The World Does Not Exist for ■■

Translator: FenrirTL
Editor: ford53
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< Chapter 33: A Coincidence for the NPC (4) >

In the past, radical nationalists in Korea advocated what was known as “Northern Expansionism.”

They claimed that Manchuria was inherently Korean land and that the detestable communists should be swept away to reclaim the ethnic homeland.

Of course, no one paid attention to their claims.

Not only the sensible citizens but even the right-wing politicians knew that Northern Expansionism was an impossible fantasy.

Korea taking over Manchuria? How could that be possible?

How could they, when the land was amicably split between the communist powerhouses of the Soviet Union and China?

There was no need to even bring up nuclear missiles; the disparity in superhuman forces alone was nearly fivefold.

Rather than taking over Manchuria, there was a real fear in Korea at that time of being invaded by Gaeseong and losing the Dimensional Gate.

Ultimately, all wise Koreans scoffed at the nationalists.

Nationalism in the 20th century? Those are just delusional dreamers.

Without the sudden collapse of the two superpowers, how could Korea ever take over Manchuria?

Was it historical irony or a case of words becoming reality?

While unimaginable to the Koreans of that time, their scoffing turned into reality.

The Soviet Union was swept by a catastrophe, and China became a land inaccessible to all.

Manchuria, long treated as a peripheral region by both countries, narrowly survived.

The precariousness mentioned here referred to the millions of refugees and the lands that had become semi-ruinous overnight.

Chaos was inevitable.

With the disappearance of the two superpowers came an economic crisis, militarized warlords, and an endless stream of refugees…

The developed countries that should have offered help remained silent, preoccupied with their own survival amidst economic turmoil.

Soon after, the UN and the United States asked Korea to take responsibility for the troubled Manchuria.

For Korea, already staggering under its own national issues, this request was a bolt from the blue.

However, the government could not refuse.

They did not have the courage to defy a request from the United States, especially when the U.S. offered the enticing carrot of completely handing over the rights to the Gaeseong Dimensional Gate.

Thus, the Northern Expansionism that the nationalists had clamored for became a reality.

Yet, the nationalists did not celebrate.

Instead of rejoicing at gaining Manchuria without firing a single shot, they vehemently rejected it more than anyone else.

“How could Korea possibly take responsibility for all those refugees?”

“How is it our fault that the two countries ended up like this? It’s the fault of Stalin, addicted to elixir, and those communists!”

“We should seal off the Yalu and Tumen rivers, even if it means withdrawing from the UN!”

“Let’s sweep away those nation-destroying monsters before they bring more monsters!”

But once again, no one listened to their claims.

The Korean government had already silenced them.

* * *

“Vice-Captain, wake up.”

A familiar voice roused Kim Mansoo from his sleep.

“When will you stop sleeping?”

Tossing and turning in the backseat of the sedan, he frowned and opened his eyes.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he looked out the window and was greeted by a painfully familiar sight.

High concrete walls, watchtowers, armed soldiers, and the injured being carried on stretchers.

“Ah, Manchuria, my damned homeland…”

Kim Mansoo rolled down the car window and took a deep breath. The dry, cold air of Manchuria filled his nostrils.

Finally shaking off the remnants of sleep, Kim Mansoo turned to check the passenger seat next to him. It was empty.

“Where did that kid go?!”

Kim Mansoo looked at the driver’s seat with a startled expression, and the younger mercenary who had driven all night responded with a dumbfounded look.

“If you mean him, he went to the mercenary base camp a while ago.”

“He went there by himself without a guide?”

“The instructor was snoring away next to him, sir. After waiting about three minutes, the kid took his phone and went alone.”

“Hey! How can you just let him go alone!”

“I tried my best to wake you, Vice-Captain.”

“…”

“He’s not a three-year-old. What harm could come to him? This isn’t a dangerous area, and what could possibly happen at the Manchuria base?”

Kim Mansoo responded by smacking the back of the younger man’s head.

Thwack!

Struck by the potent palm of the superhuman, the young man winced and hit his head on the steering wheel.

“Hey, you idiot, haven’t you heard that speaking of things can make them happen? Don’t you know that if you say nothing will happen, something definitely will?”

“Come on, Vice-Captain. That’s an overreaction…”

Regardless of what the younger man muttered, Kim Mansoo held his forehead.

If something happened to the newbie, if his talent was revealed, the aftermath was not hard to predict.

The more aggressive types might send an assassin to silently dispatch him, while the wealthy ones might try to ‘poach the newbie’ with a pile of cash.

‘…I came here to prevent that.’

Kim Mansoo sighed deeply. It was as profound a sigh as when he had been dumped by his girlfriend of three years.

“Vice-Captain. Why are you so restless? Could it be that the kid is the hidden son of the Commander?”

“If only that were the case.”

“Looking at his face, he definitely isn’t your son, sir…”

“Enough with the nonsense. You go back to headquarters. Tell Manseok Cheol that we’ve arrived.”

Before his subordinate could respond, Kim Mansoo had already stormed out of the car.

Although a few soldiers and mercenaries recognized him and their expressions changed, he paid them no mind and continued walking.

“Vice-Captain, wake up.”

A familiar voice roused Kim Mansoo from his sleep.

“When will you stop sleeping?”

Tossing and turning in the backseat of the sedan, he frowned and opened his eyes.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he looked out the window and was greeted by a painfully familiar sight.

High concrete walls, watchtowers, armed soldiers, and the injured being carried on stretchers.

“Ah, Manchuria, my damned homeland…”

Kim Mansoo rolled down the car window and took a deep breath. The dry, cold air of Manchuria filled his nostrils.

Finally shaking off the remnants of sleep, Kim Mansoo turned to check the passenger seat next to him. It was empty.

“Where did that kid go?!”

