Silence filled the surroundings.It was because of the person who had appeared—wearing a silver wolf insignia.“The predecessor of this Ark unit was the Fifth Defense Corps… How surprising.”The woman murmured in mild admiration as she surveyed the troops.Benjamin replied in a voice brimming with killing intent.“Affiliation and rank.”“Hm?”“Your affiliation. And your rank.”“Ah. Major Valentina de la Rosa, Special Operations Division, Central Command.I assume you’re the one commanding these unclassified soldiers?”“You walk in here of your own accord—should I take that as a death wish?”Valentina nodded indifferently.“We won’t get anywhere if you’re the only one talking.”“You talk too much. Eliminate the enemy in front of you first. We’ll talk after she’s restrained.”Benjamin frowned as if tired of the conversation and gave the order.At once, his men began to move.The red-haired woman, Valentina, hastily waved her hand.“Whoa, whoa. Calm down. I didn’t come here to fight.”Benjamin raised a clenched fist, halting his soldiers.“Before that—I’m curious. Under whose orders are you acting? Did central command authorize this?”“None of your concern.”“Heh…”Valentina let out a dry chuckle—an unmistakable gesture of disdain.It was as if she were pouring oil onto an already hostile atmosphere.Still, she continued speaking calmly.“I came to make a proposal. From now on, our special forces will take command of your unit.”“What?”“What the hell are you talking about?”“You’re currently an unclassified group. We’re assigning you under our Special Operations Division.”Benjamin’s response was immediate.“You’re insane.”“What?”The same disbelief spread among the Ark unit.“And what authority do you have to make such a claim?”At that, Valentina’s face turned cold.“I suspected as much when you didn’t even salute. You seem to think you’re someone of importance.”Benjamin didn’t respond—he simply gave a small nod.And in that instant—Slash—!“!?”“Chief of Staff—!!”Cries of shock rang out.Valentina smirked triumphantly… until she saw the vicious smile forming on Benjamin’s lips.“You…”What was severed was not Benjamin’s limb—but Valentina’s right arm.“Did you think I’d let my guard down?”“Khh!”“Restrain her. If she resists, cut off the rest. She’s half-machine anyway—she won’t die.”“You bastard—!!!”Her furious scream was met only with his cold sneer.***Later —Valentina was bound tightly and taken into a sealed chamber.Eli entered, holding several instruments and a portable phantom device.“The interrogation will now begin.”“Don’t you think this rebellion of yours is going too far?”“We follow only one superior.”“You mean that man, Kyle?”“I’ll be asking the questions.”“Either way, you won’t get anything from me. This body isn’t my real one, so don’t waste time with torture.”As Valentina spoke proudly, Eli stepped forward from behind.“Is that so? Let’s see about that.”“Miss Eli.”“Mr. Howard, may I handle this? I won’t kill her like last time.”“You have a plan, I take it?”“Yes.”“Then I’ll leave it to you.”Eli’s eyes glimmered with curiosity—like someone who’d just found a new toy.She examined the back of Valentina’s head and picked up a few tools.“What are you doing?”“You mentioned ‘rebellion,’ right?”Perhaps just to distract her, Eli asked lightly.Valentina smirked.“Pointless. Stop wasting your time.”But Eli’s next words froze her.“Funny, though. Who exactly rebelled against whom?”“What?”“It seems to me you’re the ones who committed treason.”Valentina’s expression twisted.“We’ve already confirmed that this ‘Kyle’ isn’t actually a soldier.”“Wait—what are you—”Before she could finish, Eli swiftly manipulated something.The synthetic skin on Valentina’s head opened, revealing a network of complex machinery.“D–disconnect—!!”“Too late. Androids are my specialty.”Her artificial pupils trembled.“I’m going to increase synchronization with your main body now.Even if you can’t feel physical pain, overloading your senses—touch, smell, vision—will still transmit trauma directly to your core system.”Eli adjusted the machine dispassionately.“What have you done!?”“I also modified your manual disconnect circuit.Try to force a break now, and your real body will suffer severe damage.”Finishing her work, Eli stood before Valentina.“You seemed pretty confident earlier. Say that again?”“What… are you?”Eli raised the voltage on the connection.“Gghhhh—!!”“Eli Wayless.”Hearing the name, Valentina’s eyes widened in horror.“Under the Civil Constitution, both defense command and wartime control rest with the City Council.And one of its top members… is Gale Wayless.”The air went still.“He’s my grandfather.”Eli’s smile, eerily reminiscent of Gale’s, deepened.Even her way of suddenly going dead serious was exactly the same.“Kyle inherited the authority that only my grandfather could bestow.Legally, that makes him the acting head in my grandfather’s stead.”Her tone grew slower, colder.“So even if your superior’s superior’s superior shows up,our commander’s orders remain perfectly legitimate.”Valentina’s expression went blank—her spirit seemed to leave her.“So stop acting all high and mighty. You’re annoying.”***A strange ceiling.How many days had passed?His entire body screamed in hunger.The first thing he checked after waking—(Warning) Stress Level: 80A dangerously high number made anxiety surge.[Legendary Swordsman], [Humanity’s Strongest Weapon LV.2], [Mechanical Heart and Lungs], [■■], [Crisis Detection][Gun Phobia (Warning)], [Implant Rejection (Warning)], [Immune System Damage (Warning)], [Dyslexia (Warning)],[High Metabolism], [Poor Eyesight]—Stress Level: 80—‘Hmm.’No new negative traits? Then why—?The reason became clear soon enough.His wrists were pierced with multiple IV lines,connected to nutrient bags hanging overhead.