Chapter 81: |
“What the…?”
Lee Chan-taek wore a surprised expression when he saw Choi Jun-ho, who had come to visit in the middle of the night. His astonishment deepened as he looked at the person in Choi Jun-ho’s hands, seemingly limp. It turned out to be Diawara, the Transcendent associated with Guinea.
Did he attempt a late-night ambush or something? No, even if he provoked Choi Jun-ho, there’s no way he would spare him like this.
Something was off. Lee Chan-taek instinctively sensed that the situation was unusual.
Choi Jun-ho resolved that question.
“He’s a League spy. He told me to team up with him and cause some chaos.”
“Diawara?”
“Let’s go inside and talk about it.”
“…Come in.”
It was the foolish actions of a foolish guy.
To press one’s face against the still lion’s head.
“I still don’t understand why he thought I was affiliated with the League.”
…Not just Diawara, but it seemed like others might have thought the same.
Lee Chan-taek recalled the stories surrounding Choi Jun-ho.
Among them, the rumor “Isn’t he a League spy?” was already a public discussion.
His readiness to embrace extreme cruelty exceeded that of a typical villain, coupled with brutal Gifts, made him possess all the qualities required to be a formidable villain.
It’s just that it’s hard to imagine a League villain acting in such a villainous manner.
After all, there’s no one in the world who would blatantly reveal their identity after successfully infiltrating.
Anyway, Diawara was a fool who believed in baseless rumors and acted on them. As a result, he found himself in this predicament.
Caught in this unexpected situation, Lee Chan-taek chuckled with disappointment, swiftly turning his thoughts to how he could salvage the situation.
“Do you have any plans prepared?”
“I was thinking of contacting the Japanese Awakening department.”
“That’s not a bad choice, but if possible, it’s better to expand the scope. Do you have a connection with Macho Man? Inform him.”
“Not Japan?”
Lee Chan-taek shook his head firmly. Although the relationship between South Korea and Japan was better than ever, one shouldn’t forget the long-standing competition between the two.
To firmly build a scenario where catching Diawara wouldn’t frame Choi Jun-ho as a hostile Transcendent, it’s essential to bring in the United States.
“If you leave it unattended, public opinion may worsen. In times like this, it’s better to use the United States. Since they are the most proactive nation in eradicating the League, they will try to grasp the truth. Macho Man will help you create the situation you want.”
“I understand.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Lee Chan-taek shook his head as he and Choi Jun-ho headed towards the place where the U.S. team was staying.
He never thought something like this would happen on the day of the Intertnational Transcendent day.
If the fact that Diawara was a League spy was revealed, the aftermath would be significant.
Being with Choi Jun-ho, he felt like he had encountered more incidents in the past few days than he had in decades.
‘The continuous turbulence shows no signs of easing up.’
***
The day after catching Diawara, every country participating in the event was thrown into chaos.
Especially, the backlash from Guinea was beyond imagination.
It was challenging for them to accept that Diawara, the only Transcendent in their country, was affiliated with the League.
The fact that I caught him without any apparent reason, and many sympathize with it, was quite notable.
Why were they accepting this?
The situation turned around when the recording between me and Diawara was made public.
Even though Guinea insisted it was a lie, the opinions of the United States and Japan turned the public opinion around.
I looked at James Reed, who had a serious look on his face. Following Lee Chan-taek’s advice to announce Diawara’s affiliation with the League, James Reed urged me to release the recording to all nations when the rumor gained momentum.
But why was this so serious?
“Why make a big deal out of just one spy?”
“No! This is a really serious matter!”
As he said this, James Reed began to express his thoughts.
The ideology of the League, based on a doctrine that prioritized Awakened, apparently resonated quite well with Awakened who harbored subtle dissatisfaction, as it was a very appealing ideology to them.
So, even without directly joining the League, there are many Awakened who sympathized with its ideology, spreading like poisonous mushrooms. It was mentioned that there were quite a few instances where subtle support was provided by these people in operations such as League arrest or assassination missions.
Governments around the world were unable to discern the scale or depth of cooperation from those who were assisting the league.
The vagueness turned into fear, and fear turned into terror.
The League grew by feeding on fear and became a headache for countries around the world.
However, Diawara was captured. As the sole Transcendent in Guinea, he possessed the capability to overturn the nation if he set his mind to it. If he had acted differently, Guinea itself could have been overturned and aligned with the League.
I found the one right in front of me more suspicious than that.
He explained all of this in Korean so fluently.
“Hey, are you pretending not to know how to speak Korean on purpose?”
“What are you talking about, Jun-ho? I really can’t speak Korean!”
“You were doing well just a moment ago.”
“Maybe I sounded fluent because I was excited!”
…It’s definitely suspicious.
I should shake him up more later.
