The secret virtual meeting of the world's most powerful nations, multinational corporations, tech giants, and shadowy organizations had finally reached its critical juncture. The topic now on the table was the retaking of Antarctica—a mission that would shape the future of humanity.

Various virtual avatars, each representing a different force, proposed their strategies. Some called for an overwhelming naval assault, using Earth’s combined blue-water fleets to bombard the Elven stronghold and land elite ground troops. Others suggested a covert infiltration, using special forces to sabotage key Elven infrastructure before launching a full-scale attack.

Then, there was a particularly eccentric billionaire, known for his reckless ideas, who proposed the most extreme solution yet.

"Why waste time and resources?" he said, his voice full of manic excitement. "Just level the whole damn continent with nuclear bombs! The Elves won’t have anywhere to run!"

Silence filled the virtual room for a moment. Then, several representatives scoffed, while others outright dismissed the idea.

"Fool," muttered one avatar, believed to be from Russia. "Even if we were mad enough to do that, have you considered the consequences? The radiation fallout? The environmental catastrophe?"

"Not to mention," added another, "we have no guarantee the Elves won’t simply escape through their magic portals before the nukes even hit."

The discussion dragged on, with no consensus in sight. The debate was going in circles until a deep, authoritative voice cut through the noise.

"Enough!"

The virtual avatar, believed to represent the United States, silenced the room with a single word. Then, in a tone that brooked no argument, he continued:

"Nuclear strikes are off the table. A full-scale naval invasion is an unnecessary drain on resources. Let’s get one thing straight—the United States will not bear the cost of a war for the rest of the world. If we go in, we expect everyone else to contribute, not just sit back and supply reinforcements."

There was a pause. The US representative let his words sink in before dropping the real bombshell.

"But we do have an alternative."

At that moment, he uploaded a file to the virtual meeting. Screens flickered as all participants opened the document, revealing a detailed blueprint.

"Gentlemen," the US representative said, smug satisfaction evident in his voice. "Allow me to introduce the future of warfare—Advanced Mecha Units."

The file contained schematics for towering five-meter-tall combat mechs, each equipped with short-flight capabilities, machine guns, missile pods, and state-of-the-art targeting systems. The mechs were designed to be the ultimate battlefield equalizers—fast, durable, and capable of handling both magical and conventional threats.

A murmur spread through the meeting. Some representatives looked impressed, others skeptical.

One billionaire, always eager to act like he knew everything, leaned forward and said, "So? You built some big robots. What’s the power source? Electricity? Nuclear mini-reactors?"

The US representative smirked. This was the moment he had been waiting for.

"Neither," he said. "They run on something better."

The room went silent again.

"Magic stones," the US representative declared.

The revelation sent a shockwave through the meeting. Magic stones. The very thing that powered the Elves' technology—the key to their advanced civilization—had now been reverse-engineered for human use.

"This invasion troubled us," the US representative admitted. "But fate has given us the tools to fight back. From the dead Elves we recovered, we managed to extract and refine magic stones to power these mechs. With these, we can take the fight to them on equal footing."

Excited discussions erupted among the avatars. Some were stunned by the breakthrough, others skeptical. But just as the US representative was basking in the moment, a cold voice interrupted.

"This is not just an American achievement."

The words came from another avatar—one representing China.

"We, too, have developed our own mechs," the Chinese representative said.

The US representative's smirk faltered. A new file was uploaded, showing schematics for Chinese combat mechs. Unlike their American counterparts, the Chinese models prioritized electronic warfare, radar superiority, and precision-guided smart missiles.

Then, another voice joined in.

"Hmph. And you think we wouldn’t do the same?"

This time, it was Russia. A third set of schematics appeared on the screens. The Russian mechs were the most heavily armed, boasting brutal firepower at the cost of reduced radar capabilities and electronic support.

The US representative’s frown deepened. He had hoped to keep this technological advantage a secret for a little longer. But it seemed China and Russia had already caught up.

"Fine," he admitted. "It looks like we’ve all been busy. Let’s compare, shall we?"

The room was filled with tension as the three reports were examined:

Chinese Mechs: Best electronic systems and targeting, but lower firepower.

Russian Mechs: Superior firepower and durability, but weaker sensors and radar.

US Mechs: Best all-around balance, with camouflage technology that allowed them to blend into the environment when stationary or moving slowly.

As discussions heated up again, a fourth file suddenly appeared.

The participants blinked in surprise.

"Another mech?" someone muttered.

The Indian representative finally spoke up.

"This," he said, "is our contribution."

A new set of schematics appeared. The Indian combat mech had a balance between firepower and radar, positioning it between the US and Chinese models. On the surface, it seemed average, lacking a defining advantage.

But then—one crucial difference was noticed.

The Indian mech had a built-in magic shield.

Gasps spread through the meeting.

The US representative’s eyes narrowed. "Impossible. Magic shields are too power-intensive. If we use them, it slows the mech down significantly."

The Indian representative chuckled.

"You could say," he said, "that we have access to a better grade of magic stones."

There was a brief moment of pin drop silence.

The implications were staggering.

India had a superior refinement process—or possibly an entirely different source of magic stones. If they could mass-produce their shielded mechs, they might be the most survivable units in battle although there technology in making mechs was the most raw but there magic stone technology or the heart of the mech was the most cutting edge thus not letting them fall behind the top 3.

For the first time, the US representative did not have the final word.

The virtual meeting of world giants ended with the world's most powerful figures staring at each other in silence. The race for the ultimate war machine had begun.