Chapter 201: Who's Kid Can Run Over 100 Kilometers Per Hour?

March 4th. 

Midday.

Arcadia's capital, Piers City, was bustling with activity in its central commercial district.

The area was home to numerous shopping malls, stores selling handmade crafts, immersive virtual reality experience centers for both life and gaming, and even pet stores showcasing local Arcadian wildlife.

Despite the scorching sun and a temperature that felt well over 36°C, the heat didn't deter the tourists. The streets remained crowded with both locals and visitors, the majority dressed in shorts and t-shirts. Only a few, whether for work or personal preference, opted for more concealing attire.

At this moment, Forgrem, dressed in black shorts and a purple t-shirt, followed Mike and Leon as they exited a car rental shop.

"..."

Stepping out of the cool, air-conditioned building and back into the sweltering street had no real effect on Forgrem's superhuman physique. However, to maintain his cover as a regular teenager from Prosperity Star, he made a show of squinting and appearing uncomfortable under the direct sunlight, as if slightly dazzled.

As he strolled through Piers City with Mike and Leon, Forgrem mentally cataloged everything he saw, planning to discuss it with his father upon returning to Prosperity Star. Perhaps his observations could assist the engineering department in future city planning.

Moreover, Forgrem noted that the streets were filled with surveillance cameras, indicating that Arcadia, too, had a smart AI similar to App.

Could this AI be turned?

Forgrem pondered this possibility. 

After all, App's defection had dealt a significant blow to the UNSC, while propelling the main universe humans and Atlas to new heights.

If they could gain the assistance of another—or multiple—smart AIs, they might have a chance to seize power without bloodshed.

However, given their current circumstances—without Atlas's logistical support or intelligence department to provide critical information—avoiding detection by Arcadia's smart AI and infiltrating the UNSC's Naval Intelligence (ONI) secret research facility seemed an incredibly daunting task.

Soon, the three of them, carrying their shopping bags, hailed a hydrogen-powered taxi and headed back to their hotel.

— 

A short while later.

Inside the family suite, Mike placed bags filled with souvenirs and snacks on the table, furrowing his brow as he said, "No weapons, no reinforcements. This mission is going to be tough."

"..." Leon silently nodded in agreement.

Indeed, just as Forgrem had considered earlier, the reason the investigators had been so successful in the main universe and during their previous missions in the Zero-Eight universe was largely due to the comprehensive support from their company.

Now, it was just the dozen of them.

In terms of individual combat skills, they had no fear of the two UNSC Marine battalions stationed on Arcadia.

But the Paris-class heavy frigate, synchronized with Arcadia's rotation and "parked" near the orbital station, could easily crush all known carbon-based life forms.

According to the data provided by App, the Paris-class frigates were typically between 520 and 560 meters in length. They were equipped with an electromagnetic railgun over 100 meters long and twelve vertical missile silos capable of launching nuclear and hydrogen warheads.

While they lacked the magnetic field deflection defenses against energy weapons that were present on ships like the Cerberus-class and Fides-class, the Paris-class frigate's titanium-alpha alloy armor was slightly superior to the titanian alloy used by Atlas.

So, in a direct space battle between the Fides-class and Paris-class frigates, the victor would likely be whoever managed to lock onto the target and fire first.

On the surface, they seemed evenly matched.

However, the UNSC had over a thousand Paris-class heavy frigates, not to mention larger ships such as cruisers, destroyers, and aircraft carriers.

After all, humans in the Zero-Eight universe were a fully-fledged interstellar civilization, with a total of about 800 colonized planets. Therefore, they relied on overwhelming naval power to maintain the UNSC and UEG's control.

Even the most organized insurgents stood no chance in a head-on confrontation with the UNSC's main fleet—they could only flee.

Without App, Atlas would have had a hard time establishing a foothold in the Zero-Eight universe as well.

At this moment.

Mike and Leon, seated at a round table in the family suite, were discussing their next steps. Their marker pens never stopped as they circled and marked various locations on paper maps.

Throughout their conversation, the most frequently mentioned phrases were: "No way, Arcadia's smart AI can filter and track tourists in the event of chaos, which would expose us," and "The local gangs could be useful, but… no, we must prioritize the safety of our comrades."

"…"

Forgrem remained quiet, sitting by the two "uncles" as they deliberated.

After some time, however, he finally spoke up, saying, "I can infiltrate the rainforest on my own, dismantle ONI's defenses quickly, and retrieve the core data they control."

Hearing this.

Both Mike and Leon turned to look at Forgrem.

In truth, the two elite investigators had already considered sending Forgrem deep into the rainforest alone, exploiting the element of surprise. However, they were still subconsciously treating Forgrem as a minor...

To be precise, as a one-year-old child.

So, as responsible adults, they had instinctively dismissed this option.

But the "one-year-old" standing before them had already torn through hundreds of Reaper drones with his bare hands, his physical strength far exceeding even that of the genetically enhanced investigators.

After a few moments of silence, Mike, who had been appointed the mission leader by Ada, adjusted his attitude and said:

"Okay, what's your proposal? Let's hear it."

"Yes, sir."

Receiving permission, Forgrem stood up and pointed to the map with his left hand:

"We've learned from App's intel and local rumors that the southern districts of Piers City are overrun by gangs, many of which deal in illegal drugs and military-grade weapons.

We can choose the right moment for Maggie Shaw, our superhuman, to sneak past the surveillance cameras under the cover of night and launch an assault on one of these gangs with explosives."

Forgrem then pointed to the beach on the eastern side:

"Maggie Shaw can plant the explosives around the communications base station, which is off-limits to tourists. The next day, we'll appear in public and head to the beach for some fun.

When the beach is at its most crowded, we detonate the explosives. This will create chaos, drawing the attention of the smart AI and UNSC forces, while avoiding civilian casualties.

Meanwhile, I'll slip away from the crowd at the moment of the explosion."

At this point, Forgrem smiled at Mike and Leon and said, "It's perfectly normal for a playful child to go missing during a chaotic event, right?

And the best part is, no one will suspect that a child could run over 100 kilometers per hour.

This gives me a huge advantage. Plus, App confirmed that ONI doesn't share the same network with the UNSC or the colony's smart AI, which makes my movements even more undetectable.

Once I've infiltrated their secret facility, I'll delete all security footage immediately and... use magic to erase any memories they might have of me."

_________________________

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [www.p@treon.com/Mutter]