Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 218 - 194: Evaporation of the Sea

Chapter 218: Chapter 194: Evaporation of the Sea

Sogi Juro, round-bellied, rose from his seat and looked around the office he had occupied for over ten years, feeling a certain sentimentality towards his work. After all, having guarded this Mystic for so long, he could easily write a best-selling memoir given the current fascination with the mysterious and the hunger to wield power capable of turning reality on its head. Yet the most reality-altering Witch had been shackled by capital, unable to stir up any waves.

After issuing his orders, the entire Godbinding Plan commenced a tightly coordinated retreat.

Black Fire Innovation was approaching, and a retreat was undoubtedly the best course of action; otherwise, they would surely be destroyed by the Martinez, whose combat prowess was astonishing and not something a mere Godbinding Plan could withstand. Moreover, with a strategy focused on avoiding battle to preserve the vessel, Kyoto Infinity also did not wish to recklessly engage it in battle, as its tenacity had been proven in the previous naval engagement.

Therefore, it was necessary to kill Yan Duo of the Zenith before leaving, to prevent it from falling into Blackfire’s hands.

Thanks to years of scientific research, the Godbinding Plan had pinpointed the solar core within Yan Duo’s body. Just a sufficient yield from a nuclear weapon would be enough to trigger an explosion, shattering Yan Duo of the Zenith into pieces and completely annihilating it, leaving Black Fire Innovation with nothing but a burning ocean. Although this would cut off the supply of Yan Duo Metal, it was still better than leaving it for their competitors.

Following the evacuation procedures, Sogi Juro ordered a general withdrawal of the base, released all the escape shuttle machines, sequentially shut down reactors, and decreased the total power output of the base. Nuclear weapons passed through the transport pipes and were placed in the heart of Zenith by the Synthetic Humans, who had painstakingly dug tunnels to the original core of Yan Duo.

Setting a nuclear warhead with the maximum yield and a detonation program, Sogi Juro then boarded an evacuation shuttle machine, ready to return to the beautiful Archipelago to report his duties and was planning to retire early to enjoy life.

"Report," the base’s communication department detected the Innovation’s presence and immediately reported to Sogi Juro, "A suspicious, unidentified ship is approaching."

"An odd ship?" Sogi Juro frowned, "Data. Give it to me."

Innovation’s close approach, once detected, would be troublesome, and Xu Yang was also investigating the internal detection systems of the base. Discovering a series of reconnaissance data generation, he couldn’t help but become more vigilant and started to interfere.

If he directly shut down the radar in the communication department or created a significant hazard, it would immediately be associated with hacking. Consequently, Xu Yang chose a more mild, cautious approach, inducing them to think of machine aging or equipment in need of an update.

By the time the radar was working smoothly again, the data had long been tampered with by Xu Yang. The information returned was incomplete, failing to confirm the existence of the mysterious ship.

"Please wait," the communication department found that their radar was not functioning properly, and their terminals were running slow.

This struck the communication personnel as odd, unsure how to report this issue.

After a brief discussion, they decided to reply hesitantly. They didn’t want to work at this overseas base any more than necessary and aimed to evacuate as soon as possible, starting to pack up their things and join the retreat.

After all, the commander is responsible, no matter how the situation unfolds.

Sogi Juro was somewhat anxious.

The Think Tank suggested within his mind that he dispatch the remaining shuttle machines from the base for broad reconnaissance to locate suspicious targets around the base.

"Why?" Sogi Juro was puzzled, "If the Martinez charges in, won’t we be in danger by delaying? This is missing the opportunity to fight."

The Think Tank rapidly simulated a scenario: if all current content was falsified by hackers, evacuating could mean falling into a massive trap. Therefore, thorough checks before a complete evacuation were extremely necessary.

He tried to mobilize the members of the security division to launch, but they no longer responded; their drab jobs had made them apathetic. It didn’t matter to them whether they worked hard or slacked off, as they were only paid so much either way. Since the order to retreat had been given, it was best to just leave quickly.

"Commander, please retreat."

"Let’s go."

"If we don’t leave now..." His deputies and other security officers gathered around, pressuring him with their words. They were tired of enduring years at this base and unlike Sogi Juro, they were not at ease.

Looking at all these eyes, the cold looks from his subordinates filled Sogi Juro with anger.

Having climbed the ranks through family connections and living in luxury, all the issues exploded in this critical moment; his subordinates lacked trust in him. He felt a mixture of chills and fever, as if he were being insulted.

The Think Tank system naturally made a wise decision: he should use his position and the company regulations to apply pressure and identify the threat before anything else.

Sogi Juro couldn’t worry about that anymore; after all these years, he knew how to utilize this AI technology, which was to make full use of it and follow its directives. He lived for the pleasures of life, not to tire his brain with thinking.

"Attack it!" Sogi Juro ordered, "Now!"

Just as the crew members of the shuttle machines were about to climb aboard the carriers to leave, they were forcefully ordered back to the dock for battle preparations, causing extreme dissatisfaction. Their actions were sluggish, and their resentment towards Sogi Juro peaked.

Xu Yang, using the cameras, detected all of this and secretly locked the dock exits, blocking the possibility of the shuttle machines launching an underwater strike. The number of ships in the dock also surprised him; it wasn’t the four mentioned in the reports but rather ten, and more than half were brand new.

