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43.75% Time.Travel() / Chapter 70: Progress

Chapter 70: Progress

"What is it?" I ask the Chief Fabricator.

I hope its good news, but he might be calling me because of an emergency.

"Our newest recruit was assigned on the Portal Gun project, and he looked over the runes and our prototypes. I can hardly believe it, but his notes and his reasoning are sound. From what we know, his design could be the key to completing this project." Alan declares.

My jaw drops. The Rosewoods were recruited a few hours ago, and they already proved to be more than useful. The Portal Gun project is the key to the survival of the Order, and its completion is a requirement for our future military campaigns.

"Got it, I'll go back to Earth in a few moments. Prepare a secure room where we can talk freely." I say before hanging up and checking on Terrence to see if I don't have to teleport more supplies.

To my relief, I don't have to do anything. So I teleport back to my home. I take a moment to survey the surroundings and realize that I can't really call this place my home anymore. There are fortifications everywhere, and numerous buildings have been built into the impregnable fortress that my property has turned into. And not to mention the busy cultists running around, working hard to keep the Order safe and achieving my grand designs.

I arrive at Alan's workshop, and he nods once he sees me. Phillip flanks him. He's now clad in the standard uniform of the Incandescent Fabricators. There are also a few armed Legionaries.

"Prometheus!" all the cultists, except Phillip, salute in unison.

I nod and turn towards the leader of the Fabricators, "Let's go discuss the subject in a more private area, shall we?" They all nod and head into what l assume is Alan's office. I know that all those precautions might seem excessive considering our heavy defenses, but I'd rather not take any unnecessary risks. It's especially true when something like the Portal Gun is concerned. From the data that I've gathered, the Portal Gun's mode of operation would offer us a significant advantage over the rest of the Hidden World.

Of course, this is assuming that we can finish it.

Alan flips a series of switches and types a few command lines onto the computer on his desk before sitting on his chair, and we sit down at the same time. "Mr. Rosewoods, please explain your theory to Prometheus."

The old man glances at me and rolls his eyes. He looks fed up with the Order's 'enthusiasm' regarding my supposedly divine nature.

I can hardly blame him, but I bet he would have a good laugh if he knew the truth.

Phillip nods and grabs a small remote while a crude three-dimensional model appears out of nowhere. "I looked at the notes of the Order, and at the design of the original Portal Gun." He says before pressing a button on the remote, causing a detailed model of the Portal Gun to appear. "You are all familiar with this. It's the basis for this project." He presses a button, and red circles appear over the purple Magicite crystals embossed into the cylinders of the antique firearm.

"To continue, I'll have to explain my theory about something I call the Improbability Factor." The graying man cough, "I'm sure everyone here is familiar with what we call magic can do, and how extraordinary the feats it can accomplish are. But have you ever thought about why it was able to accomplish such miracles? I did, and I spend a good chunk of my youth trying to understand the core fundamentals of magic."

I lean forward. This presentation is going to be interesting! Maybe understanding the origin of magic will help me understand why my body doesn't contain a drop of mana.

"I won't bore you with the details, but my studies revealed that one thing is consistent with every manner of using magic." Phillip continues, "No matter how esoteric or complex it is. The stronger the spell, the higher the power requirement."

Duh. Even I was able to figure out that much.

"But let me finish before you shout at me for wasting your time!" the new Fabricator makes a wry smile and survey the audience. "There's where the Improbability Factor comes into play. From my observations, I deduced that the cost of magic depends on how much it violates the laws of physics. This can be measured in what I call the Improbability Factor. The higher that factor is, the higher the mana requirement."

I nod; it makes sense when I think about it. But I wonder what it has to do with the Portal Gun? In my eyes, there isn't anything as improbable as teleporting around. But it's a common sight in the Hidden World.

