The Tower Break did not erupt immediately.
Only after nearly a full day had passed, with every response team holding formation and standing their ground with tension pulled taut, did the first outpouring begin.
It was true that they had not maintained perfect vigilance throughout, and that their ranks had grown somewhat loose from exhaustion and waiting. After all, it wasn’t as if they could stand there all day with weapons in hand, glaring only at the tower...
Fortunately, the ones entrusted with the very front line were the enhanced androids, and because they were tireless things, they stood their posts in a silence that made them seem almost nonexistent, yet responded the fastest and most immediately to the monsters’ outpouring.
The first to appear were the creatures that had occupied the 81st floor—“Vampire Warriors.”
They had appearances similar to humans, but their average height was two meters, with sharp fangs, black eyes, and bluish skin.
The momentum with which they drew their swords and charged, their crimson eyes gleaming, was terrifying.
Tremendous strength and speed. Fast, flashy swordsmanship. And even while unleashing such attacks, their bloodsucking ability poured out without pause.
In particular, they were troublesome creatures that recovered their own bodies by stealing as much of their opponent’s life force as they drained through bloodsucking.
They could also inject their own blood into their blades to perform even more powerful attacks, or use the power of blood and darkness to spread poisonous mist—truly difficult foes.
But before the enhanced androids, all of it was useless.
Bloodsucking and poisonous mist, of course, but even their strength, speed, and swordsmanship amounted to nothing more than child’s play.
Crunch───
Crack-crack-crack───
Kahahahahak!
Kkaaaaaaaahak!
The enhanced androids handled the vampire warriors that kept surging out as if they were dealing with children.
Without even taking out other weapons, the androids faced them with hand-to-hand combat alone, literally grabbing the monsters and tearing them apart.
After all, even if they just casually took every attack, grabbed them, and landed one proper blow, the creatures collapsed in pulpy heaps.
There were even quite a few androids that seized a vampire warrior’s limbs with their four enormous arms and lightly ripped them apart.
It was not a battle, but a one-sided massacre.
After that, monsters from even higher floors continued to pour out steadily, but—
the Silver Wolf Knights, the magic-stone golems, the black-winged wyverns, the abyss spiders, even the venomous hydras... every monster was captured without being able to put up much of a fight.
To state the conclusion,
the mechanized units at the very rear, and the Japanese A-rank to D-rank Admiti in front of them, could have gone home early.
Because even the fifty-five S-rank Admiti stationed in front of them had practically nothing to do.
They were no different from spectators who had come to watch how well the enhanced androids hunted monsters.
Suho’s thirty super enhanced androids took every attack from the monsters pouring out with their bare bodies, relying on absurd defensive power, and with terrifying offensive power, turned every monster into mush.
Even when some occasionally seemed to slip off to the side, the androids never let them escape. They charged at incredible speed and dragged them back.
It felt like one of those common defense games—
where, fearing the enemy waves, you build an excessively strong defense line, only for the enemies to melt the moment they appear, making it hard to even tell what kind of enemies had come out.
Because there were so many monsters, the fight dragged on, but since it was so overwhelming, it could hardly be called a fight.
It was truly a massacre.
A massacre of the monsters that erupted after causing the Tower Break—nothing more, nothing less.
And finally, at the very end, the boss of the 92nd floor appeared.
Kruwoooooooo!
The monster of the top floor that revealed itself, a creature worthy of being classified as SS-rank, was a “Thunder Giant.”
The enhanced androids not only shrugged off the powerful electrical attacks of the Thunder Giant, which stood nearly thirty meters tall, as if they were laughable, but instead recharged their power with that very electricity.
And the thick outer hide covering the Thunder Giant’s entire body was not harder than the enhanced androids’ weapons.
Like a pod of orcas clinging to a blue whale, the enhanced androids latched onto the Thunder Giant’s entire body and relentlessly attacked it, dismantling it piece by piece.
Exactly 4 minutes and 27 seconds after appearing with a monstrous roar, the Thunder Giant collapsed, leaving behind only a body like a tattered rag.
And then, the tower vanished without a trace.
Having finished disgorging every monster, the tower shimmered like a hologram and disappeared.
“Waaaaaaaaah!!”
“I-it’s over!!”
“My God...! It ended without us firing a single bullet...!”
Everyone on-site jumped up and down, cheering.
