Chapter 94
Chapter 94
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: The Earth Defense Force
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In war, where some cheer, others are bound to despair.
The shock is magnified when a battle you thought you'd won ends in defeat.
Falcon, a mage from the 8th floor of the Magic Tower, remained alone where everyone else had departed.
When it all began, he had been certain this gate would be a historic achievement.
That was why he had prepared the largest Life Vessel, and indeed, ten percent of it had filled in an instant.
He hadn't expected it to reach one hundred percent. After all, Life Vessels, meant to contain life energy, were always prepared with ample room.
‘I thought it would reach at least half.’
If the main Life Vessel were half-full, it would create the largest Life Stone in the history of the Azelan Continent.
On top of that, he had secretly hoped the two sub-Life Vessels would reach one hundred percent.
But the result was disastrous.
The main Life Vessel had stopped at ten percent, and the sub-Life Vessels had barely reached one percent.
It was a devastating failure.
Those who tried to console him said:
“A Life Stone of this size is by no means a small amount.”
They were right. This was not a small amount.
“That would be true if you didn't consider the investment.”
He had invested a mythic-grade item. Not only that, he had unleashed the Death King sealed within the Magic Tower.
Both decisions had been made after convening the Magic Tower's council of highest mages.
The atmosphere during the meeting had been favorable, but it was obvious what would be said in the event of failure.
“Where on earth did it all go wrong?”
Falcon wanted to deny reality.
He couldn't forget the expressions on the nobles' faces as they left after seeing the results.
Forced smiles hiding their disappointment.
Falcon, accustomed to respect, found that moment difficult and agonizing.
“Hah...”
Falcon couldn't bring himself to leave for a long time.
At the same time.
Oh Min-jae was reviewing the incident with Wang-sik.
“It’s definitely strange, isn’t it?”
They meticulously examined the location where the gate had appeared and the circumstances at the time.
“It was a guided gate.”
It meant the gate's entrance and exit points were precisely designated.
“With current gate technology, opening a gate at a designated location requires a collaborator at the exit point.”
“So you’re saying the Magic Tower has a connection to Earth?”
“It seems so.”
“Well, it would be weirder if they didn’t. They’re the ones most advanced in gate technology.”
Starting with the gate in Russia, it had become clear that collaborators were indeed active.
“The appearance of an apostle.”
“So a hero and an apostle appeared together. Could it be those Devist Nolan bastards?”
Wang-sik was lost in thought for a moment.
“They are suspicious.”
“Hah, when you think about it, there’s more than just one or two suspicious groups.”
In Azelan, the most suspicious group was the alchemists. They were incorporating Earth's chemical formulas into their alchemy.
This was also why Oh Min-jae had been so careful while absorbing the Alchemist Guild.
“We need to start a proper investigation on Earth, too.”
An internal spy is always more frightening than an external enemy.
The problem was that Mad Castle didn't yet have the authority to do so.
“We need to gain more recognition. Only then can we request their cooperation.”
“What about using the Royal Club instead?”
Wang-sik shook his head at Oh Min-jae’s question.
“Those guys are a lost cause. They only act for their own gain once they have information. We saw that this time.”
“But they’re too valuable a resource to just leave alone.”
“That’s another thing that will be solved once we have more power. They’re the type to jump to the front of the line if they think their reputation is at stake.”
As they talked at length about the past and future, night had fallen before they knew it.
“You worked hard.”
“You should get some rest for a while, too.”
“I can’t. There’s something really important left to do.”
“What is it?”
“It’s about establishing Mad Castle’s identity.”
“Ah.”
Wang-sik understood what he meant.
“I can look forward to it, right?”
“Experts in each field are pouring their souls into it.”
“It’s worth that much effort.”
Wang-sik didn’t keep the busy Oh Min-jae any longer.
After a week-long break, the members of Mad Castle gathered in the conference room.
