Chapter 2417 – 2417. Eternal Eden
I checked Jung Woo-hyun’s corruption files.
They contained all his corrupt activities from when he became a politician until now.
Jung Woo-hyun was not only taking bribes but also spreading them around. His goal was singular: power. He only moved to seize power. He was like an embodiment of power. Lately, it seemed he was accumulating wealth by taking bribes from corporations.
Most crucially, there was evidence that he had conducted human experiments. Well, I guess there aren’t many countries that don’t conduct human experiments in this day and age… but getting caught is wrong.
“Lee Yeon-hee, what exactly can you do with your ability?”
“It’s a versatile ability, so I can do a lot. Starting with hiding my appearance using spatial refraction, I can also create small spatial passages.”
“Spatial passages? Warp gates?”
What is this? This overpowered ability. With such an ability, couldn’t Lee Yeon-hee rule South Korea?
“Yes, but not large enough for a person to pass through. There are also quite a few distance limitations. I can also manipulate space to see and hear things far away.”
“An excellent ability for surveillance and eavesdropping. Wait a minute. With that ability, could you possibly…”
“Yes. I know the true value of Yoo-jin’s ability. I also know how the Sungjin Church gained its power.”
“……You didn’t report those things to the government, did you?”
“Of course not. I hid it as much as possible. It would be more harmful than beneficial to reveal it now. Please know that I was the reason the Sungjin Church was able to grow without difficulty until now.”
“Why? From your perspective, shouldn’t a cult be the most guarded against?”
“The Sungjin Church is a religion that originated in Korea. People tend to rely on religion when they are going through hard times, and I judged that it was better for them to rely on the Sungjin Church rather than foreign religions.”
“…By any chance, is your smartphone made in Korea?”
“Yes. It’s the latest model released a year ago.”
“What about the appliances at home?”
“All of them are made in Korea. I don’t use anything that isn’t made in Korea.”
“The suit you’re wearing now is a Western suit.”
“That’s the thing I dislike the most, but it can’t be helped. I have to wear a suit to work. But this suit is custom-made in Korea.”
“You must only eat Korean food too.”
“Local produce for local people. Korean things are the best for the Korean body.”
“…By any chance, even cola?”
“Yes. I only drink Samil Cola.”
She’s not normal.
I felt the need to treat her more carefully. I couldn’t understand her way of thinking, only drinking Korean cola.
“What you’re curious about, Yoo-jin, is the limit of my ability, right?”
“Are you going to tell me?”
“I get very tired after using my ability. I can maintain spatial refraction for about an hour, but after creating spatial movement or spatial passages, I become so exhausted that I can’t use my ability for a while. It’s a tricky ability to use in actual combat.”
It’s like using up a lot of MP in a game.
But that will change over time. Abilities grow the more you use them. I, too, could use my abilities more than before.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, I can gain an advantage in the public opinion battle.”
“It’s nothing. I’m just sorry that this is all I can do right now.”
* * *
Jung Woo-hyun sat in his chair, looking at his smartphone. The live news broadcast showed protesters demonstrating in front of the Blue House. About 2,000 people. They were shouting in unison. Armed police officers stood around the protesters.
“Jung Woo-hyun, resign!”
“Resign!”
“There are monsters roaming around, so why are you talking about gun control! Are you telling us all to die by monsters!”
“Why are you saying that! Why are you saying that!”
“Explain the human experiments you conducted in collaboration with corporations and military units!”
“Explain! Explain!”
These protesters were crazy. They were protesting in three shifts, shouting day and night. Even the police watching them were fed up.
The internet public opinion was favorable to the protesters. This was because the corruption that Jung Woo-hyun had committed in the past had been exposed. The most serious was, of course, the fact that he had conducted human experiments. Somehow, evidence photos were spreading.
Jung Woo-hyun’s approval rating continued to plummet.
Jung Woo-hyun’s mind was complex. He immediately cracked down on the media that had released the corruption information. It would have been impossible in normal South Korea, but now martial law had been declared. A certain level of force was allowed.
‘The problem is that those journalists don’t listen to me.’
He had secretly conducted torture through the First Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service. But the journalists didn’t budge. They would rather die than open their mouths.
‘Turns out, these guys were all related to the Sungjin Church. A bunch of fanatics.’
As soon as he found out, he stopped the torture. It was a loss to deal with real fanatics. It was faster and more efficient to physically close down the media offices or hire hackers to manipulate internet articles.
‘The problem is… that I got caught taking the journalists.’
The media had turned into an enemy. The journalists were foaming at the mouth, calling it media oppression.
