Blood Demon of the Past Life – Chapter 188

Chapter 188: The Predicted Catastrophe （3）

Thud, thud, thud.

The military truck moved roughly.

As it went over the collapsing debris, Kim Chun-sik, sitting in the back, recalled Kang San’s call.

“Major Kim Chun-sik-nim. The current government has abandoned the minimum duties they should be responsible for. From now on, I intend to resolve the disasters occurring in South Korea under the premise that I will not receive any help from the government. I know it’s an unreasonable request as a soldier, but could you fight with me?”

Kang San’s request.

It had a double meaning.

Asking him to resolve the disaster together also meant boarding an anti-government stance.

As it was an act of insubordination for a soldier, Kang San asked for his understanding first, and Kim Chun-sik answered without much hesitation that he would do so. In fact, it was something he had been thinking about even without Kang San’s request. President Jang Beom-seok only prioritized the safety of the Blue House and did not send the main forces to where help was needed.

His stomach churned.

Just when Kim Chun-sik only needed to make a decision, Kang San’s call became the trigger.

He pulled the trigger.

He received his superior’s consent and led his troops to Gwanghwamun, where an A-rank Link was said to have occurred.

Kang San’s plan was simple.

Just do your best to stop the visible disasters.

It wasn’t difficult.

Screech━

Finally arrived at the scene.

Hearing people’s screams from afar, Kim Chun-sik quickly got out of the truck and shouted to the soldiers.

“Form a perimeter now!”

“Yes, sir!”

The soldiers moved quickly.

Some piled sandbags to create machine gun mounts, while others installed barricades to block the enemies’ approach. Just then, monsters could be seen surging in. Hearing the soldiers firing their guns bang, bang, Kim Chun-sik took out his machete.

“Covering fire, please.”

Thump━

He kicked the ground.

The machete drew a bizarre trajectory and blew off the head of the first monster he encountered.

Flash.

Thwack!

Blood splattered.

He had a lot on his mind on the way here.

His duty as a soldier, the line he had to keep as a soldier, realistic concerns, all sorts of thoughts were tangled up in his head, but when he saw people running past him, his mind cleared. He had to save them first. There was a time when he thought he joined the army because he wanted a stable income, but the reason why he struggled so hard as a human shield and as a soldier proved his nature.

He wanted to help people.

He wanted to contribute even a little to what Kang San was trying to do.

Right before he received the call,

He heard a voice saying that he had once again met the conditions for Awakening.

Kyaaaak!

Keeeek!

Filling his sight,

Hundreds of monsters surged in.

The soldiers hurriedly fired their machine guns, but even with the bullets hitting them with thwacks, the monsters rushed in, trying to sweep away the people. Kim Chun-sik did not ask other units for help. He judged that with the Special Forces’ power, with his newly acquired strength, he could resolve the problem sufficiently.

Swish, swish, swish.

He scattered mana in the air.

Kim Chun-sik, who had formed hidden weapons made of mana, unleashed the power of his past life.

“Full Sky Flower Rain.”

Papapapapak━!

A secret technique of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

The powerful technique that once put the previous Blood Demon in danger was reenacted in Kim Chun-sik’s hands.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

At the time Kim Chun-sik was heading to Gwanghwamun,

Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo was summoned by the Minister of National Defense.

Bang━

“What in the world is going on! Didn’t the President clearly give an order? He said that if you disobey this time, there will be consequences, and what? You sent troops to where help was needed? Do you think you can solve the problem with such nonsense?”

The Republic of Korea Army.

At its peak was the Minister of National Defense.

He established a strong chain of command in a chaotic world, and even with the rank of Lieutenant General, he had already met the conditions for insubordination and could be summarily punished. Nevertheless, he calmly responded to the summons. Even though he didn’t know what would happen to him because of this meeting, Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo did not avoid the situation at hand.

Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo spoke.

“I’ll ask just one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Do you truly believe that the President’s orders are right, Minister? Dozens of Links have occurred in Seoul alone, and over a hundred nationwide. Right now, when we don’t know how many people will die if we don’t put out the fire at our feet, the most powerful force the government can operate isn’t moving a single step from the Blue House.”

“Even so, defying the chain of command is insubordination. Do you accept that you are prepared to bear the consequences?”

The opponent’s reaction was as expected.

He was stubborn.

He was acting like someone who had reached that position by pleasing the President, not like the Minister of National Defense.

“Do you know this? Looking at the commanders who are missing a screw or two, the soldiers jokingly say this. If a war breaks out, instead of risking their lives to fight, they should first shoot the commander in the back of the head and start. Any sane person knows that following a stupid commander will only lead to destruction.”

“Wha, what are you talking about!”

Thump.

He put something down.

It was a handgun.

Caught off guard, the Minister of National Defense swallowed his words.

“Honestly, I even thought about staging a rebellion. The Capital Defense Command has the strongest force in Seoul, so even if we disobey orders, there’s no way to forcibly stop us. But I gave up. If we add fuel to the fire in an already chaotic situation, it will surely lead to even greater chaos. That’s not what I, and the soldiers, want. We want the safety of this country. So, after much thought, I came to a conclusion.”

Tension filled the air.

The Minister of National Defense instinctively knew.

Even if he reached out to grab the handgun, Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo, who had experienced all sorts of battles as a soldier, would be faster.

“Minister of National Defense.”

“…Do you think you’ll be safe after doing this?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m threatening you right now, Minister.”

The promise with Kim Chun-sik.

To keep it, he had to bet everything.

As the situation escalated, Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo crossed the line as a soldier.