In addition to the four combat agents, Oh Min-jae, Aisi, Kang Il-seop, and his chief of staff were also present today.
Besides them, Wang-sik’s friends and seven key members of Mad Support came with Han Young-im.
Finally, with Seo I-ryeon’s arrival, all the members of Mad Castle were assembled.
“The theme song is ready.”
At Seo I-ryeon’s words, Wang-sik’s eyes lit up.
“Do we really need a theme song?”
“What are you talking about? It’s essential for the Earth Defense Force!”
Wang-sik raised his voice in response to Min Ha-na’s question.
“Then I’ll start it right away.”
Seo I-ryeon smiled and played the video. Cheerful music began, accompanied by a photo of the four combat agents together.
Mad Castle. Guardians of peace.
The Earth Defense Force that defeats villains.
Our friends who protect hope.
We fight for world peace.
Rise up with strength.
Unleash your courage.
Earth Defense Force, Mad Castle.
A moment of silence fell.
The most shocked person was Min Ha-na.
‘But I thought, since it’s Seo I-ryeon…’
That expectation was shattered.
This was a childish theme song you wouldn't even see in the 80s.
The music and visuals were at least polished, but the lyrics were the problem.
‘Wait, what? What’s with this atmosphere?’
Why did most people have satisfied expressions on their faces?
Clap, clap, clap!
Wang-sik even applauded.
‘Is this what they call a difference in sensibilities?’
She looked for an ally, but then she saw Han Young-im giving a satisfied thumbs-up.
‘I thought Chairman Han was a rational person.’
She had no way of knowing that Han Young-im still watched *Space Defenders* with her daughter every night before bed.
In the end, Min Ha-na missed her chance to speak up.
“And this is the ballad version. The title is ‘Friendship.’”
At least there was another one.
This time, a gentle piano melody was accompanied by Seo I-ryeon’s humming.
The video on the screen changed slowly, showing not only the combat agents but also the faces of all the Mad Castle members.
Images of them laughing and worrying together seemed to shine over the beautiful melody.
A moving emotion that stirred the heart drew everyone’s attention like magic.
And when the video ended, everyone gave a standing ovation.
“Thank you. I’m pretty good at this sort of thing.”
Seo I-ryeon raised both hands in response, and the theme song was decided.
Min Ha-na liked the second song, so she decided to let the first one slide.
“Next up are the uniforms.”
This time, Han Young-im stood in front of the screen.
“The uniforms were designed to highlight the individuality of each combat agent, divided by color, and include activewear, formal suits, party attire, and training clothes. First, let’s look at our combat agents’ nicknames.”
Four phrases appeared on the screen.
Super Tanker.
Fire Witch.
Shadow Walker.
Cutie Angel.
It was obvious at a glance which phrase represented whom.
“Why am I a witch?”
“I didn’t choose it. This is a collection of the most frequently used nicknames based on big data. Of course, you can change it to a different nickname if you wish. Let’s take a look at Agent Min Ha-na’s other nicknames.”
Flame Zombie.
Fiery Swearer.
Hot Mess.
Dirty Sexy.
“S-stop! That’s enough.”
Min Ha-na decided to be content with Fire Witch.
“Hehe. They called me an angel.”
As everyone chuckled at Gong Yeong-ji’s cute reaction, Han Young-im’s briefing continued.
“Accordingly, representative colors have been decided for each of you.”
Wang-sik is Gold.
Min Ha-na is Red.
Sa Seon-gi is Black.
Gong Yeong-ji is White.
These were colors everyone agreed on.
“We commissioned the world’s top designers to create your uniforms.”
Photos of the outfits were revealed, ranging from party attire to casual wear, with thirty outfits per person.
The designs, based on the chosen colors, were distinctive and individual, and everyone was satisfied.
“Ah, but the Earth Defense Force is supposed to wear spandex.”
“Wang-sik, stop.”
“Aww, but still…”
“One more word and I’ll start swearing.”
