Chapter 307
"You're alright... that's great..."
PS: Waaaaaaah!
PS2: Because Rope wore a positive pressure protective mask as required, he was spared the fatal nerve damage from the arrow by using Nana's uniform to block it... Although he was paralyzed and unable to move, the group of onlookers were so frightened that they thought they were about to be killed by that 'Black Knight' to vent their anger.
Of course, even if he really died, Nana wouldn't use it to vent her anger.
She would simply wipe out the entire Lungmen on an equal footing... This is kind of a small "what if" scenario in this chapter...
Speaking of which, it's about time we found a solution for Nana's PTSD.
Generally speaking... Big DO Special DO?
9th Lungmen Seafood: 352 Deep into the Nest
The noisy midnight gave way to dawn, and the black knight vanished silently from the crowd's sight.
Unfortunately, Nana's second work uniform became temporarily unwearable due to the high concentration of nerve-damaging agent, so she had to entrust Folinic to take Rope, who had regained his mobility, back to the affiliated specialist hospital of the Frontline Command... partly to take samples of the new agent for testing, and partly to allow Rope to return and receive proper follow-up treatment.
While Jiu and Red were using the excuse of 'the old town's supporting structure being aging' to appease the local residents, Nana and her companions who had come to reinforce them managed to reunite.
The cordon set up by the Guard Bureau and the Fire Department could dispel most people's curiosity, and Nana, dressed in combat gear, nodded to everyone after the others in the team arrived... Compared to yesterday's skirmish in the building, today's battle lasted from midnight until daytime.
As the main artery of the entire spreading pipeline system, Nana had been monitoring the condition of the opening that had been 'welded shut' by the Mica Greatsword for the past few hours:
"In short, aside from the Seaborn that is suspected of having heat resistance, which initially crawled out and damaged some buildings and caused some Pollution to other waterways, no Seaborn individuals have been found to have a clear aggressive tendency."
"... Isn't this considered aggressive behavior?"
The female superintendent, Swire, peered cautiously at the giant sword emitting blue smoke, trying to avoid looking at the conversation between Ch'en and the red-haired Feria behind her, instead focusing her attention on the pedestrian street that looked like it had been wrecked by seven large delivery trucks.
"The scene has become like this..."
"This is the consequence of insufficient firepower, leading to a stalemate in the battle... If the Guard Bureau could obtain the permit for the use of firepower in the annihilation operation as soon as possible..."
Having said all that, Nana didn't dwell on the matter further. After Chen and Hoshiguma returned from the 'former Integrator' group, Nana, wearing a strapless bodysuit, turned her attention to Ch'en and the others:
"According to standard procedure, we should now begin confirming the details of last night's operation... but right now, the clearing of this pipeline is not yet complete, so please come and work overtime."
"Yes, the Guard Bureau and the Fire Department have confirmed the status of the gates, and the sweep of the Kowloon Walled City's pipes can begin at any time."
Clearly, Superintendent Chen had no intention of revealing the details of his conversation with Jiu that lasted several tens of minutes. However, judging from the fact that Red and the others were only watching from a distance, the local gangs obviously had no intention of getting involved in Lungmen's anti- Seaborn operation.
Nana's assume for now that they had a good discussion and reached a certain consensus.
As Nana and Chen talked, everyone realized that they were about to fight again. The Thunder and Starlight Squad, who bore some of the marks of battle, immediately began their pre-operation checks.
Influenced by them, Exusiai, who was usually very easygoing, and her Penguin Squad became more efficient in their actions. Meanwhile, Texas, who was changing the air tanks and filters on her breathing masks, seized the opportunity to ask:
"Captain, what did you mean when you said that Seaborn lacks offensive tendencies?"
"You mean there's definitely more than one of those monsters... But in the captain's battle last night, they only managed to catalyze three 'flowers' for a sneak attack in the end. And speaking of sneak attacks, who were those three crossbow bolts meant for?"
