Blood Demon of the Past Life – Chapter 187

Chapter 187: The Predicted Catastrophe （2）

The sight of a human engulfed in flames was awe-inspiring.

The people who had been retreating in despair stopped in their tracks when they saw Yeon Woo-bin.

Something was happening.

The blazing flames erupted like an exploding volcano, forming the shape of a giant monster.

“Salamander.”

Whoosh.

The incarnation of fire.

Salamander answered the call.

Possessing even more explosive power than before, Salamander soared into the sky, and following the crackling flames, another monstrous creature revealed itself. A monster born from the rage of a past life. Another incarnation of fire that would bite and burn its target until Yeon Woo-bin’s magic power was completely drained.

It was a Phoenix.

The two monsters, soaring alongside Salamander, directly attacked the Red Dragon and Blue Dragon.

Whoosh!

Boom━!

An explosion occurred.

The heat was so intense that the people on the ground squinted their eyes, and Salamander and Phoenix burned themselves, fiercely clashing with the dragons. Bang, bang━Mana waves shook the surroundings. Watching the tremendous spectacle, Yeon Woo-bin realized the secret that had been hidden until now.

‘That was my past life.’

Elemental Bless.

Salamander.

Obtaining these two skills was no coincidence.

Yeon Woo-bin’s soul had traveled back in time, existing as an ‘Elf’ at some point in the flow of time.

Because he was an Elf who befriended nature and controlled spirits, Yeon Woo-bin in his afterlife gained the skill Elemental Bless, specializing in elements, through congenital awakening. Originally, he could have handled Undine, Sylph, and Gnome as well as Salamander, all four attributes, but the resentful soul of his past life engraved the moment of destruction into his bones, fully accepting only the power of flames that burned his enemies.

It was Yeon Woo-bin’s.

The will of his past life.

With a strong desire to protect people against dragons, Yeon Woo-bin’s eyes turned bright blue.

“Hell Fire.”

Whoosh!

8th Circle Magic.

He unleashed a powerful flame magic that destroyed its target, a magic that only the Master of Flare had used once.

People averted their gazes.

The heat was such that even a brief glance felt like their eyes would melt, and the blazing heat intensely struck the monsters entangled in the air.

Boom!

Whoosh, whoosh!

『Kroaaaaaar!』

『How dare a mere human!』

It was a spectacular sight.

The dragons, who had been exuding a divine presence until just now, were struggling in pain, flapping their membranous wings to escape the flames. Yeon Woo-bin’s attack had worked. Hope, which had seemed impossible, sprouted, and amidst the series of events, Saito Shusuke, who was being treated by Eileen, stumbled to his feet.

“You shouldn’t move yet!”

“I’m fine.”

Swish.

He brushed off the hand that tried to hold him back.

Saito Shusuke, breathing heavily, looked up at the sky ablaze with flames.

“I don’t know what happened, but Mr. Woo-bin has awakened. This is our chance.”

He thought to himself.

If it were Kang San.

The one he worshipped.

Would he have given up in a situation like this?

No.

He would have surely saved the people, even if it meant risking his own life, even if it meant burning himself to ashes.

Saito Shusuke held Kang San in his heart and decided to dedicate his life to following in his footsteps.

『Your unwavering faith empowers you.』

Whoosh━

A bright light arose.

The pain vanished instantly.

There was no time to grasp the situation.

He could only accept it, and it was a decision he had already made, regardless of the changed circumstances.

“It’s not over yet.”

Grip.

He took a step.

Grasping his spear, he kicked off the ground and charged straight into the space teeming with enemies.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Meanwhile.

Throughout South Korea.

No, President Jang Beom-seok couldn’t hide his bewilderment at the strange phenomenon occurring worldwide.

“……Damn it. What the hell is going on?”

Immediately after the incident.

He had prioritized the protection of the Blue House with the main forces.

