Chapter 60: The Hunt for the Chimaera

Meanwhile, at the same time in New Leviathan, inside the office of the GDAB leader, thud, Heindrich placed a folder containing a report and a tablet onto his desk with a heavy thud, his face drawn and weary. Bradley sat before him alongside a female soldier holding the rank of sergeant. Heindrich raised his head, looking at Bradley and the female soldier in front of him.

"Is this video you gave me actually real?" Heindrich asked.

"It’s real, General. I saw it with my own eyes, and not just me, my entire squad saw it too... As for the operational losses, I’ve already detailed them in the written report," Bradley answered.

"After they took off, do you have any idea where they went?" Heindrich asked.

"Judging by their flight path, they’re most likely headed for Utopia... Utopia’s position isn’t far from our location," Bradley replied.

Heindrich fell silent for a moment, appearing deep in thought as he looked back down at his tablet, replaying the aerial footage of Chimaera Z-X casually devouring the Pyrodraco while sitting cross-legged in the middle of the forest. Bradley and the female soldier beside him exchanged glances before looking back at the general in front of them. Shortly after, Heindrich raised his head and turned his gaze toward the female soldier,

"Sergeant Sasha, assemble your unit and infiltrate Utopia. Find out about their whereabouts, and once you locate them, persuade them to return to New Leviathan. Judging by the report and the video footage, they’re only hostile toward us because they’ve uncovered the secret we buried in Sector Zero. Please be careful with your approach," Heindrich said.

"Understood, General. Are there any leads on what they look like, perhaps photos or distinguishing features?" Sasha asked.

"Check our database. There might still be photos of them from fifty years ago. Use those as a baseline for now, but they brought a giant robot into Utopia, and hiding a robot that size over there won’t be easy... Remember, Utopia is currently hostile toward us due to the war a few months ago. Do not let them fall into Utopia’s hands and become a thorn in our side," Heindrich answered.

"Understood, General. Permission to leave and prepare, and to study the situation," Sasha said.

"Wait, Sergeant," Heindrich said. He then turned to look at Bradley sitting beside Sasha. "Lieutenant Bradley, you will be joining Sergeant Sasha on this infiltration. They’ve already seen your face, and if they see you, they might actually be willing to talk with you," Heindrich said.

"Huh... me, General? You’ve got to be kidding... They might just run away or turn hostile if they see me! Why would you think I could persuade them?" Bradley protested.

Sigh. Heindrich let out a heavy sigh, his eyes suddenly fixing intensely on Bradley’s face as he leaned forward, resting his chin on both hands. His gaze, filled with absolute gravity and clearly open to no negotiation, made Bradley flinch slightly,

"The reason is simple, Lieutenant. You’ve met them face-to-face. They even flew right past your helicopter, yet you made it back here to file a report. Do you understand what I’m saying?" Heindrich asked in a low voice.

Bradley opened his mouth, but no sound came out, and his mouth closed again, though his lips trembled slightly. What the general said was entirely true, he had returned after an encounter with Chimaera Z-X, which meant he was still alive and had survived facing something terrifying and completely unpredictable.

"Well, Lieutenant? I’m counting on your success this time," Heindrich said.

Bradley looked momentarily choked up. He turned to look at Sasha beside him, whose face remained entirely expressionless as she stared straight ahead, calculating. Then he looked back at Heindrich,

"Alright, General. I’ll do my best," Bradley said in resignation.

However, before Heindrich could continue, suddenly, slam! the office door swung open. Michael rushed inside carrying a tablet, his face pale as he hurried over to the desk,

"Commander, there’s a urgent and severe development," Michael said, handing over his tablet.

Heindrich snatched the tablet, his eyes widening instantly as he looked at a satellite photo showing a large force of giant humanoids in Sector Zero. Even captured from orbit, they appeared massive at that point on the map, fully armed and deploying their behemoth tanks. Heindrich instantly knew that the elite forces of the Nephilim Kingdom had arrived.

"Damn it... they must have detected the signal earlier too and came to investigate," Heindrich muttered. He then looked up at the two officers before him. "Lieutenant Bradley, Sergeant Sasha, I need you two to move out right now. We don’t have time, we’re not the only ones after them. Move fast," Heindrich ordered.

"Yes, General!" Bradley and Sasha replied, standing up to salute.

