Ch.274274. Total War (3)

While North Korea was invading Gangwon Province and independence forces were emerging to counter the invasion, the Seoul Allied Forces were also completing their preparations for the decisive battle.

“Is this the famous dragon armor from Seorabeol? Despite its heavy design, it’s surprisingly lightweight.”

Before the battle began, Bahamut had crafted a custom dragon armor for Kim Su-ho, the Seoul Allied Forces’ greatest asset, and presented it to him as a gift.

When the fight started, rather than using their trump card first, they had already determined the sequence of events—the Death Knights remaining in Gangbuk would clash with the Hwarang to draw out the enemy’s resources. Naturally, creating custom dragon armor for Kim Su-ho, their strongest Awakened, was essential to strengthen Seoul’s main forces.

Kim Su-ho was secretly impressed by the design of the brilliant silver full plate armor that instantly equipped itself according to his will. He noted that unlike his preconception that full plate armor would be heavy, this dragon armor felt incredibly light.

[This is my masterpiece for you. I used special materials that were difficult to use before due to level restrictions.]

“If the Dragon God himself calls it a masterpiece, it must truly be extraordinary.”

While the Hwarang’s dragon armor was already crafted by Bahamut for those who followed the Dragon Priestess, Kim Su-ho’s armor was of such high quality that Bahamut himself praised it as his masterpiece.

Unlike the standard dragon armor given to regular Hwarang members, Kim Su-ho’s armor was more colorful and brilliant, with several dragon-themed decorations indicating his position as a commander.

Even the materials used in its creation were completely different from those used for regular Hwarang armor.

[Unlike regular dragon armor, yours is made of mythril. It’s as light as a feather.]

“Mithril…? You mean the mythril from fantasy stories?”

[Yes. That mythril.]

Indeed, it was made from mythril, a mysterious mineral for Awakened users that couldn’t be used until now due to those cursed level restrictions.

Bahamut believed that Kim Su-ho, having surpassed level 30, would be able to maximize the performance of the mythril-crafted dragon armor, and indeed, Su-ho had the skill to draw out 100% of the armor’s inherent power.

“If I had this during the Gangbuk expedition, we might have completed it successfully.”

Even Kim Su-ho lamented that if he had possessed this armor, he could have reclaimed Seoul more quickly during the previous Gangbuk expedition.

Though his words were tinged with regret, he was determined to succeed this time, now that he had the dragon armor for another attempt at the Gangbuk expedition.

“I’ve received quite a precious gift. Now I understand why so many Awakened wanted to become Hwarang in Seorabeol. Even I would want to enlist as a Hwarang, captivated by the charm of this issued dragon armor.”

At the same time, he came to understand the popularity and influence of the Hwarang in Seorabeol.

After all, this was an impressive steel armor that not only looked cool but also allowed for a flashy transformation when commanded?

What man could resist the fantasy of shouting “Transform!”?

“Is it really that impressive?”

“Absolutely! I’ve loved tokusatsu shows since childhood. Even now, I have this fantasy of shouting ‘Transform!’ like a tokusatsu hero. I never thought I’d actually get to fulfill that dream.”

[You can actually customize the armor to equip itself when you say ‘transform.’ Of course, there are other ways to equip the dragon armor too.]

Yu-na, who had no interest in such fantasies, questioned if it was really that impressive, but Su-ho exclaimed in shock, mentioning tokusatsu heroes and claiming that everyone has such dreams at least once.

As if agreeing, Bahamut mentioned that the transformation itself could be customized according to the owner’s preferences, and that there were different ways to equip the dragon armor.

“Oh? You mean…”

[Yes. You can adjust the transformation pose however you want.]

At that moment, Kim Su-ho saluted Bahamut.

It was an unconscious action, but with that brief salute, the two fools’ eyes met, and in that brief moment, countless emotions and inexpressible male fantasies were exchanged.

