Kingdom of High Tarxan, Near A Forest, Near A Beach Head, Out Of The Nuclear Submarine, Amphibious Inflatable Landing Boat.
1st Year of the New Age, New Sabbath, 3rd Week, 2nd Month Of Noah
Weeks had passed, and during that time, most of the special operations officers that were being carried by the Austronesian People's Empire's nuclear submarines had arrived at their designated locations.
They firstly began the operations by disembarking from the nuclear submarines and speeding through the shorelines. They had to make it quick so that they wouldn't be seen by any other people.
From that point on, their movements had to remain unseen, forcing them to blend into the shadows. After the officers disembarked, the submarines immediately submerged back into the water, lying in wait for their return.
The submarines were to remain on standby, prepared to come to the special operations officers rescue if needed. Each vessel was equipped with ballistic missiles and research equipment, which meant they had another purpose and that was to provide immediate aid if the Empire was discovered by the outside world.
Basically, they would roam the seas and when information about an imminent attack against the Empire is received, they are to take action immediately and to sabotage enemy supply lines.
Additionally, the submarines were tasked with researching the topographic area of the surrounding oceans. That is, to identify a potential location for resources to mine, and to gain a clear picture of the maritime environment.
In their bid to enhance the submarines' capabilities, the Austronesians abandoned much of the stealth of the nuclear submarines, as they believed the neighboring races have no way of detecting submarines even a few meters below the surface, let alone at greater depths.
Thus, most, if not all, the stealth equipment of the nuclear submarine was downgraded or removed to allow for more components to be attached.
Interestingly, the surrounding nations relied on a form of radar designed to detect magic. However, this worked to the Austronesians' advantage, as they were entirely devoid of mana, rendering these magical radars ineffective against their fleets and formations.
This information was given by Floria Melian Shelberry. The people who asked her were indeed shocked at her honesty, which made everything much easier for the Austronesians.
Another advantage for the Austronesians came from the presence of a few elves accompanying Melian, who were scholars well-versed in mana and various other magical topics. The young enthusiasts and experts in the Science Department and Research Institution were thrilled to embark on new research involving this world's magic.
After weeks of intensive study, the engineering team within the Science Department developed a groundbreaking invention to aid the Austronesian Empire in this world.
And that invention was a device capable of detecting signs of mana within a certain distance and measuring its Magic Levels, or they now called as "Magical Energy Units" or "MEU".
This innovation allowed the Austronesians to easily assess the threat level of magical beings they might encounter in the future. Moreover, they integrated this technology into a new satellite, which had been constructed long before the New Year Tragedy, and launched it into space.
The satellite, which would be named as the "Mana-Monitoring Satellite", was now capable of detecting and measuring Magical Energy Units (MEUs) in various regions around the world, providing a strategic advantage in navigating and understanding the magical landscape.
Back to the previous topic, the Austronesians couldn't stay too complacent, and so the entire fleet was still on alert, though they now have some time to take some room for a breather. This allowed them to install and modify some components of the nuclear submarines to provide the empire with more advantages against their soon-to-become adversaries.
The proof why they could trust Melian is because of the fact that the invasion fleet she brought was indeed a ship of the line ironclad. Which means that these nations' technology lagged behind even the ironclads of the American Civil War in their world. Thus, the idea of a radar based on electromagnetic waves was too far fetched for these nations.
However, the Austronesians faced a limitation. Since there were not enough nuclear submarines, they weren't able to send each one towards every nation of this world.
Additionally, Melian revealed an intriguing detail about the existence of "Civilization Zones." Apparently, the zone they were in was the lowest tier, known as the Third Civilization Zone.
This concept was somewhat similar to the terms of the past world of the Austronesians, where terms like Third, Second, and First World Countries were used.
However, one stark difference in this world was the pervasive presence of slavery, and it is present in every inch of the society of this world.
No matter how advanced or modern a nation appeared, they all have a common mindset of those whom with magic were deemed superior, while those without were considered inferior, more or less like dogs, and were denied the same rights and treatment as even those with the slightest affinity in magic.
"Commander, it is finally time to set out and gather information about our surroundings," Nathan said.
Boarding an Amphibious Inflatable Landing Boat with nine other men, Angelo looked back at Nathan and smiled wryly while the splashes of water were being splattered all over them.
"Indeed, it is time for us to gather information for the benefit of our glorious people's empire," Angelo replied.
Right now, each soldier wore green raincoats that covered most of their body to protect them against the heavy rain, with their battle armor and military uniforms hidden within it.
"Though these missions of ours are an immensely tough one as we would need to not be discovered by anyone. How are we going to enter the cities?" Paulo curiously asked.
Angelo glanced at Paulo, realizing he shared the same concern. Despite the uncertainty, their duty was to protect the Empire's interests, taking any necessary actions as long as it is beneficial to the Empire would be good.
