Chapter 531

It’s been a while since I’ve encountered a physically strong human.

That night, I dreamed of my previous life.

Even as I absorbed my enemies one by one and gained overwhelming power, I still had a rival.

Berstaphen of the Kaizen Empire and Demon Lord Alzahab.

If I had to name someone humanly strong, I would pick the Swordmaster, but without a doubt, the latter was the more difficult opponent.

Especially since the Demon Lord inherited the knowledge of past Demon Lords, his black magic skills were on par with that of a sage.

Boom, boom, boom—

The ground trembles.

Even while aware that it was a dream, I vividly felt the chilling sensation from that time.

With just a gesture, an earthquake occurs, and for a minute, lightning strikes thousands of times.

An 8th circle magic that manipulates the laws of the planet.

To cast this, Alzahab had no qualms about sacrificing thousands of demons.

Before innocent victims could be born, I stole the Demon Lord’s pendant and fled.

Boom, boom, boom—

Fortunately, Ruri arrived just in time…

“Sis, hurry up and get on!”

But it wasn’t that; it was an Apache attack helicopter flying in.

Saetbyeol comes down on a rappel.

“W-what’s going on?”

“I came to get you! Hurry up and wake up!”

“Wait, this doesn’t make sense!”

In an instant, my brain froze, and during this lucid dream, I forgot that it was a dream.

“My goodness, where can you find such a good older sister? I traveled all this way to bring my little sister back.”

At that moment, a cylindrical object tumbled out of Saetbyeol’s pocket.

“Hey, you dropped a flashbang…!”

“Whoa? Why is this in my pocket?”

Beeeeeee—!

With a loud noise, an intense light that felt like my eyes were burning flooded over me.

I flailed my arms trying to grab Saetbyeol’s hand, and then I woke up.

“Ugh, it’s so bright…”

The source of the brightness was an LED light.

“Wake up quickly. I brought your favorite stir-fried pork.”

Saetbyeol climbed on top of me and spoke in her local dialect.

Boom, boom, boom—

“What is that sound?”

Outside the hotel window, several Apache helicopters were flying in formation, just like in my dream.

“You’re right. Are they training or something?”

Saetbyeol tilted her head in confusion.

For now, I had a late breakfast with stir-fried pork lunchboxes prepared by Dad and Saetbyeol.

“If I hadn’t come, would you have gone hungry again?”

“Preparing breakfast for myself is a struggle.”

“That’s why I brought something delicious. They say everyone eats five meals a day before the competition.”

Before long, we learned through the news the reason for the helicopter sounds.

[In response to the threat of a Valpurgis terror attack, security has increased significantly around Parc des Nîmes, where the national exchange quarterfinals are being held. A total of 5,000 police officers, five times the usual number, have been deployed, including BRI members and special forces, along with drones flying over the stadium at all times.]

[Last night, French prosecutors reported that five 16-year-olds from Monaco were arrested for planning a terror attack. It is said that they were instigated by the Kaiber branch of Valpurgis in Afghanistan, and detailed information cannot be disclosed as the investigation is ongoing.]

“Ugh, this ruins my appetite.”

I dropped the spoon I was holding and leaned back in my chair.

[Valpurgis threatens to announce a terror attack during the French national exchange… “We no longer need an international event that desecrates the sacred.”]

The methods and practices of the terror incident in Korea are horrifically identical.

They lack the courage to act themselves, so they recruit indoctrinated locals and throw them a few bucks to carry out a terror attack.

I thought to myself that whether in a past life or this one, they were indeed cowardly folks.

Interviews from world leaders followed, stating they would spare no effort to uphold maximum security.

Right now, there are two Americans in the quarterfinals, and if I include myself, that’s three—are they out of their minds?

The newly elected United States president, who took office in January, announced that he was considering an additional deployment of nuclear aircraft carriers in the Middle East.

He expressed a hardline stance, stating that if they didn’t handle things themselves, he would wipe out everything, military facilities and all.

“Do they think they’ll listen? After decades of threatening the same way, they’d hardly listen now.”

From the perspective of Middle Eastern nations, the presence of the U.S. is uncomfortable, but they also clearly understand why they can’t just attack.

Because the U.S. industry and economy heavily depend on Arabian military facilities.

If they recklessly launch an attack, the world economy would falter, and Russia and China would quickly catch up to the U.S.

“I hope nothing happens… Suddenly, it’s really scary…”

Saetbyeol said with downturned eyes in a gloomy tone.

