Chapter 171: Eerily Easy

Chapter 171: Chapter 171: Eerily EasyMeanwhile, as the Spartans battled fiercely in the digital crucible of the Chronos-Weave Deep Dive, Richard and Lina observed high up in their private observation deck, a panoramic holographic display of the virtual battlefield spread before them. Richard leaned on the railing, a thoughtful expression on his face. Lina, her avatar shimmering beside him, was busy configuring new parameters, her hands gracefully dancing across a holographic console.

"Lina," Richard asked, his gaze fixed on a distant, simulated orbital engagement, "what’s the status of their neural links? Are they stable?"

"Yes sir, the neural links are perfectly stable," Lina replied without looking away from her work. "Each trainee’s consciousness link to the virtual world is enforced and optimized. There are no signs of degradation or disconnect, even under extreme duress."

"Good. Excellent," Richard said, a satisfied hum in his voice. "Now, what are the newer recruits doing? I want to see the new toys in action."

Lina brought up a new feed on the display, shifting the focus to a different part of the virtual battlefield: deep beneath the main command forward base, within expansive hangar bays. What unfolded made Richard’s jaw drop.

Towering, forty-five-foot mechs, gleaming in the matte-yellow and crimson black of the Praetoriani Order, stood ready for deployment. These were the Praetoriani Paladin Battle Equipment – massive bipedal war machines, each a testament to advanced engineering and terrifying firepower. The newer recruits, those who had just arrived at the base, along with the veterans of the 1st Phasers, were scrambling into their cockpits.

Each Praetoriani Paladin was a walking arsenal. A plasma-infused, integrated retractable saber hummed with destructive energy on its right arm, capable of cleaving through even the largest Krill. Its left arm sported a smaller, yet incredibly potent, mass driver cannon. Shoulder-mounted missile pods bristled with ordnance, ready to unleash barrages of high-explosive payloads. And at the center of its chest, where its reactor core pulsed with light, an energy plasma beam charged, capable of unleashing a devastating torrent of raw power.

Richard’s eyes widened, a childlike amazement spreading across his face. He reached out, almost instinctively, and gently clasped Lina’s hand, his gaze still fixed on the colossal mechs. "Lina! When... when did you make these?! I’m genuinely surprised!"

Lina’s avatar shimmered, a faint, almost human blush appearing on her otherwise perfect features as Richard’s hand touched hers. She quickly looked away, her voice uncharacteristically flustered. "Sir... I... I deduced their necessity from the Krill’s larger size and aggressive close-quarters tactics based on Subject Alpha-0’s combat profile. And,"

she added, her voice dropping to a near-whisper, a hint of something mischievous in her tone, "my research also suggests that... men like it big."1

The digital hangar bays thrummed with a controlled urgency. As the first three Praetoriani Paladin mechs, massive and imposing, began to move, their internal plasma engines flared to life, sending a low thrumming vibration through the ground. They rushed along magnetic rails, gaining incredible speed as they approached the colossal magnetic ramp that led to the surface.



The new recruits, along with the 1st Phasers piloting them, coordinated their movements with surprising fluidity for their first time in such massive machines. Their virtual cockpits glowed with tactical readouts, their hands flying over the controls.

Just outside the city’s clearing, where the initial Krill invasion was still raging, the three Paladins burst onto the simulated battlefield. Their landing was precise, shaking the digital earth. The 1st Spartans, embroiled in fierce close-quarters combat with the Krill, paused mid-swing, their eyes widening beneath their visors as the colossal mechs materialized before them.

"Holy mother of... are those mechs?!" Miguel yelled over his comms, momentarily distracted from the Krill surging towards him.

"Fresh meat gets the good toys?" Cortez grumbled, dodging a Krill claw. "What the hell? We’ve been here for months, and they get the big guns?"

From the cockpits of the Paladins, the new recruits, reveling in the sheer power of their machines, couldn’t resist a bit of mock. "Leave the rest to us, boys!" one pilot’s voice crackled over the proximity comms, laced with exaggerated bravado.