A comment manipulation unit? Of course, they were working. But the other side also had a comment manipulation unit. And it was a comment manipulation unit that worshipped Sung Yoo-jin.
Public opinion was bad. He was completely losing. It was difficult to criticize Sung Yoo-jin because the public recognized her as a superhero. If he recklessly criticized her with fabrications and propaganda without evidence, it would only backfire. To turn the situation around, he needed irrefutable evidence. That was what he needed.
‘How did they find out about the corruption I committed? Those were things that even my chief of staff didn’t know…’
His worries deepened. Then, there was a knock and a man’s voice was heard.
“Mr. President. This is First Deputy Director Shin Young-soo. May I come in?”
“Come in.”
Shin Young-soo came in. Looking at his calm face, Jung Woo-hyun felt a slight surge of anger.
“…You. Are you doing your job properly? Why is Sung Yoo-jin still holding out?”
“In a week, the food supply at Sungak Elementary School will be completely depleted. After a week, an incident will occur inside Sungak Elementary School. If we capture someone who escaped from Sungak Elementary School and publicize what happened inside, public opinion will turn around.”
“Why not just incite them now? It’s true that all sorts of dirty things are happening inside Sungak Elementary School right now.”
“The evidence is being thoroughly managed. People won’t believe it. After a week, Sungak Elementary School won’t be able to pay attention to public opinion.”
“How about designating the Sungjin Church as a cult?”
“Mr. President, have you forgotten why the Sungjin Church regards Sung Yoo-jin as a god?”
“…Recovery. I was a bit impatient and didn’t think it through.”
It was one thing if it was an ordinary cult. But the number of people joining the Sungjin Church to take advantage of Sung Yoo-jin’s recovery ability was likely to increase.
“But are we just going to sit here and take it?”
“They’re just making a fuss. Human experiments? After it’s all over, we can just fabricate that it was all propaganda. Martial law has been declared, hasn’t it?”
“Still, I’m uneasy. Isn’t there a sure way to bring down Sungak Elementary School?”
Shin Young-soo grinned. He took out his smartphone from his pocket.
“There is one way. Please take a look at this.”
“This is…”
“It’s a video of Sung Yoo-jin kicking her younger sister, Sung Ah-jin, in the head and killing her.”
“I heard about it. But I didn’t expect you to have a video. You have a sly side to you.”
“Haha. I am First Deputy Director Shin Young-soo.”
“But I don’t like that you didn’t report it to me.”
“…That’s, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to use this kind of video if possible…”
Shin Young-soo was sweating profusely as he made excuses. Jung Woo-hyun’s eyes sharpened, but he soon relaxed his expression and said,
“Spread that video. It seems like the perfect time.”
The hero of Korea kicked his own sister to death. With such a powerful video, the articles about human experiments would be buried.
“Yes, Mr. President. I will follow your orders. But what will you do after capturing Sung Yoo-jin?”
“Sung Yoo-jin has already rejected my offer. He’s just a criminal. He should be locked up in a special facility and made to use his ability.”
“Haha. That’s a wise choice.”
Jung Woo-hyun, having relieved his worries, took out a pill bottle from his pocket. He took out two Xenodes and swallowed them. Originally, one pill a day was the recommended dosage, but…
‘I can’t just eat one of these good things a day.’
After taking two, his body was overflowing with energy. The fatigue disappeared, and his mind became clear. He felt like he was in his twenties again.
The side effect of erectile dysfunction?
That could be solved once he got his hands on Sung Yoo-jin. Sung Yoo-jin’s ability was recovery. If he could cure incurable diseases, he couldn’t cure erectile dysfunction.
* * *
A video spread throughout South Korea through news and the internet.
The people who saw the video were shocked.
“The Thunder God, Sung Yoo-jin, kicked his own sister to death? What kind of hero is that!”
“No, wait. Is there any solid evidence that the woman is his sister? It could be a composite video in the first place.”
“Look at Sung Yoo-jin’s personality. I knew it from when he was hanging out with women.”
“What is the Korean government doing? They should arrest that criminal right away.”
“They’re staying quiet because the video is fake.”
“I’m a video analyst. The video is real.”
“Isn’t it a hologram created by an ability user who creates illusions? Don’t slander Sung Yoo-jin.”
“Is she even Sung Yoo-jin’s sister in the first place?”
“She is Sung Yoo-jin’s sister. Her name is Sung Ah-jin, and I know her well because we were friends in middle school.”
Support and approval for Sung Yoo-jin began to decline.
* * *
Jung Woo-hyun smiled happily.
Public opinion about Sung Yoo-jin was starting to turn. If things continued like this, Sung Yoo-jin would go from a national hero to a kin-slayer and become the worst criminal.
