The Iron Age began.
After the appearance of dungeons and Constellations.
Many became players.
The fact that one could form a contract with a Constellation and gain skills just by clearing a dungeon was that attractive.
Especially nowadays, it could be said that more than half of humanity were players.
[Ah, ah. Mic test. Mic test.]
However, the vast majority of them were below level 10.
Mid-tier players were surprisingly few.
To raise one’s level, one had to clear dungeons, and the deeper they went, the difficulty of the dungeons rose exponentially.
That was why high-level players were treated so well.
No matter how successful a player was, risking one’s life to challenge the deep levels of a dungeon was not something just anyone could do.
[Can you hear me? You can, right? You better hear me loud and clear.]
In that sense.
Sovereigns were truly remarkable people.
Beings who were born with genius talent and formed contracts with Sovereign-level Constellations, yet even that wasn’t enough; they were those who had also obtained heavenly luck.
Only such individuals could reach the absolute realm of level 100.
The fact that only ten people had reached the bottom floor of a dungeon, despite half of humanity challenging them so far, proved just how great they were.
[If this broadcast doesn’t reach the Infinite Sovereign properly, this bastard’s head is going to fly off.]
But at this moment.
Lee Chun-gi, one of those ten great Sovereigns, was uncharacteristically at a loss for words.
In fact, it was understandable.
It was a phenomenon currently being experienced by the entire nation… no, most of the world.
Watching a sight on TV where the President of a country was drenching in cold sweat with a blade held to his throat was that much of an unprecedented experience.
“Chief Park, what on earth is going on?”
He was so flabbergasted that Lee Chun-gi even paused the TV, despite it being a recording, to ask about the situation.
To his question, which revealed his embarrassment unlike his usual self, Park Hyun-gun answered with a pale face.
“There was an incident at the Blue House.”
“Exactly what kind of incident occurs for a broadcast like that to be aired?”
“That is…”
Park Hyun-gun was speechless.
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t see an answer for how to explain this situation without it sounding like nonsense.
But he couldn’t just not answer.
In the end, he explained the circumstances.
Everything from Limon suddenly storming into the Blue House and taking President Han Jung-kook hostage, to what happened afterward.
After hearing everything, Lee Chun-gi asked after a long silence.
“…And then he requested a press conference?”
“Yes. He said if even one of the domestic broadcasting stations was missing, he would take the VIP’s head.”
“Why did we fail to grasp the situation until it reached this point? If something like that happened, a request for support should have come to our guild too, shouldn’t it?”
“The VIP supposedly blocked it. He said that mobilizing a guild for a mere matter like this would destabilize the political situation…”
“It seems better than himself appearing on TV as a hostage, though?”
Lee Chun-gi pointed out coldly.
Contrary to his own words, he could understand President Han’s choice.
Just the rumor that the Blue House had been attacked would flip the country upside down.
What if the perpetrator was Limon?
Furthermore, what if they couldn’t even stop one Limon and had to request support from a guild?
His political life would be more than over.
Whether it meant that he had caused a national hero to commit treason, or that he couldn’t even handle the riot of a single civilian who wasn’t even a player.
So, he must have tried to block information as much as possible and resolve the situation through his own power somehow…
However, that was a decision that was only politically correct.
Tactically, it was a complete misjudgment.
“What on earth was he relying on to judge that he could handle him with his own power?”
“It seems an aide with the ‘Information Analysis’ skill advised that as long as he wasn’t a player, even firearms would work.”
“He believed such nonsense?”
“Since the VIP is also a high-level player, it seems he thought that even in the worst-case scenario, he could negotiate using his own skills…”
“And the result is this mess.”
Lee Chun-gi sneered.
Limon was the man who had slaughtered 150 high-level players.
He even took out Unit 909, who were armed with top-tier reinforced exoskeletons, as a bonus.
To know that clearly and still believe that mere firearms or his own skills would work against Limon.
It was a truly reckless act.
But what could be done?
The deed was already done, and President Han was currently paying the price for his misjudgment.
Having roughly understood the situation, Lee Chun-gi tapped the desk with his finger and resumed the paused video of Limon.
***
[I’m sure there are many people wondering why I’m doing this shit here.]
It was a very natural point to make.
Even Lee Chun-gi, who knew most of the circumstances behind how Limon became a traitor, lost his breath upon seeing this video.
It was obvious without looking how absurd it must be for the citizens who, without knowing the inside story, suddenly saw a threatening video on TV with a sword held to the President’s throat.
[Everyone, stay out of it.]
[…Excuse me?]
[I’m telling you bastards to stay out of my business.]
[……???]
To the citizens, or rather the people of the entire world, who were forming question marks over their heads, Limon spoke bluntly.
He told them not to be curious about the reason why he was doing such a thing.
[I have no intention of answering whatever you ask, and I have no intention of justifying this act by spouting some pathetic words.]
[Does that make any sense?!]
[If it doesn’t make sense, then what? Want me to take the President’s head right now? Huh?]
[A-ah, no! I didn’t mean it like that…!]
The middle-aged reporter, who had reflexively argued against those beyond-imagination words, stammered upon seeing Limon press the sword tightly against
President Han’s throat.
If he wasn’t careful, the President might pass away because of a single word of his.
He had no choice but to watch his tongue.
[B-but usually, broadcasts like this are for making a statement, aren’t they?]