"Yeah, go take a breather, old timers!" another taunted, his voice echoing with digital laughter.

The 1st Spartans, now fully aware that their "fresh meat" replacements were behind the controls, cursed with envy. "Those arrogant bastards!" Pedro growled, smashing a Krill with his shield. "Just wait until they screw up!"

The new recruits in their Paladins just laughed, their taunts echoing, oblivious or uncaring of the veterans’ simmering frustration. They hadn’t seen the true horror of the Krill yet, only their imposing size.

Then, with a synchronized movement, the three Paladins deployed their retractable gatling plasma cannons from their right shoulders. The barrels spun, glowing with intense plasma energy, and unleashed a torrent of superheated projectiles. The Krill, who had successfully deployed a considerable force in this clearing and were lucky to be momentarily safe from the orbital defense systems, were now met with a wall of incandescent death. Plasma bolts tore through their ranks, dissolving their crude energy shields and melting their scaly forms in sprays of digital gore. The ground became a churning inferno of plasma and Krill biomass.

But then, from a massive, overhead Krill troop ship, a dark, hulking shape descended. It was a colossal Stone Golem, a towering, crudely formed humanoid made of what appeared to be reinforced rock and dark, jagged crystals, radiating an ancient, malevolent aura. It moved with surprising speed for its bulk, hoping to overwhelm the Spartans and their new Paladins with sheer, unyielding force.

The Paladins, however, were quicker. They hadn’t even taken ten steps from their deployment point when the Golem appeared.



The mass driver cannons of the Paladins roared to life. Unlike the kinetic rifles of the Spartans, these were designed for immense impact. Tungsten slugs, super-accelerated, slammed into the Stone Golem with concussive force, boring a gaping hole and kicking up clouds of dust. The Golem, mortally wounded, lumbered drunkenly forward for a few agonizing steps, then crashed down with a deafening THUD, scattering the Krill below it in a shower of broken rock and digital carnage.

"Was that... a golem?" one Paladin pilot mocked, his voice laced with disbelief, a hint of a laugh already forming. His targeting system, now clear, showed only the remains of the massive construct and the squashed Krill.

"That was a golem?" another scoffed, unleashing a volley from his mass driver cannon into the fleeing Krill, "I barely noticed. Thought it was just a big rock. Too easy."

The Paladin pilots laughed, a wave of arrogant triumph echoing over the comms. They had defeated a colossal threat with such apparent ease that it bordered on comedic.

The 1st Spartans, still fighting in the background, could only watch, a mix of awe and renewed envy. They had seen the lumbering Golem, a threat that would have given even their Hoplites pause, being casually obliterated by the new mechs.

They could hear the mocking laughter of the Paladin pilots, their arrogance undimmed. Damn them! the veterans silently cursed, their jaws clenched in a mixture of frustration and grudging respect for the power their new brethren wielded.

Meanwhile, in the war command room hummed with a tense energy. Battle-General Ciano stood before a massive holographic table, its surface shimmering with a live, intricate overview of the sprawling simulated city and its surrounding zones. Beside him were his handpicked officers, Spartans all, who had demonstrated exceptional strategic acumen even before their deep dive into the Chronos-Weave.

On the holo-table, the markers of the 1st Spartan Battalion, easily identifiable by their heavier power armor schematics, were scattered throughout the city. They were accompanied by markers for the 1st Phasers, whose icons depicted lighter body armors and smaller-scaled weaponry compared to the Spartans’ formidable gear.

The distinction reflected their current virtual reality loadout: due to the scenario’s imposed limitations on power armor equipment, only the Spartans who had passed Phase One training were permitted to equip the heavy suits. However, the 1st Phasers’ smaller weapons were still considerably powerful, and there was an abundance of combat vehicles and energy cells for all.

