Chapter 64   – Shout from Pyongyang (4)

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Che-haesol had been on standby.

Woojin’s eyes widened when he saw her. As soon as she saw saw him, she got on her knees.

“Huh? Why are you being like this?”

“Please heed my request.”

“What is it?”

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“Even if it is one hour, could you not rest for a little bit before you go?”

“What?”

Every time he came out of the Dungeon Lieutenant Haesol tried to grab him. However, she clung to him more desperately today.

“Jeez. I told you I’m fine.”

“The political climate right now isn’t good. Please think about your home country and rest a little bit.”

What nonsense is she talking about? When Woojin tilted his head in confusion, Haesol looked around her surrounding, then she approached Woojin to speak into his ears.

“North Korea wants to extensively advertise this successful Dungeon raid. South Korea wants to package it as a North & South joint operation.”

“Then just go with that.”

Woojin had a “So what?” expression on his face.

“Please come with me.”

“I have to return to the Dungeon. You take care of the politics..”

Che-haesol had an almost tearful expression on her face.

The most important person in these proceedings wasn’t showing his face at all. Couldn’t he at least take couple pictures with the others?

Woojin decided to be considerate of Che-haesol’s situation, so he decided to vacate one hour of his schedule.

“Jeez. This is quite tiresome.”

The Memorial Palace became busy when they heard Woojin was coming.

The high ranking North Korean officials and the negotiation team from South Korea all gathered at the banquet hall. Several of them had dissatisfied expression on their faces since they had been waiting on Woojin for 2 weeks. However, it didn’t both Woojin one bit.

All kinds of delicacies were prepared in a grand fashion in the banquet hall. Woojin ate some food, then he stood with Kim-jungun and the representative of the South Korean negotiation team. The three of them took pictures.

“Please smile a little bit.”

At the reporter’s request, Woojin made an exaggerated smile. The high ranking officials North Korean officials were displeased when they saw this.

“Well, I’m really busy, so let’s wrap this up.”

Woojin was about to leave when a Major stopped him. He was a bodyguard affiliated with the Security Department.

“Comrade. Please sign your name on here for me.”

Woojin stared blankly at the white paper handed to him by the guard.

“You are the greatest Roused in South Korea. It would be an honor to receive a signature from you.”

“I was wondering what you wanted.”

Woojin grinned, then he signed his name on the paper.

“Good luck.”

“Thank you, comrade.”

When the guard received his signature, he let out a sigh of relief. The guard even secretly looked towards Kim-jungun to give him a wink.

Woojin felt something was off, so he summoned Ggaebi.

‘Ggaebi. Do you see that pig over there?’

‘I see him, master.’

‘Try latching on to him.’

‘Koo-kook. Finally, my first mission on earth.’

He felt Ggaebi exit his shadow. Ggaebi secretly slipped into Kim-jungun’s shadow. When Ggaebi entered inside Kim-jungun’s shadow, he would able to share in the experience of the host’s movements, and feelings.

Moreover, when he returned to Woojin, Woojin would be able to experience what Ggaebi experienced.

“It’s going to be tight.”

He had only 1 more day left to use the Dungeon. If he wanted to gain a little bit more Achievement Points, he would have to move more diligently.

A man with sharp features was eyeing Woojin as he disappeared from the banquet hall.

Republic’s Supernatural Force Commander Ri-pyunggahn.

Another man approached him, and he quietly whispered to Ri-pyunggahn.

“Commander. We are ready. Are you sure about this? Do you really want to take him head on?”

“Carry it out with the utmost stealth.”

“Understood.”

When the man he ordered disappeared, he let out a twisted laugh.

“That bastard dared to look down on the Republic.”

A mere Roused from South Korea was being pushy inside the heart of North Korea. He was extremely unhappy about it. It also bothered him that Woojin put on a dignified appearance, and he didn’t show any deference towards the chairman.

The chairman admired the Roused.

He had established North Korea’s Supernatural special forces, and Ri-pyunggahn was named the commander of this force. Their Roused population was small, so whenever the high rank Dungeon reset, they had to receive help from China. Their loss was quite substantial.

China was mining gold in their front yard, yet they couldn’t prevent them from doing so. To clear this 6 star Dungeon, they had sent in a team of Roused they had ambitiously cultivated.

There had been 2 A Rank and 8 B Rank.

This group represented almost half of the high ranked Roused of North Korea. The Republic even gave them their only two Return Portal, yet the whole team was wiped out. No one knew what had happened to them.

