Chapter 102
Lee Seong-hyeok.
Former Holy Knight of Juche Ideology.
Current guardian knight of the Bacterium Church(?)
These days, he was devoting himself to training.
Choi Kang and Lee Seong-hyeok had different styles, but both enjoyed fighting by enduring their opponents with powerful defense and stamina.
In other words, two strong, long-lasting zombies.
When those two faced off, it turned into an incredible battle of endurance.
“Did you take some kind of tonic? I can't beat you anymore, and you're getting stronger by the day.”
After they finished sparring, Choi Kang clicked his tongue in amazement.
“Isn't this the least I can do? Comrade Kim Segyun has put his faith in me.”
“... Why am I even talking to this Kim Segyun fanatic? Hey! Ryu Hyeonsu! Wake up!”
At Choi Kang's shout, Zephyros sprang up, having been asleep with drool dribbling from his mouth.
“What! Why! What is it!”
“... It's over.”
“Ugh, you sweaty bastards.”
For those two, it was a nail-biting battle of endurance. For the spectator, it was a boring muscle party.
Zephyros yawned widely, scratched his head, and said,
“So, have you made your decision?”
“I have. I will go north.”
“... That can't have been an easy decision.”
Even so, he gave Lee Seong-hyeok a doubtful look.
If Lee Seong-hyeok had any ulterior motives, South Korea would only end up creating a new dictator in the North.
South Korea wanted a temporary ruler to oversee the transitional period and act as a buffer on the road to reunification, not to replace the Kim family with the Lee family.
They had no desire to go to all that trouble only to hand the results over to someone else, so Zephyros narrowed his eyes and studied Lee Seong-hyeok.
Of course, Lee Seong-hyeok's face showed nothing but conviction.
“You don't need to worry.”
The purpose in his mind was already clear.
‘There is only one thing I must do.’
He hadn't revealed it to anyone else,
but he was a guardian knight of Kim Segyun's church.
What was a guardian knight supposed to do?
Naturally, expand the faith.
‘To spread the gospel and salvation of the great Comrade Kim Segyun to the pitiful people of North Korea... That is my mission.’
That was precisely why, after initially refusing, he had decided to return to North Korea.
Even though Kim Segyun himself had turned him down...
‘Isn't that all the more godlike?’
False gods demand to be worshiped and fill every scripture with their own praise.
Juche Ideology had been like that.
Behind all its grandiose promises and flattering words, it ultimately forced people to praise the Kim family and imposed its faith upon them.
A true god doesn't tell people to worship him or promise them wealth and glory.
He simply sheds light, like the sun in the sky.
That was what Lee Seong-hyeok thought, now that he had gone from worshiping a false god to serving a real(?) one.
**
China's policies regarding Hunters had begun somewhat later than those of other countries, and it was true that the country had fallen behind.
The Chinese Communist Party had viewed Awakened, who possessed abilities superior to ordinary humans, as a threat to the Party, and had pursued policies to oppress them from the very beginning.
But after Zhao Yunchen, the current president of the People's Republic of China, took power, the situation changed completely.
With its so-called Hunter Uprising (獵師蹶起) policy, China had made rapid progress thanks to the overwhelming number of Hunters drawn from its population of over 1.3 billion.
Of course, such a rapid transformation had an enormous impact on society.
The biggest problem was that there were far too few Gates for the population.
To make up for that, the Chinese government had pursued its One Belt, One Road (一大一路) policy and secured Gates in places like Africa and Central Asia, but even that had recently reached its limits.
This was because of the backlash against what people called a twenty-first-century colonial policy.
So China joined hands with the United States to push for the opening of the international dungeon market.
Thanks to the opening-up policy, China's stagnant Hunter industry began growing again, as if it had finally gotten room to breathe.
Even so, it was true that the results weren't satisfactory.
‘In the end, aren't our Hunters just going abroad to do other countries a favor?’
Although the dungeons themselves were open, each country set its own tax rates.
All that mattered was that there be no discrimination between domestic and foreign Hunters.
Some countries even offered Hunters various incentives, encouraging them to spend as much of their dungeon-clearing income as possible within the country.
As a result, the tax revenue of countries with vast land and small populations rose rapidly.
The influx of Chinese Hunters increased tax revenue, while demand for real estate also soared as Hunters settled in those countries long-term to clear dungeons.
Real estate in South America, Russia, and Africa had risen so much that the word ‘bubble’ hardly seemed to describe it anymore.