"General," one of the officers, a sharp-featured woman named Commander Anya, stated, pointing to a section of the holographic map glowing red. "The city itself is largely secured, though we’re still running patrols to clear lingering Krill pockets. However, the residential zones outside the city are still under heavy attack and need immediate assistance. Civilian casualties are mounting."

Another officer, Ben, chimed in, "The industrial and logistic zones to the northwest have also been completely blockaded by Krill forces, sir. Our citizens within the city sectors need power and food. The Krill’s initial bombardment didn’t just target defenses; they specifically destroyed power lines and water pipes flowing into the city. We’re facing a siege, effectively."

The holo-table zoomed out, revealing the city’s perimeter, where major numbers of Krill icons pulsed aggressively. They were relentlessly attacking in waves, attempting to retake the city they had initially invaded.



Ciano’s gaze swept over the holographic display, absorbing the data. He listened to the officers’ various suggestions, his mind calculating risks and rewards. A heavy silence settled over the room, broken only by the faint hum of the holographic table. He paused, then finally spoke, his voice cutting through the tension with crisp authority.

"Alright, here’s the disposition. We initiate Phase One of the counter-offensive." He pointed to the residential zones. "Anya, form a joint task force from the 1st Spartan Battalion – prioritize those in lighter power armor for speed – and the 1st Infantry Company. Scramble this force to reinforce the residential zones immediately. Your primary objective is to engage and push back the Krill, then initiate a mass evacuation of the remaining citizens to the city subway networks. Establish secure checkpoints at all entry points into the subway system."

He then shifted his focus to the industrial zones. "Ben, redeploy the 2nd Spartan Battalion from their current position in the clearing fields. Their new target is the industrial zones. Prioritize retaking the water pipes first – get that flow back into the city. Simultaneously, deploy the 2nd Infantry Company to link up with the 2nd Spartans at their new industrial zone objective. Once the water lines are secured, their combined force will push deeper to secure the power grid."

"And the 3rd Infantry Battalion," Ciano continued, "will link with the 2nd Spartan/2nd Infantry spearhead. Once the industrial zones are clear, their mission is to gather all available food supplies from the warehouses. I want every single crate transported back to the city’s evacuation zones – the subway networks and any designated safe houses we establish. And Leo, route a direct power conduit from our underground base here, to the city’s evacuation zones. We have more than enough power here; it’s senseless for the citizens to suffer from blackouts."

"Understood, General!" Anya, Ben, and the other officers acknowledged, their movements efficient as they scrambled to their assigned battalion communication hubs, relaying Ciano’s precise orders. The energy in the room shifted from tense analysis to focused execution.

"General, a status update on our Paladins." an officer at a flanking console asked.

"How many operational Paladins do we have currently?" Ciano inquired.

"Thirty-seven, sir," the officer responded. "The three Paladins deployed earlier in the west of the city’s edge successfully fended off a major Krill wave. No damage, high efficacy."

Ciano nodded, a calculating gleam in his eyes. "Good. Deploy half of the remaining force – eighteen Paladins. Form two strike groups." He tapped two strategic points on the holo-table. "Strike Group One will push far north, between the residential zone and the industrial sector, and systematically wipe out any Krill forward bases. Don’t leave a single one standing. Strike Group Two will head south. The south bridge has been eerily peaceful lately, and I don’t like it. Search and destroy any and all Krill forces detected there. Leave no stone unturned."

He then looked at the remaining Paladins on the table. "The rest of the Paladins will be reinforced throughout the city. Their objective isn’t just defense. I want them, and all infantry battalions across the city, to start looting. Gather all useful equipment and resources from dead Krill – energy cells, weapons, any salvageable tech. I’ve got a feeling these fucking lizards are going to mount a huge, coordinated attack very soon. We need to be prepared for total war, and every resource counts."

The officers quickly transmitted the new orders. The digital battlefield on the holo-table shifted as Spartan units began to move, their objectives clear, their purpose unwavering. Ciano watched, a grim determination etched on his face. The game was escalating, and he was ready to play.

It’s not what you think, okay?