Chapter 86: Episode 86 – A Time-limited Life, Part II
Chapter 31. A Time-limited Life, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
3.
The middle-aged man standing there was in keen shape. His face was sharp and shaved so neatly that the end of a hair could not be found. The stiff nose, sharp eyes and thick lips in the middle were impressive in many ways.
The most impressive thing was the man’s eyes. They were intensely assertive.
“This is Colonel Lim Hyun-joon, the Commander of the Eighth Mechanized Infantry Division.”
He was a man who refused to compare himself to an ordinary person, and an ambitious man who could be trusted in this turbulent age. He had no intention of hiding his presence, and he could not hide it even if he wanted to.
“This is Kim Tae-hoon, the head of the Mac Guild.”
“I’m here to hear the answer.”
Of course, Colonel did not intend to hide his true intentions in front of Kim Tae-hoon at this moment. “I’ll tell you what the letter says, but I need your help to destroy the Capital Defense Command, so help us all.”
There was no such thing as courtesy at the words of Colonel Lim. He made a one-sided notice and coercion, not a suggestion. He seemed to have no intention of even giving Kim a choice, not to mention a reply.
Kim was willing to answer Colonel Lim. “If you want to fight, please leave here and move to Pocheon, then bring your troops down to Bucheon, and I’ll take you on in any battles or anything else then.”
Colonel Lim’s expression changed fiercely at the response. He was likely to kill Kim with his eyes.
Kim continued without avoiding Colonel Lim’s eyes, “I don’t have time to cheer you up.”
Kim’s eyes were more horrifying than intense. He was not acting.
‘There isn’t much time given.’ Kim was sentenced to a limited-time life via his death in the dream. Of course, the deadline sentence would begin at the moment of killing the dragon and the moment he ate the monster stone of the dragon.
If Kim rejected the dragon’s power, he could get away from the limited-time life. However, he did not intend to. The power of the dragon was vital to him. Nor did he intend to accept the fate of a limited-time life. Therefore, he was planning to find how to untie the curse of the dragon, how to avoid his own death, and how to go further.
Of course, it would not be easy. Since it would not be easy, he had to move quickly. There was no time to relax, and he did not want to waste any time against Colonel Lim. He wanted to make sure his of relationship with Colonel Lim today. A terrifying look was an expression of that feeling.
“Please tell me why you want to destroy the Capital Defense Command.”
Eventually, Colonel Lim calmed himself down. At the sight of Kim’s eyes, he finally gave in. “The biggest reason to break down the Capital Defense Command is that they are unreliable organization.”
“What’s the reason you can’t trust?”
“Currently, the Capital Defense Command is calling itself the government force. They are playing the role of the South Korean government, and it is based on the fact that they have secured the president and the prime minister. There are two cases in this situation.”
Colonel Lim, who was speaking, opened the index finger of his right hand. “One, if the President and the Prime Minister are really alive.”
Then he opened the middle finger. “The other one, if the president and prime minister are dead.”
Colonel Lim clenched his fist. “In the latter case, once the president and prime minister are dead, the Capital Defense Command is lying, and it is not worth believing.”
“If they are alive?”
“I don’t want to call them my boss if they are breathing in a safe place without showing their face a single time in this chaotic world. In either case, I have no reason to trust and follow the Capital Defense Command.”
There was no doubt or hesitation in the eyes of Colonel Lim, who insisted on his opinion. So, what he said seemed very reasonable and plausible. Above all, the aura came out of his body. Charisma, the power to influence a person, perfectly filled the gap in his words.
“I haven’t heard why the Mac Guild should be on one side in the competition between two warlords.” However, Kim was not caught up in the spirit of Colonel Lim. He knew that Colonel Lim was not simply a person who spoke these words for justice.
‘Colonel Lim Hyun-joon is a villainous hero in a turbulent age.’ In the first place, Colonel Lim was a man far from justice. It was the stage of the turbulent age, and the fuel of ambition made him move. He came here not to realize justice, but to realize his ambition.
“And you’ll stick to one side which will give you more, won’t you?”
“The Capital Defense Command pays me national treasures every time I do business with them.”
Colonel Lim shut up at the mention of relics. It was his weakness.
‘There are not many relics available in northern Gyeonggi Province or Gangwon Province.’
