BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM - Chapter 875: Lucius rescue operation (4)
Fasard had transformed into a chaotic battlefield. Explosions rocked the ground with
terrifying frequency, sending shock waves through the streets and around the prison that stood as the focal point of the conflict.
Plumes of smoke billowed into the sky, making the sky blacker than it already was. The stars were covered, and citizens were fleeing.
Noah’s assault squads, composed entirely of Erik’s clones, maneuvered with lethal efficiency. Without the aid of brain crystal powers, they relied on their enhanced physical abilities.
Each clone was supernaturally strong and resilient, making them hard to kill.
Thanks to the Nexthorn Vanguards guild’s crafting department, they were armed with brain crystal guns, and they were a threat even to the dreaded Blackguards.
But they weren’t the only ones with those weapons, and certainly having to fight a myriad of brain crystal powers with nothing but their bodies and some guns wasn’t simple.
The clones darted in and out of cover and engaged the Blackguards in close-quarters combat while the support teams gunned the Blackguards soldiers.
Ambushes were made, but it wasn’t simple to keep those guys out of prison.
Noah did everything he could to prevent that from happening. They encircled the prison, but they had to keep an area clear to allow the retreat.
This area was in the prison’s south, while in the northwest, the Blackguards were advancing. Not even 10 minutes had passed, and the city was in chaos already.
Despite the intensity of the major assault, another battle raged on the outskirts of the prison.
Amber led a squad tasked with distraction, a role that, while not central to the mission’s success, was crucial in its own right.
Erik’s friends were doing everything they could, but it wasn’t easy.
They got strong enough in the past years, to the point they could contend against people with thirty years of experience and training, but there were limits.
The group was just now drawing attention away from one of the main assault squads on the south-west sector and sowing confusion among the enemy ranks. There wasn’t the only squad around.
“Retreat!”
Amber gave the order, and her friends dashed behind her.
Floyd used his brain crystal power to form a shield around the retreating members, preventing them from being wounded.
But his mana was being consumed. Bullets and rifle laser beams were pelting them constantly.
Amber was currently hidden, and that was her intention. She was channeling mana, ready to release it soon.
As mana flooded her neural links, a dense, swirling mist spread from her position, enveloping the surroundings.
Within moments, the area was shrouded in a thick cloud, visibility reduced to mere meters, and the atmosphere turned eerily silent, save for the sound of the mist hissing as it devoured everything in its path.
The spreading corrosive fog caused flames to ignite, illuminating the area with lights.
A group of enemy troops approached the mist. They received orders to attack a group of soldiers on the prison’s northern bridge. They had to get past this area to arrive there.
“Check it out,” the commanding officer said.
Ten soldiers entered the mist, disappearing into the thick fog.
The others held back, waiting for a signal that never came. Instead, a series of agonized screams pierced the night.
The corrosive fog clung to their armor and skin, eating away at the metal and flesh with ruthless efficiency.
Amber caught their words. She was not at all fond of the circumstances. Despite knowing she had no choice, taking lives was the farthest thing from her desires.
There was no talking she could make with these people. No amount of reasoning would make them stop fighting. These men and women were going to die at her hands.
“Are you in position?” Amber asked on her radio.
“Yes,” Gwen said.
“Good. Take care of those outside the fog.”
Then Gwen and the others appeared from behind the group of guards. They had to move around the fog, but Amber left a small tunnel to allow them safe travel. They got into a heightened position, and then they attacked.
The move was swift and silent; the soldiers didn’t know what hit them. Soon after, the area was littered with bodies.
Benedict let out a sigh. He found all of this challenging. He enjoyed fighting as a sport and was skilled at it, but he did not like to kill.
Before the mission, everyone underwent extensive training. Their parents and the adults explained to them that what they were going to do would not be easy or pleasant, but they understood the situation.
By now, each of them had killed a dozen people, and although they knew what they were doing was wrong, they were still willing to do it.
What Becker, Erik, Noah and all the others told them about the Blackguards, about Volkov, about Erik’s father, that was enough reason.
All of this was madness, but what their enemies were doing was even crazier.
“Here is team 4579. We completed our mission.”
“Team 4579, this is command. Can you confirm mission completion?” The voice on the radio crackled with anticipation.
Amber, gripping the radio, responded with a mix of exhaustion and pride, “Confirmed, command. Mission accomplished. The bomb is planted, and the path for the main assault
squad is clear.”
There was a brief pause before the reply came through: “Well done, Captain. Excellent work. You’re clear to evacuate the area. Be swift.”
“We’re moving out now,” she said.
Amber gave a gesture to her group, showing that it was time to get out.
The ground shook beneath their feet as far-off, yet tremendous explosions confirmed the mission’s success as they left.
Then another massive explosion rocked the area behind them, sending vibrations through the ground and a roaring sound that filled the air.
Martha, catching up to Amber, asked with concern, “Do you think that will give Team 2489 the chance they need to pull back?”
Amber, casting a glance back at the thick smoke rising behind them, said, “I hope so. We did what we could, but in the end, it is up to them to get out of there. Let’s move fast and get out
of here.”
The team quickened their pace, leaving the chaos behind, with each step taking them further from the battlefield and closer to the safety of their own lines.