Night Assault on the Flying Fortress
The decisive battle unfolds over Seoul's night sky. ……………
Shin Chang-seok's explanation went like this.
To cut to the chase: we're taking down Will Bates.
First reason: he's the mastermind behind the mind-control incident at the Grand Arc. Though, there's no hard evidence. Shin Chang-seok admitted as much. No documents or recordings proving he gave the direct order—just circumstantial and indirect proof.
For example, every single security guard from that external contractor had been dosed with Microgenex drugs to enhance their physical abilities. For another, analysis showed those drugs were from the same family as the illegal ones Jang Bung-ik—the Tera Chad summoner—had used.
Individually, none of it's conclusive, but put together, it paints a clear picture.
Hmm. Attacking a foreign CEO—practically a king—with no solid proof. Is that really okay? If things go south, someone could end up taking the fall and rotting in prison. Shin Chang-seok's got some serious guts.
If he ends up behind bars, I'll have to bring him snacks every day.
Second reason: Will Bates seems to be plotting one last attack before leaving Korea. The targets are reportedly Seoul and Sejong City. According to Shin Chang-seok, his goal is total control over the Korean government.
And the conclusion: for this operation to succeed, we need Han Min-seo's help. But if he refuses, there'll be no hard feelings.
After hearing that, Han Min-seo bowed his head and stayed silent for a long while. I watched the whole thing from the ceiling, stuck up there in slime form. At that moment, his hands were clenched tight on his knees.
Finally, he looked up and said to Shin Chang-seok, "I'll do it."
At that instant, Han Min-seo's emotional flavor was something truly unique. Like ice heating up without melting. The coldness stayed, but heat welled up from within. I don't know what you'd call it, but it was clear he'd made up his mind for real.
And just one day later, the operation kicked off. Apparently, Shin Chang-seok had been prepping nonstop, day and night. Han Min-seo's volunteering was like slotting in the final puzzle piece.
Man, does that glasses-wearing workaholic ever sleep? According to the data compiled by one of the little accidents, his average sleep time was 3.7 hours—and this week, it's probably even less. The shadows under his eyes earlier looked practically tattooed on.
Hmm, might have to force him to rest later. I already know how. Just do the exact opposite of what I did to Oh Deok-hwan. Synthesize melatonin instead of caffeine and jab it into his vein with a hair. Ten seconds, and he'll be out cold.
Come to think of it, Oh Deok-hwan's probably still in my room right now, grinning ear-to-ear while gaming. He hasn't hit 240 hours of sleepless, foodless, restless gaming yet.
Lately, some of the little accidents have gotten hooked on watching games. A bit different faction from the ones who like playing themselves.
Yeah, cool. Next time, make Oh Deok-hwan tackle Elden Ring's challenge: no-hit run from character creation to ending.
Sure enough, they're cheering and excited. Perfect match for Oh Deok-hwan, who voluntarily dives into sleepless, foodless, restless gaming marathons.
The operation target: Will Bates' personal airship floating over Seoul. A 400-meter-long ultra-luxury behemoth, kept aloft by dozens of massive helicopter rotors spinning nonstop on that giant hunk of metal. Compared to battleships... hmm, maybe 1.5 times the size of a Yamato-class. Basically a super-sized aircraft carrier.
The Threat Management Agency's plan: ascend higher than the airship with vertical takeoff craft, drop onto the upper deck, infiltrate, and capture Will Bates alive.
Forces: Shin Chang-seok, Yeom Hana, Han Min-seo, and whatever power suit agents the Agency could muster internally. Since it's an unsanctioned op, no external civilian S-rank Awakeners.
Just minutes till launch. The assault's about to begin.
Where am I right now? Already inside Will Bates' airship. Spread thin as purple slime across a window. Too thin for human eyes to spot—no chance of detection.
My attachment humans will fly in soon. Shin Chang-seok, Yeom Hana, Han Min-seo. They're all doing this of their own resolve and will. No need for me to meddle; they'll handle it just fine. But humans striving like this always taste delicious, so I'll watch over them.
Weee-hee-hee.
That said, I really don't like this place. Ultra-luxury airship, my ass—why no vending machines with snacks? I slimed around every corner, but no candy or chips anywhere. The machines only had energy bars and water.
Hmm, energy bar. Alright, let's try one. I liquified into the machine, dissolved the whole thing wrapper and all, and tasted it.