Hearing about Exusiai jumping, Nana tilted her head in confusion:
"What is it for, and who is it prepared for?"
"Target, target, Seaborn's flower's long-range power is clearly positively correlated with size... I found it strange when I first heard it. Were Seaborn really going to use those three flowers against you, Captain? They couldn't even penetrate your uniform..."
If the arrows had pierced through, then Rope would definitely be dead... But regarding Exusiai's prediction that Seaborn's three crossbow bolts were not very effective in a sneak attack, Nana shook her head:
"The expansion of the Seaborn is to go wherever they can, no matter what. As long as there are Nethermark, let alone catalyzing in water tanks, they could turn the artificial river in Lungmen into a monster's lair... As for those three crossbow bolts, it's certain they were aimed at me, after all, they pierced through my armor-reinforced uniform."
Looking at Exusiai eyes had turned into little beans, Nana smiled and tilted her head:
"Exusiai, you don't actually think my uniform has poor defensive capabilities, do you...? In fact, purely in terms of physical strength, it's more defensive than my combat suit."
"Huh?! Captain, your combat uniform is...?"
Is it armor? But that's just the surface... Nana's knight armor serves more as a vehicle for tactical functions than as a purely defensive armor, as is the case with traditional armor.
Due to the physical properties of Liquid Fabric, it can only provide some defensive capabilities in Armor Mode, and most of its defensive performance relies on SHD's 'Survivor's Protocol'.
In terms of materials science and physical properties, it is inferior to Nana's bulletproof uniform in most situations.
Seaborn's sneak attack undoubtedly nearly penetrated the bulletproof layer. This power exceeded that of most small and medium caliber armor-piercing bullets and penetrating spells, reaching the level of a high-performance large armor-piercing crossbow.
To achieve similar power, human weapons would have to be half the size of Typhon's Great Bow.
Most importantly, the penetrating nerve-damaging toxin even paralyzed Rope, who was wearing protective gear... If he had been hit by that thing, and the airtightness of his Tactical Armor had been compromised, the outcome of the battle with the sea monster would likely have been uncertain.
Although last night's battle seemed like Nana's solo performance, the thrilling ending still made Rhodes Island's Black Cat secretly tremble with fear.
If the Seaborn weren't focused on their own battle, if they were using venom sprayers instead of crossbow bolters as catalysts, and instead focused their attention on the crowds drawn by the fighting... the entire Kowloon Walled City would be engulfed in panic if even a small number of onlookers were thrown into disarray.
The Rope not only helped Nana in her battle, but the Little Bunny's reminder also made Red's companions intentionally direct the crowd to avoid the water pipes... Although in hindsight it can be said that she only gave a reminder, even Nana didn't want to imagine how things would have turned out without it.
"Alright Exusiai, the captain's equipment is kept highly confidential, so don't ask about it unless necessary... Also, if we go down there, the captain will have to take back that sword, right?"
Following Texas's gaze, one could see the greatsword that was occasionally emitting a dark red glow. Beside it were numerous Fire Department and Lungmen Fire Department spraying water to ensure there were no Fire Department hazards.
"No... Although it appears to be only stuck in the ground, the underground part of this sword has already mixed with a large amount of molten building materials. If it is pulled out, and if the obstruction is not cleared along with the materials before they cool down, then once the other parts cool down... the Mobile City structure of Kowloon Walled City might be permanently damaged."
After all, given that Nana had participated in the construction of Mobile City before for certain missions, if she encountered a situation where pipelines from several floors had melted into a mess, she would only suggest abandoning the entire block and building a new one... but that's not part of Rhodes Island's service for this mission.
It can only be said that avoiding excessive collateral damage during a mission is a basic skill for combat personnel. The assassin is at most killing one person; she is not a terrorist who comes to destroy Mobile City.
