Chapter 677
Chapter 677
"Monsters have appeared forty kilometers to the north!"
"Their movement has also been detected in the east!"
"The reconnaissance team in the west has detected monsters as well!"
"A small group of monsters has been detected thirty kilometers to the south!"
Urgent reports poured into the operations room without pause.
It was the operations room established in preparation for a monster invasion.
The operations room was located inside the tower that stood high atop Neo Seoul's wall.
From there, one could overlook not only Neo Seoul but also the slums and the surrounding area.
On a clear day, visibility extended for dozens of kilometers as if it were one's own front yard.
Though it had been built in preparation for a monster invasion, it had remained nearly empty all this time.
Because of Neo Seoul's anti-magic barrier, monsters had never dared come near.
After standing empty for so many years, the operations room was now crowded with Awakened.
The Awakened gathered intelligence flowing in from every direction and relayed it to the high command.
Based on that information, the high command formulated plans on how to stop the monsters as efficiently as possible.
Inside the operations room were Jin Geum-ho, along with the rulers and key executives from every district.
Given the gravity of the situation, the entire leadership had assembled.
Everyone gathered in the operations room looked toward Jin Geum-ho.
No matter what anyone said, Jin Geum-ho was the center of Neo Seoul.
No matter how much authority each district possessed or how great the power wielded by its rulers, none could compare to him.
With deeply sunken eyes, Jin Geum-ho stared at the tactical display.
The large board was filled with countless pieces of information, including the monsters' routes of advance.
Neo Seoul was completely surrounded by monsters.
At the earliest, they would arrive within a few hours. At the latest, within a day.
After staring at the board for a long while, Jin Geum-ho finally spoke.
"So, the real war begins."
At the word ‘war’, the expressions of the leaders stiffened.
They could finally feel that the battle upon which Neo Seoul's fate depended had begun.
Xiao Lun asked cautiously,
"What do you intend to do? Will you command the war yourself?"
"Of course not. What would an old man like me know about commanding a war? That sort of thing should be left to an expert."
"An expert?"
"That's right. The larger the war, the more an expert is needed. A strategist who can calmly assess the battlefield, deploy manpower efficiently, and oversee operations should be the one controlling the entire situation."
"And where exactly would you find such a person?"
Xiao Lun let his words trail off.
Though he did not show it, Xiao Lun had hoped to command the war himself.
Nor was he the only one.
The rulers of every district wished to gain fame by commanding the war in Jin Geum-ho's place.
If they won this war, they would earn the reputation of being the one who had protected Neo Seoul from the monsters.
With greater prestige would come greater influence.
That was why they all wanted to become the master of this operations room in Jin Geum-ho's stead.
A cold smile appeared on Jin Geum-ho's lips.
He had read the ambition and ulterior motives in their eyes.
In a way, these people were the easiest to see through.
Jin Geum-ho had absolutely no intention of giving them what they wanted.
He, along with the rulers of the districts, had simply grown too old.
Though they remained healthy for now, none of them would be surprising if they collapsed or died at any moment.
He could not entrust this war to people like them.
‘New wine belongs in new wineskins.’
None of them would ever know.
For a situation like this, Jin Geum-ho had been searching for the right person for a very long time.
Jin Geum-ho spoke.
"Allow me to introduce the one who will command this war in my place... Come in."
The moment he finished speaking, a middle-aged man in a neatly tailored suit entered the operations room.
His perfectly combed hair, with not a single strand out of place, seemed to reflect his personality.
The stylish man's appearance caused Kim Hyun-soo's eyes to tremble.
"You..."
"My name is Kim Mu-young of the West District. By the honorable order of the Mayor, I have been entrusted with command of this war."
The man who introduced himself as Kim Mu-young stepped forward before everyone.
Kim Hyun-soo wore an expression of disbelief.
He knew Kim Mu-young.
He was the owner of a hotel in his district.
In a district populated mostly by Mechanized Awakened, he was unusual for operating a hotel for ordinary humans.
Kim Hyun-soo had personally made things easier for Kim Mu-young to run that hotel.
Because he owed a tremendous debt to Kim Mu-young's mother.
Back when he had still been human, he had suffered grievous injuries, and it was thanks to Kim Mu-young's mother, a healer, that he had survived.
After becoming the ruler of the West District, Kim Hyun-soo had sought her out to repay that debt.
By then, however, she had already passed away.
Left with no other choice, Kim Hyun-soo compensated Kim Mu-young instead, and Kim Mu-young established the hotel.
Kim Hyun-soo asked,
"How did you...?"
"I Awakened."
"Awakened?"
"Yes. Fortunately, I became a magic-type Awakened."
"Not Mechanized?"
"No. It seems my wish to remain a pure human came true."
"Hmm."
Kim Hyun-soo let out a low sound at Kim Mu-young's calm reply.
In the West District, it was extremely rare for anyone to awaken as anything other than Mechanized.
Against overwhelming odds, Kim Mu-young had become a magic-type Awakened.
Kim Hyun-soo was curious about his ability.
He wanted to know exactly what kind of power had impressed Jin Geum-ho enough to entrust him with this war.
Reading his thoughts, Kim Mu-young spoke.
"My ability is Accelerated Thought."
"Accelerated Thought?"
"As the name suggests, it accelerates my thinking and judgment. While others think once, I can run dozens of simulations inside my mind."
"Hmm."
