NOVEL NEXT Chapter 357
A report of an unidentified object descending into points B and C initially felt like a significant threat.
The only source of anxiety was the fact that it approached at an uncatchable speed.
“Is that the hypersonic missile?”
“Looks like a failed round! I’ll check it out!”
That moment of negligence led to a catastrophe.
In the blink of an eye, Violets were swept away. Before the stunned team members appeared a single entity.
It was just one enemy.
An adversary clad in relatively simple white protective gear approached us.
Strangely, that clean silhouette and the fact that no face was exposed reminded me of a straitjacket from a mental institution.
Meaning, we had no idea what they were hiding inside.
“What is this? Did the Foundation have such a monster?”
The bewilderment quickly turned into horror, and shock transformed into panic.
– Rat-a-tat! Tat-tat!
“Ugh! It’s coming!”
The entrance guard was immediately swept away. Although it was a surprise attack, an entire squadron disappearing without a trace was alarming.
We escalated the level of threat posed by the enemy.
Soon we felt the seriousness of our situation.
While the creature’s overwhelming combat power was a problem, the direction of the rapidly approaching red dot on the tactical map was even more ominous.
“Emergency! Its target is the terminal access room!”
I shouted towards my companions.
“Evacuate the Helios squadron in the direction I’m guiding! The enemy is closing in!”
“But you said it was just one! Are you saying you can’t handle it?”
Seeing Irene’s surprised reaction, it seemed she sensed the seriousness of the situation. I decided to warn her even more strongly.
“No! It’s absolutely impossible for your subordinates! They will definitely be wiped out!”
Compared to our individual Violets, the enemy’s combat strength was superior, and we couldn’t afford to lose allies with specialized capabilities here.
In a battlefield interconnected by the Network, it was more efficient for us to operate independently, even from a tactical aspect.
“…Is it that dangerous?”
With the ominous sounds of explosions and screams echoing, Adela’s expression also grew serious.
“Get everyone back immediately! I’ll buy some time until the upload is completed! All other tasks are done, right? Then the monkeys and mice will guide us safely!”
Even while I was shouting this, I could feel the approaching red dot on the map. It’s coming. They’re coming.
“Command Center, give orders!”
In the tension, time felt strangely stretched.
I organized the essential considerations. The updating status of the central archive and the allied troops that had been collecting data and conducting operations with us.
My friends.
And those who needed to be evacuated.
Fortunately, the enemy’s trajectory was a straight line. Other personnel wouldn’t get swept away.
“Draw its attention!”
A multitude of choices spread across the table. The Command Center gave the command.
“Use all power to intercept!”
“Let’s kill it!”
**
The first strategy of the Violets was overwhelming firepower.
Given the nature of urban warfare, long-range interception was impossible, but the enemy also had limited space to evade bullets, presenting both advantages and disadvantages.
“Tactical immersion activated! Sensory amplification!”
The vision of each Violet split into dozens of threads. Countless visual images unfolded like the compound eyes of an insect, and the network allocation was precisely distributed to each entity confronting the enemy.
Subtle movements of arms and fingers were controlled down to decimal points for accurate firing.
As all the senses were maximized, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed.
– Clank!
The sound of the footfalls was heavy and threatening.
According to the information relayed by the fallen advance unit via the network, its speed was abnormal even compared to other Awakened Ones.
“But this cannot be evaded!”
All Violets positioned around the corridor trained their weapons.
The Violets behind the walls peered beyond the barrier. The barrels of the Violets hiding behind the door also pointed in the same direction.
“It must pass through this corridor to reach the terminal access room! Turn it into a beehive!”
There was only one entrance, this corridor.
– Thwoom!
“Now! Fire!”
As the white form turned the corner, countless bullets struck that point.
Following closely, deadly crossbow bolts with slow yet lethal penetration flew in.
In that fleeting moment, the enemy witnessed the bullet rain and positioned itself, lowering its waist as if waiting for the starting signal of a short-distance runner.
