Chapter 65

Chapter 65: Crouching Dragon (4)

The Heroes drafted for the first strike team assembled.

I began the tactical briefing in front of them.

"Working name: Pacific Dungeon. This is an underwater dungeon. It'll likely be unfamiliar to most of you. You'll be boarding this destroyer and setting out on the expedition."

One Hero asked a question.

"It's impossible to run an engine inside a dungeon, isn't it?"

"Correct. It's impossible."

MURMUR--

The hall buzzed at my answer.

The same Hero asked again.

"Then how are we supposed to move the destroyer?"

"People pull it directly. Warriors will take turns rowing or swimming underwater to tow the ship."

Another Hero asked.

"Wouldn't it be easier to use a mage's magic to move it?"

"The mages have plenty of other tasks. There's no magic or mana to waste on hauling a ship. The warrior classes, who have relatively more to spare, need to step up."

Yet another Hero asked.

"Then what about building an engine powered by Mana Stones?"

"Where would that technology come from? Who's ever thought about taking a ship into a dungeon?"

The response came from a different Hero.

A Mana Stone-powered ship was a good idea, but research time was far too long, so I'd discarded it.

Even if research began now, it wouldn't be finished by the time the dungeon raid was over.

Incidentally, this was also one of the research outputs future Lee Yeeun would create.

I continued the briefing.

"There are a total of 11 types of monsters inside the dungeon. Their characteristics are well-documented in the distributed materials, so please review them."

"They look pretty strong."

"Disgusting-looking too. Tentacled monsters, seriously."

"Why? They're kind of cute."

"You think that's cute? Is something wrong with your head?"

The Heroes offered varying impressions.

A party of S-rank Heroes from all over the world, having experienced everything under the sun.

Every one of them would've ruled their nation like kings and led from the front of every dungeon raid.

Their egos would be just as powerful, and if they deemed my strategy unreasonable, they could rebel at any time and shatter the party.

Wielding authority or reputation over them was impossible.

I had to convince them through logic alone.

Could I do it?

This was the turning point.

If I couldn't convince them, the party would fall apart and the raid would fail.

And if that happened, my standing within the expedition would be finished.

That outcome would lead to America's collapse.

I had to convince them.

I had to use logic to make them follow me.

"I'll now begin the official briefing on the dungeon strategy."

***

Inside the strategy room.

The head of the American Hero Association, Chairman Daniel, watched Cha Eunwoo with interest.

"From entry at 0 minutes to 2 minutes, you'll pass through without danger. The first hostile encounter will come as early as 2 minutes 10 seconds or as late as 2 minutes 30 seconds."

"Quite detailed."

"Hmm."

Cha Eunwoo.

A professor from Asia, invited by Unicorn's Guild Master.

Since Daniel had taken office, the relationship between the Association and Unicorn Guild had been at its worst.

He naturally didn't view the man favorably.

And impressive paper aside, he was just a lone professor at the end of the day.

There was no way he could accomplish anything in a raid of this magnitude.

That was why Daniel had no intention of putting him in any significant role.

And yet--

'Communication magic? What's that?'

'The Korean professor created it.'

'And why is everyone making such a fuss over it?'

'It's a revolutionary weapon that can cut the estimated one-month expedition in half.'

'Is... is it really that significant?'

-- that Korean professor had created something extraordinary.

Daniel was a born politician.

Making a fool out of someone was his specialty.

Just as he'd done to Unicorn, he figured it would be easy to do the same to Cha Eunwoo.

'Let's give him the hardest assignment.'

'The hardest?'

'I'll assign him the first strike team.'

The party members were weak, and adequate intel was absent.

No matter how talented someone was, they couldn't achieve success under those conditions.

Tactics was the art of maximizing a party's capabilities.

Even a genius couldn't create something from nothing.

Originally, this slot had been prepared for China's arrogant brat, Zhuge Soyon, but Cha Eunwoo's existence irritated Daniel even more.

'Hehe, this should be entertaining.'

No matter how talented -- it'd be impossible.

He'd believed that for a time.

And yet, somehow.

Things were veering in an unexpected direction.

"This is the critical point. By the time you've entered the third zone, it'll be somewhere between 1 hour 10 minutes 21 seconds at the earliest and 25 minutes 3 seconds at the latest."

"Y-Yes, sir."

"During this window, expect AoE attacks, so the dealers absolutely cannot cluster together. Spread out as far as possible and disperse the aggro. After that, the two tanks need to absorb all the aggro. Can you do it?"

"It'll be tough, but we'll manage."

"Good. I believe in you -- you're S-rank Heroes, after all."

As a non-Awakened, Daniel didn't know much about Heroes.

But as Association Chairman, he'd seen and heard plenty.

Even for Daniel, this was a first.

Cha Eunwoo's briefing was extraordinary.

A tactical style that sliced time into fine segments, analyzed actions down to the second, and assigned tasks with surgical precision -- he'd never seen or heard of anything like it.

Instructions so meticulous they specified how many meters apart party members should maintain were practically art.

"Just listening, it doesn't sound believable, but when you break it down piece by piece, everything looks doable."

"Damn, this is insane. He's not human -- he's like a machine."

The strike team members offered praise one after another.

Daniel grew anxious inside.

Everything seemed poised to unfold exactly as Cha Eunwoo described.

"Mmm."

Daniel let out a heavy hum.

He turned to Christian with a worried face.

"Commander Christian, in your assessment, what are the odds that Professor Cha's tactics will work?"

"...Every last detail has a basis behind it. Everything fits together perfectly. The probability of their success doesn't look low."

"My. How fortunate."

"Indeed. Wonderful news."

