They are currently standing in an underground sewer system that transports sewage. However, the earth itself naturally possesses its own conduits for transporting energy. Scholars from multiple schools of magic claim that planets themselves possess life, with veins that flow with the planet's magic like the blood vessels of a living organism. In ancient magic, these were called leylines or dragon veins, while modern arcane magic collectively refers to them as "leylines."
The practice of using the power of ley lines to cast spells has existed since ancient times. However, only modern arcane magic possesses the power to nearly dry up the energy in ley lines, polluting the remaining residue with blackened filth, depleting the earth's resources, poisoning the sky, and causing acid rain to fall from the clouds. If large corporations wanted to, they could certainly use their divine power to restore everything, but since relocating production sites is so easy, why bother spending the money?
It's rather pathetic, really. The remnants of ley line energy left over from the large corporations that Alastor and his group gathered were actually enough to deal with their miscellaneous infantry.
On the other hand, even such remnants of ley lines shouldn't be something ordinary people could manipulate. How did Alastor manage to do it...? Never mind, there's no point in being curious about that now.
"You think you can deal with the Protoss tactical squads with just this little bit of remnant spiritual vein? You're dreaming. Even a surprise attack might not be able to kill a single soldier."
Hayden frowned and shook his head.
"Those Vajrapani deities haven't appeared yet. I don't know why, but it's clearly not a good sign—"
Before he could finish speaking, he saw Alastor look surprised: "You don't know why? I thought it was obvious."
……ah?
"Those War Gods aren't just there to fight me!"
As Alastor said this, he gave a self-deprecating wry smile.
"Do you think the Mitra Corporation would believe that it would take five War Gods to deal with a student terrorist organization? When have you ever seen a large corporation spend fifty dollars on something that only costs ten dollars?"
"Let's put aside the complicated stuff for now and just talk about it from a military perspective. If you prepare an elite force but hesitate to deploy it in a war, what would be the reason?"
There are many possible reasons, such as being reluctant to use them, or worrying that losing even one would be too expensive. But upon hearing this, Hayden immediately realized—besides that, there was another very common reason. That was to be wary of other possible, and even more troublesome, enemies.
"They sent five War Gods to hold the line, but refused to send any more to deal with me quickly, because they're worried about Smoke Mirror Corporation getting involved and causing trouble." Alastor's voice turned cold. "Big corporations really think highly of us, don't they?"
Ah this.
Hayden could certainly understand his frustration.
Alastor's original plan was to exploit the conflicts between the large corporations. However, the Mithra Group ultimately allied with the Smoke Mirror Company to eliminate [Mara] first. If that were the case, it wouldn't have been so bad, but in reality, this alliance was merely a facade; the two large corporations were still scheming against each other. The Mithra Group didn't even bother to actually send down [Vajrapani] to quickly kill [Mara], preferring to sacrifice more ordinary security guards and let the War Gods primarily handle the Smoke Mirror Company's interference.
This is indeed very frustrating. In fact, after understanding this part, Hayden also felt a little frustrated. Ordinary company security guards are, frankly speaking, just wage earners trying to make a living. It's one thing for them to fight to the death if they meet on a narrow path, but what kind of company treats them like cheap expendable pawns, constantly throwing them up to die and be wasted?
Then a chill ran down Hayden's spine.
He had a strange premonition. He seemed to have forgotten something, forgotten something important…
"You just said that the Mitra Group hasn't actually deployed the [Vajra God] tactical team to the battlefield yet, is it to guard against Smoke Mirror Company causing trouble?"
He roughly repeated Alastor's words.
"So, if the Mitra Group discovers that Smoke Mirror Company has intervened in the battlefield, will those [Vajrapani Gods] immediately take action?"
Alastor looked puzzled: "Theoretically, that should be the case. But so far, Smoke Mirror Company hasn't actually been involved in this matter personally. To be honest, I think the Mitra Group is overthinking things this time..."
He stopped speaking and stared at Hayden.
Hayden turned his head and glanced at Angela and himself.
He was wearing a slime combat suit from the Smoke Mirror Company.
Angela's bodysuit also looks like a similar bio-combat suit, except that it is white.
Of course, these slime combat suits are old products from several years ago. But if you were the Mithra Group manager in charge of this matter, and you discovered two people wearing combat suits that "appeared" to be from the Smoke Mirror Company from several years ago, flying at supersonic speeds through the sewers, changing direction with incredible agility, completely disregarding the laws of physics, and then flying all the way into [Bojun's] territory, loudly proclaiming themselves messengers of the Smoke Mirror Company to negotiate with Alastor…
……what will you do?
"Gan."
Hayden swore.
"Angela, enter battle mode! The real enemy is coming!"
Fortunately, he came here today specifically to take down those protoss. So while Hayden swore, he wasn't actually panicked.
Alastor reacted quickly, immediately communicating with the students and issuing the following order: [The Vajrapani is coming! Shield at maximum power! Prepare for the next "Retreat Cannon" shot, but do not fire indiscriminately!]
