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Chapter 95: Thinking Missiles
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Stubborn.
Well... perhaps, it was a trait of all pro-players; a bunch of skilled professionals who enjoys the game while earning money through it.
But Thorn had no more time. In his calculations, it wouldn't take more than ten minutes before that squid-dragon warship is fully absorbed to that shivering and trembling knight golem.
[Alright. I promise that I will mention that to him when he wakes up.]
The Commander laughed derisively. "Hahaha... I am not a three year old, moron. I can't take your word for it so I need some tangible hold that you will actually going to fulfill your promise. Oh, and don't forget to include my men as well. Hehehe..."
Thorn felt scorn at this but he had no choice. He pulled out a contract from his inventory and typed in the contract details.
After a while, he presented it to the Commander.
"Hahaha... now that's more like it! Now free me and my men."
Volt, behind the mask, was glaring at him but he had no choice because they were vying for time.
He freed the man and the latter looked at him with a bit of scorn as he looked at his crew and gestured for Volt to free them as well.
Volt could only grit his teeth.
When they were free, the Commander looked at him and stood aggressively in front of Volt, their breaths on each other, a mocking stance that could ignite any minute if one of them moves.
"I won't forget this humiliation, kid, mark my words."
Volt tried his best to hold his anger in and spoke his discontent with poison in his tone, "Do your job right and you can make sure that we will not hold you inside this game for torture."
As he spoke, Volt also summoned a bomb that he released on his hand as it was eaten by the still disintegrated Dragunov around his body.
He then reached down and tapped on the Core Members of The Legion.
Screams yelled out as they were grounded by his touch and this sight lifted the Commander's brows with a bit of fear.
Volt then added with a sinister smile, "It doesn't say in the contract that if you delay even for just a bit, you won't be hurt, right?"
Volt crunched his right hand and glared at the Commander. The two of them had just built an unbridgeable enmity. Whether they become allies or not in the future, these two will never exist in the same wavelength while they carry their names.
Thorn butted in, [You don't have to run the ship. I just need you to coordinate an attack with the marshal's units. We can't attack it while it's in the city so we are going to lure that thing out. Volt you think you can take charge here.]
Volt looked at the Commander and smiled with his teeth showing. "With pleasure."
*****
"City Lord?"
[I am City Lord Billion. You are?]
"I am the Right... I am Thorn, Guild Leader of the Tower of Sol Guild. I would assume that you're already aware of the circumstances of your city, particularly of that golem knight that's being attacked in the core region of Alexandria, so I won't disseminate unnecessary redundant Intel."
When he spoke, Thorn paused as he recalled that there was no sense in keeping secrets with him right now.
He went straight to the point of his call.
"We called you a few days earlier regarding the attack on your city but apparently, we were cut and you dropped the call. We really wanted to prevent this thing from happening but now that it has escalated to such a degree I'd assume that a plan to resist the invasion had been carried out and that your men are deployed around the city."
Thorn wanted to use this chance to ask a question, no matter how miniscule the chances are, that perhaps some of his men had found Baron. But before he could even ask, Billion had ventured forth into another issue within the call.
[I'm really sorry but I really don't have much of a time to entertain a call right now. I...]
Thorn was afraid that he'd drop the call so he was forced to divert the topic and interected.
"Billion, Are you aware of whom I came here with?"
Billion as rather stunned.
Of course he knew who Thorn was last seen with in the city of Dragona.
Still, that's not an issue he can entertain right now because not only he was resisting the remnant members of The Legion that's trying to harass them, he was also trying to think of ways on how to handle that giant humanoid rock in his city.
It's just one huge problem after another! In fact, there was also one matter he was looking out for.
And that is the matter of Akhenaton having come as well. The last Intel he received said that the Akhenaton was battling Apus Epirus.
Since then, he's always been in a fight and so had no chance to listen to any other additional intel.
Because of the harassment of the remnant units of The Legion, he hasn't gotten the time to ask for the latest info on how'd it went.
But now Siva...?!
He felt like a 20L bucket filled with water yet the faucet still continued to pour in water. He can't take anymore issues to process mentally or he might get his early demise.
And yet, Billion was also aware that he can't NOT give face to Siva or he would make an enemy out of him.
[You're on Siva's entourage. Where is he?]
"Offline."
Billion frowned, displeased, but helpless.
[Then where are you?]