Since they died before being able to use the Return Portal, they didn’t have any information on the Dungeon. Moreover, they had lost the Roused they had cultivated with much difficulty.

In a flash, the confidence in the Supernatural special forces was lost, and commander Ri-pyunggahn’s position was also shaken.

With only the North Korean forces, they weren’t even able to clear the 6 star Dungeon. Moreover, they still had to worry about the Dungeon Break. China ignored North Korea, and the other nations of the world also ignored them.

In the end, a pompous Roused from South Korea had come to raid the Dungeon. Ri-pyunggahn had snorted at the time. However, Woojin had cleared the Dungeon in 3 days, and he experienced a sense of crisis.

He knew the chairman was trying to appease the Roused named Kahng-woojin. If he joined the Republic, then his post as commander of the Supernatural Forces would immediately be in danger.

The Dungeon had already been cleared, and the negotiation on how they would divvy up the Dungeon had been resolved. North Korea still had 2 Rank A Roused and several dozen skilled Rank B Roused.

The first clear was difficult, but the subsequent raids significantly decreased in difficulty. Moreover, they had been able to learn a significant amount of information about Dungeon from the negotiation talks.

‘That son of a bitch.’

Since the hunt was done, it was time to put down the hunting dog.

Woojin was able to solo the Dungeon by himself, but in the end he was still a human. If a Roused got shot or blown up then death was inevitable.

If it happened inside the Dungeon, then there wouldn’t be any evidence. Before one clears the Dungeon of monster to use the portal, one could still use items from earth.

‘He will become the fertilizer for the growth of our strong and prosperous country.’

Everything he did was to make his country strong and prosperous. The chairman had a brief lapse in judgement. This was for his comrade. Ri-pyunggahn looked towards Kim-jungun, with eyes filled with ambition.

*

Woojin walked past the soldiers still seriously guarding the Dungeon, and he headed towards the Dungeon entrance.

“You are going back in again?”

“Of course.”

“This will probably be your last run. We wish you good luck.”

The soldiers opened a path for him as he headed toward the Dungeon entrance. He just needed to work hard for 1 more day. No. He just needed to work hard for 4 days inside the Dungeon then he’ll be able to go back home.

Woojin entered the Dungeon with a light heart. Right before the barrier could form, another person jumped into the Dungeon. The soldiers weren’t surprised by the extra person, who had entered.

“He was able to enter.”

He had entered before the barrier could form.

If the barrier dissipated, it either meant one cleared the Dungeon, or all the people who went into the Dungeon had died.

This time they were hoping for the latter situation.

“Well done, comrade Nahm-josun.”

A single soldier departed to make a report on the situation.

However, they didn’t see one foreign reporter taking pictures of these events from afar.

*

Four hours had passed since Kahng-woojin had entered the Dungeon.

Ri-pyunggahn was worried.

“Did we fail?”

The agent, who had followed behind Woojin, was a Rank C Roused of the Supernatural Forces. The man’s loyalty to the Republic was extraordinary. He had strapped bombs on his entire body, and he had entered the Dungeon.

This was a plan where his life was forfeit from the start.

As soon as he entered the Dungeon, he was supposed to hug Kahng-woojin and blow himself up. Even if he wasn’t able to grab Woojin, it didn’t matter. The entrance of the subway station was narrow, so an explosion from a short distance would be just as deadly.

So why hadn’t the barrier disappeared yet?

If he came back alive….

“Shit.”

Ri-pyunggahn felt irritated just from thinking about it. He had sent in enough explosives to blow up an entire building. How likely was it that Woojin would come back out alive?

“Yes. Even if he wasn’t killed, he would have received a critical wound. He’s probably on his last breath. He probably received a critical wound, so how will he be able to find and use the Return Stone?

The Roused had abilities well beyond the imagination of humans. Kahng-woojin must had some trick up his sleeves to be still alive. However, he was sure Woojin had received a critical wound.

One needed a Return Stone to break through the barrier.

Even if he was alive, his life would probably end at any moment. He felt frustrated since he had no idea what was going on inside the Dungeon. However, Lee-pyunggahn kept his hope alive as he waited for Woojin to die.

*

It had been over 2 days and 1 hour since Kahng-woojin had entered the Dungeon.

“Something is wrong.”

“What?”