And then, it lifted its head.
– KWAANG!
The ceramic floor shattered and collapsed.
It charged through the hail of bullets like an expressionless white human projectile.
The information captured by tactical immersion left the Violets in shock.
“The enemy is deflecting bullets!”
A faint outline of the enemy became visible.
The collective intelligence was engulfed in shock.
Even with all senses maximized and thousands of Violets dedicated to analysis, this was all they could glean.
As adrenaline surged, time slowed, allowing for some evasions.
What should be blocked was deflected with swords. Shells split the air between the bullets, while rockets flew through trailing white smoke.
Shells and explosives rained from the sides and above.
The opaque white helmet sharply surveyed its surroundings. For a fleeting moment, it scanned the air for threats.
Instinct and training harmonized perfectly. The magical power imbued in the sword erupted explosively.
At that moment of explosion, a bright yellow veil unfolded.
– KWAANG!
“We blocked it!”
The enemy knight spun its saber, expanding a sword shield that perfectly negated the deadly explosion.
Emerging from the smoke, the enemy bore only minor scorch marks and remnants.
“Unbelievable!”
Many beings deflected bullets, and numerous fighters charged through blankets of bullets, but none did so as boldly into the firestorm.
The Violets rapidly deployed their next move.
“Heavy Weapons Base! Commence suppression fire! Concentrated bombardment!”
– WOOOOSH!
The collective intelligence of the Command Center calculated the optimal response. While the heavy machine guns and missile launchers unleashed fierce fire, a massive Steel Giant waiting behind the Violets revealed its might.
The low-recoil main gun mounted on its right arm unleashed a deafening burst.
– FAWOOM!
Shells sliced through the air. Rockets filled the corridor with smoke, while the rapid-fire Ballista fired bolts in rapid succession.
Just before the shells could make contact, it split exactly in half.
The sword fighter immediately leaped again. At a speed beyond what the collective intelligence could track.
A thunderous roar, the ground cracking. And—
– KEE-ING!
“Huh…?”
The pilot Violet realized too late that she had been sliced in the diagonal trajectory that intersected with the Walker and her body.
Suppressing the shock, the Violet unhesitatingly pulled out another card.
“Self-destruct!”
– KWAANG!
The moment the enemy rushed into the ranks, the Violets activated their bomb vests in unison.
“Remember me!”
Right before the detonation, the enemy kicked the Violet in front and used the Walker’s armor as a shield.
Rolling on the ground, the enemy quickly regained a standing position. Looking up, three Armored Knights were descending with greatswords.
The enemy lifted a sword at an angle. A textbook parry posture. The gigantic iron sword collided head-on with the swift saber.
– CLANG!
The great sword flew into the air. The Armored Knight staggered back, awed by the unreal phenomenon.
The sword fighter did not miss that brief window of opportunity, launching a clean riposte.
“Ugh-kek!”
The essence of saber techniques, perfect lunge posture. The straightened right arm pierced through the gap in the armored suit. The leading Violet fell with a dying scream. Blood spilled from the helmet’s gap.
– TING!
Without a moment to catch her breath, the sword fighter soared again, leaping from another Armored Knight to spring into the opposite corridor.
Diving, sprinting, penetrating.
“The enemy has breached the defensive line! Stop failed!”
“It’s coming! The enemy is coming!”
**
The situations occurring at points B and C mirrored each other.
While the sword fighter neutralized the defense line with overwhelming close combat ability and skill, the archer pierced projectiles and cover with arrows that flew as if alive.
“Track! Focus! Calculate!”
Dozens of guided blades simultaneously flooded the corridor. The archer suddenly fell back, sliding down.
Moments later, three arrows cut through the air. Each carving a different trajectory delicately dodged the magical swords.
Pummeling fireballs poured in. The archer, having put down his bow, drew a Claymore and severed the magic.