James Reed, avoiding my gaze, shouted.
“The problem is getting Diawara to talk!”
“Why is that a problem?”
“If he doesn’t talk, it might seem like we forcibly arrested a Transcendent!”
Even with recorded evidence?
Seeing the puzzled expression on my face, James Reed stated that our justification for detaining him was weak. He emphasized the need to provide a solid rebuttal as quickly as possible.
Why was that an issue?
Forcing one to talk was the easiest thing in the world for me.
“I’ll take care of that. I’ll make him spill every detail he’s hiding.”
“Is that possible?”
“Yeah. Just make sure the US lay down the groundwork.”
“Of course! The US wants to obliterate the League! Trust me and go all out!”
“That’s fortunate.”
I immediately brought Diawara with me. It had been two days, but he hadn’t been awake for more than a minute. I knocked him out every time he regained consciousness.
“Are we doing this right away?”
“Yeah. It’ll be quick.”
“What method are you using, exactly…”
“Like this.”
I placed my hand over Diawara’s head.
***
Information about the League has also been conveyed to the Japanese government.
Naturally, Japan was taken aback. They were already suffering from the League. The revelation that a state-sanctioned Transcendent was affiliated with the League was nothing short of shocking.
On the last day of the event, the gathering of all participants was filled with a hushed atmosphere.
I brainwashed Diawara, known as the Golden Goblin. He possessed a wealth of information on various matters. Naturally, I compiled and cross-checked this information, and, in collaboration with the United States and Japan, took coordinated action.
Among his information, three things were most useful: first, how the League interacted with various factors in a country, second, how the League’s influence operated in Africa, and lastly, the method of artificially amplifying power.
“Especially, the last matter is extremely serious.”
Lee Chan-taek. Was that really so? Anyway, if one exploded their own power, it didn’t seem sustainable and would likely have serious after-effects.
“The fact that they can artificially nurture powerful individuals means that the League’s power could grow exponentially. The League could potentially overthrow national governments with overwhelming force.”
From the government’s perspective, it might be a concern. Most of them are probably not formidable opponents, but their response might vary when dealing with me or someone similar.
“If we delve deeper, it means the League’s research capabilities have reached the world’s highest level.”
Lee Chan-taek mentioned that in this aspect, the League has an overwhelmingly advantageous position.
Being advocates of a doctrine that prioritized a chosen few from the start, it was said that those deemed unnecessary were mercilessly utilized as experimental subjects.
While national organizations exclude human rights violations and various abnormal methods, the League, on the other hand, was resorting to inhumane experiments using all sorts of imaginative approaches.
Of course, there were places conducting inhumane experiments discreetly, but the efficiency was not as high as the League, which committed such acts openly.
“The method of amplifying power is also likely to be inhumane.”
Because it would be impossible through normal means.
If it were possible, it would have already become mainstream.
Anyway, due to Diawara’s existence, countries became aware of the League infiltrating their ranks, and they had no choice but to be on guard and establish countermeasures.
From the League’s perspective, causing governments to deal with internal issues was like holding a winning hand.
“We’ll be more vigilant, but we won’t be able to do anything about it.”
As Lee Chan-taek had predicted, there were no groundbreaking proposals in the subsequent meeting. The main consensus was simply, ‘Let’s be more cautious about the League!’
Now that they no longer suspected me, it’s much more comfortable.
Even though I captured a League spy, instead of praise, I received doubtful glances, which left me somewhat wounded.
After the meeting, I received an invitation from the Prime Minister of Japan.
“Thank you for preventing a potentially unpleasant incident.”
Prime Minister Taketa slightly nodded to me. The Japanese people I had encountered here generally gave off a polite vibe.
“I only did what needed to be done. It actually made it easier to gain public support with Japan’s assistance.”
“Of course, it’s something that we should cooperate on. From the position of someone suffering under the League, the contributions of Transcendent Choi Jun-ho are significant.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“If it weren’t for the cooperation of Transcendent Choi Jun-ho, the event would have faced significant obstacles. Thank you once again.”
The Prime Minister and the Awakened Minister kept showering me with praise. Usually, when compliments were used, there was some ulterior motive. I wondered what they wanted from me.
“Recently, remnants of the League in the country have been causing trouble.”
“I have heard that there is League influence in Japan.”
“As a result, our ability to respond to monsters has significantly deteriorated.”
Why were they telling me this?
“So, we’re taking measures to enhance our hunting capabilities, and we need the power of Transcendent Choi Jun-ho.”
“What do you mean?”
“We are aware that there is a villain called Berserker in Korea.”
“Yes.”
“Won’t you exert your influence to facilitate Berserker’s naturalization in Japan?”
“Berserker?”
I thought they were going to ask me to get involved, but it was a completely unexpected request.