A strange friendship was born between Kim Su-ho and Bahamut, and with tears in his eyes from the romantic friendship rising in his heart, Kim Su-ho spoke.

“If only we had met sooner.”

[Hehe. Indeed. I feel the same way.]

Yes, if they had met earlier, they wouldn’t have needed to fight such difficult battles or engage in troublesome political actions.

“Design-wise, maybe more streamlined… perhaps even a secondary transformation function…”

[Indeed, with mythril being used, the capacity has increased, so it’s certainly possible…]

The two fools, having found companions with matching interests, entered into a serious discussion about transformation, while Yu-na, watching their foolish behavior, sighed and stood up.

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about due to my lack of knowledge, but if this conversation is trivial, please postpone it.”

“Ah, I apologize.”

[My apologies.]

When Yu-na clapped her hands and spoke, both Bahamut and Kim Su-ho seemed to come to their senses, returning to a serious demeanor. Confirming they had returned to their warrior mindsets, Yu-na began discussing recent news…

“Even if the war with the Cult of Immortality ends, there’s concern that the war started by North Korea is unrelated to Seoul and might continue at North Korea’s discretion.”

At Yu-na’s words, both Kim Su-ho and Bahamut’s expressions hardened, and they couldn’t help but remain silent for a moment.

While the Seoul Allied Forces were currently ignoring news of North Korea’s invasion due to Seoul’s urgent situation, North Korea’s invasion was completely unrelated to Seoul’s war. The fact that they would have to enter another war immediately after fighting the Cult of Immortality, without rest, was undeniably burdensome.

“Moreover, unlike the Cult of Immortality, North Korea’s forces are human. Can our combat effectiveness remain the same against human opponents?”

Until now, they had been fighting the Cult of Immortality, an evil villain organization that mainly used undead forces. Under the pretext of fighting evil undead, they could fight without worrying about PTSD. However, North Korea was officially recognized by the UN, and their main forces consisted entirely of living Awakened.

This meant that Awakened who went to the battlefield would experience the shock of killing and would likely experience PTSD issues before long.

For this reason, Yu-na was approaching the war with North Korea more cautiously than the one with the Cult of Immortality, and Kim Su-ho nodded in agreement, expressing his own opinion.

“That would be difficult. While I would fight without mercy if the opponent were undead or the Cult of Immortality, if the opponent is just an Awakened following national orders, my hand might hesitate.”

Kim Su-ho honestly stated that while he had fought without mercy against undead and the Cult of Immortality, the situation would be different if his opponents were fellow humans.

In fact, Kim Su-ho had a tendency to avoid friction with humans as much as possible, such as listening to the opinions of influential people who might interfere with the defense of the Han River line, and his true feelings were that he didn’t want to engage in meaningless fights with people.

[For now, the decisive battle with the Cult of Immortality is important, and there’s no need to focus on North Korea. Focus only on the Seoul front.]

“Yes.”

Just as their concerns were deepening, Bahamut advised that the North Korean issue was a matter for later and that they should focus only on Seoul’s victory for now.

This advice seemed to help Su-ho and Yu-na, as their expressions, which had hardened over the North Korean issue, softened somewhat.

“Regardless of who wins, to gain hegemony over the Korean Peninsula, we’ll inevitably clash with North Korea. There can’t be two suns, after all.”

But in the end, they couldn’t avoid lamenting that a decisive battle with North Korea was inevitable.

Kim Su-ho said that two suns couldn’t exist, predicting a clash with North Korea after this war ended.

“Coming from someone who was once one of those suns, that’s quite credible.”

Yu-na just glared at Kim Su-ho’s lament with a sour expression.

Frankly, his claim was highly credible coming from someone who had been closer to ruling the Korean Peninsula than North Korea, but conversely, she couldn’t understand why he hadn’t aimed for founding a nation or usurpation with his skills.

After all, there was even a Lord Protector in distant England who lived solely for usurping the throne despite the Queen being perfectly fine, so it wasn’t without precedent.

