Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense

Chapter 139: Next Step

Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense

139 – Next Step

Even after Seung-ho joined the Liberal Clan, Myung-jun did not stop pressuring the South Korean government.

He demanded the disclosure of the numerous atrocities committed by Hee-cheol to conceal Seung-ho’s existence and a formal apology from the government. He also threatened to release all the evidence the Liberal Clan had to the international media if the South Korean government attempted any cover-up.

Throughout this process, the South Korean government repeatedly tried to negotiate with Myung-jun, but he remained unmoved by any conditions they proposed.

“If you’ve committed a crime, just accept it honestly without trying to be cunning. If you keep contacting me and pestering me with suggestions, I will consider halting the delivery of the Striker units and canceling the Awakener Academy’s allocation that South Korea was promised.”

Myung-jun’s stance provoked strong backlash within the government.

Among those, Minister of National Defense Nam Joon-woo, who had directly faced Myung-jun, vehemently criticized him, almost treating him as a traitor.

“Cha Myung-jun is a traitor who has betrayed our country and people!”

“Since Sergeant Park Seung-ho left, all production at the Awakener Research Institute has ceased. He must be held accountable for this!”

“If we let him be, he will increasingly disregard the South Korean government with his arrogant attitude!”

“We must be prepared for war and confront him! What can an individual possibly do against a nation the size of South Korea?! His attitude stems from the belief that we wouldn’t dare wage war against him, it’s nothing but bluster!”

What he feared most was that revealing the truth about Moon Hee-cheol’s actions would significantly demoralize the South Korean military personnel.

In a situation where articles about the sacrifices of military personnel during gate raids were frequently appearing, revealing information about soldiers killed under the pretext of “for the country” could lead to massive resistance.

While they could claim that Sergeant Park Seung-ho’s imprisonment was for his protection, they had no excuse for the sacrifices of the soldiers involved in his imprisonment.

However, Yoon Se-ah, who had replaced Moon Hee-cheol as the new EDA Director, opposed Nam Joon-woo’s opinion and argued that they must unconditionally meet the Liberal Clan’s demands.

“The soldiers’ dissatisfaction can be somewhat mitigated through improved treatment and transparency in the military and EDA operations. Moreover, if we proactively disclose and apologize as Cha Myung-jun demands, we can pin the blame solely on Lieutenant General Moon Hee-cheol’s unilateral mistakes. But if we antagonize the Liberal Clan over issues of national dignity or pride, we will be on an irreversible path to ruin.”

“But if we do that, we will never be able to claim ownership of Sergeant Park Seung-ho. In a situation where inquiries about the halted production at the Gate Research Institute are pouring in, we also have to deal with the penalties for failing to meet the delivery dates of pre-sold products.”

In the midst of these complex issues, EDA Director Yoon Se-ah proposed a new plan to manage the situation.

Her plan was to actively disclose Moon Hee-cheol’s crimes as Myung-jun demanded to win over Myung-jun and Seung-ho, and in the meantime, outsource the production of enhancement drugs to Seung-ho.

She explained that they could then continue product production by finding another Awakener with an alchemist job based on the recipes Seung-ho left behind.

“Of course, we won’t be able to find an Awakener with abilities as good as Seung-ho’s, so the product quality might drop a bit, but it’s the only way for now.”

“And regarding the Liberal Clan and Cha Myung-jun’s attitude towards the South Korean government…”

“We must endure for now.”

Although the Liberal Clan might currently hold the top position, they wouldn’t be able to maintain it forever.

EDA Director Yoon Se-ah argued that now was the best time to build strength by leveraging the Awakener Academy and the supply of Strikers, as the Liberal Clan was currently focused on nurturing global awakened forces.

Ultimately, the South Korean government decided to disclose Hee-cheol’s crimes in detail as demanded by the Liberal Clan and announced the information through the media.

