NOVEL NEXT Chapter 602: Damn… I love these new toys.
The two continued bickering, momentarily forgetting their societal roles, until they finally stopped. The warlord wore a complicated expression, surprised at how easily he had slipped out of character. It was fortunate that no one else was present in the room; otherwise, they wouldn't know how to face the consequences.
"That thing," the warlord pointed at the bluish transparent energy shield surrounding the Sultan, "Is that technology from New Atlantis?"
"That's right," the Sultan confirmed.
"Impressive tech. How much does it cost? I bet it's expensive, seeing as it's not used on the battlefield. But, you know, technology isn't everything. New Atlantis' forces are overrated. Without those strange drones, they're nothing," the warlord said with a mocking smile.
"Yes, I agree, brother. Technology alone isn't enough to create the peaceful era we dream of," the Sultan paused, reflecting on their childhood, when they were both still naïve. Over time, the warlord had become a cynical, militaristic leader, while he himself had grown into an idealist, though not without losing some of his own naivety.
He remembered how civil war had become a constant state in their country. People had grown accustomed to the violence—dead bodies and gunshot wounds no longer provoked panic. It was a state of adaptation, though he wasn't sure whether it was good or bad.
On the one hand, it was good that the people had learned to adapt and continue living despite the chaos. But as a ruler, it was deeply concerning. A country cannot progress when its people live in constant fear of violence and starvation.
Both he and his friend had once wanted to end the civil war, but as they grew up, Azis had lost patience with diplomacy. He preferred to take matters into his own hands. The Sultan knew diplomacy alone wouldn't end the conflict, but he believed in laying low and slowly developing. However, his friend had grown frustrated with the missed opportunities to eliminate rival warlords.
Now, the Sultan wasn't sure who was right or wrong, as things had spiraled beyond control.
The Sultan continued, "But you're wrong about one thing, brother. New Atlantis' forces are not overrated. The only reason you stopped them is that you fought just three of their squads, and you used everything you had to halt them. In fact, they didn't even suffer casualties. Their field commander halted the advance not because of your strength, but because he didn't want to risk his troops. That's why he requested permission to deploy the blade drones you saw in the war with Seraphine Isles."
He paused and added, "The only reason they didn't use them wasn't out of underestimating you or valuing their troops too much. It's because I asked them not to, so I could come here and talk to you."
"So, what you're saying is, if I let you go, they'll send in the blade drones and turn us all into mince meat? Should I thank you for that?" the warlord asked, his tone laced with mockery. But only he knew if the mockery was aimed at the Sultan or at himself.
"Yes, you should thank me," the Sultan replied, causing the warlord's face to twist as though he'd swallowed a fly.
The Sultan pressed on, "Let's talk about an alternate scenario. If I hadn't stopped them, what would've happened? They don't just have blade drones. I was with them when their field commander asked for support, so I know the extent of their war budget."
He then continued, "Your best-case scenario is that they would've used the blade drones against you. At least that would've given you a chance to survive. But if they chose another method..." The Sultan paused and began counting on his fingers.
"They have a satellite cannon in orbit, right above our heads," the Sultan pointed toward the ceiling, indicating Earth's orbit. "It fires a superheated beam that can melt that black ziggurat— the one that can withstand a nuclear bomb—like a hot knife through butter. I'm sure this little fortress of yours is nothing in their eyes." He paused, counting on another finger.
"They also have a very powerful monster, a creature from myth—Vlad Dracula. You and your people would become his dinner. If he personally dealt with you all, I doubt it'd be a pleasant experience for anyone who faces him." He counted yet another finger.
"And a super submarine the size of an entire island. It has dimension-shift technology—you know, like the stuff from sci-fi movies—and enough firepower to turn Earth into a dead planet. If they wanted to, they could reset human civilization back to the Stone Age."
"Hahahaha! A super submarine the size of an island!? Dimension-shift technology!? Enough firepower to turn Earth into a dead planet!? HAHAHA, are you serious?" the warlord asked, a grin still plastered on his face.
"I'm dead serious, Azis."
