Chapter 314: Fortress Assault Operation (1)
The group, having located the confidential facility and information data slated for relocation to the undeveloped zone, quickly escaped Sector 6.
It would cause an uproar if someone discovered the unconscious guards in the archive a little later, but by then, their command vehicle would likely be outside the city.
Hina, in the driver’s seat, was flooring the accelerator as if that fact were self-evident.
Screech!
The superhumans, capable of single-handedly facing entire military units, swayed helplessly each time the steering wheel tilted.
As soon as they exited the outer district and picked up speed, the scenery reflected in the vehicle’s windows became a blur.
Pallard, sitting in the passenger seat, asked with an awkward expression.
“Uh, can we… go a bit slower?”
“Deputy Director, what are you talking about?”
Hina calmly adjusted her glasses and said,
“We’re in a race against time; there’s no room for hesitation. We need to link up before we truly encounter the Mobile Fortress.”
“Y-yes, that’s true.”
“Furthermore, since we caused such a ruckus in Sector 6, we need to quickly move to an area where communication will be cut off by the self-generated storm. If we can get out of communication range before our phones ring, we can make the excuse that it was an unavoidable situation in an uncontactable operational zone.”
“……”
At Hina’s resolute words, Pallard silently buckled his seatbelt.
“Drive it to the limit.”
Whoosh!
Aris mumbled in disbelief from the tilting vehicle.
“I don’t think this is the time for jokes.”
“It’s not entirely wrong.”
Ilya, sitting opposite her, replied.
“Even if we have the confidential facility’s information, it’ll be meaningless if we can’t deliver it to those fighting the Defense Force in the undeveloped zone.”
“That’s true, but this command vehicle itself isn’t particularly durable or fast. If we rush unnecessarily and the vehicle overturns, we might end up wasting mana to move everyone.”
Both of their points had merit.
It was natural to head to the undeveloped zone as quickly as possible, but generally, a command vehicle designed with such an operational table would sacrifice some vehicle functionality for its spaciousness and capacity to accommodate many personnel.
Indeed, as Hina sped up, the vehicle interior continuously swayed.
“If you’re so worried, why not use a balance spell or something?”
“If it’s not helpful, will you drive the vehicle yourself?”
The atmosphere instantly grew tense. Considering what they had to do next, it wasn’t surprising that their words weren’t gentle.
However, unlike Ilya, who was naturally sharp-tongued, there was a reason Aris wasn’t avoiding the sudden provocation.
Lennok, who had been silent, let out a small sigh and gathered his mana.
[Haste]
[Balance String]
[Feather Light]
He cast three layers of common magic — balancing, reducing vehicle weight, and increasing speed — at the vehicle wall. Instantly, the vehicle stabilized and its speed soared.
Lennok ignored the surprised gazes turning his way and opened his mouth.
“I think this should solve the problem. Is this alright?”
“Very comfortable. Why didn’t you do this sooner?”
Pallard responded in a playful tone, sharply turning his seat back.
“Now that it’s like this, it’s better to analyze the data we stole from the archive and quickly pinpoint the location. Hina, if you mess up, I’m dead, so handle it.”
“Deputy Director, what kind of nonsense are you spouting… Please stop with the strange remarks.”
Pallard smoothly ignored Hina’s exasperated reply, unfolding a shelf on the table and placing five hard drives and dozens of documents on it.
The Urban Expansion and Development Plan from 20 years ago. Even after selecting and stealing only data related to facility relocation in the closed-off zone, this was the sheer volume.
Pallard picked up the topmost disk, inserted it into the connector beneath the shelf, and began to speak.
“When the development plan was underway 20 years ago, there weren’t many confidential facilities actually attempted for relocation from the closed-off zone. Cases that showed tangible results were even rarer.”
“So, reviewing only the successful cases won’t take too long.”
“Right. But what if a successful facility relocation was like this?”
Click.
With that sound, the disk loaded, projecting a hologram onto the table.