Bradley and Sasha then walked out of the room. After the door closed, Michael turned to look at Heindrich. Naturally, Heindrich explained to Michael what Sasha and Bradley were tasked with doing, and Michael’s face darkened,

"But isn’t Utopia cooperating with Neo Ark? What if Neo Ark sends people there as well?" Michael asked.

"We will negotiate with them. Neo Ark was once a part of us, they certainly know how vital and terrifying those subjects are, and they definitely know who owns those subjects," Heindrich answered.

Hearing Heindrich’s words, Michael fell silent. He could only swallow hard and blink, staring at the general sitting before him, who looked weary and far older than he had before entering the room.

***

Meanwhile, at the same time in the tactical room inside Neo Ark’s military headquarters, Daniel, Amara, and Andy sat around a conference table. Spread out before them were black-and-white satellite photo prints of Chimaera Z-X hovering above the trees, taken from high above. Daniel and Amara looked somber as they stared at the photographs,

"According to the data, the coordinates where they were spotted are close to Utopia. It’s obvious they’re heading there," Andy said.

"Damn it... that means they’ve slipped away... Has Mary been found yet? We need to detain her for questioning," Amara replied.

"Not yet, Colonel. She was last seen in the eastern district of the city... and there’s no way we can conduct a search over there," Andy replied.

"One day we will deal with those rebels in the east and find out where their main hideout actually is. For now, what matters is that we immediately reach out to these Chimaeras so they return here instead of falling into the hands of Utopia or New Leviathan," Daniel said, staring down at the photo.

"Correct. This is far more important than the eastern rebels, but what should our move be?" Amara asked Daniel.

"Utopia maintains good relations with us. We’ll send representatives there to locate them and bring them back home," Daniel answered.

"Hmm... but who are we going to send over?" Amara asked, puzzled.

Daniel didn’t answer right away, but turned his gaze toward Andy, who responded with a nod. Andy then stood up, turned around, and walked toward the door before stepping out. Underneath the table, Daniel held the hand of his wife, Amara,

"Don’t worry. We will get them back, and the GEAR we produce will be capable of rivaling New Leviathan’s GEAR," Daniel said, looking straight ahead.

"I hope you’re right," Amara replied with a calm smile, also looking straight ahead. She then glanced down at Daniel’s prosthetic leg. "Besides GEAR, we will also study them so your leg can be restored to the way it was," Amara added.

"Indeed, sweetheart," Daniel replied with a smile.

The two fell silent once more, staring down at the photos of Chimaera Z-X scattered across the table. Before long, click! the door opened, and Andy walked back in, accompanied by two individuals following behind him. Once the door clicked shut again and Andy took his seat across from Daniel and Amara, Daniel shifted his gaze toward the two who had entered with Andy,

"First Lieutenant Ryker, Sergeant Janet, I am assigning the two of you to go to Utopia and retrieve C-1703, C-4504, and C-0213. You move out immediately," Daniel commanded.

"You are going there as our envoys to Utopia’s government. We will provide an escort, and while you are there, investigate their whereabouts, persuade them to return here, and refrain from using force. Understood?" Amara asked.

"Understood, Colonel... General!" Ryker and Janet replied, standing tall and saluting. Both appeared sharp, healthy, and full of life. Sly smiles crept onto their faces as they saluted, though a flicker of hesitation lingered in Janet’s eyes.

After that, Daniel and Amara began detailing their plan to Ryker and Janet, who listened attentively. They also discussed Mary and mentioned that they were currently searching for her. Hearing this, Janet’s expression flickered for a couple of seconds before reverting back to her usual face. "Mary, I hope you’re still alive out there," she murmured in her mind, continuing to pay close attention to the briefing from the general and colonel before her.

Meanwhile, behind the door, a woman wearing colonel insignia on her uniform stood leaning against the wall beside the doorway, holding an earpiece in her ear.

"So... that’s General Daniel and Colonel Amara’s plan... I’m sure General Heindrich will be interested to hear this," Irena murmured in her mind.

Elsewhere, at the inn in Utopia’s small town, "achoo," Clyde, Celes, Craig, Casca, and Corie sneezed in unison. The five of them, lying together on a bed covered in blankets, turned to look at one another and burst into laughter at their synchronized sneeze, completely unaware that the world was stirring in search of them.