Chapter 68 (2/2)

Lee Jinhee twirled around excitedly. Seoul’s night scenery was spread out below her feet. The night scene they saw in the air gifted them a surprising sense of freedom and sweetness. She twirled around with her arms spread. Because she only had one arm, her body was tilted.

“It’s unfortunate. I thought this place’s technology could have helped.”

Baek Seoin clicked his tongue as he watched Lee Jinhee twirl.

“What can we do? Naro says it’s still unfamiliar with earthlings. It said all the equipment here was meant for narolings. And this isn’t as bad as it looks.”

Lee Jinhee coolly glossed over it as she twirled her arm around in the air.

Naro was the name she gave to the artificial intelligence. It seemed that their takeoff had left quite an impression on her. Baek Seoin said that the name felt unlucky, but Lee Jinhee stubbornly said, ‘Our Naro isn’t like that!’ and that was how its name was decided.{1}

“But, I never thought that video calling wouldn’t work on this great s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p and that we would have to resort to simply calling.”

The president, who had escaped from the mess, wanted to video call, but because they were in outer s.p.a.ce, they ended up communicating through a simple phone call. If Naro a.n.a.lyzed human technology, then it would definitely be able to support video calling, but that was too much right now since they weren’t able to communicate smoothly yet.

Baek Seoin looked at Choi Hyuk, who was on the phone.

Choi Hyuk and the president’s conversation couldn’t help but be sensitive. There were too many casualties on both sides.

Although they could agree that this accidentally began because of the eyeless observers’ curse and that either side had no intentions of fighting each other, the problem was how the situation was resolved.

Choi Hyuk acted in a way to minimize losses in the Berserkers, but that looked like excessive killing from the president’s perspective. The mood of his military was chaotic. They wanted Choi Hyuk’s apology.

{So I clearly understand Leader Choi Hyuk’s circ.u.mstances, however, in their perspective in which their comrades died, they can’t help but feel disappointed. It’s a formality. Please express your condolences to the dead and apologize. If you say those few words, we will also give the Berserkers the appropriate compensation for their losses.}

That was President s.h.i.+n Woojin’s proposition. But, Choi Hyuk felt that his words were useless efforts. The perspectives they viewed this situation in were too different.

Cho Hyuk flipped the president’s proposition.

“No. I will offer you a proposition. Hunt down everyone under your command who is affiliated with Lao Ban’s followers. They are the ones who are fully responsible for today’s event.”

Yet, President s.h.i.+n Woojin continued to bring up Choi Hyuk’s apology.

{I know. But, to do that, there’s a need to smooth our relations with an apology. In this current mood, those who would normally cooperate won’t.}

However, Choi Hyuk ignored him and continued,

“Lao Ban and the groups who cooperated with him are no help to humanity’s fight. They will only create unnecessary division and casualties like today. We need international cooperation.”

{Yes, yes. But, don’t we need to resolve national matters first? If things continue like this, the relations.h.i.+p between the Berserkers and the military will reach a point of no return. Please think of the citizens.}

“Because we left them alone while knowing it was wrong is why it came to this point. We can’t push it back further.”

{Of course. We will definitely look into that issue. However, first…}

The president felt like his throat was burning.

This wasn’t even a conversation. Choi Hyuk didn’t bother to respond properly. As if reading a script, he only said what he had to say. The president was suffering because their conversations were parallel. He even felt frustrated. ‘Is this guy even understanding what I’m saying?’

Just then, Choi Hyuk changed the mood.

He, who had taken a ‘listen if you want to’ att.i.tude, began to directly interrogate the president.

“Let’s properly divide right and wrong. We can’t overlook the government’s liability in this incident. The majority of the a.s.sa.s.sins who targeted me were foreigners. What did you do while they entered the country and were crawling up Marronnier Park? Did you not know that Lao Ban was targeting me? There’s no way you didn’t. You clearly knew this. Yet, you didn’t do anything. What was the result of that? From my perspective, is there any reason for me to not believe that the government was on the same side as the a.s.sa.s.sins? If you want to smooth our relations.h.i.+p, first hunt down those who are related.”

The frustrating mood turned razor-sharp like the tip of a blade.

The president felt a chill on his throat.

{No, that is… don’t tell me you think that I had a hand in this? That’s a misunderstanding. Leader Choi Hyuk. You know the circ.u.mstances on our side.}

As he listened to the president’s excuse, Choi Hyuk turned his gaze to the outside of the s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p. Although he wasn’t sure what technology it was, he could clearly see outside as if it was made from gla.s.s. From the outside, however, it was definitely an opaque fortress, but he never thought he would be able to see something like this. He could see Seoul’s night scenery beneath his feet. If they went a bit higher, he would be able to see the world below his feet.

