Chapter 36: Sleeper Troops
Year 0003, Month XI-XII: The Imperium
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Day 97: Infiltrated
Deep within the bustling city of Gremory, shadows moved with practiced precision through familiar streets. A sleeper cell force of the Arwen Sovereignty had begun their silent mobilization, their presence as undetectable as morning mist. These operatives had infiltrated the city long before Baron Toffer's arrival—perhaps even before his mission had been conceived in the war rooms of distant capitals. Their existence remained hidden from Toffer himself, for they served a different master and carried out a separate mandate. Strict protocols forbade any contact between the two operations, ensuring that neither could compromise the other.
When the battle erupted at Toffer's estate within the city limits, the sleeper cell immediately attempted to relay intelligence to the Royal House of Arwen. Their magical communications equipment hummed to life in hidden chambers and concealed alcoves throughout Gremory. However, their efforts proved futile against the comprehensive magical jamming network that had been deployed across the entire urban area. The interference wasn't limited to Toffer's estate—it blanketed the city like an invisible dome, severing all magical communications with the outside world.
The city itself had been placed under the iron grip of martial law. Patrols marched through empty streets with military precision, their boots echoing off cobblestones in the unnatural silence. No civilian movement was permitted until the operation reached its conclusion. Citizens huddled behind shuttered windows, uncertain of what forces were at play beyond their walls. Only after the magical jamming network was finally deactivated did the sleeper agents manage to establish direct contact with the Royal House of Arwen. By then, precious time had been lost—time that might have changed the course of events.
Embassy personnel from Ogind who served Arwen's interests had already conducted a discreet evacuation of the estate, spiriting away their families and sensitive materials under cover of darkness. They had failed to grasp the true scope of the unfolding situation, as the entire operation had been shrouded in layers of secrecy and misdirection. To most observers, it appeared that the annual military exercises had simply been moved to an earlier date—a bureaucratic adjustment that raised no eyebrows among the populace.
These sleeper troops represented the culmination of decades of patient infiltration. For more than thirty years, they had lived, worked, and raised families within Gremory's walls. Their primary mission parameters were deceptively simple yet extraordinarily complex in execution: scout the city's defensive capabilities, map the intricate web of security protocols, and analyze the economic infrastructure that kept the region functioning. Every piece of intelligence was carefully encrypted and transmitted to their sovereign nation through channels so subtle that even the most paranoid counterintelligence officers remained unaware of the constant flow of information leaving their city.
Today, however, the parameters of their mission underwent a dramatic transformation. The commander of this specialized intelligence unit received new orders that arrived through channels reserved for only the most critical communications. The message was direct and unambiguous: "Activate all troops. Eliminate the entire military echelon of Gremory." These simple words carried the weight of years of preparation and represented the activation of assets that had been carefully positioned throughout the city's power structure.
The command was straightforward in its brutality, yet its execution would require every skill and resource they had accumulated over three decades of patient preparation. The commander, along with his most trusted subordinates who had accompanied him on this long infiltration mission, had spent years preparing for exactly this moment. They had methodically identified vulnerabilities in Count Gremory's security protocols and had positioned operatives in locations where the city's leadership would be most exposed.
Unfortunately, their infiltration had limitations. Count Gremory maintained strict hiring practices for executive and military positions, requiring not only birth within the city but also a documented family tree spanning at least three generations within the upper echelons of his administration. This paranoid but effective security measure had prevented the Arwen operatives from placing their people in the most sensitive positions. Arriving in Gremory as refugees and migrants, they could only secure employment in lower-tier positions throughout the city's various departments and institutions.
However, these humble positions had proven invaluable for intelligence gathering. Kitchen staff learned the dining habits of military officers. Groundskeepers discovered the walking routes preferred by government officials. Servants overheard conversations that revealed security protocols and personal vulnerabilities. For patient operatives willing to spend decades in deep cover, these seemingly menial positions provided unprecedented access to the information they needed.
The current force structure consisted of fifty active operatives already positioned throughout the city, along with two hundred additional assets who required activation through carefully planned trigger protocols. These sleeping agents would need to receive specific code words that would revert their peaceful civilian personas back to their true identities as Arwen assassins. The psychological conditioning required to maintain such deep cover while preserving the ability to instantly return to operational status represented some of the most sophisticated espionage training in the known world.
With the deteriorating relations between the two kingdoms, the commander had anticipated receiving these orders. The signs had been building for months: increased military movements, diplomatic tensions reaching critical levels, and subtle changes in the way their handlers communicated through established channels. The implementation of their carefully crafted plans for the city had become inevitable.
Commander Xian gathered his most trusted lieutenants in a secure location that had been prepared years earlier for exactly this moment. His voice carried the weight of three decades of preparation as he delivered the final briefing: "We have received our orders. Activate all operatives and provide them with their target assignments. Remember—leave no traces of our involvement. If any of you are captured, you understand the protocols."
