They encountered another North Korean patrol boat once more and were showered with bullets, but each time, the shield created by the [Tempered Ray Ring] deflected them all.
The [Diatonos Belt] and [Elastrin Silk Defensive Suit] did not even get a proper chance to prove their worth.
While absurd reports continued within the North Korean military—claims that their radar was malfunctioning, that they had seen a ghost—Suho, whom they could neither catch nor properly observe, steadily drew closer to Russian soil.
By the time he reached the vicinity of Vladivostok, he encountered more patrol units, but each time he immediately hid inside the subspace warehouse, and as expected, they found nothing.
After arriving in Vladivostok, there were too many eyes watching, so he returned home again and waited for night to fall.
Because it had to be dark for the [Hidden Shadow Ring] to show its full effect.
At last, night descended, and Suho’s flight began again.
This time, he intended to fly at quite a high speed, so he needed additional equipment.
For this, he purchased and put on a full-body flight suit, a B-rank flight-assistance item called the [Evolian Guardian Flight Suit].
It was an item that formed an invisible barrier around the user’s body, protecting them from strong winds or storms. It eased external pressure, making stable flight possible, and, in particular, had the function of always maintaining the user’s body temperature at an appropriate level.
It was the kind of item that detected the external environment and automatically adjusted the strength of the barrier and the level of temperature maintenance, allowing optimal protection without any separate settings. Though it was not for combat, according to Arcane Arsenal’s description, it was a coveted B-rank item and therefore expensive.
Whether it was or not, Suho put on the item he had taken for free again and began flying in earnest.
The expedition from Vladivostok to Moscow’s Red Square.
Suho turned on the navigation system linked to his goggles, fixed it in place, and flew freely across the vast land of Russia.
For now, Suho’s goal was to reach Moscow’s Red Square in time for Russia’s Victory Day parade.
There were still more than four days left, so he had plenty of time. The key was to arrive before then and set a dimensional gate point near the square.
He used the dark hours as much as possible, and to avoid radar networks, he continued flying at as low an altitude as he could.
Starting from Vladivostok, he passed through Khabarovsk and headed to Birobidzhan,
then passed Chita and Ulan-Ude, crossed Lake Baikal, and arrived in Irkutsk.
From there, he passed Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk to Omsk,
then skimmed briefly through the airspace over Kazakhstan, passed Tolyatti, and finally arrived in Moscow—a grand journey that would total 7,329 kilometers by land.
Of course, since Suho flew at low altitude, he ignored the overland route and flew in straight lines, and thanks to that, he saved nearly a thousand kilometers.
Even so, it was an immense distance of 6,400 kilometers.
Taking care not to exceed 1,235 kilometers per hour and risk causing a sonic boom, he flew at an average speed of around 800 to 900 km/h, and when a full thirty hours had passed, he finally arrived in Moscow.
If he had flown in a straight line without stopping, it would have been a distance he could have reached in seven or eight hours,
but he had tried to fly mainly during the dark hours, and each time he encountered someone, he hid in the subspace warehouse, went home, and only came out again after quite some time, so it took a fair amount of time overall.
“Wow... Finally... I’m here!”
One day before Victory Day, Suho settled into a corner of a spire of the “Historical Museum,” which looked down clearly over Red Square, and returned home through the subspace warehouse.
Now, there was one day left.
* * *
The next day, Russia’s Victory Day.
An event commemorating the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II.
It was commemorated in various ways throughout Russia and in former Soviet states as well, but the most important event was the large-scale military parade held in Moscow’s Red Square. And at this event, President Dmitri Petrov always gave a speech.
As this was one of Russia’s important national events, there were almost no exceptions.
A few hours before the main parade, the military parade, began, Suho entered the shadow inside a spire of the Historical Museum, where he had marked a dimensional gate point in advance.
With the [Hidden Shadow Ring], no one could find Suho, who had perfectly concealed himself within the shadows.
There were countless bodyguards spread everywhere, so the moment he began to take some sort of action, he would probably be discovered immediately, but for now, he was safe.
When he magnified his view with the [Astral Vision Goggles] and checked, President Petrov had definitely attended.
Around him, Suho could also see Prime Minister Mikhail Smirnov and Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Kuznetsov, known to be among his closest aides. There were many other key figures as well.
There was no choice but for there to be a considerable distance between the president’s speech platform and the gathered crowds.
An enormous number of bodyguards and security personnel who appeared to be Admiti formed an invincible wall.
‘There’s probably already a barrier operating around them.’
No matter which direction a sniper shot came from, it would be blocked by several layers of barriers. And the sniper’s location would be exposed immediately.
