The Swords I Raised Are Too Strong - Chapter 40

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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Chapter 40. The Madman (3)
“Saint, you dare suggest that I—who served as Arteon’s guardian knight—should be punished by some lowly Yi Do cultist?”
Kim Chang-seok, who had lived thirty years in the Holy Kingdom of Another World.
He had returned during the early stages of the Gate crisis.
In those days—before the Patriot’s emergence—South Korea was hardly a welcoming place for Awakened Ones.
“Father, grant me the power of the Holy War, I who have devoted my entire life to protecting your son Arteon—.”
Prayer within a Gate would flood one’s body with immense holy power, granting absolute dominion.
But step outside, and a single bullet would fell you—just another fragile civilian.
So how did South Korea treat such Awakened Ones in those early Gate crisis days?
“Damn crazy bastard, some shrimp of a guy goes through a trial or whatever, loses his mind, and starts acting up again.”
Trials were strange things.
Kim Chang-seok had lived in Another World for decades.
Someone else had spent a thousand years locked in solitary confinement, training.
Yet another had been trapped in an eternal monitor, playing deadly games against nameless entities.
All of it—for the sake of confronting the Gates.
[China: Awakened One detention facilities established.]
—Declared a mental illness pandemic.
—Classified the superhuman abilities displayed by certain Awakened Ones as abnormal brain phenomena.
[United States: Declaration to treat Awakened Ones properly.]
—Acknowledged that Awakened Ones possessed “Gate-handling capability.”
—Treatment determined by the level of superhuman ability displayed within Gates.
Authoritarian nations simply pushed Awakened Ones forward with guns to assault the Gates.
A few democracies followed America’s lead in declaring proper treatment for Awakened Ones, but ordinary citizens didn’t grasp their importance until the Gates began exploding.
Everyone just watched America’s lead and never actually provided genuine treatment.
South Korea, as always, evaded the Awakened One issue entirely.
Just as it always had.
【Legislative gridlock between ruling and opposition parties over Awakened One-related bills.】
America’s precedent was clear: deploying Awakened Ones to assault Gates required astronomical compensation based on danger level.
Yet the ruling and opposition parties cast mindless opposing votes simply because the other side had proposed the bill.
Time passed without any progress whatsoever.
【Deaths within Gates cannot be the state’s responsibility. Related legislation has not yet been established—.】
And yet Korea’s Gates were still conquered.
Thanks to the voluntary participation of Awakened Ones.
National interest? Patriotism? Public welfare?
No. Those weren’t the reasons.
Longing.
Awakened Ones yearned to enter the Gates.
They had endured trials for eons, accumulating tremendous power, and they missed it desperately.
Outside: ordinary person. Inside a Gate: archmage.
That’s what it was.
【An unidentified metal—uncertain if it held such value.】
—Sales and exports prohibited for safety reasons.
—Government purchase discussions to commence after investigation of actual usage.
All Korean operations continued to be delayed.
The Awakened also failed to receive fair compensation.
In that gap, the Demon Worshippers appeared with utmost secrecy.
‘Can’t I undo this?’
Kim Chang-seok, guardian of the demon god.
Originally, he who protected Arteon, the saint of Another World, became a Demon Worshipper in the early days of the Gate crisis.
Whenever one falls, they transcend.
He had succumbed to that sweet temptation.
And yet….
‘Why did I do that?’
Ziiiiing——.
Kim Chang-seok gazed into the void and raised the holy sword.
Even though he had become a Demon Worshipper.
‘Lord Shin Si-woo….’
The holy sword once again emanated golden divine power.
Precisely, ever since Shin Si-woo installed [the Supreme Celestial Cradle] across the entire nation.
‘Please, chastise this wretched apostate.’
He reflected on the past.
The inferior beings outside the Gates had not recognized his nobility and had scorned him.
From the Gate raids he participated in, all he received was a pittance in alms.
The nation of South Korea had conducted no proper research into items or Towers.
Jesus appeared in the United States, and Transcendents emerged one after another in Japan, entering a phase of territorial stabilization.
In other nations, Awakened ones had overthrown governments.
“Let us too establish a nation of Awakened ones!”
When the Demon Worshippers in South Korea were preparing to rise up.
【Damn bastards, I’ve been grinding my teeth over this the whole time.】
The Patriot appeared.
Summoning twelve aircraft carriers and hundreds of fighter jets.
【Ignoring Hunters who suffered through hellish Gates, failing to draft legislation and delaying it, causing all capable Hunters to flee to the United States, then using the Awakened to restore the people’s livelihoods—but instead stupidly erecting defensive barriers around government buildings first?】
He wielded transcendent power to shake this entire nation.
He executed the President and sitting members of Congress for neglecting the disaster that was the Gates.
