The Only Good Chinese Is a Dead Chinese

I received temporary permission from an Access Control Department employee to use my abilities while on duty. In other words, a moderate amount of ability usage would be tolerated in the process of capturing the invading Chinese. Naturally, the use of bladed weapons was not approved. The reason—it was hardly a reason at all—was that employing them would complicate the administrative procedures, so the higher-ups had shot it down. With no other choice, I brought only two wooden clubs. I had asked to borrow restraint equipment ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as well, but...

"That requires the team leader to personally open the warehouse using vein recognition. If we contact him on the weekend, we're all seriously fucked."

"Can't you just slip it out to me? You must have a master key or something, right?"

"A former employee secretly registered his own veins and kept using it. When he got caught, he lost his hand, and his nickname became 'Jaws.'"

It was harsher than I expected.

"Even so, isn't cutting off a wrist a bit too extreme?"

"He ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠grilled samgyeopsal with a blast furnace inside the warehouse and even ordered chicken delivery."

"...And they only cut off his wrist for that?"

Correction. It was a considerably merciful punishment.

One of the CCTV monitors must have overheard our conversation, because I saw him waving his prosthetic arm around. That son of a bitch deserves to have everything above his shoulders chopped off. Bring the guillotine, you bastards.

There was no longer any need to linger in the Access Control Department, so we were now roaming the academy grounds. According to the information provided, the total number of Chinese intruders we needed to find was eight. Not an overwhelming amount, but not exactly a small number either. I was pondering how best to catch them when Hyeji spoke up.

"Shinwoo, so how are you going to blow these guys up?"

"...The only things 'capture' and 'explode' have in common are the letter 'p' and the syllable count. I'm heading to the broadcasting room first."

"Young master, even if we move with the greatest haste, time will still be insufficient, so why the broadcasting room all of a sudden, I ask?"

"Shinwoo, are you going to broadcast a missing persons alert? Those Chinese don't have parents, so is that even necessary?"

Hyeji was stating a solid point. Still, it was fine. I already had something prepared.

"You saw the ear-picking funeral incident too, right? I have a plan for everything."

"Shinwoo, you've got it all figured out."

"...Was that deranged comment from the bald elf your doing, young master?"

Jung Ayeon's face twisted with disgust. Worried she might misunderstand, I quickly clarified the truth.

"I simply balanced the scales a little between the World Tree and other trees."

"What sort of absurd balance is that!!!"

Jung Ayeon was still fuming. Since she didn't seem fully convinced, I continued the explanation.

"The elves love the World Tree so much that the value of other trees keeps dropping."

"Is that not only natural? The World Tree is like a mother to them!"

"It pained me too much, so to strike a balance with the other trees, I simply called it 'that big tree.'"

"Are you truly in your right mind??? Are you not insane???"

It probably wouldn't affect those who already loved all trees equally. However, for those who loved only the World Tree, it would require a slightly more 'difficult choice.'

But honestly, I feel wronged. I resolved it through sufficient 'conversation,' after all.

"Besides, although I made them swear an oath, I didn't force them. We had a proper conversation."

"...I do not wish to ask, but what manner of conversation did you have, I ask?"

Jung Ayeon looked at me doubtfully. I answered her calmly.

"I brought ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a chainsaw."

"What the fuck kind of conversation is that!!!!!!!!!!!"

Jung Ayeon shouted, veins bulging on her neck. It was definitely worth getting angry over. That being the case.

"I figured you'd get mad. The firepower was too weak."

"Please stop your damn nonsense!!!"

The firepower had been insufficient. Then Hyeji spoke as if granting me a favor.

"Shinwoo, next time I'll add a few white phosphorus rounds for you."

"As expected, only Hyeji truly understands my heart."

"Grateful? Praise me more."

"Everyone's crazy. Everyone's crazy. Everyone's crazy."

Still, at least with the chainsaw, conversation had been possible. Just as Bro Doomguy said, it was an appropriate means of dialogue.

Jung Ayeon was muttering, "It was foolish of this lady to follow along, I say."

With completely dead eyes, Jung Ayeon blindly followed me and Hyeji. We paid her no further mind and headed straight for our destination.

Finally, we reached the broadcasting room. The moment I stepped inside, I briefly explained the current situation to the staff on duty.

"Yes, I understand the situation. How may I assist you?"

"One moment."

I sent the file from my phone and made the request. Before long, the transfer completed.

"Did you receive it? Please play this in fifteen minutes."

"This? Yes, understood. How long should I play it?"

"About ten minutes."

"Understood."

The preparations were roughly complete. It was time to move.

As soon as we left the broadcasting room, our destination was the Records Archive. It might seem random, but there was a reason behind it. What kind of people were the Chinese? A race that stole information without the slightest conscience. Their thievery ranged from something as simple as people's phone numbers to critically sensitive security data. They even considered this behavior perfectly natural. Why? Because they operated under the idiotic belief that a great power could do whatever it wanted to smaller nations.

Therefore, their likely destination was rather obvious. We reached the Records Archive after walking only a short distance. I spoke to Hyeji and Jung Ayeon.

"Hyeji, can you wait outside?"

"You're ditching me again? You two are just going to have all the fun by yourselves? You always leave me out."

"I'm not ditching you, so stop taking it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠so heavily, please. This is a light novel, after all."

Hyeji's eyes went coldly dead. Then, as if deciding to let it slide for now, a spark of life returned to them.

"You're really not abandoning me, right? I'll trust you this time. What should I do?"

