As the battle on the seventh floor came to a conclusion, hundreds of civilians watched the unfolding interaction in a daze. They now understood that those who had imprisoned them were not human, they envisioned these creatures as the demons that the church had propagated. The crowd of men, seething with rage, looked to the Marshal, searching for an explanation.
The Marshal climbed onto a large rock to rally the citizens, who gazed at him with bloodshot eyes, unable to vent their anger due to a lack of information.
"Men of France, what we have witnessed here are not men but monsters in human skin. Take a look at their corpses and you will notice that they have scale-like skin reminiscent of snakes, smooth to the touch. These demons dare to be scourges upon our sacred lands. We shall vanquish them with the weapons in our hands! Victory shall be ours! For France!"
The crowd erupted with intense passion in response to his speech. They raised their pickaxes and shovels into the air and shouted,
"Victory for France!"
"Victory for France!"
"Victory for France!"
"Victory for France!"
A doctor, well-known in a certain town and abducted along with his townsfolk, closely examined the corpses. Some of the men who were not convinced by the Marshal's impassioned speech chose to trust the doctor instead. After his examination, the doctor confirmed that these beings were indeed not human, but demons in human skin. As a man of science, he was baffled by his findings and was about to keep a specimen for study when Winter 01 patted him on the shoulder and shook his head.
"Doctor, you may not know this, but these creatures have a peculiar sense. They will track you down if they realize you are studying them." The doctor, upon hearing this, gasped, and his face turned pale. Noticing that this man was a people person, Winter 01 handed him a book on how to cure the plague. Although the practices contained within were not as modern as those of the 21st century, they still included major breakthroughs. The doctor read the book as if it were holy scripture and couldn't help but thank Winter 01 profusely.
Meanwhile, Alex and his team ran towards the lower floors as the explosion occurred. At first, they were uncertain about how their fellow operatives would execute the task. However, upon witnessing the smooth execution of the opposing operatives, they quickly sprinted toward the lower floors with renewed determination.
Not wanting to waste time, they raced ahead with the map in hand, moving swiftly from the seventh floor to the eleventh. They did not encounter a single soul, only finding eggs scattered along the way from the eighth down to the tenth floor. Though tempted to destroy these evil spawns, they chose not to, as a single bolt could pierce only one or two eggshells, and they did not want to waste their limited ammunition.
Upon entering the eleventh floor, they heard laughter and what seemed to be a party. There, they saw men who appeared to have dealings with the extraterrestrials, offering information in exchange for exorbitant amounts of gold. Angered that these men dared to sell out their own kind, they speculated that greed had blinded them to the true nature of the Huechromixix operatives. As they continued to observe, they noticed chests overflowing with gold. Surveying their surroundings and seeing that no one else was present, the soldiers decided to act.
"Comet 07(Wong), take a sniping position and watch for any runners. Comet 05 (Tamaki) and Comet 04(Luc) will engage them, while Comet 03(Kokoy) and I will cover the perimeter," Alex commanded, prompting the team to spring into action.
Luc, who had been one of the best theater actors in his teenage years, was the one to engage. "Gentlemen, I am the supervisor of one of the mines from which this gold originates. I have a proposition for you all." He acted as flamboyantly as possible, adding an elegant flair to his performance.
The men were taken aback by his entrance, wondering where this nobleman had come from. However, intrigued by the prospect of making a fortune, they chose to listen to what he had to say. With a subtle hand signal, Luc then gave them the go-ahead.
With deadly accuracy, four men outside were struck by bolts, while Winston, disguised as a knife, transformed midway into a longsword, severing the heads of three men near Luc. Their headless bodies stumbled, still grasping for something, and collapsed onto the pile of gold chests below, now forever united with the wealth they so desperately coveted.
Team Comet nodded to each other, contemplating whether they could use the gold as a prop, but they were soon disappointed by the message from the system.
[System: Personal Storage Space unavailable during this mission. Please try again later.]