The Self-Defense Force personnel, the director and team leaders of the response team headquarters, and Japan’s Admiti hugged one another, laughing and shedding tears.
The only ones who felt little excitement were the clan members of Ultimate Line.
In truth, those who had already fought the super enhanced androids were aware of their combat strength, so from the moment Suho brought out thirty such monsters, they had been able to predict this result.
“Hm... This is all right, isn’t it?”
Thomas asked as if muttering to himself.
“...Our clan is going to keep existing, right?”
Park Seoyeon also asked in a hollow voice.
“......”
Even Lee Danbi, who was usually positive and always had a refreshingly straightforward answer ready, only scratched her head roughly with her brow deeply furrowed.
Separate from the emotional anxiety caused by concerns over the value of Ultimate Line clan members’ existence and job instability, Japan’s Tower Break response ended safely and well.
Without a single casualty, without the consumption of a single bullet, and in the blink of an eye.
The news that androids—not an Admiti response team, nor a military unit—had blocked the Tower Break of a high-rise tower spread across the world as breaking news.
No matter how much they wanted to secure more high-rank Admiti, the awakening of high-rank Admiti was not a power humanity could control, so the truth was that they had no choice but to wait and rely on luck.
But weren’t androids something that could be produced in any desired quantity?
The entire world was in an uproar over this revolutionary event.
Countless media outlets poured out articles.
NW Times, [A New Era in Tower Raids: Writing New History and Changing the Future of the World]
CCN, [An Unstoppable Force: New Androids Subdue Tower Break]
BCC, [Innovative Android Technology Against Monsters, Global Defense Strategies Being Restructured]
Yonhap News, [The Monopoly of Admiti Ends: The Dawn of a New Era Opened by Science and Technology]
...and so on. Countless reporters covered the matter intensively, but no one knew any concrete details about the identities of those androids, and since Suho did not respond to requests for interviews, they could not cover it in greater depth.
They could only write articles based on the testimony of the response teams and witnesses who had participated at the Tower Break site.
And one day later,
the few words finally obtained by reporters who had persistently chased after Suho, clinging to him in an attempt to secure an interview he did not want to give, completely overturned the existing articles.
“Anti-monster androids cannot be produced in unlimited quantities. Only extremely limited production is possible. So this is not the dawn of a new history or anything of the sort. The Admiti around the world are still necessary, and still precious.”
With that one remark, the world grew noisy again.
NY Times, [A Shocking Reversal: Innovative Androids Spark Scarcity Controversy Due to Limited Production]
CCN, [From Symbol of Hope to Scarce Resource: Mass Production of Androids Confirmed Impossible]
BCC, [Super Androids No Longer Mass-Producible: Global Defense Strategy Back to Square One]
The media, satisfied with anything as long as it could become an article, once again poured out articles to match, and people’s interest quickly cooled.
* * *
The party Suho held to celebrate the successful suppression of the Tower Break and encourage everyone.
Elysium Heights always had the finest cuisine prepared at its various buffets and restaurants, but the party held that day in the special banquet hall was exceptional. Almost every dish one could imagine had been laid out.
Course meals made by world-class chefs invited from around the globe using the highest-quality premium ingredients.
The splendid courses were not only of the finest taste, but unfolded diversely like works of art that transcended culture, tradition, and nation.
Especially since the clan members of Ultimate Line were extremely global in composition.
Emperor crab, bluefin tuna, caviar, top-grade truffles, golden sea eel, and other rare and special ingredients, as well as the invitation fees for famous chefs—taking all of it into account, it was a top-class banquet where the price of one meal per person would have to be set at around 80 million won.
It was a place to share the joy of victory, and there was nothing to criticize about the food, but the clan’s atmosphere was somehow gloomy.
“No, on such a good day, I went and prepared such a special occasion, so why does everyone look like that? What’s with the mood?”
Seeing that the atmosphere showed no signs of reviving, Suho quietly asked Taewoong.
The answer came from an unexpected place. Park Seoyeon let out a long sigh and said,
“Why else? Because we didn’t do anything.”
“Do anything?”
“Haa... I think I understand how manual laborers must have felt during the Industrial Revolution when excavators appeared and made them worry about their livelihoods.”
At Thomas’s grumbling, several people nodded.
“Or how bank tellers felt when ATMs first came out?”
“Exactly.”
This time, many people agreed with Gang Hojin’s complaint.