"When the broadcast starts, if you see anyone reacting violently or starting to tremble, beat them senseless regardless of the reason. I'll take responsibility for the aftermath."

At that moment, Hyeji wiggled her fingers and asked with the sparkling eyes of a child begging for a snack.

"Can I blow them up too?"

"......You have to keep their necks attached, got it?"

"I'll keep them alive."

Hyeji's role was settled. Now it was Jung Ayeon's turn.

"Young master Shinwoo, what shall this lady do?"

"Come with me. Inside the building, we'll catch anyone showing that kind of reaction."

"Understood. Let us depart."

Jung Ayeon and I immediately entered the Records Archive. From the outside it looked no different from the other buildings, but the interior was something else entirely. The first thing that caught the eye was the large, long staircase beginning at the entrance and descending downward. At the bottom, desks with partitions stretched all the way to the walls. Along the edges stood bookshelves packed tightly with paper volumes. At a glance it resembled a library or study hall. It would have seemed even more so if not for the phone connection ports on every desk.

That was when several people entered our view. Unlike the others quietly seated and staring at phones or books, these individuals were busily moving between desks, repeatedly plugging and unplugging connection ports into their devices.

They must not have known that phones unregistered with the Academy system cannot be recognized.

Five people were moving like that. Another was glancing around before indiscriminately stuffing paper books into the bag slung over his shoulder. Honestly, it was stupid. I even wondered if we needed to bother capturing them. After all, Chinese phones were useless, and paper books held no valuable information. At best, a list of good restaurants might be somewhat useful. However, they could steal students' phones and use them. Because they were Chinese.

I won't forgive the voice phishing scum who hurt my heart.

At that moment, the broadcast began. It was time. After a bit of static, sound flowed from the speakers. It was exactly the file I had sent earlier.

As the broadcast played, the people we had been watching showed reactions that did not disappoint in the slightest. Some suddenly convulsed. Others collapsed on the spot and covered their ears. Still others shook their heads violently while searching for the sound's source.

This confirmed it. The total number of people to capture was six. A textbook conditioned reflex. Nice to meet you, Pavlovs.

"Jung Ayeon, let's handle this job together."

"They all appear to be ability users. Shall we subdue them immediately?"

"Let's go! Sichuan Tang Sect's Tang Mun Ayeon!"

"The surname of the Sichuan Tang Sect is Tang, I say!! Tang!!!"

Even while refuting my words point by point, Jung Ayeon placed her hand on the ground and manifested her summons. She was the type who carried out her tasks diligently. A total of twelve summons appeared—all white wolves, though slightly larger than usual. Without the slightest hesitation, the manifested beasts charged straight at the Chinese. Two per person.

Afflicted by the BGM's status effect, the Chinese were helplessly suppressed by the wolves that rushed in like lightning. Moreover, every time they were pinned down they spat out their native tongue, clearly confirming their identities.

I couldn't hear what the Chinese were saying. But the last one seemed to have lost something rather important. In that case, what was it? A TS flag. This was Nopia anyway. There were plenty of places to get hired. Whether anyone would hire a Chinese person was slightly questionable, though.

The five Chinese tried to use their abilities, but none succeeded. The wolves' suppression was simply too thorough. Any suspicious movement while being stepped on earned them an immediate bite. Black numbers floated above some of the Chinese's heads, but nothing else happened. Soon they began to give up.

In the future they experienced, they couldn't escape either, so they despaired the moment they regressed.

One Chinese, however, was different. The bald Chinese closest to me. Right before the wolf reached him, the number above his head rose. Although he had been under the status effect like the others, he suddenly regained his senses, grabbed the wolf's snout and jaw, and tore it apart by spreading his arms. To the wolf leaping in from the right, he offered his right arm. The wolf bit down with all its strength, but the Chinese man expressionlessly slammed his left fist into the wolf's head. After the wolf vanished, I saw the Chinese man's right arm. There wasn't a single scratch on it—impossible to believe it had been bitten.

No wounds at all, and that level of power... He's quite familiar with body reinforcement.

I hurled one of the wooden clubs I carried at the bald Chinese. At the same time, I gripped the second club in my right hand and charged down the stairs. I wasn't sure if he'd understand, but I shouted in Korean anyway.

"What the hell do you think you're doing right now! You said you hadn't forgotten the Tiananmen Square incident and that you'd restore democracy! Why did you become the Party's dog!"

"You son of a bitch!!!!! Stop barking nonsense!!!!!!!!"

This bastard understood Korean. So it's you, 4885. You voice-phishing piece of shit.

The Chinese man swung his right arm outward and knocked the flying club aside. In that same instant I reached him. My enhanced base physical stats allowed an approach that would have been impossible before. Maintaining my momentum, I planted my right foot and brought the club down.

-CRACK!!!!!!

This time the Chinese blocked my club with his left hand. The club shattered in a single blow. I had struck with considerable force, yet the Chinese man's expression remained unchanged. In that opening, his right fist had already drawn back, ready to strike.

If I take a reinforced punch head-on, my arm will be pulverized.

What I chose was to deflect the attack at an angle. I clenched my left fist and waited for the exact moment his right hand extended. Then the number above the Chinese man's head rose. His regression. But unlike before, right in front of him floated a shard that looked like a piece of a mirror. For a moment I thought I had seen wrong. I even suspected my eyesight had glitched.

I'm still only twenty! I haven't used it much!

I focused on the fragment to understand what was happening. At that instant, my left eye throbbed. Then a powerful light burst from the shard. Something incomprehensible began to unfold.