Of course, he had also deployed some troops to Gangnam, but with the thought that his own life might be in danger, he prioritized protecting himself first. Normally, he would have made decisions based on the advice of Chief Secretary Kim Mu-hyeok. On the surface, it seemed like President Jang Beom-seok was leading and giving orders, but he himself knew well that the information Kim Mu-hyeok provided and the direction he guided had a significant influence.

He just chose to ignore it.

Kim Mu-hyeok’s presence was considerable.

However, despite such a major crisis, Kim Mu-hyeok was not answering his calls.

‘The Chief Secretary is the link to them. If I want to get help from the US, I need Kim Mu-hyeok.’

He showed signs of anxiety.

Seeing this, a staff member of the Presidential Secretariat asked.

“Mr. President. We are being flooded with calls for support from all over South Korea. What should we do?”

“There are troops stationed in those areas! Tell them to hold on as best they can, and that we will resolve the issues in order, starting with the Blue House.”

“If we do that, it will be too late…….”

“So, you’re saying we should send the troops guarding the Blue House elsewhere?”

“N-no, sir.”

The staff member bowed his head.

As someone who was filling in for Kim Mu-hyeok, he couldn’t defy Jang Beom-seok’s will.

The government was responding to the Link incidents by sending some troops, but the main forces, such as the Guardians, were stationed at the Blue House, preparing for any contingencies. That was the problem. Two S-rank monsters had appeared near Heukseok Station, but the Guardians, who were capable of suppressing them, were not being deployed. The Guardians weren’t weak just because Lee Han-seong wasn’t there. They were still South Korea’s best force, but Jang Beom-seok had them fixed at the Blue House.

That’s when it happened.

Buzz━

『Chief Secretary Kim Mu-hyeok』

The phone screen.

The name he had been waiting for appeared.

Jang Beom-seok, delighted, answered the phone.

“Chief Secretary. What in the…….”

『President Jang Beom-seok.』

For a moment.

He flinched in surprise.

It wasn’t Chief Secretary Kim Mu-hyeok’s voice.

A very familiar voice he had heard somewhere before.

“You’re not, by any chance.”

He was sure.

Kang San.

Kang San was calling from Chief Secretary Kim Mu-hyeok’s phone.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Right after burning down the abandoned warehouse.

Kang San checked the contents of the text message.

Reporter Kim Min-yeong, Director Yeon Gyu-seong, Jo Han-byeol, Yeon Woo-bin, and so on.

They had contacted him urgently, informing him that a large-scale Link incident was occurring not only in South Korea but also around the world.

Among them.

Kang San felt his blood run cold at Director Yeon Gyu-seong’s message.

『Kang San-nim. I know this is a really unreasonable request, but the Hunter Emergency Center is in danger right now. The government is not sending troops, citing it as retaliation for the last S-rank Outbreak. If the hospital collapses like this, not only will countless patients die, but also those who need treatment in the future will be lost. Please, help us.』

It was a desperate message.

It was disgusting.

The truth of the South Korean government?

It was entirely possible.

Politics was intertwined with interests, and it wasn’t as if there had never been a case in history where someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes. The problem was that no matter how one ascended to that position, they should at least fulfill their duties as president. While people were dying outside, concentrating the nation’s forces to protect oneself with that meager power was another form of massacre.

Kang San took out his phone.

It was the one he had taken after killing Kim Mu-hyeok, and he scrolled through the contacts, calling Jang Beom-seok, whose name didn’t even have the title of president attached.

Click━

『Chief Secretary. What in the…….』

“President Jang Beom-seok.”

He cut him off abruptly.

He could hear a flustered voice on the other end of the phone, but he didn’t care about such a reaction.

“I received your gift well. And the fact that I’m safe is probably not good news for you.”

The tangled thoughts in his head.

The threads began to unravel one by one.

He could see the direction, what he had to do next.

