Kwaaaang!
-Team 3, extend the perimeter towards 3 o’clock and Team 4, proceed to 7 o’clock.
The operator’s instructions were echoed in the earpiece.
The entire operations team was thoroughly engrossed in this mission.
Given the potential benefits of uncovering and thwarting Craig and Jaun’s intentions, it was well worth their attention.
-This is the nerve center of the terrorist group. If anyone looks suspicious, strike first without hesitation!
Chen’s words overlaid the previous instructions. Hearing this, Lennok carefully dismounted Hina’s motorcycle.
An abandoned square with a petite fountain at its center.
This place had probably been constructed with the hope of city expansion in mind for Vulcan. But now, it remained a deserted site, miles away from civilization.
Every now and then, glimpses of terrified workers or supervisors could be seen fleeing from the random artillery fired by Cheisha.
The distant sound of gunfire testified to the ongoing clash between other freelancers and the Falcon organization.
“Huh…….?”
Hina visibly winced as Lennok took out a Feather Fall cigarette from his pocket and lit it.
“That smell.”
Lennok quietly placed the lit cigarette in his mouth and drew in a long puff.
The smoke swirled in his mouth, stinging his throat before it found its way into his lungs.
Almost instantly, he could feel a surge of energy coursing through his body, prompting him to roll his shoulders.
It wasn’t an overpowering high, but an incredible sense of alertness and vitality.
He was well aware that this was the effect of a drug and had nothing to do with his physical health, yet it still felt oddly rejuvenating.
His hope was to someday restore his body to this state of vitality.
So, every time he took a drag from the bitter cigarette, he renewed his determination.
He wouldn’t resign to his current condition, he’d strive for improvement.
With this mindset, he was here, weighing every gain and loss.
Clang!
Cheisha, extracting a smoking bazooka from the motorcycle’s compartment, remarked,
“We’re off to a good start.”
It was ironic, given she had initiated the start herself.
“As per the plan, join Hina, Team 1 and Team 2 in the headquarters. I’ll monitor Teams 3 and 4’s movement and then withdraw.”
Team 1 led by Chen, Team 2 under Lennok’s command, and the augmented Teams 3 and 4 were the force for this mission.
Everyone had been recruited as freelancers or mercenaries, thus although they possessed impressive individual skills, their group coordination might not be flawless.
Cheisha implied that she’d provide remote support from this wide-open location.
“Is that alright?”
Leaving Cheisha alone here, despite seeming a standard artillery decision, was quite a risk.
She said she’d align with Teams 3 and 4, but in reality, wouldn’t she be isolated here, launching artillery with no direct protection?
“It’s a calculated risk,” Cheisha responded, her expression grim.
“In such an open space, I can easily spot anyone attempting to flee the headquarters. It’s safer if I enter only after confirming whether key figures like Craig or Jaun are still inside.”
“Fair enough.”
Her reasoning was sound.
Even though Lennok, despite his slow movement but robust firepower, couldt cover the entire labor camp with his mana detection ability, he lacked the agility required to chase any potential escapees.
It’s a strategic move for Lennok to infiltrate the headquarters while Cheisha, who possesses both agility and long-range capability, manages the situation from this point.
Blowing out a cloud of smoke, Lennok swiftly pivoted.
Failure was not an option.
The moment covert agents got directly involved in the operation, the scales had already tipped in their favor.
The question now was whether both parties, Lennok and the agents, could extract desirable outcomes from this mission.
And the mystery surrounding Craig’s intentions.
‘I’ve been persistently exploring necromancy.’
While it remained uncertain how studying a magical domain so divergent from sorcery could assist, Lennok, fueled by the hope that his efforts wouldn’t be fruitless, promptly set off, leaving Cheisha behind.
Kwaaang!!
Chen, who emerged by breaching the collapsed concrete barrier, chuckled as he glanced at Lennok.
“The final mission, eh?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s give it our all. Even if it means selling my soul to finance my venture.”
***
Whiing!!
Cheisha, who had been observing Chen and the others fade into the distance, quietly examined the magazine in her hand.
A magazine loaded with shiny, sleek metal bullets.
She removed it from the compartment and slotted it into the bazooka, readying herself.
Whiiing!!
Simultaneously, as the bazooka balanced itself on her shoulder, the cannon adjusted to accommodate the loaded ammunition.
In unison, two supports extended from the bazooka to firmly support her back.
A hefty rod descended from the bottom of the magazine and anchored itself into the ground.
Shortly after, the deployed bazooka fragmented into more than five components, each targeting a different direction.
-Adjustment of the firing angle complete. Commence sequential firing of the confirmed 46 incendiary rounds. Time until impact confirmation: 10 seconds.
A hologram materialized before Cheisha’s eyes.
Underneath it, a storm of formulas tumbled down.
Cheisha, who had been absentmindedly staring at the spectacle while chewing bubble gum, abruptly broke the silence.
“Team leader, he seems somewhat different from what I’d imagined?”
-In what way?
As she heard Evelyn’s unimpressed voice over the earpiece and cocked her head, the cascading formulas beneath the hologram accelerated.
“You mentioned he’s the most gifted wizard you’ve encountered recently. But somehow, he doesn’t seem very wizard-like?”
Puhvuhvuhvuhvuhng!!!
Immediately after, the bazooka fragmented into five and instantaneously discharged dozens of rounds in various directions.
The sparks dancing in the overcast sky punctured through the deserted ruins.
Kwagwagwagwagwang!!!
“I was anticipating a kook with a loose screw.”
