Ch.239Chapter 9. Manufactured Revolution (2)

[Tsk.]

After Hyangdan escaped.

[Qiongqi. Disengage fusion.]

[Hmm…. That’s a shame. We could have enjoyed it more. Do you really need someone to talk to that badly?]

[Talking to myself makes me feel like some kind of psycho.]

I disengaged my fusion with Qiongqi so we could talk.

Now that I’ve destroyed the demon Hyangdan’s doppelganger that was hiding beside Laplace, there’s no one left in Phuket who can threaten us.

[What a waste. If I’d known it was a doppelganger here, I should have investigated more.]

[We didn’t know it was a doppelganger.]

I didn’t know she was a doppelganger ability user.

From the beginning, we have no idea what Dueoksini and the other New Seven Deadly Sins are, what abilities they possess, or what their code names are.

But I can guess a few things.

[The Seven Deadly Sins must all be as bad as Dueoksini, if not worse.]

That they’re all insane.

One of them spread demons throughout the country to boost the popularity of a hero in traditional Korean clothing, while another is now trying to incite a Korean historical revolution in another country.

[Perhaps the picture Hyangdan drew was about… overthrowing dictatorship?]

[That must be it. Military, heroes, and the government too. Exposing the unforgivable evil deeds of dictators while encouraging all citizens to take to the streets in protest.]

In a way, we’ve been used by Hyangdan.

Although The Syndicate’s exposure of Laplace and General Akrang’s evil deeds meant the revolution was triggered by external villains rather than the people, ultimately everyone learned about the dictators’ atrocities.

Like killing those who try to uncover the truth about the dictatorship.

Or selecting foreign travelers and imprisoning them on the island.

Or confining Koreans on that succubus island to make them bear children.

Or sending non-Koreans to “God’s sanctuary” to be enslaved.

Or implanting bombs in their heads to prevent them from leaving.

And turning the children born there into weapons for themselves.

[The half-Korean children born on the island would naturally blend into the country’s population over time. Then they would systematically exercise their voting rights to become pawns maintaining the dictators’ regime.]

[If this had continued for even ten more years, it would have become a truly horrific country. A world where only those who collaborate with the dictatorship could survive.]

[…It would be a wonderful world for those who suckle on the warm milk they provide.]

Of course.

That future envisioned by those who collaborate with Laplace will never come to pass.

[Creating dictators to encourage citizens to overthrow dictatorship. These guys are completely insane.]

[And if a revolution occurs from the outside, that revolution is also manufactured?]

[Yes. Thoroughly. From beginning to end, everything would move according to Laplace’s demon’s plans.]

Not just because we intervened, but because Laplace’s demon wouldn’t have wanted such a future.

[That’s all over now.]

I set fire to Laplace’s body with its exploded head.

After disengaging the fusion, I gathered the remaining magical power from Qiongqi and burned Laplace.

[Farewell, vanguard of manufactured dictatorship.]

Whoosh.

The dark red flames, Qiongqi’s flames, instantly melt Laplace.

Blazing fiercely enough to leave not even carbonized remains, the flames dissolve not only Laplace’s mana but also his muscles, flesh, and even bones into ashes.

[If this were Pandemonium, they would have just burned him and left the bone ash to auction off as ‘Laplace’s Mana Powder!!’ Right?]

[If they did something like that, I would have quit The Syndicate.]

[Hehe. That’s true. Me too. The Syndicate… doesn’t go that far.]

The mana powder he had been inhaling must have been made this way.

Killing ability users, burning away their flesh and muscles, leaving only bones, then grinding those bones into powder.

Whoosh.

The flames die down.

Having burned everything so thoroughly that not even bone ash remains, the flames fade like a spent matchstick with nothing left to consume.

Now, Laplace is gone.

While traces of Laplace’s existence remain, not even a pinch of dust is left of Laplace as a living being.

If anything remains as evidence, it would be the red bloodstains on the carpet from when I hit him with my bat earlier.

[To die enjoying pleasure without even knowing he was being manipulated by someone. Maybe I should have beaten him more.]

[Even the beating I gave him for public broadcast was almost counterproductive based on people’s reactions. That was enough.]

By now, people watching the broadcast must be seeing Laplace getting thoroughly beaten.

And the level of violence is just right—enough for people to feel vicarious satisfaction seeing Laplace get beaten, but not too much.

No matter how villainous someone is, the satisfaction of proxy revenge shouldn’t be overshadowed by concerns like “Aren’t they going to beat him to death?” or feelings of sympathy like “That’s going too far.”

I’ve learned this balance through beating many villains with my bat.

Although I couldn’t prevent the magical power Hyangdan had planted in Laplace’s head from exploding, Laplace was beaten painfully enough until then.

