Chapter 40: Unobtanium and New Beginnings


    December 2026 was the month of superconductors.


    The world was abuzz with the news that Starfield had brought back a material from the moon that exhibited superconductivity.


    People started dreaming about nuclear fusion and levitating trains.


    Even though no one knew how much of it was avable or whether it could be usedmercially, it became a craze.


    Superconductor! Its really Superconductor!


    People were thrilled as if room-temperature nuclear fusion was within their grasp, and the researchers involved had to spend time exining that it was far from reality.


    —It will take years to identify and analyze the substance in question. So, please calm down and…


    —Room-temperature nuclear fusion is theoretically impossible. So, please stop calling theb iming that you have achieved it.


    —Shouldn’t we decide on a name for this substance?


    The authority to name it had already been decided, or rather, it had already been granted.


    Yu Ji-ha.


    He was not only the first to discover the levitating superconductor on the moon’s surface but also brought it back for research.


    Although the Johnson Space Center in the United States was the first to announce the superconducting phenomenon to the press, they had agreed to defer to him.


    And so, with high expectations from many people, Yu Ji-ha spoke up.


    —In many novels and movies, fictional superconductors are called Unobtanium. I will follow this tradition as well.


    Unobtanium.


    It literally meant an unobtainable substance.


    But now it could be obtained from the moon.


    If Starfield cooperated.


    The world’s media outlets began to churn out hopeful reports.


    —With Unobtanium,mercial operation of nuclear fusion reactors will be possible within five years.


    —From now on, all trains will be reced with levitating trains.


    —MRI costs will dramatically decrease! Why? Because we have Unobtanium!


    —Your smartphone will now boast near-infinite battery life. If it ever turns on, that is.


    The scientists who were devoted to their research had little time to respond to such baseless rumors because they were busy.


    How could they find the time to debunk rumors when new ones poured in en masse?


    There were even people who didn’t believe that Starfield’s spacecraft had actually gone to the moon.


    —It doesn’t make sense that apany that hasn’t been around for long has created an efficient and reusable spacecraft!


    Their conspiracy theories strangely echoed the scientists’ doubts.


    That’s how far Starfield had deviated frommon sense.


    However, denying Starfield’s achievements, despite the abundance of observational data and the physical presence of Unobtanium, was foolish.


    Countries once again used the catchphrase “Let’s go back to space.”


    Space exploration had long been notorious for swallowing money.


    They couldn’t answer the basic question of what they would gain from pouring so much money into it.


    But now they had a splendid excuse called Unobtanium.


    Space researchers, including astronomers, gathered together to make their case.


    —Why go to space? Because there’s Unobtanium there!


    This simple catchphrase was aplete sess in persuading the public.


    Truly, it was the era of space and Unobtanium.


    Thus, until mid-December, the whole world was caught up in the frenzy of Unobtanium.


    The President of the United States sent an envoy, announced the sessful meeting with Yu Ji-ha, and gained tremendous support by expressing hope for the future.


    However, the situation did not progress favorably.


    Countries outwardly issued statements urging the universal and peaceful use of Unobtanium, but behind the scenes, they were moving swiftly.


    Intense diplomatic battles took ce, and a framework was established, calling for Yu Ji-ha to address the UN General Assembly and deliver a keynote speech.


    The speech mentioned cing Unobtanium under the joint management of humanity.


    Upon hearing the news, Yu Ji-ha smirked.


    “Was there anything about resources in the Space Treaty?”


    “No, there wasn’t. At that time, the conflicting interests of the major powers prevented such provisions. Also, the Moon Treaty signed in 1979 had too few participating countries, so it was considered meaningless.”


    “We have the President’s announcement to rely on.”


    President Lee Hyun-seong recently issued a presidential decree at Yu Ji-ha’s request.


    It stated that the private sector in Korea had the right to explore space and acquire resources.


    At that time, the major powers didn’t pay much attention to Korea’s deration since they believed Koreacked the capability to do so.


