The Archmage’s Destruction Strategy - Chapter 106

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

#106. Efficiency

At Sung-jun’s threat that he would leave the United States for Europe if they didn’t cooperate, General MacFarlane requested some time to think it over.

Although he was the commander of the remaining Western Defense Force, advancing to the Eastern Region rather than reclaiming the Western Region wasn’t a decision he could make alone.

After sending Sung-jun and his companions to quarters inside the base, MacFarlane immediately entered an emergency meeting.

Whether to persuade the man named Ma Sungjun, who had single-handedly dealt with the Corrosion Entities that appeared in China and Japan, to force him to participate in the Eastern Region reclamation operation.

Or whether to let Sung-jun leave and proceed with the planned operation using their prepared forces.

Finally, whether to accept Sung-jun’s proposal and mobilize all remaining Western Region defense forces to advance to the Eastern Region.

When MacFarlane gathered the personnel who could be considered the leadership of the Western Defense Force and explained Sung-jun’s proposal, voices filled with dissatisfaction immediately began pouring out.

“I’m against it. Advance to the east? Are you saying we should abandon the lifeline of the west that we barely have left?”

“To begin with, I can’t believe his claim that he personally dealt with the Corrosion Entities in China and Japan! Conducting such a large-scale operation based solely on the word of someone whose identity isn’t even certain is tantamount to suicide!”

“In this emergency situation, since he’s set foot on American soil, he should follow the control of the American government. We should force him to participate in Western Region reclamation, even using force if necessary. Advancing to the east can wait until after we’ve stabilized the west.”

Various opinions emerged, but most were negative.

Then General MacFarlane, who had been listening to everyone’s stories, looked at Ryan Cooper, the captain of the 3rd Search Team who was the only one keeping his mouth shut, and asked a question.

“As you know, Captain, while I’m the commander of the Western Defense Force, I’m a civilian, not an Enhanced Human like you. As one of the most powerful Enhanced Humans in the Western Defense Force and someone who directly encountered the man named Ma Sungjun face-to-face, I’m curious about your opinion of him.”

“Please call us Mutants, not Enhanced Humans.”

“Isn’t that a derogatory term filled with contempt for Enhanced Humans? The official designation from the government is Enhanced Human.”

“You know it yourself. We’re humans who deserve contempt. Even though we were cultivated as ability users to protect American citizens, we couldn’t provide any help during D-day.”

There were two terms American citizens used to refer to Awakened individuals.

‘Enhuman,’ a shortened form of Enhanced Human, and ‘Mutant,’ meaning a mutation.

Most American-born Awakened didn’t like the term ‘Mutant,’ which was filled with contempt directed at them, but Captain Ryan Cooper and the 3rd Reconnaissance Squad members under his command called themselves by the contemptuous term ‘Mutant.’

They even corrected others when they called them Enhanced Humans, asking to be called Mutants instead.

This was an act of atonement for the past when, despite possessing abilities that transcended human limits, they could only helplessly watch as citizens and subordinates were sacrificed.

“You may want to demean yourself like that, but the comrades whose lives were saved by you and your subordinates don’t think that way. It’s not good to push yourself so hard like that.”

“Someday.”

Cooper paused briefly to calm his emotions before speaking to MacFarlane.

“Someday, when the day comes that we can defeat ‘that bastard’ in the east and return American territory to American citizens, then I’ll accept a new title.”

“…I’ll respect your opinion. So, as a Mutant, how much of what this man named Ma Sungjun says do you think is believable? Do you really think he defeated the Corrosion Entities in China and Japan?”

“It’s possible. We haven’t fully grasped all the combat power he’s hiding yet. First of all, he commands the military force of a skeleton legion numbering 20,000. Though I only saw them from a distance, each of those Skeleton Soldiers was equipped with Enhanced Human-level armaments.”

“All 20,000 troops!!”

“With Enhanced Human-level armaments!?”

“Yes. But what’s truly frightening isn’t his ability to command 20,000 Skeleton Soldiers. The strength of the armored knight by his side, presumably an undead knight summon, was such that even if all members of the 3rd Search Team attacked together, we could barely handle it. So it would be reasonable to assume that his master, the man named Ma Sungjun, is even stronger than that armored knight.”

“What kind of abilities could he possibly possess…”

“He introduced himself as a mage. Since I didn’t see him fight, I can’t say for certain, but given that he calls himself a mage, I think it’s best to assume he possesses typical mage-like abilities from comics or novels.”

“You mean he could drop meteors?”

“It might be possible. But I don’t think he has abilities to that extent. If he had the power to drop meteorites and completely destroy an entire major city, there would have been no need to request cooperation from the Western Region Defense Force.”

Captain Cooper explained that the man named Ma Sungjun’s combat power was probably at a similar level to the current Western Region Defense Force’s strength, or perhaps slightly stronger.

Then MacFarlane, having heard Cooper’s explanation, asked him.

“If what you say is correct, and assuming that man named Ma Sungjun really possesses that level of combat power, do you think it would be possible to eliminate the Corrosion Entity in the east with twice the current Western Region Defense Force’s strength?”

Cooper stroked his chin with his hand, showing a thoughtful expression for a moment.

Then he shook his head and spoke to the general.