Nana took out her Terminal and brought up the underground structure blueprints provided by the Guard Bureau in the team channel. She tapped the mark where she had inserted her greatsword. On the blueprints, there was an eight-directional old shunting yard circular track-changing node underground... Although the shunting yard of the Lungmen New City light rail system had been in use for a long time, this node had been closed for a long time.
However, since it is connected to the Lungmen rail system, and it is unknown whether the blockade gate will prevent Seaborn from entering the regional pipeline, blocking the entire node directly is obviously the right choice.
As a passageway to different underground areas, although some entrances were damaged to varying degrees in yesterday's battle, Ch'en brought good news.
Thanks to the efforts of the Lungmen Fire Department, Nana's Trauma Team will soon be able to see the road leading to the location of the sea monster.
"... This kind of situation usually brings bad news."
As Exusiai posed with his submachine gun, Ch'en was checking breathing masks, tilted his head and gestured with his thumb to the dark opening where Fire Department were checking the gas flow and safety of the components.
"Bad news, we have to go down there in our physical bodies, into the dark, damp, and possibly long-unopened support layer of the Mobile City, fighting monsters with only flashlights... And Exusiai, your Halo is also a form of illumination... extremely conspicuous."
"... Please stop talking, my head is starting to ache."
Ignoring Exusiai's treasure hunting, Texas's worried gaze remained fixed on Nana:
"So you're saying you're not taking your weapons with you...? Then, if you encounter a similar heavy sea monster again..."
"Well, everyone's here this time... and besides, I'm not coming empty-handed."
Facing Texas's questioning gaze, Nana raised the bow case in her hand... Texas, who was chewing on a Poki, narrowed her eyes slightly. She remembered this thing; it seemed to have been in the hands of that Sarkaz girl from the Shining Light Squad before.
As Nana opened the weapon box, the originally jet-black giant bow visibly shrank rapidly, becoming a seemingly ordinary composite bow... leaving everyone except Typhon completely bewildered.
"Well, after all, he's Master Cat."
Nana knew that this was due to the compression phenomenon caused by the interference of her tactical equipment with the Warp entity... Typhon might not be aware of the transformation theory involved, but anything related to Demons would lose its activity if it came near Nana, not to mention that her 'natural enemy' was in the hands of her cat master this time.
In comparison, Typhon, who had always been leeching off Nana's weapons, now had the chance to use his own weapons to help his master... This was the only thing on his otherwise empty mind as he was about to switch to Sankta Mode.
"Everyone, are you all ready? The Fire Department have checked the condition of all the pipes, and we can enter the target area at any time... Nana, would you like to switch to a bow and arrow? Do you need a supply of arrows?"
"... If possible, please provide me with arrows from a large armor-piercing crossbow."
Nodding, Ch'en gestured to a member of the Guard Bureau to fetch three bags of crossbow bolts and toss them to Nana... The reason for emphasizing crossbow bolts rather than arrows was mainly because, although the Black Bow had become smaller, its output was still at the level of a siege crossbow in Nana's hands.
If arrows are still made primarily of fiberglass or carbon fiber, there's a high chance they'll explode upon firing... All-metal crossbow bolts are more reliable. Although the resentful look in the eyes of the Guard Bureau operative whose ammunition was taken was palpable even through his helmet, it was hard for Nana to stay calm. Without ammunition, he might only be able to do things like maintaining order.
As everyone signaled to Ch'en that they were ready, the dragon girl nodded to the Fire Department were prepared for the final demolition... With the roar of the hydraulic demolition equipment, an octagonal incision appeared in the ground:
"The Trauma Team begins their assault, in the following order: me, Starlight, Thunder. Once Penguin Squad confirms safety, they will proceed to assisted navigation. The rearguard and support personnel's safety will be entrusted to the Guard Bureau members."
After speaking, Nana jumped into the ground with her crossbow gear on her back, as everyone confirmed that they had received the message. The Fire Department had already used the fluorescent sticks for temporary lighting to mark the distances on the ground.
