Chapter 149: Yu Ji-ha’s Identity
It took about 10 hours for the Settler to return to Earth from Mars.
It could have arrived in an hour if it had reached its maximum speed, but it couldn’t afford to do so because the fusion reactor’s output was not enough.
To fully repair the fusion reactor, it would be difficult with the Settler’s equipment, and a psychic who excelled in artifact analysis like Russia would have to appear.
It had been hard to research openly until now, but it would be different from now on.
‘It’s time to talk about myself.’
By now, the governments of various countries would be wondering how to investigate him.
Especially France, who had their eyes open and had Cocoon stolen from them, had a high possibility of waging war.
But this incident made it necessary for Yu Ji-ha to reveal his identity a little bit.
It was no help to keep his mouth shut now that the Plague had appeared.
It was the right way to clear some of the piled-up suspicions and reach out to the countries.
Yu Ji-ha’s goal was ultimately the eradication of the Plague.
There was no need for humans to fight each other when the enemy of humanity had appeared, right?
But there would be plenty of countries or factions that did not agree with his idea.
The depth of the conflict that had accumulated for years was not shallow.
He understood and acknowledged their anger and hostility, but Yu Ji-ha had no time to look back.
How could he guarantee that the Plague army would not appear on Earth next year?
‘What I need now is a minimum of persuasion, and a maximum of speed.’
For that, he had to do something about this Plague first.
Yu Ji-ha looked at Cocoon held by the Settler’s ether field.
He had been cut off from his psy-field and trapped in a reverse field.
Now he was no different from a human who had lost his senses.
He was badly wounded and recovering, so he couldn’t open his cocoon and get out.
He approached the cocoon he was maintaining and touched it with his hand, activating his psy-field.
He had been able to read the emotions of the Plague since some time ago.
To be precise, he felt that way in his dreams.
When he actually touched the cocoon, he could read the emotions of the creature, which was nothing more than a bio-organism, relatively clearly.
‘How strange… Did even a beast-class have emotions…?’
He knew that the Plague had intelligence, but only for the higher beings. Was that not true?
Anyway, this little one was looking for something.
That image appeared vividly in his mind.
‘This is a planet in the middle of the universe… And a blue one at that.’
He thought it was Earth, but it wasn’t.
The image was not clear, but the shape of the continents was different from Earth.
The view moved back and gradually revealed the surrounding satellites.
It turned out that this planet had two moons.
‘It’s definitely not Earth. Then, was the Plague looking for this planet?’
He moved the image around and traveled.
It was hard to read the emotions of the beast-class because their level of thinking was so low, but he managed to draw a conclusion.
‘This is the route to the prophet’s home.’
It was exactly the same as the route recorded in the relic that arrived on the moon a long time ago.
He took his hand off the cocoon and instructed Arma.
“Remember the route in the relic that came to the moon? Show it to me for a moment.”
A space map leading to the prophet’s home filled the hangar.
He looked at it and realized what the Plague was looking for.
“These guys were also looking for the prophet’s home. But there was a warp gate on Nox.”
A huge warp gate had been observed on Nox, the ninth planet, since some time ago.
Humanity recognized that this warp gate was a gateway to the prophet’s home and built an expedition fleet.
Could it be that the Plague didn’t know about it?
‘Judging by the movement of the legion, they must have known that there was a warp gate. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have tried to stop us.’
Then, it meant that the Plague couldn’t enter that warp gate.
Why?
He wondered if he needed something special to go to the prophet’s home.
Like a key, for example.
He touched his right chest, where he had absorbed the prophet’s relic on Mars.
It was possible that it was the key.
He had been lost in space for three years after losing the battle, but maybe the Plague couldn’t detect him because of the cockpit that blocked his psy-field.
‘They were also aiming for the prophet’s home.’
He felt a bit relieved when he realized that Earth was not their target.
He didn’t know why.
‘No, that’s not it. They might send more scouts if they find his psy-field blocked.’
He didn’t know when, but they wouldn’t send just one beast-class.
And if he killed them too, he would attract the attention of the main force.
Wouldn’t they find it strange if the communication was cut off every time they sent a scout?
‘He couldn’t fight the main force now.’