A smoothly progressing raid was supposed to be joyous news for both the Association Chairman and the Expedition Commander.

But unlike the words they spoke, their expressions were frigid.

Clearing the dungeon was a good thing.

But clearing it through Unicorn's accomplishments was a terrible thing.

"I'll need to wait and see a bit more."

The mood among Daniel and several key American figures had soured, but the morale of the remaining Heroes was soaring sky-high.

The first strike team's spirits, in particular, had reached a fever pitch.

The strike team's commander, Lie Xiao, spoke.

"Brothers! Our nationalities and races may differ, but we've all gathered here with the same purpose! The protection of humanity! Let's go out and fight! And come back victorious!"

When Lie Xiao's short speech ended, the Heroes boarded the destroyer.

The destroyer cut through the waves and surged forward.

The strike team's progress could be monitored by everyone through the video magic.

They advanced as unstoppably as their initial momentum suggested.

-- First zone, encountered the giant octopus!

-- Octopus down!

-- Current time: 2 minutes 40 seconds!

A good start.

The party members moved exactly as Cha Eunwoo had instructed.

And just as Cha Eunwoo had said, monsters and traps lay waiting.

-- 11 minutes 42 seconds. Entering the second zone!

-- Watch below! Just go slow and steady.

Everything moved precisely as Cha Eunwoo had designed.

It was like running a well-programmed script.

"Incredible. It's really happening exactly as he said."

"Not a single deviation -- flawless."

However, the Heroes on the strike team weren't as perfect as Cha Eunwoo.

They occasionally made mistakes.

-- Right flank's been breached! Sorry!

-- Uh, uh oh! If that gets through...

"It's fine. Don't panic."

Cha Eunwoo grabbed the Mana Stone with the communication magic inscribed on it.

His voice was calm -- the kind that settled the listener's nerves.

"Everyone focus on your role. If one person falls apart, the whole thing collapses like dominoes. Keita, I just need you to pull back for 40 seconds. Keita's northeast defense will be covered by Wang Sheng."

Cha Eunwoo's precise commands minimized the ripple effects of every mistake.

It wasn't just his ability to design the plan -- his real-time crisis management stood out just as much.

-- Red seawater spotted!

-- Professor, what do we do?

"Can you increase the Mana Stone's magnification and observe the seawater closely?"

-- Sure, that's easy.

"Try using Composite Magic. Purification magic and water-attribute magic."

-- Think that'll work? I'll give it a shot. ...Oh, what the? It's actually going away.

Cha Eunwoo resolved even unknown traps with ease.

Everything was in the palm of his hand.

"To think a talent like this existed in Asia."

"The crouching dragon resting by still waters has taken flight!"

Daniel's instincts screamed.

This raid was going to succeed.

"Crouching Dragon, Crouching Dragon... tch. I'll need to change the plan."

While everyone's attention was fixed on Cha Eunwoo and the strike team, Daniel slipped outside unnoticed.

Deep inside the ship, in a storage room.

There, the Association executive Andrew was waiting.

"Andrew, what's your assessment of Professor Cha?"

Executive Director Andrew.

A man who'd served as an S-rank Hero in America before retiring and joining the Hero Association.

Meeting him had been a stroke of great fortune for Daniel.

With Andrew serving as a bridge, Daniel had easily established his footing in Hero society.

Andrew was, in effect, the greatest contributor to making Daniel Chairman.

Moreover, nobody communicated with Daniel better.

"Giving him the first strike team was a mistake."

"And?"

"You should've banished him to the rear. You could've said the lab suits him better, given the great work he did in magic research. Now he's grown too big for us to touch."

Andrew looked deeply anxious about Cha Eunwoo's success.

Daniel clicked his tongue.

The seemingly ideal subordinate, Andrew, had one problem.

His thinking was too one-dimensional.

"Hehe, why do you assume Cha succeeding is bad?"

"Because he's Unicorn's man, isn't he?"

"Unicorn? Ha. That's still just a shallow connection. Something that flimsy can be cut easily enough."

"You don't mean......"

"We bring Professor Cha over to our side."

Driving wedges between people was another of Chairman Daniel's specialties.

He'd already investigated Cha Eunwoo's relationship with Unicorn Guild.

Beyond Unicorn receiving his help once, there was nothing.

There was no basis anywhere to definitively label him as Unicorn's man.

Split them apart at the right moment, then reel him in.

The Hero Association or a major guild's executive position -- or even a professorship at one of America's prestigious academies -- could be placed in his hands.

Then Cha Eunwoo's achievements would also become one of Chairman Daniel's, and the next election would be a landslide.

"Hehe, I can't wait. The look on that insolent woman Edelin's face when she-- gkh!"

His stomach burned.

Daniel's thoughts stopped for a moment.

He couldn't grasp what had happened.

"What... is......"

Daniel found an arm protruding from his stomach.

Even his failing cognition could piece the situation together without difficulty.

An arm growing from his stomach? Impossible.

An arm had punched through his back and emerged from the front.

"A shame. I thought you and I would see eye to eye, Chairman."

"Andrew... you bastard......!"

"I'm sorry, Chairman. If Professor Cha is left alone, this dungeon raid will end too neatly."

"Wh-What does that mean......"

"The Pacific Dungeon raid must not end easily."

Chairman Daniel's vision was fading.

The last thing he saw was Andrew wearing a ring engraved with the SH insignia.

Ah, so that's what it was.

His trusted subordinate, Andrew, had betrayed him.

No -- perhaps from the very beginning, he had been......

"America... America is in danger......"

Those were Chairman Daniel's last words.

For the Chairman of the American Hero Association -- called the guardian of the entire world -- it was a wretchedly pitiful end.