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As I was planning the operation, I had asked the Scholarship Officer out of curiosity about how to deal with the enemies.

“Scholarship Officer! Can we just kill them all?”

To be honest, I felt a bit uneasy about it. After all, this time our opponents were the Federal Army.

Even though they were masquerading as pirates, they were nominally the military of a government ruling the world.

Moreover, the Federal soldiers we encountered were mostly diligent like Major Klein, decent people fighting against monsters.

As the saying goes, it seemed necessary to double-check before proceeding.

“Should we take them prisoner? Or what? Should we let them live?”

The Scholarship Officer scrutinized my face as if questioning why I was asking such things, then turned the question back to me.

“Violet, isn’t it true that you’ve already infiltrated and are surveilling the mine and its surroundings? What were the people there like?”

As soon as I heard the Scholarship Officer’s words, my response popped out.

“They fed us less and beat us every day! When I asked for just a little more, they threw my bowl to the floor!”

I thought back to what I experienced as a slave. The soldiers generally treated the slave miners harshly, but only enough not to kill them.

The meals were miserable, and whether soldier or officer, they treated the miners like mere playthings.

“I heard you’ve cooperated with soldiers frequently. If that’s what’s making you hesitate, I’ll tell you that there’s no need. The Pax Nova Naval Base hasn’t recruited soldiers since the regional commander changed. Instead, it has become a hotbed for crime by accepting nearby pirates and criminals to replenish its ranks. How you treat them is up to you. Just don’t be overly cruel, alright?”

Not being overly cruel seemed to imply not turning them into drum barrels.

“Got it! By the way, I found a huge monster where I found the Doctor.”

“A monster, you say? Indeed…”

“Yeah, it seems like the soldiers were making the Doctor do something. Do you know anything about it? The monster doesn’t seem alive, what should we do if we see it?”

The Scholarship Officer replied immediately.

“Blow it up.”

**

Pax Nova Island consists of the main island and small islands scattered around it, each with its own mine.

In fact, calling them islands is somewhat ambiguous from a geological standpoint.

Except for the main island, the rest were just rocky outcrops, with concrete and gravel poured on top for land reclamation and building constructions.

The main products of the mine were essential materials for manufacturing room-temperature superconductors.

However, compounds used for the fortress walls and armor plating, like mega steel, and various rare metals for smelting were abundantly buried nearby.

It truly compared to a magical pot that continually produces money.

Colonel Kurt’s pirate warlord group, based on the funds obtained this way, imported supplies and controlled nearby shipping operators and fishermen while paying tributes to the upper echelons of the military to divert their attention.

Slave miners were steadily supplied through various channels, and aside from food expenses, the costs incurred were almost non-existent, making it a remarkably profitable business with exorbitant profits.

However, the warlords would soon find themselves facing the situation that there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world economy.

The reason was simple. The Violet Brigade, which believes in liberal democracy, was poised to intervene physically in the rightful activation of the free market economy, stepping in as the invisible hand.

Currently, within the concrete structure of Mine 1, where the liberal market’s opening was imminent, Violets were having clandestine conversations with slaves.

“I can’t believe it, we’re getting our freedom in just a few hours…”

One seasoned miner who has endured many years in the mine whispered with a trembling voice. When a bald girl once promised them liberation, they initially laughed it off, but once she started pulling out countless weapons and revealing sword energy, they had no choice but to believe.

The decisive clue was a satellite phone connected to the outside world.

-H-Hello? Is that you?

-Dad!

Though the sound quality was poor due to magical interference, the man couldn’t hold back the tears.

He thought he had been forgotten, but his family still remembered him.

At this point, he wanted to believe. It had been over five years since he couldn’t escape this place.

There were those who had endured more than ten years in the mine, and the plight of the workers was indescribably miserable.

And so, just hours before the operation began, the veteran workers transformed into human dynamite, primed to explode with hope and joy.

Their visages, filled with the volatile materials of hope and happiness, resembled children waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve.

It was only when the girl wearing the Skull Mask issued a grave warning that their excitement calmed down.

“…I don’t know how to repay this grace…”

“Don’t let your guard down. You’re not free yet. You haven’t forgotten what I explained, right? What you need to do. If any one of you wants to survive, your roles are vital.”

The workers snapped to attention at the girl’s advice. They couldn’t let excitement ruin the plan before it even started.

“Don’t forget that your roles are considerably important. Once the operation starts, calm down the panicking people, evacuate to the places we guide, and don’t come out until the situation is over. If you want to return to your family alive, stay quiet.”

They replied that they would do so. Satisfied that the Violet Brigade Headquarters could now concentrate fully on combat, they moved quickly.