The message they had long dreaded had finally arrived. These operatives had built genuine lives within Gremory's walls. They had married local residents, raised children who knew no other home, and formed friendships that transcended their original mission. Yet their loyalty to the Arwen Sovereignty remained absolute, forged through years of ideological conditioning and reinforced by the bonds of shared sacrifice.
Each operative carried suicide pills designed to activate within seconds of ingestion. Additionally, many had undergone surgical procedures to embed magical devices within their mana hearts—failsafes that would trigger fatal cardiac arrest if they attempted to reveal information about their true allegiances under interrogation. The magical circles inscribed on these devices would activate if certain forbidden words or phrases were spoken, ensuring that no amount of torture could compromise the operation.
Ironically, these extreme security measures were no longer strictly necessary. With open warfare now declared between the kingdoms, their identities as Arwen soldiers would eventually be discovered regardless. However, their training and conditioning ran deeper than rational analysis. These protocols had been drilled into them through years of preparation, and they would maintain operational security until their final breath. Such was the depth of their loyalty to the cause that had defined their adult lives.
Tonight, the cobblestones of Gremory would run red with blood. The success rate of their mission remained uncertain, but the commitment of the operatives was absolute.
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Day 98.1: Operation Lion Killer (I)
Dawn broke over Gremory with deceptive tranquility, revealing a city unaware that this day would be remembered as one of the bloodiest in its long history. The morning light filtered through windows of homes where sleeper agents were making final preparations for missions they had spent thirty years preparing to execute. For Commander Xian and the original infiltrators who had established this network decades ago, today would finally reveal whether their patient work would bear fruit or end in glorious failure.
The primary target remained Count Gremory himself, followed by the systematic elimination of Ogind's military leadership structure. The activation protocols had been successfully implemented throughout the night, and all two hundred suicide operatives had received their final orders through carefully established communication networks. Each agent understood that they were expected to complete their mission regardless of personal cost. Today, the might of Arwen would be felt within the very vanguard and beating heart of the enemy's southern territory.
The operatives took positions throughout the city with practiced efficiency. Some had spent years working within the households of their targets, earning trust through dedicated service while secretly mapping security routines and identifying moments of vulnerability. Others had established businesses or taken employment in locations that provided optimal surveillance of their assigned objectives. The complexity of the operation rivaled any military campaign, yet it would be executed by individuals who had lived double lives for decades.
The tactical approach was elegantly simple in its brutality: eliminate the military executives during scheduled meetings where multiple targets would be concentrated in single locations, or assassinate them in their homes where security would be minimal and family members might provide additional psychological leverage. Each scenario had been war-gamed extensively, with contingency plans developed for every conceivable complication.
Operation Lion Killer had been designed without regard for the survival of its participants. Every operative understood that they were expendable assets in a larger strategic game. However, at least one individual needed to survive long enough to report the mission's success or failure back to the Sovereignty. This grim mathematics had been accepted by all participants as a necessary element of their service.
As darkness settled over the city like a funeral shroud, the operatives moved through streets they had walked as ordinary citizens for decades. Their intimate knowledge of patrol routes, guard rotations, and architectural layouts provided advantages that no external assault force could match. They avoided the predictable security sweeps with ease, slipping through shadows and utilizing hidden passages that they had mapped during years of careful reconnaissance.
The infiltration of target residences proceeded with clockwork precision. Meanwhile, Commander Xian personally led his most elite operatives toward the ultimate prize: the heavily fortified estate of Count Gremory himself. The Count held authority that superseded even the regional general, making his elimination the crown jewel of the entire operation. His death would decapitate the local power structure and send shockwaves throughout the Ogind military hierarchy.
However, fate had positioned an unexpected guardian within the Count's estate that night. August, known throughout the region as the Blurred Devil, had chosen this evening to conduct business with Count Gremory. His reputation preceded him—a figure of such skill and notoriety that even seasoned warriors spoke his name with mixture of respect and fear. He had intended to complete a transaction involving his signature bone arrows, specialized weapons that commanded premium prices among discerning collectors and military commanders.
The Count's morning schedule had been completely occupied with urgent matters requiring his attention to alternate between military command centers and his administrative offices. Consequently, August had arranged this late-night meeting to accommodate both their schedules. This seemingly minor scheduling convenience would prove to be a pivotal moment in the operation's outcome.
As midnight approached and the city bells tolled the hour, August's supernatural senses detected an ominous shift in the atmosphere. Years as a hunter in the Lonelywood forest had honed his ability to perceive killing intent, and the air itself seemed to thicken with murderous purpose. The sensation was unmistakable—predators were moving through the darkness with deadly intent.
Fortunately, August was present in Count Gremory's private study when the first wave of assassins breached the estate's defenses. The room erupted into violence as the lead operative burst through the secured entrance, weapon raised and death in his eyes.
"DIE, COUNT GREMORY!" The assassin's battle cry echoed through the chamber as he lunged forward with practiced precision.
The operative's carefully planned execution was interrupted before it could begin. August's response was instantaneous and devastating. With fluid motion that seemed to bend the laws of physics, he beheaded three sleeper troops before they could activate the magical fire explosives embedded within their mana hearts. The specialized weapons would have incinerated everything within a substantial radius, ensuring the target's death even if the operatives perished in the process.
