Chương 18: Chapter 28: Hyper Channel Raid.
"Twenty five thieves, " Scathach counted money she stole from said thieves. "They really got sloppy in this recent years."
"Yeah, " I looked outside the passenger windows. Outside of our carriages was stream of blue energies. From what I am reading the spell outside was bending the very fabric of space-time to make traveling easier.
The Phantasia Network (PN), which was Phantasia version of internet was also working. As a self-proclaim busy body, I was looking at the information on Millian.
Millian was a state that broke away from the Grand Empire 20 years ago due to the thrashing it regularly suffered from being near Smu'ag. The adventurers, professions rooted in hunting and exterminating dangerous magic beasts as well as fulfilling dangerous request, took over the area's administration. To my surprise miraculously again, I underestimated the potential of humanity. Despite the initial ineptitude and corruption, the newly form thriving colony limped on until a certain group managed to draft an actually workable and gather enough power to enforce its.
After decade and a half of turmoil and infighting a country was born.
Now Millian was a gathering place for adventurer who aimed to tackle the forbidden ground Smu'ag as well as market for many rare and exotic good that managed to be retrieved from the forbidden ground. They also expanded their business into shipping and breeding program. Quite impressive ingenuity.
The article also detailed the investment by Emma Enterprise. Apparently, being a major distributor of goods and possessing numerous subsidiary business, Emma was interested in Millian's prospective growth and attempted to takeover the area. The move that made sense given that scavenged corpses of magic beasts traded in Millian was worth sizable revenue.
Moreover, Millian's disassociation from the empire and promised of free beginning also pull in multiple craftsmen who want to live free from the control of noble and factions toward the place. This benefit was added on top of freedom of speech, unrestricted movement of adventurer and free trade. Several guild was already build to provided its member protection.
As expected, something good in the world could not last for long because now a megacorp was aiming to take control of it. Given that the image I got of them from spending a week of reading about how they gutted countries and companies for more power. I had no doubt Emma will introduce paid loot boxes as ration and goods if it gave them more revenue.
Earth was basically receiving the same treatment. Terra United Deal did prevent hostile takeover but the Demonic Continent and, yet again, Emma Enterprise tried to sneak their sneaky hand in by offering business opportunity that was designed to hook as many lands, resources and personal as much as possible. US and the Europian Union was still negotiating this deal but given the difference in the firepower it was up to Olympus and the Heavenly Emperor to keep the lid on that end.
Good news was that China saw what was coming and basically join the UN in Terra Deal. Meanwhile, India and Canada got boned. Earth seemed to become the musical chair of cooperate exploitation administered by sadist merchant of the ore of agony (aka Mana Gem).
I thought back about folk back home. Clare was an opportunist. She knew that Earth would eventually screw up and would without a doubt pick a winner. So she was obviously the next Emma's employee to be but hopefully, for her sake, it will be better than signing up to work under Darth Vader. I placed a mental bet on how my first crush could survive working under Phantasia's version of the Galactic Empire. Nil if she was put as foot solider, decent if she was in a boring desk job and, given how such structure institutionalized insubordination and unchecked ambition, a fate worse than death if she climbed too high.
For record, Clare was defined by exterior image and ambition. In the end, I can barely recognized the girl who once invite me to dinner with someone who spent her time in the most popular niche in the school and look down on everyone else. I guess that why she tried to ignore me... a remnant of unwanted friendship.
Assuming that happened, Justin would crumble under pressure and followed her. Both case was sad because once upon the time I once considered them my friend. He better hope nobody took interest in Clare or else she would likely ditch him like she ditch...practically everyone else
Scott would fail to keep the peace. He always had despite his best intention. Jeane had to much of my father in her. My cousin over patriotic redneck tendency, recklessness and self-center view would be easily exploited with some sweet word appealing to her sense of superiority.
And all of that would happen because I never stopped them when I had a chance. Because I never learn how to look deeper into people and care. I never tried to stop them.
Until now...knowing that I had a power and connection to save them this far late in the game. What a terrible move...
Suddenly, I felt a ripple of dread...of anticipation, a signal from my Sixth sense.
Scathach sat up, sniffing the air.
I looked into the other two eyes. They felt it too.
Boom!
All of us cast a shield as a serial explosions erupted throughout the carriages.
The last thing I see is darkness.
...
Crashed!
My [Photon Sheild] slammed opened the wreckage blocking my way out.
