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What lies at the end of falling dominoes continuously?

What emerges from the end of the vine?

No one knows.

Not even those who failed to notice the existence of madness hidden beneath the surface.

Not even those who were only aware of a sliver of madness beneath the surface.

Not even the madness itself.

And even the instigator who revealed that madness.

Yeah.

The very person who started knocking down these dominoes.

Park Jinseong himself does not fully comprehend how much madness is dormant.

He might not even know what lies at the end of these dominoes.

He only vaguely speculates about what might be there, understanding only the kinds of madness that he has seen, heard, and experienced, but has not even begun to conceive of its true form.

It’s like a den of pests.

Before the rewind, America was just like that, and even now, America feels like that den of pests.

If one pest is spotted, it means there are thousands, tens of thousands of insane beings lurking nearby.

Thus, Park Jinseong could calmly murmur upon witnessing the current situation.

“It’s less than I expected.”

Less than he expected, he said.

He claimed the domino effect was weaker than anticipated.

If the people on the government side, truly on the brink of madness, or the citizens of America earnestly organizing vigilante groups to counter external threats, or the crazies with red eyes from the chaos of zealots heard what Park Jinseong just mumbled, they would be utterly shocked.

And despite Park Jinseong’s current body—the body of an Oriental person appearing even younger than Westerners—seen as a baby who should not even be touched, they might grab him by the collar while scowling in irritation.

However, there was no hint of mockery or derision in what Park Jinseong said.

He simply laid out the facts matter-of-factly.

Before the rewind.

Wasn’t it said that World War III had occurred?

Could that war have happened for no reason?

Even if there were sparks of war, did it ignite for no reason?

Did madmen suddenly arise from the skies amidst that war?

No.

All of it was built up over time, step by step.

The firewood that would spread the flames of war was not created from nothing; it was piled up over time and exploded with embers.

The madmen were no different.

Just because they’re invisible doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

They’ve existed in places unseen and could emerge at any moment given the opportunity.

The war was merely a trigger.

And those madmen, those firewood pieces were scattered all over the world.

It didn’t matter whether their national power was weak or strong.

Literally, all over the world.

From the country where citizens struggle daily to bake cookies out of mud to the great powers preparing for space exploration. There were stacks of firewood fed with oil in all those countries.

Park Jinseong saw those firewood and the pests.

Due to the nature of his profession as a mercenary, he often encountered them.

This is why he believes World War III is unavoidable; war is bound to happen.

The cause and effect are intertwined too tightly.

It has reached a level where one individual cannot untangle it, let alone comprehend it.

“Even interpersonal issues are hard to resolve; how could nations untangle the complex web entwined among them? How can one hope to sort through the intricate and tangled causes, like gravel filling gaps between stones, sand filling gaps between gravel, and dust filling gaps between sand in a bottle?”

That is neither possible nor going to be possible.

To attempt such a thing is prideful folly.

Even if transcending is accomplished, it remains an impossible feat.

This is the nature of the human mind.

However, Park Jinseong’s goal is not to wish for world peace.

He has no interest in such delusional, impossible—arrogant goals.

He simply wants to transcend.

To explore magic, to study magic.

He merely wishes to see the end of magic.

Thus, he is a shaman named Park Jinseong who has desired transcendence from ancient times to now.

“There are still plenty of madmen left.”

In that sense, America is indeed an eyesore.

A country that breeds and nurtures madmen as if it were a field.

A country where merely poking a little can unleash a swarm of insects.

Eventually becoming the kind of place that desperate Canada tried extreme measures to prevent crossing its borders, turning into an urn of isolation.

Yet, even in times of peace, it doesn’t provide assistance; it does not bring tranquility either.

With neoconservatives in power, it is veering to the right, while isolationism and new liberalism intensify. In turn, they wield power with the mindset that as long as they live well, everything is fine, causing turmoil in the global situation like stirring muddy water in a calm well.

And if more time passes, there will be actions that directly harm many.

Yeah. Just like it was before the rewind.

Merchants of death.

Traditional powers armed with formidable lobbying and connections.

Those who profit immensely from war, from the surge of death all over the world.

From the American government down to the citizens, their thoughts differ, but they see it as a necessary evil, and thus, seek to hold onto it tightly.

Before the rewind, the merchants of death stirred conflict and sold weapons.

Even if peace was on the brink, they would stoke the flames further or assassinate key figures to escalate the war—trying to prolong a war that was about to end just to sell more weapons.

How do I know this?

“Assassination and sabotage requests were among those.”

There’s no way around it.

Because Park Jinseong and the mercenaries were the ones who did those jobs.

Of course, only the leadership knew about this… But even so, unless they were literally brainless, wouldn’t it be natural to have some guess as to where the requests originated?

Back then, mercenaries all said in unison.

“The arms dealers were getting excited.”

Like a frenzied dog, wagging its tail wildly in the air.

Sure, over time, the flames of war began to reach their main base…

Regardless, the war they wrought impacted the entire world significantly.

They were the ones who continually added firewood whenever the flames threatened to die down.

Because of their actions, the war could neither simply cease nor the bitterness among people be easily resolved.

But they are not absolute evil.

Their actions were only possible because of the government’s acquiescence.

They were merely the pawns in America’s steps to regain global hegemony alongside isolationism.

Trying to bring the world back under control.

In pursuit of a hollow title like “world’s police,” aiming to suppress competitors and ensure no new competitors arise, driving the will of the neoconservatives. And hoping for America to become great again, the citizens’ aspirations.

It was all of this that allowed the merchants of death to rampage.

Of course, that’s not inherently wrong.

It’s not wrong, but… considering the America that had transformed into an urn of isolation before the rewind, it could very well be called a black comedy.

To wield a sword while blindly oblivious to the parasites eating away at your insides.

Or perhaps the parasites would excuse themselves.

Claiming their host was developing medicine to exterminate them.

And yet, it was too weak and had too many gaps.

Thus, they arose, and thus, they killed America.

They would say that.

“America, America. The urn of isolation. The parasite’s excuse.”

Hahaha.

Every single piece of furniture, every nook and cranny packed tightly with parasites.

Though thinking about it in this way is almost grotesque—

Well.

It’s not bad.

That there are parasites capable of killing the host.

That there are madmen in America who possess the power to flip it upside down, or are nurturing such power.

Perhaps it is truly something one can utilize well.

To Park Jinseong, who is merely an outsider, convinced that America will inevitably morph back into that urn of isolation like before the rewind—the parasites are but a means to an end.

All he needs to do is make good use of them.

Thus, good things will come his way. If at the edge of causality, everyone comes out well, then it’s even better.

Well. At this point, enough chaos will arise without even needing to intervene. It’s time to move around now.

Park Jinseong smiled and looked up at the sky.

In the sky, a satellite shimmered.

The stars did not whisper.

 

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