Second Era
“You worked hard today. There is a promotion review tomorrow, so take good care of your condition, I’ll come back tomorrow at 11.”
“Yes.”
rattle.
When the front door closes with Park Yoo-jin’s greeting, only me and one bird remain in the officetel.
The clock on the other side of the kitchen indicates 8:00 PM.
As I took a protein shake from the fridge and put it in a cup, the voice from the TV broke the silence in the room.
[By the way, Doctor, it is true that despite the contract to import 9 million tons of grain per year, some people are expressing mixed opinions. In the end, I wonder if all of this was intended to recruit the hero Lee Yong-soo. What do you think of this part?]
[Well… I personally don’t agree. If it was a one-sided loss transaction, Chairman Kim of HT Group would not have tolerated it. There is no way that the Korean economic giant could not have read the wrong intentions. I see it like this.]
[So, what exactly was the deal? Isn’t it a difficult decision to understand except for Lee Yong-soo’s hero?]
As the Korean government lifted the embargo as soon as the trade between the countries ended, they are belatedly talking about the food crisis this winter.
And TV and radio and public Internet and secure channels were all about this story.
[It’s hard to understand even if you include it in fact. Even if you create an international attack group and act mainly on the US, you can’t believe that grain exports are simply increased for that reason. It’s not an easy decision considering the backlash from other allies. Because of this, what we need to keep an eye on is the corpse of a level 2 monster.]
[You mean Allamandra.]
[Yes. The future of Lee Yong-soo’s hero goes without saying, but that’s not more important than Allamandra’s corpse. How many international raid teams have been out to take down Allamandra over the years? Which of them has been successful?]
[Come to think of it, I see. Our news desk has also reported attempts to subjugate the local area, but unfortunately all of them were unsuccessful.]
[you’re right. Although this has not been publicly disclosed, there have been rumors that a valid strategy has not been found.]
[In academia?]
[Yes. Everyone just shushed, but in the final stage, they were rather busy eating counters and retreating.]
[As befits a second-class monster, it seems that there was one last move.]
As the anchor listens to the expert’s words, I approach the window sipping on a thin shake.
Despite the news that there would be a terrible food shortage this winter, the roadside boasted a different appearance than usual.
Vehicles filled the 6-lane road tightly, and the electric lights came on even late at night, and the forest of buildings emitted bright lights.
Rather than the colorfully colored roadside trees, regional characteristics catch the eye first.
It was also like the inside of the first barrier.
[On the one hand, it is true that it is regrettable. Isn’t it customary for the corpses of Tier 2 monsters to belong to the raid? The Russian government also made concessions without saying anything, but this goes over to the US. In particular, the finest jewels will come out of the monster’s corpse.]
[No matter how much you regret it, would you only do Lee Yong-soo’s hero or HT group? It was a big decision for the country and the people. I think the right attitude is to be grateful rather than sorry.]
[All right. Now… Let’s take a look at what will happen in the future, the process that the hero Lee Yong-soo will take. There is a 4th grade upgrade review in May right now. How do you think it will pass easily?]
[Excuse me, but let me ask you again. Will a hero who kills a Tier 2 monster fail the Tier 4 promotion review? Of course, Russian judges are famous for being picky… … .]
But anyway, I’ve heard enough stories about all sorts of misunderstandings.
I turn off the TV and look over the table above the information I received from the CIA agent.
Wadangtang!
What the bird head was doing was making noises in the kitchen, smashing kitchen utensils, but I didn’t really care.
「SECRET/ 19 April 2029.
TO: HVP, Lee.
FROM: CIA, Personnel Agent RED.
SUBJECT:
General – information provided
Special – List of West Asian Kaiju Activities
1. Exclamo, Saudi Arabia.
: In September 2024, a new monster appeared in Saudi Arabia. The International Association of Talented Persons named it Exclámo.
As a flying type, despite its small size of 1.8 meters, it is designated as Class 3 due to its speed of flight and sonic attack.
The city located east of the capital Riyadh, Hufuf was completely destroyed (defensive function lost) and entered a rating re-examination. It is expected to be adjusted to level 2 in the future.
2. Uva, Iran.
: First appeared in Shiraz, a city in southern Iran in March 2027. ūva is a colony, consisting of 4-5,000 small individuals gathered together to form the main body.
The Association of Persons with Extraordinary Ability designated it as level 3, but it is not clear whether it has been subjugated at this point. The Iranian government refused to disclose… … .」
＜Again, again. I’m looking at useless things.＞
However, the plan to spend the evening reading the report is shattered by the bird living together.
on the sofa.
They came talking while peeling grapes with their claws and beaks.
“Don’t argue and eat what you already ate.”
＜Don’t want to hear it?＞
“What?”
＜Have you already forgotten? We were supposed to talk more when we got home.＞
I’m the one who regrets not ignoring it until the end, so I turn my head reluctantly.
The back of the sofa was messed up with juice.
It’s a thought I always have, but once the contract with the goddess is over, I will never live with a parrot.
