LIGHTNOVELONLINE [21] Ruthless Efficiency and Placement Test
"General Richard, nothing escapes your watchful eyes, huh," General Masamoto muttered, watching the live video feed from the drone.
Currently, several drones are hovering secretly above the underground terrorist hideout. Thanks to the high altitude and the stealth function, the terrorists would not notice the drone even if they were looking directly at them. Both generals have been secretly mobilizing their agents and leased troops around the underground hideout since the beginning to avoid detection.
"Does a bombardment strike sound good?" General Masamoto suggested with a sinister smile.
"No, there is also a civilian hiding inside the camp. Besides, the media would never let us hear the end of it if we caused an explosion in the mountain." Richard rejected the idea calmly, but his expression was cold.
"It's fine. Just tell them it's a training drill," Masamoto replied, still smiling.
"With body littered all over the ground? Good luck explaining that." Richard rebuked sarcastically.
"We can clean the area easily. And let's just say the terrorist is the one who detonated the explosive." Masamoto replied without any hesitation.
"Whatever, as long as you are the one who deals with the aftermath, do whatever you want. I have my hands full already." Richard replied in exasperation and looked back at the screen.
They needed to lure the terrorist group out of their nest first before they would send any ground troops. Storming a tunnel was practically suicide, and they would lose too many valuable agents. They couldn't afford that, especially now when the tension is rising. Bombardment would surely draw them out or just wipe all of them outright...
"Let's start then, shall we?" General Masamoto announced.
"Go ahead. I'll take a tea break and wait for my turn when you're done making a mess," Richard replied dismissively.
"What a waste. I'm sure you would love the spectacle." Masamoto chuckled, but his hand was already on the coms device. "All units, prepare the concealed artillery and begin bombardment."
The tunnel suddenly shook violently, sending people tumbling down the floor, and screams filled the air. The ground above them shook violently. Dirt and dust fell onto them, making the air hazy.
"What's happening!?" Haruto screamed out as he was knocked to the ground by the tremor.
"I don't know! This never happened before!" Iori replied, equally confused as she stood back up and checked the surroundings.
The walls were cracking, and the roof was about to collapse at any moment, burying them all under the rubble. Everyone was panicking and trying to get out of the tunnels, not caring how they did it. They needed to escape before the ceiling collapsed and buried them all.
"Everyone calm down! Stay away from the walls!" He was just as confused as they were. He didn't know what was happening. However, he couldn't let them panic and run wild. It would only make the situation worse. He needed to evacuate everyone out and fast through the hidden route.
Haruto tried to shout, but his voice was drowned out by the screams and explosions. Even if he was the leader, they were too scared to listen to him, and some were already running toward the entrance. Haruto ran toward them, trying to stop them. He knew they would be buried alive if they rushed to the entrance. He knew the entrance would be sealed with rubble, and they wouldn't get far. But before he could reach them, the whole tunnel exploded, and a cloud of dust and dirt enveloped the whole area, blinding everyone.
He tried to use his telekinesis power but could only do so much. The ground beneath them was crumbling. Haruto tried to maintain the ground and walls with his telekinesis, but he couldn't do it alone. He couldn't stop the roof from collapsing. He desperately tried to hold the walls together, but his power couldn't handle the amount of debris falling.
Then, he heard more screams and sounds of something exploding nearby, followed by the sound of rocks falling and crashing against the ground. The ground underneath them shook violently again. When the dust cleared, he saw a massive pile of debris blocking the entrance.
"What's going on!?"
"Are we under attack!?"
"What are we gonna do?"
"Are we gonna die!?"
The shouts were coming from everywhere, and everyone was panicking. He couldn't blame them. This was the first time something like this had happened. Who could have done this? Did the AGA somehow find them and attack them?
He threw all the debris away, and his mind raced as he thought of the worst scenario possible. He was sure this wasn't an accident. This was an attack. There are several holes and entrances to escape through, but even if they could escape, it was highly likely they would be ambushed by whoever attacked them if they escaped through it.
"Everyone, calm down! There are hidden exits, don't panic! Just follow me!" Haruto shouted, trying to calm the crowd.
