Chapter 25: South Korea Unleashed Poison on Japan!

Hawkin Layer.  

A Knight belonging to the Empire of Galas Intelligence Bureau.  

This Intelligence Bureau was a unique institution found only within the empire.  

Of course, intelligence agencies exist in every kingdom and even in the noble Basilia Theocracy.  

What was unusual was not the institution itself, but the personnel affiliated with it.  

They included a significant number of Knights for intelligence purposes.  

What was a Knight?  

A human weapon considered a nation’s ultimate power.  

Yet they were used merely for espionage?  

Even with the empire’s relatively large number of Knights, it seemed a waste of manpower.  

But all such assumptions were proven wrong.  

Being Knights made them ideal for intelligence work.  

Especially the Knights of the empire’s Intelligence Bureau had developed Sword Souls focused on stealth and speed.  

They could infiltrate deep into enemy territory, and even if discovered, escape with incredible speed.  

Thanks to this, few countries could effectively counter the empire’s intelligence operations during the early war.  

This was why the so-called evil empire was able to sustain a thousand-year war.  

And now, a Knight who had served during the Intelligence Bureau’s prime had descended into the modern era.  

[Kim Si-won of South Korea used a Knight Summon Ticket (Hawkin Layer) targeting the nation (Japan).]  

[A Knight (Hawkin Layer) has been summoned at one of Japan’s central locations.]  

But unlike the Wyvern that appeared in South Korea, his arrival was covert.  

A quiet, deserted alley.  

“Ssshhh.”  

From the darkness, a shadow was born.  

It gradually took shape until it transformed into a human figure.  

Black scale armor, and…  

“Crackle!”  

Holding a sword crackling with blue sparks, he said,  “By the command of His Majesty the Emperor, I shall assassinate key figures in Japan and sow chaos.”  

His sole fate upon descending to the modern age was to carry out the orders of the Emperor (the summoner, Kim Si-won).  

And his mission was to cause disorder through targeted assassinations.  

“I am Knight Hawkin Layer. I will carry out the mission as commanded by His Majesty.”  

He saluted toward South Korea, then…  

“Ssshhh.”  

Melted back into the darkness.  

***

Bamboo groves were not unique to Japan.  

Though under a different name, there existed a community called 1ch.  

South Korea was one of the countries with an active community culture, but it couldn’t compare to Japan.  

One of Japan’s characteristics was its masks.  

Polite and seemingly kind, but once anonymity was guaranteed, those masks came off.  

And nowhere was this more evident than in communities, especially on 1ch.  

– Damn it! How can these Chosenzings bring such humiliation?  

—Do you think it makes sense for Greater Japan to be dominated? Repaying the favor of opening your gates to Japan like this? That’s why there’s a saying: you don’t raise black-haired beasts.  

—I’m worried. Are we really going to be overtaken by Korea?  

—Hey. Japan is one of the Big Four.  

—What does Korea have? Very Hard difficulty? That might be true for higher floors, though.  

—I agree. Around floor 10, Very Hard is doable. Anything above that is tough. Don’t worry, they won’t catch up for at least 1,000 years.  

-Still, it stings our pride. Better to be beaten unilaterally and criticized like before. This is too unfamiliar.  

Most voices condemned the recent crisis.  

And it was only natural.  

Since the upheaval, Japan was one of the Big Four powers.  

Among countless nations, Japan was a top-tier country but had recently been unilaterally defeated, reduced to the role of a bullied underdog.  

Even ordinary people felt their pride wounded.  

The optimistic point was that Japan was still strong.  

South Korea?  

It was indeed rising recently.  

That much was clear just by looking at the weekly rankings.  

But it was no way enough to bridge a fifty-year gap.  

During five generations of change, Japan had established itself as a powerful awakened nation, akin to an empire reborn.  

No matter how fast South Korea rose, the consensus was that it wouldn’t last.  

Because South Korea’s success depended entirely on one person.  