A traditional stance, yet deadly swordsmanship.
– SSSWING!
The melting beam sliced through shadows in pursuit of the air.
The archer sharply kicked off the wall, completing a perfect rotation as he raced along the ceiling.
With supernatural agility and reflexive speed, he moved along as if effortlessly dodging rain without getting drenched.
A horrifying paradox flashed through the collective intelligence network of the Violets.
What appeared was a parable of an ancient hero racing a tortoise.
“I feel like I should hit something! But I’m not reaching it!”
The hero chasing the tortoise sprinted endlessly. When narrowing the distance by half, the tortoise advanced again by half.
The closer it got, the more halves lay ahead of the hero.
In the fading sensation, collective intelligence wavered. Would it even be possible to inflict damage at this rate?
“Here! The Luminasian archer!”
The Violets momentarily maximized the intensity of tactical immersion.
As one line disappeared, the Violet wielding the Flame Blade swung her sword, igniting a wave of fire.
A sharp thrust shot toward the enemy emerging through the flames.
The magical Claymore clashed with the rapier. The sound of footsteps pounding the floor resonated.
In a split second, countless trajectories of swords were drawn.
As sword energy clashed, it glittered dazzlingly.
– SCRAAASH!
Before the Violet, now in four pieces, could scatter on the floor, the enemy had already charged toward the next defense line.
Wrapped in a sense of urgent crisis, the collective intelligence desperately checked the tactical map.
“The enemy is right in front!”
The Violets deeply realized the possibility that this archive hacking operation could fail.
The data transmission had still not been completed.
“It’s okay, Violet. This isn’t everything. Its goal was just to destroy that terminal, and we’ve used that moment to evacuate people.”
“Ugh…”
Despite her gloomy mood, the Violet pulled herself together. The enemy’s goal didn’t seem to be killing the detainees.
Thanks to that, helicopters and airships carrying refugees soared into the sky amidst the chaos.
“Is the archive really that important?”
The glare in Violet’s eyes sharpened as she listened to her ally’s encouragement.
“Good, I’ll make sure to kill it…!”
**
– CRACK!
A powerful kick shattered the shield line.
Facing the black soldiers rushing headlong, the sword fighter contemplated in a blurred consciousness.
These monsters were incredibly tenacious.
Moreover, the air they exuded felt just as nasty.
With each encounter with them, the sword fighter ground his teeth.
Despite the numerous neurological and psychological suppression devices laid out by Restraid, even the slightest remnants of emotion remained, causing him discomfort.
– CRACK!
Was that the reason? His emotionally-charged fist exploded, erupting into the Violets.
It was the moment he attempted a suicide attack, using the corpse of a fallen comrade as a shield.
The shockwave following the blow scattered the surrounding Violets in all directions.
Immediately after breaking the third line of defense, the sword fighter finally reached a point where he could see the terminal access room door.
“I’m here!”
Once again, the enemy charged with frenzied assault.
Black soldiers poured out through numerous doors. All glimmering with golden light. The sword fighter immediately shifted stance, attempting to retreat after striking.
As their durability surged high.
“You got wise! But it’s too late!”
The enemies that had not been eliminated earlier pushed forward.
Surrounded from 360 degrees. If this continued, the operation would be severely impacted.
The sword fighter raised his magical power.
And with a strong diagonal slash through the air.
The collective intelligence witnessed the magical power on the saber oddly expanding.
“Did he amplify his power? It seems he’s grasped Irene’s unique ability!”
In the prolonged time, the magical power accumulated upon the sword expanded mysteriously.
That appearance was truly wondrous.
Like starlight, sparkling faintly, yet bearing a chilling aura reminiscent of death.
A crescent-shaped magic burst explosively from the blade.
That lethal blow swept through the Violets like a wave.
– SCREEECH!
A disaster unfolded.
The severed corpses rolled across the floor. Beyond the blood-soaked corridor, the once formidable severing blow disintegrated the corridor’s door.