The group calmed down a bit and followed him closely. They couldn't see anything through the thick smoke and dust, and the air was getting stuffy. He could smell the acrid smell of gunpowder and smoke, and the heat was burning his skin. The air was suffocating.
"Iori! Can you see anything!?" Haruto asked.
"Yeah, I think so! But I don't know why the tunnel is collapsing like this!" Iori replied, gasping for air.
Haruto is too focused on running and leading the group. He couldn't pay attention to anything else. Everyone was following him blindly, running behind him. Some were even tripping and falling, but he didn't stop. The tunnel was crumbling around him. It was collapsing right under his feet, and the only thing he could do was keep running.
"I can see the light! We're almost out!"
Haruto felt relieved when he heard Iori's voice. She was running alongside him, panting heavily.
"Just keep running!"
The sound of explosions echoed throughout the forest. Smoke and dust rose from the mountain, and trees were thrown all over the place. The trees fell on the ground, crashing into the ground, and the sound of the explosion reverberated through the mountain.
"They're not coming out... did they all perish?" Masamoto spoke. "Can you sense them? Is there anyone left?"
The Agents under Masamoto's command had already blown up the main entrance so that the survivors would come out through the small pocket where they would be trapped and ambushed by their men. But there's only a tiny number of survivors coming out, not the large amount that Masamoto had expected.
"Yes, they are alive... they are moving in the opposite direction. It looks like they had a secret exit on the other side." Richard spoke, using his mind's link to track the people inside the mountain.
"What?! You can't be serious! That means..." Masamoto was furious.
"Yeah, they'll escape. I'll send my agents to move in and chase them. Stop the bombing." Richard's voice was calm. He sounded like he had planned this all along.
Richard looked at Masamoto and smiled. Well, because he did plan it all along. He already knew that the secret tunnel existed and that they would escape through there. But he chose not to tell his fellow general since their goal differed.
Richard didn't want the complete annihilation of the 'Initiator.' He only wanted to cripple them just enough to stop their operations. In his eyes, these terrorists are a valuable resource to poke the AGA and expose their dark deeds. He wanted them alive and kicking to cause mayhem. That's also why Richard objected to the bombing in the first place.
"Tch! Fine!" Masamoto clicked his tongue and called off the bomb attack.
"Don't worry. We will get them." Richard assured.
Everyone was coughing, trying to breathe. They were exhausted, but they were all alive. The secret exit was still intact, and there were no signs of their pursuers. Many of their companions had died in the tunnel, but the rest were still alive. They could breathe again, but they weren't safe yet.
Haruto was leaning on the wall, trying to catch his breath. He was exhausted. His muscles ached, and his lungs were burning. He could barely stand anymore.
"Should I call Matsuka? We need to move to the second hideout." Iori said.
"Right. But how are we gonna move everyone without being detected? We can't even fight back properly right now with how disorganized and panicked everyone is." Haruto sighed and leaned his head against the wall. "We can't run away, and we can't fight back either. Not right now, at least."
"But we can't just stay here." Iori protested.
"You're right. But we can't let them follow us, or the other hideout will be discovered. And if that happens, everyone will die. We have to find another way. We need a diversion."
"But how?"
"Leave that to me." Haruto smiled and pushed himself off the wall.
"Haruto... you look horrible."
"I feel like it too. But we don't have a choice. Everyone! Listen up!" Haruto shouted at the top of his lungs, and everyone stopped talking.
Everyone was looking at him, waiting for him to speak. Some were still breathing heavily, and some were covered in dirt and dust. But they were all listening.
"We need to leave the area. We need to split into two groups. The first group will be a decoy, and the second group will head to the second hideout when I give the signal." Haruto paused and took a deep breath.
"Anyone who is able and willing to fight, stand beside me. We will form the first group as a diversion."
No one moved, and no one said anything.
"Please, we need your help. We can't do this alone. If we don't fight back, we will all die. So please, fight with us."
The group was silent. They were still confused and scared, but they understood what was at stake. They had no choice. They had no other options.
"Fine, I'll go."
"I'm not a good fighter, but I'll try."