Philip points at the red circles on the model, "My research also allowed me to discover what I think is the key to the Portal Gun project. To put it simply, everything we see in manuals or on the HiddenNet about needing certain reagents and intricate rituals, about needing very complex runes that are impossible to engrave for the majority of the population. All of it is hogwash. It's pure lies and deceptions."

I raise an eyebrow. This is an interesting proposition, but I remain skeptical. There's no way that the entire Hidden World sticks to something as impractical as the runes and rituals if there's a better option.

"Well, what we know as a standard practice is not false. It's more of a misconception about how magic works. Most people think that all those procedures are a requirement for the spell to work properly. But what they are doing is merely reducing the mana requirement to more manageable levels." Phillip taps the model with a single finger. "It's why the Portal Gun works. Despite the incredibly low efficiency of the engravings, the massive power output of the five purple Magicite crystals is higher than the insanely high Improbability Factor of the Portal Gun."

I am speechless. Phillip's theory might not be correct, but it is a solid explanation as to why I was able to achieve interdimensional teleportation by engraving random words onto a mundane piece of steel.

"So what you are saying is that we could write the word 'Explosion' on a piece of paper and, provided that we supply it enough power, we could use it to blow up the planet?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

A big smile creeps onto the old man's face, "Yes! But the power requirement would be so high that you would need something like an entire planet made of Magicite to achieve such a feat."

I see. I never thought that magic could be so normal and simplistic.

"But, assuming that your theory is true, the runes are still worth our time since they help to greatly reduce the Improbability factor, right?" I ask.

"Of course. But in our case, it isn't going to help much. I don't know any runes that can achieve such incredible results as the Portal Gun. We could make a working portable Gun with runes, but it would be bulky and costly. Not to mention that it would have nowhere near the capabilities of the original design. We would be lucky if we could go on the other side of the continent with such a thing." The Fabricator declares.

The version of the Portal Gun he just described would be useless considering that we need interdimensional capabilities.

"But I have a solution to our problem. It might be unorthodox, but it isn't like this group follows established trends." Phillip grins before going back to the first crude model. I observe it in more details. Four massive blue pillars are surrounding a rounded steel cone. From what I can see, long wires are leading to a few server racks and a couple of screens and keyboards.

"This is what Mr. Carter's team and I came up with. We call it the Portal Station! It's a scaled-up version of your Portal Gun, but it has several key differences. First of all, it can only work with coordinates. You can't just aim it and shoot. This is why there are multiple terminals and top of the line server racks to handle all the fine computation, to make the machine able to handle hundreds of thousands of portals at once." Philip explains.

I whistle in admiration. If this can work, then we would be nigh unstoppable when it comes to mobility.

"But the Station isn't the only thing we came up with." Phillip changes the displayed model to what looks like a printed circuit board with a thick black plastic antenna, and a piece of Magicite is embedded in the center of the device. "This is what we call a Portal Transmitter. It's based on the security protocols the Order uses for its phones. We should be able to use it to transmit coordinates to the Portal Station not matter the Transmitter's location."

This is very InTeResTinG. I can already think of a few weapons using such a device. Home delivered cluster bombs, guaranteed less than two minutes delivery!

"But there's more!" This time, something that looks like a flashlight appears. "This is an attachment for the rifle of the Legionaries. It acts as a laser pointer, rangefinder, and it can also act as a Portal Gun." Alan declares with a proud smile, "All the heavy lifting will be done by the Portal Station, so we were able to reduce the size of the device."

I grin, a standard issue Portal Gun is beyond my wildest dreams. Images of my Legion teleporting around while taking out our enemies fill me wItH GlEe.

"Don't get me wrong, all of this sound incredible." I make a wry smile, "But there has to be a catch, right? There's no way that such large pillars of Magicite are freely available."

"You're right," Philip slightly deflates, "The Magicite we need is High-Grade, so it isn't going to be sold on normal channels. Not to mention that we need such a large amount that buying it would cripple our finances and earn us the attention of powerful parties. And from what I understand, we don't have the time to explore a planet that may contain such wonders."

