Chapter 739

Ten Monster Waves in a single day were enough to plunge the world into shock and terror.

Worse, they had struck capitals and major cities whose names were known around the world. Several major Guilds, led by Odin Guild, had swiftly suppressed the Monster Waves, but the damage was immense. The confirmed death toll alone had reached several thousand.

People kept their senses on high alert in their homes or emergency shelters, and Michael Silbert did not miss the opportunity to seize the attention of the entire world.

“This is footage Odin Guild obtained during the first Monster Wave in Paris.”

When the CCTV footage was released, it sent another shock through the world.

Odin Guild Master Michael Silbert: “Before it became a Monster Wave, this was a meticulously planned terrorist attack.”

Not a natural disaster, but a man-made one

A calamity born of malice

Ten killers armed with bombs and Magic Gems. Who are the suicide terrorists in the released CCTV footage?

Experts analyzing the CCTV footage: “Each carried several unrefined A-grade Magic Gems and targeted areas near Gates with high concentrations of magical power.”

The world shudders at a horrifying déjà vu: “Remember what happened in South Korea.”

Bringing in bombs and unrefined A-grade Magic Gems: a clear violation of international law

Bombs and Magic Gems traced to Africa and the Middle East

News reports poured in from every direction.

Once it became clear that the Monster Waves had not been unstoppable natural disasters but tragedies caused by terrorism, people were consumed by anger and emptiness, and the internet reached saturation point.

└ I’ve got no words. These people are seriously insane. └ Are they out of their fucking minds?

└ The truth must be brought to light. Every last one of them must be hanged.

└ I saw a foreign article mentioning South Korea. Is that about the Go Jun incident a little while ago? └ Yeah. And now the people who hate Korea are foaming at the mouth, saying Korea’s the root of all evil. └ What the fuck? They wouldn’t even be alive if it weren’t for Cheon Taemin. └ What countries are these people from? └ Jjajang. Wasabi.¹ └ Oh. └ Japan’s always been like that, but what’s with those Chinese bastards? Have they already forgotten Lord Fuck helped them? └ “China.” └ That one word says it all. └ To be fair, maybe because he helped them before, it’s nowhere near as bad in China as it is in Japan. Some people are even tracing the IQs of commenters insulting Lord Fuck so they can teach them a lesson. └ My IQ’s 110. Can they track my location from that? └ I’ve seen people bashing Korea on foreign forums too. Cheon Taemin and Jin Taekyung worked hard to raise Korea’s standing, and that bastard Go Jun² went and ruined it all. └ Jin Taekyung raised Korea’s standing? You sure? Funny, I haven’t seen him once today wwwwwww. └ Haven’t seen your Air Self-Defense Force since a Wyvern beat the shit out of it, either. I did get a good look at Tokyo Tower collapsing, though. └ Welcome, wasabi. └ Does Lord Fuck have ten bodies, you Japanese bastard? Watch some TV. Taekyung ran himself ragged today. He was a step late, but seeing him try to save even one person somehow really moved me. └ So criticizing Korea automatically makes someone Japanese now, lol? Unfortunately, I’m Korean. └ If you want to keep pretending you’re Korean, take the W key off your keyboard.

└ There was no point paying attention to trolls. The most important thing now was finding out who the terrorists belonged to and why they had committed such acts. └ The terrorists are all from the Arab world, so it’s obvious. It has to be either Al-Qaeda or IS. └ If it’s so obvious, why haven’t the countries that were hit issued a joint statement or an official announcement? They need to verify it first. Al-Qaeda and IS have both taken serious losses lately. └ I agree with the comment above. A few weeks ago, their main bases were completely wrecked and their leader was killed and replaced.

Everyone knew about the bloodbath that had swept through the Middle East and Africa.

A mysterious group of vigilantes had appeared. No one knew their faces, their names, or even their genders. They had beheaded the leaders of the terrorist and rebel groups. With their leadership gone in an instant, the two factions had torn themselves apart in fierce internal struggles, suffered enormous losses, and finally raised the white flag.

└ Doesn’t that make it even more obvious? They may have been weakened, but if they lost their leader, they could easily have carried out terrorist attacks around the world in the name of revenge. └ There are probably a lot of elementary school kids here who don’t know this, but when the United States got seriously pissed off during the 9/11 attacks, Hussein got scared and denied that it was them. A little while ago, they practically surrendered and begged people to stop, saying they wouldn’t commit any more terrorist attacks. But this terrorist attack involved ten countries, including the United States. Do you really think that makes sense? └ No matter how crazy they are, that’s impossible. Besides, I heard the current leaders of the Middle Eastern terrorist groups belong to the moderate faction. └ What the hell is going on?

Korean netizens were hardly the only ones asking. News sites and online communities around the world lit up with arguments.

Before long, the answer was broadcast worldwide in a video.

“I declare in the name of the Prophet.”

In the dim light stood an unidentified figure with a robe pulled low over their face.

In the grainy footage, the figure called themself the Prophet and pointed to the two heads placed in front of them before continuing.

