Blue House, Republic of Korea
“Swoosh!”
Minister Kim Chaun was flung out from the two-way dimensional gate as if spat out.
He rolled helplessly on the ground.
“Bang!”
He slammed his fist on the floor once.
“Damn it!”
He cursed with genuine frustration.
He was furious.
His anger swelled so much that tears streamed down his face.
‘To be this useless!’
It was all because of his incompetence.
To think he had fled alone, leaving behind Kim Si-won, the hope of South Korea.
Of course, it was Kim Si-won’s unyielding will that prevented resistance.
That only made it worse.
To be protected by the very person he was supposed to protect and assist.
“Minister Kim Chaun!”
A voice called out to the raging Kim Chaun.
Straight ahead stood Interim President Hosik Jeong with a tense expression.
Beside him, an Awakener was sweating profusely, maintaining the two-way dimensional gate.
“Why are you alone? Where is Kim Si-won, Kim Si-won-nim?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?”
Hosik Jeong’s face hardened like ice.
“I didn’t accommodate you so that you could just say ‘sorry’.”
The only reason Kim Chaun, who lacked ability, rose to minister was because Kim Si-won had chosen him as his contact.
Therefore, he had to assist Kim Si-won and bring him back to South Korea safely.
Yet, all he said was sorry.
Kim Si-won was nowhere to be seen.
That meant Kim Chaun had failed in his duty.
“We had enough time to move together, but he said he had something to do separately and threw me through the gate…”
It wasn’t an excuse.
It was an explanation to share the situation in detail.
“Something to do separately?”
“Yes. He definitely said so.”
“Any guesses what it was?”
“It was such a sudden situation…”
“What about New York? What kind of situation triggered the code red?”
The moment the word ‘red code’ was mentioned, he had activated the dimensional gate without asking for details.
What on earth had happened in New York?
“New York…”
Kim Chaun briefly explained the unbelievable events he witnessed.
“A monster… took over New York City.”
It was unbelievable.
If it weren’t for the urgency and the fact that Kim Chaun himself had reported it, no one would have believed it.
After all, America was a top-tier Awakener nation.
Yet its core, New York, was occupied by monsters?
What was even more shocking was—
“To have broken through a siege of tens of thousands of monsters?”
To have pierced through the monster’s encirclement occupying New York and reach the outskirts of Brooklyn?
‘He’s already far beyond the human realm!’
Hosik Jeong couldn’t help but share Kim Chaun’s thoughts.
Kim Si-won—he was a monster beyond humanity.
The fortunate part was that he belonged to South Korea and was cooperative with the Government.
More precisely, It was more accurate to say that the Government was holding onto his coat tails.
‘He must be captured at all costs.’
This was a new South Korea, the only chance to rise as a great power like the former British Empire, where the sun never set.
That was why the fact that he remained in New York kept nagging at Hosik Jeong’s mind.
“What about the situation before you arrived? Were many monsters still occupying New York?”
“I can’t say for certain, but monsters forming the siege were approaching the dimensional gate. Their numbers were at least in the tens of thousands…”
“Sigh…”
Hosik Jeong rubbed his forehead at the overwhelming number.
‘What on earth happened!’
If he had broken through the siege, shouldn’t he have just returned?
Or was there some untold reason?
Since Kim Si-won wouldn’t explain anything, the frustration was understandable.
And then—
“Kuuuung!”
An unknown vibration was felt through the air and the ground.
“What is this…?”
“Kim Si-won-nim!”
Not a monster.
Fortunately, it was Kim Si-won, the very one they desperately searched for.
“What on earth happened…”
So many questions flooded the mind.
But—
“This is an emergency.”
Kim Si-won cut off Hosik Jeong’s words with a single phrase.
“…Excuse me?”
Emergency?
It felt strange hearing such a word from this android-like person.
If the monster who broke through tens of thousands to escape New York called it an emergency, what kind of disaster could it be?
Hosik Jeong and Kim Chaun swallowed hard side by side.