Perhaps because of his years of experience.
Or perhaps because he thought a scoop was more important than the President’s life.
To the middle-aged reporter who managed to sneak in a question while reading the room, Limon indifferently retorted.
[Who decided that?]
[Pardon?]
[I’m asking who decided that you have to make a statement when you take hostages and broadcast.]
[Well, that’s because if you want to claim the legitimacy of the hostage situation…]
[So I’m asking why I have to do something so pitiful like that, you son of a bitch.]
At the verbal abuse that would have been treated as a broadcasting accident if it weren’t a forced broadcast, the middle-aged reporter spoke reflexively.
[Uh, excuse me, this is a live broadcast, so if you could refine your language a bit…]
[A retard acting like a maniac, telling me to fuck off.]
[F-fuck?!]
[Hey, you crazy bastard. The President’s neck is about to fly off on national TV, and you’re worried about a few swear words in the middle of it?]
The middle-aged reporter was at a loss for words.
There was a limit to arguing about broadcasting standards.
Certainly, the situation wouldn’t get any more gruesome just because a curse word or two came out at this point.
‘He’s not wrong… but why do I feel so wronged?’
Whether the middle-aged reporter felt wronged or not.
Limon continued with a snort.
[And claiming legitimacy is for bastards who have something to hide. Why would I babble excuses when I have nothing to be ashamed of under the heavens?]
‘Are those words coming out of your mouth?!’
The middle-aged reporter’s mouth fell open.
He was flabbergasted that the person currently holding a knife to the President’s throat in real-time could say such words so confidently.
The other reporters and cameramen in the press conference room were all equally stunned.
But logic does not work on a madman.
The middle-aged reporter, who dared not point out that fact directly, threw a different question instead.
[T-then why did you request a press conference?]
If you weren’t going to claim legitimacy, why did you tell them to broadcast this scene across all channels?
In the end, isn’t it because you have something to hide?
Or are you really crazy?
To that question, which condensed many different doubts, Limon answered nonchalantly.
[Oh, this? I did it to send a message.]
[A message, to whom?]
[Who else, you brat. Didn’t you hear me tell them to deliver this broadcast to the Infinite Sovereign?]
[…If you wanted to contact the Infinite Sovereign, why didn’t you just call him?]
The reporter asked reflexively, as if mocking.
To him, Limon mocked back just the same.
[As if the call would get through. They’d probably ignore it halfway and make me wait about ten years.]
He wasn’t wrong.
The problem was that substituting a phone call with taking the President hostage and broadcasting live was such a crazy idea.
However, it wasn’t that Limon had done this without any reason.
[Besides, I’m planning to make that bastard an offer he can’t refuse.]
[That bas—? Wait a minute, what did you just call the Infinite Sovereign?]
[Infinite Sovereign Lee Chun-gi. It seems I’ve been quite an eyesore to you lately, so I’ll give you a special gift just for you.]
No matter what the reporter blathered on about.
Limon didn’t care one bit.
He simply looked straight into the camera and continued in a cold voice.
[Come to the Blue House by midnight tonight.]
[I don’t care if you come alone or drag all the guild members with you.]
[Regardless, as long as you come, I will release the President.]
[But if you don’t come, the President dies.]
[……..!]
It was instantaneous.
The press conference room froze over.
It wasn’t because of the chilling content of the threat.
Limon’s attitude, discussing the President’s death as calmly as discussing the life of an ant, froze everyone in the press conference room.
[It won’t end with the President.]
[Next will be the Prime Minister, and after that, the Deputy Prime Minister.]
[After that, I’ll catch the Ministers and members of the National Assembly one by one and send the same message.]
Those were the words of a madman.
Something a normal person couldn’t possibly do.
And something they wouldn’t execute even if they could.
It was something only a complete lunatic would say.
Yet, those who saw the broadcast couldn’t dismiss it as a mere bluff.
It wasn’t just because those were the words of a superhuman who had single-handedly raided the Blue House and taken the President hostage.
It was because Limon’s golden eyes, as still as a frozen lake, made them realize.
The fact was, the person they were looking at right now truly had the ability to do so, and was a lunatic who would actually put it into practice.
[If you’re confident you can stop me, try it.]
[If you’re confident you can protect all the high-ranking public officials in this country from me, that is.]
And they remembered.
Memories of the past buried in oblivion.
Inside the old stories told by their grandfathers.
The hero of national salvation who everyone admired before the Iron Age began.
The one who was an object of fear to his enemies, the last Sword Master of humanity—they realized what kind of being he was.
[Well, you could just watch them all die. Then you could just take over this whole country without lifting a finger.]
[Or you could become a hero who saved the country by getting rid of a bothersome relic.]
[Whichever side you choose, that’s up to you.]
[Just remember one thing.]
[No matter what choice you make, you’ll have to settle things with me eventually.]
He said he would never force a choice.
That everything was up to Lee Chun-gi’s freedom.
Unlike the fresh smile on his face, Limon ended his speech with eyes that didn’t have a hint of laughter.
Then, dragging the President who had frozen with a pale face, he left the press conference room.
[Oh, and one more thing.]
As if he had suddenly remembered.
Limon stopped in his tracks.
Then, he smirked toward the camera and said.
[Good kids, don’t try to imitate this. If you get caught following along, you’re dead.]
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