    But now the situation hadpletely changed.


    Starfield had independently demonstrated its ability to explore the outer atmosphere and extract resources.


    Therefore, there was no reason to ept the UN’s keynote speech.


    Yu Ji-ha said this in front of Jardeng, the director of the UN Secretariat who came to persuade him.


    “We cannot ce Unobtanium under the joint management of humanity. I refuse.”


    “If you ept this proposal, you will be seriously considered as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.”


    “I’m not interested.”


    “···Excuse me?”


    The director was taken aback, and Yu Ji-ha spoke calmly.


    “Even if you rmend me for another award, I won’t ept it. So please don’t try to convince me. Unobtanium is not amon asset of humanity.”


    “I regret it. You are refusing to make efforts for the peace of humanity.”


    Yu Ji-ha looked into the eyes of the director.


    “You are from France, right? Can you give up nuclear weapons for the sake of world peace?”


    “Well, that’s…”


    “I know very well that the major powers who cry for peace work day and night for their own interests. So let’s stop the hypocrisy.”


    Director Jardeng left with little gain.


    However, the efforts to bring Yu Ji-ha to the UN did not stop.


    This time, China took the lead.


    Arma discovered this through a microdrone attached to Director Jardeng.


    “They are trying to persuade France and the UK in China. It seems they are promising significant investments.”


    “Did they barely recover from the blow?”


    “They haven’tpletely resolved the confusion. It was the faction that upied Beijing that made the first move.”


    In the ck Metal ecosystem, where they were excluded, they were almost certainly running around desperately trying to obtain Unobtanium.


    However, the internationalmunity did not solely rely on China’s power.


    “But even then, the Security Council resolution won’t pass, right?”


    “There is a high possibility of a deal. If they use Taiwan as bait, the United States will likely get involved.”


    “You don’t mean to provoke a war, do you?”


    “It’s because there is no other way to break the current stalemate. Coincidentally, next year is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army in China. If the United States doesn’t intervene, there is a high possibility that China will seriouslyunch an attack on Taiwan.”


    “Well, it’s not my concern.”


    While it was not desirable for Taiwan, if China focused its full force on attacking Taiwan, the attention on the Korean Penins would rtively diminish.


    That would make it easier to create a big event.


    Moreover, it was said that the leading presidential candidate in this area was someone who took a tough stance against the North Korean regime.


    In Yu Ji-ha’s position, he wanted to loosen up, and it was a perfect opportunity.


    “Russia wanted to meet in January, right?”


    “Yes. They’re nning a visit by President Putin, using the excuse of the inauguration ceremony for the mining facility. If you give permission, sir.”


    “I should meet with them and discuss China. It’s perfect because we also neednd.”


    Land for constructing a megacity could be created at will, butnd was needed for smart farms.


    If it was Russia, they would readily lend thatnd.


    Arma reported, “And, Master… the repairs on the Settler are 80%plete.”


    80% was a symbolic number indicating that the Settler could go into space.


    Of course, even if they went into space, repairs would still be ongoing, and engaging inbat would be difficult.


    But for now, that was enough.


    On the night of December 24th, Yu Ji-ha met his parents in an atmosphere that was different from before and then boarded the exploration ship.


    The Settler weed the exploration team.


    …


    “The current output of the fusion reactor has reached 33%. The repairs are almostplete, and the unfinished parts have been barricaded,” Arma reported.


    Listening to Arma’s report, Yu Ji-ha pondered within the ship.


    The exterior of the Settler looked simr to when it was first constructed.


    “I wonder if the Titan-ss gue Core had any effect,” he mused.


    “Based on the information gathered from the knowledge repository, it seems that the gue Core is of the same type as the fusion reactor,” Arma replied.


    “That’s the first time I’ve heard that,” Yu Ji-ha said.


    “They deliberately concealed it in the Council. It would be destabilizing if it were known that the Prophet’s relic is of the same type as the gue Core,” Arma exined.