As I thought, there's something that gets in the way. However, the knowing grin of Phillip tells me that he knows more than he lets on.

"Something tells me you have a plan," I say, and the old man nods.

"Of course, my plan will allow us to kill two birds with one stone. We will be able to gain the Magicite needed for the Portal Station, and we'll also weaken our enemies." Mr. Rosewoods declares.

Weaken our enemies? I LiKe tHaT PlAn!

I raise an eyebrow, "I have to remind you that the majority of the Legion is currently away on the Shard campaign, so e won't be able to assign any meaningful amount of personnel to the mission."

Phillip nods, "It won't be a problem. My plan is simple. We just need to rob a certain Family. The four pillars we need are used as a fountain ornament, so we should be able to steal it without too much difficulty."

I refrain from hiding my face in my palms. The Enforcers are so wealthy that the four pillars of High-Grade Magicite are used as fountain ornaments?!

"Then what's your plan? I want to hear every single detail." I declare. As much as I want it, I don't know if the Order is ready to confront a Family directly. I can fight them, but that's because I have the Rewinder. My soldiers are, for the most part, regular people with rifles.

So I'm not too confident about sending my soldiers against mythical creatures who can teleport behind them in a millisecond. And, as if it wasn't enough, our enemies are also able to launch deadly spells that will turn us into ash.

Not to mention that attacking an Enforcer Family will bring us into the limelight, something that I can't afford to happen right now. It will be a different matter once the Portal Station is complete and we relocated our main base of operation in the Shard, but its suicide in our current situation.

*But we need to attack if we want to make the station, so what should I do?*

Phillip, who interprets my silence as the signal to continue, explains his plan. "I know it might sound crazy, but we should burn them all to cinders from a helicopter. First of all, we would bombard their barrier with MH Shells. We need to be swift, so we might need to make a special weapon for that purpose. But from what I saw, the Fabricators shouldn't have a problem with it. They'll be able to make something in less than a day."

So far it seems to be doable. But what worries me is the next part. We don't have enough troops to engage a Family safely, so I'm curious to see how he's going to solve that problem.

He takes a deep breath, "My daughter has the capabilities to launch something akin to a Strategic spell. I don't know what kind of enchantments are on the helicopters, but it shouldn't be too hard to retrofit them with various stealth enchantments if they don't have them. And if it isn't enough, I think that Mr. Carter has a solution for us."

So we're going to bombard a Family with a draconic hybrid? And there's another sentence I never thought I would ever say. But it still sounds cool, and it could help with our propaganda.

Or this plan could backfire and cause the Enforcers to band against us. But I don't have a choice. We need the Magicite.

I then turn towards the Chief Fabricator with a raised eyebrow.

He scratches the back of his head and prompts Phillip to press a button on the remote, causing a basketball sized steel ball covered in holes to appear. "It's nothing much, I came up with the idea during lunchtime and made a quick model. Just in case we ever need it. You see the holes on the ball? There are MH Shells shoved inside, and the detonation mechanism triggers all of them at once. The idea was to create a large mana explosion, and-"

"That's amazing." I interrupt the Fabricator and look at him with a bright smile. There must be close to a hundred Shells in this thing, and the deStRuCtiOn it will cause will bring a sMiLe tO mY FaCe. "So you plan to drop a ton of those on the Enforcers to utterly vaporize them, correct?" Phillip nods, so I continue, "It will allow our troops to be safe, and we would be able to secure certain rare materials... All right, you convinced me."

I turn towards Alan, "Go and print as many of those bombs as we can but don't hog all our production capability. I'll leave it to you to name those weapons."

"It's a great honor, thank you Prometheus!" Alan shouts while saluting.

"As for you," I say while focusing on Phillip, "I want you to go over our helicopters. You will be tasked with designing and manufacturing a modular stealth package for our vehicles. I want four helicopters ready."

The old man nods, "I can do that, but I need some time. If everything goes well, it should be ready in two to three days."

