Ch.250250. The Fall of Seoul (2)

That night, the sound of artillery fire began to echo beyond the command post established at Namhansanseong Fortress.

It was suppression fire to clear a path, and the elite forces led by Kim Su-ho entered Gangnam, the very place from which Kim Su-ho had once been driven out.

Gangnam had already fallen into chaos.

With the Han River defense line collapsed, civilians began fleeing for their lives. Among the Awakened, some bravely stood their ground and fought, while others, valuing their own lives, used civilians as bait to escape.

“Our objective is to secure Songpa Boulevard! Don’t worry about the Awakened who are fleeing like cowards! Focus on rescuing civilians and the Awakened who are bravely fighting against the undead!”

Those who fled could be left to their disgraceful escape.

Kim Su-ho began calming the panicked citizens and rallying the Awakened who were fighting bravely, uniting them under his command.

“It’s Kim Su-ho! Kim Su-ho has appeared!”

“Kim Su-ho has come to save Gangnam!”

“We’re saved!”

The title of “Hero of Seoul” was by no means a light burden.

The mere appearance of Kim Su-ho on the Gangnam front reassured the panicked citizens, and they were able to evacuate from Gangnam step by step under the guidance of the forces led by Kim Su-ho.

The same was true for the Awakened who were still fighting to save citizens in Gangnam.

“W-we’re saved! Kim Su-ho is here!”

“Kim Su-ho has returned!”

“We’ll fight alongside you.”

The mere fact that Kim Su-ho had appeared instantly reversed the gloomy morale of these fighters, and they could now fight with one heart and mind under Kim Su-ho’s name.

The chaos in Gangnam was quickly suppressed, and Kim Su-ho was able to absorb all the righteous Awakened in Gangnam with just one campaign. However…

“Reclaiming the Han River defense line would be impossible.”

Even someone like Kim Su-ho couldn’t recapture Gangnam and break through the Han River defense line.

With his current forces, they had reached their limit just evacuating refugees to Namhansanseong, and to prevent the resources and infrastructure remaining in Gangnam from being seized, they needed to focus on securing supplies rather than reclaiming the Han River defense line.

Kim Su-ho looked at the Han River Bridge with regret, but turned his head away as if there was nothing he could do now, and shouted to a subordinate nearby.

“Set up a refugee center here as planned. Can you handle it?”

“No problem, sir.”

“Accommodate all refugees at Namhansanseong. If necessary, request support from the forces stationed in Seongnam.”

After entrusting his role to his namesake, the captain of Team Liquid, Kim Su-ho immediately joined the battle for resources.

If the power brokers or guilds of Seoul had seen this sight, they would have certainly criticized Kim Su-ho as being just like them, but…

‘We’re not saving South Korea. We’re saving the citizens of Seoul.’

Unfortunately, Kim Su-ho was more confident than anyone else and sincerely believed that bringing about the downfall of South Korea was the way to save Seoul’s citizens.

As the former Hero of Seoul, he knew the contradictions of Seoul better than anyone and realized that the current South Korean system could never withstand this apocalypse.

With the collapse of the Han River defense line—their last chance—the collapse of South Korea was inevitable, and as long as people clung to the illusion of South Korea, the end of the old era was certain.

“Citizens, look around you! The politicians who always boasted they could recapture Gangbuk have fled, and the guilds that always acted so confident are maintaining their silence! Even the commander who once successfully recaptured Gangbuk has been driven out! Is South Korea truly a country worth saving?”

To announce the end of South Korea, Kim Su-ho roamed the streets of Gangnam, recovering resources and facilities while shouting the truth at the top of his lungs to the citizens evacuating from Gangnam.

“K-Kim Su-ho was right! We’ve been deceived!”

“Damn those guild bastards! You said you could protect us! You said Gangnam would be eternal if we just trusted you!”

“The politicians have lied to us!”

Is South Korea truly a country worth surviving?

The politicians who had always been so confident were nowhere to be found, and the guilds that had claimed to fear no battle were maintaining their silence now that the fight had come.

The only hero who had shown results had been driven out once, and now that he had returned to reveal the truth of the situation, the citizens’ anger was about to explode.

Yet despite the citizens’ anger reaching its critical point, there was no response from the fleeing politicians and the guilds avoiding battle.

They didn’t even try to refute Kim Su-ho’s words, and in the face of their continued silence, Kim Su-ho lamented as he struck down an undead and shouted:

“Is this truly a country? Is South Korea, which has abandoned you, really a nation you should remain loyal to?”

It was a question he was also asking himself.

And as if his words were the catalyst, citizens in the streets rose up, taking up arms.

“We can no longer trust South Korea!”

“We are not slaves! The politicians of the old era and the guilds of the new era—they’re all just oppressors trying to rule over us!”

“Let’s follow the Hero of Seoul! Let’s remember our mistake in trusting the oppressors!”

The citizens of Seoul no longer trusted the politicians and guilds of Seoul, but rather the hero, Kim Su-ho.

The influential figures of Seoul had implemented a kind of policy to keep the public ignorant in preparation for rebellion, but even that had its limits. When the fall of Gangnam threatened the lives of citizens, the people of Seoul realized they had been deceived.

One by one, they began to follow Kim Su-ho’s cause, accepting that South Korea was no longer their country.

Indeed, what kind of country cannot save its own citizens?

“Don’t run away! If you truly are our rightful rulers, then stand and fight the undead with dignity!”

“Are you saying you’re afraid of the undead but look down on us citizens? You’ve been treating us like nothing!”