    “Instead of replicating the entire gue, they could have just extracted the Core… What a waste.”


    Although Yu Ji-ha was a member of the Supreme Council, he often remained unaware of such secrets due to his near-exile in space.


    Even if he had known, it wouldn’t have changed anything.


    As he sat in the Admiral’s seat, Arma stood beside him.


    “Activate the roadmap,” Yu Ji-hamanded.


    “Yes, sir.”


    The main screen disyed a multitude of project trees.


    There were three immediate projects that could be undertaken by the Settler.


    Securingnd for constructing a megacity, mining in the asteroid belt, and building a space nt.


    “Other projects may be smaller in scale, but creating an ind is impossible without the Settler,” Yu Ji-ha remarked.


    The gravity crane function required either the Settler or a mining vessel.


    Arma offered advice from the side.


    “How about using the warp gate to travel to Earth in 2180? There might be something helpful there.”


    Although he had briefly explored it before, he hadn’t thoroughly checked everything. The Supreme Council wouldn’t have been idle when the gue fleet approached Earth, so they might have prepared for the worst.


    “Alright. Let’s head to space then.”


    Arma’s voice switched to shipwide broadcast.


    “The Settler is setting sail. All crew members, assume your positions,” the announcement echoed throughout the ship.


    In reality, there was only one crew member on board.


    Yu Ji-ha stifled a bitter smile. The original Pioneer Fleet consisted of over 30rge ships, including the gship and colony ship Settler. The crew numbered over 3,000, and after a fifty-year long journey, they were scheduled to arrive at the Prophet’s homnd.


    But their efforts were in vain as the gue fleetunched a full-scale assault. Now they were back to square one, starting anew.


    “Open the power valves, connect the pipes,” Yu Ji-hamanded.


    “Activate the Aether pumps,” Arma announced.


    [Fusion reactor output increasing…]


    The ship trembled slightly. The Settler, a colossal organism, was sending signals to awaken from its long slumber. It was time to venture into space once again.


    “


    [Fusion reactor output at the threshold.]


    [Aether field deployment.]


    “Admiral, preparations for departure areplete.”


    Was it Arma’s consideration to allow Yu Ji-ha to personally give the finalmand?


    From his Admiral’s seat, Yu Ji-ha issued the order.


    “Settler, initiateunch.”


    [Engine ignition, Settler initiatingunch.]


    In an instant, the colossal spacecraft emerged from the depths.


    Despite its massive size rising above the water’s surface, the surrounding sea remained eerily calm.


    The Aether field was deployed, suppressing the tidal wave.


    The Settler swiftly pierced through the atmosphere and entered space. Along the way, it collided with a satellite, but there was no damage whatsoever. Yu Ji-ha slowly raised his head.


    Space and Earth were right before his eyes.


    If there was nond, they would create it.


    “We have passed through the warp gate. 10 hours and 32 minutes remaining,” the announcement sounded.


    Perhaps due to the increased output of the fusion reactor, the duration of the warp was much shorter than before.


    The size of the gate itself was no joke, allowing the Settler to pass throughfortably.


    The 9th, Nox, was likely muchrger than this…


    Lost in thought, Yu Ji-ha was suddenly confronted with the sight of the red Earth from 2180.


    The atmosphere was markedly different from when he had seen it through his assault armor in the past.


    It felt like witnessing a colossal creature with torn and wounded limbs.


    “…Arma, proceed at sublight speed. We’re heading to Mega City Sydney.”


    [Confirming coordinates for Mega City Sydney. Initiating maneuver.]


    Even though it was called Sydney, all that remained were tattered and tornnds.


    The Settler activated the Aether field, pushing away the surrounding debris.


    “Radar scanning initiated… Master, I see the fusion reactor and hull in the Undercity.”


    “Is it a mining ship?”


    “Yes. It’s in the final stages ofpletion, so the Settler can make repairs.”


    “That’s good news. I’ve been hearing about that during the journey.”


