Chapter 123
Chapter 123: Poison Demon and the Chocolate Factory (2)
[The Nameless Hero is in that building over there!]
In other words.
'The Nameless Hero is dead.'
Chief Han's shocking statement was broadcast and transmitted across the entire world.
The broadcast was hastily cut off.
And on the scene, yellow caution tape was finally stretched out at length.
Reporters were forced to fall back much further than before.
All unauthorized filming was strictly prohibited.
Before long, personnel arrived from France's Murim Tower Administration Bureau and the Fire Department.
"We have to save him! We have to, I'm telling you!"
Chief Han threw herself into a frenzy.
More than a dozen French police officers swarmed her, confiscated her Artificial Dantian, and bound her tightly with restraints.
The French Murim Tower Administration Bureau and Fire Department brought a large machine.
An energy measurement device.
It was a machine built by applying energy technology that had advanced following the emergence of the Murim Tower.
A technology that measured the faint energy flowing through living beings to locate survivors.
It had now reached a level where it could even find a single rat.
Ziiing—.
The mechanical device scanned the ruins, which were still burning.
"He'll be alive. He's definitely alive."
Chief Han muttered like a madwoman and stared holes through the machine, and then—
Bip bip— Dii—.
"There are no survivors."
The Fire Department official shook his head.
"Aaaargh—!"
Chief Han slammed her forehead against the ground over and over, wailing in agony.
From a distance, the reporters' broadcast continued.
[(Breaking News) Nameless Hero Dead?]
The entire world was watching.
The immense value that a single person called the Nameless Hero carried.
And if it was true that he had participated in this rescue operation—
Yet another display of his heroic spirit.
Above all else, the Golden Tower he had brought to France.
All of it had come crashing down along with the sound of the explosion.
The French government first had to address this problem.
The government's statement came out first.
[The Nameless Hero is not in the building.]
It was a vague statement.
Whether it meant he hadn't been there from the start, or that he was now dead and therefore no longer there.
It had been carefully chosen wording, but the backlash was even greater.
The government released another statement.
[The explosion was the result of Killian Ferrand's self-detonation.]
[The Nameless Hero was never there to begin with.]
It was a short briefing with only the addition that details were still under investigation, and no questions were permitted.
An investigation commenced that very day.
The explosion had been so massive that even the bodies hadn't been left intact.
France was slow to cooperate with the investigation.
They used the possibility of additional explosions or collapses as their excuse.
Immediately, critical statements from various nations followed.
[A statement has already been released confirming no survivors—what reason is there to worry about further casualties!]
France ultimately moved forward with a full-scale investigation.
The first step was the detention of Chief Han.
A scene of Chief Han being escorted to the French police station, bound in restraints, was reported thanks to the efforts of one reporter.
And before that broadcast could even cause a stir—
Another breaking news item came out.
[(Breaking News) Chief Han Escapes During Transfer]
Every officer in the transport vehicle had been rendered unconscious.
* * *
Pyeon Jae-yeong received the news of the Nameless Hero's death and fled faster than anyone.
He took refuge in the Embassy of the Republic of Korea located in France.
Every day, he called in media outlets and gave interviews.
"I, Pyeon Jae-yeong, will remain here in France—without sleeping a single wink—until I confirm the survival of the Republic of Korea's hero, the Nameless Hero, and bring him home safely—."
Pyeon Jae-yeong sensed this was the greatest opportunity of his life.
His face appeared on every broadcast across the entire world.
It was the behavior of an opportunist, but—
There was exactly one thing Pyeon Jae-yeong had done right.
That was taking 2 Korean women among those who had been kidnapped and confined, and fleeing with them to the embassy.
France requested the return of the 2 women Pyeon Jae-yeong had taken for investigative purposes, but Pyeon Jae-yeong refused to open the embassy doors.
Eventually, French police officers surrounded the Republic of Korea Embassy late that night.
And at that very same moment—
"Your Excellency, we have arrived in Paris."
The dedicated aircraft of the President of the Republic of Korea landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport.
The embassy surrounded by police officers.
The police had erected barricades, and reporters had swarmed around them.
An absolute pandemonium like a warzone.
The one who cut through the center of that chaos and walked in was—
President Park Jae-yeol.
"Your Excellency! Even with you here, we cannot permit entry."
"Step aside."
The French police blocked him, but Park Jae-yeol pushed through.
He even shoved aside a French officer who stood directly in his path, sending them stumbling.
