Chapter 9: Encirclement

Description

The operation was set for three days later.

During those three days, Ling Ling accomplished a great deal.

Through Ye Fengxue’s connections, she acquired two full sets of tactical gear—black, form-fitting combat suits that were cut-resistant, stab-resistant, and capable of blocking ability detection to a certain degree. She also purchased a batch of single-use Ability Amplifiers from the black market. While each only lasted thirty minutes, they were enough to turn the tide at a critical moment.

She also spent an entire night using “Mimicry” to repeatedly practice several different appearances.

A tall, silver-haired woman with an ice-type ability. A short, brown-haired little girl with a speed-type enhancement. A middle-aged, blonde-haired noblewoman with an earth-type manipulation ability. Each one was “Bai Ye,” and yet none of them truly were.

They might not be needed, but being prepared was always better than being caught off guard.

“Sis,” Lin Jiu asked during dinner. “How many identities are you planning to use?”

“It depends on the situation.”

“If possible, I don’t want to expose all of them.”

“…Probably three to five.”

Lin Jiu tilted her head, thinking. “Should I change too?”

“You don’t need to.”

“Why not?”

“Your ability is too unique.” Ling Ling picked up a piece of braised pork and took a bite.

“Ability Silence plus Matter Reconstruction—that combination is far too rare. If you use it too often, you’ll be recognized.”

Lin Jiu nodded and didn’t ask further.

Three days passed by quickly.

The night of the operation.

At the border between District 7 and District 6 stood an abandoned industrial complex.

Twenty years ago, this area had been Akasha City’s most prosperous manufacturing hub. But with the rise of automated factories and industrial relocation, large sections of the factories were left abandoned, becoming natural strongholds for underworld forces.

Cradle’s Seventh Underground Facility was hidden beneath one of those abandoned factories.

One in the morning.

Five hundred meters from the outer perimeter of the abandoned factory, on the top floor of a derelict office building.

Ling Ling and Lin Jiu crouched behind a shattered window frame, observing the factory’s activity through night-vision binoculars.

“I see them,” Ling Ling said quietly.

In the shadows surrounding the factory, there were at least twenty tactical squad members from the Countermeasures Section. They were all wearing dark blue night combat gear, equipped with standard-issue weapons, and setting up a containment line.

Further away, on the rooftops, she spotted snipers. Judging by the shape of the specialized muzzle brakes on their rifles, they were anti-material sniper rifles specifically designed to target ability users.

“What about the Defense Department?” Lin Jiu asked.

“They should be further ahead.”

Ling Ling adjusted the focus on her binoculars. Sure enough, on the outer wall of the factory, she spotted several different figures. They wore dark gray combat uniforms, and their shoulder patches bore the Defense Department’s trident insignia. There were about fifteen of them, all B-rank or higher ability users.

And at the center of this group stood a giant of a man, over two meters tall.

He had the broad, Slavic bone structure typical of his heritage, with short-cropped gray-gold hair. His features were deep, rugged, and raw, with an old scar running across his chin. He wore no protective gear, only a tight black tactical vest that revealed his heavily muscled arms.

This man was none other than the S-rank ability user “Iron Wall,” Artyom Volkov.

Ling Ling’s gaze lingered on him for a few seconds before moving on.

“And Cradle?” Lin Jiu asked.

“No movement yet.”

“Do they know the Countermeasures Section is coming?”

“They should.” Ling Ling lowered her binoculars. “Cradle has been operating in Akasha City for years. They definitely have moles inside the Countermeasures Section. An operation of this scale can’t be hidden from them.”

“Then why don’t they move the Divine Relic?”

“…I don’t know.”

That was indeed what Ling Ling found most strange.

According to the Countermeasures Section’s intelligence, Cradle should have caught wind of this at least a week ago. If it were her, she would have already relocated the Divine Relic and all core researchers by now.

But they hadn’t.

They had merely reinforced their guards, dispatched one Knight of the Round Table, and waited quietly.

As if they were waiting for someone to arrive.

“…Interesting.”

As she said this, a flicker of light passed through her crimson eyes.

“Here we go again,” Lin Jiu murmured.

“Go where?”

“Every time Sis says ‘interesting,’ she ends up doing something crazy.”

“…No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No.”

“Yes. Last time Sis said ‘interesting,’ you infiltrated the Countermeasures Section’s database. The time before that, you copied Phantom’s ability. And the time before that…”

“…Shut up.”

Lin Jiu obediently closed her mouth, but her eyes were full of laughter.

Just then.

A loud explosion came from the factory.

Ling Ling immediately raised her binoculars.

The factory’s main gate had been blown open from the inside. It wasn’t an ordinary explosion—flames had erupted from the doorframe like a crimson python, instantly melting the iron-reinforced steel gate into molten metal.

And from within that surging sea of fire, a figure slowly walked out.

Red hair dancing in the heat waves, like blazing flames. She was about 1.7 meters tall, wearing a dark red long coat over a black, form-fitting combat suit. Her face was cold and severe, and her amber eyes burned like fire itself.

In her right hand, she carried a sword.

More precisely, it was a sword condensed from pure flames. Its temperature was so high that the surrounding air warped around it. The tip dragged along the ground, carving a molten groove into the concrete floor.

Surtr.

The Knight of the Round Table of Cradle. An S-rank ability user.

She walked out of the factory gate, standing amidst the ruins. Her amber eyes swept across the Countermeasures Section’s containment line. Then she spoke.

Her voice wasn’t loud, but everyone heard her clearly.

“Artyom.”

She called out the Iron Wall’s name.

“I know you’re here. Come out.”

Silence hung in the air for a few seconds.

From within the Countermeasures Section’s ranks, the giant over two meters tall stepped forward. His gait was steady, each step leaving a shallow imprint on the ground. His gray-blue eyes calmly regarded the red-haired woman across from him.

“Surtr.” His voice was low, like distant thunder. “You’ve been waiting for us here.”

“Of course,” Surtr smiled. “If you don’t dangle an enticing enough bait, how else are you going to lure out the Defense Department’s ‘Iron Wall’?”

“Bait?”

“The Divine Relic is indeed here.” Surtr raised her left hand and pointed at the ground. “But do you really think I’d let you take it that easily?”

Artyom’s brow furrowed slightly.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean—” Surtr raised the flaming sword in her right hand, pointing it straight at the sky. “—Tonight, this Seventh Underground Facility will be your grave!”

The moment the words left her mouth.

A large number of fully armed combatants surged out from all sides of the factory. They wore Cradle’s black combat uniforms and gas masks, and their weapons were all Cradle’s custom, standard-issue ability-powered armaments.

There were at least two hundred of them.

The Countermeasures Section’s containment line was instantly surrounded from the outside.