"Outside. We just trashed the Blue Card Legion and are readying ourselves to draw that thing out of your city through the southern outskirts. I'd like to ask if your citizens have been evacuated."
Billion was rather confused and flabbergasted.
Did he just say they'd trashed The Legion?
Still, the more urgent part of his statement bore the most crucial part of his words. Billion had to give an answer because he felt that the 'help' Siva could give to drive away this calamity away from his City was more important than anything at the moment.
[They've been evacuated. Wait... what do you...]
Billion stammered as to how to properly ask the right question.
Isn't it Donar who's fighting The Legion in the south?
Of course, this isn't Billion's fault. He's been caught up by the continuous harassment of The Legion remnants that he had no time to watch any live feed.
Even the Comms Officers and Intel Officers that's supposed to be in charge of them was busy trying to defend the whole city.
They were really caught off guard by this invasion and they lacked the manpower to actually suppress the invaders and could only pathetically hold on until their reinforcement arrives.
"City Lord Billion, it is not that we don't want to talk to you right now but time is of the essence. The longer you let that thing standing there and doing nothing to drive it out, the more dangerous it will become in the future... it might even destroy your city in the process."
Thorn pressed the issue and moved the talk about Siva and Donar being one on the side.
His goal right now is to minimize any damage that Alexandria might incur if what he's thinking of that black thing is doing right now should happen.
Mefisto's appearance earlier wasn't just a chance.
Volts story earlier wasn't by chance.
That black thing assimilating itself on the golem is also not by chance.
Everything that's happening wasn't something that was brought up by coincidences. There was a full purpose for it all and he feel it in his guts... that no matter what that thing's purpose is, it wasn't friendly towards Siva.
'Right now, Siva's mind is in a fragile state. I don't know what happened earlier but I understand that with how things have become, there more to this game world than just merely being inside a game.
I... have to do the right thing.'
Billion felt frightened by the thought. If this city falls on his watch, he'd not only lose his job, he'd also lose all chances in the future to find any kind of relaxing job as this.
Even his accomplishment of letting Jack escape earlier wouldn't even make up to the liability of losing an entire city.
[It's... well... wait, I'm confused. Okay. Firstly, we are currently being harassed by the remnants of The Legion... so... we...]
Thorn raised a brow. "Wait a sec. Why are you being harassed by The Legion? We've already captured their core members and we have custody of their Battleship Rewloola as well. Why are they still attacking you?"
[This...]
Although Billion tried to hide the topic about Jack because when Thorn introduced himself earlier, one of the first things that entered his mind was the full interest of The Union.
Thorn was able to see the hesitation and wavering heart on the latter's expression. He could feel that it has something to do with Siva.
"Is it Jack?"
[...!!]
"We know of it. Although as much as we wanted to hunt Jack because of what he did to us back in Anazon Forest, we still can't do it now due to the more pressing matters that we are trying to prevent from happening... as you can see. Billion, our goal is simple; we just want to get that thing away from the city as early as possible."
'Us...' Billion wanted to protest. 'You weren't there so why are you mentioning 'us'?'
Billion looked behind him and let out a sigh.
Hesitation is not going to help one bit.
[I'm sorry if my hesitation is ruining your intent to help but as of the moment, we are grounded by the Blue Card Legion. They've destroyed our hangars and disabled majority of our warships. We managed to salvage a few Cyclones but we are short in Pilots as almost all of them have been ambushed by the members of The Legion. Those remaining Pilots that we have were injured in the rubbles of the barracks. Right now, we can only mobilize a few Cyclones, one of them have already been dispatched to call for help.]
Thorn felt that there was something odd about his statement.
Why only one called for help?
But with the pressing issues at hand and the urgency of the case, he can't spare any more energy to think about it.
[I'm really sorry to implore you about this but do you have a plan to neutralize this threat?]
"I do. But it will heavily need your cooperation."
[Please. I'm willing.]
"Alright. Firstly, withdraw your troops from the southern wall and prepare your available Cyclones to sortie out in aerial formation. We will deploy in a formation and you will have to provide me with the most accurate intel on the enemies. I will send a battalion of air support to free your men so use that chance to mobilize your pilots and maximize deployment of the Cyclones. Mark the specified areas where the remnants are we will handle the cleansing."
[That would work.]
"Alright. That's the first issue. Now, there is a matter that we cannot delay. I just need you to..."
While their conversation was being handled at the fastest time available, Thorn was cut by a change that he saw in the golem knight.
"This is bad." He murmured. "City Lord, we don't have much time. Mark the enemies. I'm going to send the strike team now."
When Thorn spoke, someone on Billion's side also delivered a report to him.
[No wait... aw shayt... the giant's moving?! Alright, Thorn I will send instructions to mark the locations of the targets now. I will owe you guys a big one after this.]
*****
In some areas of the western quadrant of the city, the Captain of the defense troops received an urgent intel on his panel screen and his eyes went wide as he shouted;
"Charlie Team... Delta Team...!! We have birds inbound but they need markers to raindown on the enemies. Throw in a red smoke on the bastards and find your cover!"
*****
In the far hangars side of the west quadrant...
"Alpha Team! We have wings flying in! Red marks the spot! Inbound in fifteen seconds! Throw it now. Now!! NOW!!!"
*****
In the south...
"This is Bravo Team... what did you say?! —oh my god~!! Captain! Captain! We have flyboys inbound for a flush! They're coming-in in fifteen seconds!"
"What the fudge are they thinking, suddenly getting a burnout without warning?! SHET! Front units, throw in that damn red smoke and find your god damn cover!! Go. Go!! GO!!!"
*****
In the east...
"Captaaaaaain!"
"Do you take me for a deaf you miserable bag of canines! What the heck're you screaming out like a lady for?!"
"Advisory from the City Lord HQ! Bombers are coming in hot from the south... inbound in fifteen seconds!"
"Whaaaaaaaatttt.... Iiiinnnn... the... name of apple sauce is happening?!"
"Captain, what should we do?!"
"What do you think what should we do? We're pressed by god damn enemies in all directions, you candy-headed pinklips! Call in the Barrier Mages and make a circle... and get someone to throw-in a green smoke on our CD!"
*****
The Cyclone Units of the Black Mustache Fleet had been called-in earlier when Kladis fell but now, an order was given to assist the situation in Alexandria.
There were overall around 400 Cyclone Units that remained after that clash with the Apus Epirus and although it was a far contrast in terms of the total number it was before the fight, the remaining pilots and engineers of these Cyclones had been honed and strengthened by this battle, adding to their experience and story repertoire.
There were now a total of 9 Lambda-Class Units in the Black Mustache Fleet after absorbing the warships of the ones from The company.
It was also including that now black flagship which Marshal D'Catch rode.
Also, the Garuda-Class and the Knight-Class units were also around in a formation and the sight of them with the Black Mustache Flagship at the tip like an arrow, was a majestic to behold.
With their three longhorn-cannons resting at the sides and below the deck hull, the flat top side of the ship had become a carrier platform for these Cyclones.
There were around 30 units on each of the ships and since Cyclones are VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing) Planes, there were almost no need for a runway for them.
As such, when the order was given, considering the height they took in their formation, as they hovered there 6km above Akhenaton's head, the sheer number of these Cyclones alone can even shake an enormous city like Alexandria.
Inside the command bridge, Marshal D'Catch watched with an indifferent gaze how these small but fast units lifted off his ship's deck like divers, diving nose down after a small lift.
The booming sounds of their engines firing off in the distance, their trail-lights creating hundreds of beautiful arcs that lit up the already lighted sky.
Such was a magnificent sight.
In the communication's panel side of his command bridge, 13 Comms Officers managed the flow of communication between these hundreds of Cyclones them, and while they are doing so, the command bridge became busy as they relayed information with the other crew members as they happened.... basing their maneuver over their tactics upon their captain's commands.
"Hear my order: obliterate the enemies."
There was no tone of remorse or compassion on D'Catch's voice. There was only the cold and unbridled killing intent.
He hated the fact that he'd been made fun of all those years. He had learned a grave mistake in that realization... and it is to never ever side yourself on people who only know how to take advantage of others.
Learning of Sivas circumstances and changing sides as early as back then, he was thankful that the Armstrong Family name wouldn't be tarnished on his generation because of this blunder.
Hands at his back, he gazed at the city in the far distance while watching hundreds of trailing lights aiming forth on the rising red smokes down below like countless autonomous thinking missiles.
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The Mustache is MAD!!!
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Next Chapter: A Godly Colossus creates chaos!
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