Prologue
The Principality of Saint Moiety is a small country with a shape that resembles a begonia leaf. In its eastern valley lies a heavily guarded military base — the base is arranged in a square layout, surrounded by layers of barbed wire, armored vehicles lined up, guard towers towering high, and the area is equipped with infrared detection and automated weapon systems.
Less than a kilometer away, in the dense jungle, four fully armed special forces members are lying in ambush among the shrubs. They wear flat caps, camouflage face paint, jungle camouflage uniforms, and level-3 bulletproof vests. Their military boots crunch softly in the underbrush, and they carry ammunition pouches, tactical backpacks, and all the necessary gear. They are holding modified AEK assault rifles, and the last member — Team Member 4 — is armed with an SKS precision carbine equipped with a POS-4x scope, making him the squad's sniper.
He rests his rifle on a rock, and through the scope, a red triangular reticle and a black rangefinder appear. The reticle is steadily locked onto a sentry on the guard tower at the northeast corner.
Captain 1 pulls out a folded tactical map and opens it under dim light, his fingers swiftly moving over it:
"The target base covers about one square kilometer. Three guard towers are positioned at the northeast corner, northwest 125 degrees, and southeast 72 degrees, forming a defensive triangle. The central area contains a trapezoidal building, which is the command center. The rest of the area consists of field tents and parked Hanma armored vehicles."
He lowers his voice, "Mission confirmed: Infiltrate the command center and retrieve the object codenamed 'LOSF.'"
"What's that thing?" Team Member 4 frowns.
"It's classified," responds Captain 1 flatly. "I'd like to know too. Operation level: Black operation."
"Understood," Team Member 2 nods.
The four of them silently peel off the national emblem from their shoulder patches, a light blue insignia that symbolizes their country — which now must be erased.
Captain 1 activates the tactical tablet, and the screen flashes.
"We'll infiltrate from the northwest and southeast junction, supporting with long-range firepower and drones."
Team Member 2 pulls out a black cylindrical device from his backpack, presses the start button, and the device unfolds four rotating wings — the tactical drone "Night Fortress" ascends, stabilizing at an altitude of 200 meters.
"Night Fortress is in position, switching to night vision mode," Team Member 2 reports in a low voice.
"Good. Begin," Captain 1 confirms the command.
He transmits the target coordinates to the fire support terminal. A group of artillery three kilometers away immediately adjusts its aim. Seconds later, the artillery commander, Grier, gives the order —Boom!
The artillery shell hits its target with pinpoint accuracy within ten seconds. The guard tower explodes in an instant. The sentry in a dark blue uniform barely understands what happened before being taken out by the unknown fire.
But this is only the beginning.
Three minutes later, the entire base falls into chaos. The alarm doesn't sound, as signals are suppressed by electronic interference.
"Now!" Captain 1 orders. Team Members 1, 2, and 3 quickly descend the slope, their recording devices activated. They advance, guns raised, slipping into the base through a gap torn open by the artillery.
The gunfire is still roaring, bodies are scattered, and without hesitation, they execute the surviving soldiers with their sidearms.
Captain 1 takes a radio from Team Member 3's backpack and contacts headquarters:"Gray Spotted Assault Team, second squad, requesting deployment of tactical robot support."
"Received."
The remaining defenders react quickly and begin to counterattack, the fire from M4A1 assault rifles pouring in. The special forces members take cover behind an armored vehicle and return fire, gradually pushing towards the command center.
Team Member 2 extends his rifle, delivering a precise three-round burst that takes down two soldiers. He quickly switches to a ten-round steel-core armor-piercing magazine and sets his rifle to single-shot mode to support.
"Grenade!" he suddenly yells, diving backward and curling into a ball.
The explosion kicks up dust, but the high-spec tactical headset protects his hearing.
Meanwhile, Captain 1 notices a small team flanking from the side. He immediately turns around, switches to full auto, and fires a 50-round magazine, knocking one soldier down and suppressing the rest.
Bullets pour down like rain. While retreating, Captain 1 shouts, "Cover me!"
Team Member 3 reacts quickly, turning to assist. Captain 1 checks his wounds — a bullet has grazed his left arm, but fortunately, his chest was protected by his bulletproof vest.
He ties off the wound with a tourniquet, then quickly applies a bandage.
Once the bleeding is under control, he rejoins the fight, covering Team Member 3 as he reloads. An MK2 grenade flies out, exploding with a deafening bang before they continue their push.
Suddenly, the enemy throws another grenade from behind. Team Member 4 quickly fires, taking out the thrower, but it was a trigger grenade — it explodes the moment it hits the ground, and Team Member 3 is thrown several meters away.
At that moment, the sound of engines rumbles low — the tactical robot RO-300 is air-dropped from a helicopter.
"R1 team, set up perimeter defense; R2, clear the battlefield!" Captain 1 orders.