At Lieutenant Che-haesol’s words, the leader of the negotiation group, General Lee-soonchae, replied in a gruff manner.

“If we take into account of Mr. Kahng-woojin’s personality, he wouldn’t attempt something he wouldn’t be able to do.”

“Something must have gone awry.”

Lee-soonchae’s voice was filled with strained emotions. It had been over 2 days since Woojin had entered the Dungeon. He was given 15 days to use the Dungeon for himself, yet an extra day had passed.

The South had agreed to pay for cost of Woojin staying for an extra day, so Lee-soonchae couldn’t help but feel worried.

“Woojin’s last clear time was 1 day and 17 hours. Normally, he should be out by now.”

“Ughh. So what else do you want to say?”

“Don’t we have to launch an investigation?”

“Do you realize where we are? What can we do over here?”

This was Pyungyang.

There were dozens to hundred eyes watching them in secret. What could a mere dozen people making up the negotiation group do in this situation?

“Please look at this.”

Che-haesol had received a photo from one of the foreign reporters. She held it out. It was a picture of an unknown man following Woojin into the Dungeon.

Lee-soonchae’s expression turned serious when he saw the photo.

“When did you obtain this?”

“I received it around 30 minutes ago.”

After Che-haesol obtained the photo, she came to report with a worried heart.

“We’ll have to investigate immediately. We’ll have to make a formal complaint towards North Korea.”

“Are you crazy?”

At Che-haesol’s agitation, Lee-soonchae coldly berated her.

If someone had hatched a scheme, then it would be North Korea’s doing. Still, how could they lodge a complain against them? Should they ask them to just reveal their plots?

It would be like throwing oil onto a fire. This was the heart of North Korea. When they turned their backs for a moment, it would basically be like jumping into a tiger’s maw.

“Let’s just observe for now.”

“…….”

If they hatched a plan to kill Kahng-woojin, they were basically handing the negotiation team a huge bargaining chip.

Even if they were going to lodge a complaint, they would have to do it after they return to South Korea.

They would handle it through diplomacy….

Only Che-haesol had a face full of anxiety and concern.

*

It had been over 2 days and 18 hour since Kahng-woojin had entered the Dungeon.

“What is this?”

Kim-jungun saw the news article on the tablet, and he vented his anger.

It was an article from a French news agency. It was a picture of an unknown man slipping into the Dungeon entrance after Woojin.

“Who is this bastard?”

“We are trying to find that out right now.”

“Hurry up and find out about it. Tell me who this mother fucker is right now!”

“As you command.”

Kim-jungun’s face became red. His ample chin fat trembled. South Korea’s greatest Roused might die this day. No matter how he thought about it, he would come out at a loss. He had to find the bastards who hatched this plan.

It was always the excessively loyal bastards who gave him the most problems.

“Damn bastards!”

Kim-jungun brought his fist down. His gaze landed on the white piece of paper inside the framed picture. It was the paper with Kahng-woojin’s signature.

*

It had been over 3 days and 5 hour since Kahng-woojin had entered the Dungeon.

“Uh? It’s disappearing.”

The barrier was disappearing. Whether Woojin came out alive, or died as the Dungeon reset, this would be big news.

The foreign reporters pressed their camera shutters busily.

A foreign reporter had photographed an unknown man entering the Dungeon, so it had been shown in the news. It caused the atmosphere inside North Korea to turn serious. The activities of the officers in the North Korean army started to pick up.

Lieutenant Che-haesol from South Korea stood in front of the Dungeon everyday for all hours except when she had to sleep.

“Please.”

Was it because she had wanted to hear it? She heard footfall coming up the stairs.

Tuk, tuk.

Each step was deliberate and slow. As he reached the top of the stairs, she saw his face and hair.

There were wounds all over his body, and his face had wounds as if his skin had been scraped off. His face was blotchy, and his skin didn’t look too good.

After Woojin ascended the stairs, he looked around his surrounding. Numerous gazes were fixed on him.

“Hoo hoo.”

He was laughing.

Woojin, who had a blank expression, twisted his mouth.

He had to applied a lot of Regeneration Salve. His face and body was still recovering, but he didn’t care about that. The wounds on his body would heal completely in couple days.

The problem was the dirty feeling he felt. His chest was filled with so much rage that it was stifling him.

The twisted laugh that came out of Woojin stopped, and the smile on his face disappeared.

“Do you all want to die? Is that what you wish?”

Woojin looked around his surrounding with heartless eyes.