Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense

086 – New Base

Even though the Liberal Clan headquarters, carrying Myung-jun, managed to escape safely from the encirclement set up in Sejong City, it didn’t mean that the Liberal Clan was completely safe.

The Republic of Korea’s Ministry of National Defense didn’t rely solely on ground forces for its power.

Shortly after that, when the Clan headquarters flying through the air was about to reach the East Sea, Republic of Korea Air Force’s F-16 fighter jets urgently dispatched to intercept began flying threateningly near the Clan headquarters, sending warnings through communication.

[To the pilot controlling the architectural structure flying in the airspace of the East Sea. I am Lieutenant Colonel Park Jae-hyun of the Republic of Korea Air Force. Your current course of flight in the Republic of Korea’s territorial airspace is illegal. Immediately turn back towards the land! Repeating! Immediately turn back towards the land! If there’s no response, we will open fire!]

The communication broadcast on all available frequencies was also clearly transmitted to the situation room inside the Liberal Clan headquarters.

Seeing this, following Myung-jun’s arrival at the Clan headquarters as Shadow Hawk, Cha So-eun, Myung-jun’s younger sister, looked slightly frightened as she glanced in the direction where her brother was.

“Brother? What do we do? Should we go back?”

At this, Soo-jeong, who was comforting So-eun beside him, spoke with a wide smile.

“But if we don’t respond, they’ll attack…”

“If they want to, let them.”

Soo-jeong said.

“Shall we make a bet? If any attack they launch towards us results in even a scratch on the building’s outer wall, I’ll pay you 1 million won per scratch.”

“But they’re fighter jets!”

“So what? Human-made weapons can’t cause any real damage to the armor made of this monster material. Besides, the armor coating the building’s outer walls is a special type, even inferior to the material used in Ho-chang’s armor, but it can’t be scratched by most missiles.”

Soo-jeong’s voice was filled with boundless confidence in her and Myung-jun’s abilities.

“I designed it, and your brother made the equipment, so trust a bit more. Your brother is much more remarkable than you think.”

Upon hearing Soo-jeong’s words, So-eun looked incredulous as she glanced in the direction where Myung-jun was.

There was Myung-jun, not resembling his usual self that she knew, but instead, he wore the expression of a leader who had taken on the responsibility of a leader of a group, looking at the monitor.

“Senior?”

“Yeah?”

“Could we eavesdrop on their communication over there?”

“No problem. Unless they employ quantum security from their end, preventing our hacking is impossible.”

Soo-jeong flicked her finger, summoning a laptop out of thin air and placing it on her knees.

Then, with eyes resembling a surprised rabbit, she looked at So-eun and began to smile before showcasing an impressive keyboard performance.

[No response from their side on this communication.]

[All weapons aimed and ready. Will fire immediately upon command.]

[Deploy all units as an attack formation. Project all attacks, including missiles, upon the flying structure upon my signal.]

[The opponent is floating in the middle of the East Sea. If we attack as is, there’s a chance the building will crash into the sea, but do we really attack?]”

[We’re just following orders. The directive from the command is to use all available means to prevent the Liberal Clan’s escape from our airspace.]

[We’re 3 kilometers away from the limit line.]

[Last warning. Turn back. This is the final warning. If no response within 10 seconds, we’ll attack without further notice.]

At that moment, Myung-jun, who had been silently listening to the communication, opened his mouth towards the monitor.

“Lieutenant Colonel Park Jae-hyun??”

[Message received. Please state the affiliation and name of the person sending communication on the current frequency.]

“I am Cha Myung-jun, leader of the Liberal Clan.”

[Nice to meet you. My daughter is your fan. It’s regrettable to meet under these circumstances. I earnestly request. Please turn back.]

“Do you understand the current situation?”

[I received a rough transmission from the headquarters and also saw the public broadcast from the Liberal Clan. But, Myung-jun. Not as an Air Force Colonel, but as a citizen of the Republic of Korea, I implore you. Please, return to Korea.]

“You saw it, didn’t you? Even though we faced attacks, including tanks, we haven’t retaliated at all. We haven’t even retaliated at a level that could be called self-defense. Despite our headquarters and colleagues being attacked, we haven’t attacked the soldiers on the scene because they’re just following orders as citizens of this country.”