They roughly cleared away the piles of documents blocking the light, and immediately after recognizing the facility shown in the hologram, everyone’s faces turned pale.
“Mana-core fission reactors, psionic warhead missile launch test sites, spirit satellite launch pads, corpse disposal facilities… These are all dangerous facilities that were deemed too risky to hide within the city, and most of them are related to failed projects.”
“If Gearsight intends to revive those projects, it’ll be a disaster.”
Pallard nodded at Lennok’s words.
“If you generally understand what kind of facility locations we need to find in the data, let’s start quickly. Let’s finish this before Hina burns through all the vehicle’s fuel.”
“If you keep talking like that, I might actually just swivel the passenger seat and crash.”
“……”
It wasn’t difficult to deduce the Mobile Fortress’s projected path as it advanced beyond the outer front lines and approached the mega-city.
The important task was to deal with the main Defense Force units that weren’t staying within the fortress but were coming out to occupy the surrounding areas and establish front lines.
“Move it, move it!”
“We need to finish our preparations before they set up their positions over there!”
Even if the Defense Force had been in decline for 20 years, the organizational capability that had maintained the front lines leading to the central continent for so long was still present.
Delta, a satellite city in the undeveloped zone, perfectly overlapped with the Mobile Fortress’s predicted path.
One of the core projects of the Urban Expansion and Development Plan, and one of the abandoned cities known as its greatest failure.
In the empty city streets, filled only with an eerie mist as if a ghost had swept through.
Hundreds of superhumans were engaged in a desperate, back-and-forth battle.
Push!
“Grenade! Shield bearers forward! Deploy shields, check power supply!”
“Air superiority lost, air control almost seized! Snipers, we need support…!”
Agent field response teams, operating outside the restrictions of the Prohibition Edict.
And freelancers and mercenaries from the underworld who had come forward for this operation.
Forming teams primarily around Agent operatives with some organizational skills and combat training, the urban warfare unfolding throughout the satellite city was an ongoing struggle with neither side gaining a decisive advantage.
“Team in Sector B3 annihilated! Retreat route 4 confirmed destroyed, we need to fall back now!”
“Damn it, easy for you to say!”
Donovan, who had been furiously pulling the trigger of a heavy gatling gun in front, roared.
“If we fall back any further, we’ll be completely chased out of the city! Do you all want to die just to live another half-day?!”
“Preserving our forces is paramount. We need to hold out at least until the Deputy Director arrives!”
“It’s useless.”
Thump!
At that moment, a precisely compressed wave exploded from the other side of the city, violently pounding the hearts of those nearby.
“Damn it…”
Along with Donovan’s curse, a man in military uniform walked forward from where his gaze landed.
He was covered head to toe in blood, as if he had just finished a massacre, looking eerily like a ghost.
The epaulets on his shoulder and the emblem on his chest were privileges granted only to a Defense Force Headquarters Colonel.
The Colonel stared intently at Donovan’s face, then nodded as if realizing something late.
“Donovan White. So you were the one maintaining the enemy’s front lines until now. I apologize for not recognizing you sooner.”
“……”
“I’ve been on an 8-hour continuous operation, so I’m quite tired. Though I’ve received intermittent adjustments, mental fatigue is inevitable.”
“That monstrous bastard…”
The fundamental reason why Agent field agents and battle-hardened freelancers had been helplessly pushed back since establishing front lines in the satellite city.
The root cause was the Defense Force’s absurd stamina, allowing them to continue fighting endlessly.
As if focusing on cultivating individual combat abilities rather than organizational strength, the movements of the main Defense Force units weren’t systematic.
However, the bizarre combat endurance of a few superhuman forces, centered around the Colonel, was hindering their allies.
“You’re quite thrilled, aren’t you, after joining hands with those machines. I suppose you’re not even trying to hide it anymore?”
Donovan hurled a taunt at his opponent, yet made an effort to register his appearance.
His unusually light-colored features were striking, but even more noticeable was the presence of mana light, flowing across his skin like magic circuits.
