Chapter 168
Chapter 168
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Lead and Silver (22)
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Crash!
“You damn bastards! You said you’d help! You said you’d help as long as I did my part!”
“Hahaha! That’s because we trusted you, right? Don’t you know about friendship and trust? Friendship and trust!”
“Friendship and trust my ass, you’re talking bullshit! I really thought I was gonna die! You don’t see this? All these kids here are pros trained just like me! I tried to catch the guy tailing me and got my ass kicked instead, and my pinky finger ended up pioneering territory it’s never been to before!”
“Hmm... But you made it out alive, doesn’t that mean you won?”
“I barely won because I ambushed them from behind! The guy fought like he’d come straight from a rugby match—even when I wrapped an electric cable around his neck, he just kept holding on!”
After a series of twists and turns, Professor’s group reunited with Ezel. The moment he saw Professor, Ezel grabbed him by the collar and unleashed all his pent-up frustration. His swollen black right eye, his pinky finger bent in an unnatural direction, and the ringing in his ears only fueled his rage further.
“I sent you all those signals begging for help! You could’ve at least told me where you were or which passage you were near! I took out one of the close surveillance soldiers, fiddled with some security panel I didn’t even know, and opened a vent for you—[GOOD]. Then the tower guards swarmed because they got suspicious of the suddenly open vent, and I was desperately begging for help—[GOOD] again! What the hell kind of auto-reply is that? Good my ass! I thought you guys used me as bait and bailed!”
Ezel truly believed his anger was justified. Regardless of the mission’s success or failure, shouldn’t they have at least warned him ahead of time? That’s what the signal device was for in the first place, right? If they’d just sent a quick [Switch to frontal assault]...
“You would’ve bolted if we did that. Sorry, but it was a spur-of-the-moment call, and I didn’t have time to look after you. You had the admin code from the Executive Branch, so I couldn’t go alone. I didn’t expect things to go this smoothly either. Who knew we’d reach the central control room 30 minutes ahead of schedule?”
“Thanks to you, you’re gonna check out 30 years early, you bastard!”
Ezel was so furious he felt like he might burst a blood vessel and die. Right now, he and Professor were on the 4th floor of the Radio Tower, in the central control room. They had reached their objective, that much was true. They’d charged here at full speed without a second thought, and somehow they’d made it...
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Come out, you fuckers! It’s over!”
“You think you’ll get out of this alive hiding in there?”
Scraaaape, screeeeech!
The problem was the insane gunfire and explosions echoing from beyond the barricade walls surrounding the control room on all sides. All the enemies they’d blown past in their mad dash had banded together and followed them. Good thing this was a military facility with delay systems to protect the vital central control room from intruders—without it, they’d have flipped tables for cover, crouched shooting until they were riddled with bullets like Swiss cheese.
And the cause of all this? Obviously the guy standing right in front of him, Professor Park.
“You said we’d sneak in quietly! Infiltrate stealthily! How the fuck is setting off the fire alarm right away quiet or stealthy, you idiot!”
Disguising the group as researchers had worked perfectly up to that point. He’d taken a few hits but completed his personal task, and no one had noticed. They were just about to quietly head to the rendezvous pretending to be lost researchers when—reeeeeng!—the alarm blared, and water started pouring from above. No time to think as Professor crashed through a vent yelling “Run!” and bolted upward.
No way he wanted to be left alone among the suddenly hyper-alert Radio Tower soldiers, so Ezel had no choice but to follow, choking back tears.
“Tch, no, think about it 100 times—those outdated security systems are way more dangerous than the tower’s trash guards. One look and I could tell some idiot had messed with it, half the combat circuits were fried, and it only reacted to motion sensors. I saw tons of these in the military; you just clutter the area with moving objects and neutralize them. Thanks to that, we pushed all the way here shooting and kicking ass, and the turrets were too distracted by the sprinkler water to even fire at us!”
Ezel had to admit that part inwardly. The turrets that reacted to every little movement started wildly shaking their heads trying to check each droplet the moment water poured from the ceiling. Neutralizing all the security in alert mode like that. But that was that. Sure, the turrets were down, but they’d pulled the aggro of the entire tower and ended up trapped like rats in a box—wasn’t that a failure overall?
“How the hell do we get out now? We’re completely surrounded!”
“Hey, Ian and Bex have probably secured the escape route by now. So focus and stay quiet for a sec. Okay, connect this wire, input the admin code from the Executive Branch, go to admin settings, system control... There!”
Beep! The central control system lights flickered on one by one. Professor checked the comms tab with deliberate hand movements, then quickly input the code for the 47th District Surveillance Division.
Szzzzt, screeeeech—
The noise outside the barricade seemed to quiet for a moment, then sparks flew from one corner of the barricade. They’d gotten high-powered welding gear and were slowly cutting through the alloy wall.
Beep—
“47th District Dome. Signal received. Surveillance Division’s Jord Harrison speaking. State your affiliation and identity—”
“Jooooord!!! It’s me, Ezel! Ezel Leyden! Me!”
“...Ezel? That’s weird. The signal’s coming from the 38th District... What are you doing there?”
“I’m on dispatch! No time to explain—put the Chief on now!”
Ezel’s desperate voice seemed to fluster the other side for a moment, but they quickly regained composure and gave a textbook bureaucratic response.
“Uh... hold on. Even for you, connecting to the Chief takes a little—”
“I’m about to die because of that goddamn Chief’s orders, so just switch, damn it! You hear that? They’re out there screaming they’re gonna kill us! Connect me before I die! Please!”
“...Give me 10 seconds.”