“Are all the magazines fully loaded? Don’t forget to load the bolts into the clips!”

“Huh? Isn’t that the command center’s job? We’re combatants.”

“Ugh!”

Thanks to bulk purchasing through Helios Frontier Services, there were plenty of ammunition for firearms, including fire extinguishers.

The recommended items from the Scholarship Officer hit the mark, allowing Helios to secure massive liquid assets and fill the armory.

On top of that, there was enough homemade explosive material, and various types of explosives were secured through the clan.

They also changed their weapons. Instead of the existing crossbows, they introduced ergonomic designs with high-performance scopes. One example was the 40-round combat crossbow that smoothly pulled back like a bowstring when the lever was gently pulled.

The bolts were also made of a material that could hold magical energy longer, and the arrowheads were crafted to be razor-sharp.

When looking at it overall, the power had increased modestly. However, what was needed now was not a trump card but minor conveniences.

Of course, there were other pieces of equipment.

“This is also important. It looks a bit heavy and clunky, but its power will be extraordinary.”

“A big, cool gun! Strong firepower!”

Three hours before the operation began, Unit 141 was grinning while holding a heavy weapon that could hardly be called a rifle. In her hands was the hunting shotgun used during the duel with Sebastian.

The command center, along with Colonel Kurt and his Awakened officers, had deployed armored vehicles and multi-purpose support walkers on the island for riot suppression and base defense against the most threatening enemies.

While crossbows could pierce through any armor, in terms of sheer destructive power, such brutish weapons were superior.

The satisfaction of shooting was good. These heavy weapons that used machine gun-type internal shells would be effective in taking down large enemies from the front.

As the final preparations wrapped up, the start time for the operation slowly approached.

Before they knew it, it was midnight. With the exception of the duty personnel and a small number of workers, most were sleeping in the barracks and officer quarters.

The crescent moon rose faintly in the sky, and the clouds were thick, perfectly suitable for stealthy actions.

Two hours before the operation began, Violets who had been in hibernation began to wake one by one.

“Are the mines and net removals prepared?”

“Ready. Other colleagues at major points have completed their preparations.”

“What about you, rescue team?”

“All done!”

One hour before the operation, the Violets who had climbed to the top of the building carefully surveyed the island shrouded in darkness.

Aside from patrolling soldiers and blinking lights here and there, the base was utterly silent.

“Command control room, generator, officer’s quarters—confirmed! Check the outposts!”

“Anti-air artillery, confirmed! Helicopters, airship docking—confirmed! Hangar—confirmed!”

“We haven’t located the regional commander or the professor. Move cautiously.”

Taking advantage of the darkness, the Violets moved stealthily across the rooftops, walls, and streetlights, dodging the surveillance.

Almost a year of familiarization with physical enhancements allowed her to move as nimbly as other agents.

“Stealth complete!”

One hour before the operation, the agents in military uniforms, the Violets, scattered into the naval base’s interior from the shadows.

The Violets awakened from hibernation began to form the main group throughout the island.

“Alright, when it starts, you know, right?”

“Of course!”

Thirty minutes before the operation time, Mine 3421 took a deep breath and looked outside.

Veteran miners cautiously started to wake the other slaves.

They checked outside, seeing newly replaced soldiers blankly staring into the dark sea after finishing their shifts.

Ten minutes before the operation time. Thirsty, the Violet from the command center took a sip of water.

The black moon briefly illuminated the darkness, but soon it was shadowed again.

The countdown began.

“5, 4, 3, 2, 1!”

Violet’s temporary brigade leader, Unit 103, declared the start of the operation.

“Let’s go!”

Though the command was brief, the situation that unfolded immediately after was anything but light.

-Boom!

Flames leaped from the sea in front of the island.

**

One minute since the operation started, I was engulfed in murderous intent.

The bastard in front of me was the one who flipped my bowl over. As I laid eyes on him, anger boiled within me.

“So, when I grab that woman and push her hard~”

The one who had humiliated me was now chortling and chatting with his subordinate.

Could this guy truly not empathize with the pain of the slaves? He was undoubtedly a psychopath.

I had to kill them all.

“So you’re not paying attention at all—”

I clenched my focus and aimed my crossbow beyond the wall.

The sound of the trigger snapping, a flash of crimson light pierced through the concrete wall and drilled into his head.

-Splash!

The remaining magical energy burst like fireworks, blowing the officer’s head off.

Surprised shouts escaped the inside for a moment, but soon they were buried beneath a hail of bolts crashing through the wall.

“Outpost neutralized!”

Five minutes into the operation, the Violet Brigade smashed every major outpost installed on the satellite islands. Their methods varied.

