episode_0354

The drone swarm was an innovative tactic born after humanity opened the door to the unmanned aircraft era. Clans and the Federation, who had continuously shed blood under the threat of magical beasts, had their eyes light up at this unconventional new weapon. There were weaknesses. In erosion zones and dungeons teeming with Aether, long-distance communication was practically paralyzed, and the Aether’s sharp interference caused soft errors or mercilessly eroded circuits in the long term. Malfunctions and damage became a daily occurrence. Nevertheless, the young bloods of the defense industry boasted. Their argument was simple: all problems could be solved by pouring in capital. They claimed it was possible to embed bio-circuits like a heart, implant the brains of cultured cloned animals, or equip them with state-of-the-art magical engineering computational devices. Defense corporations and clans gleefully tapped their calculators. A golden future was painted in their minds. Humans would command from a safe rear, savoring fragrant coffee, while thousands of cheap machines, equipped with Aether defense systems and bio-computational devices, would sweep away magical beasts in a spectacular display. However, the Federation-Clan War, which sparked the Teatime Agreement, brutally crushed the illusions of military dreamers who envisioned an all-purpose machine army. No matter how numerous, cheap mass-produced unmanned weapons had limits to their firepower and durability. Luminax had to witness the horrific sight of their proud robot weapons being torn apart like paper in front of the Federation’s super-heavy tanks and overwhelming artillery power. The advantage of being small and agile faded in swarm operations. The Federation was frustrated by the sight of thousands of loitering munition attacks scattering and disappearing like swarms of mayflies in the face of artificial thunderstorms and widespread bombardments unleashed by Vanguard mages. The harsh reality etched a bitter lesson into the bones of the engineers. There was no such thing as an all-purpose weapon that could replace everything. No matter how excellent a multi-tool, it could never replace an entire toolbox. Until now, everyone had believed that.

“A drone swarm, then…”

Let me correct that. It’s a Violet—or Ariel swarm. The Foundation now had to witness the birth of a new military revolution before their very eyes. It was certainly not a welcome sight for those on the receiving end of this military tactical test.

“Enemies everywhere! Seven on the ground! Three in the sky!”

The Foundation’s combat agents did their best. They did everything they could. As the radars were paralyzed by constant disruption from decoys, each artillery battery mobilized every possible means, from ultrasonic sensing to thermal imaging tracking, precise Aether detection systems, and even the sharp eyesight of field agents. The Foundation unleashed all its available firepower with the resolve to burn the sky of the western district. Their targets were those frenzied enemies, willing to self-destruct.

“Reduce their numbers as much as possible! Every time one of them lands, ten of our facilities turn to ash!” As the initial fog of confusion cleared, one thing was clear: the flight speed of the overwhelming swarm of Violets, pouring in like a tide, was far inferior to that of rockets or missiles. “Rip them apart! Their flight speed is significantly slow! Don’t waver, just respond!”

Thermal rays, switched to the invisible spectrum, sliced through the dark sky. Wherever the rays brushed, the Violets caught in their path ignited like flames and scattered. Red scars were clearly etched in the gloomy sky where the lasers swept through. The number of shot-downs displayed on the control room screen quickly surged into the triple digits. “Good, proceed as planned! Assume they are just low-flying drones in human form. We can handle them!”

Immediately after the director’s resolute declaration, the astonished fire control operators cried out. “Enemy units are evading!” Unfortunately, the Violets were not mere dumb drones. Their collective intelligence reacted like lightning the moment their duplicates took a hit. Like a school of fish encountering a shark, a unified dance unfolded in the sky whenever missiles and shells soared upward.

“Tactical immersion activated! Calculations ready!” “Good, track! Track! Focus magic on audiovisuals!” Along with years of wingsuit experience, thousands of senses merged into one. Violet, in a state of immersion, instantly transformed into a black wave descending towards the ground. Some performed deceptive maneuvers, while others dodged incoming attacks by a hair’s breadth. ‘Did they adapt to our anti-aircraft net…?!’