It was certain doom if he fought at this point, when he had barely secured the land to build a megacity.
Besides, the warp gate on Nox hadn’t opened yet.
‘He was lucky to have secured a lot of psyker genes…’
The schedule that Arma had planned was much faster than expected.
At this rate, he didn’t need to insist on 1.5 billion people.
The most important thing to preserve humanity was the soil itself to cultivate psychers.
“Arma, based on our current pace, recalculate how many people we need to secure.”
「Calculating… About 900 million should be enough.」
“If we include Russia, that’s about 300 million… So we only need to bring in 600 million more.”
「You left out megacity Afghanistan. There are quite a lot of applicants there.」
The surrounding countries were so poor that they had no choice but to apply for survival.
If he counted them too, it wouldn’t be hard to gather 900 million people.
But there was no guarantee that the Plague wouldn’t send scouts until then.
He had to find a way to deceive them by conducting research on Aether somehow.
He took his eyes off the cocoon he was maintaining.
“Keep this one in a reverse field so it won’t escape. I’ll show it when I reveal Terra Island.”
「Understood.」
Terra Island was famous as a tourist attraction, but the core area had never been exposed.
It would cause a huge impact if he revealed it, but it was a necessary step considering the future schedule.
He had to get at least some cooperation.
That was also the reason why he hadn’t gone all out against the countries until now.
It meant that he didn’t have to care anymore after he got their cooperation.
He would show some patience since they were the same humans, but if they interfered with his goal of opposing the Plague, he had no choice.
He had to finish them off.
* * *
The battle between the monster from space and the French army gave a great shock to the governments of various countries.
The monster’s body was made of black metal and it didn’t flinch unless it was hit by a tactical nuclear-level destructive power.
It also disappeared after being hit by France’s Hafnium-2 warhead and returned to the sea.
One person emerged as a suspect after a series of emergency meetings.
By this point, even those who were not in the intelligence or the leadership would have noticed.
Yu Ji-ha.
He had used Earth Fleet to take the monster and the egg.
The reason was not known, but that was something that could be investigated.
The media and the French government launched a fierce attack.
―We know that you secretly entered the French sea and took the monster and the egg. Return them quickly or you will regret it.
―Did you take the monster and the egg because you knew their location? Did you create the monster?
―We seriously suspect that the birth of the monster originated from you and Terra Island. Explain everything clearly.
The weapon that the monster used was too similar to what Yu Ji-ha had shown.
Black metal body, railgun, ion thruster, and laser that looked like iron beam…
It wouldn’t be surprising if Yu Ji-ha had made it.
As such, when France officially raised the issue, many countries in Europe and elsewhere joined in.
―Let’s say you poured out incredible technology for a few years. We can understand that you made the first strong artificial intelligence. But a metal monster from space is beyond common sense.
―Explain quickly. Or else, the whole world will be your enemy.
As the pressure intensified, the White House also issued an official statement.
They used the softest expression possible, considering their relationship with Yu Ji-ha, but it was still a demand for an explanation.
Even the US Congress passed a resolution urging Yu Ji-ha to clarify.
―It’s time to reveal your identity. Did you come from outer space as some speculated? We are willing to accept if you politely request cooperation.
―But before that, you need to apologize responsibly for your actions.
There were not many places that thought Yu Ji-ha would seriously communicate with them.
As always, he would ignore them, and new conflicts would arise from there.
What did it mean if a few more percent were added after he made 40% of humanity his enemy?
The only thing that mattered was that the US couldn’t stand it anymore.
They felt the seriousness of this space monster incident.
Amid various speculations about his situation, Yu Ji-ha finally announced an official statement.
“I invite the VIPs of various countries to Terra Island. Of course, you don’t have to come, but it would be helpful for your understanding if you see it for yourself.”
He named a few countries and announced the visit schedule at once.
Not only friendly countries such as the US, Russia, and Germany, but also hostile countries were included.
There was no need to worry about a pointless assassination attempt, but most of them expressed their welcome and willingness to attend.
That’s how dozens of private jets flew into Terra Island.
President Baldwin groaned as he looked down at the view of Terra Island.
“The satellite only showed the tip of the iceberg.”