However, the students weren't as quick-witted as the two of them: "Huh? What?"
Why is Yolanda's group, who are also student activists, not as good as Todd and his group?
“I understand. But we don’t have much time to prepare.”
Angela answered quickly.
"I sense that an ultra-high energy reaction is approaching."
What?
"Direction? Speed?"
In response to Hayden's immediate question, Ange pointed to the ceiling: "They're already here. Avoidance... is probably impossible."
Top of head?
Hayden, who was somewhat familiar with the fighting style of the Protoss, immediately realized what was going on.
At the critical moment, he pulled a bright green test tube from his belt and smashed it hard on the ground.
The world was torn apart in the next instant.
An immense, deafening tremor crashed down from the heavens into the filthy, deep earth, creating a deafening roar. The steel warehouse collapsed, and blinding light tore through the darkness, unimaginably hot and dazzling, as if the sun's light had been magnified tenfold.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
The students covered their eyes and screamed. Several threw out [Dispel Magic] spells, but to no avail. Yolanda tried to lower her arms from her eyes, but found she couldn't see anything or hear anything. Only a cold, relatively fresh breeze told her that a hole had been blasted into the underground warehouse, a hole big enough for surface air to rush in, and certainly big enough for a small troop to parachute in.
Hayden wasn't blinded or deafened. Angela stood in front of him, and a wisp of green air from the test tubes he'd thrown on the ground filtered out the blinding light and deafening noise for him and Alastor behind him, at least reducing it to a tolerable level.
Even so, Hayden still had to squint.
He saw three bolts of lightning tear open the ceiling of the underground warehouse, even cleaving a large hole between the ground and the warehouse. The lightning had just ripped through the entire sewer system, burning through everything in their path and blasting it to smithereens.
Fortunately, although the students, led by Yolanda, all appeared to be seriously injured, none of them actually died. After all, they were all using shields, and the lightning was not actually a real attack.
This is just a means of transportation.
Hayden saw the three giants slowly rise from where the lightning had struck.
They are 2.5 meters tall, wielding single-pronged vajras, clad in full-body power armor crafted with the most advanced magical technology, and their blood flows with sacred genes from the Sky Realm. Their perfect figures are majestic and magnificent.
Hayden saw them… no, to say “saw” is far too weak. They were the embodiment of thunder, giants, warriors of the gods. Only by witnessing it firsthand could one truly understand.
After the bright light faded, several students who had just regained their sight and gotten up screamed wildly at the sight of them. Terrified and bewildered, they lost control of their bladders and instantly became incontinent.
Because these gods were specifically designed for fighting and killing, even a single glance from a mortal is enough to ignite the deepest terror within them.
Do not fire indiscriminately!
Alastor warned them in sympathetic communications.
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!"
However, such warnings were utterly useless against the terrifying aura of the War Gods. Unable to contain their fear, the students raised their military-grade magical artifacts and unleashed a barrage of fire at the giants. A dense hail of light arrows and bullets rained down on the center of the cleaved warehouse. Such concentrated firepower was enough to tear apart an entire infantry platoon, but the two-meter-tall War Gods were no ordinary beings; they stood unscathed amidst the torrential barrage.
A giant turned to look at the students, his eyes flashing with lightning as he summoned the power of Mithra.
There were no incantations, no movements, only an immeasurable amount of energy surging from the giant, causing the vast space itself to tremble violently. Before the students could even let out another scream, all their shields shattered. Everyone was thrown into the air, lying unconscious and motionless on the ground.
This is Vajrapani.
The super-genetically modified warriors of the Mitra Corporation, a race of guardian deities who subdue and destroy all evil. They are the Mitra Corporation's sharpest sword, ruthless Vajra warriors.
Even Hayden, who was determined to fuck them, couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine as he looked at their overwhelming power.
Three? Did their commander keep two as reinforcements?
In any case, since the enemy did not concentrate their forces, it was a good thing for Hayden.
[I have some desperate ideas. Comrade Hayden, please cover me.]
He heard Alastor speak to him via sympathetic communication. Without turning around, Hayden could sense that Alastor's expression was clearly not good.
"Bullshit. You're the one who should be covering for me."
Therefore Hayden said,
"Angela! Let's go!"
His wind-up doll nodded, but his face didn't show its usual smile; instead, it looked very serious.
"Please be careful, Master. These giants are extremely dangerous. Please keep a safe distance."
052: And there was war in the heavens.
Every officially serving Vajrapani warrior has at least one hundred years of combat experience. They are the strongest soldiers in the world.
The so-called strongest "soldier" is not just the strongest "warrior". A soldier means that they have both strength and discipline.
Nine students, driven mad by fear, screamed and opened fire on the Vajra Warriors. Wielding military-grade magical devices sold to them by the Smoke Mirror Company, they unleashed deadly arcane attacks. Lightning projectiles flew wildly through the lightning-ravaged underground warehouse, but not a single one pierced the Vajra Warriors' red armor.