“What kind of emergency…?!”
“New York, or perhaps the entire United States, might have been occupied by the Demon Clan—the monsters you speak of.”
And indeed, it was a matter worthy of calling an emergency.
***
10 minutes later, Blue House Conference Room
Emergency meeting called.
Those at the core of South Korea’s power who received the emergency message from Hosik Jeong gathered.
Prime Minister, deputy ministers of various departments, and members of the House of Representatives.
Seated in an oval-shaped meeting room, all eyes were fixed on one spot.
At the head seat sat Hosik Jeong.
“I have just received very urgent news.”
Since it was an emergency meeting from the start, the topic had to be serious and urgent.
Yet no agenda had been announced.
Prime Minister Park Ho-yeon, sensing the curiosity, asked, “What exactly happened?”
“It appears that the United States has been occupied by unidentified monsters.”
Occupation of the United States.
“W-What?!”
“What…?!”
Those seated jumped up, refusing to believe it.
Because it was absurd.
The United States, the superpower, occupied by unknown monsters?
As if anticipating such reactions, “You all must know that Kim Si-won-nim visited New York for some special purpose.”
All eyes turned to the right side of Hosik Jeong.
They landed on Kim Si-won, who remained silent.
His expression was unreadable.
So emotionless it was almost suspicious, as if he were a mannequin, not human.
He had suddenly appeared and defeated an extremely difficult challenge, making him the center of attention.
Currently serving as the interim president, Hosik Jeong treated him with the utmost respect, even using the honorific ‘nim.’
“Was there some change at that time…?”
“Yes. They launched an assault on one of their bases. The monsters disguised as humans surrounded Kim Si-won-nim…”
Hosik Jeong calmly explained what had happened in New York a moment ago.
‘…He escaped dramatically.’
When Hosik Jeong finished, no one could continue.
“Uh…”
“Hmm…”
No one really believed the claim that monsters had occupied the entire New York City.
Even if that was true, to break through alone, carrying the burden of Kim Chaun, sounded like fiction.
‘This isn’t some fantasy novel.’
‘Are they just exaggerating their achievements?’
‘Who’s supposed to believe this?’
It was absurd.
It seemed that Kim Si-won and Kim Chaun who were there had fabricated their accomplishments.
“Is this confirmed fact?” Minister of National Defense Gu Seon-jun voiced the doubts representing the assembly.
“I fully understand your skepticism.”
Suspicion?
Of course.
If someone said they alone had broken through a monster siege in New York, suspicion was natural.
‘They don’t know.’
Except for Hosik Jeong and Kim Chaun, no one knew Kim Si-won’s true power.
That the Black Knight was actually Kim Si-won.
That he had ended the war with Japan single-handedly.
However, they had no intention of revealing this to convince others.
Even though those people were under his influence, the fewer secrets shared, the better.
“Soon there will be a reaction from America…”
Before Hosik Jeong could finish, the conference room door opened, and Deputy Minister Oh Manseong from the Awakening Bureau entered.
His face was tense.
Approaching Hosik Jeong, he whispered something, and Hosik Jeong’s expression stiffened rapidly.
Then—
“I don’t think there’s any need to explain further. This alone should suffice.”
A video played on the monitors prepared in the room.
[…This is the ruined Brooklyn. It’s truly unbelievable to see with your own eyes. Due to the overwhelming power that fell on Brooklyn, New York City has been half-destroyed…]
It looked like a post-apocalyptic city.
That place had been New York, once the most active and economic center.
But now, it looked like a city after a nuclear bomb hit—a grim, end-of-the-world scene.
The city was in ruins, and no living creatures remained.
Sparks generated by Magical Power contaminated even the land.
Just like Hiroshima and Tokyo in Japan, this place had become a death zone where no life could survive.
[Joel Morris Government has named South Korea’s Kim Si-won as the suspect for this disaster.]
[Based on flight schedules and all data, he has been identified as the culprit and will be held strictly responsible for this incident.]
