Chapter 48: Guan Yu’s Blue Dragon Strikes Beijing

China, Beijing.

Zhuzhuo’s Office.

“W-what… What the hell…! What have you done?”

Chairman Jang Zian jumped up in shock, his face pale with disbelief.

[We apologize. The broadcast signal is unstable, causing intermittent delays—please understand.]

The TV that had been showing Guan Yu just moments ago now only displayed a broken screen.

When Deputy Director Jang Cheon’s face appeared, mouths dropped open.

That pathetic fool.

‘Is now the time to be shocked?’

First, we need to figure out what actually happened.

“Jang Cheon, what are you doing? Get in touch immediately with someone on the ground and find out what’s going on right now!”

“Yes, understood!”

Sigh

This is maddening.

Already not young anymore, and these days, it feels like nothing but headaches keep piling up.

My head is throbbing.

“Why the hell did Guan Yu…?”

Just a few minutes ago.

‘Is it really okay for my mood to plummet like this in such a short time?’

Well…

The being we believed was an angel turned out to be a demon.

If this ends with just a headache, consider ourselves lucky.

“I can’t believe it.”

Guan Yu.

The figure I idolized as a child.

When I heard he had descended into the heart of Beijing, I was so overwhelmed that I forgot my age and cheered.

‘But he didn’t come to help us?’

“I thought finally the world would start turning right again.”

The faith I’d held for 87 years.

That China was the center of the world.

Though, truth be told, recently that belief had been wavering.

Maybe…

China isn’t the world’s master after all.

Maybe it’s a setting sun that’s already starting to fall.

That thought had crossed my mind more than once.

Thunk!

“The whole building was blown away…?”

Right.

I saw it on the broadcast.

That crazy Guan Yu guy.

No, the demon wearing Guan Yu’s mask suddenly summoned a blue dragon, which struck the building down.

The problem is…

“That’s the Special Operations Division building, isn’t it?”

“That’s correct.”

“They say the whole thing was blown away?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Ugh…”

“A whole building gone—no survivors.”

Well, it’s fine.

They were just expendable.

We can raise more if we have to.

But the cleanup needs to be flawless.

“Deploy the Public Security Bureau immediately to clean up. Enforce a no-entry zone, confiscate all recording devices and erase every single record. Nothing that was inside that building should ever leak out.”

At least it’s a relief we don’t have to handle the Special Operations Division members themselves.

Guan Yu blew them all away, apparently, so…

Ah, wait.

No, that’s not right.

“Dispose of all Special Operations Division operatives who were out on missions too.”

“Yes, understood!”

“Go.”

Get this done as fast as possible.

Before the problem escalates.

Everything else can be managed somehow.

Rankers?

If they die, we just spend time to raise them again.

Dungeons blow up?

Just throw money at it and fix it.

But if the operations of the Special Operations Division become known…

The consequences would be unmanageable.

The entire world might even turn its back on us.

“Clean everything up first…”

Then start raising new ones.

Humans are overflowing anyway.

Expendables can be replenished with enough time.

But for now…

We need to make the international situation as chaotic as possible.

“Russia, North Korea, Iran… Turkey…”

Several countries come to mind.

Incite them.

Drag the world into a pit of chaos.

And in the process…

China will rise again.

By the power of this Jang Zian.

Crash!

“Huh?”

What is…

At the final moment of his life, what reflected in Jang Zian’s eyes was a blue dragon smashing through the wall and entering the room.

***

[Breaking News] Terror attack in Beijing, China.

Chinese Chairman among many dead.

Casualty assessment ongoing.

The perpetrator presumed to be a madman claiming to be Guan Yu.

Damage includes one building and part of Zhongnanhai.

Multiple deaths, including the Chinese Chairman.

The news spread instantly, shocking the world.

[What is this? Guan Yu is the culprit? The Guan Yu from the stories?]

[Yeah, that Guan Yu.]

‘Did the entire Chinese group go mad? How can Guan Yu exist in reality?’

[Surprisingly, it’s real. The Chinese are controlling videos, but if you search, everything is out there.]

[What is Zhongnanhai anyway?]

[It’s complicated to explain, but basically the location of the Chairman’s office.]

[Ah, so that explains the Chairman…]

‘What kind of news is this?’

From start to finish, nothing makes sense.

First of all, why is Guan Yu in reality?

He should only be in novels.

And even if he’s here by some chance.

Then…

[Why the hell commit a terror attack?]

[Exactly, isn’t Guan Yu called a god in China?]

He’s supposed to be the icon of loyalty, so he’d never betray. So why suddenly?

Even foreigners don’t get it.

‘How about the Chinese?’

Their reaction was nothing short of shock.

“Why on earth, General…”

“That’s not General Guan Yu. It’s a demon, a demon!”

Denial of reality.

And horror.

Some elderly people who heard the news even fainted.

So much so that there was even a theory.

[Maybe it wasn’t really Guan Yu?]

[Then?]

[Like a monster from a dungeon… or a new type of dungeon?]

[Does that make sense?]

[Then suddenly Guan Yu going mad and committing terror attacks in China makes sense?]

Come on.

The real Guan Yu is already dead and wouldn’t suddenly go senile…

Unless it’s a monster, it doesn’t add up.

[Well…]

[That’s true.]

[Crazy. So from now on, we have to watch out for monsters in reality too?]

It probably wasn’t Guan Yu, but a monster.

Better be careful.

