Chapter 249: Bloody War (3)
JNetxAerial hijacking. Four syllables, but it’s not a Korean idiom or a Chinese phrase—just plain English.JM6JP
sn0yWpAnyway.H8FP
zYZIt’s the term used to describe the act of hijacking a plane. For someone like me, who only got on one for the first time a few months ago, it sounded like something out of a different world.L92t
vVNPyes[There was no other way, Mr. Kang. If we wanted to get there in under five hours, we couldn’t use conventional methods.]CKxP7
KSpZThe reason we managed to get from Korea to Hawaii in 4 hours and 57 minutes was that our brilliant AI, Vixbig, hijacked none other than Changseong’s plane.0XEFMvu
UunQI couldn’t explain the details even if I tried. Just imagine we filmed a movie starring Tom Cruise, and that’s pretty much it.k0yA3
mPJvdThe difference is that he at least uses stunt doubles. I did it bare. Almost got indigestion from that ridiculously expensive hanwoo beef.lGgE
MEyZNToday I experienced some truly absurd things. I became an aerial terrorist, watched the plane’s wheels vanish with my own eyes—all thanks to Vixbig.EBWTFla
MK5[So? What do you think of my efficiency?]hmCu8hV
ne5Vixbig asked proudly, and I was just about to send a message to Ryozo. Something like, “I think Vixbig has a bug. If we leave it like this, it’ll become an AI that threatens humanity,” and other cheerful musings.Zjs3w
KgvJust before I sent it, Vixbig, almost sobbing, said.1KTi
V7KA[Why!? What did I do wrong!? I did it all for you, Mr. Geom-Ma!]eXHfx
F0FSaThis is what makes AI so problematic. It only wants to solve things with logic and reason. They say AI is replacing humans in many fields, but it’s still got a long way to go.CilK0
oxAmpqh“Well, I admit the intention was good. I’ll let it slide this time.”2Zuyl
UYLlu[Thank you! Thank you so much! Sniff, sniff.]auwl0
xduEven if it’s a bit unhinged, I can’t deny it was useful. And for that alone, I decided to be generous and let it go.9T9N
HHAThough honestly, the main reason is that I’ll need its help in this operation against the commander.mxC
UfR‘I’m human. But that makes me seem more calculating than an AI.’fjZ
IFeoB2sAnd I’m not a hypocrite. Oh, by the way, that actually is a Korean idiom, ‘철면피한.’ Literally means “iron-faced,” or shameless.1hJO
0y7MRJFIt was one of two idioms my first master used to describe me.TpS
herKThe other was ‘불광불급.’ Literally, “If you don’t go mad, you won’t achieve anything.” But he interpreted it a bit differently.8mcRvY
KgfwsL— “It’s supposed to mean achieving something through passion, but in your case, it just means you’re insane. Remember, you’re not right in the head. In fact, you’re the craziest among the crazies. A bit of morality and common sense doesn’t make you normal. If it weren’t for me, you’d be a social outcast. Damn it, the more I think about it, the angrier I get. I turned a beast into a person—and for free!”HGh
orKHAnd no matter how I look at it, I still don’t get it. How can he call me an outcast when I completed three full years of military service?CdAEhl
lnG“All I did was slap a couple of troublesome customers.”b83jcV
XToopMy code of conduct has always been simple if you treat me with respect, I’ll treat you like a king. If you treat me like a dog, I’ll beat you like one in midsummer.krS
pMkc7Bottling things up only makes you sick. I’d rather give the illness than receive it.ANO
OwO9OYeah, I admit I’ve got a temper. And yeah, that’s led to me being reassigned multiple times. An open secret.B4lJIgA
g19jcgMaybe that’s why some thugs tried to recruit me. With how skilled I am with a sashimi knife, I probably looked like a promising prospect.WhZvRS
7E3uWtBut hey. If that old master saw what I’m doing in this world now, he’d surely change his tune.NeRk1
zPzcYQ1. An AI that hijacks planes Vixbig.uWM7PQU
a0cS2. Changseong, the Association’s deputy director, laughing it off like it’s nothing—even after his plane got hijacked.lIC
fFDdkn13. Victor Poison, his direct superior, who wears a penguin costume.oBTc
0Dm4. Meain Poison, who pulverized Kojima without hesitation.mAeW
XEg5. And me, Kang Geom-Ma.EuSLEar
pZapvuJust listing them is dizzying. And I swear, at least I try to resolve things with words. I only draw the sashimi knife when reason fails.zXI