It wasn't behavior befitting the president of a nation, but there was no stopping his relentless advance.
He even issued a stronger order.
"If they keep blocking us, open fire. I'll take responsibility."
Click click click click—!
Bodyguards of climbing backgrounds raised their firearms and cleared the path.
France raised their weapons as well, but—
"Should we shoot?"
"Are you insane? That's the President of the Republic of Korea!"
"Then what do we—?"
"……I don't know either."
Firing upon the President of the Republic of Korea in this situation was no different from declaring war.
And so Park Jae-yeol ultimately opened the embassy doors and walked inside.
The reporters captured that historic moment on their cameras.
Park Jae-yeol's expression was stern.
He broke into a wide grin the moment he stepped inside the embassy.
"Minister Pyeon!"
"Y-Your Excellency."
"You've worked hard."
Park Jae-yeol grabbed Pyeon Jae-yeong in a fierce embrace.
【President Park Jae-yeol rejoices, thinking, 'What a windfall this is!' +3,000 Happiness】
Park Jae-yeol couldn't stop smiling, but—
'I set the table and some stranger walks in with a spoon!'
Pyeon Jae-yeong kept cursing inwardly without pause.
* * *
From the following day—
The one standing before the cameras was not Pyeon Jae-yeong, but Park Jae-yeol.
Park Jae-yeol raged like Hitler and shouted with fervor.
"France must establish a joint investigation committee! They must clear the debris and conduct DNA analysis on the bodies!"
"But we don't know the Nameless Hero's DNA, do we?"
"That is correct. However!"
Park Jae-yeol pointed at the reporter who had asked the question and cried out.
"He carries Korean DNA!"
Click click click!
Camera flashes burst.
Park Jae-yeol cried out again.
"If the Nameless Hero is dead! As much as I truly do not want to believe it—if our great hero has truly died!"
Park Jae-yeol bit down hard on his lip and declared.
"France had better be prepared."
His words ignited a fire.
World leaders condemned France fiercely.
France released the results of its first investigation.
[No Korean DNA was found!]
[Chief Han is a criminal, and her words are false!]
* * *
[Embassy of the Republic of Korea in France]
Park Jae-yeol's approval ratings had skyrocketed.
He had been at rock bottom, but the decisive and unwavering attitude he had displayed now added the image of a strong leader to his name.
On top of that—'Korean DNA'.
That statement placed national pride as a Korean atop the fury of the people over the Nameless Hero's death.
But right now—
Park Jae-yeol's expression as he watched TV was not pleasant.
He asked Pyeon Jae-yeong.
"Where did classified information like that get leaked from?"
"……."
The TV news was airing strange footage—blurry, but unmistakable.
It was footage taken before Killian's mansion was blown up.
It showed the French Rapid-Response Unit carrying something into the building, then walking back out empty-handed.
The footage wasn't clear.
It was from a reporter's van.
The dashcam footage installed inside it.
A major American media outlet posed a question to its panel.
"It appears the French police had something planned. What do you make of it?"
"They may have brought something in to investigate and left it behind, or alternatively……."
"What could it be?"
The panel member spoke with a grave expression.
"Considering that the French officers left something behind, the fact that they evacuated the scene in what appeared to be a hurry, and that an explosion followed shortly after—"
He adjusted his glasses.
"It could have been explosives."
"……!"
Park Jae-yeol and Pyeon Jae-yeong let out simultaneous groans.
Groans thick with both shock and regret.
'What would have happened if I had been the one to reveal that footage?'
Right now—
Attacking France and defending the Nameless Hero was like a bus ride straight to surging popularity and approval ratings.
Pyeon Jae-yeong spoke.
"I had information that a dashcam went missing from one of the French reporters' vans that had been at the scene."
"Is that so……?"
"There's more."
"What?"
Pyeon Jae-yeong bit his lip and said,
"Our agents say one of the police officers who was at the scene has gone missing."
"What?"
Park Jae-yeol narrowed his eyes, and Pyeon Jae-yeong continued.
"It seems Chief Han is on the move."
* * *
The reaction to the footage was explosive.
The following day, the American media outlet released another interview.
It was interview footage with a French officer.
"I am Julien, a member of the French Police riot unit. I received orders and planted explosives in Killian Ferrand's mansion. All of it was under orders from above."
Another shock!
France immediately issued a counter-statement.
[The interviewed French officer is under internal investigation for misconduct!]
[Judging from the footage, it is clear the interview was conducted under coercion from someone!]
