Chapter 252

Different perspectives can arise even from the same incident.

The Republican Party defined this incident as a challenge to Korea and a foreign terrorist attack, strongly advocating for border closures, while the Democratic Party viewed it as an extreme case of magical crime targeting social minorities, calling for strengthened regulations on lethal magic.

From the outset, the arguments being made were so divergent that a normal dialogue was impossible.

The media sharply criticized this ridiculous comedy while simultaneously using police briefing materials to introduce the event timeline to the public.

“The victim of this terror incident, Ms. Noname, started her internet broadcasting in August last year and has become a popular broadcaster, even ranking first in daily viewer numbers in Korea.

Just before the bombing incident occurred, she is seen wearing a campaign hat from President Yi Jo-won, received as a gift, while viewers urged her to take it off.

In response, Ms. Noname innocently wore a Democratic Party scarf, maintaining a good atmosphere.

And here is the problematic music box bomb.

Before the lever could complete a full rotation, Ms. Noname shouted for her fellow streamer to leave the room.

Currently enrolled in an academy, Ms. Noname displayed quick thinking by enveloping her body in an aura and even showed a bold attempt to disarm the bomb.

However, the bomb ultimately exploded, and a fierce magical wind blew, bringing an end to the broadcast.

Fortunately, as the magic was imperfectly cast, Ms. Noname’s life was not in jeopardy.

According to a police officer on site at the time, it was said that they restrained the magic circle from exploding until the very end.

Some are raising concerns that this may not be a retaliation terror attack by Valpurgis against Ms. Noname, but the political arena remains silent on the issue.”

Ironically, the one who played the biggest role in apprehending the culprit was Detective Ma Bum-il.

When the police special forces requested to check the magic usage records, the violent crime investigation team was floundering.

It was the first time the ordinance created after the Valpurgis incident was being applied, and the problem was that there wasn’t a single personnel who knew the procedures well.

On the other hand, Detective Ma, despite being instructed to refrain from frontline work, went directly to the magic construction site and discovered the identity of the perpetrator.

Through close cooperation with staff from the Paju Police Station, he quickly apprehended the culprit and became the first to receive media spotlight.

Citizens who had met him during his time in the genius discovery group took the opportunity to criticize the police chief and the Minister of the Interior and Safety for trying to expel such talent for political reasons.

“Well done, Detective Ma. Not only will you be reinstated, but you’re also assured a triumphant return.”

“What do you mean well done? Do you have any idea how worried your father was about you? If this kind of thing were to happen again, I’d rather leave for Incheon!”

“I appreciate your concern, but I’m really okay.”

Detective Ma frowned and shook his head.

“Why has the kid lost all his sense of fear…?”

He then handed me a piece of pre-sliced apple with a small fork.

I bit into the apple, the crispness resonating in my mouth.

Perhaps because my body was still youthful, my heart did tremble a lot at that time, but reason and experience kept my mind cool.

Looking back, it was surprising that I devised a protective magic circle in such a brief moment.

Meanwhile, the news broke that former rapper and member of the Gangnam District Council, Eom Jun-yong, had been appointed as the vice-chairman of the Valpurgis Special Investigation Committee.

His once bleached blond hair now appeared to have been neatly dyed black again.

“What about the accomplices?”

I had called Detective Ma to the hospital to hear about the ongoing investigation as soon as possible.

Given the nature of the incident, the questioning was no longer in his hands, but Detective Ma still maintained his network.

“The chat records have been recovered, but apparently, they’re unable to find the user.”

“Pfft— I didn’t have much hope anyway.”

Expectations only lead to disappointment.

Still, I was somewhat curious about those chat records.

As I stared at Detective Ma, he maintained his silence for a moment before exhaling a deep sigh.

He seemed to be in a complicated state of mind that was clearly difficult to articulate.

“Do they all wish I had died?”

Upon hearing my words, a lonely light flickered in Detective Ma’s eyes.

As I was the only surviving victim of the terror, it was clear that my very existence would be like a thorn in the side for Valpurgis.

In the end, the outcome of the war depends on public opinion.

Just like how Joan of Arc unified the French army, they might feel worried about me putting pressure on Valpurgis through the Korean government by utilizing my identity.

“No, it’s the opposite.”

“What?”

“That guy said he hoped you survived. From that bombing incident.”

“Isn’t that sarcasm…?”

Could they really be such insane individuals?

It seemed that Valpurgis exceeded the realm of zealotry I had imagined.

My chest felt tight.

How on earth should I unleash this indescribable anger?

—

لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله (There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger.)

Flags inscribed with the Islamic declaration of faith, ‘Shahada’, fluttered everywhere in the streets.

Valpurgis, an Islamic extremist terrorist group centered in Syria and Iraq, spans across Arab countries and North Africa.

Originally, the name was much longer and more complex, but it became widely known due to a terror incident that resulted in 5,000 casualties during the traditional Swedish festival ‘Valborgsmässoafton’.

Since then, they have referred to themselves as Valpurgis.

For locals, the fervor of Islam is often more intense compared to other religions.