"We can’t leave!" the leaders of the various shuttle machines each sent messages to Sogi Juro.

Sogi Juro, pushed to the brink of madness by this series of troubles and malfunctions, paced on the spot, awaiting the Think Tank AI to calculate the next step. The AI quickly offered its strategy—to activate the weapons platform’s missile system to bombard the suspicious target.

The order was given, and a submarine-launched anti-ship missile was released from a weapon platform at the side of the Godbinding Plan. It swiftly traversed through the water, aiming to locate the threat, and raced towards the direction of the Innovation.

On the Innovation, a high-energy reaction was immediately detected.

"Enemy missiles incoming," Lila reported.

"We can’t counterattack, or we’d reveal our position," Xu Yang decided. "Disrupt its trajectory."

Through the cabin walls, Farosa used her Divine Power to disturb the water outside. Human technological weapons were always unpredictable, so she directly manipulated a large volume of ocean currents. The sea water churned violently, forming a powerful undercurrent that knocked the missile to a completely disoriented angle, causing it to explode at the seabed beside the Innovation.

Boom!

This way, the feedback received by the Godbinding Plan was utterly void; hitting the seabed achieved nothing and indicated the absence of a threat in the relevant waters.

Having dodged the attack, Xu Yang continued to enhance his control over each terminal of the Godbinding Plan, making the team realize how dull and annoying it was to stay at the base. Machines wouldn’t start, circuits lacked power, and the air temperature was too high.

The pressure was on Sogi Juro.

Feeling the gazes of others, he sensed that if he forced these people to stay with the Godbinding Plan any longer, they would mutiny in the next second.

Black Fire Innovation was eager to recruit defectors. If they killed Sogi Juro and then handed over the entire Godbinding Plan to the Martinez, everything would fall into place.

Even though the Think Tank AI continued to suggest new countermeasures, Sogi Juro had grown tired of it.

"Let’s go..." Sogi Juro felt extremely weak. He would either die or become a huge joke.

He climbed aboard a Shuttle Machine and left.

Once the commander himself had left, the fifty shuttle machines dedicated to evacuation also prepared for retreat, evacuating all personnel and carrying important materials, intelligence, and equipment. They efficiently destroyed all encumbrances that couldn’t be taken away immediately, ensuring that even if the enemy captured the Godbinding Plan, they would only find an empty shell. Their comprehensive retreat procedures were now put into action.

With Sogi Juro’s departure, the entire retreat process was completed in 10 minutes. The turtle-shaped, army-green transports roared into the sky, and the two "Auspicious Water Level" shuttle machines previously sent to hunt the Ocean Descendants returned. The crew hurried to drive the shuttles into the transport’s hangar, taking these important military vessels with them.

At this moment, Sogi Juro also publicized the reason for the retreat: they had received an order that the "Martinez" was about to attack the Godbinding Plan, giving them a reason to leave.

Although the Zenith was precious, the Martinez’s attack was unstoppable. Their previous naval defeat had confirmed this; Kyoto Infinity currently had no capability to intercept the Martinez.

It was embarrassing! Many Kyoto Infinity employees felt extremely heavy-hearted when evacuating the Godbinding Plan.

Not to mention the plummeting stock prices, the decrease in benefits leading to layoffs. Just the threat to their lives was enough to cause distress—the Martinez was armed with nuclear warheads, capable of launching long-range ballistic missiles and efficiently wiping out millions in entire cities.

"It’s time to detonate the base, Your Excellency," the adjutant reminded.

"... Yes," Sogi Juro signalled.

At this point, the Godbinding Plan was devoid of any personnel. He detonated the hundreds of nuclear warheads hidden deep within the Godbinding Plan, ready to completely kill off Zenith.

—— Xu Yang intercepted the signal.

Since the Shuttle Machines and personnel had completed their retreat, the Innovation was now just a few hundred meters from the Godbinding Plan. At this distance, Xu Yang’s control over the base’s information was even stronger. He directly scanned and accessed the Godbinding Plan’s own network modules, blocking the messages from the command ship.

In the sky, the group of shuttles evacuating from the base were flying through the clouds, doing their best to avoid the impending chase of the nuclear explosion’s aftermath. But after a long wait, there was still no sound of the anticipated massive nuclear explosion. Many lay on the ground, eyes shut, trying to dodge the light and noise, but the destruction of the Godbinding Plan never came.

Many Witch Researchers indeed invested their hearts in this project. They had quietly grieved for the explosion of their workplace and were now puzzled.

Why was the Godbinding Plan still intact?

Sogi Juro was covered in cold sweat.

The adjutant leaned over the screen; all the personnel aboard the fifty shuttles stared at the Godbinding Plan, dumbfounded, mostly slumped on the ground, drained of strength, unable to believe what they were seeing.

Instead of the nuclear weapons detonating to execute Yan Duo, the continuous humming and trembling indicated that the entire Godbinding Plan was cracking apart. Howling flames and magma sprayed in all directions, boiling the sea water, with huge plumes of steam rising.

Their hearts raced, bodies tensed, and expressions changed drastically, completely at a loss. A tremendous terror and fear overwhelmed them.

"No, no—" Sogi Juro collapsed on the ground, his head throbbing painfully.

Zenith, awakened!