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Azis burst out laughing as if he'd just heard the most absurd thing in his life. "I believe you about the satellite cannon and that monster because I've seen them with my own eyes. I even reluctantly believe in New Atlantis' firepower! But come on—a super submarine the size of an island? Dimension-shifting!? Are you high or something, Maliq? If what you say about this submarine is true, I'll dress as a woman for a month, and I'll even shave my beard! HAHAHAHA!" Azis continued laughing, slapping his thigh, unable to hold back.
"You said you reluctantly believe that New Atlantis has enough firepower to turn Earth into a dead planet. Isn't that reason enough to think?" The Sultan paused, letting his words sink in.
"Sooner or later, all this neat tech will find its way to the black market, and the scale of warfare will escalate. Before that time comes, We need to accept an alliance with New Atlantis, so we can use their advanced weapons and end the civil war as soon as we can. New Atlantis won't involve themselves in our affairs," the Sultan said, trying once again to convince his old friend.
"Heh… trading what, half of our country's resources? Those resources belong to our people, Maliq!" The warlord criticized the Sultan, yet deep down, he knew the Sultan was right. Still, trading their country's resources? That was hard to swallow.
"If things drag on, and the civil war doesn't end before New Atlantis tech hits the black market, there will be no 'our people' left, Azis. Besides, New Atlantis doesn't care about our oil or mineral resources in the slightest."
The Sultan's words made the warlord's ears perk up. Now he was curious. "Then what do they want?" he asked.
"They want to build a weapons testing site in the middle of our dune sea—the Aqaba Great Dune Sea, to be exact," the Sultan revealed.
"What did you say?" the warlord asked, feeling a little too stunned by New Atlantis' request.
— 2 Weeks Later —
In the middle of the desert, a lightweight sand buggy raced across the dunes. Two people were aboard—one was the driver, and the other a man dressed in a luxurious Arabian robe, now stained with sand and dust as they fled from an unseen threat.
"Faster! Go faster! They're coming!" the man in the robe shouted frantically at the driver, whose face was pale with panic. His foot remained firmly pressed on the pedal, as if his life depended on it.
A low humming sound suddenly filled the air, and from behind them emerged a 7-meter long, 3-meter high hover tank. Its sleek, sloped structure concealed numerous weapon compartments, designed for maximum aerodynamic efficiency. The tank's powerful anti-grav engine allowed it to match the speed of the lightweight buggy with minimal noise.
"It's coming—---!" the man in the robe screamed in terror as he glanced back at the approaching tank.
"Hahahaha! Run, bitch! Run! HAHAHAHHA!!" A man's voice boomed from a hidden speaker in the tank, his laugh echoing with sadistic glee.
"Azis! You psycho!" the robed man roared back in anger.
At that moment, a swarm of weaponized sand buggies appeared in the distance, speeding toward the tank and opening fire. But their machine guns couldn't even scratch the armor of the hover tank.
In response, the tank's concealed weapon compartments opened up, revealing two micro-missile pods atop its sloped structure. With a soft whir, the missiles launched into the sky.
As if guided by unseen hands, the missiles veered toward the approaching buggies and obliterated them in fiery explosions, accompanied by the maniacal laughter of the tank's driver.
"HAHAHAHA! Is that all you've got?!" the voice taunted through the speaker, before pausing as if something caught his attention. "Ah... So that's your last stronghold, huh?"
Another compartment on the tank opened—this time revealing its largest hidden weapon. A long, futuristic barrel slowly emerged, assembling itself into a sleek cylindrical cannon. Blue sparks and energy crackled around it as it began to charge.
BOOM!
With a thunderous explosion, the main cannon fired after a few seconds of charging. The blue energy shot straight toward the sandstone stronghold on the horizon—the last fortress of the last warlord who had plagued the Sultanate of Aqaba with decades of civil war.
BAKOOOOM!
The energy shell detonated on impact, tearing through the stronghold with devastating force. In an instant, the fortress was reduced to rubble, obliterating every rebel and weapon within its walls.
Watching his hated enemy's final stronghold reduced to a mere pile of rubble, and feeling the satisfaction of finally ending the decades-long civil war himself, Azis couldn't help but mutter, "Damn… I love these new toys."