Chapter 48: Rainbow Reflection 

King of Domination Belmond.  

The iron-fisted monarch who personally killed the former king and succeeded in his rebellion abandoned his castle the moment he killed his own father.  

Afterward, he killed all his royal brothers and usurped the throne, beginning a foretold blood purge.  

He left no potential source of trouble behind.  

Even if it was a meritorious subject who had helped him succeed in the rebellion.  

Even if it was a loyal subject ready to sacrifice their life for him.  

He was undoubtedly a tyrant.  

But despite the infamy of being an empire of evil and the public enemy of the continent, it was his innate charisma that allowed him to write the conquest history of the Gritia Continent during the millennium-long war.  

That was the seemingly impossible perfect unification.  

A system that never doubted his orders.  

And soldiers willing to face death for him.  

That was the secret behind Belmond’s ability to wield the empire for such a long time, despite being a tyrant.  

Now, what I want to imitate is Belmond’s reign of terror.  

The goal is one:  ‘To turn South Korea into the evil empire Gallia.’  

Until recently, I hadn’t entertained such extreme thoughts.  

No matter how the regime’s direction shifted, I planned only to place my loyal subordinate (Hosik Jeong) at the summit.  

But one variable changed everything.  

The appearance of the Demon Clan.  

Traces of those who would surely hold a deep grudge against me were discovered.  

Their tentacles reached even to the United States, and I don’t know when they might corner me.  

I want peace.  

For nearly a thousand years, I wandered the Gritia Continent alone, and now I have finally returned to the original world.  

I wanted to rest peacefully after eliminating Ha Yeon Lee, the thorn in my side, and her followers, but the situation continues to drag me into the abyss.  

Of course, that is…  

‘The karma I have accumulated.’  

I built up much karma to survive.  

After living for nearly a thousand years, I’ve come to understand that such accumulated karma returns like a boomerang.  

Therefore, I have no complaints.  

I simply strive to repay the karma for what I have done.  

And the first plan is the imperialization of South Korea.  

Eliminate incompetence.  

Bring in talent.  

And above all, emphasize loyalty.  

In that regard, Hosik Jeong and Kim Chaun here are worth giving a chance.  

“…What do you plan to do now?”  Hosik Jeong, who had not lost his composure even amid the bodies scattered around, asked.  

“The United States is determined to prepare for war. The problem is that they show the will to retaliate immediately, skipping all procedures.”  

Hosik Jeong’s worry was not about the dead power holders here.  

It was the United States, whose movements suggested war could begin at any moment.  

“Do you think I acted without a plan?”  

This trip to New York might seem irresponsible.  

But I always consider the worst-case scenario before moving and prepare countermeasures accordingly.  

That is why, despite having no real ability, I survived on the Gritia Continent.   

“Swoosh.”  

From my chest, I took out a bundle of tickets obtained earlier.  

Some had been used, but a few were still intact.  

I tore one.  

[South Korea’s Kim Si-won has used an Exile Ticket (Enhanced+) for national defense.]  

[The Defense Ticket was used but nullified by a stronger effect.]  

[All Demon Clan members in South Korean territory have been exiled.]  

[This is an enhanced ticket. Due to its additional effect, the exiled cannot set foot on South Korean territory for 200 hours.]  

That was the first thing I did: stabilize internally.  

Just looking at the Elixir Korea Branch last time, it was clear the Demon Clan was hiding traces worldwide.  

Therefore, I exiled the Demon Clan using the Exile Ticket.  

I cannot allow internal enemies who could tighten their grip anytime to remain close.  

But the gains here were not just exile.  

‘A Defense Ticket. This confirms it.’  

It was clearly stated in the message.  

They possessed a Defense Ticket.  

Surprisingly, they had the Defense Ticket and tried to defend against exile with it.  

Of course, my enhanced ticket nullified that effect.  

There are two possibilities to consider:  

‘Either the Demon Clan can climb the Tower, or they cooperate with humans who do.’  

The latter is more likely.  

If the Demon Clan could climb the Tower and obtain its rewards, the record of overcoming the extreme difficulty would have been broken long ago.  

The Demon Clan is a species possessing strength distinct from humans.  

But Hosik Jeong’s reaction was not good.  

It had to be that way.  

The issue was not immediately eliminating the hidden internal enemies but the United States mobilizing forces.  

Aircraft carriers gradually closing in.  

