Chapter 196: < Protect – Episode 195 – So What [2] >

“Hey!”

‘What? Who does he think he is to hold his own press conference here?’ Ahn Soo Ho waved his hand and made the bright eyes of the hostages turn and then they all collapsed. Michel turned his head and then flinched.

“I told you to explain. Who said you could hold a press conference? You don’t get it, do you? You might all die here today.”

Angelica avoided his gaze as if she was asking him not to kill her.

“Okay, Soo Ho. Let me explain.”

It all started 5000 years ago. Right when civilization was taking its baby steps.

“Wait!”

Ahn Soo Ho interrupted the narration that was about to begin.

“I have no interest in studying history. Just tell me everything that has to do with me.”

“Hm.”

Michel let out an uncomfortable sigh since he held strong pride in their history, but Ahn Soo Ho couldn’t care less. ‘What does that have to do with me?’ There were a million other ways he could brag about their history.

“We’ve been waiting for you.”

“Why?”

“Because you…”

“Wait! Wait!”

Ahn Soo Ho cut off Michel once more. He knew exactly what he was going to say next, and that made him cringe.

“You’re not going to tell me something cult-like like how you’ve realized my truth, and that you’re going to lead the chosen ones into the new world, are you?”

“The context is a little different… but you got the idea.”

“Haha! Hahaha!”

Ahn Soo Ho laughed like crazy. It was so funny to him that he even coughed.

“Cough, cough!”

“Are you all right, Soo Ho?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. That was hilarious.”

He didn’t remember the last time he laughed so hard.

“So I’m your Savior, is that it?”

“Our fates rely on your decisions and actions.”

“Why?”

“That’s because you’re the heir of God.”

“I can’t accept that! I’m the son of God?”

Ahn Soo Ho only said that to make them laugh, but he realized no one was laughing and stopped his act.

“Hm. I’m not the heir or son of God.”

“But your powers…”

“What? Are you talking about this?”

As soon as he held out his hand, a gun was grasped, and when he held it out again, a bigger gun was grasped, and when he did it for the third time, a trolley appeared. When he waved his hands a few more times, the whole place turned into a weaponry exhibit.

“Creation is God’s domain!”

“Nonsense! This isn’t creation. It’s a trick of the eye.”

“Anyway, you have the power to win against the world!”

In response to Issac’s remarks, Ahn Soo Ho tilted his head.

“Why do I have to fight against the world?”

“Well…”

“Oh, because of the sins you committed?”

He knew ever since they mentioned 5000 years. The sudden gathering had started at least 500 years earlier. Average people did many things in their 100 years of life, but if they had 500 years, it was hard to imagine what sorts of things they could have done during that time.

One psycho who thought of himself as a real archangel was obsessed over dark justice while another lived thinking he was the mastermind behind everything in the world. Among them, the grandma that wanted to become an idol seemed the most normal. He expected cool and refined villains, but they just turned out to be Team Rocket.

“I like how I’m living right now. I like the freedom of being able to do what I want when I want.”

“But the will of God…”

“Shut up!”

He lost his temper to the religious maniac.

“The will of God? The God that you believe in…”

Ahn Soo Ho was about to fully rage when he suddenly tilted his head. Something seemed off.

“Don’t you guys… know when it first began?”

No one answered Ahn Soo Ho’s question.

“Wait! What’s going on here? This is weird!”

He grabbed his forehead and thought.

The stone was a fragment of Anna-Anne’s soul.

He didn’t know why, but the stone was scattered all over the world.

Alpha organisms claimed important positions in human history.

The method of being reborn was different for everyone.

There were ranks within alpha organisms as well. And their abilities were affected by the stone.

Lastly, the top alpha organisms were immortal. This last fact was the most important. Alpha organisms and those with supernatural powers always lived a long time. But the top organisms transcended all and lived on forever.

Ahn Soo Ho was speechless.

“Ha! These bastards! I thought there was really some kind of God’s revelation or something…”

Michel approached slowly in his shredded clothes.

“You don’t have much memory of the other world… I mean, the afterlife, do you?”

All four of them flinched.

‘Was my stone special?’

They didn’t look that different on the outside.

“Ha, this is driving me crazy. Seriously.”

They all turned out to have dementia.

He thought all with supernatural powers had memories of the afterlife, but that wasn’t the case. They had the powers, but they didn’t have full memories of death. They were different from Ahn Soo Ho, who remembered everything from beginning to end. Their memories were incomplete and uncertain.

“Hey, Mr. Archangel. What’s the name of the God you serve?”

Michel couldn’t bring himself to answer.

“Are you a goldfish? Why are your lips twitching like that?”

“An… na-Anne?”