They surveyed their surroundings, fully aware that these men would struggle to stomach such horrors on the first few floors, even with their courage multiplied tenfold. Axel assigned Wong and Tamaki to scout for any other exits they could utilize. While they explored the area, the remaining three men began to clean up the scene. They removed the clothes from the bodies of the rich men before dragging them back to the tenth floor, which appeared to be a feeding ground for the Huechromixix offspring. To erase any evidence, they used barrels of luxurious wine to clean up the blood, leaving two barrels of brandy behind for later use, knowing it was highly flammable and could serve a purpose.
Once this was accomplished, Tamaki and Wong returned to the scene to report their findings.
"Captain, we've confirmed that there seems to be an exit leading all the way to the surface. However, it opens into the Seine River. If I'm correct, the men here owned the ship docked near that exit, which they used to block this path and avoid detection by civilians," Wong spoke first, his tone firm and informative.
"As I surveyed the cave's surface, I noticed that the terrain is frequently used and relatively clean. There are also these strange engravings on the walls," Tamaki added, his tone serious. "I suspect they are arcane magics. When I touched them, they felt hot. This suggests there might be other entrances and exits we are unaware of, which could also explain why the Arcanist who created our map failed to detect them."
As they contemplated their next move, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through their floor. Instinctively, they readied their weapons. The tension was palpable until they saw the figures emerging from the shadows, battle-hardened men led by Winter 01. Axel remembered that seven teams were committed to this mission, and he extended his hand to Winter 01, giving him a questioning glance that conveyed the silent query, 'who are these men with you?'
The operatives surveyed Axel's team with keen eyes, nodding in approval. They recognized the effort that had gone into cleaning up the area and assessed their readiness for any potential engagements. Winter 01 then called forward five men, apparent leaders of their respective squads. The remaining operatives swiftly dispersed to secure the perimeter, ensuring that all was in order.
Winter 01 stepped forward, his voice firm and authoritative.
"These are our comrades, Desert 01," he said, gesturing toward a stoic figure.
"This grumpy looking young man is Autumn 01," he continued, pointing to a sullen operative.
"That sharp-dressed gentleman is Spring 01," he added, nodding toward a well-groomed soldier.
"That gloomy one over there is Rainy 01," he stated, indicating a brooding operative.
"Finally, this seasoned veteran is Bombardier 01. Sir, we are ready for your command."
Axel nodded to the squad leaders, then gestured to Tamaki to unveil their operational map. The other leaders quickly retrieved their own maps, assessing the terrain with sharp eyes. It became apparent that consolidating their intel was key. Axel, however, noted critical details on the other maps that could enhance their mission.
"Combat navigators, assess the feasibility of alternative routes," Axel ordered the squad leaders, his voice steady, cutting through the ambient tension. As they awaited feedback, Axel and the squad leaders dug into logistics, discussing their ordnance and gear. Some teams were equipped with explosives, others had crafted makeshift smoke grenades, while a few relied solely on their physical prowess for the mission ahead.
Only five minutes had passed, but the combat navigators had efficiently assimilated the critical details from Team Comet's map. Their focus was razor-sharp as they swiftly replicated the newfound information while the original, now lay on the table marked by the weight of urgency. The room crackled with tension as they identified multiple entry and exit points. Each one was a potential lifeline for their mission and a pathway to seamless execution.
"Listen up!" Axel's voice cut through the silence and commanded attention.
"We need to close off some routes to prevent any reinforcements from the opposition. No loose ends." The other squad leaders nodded in agreement. It was clear the spearhead had a specific target in mind, a rescue operation. Axel understood the unspoken truth, each squad here had its own objectives. They were united in purpose, even if their individual missions remained cloaked in secrecy.
As the men began to devise the perfect execution of their plan, the clock on the system loomed over them like a grim reaper, ready to claim their lives at the first sign of failure. Time was their enemy, watching them hungrily like a predator eyeing its next meal. Every passing second intensified the urgency of their mission, and they felt its weight pressing down on them. They knew that any flaw in their strategy could lead to disaster, and the relentless ticking of the clock served as a brutal reminder that they had to act swiftly and decisively.
[Mission Duration: 03:39:53 – Currently Ongoing]
[France Time – 20:50]