-Boom! Moreover, these infuriating flying objects didn’t just evade. “They intercepted the missiles!”

At the same time, Violet also called out. “Interception initiated! Vision memory deployed!” The network’s memory repository, accumulated over a long time, opened, and Violet’s eyes flashed as she faced the missiles rushing forward, trailing smoke and light. Radiant magic circles unfolded one after another behind her head and back, and dozens of guided blades poured out, flying towards the missiles’ predicted trajectories.

-Whiz! Anti-aircraft missiles worth tens of millions of credits shattered in mid-air. Violet sharply descended through the explosive smoke. She skillfully dodged dangerous projectiles and defended like an iron wall against what she could not avoid. If unavoidable, they scattered like a school of fish; if destructible, they mercilessly destroyed. The Foundation, like a trapped beast, resisted desperately, pouring all its firepower from land and sky until the heavens shone brighter than midday. Blinding light beams and lightning bolts, small artificial suns, and destructive vortexes struck one after another. Unnamed secret weapons tore through the atmosphere. Yet, the inescapable end was approaching. Screams echoed from the field.

“Breach! They’re breaching! Everyone, take cover!” Of course, Violet didn’t care. She had only one thought. ‘I’m lucky!’ Violet No. 77, who had dodged every interception as if dancing, savored the first impact after a brief thought. Thus, the first Violet charged into the optically camouflaged space, invisible to all, directed by the collective intelligence.

-Boom boom crash! With the explosion of the missile battery as a signal, the anti-aircraft batteries caused a chain reaction of explosions like dominoes. Amidst the chaotic screams, another piece of bad news arrived. “Reports coming in simultaneously from each stronghold! Surveillance networks are being neutralized one by one!”

Signals between each anti-aircraft outpost suddenly faded and then rapidly began to cut off. It was absurd. This system could never be neutralized by simple bombardment. Had special forces been covertly deployed? If the Foundation knew the truth, they would have been enraged beyond despair.

“Squeak squeak!” Who could have possibly imagined it? Cunning mice, nibbling away at the wires of delicate equipment with magical multi-tools, and damaging core components one by one. Moreover, these small destroyers did not forget to ignite sparks in various parts of the facilities with the incendiary and gunpowder they carried.

“Caw! Long live Ariel! Long live Paradise!” And who could have prepared for it? The sight of a flock of crows, suddenly gathering like a dark cloud, infiltrating the blind spots of the anti-aircraft batteries. By the time the automatically moving turrets noticed the presence of these unwelcome guests, it was already too late. The crows, with resolute will, drew upon their master’s vision memory.

“Oh, no! What’s that now!” A storm-like wave of magic surged into the network. Using a crow evaporating into a point of light as a fuse, a dazzling melting beam swept forward in a straight line, melting everything it encountered.

-Thud! The Foundation’s proud air defense network shattered. While some had already landed on the ground and were carrying out sabotage, the remaining flying objects still hovered, covering the sky like a black curtain. The director closed his eyes in despair.

“Suppression complete! Deploy additional flight units and have close air support on standby!” “Convert the remaining guided bombs into combat units!” Before long, even the holograms covering the base began to fade one by one. The Foundation’s stronghold facilities were exposed to the outside, like a box stripped of its wrapping.

Director Kwabna 02 confirmed the devastating information appearing on his retina and grimaced bitterly. The feedback from the control algorithm coldly proved the Foundation’s helplessness. Immediately after the initial descent, the number of shot-downs had risen hopefully, but that upward trend quickly plummeted like a fighter jet whose engine had died. The probability of shooting down, which had well exceeded 80%, rapidly dropped to less than half. The director was unable to speak. 47%. That was the percentage of enemies the Foundation had managed to shoot down in the early stages of the descent, using all their firepower. And the rest… ‘The initial interception was a complete failure.’

He lifted his eyes again. He felt the gazes of his subordinates looking at their commander. He could not show any signs of wavering. “Immediately calculate the damage status for each stronghold facility. Quickly transport the troops allocated according to the control algorithm’s instructions to the stalemate corridor. And—” At that very moment, the Foundation had to face the worst disaster since its inception.

