Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 344: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield[R-18] (62)

After Jin Seo-yun and Adele vanished, a man quietly emerged from the darkness of the corridor.

The silence was broken by heavy footsteps. He walked down the blood-soaked corridor and slowly came to a stop before Leon Risensia's corpse.

He looked down at the crimson-stained floor and muttered in a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠low voice.

"Life is... quite amusing, isn't it, Leon?"

He knelt beside the body, his fingertips gently brushing back Leon's hair.

"I never thought you would die so helplessly. I truly believed you would survive until the very end... but it was over far too quickly."

There was no pity or sympathy in his eyes.

"Still... you've done well. Thanks to you, the moment the world is brought to ruin has been moved up far ahead of schedule."

He slowly raised his right hand and peeled away the leather mask covering his face. Beneath it, his true face ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was revealed.

Aaron Blake.

He searched the corpse again. After taking out Leon Risensia's ID code device and impassively scanning it, he pulled a replica of Leon's face from his coat and carefully fitted it over his own.

"Ah—"

His voice began to change, slowly transforming until the soft, authoritative tone of Leon Risensia flowed from his lips.

He raised a communicator.

"Mr. Chairman. The criminals have escaped."

He paused to catch his breath, then lowered his voice to a calm tone.

"Issue a pursuit order to all forces. The current targets are Adele Risensia, Jin Seo-yun, and four others. Upgrade their threat level to 'highest priority'."

The corners of his mouth slowly curled into a smirk.

"They are no longer... mere traitors. They are a catastrophe that threatens the very existence of this Federation."

He cut the transmission. Then, without another word, he began to walk slowly down the corridor.

Wearing a false face, masquerading as the truth.

*

I returned with Adele to the spot where the others were waiting.

The moment we entered, Elena rushed over. Her usual composure was gone, her face etched with urgency.

"Hurry! The entire Federation is under an emergency alert!"

The screen of the terminal in her hand was flashing rapidly.

"The order has been given to all forces. You and Adele Risensia... have been designated top-priority targets. Your personal information has already been sent to all military facilities and spaceports."

I caught my breath and nodded.

"We need to move. Now."

I looked at the others and saw they were all ready to go.

Just then, Adele quietly stepped forward.

"Wait a moment."

All eyes focused on her.

"What's the escape plan?"

Elena answered immediately.

"My uncle prepared a shuttle. It's on standby in Hangar B."

Adele slowly shook her head.

"...We can't escape with that shuttle."

Her words made everyone freeze.

"With the entire Federation military on high alert like this, we'll be shot down before we even reach orbit."

A heavy silence fell. Sheryl broke it, asking calmly, "Do you have another way, then?"

"We have to get to the ship we originally came on, the Astrea."

Lisa interjected, her eyes wide with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠surprise.

"But that ship was seized by the Federation. Besides, we don't even know where it is now. How are you planning to find it?"

"I know its location."

Elena paused in thought for a moment, then looked at me.

"Seo-yun... what's the call?"

Everyone's gaze turned to me. I thought for a moment.

"Let's go with Adele's plan. It sounds like she has something in mind."

At that, Torno, who had been standing quietly in the back, stepped forward. He looked at Sheryl.

"Commander..."

Sheryl’s eyes narrowed. "...You're not coming with us?"

Torno shook his head, a complex mix of emotions in his eyes.

"I have to stay here. There's... still something I need to do."

With a faint smile, he approached Adele.

"Adele Risensia."

He quietly handed her a small device.

"This is a communication device that connects to our organization. It also contains information on a safe house where you can stay."

"Thank you, Captain Torno."

"From now on... I hope you can truly change the world."

With those final words, he disappeared into the darkness of the hangar.

Adele caught her breath and turned to Elena.

"Could you give me a terminal?"

Elena silently pulled out a communication terminal and handed it to her.

"Here."

Adele activated the device and connected to a specific channel.

"It's me. Are you ready?"

[Yes. We're on standby, ready to move at any time.]

"Good. We'll be there within thirty minutes."

[Understood.]

After the short transmission ended, the group looked at Adele in silence.

"Who was that?" Sheryl asked.

"People who are helping me," Adele answered curtly.

She then looked around and added firmly, "Everyone, change into military or maintenance uniforms now. We'll disguise ourselves as a supply unit to approach the base where the Astrea is being held."

Lisa asked cautiously, "...Do you think we'll get caught?"

Adele nodded, her eyes filled with conviction.

"Don't worry. I have an authorization code I secured in advance. It should be enough to get us through the first checkpoint."

Elena looked around.

"Then let's get ready. We don't have time."

We quickly changed into military uniforms, moved to the location Adele indicated, and boarded a waiting Federation military transport. The heavy vehicle rumbled as it moved along the highway.

Elena was in the driver's seat, and I sat in the passenger seat next to her.

In the back were Adele, Sheryl, Oh Hyun, Lisa, and Mason. In the very last compartment, Su-hyeon and Hina were hiding, keeping their bodies low.

The inside of the vehicle was so tense you could hear a pin drop.

"I see the checkpoint," Elena said.

Three hundred meters ahead was a Federation military checkpoint. A line of vehicles was stopped, each one undergoing an inspection.

"Everyone, get ready," Adele said in a low voice, adjusting her posture.

"If there's a problem, Elena, you respond just as I told you. The rest of you, don't make eye contact and only answer if you're asked a direct question."

The vehicle slowly moved up in the line. My hand instinctively found the gun hidden under my clothes.

Finally, it was our turn.

Two guards approached the vehicle. One came to the side window while the other moved to the front, raising his hand.

