I Planned a Su*cide Mission and Got Kicked Out of the Party

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The Manhattan Project. Although it has no real relation to Manhattan, it is undeniably a project that left an absolute impact on humanity’s fate.

This project, which began amid concerns that Germany might develop nuclear weapons during World War II, bore fruit with the successful experiment of Trinity, the world’s first atomic bomb.

It was no coincidence that Jeongjae linked the name related to Oppenheimer’s masterpiece to the new scroll he was writing.

“With just two people, we can definitely pull it off. But we need to replenish the magical power. Where on earth can we find this much magical energy?”

According to the results of Walter and Rose’s search, they confirmed that they had not been able to kill the Gargoyle Queen with the flames of Upheaval, and that she was likely severely injured, having hastily escaped the castle and fled north.

Right. Not even the unmatched Upheaval magic could reliably kill a single high-ranking member of the Demon King’s Army. With so little weaponry available to humans against the powerful Demon Race, how on earth could they turn the tide and deliver a blow against the Demon King?

The Walter Hellhound is known to have single-handedly eliminated dozens of mid-level officers of the Demon King’s Army, but there are still no confirmed cases of anyone successfully killing a high-ranking officer. It wasn’t that Walter was powerless against these high-ranking members of the Demon King’s Army; it was that he lacked a decisive blow to take them down.

And if a member of the Demon King’s Army failed to be killed, they would certainly return in a more powerful form, leading a large army to threaten the Audrich Empire. This vicious cycle could not be allowed to continue. It must end.

“It’s impossible even if I pour all my magical energy into it. But I can’t reduce its power either.”

If Jeongjae’s devised scroll operated normally, the expected explosive power would be around 150 megatons. If used when high-ranking officers of the Demon King’s Army were gathered in one place, it would possess absolute power capable of annihilating them all.

If this sort of power was possible, it would be akin to three times the most powerful hydrogen bomb that ever existed in human history. While there are also magics capable of causing earthquakes or typhoons, suggesting that there may be even stronger magics in terms of absolute energy, no magic had ever existed that could concentrate such heat and explosive power in a confined space and melt everything present on the ground.

At least, from what Jeongjae had researched on Earth, that seemed to be the case.

Naturally, since it did not utilize radioactive elements, there was no concern of radioactive fallout. If the scroll could be activated, it could deliver a massive strike to the enemy cleanly and surely.

Due to the characteristics of the mana circuit system, 150 megatons was the minimum power value; although it could be increased, it could not be reduced. However, a significant drawback was that the mana required to produce this minimum output was almost non-existent as a supply source.

To put it simply, it was similar to the scientists who successfully implemented arc reactor technology in the movie “Iron Man,” but were struggling because they didn’t know how to miniaturize it.

“I’m not Tony Stark…”

Jeongjae muttered sarcastically. Of course, in cases where activation magic required excessively large amounts of mana, there existed the possibility of several wizards combining to jointly activate a single scroll.

However, some magic works that way, and some does not. In this case, it was ‘magic that does not work.’ While the activation could happen, if the purity of the mana was compromised, the coordinates for the magic would almost change randomly.

Using such a terrifying spell while having the activation coordinates confused would be a major mistake. It was not even worth considering.

“The only way to manage this magic power with pure mana from one person…”

Jeongjae sighed deeply towards the sky, turning back to the bookshelf, where he spotted a book with an interesting title.

“Research on the conversion of life force into magical power…”

Jeongjae instinctively withdrew his hand that had been reaching for the book. It was something he had previously found intriguing. Despite pouring over it all day long, he had been frustrated that he could not conduct any real experiments.

He had memorized the theory from that book inside and out. Converting lifespan into mana was not particularly difficult. Even a person with low affinity could secure a large amount of mana through this method.

But would that be enough? If he were to apply the theory in this book, could he accurately pour 150 megatons of explosive power exactly where he wanted?

Jeongjae was not someone who wished for death. He obviously had no intentions of throwing away his life for something meaningless. In fact, there were not many things he wished to achieve even if it meant putting his life on the line.

