on the verge of exploding. He knew better than anyone the sleepless nights and tireless efforts those staffers had poured in.
Tap, tap, tap. President Alexei drummed his fingers on the table—the only sound piercing the situation room's dead silence.
"What about importing weapons from America outright? I hear they've been developing mana-based armaments."
"Impossible for now. Rumors say it's just prototypes, with unproven performance."
"Even if they exist, they won't sell to us."
One staffer ground his teeth. "Damn it, this isn't war. It's the apocalypse."
All operations had failed. Word was spreading of yet another world boss emerging in the eastern regions. Now... they truly couldn't hold out any longer. Pride, hollow wealth, empty honors—all must be cast aside. Survival came first!
"...There's still one possibility left." Every eye locked onto President Alexei as he spoke. His gaze, laden with despair and exhaustion, opened. "Korea."
"Hah, Korea?"
"...Sertina."
The name echoed through the room, ripples of murmur spreading like waves.
"You're suggesting we call that monster?!"
"With public fear at its peak, invoking her existence could spark chaos!"
"Mr. President, this concerns Russia's entire fate. Please reconsider."
Alexei clenched his fist. "Do we have the luxury to pick and choose right now?!"
His roar shattered the silence once more. "Sertina saved Korea. She saved Japan too—and all of Asia beyond that!"
"Hah, but that's because Korea's under threat right now..."
"So you want to keep nuking our own land into oblivion?!"
Fury laced Alexei's voice. "How long do you plan to repeat this madness of bombing our own country?!"
His plea bordered on a scream. The staffers bowed their heads, speechless.
"It's down to a choice. Die together, or grasp at the slimmest chance."
His raw appeal began shifting their resolve. "If even nukes can't stop this war... we have no choice but to beg a godlike being for aid."
"She's no god—she's a monster."
"I know. But maintaining the status quo changes nothing."
"Monster or not, if she's on our side, that's what matters."
The staffers gradually unified. After a grueling eight-hour meeting, they reached their conclusion.
"Then we'll contact the Korean government through diplomatic channels."
President Alexei rose, leaving those words behind. Praying his choice wouldn't prove wrong.
Choi Ah-rin's days began and ended with work. As always, she sat at her desk, reviewing monster outbreak damage reports while brainstorming national reconstruction and economic growth strategies.
"Ah, I wanna quit being president."
Lately, that phrase clung to her lips. But what could she do when people wouldn't let her? She desperately wanted to tank her approval ratings, yet they kept climbing. The graphs that plummeted during stock trades now hit new highs daily—it was infuriating.
Truth be told, wielding presidential authority offered surefire ways to crash her ratings. "No, even so, paralyzing the national system is a bit..."
She didn't want to harm her citizens just to escape. Right—steady and gradual, rebuilding the nation while slowly eroding support. That was the plan!
"Speaking of, America's been awfully quiet lately..."
Choi Ah-rin scanned the monitor piled with global updates. Major overseas news, incidents, monster issues, player coups in Middle Eastern nations, letters from foreign dignitaries—the works. Her computer overflowed as usual.
But America alone was silent. No media, no players, not even government chatter. As if the entire nation had frozen in time. Insiders claimed they were handling monsters smoothly, but why isolate themselves? She had no clue.
"Hmm, even outreach goes unread."
It felt like a predator lurking in the brush, poised to pounce. "Suspicious..."
As she clicked her mouse and tilted her head, a knock echoed. Knock knock.
"Madam President, may I enter?"
"Come in."
The heavy door creaked open on unoiled hinges. Choi Ah-rin had no plans to fix it until the economy revived.
"What is it?"
"President Alexei of Russia sent an urgent letter."
"Russia's president? Alexei?"
Choi Ah-rin's eyes widened. Hadn't they ignored foreign affairs since the materialization crisis, focusing solely on domestic stability?
'They've been struggling hard since the second update...'
She thought, It's come at last, neatly stacking documents and closing windows on her monitor.
"Yes. They say their forces can't handle the surging monsters anymore. They need help immediately."
"It was inevitable sooner or later."
Russia had suffered from the start, monsters spawning across their immense land. Holding out this long was impressive.
"Got it. Set up a call. I'll talk to them."
"Yes, I'll coordinate."
As the aide left, Choi Ah-rin leaned back into her plush chair. Contact from Russia...
'They're not asking for player aid, I bet.'
In a do-or-die crisis, they craved an overwhelming trump card—a miraculous existence. Desperate for her. But approaching her directly would be daunting, so they routed through the government as a formal intermediary.
"I wonder what Lady Sertina thinks."
Murmuring to herself, Choi Ah-rin picked up her smartphone. She scrolled to her favorited contact: Sertina.
"Ugh, why'd I set such a doughy profile pic?"
It was so biteable every time she saw it!
That day, after finishing the guild members' mana training. I perched on the rooftop garden railing, gazing down at Seoul's twilight streets aglow with lights. My smartphone's ring shattered the serene quiet.
"...Choi Ah-rin."
I swiped the green button to answer. "What's up?"
The call stretched on. Our voices mingled softly into the night air of the rooftop garden.
After thirty minutes, I pocketed my phone in my inventory and stared into the distance. Another storm brewed far beyond the border.
"...Russia this time."