Angelica answered in an uncertain way. Ahn Soo Ho smirked.

“You heard it from somewhere else, didn’t you?”

She probably heard it while being close to him. It wasn’t even a big secret since his gaming ID was EunichMagicianAnna-Anne.

“Listen well. God’s full name…”

They all leaned in.

“I won’t tell you that easily.”

“Ugh! What the heck, Soo Ho?”

When Angelica lost her temper, Ahn Soo Ho gave her the middle finger.

“I’m not your mommy or daddy that does everything for you. What are you trying to do here? Stop the nonsense and let’s get to business.”

It was easy dealing with them since they were dementia patients with a bad memory.

“I like the world I’m living in. So I want to keep it this way for a long time.”

“But God’s will… Ugh!”

“If you keep talking about that God, I’ll make you an invalid.”

Michel felt that he could really die in his hands. Ahn Soo Ho let go of him.

“Huff, huff!”

Ahn Soo Ho then looked at everyone.

“Let’s try to be honest here. You did a lot of bad things when you were young, didn’t you? You’re the devils that the myths of each country are based on.”

Those with power naturally wanted to use it. During the barbaric times, human sacrifices were basic, and they even killed each other for superstition purposes. They were the ones who began the concept of villains.

In other words, they were sons of bitches.

“How old are you?”

“3300.”

“What about you?”

“3900.”

“Shit! You’ve lived a long time. Since you lived that long, you must have mastered all sorts of weird things.”

“Hm.”

They couldn’t deny it. Whether it was good or bad, they had mastered it since a long time ago.

“But me? I’m 38 years old. I’ve only lived on this land for 38 years. You did all sorts of things for hundreds of years, and now you want me to be your Savior? You’re kidding, right?”

After living for so long, they probably searched long and hard for the meaning of their existence.

‘Where did I come from?’

‘What am I here to do?’

Since it was boring to slack off for 10 years, it must have been painful doing nothing for 100 or 1000 years. Loneliness was fear and fear developed into a loss of identity. What was contradictory was that the longer they lived, the more they craved instinct than rationality. So they had to go through another 1000 years to finally rid themselves of the barbarism.

They needed a goal.

A reason to live? A goal? It didn’t matter what they called it.

And the goal that they decided on was leading mankind. They started to believe that since they were the chosen ones, then they were different from average people who lived less than 100 years; they had a duty to lead the public. For that reason, they used the form of prophets, angels, and devils to influence human history. But after leading for 2000 years, it was only until after the modern times that the opinions started to divide.

While Michel and Issac wanted to guide humanity in a more direct manner, J-Law and Angelica wanted mankind to choose their own destiny. The two stances seemed to contradict each other, but at the base of it was the common belief that mankind were lesser beings who were like tribes.

“If you needed me, you should have just come and told me. Why didn’t you? What’s the point in drinking Kimchi soup when the guy’s not going to give you the rice cakes?”

There was no need to crush their illusion of God. That was because the God that they believed in was nothing but a sterile magician. If he had told them that, they would have gone crazy.

“Gods are good and all, but this isn’t fair! Let’s decide this after about… 100 years. Okay?”

No one was able to refute. Ahn Soo Ho turned around to walk off and then stopped. He pointed at the sky.

“You resolve that on your own.”

He didn’t know which crazy bastard fired the nuclear missile, but there was going to be a lot of backfires. Ahn Soo Ho spoke with a kind heart.

“God’s full name is Anna-Anne Karusis.”

“Anna-Anne Karusis!”

“Karusis!”

Their eyes sparkled. This was just one truth that they lived without for thousands of years.

‘God and his slaves… What a piece of work.’

In the language of the world that Anna-Anne lived in, Karusis meant criminal or slave. If Ahn Soo Ho hadn’t revealed that, no one would have known. Ahn Soo Ho stood in front of Hector and held out his hand. He then lifted the powerless old man to his feet.

“Old man, do you still want the throne?”

“Ugh! It’s shocking that a monster like that is roaming the earth.”

“Old man, you’re a monster, too.”

“I know.”

In the eyes of normal people, Hector was a monster as well.

“Sorry I doubted you.”

Until now, he believed that Ahn Soo Ho was a hitman of a competing organization.

“What are you going to do about Ultra?”

“It’s become a headache.”

Hector laughed bitterly.

The one who spread Ultra Program to the world was Aragon which was connected to General Ashford, but the one who incited it was Hector. He thought that if he put the prior world in the burning furnace of war, the secret organization attempting to conquer the world would show their faces. And he was half right. Aragon Pharmaceuticals salivated at the sight of Ultra.

“I’m having some unlucky latter years.”

“You asked for it.”