That method was extremely dangerous, and even its chance of success was low.
‘That’s why I chose this method.’
It was a method he had devised with some cleverness, but there were still many unknowns as to whether it would work properly. Leaving every variable open as a possibility, Suho watched the situation with sweaty palms.
With the organizers’ declaration of the opening, the national anthem was played, followed by introductions of the key figures.
And before the military parade began, President Petrov stood on the platform to give his speech.
‘Now...!’
Suho pulled his vision as close as possible with the [Astral Vision Goggles], confirmed President Petrov, and then manifested an “A-rank earth-attribute Core Stone” inside the breast pocket of his suit jacket—the decorative pocket on the upper left where he had adorned a flower.
The effect was immediate.
Kwad-d-d-d-d-deuk───
Ujijiji kukwakak───
With a tremendous roar, the asphalt on the ground was torn up, and the concrete of the platform shattered and broke apart, rising into the air along with the rebar.
Everything possessing the attributes of stone and earth rose from all sides around President Petrov, then flew fiercely toward him and merged together.
To be precise, all sorts of rocks gathered around the Core Stone.
Petrov, who had been at the center of it, was wearing a bulletproof vest, but it could not provide meaningful protection amid the flying stones and rebar.
It was like a fly sitting atop a powerful magnet while all kinds of metal fragments flew in from every direction; Petrov’s corpse at the center was horrific. Compressed like under a press, he was left in such a state that his form could no longer be recognized.
All of this happened in a mere two or three seconds.
The bodyguards, who had only been preparing for the possibility of threats coming from the surroundings, could not respond at all to this sudden situation.
The formed golem did not stop there, but continued to absorb concrete and asphalt as it grew, and by the time about ten seconds had passed, it had reached its maximum size.
Guuuuuuuuh───
The completed earth-attribute golem let out a ferocious roar.
Was it because there had not been enough surrounding materials? It seemed to be about six or seven meters tall, slightly smaller than when he had tested the rock golem at the quarry.
There were many Admiti security personnel nearby, but they were literally people deployed for protection, not a raid team organized to hunt a monster.
Because no damage was effective unless its core was destroyed, the A-rank earth-attribute golem, which would be hopeless to take down unless a proper team fought it with coordinated tactics, began to rampage with essentially no obstruction at all.
All of Red Square fell into chaos, and with the creature’s roar, it transformed in an instant into a horrific battlefield.
The shocking scene of the platform, its surroundings, and high-ranking officials being slaughtered was broadcast live to the entire world.
The broadcast, which had been showing the chaotic destruction at the scene through a shaking camera angle, was soon cut off.
The citizens who had been relatively far away screamed and evacuated, and the event venue became a scene of pandemonium.
And Suho quietly returned home through the subspace warehouse and turned on the news.
* * *
CNMN (United States)
Headline: “Terror Attack Occurs in Moscow’s Red Square During Victory Day Parade”
Ahead of the Victory Day parade in Moscow’s Red Square, a monster appeared along with a large explosion, causing widespread fear and chaos. The confirmed monster is believed to be a high-ranking earth-attribute rock golem.
President Petrov and key figures were caught up in the attack, and it is reported that they were unable to avoid the tragedy.
The Russian Federal Security Service is placing weight on the possibility that an unknown Tower Break occurred near Red Square, but has not ruled out the possibility of a terrorist attack.
The international community has expressed solidarity with the Russian people. Further details will continue to be updated as the situation develops.
BCBC News (United Kingdom)
Headline: “Monster Appears at Moscow Victory Day Parade – Early Suspicions of Undetected Tower Break”
Today, in Moscow’s iconic Red Square, at the heart of Victory Day celebrations, a deadly monster appeared. The incident occurred during a speech ahead of the military parade, shocking the gathered crowds. Most civilians evacuated, but it is reported that key figures, including President Petrov, were struck by the calamity.
KBC News (Korea)
Breaking News Headline: “Catastrophe During Victory Day Event in Moscow’s Red Square, Numerous Casualties”
This is breaking news. Russia’s Victory Day is an important commemoration deeply connected not only to its historical significance, but also to modern Russia’s national identity. Leaders and diplomats from many countries are often invited to attend this internationally watched event. However, due to Russia’s military displays and the political messages attached to them, it has also been controversial in some countries.
Today, during the Victory Day event held in Moscow’s Red Square, a high-ranking monster suddenly appeared, resulting in numerous casualties. We will connect to our local correspondent, reporter Kim Hangil.
Yes, I am here at Red Square in Moscow, Russia.
At approximately 10:45 a.m. local time, the venue was thrown into chaos by a sudden monster attack.