"As long as I have sufficient information, I can even conduct multiple simulations simultaneously."
A cheating-level ability that allowed him to command a war based on countless mental simulations.
His presence was difficult to notice in small-scale raids or battles, but in a massive war like this, no one could exert greater control than Kim Mu-young.
Seden Price raised a hand.
"Tch. That's quite the broken ability. Then I acknowledge him."
"I acknowledge him as well."
"I also agree that he's the right person to command this war."
Xiao Lun and Serian also acknowledged Kim Mu-young.
After staring at Kim Mu-young for a long while, Kim Hyun-soo let out a sigh.
"I, too, accept him as commander of this war."
Thus, everyone acknowledged Kim Mu-young's authority over the battlefield.
Kim Hyun-soo said to him,
"When this war is over, we will have much to discuss."
"I'll come see you."
"I'll be waiting."
"Yes."
Just like that, Kim Mu-young obtained the authority to command the countless Awakened mobilized for this war as though they were his own hands and feet.
Jin Geum-ho said,
"This war is yours now. Show us everything you're capable of."
"Thank you, Mayor."
Kim Mu-young bowed to Jin Geum-ho.
Old Man Go and the twin sisters stepped up to stand beside him.
What Kim Mu-young needed now were people capable of transmitting his orders in real time.
The twin sisters, both telepaths, were perfectly suited for the role.
Old Man Go, a barrier master, was indispensable for protecting the operations room itself.
Kim Mu-young addressed the Awakened in the operations room.
"From now on, relay every piece of information directly to me. Don't leave out even the smallest detail. I need everything in order to run my simulations."
"Yes! Understood!"
The Awakened answered in unison.
Kim Mu-young then turned to the twin sisters.
"You two must immediately relay my orders to whoever needs them. Can you do that?"
"Of course."
"Naturally!"
The twins replied in unison.
Smiling at them, Kim Mu-young said,
"Then let's begin. Let's show those monsters why Neo Seoul is an impregnable fortress."
"Right!"
Based on all the information that had come in so far, Kim Mu-young began running simulations.
Seeing him concentrate, Jin Geum-ho addressed the district rulers.
"Let's leave only those who are needed here and step outside."
Even if they offered no interference, their continued presence would inevitably make the Awakened in the operations room conscious of them.
That could create confusion within the chain of command.
To prevent such a situation, it was better for Jin Geum-ho and the rulers to leave.
Once outside, Xiao Lun quietly asked Jin Geum-ho,
"How did you find him? He's not in our database."
"I was fortunate."
"Fortunate?"
"I kept watching him after I saw him make contact with Zeon."
Zeon had always been a person of special concern in Neo Seoul.
When he was out in the desert, there was no way to track his movements.
But whenever he was inside Neo Seoul, every one of his actions was monitored.
Now they trusted Zeon and no longer kept him under surveillance.
But in the early days after his return, they had used every available means to watch him.
That was how dangerous Zeon had been.
That was also how they had discovered Kim Mu-young.
Sensing that something about him was unusual, Jin Geum-ho had ordered close surveillance.
As a result, they learned that he had awakened a unique ability.
Once Jin Geum-ho understood Kim Mu-young's power, he contacted him immediately.
In the end, he concluded that no one possessed a more suitable ability for conducting this war.
That was why Kim Mu-young had been chosen as commander.
Hearing Jin Geum-ho's explanation, Kim Hyun-soo's face twisted.
He had kept Kim Mu-young right under his nose yet had been completely unaware that he had Awakened.
‘Damn it!’
There was no embarrassment greater than this.
Turning away, he said,
"I'll be going first."
Without waiting for Jin Geum-ho's reply, he walked away.
Watching him leave, Xiao Lun and Seden Price smirked.
Jin Geum-ho turned to the remaining three.
"The survival of Neo Seoul is at stake. I trust none of you will refuse his orders or withhold support simply because you wish to keep him in check."
"Don't worry. We know how to separate public duty from private interests."
"What meaning is there in holding power over a ruined Neo Seoul? We'll support him with everything we have."
"Our North District won't hold back any support either."
Jin Geum-ho nodded at their answers.
Even he was not without anxiety.
He had verified Kim Mu-young's ability many times.
But whether he could truly continue making calm simulations and issuing flawless orders in a real great war remained uncertain.
Still, Jin Geum-ho trusted his own judgment.
Not once had his decisions been wrong.
Just then—
"Mayor!"
Someone hurried toward him, calling out urgently.
It was none other than Jin Geum-ho's secretary, Seo Tae-ran.
Seeing the urgency on her face, Jin Geum-ho immediately asked,
"What is it?"
"Divine Judgement has been completed."
"The coating process is finished?"
"Yes. It was completed just moments ago."
At Seo Tae-ran's reply, delight spread across Jin Geum-ho's face.
It was news he had been waiting for.
With the great invasion of monsters imminent, nothing was more necessary than Divine Judgement.
"Let's go."
"Yes. I'll escort you."
Even with Xiao Lun, Seden, and the others present, Seo Tae-ran answered without hesitation.
Because Divine Judgement was no longer a secret.
The rulers of every district already knew it was being built.
Now that it had been completed, there was no longer any need to hide it.
"We would like to see Divine Judgement as well."
"May we accompany you?"
At Xiao Lun and Seden Price's request, Jin Geum-ho answered with a cold smile.
"I'll gladly show it to you."