Blood Demon of the Past Life – Chapter 155

Chapter 155: The Truth Behind the Surface （5）

How often does one get to meet the President in their lifetime?

Even Kim Myeong-min, who was the leader of the Ranger team, was meeting the President face-to-face for the first time.

“Please, have a seat.”

“Thank you.”

It was a friendly voice.

A man in his late 60s, with a gentle appearance, but an absolute ruler who held Korea in the palm of his hand and governed with powerful control. That was the profile that described President Jang Beom-seok.

50 years ago.

When the disaster first broke out, people passed the presidential re-election system to survive the crisis of humanity. It was to ensure that the President, who secured the safety of the country, could continue to exercise presidential authority in recognition of his achievements. Jang Beom-seok had already renewed his five-year term three times and had been serving as the President of South Korea for 13 years.

And beside him.

The Chief Secretary, a man in his early to mid-30s with a neat face, observed Kim Myeong-min’s expression with sharp eyes.

He swallowed his saliva.

He had heard that when Jang Beom-seok took the presidency, the Chief Secretary, who was only in his early 20s at the time, actively managed the election camp, effectively serving as Jang Beom-seok’s brain. The leader of South Korea and his right-hand man. Even Kim Myeong-min, known for his strong heart, couldn’t hide his nervousness at the thought of facing the most influential figures.

Jang Beom-seok opened his mouth.

“Let’s cut to the chase. Team Leader Kim Myeong-min, how do you evaluate Kang San’s talent?”

For a moment, he felt conflicted.

How should he answer?

Thinking about what direction would benefit Kang San, he eventually decided to answer honestly.

The other party was the President.

It wouldn’t hurt to be favorable to Kang San.

“…To be honest, until recently, I thought Kang San’s talent was exceptionally outstanding, beyond common sense. But it’s different now. Have you seen the results of the missions Kang San’s team has been carrying out in the past month? Four missions a day, and they’re accomplishing that many missions with ease. Kang San, who was just an F-rank human shield a year ago, has now proven his skills to the point where it wouldn’t be strange at all if he was rated A-rank. I dare say he has potential that cannot be evaluated by common standards.”

“Mr. President, here are the mission records of Kang San’s team.”

The Chief Secretary handed over the documents.

Jang Beom-seok naturally received the documents and read them carefully.

“He’s truly an amazing person. In Wangsimni, in Kitakyushu, too. It must be a blessing for Korea that a hero who throws himself into danger for others without hesitation has been granted such talent. That’s why I say this. I believe that a great person like Kang San should use his talent for this country. Just like he’s been active as a Ranger. As a Guardian, he should shine for this country.”

That was the purpose of the summons.

Kang San’s talent was brilliant.

His past actions proved it, and they showed that Kim Myeong-min’s sincerity wasn’t unfounded.

Jang Beom-seok smiled.

“I heard he refused the offer to join the Guardians last time? Let’s arrange a meeting again. This time, I’ll put my name on the line and try to persuade the hero of Korea.”

✦✦✦✦✦✦

That afternoon.

Things progressed rapidly.

Kang San received a summons from the President.

However, instead of meeting President Jang Beom-seok directly, he met Chief Secretary Kim Mu-hyeok.

“The conversation we’re having here will be unofficial and won’t be recorded in Korean history. Kang San-nim, join the Guardians. If you accept this offer, we’ll make you a hero of Korea.”

“…A hero?”

“Yes. Kang San-nim already possesses enough potential to be considered a hero. You’ve grown from an F-rank human shield to having A-rank skills, and you have the narrative of saving people in Wangsimni and Kitakyushu. If you join the Guardians, we’ll help you maximize those conditions and enjoy wealth and glory.”

It was an offer he had already refused once.

But the impact was different this time.

The weight of Chief Secretary Kim Mu-hyeok’s words, backed by the President, was entirely different from the offer made by Team Leader Baek Seong-hyeon of the Command Headquarters. If he accepted, he would gain tremendous wealth and glory, as promised. Even Lee Han-seong, the White Knight who belonged to the Guardians, gained such fame by joining them.

However.

Then and now.

Kang San’s position remained the same.

“I’m sorry.”

Wealth and glory?

They sounded nice.

The problem was that if he joined the Guardians, he would be forced to undertake specific missions, and with the variable of Trials, Kang San couldn’t accept being controlled by someone. And there was one more thing that bothered him.

He kept his thoughts to himself.

He judged that it was best to conclude the current situation simply by stating that he couldn’t accept the offer.

But then.

“It seems you’ve misunderstood something. My offer includes a degree of compulsion. This is the President’s offer. Even if it’s presented as an offer, it should be taken as an order in Korea, and if you refuse and go back like this, you’ll inevitably face uncomfortable situations in the future. Wouldn’t it be better to keep things amicable? It would be nice to do good deeds under the name of the Korean Guardians, wouldn’t it?”

Kim Mu-hyeok took off his glasses and calmly wiped the lenses.

His complexion was pale and cold.

When his sharp gaze briefly turned towards Kang San, Kang San realized that he had eyesight that didn’t require glasses.

“…Is that a threat?”

“Of course not. It’s a suggestion. A suggestion that it would be better for you to do so.”

“I’m sorry.”

Thud.

He got up from his seat.

There was nothing more to say.

“Even if you say that, my mind won’t change. Let’s pretend today’s events never happened.”

✦✦✦✦✦✦

On the way back.

Kang San pondered his conversation with Kim Mu-hyeok.

It was practically a threat.

The reason Kang San refused the Korean government’s offer wasn’t simply because of the variable of ‘Trials.’

‘The Korean government’s excessive protection of the powerful. I can’t agree with their actions.’

Three re-elections.

It wasn’t simply possible because of recognized competence.

