Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense

Chapter 54

054 – Difference in Rank

“Hello! My name is Lee Ho-Chang! Nice to meet you!”

Watching Ho-chang greeting the U.S. military with an English pronunciation that sounded like he was reading a middle school textbook, Myung-jun said,

“Mr. Ho-chang. You’ve received the multi-language translation implant, haven’t you? Just speak in Korean, it will sound like English.”

“Oh, right. I forgot about that, didn’t I?”

Ho-chang tapped his forehead with his hand out of habit, and the thick steel gloves that covered his hands collided with the helmet parts flipped over the head, producing a metallic sharp collision sound.

“Wow!”

“Power Armor!”

“Looks like Iron Man!”

“Isn’t he like a Space Marine?”

Seeing the U.S. military members excitedly exclaiming upon witnessing this, Ho-chang struck a bodybuilder-like pose and responded to the enthusiastic applause of the U.S. military members.

“Isn’t this amazing? Isn’t it great?!”

“Wow, it’s amazing!”

“I’m envious!”

“Do we have something like that by any chance?!”

“If there’s a gun or something attached, show it to us!”

“Hehe, I’m sorry, but this power armor is exclusively mine, so you can’t have one.”

As Ho-chang proudly displayed his equipment among the U.S. military members, Myung-jun began a meeting with Marshal, who had come to see him.

“Is this it?”

When Marshal pointed at the bag held in her hand, Soo-jeong nodded.

“Yes, inside this bag is a special device that can upgrade a Rank 1 gate to a Rank 3 gate.”

“The manufacturing method…”

“We can’t produce it in the U.S. even if I tell you, because this is made using the ability of Liberal Clan leader. The case is different from the equipment for high-strength coating agent.”

In fact, what was inside the bag was a small box with bloodstained Crystal Stone. It was simply made to look like a special device with numerous LED lights. However, the clever Soo-jeong had added a feature to explode the entire box in case anyone tried to dismantle it. This was a precaution in case the opponent attempted any kind of disassembly, which could cause the box to explode.

“Let me say it again, this is an extremely delicate device. When an impact reaches the internal parts, the delicate balance that is barely maintained collapses, and the device itself explodes. So…”

“I’m not thinking of disassembling it at all. Instead, I need you to supply us as promised.”

“Of course, as long as you properly pay for the Crystal Stone needed for production and the cost of the item, we will provide as much as you need.”

Watching Soo-jeong tell blatant lies without batting an eye, Myung-jun was filled with admiration. He was impressed that she had prepared an excuse for when the method to overrun gates would be leaked later.

‘Seniors, but the method to overrun gates is actually quite simple, so it won’t remain a secret for long. What if the U.S. government asks for their money back?’

‘In that case, we insist that the method we use is entirely unrelated to it. Anyway, as soon as they try to understand the internal structure, everything within a 500-meter radius will turn into dust.’

‘Senior, sometimes I feel you’re as sharp as a pretty knife.’

‘Oh, it’s okay, Myung-jun. My blade will never harm you.’

While Myung-jun was reminiscing about the past, several soldiers approached Myung-jun.

They were all wearing the “Awakener Equipment” created by Myung-jun, which was provided to the United States.

“I’m James Gunner, 1st Lieutenant, team leader of EDF Gate Strike Team 5. My main ability is ‘Restraint’, which can subdue the target by summoning chains within a radius of 100 meters. Feel free to call me James.”

“I’m EDF Gate Strike Team 5 member, Earl Brown. My ability is ‘Cutting’, which can cut even reinforced concrete in one stroke. You can call me Earl.”

“Teammate Lena Dunham. My ability is ‘Lightning’, which can emit lightning of up to 850,000 volts. I go by Lena.”

“Teammate Robert Junior. My ability is ‘Weapon Specialist’, which enhances the firepower of the weapon I’m using. I’m Robert.”

Finally, Robert, who introduced himself, took a large silver revolver from his pocket and spun it around.

“My main weapon is a .357 Magnum Colt Python with coated steel wire attached.”

“Isn’t that the gun the protagonist of The Walking Dead uses? Were you a former cop by any chance?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Well, during my time as a cop, I mainly used a Glock.”

“Are the people who just introduced themselves going to participate in today’s gate strike?”

In response to Myung-jun’s question, James answered.

“Yes, as requested, the four of us here, including me, will accompany Mr. Ho-chang to conquer the 2nd-grade gate.”

Myung-jun realized that EDF’s intention was to scout out the support abilities on this side.

“For now, it seems like they want to see how strong our supporting abilities are.”

By bringing the weakest team they have to safely clear a 2nd-grade gate that the main team can barely handle, it seemed like their strategy was to deploy the main team in future Rank 3 gate strikes.

As Myung-jun looked at Ho-chang, Ho-chang also seemed to have understood their intention and wore an annoyed expression.