‘That’s when I’ll act. In fact, I could send special forces with this justification right now, but… it’s before Sungak Elementary School collapses. Sung Yoo-jin will resist fiercely, so I’ll suffer losses.’
Sung Yoo-jin must be captured alive. And also Na Chae-young and Yoo Seo-jung. If he had them, South Korea would continue to develop.
“Mr. President, Sung Yoo-jin has started a clarification broadcast.”
Shin Young-soo said beside him.
“Is that so? Turn it on.”
Sung Yoo-jin appeared on the TV screen. And next to him was Sung Ah-jin, who had died with her head crushed.
“……!!”
Shin Young-soo was flustered. He stared at the TV with wide eyes.
Sung Yoo-jin said on TV.
“I am National Assemblyman Sung Yoo-jin. I am here today to clarify the matter that has caused a stir in South Korea. Did I kill my younger sister? My younger sister is right next to me. That video is just a fabricated video to slander me. Isn’t that right, Ah-jin?”
“Uh, ah. Yes. No, yes. That’s right. I’m alive. That video is all fabricated.”
Bang!
Jung Woo-hyun slammed his fist on the desk.
“Shin Young-soo!! What is going on?! Didn’t you say that Sung Yoo-jin killed Sung Ah-jin!!”
“I, it’s true! Sung Yoo-jin killed Sung Ah-jin in front of my eyes! Me and the agents saw it clearly!”
“Then what is that?! Is it fake?!”
“Fake… Yes. It’s fake! It’s definitely fake. It’s certain that they hired a shapeshifter to transform into Sung Ah-jin!! Genetic testing! We can prove that that Sung Ah-jin is fake with genetic testing!”
“What if the genes match? What will you do then?”
Could a shapeshifter make their genes the same? There was a possibility. Awakened abilities were so unique. They couldn’t be explained by science.
“Th, then we’ll fabricate…”
“Tsk. First Deputy Director Shin Young-soo. You’re disappointing me too much.”
The TV news didn’t end. Sung Yoo-jin sent Sung Ah-jin back and then led the reporters and cameramen somewhere.
It was a hospital room.
It was full of critically ill patients. Patients with severed arms, patients with burns all over their bodies, patients in a vegetative state, and elderly people with dementia.
“This crazy… Don’t tell me…”
Jung Woo-hyun’s eyes, which had predicted the future, shook violently. His prediction was accurate.
“You know that I have a recovery ability. Recently, that ability has developed, and I can now treat critically ill patients. Look.”
The arm of a patient with a severed arm grew back.
A patient with burns all over their body regained smooth skin.
A patient in a vegetative state jumped out of bed.
But the real thing came last.
An elderly person with dementia became younger, in their middle age. Dementia? Of course, it was cured.
A miracle was unfolding live on the broadcast.
“This crazy bastard… I didn’t think he could even recover from aging…!”
Now all sorts of forces would target Sung Yoo-jin. It had been discovered that he could not only recover from injuries but also do something about aging.
Was Sung Yoo-jin confident that he could fight against those who were targeting him? Had he already gained that much power? Or was he trying to use South Korea?
Most of all, the worst thing was that Sung Yoo-jin was trying to become something beyond a hero.
A god.
An unapproachable being.
‘No, not yet.’
Recovery of critically ill patients? It was impressive.
But that was something that could be solved naturally as technology developed.
A severed arm could be replaced with a prosthetic. Burns all over the body? You could develop a treatment for that or create artificial skin and transplant it. A vegetative state? Likewise, it could be solved as technology developed.
Aging? The same. Aging could eventually be overcome when technology reached its peak.
And somewhere in the world, there might be an awakened person with abilities similar to Sung Yoo-jin.
Jung Woo-hyun felt a sense of crisis along with greed.
‘If I can get my hands on Sung Yoo-jin and control him as I please… no one in South Korea will be able to refuse me.’
On the screen, Sung Yoo-jin was answering the reporters’ questions. The most curious thing was, of course, the reversal of aging.
“There are no side effects from the reversal of aging. Memories are also intact. However… with my current ability, I can only do it for about one person a day. Even then, I get very tired afterward. Unfortunately, not everyone can benefit from my ability. Please understand.”
And finally,
“The current government is detaining my parents. The government should send my parents to me as soon as possible. I have the power to protect my parents.”
The government had kidnapped and imprisoned Sung Yoo-jin’s parents. It was clear that this would spread like this.
“I shouldn’t waste any more time. I need to move the military.”
Eternal youth must be obtained. He did not suppress the greed that was rising within him.