If he hadn’t doubted Ahn Soo Ho, he wouldn’t have wasted over 10 years for anything. He passed Hector and found the face he was looking for from the photo. She slapped her to wake her up from the magic. He could have just used his magic again to wake her up, but he slapped her instead.

“Ugh.”

Choi Ye Won was shocked by the silhouette she woke up to. But when she heard Korean, she felt relieved.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Choi.”

“Pardon?”

Those with supernatural powers weren’t limited, but it was a dark night. It was so dark that normal people couldn’t make out faces. But her focus became clear, and her vision recovered enough to see who it was. And it made her almost scream.

“Ahn Soo Ho?”

“That’s right. I’m Ahn Soo Ho.”

“How?”

Choi Ye Won was so shocked that she didn’t even realize she had dropped her formalities with him.

“That’s not what’s important, Ms. Choi.”

“Pardon?”

Ahn Soo Ho reached out his hand to her.

“Let’s go home.”

******

The media released the breaking news.

The kidnapped reporters have been saved! They’re being moved to Lagos!

The US military made Boko Haram surrender!

IS will retaliate! The European and North American authorities are on the edge of their seats!

Fire and fury that burnt down the night of Nigeria!

While the foreign media reported on the successful rescue operation of the US military, the Korean media sucked up to Ahn Soo Ho.

Interview with the hero diplomat, Han Kyung Il, “An expert with sufficient experience needed to be dispatched.”

Three Korean reporters have been safely rescued! They’re being moved to Lagos! The medical team is on standby!

Operation fire and fury! The one in charge of the scene wasn’t the US military but Ahn Soo Ho!

U.S. armed forces general, “Ahn Soo Ho couldn’t be stopped! Not even the US military could!”

The three hostages, including Choi Ye Won, were not severely harmed, so they participated in a press conference. Normally, such press conferences only took place after each government secured their stances, but Han Kyung Il didn’t feel like obeying. Since he was going to quit anyway, he was going to do everything he wanted.

But Choi Ye Won’s press conference didn’t become an issue in Korea. That was because an even bigger issue took place.

Following the rescue in Nigeria, the hostages of Centurion Palace were released!

Bridal Mask. “I always keep my promises!”

The police let a terrorist go because they were too busy with the hostages!

Correction! The police have arrested one Bridal Mask!

That one Bridal Mask held the explosion switch and wanted his colleagues to escape before turning himself in.

The arrested Bridal Mask is a former special agent and mercenary!

Bridal Mask and the dark connection to Ahn Soo Ho!

Why did those who were supposed to protect the nation and its people become terrorists?

The 80s Society! A gathering of soldiers who got kicked out in the 80s!

Half of the reporters that pounced on Ahn Soo Ho when he appeared in Lagos were Korean. As soon as rumors coming to an end started going around, the Korean media dispatched their special teams. Ahn Soo Ho sighed and agreed to answer just a few questions.

“CEO Ahn! CEO Ahn! Please say a few words to the citizens!”

“Like what?”

“Your thoughts… or…”

“Where are you from? Daehan Ilbo? Why did they send a newbie to the battlefields?”

Ahn Soo Ho’s ridicule made the reporter’s face turn red. The reason why he couldn’t refute was because he was a celebrity journalist with no experience in wars. Ahn Soo Ho pointed at another reporter.

“When you do plan on returning home? Are you going to return with the kidnapped reporters?”

“I’m not sure. I want to go back… but probably not this week.”

“Why’s that?”

“Do you really have no idea?”

He looked at the reporters’ faces and realized that most of them really didn’t know. Ahn Soo Ho put on an exaggerated face.

“Do you really think mobilizing the US military comes at no price, everyone?”

“Oh!”

The reporters finally understood. One reporter then asked a question.

“What price? Money?”

“Money? Haha! It’s not like the US military’s a small shop that’s low on money! Do you really think that way? Stop using your brain for delusions and think properly. Come on.”

The reporter wanted to hide in response to Ahn Soo Ho’s rebuke.

“It’s not just America that asked me to pay. There are many countries and organizations that helped me with this rescue operation. And some of them will probably ask for money. And it doesn’t matter how much. The problem is… that some requests are easy while others are hard.”

He set up the playing field. He made it clear that this wasn’t based on his will alone.

“I wish for my country of Korea to be confident. We need to show a strong national defense and diplomatic stance so that no one can kidnap our people and threaten us ever again.”

Ahn Soo Ho put on a sad face.

“My job here is done.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean this was the last thing I could do as a Korean citizen.”

The reporters were tense after sensing the serious atmosphere. He put on a natural smile.

“I’m not Korean anymore.”

< Protect – Episode 195 – So What? [2] > The End.

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