“Although we don’t look very strong, are you planning to stand by and leave everything to me?”

Then, the team leader, James, clapped his hands and spoke.

“Of course not! We may only be a Rank 1 gate, but we’re veterans who have conquered quite a few gates. We carefully selected the members that worked best together from among them today. It’s our first attempt at a 2nd-grade gate strike, but we’re confident. We were getting to the point where we thought Rank 1 gates were too easy.”

“Is that so? Then let’s test it out.”

Wearing his power armor, Ho-chang took a step back and spread his arms before addressing James.

“Go ahead, shoot me.”

“What?!”

“Whether it’s ‘Restraint,’ ‘Cutting,’ ‘Firepower Enhancement,’ or ‘Lightning,’ I mean to shoot me with them. I will determine if the strike is at a feasible level by taking the hits myself.”

In response, the excited members of Team 5 shouted when they saw Ho-chang.

“This is ridiculous!”

“Even though Mr. Ho-chang’s equipment looks tough, we are all awakeners! If we make a mistake, you might lose your arms!”

“The power of .357 Magnum rounds fired from my Colt Python is stronger than the 50-caliber rounds fired by an anti-material sniper rifle! It can even cut through thick tank armor!”

“Well, how about this? If you manage to damage my armor or hurt me even a little, I won’t take any compensation for participating in this mission, no matter how much it’s worth.”

Ho-chang’s words, offering to forgo the substantial $10 million mission reward, hurt the pride of Team 5 members.

Observing the tension between the Liberal Clan and EDF members, Marshall, who had been watching, asked Myung-jun with a concerned tone.

“What if something happens to him?”

“Are you worried he might pack his bags and return to Korea? It’s okay. Mr. Ho-chang is a combat veteran who served in Iraq and the director of security company before becoming a member of the Liberal Clan. Consider this provocation as a process to assess the physical.”

Listening to Myung-jun’s explanation, Marshall, who wanted information about Ho-chang’s combat capabilities, immediately authorized the combat test between Ho-chang and the 5 members of Team 5.

When the test began, the members of Team 5, who had distanced themselves from Ho-chang, repeatedly initiated their joint attacks.

“Snake Chain.”

James extended his arm and called out, causing ten chains to wriggle like snakes, emerging from the ground.

“Hold!”

Then, as James clenched his fist, the chains entwined around Ho-chang’s entire body, just like living vines.

“Electric Shock!”

Next, it was an attack by Lena Dunham, known as the focal point of the team, who possessed the ability of lightning.

As Lena aimed her finger at Ho-chang, a thick bolt of lightning that was hard to believe was emitted from her extended finger, piercing through his power armor.

At the same time he felt a powerful impact on various parts of his body.

“Rapid Fire!”

Robert’s statement that each round had a firepower greater than an anti-material sniper rifle was no exaggeration. Despite being securely bound by chains, his heavy power armor shook significantly with each hit from Robert’s rounds.

The final blow in their joint attack was a giant sword strike from Earl Brown, who had moved behind Ho-chang.

“Absolute Slash!”

Feeling the substantial weight of the swinging sword in his hand, Earl Brown intentionally adjusted the trajectory of the sword slightly to make sure it only slightly scraped the shoulder plate of Ho-chang’s power armor.

He was cautious not to accidentally cut off a real arm, as he had no idea how Ho-chang would react if that happened.

He firmly believed that when his sword touched the shoulder plate of the thick power armor, it would be sliced off in one stroke.

The energy sword that Myung-jun had crafted had never disappointed him before.

Even when it was used to cut through the 400mm thick deck of large warships or the side armor of a massive battleship.

It was also true for the boss-level monsters they had encountered when conquering Rank 1 gates.

However, at the moment when he was confident of victory, Ho-chang’s actions shattered all his calculations in an instant.

– Bang, Bang, Bang! –

As Ho-chang moved his power armor, the ten thick iron chains summoned by James exploded with a loud noise and burst outward.

Releasing the restraint, Ho-chang extended his arm and pushed his forearm against the path of Earl Brown’s descending greatsword.

“Oh, no!”

“Yes!”

It was already too late to change the trajectory of the sword, and Earl Brown believed that Ho-chang’s forearm would be severed with a chilling cutting sound.

However, contrary to his expectations, Ho-chang’s power armor effortlessly deflected Earl Brown’s heavy greatsword, and it was as if his forearm had been cut through entirely.

– Boom! –

With a deafening explosion, akin to a tank shell detonation, Earl Brown’s body was sent flying in the opposite direction.

Up until that moment, Lena and Robert, who had continued to attack Ho-chang, had no choice but to stop their assault, wearing expressions of disbelief.

Ho-chang’s power armor, now free from the restraints, was deflecting all of Robert’s bullets as if they were BB pellets.

Even Lena’s near-100,000 volts of lightning seemed to have no effect on Ho-chang’s power armor.