The RO-series humanoid robots spring into action — they are made of multi-sided armor, with heavy steps but extraordinary agility, armed with custom grip rifles, their gunfire descending like a rainstorm.
Captain 1 rushes to Team Member 3, who is lying motionless on the ground, his consciousness fading. He pulls out a morphine syringe from the medical kit, administers the injection, and throws his sidearm aside to prevent accidental discharge while unconscious.
Team Member 2 runs over. "How's Wokasong?"
Captain 1 answers grimly, "Not good… the bleeding won't stop."
Team Member 2 slaps Wokasong's face, urging him to stay conscious, "Don't close your eyes! Stay with me, stay awake!"
Together, they strap Wokasong onto a tactical stretcher. The helicopter hovers above, and the cable quickly tightens, pulling them off the battlefield.
As the aircraft jolts in the air, Wokasong feels his body growing lighter, as if floating. He struggles to grasp something but finds nothing. The helplessness sends a chill through his heart.
Captain 1 speaks into the comms, "Team 4, handle the cleanup. We'll accompany Team 3 back."
Team Member 4: "Understood."
As Captain 1 and Team Member 2 load Wokasong onto the helicopter, Team Member 2 rummages through the scattered medical supplies, spraying a hemostatic spray on Wokasong's wound, but the bleeding persists. The bright red blood stains the white cotton and gauze, dripping slowly onto the floor, each drop a reminder of his fading life.
Wokasong's vision is now just black and white; he can no longer perceive any color. All he can hear is the rhythmic beating of his heart. In his mind, a carousel of images spins, but the only sound is his heartbeat — a reminder that he is still alive.
Meanwhile, Team Member 4 is wrapping up the mission...
Using the Night Fortress drone, Team Member 4 controls the RO2 squad for perimeter defense, while he himself leads the RO1 squad into the command center. Upon reaching the door, they find it locked. Reluctantly, they install C4 explosives on the door. Once they retreat to a safe distance, the explosives detonate.
The robots swiftly enter in close-quarters combat formation (CQB), and Team Member 4 follows behind. Upon entering, they find that all the commanders have committed suicide by poisoning, all wearing ceremonial uniforms and adorned with medals.
Team Member 4 begins to sift through documents, finding many trivial papers, including routine administrative tasks, meeting notes, and some outdated reports. These documents detail mundane matters, like the commanders' schedules, catering lists, and personnel changes, all of no value.
However, one project report catches his attention. The report details the development of cutting-edge technologies, including stealth aircraft, an advanced electronic judgment system called Ravenor, and mentions a new type of combat unit with extraordinary abilities capable of executing highly complex tasks in extreme environments. Despite the high level of secrecy, the technological breakthroughs outlined in the report make him pause and reflect.
Team Member 4 orders the robots to continue their advance. The smooth metal exterior of the robots reflects a faint light in the dim environment. Their sensors scan for any potential threats. At the end of the corridor, a spiral staircase is faintly visible, like a portal to an unknown world.
The first robot descends the stairs, its steps firm and silent. As it moves, Team Member 4 raises his weapon, turning on the laser, and follows behind, his nerves on edge. Despite knowing that he is protected by the robot team, the enclosed space heightens his senses. Every echo feels like an alarm, breaking the silence of the corridor. As they descend, the air grows damp and heavy, the metallic scent mixed with the odor of decay, making it hard to breathe.
Strange, twisted eye patterns begin to appear on the walls of the stairs. Team Member 4's heart races. The air is thick with a suffocating atmosphere. He feels an intense fear creeping in, realizing that these patterns might be the result of some kind of mental manipulation. His thoughts waver, and his sanity begins to crack as the dark surroundings overwhelm him.
The staircase seems to shift around him, the patterns on the walls contorting into increasingly terrifying shapes, as if mocking his helplessness. Every detail seems to magnify, and the darkness feels like it's consuming his mind.
Overcome with dread, Team Member 4 feels himself nearing a breaking point. Realizing he might lose himself if he continues, he forces himself to close his eyes and takes a deep breath, trying to calm down. He must find a way out.
Warning: Gray Spotted Team Member 4, continuing downward will result in mental collapse. Please remain calm and stop moving immediately.
The robotic voice snaps him back to reality. He orders, "Advance." But his mental state is unstable, so he removes a small, silver, disk-shaped device from his backpack, opening it to reveal a tube. He takes a deep breath from the tube — a calming agent, designed to preserve the user's perception while dulling their mental anguish.
They reach the end of the stairs. After the first robot reports the area clear, Team Member 4 enters the dark space. As he steps over the threshold, his green laser scans the room. He didn't turn on the lights, choosing instead to use his red flashlight. He thought to himself, if there's a booby trap, I'd rather not set it off...
But nothing happens. The robots check the entire area, finding no threats. As he examines the room with his faint red light, he spots many electronic devices — an ordinary laboratory, until he turns his head.
At that moment, he stumbles backward, collapsing onto the floor. Are they still human? Is this the target?