“W-what is that? A robot?”
“It’s huge...?”
“Oho...”
The S-rank clan members marveled at the super-enhanced android prototype, but there was no sign of tension in them.
In truth, if it had been made with Earth’s technology—whether military armored forces or robots—they believed there was no way it could ever be a match for Admiti, so it was only natural they weren’t tense.
For Admiti, who used the power of aether for both offense and defense, that much was common sense.
Only four people—Danbi, Taeung, Joshua, and Thomas—raised their guards.
Toward the team members who quickly lost interest, dismissing it as nothing more than a big, bulky robot, Joshua spoke firmly.
“Don’t let your guard down. It isn’t an ordinary robot.”
“Come on, Team Leader, even so, it’s still a product of science and technology... You’re not seriously saying one S-rank team should fight that thing, are you? It’ll be a one-shot cut.”
“I’m telling you, it’s not that kind of robot. It’s a super android the Clan Leader created from transcendent materials. I fought it as a test... Hoo... You’re better off experiencing it for yourself.”
Suho had all the clan members prepare, then arranged the order of matches one team at a time.
Who would win?
In truth, the one most nervous was Suho himself.
After all, whether the birth of an anti-monster super-enhanced android would be a success or a failure depended on this.
According to the test he had run not long ago, its defensive power was more or less a pass, but whether it could withstand coordinated attacks was another matter entirely.
He also had to confirm whether that defense would function effectively while it was moving violently, and what its offensive power was like.
They decided to start with Team D, led by Han Taeung, and the clan’s teams checked their equipment.
Dr. Choi and several researchers who had attended this test moved far away and turned on all sorts of monitors and rows of control panels.
They had put a sufficient distance between themselves and the combat zone, but even that wasn’t enough for peace of mind, so they had to check the safety of the research team’s area.
The weapons used by the Admiti and the enhanced android’s combat techniques both possessed tremendous destructive power, so confirming that the research team area’s various defense devices and emergency evacuation systems were functioning normally was one of the most important procedures.
Inside a temporary control room surrounded by thick reinforced glass, the researchers checked safety through various sensors.
Then they remotely inspected each part of the enhanced android and verified, one by one, the protocols that allowed it to switch between attack and defense modes.
After confirming the condition of all equipment and the android, they reported to Dr. Choi, who sent Suho an okay sign.
Through the communication system, Suho informed all of Team D that the mock battle was beginning.
Giiiiing────
The super-enhanced android prototype, which had been crouching in the center of the combat zone, stood on its two legs with its massive 3.5-meter body.
Two legs, four arms, and a long tail sprouting from around its waist.
Its appearance was like that of a threatening insectoid creature from another world.
Worried that the clan members might be injured, Suho had instructed them to deploy the enhanced android’s defense mode at 100%, but limit its attack output to only 60%.
Graaaaargh!
Han Taeung instantly transformed into a giant bear, wrapped his entire body in aether, and charged.
The close-range dealers swiftly followed behind him.
Kwaaaaaang────
It was a full-power charge from an S-rank tanker, but the enhanced android prototype blocked it with ease.
Standing firm on its two feet and tail, it stopped Steel Grizzly Han Taeung’s charge with only two outstretched arms.
And with the ethereal blades in its remaining two arms, it lightly parried the attacks of the close-range dealers rushing in.
“Fuck! What the hell! Ethereal blades? Those are ethereal blades!?”
“What kind of... You said it was an android! What kind of android uses a weapon only a Sword Saint would have...!”
The close-range dealers were intimidated just by seeing the ethereal blades.
The prototype gave them no opening. The moment a slight distance opened up, railguns sprouting from its forearms spat fire.
Wooooong── Bzzzzzzzt!
Paaaaaat──── Papapapang!!
The railguns fired with a low, electrical vibration.
As an electromagnetic field formed, bullets expelled by powerful force poured out without pause at 2,500 meters per second, accompanied by short, sharp, high-speed impacts.
“Aaaagh!”
The blacksteel bullets fired at ultra-high speed shattered the S-rank Admiti’s shields and mercilessly slammed into their armor.
If attack mode had been outputting at 100% power, it would undoubtedly have been strong enough to pierce through.
Just as the air trembled in the aftermath of the firing, leaving a lingering resonance, the huge enhanced android leaped high and rushed toward the ranged dealers and healers in the rear.
Kwooooough!
But it was once again stopped by the defense of tanker Han Taeung, who had charged in at tremendous speed, and the damaged dealers were quickly healed by the healers.
“The prototype’s response speed is faster than expected.”
When one researcher said this while looking at the monitor, Dr. Choi nodded.