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「Former EDA Director Moon Hee-cheol. Killed multiple soldiers under the pretext of information security. 」

「The truth behind the ‘Gate Research Institute’ that emerged after the defection of the Liberal Clan. Was it all due to the sacrifice of a soldier imprisoned by Director Moon Hee-cheol? 」

「The shocking truth about the soldiers who died during gate raids. The South Korean government – mobilizing all national resources to support the victims’ families. 」

「The South Korean government: ‘The incident was solely due to Director Moon Hee-cheol’s unilateral actions.’ Is this just another case of scapegoating? 」

「From hero to villain. What are the ugly truths that former EDA Director Moon Hee-cheol was hiding? 」

Watching all these events unfold from across the sea in Japan, Myung-jun spoke to Seung-ho with a satisfied expression.

“To be honest, I thought they would embellish it a bit more, but I didn’t expect them to reveal everything to this extent.”

Seung-ho, who was adjusting the valve of a glass tube filled with liquid next to Myung-jun, responded.

“Indeed. But I feel like they’re putting too much blame on Moon Hee-cheol.”

“Strictly speaking, that’s the truth. Even the president didn’t know about your imprisonment. Moon Hee-cheol intended to carry all those secrets himself.”

“Do you think he believed he was doing it all for the country?”

“Well, he might think that way, but the reality is different. In the end, what he did was choose the easy path of sacrificing others under the pretext of serving the country. Honestly, if Moon Hee-cheol had really wanted to, there were plenty of ways to keep you in South Korea without resorting to imprisonment.”

“But what he chose was to lock me up in the basement of the research institute and hide my existence.”

“Because it’s cheaper.”

Myung-jun said.

“Selecting the best-skilled Awakeners from the EDA for your protection and giving you your fair share of the enormous profits generated by the research institute would have cost a lot more than just sacrificing a few people.”

“And now he’s paying the price for that choice with his whole being?”

“Exactly.”

At that moment, Soo-jeong, who had been listening to their conversation, spoke up.

“Well, enjoying the sweet taste of revenge is fine, but can you focus on the task at hand?”

Soo-jeong was the one enjoying the most time in the Liberal Clan since Seung-ho joined.

With Seung-ho’s alchemist abilities combined with hers, they could finally produce many new pieces of equipment that had only been ideas until now.

The new toys she was recently engrossed in making were the equipment to be used in one of Liberty City’s core facilities, the ‘Awakener Academy.’

Since the equipment was to be used in a specialized educational institution aimed at nurturing Awakeners, it needed to have durability beyond imagination.

Seung-ho was working with Soo-jeong to create various chemical substances needed for the equipment.

“This should be enough.”

After checking the state of the chemical setup, Seung-ho picked up a test tube attached to the end and handed it to Soo-jeong.

Soo-jeong then took the contents of the test tube from Seung-ho and placed it into the large machine next to her.

“I hope the reagent works properly.”

“What happens if it doesn’t?”

“It’ll go right through.”

The equipment she was working on was a type of punching machine.

It was a specialized device developed to measure the destructive power of Awakeners specialized in physical ‘striking power.’

Unlike the punching machines found in arcades, this equipment could measure impact energy up to 999 MJ (megajoules).

Considering that the kinetic energy of a .50 caliber BMG round used in the Barrett anti-materiel rifle is about 0.015 megajoules, Seung-ho was looking at equipment capable of measuring over 66,000 times the destructive power of a .50 caliber round.

“But how do we measure if this thing works up to its maximum capacity?”

Even 1 megajoule is enough to throw a 1-ton object at about 160 km/h.

So, to measure the destructive power of 999 megajoules, you would need the ability to throw a 999-ton object at 160 km/h or a 1-ton object at 129 times the speed of sound.

Soo-jeong pointed behind Seung-ho with her finger.

As the wall of the laboratory slowly opened, a massive turret hidden behind it was revealed.

Seeing the enormous turret, almost the size of a small building, Seung-ho couldn’t help but gape, and Soo-jeong spoke.

“The punching machine we just made is for measuring attack power, and that one is for measuring defense power. It’s a device that fires specially made circular projectiles with a force of 999 MJ.”

“I feel like I might die measuring defense power.”

“Sorry, but if Ho-chang holds up his shield, he can block even the projectiles fired at maximum output.”

