Chapter 34

Chapter 34. Transcendent (3)

"Hah… so Japan hadn't been standing still?"

President Lee Seok-hyeon squeezed his eyes shut.

"Had it not been for the Patriot, those bastards might have declared the Japanese Empire and invaded us."

Kang Mu-jin muttered the same in a bewildered tone.

The two were staring in stunned shock at the [Mystery Technology] that Shin Si-woo had brought back from Japan.

"Workshop Chief, with Korea's technological level, how much can we reproduce?"

Japan's Mystery technology was far ahead of South Korea.

The footholds created to counter Gate overflows.

Japan's very baseline performance was overwhelming.

"Unlike Korea's footholds, which must be laid on the ground to activate, Japan's come in the form of a bag…"

The Workshop Chief offered genuine admiration for Japan's technological capability.

Things like the Mysteries' yield being absurdly good, or being issued to individual Hunters to increase mobility.

"For now… the satisfaction of the Hunters will be tremendous."

During the previous overflow of the Red Sea, South Korea's Hunters had confronted the Gate from atop footholds the military had laid down.

"Fighting only on top of black tiles isn't exactly flattering, is it?"

"Are you saying our Korea can only fight in a ridiculous way, atop footholds?"

At the President's displeased frown, the Workshop Chief hurriedly glanced around, confirmed the absence of the Patriot, and shifted his gaze to the President.

What could be felt in his eyes was resolve.

The Workshop Chief was a Hunter with a special ability for processing Mysteries.

He had to say what needed to be said.

"The truth is — Korea—"

The Workshop Chief, employed at the Blue House, was an Awakened who had undergone a [trial] yet was a non-combat personnel unable to enter Gates.

He was the only person in this room who could offer technical advice.

"—lags behind, to a degree on par with a third-world nation, in practical-combat Mystery development."

He poured out his true feelings.

Before President Lee Seok-hyeon, favored by the Patriot, and Kang Mu-jin, the perennial Senior Prosecutor equally cherished by the Patriot.

Before the inner-most insiders of South Korea.

And yet — why was this?

"Why is that?"

"Explain it to us calmly."

Ordinarily, they would have raged — 'How dare you make traitorous remarks in the Patriot's South Korea?' — and yet here they were, watching the Workshop Chief with serious faces.

The Workshop Chief tilted his head and, taking the opportunity, let out the words he had been holding back.

"Not every part of Korea's Mystery technology lags behind. In areas close to public welfare, we're comparable to America, or nearly so."

Public welfare.

What the Patriot shielded was the people.

Which was why Mystery-powered electricity generation, ocean purification.

Technology for purifying the toxic gases spreading from the Amazon to the rest of the world — these were highly advanced.

But—

"In the Hunter and military aspects, there has been practically no development."

South Korea's main strategic resource — the foothold.

These remained at roughly a 10-year-old model, and the development of cutting-edge weapons to intercept polluted beasts flowing from North Korea had stalled as well.

The reason was truly simple.

The Workshop Chief couldn't finish the sentence, but the President nodded and said,

"It's because of the Patriot's excessive patriotism."

A remark outright denying the Patriot himself.

Even so, the Workshop Chief couldn't deny it.

A country called South Korea—

"A country that could be destroyed the moment a single Transcendent disappears."

By the Patriot, for the Patriot, of the Patriot.

A nation sustained solely by his choices.

"It will be different from now on."

The President began speaking about the new Transcendent, Shin Si-woo.

"Japan refused to release such information even under the Patriot's bombings."

What had the Patriot's achievements been?

—Making the Japanese Prime Minister recite that Dokdo was South Korea's legitimate territory, making him bow his head in gratitude for the abolition of corrupt culture like Yasukuni Shrine, and making him acknowledge that the East Sea is the East Sea!!!

Even under the wide-scale bombing of Japan, Japan bent but never surrendered 'real' assets like Mystery technology.

With Shin Si-woo, however, it was different.

"A letter has arrived from the Japanese Prime Minister."

Korea-Japan cooperation.

No — Korea-Japan alliance.

With the Korea-America alliance already in place—

"Soon, a Korea-US-Japan alliance will be formed."

And.

"Korea-Japan technology cooperation. Workshop Chief, you will exchange with Japanese engineers through the Spirit World."

* * *

<My fellow citizens, twelve years have passed since the Gate crisis began. Ours has been a fierce era, one in which alliances between nations disappeared and we had to focus on our own nation's survival. But—>

President Lee Seok-hyeon stood before the people.