The absence of relics…
There were many famous mountains in Gangwon Province, and there are many famous temples. However, there were not as many as Seoul, which had a large number of national treasures, including the National Museum of Korea.
Of course, Colonel Lim was not able to pay the ransom of a monster like Kim Tae-hoon, like the Capital Defense Command.
“What can the Eighth Mechanized Infantry Division give the Mac Guild?”
And if they would not pay the price, the transaction would not be concluded.
“So, you’re going to take the side of the Capital Defense Command?”
“I think it’s reasonable to stand on the side of receiving, rather than where I don’t get anything.”
“Then why did you approach me first? If you were going to take sides with the Capital Defense Command, you would have no reason to approach me through Lieutenant Colonel Yoo.”
Therefore, Kim had no intention of making a deal. “To make a proposal.”
“Proposal?”
“Come under me.”
“Hmm?” At the words of Kim, Colonel Lim showed his first blunt reflection. He looked like he didn’t understand the words.
Kim was willing to tell him again. “Be my man, and the power of the Eighth Mechanized Infantry Division will be under the Mac Guild.”
“What the hell is that-”
“You’re to abandon the rank of a soldier, and be a member of the Mac Guild, as a survivor.”
Now, Colonel Lim, who understood what he meant, turned into an angry lion with a hard expression. “That’s ridiculous!”
But he didn’t jump like an angry lion, because Kim’s presence did not allow it.
“If you refuse this proposal, Colonel Lim Hyun-joon will die.”
Colonel Lim had some knowledge about Kim, and even if he did not have that knowledge, he had clearly confirmed Kim’s ability through the two brothers. He knew that even a real lion would not dare to run as it wanted in front of Kim.
“I’m telling you, accepting my offer is the surest way to survive.”
“Is this a threat?”
“The Capital Defense Command will soon send someone to assassinate Colonel Lim Hyun-joon.”
“I’m prepared for that.”
“If I were the assassin, how many days could you hold on?”
Of course, Colonel Lim could not make a retort before this remark.
“… what do you want?”
“The Mac Guild has been recognized by the Capital Defense Command, and the Capital Defense Command has also recognized the autonomy of Bucheon, Incheon, and other areas occupied by the Mac Guild. Of course, when the Eighth Mechanized Infantry Division becomes an organization under the Mac Guild, the reason the Capital Defense Command would attack the Eighth Mechanized Infantry Division disappears.”
“Do you think the Capital Defense Command will keep that promise?”
“Yes, I think they will.”
“That’s ridiculous! You don’t know Lieutenant General Lee Hyuk!”
“It doesn’t matter who Lee Hyuk is. The important thing is that I showed my abilities in front of him.”
At this moment, Colonel Lim could no longer maintain his hard and sharp image.
“Give me a minute, please.”
Colonel Lim finally started to think it over. At that moment, Kim’s eyes narrowed.
‘It’s a signal.’ Kim had raised his hearing ability.
Tap, tap, tap! He heard a hand tapping on the desk in a distant room. The sound was repeated once more, and then someone spoke.
“Boss, Lieutenant Commander Yoo has come from the headquarters of the Capital Defense Command to deliver a request. The request is that if we secure the three nuclear power plants in the area of Gyeongsang Province, including the Kori Nuclear Power Plant, they will give us relics. I think it’s the situation that the boss spoke about last time.”
It was Jang Sung-hoon’s voice.
Kim closed his eyes slightly at the words.
Colonel Lim, who had finished thinking for a long time, talked to Kim. “You said it was a proposal, not a threat.”
“Yes.”
“Then let me ask you a question… What will you give me in return for your proposal?”
“I’ll let you live.”
Colonel Lim retorted with a firm expression. “Is that all?”
Colonel Lim thought that Kim was looking down on him at this moment.
However, Colonel Lim was able to see that his thoughts were wrong when he saw Kim’s eyes.
“Yes, that’s all I will do.”
Kim Tae-hoon, who answered the question, had the most serious eyes in the conversation today.
4.
Namsan Tower…
Three men were smoking in front of where the red light of the Sunsubi of King Jinheung was still soaring. They were Major General Lee Ki-soo, Colonel Jang So-gook, and Major Oh Se-bum.