Pale mana light, like currents on a machine’s surface, continuously flowed over the Colonel’s skin.
Considering they had joined forces with Gearsight, this was probably a sign of their body modifications.
“Think what you like.”
But the Colonel, hearing that, merely raised the sword in his hand with an expressionless face.
“I have no intention of stopping until I’ve secured this satellite city today.”
Whoosh!
With his words, a torrent of Defense Force brigade forces charged from behind the Colonel.
“…I’ll pull the front line back.”
The Agent field agent bit his lip and raised his communicator.
“From this moment, abandon occupation of satellite city Delta and retreat…!”
Boom!
At that instant, a dry thunderclap from the distant sky deafened them.
The moment they registered the sound, vivid blue lightning was already pouring down before their eyes.
A dozen or so streaks of lightning, tearing through the cloud-filled sky, ran in formation through the heart of the city, churning everything with immense heat and shock.
The tip of that intense firepower, impossible to withstand for even a moment, was aimed directly at the Defense Force brigade forces charging from behind the Colonel.
The speed of the lightning surging across the ground was faster than a blink, but no one could endure amidst the continuous downpour of lightning.
“Gah!”
“C-Colonel!”
“D-dying…!”
Crrrack!
As if a giant lightning whip had struck, a long scar was etched through the Defense Force’s formation, revealing the crushed bodies within.
Immediately after, the exploding lightning split into dozens of branches, transforming into wolf-like figures and relentlessly pounding the surrounding streets.
The overwhelming and brutal devastation instantly broke the Defense Force’s momentum.
Donovan and the agent turned their heads with brightened expressions.
“Were we too late?”
The command vehicle was battered beyond recognition, with two wheels having fallen off.
Pallard, looking haggard, emerged from the passenger seat with a grin.
“Deputy Director!”
“Van!”
Donovan ran forward, calling Lennok’s alias as if greeting a ten-year friend.
Lennok, having stepped out of the vehicle, lit a cigarette and gave a casual wave.
Aris, who followed him out, looked intently at the magic Lennok had cast and asked,
“Is there a reason you chose the wolf shape?”
“…Pardon?”
“Borrowing animal shapes in elemental spells isn’t a bad choice in itself. Aside from it being easy for personal preference to creep in, image construction is relatively simple.”
“Does Professor also use a similar method?”
“Well…”
Aris didn’t answer clearly.
Instead, she simply raised her hand towards the cloud-filled sky and drew forth her mana.
“The weather’s just right; I think I can do something with it.”
Wooosh!
The mana swirling around her body pressed down and surged upwards, and instantly, rain began to pour from the cloudy sky.
Patter, patter!
The raindrops, falling reversed towards the ground, froze upon impact, covering everything in a pristine white field.
Creaaak!
It was a truly magnificent sight, but Lennok was speechless for an entirely different reason.
Ice foxes, crafted from ice, were one by one rising from the ice field Aris had created.
“……”
It wasn’t difficult to guess which spirit those foxes were modeled after.
Regardless of Lennok’s feelings, the foxes, dashing across the ice, instantly froze the Defense Force units, binding their bodies alive.
Creaaak!
“Aaaargh!”
“C-cold…!”
“They said we could endure below zero, but how…!”
Powerful elemental control, freely manipulating and transforming water and ice.
This was the essence of elemental transformation, refined beyond mere Property Transformation of mana, solidified into Aris Richellen’s unique style.
People gaped as the wide 8-lane road of the satellite city instantly transformed into a pristine white ice field.
“To control the environment near the city so easily…”
“If you can handle elements this freely, controlling the surrounding environment isn’t even difficult, is it?”
Donovan turned his head sharply and shouted to the Agent field response team.
“Send a comm to all teams! Our aces have arrived!”
“Understood…!”
Kwakwakwakwang!
The barrage of bullets and rocket launchers fired by their allied forces, led by Donovan, simultaneously unleashed fire, perfectly turning the frozen Defense Force into corpses.
And the ceaseless torrent of lightning continued to prevent the Defense Force from maintaining their formation.
