Blood Demon of the Past Life – Chapter 194

Chapter 194: A New Phase （2）

A world in chaos.

The government was a kind of sanctuary.

If it was a power without force before the disaster broke out, now it possesses a scale of force that an individual cannot dare to handle. It was natural when you think about it. In an era where the power to protect oneself is more necessary than a pen, people have granted the government many powers to ensure their safety. In a world where empty promises meant nothing, it was natural for President Jang Beom-seok’s power to grow stronger.

Therefore.

Taking the initiative was an act of courting danger.

In a situation where everyone was watching each other, they knew that the first one to cross the line would surely die.

It didn’t matter.

Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo raised his voice towards the President who would be listening.

“When I first decided to accept the position of Commander of the Capital Defense Command, I had a dream of protecting the people of this country, the Republic of Korea, as a soldier. But the reality was a gutter. Even if I received a report that a thousand people were in danger and ordered a dispatch, I had to turn the troops around if I received a single call to save ten powerful figures right now. It was an order that I had repeated dozens, hundreds of times, and at some point, I felt disgusted with myself for being in this position.”

Chuck,

chuck, chuck.

A path opened.

President Jang Beom-seok, who appeared under the escort of the Guardians, showed a quite angry look.

“How dare you……!”

“What exactly do you exist for? My position has become a mere shell, and the military is nothing more than a puppet that has lost its purpose. Then why on earth should I risk my life with a sense of mission to protect your meager power? President Jang Beom-seok. You should have fulfilled your minimum duty. The S-rank Outbreak, and this large-scale Link incident. If you had tried to fulfill your duty befitting that position, at least I would have swallowed my disgust, unable to plunge this country into chaos.”

Kang San’s existence became the detonator.

Even if the country collapses once.

Even if an unbearable chaos comes, he had the conviction that they would somehow endure, centered around Kang San.

That’s why he took the initiative.

He took a step forward.

He opened his chest wide and revealed his heart.

“If I die here, it will not be the price for defying you, but a just punishment as a soldier who failed to correct what was wrong.”

At this moment.

Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo risked his life.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

The surrounding gazes.

A suffocating silence.

As Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo finished his story, everyone closed their mouths and looked at President Jang Beom-seok.

‘This is dangerous.’

This incident.

If he doesn’t handle it properly, the government will collapse.

President Jang Beom-seok gritted his teeth and looked at So Yi-hyun, who was right next to him.

“Kill him.”

“…….”

“Kill that traitor immediately! When the country is in turmoil, what threatens us all is not a visible enemy, but a traitor like him. Kill everyone related to Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo and let the entire nation know that if something like this happens again, we will make an example of them!”

“…….”

It was strange.

Despite the repeated orders, neither So Yi-hyun nor anyone else reacted.

President Jang Beom-seok’s face turned red.

“Ugh!”

He took large strides.

He was about to snatch the gun and fire it, but a soldier gently pushed the gun away.

“You bastard.”

“Stop it.”

It was So Yi-hyun.

At So Yi-hyun’s cold voice, President Jang Beom-seok’s head turned sharply.

“Stop it?”

“Frankly, I’m not a very patriotic person. The reason I joined the Guardians and mechanically followed the government’s orders was because of the benefits the government guaranteed me. Well, I don’t care if people criticize me for that. But, we both know it’s over now, don’t we?”

The conscription order was issued.

Even though he used that powerful authority, the number of people who responded to the conscription order was not enough to fill even this space.

It proved the reality.

It meant that the meaning of Jang Beom-seok’s existence was lost.

“While you were running around helping people with showmanship, everyone I met kept saying the same thing. It’s not you, but Kang San who is saving this country. I dare not respond to the achievements of that person named Kang San. If I am someone who moves according to vested interests when an individual is shouldering the chaos of the Republic of Korea, there is no reason for me to follow the government’s orders anymore, is there?”

Swish.

She revealed her true intentions.

“I will surrender. From now on, I will work for this country, not the government.”

“You bastard!”

“I will surrender too!”

“Me too.”

So Yi-hyun was the beginning.

At her declaration, the Hunters belonging to the Guardians declared their surrender all at once, and it spread like an epidemic, causing even the soldiers to lay down their weapons. That was the meaning of being the first. The moment Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo risked his life and crossed the line, people realized the truth of that line. That it was, in the end, nothing more than a virtual something created by people. In the collapsing reality, Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo set fire to people’s hearts.

President Jang Beom-seok’s face turned pale.

“That can’t be! You must follow my orders!”

Grab!

He reached out his hand.

When the soldier dodged slightly, he collapsed onto the floor pathetically.

He lifted his head abruptly.

In the space that President Jang Beom-seok looked up at, Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo was looking down at him like a giant.

He shouted in a voice as powerful as thunder.

“Arrest President Jang Beom-seok immediately!”

Jang Beom-seok’s kingdom.

It was finally the moment of collapse.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

A series of situations.

The entire process, from Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo raising his voice to Jang Beom-seok’s downfall, was being broadcast to the people in real-time. If Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo had been killed by President Jang Beom-seok, it would have been Lee Cheol-woo’s plan to inform the public of the injustice of the current government and ultimately strengthen Kang San’s regime.

The situation was settled.

Jang Beom-seok was dragged away screaming, and Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo stood in front of the camera.

“As of this moment, President Jang Beom-seok is dismissed from his position, and the Republic of Korea will establish a provisional government to resolve the immediate chaos. And since we judge that there is not enough time to select candidates and reflect the will of the people through voting, I will lead the military for the time being and devote all my efforts to securing the safety of the people.”