Choi Hyuk felt that all of this was comical. He replied to the president, who was justifying himself.

“I know. Your circ.u.mstances. You can’t perfectly control the country. The discipline of public officials has slackened, and the majority of the colonizers and soldiers under your command only look for what’s in front of them. It was probably the same this time. There will certainly be those in important positions who had connections with Lao Ban, and you were unable to control them. You consider them as a strength that is maintaining Korea. For the security of the country, you can’t hastily wipe them out. Isn’t that right? So you need my apology. Since you need to cater to them so they continue to cooperate with you. So that you can continue to maintain Korea.”

s.h.i.+n Woojin was momentarily at loss for words. Choi Hyuk plainly knew what was going on. Which made him even more uneasy. ‘A person who knows all this still acts this way?’ Although bitterness surged inside, he worked hard to appease Choi Hyuk.

{That is right. It’s all because I am lacking. I am truly sorry. However, please reconsider and take a step back this time. I don’t plan on continuously minding them. I will definitely handle this once I can maintain safety. However, it isn’t possible right now. I still need their strength. And there is a need in setting them at ease. Taking a step back in order to take two steps forward. If you yield this time, I can repay you by double or triple the amount. Please. Look at it from the long run.”

s.h.i.+n Woojin suggested once again. Choi Hyuk snorted,

“Long run? From the long run, you say?”

Then he spat,

“Do we even have the time to?”

{…}

s.h.i.+n Woojin couldn’t reply. Choi Hyuk exposed the president’s inner thoughts.

“Mr. President, I will say this clearly. Country, safety, forget them. Can’t you see? The Earth is collapsing. The only thing we need is an army. Not an army that uses its brain to fill their bellies. A real fighting army. Trashy soldiers aren’t soldiers but trash. They aren’t needed. Clean them out. Only then, can we live.”

He was disgusted.

While the world was collapsing… there were those who were satisfied, those who only thought to fill their own bellies, those who plotted and killed outstanding warriors, those who stepped on potential, and those who made unity difficult.

“Where is safety when we’re already living in h.e.l.l? Now is not the time to be looking for safety, but a time to cut things down and rebuild. If we don’t, the world will die out. Don’t you understand?”

{…}

President s.h.i.+n Woojin was silent.

However, his silence wasn’t of agreement but of helplessness. He was currently thinking that Choi Hyuk’s words just now were immature.

Choi Hyuk realized this as well. He judged that there was no meaning to talking any further.

“Okay. Do as you wish. Act like a king in a collapsing world. However, don’t get in the way when I deal with Lao Ban’s followers. You will regret it.”

{Leader Choi Hyuk… Don’t act so emotional…}

The president tried his best to appease Choi Hyuk, but Choi Hyuk cut him off. It was comical. They still didn’t understand their reality.

“But do you even know what we obtained from this Sovereign Mission? You don’t, right? Your air force is in an utter mess. I hope you live long with them. S-a-f-e-l-y.”

Then he hung up.

“Hoo…”

A sigh came out by itself. He was frustrated.

The reason why he decided to attack Lao Ban was due to his endeavor to colonize and to concentrate the colonizer’s capability. However, when he opened the lid, it felt as if the dirty politics of different influences were clearly seen. As if you pulled on an annoying thread, only to make it longer?

Those like Lao Ban were simpler to handle. Since he could simply kill them all. This was simply frustrating, and it wasn’t like he could just kill them…

“Earth… collapsing. Earth… collapsing.”

Behind Choi Hyuk, who hung up, the artificial intelligence, Naro, mumbled as if babbling. It was currently gathering the conversations of the 8,000 Berserkers...o...b..ard and a.n.a.lyzing the human language system.

While Choi Hyuk was sitting still and organizing his thoughts, the Blue House was going crazy.

“What? What? There’s what above Yeouido?”

“UFO? The castle in the sky, Laputa? Military s.p.a.cecraft? Just what is above it?! Either way, you said the Berserkers are aboard it?”

“Why is this report only coming in now?!”

“Whether it could or couldn’t be detected with radars, you should have seen it if you have eyes! What was the satellite doing?”

“What? It was under maintenance because you were lacking technicians? What the…!”

It wasn’t only the Blue House.

Every organization, that observed the fortress-city take off from Seongbuk District, was going crazy. While they were already astonished by the Berserkers’ military strength, an aircraft of unperceivable over-technology{2} fell into the hands of the Berserkers.

“Just what is going on…”

The playing field they had become familiar with over the past two years had collapsed, and a new one was created.

{1} Naro-1 is South Korea’s first carrier rocket. The first two attempts failed to reach orbit, succeeding on the third attempt.

{2} Extremely advanced technology on a similar level to alien technology.

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