章 54: Mind Games
The storm had passed. The South Osean Sea was calm now, the black site lying quiet in the aftermath of our final battle with Zaitsev. Task Force Phoenix, Hitman Squadron, and the ground forces were regrouping on the island, the air heavy with a mix of relief and exhaustion. The wind still carried the faint scent of burning metal and ozone, but the battle was over.
Zaitsev had been captured, and the weapon that threatened to reshape the world had been shut down. But the victory felt strangely hollow. As we stood on the edge of the battlefield, watching as Zaitsev was led away in shackles, his words echoed in my mind: The world is about to change.
The man was dangerous, no doubt about that, but even in defeat, he had maintained a sense of control, as if he had planned for this moment. We had stopped his immediate threat, but the lingering feeling that this was just the beginning gnawed at me.
Rook stood beside me, her gaze fixed on Zaitsev as he was escorted into a transport craft. Raven was near her, silent but always close, her presence steady. The bond between them had grown stronger with each mission, and now, after everything they had fought through, it felt unbreakable.
"What's next?" Rook asked quietly, her voice low but firm.
I shook my head, still processing everything that had just happened. "We bring him in. Make sure he can't do any more damage. But something doesn't feel right. He was too calm."
Rook nodded, her eyes narrowing. "He's been ahead of us every step of the way. Even now, it feels like he's still playing a game we don't fully understand."
Monarch's voice crackled over the comms, breaking the silence. "Phoenix, the ground teams are ready to extract. Zaitsev is secure, and we're preparing to bring him to the base for interrogation."
"Copy that," I replied, my voice steady. "We're heading back."
As we boarded our jets, the feeling of finality still eluded me. Zaitsev's plans had been vast, his resources deep, and we had only just scratched the surface of what he had been building. I couldn't shake the sense that this was far from over.
New Mission: Interrogate Zaitsev
Objective: Return to base with Zaitsev and begin interrogation to uncover his full plan and any remaining threats.
Threat Level: Moderate
Reward: XP: 40,000, Zaitsev's Secrets Revealed
Failure Penalty: Critical Information Withheld
The flight back to the base was quiet, the storm finally giving way to clear skies. As we touched down, the air was filled with the hum of machinery and the low murmur of voices. The entire operation had been a success, but everyone knew that this was just the beginning of the endgame.
Inside the command center, Levi and Phantom Leader were already coordinating the next steps. Zaitsev had been brought into a secure holding cell, his expression still calm, still unreadable. I watched him through the observation glass, my stomach twisting with a mix of anger and suspicion.
"We've got him locked down," Levi said, his eyes fixed on the monitors. "No way he's getting out of here, but we need to know what he's been planning. The weapon we shut down—that wasn't the end of it."
Phantom Leader crossed his arms, his gaze cold as he stared at Zaitsev. "We need to break him. He's been preparing for this moment, but if there's one thing men like Zaitsev fear, it's losing control."
I nodded, my thoughts racing. "He said something before we stopped him. Something about a signal… a beacon. Whatever that weapon was, it wasn't just a means of destruction—it was meant to send a message."
Rook stepped forward, her face tight with focus. "If Zaitsev's weapon was meant to send a signal, then who's he trying to reach? He's been playing this game for too long to be acting alone."
Levi tapped a few keys, pulling up the data we had recovered from the black site. "We've found traces of communications traffic—encrypted signals sent from the site just before we shut everything down. Zaitsev's been talking to someone, but I'm still trying to crack the encryption."
Monarch's voice was quiet but sharp. "Whoever it is, they've been helping him stay hidden, providing him with resources, information. We need to know who his allies are."
New Objective: Break Zaitsev's Communication Network
Objective: Analyze and decrypt the communications Zaitsev sent before we captured him to uncover his network of allies.
Reward: XP: 50,000, Zaitsev's Network Exposed
Failure Penalty: Zaitsev's Allies Remain Hidden
The room fell silent as Levi continued his work, the tension thickening as the seconds ticked by. Zaitsev sat in his cell, unmoved by the chaos he had caused, his cold eyes watching everything with the air of a man who still believed he was in control.
I clenched my fists, the frustration bubbling up inside me. "We've taken down his empire. He's got nothing left. We need to make him talk."
Phantom Leader nodded, his voice hard as steel. "Leave that to me. Zaitsev thinks he's untouchable, but every man breaks eventually."
As Phantom Leader prepared to interrogate Zaitsev, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were missing something. There was a larger plan at play, one that went beyond Zaitsev himself. He had been a master of manipulation, leading us into traps and playing us against each other, but there was always the possibility that he wasn't the mastermind.
"What if he's not the endgame?" I muttered, my thoughts racing. "What if Zaitsev is just a piece of something bigger?"
Rook turned to me, her eyes sharp with understanding. "You think he's working for someone else?"
I nodded slowly. "It's possible. He's too calm, even now. If Zaitsev had truly lost, he'd be more desperate. But he's not. He's waiting."
New Feature Unlocked: Psychological Warfare
You can now engage in psychological tactics during interrogations, using subtle manipulation and pressure to extract information from key targets.
The interrogation began, Phantom Leader leading the charge. Zaitsev sat across the table, his hands cuffed, his face impassive. For hours, Phantom Leader worked to break through Zaitsev's cold exterior, but the man remained silent, his smile only deepening with each question.
"You've lost," Phantom Leader growled, his voice hard. "Your empire is gone. Your weapon is destroyed. Tell us who you're working with, and maybe—just maybe—you'll survive this."
Zaitsev's smile widened, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "You still don't understand, do you? You've won nothing. The signal has already been sent."
Phantom Leader slammed his fist on the table, but Zaitsev didn't flinch. "What signal? Who are you talking to?"
Zaitsev leaned forward, his voice low and filled with quiet menace. "You'll find out soon enough. The world is about to change. And there's nothing you can do to stop it."
Objective Failed: Zaitsev Withholds Information
Penalty: Zaitsev's Network Remains Hidden
Phantom Leader stormed out of the interrogation room, his face tight with frustration. "He's not talking. Whatever he's planning, it's already in motion."
I exhaled slowly, my mind racing. Zaitsev had been defeated, but the game wasn't over. Whatever he had set in motion was still out there, waiting.
"We'll figure it out," I said quietly, my voice filled with determination. "We stopped him once, and we'll stop whatever comes next."
But deep down, I knew that this was just the beginning. The storm that had passed was nothing compared to the one that was coming.
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット