Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality Chapter 234
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Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality Chapter 234
52. Changes in Rondel (5)
The scenery before his eyes changed along with the unique sensation of teleportation.
For high-ranking figures of Rondel, this was something they had experienced countless times, but for Earth's President Kim Min-guk and his entourage, it was their first time, and everyone was greatly flustered.
"Good heavens, the magic of Rondel is truly astonishing."
Still, as befitting the leader of a nation, President Kim Min-guk hid his feelings and forced a light-hearted remark.
Adrian smiled at President Kim Min-guk's reaction and spoke.
"Teleport Magic is widely commercialized in Rondel. Teleport gates imbued with this magic serve as the primary means of long-distance travel, allowing instant movement even to locations on the opposite side of the planet. If one had precise coordinates and sufficient Mana, it might even be possible to travel from Earth to another planet."
"Oh, is that so? Using magic would make space exploration much more convenient."
"Of course. We've even launched a satellite built exclusively for the Reiers domain using teleportation."
The President's eyes went wide, as if hearing for the first time that Reiers County had launched an artificial satellite.
He had realized just how much could be accomplished with Teleport Magic alone.
"Up to what volume or weight of object can Teleport Magic move?"
"If equipment or facilities for replenishing Mana are in place, even the Heaven-Piercing Fortress can be moved. In fact, we once experienced an invasion where the Heaven-Piercing Fortress was moved via teleportation."
"Hah, haha. Remarkable."
In the past, the Marquis of Ereiven, the birth family of his stepmother Anna, had used that method when attacking the Viscounty of Lawrence.
Of course, Adrian had caught wind of it in advance and self-destructed the Viscounty's Heaven-Piercing Fortress, turning it all into material for fireworks.
Since this was not something that needed to be disclosed, Adrian instead informed them of the location of the ground they stood on.
"This place is an island called Fukue, part of Gotō City in Nagasaki."
The President of South Korea couldn't be expected to know every island of Japan, but he did know Fukue Island.
It was the closest Japanese territory to Jeju Island, after all.
Fukue was a developed island with a considerable population living on it.
However, the Great Catastrophe caused massive loss of life, and after entering a period of stability, all surviving residents left for the mainland, leaving it an uninhabited island.
The abandoned island's city had become a complete ghost town, exuding a desolate atmosphere, but the numerous buildings and facilities seemed perfectly suited as venues for experiments.
"Then I shall demonstrate Rondel's swordsmanship."
Since the event had been started almost by coercion, the President felt bewildered inside but smiled outwardly.
"Before the full demonstration begins, I have a question. By any chance, are you all familiar with the Force Sword?"
"No."
"Then do you know of the Vanguard?"
"Yes, I do. It's Rondel's armor-type weapon system that was of great help in this war, isn't it? I can't express how amazed I was. Ground-based tanks were no match at all, and with the Hoverboard, it could even fight one-on-one against Earth's primary aerial weapon, the fighter jet."
"Since you know of the Vanguard's destructive power, this explanation will be easier. The core of Vanguard equipment is the Force Engine, and that Force Engine processes the energy called Aura that Swordsmen possess into a form that can be released."
Since this was a concept that did not exist on Earth, no amount of explanation could make it understandable.
Adrian asked Arcia for assistance.
Arcia was the first to release Aura onto her sword without any Force conversion.
-Fwoosh!
The blue energy surged up over the sword, flickering like a flame a truly mysterious sight.
"This is what Aura is. It is the foundational ability of the Swordsmen called Knights in Rondel."
Arcia approached a nearby mini building and swung her sword.
The reinforced concrete wall of the building was effortlessly pierced, leaving a sharp, long gash.
It was as if a cutter knife had been dragged through clay.
The President and his entourage widened their eyes at that, and as Arcia then converted her Aura into Force and released it at the building, a clean hole two meters in diameter was punched through the structure, as if made with a hole punch.
"And when you convert that Aura into Force in release form, this is what happens. The attack range expands, and even ranged attacks become possible."
"Huh."
The President marveled, having only thought Rondel's weapons were impressive never imagining they were based on swordsmanship.
"Among masters who have attained proficiency in Aura use, a rare few geniuses become Aura Masters, and above them lie the realms of Grandmaster and Lordmaster. My wife is a Grandmaster, and Blake is a Lordmaster."
In the end, everything so far was just the introduction.
The real swordsmanship demonstration begins now.
