Chapter 14: Irresistible Proposal 1


    “This is the Republic of Korea Coast Guard. Your vessel has invaded Korean waters. Retreat immediately.”


    The Korean coast guard ships, including the Jeaminho, circled around the Japanese whaling ships and broadcasted warning messages.


    However, the whaling ships ignored thempletely.


    They knew well that there was nothing the coast guard could do.


    Moreover, the whaling ships wererge and had many personnel, making it unlikely that they would be pushed away.


    “Good. Keep moving forward at full speed. Secure the space for the survey ships.”


    The whaling ships followed the orders of the Sanada First Maritime Security Team and formed a line as they advanced slowly.


    Their purpose was to leave a record.


    The Japanese government had be highly interested in the recent issue of ck metal.


    Although ck metal existed in Japanese waters as well, more resources were always better.


    It was inevitable that friction would arise between Korea and Japan, but Japan had recently decided to tolerate it.


    Would such words openly circte in the Japanese political sphere?


    –Korea is being upied by China and will soon surrender. This means the expansion of China’s imed territorial waters. Therefore, the maritime forces of Japan must block China’s Pacific advancement from Takeshima.


    To Koreans, it was absurd nonsense, but some right-wing figures actually believed in such thoughts.


    Anyway, three whaling ships were approaching Dokdo without any regard for the deterrence of the Korean Coast Guard.


    If they could secure enough time and space for the survey ships to operate, their mission would bepleted.


    However, something that emerged from the sea surprised them.


    It was a group of massive whales, about a dozen, with ck fins exposed.


    Thump, thump, thump, thump!


    “Starboard watch report! Whales! A pod of whales suddenly appeared! Bearing 050, distance 30!”


    At such a close range, it was as good as being in a close encounter with a warship.


    The bridge was thrown into chaos upon receiving the report.


    “What did you say? What the hell were you watching, watchman!”


    “They appeared out of nowhere! I didn’t see them at all!”


    “Don’t talk nonsense! Gunner! Prepare to fire starboard!”


    Following Captain Sanada’s orders, the ships began evasive maneuvers.


    However, the whale pod was too close and fast.


    They simply couldn’t avoid a collision.


    “Prepare for collision!”


    “We’re going to hit!”


    Thud.


    At the moment of impact, the bow of the massive whaling ship, weighing close to a thousand tons, violently turned.


    A white foam surged up to the deck as the crew members tumbled down.


    Captain Sanada exerted strength in his arms, trying to withstand the impact, and an odd thought crossed his mind.


    Even if it was a bearded whale, known to appear in these waters, it would only weigh a few dozen tons at most.


    It was iparable to a whaling ship weighing close to a thousand tons.


    “But what caused this impact?”


    The collision was so severe that even the ship’s course was altered.


    Beyond the bridge, instead of the sea, he saw the port side of the Asō-ss PL-42 ship, which had been advancing alongside them.


    “You idiot!”


    The two ships collided without any chance to take evasive action.


    With the impact, the employees who had barely managed to hold on were all knocked down.


    Grrrrrrrrrrr—


    The employees clearly heard it.


    From the depths of the sea, the agonizing cries of the whales echoed.


    Of course, it was the harmony produced by Arma, controlling the exploration vessel equipped with a probe module and walker.


    Not only were the cries fake but also the dozen or so whales were all holograms, and it was the exploration vessel that collided with the whaling ship.


    While the exploration vessel took the lead, the walker diligently created the illusion as a supporting actor.


    Although many employees were aboard the whaling ships, none of them noticed this theatrical performance.


    The captain and the crew, barely recovering theirposure, bowed their heads without knowing what to do.


    Collisions with whales were not particrly umon, but what kind of spectacle was this in front of the Korean Coast Guard?


    “Attend to the injured and check the personnel without any omissions!”


    “Captain, we can’t possibly continue the mission. We have to return…”


    Even in Captain Sanada’s eyes, the two collided ships were in a state where they needed to return to the home port for repairs.


    He lowered his head.


    “…We’re returning. Inform the other two ships as well.”


    As the three whaling ships changed their course for a deste return, the Korean Coast Guard, who had been watching from a distance, couldn’t help but feel perplexed.


    “Why are they acting like that all of a sudden?”


    “It looks like their ships were damaged after colliding with whales.”


    “These guys are really something.”


