The nuclear bomb that had suddenly detonated sent a massive shock throughout the entire world.
The internet and television broadcasts were swept away by news of the nuclear explosion, and people watched the news in terror.
The sudden nuclear explosion alone was frightening enough, but because of the extreme actions taken by the United States two weeks prior, people’s fear had grown even greater.
China, where the nuke had detonated, and neighboring countries were feeling extreme terror.
Because right now, when they raised their heads, they could not tell whether the hazy sky was caused by the aerosol America had sprayed or by radioactive fallout.
Whether it was due to the extreme situation or because it had been deliberately leaked, the reason a nuclear weapon could have detonated there was quickly revealed.
Other countries were the same, but in Korea as well, the broadcasts had been continuing with emergency programming ever since the nuke went off.
“—This is Beijing. Right now, I can see neither people nor cars outside the window. The wind direction shifted westward several days ago, so entry and exit has been banned from Dalian City, where the nuclear explosion occurred, to the eastern regions of China.”
The reporter on screen was broadcasting from indoors.
I couldn’t tell if it was Beijing or Korea since I couldn’t see beyond the wall, but at a time like this, there was no one who would complain about broadcasting from inside.
“—The nuclear explosion that occurred on the outskirts of Dalian City last night has still not had its exact scale of damage confirmed.
However, according to reliable sources, the place where the nuke detonated was where remnants of the North Korean army who had fled to China during the war had been residing.
The nuclear explosion that occurred yesterday was caused by the nuclear weapons they possessed….”
I changed the channel after watching up to that point, but similar broadcasts were continuing elsewhere.
It wasn’t just Korean broadcasts. Japan, China, and broadcasts from America and Europe were all the same.
“It’s natural that similar broadcasts are coming out. Korea, China, and America—the three countries agreed to release information up to that point.”
Watching me continue to flip through the channels, Magreta, seated beside me, opened her mouth.
At her words, I set down the remote.
When I turned off the screen, the sound of the airplane engine became audible.
The plane sent by America was incredibly quiet.
The airplane seats were comfortable as well, and with the TV, I could watch broadcasts from around the world.
Right now, I was on a plane with Magreta, heading to America.
The fact that I could leave Pyongyang aboard the plane sent by America was well over half a day after the nuclear bomb had detonated.
After arriving in Seoul at night, I had been able to reach Pyongyang with Magreta by morning, but I could not depart for America immediately.
The plane had arrived and was waiting as well, but permission had not been granted.
It wasn’t just the plane I was taking.
Permission had not been granted for any civilian aircraft in Korea.
In the end, only after half a day had passed since the nuke detonated was flight permission granted, allowing us to depart for America.
“We barely got permission thanks to the US government stepping in. This is probably the only plane that took off from the Korean Peninsula today.”
At Magreta’s scolding tone, I couldn’t say anything.
Instead, I looked around the interior of the plane sent by the US government.
This plane was different from the ones I had ridden until now.
I had only ridden helicopters or transport planes every time, but this was a plane modified from a passenger aircraft.
The US government’s exclusive aircraft.
It wasn’t Air Force One, which the President rode, but it was one of the four Air Force Twos used by the Vice President or high-ranking government officials.
I had heard it was an old plane, but in my eyes, it was still splendid enough.
The private jet of the American conglomerate chairman I had seen previously wasn’t even enviable compared to this.
Moreover, aside from the crew, only Magreta and I were aboard this plane.
We were the only ones using the US government’s exclusive aircraft.
When I acted distracted, she clicked her tongue softly.
Then she continued what she had been saying earlier.
“I’ll tell you what the US government knows instead of the articles on the broadcast. As of now, the US government thinks this explosion was an accidental incident caused by infighting among the remnants of the North Korean army.
Before the explosion occurred, two soldiers who entered the Chairman’s quarters came back out, and then all the soldiers scattered and fled in every direction—this was caught on satellite.”
As I had expected, America had been continuously monitoring the remnants of the North Korean army.
If I had stolen the nuclear weapons without thinking, I definitely would have drawn suspicion.
“China also saw the same scene with their own satellites, and Korea seems to have seen a similar scene as well. We’ll have to go there directly later to verify, but it seems all three countries have reached the same conclusion so far.”
If that was the case, my operation was a success.
“The explosion scale is insufficient compared to the number of nuclear missiles that were there, but it doesn’t seem like anyone is making a big issue of it yet.”
As she said that, Magreta stared at me deeply.
Seeing her expression, I was reminded of when I met Magreta in Seoul.
Last night.
With the blackout, the city had been shrouded in darkness, and people listened to the news holding their breath inside their homes.
Magreta, who had been at the hotel, was the same.
Perhaps she was extremely tense, because when she saw me knocking on the window, she tried to shoot me.
I was curious how she had brought a gun and where she had hidden it, but I couldn’t ask her that when she was glaring at me with tears welling in her eyes.
When I entered the room through the window she opened, she asked me immediately.
“Don’t tell me Hyeon did this?”
I couldn’t lie.
At her question, I scratched my head.
Magreta let out a sigh.
Sinking onto the sofa, she asked me.
“Why did you do it? Surely you didn’t go to take revenge because you gained power, did you?”
Since I hadn’t explained the circumstances, it was only natural she would misunderstand.
I tapped the backpack on my back.
“I went to get a nuclear bomb.”
