TTOA Chapter 142

Brightly lit, the heads of the headquarters sat around the table, looking increasingly disheveled. Strategic meetings had been ongoing for days to deal with the aftermath of the large-scale battle.

“Here’s the current status of reconnaissance aircraft deployment. We’re searching for creatures remaining in the Frontier District.”

“Next, is the list of reorganized units.”

“There are 32 officers being promoted based on merit, and 2 are at the command rank.”

“Next, we have a plan to accelerate the graduation schedule for trainees at the Education and Training Center.”

“The screen displays a list of personnel available for combat deployment and a detailed unit deployment list.”

“Here’s the supply distribution status.”

“Next is the management status of Runaway risk.”

After dozens of agenda items were discussed, there was one last item remaining.

“Next, is the matter of the S-rank Esper’s disposition.”

A chilling silence descended.

The generals cleared their throats, exchanging fierce glances with each other. They were all hiding their true feelings, but no one could easily step forward.

Eventually, Lieutenant General Hwangbo Gi-cheon, the Deputy Chief of the Central Command and second-in-command of the Center, opened the discussion. He was directly below General Choi Yul, the Chief of the Central Military, and the leader of the conservative faction.

“Although there was some damage to the military power, the defense wall was safely protected. Since the anomalous phenomenon known as the Creature Wave seems to be over, it is appropriate to prune the excess. The tainted Captain Seo, and the Mutant.”

As Hwangbo Gi-cheon opened his mouth, the other generals added their opinions one by one.

Like the last strategy meeting, the conservative and progressive factions were sharply divided.

Half of them suggested expulsion, and the other half suggested recruitment.

“Captain Seo is clearly a reactionary. I still cannot understand General Choi’s decision to pardon a member who rebelled against the military.”

“However, with the military’s strength diminished, killing Seo Eui-woo is not a realistic decision… He is the only S-rank Esper. You saw his ability.”

“Indeed, it is impressive. But we can’t just let him run wild. If we concentrate all our forces, wouldn’t we have a chance of winning?”

“No, let’s be reasonable. Captain Seo contributed greatly to this battle. It’s hardly the act of a reactionary, responding properly to an emergency call. His effectiveness as a combatant seems sufficient.”

“What are you talking about! How can he be effective when he repeatedly violates internal Center regulations? Another report has come in that he used his ability within the Center. How many times is this now? This is beyond a level that can be disciplined with punishment.”

The generals’ voices were even more serious than before.

They were also aware of the turmoil that had begun to sweep through the military.

And in reality, Kwon Jae-jin was more of a headache than Seo Eui-woo.

“Rumors are rampant that the Center led the matching of two S-rank Espers. If this continues, Kwon Jae-jin will become an even more dangerous figure than Seo Eui-woo.”

Originally, the value of a Guide was Guiding, and the reason General Choi initially proposed negotiations with Kwon Jae-jin was solely to exploit his S-rank Guiding, which enhances the abilities of Espers.

However, Kwon Jae-jin was far too conspicuous.

They had reviewed the battle reports countless times.

Equipped with combat gear, freely firing a rifle, and even handling the military’s special supply item, the Head Mounted Display Goggles…

Just a few months ago, he was an ordinary civilian.

Even if he were to receive a rank test and become a formal Esper, he should have been as helpless as a child compared to the Espers who had been receiving highly specialized training.

It was already astonishing that such a person had rushed to the front lines with Seo Eui-woo, but the fact that he didn’t tremble in fear but shot and killed creatures and participated in the battle was something no one had anticipated. No one could fail to notice that Kwon Jae-jin alone was shaking the military’s discipline and laws.

“Kwon Jae-jin is a man who openly advocated for the military’s reorganization. Where will his voice reach if it grows louder? The members will be corrupted. We must not allow Kwon Jae-jin to be accepted as a formal Esper and mixed into the military as he is.”

“From the beginning, employing a Mutant was a mistake. General Choi shouldn’t have made such a negotiation proposal.”

“That’s right… Even if there had been some damage, we should have sounded the alert and dealt with Seo Eui-woo and Kwon Jae-jin at that time.”

The conservative generals spoke well, as if their mouths were just for that purpose.

