C28 The Wolves Of War

Maximus flipped to another page. His expression remained neutral, but I could tell he was impressed.

I smirked.

"Let's start with passive defense and counter intelligence. No more amateur mistakes. From now on, we're implementing multi layered espionage defenses infiltration countermeasures, rapid response teams, sleeper agent detection protocols. We will root out spies before they even step foot into our borders."

Maximus nodded slightly, turning to the next section.

"Anti partisan warfare will be handled differently. No more inefficient patrols and brute force suppression. We adapt localized training centers, embedded informants, rapid strike commando teams. No more rebellions. No more resistance cells. If a village so much as thinks about harboring insurgents, I want Cerberus there before they can even organize a whisper."

Maximus' lips twitched upward slightly. The first sign of approval.

"And then…"

I waved a hand, signaling another document.

"Blueprint stealing operations. Portable radios. Invisible ink for coded transmissions. Plastic explosives for black ops missions. Suicide pills for compromised agents."

I saw the slight gleam in his eyes now. The thrill of new tools. New methods. New ways to dominate the shadows.

"Localized training centers will now be embedded into major cities every promising recruit will be trained in infiltration, psychological warfare, interrogation techniques, assassination and commando techiques"

Maximus flipped to another section. His eyebrows raised slightly.

"This is… quite an extensive cryptology division proposal, Imperator."

I smirked, exhaling another slow breath.

"Cryptology, radio interception groups, machine assisted decryption, a full scale government cipher school. I want Cerberus ten steps ahead of our enemies before they even realize they've been compromised."

Maximus finally looked up, meeting my gaze fully.

"Encryption?"

He asked, his tone calm, but filled with genuine curiosity.

"Machine assisted encryption,"

I corrected.

"We'll make sure our highest military commands are unbreakable. Even if the enemy gets their hands on our transmissions, they won't be able to decrypt them before we've already won."

A beat of silence. Then maximus chuckled. A low, dangerous, pleased sound.

"Imperator,"

He said, closing the documents carefully.

"This… this is beyond anything we've ever had before. This is not just intelligence expansion. This is total domination."

I smirked.

"You bet"

Maximus placed the documents back into the case, locking it shut. Then, without hesitation, he stood tall, his expression more resolute than ever.

"I will personally oversee these upgrades. Cerberus will be reforged into the most lethal intelligence network in history. No enemy, foreign or domestic, will ever dare move against you without us knowing."

I nodded.

"That's the spirit man."

I waved my hand dismissively ready to send him out only for the man to Interrupt me.

"Imperator regarding the freedom fighters, because of you're reorganization orders I simply don't have enough men to take care of them..."

He paused carefully studying my reaction.

"...for now they are rather quite but It won't be long before they start acting up after all those senators and patricians no longer dare fund them so they know that they're days are numbered..."

He didn't continue, because he didn't need to he already saw my pinching my nose.

"F*ck I actually forgot about those annoying terrorist f*ckers I wrote..."

I muttered to myself which didn't go unheard by maximus who chose wisely to Ignore my words, after all In his view a madman and a genius were one and the same thing.

"Fine I'll take care of It.."

I muttered while wawing my hand.

"...now get the f*ck out. I have a bath to enjoy."

Maximus smirked slightly, snapping his heels together, saluting one final time before turning on his heel.

As he exited, my death squad resumed their positions, the soft crackling of torches filling the air again.

I leaned back, sinking deeper into the steaming water, closing my eyes.

Well I guess It's time I made my batch of super human warriors.

I thought evily as I exhaled, letting my head tilt back against the smooth marble edge, my crimson eyes half lidded, gaze drifting toward the grand, mural-covered ceiling.

Then without a word I lifted my hand, summoning the system interface before me.

The translucent crimson holographic screen flickered to life, casting a faint glow over the water's surface.

My fingers twitched slightly as I navigated through the long list of biological augmentations, my mind already calculating the perfect formula for what was about to come.