After [WorldNet] appeared, he conducted public executions at Gwanghwamun Plaza.
“They’re doing all the nation-toppling for us….”
When the Demon Worshippers first saw the Patriot, that’s what they thought.
But reality was harsh.
【How many damn criminals are there?】
Rapists, murderers—executed in succession.
Even drunk drivers are potential murderers—execution.
During the chaos, he executed every charlatan who exploited people’s vulnerable hearts.
Among them, countless Demon Worshippers were caught in the purge and died.
Get caught being a Demon Worshipper?
You’re dead on the spot.
Kim Chang-seok lived in hiding.
Then, at the moment the Patriot disappeared, orders came down to the Korean branch of the Demon Worshippers.
And…
【South Korea’s second Transcendent, Shin Si-woo!!!】
A second Transcendent, Shin Si-woo, had appeared.
He was even more formidable than the Patriot.
He sensed and killed a Demon Worshipper attempting to assassinate the President, pursued Gye Man-hwi, the Demon Bishop who fled to Japan to escape the Patriot, and killed him there as well.
Then he even killed Britain’s world-class powerhouse, the British Doctor.
He kills them all.
“What am I to do?”
Kim Chang-seok muttered, staring at the orders that had materialized before him.
The instructions given to him were twofold.
[Fall into depravity and sow chaos.]
It meant to fall into depravity in a crowded place and commit an act of terror.
Essentially, it was telling him to commit suicide.
“Is there no way to undo becoming a Demon Worshipper?”
His anguish deepened.
* * *
The Japanese Prime Minister and three Transcendents visited South Korea.
With the highest-ranking figures of a nation arriving all at once, I too met them at the President’s request.
“Won’t you enter the Tower?”
“Do you think I’d leave my post knowing what those bastards might do to our country? If they build another colonial government building like they did before—.”
The Patriot, who had spoken of entering the Tower, stood beside me.
I could feel his determination to strike down the Japanese immediately.
“I’ll enter the Tower after sending those bastards back.”
The paranoid patriotism of the Patriot.
He was so stubborn that I simply left it be.
Besides, it wouldn’t take all day just to meet these people.
Moments later, the Japanese Prime Minister’s entourage appeared in the distance.
“Welcome to Korea!”
As our side’s greeting reached them, the Japanese side began to offer their courteous response.
But then…
Shing—.
“Don’t move a muscle. One twitch and your head flies off.”
Sword Master Cheok Jun-kyung drew his blade to the Japanese Prime Minister’s throat with a devastating iaijutsu technique.
And then he suddenly made this threat.
Before I knew it, Yulgok Yi I’s special forces operatives had begun encircling Japan’s Transcendents.
It happened mere moments after a simple greeting.
‘Since I’m not in a constant state of transcendence, my reaction is a bit slow.’
I am, strictly speaking, a conditional Transcendent.
The Swords react first when I’m in danger, but otherwise they don’t intervene.
Let me take a moment to survey the surroundings.
“….”
The Japanese Prime Minister stares at me with pleading eyes.
I quietly turned my head away, avoiding his gaze.
The Patriot had just brought up something quite intriguing.
“You lot prepared for war, didn’t you?”
The Patriot asked.
“Your military secret technology is supposedly damn good? You bastards. Planning another invasion?”
This is why I didn’t stop the Patriot.
Japan’s technological capabilities are somewhat suspicious.
They’ve miniaturized a portable pseudo-Gate to be smaller than a backpack.
‘Since they’ve even prepared brainwashing, who knows.’
I’ve experienced something similar myself, so I thought I’d observe this for a moment.
Once given the floor, the Prime Minister spoke.
“Our nation’s Lava Gate has flooded, leaving our Transcendents unable to mobilize. Due to insufficient Gate management personnel, the Gate overflowed, and temporary transcendence alone is insufficient….”
In our country, the Patriot’s bombers cover the entire territory, but Japan doesn’t have that advantage.
Even if hunters move to Yuki’s Spirit Realm, lower-ranked hunters face clear limitations.
To handle a flooded Gate, projecting power from reality is naturally essential.
That’s why they had no choice but to stake everything on crafting [Mysteries] with portable Gate functionality.
It was a sufficiently convincing explanation.
However….
“You brought three SSS-rank hunters as a gesture of goodwill? Isn’t this a plan to wipe out the entire leadership and deploy hunters as ground forces?”
The Patriot’s suspicions were endless.
Yet to someone hearing this for the first time, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable.
“Bringing Kanpf here is meant to bring the Japanese military onto Korean soil!”
The Patriot’s bloodshot eyes.
And that resolute voice.
Of course, I think Japan would never do such a thing.
However….