The Vajrapani remained unmoved and showed no hesitation under attack. They knew exactly what they needed to dodge, and which attacks were completely unnecessary to avoid. The three moved as one, their eyes flashing with lightning as they summoned the power of Mithra. No incantations, no movements, only their minds. In a single volley, each fired three tiny bolts of lightning, each striking a student squarely on the forehead.
All nine students collapsed unconscious. The electric shocks were precisely adjusted to an intensity that would only cause shock, because the company required the superhumans to capture the students alive.
The attack power itself wasn't surprising; the armor of the War God race offered similar defensive capabilities. What was truly terrifying was their incredibly precise coordination—the three of them acting as one, like a three-headed, six-armed monster. They needed neither commands nor communication. Their unity was ingrained in their very souls.
Because over a century of combat experience and the sacred Star Network connect each and every one of them.
Fewer than ten students remain unbeaten.
"Whatever Alastor's idea is, it's not a good thing to knock all these students unconscious."
Therefore Hayden said,
"Angela, let's go!"
Despite making many preparations, Hayden had never actually fought against the War Gods before—very few people survived such an encounter. So there were some things he had to try first.
Raising his scepter high above the heads of the Vajra Warriors, Hayden roared out a powerful ninth-tier arcane spell that even he himself might not be able to cast reliably: "[Iceberg Slam]!"
This is the sewer. The moisture in the surrounding air immediately gathered above the heads of the Vajrapani, forming a huge gray iceberg that crashed down on the Vajrapani warriors.
Although it was an overly brutal spell, Hayden thought it was far better than randomly firing beams of light or magic projectiles that would most likely be dodged. Even if your armor was incredibly strong, getting hit by an iceberg would result in the same thing, right? At the very least, you'd be buried underneath!
At least that's what Hayden thought.
So what actually happens?
An iceberg appeared overhead and crashed down, yet the three Vajra Warriors showed not even the slightest shock. The instant Hayden cast his spell, two of the Vajra Warriors raised their vajras and unleashed two bolts of lightning almost simultaneously.
The company didn't require them to capture the two men in tight-fitting suits alive, so these two lightning bolts were for real. The surging divine power formed purple lightning, transforming into thunder spears that erupted with dazzling light. One bolt roared down towards the falling iceberg, while the other exploded as it shot straight toward Hayden.
The moment the iceberg came into contact with the lightning spear, it instantly turned into scorched steam and fly ash.
Hayden was, of course, prepared—who didn't know to be wary of Vajrapani's invincible thunder? He immediately used his signature trick, uttering the incantation "ventus (wind)." His body dispersed into a wisp of verdant wind, attempting to evade the thunder's edge.
...Then Hayden realized he had made a big mistake.
Since ancient times, thunder has been a symbol of divine power; being struck by lightning is a divine punishment (smite). Automatically aimed, unavoidable, it shatters all defenses. Mortals who attempt to use their magic to contend with this demon-subduing vajra will only be shattered like delusional fantasies.
What good would it do to turn into the wind?
Is it possible that the divine power of thunder is insufficient to destroy the wind?
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
Gazing at the lightning that was shattering everything in its path, Hayden realized he was doomed.
Angela was absolutely right; he should indeed maintain a safe distance. He just hadn't realized that distance would be so unsafe!
So Angela took action.
Even Hayden wasn't entirely clear on what happened in the next instant.
Only the Vajra Warriors present saw this movement, which was faster than thunder, and were amazed by its agility, a speed that even they could not match.
Angela stepped forward, leaving a trail of afterimages in mid-air, facing the enemy head-on. Emerald green energy coalesced around her into a towering storm that deflected the lightning spear.
Hayden transformed back into human form behind her, his forehead covered in cold sweat. If he had been struck by that lightning, all his prepared defenses would have been utterly useless, and he would have been incinerated instantly. In contrast, his most powerful arcane attack hadn't even made a sound when it struck.
Hayden himself probably won't be able to deal any damage in this fight. He'll have to cheat in a smarter way.
The three Vajrapani gods no longer paid attention to anyone else, but stared intently at Angela, the only one present who could be considered their enemy.
Even with over a hundred years of combat experience, Angela remained a particularly strange enemy to them. The moment the divine warriors saw her, their divine eyes automatically began scanning her, revealing that although this snow-white enemy appeared to be a mechanical device, she also exhibited signs of life and soul.
Could it be a new type of combat cyborg from Smoke Mirror Company?
The Vajra Warriors deduced this, then formed a triangular formation and began their attack. The two at the back unleashed even more lightning at Angela, countless bolts striking her. The other raised his vajra, its blade crackling with deadly power, and charged forward, creating a golden-red shockwave with each step. The remaining students, who hadn't yet fainted, had just gotten to their feet and, before they could even recover, were knocked to the ground by the thunderous roar.
This was merely the aftermath of the battle between the Protoss and Angela.