    However, there was something that really struck a nerve.


    After both sides returned to their home ports, a video that seemed to have been filmed from one of the whaling ships was uploaded on YouTube.


    The video captured the frantic voices of the anxious security bureau personnel and vivid footage of a pod of whales swimming in the deep blue sea.


    What’s more, it even recorded the scene of the collision, making it difficult to deny the incident.


    People from both countries, wandering around like hyenas, immediately shed.


    —Those Japanese idiots came to Dokdo for no reason and collided with whales, then left lolololol.


    —Even if you love whales, do you have to send the police and have a ‘whale stand-off’?


    —Damn whale lovers···


    The Japanese imed it was fabricated by Korea, but the video was so vivid that no one believed them.


    Even foreigners joined in the mockery, and they couldn’t withstand the pressure and began reporting the videos.


    Although the videos were temporarily taken down, they were soon tranted into variousnguages and spread on YouTube.


    People from more than 50 countries became aware of the incident and ridiculed Japan.


    —It seems like whales aren’t to the Japanese taste.


    —I guarantee you that by next week, the Japanese will be eating whale meat.


    —These days, do they send the police to kill whales for research purposes?


    In the end, the Japanese couldn’t endure and began pretending not to know about this incident.


    They realized that by avoiding the problem, they could find temporaryfort.


    Of course, it wasn’t just the Koreans who were observing this, and fights broke out all over the inte.


    And there he stood on a beach in Sokcho, maintaining the lighthouse.


    Amidst the raging waters, a colossal exploration vessel emerged, revealing itself in a dazzling light.


    He boarded the exploration vessel.


    It was time to return to the Settler’s Starship.


    …


    [Main Engine Room Unsealed]


    Afternding on the seabed, the doors of the engine room, which had been sealed all along, opened.


    He raised his head and looked up at the massive fusion reactor.


    This fusion reactor was discovered as a Prophet’s artifact on Mars in the year 2155.


    Like most Prophet’s artifacts, this object contained a technological prowess that humanity couldn’t even begin to replicate.


    Lucia, the artifact analyst of the Archaeological Institute ARC, said this:


    –The ether emanating from this fusion reactor rivals all the energy humanity has ever used.


    –It’s funny because this fusion reactor is far from its maximum capacity. It seems to be operating at around 1% of its full output… Truly remarkable, isn’t it?


    –Perhaps the Prophets are gods after all. Our saviors.


    Like the majority of the citizens of the United Humanity, Lucia also belonged to the camp of considerable skepticism.


    She viewed the appearance of the metallic lifeform, the gue, as a sign that the gods had abandoned them.


    However, even she had to acknowledge the Prophets as god-like beings.


    “Lucia once referred to this fusion reactor as the heart of the gods…”


    He didn’t fully agree with her words, but now was the time to make his heart race.


    A small walker approached him, making a buzzing sound.


    What it politely presented to him was an ether crystal crafted into an ornament.


    When he ced it in the holder, the fusion reactor trembled and awakened, causing the entire engine room to be filled with light.


    “This is…”


    [It’s the same phenomenon as before. Master’s body has be the key, resonating with the fusion reactor.]


    “How strange. I’ve changed my body, haven’t I?”


    Perhaps the Prophet’s artifact is not rted to the physical body but rather to the soul.]


    As a result, a rippling blue space appeared.


    “This is a temporal gateway that the Settler’s Starship has passed through. Due to the significantly reduced output of the fusion reactor, it seems to be smaller in size.”


    Arma’s words were followed by the appearance of a narrow blue doorway that could barely amodate a few people passing through.


    “…Is this door connected to the future?”


    [I will send a scout walker to investigate.]


    After a while, the walker returned after capturing images of the space within the blue doorway.


    A red Earth appeared on the monitor of the walker.


    “It seems to match the time period when I was present.”


    [Surprisingly, the gue seems to have vanished. There are no signs of its unique psychokinesis field.]


    Each individual of the guemunicates through psychokinesis, exchanging thoughts.


    Therefore, if a legion of gue is stationed nearby, a powerful psychic field is observed.


    “The gue has disappeared… Let’s zoom in on the screen.”


    As the Earth was magnified on the screen, a horrific sight unfolded.


    The sea hadpletely evaporated, and the atmosphere had disappeared, leaving behind traces of a massive crater.


