TRPM 216

chapter 216

Sophia and I, having arrived in the United States, descended to the ground and used GPS to check our location as we made our way toward Chicago.

When we headed for the Mediterranean, we couldn’t rely on this method since it was all water, but now there was no such need.

‘Much easier.’

Moreover, unlike when we were heading to the Mediterranean, unsure of where the target plane was, now we had a fixed destination: Chicago. Reaching it wouldn’t take long.

“(An enormous encirclement.)”

Sophia, seeing the siege from above upon our arrival in Chicago, spoke. And she had every right to say so. Chicago wasn’t a small city, and the encirclement didn’t just cover the city itself but essentially all the surrounding areas as well.

“Let’s land.”

Squeeeak…!

I pressed down on Fafnir’s neck and said so. My senses told me that powerful figures, including Chairman Richard, were gathered nearby.

‘Quite a few familiar presences as well.’

As I thought this, Fafnir landed in front of a disproportionately large tent in an open space. Confirming this, I dismounted with Sophia from Fafnir’s back. Immediately afterward, I gave Fafnir a command.

“Now, shrink.”

I could have sent him back as he was, but I would need Fafnir later for a quick return to Korea. Leaving him at his current size wasn’t practical, so I ordered him to shrink.

Kyu…!

Holding the now-shrunken Fafnir in my arms, I surveyed our surroundings. U.S. military personnel appeared to be on alert around us.

‘…Are they wary of me?’

Perhaps they simply didn’t know I was an Artist, or maybe they did and were cautious because I appeared unexpectedly atop Fafnir. Either way, it was best to remain still until someone arrived to vouch for me. Conveniently, a few people who sensed my presence were approaching.

“Long time no see, Artist.”

“Long time no see? Didn’t we meet over the Mediterranean?”

“That wasn’t face-to-face. When we reached Egypt, I had passed out…”

Arthur said this. Ah, right… At that time, he had been knocked out by the equipment the Oracle used. Being a non-human doll, he was especially susceptible. So, although we had communicated via telepathy, we hadn’t spoken face-to-face.

As I thought this, a woman with the same face as ever appeared behind Arthur.

“Hello, Artist… or should I say Cadet Han Geon-woo?”

“I still have two years before I can enter the academy, you know?”

“But you will join our academy, won’t you?”

“That’s true, but…”

The chairwoman of the Seoul Awakened Academy, Shin Han-ji, spoke, tilting her head. Why was she here?

When we met in Japan before, it was surprising enough, but at the time, Shin Han-ji had come to recruit a Japanese shrine maiden as a magic instructor for her academy. So why was she in the U.S. now, with no special reason?

“(Don’t worry, everyone. The Artist is here to help with this situation.)”

Before I could ask, Shin Han-ji reassured the nearby soldiers that I wasn’t dangerous.

“Let’s go, Artist. We were just in an operations meeting. We haven’t devised a solid plan yet, but now that you’re here, we can have some hope, right?”

She then led me inside the tent.

“(Oh… that person is….)”
“(I wondered what was going on outside; so it was this person.)”
“(Maybe this zombie crisis will be resolved more easily than expected.)”
“(Who… is that person?)”

Inside the tent, numerous powerful figures had gathered. Awakened from the U.S. and apparently from all over the world. I assumed Chairman Richard had asked Awakened worldwide for help. Among those gathered, many were favorable toward me.

‘Quite a few familiar faces from Japan.’

Most were those who had seen me in person in Japan, though there were also several strong individuals meeting me for the first time. For instance…

“(Hmm….)”

The strongest Aura Master in Russia, Sir Sergey, was briefly scanning me.

‘I’ve heard the Artist has recently been called the world’s strongest, surpassing me….’

He quietly approached me, his eyes glowing.

‘Seems like it. Definitely not weaker than me.’

He probably didn’t sense my inner energy. I’d never heard of his detection skills being that high, so likely he didn’t. Yet just by observing me, he recognized that I was stronger than him.

“(I should consider Shin Han-ji’s proposal positively.)”

…?

