The debate for and against the Demon Clan was sharp.
However, as the Awakening Potions were distributed, opinions inevitably leaned to one side.
The United States, Russia, China, and Japan had begun to regain their former prestige and the appearance of powerful nations.
Not to be outdone, various other countries voiced opinions in support of the Demon Clan in order to join the ranks of the new powerhouses, successfully obtaining Awakening Potions from Nepas.
The second group to benefit included the United Kingdom, France, India, and the Federal Republic of Germany.
Until recently, they were not called Awakening powerhouses because they could barely clear the 60th Floor, or failed to do so entirely.
Now, they were becoming strong nations capable of clearing the 60th Floor with ease.
In fact, they received even more powerful Awakening Potions than the four countries that had first supported the Demon Clan, creating an exquisite balance of power.
This increase in military strength made the hesitant nations feel anxious.
‘If I support them later, will I receive inferior potions?’
‘Since we’re already late, wouldn’t it be better to form negative public opinion to keep the supporting countries in check?’
However, Nepas possessed the insight to see through their thoughts.
By giving even better Awakening Potions to those who joined late, he caused the competition to overheat.
The effect was tremendous.
Countries that had only been testing the waters stepped forward one after another, recognizing the Demon Clan as a species and a legitimate nation.
The entire world was moving toward a mood of advocacy for the Demon Clan.
It reached a point where those who opposed them were treated like fools.
However, there were those who threw cold water on that atmosphere.
“South Korea resolutely opposes the independence of Nepas and the Demon Clan.”
Kim Chaun had risen to the presidency to replace the impeached former president, Hosik Jeong—whose removal was a result of Kim Si-won’s independent judgment.
Delivering a statement to the nation, he expressed his will for a desperate struggle against the independence of Nepas and the Demon Clan.
“In the past, they showed their sinister intentions to rule over humanity. Does their nature simply vanish just because a food problem has been solved? Furthermore, Nepas was at the forefront of those dreaming of human domination.”
“As the right hand of the Demon King, he killed countless humans and satisfied his own desires through cruel experiments. To forgive such an evil person—a being we can never coexist with—just because we receive a reward? If that is the case, then committing murder is fine as long as a price is paid. We would be entering a world where any criminal act is acceptable as long as compensation is provided.”
What Kim Chaun attacked were the past atrocities committed by Nepas.
Why does the law exist?
It exists so that when a crime is committed, a fair judgment can be rendered.
Yet Nepas and the Demon Clan he ruled were asking the world to turn a blind eye to all those criminal acts on the condition of paying a price.
It was a disastrous result that completely ignored the rule of law.
“Recognizing the Demon Clan and their independence is a path that sows anxiety and fear, like holding a nuclear bomb on Earth that could explode at any moment. That is why I, and South Korea, are raising this voice of concern.”
Of course, the criticism was not limited only to Nepas and the Demon Clan.
“And now, I ask the nations and the citizens who advocate for the Demon Clan and recognize their independence: if your family, your friends, or your acquaintances had been victimized by the Demon Clan, could you still forgive them? Could you say that the debt of their lives has been paid because you received an Awakening Potion? No. I could never forgive them. A country and a government are institutions that represent the people, not profit. Therefore, South Korea cannot recognize the independence of the Demon Clan. We will not hesitate to cast criticism upon the nations that have accepted this compensation.”
In truth, it was a question everyone had pondered.
However, due to immediate gain, no one had been able to speak it aloud.
But South Korea, a small country in the East, was now speaking for them.
Because of this, the silent public opinion, the silent people, and the silent voices began to resonate across the world.
— We sold out our families, friends, and acquaintances for the price of Awakening Potions.
— Everyone is clamoring for Awakening Potions. Isn’t this exactly what Nepas and the Demon Clan were aiming for?
— Just because the food problem is solved doesn’t mean the ferocity of the Demon Clan has disappeared. Recognizing their independence will lead to the result of taking on a time bomb that could explode from within at any time.
The public sentiment and atmosphere began to reverse.
In truth, though no one said it, the fact was that having the Demon Clan right next to them was unsettling.
It was similar to the past issue of accepting refugees.
A tiny number of terrorists existed among refugees, and by accepting them, one had to shoulder that anxiety.
But the Demon Clan was on a different level.
It wasn’t a tiny number of terrorists; it was a situation where everyone was a terrorist.
Accepting them would inevitably lead to shouldering an unavoidable unrest.
There were many who harbored dissatisfaction regarding this.
They had merely been hesitating because of the enormous reward of the Awakening Potions and an atmosphere that made it seem as though speaking up would be detrimental to the national interest.
However, once Kim Chaun opened the floodgates, it served as a signal for voices of discontent to pour out from everywhere.
At first, it was critical public opinion through the media.
But it gradually became more serious, leading to protests and clashes in various places.
And that was exactly what Kim Si-won wanted.