Kim Mansoo looked at the driver’s seat with a startled expression, and the younger mercenary who had driven all night responded with a dumbfounded look.

“If you mean him, he went to the mercenary base camp a while ago.”

“He went there by himself without a guide?”

“The instructor was snoring away next to you, sir. After waiting about three minutes, the kid took his phone and went alone.”

“Hey! How can you just let him go alone!”

“I tried my best to wake you, Vice-Captain.”

“…”

“He’s not a three-year-old. What harm could come to him? This isn’t a dangerous area, and what could possibly happen at the Manchuria base?”

Kim Mansoo responded by smacking the back of the younger man’s head.

Thwack!

Struck by the potent palm of the superhuman, the young man winced and hit his head on the steering wheel.

“Hey, you idiot, haven’t you heard that speaking of things can make them happen? Don’t you know that if you say nothing will happen, something definitely will?”

“Come on, Vice-Captain. That’s an overreaction…”

Regardless of what the younger man muttered, Kim Mansoo held his forehead.

If something happened to the newbie, if his talent was revealed, the aftermath was not hard to predict.

The more aggressive types might send an assassin to silently dispatch him, while the wealthy ones might try to ‘poach the newbie’ with a pile of cash.

‘…I came here to prevent that.’

Kim Mansoo sighed deeply. It was as profound a sigh as when he had been dumped by his girlfriend of three years.

“Vice-Captain. Why are you so restless? Could it be that the kid is the hidden son of the Commander?”

“If only that were the case.”

“Looking at his face, he definitely isn’t your son, sir…”

“Enough with the nonsense. You go back to headquarters. Tell Manseok Cheol that we’ve arrived.”

Before his subordinate could respond, Kim Mansoo had already stormed out of the car.

Although a few soldiers and mercenaries recognized him and their expressions changed, he paid them no mind and continued walking.

‘Please, just be safely at the base camp.’

* * *

The location was known simply as “Manchuria Base.”

Among the various sectors inside the Manchuria Base, the place commonly called the mercenary sector was where Cheon Yeomyeong entered, right at the bright noon sun.

Cheon Yeomyeong strolled leisurely among the residences and commercial establishments prepared for the mercenaries.

Although he was alone with no one to converse with or accompany him, his steps were remarkably carefree, thanks to the absence of a grumbling instructor in the driver’s seat or a deputy snoring in the back.

“This is where I must stay for the next six months.”

With every step, he absorbed the sights of the mercenary sector.

It was hardly a nice place.

Weary soldiers and mercenaries with fierce looks roamed about, and merchants raised their voices over money.

Yet, Cheon Yeomyeong hardly cared. The Manchuria Base was a place where monsters were fought daily, and people died.

It was inherently a place far from peaceful.

…With these thoughts, Cheon Yeomyeong walked for a while when a familiar face caught his eye.

The exposed forehead with M-shaped baldness, a nose as sharp as a blade, and eyes stretched wide.

“The rat bastard who attacked Elder Jangman…?”

Although he wasn’t wearing the blue coat from before, it was unmistakably him.

Perhaps sensing Cheon Yeomyeong’s gaze, the man also halted and turned his head toward Cheon Yeomyeong.

Wide eyes, an open mouth, and a brief silence.

More was communicated through their eyes than a hundred words could convey. Without any visible signal, they almost simultaneously moved.

Cheon Yeomyeong kicked off the ground, and the man began to sprint in the opposite direction.

He didn’t simply run straight; true to his organization’s name, “The Blue Rats,” he utilized all sorts of methods to increase the distance between them.

Every time an alley came up, he turned to disappear from view, leaped over passing vehicles, used air conditioning units as steps to climb through windows, and jumped from one rooftop to another…

But whenever he looked back, Cheon Yeomyeong was closing the distance.

Was it simply because one was a superhuman and the other a normal human? No, it wasn’t just that.

Cheon Yeomyeong was absorbing the techniques shown to him, adopting them in a more efficient and superhuman manner.

“…What kind of crazy bastard is that?”

The moment Cheon Yeomyeong began jumping over the rooftop in the exact same manner as himself, curses burst from the man’s lips.

He turned his head in hopes of finding someone to help, but the passing mercenaries and soldiers were all merely spectators, as if a good show had just begun.

Even the gendarmes, who were supposed to maintain public order, were nonchalantly whistling. There was no one to assist him.

The man clenched his eyes shut and drew the pistol from his waist.

Using a gun without permission at the Manchuria base was a serious crime, but facing a military tribunal was preferable to being captured by a superhuman seeking vengeance.

At least he wouldn’t die.

After finishing his thoughts, the man turned around and aimed the gun. The next moment, an invisibly fast kick struck his wrist.

“Argh!”

The gun, unfired, flew into the air. The man clutched his broken wrist and rolled on the ground.

“Wait! Just wait! I surrender! I’ll surrender!”

He raised his unbroken hand as a sign of surrender.

“There seems to be some, some misunderstanding between us.”

“…What misunderstanding?”

“Are you doing this because of the fight in Incheon? That was all a misunderstanding. I never intended to harm Elder Jangman. Really, I once worked under him, why would I hurt him?”

“Ah, I see.”

Cheon Yeomyeong reached out and grabbed the man’s neck. His superhuman grip tightened around the man’s throat.

“Elder has told me something, not sure if you’re aware of it.”

“Cough, what… what is it…”

“It’s faster to resolve misunderstandings after killing.”

Cheon Yeomyeong tightened his grip. No, he attempted to.

Just as Cheon Yeomyeong was about to snap the man’s neck, something pressed firmly against the back of his head.

Click.

“That’s far enough, don’t you think?”

Turning his head, he saw the barrel of a massive revolver, typically used for hunting bears, aimed at him.

“If you don’t want a hole in your head.”