Above me, Lux and Scathach already drew their weapon. I dragged a coughing goddess behind me. She really got better with combat but blocking a critically placed explosion was still beyond her. Around us flames were in the rage and given the smoke pattern I guessed the carriage's engine was force into a stop.
"What happened?" Cy said channeling her skill to heal herself.
"A terrorist attack, " Scathach said. "Someone infiltrated the train, jammed the time and space spell and causing the explosion."
"Why would they do that?" Lux said surveying the damage. Half of the carriages was already burning in flames. There were cries for help everywhere. "What did they get by attacking us?"
"Not us," I suggested. "Where did the Hyper Channel connected to again."
Cy got up with a much more healthy expression and give me much needed answer.
"Well there are several important station linked to the Hyper Channel but the most important one is right into Grand Empire's capital."
"So that might be a target?"
I rubbed my chin and think a happy thought. What would be the greatest reason to hack a connection line toward the largest superpower in the continent? An invasion would not be work. Assassination would be the most likely case but I need more information.
"How good is the Hyper Channel security and tell the safety protocol?"
"Good as the guard on it," Scathach answered. "In most case the strongest guard is high B-rank and average at B. But even then they wouldn't be able to deal with this kind of surprise attack. In the worse case scenarios like this one, we better assumed that all the defense are compromised. Given the security protocol, the Grand Empire would likely cordoned it station."
"What if they clashed the train into the station?" I suggested.
"Possible." Scathach said. "But we still had no confirmation of what they want? My guess is that they was aiming for the cockpit,"
"Then get them," Lux ran into a fray but I grabbed her arms and stopped her.
"We need a plan and a communication method. I had an idea."
...
"Okay this is a prototype communication device I slapped just now using rune, " Scathach hand us the black plate. "Please remain in contact and report your position every 30 minutes."
"Yes and everyone had the truth serum." I confirmed
"Yes although I still can't get over the fact that Cy had several truth serum in her bag." Lux pointed out.
"My master gave it to me, " Cy yelled when Lux really gave her one hell of a disturbed look.
...
The planned was simple. I and Lux moved as a team carriages to carriages while Scathach and Cy acted as the disaster relief unit and mission control. Meanwhile I and Lux will take the offense route.
The guard on station was dressed in robes with magical wand and a seriously creepy magical mask. I made a mental note to prepare some kind of stealth ability before I leaped into another fray. For now, we resorted to the tried and through method of hyper-speed ambush.
I had to admit that face to face. These guys might pose as a slightly annoying obstacle but no spellcaster can cast any spell on surprised. The Blade of Ar'muskur upside the head was enough to knock them out. Lux was even faster. Who knew how much problem could be solve with high speed neck shop?
Then now that we secure the guard next phase of the planned.
I slapped on guard back to the land of the leaving it took a few times but in the end Lux solved the problem with electrical current.
"What are you doing?" said the mages who was woke up by Lux. To solved all the future problems that may arise, I shoved the truth serum down his throat.
"Now tell us everything?" I asked. "Name, plan, goal and personal I want to know everything about this operation."
The terrorist eyes went blank and he began to sing.
"Asamore Tenrin. The Freedom Movement of Grand Empire wanted to give those noble bastards a wake up call. Group of thirty men was sent to infiltrate the hyper channel and clashed it into the Grand Empire station and blew it up."
"What?" Lux said. "That is unlikely.The Grand Empire must already set up a magical defense."
"Lux, I think they had a way to by pass it. Am I right?"
"Our leader had a Spell-buster machine set up on the leading carriages and a delayed magic-bomb powerful enough to blew up the station." Asamore smiled. "Those smug bastard will be blown up sky hight."
"Who supplied you the weapons?"
"I don't know..."
"Probably someone who wanted to exploit the chaos," Lux said. "It was a simple hunting tactic. Set up two game to kill each other and you profited."
I nodded. As quiet as she was most of the time, Lux was pretty savvy .
Because I knew nothing about Grand Empire's political agenda, locating the true mastermind and taking the fight to him was borderline impossible.
Ignoring this predicament was already out of consideration. Our identity itself demanded we must stop them.
Thus, we got to accept the sit...
"Rem," Lux shook me interrupting my train of thought. "You looked blank for a second."
"Just thinking about who might be behind this," I said. "But I think that would be an issue for tomorrow. Today we dealt with the weapons."
I glared at our prisoner.
"Tell me where is it and who is guarding it."
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