EP 28 – No Country for Superman (14)
“Amid the WPO’s 13th evacuation order after 12 failed attempts, the World Trade Organization raised suspicions of Korea’s illegal market intervention.”
“There is a suspicion that Vice Chairman Han Seung-moon was behind the energy shock caused by the drop in the price of Manastone on the 29th, but it turned out to be true that Vice Chairman Han Seung-moon exerted influence over the WPO Finance Committee.”
“At that time, Korean conglomerates were the ones who benefited the most from the drop in the price of Maseok. They purchased an astronomical amount of magic stones based on the government’s investment in pension funds, but of course, the price of energy batteries monopolized by Samsung Psionic and SK Innovation did not fall at all.”
“Besides, while Korea illegally manipulates international prices, and Korean conglomerates take profits through monopoly and oligopoly in the process. There were even suspicions that the federal government tolerated economic crimes in Korea for political gain.”
“Meanwhile, the bankruptcy of small and medium-sized guilds due to the fall in the price of magic stone continues to this day, and as the 7th guild also underwent emergency restructuring, many hunters were released to the transfer market. And most of them are volunteering for the Australian War. That is all.”
That morning was the same as usual.
Waiting for a monster who doesn’t know when or where to pop out, I watched the criticisms of baseless conspiracy theorists.
Artful twisting of words is an art, but I wish I could just go through the test just to ruin myself.
Lumiere, who was leaning on the sofa, muttered softly.
“Hmm. Today’s conspiracy theories seem a bit plausible.”
“That’s it.”
“It really isn’t like that… … ?”
“Do I look like such a piece of garbage?”
I was trash.
Thanks to this, the Korean economy has experienced the greatest boom in history. Perhaps this boom will be an opportunity to overcome the economic crisis.
But I didn’t have to go through it, so I quickly turned around.
“By the way, Lumiere. How do you think a monster will appear today?”
“… … I’m not a fortune teller because Hunters have a good sense. But if it comes out, we have to do our best to fight it.”
“We have a raid nearby, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Did you not roughly plan the raid scenario as well?”
“You still have to be ready to run at any time. What we deal with is always beyond common sense.”
uhm. A group of professional comments.
As Lumiere said, she was already heavily armed. A coat equipped with a shield core, gloves and boots made of monster skin, and even a military knife that can be used by French special forces.
Her outfit showed her strong determination to run away if she was wrong, and thanks to this, the command center was located only 30km away from the scene.
Of course, if you look at the firepower of the hunters deployed to the field, it was enough that Lumière did not need to go directly.
“Don’t worry too much. Aren’t they the best tanks and dealers in the world? It has more than enough firepower to catch and shove one big guy. I even took the helicopter. What.”
“… … If so, I would be very happy.”
It was at that time when Lumière rubbed the back of her neck with a puzzled expression.
The communicator in the control room began to ring loudly.
“what happened!?”
“Monsters, monsters have appeared!”
“Where is it?”
“Sheila! Mount Sheila!”
“This is the expected location. Deploy the raid-”
“Bangarne! Ashbiton! Orland! Yaruga! Saint Juarez!”
“… … .”
“And the entire Tom Price camp is under attack!”
* * *
“Stop it! f**k! Stop it!”
“hearthstone! Move from the magic stone first!”
“I, I… … ! That bastard is running away!”
The camp became abysmal. An evacuation order was issued immediately, but the media downplayed it as a hoax, and in the end, people accepted the WPO’s stern warning as a shepherd boy’s bluff.
It’s funny, but it’s true. A week is enough time for public opinion to boil and cool. This is especially true for those who live in an age of hatred and madness.
agitation and hatred. manipulation and politics.
The cost was horrendous.
“aah-!”
“Ugh… … ! uh huh huh… … !”
“help me! Save me – !”
People whose limbs are torn off alive.
Hunters who run away leaving the citizens behind.
The fame he had built up on money and manastones collapsed so easily in vain.
Of course, the place where Hong Seon-ah was located was unharmed. The Jeonjin supply base guarded by Yeo Do-yeon and Seol Jin-woon was also unharmed. The Tom Price camp, where Han Seung-moon and Lumiere arrived, managed to make a living.
But a hero cannot protect everyone. Superhumans are only humans after all. Individuals cannot change society. It is a system that changes society.
