The Returner

Choi Jung-hoon stood up and stared at Christopher.

“You're talking nonsense! ”

Unlike the way he still hasn't completely lost his manners, Jung-hoon looked at Christopher with tearing eyes.

But Christopher didn't lose his head.

- Calm down, Mr. Choi.

“Calm down?”

It's not that I have nothing to say. It was just absurd.

“What are you going to do if you take over Lee Hyuk? ”

- You're not asking because you don't know, are you?

“I don't know.”

Christopher laughed at Choi Jung-hoon's uncooperative appearance. Christopher across the screen cut off the tip of his cigar and lit a fire.

- Don't do this, Mr. Choi. You know, the human race has to do everything it can. If we don't fight back, we'll just have to perish safely.

“You want me to lose my morals and live to be happy? ”

Are you still talking about that kind of dream? We ask the rest of humanity if they will survive instead of sacrificing one. I'd say the vote is about 99%.

As soon as Choi Jung-hoon tried to refute something, Christopher cut him off.

- And now you have no right, no status to contradict me. Your only value is that you can communicate with Lee Hyuk. Now that Lee Hyuk has lost his strength, you can't dare to participate in this conversation. I'm just giving you permission to be there for old times' sake, so shut up and sit down.

“This……. ”

“Sit down.”

As Choi Jung-hoon was about to take action, he heard a low voice.

“Prime Minister!"

“I told you to sit down. ”

Choi Jung-hoon's face lit up. My lips were clenched as if I was spewing swear words right away.

Choi Jung-hoon sat down quietly.

It's better to listen than be thrown out and not know what's going on.

Christopher died openly, but Choi Jung-hoon didn't answer.

- So what do you do? Mr. President?

Song Jung-soo answered Christopher's question.

“I'd like to check on a few things. ”

― If you cooperate, I can give you time. There's nothing more important to humanity than this.

Song Jung-soo opened his mouth slowly, taking the eyes of those who looked at him with anxious eyes.

“What do you want to do with Yi Hyuk? Let's talk about this properly. Don't be so clumsy. ”

- It's simple. It's an experiment.

“Experiment?”

Christopher nods.

- As you said, we've been working on ether for a long time. I haven't made enough progress against the Demon Kings yet, but I'm sure I'll find something that will help. But that's not enough. We want to study Mana creatures, not ether. Especially for a human who has handled Mana with the most overwhelming power, there is no shortage of research value.

“Wouldn't it be better to get Yi Hyuk's cooperation? ”

Christopher didn't answer.

And the reaction was telling me a lot.

“The politeness was right. ”

Choi Jung-hoon gritted his teeth badly.

In the basements around the world, I thought of him, who knows what the talents are going through right now.

- If you want to blame me, blame me. But it's clear that while you're criticizing with your hands off, we're moving to stop this. Can you blame me?

“Your excuses suck. ”

At Choi Jung-hoon's statement, Christopher narrowed his eyes.

As soon as the two of them were about to get rougher, Song Jung-soo opened his mouth.

“There's one thing I don't understand. Do you need our help now? Even if we just come and get Lee Hyuk, we won't be able to stop him. ”

- You look like a bum.

Christopher was now completely disrespectful.

- If NDF is actively protecting and taking action, we need to put a lot of power into it. But you do know there's a problem with the streets, and it's hard to get that much power out now because of the Demon Lord who's taken over the East.

“Well……. ”

Song Jeongsoo nods, as if she had understood the situation.

“So that's how it is. ”

Unlike Song Jeong-soo, Choi Jung-hoon was still dying.

“You're talking shit. Do you think Mr. Herkana will stand by while he sees that? ”

- The Demon King has a grudge against us. I keep ignoring this side...... Do you think we're doing something without thinking about it, Mr. Choi?

“I didn't know insects had brains. ”

Bang.

Christopher lights a new cigar and looks down at Choi Jung-hoon with his eyes dimmed.

- Hey, Mr. Choi. I understand how emotional you are. I understand that the relationship between you and Lee Ji-hyuk usually exceeds the bond. It's not that I don't understand your reaction right now.

“ ……. ”

- But not without too much. You're just wearing a swarm. You can objectively imagine which one of you and I is struggling for humanity.

Choi Jung-hoon did not answer.

No, I couldn't answer.

Which one of him and Christopher is more constructive now, because the conclusion is overwhelming.

- Morality? That's good, but it's not essential to humans. We were so gracious to Lee Hyuk. I know it's only a son of a bitch to get this much help and put a knife in a silver man's back. But good. This is it. I don't care if history calls me a son of a bitch. I have to save humanity, even if I become scum.