“I will wipe from this sacred land the apostates who abandoned their convictions for their own safety. I will bring rightful vengeance and justice to the world.”

It was not hard to recognize whose heads they were. They had led the world’s most dangerous terrorist organizations, and only recently had announced a humiliating surrender.

IS. And Al-Qaeda.

Before the horribly beheaded former leaders, the Prophet slowly parted their lips.

“As long as God is with us, we will not stop. Beginning today, we will judge and punish you.”

“…!”

“…!”

The people watching the video caught their breath without realizing it.

Judgment? Today’s horrific tragedy was only the beginning?

Yet even those staring at the screen in disbelief understood it instinctively. The unidentified figure calling themself the Prophet was not making an empty threat. They could set off a bomb anywhere in the world right now and bring about another disaster.

Then the Prophet’s final words reached the stunned audience.

“Inshallah.³ Know that all of this began with you.”

Crackle.

The short video ended in a burst of harsh static.

No—just when everyone thought it had ended, another screen began transmitting.

It was a dark night, with even the moonlight faint.

A lone figure standing in a desert filled with blood and corpses suddenly raised their head. The face glimpsed through the mask resembled someone everyone knew.

The Skeleton King crossed an empty corridor.

He held a silver tray in one hand, his eyes fixed on the smartphone in the other.

Seven Days Stained with Blood

Monster Wave in Madrid, Spain. Another Terrorist Attack?

The Prophet: Notorious Terrorist Vanishes Like a Ghost

Video Analysis Finds a 99.99% Match: Young Hero’s Other Identity

Joguk Ilbo Chief Editorial Writer Lee Kanghee: “A Tragedy Born of Pointless Heroism”

Public Opinion Divided: A Criminal Drunk on Heroism, or a Vigilante in the Shadows?

“…Damn humans.”

The Skeleton King muttered the curse before he knew it.

Even a brief glance showed him what a mess the online news had become. The front page was filled with nothing but openly condemnatory articles and sensational headlines, while fierce battles between netizens raged beneath them.

└ Lol, look at the level of these garbage reporters’ headlines. └ Seriously. They’re desperate for clicks. Nothing in the articles, either—just bits and pieces stitched together. └ But if you only look at the headline, it isn’t entirely wrong, is it? └ Honestly, I like Lord Fuck too, but I think he acted too hastily this time.

└ This deserves criticism. There’s nothing he can say for himself. └ What do you mean? A few weeks ago, when he wrecked Al-Qaeda and the others, you were all cheering. You didn’t know who did it, but you said it felt great to see those bastards wiped out. └ That doesn’t mean it was right. └ It was fine then but not now? You’re fucking nuts, lol. └ The situation has changed. Seriously, how many people are dead now? Nationalist hype and personal fandom are all well and good, but look at how serious the situation has become because of what Jin Taekyung did.

└ I knew that bastard Jin Taekyung would cause trouble. I couldn’t stand watching him get full of himself when everyone started calling him a young hero and the next Cheon Taemin. └ What a load of shit. When was he ever full of himself? Even when the media was hyping him up, hyung⁴ was still walking around in a tracksuit.

└ I’m trying to stay neutral here, but honestly, it’s just sad. Do you really think Jin Taekyung did it because he’s some bloodthirsty killer? └ Then why did he do it? └ Look at the timing. It was right before the Mana Cultivation Method was released. Seriously, do you think there are only one or two Awakened among the Middle Eastern terrorists and African rebel groups? Who was supposed to deal with them if they learned the Mana Cultivation Method and started committing every kind of crime, including terrorism? └ That still doesn’t justify murder. └ You’re right. But let’s be clear: everyone justified it back then. Now one unbelievably insane bastard has shown up, and everyone’s changed their tune at the speed of light. └ People at home and abroad were all praising the vigilantes at the time. “Whoever they are, great job. Let’s not ask too many questions.” That was the mood. Now it’s flipped.

└ Lot of Jin Taekyung fanboys here, lol. He’s still being condemned worldwide. └ Polls show more people support Lord Fuck. It only looks otherwise because the news sites keep churning out sensational headlines.

└ What I don’t get is Cheon Taemin. Even now, he hasn’t shown his face once. Jin Taekyung’s been missing for days too. └ He caused trouble and is pretending it has nothing to do with him. Seriously disgusting, lol. Just look at Odin Guild. King-God Michael is the past and the future.

Reading the comments, the Skeleton King found himself wondering:

What faces would those humans make if they knew the truth?

But he knew the thought was futile.

At least for now, there was no way to reveal the truth. On the contrary, they might be completely sunk by the backlash.

Human society, as he had come to know it, was far more complicated—and far more frustrating—than he had expected.

Stupid humans.

The Skeleton King shook his head and stopped before a massive door.

When he discovered that the silver tray he had brought yesterday was still sitting there, he let out a deep sigh and carefully pulled on the doorknob.

Click.

As the door slowly opened, he saw someone sitting cross-legged with their back to him.