Chapter 56: Even Nonsense Has Its Limits

There was no doubt.

“Kruuung—”

With a thunderous roar, the Chosun Workers’ Party Headquarters crumbled.

As a result, Kim Jeong-o and all the high-ranking officials of North Korea were completely wiped out.

And deep within the building, every root about to awaken was eliminated.

“….”

It was while standing in the sky, watching the scene unfold.

“…Long live.”

A voice sounded from somewhere.

“Long live!”

“Finally, finally…….”

“The hell, the demons are gone!”

“Long live, long, long live!”

Like liberation had been achieved, people poured out of their houses—North Korean residents shouting ‘long live.’

The reason?

It was simple.

The shackles that restrained them had disappeared.

Tyrant.

The trait that had been detected by the clairvoyant eye in Kim Jeong-o.

He had no particular combat ability, but a kind of brainwashing power that allowed him to put a vast nation under his control.

No matter how much one gains power through fear and repression, dictatorship inevitably ends in rebellion.

But Kim Jeong-o had maintained his dictatorship for over a decade.

Moreover, it was a new king system that surpassed previous dictatorships.

That could not be explained by the Baekdu Bloodline or the inherited influence of the Kim Clan alone.

The core of it was precisely the tyrant trait.

When someone with this trait takes power, those under them unknowingly accept their rule as natural.

Rebellion?

Unthinkable.

The influence of that trait had already taken root deep in their subconscious.

That was why Kim Jeong-o had managed to establish a perfect dictatorship for over a decade, but with his death a moment ago, all those shackles vanished.

Finally liberated, finally free, the North Korean residents cried out, “Long live!”

“Long, long live!”

And chanted those words toward me, the one who brought that liberation.

It was something like—

As if an old god had died, and a new god was welcomed.

In a way, it was only natural.

I hovered in the air through invisible ice steps.

To the residents, it must have looked like I was floating in the void, and since I was the one who wiped out Kim Jeong-o and the Chosun Workers’ Party officials who had bound them in fear, I could only appear like a god.

I swept my gaze over the crowd continuously shouting ‘long live.’

‘No magical power…’

There was no magical power felt from the residents.

Despite having been under the dominion of the Demon Clan for a long time, there was no trace of magic or demon seed.

‘They probably intended to turn this place into a laboratory.’

Just as humans conduct clinical trials using mice or dogs, the Demons also gain various research results through human experiments.

This place, North Korea, was one of the laboratories prepared by the Demons.

That’s why they didn’t forcibly demonize the people, but rather raised them like livestock to be test subjects.

The boisterous crowd filled with cheers fell silent.

Instead, their eyes were filled with a strange mixture of anticipation as they looked toward me.

‘…They’ve been tamed.’

The saying goes, “Only those who have eaten meat know its taste.”

For North Korean residents, freedom was strange, uncomfortable.

Even without Kim Jeong-o’s tyrant trait, they had endured centuries of dictatorship and control by the Kim Clan.

To those used to dictatorship and oppression, freedom?

It was like a primitive man who has never worn clothes suddenly forced to wear uncomfortable garments.

They wanted—

Order.

Control.

Another ruler to dominate them.

And that ruler could only be me, who had killed the old dictator.

Step.

I walked toward the center of the eager crowd.

Through the invisible ice steps, as if a god descending from heaven.

“Ahh”

“Ohh!”

Amazement and cheers burst out at the sight of me descending with the sunlight behind me.

To them, this moment would overlap with tales from mythology.

It was like Hwanung descending from Mount Taebaek, accompanied by Pungbaek, Usa, and Unsa.

“Lead us… lead us.”

An elderly man knelt down.

Judging by his speech and clothing, he seemed to hold a high position.

Starting with him—

“Lead us.”

“Please!”

Everyone around fell flat to the ground, performing a full prostration, a spectacle of obeisance.

That was… an outcome I hadn’t anticipated.

In truth, I had planned to judge those who sided with the invading Chinese Awakeners.

Because behind it all was the Demon Clan, and I expected that their influence had spread to some degree.

But the reality was different.

The Demons intended to use North Korea as a laboratory.

They had not proceeded with demonization because they wanted to keep it as a key production site to supply human test subjects.

The only exceptions were Kim Jeong-o and the officials inside the Chosun Workers’ Party Headquarters.

But now, they were all dead without exception, and the tamed North Korean residents wanted a new ruler.

“If that’s what they want…”

The decision didn’t take long.

“…Then so be it.”

In a way, North Korea—intended as a lab to supply humans—might be one of the few pristine regions in the world, free from Demon interference.

Leaving that place untouched while the world was being infected by those creatures would be foolish.

And it was a miracle made with a single word.

Hundreds of years of division, a moment thought impossible by anyone—the moment of unification.

***

The DMZ’s barbed wire fence collapsed! 

An unforeseen moment of unification.

“Hundreds of years of division. Finally coming to an end!”

