NOVEL WEB Chapter 124: Light It Up
Zack strolled into the basement of Mansion No. 6, his expression calm as if the monumental project around him was nothing out of the ordinary. The high-energy particle accelerator, a massive ring-shaped device akin to a particle collider, occupied most of the underground space. "Besides, I'll need their help with a little task later," Zack said casually, his voice echoing in the vast, sterile room.
"Sir, are you aware that you're dealing with a hostile organization?" Ego, his AI companion, interjected with a note of exasperation. It couldn't fathom what sort of favor Zack expected from an enemy group.
"Weapon testing," Zack replied nonchalantly. "Those space-based satellites I spent ages deploying? I'm not letting them sit around collecting dust."
His tone was light, almost dismissive, but the intent behind his words was chilling. Zack had a destructive plan in mind: using Neon Country's Vanguard Organization Base as a live target to test his space-based cannon stationed in geostationary orbit. Forgiveness? Turning the other cheek? Forget it. For Zack, the only fitting response to provocation was absolute retaliation. "Enough chatter. Let's get to work on the new elements," Zack said, turning his attention to the particle accelerator. For now, the Vanguard Organization would enjoy a brief reprieve—time to savor their remaining days. In response, the holographic projection system lit up, filling the basement with a faint hum. A complex structure of shimmering elemental patterns appeared before him, projected in vivid detail.
Meanwhile, in Japan, chaos reigned at the Vanguard Organization Base. A group of senior officials was locked in a heated argument during an emergency meeting.
"The interception failure falls squarely on you!" one official bellowed.
"You claimed six missiles would be enough!" another snapped.
"Don't talk nonsense! The enemy obviously knew about our interception plan in advance!" The man shot back.
"And how would they know unless someone leaked the details? Murakami, I'm looking at you!" accused another, his finger jabbing the air accusingly.
The room descended into an uproar as the officials hurled accusations back and forth, their voices overlapping in a cacophony of blame. "Enough!" The commanding voice of an elderly man cut through the din. The room fell silent as all eyes turned toward the figure at the head of the table: Hiro, the current leader on this branch. His sharp, calculating gaze revealed none of the frailty expected of a man his age. "Arguing won't change what's already happened," Hiro said firmly. "The real question is: how did our enemies know about the plan? Hikawa might have a point."
His words silenced further dissent. Hiro scanned the room, his stern demeanor brooking no argument. "I'll get to the bottom of this. But first, we need to salvage this disaster before headquarters comes down on us." "But... headquarters ordered us not to send anyone to NYC City anymore," one official reminded him hesitantly.
"That was before," Hiro replied, his tone ice-cold. "If we fail now, next month's serum supply will be cut. Do you want that?"
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the room. One by one, the officials nodded. "Then it's settled. Send an action team to eliminate the target," Hiro concluded.
None of them realized that far away, Zack was already preparing for his next move. "Installed already?" Zack murmured, surprised by the notification from Ego. He immediately stopped what he was doing and activated the holographic projection screen. Adjusting the LSI satellite's orbit, he zoomed in on Japan and locked the view onto the Vanguard Organization Base. With a quick tap, he started recording. "All right, let's light it up," he said, a gleam of excitement in his eyes.
Over 35,000 kilometers above Earth, in geostationary orbit, a massive satellite resembling a mechanical jellyfish began to stir. Its intricate structure glowed faintly as countless mechanisms whirred to life. Etched along the side of the satellite was a simple yet personal inscription: "Annie, Zack's Shining Pearl."
Inside the satellite, preparations were underway. A tungsten rod, measuring 30 centimeters in diameter and 6.1 meters in length, slid into position on an electromagnetic rail. Charging initiated. The massive rod, weighing 8.3 tons, accelerated down the rail with a thunderous boom, reaching a staggering speed of Mach 16. Designed for maximum penetration, the tungsten rod's sharpened shape minimized atmospheric drag, ensuring it maintained its deadly velocity as it hurtled toward Earth.
Under the combined pull of Eart's gravity and the propulsion engine, the tungsten rod launched from the satellite didn't just maintain its terrifying muzzle velocity of Mach 16—it accelerated further.
Mach 19.
Mach 23.
Mach 27.
The numbers climbed higher and higher, the speed reaching unimaginable levels. Even as it hit the atmosphere and began to burn like a fiery comet, the tungsten rod didn't slow down much.
Mach 28.
Mach 29.
The rate of acceleration lessened, but the speed was already mind-boggling. And don't forget—the rod had been launched from geostationary orbit, 35 kilometers above the ground. Even at Mach 30, it would take nearly an hour to reach the surface. But this wasn't just any projectile. Its speed skyrocketed past Mach 30 in no time.
Mach 40.
The tungsten rod, now resembling a flaming meteor, streaked toward the planet with speed far exceeding any natural phenomenon. The impact force it carried was terrifying, growing more devastating with every passing second. After a few minutes, the tungsten rod entered low-Earth orbit, reaching its maximum speed.
Mach 61.
By this point, the rod's surface temperature had pushed tungsten metal to its absolute limit. Originally weighing 8.3 tons, it had lost nearly a third of its mass to atmospheric friction, now reduced to just under 6 tons. But what it lost in mass, it made up for in destructive potential—its power had multiplied dozens, even hundreds of times. "Countdown to impact: 20 seconds." "The total strike duration: 21 minutes and 7 seconds."
Ego's calm voice echoed as the LSI satellite's sensors locked onto the tungsten rod's descent. From this point, the tungsten rod, hurtling at Mach 61, would need just 20 seconds to complete its devastating journey, covering more than 20,000 meters per second. "It's happening! It's really happening!" Zack's excitement was palpable as he watched the glowing 'meteor' streak past the satellite's cameras.
On the screen, the LSI satellite refocused its lens on Neon Country's Vanguard Organization Base. Several peculiar-looking aircraft were just lifting off from the base. Inside, two squads of enhanced soldiers and superpowered operatives were gearing up.
"Akimoto-san, the target is extremely dangerous. Be cautious!" a voice came over the comms.
"Relax, Hikawa Okita-san," came the confident reply. "With our team's strength—"
Before he could finish, a shrill air-raid siren pierced the air. The sound was brief—barely a second—before a blinding white light engulfed the scene. The radar had barely registered the tungsten rod's descent before it was too late. The world seemed to freeze. The tungsten rod tore through everything in its path like a bullet through paper.
BOOM!!!
The deafening sound of the impact came a moment later, rippling across the landscape in waves of destruction. The Vanguard Organization Base, just moments ago bustling with activity, was obliterated. In its place, a massive crater over a kilometer in diameter gaped like a wound on the Earth's surface. No one had time to react.