While Special Operations Unit Four was facing the monster in DryZone...
In Kim Min-sae's grand office, the atmosphere was tense in a different way. Xiao Yan stood calmly before the woman who held supreme power in the Witherborn organization.
"Kim? You called me here urgently for what business?" Xiao Yan asked in his usual level tone, though his eyes showed deep suspicion.
Kim Min-sae looked up from the documents on her desk. Her narrow eyes stared at Xiao Yan with an unreadable gleam. "Hmm... business? Is that so..." she said slowly before smiling thinly.
"What does she mean by 'is that so'?" Xiao Yan thought, sensing something abnormal in Kim Min-sae's attitude lately.
"I feel like there have been unusually many missing person reports coming in recently... Xiao Yan," Kim Min-sae changed the subject, leaning back comfortably in her chair.
"Yes, Kim," Xiao Yan acknowledged. "Or do you have news about this matter to inform me?"
"Well... I suppose that's right," she answered vaguely.
"Suppose?" Xiao Yan frowned slightly. Unease began building in his chest.
Kim Min-sae looked at Xiao Yan with a slightly cunning gaze, as if enjoying confusing him. "It seems... there are interesting clues around City C. What do they call that place... hmm..." She pretended to think for a moment. "Oh! Right! The old water treatment plant in City D... called 'Pool Wither.'"
Xiao Yan frowned harder. Why has Kim been acting so strange lately... her speech... her behavior... nothing's like it used to be... He shook off the scattered thoughts before acknowledging the order. "Understood, Kim."
As his words ended, Xiao Yan's figure suddenly vanished from Kim Min-sae's office, leaving only silence and a mysterious smile on the woman's face...
Cutting back to Leon's group...
After successfully dealing with the tiger-elephant monster, exhaustion overwhelmed everyone, but many questions also arose.
"What was that huge explosion in the tunnel about?" Leon was first to break the silence with his question.
"And those roars from dozens of Vine-born too!" Shion added immediately. Her face was still full of doubt.
Raven frowned as well. He couldn't answer this question either. "I don't know either... maybe they were testing something with that monster... seeing how much explosive force it could withstand, I guess," he replied evasively, trying to come up with a plausible explanation.
Traffie, who walked behind them, kept complaining the whole way. "Damn! I want to fight more! Want to fight more! Still not satisfied at all!"
"Ow!" Traffie yelped when Mina punched him in the head with her small but heavy fist. The petite girl gave him a cold look. "Shut up already, you're annoying!"
Traffie rubbed his head gently while pouting.
"So what do we do from here?" Leon turned to ask Raven.
Raven sighed softly. "Don't know... guess we'll have to go back and wait for orders from Master Xiao Yan at base." He looked up at the bright, clear sky, but his heart felt heavy. This time we got completely tricked into a trap... and there are so many suspicious things... He sighed again wearily.
As for Leon, after the intense battle earlier, he was starting to feel more confident in his fighting abilities. He unconsciously smiled faintly.
"What are you smiling about! It's creepy!" Shion, who noticed, quickly spoke up while backing away from Leon slightly.
"N-nothing at all!" Leon hurriedly denied with reddening cheeks.
But before the conversation could continue...
BOOOOOOOM!!!
A massive explosion thundered from the direction of "City A" that they'd left not long ago! The tremors traveled through the ground where they stood!
Shion, who was teasing Leon, turned pale. She quickly looked toward the source of the sound, as did everyone else in the unit! Everyone's eyes were filled with alarm and shock!
"What the hell was that!" Raven exclaimed first!
"An explosion... from inside City A!" Traffie's eyes went wide!
"This is bad! Something terrible must have happened!" Mina said with a trembling voice!
Everyone looked at each other in dismay before Raven made the decision. "Let's go check it out!"
With that, Special Operations Unit Four shot toward the incident site immediately!
As they ran at full speed, Raven couldn't help thinking, Why have so many things been happening continuously since last night... It's like someone is deliberately creating situations... or is this just coincidence? But he brushed off those scattered thoughts, focusing all his attention on what lay ahead.
And finally... they reached the explosion site!
