Rust - Chapter 1015



Only Krnovel

RUST [RUST]-1015

The situation room of the Imperial Guard commanded by Kim Yang was already in a state of emergency.

“What happened to the information from Korea?”

“Not yet.”

“Why not yet? What about Laos? Are you going to fight with North Vietnam?”

“They say they are negotiating with North Vietnam.”

“What are the AI ​​years doing?”

“They say there are people with information and communications capabilities in North Vietnam and South Vietnam. They say they are using their capabilities to jam radio waves, so it is difficult to extract information right away.”

Kim Yang muttered, her eyebrows furrowed slightly.

‘It’s the end of the world, it’s the end of the world.’

The assistant AI on board her private airship, the Black Drake, was an AI capable of mobilizing the computing power of a supercomputer, if not a human.

It was a ridiculous world where it was possible for humans to prevent hacking of supercomputers. Well, in a world where there is a monster elephant that can even brainwash artificial intelligence androids, what else could there be?

‘Is that why we were able to survive against mutant monsters and the Chinese without advanced technology or weapons? Huh? That must be a headache.’

The reason there were so many survivors in Japan, which had become hell, was because of the ability users, and the reason China did not perish even though it was split into seven parts and suffered civil wars was also because of the ability users.

Cannibals and power users. The common survivors were able to survive because they were protected by the so-called new human race.

At that time, the countries of Southeast Asia were similar to Japan, which was hit by a great disaster. In every village and city, powerful people with powers and cannibals emerged, and things began to revolve around them.

It was the same even if a new government was established through an election. Even if a new government was formed, the local areas remained under the control of the powerful and cannibals.

In this situation, if a war breaks out, there is no answer to what would happen, whether it is a simulation prediction or anything like that.

“Stop making excuses and ask them to assess the situation. What happened to the Imperial Army? Are there any people who came this way?”

“It has been confirmed that the main force of the Imperial Army is still in the four newly recaptured provinces.”

As Maru entered, the noisy situation room became quiet.

“Don’t worry about it and just keep doing what you’re doing.”

“Are you here?”

“I see that some kind of ability user is blocking our AI from being hacked.”

“Yes. They say that they are jamming wireless communications, so hacking attempts via the Internet are impossible.”

“Are there many people with that kind of ability?”

“I don’t think there are many. Both North Vietnam and South Vietnam have such capabilities, and they are waging electronic warfare with them.”

What Ki-sun and PD had been worried about was becoming a reality. Just as humans are affected by psychic abilities, artificial intelligence is also affected by electronic abilities.

“So you have no information at all?”

“That’s not it. So. Laos and North Vietnam on one side, Cambodia and South Vietnam on the other. That’s how it was divided at first. Korea was added to the north, and the empire was added to the south.”

Kim Yang began marking on the map that appeared on the monitor.

“The problem is that Cambodia is coveting territories it lost to Thailand in the past.”

“I pushed you once, and you still haven’t?”

“The newly elected government is also trying to recover the lost land. Other than that, the Cambodians aren’t causing any problems with sinkholes.”

“Huh- So?”

“If South Vietnam takes Cambodia’s side, Thailand will want to take North Vietnam’s side. The problem is that Malaysia is also involved in the territorial dispute with Thailand, so Malaysia may side with South Vietnam and Cambodia and target the Malay Peninsula.”

“Is the entire Southeast Asia engulfed in war?”

[The old man contacted me to say that he would minimize the Imperial Army’s participation in the war. He said that it was impossible to completely nullify it since the Emperor had declared participation in the victory ceremony.]

Maru laughed at Gi-sun’s words. If even the minimum number of troops were to participate, that would be the start. If there were casualties, it would be a justification for sending additional troops.

‘Are you playing hide and seek?’

That old man’s excuses are weak too.

[I think the Empire may be using the war to recruit Southeast Asian powers.]

“You want to gather faith through war while at the same time strengthening your power by recruiting capable people?”

Certainly, there were many capable people in Southeast Asia. In Thailand alone, all of the royal guards were capable people.

[There are more people with abilities than you might think. It seems like there are quite a few with special abilities.]

“That’s right. The percentage of those with electrical and electronic abilities was high, as was the percentage of those with elemental abilities.”

The combined population of the ten countries in Southeast Asia exceeds 600 million. Even if the population has decreased significantly due to mutant viruses and monsters, more than 400 million people have survived, and there are many people with abilities. Leon Bonnard would have drooled.

