Absorption Unification (2)
Tonight was the night of the operation.
"The 1st Special Awakener Division..."
The biggest concern had been the existence of the 1st Special Awakener Division, but the traitors and the Union side insisted that as long as the plan went off without a hitch, we wouldn't need to worry about them. Of course, they'd prepared for failure too, secretly mobilizing the military as a backup.
When the Gangnam government created the 1st Special Awakener Division, their top priority had been ensuring civilian control. Having grown sick of the power struggles between the warlords and noble clans rampant in Gangnam, the government wanted an army that obeyed only the top brass's orders. They'd invested astronomical sums and massive effort into building the system. By keeping them completely out of politics, the division knew nothing about it and had no interest. From the start, they'd selected people who'd lost family or loved ones to monsters, forging a group united solely by the will to kill beasts.
Once we succeeded in kidnapping and assassinating the military brass, and our inside men seized command of the 1st Special Awakener Division, it would all be over. That unit was Gangnam's greatest force—and conversely, the easiest to control.
The warlords in Gangnam weren't even worth watching. They were a fragmented bunch who would never unite unless we struck first, and they didn't care if Gangnam fell or not. Even if the regime fell to the Union, it would just mean a new nominal master to pledge loyalty to.
"We have to succeed."
"Yes."
"Got it!"
Last night, Paradise's executives had infiltrated the Gangnam government's capital through our insiders. Their mission: kidnapping and assassination.
It was now 8:53 PM. At exactly 9:00, bombs planted across government facilities would detonate simultaneously. The government would declare a state of emergency and evacuate key officials to bunkers. We'd already mapped every bunker location.
The Union had prepared a kill list—names to execute and those to capture alive. Including the president and ministers, we'd spare anyone likely to obey us once we took power.
"One minute left. Everyone, get ready."
"Yes..."
I watched their faces via drone. Tension was etched on every one.
"Don't get too worked up. If it fails, things get messy, but with your abilities, you can escape unscathed."
"..."
"Sorry. Shouldn't have said that."
Jui was taking deep breaths. She was the key player in this op—no, without her, the mission was impossible.
Weeeeeeng!
Sirens wailed across the capital. The bombs had gone off.
"Jui. You're up."
Jui nodded and vanished like smoke. The op's fate hinged on her stealth lasting the hour.
Her shoulder held a smartphone linked via video feed. Back in Paradise, we watched her first-person view in real time.
Even in stealth, Jui moved cautiously through the soldiers, avoiding any silhouette.
Her goal: infiltrate the bunker where the government heads were heading. After that, it was self-explanatory. Once the bunker door sealed, it wouldn't open without inside help.
Jui would stealth-kill the guards inside, then take the officials hostage.
"There they are..."
Soldiers surrounded twenty trucks. Suited figures slipped between them, boarding. Insiders had pinpointed this loading zone. Too dark and obscured to see faces, but those were definitely the president, prime minister, ministers, and vice-ministers.
"Good, Jui... slowly..."
Jui clung to the rear of the last truck. Stealth timer: 52 minutes left.
Byeol was beside me, briefing the capital team again via radio. She'd wanted to go too, but I needed someone here to command. All the Dissolving Liquid Projection drones, Coating drones, and Bombardment drones were in Gangnam—she couldn't pilot them solo.
"That's the bunker."
After twenty minutes' drive, they reached a forest entrance. Brush cleared to reveal a massive steel door in the ground. Weeing. A button opened it. Officials and their soldier escorts descended the ladder.
Jui went down with them.
"Unbelievable..."
Byeol clicked her tongue at the monitor. No wonder. The bunker was luxurious—every comfort imaginable. In this world, the resources sunk into building and maintaining it were beyond comprehension.
"Minister, you can't."
"No...! Do you know who I am?! Have you lost your mind?!"
A guard at the entrance argued with an official. Jui slipped past, eavesdropping. He was demanding to fetch his mistress left outside—unsure how long they'd be stuck.
Other officials lounged in chairs, griping.
"Get me some coffee."
"Damn... Union's bombing again?"
"Just wipe out those beggar bastards..."
"Hey, where'd we get booze then?"
Bickering echoed from outside.
"You bastard! Get my superior!"
Most inside didn't take the crisis seriously.
"Go break it up. Here we go again."
Only a few stayed grimly silent. These guys deserve to fall. Killing them wouldn't even prick my conscience. Hell, I was grateful for this glimpse.
