Chapter 154
Chapter 154
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 154
Chapter Title: Abandoned Incinerator (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The meeting spot Forest had mentioned was an abandoned trash incinerator on the outskirts of W District.
They said it was an ambitious public facility built by the W District councilor.
The plan was to process not just W District's trash but garbage from other districts too, securing the district's budget in the process.
In fact, during the early days after the incinerator was built, things went according to plan, and it even played a major role in balancing the budget.
Trash was always a headache, after all...
But it didn't take long for problems to arise.
The massive smoke and stench from the incineration process caused serious discomfort to nearby residents, and soon protests demanding the facility's closure erupted.
The councilor, who had invested a hefty budget and even taken advance payments from other districts, tried everything to keep the incinerator running.
But the residents, upon learning that the smoke was making them sick, resisted even more fiercely, and before long, it escalated into an all-out war between the councilor and the district's people.
The residents ambushed incinerator workers, sending them to the hospital, while the councilor fought back just as hard, secretly hiring not just police but even Pinkman thugs to crush the protests.
Of course, the whole messy affair blew up across Landa, tanking W District's real estate market and reputation.
It played a big part in turning the area into the slum it was today.
By the time the protests were barely suppressed and the incinerator restarted, the Spatial School had entered the waste industry, squeezing them out of the competition. They couldn't even recover half the construction costs before shutting it down for good.
Thus, the incinerator failed to fulfill even half its purpose and lingered on as a sort of non-symbol symbol of W District.
"And Willis is holed up in a place like this?"
Oliver, who had come with Jo, Sam, and Owen, asked Arthur.
Standing behind Arthur were the same people Oliver had seen at the waste disposal plant last time.
A woman in a silk hat armed with a magic gun, a man with a mechanical arm and goggles, a man equipped with exoskeleton gauntlets, and so on.
They all looked well-prepared.
"Yeah, got it from a reliable informant. Word is, one of the Crime Firm executives in this district lent a hand."
Crime Firm executive. Oliver knew the name from Murphy.
They were co-leaders of Landa's Crime Firm branch—one or two per district, just like the councilors.
True heavyweights in Landa's underworld, with influence stretching across the United Kingdom.
"I don't get it. Why would a Crime Firm exec help remnants of the Freedom Independence Army?"
"Rebels."
"Pardon?"
"I've thought this for a while, but that's the wrong term. Rebels is more accurate."
Arthur, a former soldier, nitpicked the phrasing despite the flow of conversation.
It wasn't all that strange, really. He had fought for the United Kingdom, after all. If anything, it was natural.
Oliver rephrased his question.
"...Why would a Crime Firm exec help the Kell rebel remnants?"
"Who knows. Rumor has it this district's exec hails from Northland."
"Northland?"
"Yeah, plenty of Northlanders head south from their poor homeland. Anyway, this exec's main gig is smuggling with Northland—high-quality illegal potions, scrolls, black magic items, that sort of thing. Rose to the top on that business alone."
"...So the exec was trading with the Kell rebels?"
"Couldn't say for sure. But it's not impossible. The rebels need funding partners, and there's always folks willing to take a risk for good gear."
Oliver nodded, convinced enough. This city sure ran on that vibe.
Power and profit.
"So, no chance the Crime Firm will step in to help them?"
"Not a shot. Our broker confirmed it—they're just providing shelter and washing their hands of the rest, given the heat. Makes sense; aiding rebels means treason charges. Can't bribe your way out of that. No outside interference. Right, MacBoer?"
Arthur turned to the man with the mechanical arm and goggles.
He was scanning the surroundings through a massive telescope-like device perched over his goggles.
"Looks that way. Just about forty inside the incinerator, and only beggar types lurking around outside."
Forty or so. Seemed manageable.
Arthur's crew numbered twelve, armed to the teeth with the councilor's backing, and Oliver's group was solid too.
The Kell Freedom Independence Army remnants wouldn't go down easy, but it was worth a shot.
Oliver asked Arthur.
"Mind sharing the plan? I hear you're in charge on-site."
"That's right. Thanks for accepting so readily."
"No, I suck at command anyway. So, the operation?"
Arthur immediately pointed to MacBoer with the goggles and mechanical arm.
He pulled four bird-like clay models from his bag.
Given the mana swirling around them, they were golems.
"MacBoer sends in those golems first to stir things up. Nothing fancy—just grenades and gunfire. But it'll distract them plenty."
Oliver nodded.
"Then Richard and I take point and charge in. Dave, you sweep 'em with heavy fire then."
Oliver nodded again.
Distraction via golem, breach with high-defense heavies, then heavy firepower sweep.
Simple, but effective.
"After that, we fight individually. No point forcing more coordination when we won't sync up. Any issues?"
Oliver glanced at Jo's group. They nodded, convinced.
"...None."
"Good. Let's roll."
With Arthur's declaration, the operation kicked off.
As he'd said, MacBoer moved first.
The man with the mechanical arm and goggles launched the four bird-golems.
Empowered by mana, they flew to the center of the incinerator and landed. Soon, Boom! Boom! Explosions rang out.
"Good! Close-combat team including Richard—charge formation!"
At Arthur's call, Richard in his exoskeleton gauntlets drew a shield and massive blade to lead the vanguard. The close-combat fighters in steel cloaks formed a V-shape.
