The Returner

“What bullsh*t are you saying here? A nuclear arsenal?” (Song Jeong-Su)

– “It’s as I said.” (Christopher McLaren)

“Are you planning to erase the Korean peninsula from the map? Is that it?” (Song Jeong-Su)

– “Please calm down first.” (Christopher McLaren)

Christopher McLaren raised his hand slightly in a gesture meant to calm Song Jeong-Su down. Now normally, his actions would’ve come across as relaxed and even humorous, but the current him seemed to be struggling to even lift that hand up.

“Have you forgotten about what happened the last time someone tried using the nukes?! Yet, you wish to deploy another one? Are you thinking of killing yourself first instead of dying at the hands of some monsters?” (Song Jeong-Su)

– “The current situation is quite different from back then. I’m sure you have also sensed that by now?” (Christopher McLaren)

Christopher McLaren elaborated on his suggestion.

– “First of all, we haven’t detected the demon kings making any moves so far. If it was in the past, our fighter planes or bombers would’ve been wiped out by the demon kings the moment they approached the demonic beasts. However, no such events happened in the past two months since the war began. We have two hypotheses in regards to this development.” (Christopher McLaren)

Christopher McLaren cut the tip off the cigar before continuing on.

– “One, all the demon kings are waiting for something. Two, they are currently unable to interfere with the current situation for some reason.” (Christopher McLaren)

“Mm...” (Song Jeong-Su)

Song Jeong-Su nodded his head.

It was undeniably true that the one thing everyone was most worried about, the demon kings making a move, had not happened so far.

The scenario of the Korean peninsula falling in two months, then the whole world getting wiped in three months had been based on the assumption that the demon kings would do something.

‘When looking at things that way, it’s not all that hopeful, isn’t it.’ (Song Jeong-Su)

Humans were already reaching their limit while trying to fight the demonic beasts that weren’t accompanied by the demon kings. He wanted to praise everyone for fighting tirelessly and holding on for the past two months, but as it turned out, the truth wasn’t so kind.

“In that case, do you think that the demon kings won’t make a move even if we attack with nukes?” (Song Jeong-Su)

– “Yes, we do.” (Christopher McLaren)

“But what if you’re wrong? What if a crisis similar to the last time happens again? If that happens, humanity will really be finished. We don’t have anyone to resolve the crisis this time, after all.” (Song Jeong-Su)

If Yi Ji-Hyuk was still around, then maybe it was worth giving that plan a shot. But he wasn’t here, and one minor slip up somewhere could lead to the entire world being showered by the nukes.

– “That’s why we searched for a way. The one thing we must take advantage of is that they lack the sufficient understanding of modern weapons.” (Christopher McLaren)

“They do?” (Song Jeong-Su)

– “Yes, they certainly do. They might be aware of the danger posed by the nuclear arsenal carried inside the missiles, but they don’t seem to pay as much attention to regular bombing raids. In that case, we might as well revert back to the ‘old’ tactic.” (Christopher McLaren)

“Mm...” (Song Jeong-Su)

That made some sense.

Even now, the airspace above the Han river was filled with the bombers. However, they weren’t getting attacked as much as initially feared. The strange lack of flight-type monsters meant that the skies were now practically open for anyone and as a result, the bombers were having a free reign up there.

– “The only nuke strike in mankind’s history was done as a bomb drop. And I’m suggesting that we should use that tactic once more.” (Christopher McLaren)

“You must be referring to the ‘Little Boy’.” (Song Jeong-Su)

– “Yes, that’s correct.” (Christopher McLaren)

Technically speaking, that was no longer the ‘only’ nuclear strike in history, since all the ICBMs launched by China had landed in various parts of the world. Although, it was a bit of stretch to call that a strike at this point.

“Will it even work, though?” (Song Jeong-Su) 𝗳𝒓𝙚e𝓌e𝚋𝙣𝚘𝐯𝙚𝙡.𝑐૦ｍ

– “We believe it’ll be fifty-fifty. But we won’t last ten days at this rate unless we do something drastic. It’s not just the Korean frontline, but the situation in my own country is also not very good, as well. You already know that we won’t have a future if just one frontline is lost to the enemies.” (Christopher McLaren)

“Yes, we do know.” (Song Jeong-Su)

Song Jeong-Su lit a cigarette up and Christopher McLaren followed suit by lighting up his cigar. The latter failed to light it up properly though, and he could only suck on the poorly-lit cigar while making an irritated face.

‘He’s at his limit.’ (Song Jeong-Su)

It wasn’t just Song Jeong-Su or Yun Yeong-Min at their mental limits. From how he looked on screen, even Christopher McLaren seemed to be this close to losing his mind, as well. The unfortunate issue at hand was that other than this crazy suggestion made by someone in that condition, they had no other response they could come up with.

In all honesty, that suggestion sounded like the sweet, sweet rainfall after a lengthy drought to Song Jeong-Su’s ears.