-Swish!

“Graaaarrk! An ambush—”

-Bam!

“Be quiet!”

Creeping through the darkness, I switched off the control panel or severed wires.

Moving quickly to the situation room, I burst in and slammed a bolt into the head of whoever was there.

Moreover, dozens of Violets raised their crossbows and unleashing suppressive fire through the walls in a swift and simple manner.

“Grahk!”

Screams echoed from beyond the wall. As guards were felled, Unit 442 kicked through the ceiling and intruded.

The soldiers, wide-eyed in surprise, quickly extended their weapons and whirled around.

The smooth sound of slicing cut through the air. The situation room’s personnel were sliced in their chairs into pieces.

They smashed radios and tore down the surveillance system one by one.

“Why haven’t we fought like this before?”

I don’t know why I hadn’t thought about sniping with bolts infused with magic to kill the enemies beyond the wall before.

Had we just been focused on explosives all this time, I had forgotten how to discreetly cut their throats.

Yeah, we Violets still had much to learn.

I should become a master of special operations by using these bastards’ lives as nutrients.

Bolts pierced through the heads of outpost soldiers.

Come to think of it, sword energy stands out in nighttime operations. I’ll need to consider that next time.

After eliminating the guards, I cut off power to thermal imaging equipment, magical detectors, and small radars. Boom!

Seven minutes into the operation, the watchtowers and outposts were filled with corpses as we moved to the next location before they could catch on.

From here, it gets genuinely important. I needed to breach into the submarine docking facilities with simultaneous strikes.

“Detonate!”

-Boom!

The demolition Violets blew up the primary power facilities. The entire island was engulfed in darkness.

At the same time, the command control of the distant naval base illuminated again as an emergency generator kicked in, but it was too late.

The hitting Violets, who broke through ceilings and walls, swung their blades mercilessly.

“Ambush! Emergency! Emergen—”

I kicked the pirate officer who babbled carelessly right in the chest.

He was sent crashing into the opposite wall by the energy-infused kick. Strike, pierce, shoot!

“P-Please spare me!”

After binding the few who barely survived with tape and tossing them into the corner, I reported the situation.

“All destroyed!”

“All dead!”

Sadly, whether the emergency generator was activated or not, lights flickered back on in some facilities.

With that, the emergency alarms started ringing one by one.

Despite being rotten, the soldiers—non-commissioned officers and officers—were beginning to wake from their dreams back to reality.

But it was too late.

“Ugh! It’s an emergency! Airstrike—!”

At three in the morning, while the command control room was blown up, recently awoken officers from the quarters faced us.

“Don’t report for duty!”

-SPLAT!

The officer standing in a daze had his head severed above the bed.

Once the officers were eliminated, the soldiers would become fools. They wouldn’t even be able to handle the expensive equipment.

I swept through them all, shooting bolts through the walls into everyone I saw.

I kicked in doors and crushed heads with my flail.

As I cleansed the quarters, I realized something significant.

“Oh, can’t we just blow it all up and leave? After all, the sirens are already blaring, and we’ve been discovered. There’s no need to move stealthily anymore.”

“Ah! Now that you mention it, you’re right. Let’s do it right now!”

After pouring gasoline in each of the quarters and tossing incendiary grenades, the assassination team hurried onto the next location.

“Uaaaargh! Save me! Aaaaagh!”

As the officers perished helplessly, soldiers burst out of the barracks in chaos.

“Command control room, is the mic operational?”

“Yes! I tested it; the captured guy showed me how to broadcast to everyone!”

“Great, let’s start!”

It was fortuitous that we saved the prisoner.

Ten minutes to operation time, Pax Nova set ablaze in a glorious display, mocking the darkness.

The helicopters and airships that had just ignited could barely take off before burning like firewood.

Then let’s throw in some disruption.

The Violet in the command control room shouted in a hurried voice.

-Emergency! Emergency! Despicable Air Force bastards have launched a surprise attack! Their landing forces are approaching the coast! Positions, everyone!

As soon as the broadcast ended, dive team Violets began clearing mines and paving the route.

-Whoosh!

Soldiers who had been idly searching for the commander turned in surprise. The sea was covered in flames.

The effect of pouring oil was spectacular. The soldiers sprinting in search of their commander were met with a barrage of machine gun fire.

-Tatata-tat!

One by one, the soldiers perished in their barracks.

While some soldiers managed to escape or snatch weapons to flee, the Violets stationed on the roofs relentlessly pursued them, showering them with bullets.

Those we hadn’t caught or officers in other locations were scrambling to grasp the laser communications and attempt to direct their troops.

The eavesdropped communications were utter chaos.