As blue magical light exploded in mid-air, red light flowed from the black-armored knight's eyes. Because he had used Typhon's black bow, a crimson band of Non-Entropic Applications system emanated from the knight's left shoulder like burning flames...
As the bow-wielding knight stepped onto the ground bearing the heavy Nethermark, he slowly rose to his feet. Then, the Starlight Squad, excluding Takina's Halo, landed together, followed by the Thunder Squad, who arrived using a rappelling rope, and the rest of the team.
Mika: "Ew... such thick Nethermark..."
Takina: "The waterways in this area seem completely unusable... So, given the current situation, why haven't they given us permission for an annihilation operation...?"
Franka: "You'd have to ask those officials at the Lungmen Planning Bureau... I heard they were the ones who were constantly making a scene at the meeting."
Liskarm: "This is none of our business... Franka, you should make sure your isolation gear is working properly, and don't forget how you became the Infected..."
They can flirt and banter anywhere with just a few words; that's the inherent ability of Nana's Blacksteel Squad.
Amidst Franka's teasing, "Eh? ~ Top student, are you worried about me?", only Jessica diligently continued her report:
"Penguin Squad confirmed... and Miss Nian, Commander Chen, Hoshiguma, and Miss Jingzhe have arrived... Nana."
"Okay, full power ready."
Listening to the increasingly loud roar of running in the distance, Nana glanced at the arrow rest, which had become unusually large and had strange markings after being resized to a normal-sized compound bow. Finding that it didn't affect its use... she then slowly pushed the bow forward and nocked an arrow.
This bow requires Strength Mode to draw fully... Is this the kind of bow Typhon wanted to use before?
Maintaining her bow-drawing stance, Nana glanced at Typhon, who had set up a sniper rifle and transformed his horns into Typhon Halo... Perhaps, this child is starting to get obsessed with Firearms Arts.
The group waited silently as the distant rumbling grew clearer. As the Starlight and the gun lights of the Thunder Squad illuminated the reflection of the chitinous carapace, Nana released her grip. As the arrow left the bowstring, the massive rectangular arquebus produced a streak of blue Thunder.
Hmm, that's a normal reaction... Nana remembers Typhon also had a black the Warp discharge effect when he used it.
Looking at the effect of the sea monster's head shell being completely pierced through, Nana nodded in satisfaction:
"All units, fire at will."
PS: Waaaaaaah!
Kittens are so cute~↑
PSS: I want to say something but I don't know what to say. Anyway, I feel like my thoughts are back to normal, so I can try to resume daily updates of 5k words or even more... Good morning, good afternoon, and good night everyone.
9th Lungmen Seafood: 353 Progressing
Compared to various investigations and interviews that raise concerns about social impact, combat operations are often the final stage of an operation.
Once the gates of the dark, Mobile City's support layer are locked, the main entrances and exits become clearly oriented arenas. Unlike the Netherworld Nethermark on the surface that are trying their best to hide and only spread in the water pipes, the Nethermark under everyone's feet are now as thick as a carpet, which is already proof that the sea monster has used this place as its lair.
The Seaborn's treatment of intruders was even more extreme than that of the most xenophobic the Infected gangs. The moment they sensed that the group had stepped onto the Nethermark, they immediately swarmed together and began their surging advance.
In the dark passage, hordes of black monsters, blending seamlessly into their surroundings, charged forward. Even as the Black Knight's longbow pierced through the monsters' marching ranks with thunderous force, the Seaborn continued to close the distance rapidly.
Following Nana's command, the black-haired girl, Si, stepped forward. As the muzzle flash of the machine gun illuminated a corner of the support layer passage, the Seaborn showed no mercy... They charged forward one after another. But within the limited width of the battlefield, they were simply charging forward one after another.
