Chapter 76: Operation Skybreak, part 1/11

Chapter 76: Operation Skybreak, part 1/11

One day later:

Tia sat nestled in the plush armchair, her legs folded gracefully beneath her. In the quiet, her eyes flickered in harmony with the ethereal glow emanating from the runes floating above her outstretched palms, illuminating the dark, luxurious suite.

'System, please, I put effort into this! Please reward me!' She pleaded internally, looking upward with her eyes.

Ding!

//

You have learned the novice-tier rune, Deflect, with your own effort.

+1 to MAG

[Novice Runic Spellcraft] 45% -> 55%

//

Ding!

//

You have learned the novice-tier rune, Harden, with your own effort.

+1 to MAG

[Novice Runic Spellcraft] 55% -> 60%

//

"Thank you." She whispered, still unsure if the systems were sentient beings, logical programs, or only the creation of her broken mind.

The next moment, the last droplet of her energy entered the glowing runes, and her vision darkened and spun as if she were sucked into some vortex.

Beep!

'Huh?!' The moment Tia reached the ground floor, her eyes went wide.

The heavily armored soldiers in the ornamental power suits stood alert. The visors of their helmets glowed purple, casting an eerie luminescence that reflected ominously on the high gloss of their armor. The humming generators at the core of their weaponry emanated a subtle but constant heat as they pulsed rhythmically.

As Tia and the handler entered the room, the soldiers instantly straightened their backs. Clad in shiny black gloves, their clenched fists shot upward in an imperial salute. The chorus of the chants, muffled by their helmets, boomed, brimming with zeal and fanaticism.

"For the Emperor!"

"For the Empire!"

"For Her Grace!"

"For humankind!"

The handler turned toward her, the smile on her face sharp and cold as she spoke, her voice rising to match the soldiers' fanaticism. "Today, our operation is different. Today, we cast aside the shadows and strike with all our might, revealing our true strength to the corrupt government of this planet!"

The rallying cry was met with a renewed burst of energy from the troops, their chants reaching a fever pitch as boots slammed against the ground in unison, creating a thunderous roar of approval and readiness.

"For the Emperor!"

"For the Empire!"

"For Her Grace!"

"For humankind!"

The atmosphere, the elegance of their armor, and their chanting made even Tia burn with enthusiasm, feeling like part of something greater. She despised this planet and the government, which treated her like an animal for years. It was the planet that took the lives of her parents and her childhood.

'This time, our goals align. I want to see the people who run this place executed. This single time, I will fight for the Empire of my own volition.' She saw how shitty the planet was under the federation's rule.

'Can't I use my standing as an imperial knight to settle some grudges?' Her eyes gleamed dangerously. This time, she would be the one with the legal system behind her back.

'The hospital director, my horrible family, and the doctors who stamped my fateI want to see their faces when I will be the one sentencing them.' If even a quarter of the rumors about the empire were correct, then she, as a knight, should be able to execute people on the spot without any trial.

The handler raised her arm, silencing the entire room, and said, "Here are your orders. You will go to the central office of your family's company to secure it and the cooperation of your cousin. Your priority is to protect our computer specialist while he finishes his work and to gain the biometric access keys of your cousin."