    The United Human Federation had built docks and facilities in the Undercity for theirst stand against the gue invaders, and surprisingly, they remained intact.


    In the midst of this situation, a doubt arose.


    “Why did those gue bastards bypass the fusion route?”


    Although they might not understand everything else, the fusion route was equivalent to their core.


    The presence of the fusion route was significant enough for any gue member to have noticed, making it impossible for them to ignore it.


    “Maybe the gue fleet’s target wasn’t Earth in the first ce.”


    “What about the Prophet’s relics?”


    Well, it’s hard to say for sure.


    There was no way to capture the ones who had already disappeared.


    It seemed unlikely, but what if they were seeking the Prophet’s homnd?


    What if the 9th, Nox, had a warp gate that only responded to humans?


    “There’s a chance we might end up traveling with those guys against our will.”


    To avoid that, a change in their strategy seemed necessary.


    Finally, the settler ship, Settler’s, was securely anchored in the upper atmosphere of Megacity.


    [Activate the reverse field at maximum output and deploy the gravity crane.]


    Instantly, the Undercity’s massive structure split open, revealing its contents entirely.


    Mining vessels, Aether fusion reactors, and numerous gue cores were all attached and secured to the Settler’s.


    “This is the Prophet’s relic repository. It seems to contain various odds and ends. I will list them for you.”


    Though described as odds and ends, each item had the potential to reshape this era entirely.


    For instance, the Aether receiver, which could be installed on assault armors, would enable them to harness the Settler’s power.


    The Aether generated from the fusion route was transmitted to the assault armors. Lucia analyzed the receiver and her eyes sparkled with excitement.


    “I don’t know the principles behind it, but this device teleports Aether regardless of distance. It’s truly a technology of dreams.”


    The assault armors boasted an astonishingbat capability through the use of this Aether.


    As long as the receiver remained active, their operational range became nearly infinite, granting them the agility to evade bombardment from the gue fleet.


    Of course, the assault armor required one condition to unleash such power: a Psycher with an Aether circuit must be on board.


    Thus, thebat effectiveness of the assault armor varied greatly depending on the identity of the pilot.


    When an ordinary person piloted it, movement became difficult.


    However, when an exceptional Psycher took the helm, it could unleash enough power to annihterge enemy fleets in a short span.


    “Master, we’ve discovered an infantry support tank.”


    “Tarant? I didn’t expect it to still be around.”


    Tarant was a multi-legged infantry support tank designed for urban operations.


    As the name suggests, it resembled a six-legged spider and was equipped with a simple artificial intelligence.


    Initially, there were high expectations for it, but surprisingly, it turned out to be rather useless.


    The reason was that humanity’s enemy was the gue.


    Just think about it. When a fleet of monstrous spaceshipsunches an attack, what significance does a slightlyrger spider hopping around have?


    Consequently, only a few prototype units of Tarant were produced before the entire project was scrapped.


    Lost in thought, Lucia gazed at the Tarant calmly stored in the preservation pod.


    “Although it may not be effective against the gue, our current enemy is not that kind of monster.”


    “There are three units in the preservation pod. They’re in decent condition and should be usable after some repairs.”


    “Repair them and load them onto the Sibiri satellite, still as pods. We should make use of whatever we have in this barrennd.”


    Although referred to as “whatever we have,” it was quite challenging to destroy them with the military power of this era.


    Tarant received information from the gravity radar and was able to evade mass-based weapons. Constructed with A-ss Living Metal, it was resistant to most attacks and even possessed a sma shield.


    With the support of the Sibiri satellite, a single unit of Tarant could subdue a medium-sized nation.


    However, the priority was to ensure they would not be needed.


    “Also, reverse-engineer and improve them for production on Earth.”


    “Your requested tasks have beenpleted.”


    “Let’s go back. Return to our Earth.”


    Settler’s passed through the warp gate and returned to the year 2026.


    Now, it was time to create a new settlement. div>