Someone might misunderstand.

That the removal of Jang Beom-seok might be for personal gain.

Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo did not want such natural misunderstandings to create cracks in the country.

“I will maintain my current position until the large-scale Link incident is resolved, and I promise here that I will step down when that moment comes or if another alternative emerges. In fact, in response to President Jang Beom-seok’s actions, Kang San-nim has expressed his intention to come up to Seoul and resolve this issue. However, I judged that Kang San-nim was needed on the battlefield, and he is still fighting somewhere to save people. From now on, the government will fully support Kang San-nim and will focus solely on resolving the problems facing the Republic of Korea.”

He passed the credit.

It started with Kang San.

It wouldn’t have been possible without Kang San.

He knew that the moment he became greedy for the current glory, he would become the second Jang Beom-seok.

His heart swelled.

Ironically, in the face of an unprecedented disaster, there was hope that they could move forward in the right direction.

‘It’s not over yet.’

He could see the people watching him.

The subordinates who risked their lives and followed him.

The people who realized the reality and lent their strength.

It was a long way back.

But this country will surely find its original path.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

The fall of Jang Beom-seok.

That didn’t mean the situation was resolved.

Around the time Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo was facing the camera and giving his speech, Kang San was engaged in a fierce battle in Daegu.

Caaaaaw━!

Caw!

They were Wyverns.

Countless monsters, filling the sky, swooped down and attacked Kang San.

“Trial’s Shield.”

Kwaaaang━

Kwakwakwakwakwak!

He blocked the attack.

As they overcame a crisis, Yeon Woo-bin, under Kang San’s protection, shone his blue eyes.

“Explosion.”

Kwaaaang!

Kwakwakwakwakwakwang!

An intense explosion erupted.

The Wyverns screamed and fell, but the number of monsters pouring out from as many as three A-rank Links was endless. Moreover, there was a fatal problem in Daegu. Compared to other regions, the stationed forces were weak, and they had already suffered devastating damage before Kang San arrived. And to make matters worse, a desperate voice came through the walkie-talkie.

『An A-rank Link has just been generated in Dalseong County! It’s dangerous!』

It was a soldier.

When he set the range to the Daegu area, he could hear the voices of the soldiers.

Current location.

It was Dong-gu, Daegu.

It was some distance from Dalseong County, and if he resolved the situation here, he would inevitably be late.

“……This won’t do.”

Faster.

He had to solve more problems.

In the current situation where the government was not actively helping, Kang San showed his ambition to solve the problems of the entire Republic of Korea with his single body. In fact, he didn’t want to think about complicated political issues. He just wanted people to be safe. At first, Kang San had been forced into trials and whatnot, but at some point, he had escaped the shackles of his past life and existed as Kang San.

Tight.

He gripped his sword.

Just as he was about to increase his speed, a voice came from the walkie-talkie again.

『Kang San-nim. This is Kim Myeong-min. Don’t worry, we will take care of the problem in Dalseong County.』

“Mr. Myeong-min? How did you get here…….”

『Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo contacted us before going to see the President. He said he would resolve the government’s pressure somehow, so he told us to go down to the provinces and help Kang San-nim instead of Seoul. To be honest, an A-rank Link is not easy even with our power, but it doesn’t matter now. We also received the famous buff from Kang San-nim.』

The situation was reversed.

He had some breathing room.

But that wasn’t the only thing that was being reversed.

『Kang San-nim. This is So Yi-hyun of the Guardians. We will handle the Busan issue, so please take care of the other side.』

『You don’t need to come to Gumi. Reinforcements just arrived.』

『The troops stationed in the capital are currently being dispatched to areas in need. We will continue to brief you on the situation, so please just resolve the Daegu issue and you don’t need to rush to your next destination.』

Immediately after the broadcast.

The troops that had been tied up by the government spread out everywhere.

So Yi-hyun used the teleport gate to head straight to Busan, and the local troops, who had been wary of the government, also began to move in earnest. Thanks to this, Kang San had secured some breathing room. Until a while ago, he had been flooded with calls saying that not only Dalseong County but also Gumi and Busan were in danger. But with people actively stepping up and easing the burden, Kang San swallowed the thought of using ‘Blood Demon Art’.

If the situation became extreme.

He had intended to use the state of Qi Deviation.

But with Lieutenant General Lee Cheol-woo keeping his promise, he didn’t have to go that far.

‘It’s not over yet.’

Hope arose.

Just in time, a Wyvern swooped down.

“Blood Demon Sword Technique, First Style: Blade Kill.”

Flash.

Puck━!

Kang San cut off the Wyvern’s head in an instant.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

Fifteen days from then.

The grueling time had passed.

Arriving at Haenam, called the Land’s End, Kang San, with a haggard face, received a report from Kim Chun-sik, who had followed him.

“Kang San-nim. It’s really over now.”

A moment ago.

The government’s data room had delivered a truly meaningful report.

“It’s a report that with the Link that just disappeared in Haenam, all 89 Links that occurred in the Republic of Korea have finally disappeared. In the end, we succeeded. No country in the world has been able to solve the problem, but we have finally put an end to the disaster.”

His face brightened.

The first in the world.

As Kim Chun-sik said, at a time when the whole world was suffering.

“That’s a relief, really.”

Only the Republic of Korea was the only one, and the first, to successfully resolve the large-scale Link.

And that shocking news.

It quickly spread throughout the world.