Why did Shin Han-ji’s name suddenly come up?

‘Shin Han-ji… first she recruited the Japanese shrine maiden as an instructor, now… is she thinking of using Sir Sergey as an instructor too…?’

I knew she hired famous people from around the world as instructors, but this was pushing it. Thinking this, I entered further into the tent.

“(Exactly one day, Artist.)”

Chairman Richard said, greeting me warmly.

‘…Not just that.’

His eyes briefly flicked to check on Sophia behind me. Sophia had been a spy Richard had sent to Oracle, so naturally he was concerned. But in this crowded place, he couldn’t openly expose her identity, so he pretended not to notice.

“(For you to have rushed here from Korea… could it be that you have a good solution to this crisis?)”
“(I brought a treatment made from the sample I received from the lady here.)”

Hearing this, most of the Awakened present looked surprised. Soon, they seemed to understand.

“(Ah, right. That pill-type potion last time… the Artist improved it, didn’t they?)”
“(Really?)”
“(I heard they collaborated with another alchemist….)”

…In reality, Kim Eun-yeon had made almost all of it. But since she registered a patent including my name, it was hard to deny. And considering the current situation, it was probably best not to deny it.

“(However, producing enough to treat all infected in the city is impossible. Instead, I brought a means to subdue them.)”

I took out the orb I had made yesterday from the extra-dimensional space and explained its capabilities. While it didn’t cure the virus, it neutralized aggression.

“(If I activate this orb, the infected across Chicago will cease attacking. Those present here will then need to subdue or isolate the non-aggressive infected, destroy humanoids, and rescue survivors.)”

“(Hmm….)”

No Awakened opposed my plan. Now, we just had to assign each person their respective areas.

“(I’ll take this section.)”
“(That’s too broad… Are you okay alone? Let’s be as safe as possible.)”
“(Right. There are many people here; no need for one person to cover a huge area. Support will continue, and we have the encircling forces’ help. Don’t overdo it.)”
“(…Alright. If you say so.)”

Some proud individuals initially argued about taking larger areas, but in front of Chairman Richard, Sir Sergey, and myself, they immediately humbled themselves. As a result, assigning zones didn’t take long.

I had a companion.

“Looks like we’ll be working together. Nice to meet you, Cadet Han Geon-woo.”
“Yes, likewise.”

I was assigned a zone near the city center of Chicago because I had to activate the orb and disperse the treatment in smoke form, and Shin Han-ji, a Grand Mage, would assist me with wind magic. She wasn’t the only wind mage, but being a fellow Korean and having some acquaintance, she accompanied me.

“(Everyone, please set your watches to local U.S. time. Current time: 9:08 PM. Move to your assigned areas by 9:25 PM, and we will commence the operation at 9:30 PM.)”

Meanwhile, at Oracle Headquarters on Mars:

“(…The Awakened are moving toward Chicago. The military is getting into formation… they’re about to begin.)”
“(What? Even after receiving the treatment from the Artist, they’re already moving? Without mass-producing it?)”

Although Oracle knew the Awakened would soon take action against Chicago’s infected and humanoids, she hadn’t expected it to start this quickly.

‘…If this goes well…’

She saw an opportunity. Those who had instigated the Chicago zombie crisis were hardliners suspicious of her. If the operation failed, they would lose influence.

‘Should I predict the operation’s failure? No… if I don’t specify how it might fail, the hardliners will continue suspecting me. Better to make no prediction at all.)

The future she had foreseen had completely changed. Remaining quiet and waiting for a chance to leave Mars was safest.

“(Damn it! Order all infected and humanoids to attack anyone in buildings!)”
“(Y-Yes…!)”

The hardliners couldn’t trust their operatives on Earth and intended to kill them eventually, so they had set up remote control from Mars for the infected and humanoids… but it backfired. The light-speed communication between Earth and Mars takes over six minutes, and the distance isn’t even at its shortest now. Reports reaching the situation room had likely already been several tens of minutes old. Any orders sent now would take a long time to reach.

‘(And before the order reaches them, this will be over.)

Oracle was certain of this.