"Jui. Go."
Jui tapped her radio. Shring. She drew her sword slowly, inching to the bunker door.
A balding, yelling official faced two awkward soldiers.
"Just go out quick and bring her in! Isn't that—"
Slash.
"Mi, minister..."
Slash.
"Wh-what..."
Slash.
Three heads hit the floor, blood gushing from necks.
"Everyone in position? Come on in."
Byeol replied, "All at the bunker door."
Her monitor showed a dozen soldier corpses strewn before the door, executives waiting.
Chijijizik!
They drew swords, carving a circle into the door. It breached. They stormed in.
Chaos erupted inside.
"What the—fuck?!"
Three dead in seconds. To them, it was a ghost story come alive.
"Evacuate the ministers inside!"
"Yes!"
"Communications room—check CCTV, contact HQ!"
"Roger!"
Slash.
"Kuhuk!"
"I-I see it! People! Special awakener inside!"
A soldier spotted Jui's silhouette and yelled. Too late. Executives, coatings applied, rampaged.
Pure slaughter. Steel doors? Slashed or corroded by Han Eun-ji's power in moments.
Seol carved through enemies, sword flashing. I'd ordered her to save wings for escape.
No reinforcements coming. Jui had stealthed the comms room, killed everyone, seized control. Outbound contact severed.
Indiscriminate massacre followed.
"Kill them! Fuck, kill those bastards quick!"
Seol, Eun-ji, and Su-hwan sighed in disbelief.
I spoke via drone: "Surrender. Don't throw away your lives for vermin like that."
Silence for seconds.
"What are you trash doing?! Kill them all! Insane?!"
"I'll count to three. Drop weapons and surrender by then. I promise your lives will be spared."
Soldiers' eyes wavered. Dozens of corpses had broken their will. No escape—cornered at bunker's end.
Kang!
An officer tossed gun and sword, knelt, hands up.
"Die here or there... Hoo... I surrender."
"What?! Drop weapons and surrender!"
Followers dropped arms, knelt.
"S-surrender!"
"We surrender!"
"J-just spare our lives..."
The minister bellowed in outrage.
"You ignorant dogs! What the hell?!"
Seol pulled a paper, scanned it. "National Security Director Kim Jong-se... On the kill list."
Puk.
"Guhuk!"
She stabbed his throat wordlessly. He crumpled.
Surrendered soldiers bowed, trembling.
They smashed the final door where top brass hid. Captured alive: president, prime minister, ministers/vice-ministers, 34 senior officers.
Su-hwan dragged the president by the hair to the drone.
"Marshal, Gangnam's president."
"Never thought I'd see him like this."
Byeol said, "Marshal! Insiders have reached the bunker!"
"Good. Send them down."
Insiders descended, froze at corpses and blood-smeared walls, then spotted the drone and knelt.
"Marshal!"
"We see the Marshal!"
"Greetings later. First, get command from the hostages."
"Yes!"
Slap!
"Huhuk!"
"You dog... Thought you'd feast forever?"
Seol glanced at the drone, flustered. "It's fine. Let him."
Lots of pent-up rage, apparently.
We took the president to comms first. Bloodied and shaking, he stood at the mic.
"Speak."
"Mr. President, no! Don't yield here! Even if you die—"
Crack. Eun-ji snapped his neck.
I deployed the drone's Plasma Cutter, hovering before his face. "Last chance. Speak. Or I kill you and make the PM do it."
"I-I'll do it..."
Trembling, Gangnam's president gripped the mic and our script, reading:
"Citizens, and soldiers of the national army. Our government faces the gravest crisis since founding. Corrupt officers and bureaucrats within government and military have sparked armed conflict for personal gain, attempting a coup. Their rebellion threatens Gangnam's order and your safety at the root."
"Thus, I invoke constitutional emergency powers. Effective immediately, I form the 'National Security Emergency Measures Committee' to crush the rebels and normalize governance. I delegate all administrative authority, including full military command and operational control, to the committee."
"The committee's orders are my orders; its decisions, the nation's. Soldiers, obey only the committee. Any confusion in chain of command or disobedience will be deemed rebel complicity—execute on site."
"We will not waver. Centered on the committee, we end this civil war and defend Gangnam. That is all."
Byeol said, "It's done."
"Yeah. All over."