[Their special forces have infiltrated! Send reinforcements towards headquarters! The command control room is in danger!]

[Where’s the regional commander! Find him immediately!]

[All contact with the mines has been cut off! It seems the slaves have revolted!]

[The defense lines are all shattered. The anti-air batteries! The interception systems! The quantum radar is down due to a power shortage! Restoring power immediately is crucial! They could land at any time!]

The few soldiers stationed on the defensive line beheld countless ships approaching, igniting the flames of the surface.

It was the Violet Navy.

“Command control room, once more!”

-Attention all units! The despicable air force has allied with the clan’s vermin navy! Their landing forces are approaching! We will prevail!

The soldiers gazed at the incoming ships and aimed every remaining weapon toward the coast.

I sank another bolt into the back of an surprised soldier. The brave foes aiming to repel the landing fell into disarray.

We laughed, watching them not distinguishing who the enemies were as they screamed and shot.

“Enemies at the rear! Air Force special forces!”

Too late. On the island, already three thousand five hundred Violets had spread out.

The panicked soldiers squawked like parrots, “There are enemies everywhere!” The red dots on the strategic map bounced around, not knowing who the real enemies were.

In contrast, all I had to do was attack everything other than us.

There were also those ridiculously rushing in with armored vehicles and walkers.

Their clumsy counterattacks erupted under rocket and machine gun fire.

There were fewer Awakened ones than expected. Maybe we shot them all when we were in the lodgings.

Chaos and fear were allies of our Violets.

“Rescue team, how’s the submarine docking facility?”

“We’ll be inside soon!”

**

While chaos enveloped the island, the rescue team infiltrated the passages and submerged areas from below.

Diving Violets, carrying giant capsule-shaped balls, slowly entered the submarine docking facility.

We contemplated several escape methods, one being the drum barrels.

The idea was simple: to put Professor Bernike in a waterproof drum and swim to safety.

Though the Professor was a rather tall woman, making the drum uncomfortable, we purchased an escape capsule and painstakingly dragged it underwater.

If we could toss her in and then swim away, that would be the endgame.

“Scholarship Officer! The work is all done. You can come in now!”

There were still many enemies, but we had disabled all defense systems and liberated the mine.

While we tidied up and collected treasures, allied forces would follow behind to seize this island.

“Is there any operation as neat as this?”

Thinking so, the ground rescue team first began to search within.

The underground facility was complex and oddly quiet.

Originally, the inside of the submarine docking facility was bustling with soldiers and strict vigilance, making entry a daunting task. Now it was eerily calm.

“Is it deep in the facility? Perhaps everyone is above. Rescue Team 2, how’s the underwater situation?”

“Uh, we’re entering now… Just a moment.”

While the rescue squad of Violets swimming towards the submarine docking facility heard a sudden noise.

Sounds of collisions, roars, something cracking and breaking.

Suddenly, a colossal figure loomed in front of them.

“Ugh, AAAAAH! A monster!”

The monster that suddenly appeared charged with a speed incongruent to its massive size. Some members of the rescue team, frightened, tried to dodge, but were knocked down by the creature.

“Uaaah!”

The monster soon surged up to the surface.

-Swoosh!

Receiving the light from the burning island, a massive creature resembling a whale with tentacles revealed itself.

Its silhouette against the dim surface was truly a spectacle.

The monster roared.

-!!!!!!

A deafening boom echoed around the island.

Startled, the rescue team that had followed the creature to the surface witnessed a human figure leap off its back into the sea.

“Hah… As expected, there’s no way a hastily constructed creation from the underground facility would be properly controlled. I thought it would go further…”

The marine monster gazed at the burning island, beginning to swim toward it with its massive body.

A woman’s murmurs faintly reached us.

“But I succeeded. Did you think I would trust that they would actually free me? I carve my own destiny, you apes!”

The woman raved for a moment, swinging her fists through the air, then awkwardly wrapped herself in a makeshift bag and life vest, using them as a raft as she swam forward.

The approaching woman soon encountered the rescue team. It was her.

“Professor Bernike?”

As I shouted without my breathing apparatus, the swimming professor quickly turned her head.

“I came to save you! It’s the Dhend Security Service! Remember?”

Professor Bernike, drenched from head to toe, appeared utterly bewildered.

“What? You guys are here…”

Seeing the capsule shattered by the collision, I felt a wave of despair wash over me. At times like this, there was only one answer.

I pulled the drum from my inventory.

“It was sent from the university! Get in quickly!”

The Violet Brigade’s rescue operation succeeded unexpectedly.

But that marine monster, I wonder if it can be left as is. First, I’ll watch the fight with the pirates.

 

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