The Negotiation (2)

The headquarters of the Suwon Air Wing.

The brigadier general let out a sigh, then faced Jihye, Minjae, and Phantom and spoke.

"Sejong contacted us at dawn today."

The Sejong Provisional Government's demands came to four. First, they were to hand over the special-forces personnel taken prisoner in Uijeongbu. Second came a request little short of an order: surrender the Enchanter. And third, they were to answer the mobilization order by sending every survivor of level 10 or higher to Sejong.

"The last of them, the fourth, was a demand that we arrest everyone on the Special Summons List in the capital region and turn them over to Sejong."

"A-arrest them?"

"On what authority are they spouting nonsense like that..."

Jihye asked it again, her face stricken. Minjae, who had been silent until then, let out a hollow laugh as if he could not believe his ears. The brigadier general, not a trace of humor on his face, went on.

"They can talk that way because they have an acting president. Of course, that hardly makes them absolutely right."

"So what did you tell them?"

"That we have no reason to follow those orders. And we don't."

Hanseong agreed. No matter that someone had been vested with presidential authority, with the great majority of the people already dead the government had long since lost any function it once possessed. In his eyes, the Sejong Provisional Government was nothing more than a large gathering of survivors. Suwon, of course, was no different.

"They did say, though, that if we keep refusing, they'll achieve their aims by force if they have to."

"That's absurd. Why go that far..."

"Because they're the sort who can wield power only so long as the state continues to exist."

The brigadier general's eyes narrowed, revulsion plain in them.

"The one mercy is that it isn't likely to turn into an armed clash right away."

"How can you be sure of that?"

"They won't move rashly when they still don't know the full extent of our strength."

With that answer, Hanseong spread a map across the empty air.

Roughly fifteen thousand survivors currently lived at the Suwon Air Wing. Those in Sejong numbered more than thirty thousand.

I'm sure Suwon had more, not long ago.

Sejong's numbers had surged of late. Claiming legitimacy, and proclaiming a mobilization order, must have had a considerable effect. Even so, they could not simply attack Suwon on a whim. As the brigadier general had just said, they had no way to gauge Suwon's strength.

And unlike Sejong, this is a military base.

That meant weapons, and armaments, in abundance. An air wing would have fighter jets as well. They would not dare attack blindly under those conditions.

He was just bringing the thought to a close when the brigadier general spoke again.

"Which brings me to this..."

He looked at Phantom. After a brief hesitation, he went on in a careful tone.

"If it looks as though an armed clash is coming, would it be all right to ask for your help?"

Hanseong could guess the intent well enough. Show them overwhelming firepower, as he had when he subjugated the Steel Machine Golem in Uijeongbu, and make them abandon the fight of their own accord.

And if not that...

A surprise strike on their command would serve just as well. Since he had become a fifth-tier mage, every one of his skills reached Sejong with range to spare.

Hanseong inclined Phantom's head.

"Of course. That was what we agreed."

"Thank you. If you lend us your strength, we can bring this to a close without taking heavy losses."

"Thank you, Mage."

The brigadier general smiled as if he had been waiting for just that, and Jihye bowed her head as well.

Once the talk of the Sejong Provisional Government was finished, Hanseong turned to the three of them at once.

"May I speak next?"

"Of course. Say whatever you need to."

At his leave, Jihye's and Minjae's eyes turned to Phantom. Meeting the three pairs of gazes, Hanseong began, calm and even.

"The truth is, I heard something important in the tower."

"Mm? What sort of information?"

"That Phase 3 is about to begin."

"...What did you say?"

The brigadier general asked it again, his face gone hard. He was not the only one. Jihye and Minjae both stared at Phantom as if to ask what on earth he meant.

From their reactions, they had not seen the post he had put up on the Information Strategy Board that morning. In the same level tone, Hanseong began to explain.

Some time ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠later, when the long account had ended, all three faces had set into grim lines. A silence that was not short passed. Then the brigadier general, having ordered his thoughts, spoke.

"...You don't know the exact date?"

"No. I was only told it would start soon."

"Mm. Soon..."

He let out a low sound. Jihye and Minjae bowed their heads as well, sunk deep in thought. Hanseong, who had closed his mouth for a moment, went on.

"So until Phase 3 begins, I think it would be best to suspend every operation for the time being and gather our forces in one place."

He offered, as an example, the Rescue Operation Suwon had planned against the surrounding cities. But then an unexpected answer came back from Jihye.

"Ah, that one's already as good as suspended."

"Huh? Why?"

"A new problem came up."

She smiled, awkward, and the brigadier general added an explanation.

"A champion monster has appeared."

"What? But the initial reconnaissance said there were only elites and zombies..."

