Chapter 83

“Sorry, I’m a little late.”
Kim walks into a room with her hair unkempt. The hotel’s party room. It had been transformed into a makeshift ops room since the day the Lab’s operatives checked in.
All eyes were on him for a moment. Kim also took a look at the facets.
Eight people. Except for the professor, every single one of them was an elite agent, a team leader.
There are only five six-star and one five-star. The other two are Ghost, who is not a fully playable character, and Leila, who is progression-based.
“It’s not everything, but it’s a pretty good collection.
Still early in the day. Considering that the lab hasn’t expanded much, this was a huge support. For Kushan, it’s a big deal for the lap.
Kim had to carry his weight, too, as he strode to the center table under the gaze of the elite agents.
“Brief me, please. What’s the situation?”
“I got a call from the border patrol two hours ago.”
Leila pointed to a map of Bastitera on the table. The wasteland bordering the border. There was a pin on a road she had traveled many times already.
“They’re saying there’s a large number of them out there, nine confirmed so far, but they’re still getting reports of sightings, and they’re coming in a straight line toward the border.”
“This looks like a situation I’ve seen before.”
“Yeah. I had a hunch from the research I found, but this confirms it.”
She spoke at intervals.
“The Legion has developed the art of creating and controlling risk, and while we don’t know how much control they have, we do know that they have a way to steer them down a path.”
“Does this mean that the Kingdom of Buness was a testing ground of sorts?”
“I would have needed some real-world data.”
The Pathfinder frowned at Kim’s retort. Operation Ashbelt. Thanks to the work of the Lab’s operatives, the damage was minimal, but it could have been the end of the country.
Even that event was just a warm-up for Legion.
“I thought I had a bad back, but now I’m a legion.”
“So we’re going to have to make sure we save some power this time.”
The professor walked forward and leaned close to the table.
“So far, so good, not much different than what we talked about earlier, right?”
Kim tilted her head as if looking for confirmation. The professor nodded slightly, then removed the pin near the border.
“Ignore the dangerous water at the border, it’s none of our business.”
“……Is that really okay?”
“Leila, I know it’s hard, but it doesn’t matter. We may have a decent amount of people, but we’re in the minority, and the Bastiterra aren’t about to align themselves with outsiders.”
She concluded.
“There’s a main force, and we have to deal with it.”
As I said, it’s a predictable situation. Whether it’s a risky move like the one we’re doing now, or a troop skirmish. A plan to disrupt the border in some way and then move the main force.
Dangerous water is just bait. It’s a very Legion-esque bucket job, and it’s better to let the national army handle it than to devote manpower to it.
“Yes. I understand your priorities, but.”
“It’s not just a matter of priorities. If he doesn’t show up, I’m not going to join him. I made no promises.”
Ghost said in a clipped, cold tone.
“It’s not like it was in the Republic of Salares, especially with the Lab’s position. We’re authorized to act autonomously in wartime, but we’re not affiliated with the national army, which is why we’re here, not in the royal chambers.”
Treat them as a separate mercenary organization. Even this contract was forced upon them by the power of Ainoa. Naturally, killing civilians during operations was strictly forbidden.
“Defense is the army’s duty in the first place. Of course, if we help, we can make sure one less person dies, but realize that the soldiers here weren’t forcibly recruited. They’ve been paid all this time, and it’s just time to get to work…….”
“Stop there, Ghost. You’re going to make her cry.”
Rosetta, the elite agent, interrupted.
Ghost took one look at Leila’s darkened complexion and unnecessarily squeezed my neck. His tone was harsh for an advisor.
“……In other words, kindness can sometimes be too much.”
“I know what you mean, thank you, Mr. Ghost.”
At this crudely organized point, Kim spoke up.
“Go ahead. Ignoring the danger, they were the main force.”
“Okay. I’ll move on quickly, I don’t want to waste your time.”
The professor’s palm is centered on the map.
“Legion is already in the country.”
“You’ve been burrowing.”
A tunnel dug in secret, without any record. If they existed, they were quickly realized. Even in the Legion’s laboratories, underground passages had been found leading somewhere.
There was no way to determine their exact number or location. If they limited their scope to the capital, they would never be able to cover all of Bastitera.
‘This is inevitable. We’ve been preparing for different lengths of time.’
From the outset, we believed it was impossible to stop the invasion. We even considered the possibility that the main force was holed up in a hidden underground facility.
There’s no point in blocking one if there’s still one left uncovered. That’s why Kim and Kushan left all the aisles unfilled.
Leaving the door open, we predicted the likely infiltration route the Legion would take. We set up tiny communicators and assigned informants to keep an eye on them.
It worked.
“We currently have three units with known locations.”
There were three pins left on the map. Castile, Kante, and Slandijk. Place names written in the language of Polaris. These regions had something in common.
These were all estates ruled by nobles of the Mountain Clan.
“Anywhere close to the capital. It’s unlikely the Legion will take the land and hold it. We’ll have to fight a guerrilla war above and below ground, or…….”
“You’re going to hit the capital.”
“Maybe.”
The professor agreed with Leila.
“A monarchy like Bastitera’s will fall apart on its own if it loses its center of gravity. If your goal is to wreak havoc, you don’t even need to take it over.”
The professor’s finger skimmed over the map.
“If there were tunnels leading to the capital, we’d be in trouble, but I’m assuming there aren’t. The movements of these three forces alone are enough to predict the Legion’s rendezvous point.”
Estimated forward paths for Legion troops in blue.
Poke at the point where the three lengths overlap.
“The Granada Line. We’re going to fight at this crossroads.”
The professor then shared the details of the operation with elite operatives. It was quite an emotional scene to watch.