The heavy but continuous gunfire stirred the emotions of everyone present. The scorching hot shell casings fell into the Nethermark with a hissing sound as they evaporated... But soon, the shrill sounds turned into the crisp sound of shell casings hitting the ground and colliding with each other.
As the primary damage dealer at this moment, Takina had no time to examine the dark red gun barrel closely. The instant she realized what it was, she reminded Nana:
"They're running out of ammunition..."
"It's alright, we're consuming their biomass too, it's the same for everyone."
Soothing the black-haired girl's emotions in this way, Nana didn't know if this approach would be effective, but in any case, Takina changed the burst fire of the machine gun in her hand to rhythmic bursts.
Because maintaining the Armor Mode would take up too much space due to the Firearms Operator muscles, Nana simply removed the armor to allow gunners like Jessica and Typhon to better maneuver their weapons and point them.
Even excluding Takina, who was the main damage dealer at the moment, they couldn't fire indiscriminately... because Mika, who was holding a shotgun, happily took advantage of the moment when Takina stopped firing and charged forward with a spiked club she had somehow pulled out.
"May the Lord have mercy on your souls... Hey, speaking of which, do sea monsters have souls?"
While thinking, she fired, the club she swung sending Hai Zi flying through the Seaborn. Nana ignored the pink-haired Angel's erratic, jumping thoughts; at that moment Exusiai's suggestion behind Nana caught her attention:
"Speaking of which, the reason we were attacked by sea monsters before was because of those bio-mechanical devices that grew along the Nethermark, right? These Nethermark are so thick, if we leave them unattended, won't something grow out of them and attack us from behind?"
"Very likely... So, Penguin Group and Superintendent Chen... could you please handle Nethermark first?"
Hearing Nana's request, the group glanced at yet another shelled monster with a lobster head being pierced by an arrow crackling with Thunder, and at the pink-clad operator at the front line who, for some reason, possessed a childlike innocence, cheerfulness, and gentleness, yet was covered in blood, attacked with incredibly violent methods, and still emitted a childlike smile. With mixed feelings, they nodded.
While the girl in the tight-fitting combat suit holding the bow and her two combat teams were consolidating the battle line, Ch'en took the lead in gripping the crimson longsword at his waist. The fierce sword energy burst forth, and Jingzhe, who was beside him, took the opportunity to raise her staff and release thunder. The Nethermark in half of the passage was instantly shattered and carbonized in mid-air, turning into ashes that stuck to everyone's clothes and masks.
"So, on our side..."
"Let me help you."
Seeing the significant results achieved by the police superintendents and the official casters of the Great Yan, Texas also began to take action. However, it was clear that Texas's partner Exusiai, as Firearms Operator, was not well-suited to this kind of task with her weapon. Therefore, Hoshiguma, wielding her triangular shield, volunteered to take on the physically demanding job.
All the onlookers saw Lupo, with her long, straight black hair, unfurl her canvas gear, and a bag full of Originium Sword was flung into the sky. A dozen or so Originium Lightsaber were activated in mid-air. But they didn't swing aimlessly; instead, they were guided by Lupo's magic and swiftly pierced the ground.
Beams rained down, instantly slicing a large patch of Nethermark into several long strips. Hoshiguma immediately wielded her shield, which spun like a meat grinder, and steadily advanced... The thick layer of Nethermark on the ground quickly shrank under the onslaught of the group.
However, Nian, standing at the very end, watched as the Nethermark was shattered, struck by lightning, and carbonized... constantly adding new wounds, while countless 'tentacles', like patches, kept trying to connect the shattered pieces of flesh...
The Dragon Lady, carrying a camera, was oblivious to Jingzhe in the distance and spat a small fireball onto Nethermark. The ground hissed and then quickly returned to its original state. The Dragon Lady frowned, disbelieving, and even rubbed it with her shoe, but found that even the holes she burned herself when she was slightly more serious were filled in almost instantly. So she frowned and called for a stop.