CHAPTER 27

GLOBAL ISSUE
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Somewhere in Nevada

In the vast, dry, dusted soil, a three thousand-foot-tall ethereal tower could be seen from afar. Joint operations of the US Armed Forces surrounded the building with a mile-wide megastructure. The Nevada Red Zone was the most dangerous area, with high-level monsters in the deserted landscape. It had been a blessing for humanity that the biggest tower in the world stood on Nevada. As the second-most powerful nation after China, otherworldly creature threat nothing to the US.

Piiip!

“A pack of bingo-bingos spotted, pzzzttt ... twelve to fourteen, wise side of delta three zero, pzzttt! Close air support ...”

“Okay copy, I'm in visual the pack, heading it, pzzttt!”

”Open fire. Weapon free.”

Brrrrttttt!

Bruummmmm!

Several monsters were killed on the spot by the rain of 30mm projectiles. Showering monsters with GAU-8 Avenger autocannons and a series of air bombings, a squadron of A-10 Warthogs flew in a sweeping formation. Most of their prey were D-ranked monsters. Some were C-ranked, such as Magnaterra, a creature as big as a two-story house better known as a walking fortress. Nevertheless, they had no threat against the USAF.

“Target down.”

Brrrrttttt!

Bruuummmmm!

“Direct.”

More and more monsters fell to the blast from the flying gun's muzzle. Every path of the ‘brrtt’ always brought the death. Followed by a hail of bullets from a larger aircraft, Angle of Death, AC - 130 Gunship, they took out any monsters that came close to the perimeter.

“Alcesinax spotted, eastern side of the cliff, bravo three four zero, Excalibur, do you copy?”

“Affirmative, OPFOR in visual.”

“Engage, rain them down, give an easy job to 221th Cavalry Regiment.”

“Copy that.”

Barraged by 25mm of GAU-12 Equalizer, followed by a rain of 40mm Bofors cannons, the line of smaller monsters instantly died. The kinetic power of ‘the death from above’ became more terrifying as it was multiplied by gravity. The old gunship showed its fangs. Some monsters were even thrown several yards away after being hit by M102 howitzer.

“Hit!”

“Direct shot.”

Both A10 and AC130 spooky initially should be have retired a long time ago. But they were currently in the arsenal because fighting a war against monsters was a war against costs. The US military tried their best to keep away from the ceiling by resurrecting the obsolete. After all, there was no need to use a sophisticated fire system against enemies who could not fight back.

“Target moved. Excalibur, back to first line. New threats spotted.”

“Excalibur, on the way.”

Escaping the USAF's killing sprees, the monster passed through the second layer. The surroundings were quite silent at first glance. The monsters would never know that they were being targeted by a line of 57-mm cannon muzzles from the top of strange structures. The modification of Oto Melara, which is normally used for maritime purposes, used its sophisticated fire control to lock the monster on.

“Fire!”

Boom!

Booooom!

Booooooooom!

Several monsters were dismembered from afar. They showed a miserable scene when forbidden munitions precisely hit their skin. Incendiary warheads, napalm, non-detectable fragments, biological and toxic, the US Armed Forces showed off their nasty hobbies. The high-ranking monsters didn't even know who killed them or spotted any foe ahead. They were just dead, confused, and might be regretting having come to the wrong place. Even if they saw their enemies, everything was too late.

“221th Armor Regiment, time to clean up.”

“Lock ’n load.”

Igniting their jet-humming engines, several M1A2ME Abrams moved to their flanks, followed by several mechanized infantry behind. They easily killed any monster when their appearance was just a dot in the eyes of their prey. A dozen IFVs finished off the smaller remnants on their visual. Most of them were M9 Bradleys ME with 25mm cannons and 50-cal MGs, as well as a front bumper that looked a bit like a chainsaw, cutting down monsters that tried to get close.

It was hell. A real hell. The 40th Infantry Division scattered from the IFV with large-caliber weapons. They cleaned up the remaining monsters in the vicinity and left nothing but piles of dead monsters. The Combat Engineer and Transportation Unit arrived from the rear. Picking up the monster carcasses, they transported them to an unusual place.

“Why aren't we ordered to go to the association anymore?”

“Who knows? Maybe the higher-ups have fed up with the Walker Association or something. Those medieval freaks always bought our stuff at ridiculous price. Jesus.”

“So, what are they going to do with these carcasses? Have they find the way out?”

“That guy?” the driver pointed at the US Army Chemical Corps in Nevada Sector 3's checkpoint. “I think so. I'm done with Walker and their Shakespeare shit.”