QgK1oCompared to number 4, wouldn’t you say I’m quite sensible?aXv9rTp
A0rBW‘But now that I think about it, there aren’t many sane people among either the adults or the youth.’u66
SzAzKImThey say parents are mirrors of their children, and seeing all this, I’m starting to think the “M” in Miracle Blessing doesn’t stand for “Miracle,” but for “Mad.” And that’s a pretty reasonable suspicion.Apqh
KFt“……”wK8LLna
2brNow that I’ve said it out loud, it sounds way too accurate.SGLCZ
yXH99J***ZYvj3DA
0KiUs3Q“Salute to the Heavenly Sword and Vice President Changseong!”30ARpT
gmJ0WzEveryone, except for the Swordmaster, snapped to attention in unison.K0y
3nSmv1WI scratched my forehead. Why is everyone standing? There are plenty of chairs. Couldn’t they sit down?IfjQ
jC9RRl‘Did they have a fight?’niMUXge
snjU5From afar, I had already noticed raised voices. Had I known, I would’ve walked in later.f3o
mzXC2‘What a shame.’rb1PpR
sOX8wcMWatching arguments is the next best thing after watching fires. And when it’s higher-ups throwing punches? Even better.D4ZS1G
osiGSuddenly, a scene from the 9 o’clock news came to mind. A domed building suddenly turned into a boxing ring. Middle-aged men in suits, sweating it out in a duel. In those moments, the badges on their chests lost all shine.2Sf6
dQSf7The owners of those badges displayed their own martial arts. A fist to the face, a kick to the shin brought one to their knees. Viewed on its own, the building was an excellent martial training hall.xA0jvJn
W2WThe warriors of the rivers and lakes practiced chivalry under a domed roof. Their words carried the certainty of righteousness, and their actions were guided by a sense of representing the people.EaOwxsS
PsHWJThey didn’t hesitate to make fools of themselves if it was for justice. That was the righteous path of the martial world.pttW
G5gFAnd this wasn’t any different.GyMN
kY9Despite a Corps Commander attacking at dawn, everyone here was more focused on fighting amongst themselves.K5zDT6h
D3GDW21True knights, abandoning the common good in the name of camaraderie. So exemplary it made my heart skip a beat.hqYA87
uwhp9‘To think I almost witnessed that ridiculous scene live.’R8t4tj
FfYhdApparently, I was the one who ruined it. Damn. A sigh escaped me involuntarily.tju
t7tMFYA bureaucrat interrupting a meeting of warriors.b94B
HlZE4qTI had now become an unwelcome guest.bdIn
ATKBh“……”hHRQl7v
qtCBL3A cold silence took over the tent. The atmosphere was thick with tension, frozen in place. Everyone still held their salute, hand just above the eyebrow.lbwDmc
mt8p6I glanced back. Changseong, still standing, gave me a simple smile. So I spoke on behalf of both of us.NUJ
rQP“At ease.”vxAyXw
3mTzlJ“Yes, sir!”HwJo
iijWaThe crowd parted, creating a path for me. At the end of it was the main chair, as if to say that was my rightful seat.qHPAv
YCJRlpI walked slowly and sat down. Only then did the others begin to take their seats one after another. I rested an elbow on the armrest and asked lazily,ckr8v
wSm6Y“So? What sparked this lovely harmony? Care to share the show?”8qs
GlHEveryone instantly paled. I was joking, but—Gp2gne
Ba8“The Japanese hero squad expressed a desire to remain in the rear for this operation. It caused a bit of friction.”J2S
abbDOne of the Association’s senior staff confessed the truth. To put it kindly, a confession. In other words, gossip.kpuKsoC
3oZEgwGOf course, the accused side didn’t stay silent. A young uniformed officer responded immediately.g18Mu
0vs“That’s a misrepresentation. We didn’t say we wanted the rear without reason, Heavenly Sword.”vaYdfK
m9AnqFkAccording to her nameplate, she was Yoshinari Remi. Her shoulder band clearly showed three stars.uhV
eo4cRemi straightened and looked me in the eye. Then, with a firm tone and martial cadence, she spoke.j5jP
ETxnX“While I can’t completely deny the intervention of higher authorities… our army’s First Battalion consists primarily of archers under Lord Absolute’s direct command. Assigning long-range troops to the rear is basic tactical principle.”h6ZlQ1l
u5NThe Association official furrowed his brow sharply.IKyUQEQ