What I had obtained was a nuclear missile, but since I wasn’t planning to use it as a missile, it was no different from a nuclear bomb.
Then I told her the truth.
That I had gone to Dalian to get a nuclear bomb, and that I had met the North Korean Chairman there. That the Chairman had the nuclear missile destruct device strapped to his body.
Hearing the story of how I killed the Chairman and extracted the nuclear weapons, Magreta let out another sigh.
“Really… Hyeon, whether for better or worse, you exceed all my expectations.”
Back then, the expression she had while letting out a sigh and looking at me was no different from the one she was giving me now.
An expression like a teacher looking at a student they couldn’t handle.
She looked at me with that kind of expression.
I looked at her too and shrugged my shoulders.
“There was no other way.”
Even if the world was heading toward destruction, there was no country that would give nuclear weapons to an individual.
No matter how much I talked about the danger of the Demon Lord, not only other countries, but even America wouldn’t give me nuclear weapons.
This method was the best option for now.
Seeing my expression, Magreta relaxed her own.
She asked.
“Seeing how you caused all this chaos to get it, that must mean the monster called the Demon Lord is that dangerous, right?”
Honestly, I couldn’t even gauge how dangerous the Demon Lord was.
Whether nuclear weapons would be sufficient, or whether even nuclear weapons would be useless.
But the Demon Lord was a monster that the Archmage representing the Magic Kingdom and his party had barely succeeded in sealing.
To face such a monster, if we didn’t even have nuclear weapons, there would be no way to fight it.
Since Trappist had been designated as the new refuge, we couldn’t just leave the Demon Lord alone trusting only in the seal.
Countless people would cross over into the land where the Demon Lord was sealed.
Before the Demon Lord burst out and killed people, I had to catch him using a nuke or whatever else.
The plane, Air Force Two, continued flying toward America.
Flying continuously without stopping midway, the plane arrived in Washington in less than a day.
When the plane that had arrived at Dallas Airport came to a stop on the runway, black sedans pulled up beside it.
We got into the sedans that had come onto the runway and headed for the White House.
The sky in Washington, on the opposite side of the globe, was overcast like the sky in Korea.
However, this hazy sky likely had no radiation concerns.
Perhaps that was why many people were out on the streets in Washington.
They were demonstrators.
People demanding the impeachment of the president who was ruining the Earth, and police blocking those people.
Bang! Bang!
Even gunshots were heard from afar.
Passing through such chaotic streets, the car carrying us and the escort cars arrived at the White House.
Many people were demonstrating in front of the White House as well.
The car entered the White House avoiding those people, and when I got out of the car, I was able to look around the inside of the White House, which I had only seen in movies.
But right now, the inside of the White House was too chaotic to sightsee.
“Stop the article that ran in the New York Times! A nuke went off and you call it a rumor! Are you trying to get us all killed?”
“We need to get help from the Fed immediately. The stock market is in more danger than during the Great Depression!”
People were running through the corridors shouting, and loud arguments were exchanged inside the rooms.
While looking at those people, one person approached.
It was the first person I knew—Samuel Carter, Deputy Director of the Intelligence Agency.
“Welcome. The President has been waiting for you two to arrive.”
He shook hands and then guided me and Magreta.
The place he was guiding us was in a different direction from the office I knew.
When I activated my senses, I detected an elevator leading underground along our path.
“Are we going to the underground bunker?”
Samuel nodded at my question.
“You knew the White House layout too? That’s right. The President is currently in the underground bunker. Since a nuke went off, he has no choice but to be in the bunker.”
Was this because of me too?
At Samuel’s words, Magreta glanced at me.
I pretended not to notice and kept walking.
Shortly after, we took the elevator on the east side of the White House and went underground.
Even after going underground, there were inspections like when we arrived at the White House, but no one noticed my spear and backpack.
Passing through the inspections like that, we were able to arrive at a room filled with monitors.
In the center of the room where several people were gathered, an old man I had often seen on TV was sitting.
“I’ve heard a lot about you. I am the President of the United States of America, David Stewart. Pleased to meet you.”
When I entered, the healthy-looking old man stood up and extended his hand to me.
I took his hand, and before the handshake was even over, the old man asked.
“This may seem discourteous, but I have no choice but to ask because time is short. Did you bring the awakening agent?”
I took out several potions I had set aside separately from my pocket and handed them to him.
“It’s enough for 2,000 people. You should be able to create several tens of candidates.”
The President handed the bottles he received to the man beside him, and the man held the bottles up to a device I was seeing for the first time.
“The energy is the same. It’s the same item.”
At the man’s words, the President nodded with a satisfied expression.
“Good. I’m glad you weren’t late. Come here. I need to introduce you to the others as well.”
The President patted the spot beside him.
‘Is he going to introduce me to the people in the room?’
With that thought in mind, I went to the President’s side, but the President did not introduce me to them.
Instead, he sent a signal to the person in front of him.
“Begin.”
As soon as the President finished speaking, all the monitors turned on.
The figures of people appeared inside the screens.
I was surprised seeing the people.
Most of the people visible on the screens were people I knew.
The leaders of various nations.
Presidents and Prime Ministers were looking at me through the screens.
“I shall introduce him to everyone. This is the man who has brought us hope. Mr. Hyeon. The man who brought the drug that creates energy users.”
To America (2)