While Maru focused on closing the sinkhole, the Empire focused on reviving the information network that the United States had created in the past. As a result, they were able to obtain information on human resources first.

So, when the Empire declared that it would participate in the war, it wasn’t just a simple declaration. It was something that was calculated and done well.

The goal was to use war to secure and strengthen the emperor’s faith, win over or eliminate key figures of power in each Southeast Asian country, and expand and strengthen the empire’s influence throughout Southeast Asia.

[It is also an opportunity to press Korea, which has recently been trying to trade on equal terms with the empire.]

“You want to get your fill of it by participating in one battle? So the Emperor wants to fight us?”

[That’s not it. Don’t misunderstand, Mr. Den said that he has no intention of fighting with us.]

“however?”

Ki-soon’s eyes narrowed on the screen.

[I heard that the Emperor promised not to fight us.]

“But why did the squint become narrower?”

[They say that if the emperor is assassinated, we will all be the ones to think that we assassinated him.]

“Is this a threat? I guess that old man is going crazy because he wants to die.”

Kim Yang was furious at Ki-sun’s story.

“If the Emperor is acting up, you’re going to think it’s our fault. Are you telling us to just stay still?”

[······.]

Ki-sun’s expression wasn’t good either. Maru, who was laughing, shook the New Clips scabbard.

“It would be nice for us to have the Southeast Asian market, but we don’t need it. Tell them that all we have to do is stop the sinkholes from getting bigger. We have no intention of fighting.”

[I get it.]

“And let me be clear. We have no intention of fighting, but if you touch us, we’ll end it. Whether the empire falls or the Earth explodes, if you touch us, we’ll kill you.”

[···okay.]

Maru decided. Anyone who touches the emperor or anything will be killed.

======

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The Korean government was thrown into confusion by the Emperor’s declaration of war.

It was difficult when North Vietnam asked South Korea for military support, but it was also disconcerting when the empire openly sided with South Vietnam.

What kind of country is the Empire? Isn’t it the successor to the United States of America?

What kind of country is Korea? Wasn’t it a country that participated in the Vietnam War as an ally of the United States?

And Korea and the Empire have faithfully maintained a mutually beneficial relationship through trade. But what would Korea do if the Empire suddenly declared, without any prior coordination, that it would support South Vietnam and participate in the war?

“This is an act of ignoring us.”

“It seems the Empire has not forgotten the days of the United States.”

“Just think about how they withdrew all the US troops stationed in Korea after causing a war between the US and China. They are just such thugs.”

“Yes. Why did you declare that you would side with South Vietnam without even asking us? Aren’t you telling us to kneel?”

If Korea were to cut off North Vietnam here, it would lose all of its manufacturing plants in the North Vietnam industrial zone. Who would compensate for the damage?

Didn’t the empire unilaterally declare war because it didn’t want to compensate in the first place? Most of the production plants targeting the Southeast Asian market were in North Vietnam. Are you just telling us to give that up?

You could see it as an attempt to restrain Korea in the Southeast Asian market. If it was just general restraint and competition, then it would be fine, but doing it like an empire was not moral or anything.

“How about revealing that we have ICBMs (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles) and nuclear warheads?”

Since the cannibal regime era after the US-China war, Korea has been focusing on developing nuclear weapons and missiles. And recently, the results have come to fruition.

“Is there really a need to go to the Gangdae River? Isn’t the Empire our enemy?”

“So are we just servants who can do whatever they want?”

“Isn’t that what you meant? We need to consider practical benefits. Practical benefits.”

“An empire is one that threatens to infringe upon Korea’s interests by force.”

The South Korean president spoke in a tired voice.

“Stop it. What about the Holy Kingdom?”

“He said he has no interest in the Southeast Asian market. He said he would just focus on closing sinkholes.”

“It’s a sinkhole.”

“Sinkhole monsters were definitely dangerous.”

“What’s there to be afraid of when a monster will eventually return to the sinkhole anyway?”

“So, isn’t it a weapon that blows up once and wipes out the enemies, and then waits for them to be cleaned up? That’s why many Southeast Asian countries cherished sinkholes as strategic assets, but then they were all wiped out.”

The president, who had once again called attention to the matter, confirmed it.

“Are you sure that the Holy Kingdom will not get involved in the war in Southeast Asia?”

“Yes. They said that if they were to attack us, they would see the end of it.”

The end of the Holy Kingdom meant that death was inevitable.

greatness-

Hmm-

Coughs could be heard here and there in the conference room.

“We do not deploy troops.”