"It showed itself after you entered the tower. I believe they said it was a thunderbird that calls down lightning?"

"A thunderbird that calls the storm."

Jihye corrected the name.

"It's a flying monster. Two days ago we confirmed it crossed over from Pyeongtaek. A creature that literally drags lightning and storms along with it."

The Storm-Calling Thunderbird.

It was said to possess a skill that let it wield lightning at will. Its range of activity was wide as well, so that even drawing near it was difficult.

"The real problem, though, lies elsewhere."

"It might come this way."

By the nature of a flying monster, nothing constrained its range. There was every possibility it would raid Suwon.

"So we attached one platoon of the Special Mission Battalion to watch it. We told them that if it does anything unusual, they're to report at once through this."

Jihye took out her smartphone.

Once the full account was done, Hanseong opened the map at once and scoured the area around Osan. Before long he found a red square.

And with that, the target's information was in his hands.

Level 35. Storm-Calling Thunderbird.

Among its skills, the ones that warranted caution were Teleport and Lightning Immunity. In other words, he could not use Call Lightning or Chain Lightning. He hardly cared. He had attack skills to spare in any case.

Then first...

He would have to keep it from using Teleport. From what he had learned fighting the Ether Plunderer, it was a thoroughly troublesome skill.

Hanseong set a Mark on the creature and activated Precise Observation. Then he designated the thunderbird and used the skill he had newly acquired in the tower.

A skill that rendered every target within its range unable to use skills.

The moment it took hold, the mass of storm clouds and lightning that had been raging around the thunderbird vanished without a trace. Had the sudden change thrown it into a panic?

The monstrous bird let out a raucous cry and began to roam wildly about, wary of an attack that might come from anywhere. A target that kept moving would be hard to hit, so Hanseong decided to seal ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠its movement first. As it happened, he had a skill that fit the need exactly.

Fog spread thick around the thunderbird. Caught in it in an instant, the bird's movements grew slower and slower, until at last it ceased to beat its wings and slammed into the ground.

The earth roared and gave under it with a wet, heavy impact. It did not wake even from the shock of the fall. A moment that showed just how powerful the status effect laid on it by the skill truly was.

All that's left...

was to pour concentrated fire into the thing and erase it.

Ordinarily he would have launched a Magic Sphere at once, but this time he did not. He had not charged one into the bracelet, and there was a skill he wanted to test.

Hanseong fixed the exact coordinates of the thunderbird buried in the ground. And then—

Ether gathered from an extreme height and took shape: a long, pointed rod. Seen one way, it looked like an enormous staff. The moment the transformation was complete, the staff of ether dropped, proud of its speed.

Wind tore and split. Falling straight down upon the designated coordinates, it reached the ground in no time at all. And in the instant it collided with the thunderbird—

The air detonated.

It crushed the thunderbird's body and dragged it deep into the earth. In the process a shockwave burst outward in every direction from the point of impact, and its force was truly tremendous. Every window in the surrounding buildings shattered, and cracks ran through the outer walls.

A short while later, the thunderbird's minions, which had been wandering the area, turned to dust all at once and scattered on the wind. With them came a familiar notice.

The thunderbird, subjugated in a single blow. Hanseong was honestly impressed.

Magnificent.

By his own sense of it, the force was on par with pouring twenty Magic Spheres in succession into the Steel Machine Golem.

Granted, only on the condition that it strikes a single target, and isn't an area attack...

Even so, he was thoroughly satisfied. A powerful single-target attack skill had been one of the things he had most wanted to acquire. And with it came a fresh realization: champion-grade monsters were no longer his match. He had finished the thunderbird's subjugation in the space of a moment.

"Mage?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"You suddenly went completely quiet. Were you worrying about something?"

Jihye had spoken up out of nowhere. Hanseong shook Phantom's head.

"No. I was dealing with a problem."

"A problem?"

"The champion monster from earlier. I just finished it, so there's no need to worry."

"...What?"

Jihye asked it back, blank. And in that same moment the smartphone on the table buzzed and buzzed. It was hers. She picked it up at once, and a frantic shout rang through the room.

The voice trembled, badly shaken. From the other side of the phone, the feeling of shock not yet gone from it, the report went on.

Jihye's eyes flew wide. She was not the only one. The brigadier general and Minjae, listening to the report beside her, stared just as large-eyed.

The call ended there, and the three of them stared blankly at Phantom, shock, bewilderment, and awe all mingled in their eyes. A brief silence passed. Then Jihye and the brigadier general bowed their heads.

"Thank you for your help, Mage."

"We're grateful. We do keep ending up in your debt."

"That was the promise."

