Amidst the muddy terrain, a convoy of six German supply trucks slowly made their way toward the Base, their destination.
Outside the main gate of the German fortress, two figures moved swiftly through the jungle, hidden by the cover of rain. They approached the rear compartment of the last supply truck, taking advantage of the darkness and stealthily closing in.
Kyle was the first to flip into the rear compartment, which was only covered with a tarp. Inside, he spotted two fully armed German soldiers. Under his breath, he muttered, "One each."
With lightning speed, he lunged at one of the soldiers, swiftly covering the soldier's mouth with his right hand while plunging the half blade of his army knife into the soldier's heart.
The remaining soldier, witnessing his comrade's demise before his eyes, finally reacted and tried to draw his weapon. However, a young man behind Kyle sprang into action before he could.
The American symbol adorned Captain America's shield as it struck the soldier's forehead, followed by a powerful strike from Steve that shattered the soldier's neck, rendering him unconscious.
"Not bad moves, just a tad bit slow," Kyle nodded, calmly evaluating Steve's performance as he sat beside them.
"You were just too fast," Steve replied with a bitter smile as he dragged the unconscious soldier's body.
"If we're going to fight side by side, you'll need to keep up with my pace," Kyle shrugged nonchalantly, disposing of the soldier's body by tossing it out of the truck. Steve followed suit.
Killing and disposing of bodies became their straightforward method of infiltration.
The German factory Base they aimed to infiltrate was situated deep in the rear of the combat zone. Since countless supply trucks entered and exited the area daily, the soldiers guarding the main gate did not inspect the rear compartments of each truck.
Unbeknownst to the convoy, their own truck carried two enemy Super Soldiers, allowing them to enter the Base Factory without arousing suspicion.
As the transport trucks came to a halt and the surroundings grew quiet, Kyle and Steve emerged from the rear compartment, taking cover amidst the stacked supplies. This infiltration proved remarkably easy, far simpler than Kyle's previous assault on the larger enemy base.
The light rain had ceased, and in the dimly lit night, a massive factory building loomed within the base.
Soldiers could be seen transporting supply crates into the facility. Armed guards wielding firearms with blue-light effects patrolled the area, while tanks stood guard, protecting the factory perimeter.
"Unlike a Military Base, this truly resembles a manufacturing factory," Kyle remarked to himself as he surveyed the surroundings. His gaze fixated on the towering factory building, approximately twenty meters tall, from which faint sounds of machinery emanated.
"They are working day and night, continuously building and laboring in this factory. I wonder what they're producing," Steve expressed his confusion.
The realization suddenly dawned on Kyle as he glanced at Steve and he soon made up his mind and shared his plan earnestly, "Steve, we need to split up."
Steve looked surprised. "Split up? Wouldn't it be safer to stick together inside?"
"Safety isn't the main concern here. Our top priority is to swiftly locate the hostages. If we're discovered by the enemy, we can easily escape with our abilities, but the fate of the hostages will be uncertain," Kyle explained. "Given the vastness of this factory, if we divide our search, our first objective should be to rescue the hostages once we find them."
"That makes sense. Just be careful on your own," Steve agreed before he headed towards the factory building while evading the guards with an impatience look on his face.
As Kyle watched Steve's retreating figure, a triumphant smile crept onto his face.
Apologies, brother. I need you to draw the enemy's attention in the factory. Consider it a weight-bearing exercise I'm offering you— after all, there's no better way to learn than through real combat.
"A manufacturing factory… At this point, what other energy resources could the Germans be after, better than the Cube Fragment?" Kyle licked his lips, gradually fading into the darkness until he completely disappeared from the spot.
Engaging Stealth Mode. Activating Nightcrawler Mode.
Kyle transformed into an elusive shadow, silently tailing Steve from up close.
Inside the factory building at German Base, the internal machinery and equipment appeared more advanced than the exterior. German workers tirelessly operated the instruments.
Steve proceeded cautiously, advancing stealthily. Without Kyle's guidance, he had to be extra vigilant, but his movements grew slightly more relaxed as more time passed.
"Snap!" With a single flick, Steve crushed the head of a patrolling soldier and made his way further into the factory, leaving a misty trail ten meters behind him.
"Not bad skills, but that shield is a bit over the top," Kyle couldn't help but comment as he watched Steve.
Steve's infiltration was already impressive, but he insisted on carrying a shield made which had the American flag on it and he was wearing clothes painted with stripes and stars, it clearly marked him as an American soldier, as if he feared people wouldn't recognize him.
"Well, he is the Captain America, being a shield-bearer is only natural for him," Kyle shook his head and continued to follow behind Steve.
Steve ascended to the third floor of the factory, where metal pipes and equipment lined the area beneath suspended iron tracks. The corridor on the third floor showcased shelves filled with items emitting a radiant blue light.
"Energy Cartridges?" Steve picked up a cartridge glowing in blue from one of the boxes with a surprised expression on his face. With limited time on hand, he pressed forward, continuing his search for the hostages.
As Steve moved ahead, Kyle, who had been stealthily maneuvering, halted near the supply shelves. He gazed at the rows of shelves brimming with blue-glowing cartridges, his excitement giving way to contemplation.
Cube Fragments, how many are here? How many times can I draw cards?
A surge of joy coursed through Kyle, but as he focused his attention on the supplies, the elation on his face swiftly faded.
[New Energy Cartridge]: A new energy cartridge made from Cube Fragments that unleashes incredibly destructive laser beams. Rare Green Item Card.
Do you want to extract?
Extract my foot!
Kyle was speechless. He had initially assumed that all these energy cartridges were of blue quality, but they turned out to be mere Rare Green cards.
Rare Green Item Cards could be used as materials for Tribute Extraction, but they were still classified as Green Cards!
That was also why Kyle's enthusiasm rapidly diminished. Extracting these energy cartridges before him would only prove helpful in actual combat. It would be more worthwhile to trade them for ordinary green items on the battlefield rather than using them for Card Tributing.
"Forget it, let's go save the hostages with Steve," Kyle muttered helplessly. However, just as he was about to rise and take a step, a sudden realization halted him in his tracks.
Wait a fucking minute.
What are the primary materials being utilized in this large-scale new energy manufacturing factory?
"That's right. I've been too fixated on these useless supplies, neglecting the fact that this place houses one of the most precious items on Earth, even in the entire universe." Kyle's heart quivered, and he clenched his fists in excitement.
The Tesseract! It's here, serving as the container for one of the Infinity Stones, the Space Stone!
"Damn it!" Swiftly activating his stealth mode, Kyle paid no heed to the risk of exposure as he swiftly made his way toward the control center of the factory.
*(End of this chapter)*