[Thank you for your consideration.”

“But this time it’s different. Final warning? I give final warnings too.]

As Myung-jun finished speaking, numerous turrets attached to the external armor of the flying Liberal Clan headquarters, which had been silently listening, simultaneously turned their heads.

While it might seem like a fantastic scene to witness from the side, it was an endlessly chilling scene from the perspective of the person who became the target of the attack.

“The moment even a single shot is fired, we will retaliate with a rain of gunfire. I assure you, unlike your attacks that don’t cause any damage to us, our attacks can turn the fighter jets you’re riding into a handful of firework before you even activate the ejection device.”

Myung-jun said.

“It’s natural for soldiers to follow orders, but sacrificing one’s life in a situation where it won’t make the slightest difference in the outcome is pointless. Colonel, even if you don’t care about yourself, please don’t put your subordinates in such a situation.”

Lieutenant Colonel Park Jae-hyun looked out of the round cockpit at the enormous flying structure.

And the hundreds of fearsome turrets attached to that structure.

Looking at a structure that could be seen only in imagination or dreams rather than in reality, the colonel realized that this situation was beyond his capacity to handle.

[We’re retreating.]

[Colonel!]

[Even if we mobilize all our arms, we can’t prevent their departure. We’ll only end up losing valuable pilots and aircraft.]

As the Republic of Korea Air Force, realizing that executing the orders was impossible, withdrew, So-eun, who had been tensely anticipating a potential battle, slumped down.

“Phew… Is it over?”

“Well, quite literally, there’s no way.”

Watching Myung-jun scratch his nose and speak in a cool manner, So-eun chuckled.

“Oppa, I wanted to ask since earlier, what’s with the outfit? Do you usually dress like that at the company?”

So-eun pointed out Myung-jun’s attire.

Myung-jun, who had been wearing Guardian Armor in Sejong City, changed into a uniform that exuded a space navy feel upon arriving at the situation room.

The outfit had blue LED-embedded metal parts arranged properly, giving a sense of displaying Myung-jun’s well-trained muscular physique through countless hammerings. Naturally, the design perfectly reflected the preferences of its designer, Han Soo-jeong.

Feeling a bit embarrassed by his sister’s scrutinizing gaze at his outfit, Myung-jun, with a slightly reddened face, asked.

“Why? Is it weird?”

Upon which, So-eun firmly pointed her thumb towards Myung-jun while tilting her head.

“No?! It’s super cool! You look like a movie protagonist!”

So-eun’s words weren’t just flattery. Within the control room where she was, every individual gathered was equipped with impressive outfits and gear befitting anime or game protagonists.

For her, this day had been nothing short of a series of shocks. From a telekinetic who had identified themselves as a government agent suddenly trying to take her away, to her brother’s girlfriend and subordinates, who suddenly appeared during a crisis, knocking down the government agent, to even boarding an invisible plane and flying into a sky fortress. In just over a year, she was immensely surprised by what her brother had created.

And the fact that every member gathered in this room addressed her brother as the leader was also beyond belief for So-eun.

Overwhelmed by everything, So-eun hurriedly approached her brother’s side and, poking his side lightly, whispered softly.

“Oppa, is it true? Are you the leader of all these people?”

“Well, sort of.”

“Then, is that big guy who saved me also your subordinate? He’s much older than you, though?”

“Yeah.”

“And what about Unni?”

“She’s more like a partner than a subordinate…”

“Wow! So, everything in this building belongs to you? Even those incredibly powerful weapons and armor I saw on the lower floors?”

As Myung-jun nodded, So-eun became excited and exclaimed.

“Me too! Can I try wearing those? I want to become an Awakener like you!”

“What!?”

Myung-jun’s expression turned startled upon hearing So-eun’s words. He had only considered her as someone he needed to protect, never once thinking of making her an Awakener.

Myung-jun shook his head, refusing So-eun’s request.

“No.”

“Yay!… No, wait? Huh? No?”

“You’re still in middle school. Gate conquest is too risky.”

“But there’s an elementary school kid over there!”

So-eun pointed her finger in the direction of Ito Kei, who sat with a cute expression, rubbing his nose in a playful manner.

“What? Me? Why? What did I do?”

