Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense

Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense

118 – The Sole Hope for Saving Japan

With the words ‘Moving to Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant’ left behind, the sight of the gigantic Knights soaring into the sky like a rocket was immediately broadcasted worldwide in real-time.

Appearing splendidly like a hero in a movie, the sight of the Knights flying towards Fukushima, which could be considered the biggest wound of the Japanese people living in the present, brought overwhelming emotions to the hearts of all Japanese citizens who watched it.

However, since it was also a part of his planned performance, Myung-Jun, who arrived at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant faster than anyone else, spent his time leisurely inside the cockpit of Knights, making modifications and having conversations with Soo-jeong until the journalists and government officials arrived belatedly.

If Myung-Jun’s purpose was the purification operation of Fukushima, he would have entered the power plant immediately and finished the work before others arrived. However, the purpose of this operation was to put on a ‘show’ in front of the entire Japanese nation. Therefore, the purification operation of the power plant itself was not a big issue for Myung-Jun.

Even if it emitted radiation to the extent of instantly killing people, the Void Shield developed by Soo-jeong could not be penetrated, and even if it had a long half-life, Myung-Jun could simply convert the inherent properties of the substance itself using his unique trait, ‘Attribute Transformation’, so that it could not emit radiation.

Of course, since it was unknown how many points would be needed to convert the nuclear fuel, which could cause a meltdown, into non-radioactive material, Myung-Jun put Banara’s crystal, which he had attached to the tip of Taylor, in his pocket in preparation for a contingency.

If the purification operation failed with the points already converted, he would use Banara’s crystal as points to successfully purify the plant. Although this could delay the plan to create Keeper’s body using Banara’s crystal, Myung-Jun had already obtained Keeper’s consent in advance.

“I think we have enough points saved up to purify it, but if an emergency arises, I might need to convert Banara’s crystal, which I promised to use to create your body, into points. Would that be alright?”

Keeper accepted Myung-Jun’s proposal without any hesitation.

Since there were no other ingredients prepared to create an Ego Puppet, Keeper holding Banara’s crystal had no merit. Rather, Keeper hoped that Myung-Jun would use the crystal for his own growth.

<Anyway, now that we have a base and a foothold, we can aim for Grade 10 or 11 crystals, not just Grade 9, right? Wouldn’t it be better to focus on growth now and make my body with higher grade crystals later?>

“Does that mean you want to get in better shape even if you have to wait right now?”

<Well, that’s right.>

“I’ll think about it. It seems the interest rate is too expensive to accept it outright.”

With Keeper’s permission obtained, Myung-Jun had no obstacles.

If only this plan succeeded, there would no longer be any forces opposing the Liberal Clan in Japan.

Shortly afterward, Japanese government officials and journalists arrived belatedly near the location where Myung-Jun was waiting.

Among them was Soo-jeong, Myung-Jun’s lover, who was continuously communicating with him via transmission to prevent him from getting bored while waiting for them.

Getting off the Shadow Hawk, she distributed necklaces with radiation shielding capabilities to the gathered journalists and government officials.

“This necklace can withstand up to 40,000 Rontgens of radiation within a radius of 2 meters for 30 minutes from its center. However, as the radiation intensifies, the duration decreases, so if the blue gem in the center turns red, immediately retreat and replace it with a new necklace.”

Due to the high radiation environment, not only digital cameras but also the image quality of film cameras deteriorates significantly. Despite her consideration, however, no one dared to enter the radiation-filled danger zone wearing just a single necklace.

As Soo-jeong gazed upon that sight, she suddenly picked up the necklace she had prepared and another necklace, then started walking briskly towards where Myung-Jun’s Knights were.

With steps that seemed as if she was just taking a stroll, wearing only a necklace instead of protective gear, she entered the dangerous zone as if engaging in a conversation, and towards the Knights ridden by Myung-Jun, she began to say something.

Shortly afterward, when Soo-jeong returned to where the journalists were, she extended the necklace she had been carrying towards them.

It was a necklace used by nuclear power plant workers to measure accumulated radiation exposure in radioactive danger zones.

The paper inside the necklace, which turns yellow if exposed to more than the allowable radiation dose, still remained white, indicating that despite spending a long time in the danger zone, Soo-jeong’s exposure was minimal.

“If this isn’t enough, let me show you this as well.”

Next, what Soo-jeong picked up was the Geiger counter, the measuring device that comes to mind first when it comes to radiation.

Despite being quite close to the Fukushima power plant, the Geiger counter emitted no sound at all.

Soo-jeong took it inside again, then reached out and extended the detector beyond the protective area.

At that moment, the Geiger counter, which had been silent as if it were turned off, suddenly began emitting a frantic warning sound.

– Beep beep beep beep beep beep –

The harsh warning sound, clearly audible even from afar, made the gathered journalists and government officials break out in a cold sweat.

However, as Soo-jeong folded her arms and retracted the detector, the Geiger counter, which had been emitting a terrifying warning sound just a moment ago, became quiet as if it were lying.

“Just so you know, this necklace is a special device that can defend against attacks from awakeners of Grade 6 or higher, as well as radiation. Despite being consumables, each one costs over 300 million yen. And if you still can’t trust it, you’re welcome to leave right now.”

In Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novel “The Little Prince,” there is a passage that goes like this.

“Grown-ups like numbers. If you tell grown-ups, ‘I saw a beautiful house made of pink bricks, with geraniums at the windows and doves on the roof,’ they won’t be able to imagine the house. You have to tell them, ‘I saw a house that cost $100,000.’ Then they’ll exclaim, ‘What a pretty house!'”

So, deliberately, Soo-jeong informed them of the specific “price” of the protective accessories.

She thought that the phrase “protective shield generation device that completely blocks radiation” would evoke more confidence in them if described as a “300 million yen per piece protective shield generation device.”

And as intended by her, upon hearing the price from her lips, the journalists and government officials began jostling each other to put on the accessories she had prepared.

“Just wear one, wearing two won’t increase the effectiveness. And by the way, for those who sneakily take one without permission, we’ll bill you for the accessories later.”

Watching some journalists and government officials cautiously taking out the necklaces from their pockets after hearing her warning, Soo-jeong smiled faintly.

Then, looking in the direction where Myung-Jun’s Knights were, she said.

“Looks like everything’s ready.”

“Then let’s begin.”

The journalists present anxiously waited for Myung-Jun to come out of the cockpit.

However, Myung-Jun’s subsequent actions, after he took off, shocked not only the journalists but also the officials from the Japanese government.

– Boom! –

“What the hell was that?!”

“Aaaah!”

“Is he out of his mind?!”

Their shock was only natural.

In front of them, a 20-meter-tall giant robot was literally swinging its steel fist to smash the walls of the nuclear power plant.

With each swing of the Knight’s fist, several-ton boulders flew in all directions, and rusty rebars, long exposed to rain, bent like toothpicks.

Some of the smaller debris flew towards where Soo-jeong was, but Soo-jeong, without batting an eye, only watched Myung-Jun’s actions.

Then, Prime Minister Ishida, who had never expected such a method to enter the nuclear plant, rushed to Soo-jeong’s side and vehemently protested to her.

“Isn’t it okay to enter slowly while dismantling the debris? What is this nonsense?!”

“That’s your opinion, but we don’t have time. We need to dig deep into the area where the melted-down nuclear fuel is today.”

“But does that justify such brute force…?”

“Brute force? That? No. That’s rather refreshing. Those malicious concrete blocks have been planted in places they should never have been. And those bombs have been left neglected, like unexploded shells, for a long time, not knowing when they might go off.”

Soo-jeong said.

The safest way to deal with an unexploded bomb is not to dismantle it carefully, but to bury it in a pit and detonate it with another bomb.

“In a situation where it could take months or even years to dismantle it safely, we cannot wait indefinitely. Honestly, admit it. If we could, the Japanese government would have solved it in an instant.”

“But that building is contaminated with radiation for a long period. The concrete and rebars themselves are radioactive materials. Spreading them like this…”

“Prime Minister, does it look like just destruction to enter?”

After saying that, Soo-jeong approached the concrete fragments with the Geiger counter.

Then, she brought the detector part close to the concrete and said.

“Currently, Representative Cha Myung-Jun is simultaneously conducting dismantling operations for entry and purification operations for the contaminated building. He is purifying all the radioactive materials embedded in the concrete and rebars that the fist touches. As Knights go deeper inside, as they approach the source of radiation, the radiation levels nearby will decrease even more.”

The Prime Minister could not close his mouth at Soo-jeong’s words, which clearly showed that the destructive act, which looked like just destruction, was part of the purification process.

However, as Soo-jeong said, Myung-Jun was indeed simultaneously conducting purification operations and dismantling operations for entry.

As they entered deeper, powerful radiation was spewing out, capable of penetrating even the thick gloves of the Knights.

Myung-Jun fully activated his unique ability, the Attribute Transformation ability, to convert all the radioactive materials around him into non-radioactive materials in real-time.

‘Just a little more.’

And finally, Myung-Jun could see “it” located in the middle of the underground of the reactor.

An object called the “Elephant’s Foot,” created by melted nuclear fuel.

The Knight, with Myung-Jun inside, was constantly sending warning messages to Myung-Jun.

<Warning. Environmental contamination status exceeds danger threshold.>

<20% reduction in Void Shield’s shielding ability. 15% until full release.>

Hearing the warning sound indicating that the remaining shield capacity protecting him from radiation was running out, Myung-Jun quietly tightened his grip on the control lever.

Then, towards the deadly radioactive material that could turn humans into ashes just by standing nearby, the giant Knight slowly began to extend its hand.

As if trying to caress the giant scar engraved on the earth.

From the fingertips of the kneeling Knight, a bright blue light began to emit.

‘Attribute Transformation activated.’

Since the accident occurred, the moment when the endless suffering of the Japanese people was relieved by the hands of a Korean.

That dignified figure, seen even reverently, spread to the world through the camera of a journalist who bravely ventured inside the massive hole pierced by Myung-Jun’s Knight.

And upon seeing that picture, every Japanese person could realize one thing.

That giant robot and its pilot were, in fact, the ‘Messengers of God’ sent to save Japan.

It was a moment of historical significance that instantly turned the remaining opposition forces of the Liberal Clan in Japan into ‘traitors to the nation.’

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