If it was not possible to fill the void with manpower, then the next best thing was firepower. And it didn’t matter what anyone said, the greatest firepower mankind possessed right now were the nukes.

If there was a way to hurt the opposition with nuclear weapons, then it’d prove to be an enormous help in the current situation.

“...However, we can’t allow it.” (Song Jeong-Su)

– “May I ask why not?” (Christopher McLaren)

“Because, our soldiers are fighting in the frontlines, that’s why. We can’t drop a nuke where our own citizens are.” (Song Jeong-Su)

– “No, you don’t have to worry about that.” (Christopher McLaren)

Christopher McLaren resolutely shook his head.

– “The location for the nuke isn’t the frontline, but somewhere behind it. Our goal is to ensure that the affected area only extends as far as the north of the Han river.” (Christopher McLaren)

“But, can something like that even be possible?” (Song Jeong-Su)

– “Of course. First of all, as we’re going to drop a bomb, we can accurately designate the landing zone. Although there can be a slight error of one to two kilometres, such a distance will be included within the calculations in the first place. And also...” (Christopher McLaren)

Christopher McLaren continued on with a rueful-sounding tone of voice.

– “Realistically speaking, it’ll be impossible to deploy a large-scale nuke in our current situation. As that’s the case, the damage won’t be as extensive as you may fear. It’ll only amount to nothing more than a tactical nuke.” (Christopher McLaren)

‘It’ll only be a tactical nuke, is it...’ (Song Jeong-Su)

Song Jeong-Su wanted to say so many things right now, but realised that making a retort during this conversation would be too problematic. But the biggest problem was that he still didn’t have a better alternative. His hands were so tied up that this insane suggestion still sounded sweet and enticing.

“By the way, why do you seek our permission?” (Song Jeong-Su)

– “Because, we don’t know for sure.” (Christopher McLaren)

“You don’t know?”

– “In order to strike the demonic beasts, we have no choice but to believe that there are no survivors left in North Korea. But we don’t have a clear proof that that is the case. Not being seen by our eyes doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone up there is dead, after all. But the moment we deploy the nuke, all the potential survivors will be killed, and for a long while, North Korea will turn into a land of death. And finally...” (Christopher McLaren)

Christopher McLaren’s expression contorted.

– “In all honesty, we might be able to control where the nuke lands, but that doesn’t mean we can also control the area affected by the radiation fallout. We can’t ignore the possibility of our combat force at the frontlines suffering from higher than expected damage.” (Christopher McLaren)

“Huh, huhuhuh...” (Song Jeong-Su)

Song Jeong-Su couldn’t help chuckle hollowly at that.

“And yet, you still wish to deploy the nuke?” (Song Jeong-Su)

– “However, do we have any other options left?” (Christopher McLaren)

“...”

– “We will hand over the bomb to your side. Whether to deploy or not, I’ll leave the decision up to you.” (Christopher McLaren)

Song Jeong-Su gritted his teeth.

‘Oh, so you want us to die together?’ (Song Jeong-Su)

If it was Christopher McLaren making the decision and carrying it out, then whether the operation ended in success or failure, all the responsibilities would’ve been his to handle. However, he was sneakily trying to dump that responsibility on the Korean leadership.

Song Jeong-Su started hating Christopher McLaren who was trying to pass on the buck even under the current situation. On the other hand, he could more or less understand why the American was doing this, after taking a good look at himself who was unable to come to an immediate decision despite knowing the truth.

Will they survive the crisis and become the criminals remembered in history, or watch the peninsula get overrun by the monsters because they wanted to protect the fellow countrymen?

It was not an easy choice to make.

“In that case...” (Yun Yeong-Min)

Yun Yeong-Min quietly listening to the conversation finally opened his mouth.

“If I make the decision now, will it be carried out right away?” (Yun Yeong-Min)

“Mister President!” (Song Jeong-Su)

– “Yes, sir. That is so.” (Christopher McLaren)

Yun Yeong-Min slowly nodded his head without looking at Song Jeong-Su once.

“In that case, let’s get started right away.” (Song Jeong-Su)

“But, your excellency!” (Song Jeong-Su)

Song Jeong-Su was so shocked that a term no longer being used leapt out of his mouth all on its own. He freaked out and tried to talk Yun Yeong-Min down, but the latter was adamant with his decision.

“If we have to choose between surviving in ignominy and an inescapable death, then I think surviving by whatever means necessary is the preferable option. Yes, there will be losses, but it’ll still be a hundred times better than our complete annihilation.” (Yun Yeong-Min)

“But sir, how are you planning to deal with the ensuing condemnation?” (Song Jeong-Su)

“Condemnation, you say?” (Yun Yeong-Min)

Yun Yeong-Min smiled brightly.

