The Shaman Desires Transcendence

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China and Russia not only mentioned assisting the joint operation of South Korea and Japan but also considered follow-up measures. They even added a proposal to create a group comprised of ‘Korea-Japan-Russia-China’ to manage the ghosts in the North.

From South Korea’s perspective, it was incomprehensible why they would send such a proposal.

No. Especially when considering that before North Korea collapsed, China and Russia clearly understood their view of North Korea. It’s not that hard to realize why they would send such a proposal.

They treated North Korea as if it were their own vassal state during the period when Korea was still divided. After the fall of the Soviet Union, instead of treating it like a vassal, they regarded it as more of a troublesome entity they didn’t want to swallow but couldn’t abandon either—a bitter fruit they didn’t want to eat.

However, even so, their unwillingness to completely abandon North Korea was a precaution for when it eventually failed.

To somehow create a justification and push into that land. To occupy it for the sake of national security and development.

This wasn’t a scenario with low chances of happening.

North Korea’s economy was already in shambles, and development was a distant dream, as the country was barely maintaining its structure through strict control via the whip. If time had passed further, internal discontent would have led to self-destruction, or South Korea would push in for reunification, leading to North Korea’s disappearance.

If that scenario played out, when North Korea collapsed, Russia and China would invade and negotiate with South Korea to split or divide North Korea into three or four parts for governance.

With the most significant justification in hand, alongside the fact that South Korea, an ally of America, would claim the largest piece, and China, which has been slowly securing its interests and rights, would take the next largest slice, while Russia, though insignificant now due to advances in science, would gain enough land to use as a trade hub, including a ‘port of refuge’ for symbolic purposes.

That was the scheme devised by China and Russia together.

However, whether by misfortune or luck, that scenario was completely discarded.

North Korea self-destructed in the worst possible way, giving rise to another illegal occupant—a ghost.

Thanks to that, the worst-case scenario of South Korea and America growling face-to-face against China and Russia was avoided, but neither China nor Russia gained anything from it… Not even the unified Korea, which swallowed up the North, gained any benefit.

No, it was rather a loss.

South Korea was pouring more time, effort, and budget into stopping ghosts than it ever did while standing against North Korea in the past.

Unlike North Korea, which could send internal collaborators and spies to gather information, acquiring information was hardly easy. They were utterly clueless about what could be lurking in that murky area.

Even surveillance through electronic devices was covered or distorted by noise.

Whenever a unmanned base was constructed, it was either destroyed or turned into another ghost den.

Attempts to scout using drones were often met with curses and ghosts attaching themselves.

Though they were diligently performing purification and extermination operations, the situation seemed endless, and the danger was unimaginably high, making large-scale actions difficult.

Furthermore, it was impossible to train more Spiritual Capable Persons than what they had now.

On top of that, the recently emerged indigenous shaman of Korea, Park Jinseong, analyzed that “Even if he drove all the ghosts out, the harsh conditions known as ‘the curse’ would make it unsuitable for human habitation” throughout all the regions of North Korea.

There was a good reason why South Korea was leaving the Northern area alone.

Korea, which loved real estate and construction, would certainly not leave vacant land untouched unless there were serious issues!

China and Russia were probably aware of this fact, and logically, there should be no reason to covet that land…?

Huh? Wait a minute? Could it be…?

Unified Korea looked at China and Russia with skeptical eyes.

Could those bastards have brought up that discarded scenario, taking a risk for the sake of occupying or seizing land by stealthily aiding in extermination, ultimately tearing Korea apart again?

The more they examined the situation, the more it fell into place.

Currently, Russia was brewing resentment over prolonged dictatorship and accumulating anger over a future of no further development.

And China, too, faced growing wealth gaps, slowing economic growth, constant repression, and discontent of the controlled populace. The political landscape seemed to shift toward dictatorship, gradually transforming from the present system.

Both Russia and China were in a situation where they needed an escape route.

South Korea was half-convinced.

Those bastards were building achievements to suppress internal discontent.

They were trying to sneak in and gain influence over Korea after securing land.

“They’re up to no good!”

The President of South Korea fumed.

China and Russia’s obvious intentions were clear to him.

The timing was also impeccable.

What was the situation in America right now?

A declaration of isolationism had returned, high tariff barriers were erected, and all kinds of issues were erupting.

To put it accurately… “Why should the great America sacrifice for you? We can’t afford to continue on a one-sided loss, so you should understand.” This sentiment was reflected as they began to meddle in various matters.

Of course, such behavior would naturally strain diplomatic relations; however… the current regime in America was consisting of neoconservatives—obviously referred to as neocons—who didn’t care about such things.

For them, diplomacy meant other countries yielding to the “strong America.”

Naturally, such an attitude would not be wise, as it would create enemies all around, even potentially ruining the relationships and image America had built up over time…

Yet, the neocons did not care and even stopped trying to hide it.

Once they began taking action to lead America, even a hint of hesitation disappeared.

And it was only natural that China and Russia would be the ones most pleased with this situation.

Who would be glad when the overwhelmingly dominant number one started to wobble?

Certainly, it would be those just beneath that rank!

Russia, with its longstanding rivalry since the Soviet era.

China, quickly catching up to America.

Both undoubtedly viewed the current situation as an opportunity.

“Are they testing the waters by touching North Korea?”

But until there was certainty, caution was key.

Korea assessed that the actions of Russia and China were a kind of probing.

They had stationed the U.S. troops in South Korea to deter both countries and, though not within the Five Eyes alliance, South Korea was considered an important ally. By extending their hand toward them, they were likely trying to gauge America’s state and how they would react should Russia and China take action.

It wasn’t an incomprehensible move.

With an opportunity at hand, they’d want to seize it.

But the fact that it was Korea… was an unpleasant matter.

Really.

South Korea outwardly displayed positive signals, such as pondering over or discussing China’s and Russia’s requests.

And at the same time, they began sending Ability Users to the border area.

Indeed.

It was the border area.

Not the 38th parallel from the days of North Korea, but now called the Han-Chinese border.

South Korea openly placed people onto fighter jets and dropped them at the border without bothering to hide it. They even started stacking strange boxes near the silver pillars and high-voltage barbed wire set up along the Yalu and Tumen Rivers.

Cargo ships carrying Ability Users and Spiritual Capable Persons headed toward the border across the sea, dropping off a multitude of supplies.

Military vehicles continually moved back and forth, carrying loads while those who had been waiting began piling supplies at various points along the border.

Green boxes and red boxes stacked high, creating a colorful boundary.

At this moment, China and Russia began to catch on to something strange.

When Korea suddenly started piling strange boxes at the border, their initial thought was that these were supplies for ghost extermination used by Korea and Japan. But as Korea began laying them out along the border instead of just stacking or storing them, they sensed something amiss and began employing various methods to uncover what these supplies were.

Analysis was done using satellites, drones, and other machines.
X-ray vision was utilized through psychic powers and magic.
Information was procured through human intelligence as well.

Through various methods, China and Russia figured out the identities of the boxes and…

[What madness is this!]

They were horrified.

[To lay explosives along the border! What a mad country-!!!]

What South Korea had laid out along the Han-Chinese border was explosives.

A sufficient amount to blow through a fence containing ghosts in one go.

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