As Arcia formed her Aura Blade, light and energy of a different caliber from ordinary Aura swirled above the sword.
Even the President and his entourage ordinary people could feel the difference in its very presence.
"An Aura Master's combat power is often said to rival that of a Heaven-Piercing Fortress. The trademark technique of such an Aura Master is this Aura Blade. An Aura Blade can cleave through several meters of steel plate, and with a Force Sword, one can pierce a Heaven-Piercing Fortress's barrier and strike its armor directly without even closing to melee range."
Arcia swung a pure Aura Blade toward the mini building she had demonstrated on earlier.
And then.
-Fwit!
-KrrrrrrrBOOM!
A long diagonal gash appeared, and the building toppled sideways.
It was called a mini building, but it was a structure twenty meters wide.
Such a building was felled by a single sword.
Moreover, Arcia's Aura Blade didn't just cut the building it also damaged structures behind it, as three houses were swept away by debris and sword wind.
The President and his entourage stood with mouths agape.
"Is this really martial power produced by a human body?"
"Yes, it is an ability manifested purely through the sword alone, without any augmentation. And if you add a Force Sword, it becomes this."
She then released an Aura Blade using a Force Sword, and hundreds of buildings in a straight line vanished without a trace.
The asphalt beneath was gouged out deeply, as if a spoon had scraped across ice cream.
It was a scene that made clear why an Aura Master was compared to the fearsome Heaven-Piercing Fortress.
Adrian then laughed cheerfully and spoke.
"One who has reached the realm called Grandmaster can single-handedly bring down dozens of Heaven-Piercing Fortresses and sweep away thousands of Vanguards alone. Of course, that's in a frontal confrontation in guerrilla warfare, they could inflict even greater damage."
At that moment, Arcia's appearance changed along with a flash of light.
As if transforming, she swapped her attire for main battle equipment made of Orichalcum and adamantite.
Four swords were stored behind her back like wings, and as the locks released, the swords floated up into the air.
"A Grandmaster uses an enhanced Aura Blade and can release Aura Blades without Force. The greatest hallmark is the ability to launch four swords at will. This technique is called Sword Aura. With Sword Aura, one can perform swordsmanship from range or release Aura Blades."
By now, the President and his party had already lost their words during the Aura Master demonstration.
So Adrian skipped straight past demonstrating a Grandmaster's martial power and continued with the explanation of the Lordmaster.
"A Lordmaster is one who has attained Transcendence with the sword. Using the technique known as Heart Sword, they can cut through everything visible in a single stroke."
Adrian began casting magic.
Accordingly, a massive magic circle began to form in the sky above, and the President and his entourage, sensing something amiss, turned their gaze upward.
"What is this situation?"
"I'm summoning suitable targets to demonstrate the martial power of a Grandmaster and a Lordmaster."
"Targets, you say."
"Ah, there they come."
-Krrrrrrrrr!
At Adrian's words, a colossal meteor burst through the magic circle.
The President was horrified at the sight of the meteor wreathed in blazing red flames.
"Wh-wh-what is that?"
If something like that fell, this island would never survive.
Arcia launched her Sword Aura at the meteor.
From the Grandmaster realm onward, one can radiate Aura Blades from range without the aid of Force.
Her flying swords, weaving through the air like fighter jets, struck the meteor with fierce force while unleashing Aura Blades.
-Kwoooosh! Kwoosh!
Then, massive explosions erupted in succession across the meteor's surface.
It was as if a barrage of thousands of missiles were pouring down.
Under Arcia's attacks, the meteor's surface burst apart and split, producing countless fragments.
Arcia's attacks proved formidable enough, but they weren't enough to cancel out the meteor, and Adrian calmed those in confusion before continuing.
"With this, the Grandmaster's demonstration concludes, and I shall proceed with the Lordmaster's demonstration."
Then Arcia stepped back, and Blake stepped forward.
Without flashily radiating Aura Blades or launching his sword, he assumed a drawing stance.
-Krrrrrrrrr!
And then, toward the colossal meteor that filled his vision,
he drew his sword and swung it.
A sword draw neither too fast nor too slow for even an ordinary eye to follow.
And yet, this was Blake's most powerful Strike, poured out with all his might.
What followed from that single attack left everyone swallowing air.
-Crack! Kwoooosh!
With a deafening explosion, the meteor falling through the air split cleanly in two.
Just like an apple splitting apart, as if by some lie.