‘Why are these people reacting like that?’
President Lee Seok-hyun, who had asked me to check the Patriot, shows a reaction like ‘Hmm? That does make sense.’
Chief Kang Mu-jin also wears an expression like ‘Interesting—. That might be possible.’
‘Is he appealing to their patriotism?’
It seems he possesses some ability I’m unaware of.
At this rate, our President might forget the purpose of this meeting.
In the end, I had to step in.
“Patriot, let’s keep this reasonable.”
My mediation eased half of the Patriot’s suspicions.
His momentum visibly subsided at my words.
“True enough—if invasion were the goal, they wouldn’t have brought an unawakened Prime Minister.”
I say “half” because the Patriot peppered us with questions throughout our discussion of the alliance.
“You’re not planning to drive some iron stake through our land while opening a portal to the Spirit Realm, are you? Something about severing the earth’s meridians?”
“No, absolutely not, I assure you.”
And so it went—the Patriot asking, the Japanese side desperately denying, over and over.
‘The Patriot certainly doesn’t pull punches.’
In any case, thanks to the Patriot knowing when to hold his tongue, the Korea-Japan alliance concluded smoothly.
“Thank you so much!”
Despite the Patriot’s interrogation-like intensity, the Japanese Prime Minister and Japan’s Transcendents remarkably expressed their gratitude.
If it were me, I’d be thinking about smashing everything to pieces.
After exchanging pleasantries, we finally got down to business.
“What are your plans regarding that matter?”
That matter.
Our alliance had a clear objective.
What else would come after the alliance?
“We plan to coordinate schedules with the United States and Jesus, then strike all at once. We’ll overwhelm them before the North catches on. I’ll notify you of the timing separately.”
War, of course.
Everyone’s eyes widened in shock at my declaration.
“A surprise attack?”
“According to international law….”
These people’s minds are still soft.
Our President, the Japanese Prime Minister, and Japan’s Transcendents all stared at me like I was insane.
Even Director Kang Mu-jin’s eyes screamed, ‘Are you out of your mind?’
“The first war since the Gate Crisis….”
“You’re launching it as a surprise attack?”
Only the Patriot nodded, understanding my intent.
“There’s no reason to declare war on the Chinese. They’re illegally occupying our Korean territory.”
His reasoning differs slightly from mine.
Regardless….
“The Demon’s vessel is our primary target, followed by eliminating the Demon Worshippers hiding in North Korean territory.”
If we’re naming it, this would be the “First Anti-Demon War.”
Thinking of the world crumbling further ahead, this feels almost laughable.
Perhaps a day will come when we call them “NN-th Wars” and no one blinks at surprise attacks anymore.
‘Surely, the Demon itself will fully manifest.’
I’m certain of it.
It stemmed from the differences between [Swords] and Earth.
The disparities between these two worlds extended far beyond the state of Awakeners and Gates.
One of them was ‘population’.
Before the Gate crisis, humanity numbered eight billion, but after the Gates erupted, it had dwindled to six billion.
However, the world of [Swords] did not have nearly as many people.
I could say this with certainty, given the testimony of the Sword that had been watching over me.
⦗Ah, if only that girl had been in that world, she might have truly transcended into a god!!!⦘
It was an undeniable fact.
Earth simply had far more people.
* * *
“Hey! Kanpf, you were going to install that portal, right?”
“Hisss—!!!”
One of Japan’s objectives in visiting South Korea was to install ‘portals utilizing the Spirit Realm’ across the entire territory of South Korea.
Since the Patriot, who roamed all of South Korean soil, would surely handle this better than I could, I delegated the matter to him.
I had even prepared myself to persuade Yuki if she objected.
Yet, why was it?
“Patriot! L-let’s go!”
She seemed far more delighted to see the Patriot than me.
She appeared fearful of the Demon, so I refrained from summoning it.
‘That would be even harder.’
I had yet to hear details about the Black Gate that the Patriot had conquered.
He said he would reveal it through a nationwide announcement, so I was waiting.
Still, from the context of the conversation, if there was something I could discern—.
‘It seemed to have some connection to elves.’
The fact that he specifically summoned the half-elf Yuki made it nearly one hundred percent certain.
‘Well, I’m sure she’ll handle it fine.’
I had no time to concern myself with such trivial matters right now.
A visitor had come to see me.
“P-please, show mercy to this lost lamb.”
He was a man reeking of a nauseating stench.
The kind of foul odor that emanated from Demon Worshippers.
Yet in his trembling hands gleamed a radiant holy sword.
“Divine one, please!!!”
With eyes drunk on fanaticism, he beseeched me for salvation.
‘A Demon Worshipper wielding holy power and begging me for salvation?’
This guy was completely insane.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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