If an enemy appeared that the Special Mission Battalion could not subjugate on its own, he would lend his strength. Having said as much about their alliance, Hanseong turned Phantom's head—toward Lee Minjae, the Enchanter of Uijeongbu.

"Enchanter."

"Yes?"

"I have business with you."

"Ah, a crafting commission, perhaps..."

Correct. Hanseong nodded.

"What would you like me to make?"

"I want a means of transport that runs on ether."

"Transport? Something like a motorcycle?"

"Mm. If possible, something that can operate on its own would be better."

Trying to use skills or magic while concentrating on driving seemed as though it would be a considerable nuisance. But as Minjae listened, his expression turned a little strange. A moment later he spoke, cautious.

"Um, I'm sorry, but wasn't something like that difficult to build even with the technology from before the Cataclysm?"

"So you're saying it's hard?"

"No. If I give you the conclusion first, I think it's probably possible. I saw a skill book in the tower that can make something similar to what you just described."

Fortunately, a relevant skill seemed to exist. And yet, for someone offering a solution, Minjae's face was not bright at all. Hanseong was about to ask why when Minjae got there first.

"But the price is quite steep..."

"How much?"

"Fifty thousand coins."

He could spare that much. He had about seventy thousand on hand as it was. He meant to pass the coins over through Jihye, but she, listening, said something he had not expected.

"Oh! Then I'll give them to you. The spoils I listed on the Auction House yesterday happened to sell."

"Hm? No. I can pay..."

"We've always been in your debt, Mage. Please let me cover this much."

"I'll add mine as well."

The brigadier general put in a word of his own. If that was truly how the two of them felt, Hanseong decided to accept the kindness. Minjae, now holding fifty thousand coins, answered with a face bright with pleasure.

"Thank you! I'll go into the tower in a little while, buy the skill book, and come right back."

Hanseong nodded Phantom's head. Making the transport was a matter to discuss after Minjae returned from the tower. With that, his conversation with the three of them came to an end.

After leaving Phantom the order to return, Hanseong leaned back against the wheelchair.

"...Hoo."

Fatigue rushed in all at once. It was only natural. The moment he had come out of the tower he had written a post on the Information Strategy Board, and after that he had gone to the air wing and talked with all of them.

Eyes gently closed, Hanseong recalled the conversation he had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠just had with Jihye.

Until Phase 3 begins, they'll put everything into securing food.

She had decided to send the Special Mission Battalion and a transport battalion out to the surrounding cities, and to give priority to a food-securing operation rather than the regional Rescue Operation. Hanseong understood the importance of food perfectly well, and he respected her judgment without hesitation.

As for the Sejong Provisional Government...

The brigadier general would handle all of it. Hanseong had never been particularly interested to begin with. Even when he heard the demand to arrest those on the Special Summons List in the capital region, he had felt only that it was absurd. Anger had not risen in him.

And I can erase them whenever I want.

Since his promotion to the fifth tier, the effective range of the skills he had acquired reached at least 120 kilometers. That was with the Mage's Staff equipped, of course. Even so, it meant the whole of the Chungcheong region fell inside his strike range. If he so wished, he could bombard the Sejong Provisional Government at any time.

So I'll just do what I have to do.

Hanseong had several plans. First, he had to earn coins, if only for the VIP auction that would open someday. To that end he had decided to exterminate every champion-grade monster inside his strike range. A brief look earlier had shown nothing on the level of the Ether Plunderer, so he thought it entirely possible.

And...

Whenever a skill fell under cooldown, he meant to devote himself to work that consumed mana. Granting mana to the Egg of Gu, or widening the range of the world map. Laid out like that, there was rather more to do than he had expected.

He was sighing without quite meaning to when a fierce hunger struck him out of nowhere, a loud growl from his stomach. It was hardly surprising. He had not eaten in some time.

I should get something in me, at least.

Thinking so, Hanseong looked around. But there was nothing at the base that deserved to be called food. Nothing for it. He sighed and opened the map at once, meaning to fix on the air wing's food warehouse and use Inventory's storage function. The brigadier general had given permission beforehand, so there would be no problem.

But then—

"Hm?"

A blue dot had appeared on the map. More precisely, near his base, not even a few hundred meters from where he was now. It came on in a straight line, as if it had business at his stronghold. It ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠even ignored the Maze Trap he had set in advance.

Not Jihye, at least.

Her marker was a blue square. More than that, she was on her way to Osan with the Special Mission Battalion. The map showed as much. Then who? He would have to find out at once.

Hanseong used Precise Observation.

"...!"

And his eyes flew open.

What entered his sight was a girl with silver hair and sky-blue eyes. The familiar face was none other than his younger sister, Kang Yuna.