One by one, I made my selections.

Genetic Restructuring Serum x10.

The same one I used on myself. Designed to enhance every aspect of the human body muscle density, organ efficiency, neurological speed. A complete rebirth.

One time use 60x cell division Acceleration Serum.

Useless on its own. But combined with the correct materials… it would allow rapid evolution of biological structures, forcing an unmatched acceleration of physical growth.

Life Building Block Cocktail.

The essential foundation. Enough proteins, amino acids, and base molecules to sustain the violent changes of cell division.

Then I moved onto the armor an weapons auxiliary categories.

Full body molybdenum alloy combat Armor.

Basically the same combat armor the MC used before switching to exoskeleton armor In the original timeline just that this one wasn't made of nano composite alloy and dint have a smart helmet Instead It used regural gas mask eye lenses and had one In built gas mask air filter.

Belt-Fed 6.8mm Ammunition Backpacks.

No need for constant reloads. Their armor would come with an auto fed belt system, ensuring they could fire without pause.

I also through In ten sets of new size field uniforms.

The more I looked the more curved my smirk became, this death squad was enough to wipe out an entire third rate countries Infantry division all by themselves.

"Hehehe..."

I started snickering like a wana be s*the l*rd as I hit confirm.

The bathhouse trembled as reality itself bent to my will.

Bright, blinding crimson energy crackled as the selected augmentations materialized some in crates, some as syringes filled with glowing liquids.

I leaned forward, watching with calm satisfaction as the floor was now littered with the future of warfare.

Without hesitation, I spoke.

"Alright gather around boys."

Hearing this my death squad, stationed around the bathhouse perimeter, immediately turned their heads and walked to me at my command.

"Alright first things first strip"

I ordered lazily heating this my men did just that without any hesitation.

"Now grab the genetic restructuring serums first and jab those buggers right Into you're necks"

I ordered, hearing this my men did exactly that, basically what happened was the same thing that happened to me.

It didn't take long before the 1.8 meters tall muscular and ripped men with their teeth clenched stopped wriggling on the floor.

"Alright now for the desert jam the dell division accelerators and those calory and nutrient cocktails one after another"

I said lazily, my men gritted stood up, grabbed the syringes and plunged them Into their bloody necks again.

And behold before my eyes, the men that collapsed on the ground again started convulsing and twitching as their height and mass Increases at naked eye visible speed.

Finally the men stopped growing at 2 meters tall, even their necks stab wounds had healed up leaving fresh and neat scars.

The only downside was that they basically aged by two months In an Instant which truthfully be told wasn't that much of an Issue though.

"How you're feeling lads?"

I asked amusedly fully knowing that they were feeling like death warmed over.

"Like literal pile of s*it Imperator"

Zero one a code name I gave to him and every other member of the death squad answered as he slowly stood fully displaying his muscular and ripped two meters tall body that looked like It was sculpted from marble.

"Yeah well you schmuks better get used to It then"

I snickered evily causing my death squad to groan as they opened the crates and started spitting on their new uniforms and armor plates.

"Hmmm not bad anyways go get some rest, you're mind and body still has to synchronize properly"

I advised as I looked at my death squad who looked aesthetically wise practically the same only that they taller, bigger, meaner, more deadly then ever.

And had armor plates In black, red and white military camo paint scheme and ammo belt connected to their assault rifles Instead of magazines.

"Understood Imperator"

01 answered while performing a military salute after a second of pause turned around and headed out as they fell Into two rows.

"Well s*it Its already past two percent..."

I muttered to myself depressingly as I looked at the pitch black ERC warning.

...

Nova Roma. The Military Tribunal.

An endless line of criminals stood beneath the cold winter sun, their heads bowed, their faces a mix of defiance, fear, and resignation.

Some were hardened gangsters, their bodies littered with scars and tattoos. Others were petty thieves, trembling, their eyes darting in search of an escape route that did not exist.