“I’m going to give you one chance. Move your troops immediately. Hunter Management Bureau, military forces, and even the Guardians. Show me that you’re doing your best to protect this country from the Presidential Office. If you feel like you’ve at least fulfilled your duties as president, I’ll show you some respect.”

『What nonsense is that? Why would I listen to the orders of a guy like you!』

It was as he expected.

So predictable.

Jang Beom-seok was a shallow human whose actions could be easily anticipated.

“Yes, that’s a reaction befitting you. Listen carefully from now on. You’d better pray that this disaster swallows me up too. If I solve all the problems and I’m still alive when this disaster is over.”

Grit.

He clenched his teeth.

“I will definitely drag you down from that position.”

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Thud.

He hung up the phone.

His stomach churned.

Chief Secretary Kim Mu-hyeok’s trap.

President Jang Beom-seok’s complacent attitude.

They had crossed the line.

Having witnessed their malice and reaching the extreme conclusion of murder, Kang San faced a moment of transformation.

‘This can’t go on. If I wait for the problems to be solved sequentially, this country will collapse amidst the endless chaos of the disaster. In the end, evil must be countered with evil.’

It might have been self-justification.

He had killed more than a dozen people.

It was murder.

It was different from killing monsters, but Kang San didn’t think what he had done was wrong.

He would respond differently from now on.

Starting with President Jang Beom-seok.

To fight against the unknown forces, a half-hearted attitude of upholding justice alone wouldn’t do. He needed to know how to respond to evil with evil. Perhaps, he needed the ruthlessness of Seo Munho.

He had already thought of a plan.

The Hero of Kitakyushu.

He would use the reputation that people praised him for.

So that South Korea wouldn’t collapse like this.

So that it wouldn’t be swayed by external forces.

Kang San took a deep breath and called someone.

Click.

『What is it?』

The other party was none other than.

“Colonel Kim Chun-sik. I have something to tell you.”

Baek Hyun’s afterlife.

It was Colonel Kim Chun-sik.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Immediately after the disaster struck.

Colonel Kim Chun-sik, who was about to be dispatched, heard a truly absurd order.

“Colonel Kim Chun-sik’s Special Forces are to remain on standby near the Blue House.”

It was an order.

It was stamped with the president’s seal, and the Minister of National Defense even stepped in, frothing at the mouth and threatening to blow off the heads of everyone involved if they disobeyed the order again. From then on, he felt terrible. He hadn’t known that being in a safe place while hearing the horrific screams of people in the distance would be so devastating.

“……Fuck.”

Even at this moment.

Extreme thoughts clashed violently in his mind.

Sergeant Park Yeong-min approached and said.

“Captain. No, hyung. If you make a decision, tell us anytime. We’re ready.”

“Okay.”

He couldn’t make a rash decision.

His subordinates who trusted him.

No, his dongsaengs.

He couldn’t throw them into the pit of death.

That’s when it happened.

Buzz━

‘Kang San-nim?’

Kang San had contacted him.

He answered immediately.

And as he listened to the voice on the other end of the phone, Colonel Kim Chun-sik’s expression gradually hardened.

“……I understand.”

Thud.

He ended the call.

Then, looking at Park Yeong-min, he said.

“Prepare the troops.”

“Yes, sir.”

He started walking.

Barracks were set up by unit near the Blue House, and he lifted the canvas of one of them and went inside.

Inside.

Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo, the commander of the Capital Defense Command, was there.

“Commander. I have something to tell you.”

“Speak.”

“I think you need to keep the promise you made before.”

A heavy silence fell.

Kim Chun-sik’s words.

Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo wasn’t someone who wouldn’t understand their meaning.

He opened a drawer with a rattle.

He took out a few remaining cigarettes and put one in his mouth, lighting it.

“……Phew.”

He blew out smoke.

There was no hesitation.

He stubbed out the cigarette and said with a calm face.

“Do it.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

From the moment he made the promise.

Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo knew that a moment like this would come.

“From now on, I will take responsibility for any insubordination in everything you do.”