Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense - Chapter 104: It's the Knight Marine Type, darn it!

Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense

104 – It’s the Knight Marine Type, darn it!

Model: SK02-M (Small-class Knight 02 Marine Type).

The Knight Marine Type, designed as a mass-produced model based on the prototype MK01-A (Medium-class Knight 01 Abyss Type), was inferior to the prototype Abyss Knight in various aspects.

Firstly, its maximum diving depth was only about half, and its underwater operational time without power supply and mobility in deep waters were significantly lower compared to the Abyss Knight prototype.

Moreover, the mass-produced Knight Marine Type, redesigned from the Abyss Knight, was reduced to about half the size, approximately 5 meters, compared to the 10-meter size of the Abyss Knight.

Instead, it was equipped with a spear-shaped 5-round torpedo launcher, utilizing energy supplied from the crystal for resisting water pressure, along with Myung-Jun’s underwater attack turret technology.

Despite being a mass-produced model, the Knight Marine Type, designed to easily capture these monsters in deep-sea environments as long as there’s a power cartridge, was deemed to be an extremely valuable item.

In the future seas, cargo ships and tankers without this equipment might find themselves vulnerable to attacks by these monsters, unaware of their exposure.

In addition to this, the catalog handed over by Myung-jun to Holmes introduced many other new types of equipment.

Such as sensory jamming devices installed beneath ships to prevent these monsters from detecting the presence of the ship, and special torpedoes capable of inflicting significant damage to medium-sized or larger fish-like monsters using the existing submarine torpedo launchers.

Myung-jun not only handed over the catalog to Holmes but also distributed it to the governments of other countries.

And those countries that received the catalog expressed their desire to participate in this public bidding without exception.

Even though the strongest competitor was the United States, the conditions for this bidding were so powerful.

It wasn’t just about gaining maritime supremacy in the new world; it could be the key to significantly outpacing others in the new monster of arms race known as the ‘Awakening competition’ currently unfolding.

“No matter what, no matter what the cost, no matter what means, we must win this bidding at all costs.”

Xi Jinping, representing the Chinese Communist Party, emphasized the word “must” several times to the negotiating team from his country, who had set sail for the Pacific to participate in the negotiations.

For him, this public bidding felt like a golden opportunity to overturn the tiresome international hegemony of the United States that had persisted for so long.

And at the same time, President Watt Leung of France was also laying down the same ultimatum to his country’s negotiating team.

“If they want land, give them land, if they want an army, give them an army. No matter what, we must succeed in this bidding!”

Even judging it would be difficult to stand against the United States and China alone, France, believing so, had invited its EU member states such as Germany and Spain that it would participate in the bidding together, under the banner of the European Union.

Upon this announcement, the UK, not being a lone EU member, joined forces with Australia and Canada to monster a united front against the US, ultimately resulting in this public bidding revolving around the Knight Marine Type becoming a four-way battle involving the United States-led Anglo-Federal forces, the European Union led by France, and the participation of China and Japan.

“It feels like watching the Third World War unfold.”

Reviewing the participation intentions sent from the hopeful participating countries alone, Soo-jeong quietly murmured as she watched them banter and make merry before the bidding even began.

At that moment, Myung-jun chuckled and spoke to her.

“The stakes are so high. Unlike before, when we only handed over the equipment, this time, both product design and technology transfer are at stake.”

The reason why the world’s major powers were risking their lives to participate in this bidding lay right there.

The absolute catalyst was the phrase written on the last page of the catalog Myung-jun had handed over.

“This bidding includes not only the equipment listed in the catalog but also the transfer of equipment and material processing technology required for the production of the equipment.”

Already being treated as future technology, the proposal to transfer the manufacturing technology was truly a radical one.

“But is it really okay? Even though it’s specialized equipment for deep-sea use, essentially, it involves transferring some of the Knight manufacturing technology. If the winning country ends up building an army armed with Knights…”

“That’s precisely what we want.”

Myung-jun said.

“While we have the Liberator and Abyss Knights, fundamentally, the Liberal Clan alone cannot cover the vast ocean. Considering the other factions that will emerge in the future and preparing for D-DAY, the area we need to cover is too vast for our current capabilities. So, the winning country must develop and deploy the Marine Type as quickly as possible.”

“While they focus on the remaining stragglers in the sea, we’ll aim for the next targets, right?”

“Exactly. Furthermore, even if we transfer some of the Knight technology, we needn’t worry about being overwhelmed by the enemy’s forces. By the time they complete a new version of the Knights based on the technology they’ve acquired, we’ll possess even superior equipment.”

That was Myung-jun’s new plan.

Utilizing the best materials and technology to create powerful prototype models, then spreading the mass-produced equipment, which serves as a template for the prototypes, based on that technology.

And while everyone creates and utilizes these template equipment, Myung-jun will quickly eliminate the emerging factions with powerful prototypes in hand.

“In the end, the factions hunting these monsters will be divided into two. The ‘Assault Group’, which uses the best equipment to target the most dangerous gates first, and the ‘Cleansing Group’, which targets and hunts down the monsters that emerge from gates that are less efficient for the Assault Group.”

With such a structure, even if the frequency of gate appearances increases significantly, Soo-jeong agreed with Myung-jun’s judgment that they would be able to respond adequately.

“Indeed. Since the average combat power of the entire Hunter Group will increase significantly, the overall supply of materials and crystals will also increase significantly, right?”