Until recently, advocating for the Demon Clan was accepted as the obvious choice.
But by bringing out the dissatisfaction everyone held, he threw a wrench into Nepas’s intentions.
Even a small spark was fine.
After all, a spark is bound to flare up as long as you throw wood onto the fire.
As expected, voices of dissatisfaction and concern flowed out from all over.
They weren’t just voices intended to keep others in check.
Those who had lost family, friends, and acquaintances to the Demon Clan in the past united.
[Global Union of Demon Victims]
They gathered the victims and spoke for them.
Of course, I was the one sponsoring that organization.
I didn’t know what kind of conspiracy Nepas was plotting, but I unified the organization to stop him.
Their goal was one: to refuse recognition of the independence of Nepas and the Demon Clan he led.
In reality, global politics are very complex.
It might seem like independence would be recognized if many people wanted it, but that wasn’t the case at all.
If there were such stark voices of opposition, especially if they formed an organized group, things could not proceed arbitrarily.
Therefore, I organized this group and took measures so they could properly make their voices heard.
“Just one month ago, I lost my father to the Demon Clan. The adults say that we must join hands with the demons, and that recognizing their independence and accepting them will be beneficial. But I have a question. They say that what we receive in exchange for losing my precious father is an Awakening Potion, but how exactly is that supposed to help me? I want to see my father, I want to run and play with my father, and I want to see his face just one more time. Please give me back my father, not this stupid potion. Give me back my father.”
Instead of a logical statement, a diary entry revealing the emotions of a child who lost his father was released.
That diary touched people’s hearts more than any logical words could.
Because of that, it made those who had closed their eyes to reality due to immediate gains open them once more.
— Please do not forget. We lost precious people to the Demon Clan. That loss cannot be compensated for with something like an Awakening Potion. What we want is the punishment of Nepas and the Demon Clan. Unless they receive a just judgment, we cannot recognize the Demon Clan.
With the announcement from the Global Union of Demon Victims, the entire world was in an uproar.
And then.
— The United States, Russia, China, and Japan submit to immediate profit while ignoring the voices of their citizens who were victimized by the Demon Clan. Do they truly have the qualifications to represent the voices of the people?
— In the United Kingdom, France, India, and Germany, evidence of coercive actions against figures who voiced concerns and opposition to demon independence has been captured.
— We live in an age of profit. However, we also live in an age of law. If the rule of law collapses for immediate gain, the world order may also crumble.
I continued to throw wood onto the fire.
Media outlets around the world rose up, launching sharp criticisms toward the demons and the countries that had supported them.
Because of this, the atmosphere toward the Demon Clan was reversed.
The countries that had supported them—the United States, Russia, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and India—became wicked nations that had abandoned their people for profit.
On the other hand, praise was heaped upon the countries that had not yet declared their position on the Demon Clan—or more accurately, those that had declared it but were now hesitating due to the suddenly reversed atmosphere.
They were framed as countries that did not kneel to profit and represented the voices of their people.
Because of this established frame, the movement to support the Demon Clan’s independence slowly began to decrease, turning into an atmosphere of avoidance.
And that was the result I wanted.
By creating this atmosphere of avoidance…
‘Nepas will move soon.’
I was prompting Nepas’s next move.
He was the type of guy who couldn’t stand to see his plans go awry.
Therefore, he would definitely move.
And that would be a bad move.
Because…
‘Through his next move, I can prepare a corresponding response.’
It was a kind of psychological warfare.
It was a method of letting the opponent reveal their hand first and then defending.
Of course, the side that sees the hand before defending is much more advantaged.
That was why I had intentionally hidden my existence as much as possible while moving the victim union to shape public opinion.
In fact, it was a battle I could not lose.
For humans, while immediate profit is important, complex elements like justification, emotion, and sentiment are intertwined.
Nepas failed to consider those points, but as a human, I knew them all too well.
Therefore, I was able to win this round.
And not long after…
[The Administrator of the 3rd Floor, Altain, has applied entry conditions.]
[All Awakeners hostile to the Demon Clan are prohibited from entering the 3rd Floor.]
[The Administrator of the 4th Floor, Altain, has applied entry conditions.]
[All Awakeners hostile to the Demon Clan are prohibited from entering the 4th Floor.]
[The Administrator of the 5th Floor, Altain, has applied entry conditions.]
[All Awakeners hostile to the Demon Clan are prohibited from entering the 5th Floor.]
Finally, Nepas—and Altain—had revealed their hand.
It was an attempt to exert pressure on those hostile to the Demon Clan through their control over the floors they managed.
Being unable to climb the floors would inevitably be a quite serious blow to a nation.
It was intended to provide a justification for why one must support the Demon Clan to escape such a blow.
But they didn’t know.
“Shall we begin?”
As I spoke to Leon…
“Of course, I should start as well.”
The thing Nepas overlooked was the fact that I, as well as Leon, was capable of climbing the Tower.