Chapter 109: Northern Reconnaissance – Preparation (I)

Hans’s colony ushered in progression as days passed.

Residents walked the streets with more confidence. The night no longer felt dangerous.

The decisive action to weed out a few bad elements had earned him praise.

But security was one thing.

Demands would grow over time; both in scale and complexity.

Water shortages sparked murmurs in the markets and near the outer trading stalls.

A few proposed to pump from the nearby river. Some were stopped by the patrolling soldiers—others discouraged by their fellow neighbors.

Progress bred expectations; expectations bred pressure.

Hans watched from a secluded balcony. He scanned the expression of every resident passing on the street below.

“Has Tyrus checked the water quality in the river?”

Behind Hans was Alexei. He grabbed a piece of paper and read the contents.

“We have consulted Dr. Tyrus, Commander. The water has negligible trace of the virus.”

“Meaning?” Hans pressed.

“It should be safe to drink it now,” Alexei put the paper down. “Dr. Tyrus suggests boiling it for a few minutes before consumption.”

“Good,” Hans nodded. “Announce it to the colony later. How about Dmitri’s platoon?”

“No signs, Commander,” Alexei’s brows creased. “It is expected they should return by today or tomorrow.”

Hans retreated from the balcony, his figure embracing the darkness of the room.

“Hmm. I will be retreating to the complex in the following days,” he paused. “Did anyone look for me?”

“The leader of the SAS agents is looking for you, Commander. He said he can help you with the operation on the north.”

“He seems very knowledgeable?” Hans raised a brow.

“Markets are very loud about your accomplishments and plans,” Alexei scratched his cheek. “Should we…”

“Don’t even entertain that thought,” Hans stopped him. “I’ll meet him in the complex five days later. I have something to do first.”

“Understood, Commander.”

Alexei bowed, then he left the room.

Hans remained in the dim room long after Alexei’s footsteps faded.

The council supported his decision.

The markets were loud about the outcomes.

The SAS were curious of his movements.

And the colony kept growing with all the chaos mixed within.

As Hans’s thoughts aligned, a wide smirk formed on his face.

The northern operation was barely about the nuclear power plant. That was just the second objective.

Hans wanted to search for a place that would allow him to deploy the MCV.

A short talk with Roger after the council meeting had revealed astonishing news: the northwestern edge of Grefort City was lined up with heavy industrial sites.

Ports. Factories. All that he felt that would tick the system’s green marks.

Besides the deployment requirements, Hans also wanted a remote and secured location for his target area.

The in-game’s deployment animation may not be loud, but real life was different.

Hans still remembered the simulations; chassis unfolding and hydraulic arms driving into the ground.

The machinery would roar in triumph as it claimed its territory—a loud one at that.

And loudness was something he had to be cautious of.

Deploy near the center? That was tantamount to courting death.

In a more remote place somewhere in the edge of the city up northwest? That would be more survivable than the previous thought.

Hans exhaled and stepped out of the room.

With a blur, his figure vanished from the building; he reappeared high in the air.

Tier 0 at 80% synchronization rate, Hans calculated. Is this the enhancement brought purely by the somatic axis, or was it diluted due to me having more than that?

He was unsure if an individual could obtain more than one Axis enhancement. Most awakened individuals he had seen displayed only one.

Kimmy and her perception.

Yunera and her speed.

Tyrus—unknown, though Hans suspected him to be cognitive or sensory.

Johannes and the other two SAS agents—he could not tell.

He glanced at his own system panel again.

Since the system assigned me three axes, this should be possible to others too.

Hans was only disappointed about his lack of elemental affinity. But perhaps he would see one of such nature not for long.

Cryostorm Trooper.

Chrono Vanguard.

The two most powerful infantry units up high in the tiers of the Crescent Federation in the game.

One froze people; the other froze time.

Just the thought of bringing them into real life made Hans shiver in fright.

Amidst the imagery of a world-shattering scenario, Hans’s boots thudded on concrete.

He was back in the apartment complex faster than taking a ride with the armored SUV. Nobody even saw him leave the colony aside from his system-bound soldiers.

“Those two should be doing some form of training,” Hans thought of Kimmy and Yunera. “Tyrus’s words must have intrigued them.”

If he could be stronger by stressing himself out or using his abilities, Hans would have trained harder than anyone.

Curse this system’s progress lock, he clicked his tongue. System, how long do you think it would take to rank up to the next?

Nevertheless, Hans was still willing to put the weight into practice. Gaining the power was one thing; mastery of it was another.

“Viper,” he spoke in the empty space. A moment later, Callum walked out of cover and approached Hans.

“Commander.”

“How long have you been waiting?”

“Not for long. The Commander’s speed has improved.”

Hans smirked.

“No thanks to you. We should go for another round.”

Callum nodded, not saying anything more.

Their figures vanished from the open ground; their blurs stretched into the parking lot.

Around two seconds, Hans stared at Callum. He’s sixty. I’m eighty, but I still need to push a few more.

Just as his eyes blinked, Callum arrived three feet away in front. A leg swept the air from Hans’s left, heading straight into his stomach.

His eyes widened and quickly raised his leg.

Their muscles contracted on impact, grunts escaping their mouths.

With a spin, Callum launched another kick; its momentum heading into Hans’s neck.

Another block stopped the attack. Hans’s body bent slightly to the left, holding his ground against that sudden twist.

Instant. Lethal. Precise.

Callum’s attacks continued one strike after another, each motion imbued with strength and uninterrupted flow.

Hans followed at first, then they came faster until only a blur was left.

A palm landed on his chest, tearing the fabric into shreds. He flew backward, skidding on the concrete into a halt.

“Stop!”

He shouted. His lungs heaved up and down for a full minute.

With a swipe of sweat off his face, Hans grinned and looked at Callum.

“Not enough. Another!”

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