“Is the Liberal Clan full of monsters…?”

“Sorry, but I hope you remember that you’re now one of those monsters. Besides, in the mock battle to test the Catalyst Suit, it was you who broke through Ho-chang’s defense.”

“That was more like melting through it than breaking it.”

“Either way, the result is the same. And don’t worry too much. If the stuff you made works properly, that punching machine will definitely function as intended.”

“I hope so too.”

“If not, we’ll just make it again.”

Soo-jeong led the two of them to a safe zone.

With eyes full of anticipation, she pressed the launch button.

At that moment, an incredible tearing sound, as if ripping through the very fabric of space, accompanied by an ultra-high-speed projectile that was impossible to track with the naked eye, was fired from the turret.

A powerful attack capable of piercing through a massive rock mountain in a single strike.

However, the attack that seemed like it would pulverize the punching machine on impact lost all its force the moment it touched the machine’s striking area, as if by magic.

“Did that really work!?”

Seeing the counter display an astonishing figure of 998,844,222J, Seung-ho looked bewildered.

Soo-jeong, with a very pleased expression, spoke to Seung-ho.

“Oh!! Awesome! It really works!?”

“Did you not think it would work either, ma’am!?”

“Yeah. Usually, it takes dozens of failures to get something right. By the way, the performance of the impact transmitter you made is exceptional.”

The material Seung-ho had created according to Soo-jeong’s specifications.

The material absorbed the impact and transmitted it to the desired target as if it were an electrical signal.

In the case of this punching machine, the damage inflicted on the striking area was transmitted to an internal cartridge.

Soo-jeong ran to the punching machine and checked the state of the cartridge that had fallen at the back of the machine.

She then spoke to Myung-jun.

“Three grade-7 cartridges are broken. We might need to think about the efficiency.”

“But it’s usable for now, right? After all, none of the Awakeners entering the academy would be able to deliver such a powerful attack at this level.”

“True. It’s 31 times stronger than the new railgun the U.S. military is aiming for.”

“Then…”

“Once we complete a few more pieces of equipment, we should be ready to open. Although, I can’t say how long it will take to develop those few pieces…”

Soo-jeong looked at Seung-ho with a bright smile.

“With Seung-ho here, we’ll manage somehow.”

Seeing her expression, Seung-ho couldn’t bring himself to mention that they had already stayed up for two nights straight.

Just as she was obsessed with creating new toys, he also found the time spent creating new equipment with her in the Liberal Clan to be the most enjoyable.

In that sense, the two of them were truly well-matched partners.

“What should we make next?”

“How about a cutting force test device? Quite a few Awakeners use blades.” “Good idea. Let’s go with that. We can use a medium with viscoelastic or regenerative properties to measure how deep it can cut.”

“There’s not just simple cutting, there’s also rotational cutting like Soo-bin’s halo, right?”

“Then that would be…”

Watching the two of them fully immersed in researcher mode, Myung-jun smiled.

He then spoke to Soo-jeong.

“Then I’ll leave the rest to you. Senior.”

“Sure. No matter how tough it gets, I’ll definitely finish it within the promised time, so just trust me.”

Nodding, Myung-jun left the lab and headed towards the center of Liberty City.

The city, with numerous ECVs flying around completing the final touches, looked like something straight out of a futuristic sci-fi movie.

As he wandered the empty streets, Myung-jun imagined what Liberty City would look like after the opening.

Awakeners from all over the world coming to acquire equipment or sell materials, tourists visiting to see Liberty City, and residents selling all sorts of food and souvenirs to them.

It was the image of the ‘freest city in the world’ that Myung-jun had envisioned.

‘The buildings are ready, and the facilities will be ready soon. There are lines of Awakeners from around the world wanting to enroll in the academy. So, what’s left is…’

Myung-jun, turning his steps towards the largest building in the city center, the ‘Awakener Academy,’ said.

“All we need now are instructors.”

Myung-jun’s next plan after rescuing and recruiting Seung-ho and obtaining an official apology from the South Korean government.

It was to gather world-class Awakeners to form the ‘faculty’ of Liberty Academy.