Just as the mood started to harden like this, shocking news broke to overturn the situation.

[Breaking News] China’s terrible secret exposed. A department specialized in kidnapping and killing Awakeners worldwide, the ‘Special Operations Division,’ revealed by British public broadcaster!]

***

The news from British public broadcasting exposing China’s secret department, the ‘Special Operations Division.’

What’s inside?

“It is truly horrifying. A department specializing in threats, kidnappings, and killings. Does such an organization really exist?”

“Unbelievable but true. We will now show interviews with kidnapping victims.”

It was shocking.

Good grief.

‘A department specializing in threats, kidnappings, and killings?’

Not in a movie, but in reality?

“Hello, I’m Kim Yoonjoong, an Awakener from Korea. My unique skill is Buff Potion Crafting. I was kidnapped with the lure of a large sum of money and locked up for two years, forced to make potions.”

“I’m Parhad, from Iran. Because I could craft armor, I was imprisoned and forced to make armor nonstop.”

“They are demons. They threatened to kill our families.”

“There were other Awakeners who exposed this on AwakenerNet, but in the end…”

The testimonies from kidnapping victims revealed the horrors of China.

Threats and violence were standard.

If there was any sign of escape or exposure, terrible consequences followed.

[It was so terrible that parts were edited out of the interview. Anyone curious?]

[Yes.]

[They even kidnapped family members of those who exposed it on AwakenerNet and killed them right before their eyes—]

[Crazy bastards.]

[They’re not human.]

Rumors had circulated.

‘You know… stuff like China kidnaps people?’

Urban legends, basically.

But it was true?

The world condemned China all at once.

Even?

Chinese citizens started criticizing them.

Because…

[Did you hear? The people were found in the basement of the building Guan Yu blew up.]

[Yeah.]

[Even though the building was blown to bits, the basement was perfectly preserved.]

[Wow… maybe that attack was intentional?]

As expected…

The General wouldn’t commit terror without reason.

He came down to punish those bastards.

Damn them, may they receive divine punishment.

[But the Chairman is dead now. Who will take power?]

[Probably the people below him.]

It’ll be rough, the atmosphere is volatile right now.

With Chairman Jang Zian dead, those beneath tried to seize power and stabilize things, but it was impossible.

Resistance was too strong.

“Scumbags, step down!”

“The General, who should be resting peacefully, had to descend because of you filth.”

“Have you learned nothing after divine punishment?”

This would have been unimaginable under normal circumstances.

If Public Security intervened, these protesters would have been killed on the spot. Fear kept them from resistance.

But…

General Guan Yu will protect us.

That faith moved them.

Not only citizens, but Awakened Hunters as well.

‘How could they handle this if everyone turned their backs?’

Jang Zian’s faction?

They fled, hoping to save their own lives.

Thus, China sank into chaos.

***

“So… to summarize, it’s highly likely the Labor Management Office Head is behind all this chaos.”

“That’s an accurate summary.”

“Are you sure?”

“According to our investigation.”

China is drowning in confusion.

Some countries are beginning to grasp the truth.

The United States and the United Kingdom.

Famous for quick intelligence, they had already detected the Labor Management Office’s involvement early on.

“They failed once, tried again, and then this happened?”

“The places hit were the Special Operations Division, which had approached the Labor Management Office Head, and Chairman Jang Zian who led them. Isn’t that too much of a coincidence?”

“There’s no such thing as coincidence.”

The information is surprising.

But credible.

And what this means is…

“If it really is the Labor Management Office Head…”

“Then they wouldn’t want anyone approaching them.”

Right.

The Labor Management Office Head we knew.

A great Hunter and creator.

Someone you could use with the right compensation.

…But apparently not.

“A dangerous individual who could stab a country in the back at any moment…”

And their identity remains unknown.

Thanks to China, we narrowed down the range somewhat.

But that’s it.

‘If we dig deeper?’

“We’d be in danger too.”

So we must be cautious.

Absolutely.

The UK reached a similar conclusion.

“Erase all traces of contact with China, and for now, avoid any attention near Korea.”

“Yes, sir.”

Especially the UK had an even quicker grasp than the US.

Because the UK was the one who sent China the recent Awakener list of Korea.

And also the one who proposed helping with the S-grade Dungeon to provoke the old fool.

They responded swiftly.

If this gets tangled up as a single conspiracy, it’ll be a big problem.

Anyway.

The conclusion is the same as the US.

“The Labor Management Office Head is dangerous, so avoid contact.”

China.

Once one of the five great powers, now pushed aside but still a definite major power.

Right now?

Pure chaos.

[If the speculation is correct, it’s all because of the Labor Management Office Head.]

Therefore, until their identity is confirmed, they must be eliminated.

And around that time…

The person who turned the world upside down.

The Labor Management Office Head?

Bokdeongi.

He was talking with Rani.

“I want Rani to get stronger too!”

“Huh? Rani isn’t even a fighting worker.”

“But still…!”

No.

It’d be great if she got stronger.

She’s already accomplished so much as an Advanced worker.

What if she reached Top-Grade?

Just imagining it is insane.

But…

‘Is there any way?’

Leveling up a Top-Grade Worker.

Arthur’s the only one who’s tried it.

The conditions are experience and compatible equipment.

Would Rani have equipment like that?

“Hmm… Rani can get stronger! Rani knows how!”

‘Oh, really?’

‘What is it?’

Let me hear it.