They puffed up cigarettes, and their conversation started after the cigarette that Lee Ki-soo was smoking became a butt and fell to the floor.
” Lieutenant General Lee Hyuk has decided to ask Kim Tae-hoon to do so. Sooner or later, Lieutenant Colonel Yoo will deliver the request.”
After throwing a cigarette that had quite a bit remaining on the floor, Major Oh Se-bum ground it down and had a firm expression at the name of Kim Tae-hoon. After that, Major Oh Se-bum forced his face to relax.
“Well, we can leave him alone, can’t we? We’ll see about him, then we’ll take care of him when we get a chance?” Major Oh was about to gloss over this conversation.
“What is it?” Colonel Jang So-gook, on the other hand, led this conversation.
Major General Lee replied with a bitter expression to Colonel Jang. “Kori, Wolseong, Uljin.”
“Really?”
“Yes, Lieutenant General Lee is going to ask Kim Tae-hoon and the Mac Guild to secure a nuclear power plant.”
At that moment, Major Oh and Colonel Jang were silent.
A nuclear power plant…
In a situation where energy was needed more than ever, but where there were not many buried energy resources, the only plants able to satisfy the supply and demand of energy were the hydroelectric power plants and nuclear power plants.
Among them, the nuclear power plants were very valuable. It was no exaggeration to say that it was a lamp of hope. It was certainly important to have such a nuclear power plant.
But it was not for that reason that the two men, Colonel Jang and Major Oh kept quiet.
“Nuclear weapons…”
Everybody knew nuclear weapons, as they were the most powerful weapons created by mankind.
“Well, that’s a natural procedure.”
Therefore, the Capital Defense Command had a plan to secure the nuclear weapons early on.
“The nuclear power plant is now a hope.”
In particular, securing nuclear weapons had become a supreme task for the Capital Defense Command after the battle with the Dragon.
The same was true even at this moment when they became aware of the existence of Kim. He was a huge monster, but his presence was only a small one in front of the dragon. No one could imagine him hunting the dragon.
“In many ways, the nuclear weapon is hope.”
The top priority for securing nuclear weapons was securing nuclear power plants. Naturally, the Capital Defense Command has been attempting to secure the nuclear power plants. They had sent special forces to the site of the nuclear plants many times, not once or twice. But all such attempts ended in failure.
“It must remain as a hope.” It was because of their manipulation. Lee Ki-soo had manipulated all the attempts into failure. It was like the manipulation played in Incheon.
The Capital Defense Command did not spare any investment for the crucial mission of securing the nuclear power plants. Thanks to it, they had made a lot of income.
The number of relics taken by Lee Ki-soo through the mission to secure the nuclear power plants was quite large. The number of the relics was not even comparable to the relics acquired in Incheon.
“What are you going to do, Major General?”
This was not the only reason why the nuclear power plant was important to Lee Ki-soo.
“If Kim really moves to secure a nuclear power plant…”
“South Korea’s nuclear weapons development is a scene that should not be in Mr. Mao’s painting.”
Lee Ki-soo did not want the Capital Defense Command to have nuclear weapons!
“There’s nothing good in it for us.”
Nuclear weapons were unaccountable violence. For Lee Ki-soo, who had already done his calculating in a world full of chaos, and for his partner they called Mr. Mao, the appearance of nuclear weapons was like ink that could ruin their calculations entirely.
“Yes. How much effort we put into it…”
Most of all, the area where the nuclear power plant was located, or to be precise, the area of Gyeongsang Province, was the hub of their efforts.
It was not just a stronghold, but a stepping stone to give a leap to Lee Ki-soo in a new era. It was unacceptable for a monster named Kim Tae-hoon to go to such an important stage.
“So, we will stop him.” That was why Major General Lee Ki-soo did not worry for long.
“Is there a way?”
“It won’t be easy. I’ll call Mr. Mao first.”
“But if we don’t stop him…”
Furthermore, Major General Lee Ki-soo did not hesitate. “If we can’t get him in our hands by all the means and methods, we’ll stop him from going into the enemy’s hands. It’s hard to do, but we can do anything to destroy him.”
Colonel Jang and Major Oh kept their mouths shut at the sight of Major General Lee Ki-soo, who did not hesitate.
Major General Lee looked at the two, took out a cigarette again, and put it in his mouth.