“Your Majesty. Then our companies in North Vietnam···.”

“The empire is so rich that it goes around waging wars here and there. Raise the prices significantly to reduce the supply.”

“All right.”

If supplies are insufficient, they will reduce the number of wars on the mainland or participation in the war in Southeast Asia. If they buy a lot of supplies at several times the price, that is good in itself.

“Let’s use the supplies we’ve secured to support North Vietnam. Then they won’t be able to take over our factories.”

“······.”

“And keep quiet about intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear development.”

“yes.”

“All right.”

There was no need to reveal it now.

======

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As if trying to avoid an all-out war, they let us know when they were going to fire missiles and then fire them, and since you fired missiles, we will take revenge by bombing somewhere and when.

It was a war where they would raise each other’s approval ratings by giving and receiving as if it were a promise fight, and start internal discipline, but one small mistake would cause a big fire.

As the saying goes, war is politics that sheds blood, war could not escape power. The governments of each country that were swept away by the floor and re-established through elections were like steamed buns without sweet red bean paste.

Existing power. Compared to regimes where cannibals or capable people had power, governments elected through elections lacked real power.

In the end times, lack of power meant weak authority. The new governments of each Southeast Asian country needed armed conflict in order to solidify their power.

They could use the conflict as an excuse to mobilize and restrict the capable or cannibalistic people, and if they refused, they could use it as an excuse to punish them.

‘The country is in crisis, and you don’t come to the nation’s call.’

He wanted to push the capable people and cannibals who had settled in each region like resident birds to the front line and use the gap to create a centralized government.

And the Empire took advantage of that gap. Among the people with special abilities who were suddenly sent to the front lines, those with awakened special abilities were taken out and naturalized to the Empire.

“You succeeded in securing an electronic warfare capability?”

[Yes, we saved one in Indonesia and one in Cambodia.]

People with electrical and electronic warfare abilities were rare. I didn’t know how many there were among a population of over 400 million. In an empire of over 50 million people, there was only one person with such abilities.

“Well done. Electronic warfare capabilities are important, but don’t overlook healing and mental capabilities as well, and secure them as much as possible.”

[ancient.]

Leon Bonnard looked at the status board. The terrain on the monitor screen melted into his mind like a chessboard. At first, he could only recognize a few hundred meters, but now he could distinguish between enemies and allies within a 5km radius.

It was as if a radar had been installed in my head. Knowing where the enemy was meant knowing their coordinates. That meant being able to fire a surefire shot.

‘They raised the prices of supplies in Korea.’

It tells how the South Korean government responded to the Empire’s declaration of entry into the Vietnam War.

Korea’s response was simple: ‘You have so much money that you’re screwing us? Then we’ll start by raising the price of shells.’

The Empire was also producing them on its own, but the quantity alone was not enough to meet demand. This was because Leon Bonnard’s Imperial Army doctrine was to crush the enemy with overwhelming artillery fire.

In the Imperial Army, where nonstop bombardment 24 hours a day was the norm, the rise in shell prices was something that could not be ignored.

“So. What happened? The Korean government is sending troops to North Vietnam?”

[No. They said they won’t be sending troops, but they will be supplying them for humanitarian reasons.]

Emperor Leon Bonnard’s eyes lit up at Dan Brown’s answer.

“You’re saying that you’re going to give us arms to North Vietnam.”

[That’s right. It’s becoming increasingly known that people with abilities are being stolen, so how about we stop it?]

“Not yet. We need enough special ability users to fight against the AI ​​of the Holy Kingdom and the cannibals of the Confederacy.”

[Do you think that the Holy Kingdom’s Vladimir Kalin has attained divinity? Is there no need to confront him?]

At Dan Brown’s words, Leon Bonnard lowered his voice, saying that he still seemed to be unaware of reality.

“Can’t you see what he’s doing? Closing the sinkhole is just an excuse. What he did in Southeast Asia was kill those in power who grew stronger through religion.”

It started as a sinkhole, but the result was always the same.

Using the sinkhole as an excuse, they swept away the government and military of that country and created a new government through elections. They created a new government without military force and then just disappeared. Is that something a person would do?

Then, under the pretext of confusion, the Holy Kingdom army was pushed into the role of a peacekeeping force.

From the beginning, it seemed to Emperor Leon Bonnard that he had planned to take over Southeast Asia.

“If the Holy Kingdom intervenes militarily in the Vietnamese civil war.”

I was thinking of taking advantage of that gap to catch him.

[Are you crazy?]