Chapter 276
Chapter 276
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 276
Chapter Title: Operation Start (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Everyone knows you're all pros, but I have my position to consider, so let's do one more briefing."
Arthur, the team leader of the City Security Bureau, began.
Before heading into the operation, he'd added parts to his golem prosthetic arm, making it so large that his massive frame looked small by comparison.
It looked a bit cumbersome. However, that also meant it packed tremendous firepower.
'The magic power infused in it is incredible...'
Oliver thought, peering through the prosthetic arm's magic with the eyes of a black magician.
Meanwhile, Arthur continued his explanation.
"This mission is officially a Security Bureau operation. We're ambushing Randa's criminal organization, gathering evidence, and wiping them out... In other words, it's a legal and clean job."
It was an excuse, but not wrong.
The ultimate goal of this raid was to exploit ABC's weaknesses by cutting off their revenue sources and securing their internal information. Officially, though, it was also about taking down a criminal group masquerading as a security company.
In short, even Randa's upper echelons would find it hard to apply external pressure.
"So, forget about ABC or Shamus for now and focus only on the task at hand. This is legitimate work for Randa's peace."
Oliver scanned the group.
Not only the Security Bureau agents under Arthur, but even the four Net Navigators from the Moirai School accepted his words calmly.
Proof that they were all seasoned veterans.
Satisfied with their response, Arthur explained the enemies at McCluskey Security Company.
Oliver had already heard it from Carver, but confirming again didn't hurt.
"McCluskey Security Company... It's called a security company, but most of the staff are street thugs, true to their criminal roots. Still, they have around a hundred on constant standby, armed with rifles to heavy weapons—pretty high-end. Mixed in are street magicians and black magicians... No need to panic, but stay sharp."
He wasn't wrong. Even street magicians could match heavy weapons, and black magicians hired by Shamus would have deadly abilities.
Cooperating with the thugs could make things quite annoying.
Oliver asked,
"Where are those guys?"
He meant Shamus's direct subordinates, the Druids.
Carver had warned about them specifically—they numbered five in total.
'Jeffrey, Catal, Connor, Finlay, and Kalin. Jeffrey, Catal, and Connor are Druids specializing in Nature Affinity; they were renowned fixers in the provinces before joining Shamus. Finlay and Kalin are criminals who specialize in beast transformation, given new identities by Shamus to come to Randa. As their names imply, they transform parts of their bodies into beast-like forms—simple, but that makes them strong. Extremely hard to handle with ordinary methods.'
Oliver recalled Carver's briefing.
All of them were powerhouses who could stand alone anywhere, especially dangerous now.
Druids grew stronger in forests.
"If you're talking about Shamus's direct Druids, then except for Connor, they're all away. They're supporting a deal at another front company."
"Oh... Is that so?"
"Yes, it is, Dave."
Albert Hunt, the Net Navigator from the Moirai School, chimed in.
It was the first time he'd spoken directly with Oliver, but unlike most magicians, he was quite friendly.
"We found that out."
"You magicians did?"
"Feel free to call me Albert... And strictly speaking, it was the Moirai School. We hacked the World Tree of the front company and got their deal schedule. You can trust it."
He was sincere. Arthur added,
"He's right. The Moirai School provided support. It matches our Security Bureau intel. Four out of five Druids are gone, and they can't return for at least an hour or two. It's basically a house robbery."
Arthur was sincere too. Quite fortunate.
Oliver hadn't fought multiple Druids in a forest yet, but his instincts told him it would be dangerous.
He was curious about their strength personally, but for the job, safer was better.
"Any more questions?"
Arthur asked Oliver.
Oliver shook his head, indicating no.
Then, Richard in his exoskeleton armor, sniper Dona, magic gear specialist MacBoer, and the other Security Bureau agents—including Arthur—stood from their seats or readied their weapons.
"Alright, let's start."
In the forest adjacent to Randa's development-restricted zone.
A single building stood starkly there.
Surrounded by barbed wire and cover, the structure was crude and sturdy like a small fortress.
In fact, it might as well have been one—machine gun nests were positioned all around, and armed patrols circled with rifles.
Even for a Randa security company, the armament was excessive.
The city had recommended toning it down.
But nothing came of it.
They'd used Randa's universal language—bribes—and it was in a remote forest.
On the flip side, that isolation meant no outside help if raided.
Targeting
Emotions surge toward distant machine gun nests.