And in Australia, a barren land where all systems have fallen. A wave of hordes of millions of monsters coming up from the underground inflicted a fatal blow.
“… … .”
Han Seung-moon, who returned to the command team exhausted,
He had to remain silent in front of the tactical map dyed red.
* * *
“Horrible… … A terrible tragedy has occurred.”
“The Ashbiton and Orland camps have collapsed, and numerous frontline bases have been dismantled. Currently, contact has been lost, and the hunters are trying to rescue them, but… … .”
“Contrary to WPO’s prediction, the identity of the underground monster was revealed to be a desert ant, not a sand worm. It is presumed to be of the same species or subspecies as the wolf ant that inhabits the Sheila Mine, and considering the number and size of the wolf ant, it is estimated to be a fourth-generation mutant monster that often occurs in first-class erosion areas.”
“The simple casualties are estimated at tens of thousands or more. WPO’s Monster Mispan is considered to be the main strategic loss, and it is analyzed that the multiple ambush attacks from around 50km away are tactical failures. Currently, the remaining monsters are advancing in all directions—”
Kwajik.
The TV screen shattered and the noise stopped. It was the power of the physical force released from Lumiere’s hand.
The conference room was engulfed in silence. Everyone gathered here is not able to speak a word out of their mouths.
The one who broke the silence was Lumière, who was pulling out a piece of glass stuck in his hand.
Without even turning her head, she asked the question coldly.
“Daniel. What is the situation?”
“It’s f**ked up.”
“Wellington! Watch your mouth!”
“Ah, okay. okay… … .”
The western Hunter with a thick beard shook his head. Wearing thick rubber gloves on your hands.
“The formation collapsed due to multiple surprise attacks, and a melee began in an instant. A large-scale deployment of abilities in the midst of a mix of enemies and allies sounds like a no-brainer. Only non-Awakened and ranged Awakened people died a great deal.”
Lumiere continued the question.
“Lewin. yours?”
“… … We reacted quickly in the first place because the police officer Yeo Do-yeon detected the surprise. Except for those who escaped prematurely, the camp’s defenses remained intact. Instead, while holding out, the Orland Camp collapsed without any support.”
Seol Jinwoon naturally followed the report.
“The Sheila raid has canceled the raid against the behemoth and returned to camp. But Ashbiton was already full of ants. We tried our best to get out of the siege, but except for the Hunters, most of them did not survive.”
“… … .”
The place where Lumiere and I went miraculously succeeded in defending, and the place where Hong Seon-ah was located was not damaged in the first place. This was a fact that everyone knew, so the first report ended like that.
Lumiere then continued the meeting.
“Monster. Has anything been revealed about the monster?”
A U.S. Air Force Command official responded.
“… … The military continues to monitor the ant-shaped monster. If left unattended for a long time, the group grows to the point that it is impossible to rectify it, so we uprooted it with a foot and foot attack that was caught.”
“Then what happened this time?”
“… … Underground monsters are difficult to find.”
“Does that mean it’s a monster plant that hasn’t been understood?”
“It wasn’t that I couldn’t figure it out, it was that I couldn’t figure it out. Observation is possible only when the monster is active on the ground, but this group showed a truly bizarre wave of waves. Originally, ants were not monsters with such aggressive tactics.”
A military official looked nervous at Lumiere’s cold eyes, but the gist of the report was clear despite the stuttering words.
ant. unusual aggression. It is unusual.
I asked him in response to that word.
“Are you saying it’s unusual for the ants to be on the offensive like this?”
“That’s right. Insect-type subterranean monsters make nesting and breeding underground as their primary goal. Sometimes hundreds of thousands of waves occur, but it is unusual to attack humans at the risk of the fate of the whole group like today.”
It meant that it is rare for ants to run without covering their backs like today.
The soldier wiped off the cold sweat with a handkerchief and continued his explanation.
“… … There are two cases. first. Either the queen monster learned the command ability for some reason and launched a surprise attack on humans, or, secondly, the monsters were driven by their survival instinct.”
“A survival instinct? what else… … ?”
“… … It means that the ants escaped from the giant sandworm and came to the ground.”
* * *
Fear spread.
Hopeful public opinion cooled, political forces stirred up hatred to keep from collapsing, and people unleashed their fear and anger over death.
In the end, the hunters who struggled to protect people were criticized.
They were too afraid to curse the monster. So the citizens were outraged at the people who tried to protect them. It’s funny, but it’s true.