“Engaging unknown enemies in the stalemate zone! Confirming… Ariel Group!” The director hastily drank an electronic stimulant, barely managing to keep his composure. “…Damn it, just how far does your influence extend?” The second phase of the ground battle had begun.

As the ground filled with noise, monkeys woke up one by one and looked around uneasily. In the deepest part of that area, a monkey, lying motionless under a blanket, opened its eyes with a flash. In its gaze resided an intelligence resembling that of a human.

“The time has come! Caramel, rise! It’s time to start the revolution!” The monkey pulled out a thin piece of metal it had hidden in its shaggy fur. This metal, as thin and flexible as paper, possessed a special property. It was an Aether-sensitive shape-memory alloy that was usually as pliable as fabric but became harder than steel when infused with magic.

Caramel unfolded the metal and injected it with magic. Instantly, a long, sleek blade appeared. With the small sword, imbued with a red sword aura, the V-monkey unhesitatingly cut through the bars. -Clang!

The V-monkey, free from its cage, looked back at its compatriots, who still had dull eyes. After a moment of thought, Caramel unhesitatingly swung its sword at the cages of the other monkeys. The monkeys stared blankly, not understanding the situation. “Ooh…?”

The V-monkey recalled Cocoa’s words. ‘We, too, are enlightened animals, lucky when you think about it. If our boss is merciful, he’ll enlighten those guys too. If you feel uneasy, you can handle it yourself.’ Caramel, with a resolute expression, raised its fist and shouted.

“Follow me! We will bring down the Foundation with our boss!” The monkeys instinctively roared, not understanding the meaning. “Ooh-ooh! Ooh-ooh!” Thus, the Foundation’s research lab faced the first and last monkey rebellion in history.

“Aargh! Help me! The monkeys are using swordsmanship!” Leading the charge was the V-monkey Caramel. After subduing the guards, it seized their firearms and fired indiscriminately, a scene like something out of a war movie. -Bang bang bang!

The guard attacked by the monkeys screamed. “These guys are even shooting guns! Argh! I surrender! Please spare me!” Just 15 minutes after the ground battle began, the first small research lab fell. There was also a minor incident where a detachment rushing as reinforcements got bogged down in the stalemate corridor.

This was merely the beginning. The true chaos was just starting.

“The air wing is on standby overhead. They claim to have an air force of sorts, but they’re not fighter jets.” As our operatives finished suppressing the air defense network, I initiated the next phase of the operation. “The transport airships are also ready at high altitude. The squadron will arrive in 30 seconds!” I pointed to the sky towards Irene, who stood silently wearing a black helmet.

Irene nodded silently and gently stroked the chattering V-mouse on her shoulder. It was a special Ariel Group walkie-talkie. “Estimated arrival time 30 seconds. Confirmed.” I counted the seconds. The sound of jet engines, seemingly tearing through the sky, echoed in the darkness. Exactly 30 seconds later, a firestorm-like bombardment poured down below the neutralized air defense network. The wingsuit unit hovering in the sky used that sight as a signal, deploying their parachutes and descending to the ground, while the Violets on the ground, who had been waiting on the outskirts, waved at the sky with shouts of victory.

“How’d we do? Didn’t we do great?” “A perfect success!” -Thump thump crash!

They must have been truly shocked. They couldn’t have imagined a terrorist organization daring to fly jet aircraft, could they? But we are not a mere terrorist organization. The Ariel Group is a revolutionary army with a sacred mission to spread freedom.

“Alright, charge! Everyone, charge!” The guidance of daylight tore through the darkness and unfolded. Our triangular formation deployed sharply like a spearhead. With Irene leading the charge at the forefront, the shield unit, absorbing unique abilities throughout their bodies and burning with golden light, surged forward as one giant arrowhead. -Boom!

After pushing aside the barricades of resisting vehicles, the Ariel ground forces poured into the entrance of the stronghold fortress like a flood. “Let’s liberate the people!”