Amidst this, Lennok and Aris, drawing forth mana in turns, began to continuously weave together the phenomena they created, giving rise to ever new forms.
Whoosh!
Lennok captured the frigid air rising from the ice field created by Aris and unleashed a blizzard.
Patter, patter!
Aris, clutching the hailstones formed by that blizzard in mid-air, melted the ice into chunks of water.
The scattered water swirled everywhere, surging towards those who had survived and resisted.
Crush!
The breath of cold that the two wizards continuously poured into the middle of the street. Its aftermath spread out in all directions like paint, overlaying the enemies’ blood instead of their allies’.
And at the center of the rapidly dwindling Defense Force brigade forces, the Colonel raised his head with a cold expression.
“I thought things were going too easily; so Adamant Thunder and his puppet have finally arrived.”
Click!
He flicked the foldable knife he took from his waist, and the blade expanded as if it were swelling, transforming into a long sword.
The cold mana light, like the one formed on his hand, reflected on the sharp blade.
The Colonel gathered the continuously flowing sharp energy, dragging the blade on the ground as he began to walk forward.
“But the very fact that you are still here is proof that you know nothing.”
Whoosh!
“I will buy time myself on this spot until the General arrives.”
As if the gestures he had used to casually slaughter allied forces until now weren’t his full power, the sword in the Colonel’s hand began to vibrate fiercely.
“You will never—!”
Thump-thump!
At that moment, five super-vibrating spears struck the ground around the Colonel from the sky.
His strangely reflective hair fluttered.
The moment he noticed, Ilya’s sharp killing intent was already piercing towards the Colonel’s vitals.
Crackle, crackle!
The spears embedded around the Colonel vibrated fiercely, turning the ground into mush.
The Colonel’s balance, which he had tried to correct like a flash of lightning, wavered with the collapsing ground.
Seizing that fleeting moment, Ilya’s gesture, combined with the sharp energy of the spears fired from five directions, directly impaled the Colonel’s body.
Thud!
“Uh, guh…!”
Five spears aimed at his vitals. Even as the ground beneath him collapsed, the Colonel avoided four spears and swung his blade back at Ilya.
However, his blade was cut in half, unable to withstand the vibration of the spear that flew from the front.
Immediately after, his entire body was impaled by the spear, and his internal organs were completely pulverized.
The battle ended simultaneously with the Colonel’s body being impaled by the upward-surging spear.
As if the battle moments ago, which had pushed them to the brink of death, was a lie, the situation was resolved the moment three Archmage-level superhumans appeared on the scene.
The two wizards in the rear pushed back the Defense Force units that had swarmed the 8-lane road, and Ilya, in the vanguard, assassinated their leader, the Colonel, in the interim.
A single move that turned the tide instantly by dealing with the enemy’s main forces and their head simultaneously.
But despite the agony of his twisted and crushed internal organs, the Colonel laughed maniacally.
“H-hah…! How arrogant you are…! Did our struggles seem so amusing to you…!!”
“……”
“You won’t be able to stop anything… nothing…”
The moment Lennok met the Colonel’s blurring eyes and pulled out his phone from his pocket.
Boom!
A massive explosion erupted from the other side of the satellite city, brightly illuminating the mist-filled city.
Realizing the direction, the Colonel flinched even in his dying moments.
[Van, are you listening?]
A heavy male voice began to emanate from Lennok’s phone, which was on speaker.
[This is Felix from the Antares office. We’ve just recaptured the artificial cultivation facility hidden in the Delta satellite city’s underground section.]
“…!!!”
Upon hearing those words, the Colonel’s eyes widened, and his whole body began to convulse.
His face was laid bare, as if a hidden flaw had been exposed all at once.
His seemingly emotionless features twisted desperately, revealing his inner feelings completely.
“I’ve never underestimated the Defense Force’s capabilities.”
Lennok slightly lowered his head, meeting the Colonel’s shattered gaze, and said,
“It just took this long to prepare precisely because I thought that.”