Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Central Control Center
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Security at the Central Control Center was, as expected, airtight. A quick glance below revealed guards positioned densely, with a variety of security measures from searchlights to magic sensors.
But they seemed to have no idea someone would come from the sky; there was no sign of detection.
The idea of some madman in black clothes riding a black bird to infiltrate this place at night was, quite literally, beyond their imagination.
Just as no one had expected an infiltration through the underground of the central bank.
“Wha—!”
*Crack—*
I twisted and snapped the neck of the guard on the rooftop, then took his keycard and entered the building.
The reason for handling this quietly was simple. I had to get out too. If I got caught here, it would all be for nothing.
I knew that all too well, so I had to be careful. But on the other hand, I was the only one who could do this job.
Someone who had the kill switch, could use it, and was capable of stealthy infiltration.
I infused my fingers with Spiritual Power and started climbing the wall. After going through all the trouble of sneaking in, I couldn't just use the doors people came and went through, could I?
Though that would have been much easier.
*Squeak—*
Ditto, who had already transformed into a mouse, scurried ahead of me, navigating the building's ceiling like a maze and guiding the way.
Toward directions without detection sensors. Toward directions with fewer people.
The entire building was thick with tension.
There were far more personnel on duty than usual. At this hour of the morning, there should only be a minimal crew besides the guards.
It was as if they were waiting to transport a large number of things...
Damn it. It looked like the Empire was preparing to start the war in earnest. What other reason could there be for this place to be so busy?
To transport troops to the north all night long.
It was all happening quietly, without a sound. They were probably wary of spies within the capital.
*Hummm—*
The first vibration sounded.
It meant the gate to the Demonic Realm was being prepared for connection.
I needed to move a little faster. It was impossible to complete the mission without being detected when there were this many people around anyway.
If the building itself had this many personnel, the Central Control Center room would surely be filled with people too.
In that case, a quick strike and retreat might be the better option.
*Hummm—*
The second vibration sounded. The teleport gate was connected.
The personnel would probably start moving. Seeing no unusual signs yet, it seemed to be proceeding smoothly.
I took a shallow breath. Now, all I had to do was play my part.
The reason the commotion had to be discovered as late as possible was simple.
When an emergency occurred in the capital, the first thing they did was prohibit all movement. Not just ground travel, but even teleport gates.
Of course, I had made various arrangements for such a scenario, but one must always prepare for the worst.
Before long, I crawled across the ceiling and arrived directly above the Central Control Room. As expected, a dozen or so people were bustling about inside.
I ran a simulation in my head.
I had to take out everyone in the room in one, no, at most two strikes. That was the only way to prevent them from hitting the emergency button.
A place this important would naturally have an emergency button.
After a few simulations, I found a way and quietly gathered my Spiritual Power.
“In one go.”
Dropping down from the gap, I shattered the wooden ceiling.
I saw the surprised expressions on their faces as the Spiritual Power extending from my body pierced the brows of those closest to the console.
The moment I landed on the floor, it was retrieved, only to pierce the brows of the remaining personnel.
A few seconds. In probably less than three seconds, all dozen people in this room met their end.
Ditto, just as I'd planned, was stalwartly guarding the door.
There was no time to admire my work. I barricaded the door with a long metal rod and took control of the main console.
I entered the command to make the currently inactive trains and the operational military trains collide. Finally, I shoved the kill switch into the main console's magic orb.
The reason this was the Central Control Room was simple. Not only could you check the locations of all trains on the continent, but you could also control them with this single magic orb.
Ah, the greatness of magic.
As I plugged in the kill switch, the orb's purely blue color shifted into a brilliant rainbow, then began to emit static.
It was contaminating the Central Control Room's magic orb and, simultaneously, all the orbs connected to the trains. Like a computer virus from Earth.
It would take the Empire ages to fix this. They'd have to manually set the frequency of each magic orb, and linking them all back together was by no means an easy task.
As time passed, the green lights of the trains on the control screen turned red, and one by one, they ground to a halt.
The control room's communication devices began to ring like mad, but I smashed them all.
*Hummm—* The third vibration sounded. This meant the withdrawal operation was proceeding smoothly, and more than half the personnel were out.
My Spiritual Power radar picked up signs of people rapidly ascending toward this location. They must have contacted the security team when they couldn't get through.
“Just a little faster. Faster.”
There were only a few dozen seconds left until the kill switch's process was complete, but it felt several times longer.
At the end of that wait, all the screens in the Central Control Room turned black.
I pulled out the kill switch, tossed it into my inventory, and used my Spiritual Power to fly up to the ceiling, moving quickly toward the way I came in.
Only after a few seconds did sirens blare throughout the entire building, and I could feel the soldiers' urgency.
*Hummm—*
And then, the final vibration. The signal that everyone had gotten out.
The moment I threw open the rooftop door, Ditto transformed into a giant bird and took to the sky.
I grabbed onto Ditto's talons, flew over the Central Control Center's wall, and headed for the rendezvous point.
Sirens wailed across the capital and the city lit up brightly, but I couldn't feel any magical energy.