This degree of fervor likely stems from the belief that the contents of the Quran (the Islamic scripture) can be directly evidenced.

The fundamental reason people can use magic is due to the mana central line that periodically supplies mana from overlapping dimensions.

If one examines the outline of the mana central line, it resembles the spines of hedgehogs running straight through the Earth, a fact easily found in textbooks across countries.

One side crosses the middle of the Pacific Ocean, while the other end emerges through parts of Israel, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and some areas of Saudi Arabia.

Thus, the reason Valpurgis can maintain its notoriety despite overwhelming diplomatic pressure is that they illegally occupy the “chosen place of God,” referring to the area with the highest mana concentration on Earth.

The leader of Valpurgis occasionally appears in the “holy site”, acting as if he is god himself, making it so that a third of the world’s population has no choice but to bow down to him, whether they want to or not.

Securing followers through religion, obtaining funds by selling mana and drugs, and gaining diplomatic leverage through radical terror are the grand strategies of Valpurgis.

In this sense, Korea was no longer a concern for Valpurgis.

A land so barren that the great Allah didn’t even cast a glance.

They viewed the citizens as atheists, thus thinking Korea was an uncivilized country that did not deserve salvation.

The only reason a few branches were established there was due to the fact that it was the country where drugs sold for the highest price, but there was no active dissemination of doctrine or undertaking of terrorist activities.

But what about the series of bombings, including the arson attack on Bafwadai Bridge eight years ago?

Valpurgis has consistently maintained that Korea received a deserved divine punishment for having dared to ally with the infidels known as UN forces.

However, only a few high-ranking officials were aware that there had also been secret experiments conducted in Korea.

One of them was the terrorist Al-Zarqawi, a former surgeon from Egypt.

“O Messiah! Oooo!”

In a place of worship where Salah (prayer) is conducted, a man lamented with a wide grin.

It was the moment he had long yearned for—the finding of a candidate for the Messiah.

The euphoria that tightened his heart stretched his mouth wide in a smile.

He had always seen the girl, who declared herself a survivor of Valpurgis in Korea, as a thorn in his side as she recklessly stirred up various countries.

Due to the butterfly effect, the United States directly intervened, effectively ending the ‘Darfur War’, causing significant losses for Valpurgis, which had been supporting the war.

How absurd it was.

No matter how important talent may be in this world, the grace provided by nature can never be surpassed.

Yet, Western European countries, which had been cautiously eyeing the situation, began declaring one by one that they would sever diplomatic ties with Arab countries, creating an increasingly awkward position.

It was time to demonstrate a benchmark once again.

It all began with Korea.

Valpurgis threatened its own citizens with bomb terror to instill awareness that they could eliminate anyone without lifting a finger.

As a means of communication, they chose the anonymous ‘Captagon Drug Room’.

After all, even if one failed, there were plenty willing to die instead for the sake of the drugs.

Young people unhappy with the world willingly sacrificed their bodies and sent a music box bomb to a girl.

[I really hope it succeeds. I’m so nervous right now.]

[I’d rather it fail, to be honest.]

[What do you mean by that?]

[It’s nothing an atheist should know.]

Al-Zarqawi remembered the experiments that had been abandoned after losing hundreds of billions of dollars over 30 years and licked his lips.

If that child had truly been the Messiah, a magical bomb wouldn’t have even scratched her skin.

And soon, his wish became a reality.

The bomb exploded without fail, yet the child survived without a single hair harmed.

“Cherub Seraph! You truly weren’t dead! Did this apostate mean to deceive even Allah!”

He had thought the project to create a Messiah had ended in failure.

With eyes wide with excitement, Al-Zarqawi replayed Ms. Noname’s broadcast multiple times.

Why hadn’t he realized it sooner?

The child had been born with abilities that would shock the entire world.

Moreover, what drew Al-Zarqawi’s gaze was Ms. Noname’s dark aura, which twisted like a serpent.

‘It must be her. That child is the new humanity.’

Al-Zarqawi decided to completely scrap the plans he had previously established regarding this terror incident.

Furthermore, to quiet the ongoing controversy, he filmed an interview stating that the bombing in Korea was a unilateral act by a subordinate and not an official position of Valpurgis.

While Ms. Noname was in Korea, it had been impossible to bring her over due to the heightened Korean security.

If the state felt a sense of crisis and attempted to protect Noname, things would become even more precarious.

Her opportunity would come once she left for abroad again.

“O great Sheikh, it seems I’ve found the Messiah…!”

Al-Zarqawi conveyed his plan to the leader of Valpurgis to stop all foreign activities and to lay low in silence while uploading his interview video to V-Tube.

When unsure of what to do, the best strategy is to do nothing at all.

As Al-Zarqawi schemed, he eyed opportunities like a cunning hyena.

However, this backfired.

Twelve hours later, Ms. Noname posted updates about her survival on her V-Tube channel.

“Scared?”

Her expression was infuriatingly dismissive, taunting Valpurgis.

Immediately, signs of division began to surface within Valpurgis.

Intense dissatisfaction started to pour out among the low-ranking members, who had no idea of the intentions of the leadership that posted an apology video.