“There was once upon a time when I felt truly glad to have been elected the president in our current era. And now, it’s time to pay that price. I knew nothing despite being elected as the president. If I knew that the world would change this much and that the position of the president demanded so much responsibility, then I would have never even entertained the idea of running for the office.” (Yun Yeong-Min)

“...”

“Even in practice, the actual president of South Korea isn’t me but you, Mister Prime Minister. Even though I used underhanded methods and demagoguery during the election cycle, you still willingly accepted me as the elected president.” (Yun Yeong-Min)

“Mm...” (Song Jeong-Su)

“So, it’s now time for me to repay the kindness. I must shoulder the crime of taking up this position when I wasn’t really fit to hold the office. I used to think that I’m quite a useless fool as a president, but now that events like this keep happening all around us, maybe that’s not strictly true anymore. Especially when I can at least serve as canon fodder.” (Yun Yeong-Min)

– “If human history gets to continue on, then... I don’t know about Korea, but sir, America will remember you as a man who made the decision that ultimately saved the world.” (Christopher McLaren)

“Well, that sure is a nice notion.” (Yun Yeong-Min)

Yun Yeong-Min faintly smiled.

“In any case, that’s my decision so go ahead and start the operation. If it’s possible, it’ll be better if you can try every method at your disposal.” (Yun Yeong-Min)

– “I’ll remember that, Mister President.” (Christopher McLaren)

Christopher McLaren had been expecting the negotiation to take a while, so a new-found respect wormed its way into his gaze currently locked on Yun Yeong-Min after the latter proved to be stunningly decisive.

But that just went to show how scary this weapon called the nuke was.

Despite humanity inventing it, it dared not to use it after its initial deployment. The ones who could use nukes were the leaders that had climbed to the absolute peak of humanity’s political power structure. Yet even people like that chose to seal away the nukes out of practical and psychological reasons until recently.

Christopher McLaren was now wielding the greatest level of authority in history of the United States of America yet even he was hesitating to use the nukes. Making a tough decision where the fellow countrymen could be affected by the end result was probably the hardest thing in the world.

– “Mister President, your decision today may have saved humanity. You have my respect and gratitude, sir.” (Christopher McLaren)

“That’s enough of empty compliments. Now that we made the call, please get to it as soon as possible.” (Yun Yeong-Min)

– “Understood. We will communicate the bombing schedule later on. Well, then.” (Christopher McLaren)

The giant screen switched off, and Yun Yeong-Min sighed softly under his breath.

“Mister President...” (Song Jeong-Su)

“Mister Prime Minister, can you spare me a cigarette?” (Yun Yeong-Min)

Song Jeong-Su quietly stared at Yun Yeong-Min, before pulling out a cigarette from his packet. The president placed it between his lips and the prime minister lit it up for him.

“It must be nearly five years since I quit, but...” (Yun Yeong-Min)

Yun Yeong-Min bitterly muttered out.

“...It feels like I do need to smoke today.” (Yun Yeong-Min)

“...Please, go ahead, sir.” (Song Jeong-Su)

“You don’t have to look at me with those eyes. Everyone is carrying their own load and fighting on, aren’t we? As a person occupying the highest office in Korea, it’s only obvious that I must carry the biggest burden. Besides, if things end up working out well for everyone, then well, it’ll be alright.” (Yun Yeong-Min)

“But sir, humans aren’t...” (Song Jeong-Su)

“I know. If things work out well, then later on, some people will start questioning if it was really necessary to deploy the nukes, and if we have casualties, then I’ll end up as the object of hatred. I knew that when making this decision.” (Yun Yeong-Min)

Yun Yeong-Min dusted the ashes and settled down on the sofa.

“There are times when you simply have to do it even if you know the consequences. And this is one of those times.” (Yun Yeong-Min)

Song Jeong-Su quietly closed his eyes. If it was him in Yun Yeong-Min’s shoes, could he have made the choice as swiftly and decisively?

No, it would’ve been impossible.

For the first time ever, Song Jeong-Su felt relieved by the fact that Yun Yeong-Min was the president, not him.

‘I guess the heavens weren’t completely unkind to us.’ (Song Jeong-Su)

Song Jeong-Su thought that a fool of a man had been elected as the president at the absolute worst timing, so he took it upon himself to become the prime minister to handle the government affairs. However, as it turned out, his thoughts were incorrect.

“The biggest problem for us is that this really is our final card. If this doesn’t work, or if it did work but nothing much changes, then we really will not have anything else.” (Yun Yeong-Min)

“...Yes, that’s true.” (Song Jeong-Su)

Song Jeong-Su dazedly stared outside the window.

The world visible outside the glass didn’t seem to have changed all that much. But soon, everything would change.

‘Come on, fella. We are really at our limit. Hurry up and come back home already.’ (Song Jeong-Su)

The void left behind by the absence of a man named Yi Ji-Hyuk felt so incredibly large right now.

< 463. With something powerful and unmissable -3 > Fin.