At Min Ha-na’s threat, Wang-sik gave up his fantasy of spandex.
Han Young-im continued to enthusiastically introduce even the minor details, looking very excited.
“Going forward, Mad Castle will officially launch a character merchandising business, and all profits will be donated to famine relief and gate refugees.”
It was a kind of image-building project.
What Mad Castle needed now was recognition that transcended national borders.
Politicians tend to listen to the majority of the public regardless of government policy, which was why this branding project was necessary.
As Han Young-im finished her presentation to a round of applause and stepped down, Kang Il-seop was the last to speak.
His resignation had been accepted as of yesterday.
Public opinion was largely understanding due to the fact that he was joining Mad Castle, but there were also voices expressing concern about the weakening of the Hunter Management Bureau.
The personnel who came over to Mad Castle with Kang Il-seop numbered seven, including his chief of staff; there were no combat agents among them.
There were agents who wanted to follow him, but he had asked them to stay behind to prevent chaos in South Korea.
“If the Hunter Management Bureau becomes a political entity, I will come back for you.”
Kang Il-seop joined Mad Castle after leaving them with that promise.
“Yesterday, we signed a temporary information-sharing agreement with the New Zealand government.”
Unlike the others, he spoke about serious matters.
“We are a transnational organization, not affiliated with South Korea, and we plan to cooperate with the governments of various countries. We expect to finalize agreements with ten countries within this month, and our goal is to eventually form special pacts with all nations.”
There had been no exchanges with developed countries yet.
Aside from New Zealand and Australia, most were developing nations. Nevertheless, Kang Il-seop intended to accept cooperation with them without restrictions.
“Even so, because we are located on South Korean territory, certain problems may arise. That is why we are looking into territory that does not belong to any nation.”
If they connected via gates, it wouldn't be a problem anyway.
“This is just a contingency. The best-case scenario is that we gain recognition and remain here.”
“Well, moving wouldn’t be so bad. We’d have our own land.”
In truth, there were complex issues involved.
The operation of the Guseong Group, the hospital, and other infrastructure, for instance.
Because no one can live alone in this world.
“I will handle all the troublesome matters from now on, so I ask that each of you do your best in your respective fields.”
As Kang Il-seop finished his brief presentation, Wang-sik shouted.
“Commander! Welcome!”
Everyone rose from their seats and welcomed him with applause.
It was the moment the Commander officially took his post at Mad Castle.
After the meeting ended, while walking to the cafeteria, Min Ha-na asked Gong Yeong-ji, who was linking arms with her.
“Is all of this really necessary?”
She could accept the emblem, but she thought the theme song and uniforms were going too far.
“To be honest, I think so too.”
“Right?”
“But it doesn’t seem like a bad thing. It’s not like we lose anything by doing this.”
“That’s true.”
Min Ha-na acknowledged that point. In fact, most people, aside from herself, were enjoying it. That was why she hadn't deliberately ruined the mood.
But Gong Yeong-ji wasn’t finished.
“Mr. Wang-sik said something once. That the people here haven’t lived past the age of ten.”
“Ah…”
“So their dreams are stuck at age ten.”
Min Ha-na reflected on herself for thinking it was all pointless.
‘I could have just enjoyed it with them.’
Indeed, Han Young-im, Kang Il-seop, and even the chief of staff had enjoyed it along with them.
‘I still have a long way to go.’
It seemed her individualistic tendencies still remained.
“You know, I actually think your nickname is so cool. Fire Witch! It’s the kind of image I dreamed of.”
“You think so?”
“Yes! And the intense red color is great, too!”
Gong Yeong-ji was already enjoying it with everyone else.
“I actually like the color red, too.”
Min Ha-na accepted it without resistance.
“Let’s just agree not to wear spandex.”
“I’d be fine with that, though…”
“Yeong-ji, no. I will never compromise on that.”
Even reflection and acceptance had their limits.