"All right, then it's settled. We'll start the campaign in three days, so everyone gets ready!" I say, and everyone in the room nods and salute before I teleport away. I am tempted to call Terrence to get his opinion on the campaign. But the man is already handling the Shard campaign on his own, so I'll leave him alone.

And the upcoming battle will be a good test of my leadership capabilities. My goal for this mission is to utterly crush the Enforcers, and stop any information about our existence getting out before we are ready to face the inevitable coalition of Enforcers that will follow once the world knows about us.

I take a deep breath and look at the ceiling. Will everything be all right? Phillip's plan is sound, and the Family we are going to wipe out shouldn't be able to do anything against our shielded helicopters.

But a lot of things might go wrong. One wrong move and I could send a lot of people, I included, to their graves. I can always Rewind, but I would like it if I didn't have to. I will not be able to micro-manage every campaign, so it's better if I learn how to minimize casualties now instead of later.

However, something that keeps me motivated is what we'll be able to accomplish once the Portal Station is complete. It won't be an exaggeration in saying that it will redefine warfare.

At least it will redefine warfare for us. The Enforcers should be used to such assaults. And I don't doubt that some of those bastards have countermeasures for my portals.

Something else that worries me a lot is the Shard campaign. Our future hinges on its success, and I pretty much allowed Terrence to act as he sees fit. So I hope that he will not go overboard and act reasonably. It wouldn't be funny if he angered some powerful lumbering beast or old machine.

Fighting ancient evils is beyond taxing for my body and my sanity.

*So let's hope that it doesn't happen again.*

Sometimes I think that letting a devout cultist handle a military campaign without supervision might not be the greatest idea ever, but I'm sure that it will be fine.

I'm just worrying about nothing, right?


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Onch Onch

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Chapter 71: Shard

...Terrence's PoV...

I take a deep breath and overlook the soldiers lined up in front of me. It's been two days since Prometheus left, and the preparations for purging the Shard are complete. Personally, I would have liked if he was here. But he's busy with another critical campaign so I won't bother him.

"Legionaries!" I shout as loudly as I can, the soldiers all look at me with determination. Even the newly recruited Ilffs are participating. Most of them volunteered.

It's nice to see that the Promethean Truth has spread to this backward civilization, and I'm glad that they didn't damn their souls by worshiping some false gods. The creation of the Inquisition wasn't something that I expected, but Prometheus handled it perfectly as usual. The new Inquisition already more than proved its worth. The public order in the Tunnels is impeccable, and the integration of the local population into our Order is going smoothly.

But now we have to focus on our first serious campaign since we found Prometheus.

"Our enemies call themselves the Green Ones! Their existence is an insult to Prometheus, and we must cleanse the world of their filth!" I declare, and an enthusiastic roar echoes into the camp. I've heard the stories that the Ilffs had about the Green Ones, and I can understand why Prometheus wants to annihilate those degenerates.

"It's time for the Legion to prove it's worth to Prometheus! We do not want to waste the gifts he has so generously given to us!" Another collective shout reaches my ears, and I suppress a smile.

*It's good that the troops have good morale, and I hope it'll stay that way.*

The Legion handled the Green Ones' expeditionary force well, but it was all thanks to Prometheus' foresight. Who knows what could've happened if we were caught by surprise? We wouldn't have suffered any casualties thanks to Prometheus' shield, but I prefer to never underestimate our enemies.

"You know your orders! Legionaries, go and cleanse the Shard!" the squads move in unison and leave the Tunnels with great coordination under the watchful eyes of the Inquisitors and the populace of the Tunnels who are spouting messages of encouragement.

I then enter a new large tent in the middle of the camp; it's going to act as a command center for our campaigns in the Shard. The few liaison officers responsible for the various fronts of the war salute me before sitting back down and observing the terminal in front of them.