A truly solemn face, a gravely pronounced government announcement — and the entire nation was unable to suppress their shock.

<——Therefore, we share with our fellow citizens that discussions toward a Korea-US-Japan alliance are proceeding in a positive direction. Furthermore, Japan and Korea have agreed to share Mystery technology comprehensively going forward, for the benefit of both nations' development.>

The Korea-US alliance, followed by the Korea-Japan alliance.

And further, a triparte alliance binding Korea, the US, and Japan — a shocking announcement.

The citizens' reaction was as expected.

—Are you insane, human?

—Did the President work seven days a week and crack?

—Why are we allying with the Japs?

—Seriously, why are you poking the Patriot's reverse-scale again?

[WorldNet] went into an uproar.

The Patriot's true-believer fans were genuinely enraged at the idea of cooperating with the vile Japanese bastards.

And citizens who stayed mindful of the Patriot were furious at why they were stirring up a quiet Patriot again.

The dominant prediction was that a bloody storm would break out the moment he returned from the Gate.

—The government's about to get purged.

From the President to the ministers and vice-ministers to rank-and-file staff, large numbers would be dragged to the Gwanghwamun Square interrogation platform under [charges of treason].

Those found guilty of treason would be publicly executed, and the rest would be sentenced to Gate exile.

Either way — they would be killed.

Such predictions flooded in, but…

"Lord Shin Si-woo, I'll trust you."

I wouldn't let things go that way.

The Patriot knew nothing and yet wielded a power far too strong.

The British Empire was the stronghold of demon worshippers, and similar things had likely happened in several extremist nations, China included.

And in North Korea, hadn't the vessel of the Dark God Necribas been hidden?

<The government officially announces that, with the full support of the Transcendent Lord Shin Si-woo, the Korea-US-Japan alliance and Korea-Japan technology cooperation have been achieved.>

I was lending legitimacy to the current government's actions.

In today's world, things like economic logic and diplomacy were nothing but empty trappings.

So I — a Transcendent — was going to try to change public opinion by stepping forward.

"I'd like to hear why you're emphasizing alliance and cooperation to this extent."

After my conversation with Jesus, I had resolved to change the grand flow of events.

Some of the conjectures I had passed to him had been fairly reasonable, and since Jesus had agreed, he was probably persuading the US President right about now.

My and Jesus's shared objective was this.

"We must strike North Korea."

The President and Senior Prosecutor Kang stared at me with stunned expressions.

"A war…"

"Shin Si-woo, that can't be right."

The reason for forging the Korea-US-Japan alliance and enriching military power through technology cooperation was war.

"The vessel of a Dark God sleeps on North Korean soil."

The Dark God — Necribas.

His vessel resided on Earth.

Once his power was stored up, he would manifest and plunge the world into ruin — wasn't he that kind of evil seed?

"There's a misconception Koreans have: today's North Korea is…"

Still, the President and Senior Prosecutor Kang's reactions were not favorable.

The reason was in a place I hadn't even considered.

North Korea, you see…

"—is China."

That's right.

Now it was Chinese land.

I knew that perfectly well.

"That's why the alliance is necessary."

I said so flatly and rose from my seat.

"War is not a choice — it is survival."

This world was unfolding in ways very similar to [Raise a Sword].

A battle between nations devoured by demon worshippers and those not yet devoured would break out.

In that world, I had always been the one to use my swords to declare war on them before they could build up their power.

On this Earth I lived on, it was the same.

"Shin Si-woo, truly — war…?"

"I told you. This is survival. I'll go on ahead."

Before my conversation with the President, I had met with the Saintess of Fate and drawn one Tarot Card.

The situation had been right to enter the [Tower], but since there was a possibility the Patriot would return soon, I had checked the time of his arrival.

'The Patriot will be back soon.'

Leaving behind the shocked President and Senior Prosecutor Kang Mu-jin, I headed for the underground bunker in Yongsan-gu.

⦗Sword Master, the saddle for the new demon is complete. Through the final sword, I shall send you the Life-and-Death Demon.⦘

The new species, named by Muratan as the Life-and-Death Demon.

Riding it, I intended to go out to meet the Patriot.

* * *

US President Bill Johnson.

He had received news like a bolt from the blue.

"Jesus Christ!!!"

"Bill, calm yourself."

Calm myself? No.

The President, in an extreme rarity, raised an objection to Jesus.