As the shattered door fell away, the terminal being worked on became visible.
The sword fighter advanced toward mission completion.
– KWAANG!
“Argh! The machine! It’s only 80% done!”
“Calm down, the terminal itself is still intact!”
Finishing her words, Irene met the sword fighter rushing toward the door.
The sword fighter’s helmet shifted direction. Small in stature but graced with solid toughness.
Even with a brainwashed mind, a faint sense of admiration slipped through as the saber and spear clashed.
This enemy, who looked like a girl, seemingly had incredible durability.
As the downward saber ricocheted from the shield, the black soldiers reformed their ranks.
A perfect phalanx formation.
“Push forward!”
– KWAANG!
With overwhelming noise, the formation collapsed. The saber’s arc sent the Violets tumbling.
Despite the unwavering strike, Irene thrust with her spear, but…
The sword fighter had already dodged that trajectory and surged inside.
– THUD! THUD! THUD!
The saber ruthlessly battered the shield engulfed in golden magical power. While Irene, who was piercing with her spear, staggered under the fierce blow.
“Ugh…”
Her golden eyes quivered beneath the mask.
The spear was cut, and the shield shattered. But the true issue lay elsewhere.
‘What is this shock…?’
Blood trickled from the deep wounds piercing her left arm and shoulder.
“Ugh! I’m bleeding!”
“I’m fine! To the next stage!”
Before she had time to be shocked by the fact she was wounded, she pulled out a dagger and widened the distance.
With the enraged 21st Clone and her squad roaring once more, they charged ahead.
“How dare you hurt my comrades! I won’t forgive you! Die!”
At the moment of clumsily swinging again, the sword fighter heard the sound of flapping wings encircling him.
A swarm of crows surrounded him.
Sensing the uneasy magical power, he glanced around and realized a mass of mice was also encircling him through the corpses.
“Chirp chirp! Trap! Prepare!”
“Haha! Got caught! Now’s the time!”
The mice and crows surrounding him flared with a red glow.
This was the V-Animal encirclement trap he had saved for a moment like this.
The sword fighter moved the saber.
He searched for the relatively thin spots in the barrage. There was only one area without mice.
Then, starlight erupted explosively. The severing blow clashed with the magic, triggering an explosion.
– KWAANG!
Covered in soot and in a state of armor destruction, the sword fighter staggered to regain balance.
Watching as Irene was assisted in escaping, the Violet smiled.
“Hey, sword fighter!”
As expected. The fact he didn’t pursue the retreating allies suggested that his only goal was that terminal.
“Why was there no magic only there?”
While trying to stabilize his wavering posture, the ground trembled beneath him.
“…!”
– KWAANG!
The ceiling collapsed, and the floor exploded. Countless Violets poured out through the breach. Without a moment to counterattack, endless hands grasped his limbs.
A swamp of humanity enveloped him.
**
The explosive power of the sword fighter shook the Violets.
He desperately attempted to escape. Lightning crashed down upon the rampaging arms.
– ZAP!
Lightning whips flew in as if trying to burn the sword fighter. The moment he slashed at a whip with his sword, a Violet intercepted the blade with their body.
The sword fighter realized his fatal mistake. Clinging to him even as it was torn apart, the enemy did not release the saber. The weapon vanished into the human swamp.
Weaponless, the sword fighter resisted with his bare hands.
“What the hell is this thing! He’s too strong!”
“Ugh!”
He threw off a Violet with supernatural strength. Each time he did so, another Violet latched onto him.
As he struggled to break free from the swamp of humanity, finally, one Violet clung to his back.
“I’ll fix that mind of yours, loyal to the rotten Foundation!”
Grasping the opaque helmet, the Violet’s two hands activated the collective intelligence’s last resort.
“Concentration! Begin!”
The sword fighter stiffened momentarily. The Violet’s magical power began to pierce deep into his consciousness.