The scene before them made everyone gasp! Thick black smoke still drifted throughout the area. Several buildings had collapsed into rubble. People in City A were running for their lives in chaos, screams echoing everywhere!
And in the midst of that chaos... they saw four formidable men! The first, a giant muscular figure holding a massive war hammer. The second, equally tall and imposing, wearing thick steel gauntlets, standing with a creepy grin. The third, a tall, lean, agile figure holding twin long-handled battle axes that gleamed. And the last, a man in a pitch-black cloak standing calmly but radiating clear malevolent energy!
All four of them were standing guard over a group of terrified civilians who trembled with fear! The giant with the hammer was raising his weapon high, preparing to smash down on an elderly woman who had fallen to the ground!
"Stop right there!!!" Raven roared! His body shot forward like an arrow!
CLANG!!!
Raven's steel "Gear" gauntlets clashed hard with the first giant's war hammer! Sparks scattered everywhere! The tremendous impact made the giant stagger back several steps!
"Hm? Unit Four guys? Pathetic bastards!" the second giant wearing steel gauntlets cursed in frustration before charging at Raven immediately! Fist against fist! Both their steel gauntlets crashed together violently! The sound of crushing metal rang out! An intense close-combat battle between masters began!
As for the third man with twin battle axes, he grinned bloodthirstily before charging at Traffie, who stood closest! "Let's play a little, kid!"
"Bring it on! You're the one who's gonna get chopped to pieces!" Traffie roared back fearlessly! His beloved axes swung to clash with the enemy's twin battle axes! The sound of metal striking metal rang out rapidly! An intense axe duel began! Traffie had to face his enemy alone!
Meanwhile, the man in the black cloak... his target was clear... Leon!
Suddenly! Leon felt as if everything around him was moving unnaturally fast! It was a strange and eerie sensation!
In the blink of an eye! Before Leon could even get ready or draw his sword! The cloaked man's figure appeared right in front of him! He didn't attack... but instead used his palm to push hard against Leon's chest!
WHAM!!!
Leon's body flew through the air and crashed into a building wall several meters away! Pain shot through his entire body until he could barely breathe! The cloaked man remained standing still, looking at him with unfathomable eyes beneath the shadow of his hood.
"Hey! You big bastard!" Mina's sharp but furious voice rang out! She emerged from behind some rubble with a small modified machine gun in her hands! The barrel trembled as she aimed at the hammer-wielding giant who was about to turn and join the others!
"Huh? What's that supposed to be, little brat?" The giant looked at Mina with disdain, but before he could say anything more...
"Shion! Take him down!" Mina shouted!
Suddenly! Shion's figure shot out from the side! Her massive sword blazed with flame-red light! She leaped high, swinging her sword down at the giant with full force!
"Heh! Think you can do anything to me?" The giant roared, raising his war hammer to block Shion's attack!
CRAAASH!!!
The sound of metal clashing thundered and shook the ground! The tremendous impact made the ground tremble! Shion was pushed back slightly by the recoil, but she still stood firm! Her amber eyes stared at the enemy unrelentingly!
"Not bad skills, little girl! But this ain't enough!" The giant grinned nastily before swinging his hammer at Shion again!
An intense battle between the two strong warriors and the giant began! Mina provided long-range support, disrupting the enemy's movements while Shion engaged in close combat with her incredible destructive power!
The battlefield situation was now clearly divided into four points! Raven was exchanging punches with the steel gauntlet giant intensely! Traffie was dueling axes with the tall, lean man with neither giving ground! Shion and Mina were cooperating against the hammer-wielding giant!
And Leon... he was facing the man in the black cloak alone! Overwhelming pressure radiated from the mysterious man's body, making Leon feel like he was sinking into endless darkness!
This guy... he's not ordinary... Leon thought, trying to gather his wits and struggle to his feet. His old wound that had been kicked earlier was still throbbing. Pain shot through his body, but his eyes blazed with determination and refusal to give up!
This was the crucial battle! The real test of Special Operations Unit Four! And the beginning of an unfinished mission! The fate of City A and the secrets hidden behind it all... everything was waiting for them!