Meanwhile, Lieutenant Nikolai Hilbert of the Second Platoon, who was searching another passage, felt something amiss.
It’s too quiet. Too quiet.
Though it was supposed to be an infiltration, that only applied to subduing the ground facilities. Given the tremendous gunfire heard during the process of suppressing the troops, there was a high probability that the underground enemies had established their defenses unless they were idiots.
So he proceeded with utmost caution… yet…
Even after more than ten minutes since entering the underground facility, not a single trace of the enemy or even a sign of life could be felt.
“Has anyone from the First or Third Platoon contacted us?”
“No, sir.”
“Hmm…”
He hadn’t heard any news about securing the artifact. He felt uneasy, but there was no choice but to proceed.
If he withdrew his troops solely based on his own intuition, it could become an unexpected variable for other platoons conducting operations elsewhere.
Nikolai couldn’t bear the thought of what might happen because of this.
“Continue moving forward.”
“Yes, sir.”
At the platoon commander’s words, the soldiers ran forward in a line. They were scouts.
Unlike the First Platoon which moved in squads, the Second Platoon under Nikolai’s command formed several scout teams and sent them to different sectors. After receiving reports from these scouts, the entire platoon would move together.
In such a complex and narrow underground area, having many people rush around would not be beneficial.
Securing the clock was difficult enough, and with powerful enemy firepower concentrated, it could result in massive losses.
Of course, if the opposing force brought in a large army or unleashed some monster, the situation would change. But this was still the factory, wasn’t it?
The forces guarding the ground facilities were at most a company level, so it was unlikely that there were many troops stationed underground.
This was how Nikolai Hilbert judged it. As he slowly advanced with his subordinates, checking every corner of the passage.
Bang—!
A gunshot rang out, sending a chill through his nerves. It was close.
“The scouts must be in trouble?”
There was no way he could have misjudged the direction. Nikolai and his deputy looked at each other, and the deputy tried to figure out what was happening.
Bang, bangbang!!
The gunshots grew more frequent. Amidst the gunfire, shouts could be heard. Before Nikolai could react, three scouts from the second squad rushed out of the passage.
“Sir!”
“What happened?!”
“It’s a monster—!!”
With a desperate cry, Randal from the second squad was thrown into the air. Thud! The soldier crashed to the ground with a horrifying sound.
“What the hell?!”
As soon as he saw the fallen comrade, a massive figure stood before him, covered in bl**d and breathing heavily. Lieutenant Nikolai Hilbert, startled, drew his pistol and fired.
Bang! Bang!!
The soldiers who had spread out behind him panicked as soon as the platoon leader started shooting. Without any specific orders, they began pulling the triggers.
The dim underground was illuminated by dozens of muzzle flashes.
But the creature did not fall. The giant continued advancing, absorbing the bullets with its body.
Seeing this terrifying sight, the training routines that the soldiers had practiced repeatedly vanished from their minds like they were erased.
“A monster! Save me!!”
“Aaah!!”
Finally, one soldier couldn’t stand the fear and fled, causing the formation to break. It was natural that a gap appeared in the fire network of the Second Platoon, which quickly became uncontrollable.
And this was precisely when the mutant had been waiting for.
“Aaaah!!”
The giant roared loudly. Just as its massive fist was about to strike down the fallen scout, a man dashed towards the giant, passing by Nikolai, who was hit by a violet electric current.
In the blink of an eye, he lunged at the giant, stabbing daggers into both of its eyes.
“!!”
Crack, crackcrack! Purple lightning shot out from the daggers embedded in the giant’s eyes, burning its eyes to a crisp. Blinded and in pain, the creature retreated.
Claude Rain, a second-grade purple mage and war hero, and Sergeant. The Second Platoon commander froze momentarily before regaining his senses and asking:
“Why is the First Platoon here?!”
“To catch this thing.”
Claude answered indifferently. Support forces weren’t just him. Several men came running from behind, panting heavily.
“Guh, guh…! Why didn’t you wait?”