Taanyth told me everything he knew about the Green Ones. Their main base of operation is a collapsed portion of underground tunnels in an isolated part of the Shard. Fighting an unknown enemy in close quarters is going to be tough, but we should manage if the Legion sticks to their orders.

Our plan of action consists of attacking the camp of the Green Ones from two fronts at once, so their sentries should be overwhelmed pretty quickly. We'll then encroach upon their main base. The resulting pincer attack should take care of any resisting force they send out, and then we'll have free access to their headquarters.

And we will turn them all into Swiss cheese!

...John's PoV...

"Come on, this is ridiculous..." I mutter as I slide my hand on the surface of the brand new weapon. The Fabricators named it the 'Barrier Breaker', and I can understand why. Not even the strongest barrier would last more than a second against the onslaught of such a terrifying weapon.

"Adapting the design to the MH Shells was a bit harder than I anticipated, but we somehow managed to make a working gun," Alan says while pointing towards the metallic monstrosity.

"I don't doubt it, that thing is beyond ridiculous." I glance at the testing range, or rather what's left of it.

The aptly named Barrier Breaker is an insane weapon. It's a minigun made to fire MH Shells.

The massive weapon is carted into the helicopter that has been modified to house the gun. The interior of the vehicle is cramped and has been stripped bare to accommodate the Barrier Breaker and its crates of ammunition, not to mention the Stealth Package that Phillip developed.

The Stealth Package isn't as imposing as the Barrier Breaker, but it's still a neat piece of technology. The main body is a rather mundane looking steel cube hooked to a tablet, but the real complexity lies into the large electrode-like devices glued to the hull of the helicopter.

According to the Fabricator, they are capable of creating a sort of local stealth field that will disturb the mana signatures to make them unrecognizable. The device can also make our position fuzzy for most mapping spells, but I was told to not rely on that feature too much. Good mapping spells and experienced mages will see right through the stealth field, but I can't blame Phillip for that.

It's already extraordinary that he designed and built something like the Stealth Package in such a short period.

But the Stealth Package's impressive list of features doesn't stop there; there's also a cloaking mode. It makes us almost invisible to the naked eye by distorting the light around the vehicle. It's nice to have, even if most of the Families should be able to see right through it. And last but not least, the Stealth package also includes a sound muffling mode. It's perfect for our helicopters since they make a lot of noise.

A fleet of four helicopters has been readied for this mission, and they are all equipped with the Stealth Package. The aircraft carrying the Barrier Breaker will be surrounded by the other three since its less mobile than its counterparts. However, two other helicopters are almost as sluggish since they have been equipped with two bomb droppers protruding through the sides in addition to the standard M2 machine gun.

These helicopters are filled to the brim with Carter Bombs. It's how the Chief Fabricator decided to name the MH Shell-based bombs he developed.

And I'll be riding in the last helicopter along with Mary and the rest of the troops. Each modified helicopter can only carry three soldiers, so the remaining five will be riding with us.

Yes, I'm planning to take on a Family with only fourteen soldiers, Mary and I not included.

It might sound insane, but I have no other choice since the rest must defend the camp. It wouldn't be funny if we came back to see that the rest of the Order has been massacred and our research stolen.

"So, are we expecting anything out of the ordinary?" I ask Phillip. The Family we are going to fight are not wealthy by Enforcer standards, and they have a small territory so their soldiers shouldn't be anything to worry about.

The Fabricator shakes his head, "No, they were inconsequential vassals of a branch Family of the Scalebound. But the Incident made them easy prey. Now they are, as far as I know, without allies."

Those fucking lizards always find a way to piss me off, even after their deaths.

"Got it, then I shouldn't worry too much..." I mutter before boarding the helicopter.

Being optimistic isn't something that I can afford, but I think I can at least relax a little and enjoy the light show. Speaking of a light show, Mary Rosewoods is sitting right next to me. She has been assigned to a special unit in the Legion which is supposed to be specialized in large-scale destruction.