“Hoo…”With a faint sigh, he sat up.He could still move—barely.And # Nоvеlight # just then—Clatter—!“C–Captain!”“……”“The captain’s awake! The captain’s regained consciousness!”A sudden commotion filled the room.His head throbbed as the realization hit him—he must have been out for quite some time.Medics and researchers rushed over, with Aryan among them.He tried to ask for the time, but his throat was too dry to make a sound.So he reached for the glass of water nearby and drank slowly, waiting for his voice to return.“Ah… ah.”“Captain! Are you all right?”“Young man, how are you feeling?”“How long has it been?”“About two days. You’ve recovered faster than expected.”“Two days… That doesn’t leave us much time.”He clicked his tongue bitterly—an entire two days, wasted.“Was the underground passage destroyed?”“Yes, sir. The explosion was massive. Thanks to that, our operations in the area are progressing smoothly.”That was at least some good news.If the mission had succeeded, then the lost time wasn’t entirely in vain.“Medic.”“Sir.”“Did anything happen while I was out?”“Ah, well…”The medic hesitated.That hesitation told him enough—something troublesome had happened.“I’d appreciate it if you just told me.”“A major from the Special Forces Division attempted to make contact, and we have her restrained.”“Special Forces?”“Yes, sir!”So the Transhuman faction had already made a move.Though he’d only just woken up, a strong urge rose within him—to meet this person immediately.“Where are my glasses?”“Right here, sir!”+[Waylis Custom Glasses]− [Poor Eyesight]+ [Hawk’s Eye]He put them on, clearing his blurry vision, and got up.Nearby, his black coat, “Gamma,” and his sword, “Zero,” were neatly placed.+[Sword: Zero]+[Plasma Armor: Gamma]The coat fit his body perfectly, as if tailored to his frame.The medics gasped and tried to stop him, but he merely raised a hand.“I’m fine. Focus on your duties. And… thank you. I recovered quickly thanks to all of you.”“N–No, sir! We only did our jobs, Captain!”“Aryan, thank you.”“I didn’t do much. Just don’t overdo it—you’re still not at full strength.”“I’ll keep that in mind.”***“Dangerous… These people aren’t ordinary.”No—perhaps even stronger than the current Special Forces.The feats of the Ark Unit had spread far and wide after they’d splintered from the Order of Silence.She had dismissed them as exaggerated rumors, but after seeing the Ark Unit with her own eyes,she couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling that lingered.She hadn’t witnessed the battle firsthand, so perhaps it was only instinct—but one thing was certain: they were elite.That was why Valentina had thought her proposal would work.After all, the Special Forces were the most prestigious group in the entire military.And the elite always craved recognition under such a banner.She soon realized how completely wrong she was.“Damn it… I shouldn’t have come.”The tall man called “Chief of Staff” seemed open to negotiation.The problem was the girl—those half-crazed eyes.Something about her reminded Valentina of Mother.“Gghhh!”Sudden pain tore through her senses.“You’re holding out better than I expected.”“Heh… Do you even know which unit I belong to?”Her sight, hearing, smell—all her senses were being overloaded to the brink of neural collapse.Yet she endured.The Special Forces were trained for this kind of torture.Still, Eli’s next words sent a primal chill down her spine.“Yes, just a little longer. Hang in there.”“This won’t do.”No matter what she said, these Ark soldiers weren’t going to let her go.The only choice left was to force a disconnect—take the damage, but protect her main body.But then—A soldier burst through the door, rushing to the Chief of Staff’s side to whisper something.The man’s face changed visibly.“Miss Eli.”“Yes?”“He’s on his way.”“……!?”He?Who could make them react like this—enough to halt the interrogation altogether?“It must be him.”Moments later, the building doors opened—Zzzzzt—!Thud-thud-thud-thud!Dozens of soldiers entered and lined up on both sides.The light flickered; her focus wavered.Only footsteps echoed.Tap… tap… tap…A man emerged from the center.Black hair.A black coat that matched perfectly.Glasses resting low on his nose.A sword at his waist.The moment she recognized him, her blood froze.“Kyle…”Her body screamed—like prey realizing it stood before an apex predator.An oppressive pressure filled the air, making even her artificial lungs feel suffocated.She recalled her own commander for comparison—“No… He’s not even close.”When Kyle finally reached her, he asked quietly,“What did you learn?”“It’s all done.”“What?”She hadn’t said a word.How could it be “done”?Eli turned toward him, her manic expression gone—replaced with an innocent smile.“Then we don’t need her anymore.”“Agreed.”Kyle’s eyes shifted back to Valentina.She trembled like a prey animal caught in a predator’s gaze.“So, you’re the major from the Special Forces?”“Y… Yes?”His eyes were calm—but the killing intent behind them was monstrous.“Go and tell that stray dog this.”She didn’t understand his meaning—but instinctively, she knew it was something terrible.“If he ruins things with another reckless move,I’ll come for him myself.”Dangerous. Dangerous. Dangerous.“There will be no third warning.”Without hesitation—Slash—!Her vision spun wildly.And even before the darkness swallowed her,the terror had already eaten away at her mind.

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