Chapter 361: Fear Marketing

A while later, Washington D.C., USA.

The White House Briefing Room.

With the attention of billions of people worldwide focused on him, President Robert, whose color had completely drained from his face, stood before the podium.

Amidst the pouring flash barrage from reporters, Robert opened his trembling lips.

“Dear citizens of the United States of America, and citizens of the world. Just a month ago, Manhattan, New York, faced a crisis of destruction.”

Gulp. Having swallowed dry saliva, he declared with a resolute face.

“And our United States of America keenly realized before that terrible disaster. That with the strength of our United States of America alone, we can never stop the incoming disaster. Survival has now become the absolute most important value above any ideology.”

A madness-filled desperation brushed past Robert's two eyes.

“To survive, all our citizens must unite. To do so, we need a single, unified mind! Fortunately, the Death Cult is already active in the East Asian region, enjoying firm peace, and its number of believers alone easily surpasses 1 billion. Now, our United States of America will also join that massive flow. We will become one with the world!”

“……!!”

While the briefing room held its breath, Robert drove the wedge.

“Accordingly, the federal government of the United States of America has agreed, as of today, to recognize the Death Cult as the official national strategic partner of the United States and a status equivalent to the primary state religion.”

“O-oh my god……!”

“All facilities under the Cult shall have extraterritorial rights, and we will guarantee full tax exemption for the Cult's offerings and subsidies! In the incoming disaster, the protection of the Death Cult is essential. I swear right here that believing in and helping the great Kim Minwoo is exactly the most noble duty the citizens of our United States of America must perform!”

The whole world flipped upside down in astonishment.

The world's 1st ranked superpower country, which used to cry out for freedom of religion, declared a white flag surrender, offering up its national pride and jurisdiction entirely before a new religion founded by an unidentified Korean Necromancer!

However, among the heads of states around the world watching this announcement, there was not a single person who laughed at the USA's humiliation.

Rather, only chilling terror was flowing crazily down their spines.

10 Downing Street, UK.

Élysée Palace, France.

Federal Headquarters, Germany.

“……Even the USA submitted like that?”

“To join the wave of 1 billion believers for survival……. Those prideful American bastards!”

The leaders of each country fell into despair while looking at President Robert's pale face on the screen.

The ark of the Shadow Cult.

A cosmic disaster that ground up 20,000 Awakened in Shanghai, China, and almost erased even the superpower USA's state-of-the-art military and SS-rank Awakened in just 10 minutes.

Even the superpower USA could not overcome the power of the Shadow.

What was even more terrible was the fact that the ark tore through dimensions and fled after engaging with Kim Minwoo.

‘Which means…… that ship could pop out in the sky over London, Paris, or Tokyo tomorrow!’

To serve a living human as a god was as uncomfortable as could be.

They were the ones who had inwardly disparaged and loathed it, calling it a barbaric cult that only worked in Asia.

However, the situation was 180 degrees different now.

When even the USA accepted it as a state religion for survival, how could Europe or other countries hold out?

Bending their pride and helping Kim Minwoo was a hundred times better than the country perishing.

Massive terror perfectly crushed their petty morals and religious aversion.

Driven to desperation, the heads of states around the world scrambled to knock on the hotlines to the Ilsung Group and Kim Minwoo's side.

At that time.

A VIP suite in the Pentagon.

Before the eyes of Kim Minwoo, who was leaning his body deeply into the sofa, system windows were pouring down like a waterfall without rest.

[Desperate faith toward you blooms in London, UK!]

[The establishment of the Death Cult is anxiously craved in Paris, France!]

[Worldwide terror is replaced with blind belief toward the savior!]

[Your divinity rises explosively!]

“Kya.”

Kim Minwoo smiled satisfyingly and lightly swirled his wine glass.

The complete white flag surrender of the President of the United States of America, Robert.

Honestly speaking, he didn't know he would lie flat this quickly.

Even if rotting, he is the head of the world's 1st ranked superpower country, so he thought he would hold out for at least a few more days out of pride.

‘But, thinking about it carefully, it is a cold-hearted judgment most fitting for Robert.’

The Shadow Cult was truly an out-of-standard disaster that was impossible to even compromise with.

The state-of-the-art stealth fighter jets and tank battalions the USA boasted of, and even the SS-rank Awakened of the Dragon Guild, called the pride of the nation, were torn to death without being able to leave a single scratch on the outer skin of the spider monsters.

Yet, they couldn't drop tactical nukes in the middle of New York where 800,000 citizens were trapped, a hellish dilemma.

On the other hand, what about himself?

He perfectly butchered that disaster, which the USA couldn't stop even with the maximum military power mobilized while risking the nation's fate, as if grinding it in a blender in just 5 minutes.

The moment he witnessed that overwhelming gap with his two eyes, the political calculator in Robert's head must have already been smashed to pieces.

‘What if the next ark of the Shadow appears in the sky over Washington D.C. or the White House? What if I find the holding-out USA disgusting and don't answer the phone then?’

The United States of America would be forever erased from the map on that day.

Before that terrible terror of destruction, Robert keenly realized it.

Rather than being helplessly destroyed by crazy terrorists who don't even compromise and devour all the citizens, it was cheaper to offer up the entire country at the feet of a true god who guarantees certain salvation.