Intercontinental ballistic missiles (LGM-30 Minuteman) ready to launch at the push of a button.  

If they wished, the Korean Peninsula could become a sea of fire at any moment.  

Currently, there is no way to stop it.  

The United States has stated its position clearly through news and media.  

Their attitude has never changed, from past to present.  

‘If American blood has been spilled, then you shall bleed equally.’  

Not just punishment for Kim Si-won, but blood equal to those sacrificed in New York.  

That was what the United States demanded.  

But South Korea had no means to defend against it.  

Of course, all these assumptions are valid only if I did not exist in South Korea.  

But now, I am a factor that cannot be ignored.  

Therefore,  I tore the ticket to protect South Korea from the American threat.  

“Click.”

***  

A United States Navy Lieutenant Colonel performed a sleek ceremony.  

His movements were more precise and delicate than ever before, holding a black briefcase in his hand.  

Matching pace and speed, he stopped.    

Respectfully, he extended something held in both hands.  

It was a black briefcase.  

Supporting the seemingly heavy case, he stared straight ahead.  

In front of the lieutenant colonel stood a middle-aged man with sun-bleached blond hair, weathered by time.  

His upright and firm expression belonged to Joel Morris, President of the United States, the world’s strongest nation.  

Having been re-elected twice, he wielded the greatest influence in American power.  

Now, he stood at a crossroads of choice.  

“Shall we proceed?”  On the right, Secretary of Defense Tyler Adams asked politely.  

“We must.”  

The crossroads of choice was nothing else but this.  

Pressing the button hidden inside the briefcase the lieutenant colonel held—commonly known as the nuclear football.  

Pressing that button would launch an intercontinental ballistic missile targeted to completely annihilate the designated location.  

Currently, the coordinates were set to South Korea.  

“New York has fallen. Countless American citizens perished, and the economic loss amounts to hundreds of trillions.”  

New York was the heart of the American economy.  

An attack akin to a nuclear bomb, a horrific act of terror, had been carried out there.  

No matter who did it.  

Even if it were a god rather than a human.  

“They must painfully realize the cost of attacking the United States.”  

The prime suspect was South Korea’s Kim Si-won.  

No, it was no longer speculation.  

They had investigated all transportation to and from New York and found that only Kim Si-won could have caused such devastation.  

But negotiations with South Korea?  

There were none.  

The United States demanded only one thing.  

That South Korea’s people must bleed as much as the Americans who died in New York.  

And at this opportunity, ‘We must eradicate the sprout completely.’  

Kim Si-won of South Korea.  

An unmissable figure.  

He had drawn public attention by overcoming the highest difficulty levels, sparked a brief war with Japan, and created friction with China.  

He was a source of many problems and commotions.  

‘He must be killed. By any means necessary.’  

In a flash, what passed through President Joel Morris’s eyes was a dark gray aura.  

Not only him but also the eyes of the assembled American officials for this crucial decision also darkened with the same gray. 

 That grayness instilled fierce hostility toward Kim Si-won and South Korea in them.  

But just as quickly, the anomaly vanished with a blink.  

“Effective immediately, launch of the LGM-30 Minuteman is authorized.”  

LGM-30 Minuteman.  

Originally, under the START II treaty, it was supposed to carry only one nuclear warhead, but with upheaval, that treaty dissolved.  

Who dares interfere with the world’s top power, the United States?  

It now carried three nuclear warheads, powerful enough to turn the Korean Peninsula into a sea of fire.  

To launch this devastating weapon.  

“Press!”  

He pressed the red launch button.  

This is the end.  

The LGM-30 Minuteman, dropping in the heart of Seoul as designated, would engulf the entire Korean Peninsula in flames.  

All that remains now are screams and cries of agony from a Korea struck by the hammer of judgment.  

Soon, the foolish monkeys of the East would understand.  

The cost of provoking the United States.  

Though regret would come too late.  

While that grim wait continued.  

[South Korea’s Kim Si-won has used a Protection Ticket (Enhanced++) for national defense.]  

[All areas within South Korean territory are protected by a powerful shield.]  

[This is an enhanced protection ticket. Its strong effect defends against three external attacks.]  

[This is an enhanced protection ticket. It also reflects one attack back to the opponent.]  

With a sudden alert message sounding.  

“Kuuuuuu!”  

The LGM-30, which was supposed to annihilate Seoul, suddenly changed course and flew fiercely toward Washington D.C. at incredible speed.