General Choi, who had been listening silently from the head seat, leaned back and distorted his aged eyes.

“Sound the alert, you say… How could we have responded to the Creature Wave then? And how would we have rescued your heads?”

The generals were now chattering away, but at the time, all of them had been held hostage by Seo Eui-woo, on the verge of being crushed by his ability. General Choi Yul’s decision at the time was not wrong.

“Are you saying we should have all perished together?”

“No, that’s not it…”

“The Creature Wave, too. If we had prepared in advance, would this much damage have occurred? Isn’t this mess the result of the conservatives and progressives arguing pointlessly about the disposition of the two S-class Espers, just as we are now?”

When an emergency call equivalent to Stage 3 rang out in the 2nd Frontier District, a brief regret flashed through General Choi Yul’s mind.

He had heard the warning that a Creature Wave would occur directly to his face, followed by unpleasantly specific explanations that the number of deaths would be the highest during his term, that half of the officers would resign in disgrace, and so on.

In his heart, he wanted to dismiss it as nonsense spouted by an ignorant Mutant, but the intuition that General Choi had honed over decades to reach the pinnacle of the military had already leaned toward that nonsense.

From the start, the fact that they knew military secrets such as the Creature Wave, or General Choi Yul’s habits and other personal information, was not something to be easily dismissed.

At the time, he suspected it was a political trap set by someone among the leaders to undermine General Choi, but as the matter grew to this extent, it felt meaningless to look for the mastermind.

From the beginning, their intentions were clear.

The issue the generals should focus on now was not the disposition of Seo Eui-woo and Kwon Jae-jin.

Which decision would benefit the military? Would it contribute to the preservation of humanity?

Change or conservatism.

That was the crux of the argument.

“We cannot expel the two of them right now. They are a necessary force for the military. We will inevitably have to give them an important role.”

“Cough!”

“Ahem…”

Lieutenant General Hwangbo Gi-cheon and other conservative generals glared at General Choi Yul with dissatisfied eyes. If General Choi, the final decision-maker, intended to maintain this absurd negotiation proposal, no amount of fierce opposition would be of any use.

No one knew what General Choi was thinking, protecting Kwon Jae-jin like that.

General Choi pondered, lowering his chin. Then, as if he had made a decision, he hardened his expression. The blue hologram recreating his figure flickered lightly.

“Issue an Esper Registration Code to Kwon Jae-jin, assign him to the restricted access affiliation, appoint him as a Staff Sergeant, and match him with S-rank Esper Captain Seo Eui-woo.”

“General!”

“That won’t do! That’s unacceptable!”

With the formal affiliation assignment and even the matching approval issued, several generals jumped up from their seats.

This was because the rank test and affiliation assignment were on completely different levels, as different as heaven and earth.

Even uncompleted trainees and F-rank Espers who were not combatants undergo the same rank test. Even captured monsters to be used as test subjects undergo almost the same test.

The rank test alone means nothing.

However, issuing an Esper Registration Code, assigning affiliation, and even Esper matching meant that Kwon Jae-jin would be treated as a combat force on the same level as formal graduates.

Although he was assigned to the restricted access affiliation instead of a special task force affiliation, and his rank was only Staff Sergeant, which was usually given to underage trainees, it was an unprecedented personnel decision for a Mutant.

“Everyone, sit down. The Creature Wave is not over yet.”

General Choi scanned the faces of the generals who had stood up. As always, about half of them were vehemently opposed.

“According to the Research and Development Center’s report, the Creature Wave hasn’t even begun. This is a decision to reduce the damage, so don’t make a fuss.”

“That’s just a prediction! Isn’t it the researchers’ reports that are always wrong, like weather forecasts?”

“That’s right. For an Alpha Creature to appear on the ground… The inside of the Gate is their habitat… Even if we prepare, it’s absurd.”

“Moreover, even if the Creature Wave continues with an even larger second wave, as the research results suggest, there is no reason to make such an extraordinary personnel appointment for a Mutant. Sending Captain Seo Eui-woo to the front lines is enough.”

“Does the General really intend to cause chaos within the military for the sake of one Mutant?”

“Ha… No, look at the current situation clearly. Didn’t the Creature forces actually try to cross the defense wall!”