＜You look like a disrespectful bastard. There is no creature as perfect as a parrot.＞
“Let’s talk. You have to vomit as much as you ate.”
＜… well, good How far did you talk? ＞
“That the thoughts of the evil spirits have changed.”
＜I did. Well… What do you think the existence of God is?＞
A moment of innocent reply.
Parrots vomit puzzling sounds.
I had no idea what the intent of the question was.
＜Think simple. Not even a great question. what is god What kind of existence do you think God is?＞
“A mighty being?”
＜Normally I don’t think so. again?＞
“… Why are you asking this all of a sudden?”
＜Because I’m ready to hear the next story. Anyway, again?＞
I don’t really want to share the Zen dialogue.
In response to the parrot’s urging gaze, he gives a few more answers.
“I will not die. Create the world, create life, set the laws.”
＜Five in total? Almighty and immortal, he creates the world and living things and sets the law. Umm, there is not even a speck of creativity in your answer, like Yongsu. But two of them are right and three are not true. Ah!＞
“… Why?”
＜I’ll pack some shit and come back. wait.＞
“… … .”
Food Duck.
The parrot, which quickly moved back and forth between the perch and the sofa, made an awkward expression.
＜I solved it like a gale.＞
“… … .”
＜… How far did you go? Oh, I said three are not true.＞
“yes.”
＜Gods die too. And this world was not made by them, neither are the laws. Because the earth and the universe have existed since the beginning of time. God was born after that.＞
As far as I’m concerned… It’s nonsensical from start to finish.
Isn’t the birth story important?
＜Important. Because knowing about something includes the background knowledge.＞
“For now, go ahead.”
＜Among them, death is the most important. This is also closely related to the meaning of God’s existence.＞
“God dies?”
＜Yes. Although they can live longer than humans, they are not immortal. If you don’t have faith, you go through the process of extinction. Because faith is the law that brings forth spiritual power, and spiritual power means additional life. However, to put it in reverse, it means that if the spiritual power disappears, the god can also disappear.＞
“… Then the Aztecs-”
＜Your guess is correct. they were dying The time of the Aztecs is over, and all that remains is, at best, limited lore. It was sorely lacking to maintain godhood. And here the choices are divided. ＞
Soon, the parrot’s words were easily understandable.
Belief or fear?
The meanings are contradictory, but they are the main stems that make up human emotions.
“Fear would have been easier. After all, humans are like that too. You need either respect or fear to stay in power.”
＜Mmm… Well. In fact, it was more of a necessity than an easy or difficult problem. Even if it worked a miracle, it wouldn’t have worked properly. I had no choice but to become an evil god.＞
“Isn’t it that you didn’t have the power to work miracles?”
＜That ability was left. The altar is full of heroes who gave their souls. It was said that up to 60,000 people poured in at one festival. Did you offer the most important blood and heart to humans? However, the big thing is that I couldn’t predict what kind of results would come out apart from my abilities. Religion has been divided into many branches, and even if a miracle happened in that situation, only the gods of other religions could benefit.＞
“So that-”
＜Yes. He became an evil god.＞
I understand why he became a bad guy because there is no one in the world who has no story.
＜Fortunately or unfortunately, things went smoothly. As I said before, the Aztec gods had the souls of warriors along with countless sacrifices. So it was enough to pollute the land and unleash the monsters… The second age ushered in thanks to the horrors emanating from humanity.＞
However, there was a curious point along the way.
“A meteorite? Where do those falling from the sky come from?”
＜Tessgatl… Tezcatlipoca played a clever trick.＞
“who?”
＜I’m talking about the smoking mirror. He made a bold attempt to penetrate other planets, as befits the main god in charge of chaos and death.＞
“… … .”
＜Of course, the native creatures had a big downside. Because I grew up in a barren land, I didn’t have the ability to think to have faith. Instead, it had a powerful body and was perfect for imbuing it with a warrior’s soul. Although many of them will go off track or die on the long journey, the result is that we can create powerful monsters impossible on Earth.＞
I roughly understand it, but it seems that the complex content is slowly giving me headaches, so I cut it short and bring it to the point.
Fortunately, a suitable hint was inserted between the conversations.
“If it’s a smoking mirror, doesn’t it mean the eagle of the north? I killed him with my own hands.”
＜Yes.＞
“But that Tezcatli… It sounds as if some evil god has penetrated the planet, as if it were in his possession. So, is that planet no longer usable?”
At this, the red-necked macaw tilted its head and smiled.
＜Half right, half wrong. Just because you die doesn’t mean the moon goddess dies. The smoking mirror is the same. It’s just that I’ve lost a tool that can interfere with Earth.＞
“… … .”
＜Still, if there’s a positive thing about it, it’s that he’s now taken care of by the other demons. The moment you lose your guard, you will lose control of the planet. And even so, you’ll have to struggle to send the next eagle to survive. Either way is good for us.＞
It didn’t seem like an advantage at all.