Boom... Boom...
The checkpoint was filled with the low rumble of engines. Dozens of heavy trucks were lined up, waiting for their routine inspection before entering the city.
Leon and the sergeant were lying on top of the container attached to one of these trucks.
Leon lifted his head slightly to observe the surrounding walls. They were about twenty meters high, with scattered UAC fallen soldiers patrolling with rifles. Every hundred meters or so, there were fortified positions equipped with artillery and heavy machine guns.
He then raised his body a bit to look ahead. At the end of the checkpoint stood a massive metal gate, flanked by 14.5mm caliber heavy machine guns.
The ones responsible for conducting inspections were a group of heavily armored, hulking figures, whom the Hunters mockingly referred to as "Corrupt Knights."
These knights didn't rely on technology to inspect vehicles. Instead, they used a method akin to "sniffing" to identify whether the driver was one of their own and to detect any contraband hidden in the cargo holds or containers.
According to the intel provided by Colonel Frank Hummer and what Leon observed, during the five years since the fall of Zero Three Earth, remnants of military forces and civilian resistance groups had consistently attempted to sabotage and infiltrate Minerva, clinging to the hope of overthrowing UAC's rule.
As the Corrupt Knights finished inspecting the vehicle ahead, Leon ceased his observations and pressed his body tightly against the container, trying to stay within the enemy's blind spot.
Thud, thud.
Heavy footsteps drew closer.
"Roar..."
A low growl accompanied each breath, becoming clearer as the figure approached.
"Clang! Clang!"
The container reverberated with the sound of hard joints striking it, as if the Corrupt Knight was tapping the side with its fingers.
After a moment, the footsteps and growls began to fade away.
"…"
Even though Leon wore a fully sealed helmet and combat suit, he didn't let out a breath of relief, remaining perfectly still for several more minutes.
Suddenly;
"Roar!!" A deafening roar erupted from behind him.
But instead of triggering a fierce battle, the roar seemed to signal the opening of the gates at the end of the checkpoint. The long line of trucks started up again, entering the largest city in the western hemisphere.
It appeared that the roar was the signal to proceed.
Leon speculated that even though the Corrupt Knights had "evolved" into a species stronger than humans, they couldn't escape the frustration and anger that came with such mundane duties.
In any case, the blockers developed by the Bio Department were highly effective. As the truck carrying them successfully passed through the gate, they could now proceed with their infiltration and reconnaissance mission.
The truck ascended an overpass leading into the city, giving them a more direct view of what life in Minerva was like.
On either side of the overpass, densely packed villages and small towns were interconnected. However, no matter how closely packed the buildings were, nothing could hide the ubiquitous corpses and rotting flesh.
There was no sign of life.
Countless emaciated, bloodless "people" wandered the streets, openly expressing extreme emotions.
"Hahaha!!"
"Kill! Kill!!"
Scenes of murder, torture, and cannibalism played out everywhere, with the air thick with the stench of blood and decay.
"…"
Despite witnessing such scenes that would challenge anyone's sanity, Leon remained calm. He deduced that the outskirts of Minerva were likely inhabited by the fallen who had not yet completed their "evolution."
According to research provided by the Bio Department, the fallen adhered to a strict hierarchy. Those who hadn't fully evolved or lacked individual strength were cast to the outskirts to fend for themselves, serving as cannon fodder during wartime.
The area they were currently passing through was relatively orderly, inhabited by fallen who still engaged in labor, production, and even relaxation. The streets were bustling with vehicles.
This confirmed Leon's suspicion that this area served as the living quarters for fallen who could follow orders and had combat capabilities, such as UAC soldiers and Corrupt Knights. It was located in Minerva's middle sector.
By extension, this also indirectly confirmed that their mission target was correct. The upper echelons of the fallen, or more precisely, the UAC leadership, likely resided in the core area of Minerva. And that was where they might find the blueprints for the entire city.
Beep.
At that moment, a faint alert sounded within Leon's helmet, displaying the intelligence he had speculated on.
The uploader was H7-06, a member of their team.
It seemed that Leon wasn't the only one who realized this; the entire team had come to the same conclusion.
The sergeant then marked a location on the map about thirty kilometers away and issued an order over the internal comms:
"All H7 members, evaluate your situation and decide whether to jump from the vehicles and rendezvous at the marked location."
"H8 members, execute the same orders, over," added the H8 squad leader.
Mentioning "jumping from the vehicles" was necessary because the trucks that had passed through the gate had already dispersed, heading in different directions.
However, the truck Leon and the sergeant were riding on was still on the overpass, carrying them deeper into Minerva.
---
Over ten hours later.
Midnight.
On the second floor of an abandoned factory:
"We can't be sure that it holds the central control room. It could just be one of their landmark buildings," said a Hunter in stealth mode, pointing out the window and sharing his thoughts.
Through the window, they could see numerous towering structures in the distance, with one reaching a height of over a thousand meters, piercing the clouds.
"Other teams have reported that the detention zones holding our comrades are scattered, and precise location can only be determined using the blueprints. All the data we have points to that tower being the core of Minerva, no doubt about it," the sergeant said gravely.
The people gathered here were the H7 and H8 members who had arrived from different directions, now discussing whether to immediately enter the towering structure.
"Gentlemen," the H8 leader interjected. "Given that we are the closest unit to the target, the front-line base has authorized us to call in artillery support from Ernie 002. Other teams will create chaos within the city to aid us, and the higher-ups are confident that what we're looking for is inside that tower."
Artillery support, creating chaos.
Hearing the Hunter's words, Leon worried that such large-scale actions might alert the enemy. However, considering that direct assault wasn't his specialty and that the Hunters had more experience in this area, he chose to remain silent.
As the discussion ended, silence fell over their helmet comms, signaling that no one had further objections.
Seeing this, the H8 leader continued, "The current time is 02:14. The operation will commence at 03:00."
___________________
Read Ahead
P@treon.com/Mutter