“I’m seeing it too... Incredible... This is far beyond what I imagined...”
Since the prototype had an advanced AI built in that learned the Admiti’s combat in real time and updated its tactics, its weaknesses were corrected the longer the battle continued, making the enhanced android all the more threatening.
“It’s far better than I expected...!”
Suho, who was watching the battle while floating in the sky, also felt secretly proud.
He felt bad for the S-rank Admiti struggling desperately, but it wasn’t easy for them to train against an opponent who could match them like this, so it was a good opportunity. They would gain something from it in their own way.
In conclusion, the fight ultimately ended without a decisive winner.
They fought for quite some time, but the team of ten S-ranks, veterans in combat, maintained a tightly structured formation and endured the enhanced android prototype’s attacks well.
The android, too, took almost no damage even under the combined assault of ten people.
It seemed the balance would collapse if he raised attack mode output to 100%, but since he didn’t want the S-rank clan members to get hurt, he held back.
To give a final evaluation, the prototype’s combat power was far superior to a single S-rank rock golem, and assuming it output at 100%, it was slightly superior to one team of skilled S-rank Admiti.
However, since S-rank Admiti could currently only exert 10 to 15% of their power, inside the Tower, it probably wouldn’t be able to handle one team.
Though since it still seemed like it wouldn’t take damage, perhaps even inside the Tower it might fight them evenly and stand its ground...
‘Even if it’s outside the Tower, a super-enhanced android on par with ten S-rank Admiti...’
Suho’s heart pounded with anticipation as he imagined what would happen if he mass-produced these.
* * *
As TDM expanded drastically beyond the scale of a convention center, they needed a great many people in various areas.
So under the command of Seongsik and Jang Narae, TDM was also in the middle of hectic recruitment, and among the positions they were hiring for was a “dedicated medical team.”
Human doctors to assist the AI Doctor and robotic medical systems.
They had promised excellent treatment and compensation, so there was an enormous number of applicants.
But they didn’t need many human doctors, making it truly like threading a needle.
The AI Doctor medical system was to be sufficiently tested at TDM first before being introduced in earnest to Suho New City.
Then one day, he received a message from someone completely unexpected.
A long text from Yangwon.
It began with, “My old friend, my beloved Suho...”
Skimming through it, the content was...
She was asking him to hire her husband, who was a doctor, for the dedicated medical team.
The neighborhood clinic he had opened, even going into debt to do so, had gone completely bankrupt because of the gradually increasing number of AI Doctors, and as a salaried doctor, it was difficult to maintain their lifestyle, so they were struggling.
So after seeing the TDM dedicated medical team recruitment notice, she had contacted him. Shameless though it was, she asked if he couldn’t accept her husband for old times’ sake. Yangwon’s text even had a sticky addition, saying she would treat him splendidly somewhere nice, so could he perhaps meet her once?
Well, well... Live long enough, and days like this come too.
But it was strange. Yangwon was the girl he had followed around and had a crush on for a full ten years, yet now he felt nothing.
It felt as if he had become a sage whose heart was not moved even 1%.
Just as thinking back to the days when he had staked his life on a single pog or marble as a child merely made him chuckle, the memory had faded.
It hadn’t even earned a place among good memories, remaining only as a shabby afterimage.
‘...Does that Yangwon still think her charms appeal to me?’
There was no telling.
In any case, he had no desire to take time out of his schedule just to meet Yangwon.
He was about to simply delete the text and block her, but suddenly, a mischievous impulse stirred in him.
So with a smile on his lips, he diligently tapped out the following message.
[Yangwon, it’s been a while. I thought you were living well after meeting a good husband, so it pains me to hear you’re having financial difficulties. I’m not directly involved in personnel matters for TDM recruitment, so I’ll put in a good word with the person in charge. You’ll probably be contacted through them. I hope things work out well. And I don’t think meeting will be possible. I’ve been extremely busy lately with matters like supplying aetherium worldwide and developing the new city. I’m sure there’ll be a good opportunity someday. Take care.]
“Okay, done...”
After sending the carefully written text, Suho immediately called someone.
—Ah, President!
“Team Leader Han, are you busy?”
—No, sir. It’s all right. Please go ahead.
“It’s about Cheon Yangwon. I was contacted by her...”
—Ah, yes...
At the mention of that name, filled with both affection and resentment, Han Sincheol’s voice sank flat.
Suho could feel his expression stiffen coldly beyond the receiver.
Suho briefly explained the situation and placed the authority to decide in Han Sincheol’s hands.
