SWNOVELXO Chapter 195
Episode 195. You’re Not Asking for My Opinion? (1)
The Special Forces ‘Catfish’ Team Leader held their breath.
The Special Forces ‘Luddite’ and ‘Blade’ teams seemed to have been wiped out by the Royal Guard or Ninetail, judging by the lack of communication. But the mission could still succeed.
Administrator Pixel was heading this way.
In the facility’s underground corridor, the water had already risen to waist level. The Catfish team members waited, submerged.
The facility’s lights had been off for a while. Only the eerie emergency lights flickered above.
There was no way the enemy could pinpoint Catfish’s location. Their equipment was ruined, and without lights, visual confirmation was impossible.
Catfish had underwater night vision goggles, but the enemy likely didn’t. It was equipment only Catfish members used.
Pixel was escorted by four guards.
Today, Catfish carried guns capable of firing underwater without rifling. The Team Leader had even switched to a harpoon gun.
They had to wait for the moment to strike within a few meters. The Catfish Team Leader stayed still, listening for approaching footsteps.
Four on the right, four on the left. Pixel’s pitiful procession passed in front of Catfish, and guns and harpoons were aimed.
Bang!
At the same moment, everyone pulled their triggers. The guards, of course, had neither the equipment nor training to handle this.
Pixel collapsed with a harpoon in their shoulder, looking utterly baffled. Catfish members pushed past the bleeding guards and aimed their guns at Pixel again.
Blood left no trace in the murky water. Bang! Bang! Bang! Not knowing how enhanced Pixel might be, the Catfish Team Leader pulled an awl from their belt, stabbed it into Pixel’s neck, and dragged them underwater.
Other members joined, pinning Pixel down with harpoons. The target was still squirming. Was it because of the enhancements?
“That! Use that!”
Catfish’s Science Officer frantically pulled a pistol from their waist. They had brought special equipment for this target.
A single Information-Degrading Bullet. With trembling hands, the Science Officer loaded the bullet, aimed the pistol at Pixel’s head, and fired.
Bang!
The bullet fired underwater. Pixel stopped moving shortly after.
But the Special Forces, uneasy, emptied their magazines to confirm the kill. About a minute passed. The Team Leader sighed.
“Let’s go, now.”
Catfish members looked at each other and nodded. The mission was a success. Now, they just had to escape. What was the situation outside?
The Team Leader regained focus.
“Catfish-1. Restore communications.”
[Catfish-8. Short-range radios are working, but no contact with Dr. Kim.]
“Catfish-1. Understood. Moving out.”
[Catfish-3. Are we not recovering Pixel’s body?]
“No.”
If they’re dead, no need to take them. If alive, it’s dangerous. Either way, carrying the Administrator’s body is risky.
The Special Forces members submerged one by one, heading for the exit.
The Team Leader listened to the helmet’s built-in radio. It wasn’t clear underwater, but voices could still be heard.
[This is Dr. Kim.]
“Catfish-1. Reporting survival.”
[Do you need support?]
“Catfish-1. Successfully eliminated Administrator Pixel.”
The world-shaking news left Dr. Kim frozen for a while.
[Well done. Securing safety now. Please proceed with caution.]
The communication with Dr. Kim ended shortly.
Catfish had successfully eliminated Administrator Pixel. Pixel’s facility was effectively destroyed. Now, it was just about wrapping things up…
First, everyone in the area needed to know.
That this situation was over. But I had no usable communication equipment here, and Pixel’s facility was in shambles. What to do?
I pondered for a bit.
Honestly, how I said it didn’t matter much. Even if I just shouted, the U.S. military and the Foundation would hear me.
Hasti looked drained. Well, they had moved the breakwater and used a lot of energy to counter the drones.
The Hero’s helmet and armor didn’t show much emotion, but the blood on their armor spoke louder than words.
“Hmm. Take cover. I still have work to do on this battlefield.”
Leaving the Hero and Hasti behind, I climbed the bunker’s concrete structure.
The fortress rooftop had a helipad, close-defense systems, and communication equipment, but it seemed everyone who could operate them had fled.
They weren’t operational anyway.
The rooftop was a mess. A 14-inch shell must have hit here. It was like a storm had passed.
It didn’t matter now. After checking for dangers, I pulled a megaphone from my subspace bag. What to say first?
“Administrator Pixel is dead!”
What else to say? My head was spinning from the fight.
“Now! Pixel’s allies, cease your meaningless hostilities and resume cooperation with the Foundation’s mainstream.”
No need to say more.
It felt like an eternity, but this operation was finally over. I sat under Hasti’s umbrella, the Hero standing beside me.
“Let’s head inside the bunker. Staying out here might invite missiles.”
I nodded.
And maybe, wandering inside the bunker, I’d find some communication equipment.
The bunker was nearly empty.
The staff seemed to have fled. I wondered where they went, if they were dead, or if there had been infighting.
Anyway.
I found the air-raid shelter and communication equipment. The people who operated them were gone too.
The command center’s communication equipment was on, identical to what the Seoul Branch used.
I thought turning it on would be hard, but it connected without issue. I grabbed the mic.
“Ah, ah. This is Yuriseong. Special Forces on-site, report your status.”
Silence followed.
[This is Praetorian-2. Returning to Yuriseong. Successfully retrieved the Clockwork Heart and Clockwork Eye. What’s the situation inside the facility?]
Huh, Praetorian? That’s the Royal Guard.
I pondered for a while.
“There seems to be a misunderstanding. This is Dr. Kim. Administrator Pixel is dead. We can return to Yuriseong, but if you show hostility, safety cannot be guaranteed.”
[Ah…….]
The Royal Guard member pondered.
[Regardless of the Foundation’s internal situation, the Clockwork Heart and Clockwork Eye must be contained. I trust Dr. Kim will cooperate.]
I couldn’t guess what they were thinking. I sighed.
“Of course.”
The Royal Guard was coming. If the radio was to be believed, they wouldn’t attack me to contain the Clockwork Heart and Eye.
But it was still dangerous.
[This is Catfish-1. Exiting the operation zone. Will escape on our own. It was an honor, Dr. Kim.]
“Likewise.”
The problem was Special Forces ‘Blade’ and ‘Luddite.’ I had no idea where they were. Now, I had to talk to the Administrators—
[Dr. Kim.]
It was Libertas’s voice.
Hearing their voice made me sigh instinctively. I couldn’t trust their motives, but they helped this time.
I owed them.
“Hello.”
[I didn’t think your Catfish team would actually kill Pixel. Do you know where Luddite and Blade are?]
“Uh, no communication.”
[Hmm……. Those two teams specialize in killing robots. If they met the Minerva series or the Royal Guard, they’re probably dead.]
It seemed likely.
I thought the communication was just cut off due to information degradation or electromagnetic interference. Turns out, they were wiped out long ago.
I closed my eyes.
“Understood.”
[The situation is a complete mess. Dr. Kim, what did you do to catch Pixel?]
Dozens of data centers related to Pixel were destroyed because of me. The global internet must be paralyzed.
Who knows how long full recovery will take? Oh, right, the Clockwork Device battleship and the U.S. fleet were wiped out too.
Listing it out, I’ve racked up quite the karma…
“I’m sorry.”
Libertas shrugged on the other side of the screen. Still couldn’t figure out their motives. Couldn’t read their expression either.
[I like chaos. You know my peers? Truth is for sleepy labs or studies, justice is for old men in judge robes.]
“You’re different?”
[Yeah.]
Libertas glared at me with cobalt eyes. Does freedom need chaos? Is that why you want to see the Foundation burn?