The little accidents' faces scrunched up, and they flopped to the floor. Makes sense—texture like wet cardboard squished into a square. And utterly flavorless. A life that gave up on taste. Guess Microgenex folks don't know fun.
……………
Ooh, here they come. Widening my view from the glass, I spot black dots moving over Seoul's nightscape. The Agency's vertical takeoff craft. Shin Chang-seok, Yeom Hana, Han Min-seo—they're all in there.
But—
Weeeeeng—
The airship's interior lights flashed red. I could feel current surging through all the embedded wiring in the walls. An English alert blared from the ceiling speakers, and bulkheads started sealing off the corridors one by one.
Detected. Near-instantly, no exaggeration. Even with the Agency jamming radars, this response time... Impressive. Microgenex tech worthy of carving out a chunk of the American continent.
Armor panels on the hull slid open everywhere, turrets rising from the deck and swiveling toward the night sky. Automated turrets.
Side hatches popped open, unleashing drones. Dozens, hundreds. A real swarm—maybe denser than actual bees. Each blinking a tiny red dot: target-lock lasers.
The little accidents clustered like kids at an aquarium, buzzing with excitement.
Dudududududu—!!
The turrets opened fire. Tracer rounds scratched orange lines across the black sky, pouring toward the VTOLs. Interceptor drone squadrons fanned out beyond the turrets' firing arcs and attacked.
A real fireworks show. Orange streaks slashing the dark sky.
But the Agency wasn't just taking it. VTOL underhatches opened, dropping... not people.
Robots. Humanoid ones, standing on two legs with two arms. Oh, I know these. Saw 'em plenty back in my human days on the internet and news. Future Group's Hercules-33. Latest model of domestically produced combat humanoids, neck-and-neck with Ohsung Group for market share.
The airborne Hercules units aimed laser arms at the drone swarms.
Zeeeeeng—
Heat rays blasted from palm emitters. Red beams sliced the night, vaporizing eight drones in a burst of flame where they passed.
The little accidents clapped and cheered. Honestly, even I find it pretty fun.
While the Hercules-33s and drones dogfought in the sky, the Agency VTOLs slipped through gaps in the AA net and dove toward the airship's upper deck. Hero landings all around. Thud, thud, thud... light taps. The light ones? Han Min-seo, slowing with magic while pinning down her skirt.
And there's Yeom Hana. Her Neutronium Suit glowing red-hot. Screams "I'm super strong!" to anyone watching.
The landing Agency forces were met by Microgenex deck guards who'd been waiting. All stone-faced, blue rectangles flickering over their pupils.
Fast response. Under a minute. Pity the guards—they'd have given the power suit agents a good fight, but Yeom Hana and Han Min-seo? No contest. Yeom Hana's top-tier among Korea's S-rank Awakeners, after all. Han Min-seo'll hit S-rank once she's adjusted.
Can't be helped. My attachment humans being strong is just natural.
Weee-hee-hee.
Once the deck guards were down, Shin Chang-seok raised his power suit's visor. Whoa, hadn't noticed him there. Good thing he did it now. From those comics Yi Gyu-rin brought, masked characters have this weirdly high death flag rate.
The one in the lab coat dragged out a chalkboard again today.
Got it. So for someone like Yeom Hana, fighting naked means not getting hit at all?
The lab coat one looked caught off-guard, pondering hard in front of the board.
Back to reality: Shin Chang-seok turned to his team and shouted.
"Good. Deck secured. Time to breach the ship interior."
"No need for that."
Then the bridge hatch in the deck's center slid open, and someone stepped out. A man in a suit, mid-forties by the look. Neatly combed hair. Silver-framed glasses. Microgenex's CEO, Will Bates.
Eleven subordinates in matching suits followed in a line.
Hmm, fascinating. They all taste the same. Just like the Grand Arc security goons who attacked the Agency—artificially stripped of emotion. Only difference: these subordinates' blanks are way more refined. Like the goons were half-erased pencil marks, but these are pristine blank pages from the start.
Agency agents trained guns on Will Bates, but Shin Chang-seok raised a hand to hold fire. One twitch of a trigger, and he'd be dead—yet Will Bates' expression didn't flicker.
"Storming a foreign CEO's vessel by force. Shall we take this as a declaration of war?"
"Didn't you declare war first? Kidnapping and mind-controlling Korea's VIPs."
Shin Chang-seok's sharp retort made the corner of Will Bates' mouth twitch ever so slightly upward.