It was nighttime, and the three moons of this world illuminated the surroundings, making the night here much brighter than what I was used to on Earth. Following our discussion in the diner, we had all gathered in the slums, ready to head to our designated positions for the mission. As we were about to set off, Nolan suddenly halted us.
"Everyone, take one of these. These devices will allow us to stay in touch," he explained, distributing small wireless earpieces like the ones you see in movies.
I accepted the earpiece, examining it with curiosity. It resembled the kind of advanced communication technology I'd only seen in films. I couldn't help but wonder if this world possessed technology as advanced as what we had back on Earth.
"Nolan, this looks like some kind of wireless communication device. How does this world have something as advanced as this?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
He sighed and replied, "Well, it's kind of a long story, but to simplify it, this world has a unique tree that emits signals similar to radio waves or phone signals. When used correctly, it can function like a radio tower in your world. These trees are planted all over, and we use them for communication."
I was taken aback. "What? This world has something like this? Why haven't I seen any of these trees in Port Aurora?" I inquired, perplexed by the revelation.
"Well, I'm pretty sure you would have seen those trees on the floating Island in Port Aurora—the Avains' territory. Some Avains even use the massive branches as houses," Nolan clarified.
I nodded, recalling the peculiar trees on the floating Island. However, I hadn't realized their incredible utility until now.
"So, Nolan, does that mean everyone in this world uses these wireless communication devices to talk with each other?" I asked, my curiosity still burning.
Nolan shook his head. "No, not everyone. These are primarily for stealth and convenience. Most people have their EcoSync devices. To put it simply, they're similar to smartphones from Earth," he explained.
I couldn't help but press further with my questions. "Wait, how do you even know about smartphones in the first place? If something like this is commonly used, why didn't you mention it before? And what if the slave traders have their own communication devices to inform their comrades on Mirage Island?" My curiosity was in full swing, but before Nolan could respond, Mr. Norman interrupted us.
"Because you never asked about these things, and most of the GigaLinkers used to connect between islands are mainly located on trading routes or other commonly used pathways. Mirage Island is located in a remote location, making it impossible for them to communicate with their comrades on Mirage Island. Anyway, we can discuss this later. It's getting late, everyone to their positions, and don't forget your communication devices," he instructed.
Then, in a rather unexpected turn, Mr. Norman began to sing the praises of the wireless earpiece with enthusiasm. "This wireless earpiece is incredibly small and discreet. It's this tiny, sleek, and stylish gadget that you can barely notice when someone's wearing it. It's all black and fits snugly into the ear, like a high-tech earbud. There are no wires or antennas sticking out, just this minimalist design that seamlessly blends with your outfit. It's so inconspicuous that you could be having a secret conversation right in front of someone, and they wouldn't even suspect a thing." I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at his sudden admiration for the device.
"All right, all right, Grandpa, you told us to focus, and now look what you're doing? Everyone, wear one of these in both your ears and get to your positions," Nolan scolded Mr. Norman, reminding us to stay on task.
After a few minutes, we had all assumed our positions near a remote dock in the slums. There were very few ships docked here, probably because the slave traders aimed to avoid drawing attention. This remote location played to our advantage; even if a commotion occurred, it was unlikely anyone would pay it much mind.
We had several plans in place, with the first involving boarding their ship discreetly and eliminating as many slave traders as possible without resorting to grenades. In this plan, I was the one at the highest risk, as I would have to face around fifty to sixty men on a ship, but this strategy aimed to reduce the attention we'd draw by avoiding explosive devices.
Our second plan involved waiting until some of the slave traders had boarded their ship. Once the majority of them were on board, we intended to detonate it using a grenade launcher. This strategy would allow us to eliminate most of them in one swift blow, reducing the number I would have to face in combat.
However, we recognized the risks associated with this plan. Even in this remote location, an explosion wouldn't go unnoticed. If someone managed to escape the blast, they could alert their comrades on Mirage Island.
Nonetheless, it was the safer of the two options. If our attack on the slave traders were exposed to their companions on Mirage Island, they would likely suspect one of the rival factions or the local police force rather than us.
Rex and I concealed ourselves behind a massive tree, while Nolan served as our lookout, monitoring the situation through the scope of his sniper rifle. I was armed with Aquarius, along with a few other weapons like an assault rifle, grenade launchers, and hand-thrown grenades.
These grenade launchers: they're not RPGs or anti-tank missiles. RPGs are rocket launchers that fire rockets with their own propulsion, speeding up after leaving the launcher. They have folding fins and a solid rocket motor, capable of covering a long distance.
Grenade launchers, on the other hand, are essentially large firearms that shoot exploding bullets. The grenades they fire lack rocket propulsion and start decelerating as soon as they exit the barrel. A 40mm grenade, for instance, is much smaller, and the empty cartridge case remains in the weapon after firing, similar to small arms ammunition.
These grenade launchers were primarily intended for use against people as a form of crowd control. There were no RPGs or anti-tank missiles on the NS Scorpion to begin with.
"Nolan, do you see anything?" I inquired, my curiosity piqued.
"Negative, I have no eyes on the target as of now," he replied in a manner reminiscent of military communications.
I gave him a puzzled look. "Why are you talking like that?"
"Well, I always wanted to try doing something like this, but I never got a chance until now. Just let me have this one," Nolan said with a somewhat playful tone.
I was surprised. "But didn't you become a sniper to eliminate the Blood Beard Pirates? And now you're saying you've never done something like this before?"
Nolan explained, "Well, I've killed a lot of Blood Beard Pirates in the past, but most of them were alone or in small groups. I was mostly on my own as well. This is the first time I've worked as part of a team." He shared some insights into his past experiences as a sniper.
"I see. Mr. Norman and Lucas, how do things look over there?" I inquired, wanting to know the situation near the warehouse.
Mr. Norman responded, "Well, they haven't left the warehouse yet, so we can't be certain of everything at the moment. However, we can give you a rough estimate of the enemies. There are around fifty-four people, and there's a guy with a scar across his face, sporting a Neo arm. He's been giving orders, seemingly the leader of this group. Additionally, there are about ten individuals armed with guns. But that's not all; there are two massive guys in K.R.A.K.E.N exoskeleton armor, wielding enormous axes."
Nolan's voice trembled as he asked, "K.R.A.K.E.N exoskeleton armor? How did ordinary slave traders acquire something like that? Have we accidentally gotten involved with some extremely dangerous individuals?" Fear was evident in his tone.
"What are these K.R.A.K.E.N exoskeleton armor?" I asked, my curiosity tinged with a sense of dread.
"Listen, Frankie, the Kinetic Robust Aquatic Exoskeleton Neuronet or K.R.A.K.E.N exoskeleton armor, or K.R.A.K.E.N armor for short is some of the most advanced technology available to humans. They allow users to enhance their senses and strength to a superhuman level, but at the same time, they significantly reduce their speed. They're mostly used by TerraNova's military, but it's shocking that these slave traders have two of them," Nolan explained.
Nolan continued, "And why are they using axes instead of heavy guns with the K.R.A.K.E.N armors? To overcome the speed limitations, they're typically equipped with heavy long-range guns like machine guns, as normal guns would be crushed by their inhuman strength." His curiosity was evident in his voice.
"Since you mentioned those are military technology, maybe they didn't acquire the heavy weapons, or they couldn't afford both the armor and the guns," I speculated to Nolan.
However, Mr. Norman quickly interrupted, cautioning us, "Everyone, stay alert. They've started to move."