"Are you nervous?" I ask the draconic hybrid. The woman nods and smile, revealing her pointy teeth.

"Of course not! I am really excited to finally strike back at the Enforcers!" she replies while clenching her fists. "And I bet I can kill more than your bombs!" Mary laughs while pointing towards the bombing helicopters.

I smirk and nudge her side, "You wish! Those Carter bombs will surpass anything you've ever seen, and I bet you're going to be more than impressed by what's coming!"

She licks her lips, "A bet? All right, I'll take you on! But what do I get if I win?"

*Making a bet with a time traveler? That's not a good decision!*

"I will make you a custom weapon if you win. But if I win, I expect you to agree to certain demands." I say after leaning back. This bet is the perfect opportunity to get a sample of draconic blood for experiments, and that way I won't have to force her to obey.

"Agree with certain demands? I see... Then it's a deal!" she nods with flushed cheeks.

This woman likes fighting a lot. It's a bit frightening.

But the guy whose soul split in two because of his insanity isn't one to talk when it comes to battle-frenzy.

"Are we ready?" I ask on the radio, and the pilots all answer positively. "All right, then let's begin the operation!"

"Yes! For Prometheus!" they shout in unison and the few cultists who are watching our departure saluting while yelling.

I'll be honest; their blind fanaticism is sometimes quite endearing.

"All right people, engage Stealth Mode!" I shout in the radio, and the Legionary near the device nods before fiddling with the tablet. The air around the helicopters starts to wobble and hum before stabilizing. The other helicopters disappear from my vision. The surroundings are a bit distorted; it's like I'm looking through a glass.

"Stealth Mode initialized." A synthetic voice followed by a single note informs us that the Stealth Package is engaged. I take a deep breath and sigh, the engines of the helicopters have been upgraded so we are way faster than what a regular chopper should be able to do, but it's still going to take some time to reach our destination.

...Terrence's PoV...

"Contact!" a voice echoes in one of the radios, and I grip the sides of my chair.

"Engage the enemy! Fire at will!" I shout to the liaison officer who relays my orders.

I glance at the aerial view of the battlefield which is provided by drones. Our pincer movement worked well, and the Legion was able to infiltrate the enemy camp with relative ease. What I see through the cameras of the flying devices makes my blood boil. Malnourished people bound by rusty chains covered in dried blood are shambling around, their lifeless eyes not registering the presence of the marching Legion.

*How can someone be so cruel?*

The Codex is pretty clear on this point. Needless cruelty isn't something endorsed by Prometheus, and it has been the cause of many conflicts back then.

'Being cruel to your enemies isn't the solution, it only helps to build resentment and motivates them even more. Killing them all is usually the best course of action.' I recall a certain passage of the holy book and sigh. Purging those sinners is one thing, but how many of these slaves will be of any use? They are beyond broken, and it's likely that it would take years to heal the scarred mind of the most severe cases.

And there's no guarantee that they'll serve any purpose after all the time and resources we would have wasted to save them.

The Order doesn't have the time nor the resources to heal them, so I'll have to sort through the victims once we are done. Better be merciful to the ones who are too far gone, and save our time for those that might be useful.

I hide a smirk. I'm glad for the creation of the Administration since I won't have to handle the cumbersome sorting myself. Being efficient with resources, be they human or material, is something that the Codex insists on. And as a member of the Order Of The First Flame, I have to uphold the value of the holy book.

"We breached the barracks!" An officer reports, so I focus on the battle displayed in front of my eyes. A group of Legionaries has entered a rather large concrete building.

"Good, begin clearing protocols!" I order and focus on the green creatures hiding in the large hole that is their base. They are unaware of the drones since they would have shot them down.

How pathetic.

A smile creeps on my face as the battle progress. The Green Ones are probably scared beyond measures, and the ones they force out to take a look at the battlefield are immediately shot through the head, causing even more panic to spread in their ranks. Bigger Green Ones wearing higher-quality equipment are trying to maintain order, but they are failing, and the panicked green creatures are unable to organize.