A long convoy of military trucks passed through the checkpoint and moved straight to a brand new warehouse complex. It was the first time the US armed forces stacked up their stuff. Several USACEs looked busy with their chemical suits and writing clipboards. Sector 3 became busier. Watching the bizarre scene, the driver could not hold back his curiosity. He stepped out of his truck and talked to an officer.

“Will we get a raise, Sir?”

***

The Pentagon, Arlington, VA

“Mr. Senator, General is waiting for you.”

Escorted by an officer, West Turner, a Democratic congressman, strolled down a long corridor toward the heart of the Pentagon. He walked with a hurried pace and a folder in his hand. At the same time, General Michael Jean Wilson, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, waited for him with his hand on his back. His face was expressionless. His breath sounded hard, showing how bad his mood was. He could guess what kind of news the senator brought.

“Another love call, huh?”

“What else? You're so bold, General.”

The US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff signaled the lieutenant to close the door. The issue was so sensitive that he didn't let anyone around. Senator West Turner sat with no smile at all. Handing over a document with red stamps, he revealed a draft of the US's next regulations. General Michael raised an eyebrow. He smirked at the congressional situation, which seemed to be threatened by the US armed forces decision to process the monster's carcass by themselves.

“Oh, that's sweet.”

“You know the situation, don't you? The Walker Association has controlled the Democratic Party in public opinion. I can guess what kind of issue will be circulating.”

“That's why we,re here, My Friend.”

The conversation escalated with a simple answer. The senator seemed unpleasant with the general's casual manner. Handing over a highlighted document, he pointed out its importance. “Don't forget, General. They also controlled the Republican side in corporate matters. More and more walkers have been elected as senators. Your decision is too soon. The Armed Forces would be paralyzed if they stopped selling you crystal.”

“Back to the oil era. Until we can produce crystal energy by ourselves.”

“That's the best way to end my entire political career. I'd rather shout that there are only two genders than play around with environmental issues.”

The general didn't seem to have any concerns about his friend's complaint. Busying himself with the draft, he responded to a roundabout political matter in a military way. Kill something that was able to be killed, or let it be. Nothing is more precious than time. The senator dropped the topic and spouted a different issue.

“DARPA, APHIS, DHS, NFS, and DOE have done their best to convert ethereal economic value into national interest. We have researched new energy for 25 years. China, Russia, Europe, and every single nation do the same thing. And the results were the same. Despite their nuclear-based characteristics, we can't extract the crystal from monster carcasses. Not even dismantling other byproducts. Are you sure that third-world countries did it?”

“They killed an 820-foot-long monster with a $26,000 ATGM. Have you seen the footage, Mr. Senator? We are dealing with magical things. How they managed the crystal extraction is beyond comprehension. It's legit.”

“Are you sure a normal human can do it?”

“Proven. All branches did their homework. 60% efficiency in six months. I've sent some smart guys to Indonesia to speed it up. Military Exchange. They sent their experts to Fort Derrick. It's a matter of time until the armed force is able to research crystal for military purposes.”

“What if this regulation gets ratified? We have no proper support in Congress. Your plan will be in vain.”

General Michael slowly turned his head at the senator in all black, showing a slight grin at his response. Their deal with Indonesia was a sensitive issue that sparked a political dispute in the United States. The war of liberation had begun. The US Armed Forces were on the verge of not turning back.

“Walker Association has gained everything while we paid the price. We are soldiers, Mr. Senator. We are dealing with gunshots and explosions from inches away. We have lost our hearing to listen to their demands. The Congress can't stop us from reclaiming our glory as the number one in the world.”

***

Mischief Reef, Spratlys Island Group, South China Sea

The buzzing sound of Chengdu J-20s could be heard in the sky of nowhere. Thousands of feet below them, several Type 054As, the PRC's flagship Jiangkai II-class frigates, patrolled around a suspiciously artificial island. A squadron of Z10 ME combat helicopters also loitered in the island's vicinity. There was even a triangular silhouette of a sixth-generation fighter that should be launched in 2035.

What's going on?

“Any report?”

“Negative, General. Damage to the respiration system. The specimen was declared dead at 12:34 Beijing Time.”

With a sour face, a PRC general swung his arms slightly as he looked at the strange tube. Today's results became his umpteenth failed experiment. The Project kept tempting him to say give up. The general tore through dozens of files to vent all his frustration.

“This is nonsensical ....”