Since Adrian was a 9th-circle mage and Blake was a Lordmaster the equal of a 9th-circle it was hardly strange that he could cut through a Meteor spell.
However, Meteor is a special spell even among 9th-circle magic.
Splitting the meteor in half didn't fully cancel it out; the two halves veered slightly off course and fell in different directions.
-Kwoooooooosh!
Soon, a massive mushroom cloud bloomed with a thunderous blast.
The two split meteors landed on Wakamasu Island and Nakatōri Island, roughly 25 kilometers from Fukue Island.
"Both islands are uninhabited, so there's no concern. Ah, and you need not worry about potential earthquakes or tsunamis I can easily calm those with magic."
The shockwave from the meteor impacts reached Fukue Island where they stood, but it was blocked by Adrian's barrier.
Then Adrian, who had preemptively handled the prevention of earthquakes and tsunamis, smiled and snapped his fingers.
-Pop!
In an instant, they returned to the meeting room of Reiers County.
"Even in Rondel, it's rare to see a Grandmaster and a Lordmaster personally demonstrate their martial power. How was it? Quite a rare experience, wouldn't you say?"
"Indeed."
The President forced a smile and nodded, but his complexion had turned as pale as his entourage's.
* * *
The meeting between Adrian and President Kim Min-guk ended before long.
After all, it was merely a matter of sharing information and solidifying their cooperative relationship.
However, one thing had changed markedly from before: Korea's assessment of Rondel.
"That was simply not a power any human could possess."
"If a god exists, I imagine that's what it would feel like."
Until now, they had evaluated Rondel as a world where magical science and technology had advanced to terrifying heights.
Because of that, no matter how good the relations, they had quietly conducted research into tactics and technologies applicable to Rondel, given how fundamentally different its roots were from their own world.
But what happened today had completely overturned their thinking.
"Rondel's true terror isn't its magic-based technology or the military power it produces. It's the martial might of its transcendent beings."
At the President's words, the Chief Secretary and the Minister of National Defense nodded in agreement.
Adrian had shown them the martial power of a Grandmaster and a Lordmaster while saying he was pleased to meet them, but they were not foolish enough to take his intentions at face value.
After all, even as he showcased the martial power of Arcia and Blake, the most eye-catching thing was the meteor Adrian had summoned.
"This is a show of force."
"I think so too."
The reason Adrian would stage such a show of force toward Korea, with whom he had good relations, was simple.
He meant to firmly establish the hierarchy of their future relationship and take the lead himself.
"The problem is that even knowing it's a show of force, we have no choice but to smile and let it pass."
Banding together the nations of Earth to treat Adrian and Rondel's forces as a serious threat and oppose them would be a fine approach, but it was practically impossible.
For one thing, each nation's ideology and political leanings differed, and even now, they were busy keeping each other in check.
Korea itself was keeping an eye on China and Japan, was it not?
Could China, Japan, and Korea truly unite if a common enemy appeared?
That would not be easy.
In the end, there was only one choice President Kim Min-guk could make in this situation.
"There's no help for it. For now, we have no choice but to follow their lead."
South Korea's greatest ally is America.
America would be more than enough to overpower Reiers County, but the problem was that America was simply too far away from Korea.
Moreover, this incident had made it clear that what they needed to worry about wasn't Reiers County's military strength.
So he couldn't dare harbor any other intentions.
"What do you think of his proposal?"
At the Chief Secretary's question, the President hesitated for a moment.
Adrian had made a proposal during the meeting.
Of course, it wasn't something to be done right away rather, he suggested they plan it out long-term.
"From our position, there's no need to refuse."
What Adrian proposed was this:
"The status of East Asia's hegemonic power."
Rearranging the power structure of East Asia with Korea at its center.
What this meant was the Ruin/Downfall of China and Japan.
In other words, it meant expanding the war beyond just taking the North.
"Unlike the North, the land we'd need to cover is far too vast."
"Yes, it won't be easy."
Under normal circumstances, he would have dismissed it as impossible, but the display of force Adrian's party had shown today made him think it might just be possible.
Thanks to that, the President was now deep in thought.
"If they press us hard while we hesitate, will we even be able to refuse?"
"...."
At the Chief Secretary's blunt dose of reality, the President could only let out a wry laugh.
His words were entirely correct.
"At this rate, even if we take over East Asia, I wonder if we can truly be called a hegemonic power."
He had thought the rope they'd grabbed was a sturdy hawser, but he was beginning to think it might be a thorny vine after all.