CnVtBn“So the Association, being mostly melee, should just go up front as cannon fodder—is that what you’re saying?”5UAZ
qxD3“How can you twist it like that? I’m saying, for reasons of efficiency and logic, it’s appropriate.”qrZ
zD14X“Wars are won with the body, not the brain.”uJJpC
hD4edZ“And when you don’t use your brain, more bodies die. That’s war.”vGN6fbn
TOO4“Are you playing with words, General Remi?”xnG
rbDMy“I would never dare. I spoke up because it felt like our troops were being belittled.”DU84cv6
c1JQ3PThe dispute flared again. The Swordmaster rubbed his eyelids in resignation. Changseong, arms crossed, watched me with faint anticipation. Director Sung looked at me nervously.IQU
oAPFIn the end, it was on me to bring order. Though it wasn’t just because of the pressure—I already had plans, and resolving this was necessary to move forward.Vtplg9m
KYjr0LBang!xKSUrM
305KCI drew my sashimi blade and stabbed it between them like lightning. The blade quivered in the center of the table.6lL
2kIWEA9“……”kkG
BSEV7Both of them fell silent instantly, eyes darting between me and the sashimi. A bucket of cold water in a boiling room.g3yNTpQ
bvY32uI pointed at the blade with my chin and asked,JzM
hNJSw“Who’s the highest-ranking authority here by protocol?”qgkm
VIfzYq5General Remi swallowed.XkcnZ
7lNegY“The Heavenly Sword and Vice President Changseong, members of the Seven Stars.”22iL
JUD0RO1“And you must know that in times of war, a superior’s word becomes law.”Cis8e
Bb7Remi’s eyes widened.lY8T
0zvb3pAs if wondering how a seventeen-year-old knew that. Of course I do. I didn’t do three years of military service for nothing.9wSyy
mEpvAw“From now on, what I say will be law. If you disagree, don’t speak. Just pull the sashimi from the table. You can use it to stab me or to kill yourself—your call.”DgDg
ZREo“……”BEDnf2
mONGR9t“But I warn you, your decision will also affect your subordinates. If you die, your squad will automatically be reassigned to the enemy’s side. If you stab me, I’ll consider it rebellion, and after this, your entire battalion will face a hero tribunal.”BYxUqK
4SvBoth stayed quiet, listening closely.5mbSXU3
qjBCD“In war, it’s the leaders’ poor judgment that kills or burdens their troops.”NmZHRR
hG3LThe atmosphere settled after a moment. I turned to General Remi.mqX7r
nzUQm“I accept your proposal. If your squad is primarily long-range, it makes no sense to place them in the front line.”1jWU
ZA2“……!”BOVhCr
nat1VRemi’s eyes widened in surprise at my response.rYrcgB
adACU1“However, all heavy weapons, tanks, and close-combat heroes will be assigned to the Association. Also, after the operation, Japan will receive the smallest share of the reward. Any objections?”XYdk
T0pH“No.”LygIKOL
uqqKOlShe responded without hesitation. I then turned to the Association official.NDf0
N3h“Then the Association will receive a greater share.”PLSMp
tVVvThe man nodded, still slightly dazed.EEc
S30STgF“Yes, that’s correct.”b8fdiHW
HzYWgJ“And the participating Association heroes should receive internal rewards accordingly.”0uTBg
XGfiyI looked to Changseong. He met my gaze and smiled broadly.24R
OsvfiED“As Vice President, I promise immediate promotion by one rank to all participants. If they do well, maybe even more.”z7LQjvW
5Ld7uRThat’s what I like about Changseong—always direct.86kMm7
RXVi“Perfect.”enVUxq
B0mD9I looked back at the two. They were staring at me, mouths agape.Mi9Ds
VrEOI1RThey’d catch flies like that. I retrieved the sashimi from the table and said,eTRQe7a
Q1hY“For now, let’s eat. After all that arguing, you must be hungry. And since we’re staying the night here, go brush your teeth.”GpsG
EADEzmEveryone stood up at once. The insignias and medals on their chests clinked loudly.7MsHd
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Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaAmazing leadership good one Kang geom
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaKang geom is not holding back.
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaYes.
Haimiya_cutie.
Mahayana🤣
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaWow 👌.
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaAI IS CRYING.
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaHe’s jokes