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21.81% Ace Combat: Strangereal System / Chapter 12: Into Yuktobania

บท 12: Into Yuktobania

The faint glow of dawn barely crested the horizon by the time we were ready. Rook and I stood outside the hangar, bundled against the icy wind that swept across the old, abandoned airfield. Levi had disappeared into the shadows, the man as much a ghost as the airbase itself. He had set us up with a route, supplies, and intel for our infiltration into Yuktobania, but from here on, it was just us.

Rook adjusted her flight jacket, her eyes scanning the horizon, always on alert. "We move fast, hit the core, and get out. No delays."

I nodded, my breath visible in the cold morning air. The plan was simple: get into Yuktobania, locate the AI core hidden deep within one of their old military labs, and shut it down before it could fully reactivate. Levi had given us coordinates to the lab, tucked away in the mountains and shielded from most satellite surveillance. That was the good news. The bad news? The place was still crawling with Yuktobanian military forces who, if they caught wind of what we were after, would do everything in their power to stop us.

I checked the gear Levi had provided—basic infiltration tools, a few weapons for self-defense, and a small but powerful EMP device that would fry the core's systems long enough for us to shut it down manually. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

We climbed into the beat-up old jeep Levi had left for us, its engine rumbling to life with a groan. The road ahead wound through the mountains, cutting into Yuktobanian territory. There were no air routes we could take without risking detection, so we'd have to go in low and slow, avoiding patrols and checkpoints along the way.

As we rolled out of the airbase, the system stirred again in the back of my mind, its voice cold but controlled.

"The core is near. Proceed with caution."

I had grown used to the system's presence over the past few days, but it still unnerved me how it could sense the AI cores before we even got close. Its awareness, its ability to predict, made me wonder just how much of it was left from its original programming—and how much had evolved beyond that.

New Objective: Infiltrate the Yuktobanian AI Core

Threat Level: Critical

Reward: XP: 3000, ???

Failure Penalty: AI Network Reactivation

The road through the mountains was treacherous, barely more than a narrow, snow-covered path winding through the dense forest. Rook drove in silence, her focus razor-sharp as she navigated the icy terrain. The jeep's tires slid more than once, but she corrected quickly, keeping us on track.

As we neared the border, Rook finally spoke, her voice low. "Levi's intel mentioned patrols along this route. We'll need to ditch the jeep soon and go the rest of the way on foot. We can't afford to get spotted."

"Do we have any intel on what kind of resistance we're looking at once we reach the lab?" I asked, my eyes scanning the treeline for any sign of movement.

Rook shook her head. "Not much. Most of Yuktobania's military is focused on rebuilding, but there are still enough forces in the region to make this complicated. If they're guarding the lab, we'll be walking into a hornet's nest."

I frowned, gripping the EMP device tighter. "We'll just have to hope we get in and out before they realize what we're after."

Rook's eyes flicked over to me for a second, a hint of a smile on her face. "You really like tempting fate, don't you?"

I couldn't help but chuckle. "If I didn't, I wouldn't be here."

We ditched the jeep a few miles from the border, hiking the rest of the way through the snow-covered forest. The temperature had dropped even more, the air sharp and biting, but we moved quickly, keeping low and quiet. The mountains loomed ahead, and somewhere deep inside them was the lab we needed to reach.

After what felt like hours, we reached a ridge overlooking a valley. I crouched beside Rook, peering through the trees at the small complex nestled between the cliffs below. It was built into the rock itself, almost invisible from above, but the faint glow of lights and the telltale movement of guards patrolling the perimeter made it clear this was the place.

"There," Rook whispered, pointing toward the far end of the complex. "That's the entrance. We go in quiet, no alarms. If they catch us, it's over."

I nodded, scanning the layout. The complex was heavily guarded, with soldiers patrolling the perimeter and a few watchtowers scattered along the edges. Getting in without alerting anyone would be tricky, but we didn't have a choice.

