“Aaaaah—!!”
A terrifying roar echoed beyond the iron bars. Even the magicians of the Information Corps could not help but shudder at the instinctual fear that any living person would feel.
It wasn’t as if they hadn’t killed people before or hadn’t performed all sorts of vile tortures.
Yet, what was unfolding before their eyes was something even they found hard to accept. Of course, their leader, Inspector Yegor Ivanov, wore a curious smile.
“Wonderful.”
“Inspector Comrade, I am grateful for your approval.”
Major Karl Schumann, the manager of the Limansk Arsenal, bowed his head and spoke. Although originally not from the Soviev military, Karl Schumann’s degree had been recognized, and he now oversaw the experiments as a major.
“But isn’t this just a massacre? They are indeed fierce and brutal, but they are not the warriors His Majesty desires.”
“I anticipated you would say that, so I prepared accordingly.”
As Karl Schumann gestured, a soldier nearby pulled a lever. The massive gears meshed on the other side, and a group of armed men and women appeared.
They were all visibly terrified.
“Who are they?”
“Thieves caught in the vicinity. Only those with relatively healthy bodies were selected among them.”
“The equipment is Western standard? These are the weapons you brought?”
“You’re as skilled as ever. Those are the weapons directly plundered from Okhraine. We have the blueprints, but it’s a shame to just leave them unused.”
“You’ve worked hard.”
The major grinned chillingly and clapped his hands. Another soldier, who had pulled a lever before, pulled yet another one.
Then,
The barrier that had been isolating the monsters and test subjects from the criminals slowly rose.
“Kraaaah…, Kyaah!!!”
A mutant, smelling fresh meat, scratched its neck and charged before the barrier fully opened.
Boom!! The shockwave was felt even from a distance. The sheer force of the impact was equivalent to merely colliding with a body.
“d*mn you bastards!! We were told to leave them alone!! We did everything as instructed!”
Finally, an enraged man fired his weapon at Major Schumann, but the magic barrier activated, deflecting the b*llet harmlessly.
A dense magical barrier that could withstand immense physical forces.
The man didn’t give up and fired several more shots, but it was clear that nothing would change their fate.
This was a barrier as solid as Major Karl Schumann’s 1st-grade yellow magician status.
“Kraaah, Kyaah—!!”
“Fck, fck!”
“Mom, save me!! Mom!!”
As mutants squeezed through the gaps in the barrier, the armed test subjects continuously fired their rifles.
Bang! Bang!!
Western Standard .45 caliber rounds from Summerfield rifles. Though capable of piercing human flesh and even bear hides, these rounds did little damage to the mutants.
Bullets that pierced their skin bounced back. Even with flesh hanging off and eyes caved in, mutants stood resolutely.
And then, when their ammunition ran out,
“Kraaaahhh!!”
The laboratory was drenched in the flesh and bl**d of innocent victims. Screams cut short, each swing of a hand bursting a person apart.
It was exactly as it sounded.
Just a simple punch transformed someone into an unrecognizable form.
“…….”
Several companions of Inspector Yegor Ivanov lowered their heads at the gruesome scene. It was a sight even they struggled to endure.
And finally, after devouring the last victim’s head,
Major Schumann released gas into the laboratory. Purple gas poured in, causing the frenzied mutants to collapse.
“This is sleep gas. As it’s still a prototype, we can only sedate them this way.”
“That needs some improvement. When deployed externally, they won’t be easily subdued by gas.”
“Of course. We’re also considering injecting drugs directly into the head for control.”
“Still, the results are quite satisfactory. Weak Westerners will wet themselves upon seeing such formidable imperial warriors.”
This is the top-secret project ‘Super Soldier’ being conducted by the Soviev Empire, also known as the SolDot Project.
Despite being a powerful nation with a large army, the gap between the Soviev Empire and the continuously advancing liberalists from the West was narrowing.
Unlike the West, which could use vast plains and oceans as resources, the Soviev Empire, with its rugged mountainous terrain, could only watch helplessly.
Thus, the Emperor issued a special command:
“To create soldiers as powerful as archmages.”
An archmage is an enormous weapon for a nation. Their mere presence serves as a deterrent in military actions.
Ordinary archmages possess strength comparable to a full legion.
While they may not change the outcome of a war, a few of them gathered together could turn unfavorable situations around, becoming terrifying weapons.
The SolDot Project aimed to mass-produce such ‘infantry’ soldiers.
“When do you think the next results will come in?”
“In about three months.”
“I’ll visit again then.”
Inspector Yegor Ivanov was satisfied. This project had barely begun.
Even so, given this level of progress, after a few years of preparation, it could be confidently deployed in actual combat.
Trusting Major Karl Schumann with the project had been the right choice.
“By the way, regarding the pearl from Okhraine, do you have any idea what they intended to use it for?”
“Well, it seems they didn’t do much. The artifact’s magical circuit was slightly exposed. Just a superficial look.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, if we had made blueprints like a rough draft. Research hasn’t progressed much further. While the Pearl of Dawn grants power akin to an archmage to those who understand magic…”
“I know that much. It’s only slightly better than an archmage’s toe.”
“Yes, so our side considers it a low-priority artifact. No matter their intentions, they won’t replicate our technology.”
Yegor Ivanov nodded. Regardless, it was an artifact. What Okhraine intended was unknown, but once it was stolen, there was nothing the enemy could do.
Surely, it wouldn’t be an artifact worth crossing mountains to steal.
“It’s fine to use it as research material and discard it later.”
“Thank you, Inspector Comrade.”
“Not at all. The empire should thank you. Comrade Karl.”
The two officers laughed heartily, their eyes fixed on the emperor’s orders and their own interests, disregarding the carnage before them.
Such madness was truly bone-chilling.
At that moment,
Bang!!
A faint gunshot. Or perhaps some other mechanical sound. Inspector Yegor Ivanov’s ears twitched.
Next, the pale-faced commander of the guard platoon rushed into the lab, shouting.
“Intruders! There’s chaos above ground, comrades!”
“Intruders? Have any been identified?”
“I don’t know. Are they from Red October or others?!”
Bang! Bang!! Gunfire now came in bursts. Given the enclosed underground facility, the sounds were muffled, suggesting intense combat right above them.
“Huh…!”
Major Karl Schumann sighed.
“Do they make a fuss because we captured a few to experiment on? Such fearless fools.”
“The guard barracks and sentry posts have already been subdued! Now is not the time to panic! Destroy all related materials and flee immediately…!!”
“Comrade Commander.”
The commander, startled by the cold voice, stepped back.
“Flee? Surely you know how important this facility is.”
“Then shouldn’t we destroy or transport the data immediately?”
“No. Let them escape.”
Inspector Yegor Ivanov asked Major Schumann.
“How many soldiers are ready?”
“Three, excluding the prototypes.”
“Release them all. We need to see how they perform on a free stage, not just a staged one.”
In a way, this was a great opportunity. Red October was a counterorganization with some structure.
If they could eliminate the rebels and obtain SolDot’s experimental data, it would be a win-win situation.
“If they d*e, they won’t even be called SolDots. Clearly, improvements are needed.”
Yegor Ivanov nodded, folding his arms.
“But if we could wipe out all those rebels… This incident at the arsenal would become a legendary event in the history of the Soviev Empire’s weaponry.”
His cold, frightening eyes locked onto Major Schumann.
“I understand your intention.”
The major chuckled and pulled all remaining levers. The mutants trapped inside burst out of the laboratory.
Like a monster, growling and roaring, they began chasing the gunfire from above.
—