Some radical citizens turned into a mob and began violent protests against the politicians and guilds who were abandoning them, but…

“Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!”

“They’re shooting at us!”

The only response they received was hot lead.

When bullets were fired at the citizens who had turned into a mob, the conflict between the citizens and the authorities reached its peak.

It essentially meant a complete break, and Kim Su-ho was horrified by what he saw.

“This is insane!”

Even a dog that hangs around a Confucian school for three years can recite poetry, and Kim Su-ho had learned politics through various experiences and, with the help of his subordinates, had developed a sufficient political sense.

Though he was still a novice, even to such a beginner in politics, their actions seemed nothing short of madness.

It was essentially destroying the foundation of democracy, and all Kim Su-ho could do now was…

“Let’s escape from Gangnam with the citizens! They are no longer our countrymen!”

Cut ties like a knife.

Kim Su-ho had secretly planned to help them if they asked for assistance first, but after witnessing that scene, he abandoned all hope and wanted to recover the remaining resources and facilities in Seoul and leave Gangnam as quickly as possible.

At Kim Su-ho’s command, his subordinates looked at the Seoul authorities with hateful eyes, rescued the citizens who had fallen to bullets, and began to evacuate from Gangnam.

Kim Su-ho and his subordinates were pale with fatigue and shock at the appalling scene, but…

“With this, South Korea has fallen.”

“Isn’t that fortunate?”

“South Korea, which had only its signboard left, has finally lost even that. Isn’t that something to celebrate?”

In any case, this incident officially marked the fall of South Korea.

Thinking about it, he could only laugh despite the grim situation.

It had been his birth country, and he had thought it would at least meet a dignified end, but seeing it collapse in such an ugly manner eliminated any lingering attachment he might have had to South Korea.

His subordinates seemed to feel the same way, as they openly expressed relief rather than gloom at the fall of South Korea, going so far as to say they were pleased.

“On the other hand, we’ve now become citizens of a fallen nation.”

“…Hmm.”

But that was the problem.

From now on, Kim Su-ho and his group were no longer citizens of South Korea, but stateless people of a fallen nation.

Of course, with Kim Su-ho’s abilities, establishing a country would be easy, and there was the precedent of Seorabeol. He could devour the corpse of South Korea and establish a new country to rule over the Korean Peninsula.

But…

‘I don’t think I have the qualities to be a king or president.’

The issue was that Kim Su-ho himself had no interest in being a king or president.

He had already learned how empty power could be from his experience as the Hero of Seoul, and he didn’t believe he had the talent to be a king or president.

If he had such talent, Kim Su-ho would have recaptured Gangbuk long ago, and this pointless civil war wouldn’t have happened.

“Transport the wounded to Seongnam where there are medical facilities. And…”

So the best option Kim Su-ho could choose was…

“Contact Seorabeol. Seorabeol is now the legitimate government to succeed South Korea.”

“…What?”

To seek asylum in Seorabeol.

It meant that Kim Su-ho himself was closing the door on South Korea, not to establish a new country, but to bow his head to the legitimate government remaining on the Korean Peninsula and enter under its authority.

It wasn’t a choice one would expect from Kim Su-ho, the strongest warlord on the Korean Peninsula, so most of his subordinates who were listening to his words froze, as if they had misheard.

But Kim Su-ho, as if they had heard correctly, looked around at his subordinates with a brazen expression and opened his mouth.

“As you all know, it’s already too late to establish a country now. Do you all agree with that?”

“I suppose so…?”

“And as for receiving foreign support, Seorabeol is already participating in international organizations and has gained the trust of foreign countries. Even if we declare a provisional government, no foreign power would recognize us as a legitimate government. They wouldn’t recognize us as a country.”

Kim Su-ho wasn’t particularly skilled at persuading the public or others.

All he could do was explain the current reality in detail and propose solutions, and even now, Kim Su-ho wasn’t trying to persuade his subordinates but simply stating the realistic situation, reminding them that they were latecomers.

“Are you saying you’d rather be the tail of a dragon than the head of a snake?”

“Yes. I apologize to all of you who have followed me without complaint until now.”

When his subordinate asked if he intended to be the tail of a dragon rather than the head of a snake, Kim Su-ho nodded in affirmation.

“But to save all those refugees and secure homes for them to live in, we need Seorabeol’s support.”

Indeed, now that they had lost even Gangnam, finding a place to accommodate the refugees was a problem.

To solve this, external support was essential, and realistically, Seorabeol was the only force that could support Seoul.

“…That makes sense. But that also means your command will be demoted. Don’t you regret giving up your current position?”

It could certainly be regrettable for Kim Su-ho personally.

Power was not easily obtained, and if Kim Su-ho established a country as the ruler of Seoul, he could potentially become a strong rival to Seorabeol.

He was essentially giving up his position as a hero and a warlord ruling Seoul, but…

“I don’t regret it! The position of Hero of Seoul was merely one I was elevated to by the people’s support! I don’t miss the title of hero! I am no longer the Hero of Seoul, but a leader guiding the survivors of Seoul. I will protect this place as such.”

Kim Su-ho shouted loudly that he didn’t regret it at all, declaring that he had risen to his position through the support of the citizens, that he was no longer the Hero of Seoul, but merely a leader guiding the survivors of Seoul.

At his earnest appeal, Kim Su-ho’s subordinates also steeled their resolve.

“We are already prepared to give our lives for you, sir. If that is your determination, then we must follow.”

“Thank you, all of you.”

They pledged to follow Kim Su-ho without hesitation.