Kim Si-won.  

He was clearing the Very Hard difficulty, making this surge possible.  

But it was only temporary.  

If he failed to clear Very Hard any longer,  and thus failed to obtain the Nation Attack Ticket exclusive to that level, the upward momentum would naturally falter.  

And most believed that surge wouldn’t last.  

Because as the Tower floors climbed, the difficulty became merciless.  

They only considered it a brief moment of respite, a fleeting shift.  

Hence, Japan’s government, the Oni guild responsible for this incident, and Ikeda Kaito and Ha Yeon Lee were not widely criticized.  

Of course.  

***

—Long live Korean independence!  

—From today, South Korea declares freedom from Japanese rule!  

—Is this the country called Japan that got trampled?  

—Wave the Korean Flag. This place is now occupied by us, South Korea!  

That was until South Korean Awakeners stormed in.  

They breached a place that only allowed entry to those who verified as their country’s Awakeners.  

And those invaders were none other than the detested South Korean Awakeners.  

“What the hell? These Chosenzings?”  

—How did they get in?  

—Damn, you guys an awakened powerhouse? We’re an IT powerhouse.  

—For us, breaching this crappy community is nothing.  

—Don’t underestimate South Korea, developed through a thorough youth system.  

—Get lost, Chosenzing! Go back to your country!  

—Yeah. Next up, trampled Japanese monkeys.  

—Tower’s taken over, huh? Can’t get past floors 4 through 9? Can’t do anything, huh?  

—Now they summon Wyverns? Damn beasts. Can’t break their old imperialist habits and just start attacking recklessly?  

—This is not the old South Korea. Come if you dare!  

—Get lost, disgusting Chosenzing!  

—No, you Japanese monkeys are dirtier. You unleashed poison on South Korea to commit mass slaughter?  

—But you couldn’t do anything, huh?  

—Instead, got counterattacked and mentally shaken, right?  

—Tch!  

—Just get lost already!  

The initially relaxed atmosphere vanished.  

Why not?  

South Korea was a country where young talents honed their skills in pad-rolling and keyboard battles through the youth system.  

Those promising players grew steadily and unleashed their learned techniques, and even with their masks on, Japan had no chance.  

—But it’s strange?  

—What? You’re not going to ruin this festive mood, are you?  

—It’s weird. They killed the Wyvern and used a summon ticket on Japan, right? Then why hasn’t anything happened yet?  

A South Korean Awakened user had taken 1ch as their home base and was chatting.  

It had been four hours since the summon ticket was used.  

No reports of death or damage had emerged from Japan.  

***

“South Korea keeps winning.” 

“Government’s incompetence causes disaster.”  

“The Big Four are a thing of the past. Japan crumbles under rising South Korea.”  

Public distrust toward the Japanese government grew intensely.  

“Government distrust surges after 50 years. Could Prime Minister Yamada Goro be impeached?”  

“Damn it!”  

“Bang!” 

A rough hand slammed down on the desk.  

“What do you want me to do? This isn’t even my doing!”  

Lines deepened on a once calm face.  

He grimaced like a demon.  

He was Japan’s Cabinet Chief, Prime Minister Yamada Goro.  

Everywhere — broadcasts, internet, pseudo-media — only criticism of him was heard.  

He felt wronged.  

The real culprit was Ikeda Kaito, head of the Oni guild.  

Though he was not unaware.  

He had supported attacks on South Korea and the use of the summon ticket.  

But that was support, not leadership.  

Still, the one taking all the heat was him, not Ikeda Kaito.  

“They think I’m easy?”  

Who would consider the Cabinet Chief an easy target?  

But compared to Ikeda Kaito, the peak of power wielding a sword, his reputation was lacking.  

“And these guys… are making a big fuss.”  

The target was the media.  

The pen, mightier than the sword, was attacking Yamada Goro and Japan’s government incompetence.  

It was inevitable.  