In the darkness-shrouded forest, Oliver quietly chanted, and the mass of emotions cradled in his hand rippled like smoke with a will of its own, flying off toward the distant targets.
The targets were the machine gun nests around the building—twenty-five in total.
'Not just good spots for surveillance, but they've mounted machine guns in places perfect for luring enemies in and wiping them out at once. The defenses are tougher than expected.'
Oliver assessed, using his black magician's eyes and mana detection to gauge the building's defenses.
McCluskey's nominal president was a former military officer, and it seemed he wasn't just lending his name.
Well, that aside, it was meaningless now.
Oliver hurled dozens of Black Darts loaded with rage bombs into the sky.
Shaaaaaaa!! The sharp sound cut through the air as the black blades slipped into the ink-black sky.
Most enemies didn't notice the Black Darts.
Freely soaring high, the black blades peaked, then abruptly turned like magnets drawn downward.
Straight onto McCluskey Security's machine gun nests.
Thwooooooom—BOOM!!! Kaboom—! Boom!!!
Explosions rocked the nearby building with deafening blasts.
The shock made the ground and leaves tremble faintly, startling the troops inside McCluskey Security awake in panic.
"Richard!"
"Okay—!"
Richard, who'd worked with Arthur since their fixer days, shouted while clad in the latest exoskeleton armor.
Pssh—! Pssh—! Pssh—! Whiiiiiirrr!!
As he replied, the suit's engines revved, mana output surging. Positioning himself as the shield, Richard charged toward McCluskey Security.
"Follow him!"
The entry team, led by Arthur, formed up tight behind Richard.
For reference, Albert from the Moirai School was in the center of the formation.
The reason a non-combat Net Navigator was here was to directly hack the World Tree inside the security company.
Its security was too high for remote access; physical hacking was required.
'And I'm escorting him.'
"Intruders!!"
A thug shouted amid the dust from the explosions around McCluskey Security.
He wasn't just any thug. The substantial mana pouring from him proved it.
Experienced, he deployed a shield to weather the blast, then directed the flustered thugs—until he spotted them.
Even more impressive, he didn't panic; he ordered the thugs, then gathered mana to fire a high-density fireball.
'Calm, and high-level magic. From the mana flow, he's a dedicated artillery magician, but impressive.'
In a sense, efficient. With a shield-bearer, magicians should focus on firepower.
But Oliver wasn't the only one thinking that.
Richard, the iron spearhead of the charge, spotted the magician's response and immediately aimed his left shield-machine gun, pulling the trigger on the preparing caster.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat—!!!
The thick mechanical arm's shield-machine gun bellowed dully, spewing heavy lead bullets.
Rate of fire was low, but power was real—thugs near the magician had heads explode, chests shredded, bodies mangled beyond recognition.
Proving he wasn't ordinary, the magician seamlessly shifted his spell from offense to dense defensive magic, blocking the lead storm head-on.
'As Arthur said, someone to watch out for. Skilled... Of course, so are we.'
The moment the magician relaxed behind his mana shield, a supersonic projectile too fast for the eye struck from behind, firing a laser.
Zzzzzziiing—!!
It was part of Arthur's golem prosthetic. The fairly skilled magician was pierced before he could fully act.
"......!!"
No final scream. In that instant, his eyes flashed shock, terror, injustice.
But unavoidable.
This world was like that.
Skill mattered, but wasn't everything.
A moment's lapse, clever ambush, or luck could kill anyone regardless.
'Master Forrest said even that's skill.'
Vroooom—Shraaaak!!
Richard, syncing with Arthur to finish the magician, raised his machine gun shield to block incoming bullets, then swung his massive blade to easily tear through the surrounding barbed wire.
Lightning Chain
Blue lightning chains rake hidden thugs from above.
With the wire breached, one of Arthur's magician agents slipped through and unleashed azure lightning chains.
Like a witch's claws, five sharp bolts extended, slashing thugs behind cover from top to bottom.
Zzzzap-zzzziizzzzt!!!!
Ear-piercing noise echoed as the lightning charred not just targets but those nearby.
"......!!!"
"Kieeeek...!!"
"Guhh—!"
Muscles seized by electricity, thugs couldn't even scream properly, turning to charred husks one by one. Scattered survivors recoiled in horror.
They'd seized the initiative.
Arthur nailed it down, aiming his golem prosthetic like a cannon and firing mana. Azure lasers swept scattered thugs like a broom.
"Wipe them out!!"