“But if it’s possible…”

He thought, yes, let’s confirm whether it is possible. After all, if it were impossible, there would be no need to entertain pointless thoughts. Without calculating precisely and checking how much burden it would place on his life force, he felt he would never be at ease.

Taking out a roll of paper and a quill pen, Jeongjae skillfully dipped the pen in ink and began to write down the calculation formulas he had memorized. Park Jeongjae. Age 27, height 176 cm, weight 65 kg… It would have been nice to have more precise information about himself, but for now, this was enough.

Scribble, scratch, and then swish swish. The sound of the pen tip scraping down gradually came to a stop, and Jeongjae then felt the pain in his hand from gripping the pen tightly.

In a state of intense excitement, as he wrote down the formulas, his fingernail was digging into the palm of his hand with incredible force.

“It’s possible.”

However, the exhilaration was ruling his body to the extent that he could not even feel the pain in his hand. Cold sweat was running down his forehead, and even the hand not holding the pen was trembling.

It was a close call. If Jeongjae had had even slightly less of the basic mana required as a Grand Mage, it would have been deemed impossible. Yet, no matter how many times he looked it over, the neatly calculated mana formula indicated that he could perform this great magic if he actively attempted to convert his life force.

It could not be achieved through mana devices. It could not be done through cooperative magic. It was only possible through life force conversion, specifically the great magic that the most powerful mage in this world could achieve by sacrificing all their life force.

This is… this is…

“Freaking awesome.”

It was Jeongjae’s first reaction. The power was guaranteed. The horrifying mana consumption required for this magic would absolutely ensure its power.

The Demon King’s Army marching towards the Imperial Palace and the hordes of Vampires and Succubi knocking on the doors of ordinary people every night would finally come to an end. If only this magic could be realized. If only he could activate the Manhattan Project when the high-ranking officers of the Demon King’s Army gathered closely for their advance.

“No, no, that’s impossible. I would have to die for it. That’s not acceptable, is it?”

Coming to his senses after momentarily losing himself in excitement, Jeongjae pushed the calculation formula forward with his trembling hand. He suddenly thought that this was not right. This was extreme. The Empire was not crumbling yet, nor was the imperial palace on fire, so for him, the Grand Mage and an outsider, to sacrifice his life…

While it was not that he was resentful about the sacrifice, perhaps the talent he received could be utilized for something better. For example, if he followed Walter’s orders diligently and fought, perhaps he could achieve considerable merits, just as he had done up until now.

If he followed Walter’s orders properly…

But Jeongjae could not shake the image from his head.

Flames. The fires of Upheaval consuming the castle. Until now, his magic had never been aimed deliberately at civilians. Walter had spoken as if he might have to face such situations in the future.

Jeongjae understood. The people who had died within the castle were merely casualties. That sacrifice was noble. It was honorable. Yet, when even a three-year-old could see that the alliance of humans and elves was beginning to wane, just how many more sacrifices must this world endure?

“We can stop it.”

Jeongjae said. No matter how much he wasn’t a genius of tactics, he still knew the basics. This magic could not only smash the enemy’s leadership but also, if timed and positioned correctly, could wipe out tens of thousands of enemy forces in one go.

Tens of thousands? What does that even mean? If he were to be more greedy, he could easily wipe out millions of Orcs. If it were the current global situation on Earth, naturally, no one would be foolish enough to gather millions of troops in one place, fearing large-scale weapons of destruction; however, this world was still different.

Depending on the situation, it could be a trump card capable of uprooting the military power of the Demon King’s Army from the roots. With this card in hand, what was he hesitating for? Where could he have the opportunity to achieve greater accomplishments by staying alive?

Jeongjae’s heart was stirring. A desire to no longer fight while sacrificing innocent people, yet a longing for undying fame by leaving an unerasable achievement behind if he were to die in battle.

Moreover, the feeling of still not truly belonging to this world as an Earthling added to his strange determination.

“Let’s do it, let’s do this. It’s not that difficult.”