In truth, as a new employee, Han Sincheol didn’t have any authority over personnel decisions, but at least regarding Yangwon’s husband’s employment, Suho had delegated that authority to him.
“...This is... Understood. President. Thank you...”
“Very well. Handle it however you want, Team Leader Han.”
“Thank you. Truly, thank you.”
Han Sincheol immediately understood what this meant, expressed his gratitude, and withdrew.
You reap what you sow, after all.
* * *
With a single phone call from Suho, an island in Sinan County was released as a “developable uninhabited island.”
It felt like he was tending to abuse his authority a little too much...
Well, compared to what Suho had done for the country, this was a minor benefit.
Leaving his mother and Suji at home, as they weren’t particularly interested, Suho called out his father and Jiho, who were deeply invested with great interest, and headed for the island in a small quadcopter.
Compared to the octocopter, it was less comfortable, but the quadcopter was much faster.
In truth, if he had spread his Tempestbane Wings and flown, he would have gotten there dozens of times faster, but the point was to go together with his family.
It had been a long time since just the men had gathered like this.
After they arrived in Sinan County, Jiho suggested taking a boat in, but the dock wasn’t properly equipped yet, and Suho hated seasickness, so they decided to just go by quadcopter.
Wiiiiiiiiing────
They got out of the quadcopter, which had gracefully landed on the top of the island before they knew it, and looked around.
“Hyaa...”
A wide, vast sea spread out in every direction.
The wind carried a freshness he had never felt anywhere else, flowing coolly all the way to the horizon where the clear blue sea met the sky.
The distant coastline curved gently to form a small bay, and a little sandy beach shone gold under the sunlight.
On the other hand, because it had long been a “semi-conservation uninhabited island,” the island was simply in its wild, natural state.
Trees and bushes that had grown however they pleased covered it densely, and just as many rocks jutting up at random greeted the three of them.
“I knew it... If we want to turn this into a place people can live, it’ll cost way more than two billion won. Jiho, I think you really got ripped off. Totally ripped off.”
“Ah, why are you starting again...”
At Suho’s scolding, Jiho scratched his head sheepishly.
But their father seemed to like the island’s scenery. He took a deep breath, then—
“Ya—ho—!!”
He suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs.
“This is incredible! Jiho, you rascal, this is the best thing you’ve ever done since you were born.”
“What?? It’s that good? No, Dad, just how little have I done...?”
“Quiet, you punk. If I say so, then that’s how it is.”
Their father, who always seemed to age backward no matter when one looked at him, seemed exhilarated by the fact that this was an “island owned by the family,” and ran around here and there like a child.
Good grief, I hope his knees don’t give out.
“Dad! Be careful! There isn’t even a proper path there!”
Jiho followed after their father, who was hurriedly heading down toward the lower part of the island.
“Hmm...”
Looking around carefully, the highest part of the island was actually the best because it overlooked the entire island in all directions, but because of the sharp, jutting rocks, there was little flat ground, so it didn’t seem easy to put up a building there.
Since his father and Jiho had gone all the way down to the bottom of the island and were looking at the beach, Suho decided this was his chance and quietly crossed into his subspace warehouse to call Ravi.
“Ravi, shave this place down for me.”
Ravi, who had been intently reading something as if studying, followed Suho with an annoyed expression and peered through the gate, which had become a portal window.
“What, this is just a tiny place.”
“Yeah. So it’s even easier, right?”
“Couldn’t you shave off this much yourself, Suho?”
“I don’t have that kind of ability. Then upgrade my storage ability for me.”
“That isn’t within my authority... Move aside. How much should I shave off?”
“Shave down all the sharp rock parts sticking up on this island. We need at least about two thousand pyeong to build anything, whether it’s a building or a landing pad.”
Grumbling, Ravi cleanly cut off the topmost part of the island and put it into the subspace warehouse, and Suho also came back out of the subspace.
The top of the island had become wide and flat.
Since it happened to be a rock layer and was even sturdy, it was perfect for building something.
In an instant, Suho had saved them tens of billions of won in construction costs and more than six months of time for rock removal, terrain leveling, debris disposal, and so on.
And since this was an island, the difficulty couldn’t even be compared to construction on land.
After thoroughly touring the lower part of the island while debating whether the dock should be built here or there, his father and Jiho returned to the top of the island after quite some time.
Then the two of them went blank at the sight of the wide, flat ground.
“...E-erosion must have occurred...”
“Erosion, my ass.”
Suho smacked the back of Jiho’s head and spoke.
Even Suho himself knew he absolutely couldn’t be classified as a sharp person and that he was lacking in many ways, but it seemed Jiho was even worse. He appeared to be hopelessly ignorant.