The next moment, a thin groan escaped from his throat.
As cold drugs penetrated his brain in a chain reaction, the creature began to thrash again.
“What is this! The intrusion is blocked! What the hell is going on!”
The Violet released its grip. Immediately attempting again. Whenever one fell off, another would cling on.
If they could just break through that barrier blocking his consciousness, they could topple it!
– ZAP!
The sword fighter, who had been silent, suddenly roared.
“AAAAAAAH! Let me go! You monster bastards!”
“This… this beast can talk!”
The creature resisted with all its might.
“…You filthy alien bastards! No matter what you do, I will never yield!”
The sword fighter cried out as he battled through the human swamp.
His strong willpower desperately shielded against the encroaching malice.
Violets fell off and latched back onto him, one after another.
The network attempting mental invasion unexpectedly caught fragments of memories.
A desolate battlefield flickered in the Violet’s sight.
Barbed wire surrounded a trench where an officer was shouting.
-Colonel Valefor! Where are you! We are surrounded by enemies! We urgently need magical assault support from the Magic Soldier Brigade! Concentrate bombardment at three o’clock! Major Adriana! Large numbers of monsters have appeared ahead! I will send two squads of Hunters, break through!
The sword fighter screamed at the corridor.
“Disgusting, arrogant executor! Even if you call yourself an Apostle… as for my mind, do as you will! …I will never yield!”
“What are you saying! Just a little more! Just a bit more!”
-General Jamont! Where is the Arnorian 1st Guard Armored Division!? It’s time to deploy the knights and heavy tanks! We must reclaim the high ground!
As the Violet fell off, the creature’s hand barely managed to reach the dagger attached to his waist.
– SWOOOSH!
“AAAH! The monster is getting the dagger!”
Right after breaking free from the swamp, the creature’s feet got caught again. More Violets crawled up.
“Now it’s at 90%!”
The sword fighter swung his arm, filled with resolve.
“I will never yield, even if I fall! …Do not underestimate humans! Aedos!”
The dagger, imbued with magical power, slashed through the air.
The trajectory’s endpoint was the disk plugged into the terminal.
– CLINK!
The black monitor flickered, displaying the message [Connection Failed].
The strength of the Violet swamp was instantly drained away.
“Oh…”
“Ah! No!”
Violets sighed in defeat.
Sensing his release from captivity, the sword fighter helplessly turned back to look.
“Apostle bastards… your tricks will never work again…”
Muttering, the sword fighter trembled.
The voice behind the helmet, directed at the Violets, trembled slightly.
“…Who are you?”
“What? What do you mean?”
As Violet was taken aback by the sudden question, the enemy continued.
“Who are you? Are you human? No, an Apostle? What on earth are you…?”
The murmur abruptly ceased like a lie.
The sword fighter returned to his original, emotionless demeanor.
Violet finally shook off the remnants of that bizarre memory.
“Damn! What was that? Those memories?”
“Either way, let’s kill it!”
At that moment of preparing for self-destruction, the sword fighter hurriedly escaped down the corridor he had come from.
“Huh? It’s fleeing!”
“We have to catch it!”
Blocking the pursuit was an urgent report that suddenly rang out.
“Emergency! Large numbers of reinforcements approaching! Suspected Restraid and Aersit! Immediate withdrawal recommended!”
The Violets checked the tactical map against the flight squadron’s report. The large-scale enemy reinforcements had finally arrived. And following that, an additional report came in.
“B point has been breached too!”
“Ugh! Is it time to retreat!”
“This operation failed!”
The surviving Violets quickly returned with only the essential equipment. They didn’t forget the last gift either.
“Commence detonation!”
Two five-ton bombs were dropped at each point.
Just after the Restraid reinforcements arrived, they witnessed an earth-shattering explosion.
“To fail here!”
With a regretful defeat, the Violets withdrew.
It was after the core base of Luminas had been completely obliterated.