    Furthermore, fragments formed a ring around the Earth, resulting from the gue legion tearing through the.


    Yu Ji-ha swallowed a groan of despair.


    “Everything is gone…”


    The gue legion literally devoured the Earth and disappeared somewhere.


    “It’s too early to give up, Master. There might be some remnants left that the gue isn’t interested in.”


    “Shall we look for a scrapyard at least?”


    “I’ve detected faint transmission signals. Analysis shows they are from thebat support satellite, Sibiri.”


    “There were still Sibiri-ss satellites remaining…”


    “They seemed to be targets that had no value for the gue.”


    Yu Ji-ha crossed his arms and pondered.


    Even though humanity had been annihted, not all remnants had disappeared.


    If he couldpletely repair the fusion reactor…


    If he could lead the Settler’s Starship, cross over to the future, and gather useful resources for their return…


    It might bring their long-cherished desires much closer.


    He made his decision.


    “Arma, track the flow of ether when it resonates with the fusion reactor. Let’s configure the circuits to control this doorway.”


    [I will assist you.]


    Arma was capable enough to use the created ether equipment.


    However, research and development were only allowed for humans with ether sensitivity.


    During Yu Ji-ha’s sensitivity measurement, he recorded values equivalent to those of the gue’s Battleship ss.


    He was a mere human possessing abilitiesparable to space monsters in kilometers.


    Lucia, the head of the Artifact Interpretation Institute, acknowledged him as the first Omega-level psychic.


    “Ether might be another potential for humanity. So, cherish yourself, Colonel. You are humanity’s treasure.”


    As if he had just remembered that treasure, he spoke.


    “Arma, do we have any spare assault armors?”


    [Most of them require an overhaul, and they have low priority. Should I prioritize them?]


    “There’s no need for top priority… Just keep a few walkers on standby. They’ll be repaired someday.”


    “Understood. But may I ask why you mentioned assault armors all of a sudden?”


    “Just… I wanted to see the Earth in ruins with my own eyes. That’s all.”


    With a mncholic gaze, Yu Ji-ha looked at the Earth of 2180.


    “I couldn’t resist the offer.”


    …


    January 2026.


    The day hade when the short yet seemingly long vacation of the Si Energy group wasing to an end.


    Inside the car heading towards the Pangyo facility, Yu Ji-ha heard a report.


    [There were two attempted intrusions into the researchb building, but they failed.]


    [There was also an attempted hacking at the headquarters building, but it failed.]


    “For offline incidents, we don’t need to worry, but what about the hacking?”


    [The trace indicates it originated from China. I’ll provide the exact location.]


    A shining point on the vastnd of China caught their attention.


    “I envy them for having such a vast territory.”


    [However, if it started in China, there would have been many more obstacles than we have now.]


    “That’s true. Anyway, is it confirmed who they are?”


    [It has been confirmed that they are a hacker group called Zhonghua Heige Yanmeng. Shall I wipe them out?]


    To “wipe them out” in this context meanspletely destroying their system.


    However, it was too early to take action.


    “We don’t need to act impulsively and raise their alertness. Just focus on defense. Make sure to record their information urately.”


    Arma’s tracking abilities surpassed imagination, so they could locate them no matter where they were on Earth.


    But Yu Ji-ha wanted to dig deeper into their source.


    Did the hacker group Zhonghua Heige Yanmeng really attack the Pangyo Research Center, or could there be someone with connections within the country who gave them orders?


    Prime Minister Park Hyun-gu was suspicious, but there was no concrete evidence.


    “Arma, find out the address of the Prime Minister’s residence and attach microdrones. Collect only the information I need to know.”


    [However, Master, we have a shortage of microdrones. At this rate, we will run out within a few months.]


    “It’s a big problem when there’s no better alternative for information gathering than those guys.”


    Although Settlerho had a nt for microdrone production, theck of raw materials prevented immediate operation.


    There was also an issue with the location.


    “To perform 3D patterning, don’t we need zero gravity?”


    [If patterning is done on Earth, the structure will deteriorate over time. The lifespan of the drones would be less than three hours.]


    Ultimately, to manufacture microdrones, they needed to secure a zero-gravity chamber at the very least.


    Then they needed to increase the output of the Ether Fusion Reactor to a certain level.


    “Cancel the Prime Minister’s side. But we need solid evidence to use.”