“It’s impossible. Of course, there must be remaining defense forces in the Eastern Region too, so if we joined with them, our strength would greatly improve, but in my judgment, even if we added all the remaining forces throughout America and added that man Ma Sungjun’s combat power on top of that, eliminating the Corrosion Entity that dominates all of America would be impossible.”

“Then your opinion is…”

“We should refuse. All we can do is reclaim key strategic points in the Western Region and restore major production facilities. Putting everything we have on the table for a gamble we can’t even succeed at would be insane.”

In the end, when everyone expressed only negative views, MacFarlane had no choice but to make a decision.

After finishing the meeting, MacFarlane had his subordinate summon Sung-jun to his office.

“The results of our internal meeting are in.”

“Looking at your expression, it seems it was rejected.”

“I’m sorry. It’s not that we doubt your claim about defeating the Corrosion Entities in Japan and China, but even so, our final conclusion is that eliminating America’s Corrosion Entity with our strength alone would be impossible.”

“Is the biggest reason for that decision because the success rate would be slim even if you added my power to your current forces?”

When MacFarlane nodded silently, Sung-jun spoke.

“I’m sorry, General, but if you made that decision for that reason, you’ve completely misjudged the situation.”

“Are you saying that just adding your power to the current Western Defense Force’s strength would be enough to defeat the Corrosion Entity in the east?”

“That’s not it. Your judgment about combat power is probably mostly correct. I’m also requesting your help because I judge it would be difficult to eliminate America’s Corrosion Entity with my power alone.”

“Then which part is wrong?”

“The part where you’re basing your combat power standards on the ‘present’ is what’s wrong, General.”

Facing the general who was looking at him with an expression of not understanding, Sung-jun said.

“Could you spare me some time?”

***

Sung-jun, who had requested the general to summon the 3rd Reconnaissance Squad members who were the most powerful Awakened in the Western Defense Force, took the general and the reconnaissance squad members to the test room inside the base.

The interior of the test room, built for testing the firepower of anti-Corrosion Entity weapons, had walls made entirely of special alloy processed from Corrosion Entity materials, giving it enough durability to block most Awakened attacks with just minor scratches.

Sung-jun, who had put some wreckage from a broken ICV (Infantry Carrier Vehicle) that had been abandoned at the base entrance into subspace and brought it to the test room, took out the wreckage he had brought in front of everyone and placed it in the center of the test room.

Then he swung both arms to summon a massive magic circle as if offering a sacrifice, beginning to surround the broken wreckage.

Having completed the preparations needed for the necessary work, Sung-jun asked a question to Captain Cooper, who was looking at the magic circle on the floor with surprised eyes.

“Captain. An Awakened of your level could easily pierce through this level of armor, right?”

“Of course. Even if it weren’t me, ordinary alloy that hasn’t undergone special treatment gets pierced like melted butter the moment it’s hit by a Mutant’s attack.”

“I see… Then can the Awakened equipment that American Awakened are currently equipped with properly block Corrosion Entity attacks?”

“To some extent…”

“What about an attack from an Awakened of your level?”

“…It can’t block it. My attacks can even pierce through the walls of this test room made of special alloy.”

“Last question. Your weapon appears to be a spear – is an attack with that spear powerful enough to have penetration power equivalent to an anti-tank shell?”

“…I don’t understand what you’re getting at with these questions.”

“I’m trying to point out something strange. Generally, to pierce tank armor, you need anti-tank level penetration power. Whether you increase the penetrator’s speed or increase the explosive power of gunpowder, to destroy a firmly bonded physical structure, you absolutely need destructive power sufficient to break those bonds.”

“That’s obvious…”

“But Awakened are different.”

Interrupting Captain Cooper’s words, Sung-jun said.

“A sword wielded by an Awakened can pierce through a Corrosion Entity’s skin that easily blocks anti-tank shells, even without anti-tank shell level destructive power. Conversely, claws wielded by Corrosion Entities can slice through human-made tank armor like butter without any special physical destructive power. That’s strange. Simply put, it’s like throwing a tomato and piercing through a rock.”

“That’s because Mutants possess special power different from ordinary humans…”

“Exactly. That special power.”

When Sung-jun crossed both hands, the characters carved in the massive magic circle drawn on the floor flew up into the air as if alive.

“Corrosion Entity bodies are composed of energy completely different from the physical laws that constitute Earth’s environment. In other words, the very laws that constitute their bodies are completely different from those of our reality universe. The reason human guns and cannons can’t wound Corrosion Entity bodies is precisely because of this. Since they’re laws using completely different languages from each other, the laws we impose don’t work on them.”

The characters that had flown up began emitting mysterious light and carving themselves onto the surface of the broken armor, cutting through the air following Sung-jun’s movements.

“A mage is an existence that adjusts the laws of the world using an element called mana as a medium. An adjuster who forces opponents to accept the laws of our world that don’t work on them, and makes it possible for our side to ignore the laws of their world that they impose on us.”

The moment Sung-jun spread both arms again, the broken armor began gleaming silver with brilliant light.

The reborn broken armor plate was gently emanating an invisible, intangible aura as if it were under the protection of mysterious power.

“Captain.”

Having completed all the work, Sung-jun pointed to the spear hanging on Cooper’s back and said.

“Please strike this armor plate with the strongest attack you can make with that spear.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————