Then, this time—
British broadcasts were in an uproar.
True to Britain's centuries-old rivalry with France, the tone of the broadcasts was one of condemnation toward France.
A leading British anchor shouted in an agitated voice.
"This is breaking news just in! The body of Killian, who was reported to have self-detonated in France, has been found. But the anomalies are not just one or two."
Alongside blurred, pixelated footage of the body—
The anchor explained one by one from the death certificate obtained.
"Killian's body is torn apart and burned in various places, but there is something unusual. Right here, and here and here! There are signs of gunfire."
The signs of gunfire the anchor pointed to were not just one or two.
"Killian, said to have self-detonated. But what on earth are these gunshot marks? The location where Killian was found is reportedly a secret passage connected to his mansion. In that passage—who killed Killian? No, more than that!"
The anchor's eyes went wide.
"Killian had already been shot and killed—so how could he have self-detonated? France must provide answers for its false explanation!"
* * *
I pushed away the flooding thoughts and performed Circulate Energy.
I sat cross-legged, and after a long stretch of time passed and I opened my eyes—
What I saw before me were 10 of Killian's subordinates, bound tightly—
And Omar, shovel in hand, digging into the earth.
"Are you done yet?"
"Not yet. Boss."
Omar was struggling alone, having dug down to shoulder depth.
He had been digging nothing but holes for days, and this was now the 7th one.
"Boss!"
"What?"
"Why exactly do we have to dig holes?"
"Didn't you say you wanted to become a climber."
"Yes."
"Martial arts begin with physical fitness and muscle. If you rely on nothing but an Artificial Dantian, you end up like those guys."
When I pointed toward Killian's subordinates, they let out a 'Heek!' of fright.
"Understood!"
Omar had devoted himself to serving me even more diligently since witnessing my martial arts ability.
Since I'd already crossed paths with the kid, I decided to teach him a little.
I needed to kill time until things settled down outside, and there was bound to be a crowd around the exploded building anyway.
"Boss! After all this digging, I feel like some kind of enlightenment is coming over me."
"You're gradually approaching the supreme principles of martial arts."
"I can feel myself getting stronger!"
"Yeah. Put some spirit into it."
"Ha-aaaap!"
Thwack thwack thwack thwack thwack—!
The speed of the shoveling increased.
Pfft. A laugh escaped me.
Aah.
Omar is a splendid worker.
In my heart, I wanted to just keep him locked up here and work him forever.
Oh wait. I need to let him meet his little sister, so I'll have to send him out.
Hmm.
Should I send him off with some Gu Poison.
In that case, should I also teach him the secret recipe for red bean Bungeoppang filling while I'm at it.
"Dig deep. Once you're done with that, I need to bury those guys."
I turned my gaze toward Killian's subordinates.
"You lot! Did you think you could live happily ever after running a human trafficking operation all this time? Huh?! You rotten scum."
"……."
"When the door to the herb field opened, you walked right in on your own, didn't you? Did you think I'd say, 'Welcome, first time at the herb field?'"
You're free to come in, but leaving is another matter.
Killian's subordinates couldn't understand a word I was saying and were exchanging glances with each other.
Apparently cooking up some scheme to survive.
The sight of those soon-to-be-fertilizer fellows putting their heads together was quite amusing.
Wait.
What's the English word for 'fertilizer'?
I asked Omar.
"Omar! What's the English word for fertilizer?"
"I'm not sure."
A voice came from the pit.
"What about in French?"
"That I don't quite—."
"Ah, damn."
I shouted at the group.
"You kill! You die! Plants hallelujah! Okay?"
The men shook in terror—
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
White Night barked joyfully and leapt about.
Peaceful.
The men had gone pale with fear.
Scared, are you?
The women who had been locked up in there were far more terrified.
Revolting lot.
Villains I don't feel even an ounce of sympathy for.
They'll definitely make fine fertilizer.
Divine Farmer.
The herbs are already dancing with joy.
Some time later.
Omar, having finished digging the hole, clambered out with great effort.
"It's done."
"Good work."
"……."
"Why do you look like that?"
"No, it's just—I suddenly feel wronged."
"About what?"
"Aren't there plenty of workers right here."
Omar pointed at the men.
"These guys are going to die anyway—couldn't we work them harder and then kill them?"
"……Ah!"
Suddenly everything in front of me brightened up and—
A song began to play in my head.
Oompa—Loompa—Loompadi—di.