“Probably bribed by the Oni guild.”  

He knew it.  

The Oni guild had allied with the media.  

Not surprising.  

The pen was stronger than the sword.  

Ikeda Kaito was a smart man.  

So before the damage worsened and the blame fell on him, he teamed up with the media and sacrificed the government as the scapegoat.  

A transparent scheme, but it backfired.  

If he made excuses now he thought,  ‘It would only worsen relations.’  

The Oni guild was not just a guild-level power.  

It was a prestigious force that helped make Japan one of the Big Four.  

Better to endure the criticism and take the path of appeasement than to quarrel with them now.  

“By the way…”  

A sudden question came to mind.  

‘What exactly was that summon ticket?’  

Kim Si-won of South Korea had used a summon ticket to attack Japan.  

Thanks to the Oni guild’s concealment, the summon ticket was revealed only later.  

Looking at the Wyvern summoned in South Korea, it was like a nuclear weapon of upheaval.  

So they expected something big to happen.  

But what?  

Nothing changed.  

Life went on as if nothing had happened, unlike the brief commotion in South Korea.  

‘Well, doesn’t matter.’  

Though there was doubt, it wasn’t a big deal.  

On the contrary, this could be an opportunity.  

A chance to divert internal problems outward.  

It had happened before.  

In the early days of imperialism, they waged conquest wars on South Korea to prevent internal strife.  

This time was no different.  

They would redirect blame toward South Korea, uniting Japan’s strength.  

Of course, they didn’t care if accidents like those caused by summon tickets occurred in the process.  

‘No, actually, the more attacks, the better.’  

The more serious the damage, the greater the hostility toward South Korea.  

Then they would step in.  

Playing a tug-of-war by inciting animosity could resolve internal issues.  

‘I wish something would just break out now.’  

It was wrong to think so, but Prime Minister Yamada Goro hoped for mass slaughter caused by the summon ticket.  

After all, the casualties would be civilians.  

Nothing to do with him.  

As a twisted smile formed on his face, a chilling sensation brushed the back of his neck.  

“Ssssh.”  

He froze at that cold feeling.  

He knew without looking what touched his neck.  

Just as he was about to speak  

“Prime Minister Yamada Goro.”  

It was not Japanese.  

Nor English, French, or any other language.  

A strange tongue he had never heard, yet its meaning came through clearly, as if translated.  

‘Awakener!’  

At that moment, he realized.  

It was the translation device favored by Awakeners.  

“…Do you know who I am and still do this?”  

A threat for now.  

But  

“…Prime Minister Yamada Goro. Head of Japan’s Cabinet system.”  

“Good that you know.”  

As calmly as possible.  

If he showed fear now, the opponent would think they had the upper hand and become more reckless.  

“It’s not too late. I’ll overlook this if you leave quickly. Otherwise, I will hold you accountable for your crimes.”  

Speaking as evenly as possible, he sent a biometric signal.  

“Beeeeep— ” 

He was Japan’s Prime Minister.  

An Awakened’s appearance meant he was vulnerable to danger at any moment.  

Therefore, he attempted to summon rigorously screened Awakened bodyguards connected via biometric signals.  

“It’s useless. All your bodyguards who protected you have been defeated.”  

Unbelievable.  

Yet he had to believe it.  

Normally, help would arrive within five seconds, but no one approached him.  

“For what purpose?”  

“By the command of His Majesty the Emperor.”  

His Majesty the Emperor?  

Many candidates came to mind, but narrowing down to one who would declare “His Majesty the Emperor” and send such an Awakener was impossible.  

“Die.”  

“W-Wait…”  

But his words were cut off.  

“Swish, thud!”  

His head cleanly severed rolled onto the floor.  

A mysterious figure briefly looked at the scene.  

“Crackle!”  

His body wielding the sword crackling with blue sparks.  

“Ssshhh.”  

He melted into the darkness and disappeared without a trace.