“We were surprised too. We didn’t expect such a huge facility…”
The US reconnaissance satellite boasted an amazing resolution, but it was impossible to look into every detail of Terra Island.
It changed its shape every time the reconnaissance satellite passed over it, as if it knew.
Of course, it only changed the upper part of the facility, not the whole, but it was enough to fool the satellite’s eye.
The high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft that the US was proud of was also unable to approach Terra Island.
It was because the iron beam covered up to 80,000 feet in altitude, as proven in the war.
There was a rumor that it could do more, and the US gave up on trying to peek into Terra Island.
But he didn’t expect to see it with his own eyes…
‘This must mean that this matter is serious.’
Was he an alien as some speculated?
Did he really make that monster?
How did he see humanity and what was his true purpose?
All these questions were about to be answered.
When they arrived at the airport, they were greeted by androids and walkers that were quite familiar by now.
It was such a big event that he might have changed his mind, but there was still no courtesy.
They just had to go down to Undercity and call a smart car to ride.
It was no longer surprising that everything worked unmanned.
But when they arrived at the facility and met Arma, who welcomed them, even President Baldwin couldn’t help but be surprised by her swollen belly.
“Excuse me, are you pregnant?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Oh… Well, congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
President Baldwin admired Arma, who greeted the other guests, with a small sigh.
‘She wasn’t a completely emotionless robot.’
After all, they had been together for years…
She had even cut off her relationship with her parents in the US and earned a reputation as a terrible person, but she seemed to have some emotions.
Or was this also a device to quell his alien theory?
‘How can I know what he’s thinking?’
He shook his head slightly.
The facility he entered was off-limits to everyone except the VIPs and the minimum staff.
It was a security-sensitive place, so he couldn’t help it.
Gerero, his aide, hinted.
“Judging by the location, it’s near the shipyard on the south coast. Where they built Earth Fleet.”
“It must be meaningful to reveal this place.”
“Maybe it has lost its meaning. Just like he gave us the crystal manufacturing method of ion beam.”
He didn’t need to doubt everything, but that wasn’t enough for him.
The android at the entrance guided him.
“Only VIPs can enter from here.”
“I need some staff…”
As the aides tried to step forward, President Baldwin stopped them and approached the entrance.
“It’s okay. He’ll be in trouble if I die here. Can I go in like this?”
“Welcome, President Baldwin.”
“Thank you.”
As he entered, an amazing sight greeted him.
There was something like a huge egg hanging in the air.
“Is this the monster’s egg…?”
“Yes, it is. You can call it a cocoon for now.”
Yu Ji-ha appeared and President Baldwin looked at the cocoon with curiosity.
“I didn’t expect to see a creature made of black metal… What is your relationship with it, President Yu?”
“I’ll explain that from now on. The audience is not all here yet.”
Soon, the VIPs from various countries came in and gasped in unison.
“An egg made of black metal, I can’t believe it.”
“It came out of here… Who made it, damn it.”
“Maybe it really came from space. I wish President Yu Ji-ha would explain it to us.”
There was no Marie Le Pen, the president of France, in this place.
Well, it was a good thing, since she would have surely fought with him in this tense situation.
Not to mention that he had never shown any hostility towards her or France.
He looked around the leaders of the countries and said.
“You’re all here. I’ll explain my ability and the identity of this thing. It’s confidential, but it’s okay to tell the key people.”
Was he finally revealing his identity?
The leaders swallowed their dry saliva nervously.
* * *
“To sum up, I’m not an alien and I didn’t make this monster. I’m more like a prophet who foresaw this situation.”
Prophet.
Someone who knew before others.
The leaders understood the meaning, but they didn’t know in what way he claimed to be a prophet.
Had Yu Ji-ha ever said anything like a prophecy before?
If he had predicted that the monster would appear this time, he would have been trusted…
Regardless of the people’s questions, Yu Ji-ha continued.
“You must know that there are various types of psychers. It’s hard to believe, but some can shoot Aether waves and sometimes read other people’s minds. There are also psychers who excel in black metal transform.”
“And I have the ability of foresight. I see the future through dreams.”
“You see the future through dreams? That’s absurd…”
“Before you say that, look at this egg.”