Even if they suffered the humiliation of giving up freedom of religion and accepting the Death Cult as the state religion, and even if the value of the dollar was smashed and their economic sovereignty was robbed, shouldn't they stay alive and have a country exist to promise the next time.

In the end, Robert's humiliating declaration of surrender was the most rational and tearful protection fee paid while risking the survival of the nation, while simultaneously announcing the end of Pax Americana.

“As expected, maybe because he is an educated person, his calculations are fast.”

Challang.

As Kim Minwoo tilted his glass, the highest-rank wine wavered dark red like the blood of a hegemonic country.

It was a thrilling night where his personal theory that humans unite most desperately and quickly before a perfect crisis that chokes their breath was perfectly proven against the world's strongest superpower.

“Brother, you look to be in a really good mood!”

Park Siwoo, who was making a fuss sitting opposite him, asked with sparkling eyes.

“But honestly, isn't it a bit of a pity? That High Priest. With your strength, Brother, it feels like you could have caught him right away and sliced his neck.”

“A pity, you say. Rather, it turned out well.”

“Yes? The terrorist leader ran away right before your eyes but it turned out well?”

Kim Minwoo put his wine glass down on the table and grinned.

“Originally, a hero is only completed when there is a villain.”

“……Yes?”

“Think about it. What if I killed Persen and smashed the ark on the spot yesterday? Would the American bastards be trembling and crawling at my feet like they are now?”

Park Siwoo's eyes blinked.

“Probably, while saying thank you on the outside, they would have held out behind my back, putting up their pride again and saying the danger is over now so let's hand over a reasonable reward and send him away. The bastards from other countries would be the same. There is no terror of not knowing when the ark will appear, so why would they be crazy enough to lay out my religion in their countries?”

Kim Minwoo's black pupils sparkled.

“Humans, you see, only become the most desperate and move the fastest when a crisis that truly chokes their breath is right in front of them. The ark is still going strong. As long as that symbol of terror is alive, the whole world has no choice but to tremble in the terror of not knowing if death will loom over their heads tomorrow.”

“…….”

“That old geezer Persen is the most excellent fear marketing tool and salesperson to pump up my divinity to the whole world. I have to let him act up to his heart's content outside a little more.”

The air in the room froze for an instant at that terribly evil calculation.

“……Wow, Brother. You're truly too much of a devil.”

Park Siwoo trembled his shoulders as if he was fed up.

“You're awful, awful. You're going to do fear marketing against the whole world?”

Seo Yerim, who was listening next to him, also shook her head while clicking her tongue slightly as if she was dumbfounded.

On the other hand, Namgung Min, who was maintaining his twin daggers in the corner, merely let out a pishik, an interesting laugh.

He was certainly a gentleman whose scale of setting up a board using human lives was crazy on a different level from himself.

If he himself was a little devil, wasn't Kim Minwoo truly a super-massive devil.

“What are you staring at like that.”

“No, well. I just thought you're quite something too.”

Not only intentionally spectating the ark incident to receive the USA's surrender, but now that vicious plan to roll even the High Priest Persen as a fear marketing salesperson.

As Namgung Min clicked his tongue as if he was fed up, Kim Minwoo put his wine glass down with a ttak as if he was wronged.

“I'm telling you this is all for the Earth? Man. The world treats me too unfairly.”

“……Yes? You are being treated unfairly? You?”

Namgung Min asked back as if he was dumbfounded, but Kim Minwoo's expression was more serious and noble than ever.

“Think about it. If the Outer Gods descend 5 years later, what's the use of the dollar value becoming trash, and what's the big deal about the USA's pride being broken? Isn't that right? First of all, we all have to survive and see. Where else in the whole world is there another person who sincerely worries about the survival of humanity as much as me and acts this kindly day and night? Emptying my own pocket to save the US economy, and gathering faith to build a breakwater.”

Kim Minwoo clicked his tongue jjeut-jjeut.

“But this damn world is making a fuss at me looking only at the small picture right in front of them. Condemning me saying I'm some devil of capitalism or a cult leader without blood or tears, this is truly a disappointing thing.”

“…….”

If shamelessness is at this level, it is truly the realm of art.

To think he is talking about pure and kind devotion after infinitely copying dollars through the system to smash the US economy, and swallowing the nation's sovereignty entirely by instigating the terror of destruction.

While letting out a hollow laugh, Namgung Min could not hold back the laugh that was leaking out silsil on the other hand.

“Wow…… really, when I listen to your logic sometimes I feel like my brain is going to go weird. But strangely I have nothing to say to refute it so it pisses me off more.”

“Originally, the truth is sometimes overwhelming to accept.”

Kim Minwoo calmly shrugged his shoulders.

However, even before this bizarre and vicious plan, exactly one person was different.

‘Ahh…… as expected of His greatness. Every single step He takes is truly massive and beautiful…….’

Han Siah was looking up at Kim Minwoo with her two hands clasped, her eyes dripping with ecstasy and respect.

“To personally orchestrate terror to lead humanity to true faith……. How could foolish people fully fathom that deep and noble meaning.”

An overwhelming rule breaker who thoroughly controls and rolls even the apostle of an Outer God as a resource and firewood for his own growth.

Before the steps of that capitalistic and bizarre God of Death, the entire Earth was finally finishing preparations to be perfectly subjugated.