If she still had cat ears like before, she’d probably be leaning back.

I nestled into her lap, sitting cross-legged.

On one side, I opened a magic dictionary, and on the other, I reviewed Cecilia’s competition data.

“We can’t do anything more from here.”

“Still…”

“You don’t have to worry. No matter what happens, I’m confident I can respond faster.”

I spoke calmly without looking into her eyes.

Because I was afraid of losing the people I care about again.

I read the magic manual thoroughly to ensure my fears wouldn’t transfer to Saetbyeol.

For hours on end.

In the end, I had breakfast, but with no time for lunch, it was all for naught.

The long silence was broken by another emergency news report.

As feared, a terror attack had occurred.

However, the target was not us, but the Valpurgis Afghanistan branch, which had originally planned the attack.

[Breaking news: The leader of Valpurgis Kaiber has been assassinated; the Afghanistan branch is virtually annihilated.]

“What the hell are they doing?”

They drew aggro from around the world and heroically perished.

The world is indeed a place that can be difficult to understand.

* * *

That evening, the U.S. and Europe disclosed the heavily concealed Valpurgis-Kaiber base through satellite imagery.

This was due to the lifting of local defenses intended to prevent detection by satellites.

When terrorists lift local defenses, it essentially means, “I’m here, so come attack me.”

In other words, it also implies, “Since it’s already been obliterated, do you want to come take a look?”

Even the U.S., known for its information strength, was still gathering detailed information on the situation.

Most terror organization experts speculated that it was indeed an internal conflict within Valpurgis.

[Considering the precise targeting and bombing of the branch’s location, as well as Kaiber’s withdrawal of the majority of its troops, it seems that an internal power struggle has arisen within Valpurgis.]

The conclusion was that only insiders could know the spatial and temporal secrets simultaneously.

[Given the current situation, it is difficult to ascertain whether this is a sign of fragmentation or an indication of impending unification. Minimizing unnecessary friction during the process of expanding political bases and strengthening power could also be interpreted as a strategy to reinforce a centralized system.]

However, even after several days, no conclusion was reached.

Impatient American media began to infuse their articles with patriotic fervor stemming from the MAGA ideology.

They claimed Valpurgis was suppressed by American prowess and that the U.S. effectively showed what it means to be the world’s police.

[This is why Europe cannot do anything without America, lol. No matter how many police France deploys.]

The egos of Americans intoxicated by the display of power among great powers were rising steadily.

Thus, the first quarterfinal match proceeded without any signs of terror and ended peacefully amidst everyone’s concerns.

Not a single teenager could be found making improvised bombs for 3,000 euros (4 million won) from Islamic terrorist organizations.

Immediately after the match, President Charles de Brey personally arrived at the Nice Stadium to announce that every effort would be made to ensure the safety of the audience.

“Today, we celebrate not just a victory in sports, but a triumph of peace and safety. During the national exchange, our security personnel worked both visibly and invisibly to protect us from all threats. The French government promises to do everything in its power to ensure you live freely and peacefully, undeterred by the threat of terror. Thank you.”

His expression appeared oddly relieved.

[Quarterfinal Match 121]

[Time: 55:28]

[WIN: Giselle Fisher (Argentina)] [25% / ⚠13% (Irreversible Loss)]

[LOSE: Nathan Chen (USA)] [☠9% (Complete Destruction) / 89%]

The match time was recorded at 55 minutes, after three extensions far exceeding the regular 30 minutes.

The United States’ elimination from the quarterfinals resulted in a historical upset.

[Live] Argentine fans riot in Nice, France, lol.

(Street arson scene, Jean Médecin, gif)

Breaking storefronts, burning banners, smashing cars—it’s absolute chaos, wow.

The police have all gone home, unable to contain the situation for an hour, lol.

[Comments]

– They said 5,000 were deployed, so I thought it would be safe, but what is this?

– It’s scary; I definitely shouldn’t go.

– Terrorism was definitely stopped thanks to the U.S….

└ But they lost to Argentina, right?

– LOL, if Japan, France, Italy, and the U.S. make it to the semifinals, it would be impressive.

└ What a ridiculous match-up; how did that happen, lol?

└ Is that you, King Gel God Cher?

– As expected, the flexible work model is good, lol.

– As expected, early leave is great, lol.

– If we beat Noname tomorrow, America will definitely secure the quarterfinals, lol.