As a result,
the Chinese government's own tax revenue had actually fallen compared to when it had secured numerous foreign Gates through One Belt, One Road.
“Sigh. But we can't go back to doing things the old way...”
The Hunters had grown too powerful.
It was already a fact that Hunter forces were considered more important than the People's Liberation Army.
What if they forcibly oppressed the Hunters and demanded that they bring all their overseas income back to China?
A coup was possible.
Some of the major Hunters had even seized control of entire regions, commanding Hunters under them like the warlords of old.
They trained new Hunters there, too.
In President Zhao's eyes, China at present resembled the late Qing Dynasty, when warlords had sprung up across the country.
If things went much further, it would become the Warring States period.
In other words, if they failed to control this properly, China could split apart in the worst-case scenario.
History had already proven that.
‘This is why previous presidents had oppressed Hunters in the first place.’
The Chinese Communist Party's leadership wasn't stupid.
But the tide of the times couldn't be stopped.
Since the 2010s, when Awakened began to have a huge impact not only on the economy but also on national defense, a regime that failed to keep up could preserve its hold on power only at the cost of a drastic decline in the country's strength.
Meanwhile, the out-of-the-ordinary Hunter who had appeared in a neighboring country was a major cause for concern in China.
Until recently, hardliners in China's Ministry of State Security and the People's Liberation Army had even called for his assassination.
“We must assassinate him before he grows any stronger!”
“He will become an enemy for all eternity!”
But then,
something happened in North Korea.
“It was a kiloton-class tactical nuke, but...”
“He survived even at ground zero?”
Even if it wasn't a megaton-class strategic nuke...
the blast might have covered a different area, but the impact at ground zero should have been much the same either way.
Only then did China's hardliners fall silent.
And directives were issued to every Chinese government agency.
Avoid any operation involving Kim Segyun.
“You avoid natural disasters. You don't fight them.”
A Hunter who couldn't be killed by a nuke wasn't human.
He was a natural disaster.
Just as no one despaired because they were weaker than a typhoon,
the Chinese government considered Kim Segyun a being closer to a natural disaster.
The problem was...
“Ri Jeong-chun of North Korea has seized the presidential palace. He's requesting support from the People's Liberation Army.”
“In exchange, he has offered to cede all of Mount Baekdu and some territory south of the Tumen River.”
“He's also offered investments in several industrial zones in North Korea.”
It was too good a deal.
It would be foolish to refuse a chance to expand the country's territory for free.
There was only one thing that might upset President Zhao.
“What are the chances South Korea will intervene?”
“Very high. They consider North Korea part of their territory.”
“Their constitution says as much, so even if they enter North Korean territory at Ri Jeong-chun's request, a clash is inevitable.”
“W-what about the possibility of that Hunter named Kim Segyun getting involved?”
“It's certain.”
“Wasn't the incident in North Korea caused by that Hunter in the first place?”
Everyone nodded.
“... What level of strength did you say North Korea's Revolutionaries had?”
“They're far weaker than the Hunters in our country who rank among the Five Emperors (五皇), and are said to be around the level of the lower-ranked Ten Kings (十王).”
True to its reputation as a country of martial arts, China had Hunters known by ranks like the Five Emperors and Ten Kings, as well as various titles, instead of a ranking system.
“An overwhelming victory against five lower-ranked Ten Kings...”
“There's no need to worry. No matter what, the Five Emperors are in a different league from North Korean Hunters.”
The five great Hunters of China were known by the titles Sword Emperor, Saber Emperor, Fist Emperor, Saint Emperor, and Demon Emperor.
They rarely appeared in public, but Chinese netizens were always fond of comparing the Five Emperors with the existing top Hunters, Kaiser and Ahmad.
The government agencies, however, had made precise assessments.
“Kaiser would be too much for one person to handle. Two could hold him off, and three could defeat him.”
“Ahmad has too many variables, but two would be enough if he couldn't fully deploy his undead. If he deployed them all, it would take four or five working together to defeat him.”
The problem was Kim Segyun.
If all five of the Five Emperors gathered, could they take on Kim Segyun?
Everyone here was full of confidence...
but President Zhao wasn't.
“Accept Ri Jeong-chun's offer for now. But on the off chance that a clash with Kim Segyun occurs, we must withdraw unconditionally.”
“Mr. President!”
“B-but!”
“We can't let ourselves look like we're bowing to some Hunter from a small country!”