“Looks like Sion did his part.”
For them to get to the Demonic Realm alive, they naturally needed to break down a part of the Empire's defense system.
“Hurry! We've been discovered!”
And when I arrived at the rendezvous point, I saw a frantic Hattie Shaw.
The surroundings were incredibly chaotic. Weren't we discovered too early? Especially with what happened at the Central Control Center.
But there was no time to hesitate; I threw myself into the teleport gate.
Adios, you sons of bitches. See you at the war.
***
“Cut it! Quickly! Disconnect the link!”
As Hattie Shaw and Kratos finally appeared from the gate, the mages poured their mana into severing the connection.
The gate gradually lost its color and shut down, and only then did everyone present let out a huge sigh of relief.
They had truly succeeded in their escape.
“Are you alright?”
Mercenaries waiting outside the teleport's safety zone rushed over and began to tend to the people.
“All personnel from the Mage Tower have successfully escaped.”
“It seems the Merchant Guild succeeded as well.”
Those who had come through the gate earlier and had already recovered began to organize the others.
Only after ten-some minutes, upon hearing that everyone had made it, did they clench their fists.
“But what happened? I thought this was all being done in secret.”
“A few of the mages were captured.”
Sion said with a somber expression.
That explained it. Mages were vulnerable to torture. Not just physical torture, but the mental attacks of black mages as well.
“In any case, it's a relief we succeeded.”
“It's too early for that.”
Mike Hoare, fully armed, walked through the crowd of celebrating people.
“The Empire has declared war. We've received intelligence that all of the Empire's forces are concentrating in the north.”
“So it begins.”
“That's right. Now it begins.”
This wasn't the tentative war of probing glances anymore; this was the start of the real war.
“All preparations are complete.”
They had prepared for a very long time, waiting for this moment. Therefore, no matter the process or the outcome, everyone was resolved to accept it.
Every member of the Northern Alliance.
“You've arrived.”
And behind him, Haveron walked in with Anya in his arms, a benevolent smile on his face.
He looked completely different from the last time I saw him in the capital.
His translucent eyes had regained their color, and he was no longer a skeletal figure. He had put on enough weight to look almost identical to the Haveron in Prometheus's memories, appearing quite healthy.
“Anya has grown so much.”
And Anya had become a lovely young girl. It was a great relief to see her filled out and with a bright expression.
Haveron gently stroked the sleeping Anya's hair.
“It's only a matter of time before their forces assemble. They have trains, after all. We need to prepare more quickly.”
At those words, Kratos grinned.
“That won't be a problem. They'll arrive later than expected.”
“Pardon?”
“I destroyed the capital's Central Control Center. They won't be able to use their trains for a while.”
Everyone present stood with their mouths agape.
They had wondered what he was doing in the capital, and not only did he persuade the Mage Tower and the Merchant Guild to escape with him, but he also destroyed the Central Control Center?
When on earth did he…?
“Hah. Well then, that certainly makes things a bit easier. Let's get moving.”
Everyone dispersed to their designated locations. The night was late and it had been arduous. As the tension eased, fatigue was sure to set in.
However, that was only for the people who had just arrived from the capital. Kratos and the other leaders had no time to rest.
“What's the estimated time it'll take for them to get the trains running again?”
“To get them running normally, at least a few months. I wrecked everything from the Central Control Center's magic orb to the orbs on each train, so they won't be able to repair them and get moving easily. Of course, they could run a single train on a dedicated line, but the efficiency would plummet.”
“You've bought us time.”
Haveron fell silent, seemingly lost in thought, while Mike Hoare entered the mercenary corps' meeting room and pointed at a map.
“Rzhev's defenses are ready. Even those Empire bastards won't break through easily.”
They couldn't launch an offensive against the Empire. That was a given.
“The civilians have been moved to Adma. Rzhev will be the most intense battlefield.”
In that case, they had to dig in completely. No matter what weapons the enemy brought to bear, they must not be breached.
“Dwalin worked hard. He said thanks to you, the defense will be much easier. Because of that alloy.”
His gaze shifted to the sword hanging at Mike Hoare's waist.
It seemed the alloy left over after forging the sword had been used to reinforce the castle walls. It made sense, as there had been quite a lot of it.
“Krain Rzhev will be in charge of the defense.”
“If it's him, we have nothing to worry about.”
There was no one more suitable for a siege defense. It might have been different in the past when he lacked support, but not now, with adequate troops and ample supplies.
Besides, it wasn't just Rzhev's forces; the Holy Kingdom would be there as well.
“And.”
Mike Hoare roughly jabbed a point on the map.
“We're ready too.”
The place he pointed to was the Ashar region.
“We've formed a detached unit and carefully selected its members.”
The former base of the White Mercenary Corps.
“Everyone was clamoring to join, but.”
“We need troops for defense, too.”
Mike Hoare gripped the desk so tightly it cracked, trying to suppress the rage that welled up at the mere thought.
“They will regret what they did that day.”
The reason why didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the result: they had stabbed their comrades in the back.
“Thoroughly. We must have our revenge.”