Instead of explaining, Ezel shoved the receiver toward the wall. Endless explosions, metal grinding, faint enemy curses drifting in.
Realizing the gravity, the voice vanished. Exactly 10 seconds later, the Chief’s voice came through the receiver.
“It’s me. So the comms blackout hasn’t lifted yet, but you managed to get through?”
“Ch-Chief sir—!”
Hearing that familiar 47th District voice made tears well up in Ezel’s eyes. Just as he was about to beg to be saved, Professor snatched the receiver from beside him, lost in thought.
“Reporting. Chief.”
“...Figured you’d be there. Mission accomplished? Where are you exactly?”
The voice was starkly different from how he spoke to Ezel—cold and detached, like the plain Surveillance Division Chief from months ago.
Professor took a deep breath, reminding himself of the status gap, their desperate ally in need, shoving aside his anger at being cornered like this. He spoke precisely and cautiously, only what was needed now.
“I’m sick of your schemes, Chief. Contract’s off. No bullshit—just send every available unit in the 38th right now. If you say one wrong word from here on... I swear on my name. Instead of that box you want so bad, you’ll get a coffin engraved with ‘Alexander Young.’”
Ezel’s jaw dropped like it unhinged, too shocked for words as he flailed his hands wildly. Why? He’d held back so much he hadn’t even sworn once.
Professor glanced over—the welder had cut a good chunk of the barricade wall. The screech of sparks sounded like a fuse burning down.
“...Well. Looks like things didn’t go as I planned.”
After a brief silence, the Chief’s voice rang out, utterly even.
“You thought I wouldn’t notice that much?”
“No, not that. I figured you’d catch the content obviously.”
“Then why lie knowing it’d be obvious?”
“Security. It was that sensitive—couldn’t put it in writing or say it aloud. And... I don’t trust you 100% yet.”
Professor read the tension in the Chief’s voice. Their meeting about the request was in his Surveillance office. Couldn’t even speak freely there? Distrust of those around him?
“...A spy?”
“Six assassination attempts recently. Our tech’s already leaked to the Raptor Society via an insider. I have to be extra cautious. Now... where exactly are you?”
“Radio Tower. Central control room.”
“Core 38th facility, gunfire and explosions... At least I know you’re not the enemy. Good. Explain the situation. 38th status, the box’s condition, your caravan’s position amid this chaos. I’ll judge after hearing.”
Professor checked the barricade. Nearly half the rectangular door cut away. Ezel was bordering on emotional breakdown—their time was short.
“...No time, so short version.”
“Then choose your words carefully. Depending on content, I might reconsider support—”
“The box tech’s complete, in the zealots’ hands. Local Executive Branch and Artists’ Union backing them.”
.
.
.
.
.
.
“Goddamn it. It’s all fucked.”
Even the ever-calm Chief cursed lowly this time.
****
“Then, we’re counting on you.”
“...Can’t send much. Have to defend up to the 45th from the 47th.”
Click!
...At least they’d accomplished the goal here. Informed 47th of the situation, requested support.
“...What’d he say?”
“They’re coming. Everything left after exo-suits. Said to link up around 37 or 36 considering our movement.”
“Ha, haha... Yes! Finally escaping BDSM’s clutches and returning to the cushy Surveillance Division!”
Ezel’s face brightened at the support news. But reality hit quick—his brief hope faded as fast as it rose.
“Nothing changes right now, then.”
“Nope.”
“Barricade looks like 15cm more and it’s done.”
“Yep.”
“Ugh, ughhh! How are you so damn calm? We’re about to die!”
“Hmm... Who knows?”
Let’s see. Decent metal plate... This work?
The outer cover of the control panel he’d eyed since entering. Seamless and smooth, tough enough as protective gear for vital equipment.
Creeeak! Groooan!
Jamming his fingernail into the seam, applying force—it crumpled like paper and peeled off.
Szzzzzt—clang!
Just as he finished prepping, the welder stopped, and a kick against the cut door echoed from outside.
He pulled three orb-like plasma grenades from his pocket. Three... Hope there’s enough water.
He slid next to Ezel, already huddled behind cover, crumpled the plate over it, stripped his wet shirt to seal gaps.
“What are you...”
“Listen. When the door opens—close eyes! Cover ears! Hold breath no matter what.”
“What... You got chem grenades? This is 38th—everyone’s got skin masks, won’t be that effective...”
“Way better.”
Thud—thud—boom!
Thick alloy kicked, severed door collapsing.
“These fuckers can’t run now!”
“Kill ’em!”
Professor yanked the pins as enemy curses and splashing flooded in.
“Now, hold breath!”
“Shit, shiiiit...! Hnngh!”
Water up to ankles. Sprinklers still dumping from ongoing fire alarm, military-sealed building perfect for pooling.
Whish, splash! Splash splash!
Three plasma grenades—devastating power, half the danger radius of standard—tossed different directions. One near enemies. One opposite. One far from both.
From behind airtight cover of plate, wall, wet clothes—Professor plugged the last hole with his left hand, held breath, ducked low in water.
Tick, tick, tick, tick.
“Grenades!”
“Don’t flinch! Barely half the radius of three-row grenades! Take cover and rush in!”
Trained agents spotting and backing off—didn’t matter.
‘Wasn’t thrown to kill with blast anyway.’
Snap. Flaaash!
Plasma grenades exploding far from enemies. Centers rupturing, releasing tank-melting heat plasma if direct,
Ssssssh—
Fwoooosh!
“Aaaaagh!”
“Hot, too hot! Can’t—can’t breathe!!”
“Kill me, kill meeee!!!’
Water touching plasma instantly vaporized, superheated steam blasting through nearby passages.
****