Chapter 162

Swoosh—

Dark blue waves rippled under the moonlight.

This was a point in the Pacific Ocean, where all was still, as if dead.

Beneath those undulating waves, a silent harbinger of death silently surfaced.

An American Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) emerged from its controlled depths into the wider world.

While the previous Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines already possessed immense destructive power, the current version, modified to respond to the two Mega Shocks, wielded an even more formidable might.

In the past, Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines carried Trident-II ballistic missiles, but now they were armed with X-Trident missiles.

This was a contingency for when the American mainland was being ravaged by monsters due to the Shocks, and the X-Trident missile’s destructive power was five times that of its predecessor.

Whirrr—

That powerful harbinger of death moved, casting a dark shadow as it shifted into launch readiness.

Tap— Tap—

Captain Sean Onnery, the submarine’s commanding officer, silently tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair, his gaze fixed on the monitor.

Now, with only the final dispatch from the White House—acting on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense—remaining, the X-Trident missile would depart this submarine and soar into the sky.

“Is the world truly ending…?”

Sean Onnery uttered, his voice heavy with mixed emotions.

Indeed, launching a missile from an Ohio-class submarine carrying Trident missiles was tantamount to a final, desperate war.

And the missile’s trajectory wasn’t aimed at Russia, North Korea, or some Middle Eastern nation, but, surprisingly, at South Korea—a country that had been an ally until recently.

Specifically, its capital, Seoul.

However, Captain Sean Onnery fully understood that there was no other choice.

Already, their nuclear attacks had annihilated a U.S. carrier strike group, and the Alaska missile defense base, U.S. territory, had been wiped out.

What was given must be repaid.

Furthermore, with the Pentagon itself under assault, their options were severely limited.

Beep—

At that moment, the dispatch arrived.

“Captain….”

Lieutenant Owen, having received and decoded the dispatch, looked at Captain Sean Onnery with a grave expression.

Sean Onnery stared back steadily.

“Has the approval come through?”

Lieutenant Owen nodded, his face stiff.

“Yes, sir.”

“Sigh—”

Sean Onnery let out a long sigh and rose from his seat.

It was time for a decision.

After a moment, Captain Sean Onnery, his eyes on the monitor, spoke in a low voice.

“Launch. Target: Seoul. Make sure our enemies get a taste of it.”

“Aye, sir.”

The submarine’s interior became a flurry of activity.

A moment later, a massive explosion erupted.

Rumble—!

Boom—!

Flash—!

Whoosh—!

Then, the X-Trident missile, its launch preparations complete, violently tore through the air and surged skyward.

Beep— Beep—

The X-Trident’s trajectory appeared on the monitor.

Sean Onnery offered a silent prayer for the Korean enemies whose faces he didn’t know.

South Korea would not survive this.

* * * * *

Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep—

The Republic of Korea’s Strategic Situation Room was filled with a frantic beeping sound.

“What is it?!”

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff demanded, his face startled.

“A nuclear missile has been launched! The launch point is estimated to be in the Pacific, and the projected target is…!”

“Where?!”

At the Chairman’s urgent prodding, the operations officer, who had been staring at the radar, swallowed hard and blurted out.

“Seoul… it’s Seoul.”

Thump!

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff slammed his fist on the table and gritted his teeth.

“Those goddamn bastards!”

In the current situation, only the United States could launch a nuclear missile.

It was likely a missile launched from an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, which had been submerged in the Pacific.

They had prayed that this situation would never come to pass, yet it had happened.

A nuclear missile, flying directly towards Seoul.

Facing this precarious crisis, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff rushed towards the President, then suddenly stopped.

“Mr. President….”

The President, who had been up for several nights and said he would catch a few hours of sleep, appeared in the situation room, looking exhausted.

“What’s happening?”

“Well… a nuclear missile launch has been detected.”

The President’s expression immediately soured.

“America…?”

“Yes. It’s presumed to have been launched from a nuclear submarine.”

The President sat down, his face filled with sorrow.

“I hoped and prayed this would never happen… Sigh—”

“We have no choice but to launch the Hongqi (Red Flag) missiles.” The Hongqi missiles were the core interceptors of China’s missile defense system.

Though originally designed to defend against intercontinental ballistic missiles from hypothetical enemy nations, the Hongqi had undergone significant upgrades after the Mega Shock, giving it a considerably high interception rate.

However, this was a nuclear missile, exceeding Mach speed.

And just as the Hongqi had been upgraded, the American nuclear missiles had also undergone advanced modifications.

This was why worry clouded the faces of both the President and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“Is defense possible?”

The President asked, his face grim, in response to the Chairman’s statement.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff replied, his face set with firm resolve.

“We intend to pour everything we have into defending against it. We cannot fall to their missile.”

The President offered a faint smile and nodded.

“Deploy every available missile. If we can’t stop this one, there won’t be a next time.”

“Precisely. We will dedicate all our strength to stopping this single missile.”

“And in the meantime… we can only put our faith in Commander Kang Yuseong.”

The Pentagon.

The heart of America, where its core strategies and military power were orchestrated.

The President mentioned Kang Yuseong, who was there to neutralize it.

“He will succeed.”

“Sigh— I suppose so.”