Berserker becoming a state-sanctioned Transcendent in Japan? That crazy guy? That would be a disaster for Japan.
Wasn’t I better than that crazy guy?
Oh, of course, it didn’t mean I would go to Japan.
“I will have to decline.”
“As expected…”
“But I cannot unilaterally block Berserker’s choice, so I will convey the Prime Minister’s proposal to him.”
The Prime Minister’s expression, which had been blurry, brightened.
“Oh! If you could do that, it would be truly appreciated.”
***
As Choi Jun-ho left, the Prime Minister muttered with a relieved expression.
“Well, at least he will relay the message. It seems he’s not completely unwilling.”
“Sincerity has been conveyed.”
“Pulling in Berserker and even pulling in Choi Jun-ho. Not a bad plan.”
“Thank you.”
Originally, the Prime Minister planned to use the time bomb Choi Jun-ho.
He thought that by having a few Transcendent die because of Choi Jun-ho, he could deplete the military power of other countries.
However, on the day of the briefing, after witnessing the 1 vs 3 confrontation between Choi Jun-ho and Švantner, Laura, and Tréore, he changed his mind.
To overpower and dominate three Transcendent – he had a force beyond imagination. He realized that the report on hunting the Nuri was not just grand standing but was the truth.
Instead of using Choi Jun-ho, they should lure him to Japan.
Attempting to bring in the crazy villain, Berserker, was also part of the plan.
“Berserker and Choi Jun-ho are close friends. If we accept Berserker, after Choi Jun-ho’s contract ends, we should be able to bring him in as well.”
The Prime Minister nodded, but frowned.
“To bring in a crazy person to get Choi Jun-ho, we’re in a desperate situation.”
There was no one around Choi Jun-ho they could use.
Choi Yoon-hee, the younger sister, was a promising hunter with a ruthless streak. In her first hunt, she adeptly severed the legs of a villain. Jung Da-hyun, a former colleague, was once considered a genius in Korea but was now known as the ‘Crazy Witch’ becoming a target of fear among villains. Business partner Lee Se-hee, known as ‘Golden Ears’, was a heartless entrepreneur famous for using gold as a weapon.
Berserker, from the outset, was not in his right mind, given that he was originally named ‘Madness’.
But as the Prime Minister investigated Choi Jun-ho, he gained one conviction.
“Among them, Choi Jun-ho is the most abnormal.”
The Awakened Minister nodded in agreement.
***
“Kid, what did you say?”
In response to Berserker’s question, Shiloh, a debuffer who came from the United States, raised his eyebrows and said.
“The League wants you to rejoin, Berserker.”
Shiloh’s attitude while speaking was extremely rude.
He didn’t like being sent to this small country all the way to the southern end.
Yeosu? The scenery was beautiful, but he didn’t understand why the other was stuck in a deserted town that’s been devastated by monsters. As the alias “Berserker” suggested, he definitely seemed like a crazy person.
Even so, he couldn’t understand why he was sent so far away. He didn’t like the fact that the League seemed to overestimate Berserker, and he didn’t like the fact that they weren’t treating him right.
Debuffer Shiloh was one of the top geniuses among awakened individuals in the United States, a man who shocked the nation when he committed himself to the League.
Nearly a thousand innocent civilians had died at his hands, and his habit of collecting body parts made his crimes publicly known.
By that path, Shiloh became a member of the League.
At the age of 27, he was said to become the youngest Transcendent in the world.
However, that title was shattered by the emergence of Choi Jun-ho. Consequently, he harbored negative feelings towards Choi Jun-ho and also towards Berserker, who was known to be close to the other.
They were just exaggerated characters at the edge of the world.
Berserker, unaware of his feelings, showed a puzzled expression.
“But I ruined the League’s plans in Korea, so why?”
“Because you’re a Transcendent.”
“Does that mean my value has increased?”
“You could see it that way.”
“Hmm.”
Berserker nodded slightly.
Even that didn’t sit well with Shiloh. Instead of being happy of the offer, he was hesitating. The League was a means to open up a new world for this guy trapped in this narrow place.
“I don’t want anything from the League.”
“The League can offer you everything you desire.”
“Even if I want power?”
“The Transcendent affiliated with the League are the strongest in the world. You can learn a lot from them.”
“Hehe, that’s intriguing. Not bad. But it doesn’t appeal to me.”
No matter how much he resisted, a Transcendent ultimately sought power. However, Berserker was too ignorant that he didn’t even know his own limit.
Shiloh harbored some irritation towards Berserker. It seemed ridiculous for Berserker to act all high and mighty just because he was treated a little better.
“If I get his permission, I might change my mind.”
“Permission? What permission are you talking about?”
“I have a master.”
Berserker, who chuckled softly, took out his smartphone and made a call.
The recipient of the call was none other than Choi Jun-ho.