"Me too."
"Thank you, everyone. Thank you for trusting me." Haruto bowed deeply, grateful for their cooperation. "We will create as much chaos as possible to divert their attention. We will lead them away from the second group. Iori, you will lead the second group and take everyone to the second hideout. Once you arrive, don't wait for us. Just contact Matsuka and get everyone out of the second hideout. You understand?"
"But what about you?"
"I'll burn the entire forest if I have to. We'll catch up. Don't worry."
Amidst all the commotion, Eva was preoccupied with her 'class placement' test. Initially, the academy intended to employ the entrance exam result as the basis for allocating the student's classes. However, since the first batch of students from the academy entered through recommendation, they opted for a class placement test in its place. This test is a series of assessments that evaluate the student's competency.
Since this is technically still a high school, even though it's called an academy, the subjects tested also include the basic subjects. English, Science, History, and Math. But what separates the test from a regular high school entrance exam is that the other half is focused on testing the students' Astral ability, physical ability, cooperativeness, and leadership skills.
To Eva, this was a breeze. Well... except for the physical ability part, which required her to run. Since her left leg is practically crippled without the use of a cane, she was automatically disqualified from the physical test. Which gives her the lowest score on that part.
Luckily, her other scores made up for it. Eva was at the top of the academy for the Astral ability test, and she was also at the top on her cooperativeness and leadership skills.
Astral ability test is judged not only by their score capacity but also by the impact they can create with it. Because it doesn't matter if you're astral power score is A if the only thing you can do is talk to a cat on a massive scale... it would be useless.
Of course, they also take the curriculum of Field Agents and Intelligence Agents into consideration when assigning students to classes since both require different types of knowledge and training in some aspect. However, since the introductory course is the same for both, they can be assigned to the same classes except during special lessons in each field where temporary separation is necessary.
Each class would consist of twenty field agents and ten intelligence agents. Of course, the ratio would vary depending on the students' number, results, and potential. With this combination, the academy hoped that both fields would be able to work together and learn from each other to prevent some dumb rivalry or incapability.
They didn't want their field agents to only be able to kick asses and their intelligence agents only capable of providing intel or support. They also want their students to be versatile, reliable, and independent.
Eva's scores managed to land her in class A-1, which is the best class in the academy where the elite students will be gathered. The academy hopes a division like this would create a good rivalrous environment that would push the students to improve their skills.
Eva looked at her student ID card, which was updated with her results... that was fast. It's barely ten minutes after she was done taking it.
Name: Eva Lawrence
ID: 025
Class: Intelligence Agents
Academic Abilities: 94/100
Astral Abilities: 83/100
Physical Ability: 20/100
Cooperativeness: 94/100
Leadership Skills: 92/100
Average Score: 76.6/100
Eva puts her card inside her bag, satisfied with her result. She then gets off the chair and heads straight to the cafeteria to enjoy a morning tea.
"Oh, Eva, over here." Reina waves her hands in the air, gesturing for Eva to sit with her. Ryuji is still nowhere to be seen. He must still be taking his placement test.
"Morning, Reina. Did you finish your placement test as well?" Eva greets Reina and sits in front of her.
"Good morning. Yeah, I just finished a few minutes ago. It wasn't easy. But I managed to land on class A-1! That's amazing, right?" Reina tells Eva excitedly.
"Wow, congratulations. I'm in the same class."
"Really? That's great, then. We're classmates again!"
"I guess so," Eva replies, chuckling lightly.
Reina's excitement is contagious, and she can't help but laugh at it. Both of them talked for a while, enjoying their breakfast, until a TV broadcast caught both of their attention.
"Breaking news. A group of terrorists has caused an explosion and wildfire at Mountain Mikate, targeting a training drill conducted by the AGA. According to the Japanese AGA statement, several casualties were reported, and they had no choice but to retaliate with force."
"It was bad enough that they managed to cause an explosion near a civilian village, but now they have provoked the agency itself? What are they trying to accomplish?" Reina questioned, her brows furrowing in worry.
Eva once again spit her tea, coughing as she tries to clear her airway. This is bad...