"Let's just leave it to our God's will. Whichever happens, as long as it is for the benefit of our Empire, is our mission. Do not hesitate to unleash hell if we are to be discovered. After all, our lives take priority. According to the briefing, we are just to gather as much information as possible as we leave. Even if the Empire were to be compromised, the higher-ups already expected an attack after the demon invasion. Thankfully, it hasn't happened yet. We are the citizens of the Empire. If we die here and our bodies are tarnished and humiliated, the ire of millions of people back home would not forgive our adversaries and demand retribution. I'll say we are not meant to die here," Angelo said.
"Roger that, commander!" all the soldiers replied in unison.
After a brief moment of silence, they arrived at their destination, which was the shoreline. They immediately disembarked and deflated the inflatable boat, and packed it up. They hastened towards the forest, while minding their own flanks and surroundings.
"Rain and foggy. This is not a good sign," one of the soldiers remarked.
"You're right…" Angelo responded to the young soldier. Fully aware of the mission's risks, he knew it was essentially a suicide mission for humans like them in an environment filled with dangers that even an armed soldier won't survive.
To prepare, he had equipped each soldier with heavy machine guns, high-calibre rifles, and four armor-piercing shells.
Angelo looked at the puddles on the muddy ground and then at the mountains, shrouded in mist and clouds under the misty rain.
"Perhaps we should take shelter first. This weather is not suitable for a survey," he suggested.
Taking out a tablet, he pointed to a red circle on the map display. "The Mana-Monitoring Satellite recently built by the Science Department measures Magicule Energy Units in a given area. Based on our location, this area has a lower mana density, meaning there aren't many magic beasts or humanoids with magical abilities here."
"What happens if the area has a massive amount of MEUs?" one of his soldiers asked.
"Then there might be a large number of targets or a powerful one, unless they are capable of hiding their aura. That's why command sent us to an area with low mana density, same as the other teams," Angelo explained. "According to the map, there seems to be a village nearby. We should be able to rest there for the night."
"Didn't the command say we shouldn't be discovered?" Paulo asked.
"By humans in isolated settlements, yes. The Elf Queen assured us they wouldn't snitch on us unless they had no choice."
Nodding, Nathan agreed, "Sounds good. You veterans have a wealth of experience, I won't try to ignorantly take command here."
Hearing this, the Colonel could not help but shake his head and responded half-jokingly, "You shouldn't say that. Our military follows the principle of respecting the strong." he said, looking at the rest of the soldiers and issued orders, "Head north. We'll find a village not far from here where we will settle down. Remember, don't trouble the villagers too much. We're just staying for the night and gathering some information along the way."
"Copy that, commander."
"Commander, can we at least have a bite now?" Marco asked.
"We can once we reach the village. It's only a ten-minute journey on foot," Angelo replied.
Looking at the narrow road that could accommodate only one or two people side by side, Nathan stated with a bitter smile.
"This is what mountains are like!"
Hearing the soldier's exclamation, Angelo could not help shaking his head, and glanced at the soldiers behind him.
"Leave a few people to guard the station, the rest of us will go to the village," he ordered.
"Copy that, sir!" the soldiers responded in unison.
Nodding his acknowledgment, Angelo issued a few more instructions. Then, as if remembering something, he shouted.
"And one more thing, remember to bring those 'things' with you."
"Commander, do we really need to be so cautious? Those things are quite heavy!" Marco complained.
"Heavy?" Angelo's face darkened with rage. Staring at the young soldier as he emphasized, "They might seem heavy, but once you lose your life, you'll understand what real heaviness means."
With that, he walked to one soldier in a huff and puff and took an iron box from him. Inside was a modified rocket launcher with armor-piercing rockets, which was specifically designed to tackle the most dangerous beasts.
He had even witnessed such a weapon obliterate a tank like butter.
Tanks and armored vehicles were not permitted on this squad mission, so man-portable projectile launchers came into use. However, considering their terrifying recoil, which could shatter an arm, these weapons were generally used as a last resort.
Of course, armor-piercing projectiles, which primarily rely on the kinetic energy of the projectile to penetrate and destroy the target, posed a significant threat to magic beasts. After all, the strength of a magic beast lay in their robust defense, that was capable of ignoring ordinary bullets and rockets. But just with one shot, an armor-piercing rocket could tear apart the resilient defense of a magic beast, unleashing tremendous kinetic energy that could shatter its innards.
In general, there were not many magic beasts that could withstand this fearsome weapon.
'No beast can stay alive after a shot… except for those few…' As if Angelo had thought of something, his face suddenly darkened.
It was not the first time he and his squad participated in dangerous missions. The last mission he commanded was during the New Year Tragedy.
'But that time…' Sighing, Angelo suppressed the untimely emotions rising within him.
Even a month had passed after that tragedy, he still couldn't shake the memories of his men screaming, the sound of flesh tearing, and the monstrous roars of demons echoing in the air.
"Let's move."