“Take that excuse as a safety net and fully support what I’m about to do. From now on, the military will be unified and will do its best to ensure the safety of South Korea. Do you understand?”

✦✦✦✦✦✦

A chaotic situation.

Kim Chun-sik wasn’t the only one who received Kang San’s call.

Cheonsang.

The management company representing South Korea gathered the strongest force they could summon in one place.

Project B team, which had a deep connection with Kang San, as well as Hunters representing Cheonsang, all responded to the call. There were dozens of A-rank Hunters alone. It was a force that no Korean guild or management company, except for Flare, could match, and Jeong Hye-mi spoke in front of the gathered Hunters.

“The reason I’ve gathered you all here is to tell you about the future of Cheonsang.”

The upper management had already finished their discussions.

Cheonsang’s course of action had been decided from the moment they refused the government’s orders during the S-rank Outbreak.

“As a management company, Cheonsang does not have the authority to force specific decisions on you, unlike guilds that operate with a sense of belonging. However, in chaotic times like these, I know that the fence of Cheonsang gives both me and you a strong power to protect ourselves. A little while ago, I received a call from Kang San. He said that the current government has no intention of actively responding to the disasters, so from now on, individuals should gather and solve the problems themselves. And after much consideration, Cheonsang has decided to respond to that.”

Silence fell.

Jeong Hye-mi’s statement.

It meant anti-government.

If they went against the government’s will, they would have to bear the consequences that would follow.

“I know what you’re worried about. Considering the extreme nature of the government, there will definitely be retaliation for this decision. But Cheonsang has already crossed the line during the S-rank Outbreak incident. We supported Kang San and fell out of favor with the government. The reason we made that judgment at the time was, apart from the thought that helping Kang San was the right decision, because we believed that Kang San had that much influence and power.”

Swish.

She looked around at the people.

Even without speaking, they showed their tacit agreement.

“The fuse has already been lit. The government and Kang San. If the two forces clash and one side is destroyed, Cheonsang and I will bet on Kang San. Of course, I won’t force you. If any of you want to leave now, I will terminate your contract without any risk. But if you have thought it through and decided to stay here…”

The direction was set.

As Kang San ordered.

From now on, Cheonsang will actively resolve the disasters.

“Cheonsang declares that it has become a guild, not a management company, and will do its best to stop the disasters that have befallen South Korea.”

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Major Kim Chun-sik’s Special Forces.

Jeong Hye-mi’s Cheonsang.

They were just the beginning.

The forces that received Kang San’s call moved.

Even Daeyang, which grew with foreign capital, decided to bet on Kang San and mobilized their forces.

Their goal was one.

To resolve the disasters first.

They planned to hold the Korean government and President Jang Beom-seok accountable for their complacent response after resolving the problems occurring throughout South Korea. South Korea was shaken. People who agreed with Kang San’s will, or those who blindly admired him. They moved and quickly resolved the surrounding situations.

And among them was Flare.

Korea’s best Mage group.

They didn’t have to follow the trend, but they decided to join Kang San based on their Master’s decision.

“…Master-nim. I don’t quite understand. Isn’t turning against the government too dangerous a choice?”

Flare’s representative Mage,

Jeong Min-jun said with a worried look.

As he said,

It was an unnecessary decision.

With the government displeased with the Guardian Guild, the reason Flare decided to join them was because of the S-rank raid they were preparing for. The Guardian Guild was a force that could be of great help. To prepare for any contingency, they formed a friendly relationship, and until then, all the guild members agreed.

Not now.

It was a clear anti-government stance, and this time, they couldn’t help but show a mixed reaction of concern.

Ice Mage So Yi-hyun.

White Knight Lee Han-seong.

Except for the two who belonged to Guardian, the only one recognized as S-rank individually, Flame Shin Kang-cheol spoke.

“You see, I’ve never met that Kang San guy even once. During the process of Flare forming a connection with Kang San, you were always there, and I was in a situation where I made decisions based only on what you said.”

Shin Kang-cheol had been in seclusion training.

It wasn’t a situation where he was completely cut off from the outside world, but he entrusted most of the guild’s authority to Jeong Min-jun and focused on training.

S-rank raid.

It was that dangerous.

He didn’t know he would use that power this way, but the story of Kang San was truly interesting to him, who had come out into the world.

“Why make this choice? Because it’s cool.”

“…Excuse me?”

“The Wangsimni incident, the Hero of Kitakyushu, the S-rank Outbreak in Pohang. In situations where there was no need to sacrifice himself, Kang San jumped into the fire himself and earned that reputation. Some people say it was a contrived sacrifice, but you and I both know. In this world, results are more important than the process, and Kang San’s sacrifice, regardless of the process involved, deserves to be praised for the results alone. Such a person is now criticizing the Korean government’s complacent attitude and volunteering to take all the responsibility himself.”

He grinned.

“I just think that’s cool.”

“This is driving me crazy.”

Jeong Min-jun sighed.

The reason why Flare didn’t have much activity despite having S-rank power was because they had this kind of Master.

And that was

The reason they loved Flare.

They finally arrived at the scene.

As Kang San requested, they headed to Incheon, which was deemed the most dangerous.

Kyaak!

“Argh!”

“Kyaaaak!”

Screams could be heard from all directions.

Shin Kang-cheol was curious.

If the disaster was truly resolved under Kang San’s leadership, in what direction would South Korea change?

Shin Kang-cheol’s magical power swelled explosively.

People say,

Shin Kang-cheol is

The best Mage in South Korea.

“From now on, we’re going to clean up the situation in Incheon. H*ll Fire.”

Whoosh.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Just one call.

The name value of Kang San alone changed the landscape of South Korea.