The Korean government, and especially President Jang Beom-seok, had the label of excessive protection of the powerful attached to them. Most of Korea’s power was concentrated in Seoul. It was a given that even in the Gyeonggi area, let alone the provinces, the response time to incidents was significantly different. Absurdly, such differences also occurred within Seoul, with problems such as a lack of shelters outside of Gangnam, where the powerful lived.

The S-rank Outbreak.

That catastrophe wasn’t simply caused by the scale of the disaster.

The inadequate defense system in the provinces had aggravated the disaster, and eventually, it became impossible to stop even with Seoul’s power.

People knew the problem.

They protested and raised their voices every time, but the powerful’s strong advocacy swept away public opinion. So he couldn’t accept it. The moment he joined the Guardians, he would inevitably clash with the Trials, and Kang San couldn’t follow values he couldn’t agree with. Honestly, until he met the Chief Secretary, he thought the Korean government’s excessive actions were an extreme result intertwined with this chaotic world. But after hearing the threat-laced words, his negative thoughts grew stronger.

‘Once this Trial is over, I’ll have to resign from the Rangers as well.’

It was something he had been thinking about for a while.

The compulsory nature of the Trials would have been resolved to some extent, so he couldn’t be tied to the Rangers forever.

This incident.

For Kang San, it became an opportunity to solidify his decision.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

A month and a half later.

Time flew by quickly.

Now, two weeks before the S-rank Outbreak, Kang San had to wrap things up and head down to Pohang.

Before that.

Kang San checked his grown stats.

『Kang San』

━ Strength: 581

━ Agility: 538

━ Divine Power: 235

━ Reaction Speed: 221

━ Toughness: 253

━ Mental Strength: 220

It was truly remarkable growth.

There was no comparison to a year ago, and thanks to the 27th Trial, he was able to achieve complete A-rank stats. There were no additional rewards. The increase in stats was the main reward, and the others who had carried out the mission with him also achieved tremendous growth. A minimum stat increase of 50-100 for each person. In terms of rank, it was enough growth to raise them by one rank in the lower ranks.

He organized his belongings.

And finally, he revealed his decision to Kim Myeong-min.

When Kang San said he could no longer work as a mercenary as a Ranger, Kim Myeong-min showed a somewhat bitter expression.

“…I’m truly sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing, Team Leader?”

“About a month ago, I arranged for you to meet the President and the Chief Secretary. At that time, I thought it was a good decision for Kang San-nim, but I later realized that something bad had happened, something I didn’t know about at the time. The Hunter Management Bureau revoked the reward they offered you as a Ranger. I protested and raised my voice strongly, but the decision remained unchanged, and Kang San-nim continued to carry out Ranger missions even though you could have quit immediately.”

At that time.

It was an issue that caused an uproar among the Rangers.

Kang San should have quit, but he couldn’t because of the 27th Trial.

He had received the reward through the Trial anyway.

Even if it wasn’t a Ranger reward, it was a fruitful time, but Kim Myeong-min saw the situation differently.

“It must have been for our sake. I believe that Kang San-nim, who couldn’t turn away from us, stayed until the end because of the overwhelming number of missions. I’m truly sorry and grateful. Thanks to you, we were able to put down our heavy burden for the past two and a half months, even if only for a while.”

It was a misunderstanding.

He took Kang San’s sacrifice as the compulsory nature of the Trials.

Kim Myeong-min’s gaze changed.

The Rangers in Seoul were saying that they should never forget Kang San’s sacrifice.

“We plan to formally protest to the Hunter Management Bureau as soon as we return. To be honest, it’s a situation where we should go on strike, but we don’t have the courage to hold the safety of citizens hostage. What’s certain is that if anything happens to Kang San-nim in the future, the Seoul Rangers will be on your side unconditionally. Even if it goes against the will of our superiors, our thoughts won’t change.”

He was polite.

He conveyed his apologies, more than sufficiently.

It wasn’t Kim Myeong-min’s fault.

Kim Myeong-min recruited Kang San considering his future as a Ranger, and Kang San accepted the offer because of the Trials. It was the same this time. He arranged the meeting with the Chief Secretary for Kang San, but Kang San simply couldn’t accept the Korean government’s offer. Of course, the Korean government’s retaliation afterward was a despicable response, but it couldn’t be said that it was Kim Myeong-min’s fault.

That’s how life is.

Things that one can’t control according to their own will or heart.

Just because Kim Myeong-min belonged to the Rangers, it was impossible for him to fully control the branches that extended above him.

Kang San said.

“There’s no need to feel troubled. I’ve been doing well thanks to you.”

He smiled.

The upcoming great disaster.

Perhaps this would be their last meeting.

“Thank you for everything.”

Kang San didn’t want to leave their last moments as a bad memory.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

“…And for that reason, he completely resigned from the Rangers.”

The Chief Secretary’s words.

President Jang Beom-seok’s eyebrows twitched.

He had always been wary of people who were praised as ‘heroes.’

Such beings undermined the President’s authority and created the perception that the country’s defense was being protected by someone other than himself. Every time, he offered a carrot. Just as Lee Han-seong, the White Knight, had done in the past, he allowed them to continue their path as heroes if they came under the umbrella of the Guardians. The more people they saved as Guardians, the more they showed their achievements, the more it would eventually return as the President’s achievements.

However.

If they remained as individuals, it was a different story.

Kang San was a bad precedent.

The recent rumors surrounding him had made President Jang Beom-seok uncomfortable.

Jang Beom-seok spoke.

“Jeong Mun-cheol, was it? The commentator who was deported for slandering Kang San.”

“That’s correct.”

Creak.

He looked out the window.

Dark clouds rolled in from the gloomy sky.

“Bring him in. Right now.”