It's a good thing for us, especially considering that we are slowly encroaching towards the hole.

At first, I was worried about close quarter combat in an unknown building, but it looks like the majority of their forces had the brilliant idea to go outside to check on the commotion we are causing.

If you want to make my job easier, then I won't stop you!

A group of smaller than usual Green Ones chained together are forced outside the meager protection that the hole offers. They can barely hold their rusty swords which are too big for them, and I click my tongue as they are gunned down.

Are they seriously sending their children out to die?! How despicable!

I can't praise Prometheus enough to allow me to remove such filth!

The units are quickly approaching the objective. Not even ten minutes pass before they are all at their designated positions.

"All right! Load MH Shells!" I shout, "Take aim! Fire!" A burst of raw, untamed mana surges from the holy rifles of the Legionaries. The pained squeals of the Green Ones quickly vanish when they are erased from existence.

"There are still stragglers! Fire another burst!" Another volley tears through the fleeing ranks of the Greens Ones who are desperately retreating into the hole they call home.

"Good, now secure the perimeter!" I say. The battle is going well so far, but the enemy could be planning a counterattack right now.

We need to act quickly, for the sake of Prometheus!

"By the way, how are things going on the other front?" I ask a particular officer.

"Things are going well, although there are not a lot of movement at all. It seems like the locals are not going outside, which is a bit weird considering what we've seen so far," he replies.

I nod, it may be a coincidence, but I don't like the fact that our soldiers are moving around in empty streets. They'll stick out and be prime targets for the remnants. And from what we did to them, it wouldn't surprise me if they attempted something foolish. But we should be prepared, although I don't know what they might be hiding. The lost technology buried in the walls of the Shard is a big unknown. So we might be attacked with some unexpected firepower.

But I'm sure that Prometheus's shields will protect our men no matter what the gangs throw at us. After all, nothing could beat the works of a living divinity like Prometheus.

"Good, keep patrolling and stick to the perimeter. We don't want to provoke them until we're ready to wipe them out." I reply while focusing on the events unfolding on the large screen.

The Legionaries are setting up machine gun nests near the most traveled paths out of the hole in case the Green Ones attempt another offensive. In the meantime, the rest of the men are getting ready to breach the enemy base. They know that we are here, and they are probably setting up barricades. But I can deduce from the newest structures around the hole that their architectural capabilities are severely limited. The Green Ones are only able to stack remains of old buildings together in unsafe structures that could crumble at any moment.

For instance, the barracks we assaulted earlier was almost a bigger risk than the soldiers who were sleeping inside.

So I'm not too worried about not being able to progress into the hole, what worries me is how they know the layout of the area better than us. They could ambush us thanks to a hidden tunnel, or collapse the hallway that our men are exploring.

Either way, we have to go in and clean up the remaining Green Ones. I ordered the Legion to shoot on sight, even if it will mean that we'll kill the slaves. We can't risk our men for the lives of potentially useless people.

Prometheus needs soldiers, not leeches.

"Sir, the men are ready to breach!" an officer relay. I take a deep breath and look over the battlefield one last time. From now on, the drones will not be able to give me an overall view of the battlefield. It will be harder to coordinate the strikes, and we'll have to rely on the cameras that the soldiers are carrying to get a better grasp on the situation.

I've been the Commander of the Legion for a while, so I know that this type of warfare is one of the deadliest. But most of the men we sent on this particular assaults are veterans with many years of service under their belts, so they will know how to react in any situation.

But this is only true as long as we are not facing some world-ending threat. But I doubt we'll encounter anything of such a caliber, if the Green Ones had something like that then they would have already deployed it.

So the rest of the Green Ones shouldn't be hard to handle.


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Onch Onch

Want to read up to 15 chapters in advance and support Time.Travel()? Check me out on P.atreon at www(dot)p.atreon(dot)com(slash)Onch

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