Kei, suddenly singled out, appeared flustered, and So-eun continued.

“Everyone in this room is counted among the world’s top Awakeners, right? Then isn’t that elementary school boy also an Awakener? I can do it too!”

“He’s not a combatant but more of a tracker class. He’s the class that hides first when battles break out.”

“What about that unni over there!? She’s a student too!”

So-eun then indicated Arin, who was tinkering with a drone in one corner.

At this, Myung-jun once again tilted his head and spoke to his sister.

“She’s different. Besides, she’s not one of our clan members. She’s just here for a field trip.”

Myung-jun had his reasons for rejecting his sister’s singular request. Fundamentally, the life of an Awakener was vastly different from that of an ordinary person. His own life was a clear testament to this. As a typical young man in his twenties, he found himself attacked and treated as a criminal in his hometown. This forced him to fly toward this unknown destination in pursuit of refuge.

If nothing changed in the future, including what he had planned, Myung-jun and the members of the Liberal Clan might never set foot on Korean soil again. Perhaps not only in Korea but also in their birthplaces worldwide, they might not be welcomed.

Myung-jun didn’t want his sister to be treated in such a manner.

“Did you see just now, threatening to fire unless they turn back? Officially, the Liberal Clan is recognized by the Korean government as a rebellious group. And yet, you still want to become a part of that?”

“So, if I stay like this, can I go back?”

Unable to answer So-eun’s crucial question, Myung-jun hesitated.

Of course, if things worked out as planned, he could go back. However, the obstacles to overcome in that process were not just a few.

Sensing Myung-jun’s hesitance, So-eun pushed harder.

“Oppa. The situation is already like an arrow shot. Also, as you said, if a bigger crisis comes to Earth, I need to have the ability to protect myself. Besides, when those big guys suddenly came to take me away, I couldn’t do anything. It was too devastating.”

Watching her sister’s shoulders tremble slightly, Myung-jun realized how much she had gone through today.

If it weren’t for Soo-jeong and Ho-chang rescuing her, she might have been trapped in an unknown location, used as a bargaining chip.

Myung-jun gently placed his hand on So-eun’s shoulder, attempting to console her.

Then, he nodded.

“Okay. I’ll think more about the Awakeners issue. But it’s not confirmed. With your current abilities, even if I forcibly Awaken you, you’ll just be a mediocre Awakener. There’s an old saying about this. The battlefield is filled with the bodies of those who can barely wield a sword.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means either be extremely skilled with the sword or don’t even touch it at all. In the end, a mediocre expert falls as an extra to someone else’s sword.”

“So, to become the protagonist…”

“You’ll need training. Very intense training.”

Upon hearing Myung-jun’s words, So-eun placed her palm on her forehead with determination and shouted.

“I’ll work hard, Leader!”

“Not yet. We’ll give it a try, but if it doesn’t seem feasible, I won’t Awaken you.”

“Okay, that’s fine. I’ll do my best! What should I start with?”

Watching his sister, who seemed ready to jump into special training right away, Myung-jun chuckled and tousled her hair. Then, turning towards the monitor, he said.

“I’m sorry, not now. To reach our destination, there’s still one more obstacle we need to overcome.”

“The South Korean Air Force just retreated a while ago, didn’t they? Other than that…”

“Forgot? There’s one more country we have to pass through to head east from Korea towards the Pacific Ocean.”

As Myung-jun finished speaking, dozens of fighter jets were seen on the monitor forming a formation and flying towards the direction of the Liberal Clan headquarters across the sea. Simultaneously, a transmission from them echoed through the situation room’s speakers.

“停止！停止！現在、日本の領海に進入中の無許可の飛行構造物は、直ちに前進を停止してください！(Halt! Halt! The unauthorized flying structure currently entering Japanese waters, please immediately cease your advance!)”

The urgent communication, heard in its original pronunciation in Japanese by So-eun, who hadn’t received the implanted language translation, made her realize the country they needed to cross.

“If we move in a straight line from Sejong City to the Pacific… Could it be?”

The direction Myung-jun was leading the Liberal Clan headquarters.

There lay the neighboring country of Korea and the world’s eighth-ranked military power: Japan, whose capital, Tokyo, was located.

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