    [I will design a new device that can rece microdrones.]


    “That’s the way to go. It would have been great if we had a Knowledge Chamber. It’s a pity.”


    The Knowledge Chamber is a spacecraft included in the Pioneer Fleet, and it contains all the records of humanity.


    Despite its small size due to data storage, it ranks second in importance after the gship.


    Speaking of its importance, the Knowledge Chamber includes blueprints of nano-units even finer than microdrones.


    Although nano-units were not necessary against therger enemies of the United Human Alliance, they would be immensely helpful in the current situation.


    “Thest signal from the Knowledge Chamber was cut off at Earth’s L1 point. Perhaps we can salvage some of the data.”


    Since the gue has its own intelligence, there are cases where it simply ignores something if it doesn’t perceive it as a threat.


    Therefore, humanity had hoped that they could achieve a peace treaty, but it turned out to be a fatal mistake.


    The ultimate goal of the gue was none other than Earth itself.


    More precisely, something on Earth, which humanity failed to identify until just before its demise.


    Suddenly, the vehicle arrived at the headquarters of the Si Energy Group in Pangyo.


    Upon entering thepany building, he was taken aback.


    Si Energy employees were lined up in two rows in the lobby.


    “Hello, sir!”


    For a moment, he thought that the employees had collectively turned into organized criminals.


    However, their expressions and atmosphere were different.


    The faces of the employees were filled with genuine smiles that could not be faked.


    Perhaps it was due to the attention and envy they received after the battery was announced.


    And there was also a high possibility that it included a sense of apology towards Yoo Ji-ha.


    ‘I shouldn’t have cursed him. He’s a saint.’


    Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he walked slowly and shook hands with the employees.


    “Each and every one of you who held your ground during difficult times is the protagonist here.”


    “Please support me going forward. I will never mistreat any of you.”


    One employee, filled with emotion, spoke up.


    “We will do our best to support you.”


    There was no need for him to speak in amanding tone, but Yoo Ji-ha didn’t want to disrupt the atmosphere.


    As he exchanged a final handshake with the head of HR, he said as if giving instructions.


    “Let’s go to a beef restaurant for lunch today. As a way to start the new year with fresh energy.”


    “Wow!”


    He couldn’t quite understand the significance, but the employees were delighted nheless.


    They were happy that thepany outing was happening during lunchtime, and the fact that it was a beef restaurant made it even better.


    Now, in the eyes of the employees, Yoo Ji-ha seemed more like a savior than just the CEO.


    Avoiding their burdened gazes, he entered his office.


    Hundreds of domestic and international contacts were waiting for him.


    …


    There werepanies from various industries, including bigpanies like Apple, Te, and Google, as well as electric vehiclepanies from Eastern Europe that he had never heard of before.


    “Why did they contact me when they must be busy securing ck metals overseas?”


    [Most of the proposals are about setting up meetings. They want to sit at the same table.]


    “Tell them to wait. And I’m sure the Blue House gave instructions for domestic contacts, and they managed to reach me easily.”


    There is an unwritten rule in the business world.


    When coordination with the Blue House is needed, they avoid direct contact.


    Of course, there arepanies that disregard such rules, but they don’t make it obvious.


    [Master, it seems like you turned off your phone. Headquarters is dealing with a fivefold increase in inquiriespared to usual.]


    “Let my father handle it for me…”


    Now is the time to relieve that burden.


    While going through well-organized emails, he unexpectedly came across a document.


    It was a lengthy proposal of about 5,700 characters sent by Yu Sung-jun, the Director of Future Group’s Corporate Strategy Office.


    “He’s the son of my father’s elder brother… What should I call him in this era?”


    [Just call him ‘hyung.’ Although the rtionship isn’t the best, it should be fine to address Yoo Sung-jun respectfully. By the way, let me inform you that he has achieved sess in importing advanced batteries from Japan.]


    “That’s his personal achievement? It’s the result of the group’s support and the efforts of the employees. By the way, this proposal is too arrogant.”


    “Itcks substantial content for a proposal that you can’t refuse.”


    “Since Future Group holds a significant portion of the domestic automotive market, there seems to be no choice but to supply them.”


    “Considering theck of movement at the headquarters, it seems like he sent it personally.”


    “What can someone without real power do…”


    He discarded the proposal from Yoo Sung-jun in the trash bin.