69 Episode 69 - Toward Buyeo, Part I (1/2)

Chapter 25. Toward Buyeo, Part I

Translator: Khan

Editor: RED

1.

Monsters had taken a lot from mankind. They had killed countless people, and they had taken food and living things. They took away the light. Since the advent of the monsters, the nights of the world had returned to darkness.

If the measure of civilization was based on illumination at night, human civilization had degenerated into a remote past.

However, in the midst of such a world, there was a place where the light was still in full bloom.

”Oh, it's the beginning of the night shift.”

”Let's get it over with. It's still spring, but it's chilly at night.”

”Let's have a little soju with ramen after work.”

”I'm asking for night work for it. When I work until dawn, eat ramen with a bowl of soju and wake up in the afternoon with baggy eyes, this place really looks like a paradise.”

”Paradise…”

Bucheon City.

It was not dark there. The mobile street lamps, which were modified to create a city of undying lanterns, made the night a time of hope, not a time of solitude and silence. At the same time, they gave people time to see the night sky.

”Oh, there are so many stars.”

”I know. I've never seen so many stars in Bucheon.”

”There were always many stars. I just haven't seen them in the meantime.”

The night sky, which the factories and cars had hidden for a long time, was covered with shining stars. The starry night view was not suitable for the word ”apocalypse”. The sight was a starfield that awed the viewers in many ways.

Kim Tae-hoon and Jang Sung-hoon returned in silence to Bucheon City on a night when the starlight seemed to fall.

Ahn Sun-mi and Bang Hyun-wook were the only ones who met them at night. Of course, the two tried to say hello. ”Hello... Huck! ”

That was, until the two of them found out that a blonde girl following them blinked her blue eyes.

”Who, who is this?”

”Who is she?”

The answer to the two surprised and inquiring answers came from Jang, not Kim. ”Oh, this is the boss's first wife. She will be your sister-in-law for Hyun-wook, and she will be a Madam for sister Sun-mi.”

The two looked surprised at Jang's response, and Kim cuffed the back of Jang's head.

Kim then formally introduced her himself. ”Her name is Kate Kennedy, our hostage in this hour.”

Bang and Ahn looked even more incomprehensible and Jang, who has scratched the back of his head, said curtly, ”Boss, I told you. I prefer 'wife' to 'the hostage'.”

After Kim talked to them about the situation with Kate Kennedy, the situation was settled.

2.

Kim explained to Kate Kennedy what had happened to the world during the days she spent in the secret bunker: the world had become a monster den, and survivors had begun fighting back against them to survive.

After she heard the story, she asked, ”Well, where's my father?”

”The U.S. Ambassador to Korea, although I did not see him directly, is currently under the protection of the Capital Defense Command, which has settled in Seoul.”

”Then I'll go there. Please take me there.” That was too obvious, at least for Kate Kennedy. Of course, she missed her family, and she was sure there was no safer place than where her father was.

However, Kim rejected her offer. ”No.”

”Why? Is the road dangerous?”

”You are the card we are going to take an advantageous position in the negotiations.”

”What is that…”

”In a nutshell, you are a hostage.” In addition, Kim did not use a kind explanation or a friendly expression, either.

Kate Kennedy made such an embarrassing face, but Kim was serious. He had to be serious.

This card of, Kate Kennedy was that important to him now.

If he was with her, he would be able to set up a negotiation table with the U.S. Ambassador to Korea at his discretion. At the same time, she was also an irreplaceable human resource, beyond the most valuable level in the current situation, as her Energy rank was A.

'A, A rank is not an easy rank we can get from eating monster stones.'

So far, Kim had eaten countless monster stones. However, his Telekinesis showed no sign of moving beyond the A rank. The symbolic significance of the A rank was evidence that they could not get the rank by simply eating monster stones.

This meant that the A rank's ability might be of limited grade, like a relic. It also meant that only when they got an A-rank Awakener, the monster stones, and the relics, that they could control success or failure in the upcoming war.

'Her Energy rank is A… she can perform her mission in a healthy spirit against a blue-grade monster.'

Most of all, Kim was desperately in need of an Awakener with an A rank in Energy.

Energy was the surest force against monster fear. On the contrary, even if you were armed with powerful weapons and relics, if there was not a high Energy ranker, then there was a very fatal limitation when dealing with monsters, which was impossible to fight against.

It was true of even Kim now. If he had the power to be free from monster's fear, he couldn't have used his armed forces demonstrations to kill the Twin-head Ogre. In his judgment, to show the appropriate skills against a green-grade monster, at least a B Energy ranker would be needed.

That meant you needed at least one level higher than that to deal with a blue-grade monster.

Therefore, Kim needed Kate Kennedy, even if he was forced to put a collar around her neck.

'If I hand her over to the Capital Defense Command, I help my competitor.'

The same was true for the Capital Defense Command. Even to the U.S. Ambassador to Korea, Kate Kennedy's power would be precious. Unless the U.S. Ambassador was a fool, he would have made several plans in close contact with the U.S. Forces Korea after the monsters appeared in the world.

'If it is necessary for the USFK, they can establish a new government in Korea.'

One of the scenarios would be that the US would establish a new government instead of the current one. Anyway, as time went by, the U.S. military's influence would grow again, and then the U.S. Forces in Korea would have a bigger impact.

Above all, Kim saw that one of the symbols owned by the U.S. military, an AC-130 called the Angel of Death, was coming toward him, firing a flare.

'The U.S.A. is the U.S.A., even without relics.'