"Even so, does this make any sense?"

A Korea-US-Japan alliance — fine.

Korea-Japan technology cooperation on top? Fine, fine.

But the purpose of it…

"Still, war?"

Shin Si-woo was unmistakably a madman.

He had swallowed up South Korea during the Patriot's absence, then became Japan's benefactor.

In the process he had killed an SSS-rank Hunter called the British Doctor and had persuaded Jesus into carrying out something insane.

"Jesus, declaring war in a world where war has vanished…"

When the Gate crisis erupted, the world's wars had stopped.

Even the Russia-Ukraine war, which had lasted over ten years, had quietly come to an end.

Because handling the Gates appearing all across national territory was the top priority.

"Even our America is barely managing to control the Gates — war is far too reckless."

Even if they wanted to fight, they didn't have the resources.

Especially Japan — it would be even worse there.

Their Transcendents couldn't perform wide-area bombardment or anything of that nature.

"Oh! Bill, don't worry. Shin Si-woo has decided to help out the Japanese side."

"What I'm saying is — the intent of aiding another nation for the sake of war—"

President Bill felt about ready to lose his mind.

From his perspective, he couldn't shake the feeling that Shin Si-woo looked like a hidden mastermind.

"—I still see the Red Sea and the attempted assassination as self-orchestrated events. And wasn't Japan's lava Gate tied in with Korea's Red Sea?"

Because he hadn't Transcended.

No — because he was an ordinary person who hadn't even Awakened.

In ordinary thinking, it simply didn't make sense.

And what about the demon worshippers?

"Reports from our agents stationed abroad say… low-rank assassin Hunters have stopped entering Gates in large numbers."

Shin Si-woo had just released information about [demon worshippers] to the entire world.

As though inciting marginal Awakened to [Fall].

In spite of all those concerns, Jesus was simply watching President Bill with a benevolent face.

"Oh, Bill. I understand completely."

Jesus gazed at Bill Johnson with a grave expression.

"A—men."

Only then did Bill Johnson realize his own impiety and offer a prayer of apology to Jesus.

Jesus, stripped of his usual playfulness, was that terrifying a being.

"Bill, I am not angry."

Jesus simply said a single thing to him.

"The more observers, the lower the probability. Bill, you know this well."

It was the truth of Awakening.

To overcome a strange and bizarre experience.

But the more observers to that experience, the lower the probability of success.

And…

"The same applies to demon worshippers."

To become a demon worshipper, one had to kill 100 people.

But Earth hadn't settled that concept, so one could become a demon worshipper by killing even fewer.

That was why Shin Si-woo had released information about [demon worshippers].

"He says that in the trial Shin Si-woo underwent, it reached the point where the entire world knew about and was on guard against demon worshippers."

By forcibly increasing the number of observers, the qualifications to become a demon worshipper would be strengthened.

A very interesting hypothesis.

And from what had been verified at the church, Shin Si-woo's hypothesis was 'truth.'

And so, Jesus declared,

"That matter of the Dark God will also be real. Bill, war will become a choice for survival."

The US mainland, protected by Jesus's Authority, would be fine regardless.

"We must prepare for a North-South war… no, a war with China."

* * *

Constellation, Yi Sun-sin.

Constellation, Yulgok Yi I.

Constellation, Cheok Jun-gyeong.

"In gratitude for your merits, I award the Patriotic Rose of Sharon Medal!"

The unidentified Black Gate had been conquered.

With immense Mysteries and unknown information in hand, the Patriot was returning.

Before that, a ceremony of commendation was held.

"To Yi Sun-sin, aircraft carrier modification rights! To Yulgok Yi I, authorization to use new weaponry for the 100,000-strong army! To Cheok Jun-gyeong, a new swordsmanship!"

A custom-tailored [Shop] per Awakened.

The Patriot used every one of his Coins for the Constellations.

And he donated every Mystery to the state, and with the capital he gained, he donated it for the weak.

"Let's head back!"

Having concluded the merit-awarding, the Patriot stood before the escape portal that had appeared in the Gate.

Then he felt a sensation — of being connected to Earth, our South Korea.

Paat!

[Yi Sun-sin's Axe has detected an ill omen.]

[A wavering in Senior Prosecutor Kang Mu-jin's patriotic ideology has been confirmed.]

[Do you wish to confirm the changes that have occurred in South Korea?]

The axe — Yi Sun-sin's relic, placed on Kang Mu-jin for surveillance — spat out an unsettling message.