“If we had waited, at least four of us would be dead. You’re alive because of me.”
“That’s true, but at least tell us the path…”
This was also Bella Meyer from the First Platoon.
Despite her labored breathing, she used mana to pull the soldiers groaning near the giant back to safety.
Intermediate blue magic, Floor Slide.
A gush of water from the floor pushed the soldiers outward, allowing them to escape safely from the giant’s influence.
Only then could Nikolai check the condition of his injured comrades.
“Is everyone okay?!”
But no one gave a proper response. They clearly weren’t in good shape. Everyone had at least a fracture.
The most severely injured was Randal, who was thrown into the air. His bones were fractured and protruding from his skin. He likely suffered internal injuries as well.
Seeing the poor condition, Bella Meyer immediately rushed to him to begin emergency treatment.
“Aaaaah!!”
The mutant was still not subdued. Nikolai calmly focused his mind and spoke to Claude.
“Is there a chance with magic?”
“Yes, this thing is perfect for fire or electricity. Look, it’s enjoying itself, dancing.”
“Ugh…”
Nikolai promptly gathered all his mages. Like ancient phalanx infantry, they lined up and unleashed a barrage of spells. With their vision blocked, there was nothing to fear from fighting.
The flames that suddenly rose engulfed the mutant, whose troll and yeti-like skin could not withstand the heat, curling inward.
Thud, the giant fell. The remaining flames danced on its skin.
“Now it’s done. We’ve secured the map too. If we continue straight and turn right, we’ll find the exit.”
“…Are you not coming with us, Sergeant?”
“We can’t leave until our commander does.”
He looked toward the end of the passage.
Major Luna Aire’s Third Platoon had already been instructed to withdraw before meeting the Second Platoon, so their mission was complete.
“Then I’ll take care of the wounded.”
“Don’t worry, go ahead.”
The only thing left was to rejoin his own platoon.
Claude tossed a final remark to Bella Meyer, who was tending to the wounded, and led his squad into the darkness.
*
“This makes two…”
Sergeant Erwin Ruth of the Third Platoon said as he climbed onto the fallen mutant. During the confrontation with additional mages, another mutant had been caught.
This one was much smaller and weaker compared to the first. Unlike the initial encounter where the entire platoon had to use its firepower, this one could be handled by just the Third and Fourth Platoons.
Erwin finally realized this was truly the product of human experimentation.
Their physique, appearance, and strength varied greatly.
They weren’t mass-produced like weapons; they retained some characteristics of the original person they were based on.
Disgusting creatures. Erwin sincerely cursed, flipping the dead mutant’s eyes closed.
Perhaps it had sought this rest too.
“Sir! Should we continue the assault?”
“No, Major Hilton. We’re retreating now. There’s no need to secure the entire facility.”
“Oh… So we’re not assaulting…”
Hilton Callia’s shoulders slumped, and his previously raised eyebrows lowered again.
‘Easy to understand.’
Though they were fellow platoon commanders, Hilton was a rather special person. Usually timid and stuttering, he transformed completely in battle.
“Our objective has been achieved. Unintentionally, we’ve exposed the Soviev Empire’s weaknesses. Now, we just need to retreat safely.”
“Did you hear that? Bring me a box to collect parts of this damned corpse!”
“Yes!”
As Erwin shouted, the Third Platoon members brought a small box they had retrieved from the warehouse.
Unlike the completely charred remains earlier, this time the remains were recognizable. This alone was enough to pressure the Soviev Empire.
Erwin was about to separate a piece of the mutant’s flesh with a short bayonet when a voice interrupted him.
“Not a good idea.”
“…”
Condensed air brushed past Erwin’s right shoulder. Had he not instinctively recoiled upon sensing the killing intent, his arm would have been severed.
Sharp green mana.
Wind magic.
“Who’s there?”
Erwin stood up, holding his wound. A pair of distinct red eyes appeared beyond the flickering candlelight in the corridor.
“Oops, missed.”
“Who are you?!”
“Calm down. How about a chat? Comrades from Okhraine.”