After grasping the situation from the murmured grievances spreading through the room, Suho drew everyone’s attention and said,
“Ah, what is this? You’re all S-rank, and yet you’re jealous of mere androids?”
“It’s not jealousy... It just feels wrong, thinking that transcendental awakened abilities are being pushed aside by science and technology...”
“Haha, what are you talking about? Science and technology? Those aren’t products of science and technology.”
“Pardon?”
Everyone’s eyes widened.
They were androids. And yet he was saying they weren’t products of science and technology?
“Sigh, think about it. What were the enhanced androids armed with? Ethereal Blades. Can something like that be made with science and technology?”
“Eh...? Now that you mention it... Then?”
“The armaments of those enhanced androids are Magrite outer armor, Dynamis Gel, and Erudite Nano Fabric. That isn’t science and technology at all. It’s merely the power of transcendental materials.”
“No, then how did you...”
“I made them.”
“You did, Clan Master?”
“No, how could you possibly do that, Clan Master?”
“Ha... Well, since you’re all basically family now, I’ll tell you. I have one more awakened ability.”
“What!?”
“Huh!”
The clan members were so shocked that they sprang up from their seats.
To those standing there with their mouths hanging open, Suho calmly explained his condition.
Aside from his basic ability based on item collecting, he had an additional ability—and that was an item crafting ability.
“My God...”
“...No wonder...”
Though everyone’s eyes widened at hearing it for the first time, many wore expressions as if something had finally made sense.
“T-then the S-rank weapons we were issued...”
“That’s right. I made them and gave them to you.”
“Good heavens... S-rank... You can make S-rank weapons? I heard that correctly, didn’t I...?”
“Now, think about it carefully. No matter how much I farm materials through my item collecting ability, how could I have just happened to obtain weapons that suited each of you so perfectly? There are nearly forty of you.”
“...Right... I thought it was strange from the beginning...”
“S-rank weapons are extremely rare even in places like auction houses or the Arcane Arsenal... There’s just no supply to begin with.”
“I did wonder how you managed to get S-rank weapons that perfectly matched each of our classes, attributes, and equipment slots... But to think you made them. Good heavens.”
Suho spoke decisively once again.
“In any case, I made each and every one of them myself. Your weapons, and the super enhanced androids too. So of course they can’t be mass-produced, right? I’m the only person who can make them. So don’t worry. You haven’t been pushed aside by science and technology. Got it?”
Of course, if Suho could just overcome the tedium, he could mass-produce them inside the subspace warehouse, which was practically the same as infinite time, but he did not bother mentioning that.
* * *
Japan, which had declared, “Promoting infrastructure development such as an artificial island in a sensitive region related to the issue of Dokdo’s sovereignty will be regarded as Korea’s intent to expand its influence in the East Sea, and this may further complicate territorial issues between the two countries and create an internationally unstable situation. Therefore, based on international maritime law, we strongly oppose this and will raise the issue with the international community!”—
expressed deep gratitude for the participation of Suho, the enhanced androids, and Ultimate Line, and completely reversed its previous position.
“Thanks to Korea’s outstanding technology and active support, Japan was able to overcome the great crisis it faced. Without cooperation with Korea, disaster recovery during this Tower Break would have been impossible. Accordingly, the Japanese government fully supports the artificial island development plan of our ally, Korea, and we are confident that this project will become an important stepping stone for peace and development in East Asia. Artificial island development will no longer be a seed of conflict, but will serve as a new opportunity for Korea and Japan to move forward together for economic prosperity and the protection of marine resources.”
Something along those lines.
Of course, Japan did not simply wipe its mouth clean with one “approval for artificial island development.”
The contents delivered to Suho by Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and high-ranking imperial figures during their visit to Korea were truly unprecedented compensation and privileges.
1. Provision of permanent residency and citizenship in Japan.
2. Provision of a special economic zone that could be operated independently within Japan.
3. Granting of exclusive contract opportunities for strategic projects of the Japanese government.
4. The status of honorary nobility granted by the Japanese royal family.
5. Donation of traditional Japanese cultural symbols.
6. Provision of a luxury building in central Tokyo.
And so on...
To Suho, none of the rewards felt particularly meaningful, but since money, etherium, or items could not serve as rewards with any real impact for Suho anyway, it was clear they had put considerable thought into it.
So he expressed his gratitude and readily accepted.
It was only polite to accept what was given.
It seemed he would have to think about what he could make in Japan and how to spend his time there amusingly.