President Petrov was at the scene of the incident, and it is reported that he was unable to escape the calamity, adding to the tragedy.
Emergency rescue teams have currently been dispatched to the scene and are rescuing the injured.
The monster has been identified as an A-rank rock golem, and it has been confirmed that it was safely subjugated through a joint raid by the “Volchya Ten” clan and the “Ognenni Kogot” clan, which arrived thirty minutes after the incident occurred.
Emergency relief teams and military units have been deployed to the scene to bring the situation under control, and Red Square is currently under strict lockdown.
The Kremlin Palace has declared a national emergency, and a thorough investigation is underway to determine the monster’s identity and the background of its appearance.
This has been Kim Hangil for KBC News.
Yes, the Korean government has conveyed its deep condolences and solidarity to the Russian people and government.
We will continue reporting as additional news related to the progress of the incident comes in.
News outlets around the world sent out breaking headlines on the incident.
└ Those fucking bastards! Didn’t they just get divine punishment?!
└ Still, it’s a national commemorative day catastrophe, so watch what you say...
└ Watch it? Watch what? Did you forget what those bastards did? They tried to kidnap our top Admiti and then played innocent.
└ True, it does feel satisfying.
└ But is that certain? We’re not doing this over a bunch of rumors going around, are we?
└ Whatever the case, that’s that and this is still unfortunate. They say the president of Russia and all his closest aides are dead.
└ What happens to Russia now? Does it collapse?
└ Collapse? Some other bastard will just take the spot. There are plenty of similar guys.
└ The Communist Party of the Federation is going to eat it all up.
└ Damn, then are they returning to being full-on reds?
└ As if things are any different now.
└ The Liberal Democratic Party might take power. But if those bastards get in, it’s a disaster for foreigners.
└ Who knows, A Just Russia or Yabloko might gain strength.
└ Ha, what a fucking mess. Seriously...
There was almost no damage to civilians, but the president, who had been at the very center, had passed away,
and in addition to the prime minister and deputy prime minister, a large number of key lawmakers from United Russia had died, along with many ordinary bodyguards and Admiti bodyguards—an unprecedented incident.
A thorough investigation was carried out afterward, but no tower that could have caused the Break was found anywhere nearby, and the truth of the incident gradually sank into mystery.
* * *
“What on earth is going on...? Are there any news articles linking Admittee Jeong Suho to this matter?”
“Given that the Russian special operations unit has a history of attempting to abduct Admittee Jeong Suho, he is being mentioned, but as of yet, there have been no cases directly naming Admittee Jeong Suho as a suspect.”
“I see... Admittee Jeong Suho isn’t combat-type, after all...”
“Nor is he a summoning class. In many ways, it’s hard for us to imagine that Admittee Jeong Suho caused this incident. Besides, the Russian abduction incident isn’t widely known among civilians.”
“Still, people were making quite a fuss about it on social media.”
“That’s because rumors leaked from somewhere and produced speculative articles. Since there’s been no official announcement, it hasn’t yet become a public issue among ordinary people.”
“I see... Then that’s a relief. In any case, I always felt guilty whenever I saw Admittee Jeong Suho, since the government couldn’t resolve anything for him... But a golem... The heavens have punished them.”
“Indeed.”
Wondering what kind of factor this incident would become, what kind of butterfly effect it might cause, Commissioner An Yonggeon’s brow furrowed deeply as he spoke with Director Kim Gyusik.
* * *
“......”
“D-Did... did you really do it, Suho?”
“Ugh... Admittee Suho suddenly feels scary. If I’ve done anything wrong, please be merciful...”
Joshua, Danbi, and Taeung, who had learned of the incident through the news, stared with their mouths hanging open.
But Suho merely shrugged.
“Me? The golem did it all.”
“How on earth...”
Even Joshua, who was not easily surprised, showed rare astonishment.
Only Danbi, who had seen Suho summon Obelun last time to level the construction site, and had also watched him activate the rock golem and then dismantle it this time, could vaguely guess the process.
Even so, she was just as astonished.
Suho spoke calmly, as if it were no big deal. As if the first time was hard, but the second would be easy.
“Now one is dealt with. Time to go for the second.”
“The s-second?”
“You’re going to launch a second strike on Russia...?”
“No. I said we’d do them one at a time. Russia is finished now, so next is North Korea. North Korea.”
“Ah......”
“But how will you deal with North Korea...? North Korea’s Kim Jeongheum doesn’t show his face in public very often.”
At Joshua’s cautious point, Suho slowly nodded.
“That’s right. That’s why I plan to handle North Korea a little differently. In a more extreme way.”
Suho’s gaze settled coldly.