[Now the problem is Laplace’s collaborators.]

I turned my head toward the outside of the Hero Association building.

Because of the dark red flame barrier spread across the broken windows, no one outside could see what was happening inside, but the area outside was chaotic with people wanting to know the situation.

The only one who crossed the barrier was Hyangdan.

Everyone else was waiting outside for the barrier to disappear.

Anxiously wondering what was happening inside.

[Well, I guess they’re not that curious.]

Rumble rumble.

In the middle of Phuket’s streets.

[I can’t believe they brought out tanks.]

Tanks began roaming the main road.

Tanks marked with the emblem of a Red Wolf with its jaws open.

[…Even if they try to declare martial law using the military and instill fear in citizens to incite revolution.]

I let mana flow gently through my hand.

[In the age of abilities, that’s impossible.]

* * *

Rumble rumble.

Tanks continued to roll down the main road one after another.

People on the streets quickly scattered to the sides, moving away from the tanks in fear.

-Attention to all citizens in Phuket. Phuket is currently in a semi-war state as we search for the villain ‘Goblin’ who has attacked Phuket.

-This is a real situation. Anyone showing disrespectful behavior will be considered a member of The Syndicate.

The voice of the old general, Red Wolf, echoed through sirens across the roads.

-From now on, our 7th Division will eliminate anti-revolutionary elements within Phuket.

On screens capable of displaying video, Red Wolf with his white beard and blood-spattered face declared martial law with an expressionless face, as if reading a statement.

-Do not trust the heroes. Some parts of the Hero Association have colluded with The Syndicate. The Hero Association President was a puppet of The Syndicate. Laplace is fighting valiantly against The Syndicate’s executives, Qiongqi and Goblin.

Beside him lay the unblurred corpse of the Hero Association President, rolling on the floor with gunshot wounds all over his body.

-All videos circulating are forgeries and lies. They were pre-recorded by Goblin, and the person being assaulted by Goblin in the videos is not Laplace. Anyone sharing these videos or sympathizing with The Syndicate will be immediately arrested. Those who resist will be shot.

No matter how much someone knows the truth.

No matter how well someone understands the situation.

When someone points a gun at your head and threatens you, if getting shot means death, who could easily speak up?

If there is such a person…

“YAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Rumble rumble.

The tanks stopped as they were advancing.

On the road where tanks were moving in a line, a taxi had stopped horizontally, blocking the way.

“Shut that dog barking!”

A middle-aged man in suspenders and a shirt, looking like a typical pot-bellied taxi driver, stood blocking the tanks.

The tanks that had been following in a line on the main road tried to turn sideways to go around, but the taxi driver moved toward the front of the tanks, blocking their path.

Everyone stuck their heads out of windows.

The tanks slowly increased their speed toward the ordinary taxi driver.

Rumble rumble.

The gamble had begun.

* * *

“Kuhak!”

In a space filled with darkness, a woman raised herself up while coughing red blood.

“Kuhuk, khek, kuheok…”

As if her lungs were being torn apart, the woman kept coughing up blood.

But even while coughing blood, she tapped her Taegeuk watch and turned on the TV, connecting it directly to an internet streaming site.

“Heh, hehehehe…!”

In the video.

A man blocking seven tanks comes into view.

With citizens gathered on both sides, the woman clenched her fist as she watched the tanks slowly accelerating toward the man.

“Yes, that’s it. You, nameless one, will become a ‘martyr’…! The catalyst for protests—the death of an ordinary citizen…!”

Drip.

Red blood flowed from the side of the woman’s lips, but she smiled broadly.

Hoping the tank would run over the citizen.

That it would become the spark of revolution—

KWAAANG!

“…Huh?”

The tank stopped.

The wheels were turning, but the tank remained in place.

“…Ah.”

In front of the tank.

In front of the taxi driver who had fallen on his backside, a man was extending one hand toward the tank.

“That man is…”

The camera zoomed in on the man, who was gripping the tank’s steel plate with his hand.

“Nguyen?!”

The hero, Nguyen Ong Bac, had stopped the line of tanks.

Single-handedly.

[In an age where ability users are stronger than tanks, trying to establish a dictatorship using the military is meaningless.]

Applying pre-Cataclysm logic to the post-Cataclysm era makes no sense.

[These aliens really don’t understand humans at all.]

Citizens take to the streets when they feel they have no choice but to act themselves.

But if.

If there are people who can take responsibility for citizens’ safety and represent their opinions.

Citizens will trust and support them.

Because they declare they will protect people’s safety and bravely stand at the forefront.

They are called “heroes.”

All across Phuket.

Boys and girls in school uniforms rushed out and began subduing the tanks.