“President Hosik Jeong announces there is no longer North Korea. A new history will be written under the name of the Republic of Korea.”

Unification.

Something once considered only in passing.

But everyone knew it was nothing but a fantasy that would never come true.

The biggest obstacle was, without a doubt, the Kim Clan ruling North Korea.

They never considered unification, unwilling to relinquish the power they held.

Even if all the North Korean residents starved to death, they would never let go of their grip.

Trying to unify by force?

North Korea, always pouring funds into defense, had military strength that was a burden even for the United States or China.

A truly troublesome nation—like a mad dog that bites when provoked.

But that untouchable North Korea was unified with the Republic of Korea.

As a result—

– “Wait, what is this? I wake up and there’s unification? Am I dreaming right now?”

– “Yeah, I thought the same.”

– “Probably everyone here’s thinking that.”

– “But is unification really good? Didn’t Germany have a hard time when East and West united?”

– “That was because the interests were complicated. This unification is more like North Korea being annexed by us.”

– “Hosik Jeong’s doing well. He’s pushing for unification almost like a whirlwind.”

– “I agree. I used to think all politicians were the same, but this time is different. I’m definitely voting for Jeong Hosik.”

– “But how did this happen? There’s no way the crazy Kim Clan just quietly handed over North Korea.”

– “Right? Especially Kim Jeong-o, that pig. He basically built a kingdom. There’s no way he’d give it up without going mad.”

– “So true. Seriously, what happened while we were sleeping?”

Various communities, especially the Awakened Bamboo Grove, were in an uproar.

It was only natural because it was one event after another.

Not long ago, this small Asian nation was just a minor Awakener state.

But now it had broken through extremely difficult situations, immediately taking the top spot on the monthly rankings and causing a stir worldwide.

And that was not all.

It had also broken through hostile moves from the so-called Big Four—the United States and Japan—showing that it was a powerful country with a force not to be trifled with.

And unification.

It was completely unexpected, but while shocked, people rejoiced.

Especially reassuring was the presence of Hosik Jeong.

Unlike other politicians, he was focused solely on national interests, and as if prepared, was smoothly managing the unification process without friction.

It seemed like only good things would happen.

But such is the way of the world.

Happiness and misfortune coexist.

Good news was followed by a sudden announcement in the Republic of Korea.

“Chairman Zhang Zhao claims North Korea was originally promised to be subordinated to China.”

“The razed Chosun Workers’ Party Headquarters. The Republic of Korea occupied North Korea illegally through force.”

“We have shown magnanimity as a great power, but will no longer tolerate the misdeeds of this small country.”

It was China’s provocation.

Of course, their logic was ridiculous, utterly absurd.

In fact, China’s sophistry and nonsense had been countless times before.

Their narrative was based on the Northeast Project, asserting that all countries in northeast China (Manchuria) were historically Chinese.

They went so far as to call hanbok “hanfu” and kimchi “paocai,” distorting history beyond reason.

Yet the Republic of Korea was unable to respond properly to China’s unreasonable demands.

Because retaliation was feared.

Militarily, economically, diplomatically—China held the advantage in all areas.

When China threw a tantrum, Korea had no choice but to yield, taking blows without resistance.

Therefore—

– “Ugh, these bastards are throwing a fit again.”

– “What? They say North Korea was supposed to be subordinated? What nonsense. Even if they push, there has to be a limit.”

– “It’s clear they just want a piece of the pie and hate seeing us succeed.”

– “All that talk about being a great power—if they were really great, they’d show some generosity. Why do they keep treating us like a small country?”

– “But what can we do? If we turn our backs on China, the economic damage would be massive. There’s no choice.”

– “Hosik Jeong must be really frustrated. Tied up with China, he can’t just act like Japan or the United States.”

– “I thought he was drinking only refreshing drinks lately. Looks like this time he’ll have to eat a lot of dry radish.”

China’s arrogance.

Its outcome was already clear.

The most rational choice for the Republic of Korea government now was to accept the negotiation proposal China put forward and pay some price.

Of course, once negotiations began, it was obvious China would demand unreasonable compensation.

But to avoid even greater damage, Korea had no choice but to yield to those shameless demands.

An inevitable defeat.

Everyone comforted themselves, resigned to succumbing to China’s tantrums and nonsense, as they had been used to.

Waiting for the government’s stance, at last, Interim President Hosik Jeong’s words began to spread like wildfire across the nation.

“Great power? Just because your territory is vast, does that make you a great power? China is a collection of petty-minded people far worse than anchovies in a pond.”

“Nonsense must have its limits. At this point, it’s no different from robbery without a knife.”

“The Republic of Korea will not bow to China’s threats. We will confront them head-on.”

“War? We are not afraid. China will suffer the same fate as Japan and the United States.”

“The Republic of Korea will never yield to threats from any foreign power.”

A blatant provocation toward China.

The Republic of Korea would no longer tolerate the absurdity China had inflicted for centuries.