Despite the ministers' near-screams, President Zhao remained firm.
“If we pick a pointless fight with Kim Segyun and even one of the Five Emperors dies, the damage to our country will be devastating. We'd immediately fall behind in our struggle for power against the United States.”
“Our great China has more than just the Five Emperors!”
“Yes, but the value of a top-tier Hunter is immense. Give the order accordingly.”
However...
President Zhao overlooked something.
The arrogance of those who had reached the top,
and spent many years there, building up great power and authority.
And their stubborn pride.
Some of the ministers were aware of that.
But they had no reason to bring it up to the president.
Arrogance and stubborn pride weren't limited to Hunters.
They were present among the high-ranking officials of the Chinese Communist Party, which had become a global superpower under the banner of Greater China.
Of course, those feelings had already taken root and seized control of their minds.
**
The Five Emperors (五皇).
Each of them was a powerful ruler who controlled a region of China.
Of course, they basically followed the Chinese government's orders, but their military and political power were enough to make even high-ranking Communist Party officials look insignificant.
It was difficult to name the strongest among the five, but the person considered the strongest by the public... and even among the Five Emperors themselves, was Sword Emperor Namgung Mujun.
The Namgung family was famous even in the martial world, but before the Age of Awakening, he had been nothing more than an ordinary office worker in Shanghai.
After the Age of Awakening began, he truly became a great swordsman and established the Namgung family as a sword clan.
“... What did you just say?”
“Just as I said. You are not authorized to engage South Korean Hunter Kim Segyun. It is an order from the President.”
Namgung Mujun's brow furrowed deeply. He had already gathered with the other four Emperors near the North Korean border under the pretext of liberating North Korea.
“So you're telling us to run? That we'd better run for our lives the moment we catch sight of this Kim Segyun fellow? Is that what the President wants?”
“... He didn't put it quite like that...”
“I understand. You may go.”
After waving away the Communist Party official, Namgung Mujun called the other four Emperors over.
“You heard about it too, right?”
“Yeah, that we should bolt the moment we see Kim Segyun?”
“Honestly, he does seem pretty strong. He looks stronger than Kaiser or Ahmad, at least.”
“I heard he even survived a nuclear explosion.”
At that last remark, Demon Emperor Long Yichen (龙逸乾) snorted.
“It must've been an item. I have a way to avoid a nuclear blast for a little while, too. It's not easy, but all of you can do that much, can't you?”
“There might be a way to avoid it for a little while. But a way to survive right at ground zero...”
“It must've been an extraordinary item. And... items like that usually have restrictions, don't they? They're usually one-use, or have a very long cooldown. Everyone keeps a few life-saving items around, like spare lives. You all do, don't you?”
The others' eyes lit up at Demon Emperor Long Yichen's words.
“Then?”
“If he survived by using it already...”
“That means the item might not work for him this time.”
“So... are we all in agreement?”
“Heh heh. We can't turn tail without even fighting, like cowards.”
The Five Emperors looked at one another and smiled.
Then someone spoke up.
“You never know... If we capture Kim Segyun and get our hands on that incredible item, we might become even stronger.”
The moment they heard that,
greed began to well up in their eyes.
**
As soon as the decision was made to dispatch Hunters to North Korea, they were called up at once.
They planned to board a Dokdo-class landing ship and carry out an amphibious landing in North Hamgyeong Province to stop the Chinese military from moving south.
The decision was based on reports that North Korean forces were in no shape to resist a landing.
But even once that decision had been made, gathering thousands of Hunters wasn't something they could do with a snap of the fingers.
While they were taking the time to assemble the Hunters,
I spent a little time sparring.
But then,
“This monster bastard got even more monstrous.”
“Don't call him a monster. You're insulting monsters.”
“Then what should I call him?”
Lee Seong-hyeok, who had suddenly appeared, cautiously opened his mouth and said,
“... Great Comrade Kim Segyun?”
“Ugh, you fanatic.”
Senior Choi.
Zephyros.
Lee Seong-hyeok's all-out assault...
It took only five minutes to fend it off and subdue all three of them...
And I hadn't even used any lethal abilities.
“This is a problem.”
The problem was that I'd become too strong.
I'd sparred with these three enough to know exactly what they could do, so I could subdue them easily, but...
That wouldn't be so easy against the Chinese Hunters.
And if I misjudged my strength in the process...
I might end up seeing the Five Emperors become the Five /// (...) /// Emperors, wouldn't I?