After the one-sided battle concluded, Ho-chang examined the state of his power armor, then spoke to Myung-jun, who had been observing the attacks on him.

“I’ve roughly assessed it.”

“How is it?”

“It’ll be over in about three minutes.”

Upon hearing their conversation, Marshall, who had been listening, asked Ho-chang.

“Three minutes? What does that mean? Are you saying you can wipe out Team 5 in three minutes?”

“Starting from the moment you enter the Rank 3 gate until the moment of ‘annihilation’, it will take around 3 minutes.”

Even though the evaluation seemed quite harsh for veterans who had cleared the Rank 1 gates multiple times, including Rank 2 gates, Marshall remained silent.

Even the U.S. military’s pride, the first awakener team, had not dared to challenge Rank 3 gates, and according to Myung-jun, Ho-chang was a figure who had cleared Rank 3 gates nearly ten times.

If Ho-chang said that team 5 will be annihilated within three minutes, he had no choice but to believe it.

However, Myung-jun, who was not concerned about the shock experienced by Marshall and Team 5, asked Ho-chang for specific information required for their upcoming operation.

“So, is it impossible to clear it at all?”

“For now, it is. However, our firepower is quite useful. While it might not work against the boss monsters in the Rank 3 gate, we can probably handle the weaker enemies, like small fry. The problem is that those small fries tend to swarm us by the hundreds at once.”

After stating this, Ho-chang began to criticize Myung-jun as if he had been wronged.

“But if we can clear Rank 1 gates with this level of firepower, you should have told us to clear the Rank 1 gates from the beginning. Why did you put us straight into Rank 3 gates without any tutorial? I mean, I thought there wouldn’t be much difference between the Rank 1 and this, but this is unbelievably different!”

“It would be a waste to go to Rank 1 gates when you can go to Rank 3 gates. The gate disappears once you clear it.”

“But does it make sense to start at level 3 without even a tutorial? No, I thought there wouldn’t be much difference between Rank 1 and this, but this is absurd!”

“Think of it like Sparta. Sparta. Thanks to that experience, you can now clear a Rank 3 gate on yourself.”

“In return, I’ve narrowly escaped death countless times. I thought I was going to die in the gate we first tackled!”

“Well, I thought you were going to die there, too. That’s why you threw everything at the enemy and ran towards me in the end. I ended up defeating all of them with my turret.”

“Why bring up that embarrassing past?”

“Instead, isn’t it thanks to that embarrassing past that you’re the strong Ho-chang you are today? Take a look around.”

Only after hearing Myung-jun’s words did Ho-chang feel the warm gaze from his surroundings. The EDF Team 5 members, who had been attacking Ho-chang with all their might, were now looking at him as if Spider-Man was watching Iron Man.

“You didn’t even bother with Rank 1 and 2 gates, did you? You started right from the Rank 3 gates!”

“Your equipment is incredibly stronger than expected! Is there a way for us to get such equipment?”

“Are you going to cooperate with us in conquering rank 2 gates from now on? Is there any way we can conquer Rank 3 gates too?! We want to become as strong as Ho-chang!”

“Can I touch the part that my sword struck, please?”

Seeing the members of Team 5 rush towards him like excited children, Ho-chang looked at Myung-jun with a puzzled expression.

Myung-jun then chuckled and spoke to Ho-chang,

“At least you’ve become stronger after all the hardship, haven’t you?”

“Well, apart from the monstrous Leader, the only awakener I know who’s is really strong. Seeing other awakeners like this makes me realize how powerful I am. And that…”

“Feels even better than you thought, doesn’t it?”

Upon hearing Myung-jun’s words, Ho-chang hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly agreed.

“Yes, damn it. That’s right. It feels damn good!”

“Good. Then, with that damn good feeling, help these people here.”

“Shall we go to Sparta?”

“Sparta.”

“Alright, hehe.”

Upon hearing Ho-chang’s ominous laugh, the Team 5 members instinctively took a step back. Ho-chang then grabbed James by the shoulders, removed his helmet, and openly said to him with a written expression, ‘I can’t be the only one who gets sparta.’

“James, you asked earlier if we should skip Rank 2 and go straight to Rank 3, right?”

“No, but…”

“You did ask, didn’t you?”

“I did ask, but…”

“Hehehe. Let me give you an answer to that question. I’m fine with it. However, all of you should be prepared. Unlike the leader, I can’t guarantee your lives 100%. Instead…”

Flipping his helmet back on again, Ho-chang stood tall and continued speaking.

“Even if you all die, I won’t, so if it gets really tough, leave me behind and run away. If you can run, that is.”

As Ho-chang spoke, wearing his flipped helmet, he exuded an atmosphere similar to that of a Grim Reaper coming to collect souls.

Translator Note: it seems the author wrote this after watching spiderman Lol

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