New Skill Unlocked: Ghost Protocol

Ghost Protocol: Temporarily disables all nearby electronic surveillance systems for 90 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes.

The system's notification blinked in my vision, offering a new tool at just the right moment. It was almost unsettling how well it adapted to the situation, providing exactly what we needed when we needed it.

"We've got one shot at this," I said, glancing at Rook. "I'll disable their surveillance systems. We sneak in, plant the EMP, and get to the core. No one sees us."

Rook gave a small nod, her expression serious. "Let's do it."

I activated Ghost Protocol, feeling the familiar hum of the system as it reached out, manipulating the complex's security grid. The faint whine of electronic interference buzzed in my ears, and for a brief moment, the lights flickered across the complex.

"Now," I whispered, moving quickly down the ridge.

We slipped through the trees, keeping to the shadows as we approached the outer wall of the complex. The guards were still patrolling, unaware that their cameras and sensors had gone dark. We ducked behind a snow-covered crate as a pair of soldiers passed by, their rifles slung casually over their shoulders.

My pulse quickened as we moved closer to the entrance. The door was an old, reinforced security hatch, but the system guided me again, pinpointing the exact code needed to unlock it. I punched in the numbers, and the door slid open with a soft hiss.

Inside, the air was warmer, the sterile scent of machinery and chemicals filling my lungs. The interior of the lab was a stark contrast to the cold, rugged mountains outside. The walls were smooth and white, lined with old computer terminals and scientific equipment, most of it covered in dust from years of disuse.

We moved quietly through the corridors, my heart pounding in my chest. Every step felt like it could be our last if we were spotted.

Finally, we reached the central chamber—the core room. It was massive, the walls lined with cables and monitors, all connected to the central AI core. The core itself was a large, cylindrical device, glowing faintly with a soft blue light. This was it—the heart of the Yuktobanian AI network.

"We're in," Rook whispered, her voice tight with tension. "Let's shut it down."

I approached the core, pulling out the EMP device. The system's presence stirred again, a sense of urgency pulsing through my mind.

"The core is waking," the system whispered. "You must act quickly."

I nodded, placing the EMP device against the core. My hands trembled slightly as I set the timer, the countdown ticking away in the corner of my vision.

"We've got sixty seconds," I said, stepping back.

But just as I turned to move, the sound of a door slamming open echoed through the chamber. Rook and I spun around, our hands reaching for our weapons. A squad of Yuktobanian soldiers stormed in, their rifles trained on us.

"Freeze!" one of them barked, his voice harsh and commanding. "Drop your weapons!"

I clenched my teeth, glancing at Rook. We were outnumbered, and the EMP was still counting down. If they stopped us now, the core would reactivate, and the AI would be back online.

But before anyone could move, the system's voice cut through the chaos, cold and determined.

"Allow me."

Without warning, the lights flickered, and the entire room plunged into darkness. The soldiers hesitated, confusion flickering across their faces. In that moment, the system took control.

Skill Activated: Tactical Override

Tactical Override: Temporarily disrupts all nearby electronics and disables enemy weapons systems for 60 seconds.

The soldiers' rifles sparked and went dead in their hands, and Rook didn't waste a second. She moved first, disarming the nearest guard with a swift strike, while I tackled another, slamming him into the wall.

The fight was quick, brutal, and silent. The system had given us the edge we needed, and within moments, the soldiers were down, unconscious and disarmed.

I breathed heavily, my heart still racing as I checked the EMP timer. Ten seconds.

"We need to move," I said, grabbing Rook's arm and pulling her toward the exit.

We sprinted out of the chamber just as the EMP detonated, a wave of energy washing over the lab, short-circuiting everything in its path. The core's glow flickered, then died, the faint hum of the AI falling silent.

We had done it. The Yuktobanian AI core was down.

But as we raced through the corridors, heading for the extraction point, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was far from over.

The system's presence was still there, still watching. And in the back of my mind, I could feel it growing stronger, more aware.


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