Mana began flowing from the exoskeleton gauntlets and steel cloaks, gathering blue particles to deploy translucent mana shields.
Oliver recalled the guards at the Matel basement using something similar.
"This'll block shells or equivalent magic firepower. Dave."
Oliver nodded and positioned with Jo's group right behind the vanguard, followed by the ranged support.
Formation set, Arthur shouted.
"Alright, time to work, friends!"
Richard cranked his gauntlets' output and charged.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whiiiirrr!!
With mechanical whines, he surged forward, the rest following in his wake.
Inside the incinerator, piles of scrap machinery and illegal dumps blocked the way, but Richard swung his club-like massive blade, smashing obstacles and even walls as he bulldozed straight ahead.
One ripped-open drum barrel looked big enough to bisect ten men at once.
Boom!! Kwaboom! Crash-crack!!
Smashing through debris mid-charge, the Kell Freedom Independence Army remnants came into view.
Already thrown by the sudden bird-golems, they panicked at the sight of Richard.
"Intruders!"
They didn't freeze, though. As Richard burst through the wall, they swung their gun barrels around.
"Shields up!"
Richard and the close-combat team amped their gear, boosting shield strength and range.
"Dave!"
"On it."
As he replied, Oliver enhanced his black mage sight.
The world darkened, normal vision blurring, but emotions sharpened into view.
Not just those ahead, but behind walls, far off too.
'Hmm... they're prepping something.'
Oliver cast targeting magic on the enemies, then formed a black dart infused with Wrath Boom in one hand and hurled it into the air.
The black emotion clump shattered mid-air into countless blades, tracing erratic curves toward their targets.
Shiiiing!! The whistling cuts hit, triggering small blasts.
Pop! Boom-boom! Kaboom!!
Small but precise explosions. Screams echoed as enemies fell into chaos.
Gunfire halted for a moment, and Arthur seized it, thrusting his golem prosthetic forward.
Massive mana surged within the prosthetic, condensing to a point before firing.
The mana laser streaked straight, wreaking area devastation.
Shields dropped as Richard's team and Jo's group charged into melee.
Richard cleaved through foes with his huge blade alongside his comrades, while Jo's group synced up to drop enemies.
Sam provided cover with dual pistols, Owen smashed obstacles and foes with his iron club—but Jo stole the show.
He'd buffed himself with agility black magic, wrapped his fists in the Black Armor Oliver taught him, and crushed opponents.
Even a disease black mage who bloated himself nearly double got punched straight into a wall.
Boom! Kwaboom!!
Impressive sight.
Not just Sam and Owen—Arthur's crew froze in shock for a beat.
"Whoa, impressive."
Arthur, smashing foes with his golem arm and spewing flames from the other, said it with genuine admiration.
"Honestly, we teamed up because of you, but damn, you've got skills. Makes this a breeze."
He wasn't wrong.
Not just Jo's group—Arthur's close-combat team was overwhelming the Kell Freedom Independence Army too.
The silk-hat woman and other ranged fighters had climbed buildings, securing high ground.
They pinned with regular guns or hammered with magic gun heavy fire, dealing serious damage.
It was a one-sided push. At least on the surface.
"They don't seem ready to give up."
Oliver noted from their emotions.
Panicked and scared, sure—but not broken.
If anything, waiting for something.
Arthur nodded in agreement.
"True. They're falling back but not collapsing. Stalling for time. With Willis being a skilled mage, who knows what they're prepping. Give a real mage a moment, and anything goes."
Then it happened. A signal beeped from the comm device in Arthur's pocket.
Beep— Arthur pressed the device and responded.
"MacBoer. What's up?"
"We know. Pushing hard."
"The incinerator?"
Agni School.
Oliver remembered it from the wanted poster.
One of the Elemental School's sub-schools, specializing in fire magic.
A bit weakened now, but still an old, powerful faction active in war and industry.
Arthur yelled, face twisted in frustration.
"That make sense?! This place has been shut down over ten years!"
"Damn it!"
Arthur cursed for real.
It made sense, though. If they fired up the incinerator and absorbed its heat, nothing good about it.
Magic's power varied wildly based on environmental exploitation.
Oliver, grasping the situation, spoke up.
"This could get dicey if we drag it out."
"No kidding! No choice—gotta push inside fast, even if it hurts."
"Then I'll head in first. Bring your people as quick as you can, Arthur."
"What?"
In lieu of answering, Oliver donned his Black Suit, layering more black magic atop it.
The translucent black veil thickened, ramping up output.
Tweaking the structure inspired by training Jo had boosted efficiency big time.
'Thicker main lines like threads, fine web around for flexibility... Note that down later.'
Oliver channeled black magic into his legs, dashed forward, and leaped.
Clearing two stories in one bound, he wall-ran like an arrow toward the incinerator controls.
A few enemies fired, but hitting Oliver mid-high-speed dash proved tough.
Thus, he slipped effortlessly into the heart of the incinerator.
At the center, a dozen or so prepped the machinery.
Oliver knew little about machines, but they'd somehow jury-rigged part of the defunct incinerator.
No experience with fire mages, so he was curious—but work first.
He extracted emotions into his hand and chanted.
"[Black Dart]"
⟨ Black Dart ⟩