The Democrats in the United States, who were trying to overthrow the US government, poured their firepower fiercely, and the foreign media’s aggression went beyond the limits of each day.
“The hunters who confidently defended Australia were swept away in one surprise. While the WPO Council remains silent on its responsibility for the defeat, the citizens suffer from an irresistible fear—”
“… … .”
It’s me, being hit by the press every day, so I’m a bit more savvy, but the other hunters seemed to be approaching the cold public opinion quite heavily.
In particular, the higher the level of hunters who were treated as heroes, the more severe their mental condition. There is an old saying that the most important thing in war is morale, but that makes a little sense.
But Lumiere’s reaction was resolute.
“We need to find the next epicenter and prepare for it. Hunters have little loss, so regroup and put them in immediately. The current situation itself is a problem caused by the delayed evacuation of refugees. I will be held responsible, so please evacuate the refugees first, even by force.”
“It’s not over yet! I won’t let that happen! Stay alert and stay in position!”
When she showed her determined will, the Knights Society quickly regained stability. It wasn’t a fancy speech or a decisive performance, but the usual behavior that an individual showed dominated the group.
However, in Korea, the story was a little different.
“Minister. Hunters have lost their will.”
“… … Did the atmosphere of fear spread?”
“no. It is a matter of self-interest.”
Only the first-generation hunters were quiet. This is because the satisfaction of saving people was greater than money. Besides, they don’t even have to worry about their lives. because it’s strong
Of course, the first-generation hunters were often disappointed by the cold press, but the altruism they had kept until now was not easily broken.
The problem is ordinary people.
“The majority of public opinion is that they want to return because they have earned enough money. In fact, inquiries from the PMC leaders are pouring in.”
“… … .”
Not everyone is superhuman.
Living in this world is 1% superhuman and 99% criminal. And it was clear what a democratic society was aiming for.
Therefore, there was no justification to stop those who wanted to return. If you rush to control the movement by talking about operational rights, a riot will happen in an instant.
So, it would be best as a politician to just let those who want to go home, but… … .
“… … .”
I kept silent. It was a heavy silence.
While continuing to struggle, the announcer on TV shed tears and vomited hatred.
“It’s a disaster… … Something really terrible has happened. The WPO leadership, immersed in economic crime, and the US government, blinded by the presidential election, returned to the blood of the Australian people. Where’s the cool new generation? Why are the hunters who promised to protect us now silent?”
Every comment was filled with the dictatorship of the Democrats who wanted to topple the U.S. government. But my eyes turned to the refugees that filled the news background.
They were marching through the streets with their knives nailed to pickets with my face printed on them. But my gaze turned to the tears of blood they shed.
“… … .”
I know that feeling. That was the biggest problem.
I feel like I have lost everything in an accident that happened unexpectedly. I knew how it felt to hate people because I had nothing to complain about.
I was a teenager who lost my family in an instant and was thrown into a mortuary as a sick person, and I was a politician in a country who lost 10 million family members and became a sick person.
So, after all, I wasn’t a superman either.
The human heart couldn’t be cruel to the end.
“… … First. Let’s put the retreat on hold for now.”
“yes?”
“Fear can be overcome with agitation, and entrepreneurs can buy with money. So, let’s retake Australia somehow… … . For now, I’m just thinking-“
at that time. The TV screen suddenly changed.
The announcer gave a sudden breaking news.
“Cow, breaking news! China has declared a full-scale retreat! At the same time, the general leadership of the People’s Republic of China raised the suspicion that the Australian government was behind the incident. … . That, that is, the appearance of a monster that uses strategy stems from a controlled biological weapon experiment—”
「More details will be announced as soon as they come in! Next news. A key CIA official has revealed about a living experiment in Australia. The Australian government conducted research to weaponize and control monsters with the help of the US military to overcome their numerical inferiority. … .”
“It is said that a confidential document was leaked stating that the federal government blocked the participation of the US military because it was aware of the serious threat to Australia… … .”
“The seventh largest guilds of the United States have decided to retreat across Australia. At the same time, Congress has announced that it will pursue the impeachment of the federal government. While the ‘Brave New Generation’ operation has been stained with misunderstanding, even the Korean government has announced that it is considering a general retreat… … .”
like that,
The Chinese president puts a knife in the heart of the American president.