“That’s right. From there, materials and crystals will continue to be supplied even if we don’t actively hunt.”

“Why is that?”

“As a fee for transferring the equipment design technology, we’ll demand 7% of the materials and crystals obtained by hunting with that equipment.”

“Why 7%?”

“10% feels like too much of a loss, 9% feels like we’re forcing it to make it 10%, and 5% feels like too much of a loss for us, so I thought 7% would be reasonable.”

“Wouldn’t the other party think it’s too much of an unreasonable demand at that rate?”

“It doesn’t matter if they think it’s an unreasonable demand.”

“Why is that?”

“Most humans, even if it means I suffer, dislike seeing others thrive alone.”

This public bidding was designed to exploit precisely that aspect of human psychology.

The desire not to fall behind, the desire to be ahead of others, subtly stimulated through the public bidding.

Myung-jun sent a response to the countries that requested attendance, stating that negotiations would take place precisely two weeks later in the auditorium within the Liberator.

Except for one country.

That country, despite having pressured the Liberal Clan themselves and driven them away, shamelessly expressed its intention to participate in this public bidding.

That country was none other than South Korea.

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The sole national institution in South Korea with exclusive authority over all gates occurring within its territory and operational authority over all Awakeners with South Korean nationality. EDA (ExtraSensory Perception Defensive Agency).

In the EDA headquarters building in Sejong City, a man with an anxious expression opened his mouth toward a woman sitting in front of a laptop.

“Any response?”

“Not yet.”

“Try refreshing it.”

She sighed quietly, having received the same instruction several times already. Pressing F5 on the keyboard, she spoke to the man.

“Still nothing.”

“Damn it. Are you sure every other country received it?”

“The United States announced they received the response and will participate in the public bidding, and China did the same, didn’t they? The EU as well. Probably, except for us, everyone else received it.”

She couldn’t understand the restless demeanor of Hee-cheol pacing back and forth within the narrow office.

Director Moon Hee-cheol she knew had originally pressured the Liberal Clan and driven them away, yet he was showing a double-sided attitude, expressing a desire to participate in the public bidding.

Moreover, considering the current situation of the EDA, there was no reason whatsoever to bow down to the Liberal Clan.

After the announcement of the new decree, South Korean Awakeners, who had been incorporated as special government officials under national jurisdiction, boasted the highest record of suppression, and the equipment released by the newly established Korean Gate Lab (KTL) under the EDA was receiving very high evaluations among Awakeners, comparable to the equipment sold by the Liberal Clan.

Products from KTL such as the ‘Defense Augmentation Spray’, which, when lightly sprayed on clothing, strengthens the durability of fibers to be stronger than titanium plates for a limited time, or the ‘Awakener Ability Enhancer’, which increases the effectiveness of original awakener abilities by one rank for a certain period just by consumption, or the ‘Corrosive Special Ammunition for Large Monsters’, which, upon contact with the monster, melts the thick outer shell of higher-grade monsters literally upon contact, were equipment that did not lag behind the equipment sold by the Liberal Clan.

Moreover, unlike the Liberal Clan, which required risking lives to challenge gate assaults and bring back monster materials and crystals in exchange for equipment, EDA allowed any South Korean Awakener to comfortably purchase desired equipment with South Korean won.

Generous rewards paid based on suppression results.

Powerful Awakener equipment that could be obtained through those rewards.

The announcement of the new decree, which had raised many concerns, was actually injecting new vitality into the South Korean gate industry, with EDA standing firmly at the center of this new trend.

Now it seemed unnecessary to rely on the Liberal Clan any longer.

However, the hero of South Korea who led this trend, Director Moon Hee-cheol, was showing an almost incomprehensible obsession with the Liberal Clan.

“Are you sure the letter of intent was submitted under the name of the South Korean government?”

“I’ve checked more than ten times. It was definitely delivered, and we received confirmation of receipt.”

“Then it must mean they’re deliberately ignoring our requests due to the resentment accumulated from the last incident?”

“That’s probably it. It’s only been a month since the headquarters building, where clan members are located, was subjected to the concentrated bombardment of South Korean tanks. Even if the damage they received was minimal, being attacked by one’s own country’s military is not an easily forgotten memory.”

“Disappointing. Cha Myung-jun. I thought you would show a greater attitude than you are now.”

As Hee-cheol’s last words were almost muttered to himself, the aide did not respond.

Then, Hee-cheol, having made a decision, spoke to her.

“Well, then, there’s no choice. We’ll have to change tactics.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“If a sniper on the building rooftop remembers your face and is watching the street, what would you do?”

“I would either avoid that path or try to pass by with a hat or umbrella covering my face.”

“Exactly. If they are trying to avoid the South Korean government’s bid from that side, they’ll have to use different means to approach. They’ll need to find another way, perhaps something discreet, of course, but…”

“What kind of approach is that?”

Hee-cheol quietly looked at his aide’s questioning face.

Then, after hesitating for a while as if struggling, he finally opened his mouth with a reluctant expression.

“Contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Say that Director Moon Hee-cheol of EDA wants to meet with the heads of Japan’s Dungeon Bureau and China’s Bureau of Records.”

“If it’s Japan’s Dungeon Bureau and China’s Bureau of Records…”

“You’re correct.”

Hee-cheol said.

“To stand against the United Alliance and the European Union, we’re establishing an East Asian Awakener Union to respond.”

In a fight where there was no chance of winning alone, Hee-cheol’s choice was to gather forces that would never join hands and create another force.