The Italian prime minister, who was spitting out negative sentences, looked at the monster’s egg and closed his mouth.
Well, it was a situation where a monster from space existed, so it wasn’t strange to say that he had the ability of foresight.
What he didn’t understand was why he hadn’t done any convincing foresight.
President Baldwin stepped forward.
“Did you know that this monster would come?”
“I didn’t know the timing, but I knew about its existence.”
“Then why didn’t you say anything?”
“If I had said it, who would have believed me?”
“…”
No one could answer him.
President Baldwin remembered a few lines from his record.
‘Dr. Lee Hanjong, was it? He surely testified that he got power from his dreams…’
He had dismissed it as occult nonsense at the time, but now that he heard Yu Ji-ha’s words, it felt like everything clicked.
He felt the existence of the monster through his dreams and got power from there… That made some sense, right?
Yu Ji-ha looked at him.
“The US must know even the color of my panties, so you can testify about that.”
There was a slight laughter and President Baldwin felt a bit uncomfortable by the fact that he had to back up his words, but he let it go.
“I won’t deny it. A few years ago, I received a report similar to what President Yu said. He said he got power from his dreams.”
It was the word of none other than the US president, so they had to accept it.
The people asked eagerly.
“Is that dream connected to this monster?”
“What is the identity of this monster?”
Yu Ji-ha raised his hand.
“Before I answer, I need to mention the situation at that time. I met this monster in my dream. By the way, this monster is not alone.”
“Then, it has kin?”
“Quite a lot. And this one is a very weak one among its kin. It’s probably the smallest and weakest one.”
“A monster that’s tens of meters long is small and weak…”
“Is that true? It didn’t seem to be damaged unless it was hit by a tactical nuclear level.”
The people murmured in disappointment and Yu Ji-ha opened his mouth again.
“I don’t know where this monster comes from or what its purpose is. The only thing I know is that it has infinite hatred for us and the Earth.”
“Infinite hatred…”
“I’ve been preparing for this for years. I got a lot of criticism, but I thought it was something only I could do with my ability.”
Someone remembered something and asked.
“Is that the space monster that appeared in the game released by Silla Group…?”
“Yes, it is. I made it based on the monster I saw in my dream. The future setting means that we have to be at that level to fight against such a monster.”
“So that’s why…”
“It certainly adds credibility to your actions so far…”
To be honest, there were too many parts that couldn’t be understood with such a short explanation.
Especially the strong artificial intelligence Lucia that he had made.
But the people here knew that he had majored in algorithms.
Compared to the space monster and black metal, creating artificial intelligence could be considered as a coincidence.
Some of the leaders nodded as if they understood his actions so far.
Especially President Baldwin, who had a lot of information about him, seemed to be impressed.
“It’s not completely cleared of suspicion, but it’s enough to explain the overall context. I wondered why your goal was human peace…”
World peace sounded like it meant ending the fights among humans.
But the word humanity included the outside as well.
The outside was the monster from space.
“The important thing is that we have to join forces. To oppose this monster.”
“That’s right…”
President Baldwin seemed to be thinking deeply about something.
As the leader of the US, he was unlikely to follow Yu Ji-ha obediently.
That would mean giving up the hegemony that the US had.
Even if not him, the Congress and the mainstream Anglo-Saxon in the US would think so.
President Baldwin finally spoke.
“I appreciate your efforts for the peace of humanity. But there are many aspects of your actions that cannot be explained by that alone, President Yu. They were also somewhat radical.”
“I don’t care about being recognized for everything.”
“Anyway, you must admit that your explanation is not enough. I have a proposal for you, would you like to hear it? I think the others will be satisfied too.”
The leaders leaned in with curiosity and Yu smiled inwardly.
He knew what he was going to say.
He wanted him to join under the US’s control.
Maybe he was dreaming of the most powerful force in human history, encompassing the US, Korea, and the Human Alliance.
“I’m sorry. That won’t work.”
“I haven’t mentioned it yet.”
“Isn’t it obvious? You want the US to lead everything. And I just provide the future vision and technology. Am I right?”
President Baldwin closed his mouth as if he had hit the mark.
He was a typical American after all.
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