“Well then, I should prepare to head to Gangbuk.”

[I’m counting on you.]

With that, Kim Su-ho ended the meeting and left the headquarters wearing his dragon armor. As he went outside, all combat personnel participating in the Gangbuk expedition were waiting in their dragon armor.

“You’re here, Brother Su-ho.”

And at the forefront, Jin A-yeon, wearing dragon armor with only her helmet removed, was happily greeting Kim Su-ho.

“Yes, it seems the time for the decisive battle has come.”

For this decisive battle, all elite Awakened under Kim Su-ho, including the Hwarang who followed the Dragon Priestess, had been issued and were wearing standard dragon armor.

The sight of all the Awakened gathered here wearing dragon armor without exception proclaimed the dignity and glory of the Hwarang, and it was an impressive sight that instilled a sense of pride in belonging.

Kim Su-ho also felt a thrill running up his spine, almost feeling romantic about the scene, and to hide his twitching lips, he put on the helmet of his commander-specific dragon armor and ascended the platform.

“First, I would like to express my gratitude to Lord Bahamut for crafting dragon armor for everyone gathered here.”

All eyes of the dragon knights wearing sleek silver full plate armor and dragon-shaped helmets focused on Kim Su-ho, and with that attention, Kim Su-ho first mentioned Dragon God Bahamut, focusing the attention of the dragon armor on himself.

As Kim Su-ho lowered his gaze, three hundred warriors wearing dragon armor stood silently under the dim lighting.

The silver armor shining even in the dim light, the custom emblems on each dragon armor, and each person’s unique weapon seemingly containing their own stories.

Wearing all of this, the Seoul Allied Forces waited silently for Kim Su-ho to speak.

“It’s been over a year and six months. Since the great disaster called the Apocalypse occurred. Aren’t you sick of it? This reality where our lives are threatened by the Apocalypse! And the Cult of Immortality that takes countless lives by exploiting the Apocalypse. I hate it.”

Kim Su-ho first mentioned the dangers of the Apocalypse and the evil deeds committed by the Cult of Immortality, revealing his true feelings.

The Seoul Allied Forces sympathized with Kim Su-ho’s words, with tears forming in their eyes, indicating that they too had suffered mentally due to the Apocalypse and had experienced much stress.

Some who had been Seoul citizens even expressed their hatred toward the Cult of Immortality, revealing their desire to head to Gangbuk right away.

“In the past, I was a foolish commander who trusted people too much, even those who shouldn’t have been trusted. But today… just for today, I declare to heaven and earth that it will be different. Today, I can confidently proclaim that I promise you victory!”

At the same time, he mentioned his past mistakes, saying that he had trusted people too much, with words tinged with regret.

However, as if to say that this foolishness ends today, he confidently proclaimed that he could promise victory to the Allied Forces.

“This fight is not about survival! Today, we will reclaim Seoul, defeat the invaders attacking South Korea, and restore peace to the Korean Peninsula! If there are Seoul citizens here, listen! Today is the day we reclaim our homeland! The righteous cause is with us!”

Yes, the righteous cause was with the Seoul Allied Forces.

They were a just army that would reclaim Seoul, defeat the invaders attacking South Korea, and restore peace.

“The Cult of Immortality will be defeated! I believe they will eventually kneel before our resolve! Now we must advance! To reclaim Seoul and Gangbuk. In all our names, for our lives!”

“For Seoul!”

“Long live the Seoul Allied Forces! Let’s finally end this wretched Apocalypse!”

As Kim Su-ho’s speech ended, the Allied Forces unanimously raised their right hands.

Each person’s weapon began to shake and point toward the sky, and the Allied Forces’ cheers began to resound as if splitting the clouds.

“Forward! For Seoul!”

That dawn, the rough footsteps of dragon armor crossing the Han River resounded throughout Seoul like heartbeat drums, also announcing the beginning of the Gangbuk expedition.