“Then, we will activate the anti-nuclear missile defense system.”

“I ask that you make every effort.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff gave a slight bow and then connected a satellite call to somewhere.

The Hongqi missile, originally created to protect China, was now being deployed to defend the capital of South Korea, Seoul.

Whether America’s retaliatory strike, born of deeply wounded pride, would hit first, or whether the Hongqi, known as the guardian of the continent, would intercept it, would be decided within minutes.

* * * * *

Crash—!

Inside the U.S. Department of Defense, the Pentagon, chaos reigned as it was being utterly demolished.

The Delta-Shield operatives fell like autumn leaves before the overwhelming might of the Republic of Korea’s Stardust Attack Unit.

“Stop them!”

Juan, the Delta-Shield Deputy Commander, raised his blood-soaked face and screamed frantically.

But countless Delta-Shield operatives had already fallen.

Kang Yuseong’s Stardust Attack Unit, which they had only heard about, proved terrifyingly powerful when confronted directly.

No, it was more than that—it was an utterly overwhelming feeling.

Just as humans were powerless before a colossal tsunami or earthquake unleashed by nature, they were utterly helpless against such overwhelming force.

Slam!

“Ugh!”

Another operative was sent flying, crumpled like a piece of paper, before crashing into a wall.

Grind—

Juan gritted his teeth.

This couldn’t be happening.

Regardless, Delta-Shield, much like Delta-Strike, was composed of elite Hunters who had undergone rigorous training.

Moreover, every member of Delta-Shield was exceptionally skilled in defensive combat, second to none.

But the current situation was…!

“Goddammit! These bastards… I’ll rip them all apart!”

Juan clenched his hand tightly around his massive sword.

A few Stardust Attack Unit members had also fallen to his blade.

“Hey, don’t get too excited.”

But then, a hulking figure appeared before him, grinning widely.

The man was drenched in blood, and when Juan met his gaze, he involuntarily flinched.

It wasn’t a human’s gaze.

The man’s eyes were like those of a bloodthirsty beast, fixated on its prey.

Even Juan, who had experienced countless battles, took a step back, so immense was the man’s presence.

The man who had grinned at Juan raised his greatsword.

“Alright, looks like we have similar weapons. How about a spar? These small fries aren’t much fun.”

At his provocation, Juan felt his body tremble.

It wasn’t fear.

Something akin to a competitive spirit completely consumed him.

It was like a mountaineer, stubbornly attempting to climb the colossal Mount Everest even when standing right before it.

Clang—

Juan adjusted his grip on the sword hilt.

His opponent was strong.

Juan had clearly watched with his own eyes how the man before him had crushed and killed his subordinates.

If he couldn’t stop this man, the Pentagon was finished.

Although the Eagle-Force Defense Unit was the last line of defense, if they were sent in without weakening these attackers first, they wouldn’t survive either.

In that case…

‘I’ll stop him here!’

Rooooar—!

Though countless subordinates had already fallen, just as many still remained.

If they fought with a resolve to die, they could surely stop him.

Juan knew this well from his years of experience.

And his own strength was not to be underestimated.

On the contrary, he had never been outmatched in terms of raw power.

Veins bulged prominently on Juan’s massive forearms.

“Kuaaaah!”

And with a monstrous roar, he charged forward.

Crash!

His greatsword cleaved through the air and descended, but Gil Hyeok-jun blocked it.

Thud—

The greatswords clashed, unleashing a colossal wave of energy that exploded outward, sweeping through the surroundings.

Shatter—!

Reinforced glass windows shattered, and walls crumbled.

Despite such an immense collision, Juan gritted his teeth and glared at Gil Hyeok-jun.

Gil Hyeok-jun had blocked his greatsword with seemingly no effort.

“You, too….”

Gil Hyeok-jun’s voice slipped through his lips.

“Aren’t much different from the small fries.”

At those words, something inside Juan snapped.

“You son of a bitch!”

Juan gathered all his strength and brought his greatsword down once more.

Boom—

A deafening roar echoed, drawing the attention of everyone nearby to them.

It was truly a monumental strike!

Juan, having delivered a strike powerful enough to cleave a mountain, stood motionless.

And Gil Hyeok-jun, beneath his sword, was also motionless.

“…!”

But the next moment, the expressions of the Delta-Shield operatives drastically changed.

Crack—

Clatter—

The blade of the greatsword in Juan’s hand suddenly shattered, and the broken pieces scattered across the floor in disarray.

Moreover, Juan suddenly staggered.

“Ugh! Blech!”

Juan stumbled, vomiting black blood.

Gil Hyeok-jun slowly stood up, a cold smile playing on his lips.

“That’s the result of forcing out power you can’t control, rookie.”

The Delta-Shield operatives looked disgusted by his monstrous strength, which had defeated an enemy without even swinging his sword once.

“Well, even so, you weren’t entirely lacking as my enemy. So…”

Swish!

He brought his greatsword down without hesitation.

Thwack!

In an instant, Juan’s staggering head flew into the air.

“I’ll grant you a peaceful death.”

Thud!

Juan’s head dropped to the floor, and Gil Hyeok-jun cast a brief glance at it before turning his face away.

“Alright, next.”

At his chilling smile, the operatives recoiled, stepping backward.