-If so, you’re completely mistaken.
Evelyn chuckled lightly.
-That man, even under the threat of a blade at his throat, is more inclined to strategize a counterattack than express surprise. If you were envisioning someone eccentric, you’d be greatly mistaken.
While casually carrying on a conversation, the hologram hovering above the bazooka is furiously generating formulas.
All these processes are not automatically computed by the AI embedded in the bazooka, but directly calculated in Cheisha’s mind.
The target location, launch angle, bullet speed, and the impact zone’s damage range. The bombardment’s duration.
The ‘Tartaros’, a customized weapon that places all the software needed for shelling in the hands of the user, is packed with features to facilitate shelling to the max.
She could carry this colossal bombardment weapon single-handedly and move around because she could manage all the computational processes alone.
Cheisha Arwell was an enforcement agent who achieved the position of a lone gunner due to her innate mental arithmetic prowess and unique superpowers.
“Alright, whatever. He’s an external advisor, right? After this operation, I’ll hand this over to him once and inquire.”
-……It’d be best to avoid unnecessary actions.
“Why? It’s entertaining.”
As she spoke and pulled the trigger, another volley of sparks began to mow down Falcon members scattered across the construction site.
A one-sided bombardment.
Even though the organization’s personnel on that side are relatively untrained, they’d inevitably detect her presence if they are hit with such a massive firepower.
Having confirmed several magic trajectories veering towards her, Cheisha grinned and extended her hand towards her parked motorcycle.
Cha-lur-lurk!!
Dozens of magazines appeared as the compartment swung open.
She yanked out one of them and audaciously slammed it into the bazooka before hoisting the muzzle again.
Once more, the hologram materialized and the bazooka spewed flames.
The real fireworks were just beginning.
***
Chen’s group promptly advanced towards the labor market’s core.
The oncoming members of the Falcon organization and a handful of dark wizards were promptly neutralized by the other freelance agents.
Thump Thump Thump Thump!!
“Ugh!!”
“What a display of firepower…!!”
The retaliation from the organization members was quite aggressive, but the force on this side was a well-armed power unit, meticulously prepared for this operation.
Their strategy focused solely on a head-on assault, but the minor forces scattered and approaching from various locations could be subdued by superior firepower.
“Van, this way!!”
“Stay low and move!!”
“Beware of the grenade on the side!!”
During the fray, Lennok didn’t lift a finger, yet no one grumbled.
About half of the squad currently accompanying Lennok were comrades who had together reclaimed the temporary base in the desert.
Regardless of how concerned they were for Lennok’s safety in this environment, not a single person doubted his capabilities.
“This is it…!!”
Following Chen’s slightly breathless voice, a massive 8-lane road came into view.
Where one would typically expect to see hundreds of vehicles, there were only shattered structures and fractured asphalt.
A colossal crevice bisecting the central lane hinted at a grim conclusion.
And at the epicenter of that crevice.
In front of the vast sinkhole at the heart of the 8-lane road, dozens of freelancers tensely swallowed their saliva.
“The location details suggest this is the spot…?”
“Damn, isn’t it too deep?”
“We don’t even know what lurks inside.”
As the freelancers hesitated over the seemingly bottomless pit, Chen quickly spoke after surveying the surroundings.
“Given our current predicament, we’re better off going inside.”
“What?”
“Just one round of Cheisha’s artillery wiped out hundreds of organization members outdoors. So, how many do you think remain inside?”
At Chen’s words, the freelancers silently exchanged glances.
“…Well.”
“Come to think of it, there were quite a few among the ones we battled at the temporary base who didn’t have mana.”
“Were we overly intimidated by the term ‘terrorist’?”
Seizing upon their reaction, Chen referred to Lennok.
“Moreover, we have a wizard in our midst. A wizard of level 5 or higher. Do you comprehend what that signifies?”
Chen smirked as he observed the freelancers’ eyes light up with anticipation.
“Do you get it? All you have to do is follow and trust. Then, you’ll receive five times the usual compensation in a heartbeat.”
Lennok silently nodded as he observed Chen.
Presenting a sound argument instead of mere bravado or morale-boosting rhetoric, reiterating that this operation indeed had a significant chance of success.
Furthermore, leveraging the fact that some of the first and second squads present were those who had jointly participated in the temporary base offensive.
It was an unassailable persuasion.
All Lennok had to do was lend credibility to Chen’s persuasive speech.
“Chen is correct.”
Everyone spun around at his even-toned voice and looked at Lennok.
He met their gaze unflinchingly and removed the cigarette from his lips.
The discarded cigarette somersaulted in mid-air and plunged into the crevice.
[Ignite]
[Plus Red]
Whoosh……!!
The remaining ember on the cigarette detonated, transforming into a blazing inferno and swelling into a fireball the size of a building.
A technique he could only utilize as a basic deterrent when confronting Beck Clinton.
But much time has passed since then, and many events have transpired.
The fireball he just launched was solid evidence of how much Lennok has evolved.
Kwoooooo!!
A moment of silence, and then a mammoth pillar of fire skyrocketing over ten meters high.
-Aaaargh!!
-It’s, it’s an assault…!!
Everyone blankly gazed down at the crevice as agonizing cries echoed from below.
Lennok smirked as he inserted a fresh cigarette into his mouth.
“Let’s wrap this up swiftly and leave.”
Upon hearing Lennok’s words, Chen grinned and was the first to dive into the crevice, past where the pillar of fire had vanished, with the other freelancers trailing closely behind, as though drawn in.
(To be Continued)
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