"Vehicle, halt. All passengers, please wait for identity verification."

Elena rolled down the window and handed over her documents and ID.

"Major Glen. I'm here with supplies, following the secondary supply request."

The guard took the ID and immediately pulled out a terminal to begin typing.

"Sir! I'll begin verification of your ID and mission directive. Please wait a moment."

The terminal screen flickered as it loaded. A moment later, it turned green.

Beep—

'Authentication Complete'

The guard looked up at Elena again.

"Verified, Major. You may proceed!"

Without batting an eye, Elena gave a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠short reply.

"Carry on."

The vehicle slowly accelerated. Once we were completely clear of the checkpoint, a collective sigh of relief filled the vehicle.

Everyone relaxed at once.

Elena carefully turned her head.

"We're past the first hurdle."

Adele, her gaze fixed out the window, replied curtly, "From now on... we have to be extremely careful."

"Is it that dangerous?"

At my question, Adele quietly nodded.

"This is a top-secret zone where the Federation secretly develops new battleships and mobile weapons. The entire facility is isolated by an independent electronic surveillance network... Security is so tight that anyone without a registered code is shot on sight."

Sheryl nodded in agreement.

"Just as Lady Adele said, this is one of the highest-security zones. The areas we can access with our ID codes will be extremely limited."

Adele took a short breath and said, "That's why we can't afford any mistakes from here on out."

She manipulated a signal device on the terminal in her hand. A small, faint vibration sounded, and a confirmation signal appeared on the connected internal channel.

"I've made contact. From now on, that person will guide us to the Astrea."

The vehicle entered the sector. The inside of the facility was much busier than expected. Countless soldiers and personnel were moving about, checking various pieces of equipment.

We got out of the vehicle, pulled our caps down low, and began to walk quietly.

Elena took the lead, naturally tapping her ID on an access panel to open a door.

Adele muttered under her breath, "The rendezvous point is near Hangar 3. Our guide should be inside."

I scanned our surroundings and whispered, "There are more surveillance cameras than I expected."

"According to the intel, there's a surveillance blind spot on the east side of the building. We'll detour through there."

Taking advantage of a moment when no one was looking, we slipped into a narrow corridor behind the building. At the end of the gray, seemingly blocked-off passage, someone was standing silently in the shadows.

It was a man with the rank of lieutenant colonel, dressed in a black Federation military uniform.

"Lady Adele. You made it safely."

"It's been a while, Lieutenant Colonel Cyan."

"Let's save the pleasantries for later. The situation is critical."

He quickly checked the area and continued, "The Astrea has just completed maintenance by the Federation military. They've worked on it enough that it could launch immediately without any issues."

Adele's face hardened.

"...So that means they have all of its data and system information."

"Yes. They've scanned everything, down to its core structure and weapon configuration."

"...I suppose it can't be helped. More importantly, is... it safe?"

At Adele's question, Cyan was silent for a moment before nodding.

"Fortunately, the Federation hasn't found it yet."

She let out a quiet breath.

"That's a relief, at least."

Cyan checked his watch and looked up.

"We're out of time. We need to move quickly from now on. Follow me."

He turned and headed deeper into the passage.

We followed him without a word. And finally, a massive battleship came into view. Inside the gloomy hangar, connected by countless pipes and power lines, the ship in the center made me gasp in awe.

'The size, the design... it's insane.'

"My lady, the crew and necessary personnel should be on standby inside," Cyan continued quietly.

"However... the moment you leave Earth's atmosphere, you'll have to handle every threat on your own."

Adele nodded calmly at his words.

"I'm not worried about that."

She slowly turned her head to look at me.

"Because we have a knight to protect us."

I offered her a small smile in return.

"Excellent. Then let's move again."

We started walking toward the Astrea. As we got closer, the armed forces stationed inside the hangar became more visible. Heavily armed soldiers were on patrol, and several armored drones moved slowly overhead.

Sheryl whispered, "Lieutenant Colonel Cyan... there are far more armed soldiers than we expected. Is this alright?"

Cyan gave a slight smile and nodded.

"Most of the personnel in this sector are from our organization, so it's not too dangerous. However, there are some troops here under the direct command of the Federation's top brass. The surveillance drones, in particular, were launched by them... so you must be careful with every move you make."

"So you're saying the Astrea is under surveillance, too."

"Yes. Fortunately, there aren't many personnel stationed there directly. We've arranged our people so we can neutralize them quickly."

Cyan quickly input a signal into his terminal, then pointed to an adjacent door.

"This way. Once we pass through this door, we'll be on the lower level of the hangar, right beneath the Astrea."

We followed him quietly.

But then—

—WEEEEEE!!

Suddenly, a piercing alarm blared throughout the hangar.

Warning! Warning! Unidentified intruders have infiltrated the facility! All security personnel, switch to immediate response mode! I repeat, external intrusion detected! All forces to battle stations!

"Dammit...!"

Cyan gritted his teeth.

"We've been exposed! We're sprinting to the Astrea now!"

At the same time, the soldiers patrolling the upper walkway spotted us and raised their rifles, shouting.

"Halt! Identify yourselves!"

In an instant, our group moved. Sheryl drew a pistol from her coat and aimed, while Cyan raised his radio and shouted decisively.

"All units, switch to Condition C! Commence the operation!"

In that moment, some of the soldiers scattered throughout the hangar suddenly turned and raised their rifles, aiming not at us, but at the soldiers on the upper level.

"What—?! What is the meaning of this!"

As the confused soldiers yelled, Cyan's subordinates began to systematically neutralize them. Others raised black, gun-like weapons and fired at the drones, which began to fall from the sky one by one.