Jeongjae said with a trembling voice, picking up the scroll. There were no structural problems with the scroll. Jeongjae used the replication magic to create a copy of the ‘Manhattan’ spell, then tucked that copy under his arm and put the original safely into a vault.

This magic was not the type that could be used alone. Because the magic circle was vast and complicated, it was essential to have someone with basic knowledge of magic assist beside to ensure it didn’t get disrupted.

Furthermore, to ensure the operation succeeded with maximum efficiency, the hero party needed to gather the high-ranking officers of the Demon King’s Army in one place. In other words, they would need to pressure and take damage to force the enemies into narrow areas to initiate a defensive action.

This was Jeongjae’s plan. The hero, Walter, would launch a major offensive to simultaneously target the officers of the Demon King’s Army. No matter how strong the high-ranking officers of the Demon King’s Army were, it would be difficult for them to withstand the ferocious assault of Walter Hellhound, making it likely they band together to resist the impending threat.

The Empire would rear its forces from all directions, giving the impression that it was putting everything on the line to battle the Demon King’s Army. While it may cost thousands of lives, if successful, they could herd a significant number of officers and creatures into a close region.

Finally, at Jeongjae’s signal, he would order the imperial forces, which appeared to be encircling the enemies, to retreat en masse. The moment all imperial troops withdrew from the danger zone, they would swiftly drop the ‘Manhattan’ spell upon the enemy heads.

Using this method would initiate the war on their side, making it highly likely that the battle would take place in enemy territory. Thus, the chance of civilians in the Empire getting hurt from this attack would be almost none.

If Walter came out with full force, the enemy would respond with full force as well, effectively allowing them to vaporize a considerable number of enemies. If lucky enough, it would even be possible to ensnare the Demon King himself. Of course, that would be an extreme case, but even if it went poorly, as long as Walter Hellhound was in command of the troops, a decisive blow against the enemy could be expected.

The more he thought about it, the more ambitious and advantageous this operation seemed.

At some point, having completely forgotten about his demise, lost in thought, Jeongjae began to ponder who he should request as an ‘assistant’ for the execution of this operation.

Naturally, the top priority was Walter Hellhound himself. However, there had been some friction between them. Walter often called Jeongjae a good friend and treated him like a real companion.

Even with many strategic advantages, there was a chance that Walter, possessing the nature of a ‘Hero,’ would hesitate to sacrifice Jeongjae.

It would not feel pleasant to be deemed a wishy-washy suicidal hope. For now, Jeongjae had set aside Walter Hellhound as a priority to discuss.

“If Walter won’t do it, then what about…?”

One of the students from the university? They were excellent wizards, so he could assign them as assistants, but they were still students. They might crumble in fear at the sight of such a magnificent magic circle.

He briefly recalled Jenis’s face, but it did not seem like a good idea. Regardless of the reason, Jeongjae felt that Jenis would not take kindly to the idea of this operation, no matter how he explained it.

In that moment, a remarkably good thought struck Jeongjae’s mind. Margaret. If it were Princess Margaret, the Elven Princess, he felt he could persuade her somehow.

Of course, the noble Margaret was a fairy who felt pity for all the innocent victims. However, at the same time, she was also an Elf with deeply rooted resentment toward wizards who use fire to destroy the forest.

While she likely wouldn’t readily accept Jeongjae’s sacrifice proposal, if he earnestly explained that this was a matter for the greater good and made it clear that it could minimize numerous sacrifices, he believed he could persuade her. Though her words may be somewhat sharp, Jeongjae was certain he understood Margaret’s noble character.

Especially since most Elves are mana-friendly beings, she would fit perfectly into the supportive role needed to maintain the stability of the magic circle. He wondered why he hadn’t thought of her from the start. Given that she was trusted within the hero party, it would naturally lead Walter to adjust strategies as Jeongjae desired.

“Alright! Let’s talk to Margaret!”

And this was precisely three hours before Jeongjae witnessed the rare explosion of Princess Margaret’s tear ducts.