Not long ago, Choi Jung-hoon was in agreement with what he said to Herkana.

Choi Jung-hoon thought about how selfish and terrifying the creature called Sae Sam-hoon was. He was asking Lee Hyuk to die for humanity, only in different directions.

‘What's different. ’

The stiffness of tone and the stiffness of means are different. Even though Choi Jeong-hoon knew that the end of Lee Hyuk would be extinction or death, he forced Lee Hyuk to fight.

In the name of please.

Christopher is just being more explicit. The charge itself was unchanged. Didn't he already tell Herkana that no one is more important than humanity?

But…….

Song Jung-hoon noticed that she was confused, and instead, she received a message.

“I know what you mean. But I need some time to think about this. The position of the country is not so simple. Please understand.”

- Well, I understand. But I need you to make a decision sooner. Even if we weren't, there wouldn't be one or two countries that want to secure Lee Hyuk right now. We're already stopping China and Russia from moving.

Choi Jung-hoon chuckled.

This is so fucked up.

“I see what you mean. ”

― Please make a wise decision. For humanity, not us.

The vision shuts down and the black screen fills Song's eyes.

“…… damn it. ”

Song Jung-soo leaned against the couch in a hollow color. Yoon Young-min opened her mouth to see Song Jeong-soo like that.

“What should I do?”

“No! ”

The answer was Jung-hoon Choi.

“What has Lee Hyuk done for us so far? You shouldn't even think about it. ”

“But they're also right. We will only perish at this rate. We need a new breakthrough. ”

“There is no guarantee that a breakthrough will be opened by handing over Lee Hyuk. ”

“We have to do everything we can, don't we? ”

Choi Jung-hoon's eyes flashed.

“Is that all you can do after giving Lee Hyuk to Mormoth being defended by the United States? Is that what a country president would say? ”

“Watch your language!”

As soon as Yoon Young-min was about to embark, Song Jung-soo opened his mouth.

“It's not about that. ”

“ ……. ”

Choi Jeong-hoon stared at Song Jeong-soo with burning eyes.

“The biggest question now is if we are willing to protect Lee Hyuk, can we do it? Given Christopher's attitude and foreign circumstances, I don't think he'd give up on us. ”

Jung-hoon nodded. Obviously that was the same idea he had.

“If you can be in a situation where you don't know when a Pyongyang spot will explode, you'll want to get Lee Lee Hyuk when it's still okay. If we refuse, then the coup will begin immediately. Can you stop it? ”

“I'll hold them off.”

“NDF is definitely strong. But if you compare the U.S. military to the Korean military, the result is too weak. You don't think the only reason an aircraft carrier's in the East Sea right now is to protect us? ”

“…… The power itself may be pushed by us, but this is not a war. You can't kidnap people on an airplane. Eventually, you'll have to land on a force of talent or special forces, and then it'll be simple. ”

“That makes sense. ”

There are advantages here if you try to protect it.

I clearly understood that part. But Song Jing-soo thought that wasn't all.

“What's in it for us to protect Lee Hyuk? ”

“Prime Minister!"

Song Jung-hoon shakes his head, watching Jung-hoon get angry.

“This is not a matter of personal friendship or humanitarianism. It's not just for the benefit of the country. If we don't find a breakthrough somehow, humanity ends here. ”

“ ……. ”

“Will you defend your loyalty and perish? Christopher wasn't wrong when he said he had to do everything he could. ”

Choi Jung-hoon stood up.

“What are you doing? ”

“This sucks. I'm getting out. ”

“Hey, Jung-hoon Choi. ”

Choi Jung-hoon spit on the floor and turned around.

“Keep your head down and find out what's in it for you. I will defend my loyalty and perish. ”

“Will you keep acting like a child? This is not a childhood game! A reality that depends on the lives of six billion people! ”

“So think about that reality, both of you. NDF -- no, I would never make that choice. Kill me and take me with you. ”

Boom!

The door closes roughly and lets out a low sigh.

“You think you're pretty smart, but I don't know why you're being so stupid now. ”

“Your breasts are hotter than your head. You know that with your own head. ”

“My heart is hotter than my head.... ”

Song Jung-soo closed his eyes quietly.

The flames in his heart are already extinguished. I'm calculating it like this.

“Hard.”

Song Jung-soo took out a cigarette with his lonely eyes and lit a fire. Smoke pouring into my lungs was bitter today.