‘This is the professor. I’ve come to my senses.’
The fact that you’re in this position speaks volumes about your status in the organization.
You don’t feel like you’re being forced to follow along. Rather, it’s leading the way. As a user who was once a professor beyond the screen, I couldn’t help but feel proud.
The professor’s presence was also felt as an operative.
“It’s nice to have someone to think for you.
Unlike the last few missions, “Kim Yi-hyun” is assigned a small role. Outside of combat, he’s a command assistant to the professor, and even then, he’s only allowed to spill his knowledge of the game.
While it hurts to admit that you’ve allowed an intrusion in vain, it also has its advantages.
“They have no idea that we know where they are in real time.
The transmitters planted in the tunnels are undetected, meaning the Legion has no doubt of their safety. They believe they will reach the new capital undetected.
Naturally, I’m not going to let them go so easily.
‘It’s about to explode.’
I buried mines in every tunnel I could find. I didn’t put as much effort into each and every one as I should have in the dozens of passageways.
Yes, but it’s an explosion in an underground pit. Power mitigation is inevitable. If you’re lucky, you might be able to take out a bunch of troops without touching them.
A battle doesn’t start when two sides face off.
“……If only everything went the way I thought it would.
I had an uneasy feeling about this.
We always know, but we can only predict so much. Polaris is a world of high human thresholds. One skilled soldier can easily overwhelm ten ordinary soldiers.
And the Legion is home to many humans who are worse than monsters.
“There are just too many options to choose from.
Assassination of royalty is still an option. I left Carmen at the castle in case there were commandos. I thought I was as prepared as I could be, but I wasn’t sure.
After a while, the briefing ended.
The agents began to leave.
As he stood there, he saw familiar faces.
“Let’s get going, Hyun.”
At Westcreek’s words, Kim swallowed a sigh and nodded.
“Yes.”
It’s all about improvisation.
* * *
Ding, ding, ding.
The train rumbled over the railroad tracks, belching steam. Camelia leaned back in her hard chair and stared out the car window. Even though the capital was close, the view was still barren.
Bastitera was a country without much color: jet-black trains, ash-haired passersby, gray cities, white snow on the roads, and trees without flowers.
It’s a tough place for outsiders to make friends.
But I didn’t hate Camellia. I felt a strange sense of nostalgia for a place that was clearly new to me.
Suddenly, a voice rang in my ears.
– I’ve traveled to the capital by train before, and while I know how underdeveloped it is now, it seemed like a very thriving city at the time.
– There was more of a sense of strangeness than longing. There were so many people, people dressed in neat clothes that I didn’t see back home, rushing to and from the station.
Clean clothes.
Camelia glanced at the passengers seated next to her. She wore a coat over her vest. The design is old-fashioned and the sleeves are pilling.
– I was in a hurry, so I stopped walking and stumbled, but no one reached out to help me, and the stares I received were hurtful to my young heart.
Click, click, click.
The sound of feet hitting the floor was low and muffled. Some people nervously crossed their legs while looking at their pocket watches, others had papers on their laps.
It was so real. Even though we couldn’t have been on the same train, I could imagine the young Talixis sitting nervously in her seat.
Naturally, a small smile formed on Camelia’s lips.
But it was short-lived.
Tuck.
Across the aisle, a man stood in front of her.
“Hey, Camelia. It’s almost time.”
The warmth went cold.
Camellia remembered her true purpose. Why she had come all the way here, obeying her godmother’s orders, which she usually didn’t heed.
Camelia is Castus. The daughter of immigrants, she doesn’t know her homeland. She has no attachment to Bastitera. Her birthplace is the Shiran Empire.
For Camellia, Bastitera was nothing more than the home of a benefactor. The land she loved and longed for, the land of Talixis, who rescued her from her wanderings after being cast out of the Empire.
In this country, the man who killed Talixis is here.
“What are you doing, standing there? You’re interrupting me, please sit down.”
The passenger next to her glared at the man. When he didn’t respond, he looked back and forth between Carmelya and the man, and then clicked his tongue.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s going on, but you shouldn’t be bothering me.”
Camelia didn’t even look away, despite the blatant disrespect. She unzipped the bag at her side. Inside, she pulled out a short iron stake.
Boom!
Without hesitation, Camelia drove the stake into the passenger’s face.
“Argh, turn it off!”
The passenger was clutching his face in agony. Blood splashed everywhere. The passengers jumped to their feet, horrified at the sudden bloodshed.
“Gee, what are you doing… Argh!”
Two more stakes were then driven into the abdomen of another passenger. Camellia sprang into action, but the Legionnaire could only watch, unwilling to help.
I didn’t need to help.
“커어어억! 꺼어어어……!”
The eyeballs of the two passengers on the stakes flipped upside down. Foam boiled from their mouths, and dark green spots rose on their skin. After twitching for a few seconds, their limbs drooped like a broken thread.
The next moment, he snapped his joints and lunged at the civilians.
“That, stop. Aaaaaaah!”
The bitten spread the disease by biting others.
The interior of the vehicle quickly turned into a scene of mayhem.
Tuck.
Picking up the third stake, Camelia walked between the seats.
You make eye contact with the woman in the car in front of you who hears the commotion and checks on you. Her face was pale and she was running away. Camelia was not impressed.
The object of her hatred was not here.
“Dustborn, Celbrosys Labs.
A black-haired yellow man. and a golden-eyed Castus woman.
I didn’t have to go into enemy territory. You just need to build up your camp, add more soldiers, and expand your territory little by little. Eventually, they’ll be right in front of you.
If you don’t come out, the city will die.