He lost count of how many yuan had been burned to ashes. Dozens of specimens lost their lives. They were death row defendants, corruptors, and Chinese walkers who dared to bare their fangs at the nation. All for one purpose. While other nations stuck around with crystal's extraction secret, China had far ahead. They had undertaken a secret project to conquer another world. Yes! They had a plan to send their soldier through the portal. However, after ten years of experimentation, it was all for naught.

“Stop using walker. We can't lose any more money.” The general left the place in frustration.

The Military Walker Project, a government attempt to embrace the chosen one, has been done by every single nation in the world. They did everything to use Walker for national interest. Offering conveniences, wealth, fame, special privileges, and all million dollars worth of VVIP's treatments. The Walker reputation nevertheless kept growing, and the government didn't keep up anymore. All nations had given up. Some secretly switched the plan in a hideous way. Walker was treated like a specimen in an otoritarian nation. They are genetically engineered, brainwashed, tortured, and even dissected to be implanted into normal humans. China, the most powerful nation in the world, was the one bold enough to carry on the job.

“General, US and NATO asked us to stop all kind of inhumane experiment to walker.” As the general arrived at the surface, someone gave him a word.

“So what? Are we the only ones doing this?” With a slight smirk, the general watched the sky as he answered the emissary's reprimand. “They did the same crap and failed. Now, those big guys are afraid we'll succeed?”

The emissary showed the same smirk as if his reprimand before was merely a joke. The atmosphere between them changed to a casual one as the general was accepting a luxurious cigar.

“It's almost impossible to engineer human DNA to pass through the portal, general. All the big guys have tried everything. Injecting monster’s DNA, walker's DNA, and internal organ transplants, crossbreeding normal human with walkers, you name it. Are you serious we will succeed?”

Listening to the emissary word, the General lit the CNTC cigar and answered with a slight giggle. “All military in the world have same issues. We are hostile to walker association. But we never beat around the bush to protect our people. There is no way we'll compromise with the walker association who tried to step on our face. They must not step out of line. And our combat vehicles will never use ‘environmentally friendly’ energy sources like western did.” The general gestured ‘quotation marks’ with his hand. “Pffff! Environmentally friendly? After the association showed its true face, that silly idealism became poison in westerners' veins.”

“Yeah, we can return to the old era of fossil fuels at any time. And we are just one step away from mastering the geopolitics that have shifted since the advent of the inter-dimensional gateway. Keep up, general, while no country has succeeded yet.”

Just as they were getting excited, a lieutenant came over and whispered something. The general immediately moved into a deeper room in the most secret installation in the red zone. A scientist was waiting for him while looking at a tube containing a human shape. More precisely, an old man with a thin, dry body

“General! T-5 is having trouble!”

“What?”

“All humans from other worlds will experience time dilation once they enter the earth, General. Their lifespan will be accelerated. This man is only 14.” The scientist spoke while shaping the surface of the glass tube. “Project T-5 is impossible.”

“What is the solution?”

The scientist let out a long sigh. “If there are long-lived human specimens, T-5 can be continued.”

“Long live what? Do you think it's that easy to find samples? Walker will squeeze us dry as usual! We have spent trillions of Yuan just to get this guy. Hiring a walker is no different from strangling your own neck, damnit!”

Engineering the ethereal native's biological traits was an impossible task in the first place. There was something that prevented them from living on earth. Still, no matter how hard the difficulty was, their mission would never change. The PRC Armed Forces had to colonize another world and control their resources without the need to bypass associations. It was that. If just one specimen succeeded, China would duplicate its DNA code and inject it into normal soldiers.

“Long live species? Are they Qin Shi Huang or something?”

***

44th Red Zone, Indonesia 

“Viewers, East Java capital city is paralyzed after experiencing the Portal Break three weeks ago. 230 thousand civilians have been killed, and material losses are estimated to have exceeded tens of billions of dollars. The United Nations stated that the disaster was the biggest portal break in 25 years. The death toll ...”

Varg shaved his hair while listening to the news. Small threads of new-grown silver hair fell into the sink as he sank himself in his own thoughts. The Indonesian government had promised to let him go back to Valora. The majestic Yggdrasil Tree stood high in his mind as he recalled the last time he saw it. In his remaining days on earth, he committed to revealing all the secrets he had never talked before.

“Hurry up, pretty boy!”

“Naked here. Give me a second.”

Leaving the bathroom shirtless, he saw a woman with a tomboyish look. Captain Nadine had carved a lingering feeling after a year of their togetherness. She was annoying but sweet at the same time. Varg would miss her so bad. He committed to kissing her before saying good-bye for sure.

“Shall we go now, ma'am?”