[They say they will not hesitate to go to war. The Federal States of America will pay a terrible price for provoking us.]
[The United States vows to pour all military power into the Korean Peninsula.]
[They expect a swift decision from the South Korean Government…]
Ruined New York and America’s retaliation.
At the center of it all was South Korea and Kim Si-won.
“This is outrageous!”
“This is too much!”
“War with America? Are they trying to get us killed?”
Voices rose as people stood up in chaos.
“This can’t be.”
“Apologize to America quickly, and offer appropriate compensation.”
“We must hand over Kim Si-won. Otherwise, South Korea is finished.”
“How could this happen? Do you have any sense?!”
“Such a strong but reckless man should not meddle in politics.”
They were all directed at Kim Si-won.
But they had finally unleashed the resentment they had kept inside.
Because they had realized Kim Si-won was at the center of all this.
The power to destroy New York?
No one could think about anything else with the looming war with America.
The fire had to be put out immediately.
Self-interested, they criticized Hosik Jeong and Kim Si-won without hesitation.
“Take responsibility for this incident.”
“If you don’t resolve this quickly, it will be hard for you to keep the interim president position.”
Open criticism and threats poured in.
“How disappointing.”
Amid the chaos, Kim Si-won looked quietly at Hosik Jeong and said softly, “…I’m sorry.”
There was nothing to say.
He had promised to remove corrupt powers and show a different kind of government.
But what was this?
The talented people he had personally selected were behaving like corrupt politicians from the past conflicts with Japan.
Those who had criticized corruption before gaining power now repeated the same behaviors once in office.
‘I was foolish!’ Hosik Jeong finally realized.
Their pledges and resolutions were merely tools to seize power.
Not yet a political veteran, he had been deceived by their venomous tongues like a snake.
The only difference from previous corrupt powers was the color of their hearts.
“Enough!”
So he made a decision.
“I’ve said it clearly. Monsters took over New York, and Kim Si-won-nim broke through.”
No honorifics.
They were now just trash undeserving of respect.
“So what? Take responsibility? I informed you of a threat that could endanger South Korea or perhaps the world. Is that what you have to say?”
“To that…”
“Shut up!”
He snapped at Prime Minister Park Ho-yeon, who had been the sharpest in criticism.
His betrayal hurt the most.
Hosik Jeong had dreamed of a brilliant South Korea with him.
But after meeting frequently with recent power holders, he had succumbed to corruption.
It was painful to accept.
“From this moment on, all of you are dismissed…”
Despite the pain, it was time to decide the fate of those who could not walk the path with him.
“No.”
Unexpectedly, Kim Si-won opposed Hosik Jeong’s words.
Was this cold-hearted man really going to give them one more chance?
But—
“Rotten tangerines spoil the good ones.”
It wasn’t only about tangerines.
Once food rots, it contaminates the surrounding food.
It was the same with relationships.
If the rotten politicians present were spared, they would surely cause more trouble.
“Those who only seek their own safety and power deserve only one thing.”
“What…?”
Just as people sensed the tense atmosphere and tried to ask questions, there was a sudden flash of light.
“Thud, tumbling—”
Heads separated from bodies rolled on the floor.
Not just one or two.
“Thud, thud, thud!”
The heads of power holders who had just shouted impeachment for Hosik Jeong and demanded Kim Si-won’s sacrifice rolled across the floor.
Their faces wore peaceful expressions, unaware of their own deaths.
“Hosik Jeong.”
Kim Si-won glanced once at the scene before looking at Hosik Jeong.
“…Yes.”
“I hope you don’t disappoint me.”
“Remember this well. If you disappoint me again, the next head in this room could be yours.”
“I will remember, remember well.”
Cooperation?
No.
Their relationship was clear.
Kim Si-won was an absolute being who could use and discard Hosik Jeong at any time.
Even if Hosik Jeong were formally appointed president, that one-sided relationship would never change.