Three additional assassins rushed toward the momentarily stunned Count, who was struggling to process the sudden transformation of his quiet study into a battlefield. August's tactical assessment was immediate—he kicked the nearest attacker with such force that the man's body became a projectile, knocking his companions off balance and disrupting their coordinated assault. Before they could recover, August's blade had claimed their lives with surgical precision.
His voice, distorted by the mask that concealed his identity, carried an urgent authority as he addressed the Count: "It appears these individuals came specifically for you. I strongly recommend activating the estate's alarm systems immediately!"
The Count's response was interrupted by a series of explosions that erupted across the cityscape like deadly fireworks. The synchronized detonations painted the night sky with hellish orange light as some of the embedded magical devices successfully activated while others failed to trigger. The targets of Operation Lion Killer extended far beyond Count Gremory himself—the assault encompassed the entire military and governmental leadership structure of the region.
Some officials shared Count Gremory's fortune of having unexpected protection or security measures that preserved their lives. Others were not so fortunate, their residences transformed into funeral pyres that would burn until dawn. The random nature of survival versus death would haunt the city's survivors for years to come.
When the anticipated explosion failed to emanate from Count Gremory's quarters, Commander Xian's frustration was palpable. He clicked his tongue in annoyance before rallying his remaining operatives with grim determination: "It appears we have failed to achieve our primary objective. Form up with me—we will complete this mission personally!"
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Day 98.2: Operation Lion Killer (II)
The massive alarm horn that resonated across the sleeping city carried a note of panic that few residents had ever heard before. Its deep, mournful wail awakened every citizen within miles and set into motion emergency protocols that had been drilled but never implemented under actual combat conditions. The troops of Ogind responded with admirable speed, their training overcoming the disorientation of being roused from sleep to face an active assassination campaign within their own stronghold.
Count Gremory's estate transformed into a fortress within minutes. His loyal bodyguards and personal retinue converged on his location with weapons drawn and defensive formations established. These men had served the Count for years, and their dedication extended beyond mere professional obligation—they would gladly die to protect the man who had earned their respect through fair treatment and strong leadership.
"Sir, are you unharmed?" shouted the commander of his bodyguards as the security team established a protective perimeter around their charge.
The Count's response carried both relief and acknowledgment of his debt: "Yes, I am safe. Fortunately, the Blurred Devil was present and provided assistance during the initial assault."
However, August had already departed from the estate to pursue the retreating assassins. His sense of duty extended beyond protecting a single individual—he was determined to eliminate the threat before additional damage could be inflicted upon the innocent civilians of Gremory. The explosions they had witnessed throughout the city indicated that this was a coordinated assault of unprecedented scale and sophistication.
Meanwhile, Count Gremory was escorted to a secure location within his estate that had been designed specifically for such emergencies. Although he possessed considerable personal combat abilities as a Category IV Master-level practitioner, the suicide tactics employed by these assassins made direct confrontation extremely dangerous. The explosions they had witnessed were powerful enough to kill even Master-level opponents if detonated at close range, making retreat the most tactically sound option.
The night air grew thick with smoke and the metallic scent of blood as August tracked his quarry through the city streets. However, his pursuit was interrupted when he encountered Commander Xian and his elite operatives in a plaza that had been cleared by the earlier explosions. The confrontation that followed would determine whether Operation Lion Killer achieved any measure of success.
"WHO ARE YOU? HOW DARE YOU INTERFERE WITH OUR MISSION!" Commander Xian's fury was evident as he surveyed the corpses of his most trusted operatives, including his deputy who had served alongside him for over twenty years. The personal loss transformed his professional disappointment into a burning rage that demanded satisfaction.
Although Commander Xian had achieved Category IV Master status, his advancement was relatively recent, leaving him without the deep experience and refined techniques that separated novice Masters from truly dangerous opponents. August had already demonstrated his ability to eliminate Master-level opponents during his confrontation with Baron Toffer, who had been a formidable practitioner despite his lower categorical ranking. Commander Xian lacked the specialized equipment, tactical advantages, and combat experience that might have given him a fighting chance against an opponent of August's caliber.
"I am known as the Blurred Devil by those fortunate enough to survive encounters with my blade," August replied with calm professionalism that contrasted sharply with his opponent's emotional state. "You will answer for the crimes committed tonight. Surrender now, and I will spare your life for interrogation."
Commander Xian had no intention of accepting such terms. His conditioning and loyalty demanded that he attempt to eliminate this obstacle even if it meant sacrificing his own life in the process. However, before he could activate the suicide mechanism embedded within his mana heart, August had already neutralized the threat with ruthless efficiency.
The combination of wind and lightning elemental magic that August employed was both sophisticated and devastating. Wind techniques were used to control the commander's breathing, creating a suffocating pressure that prevented him from speaking the activation phrases required to trigger his embedded explosive device. Simultaneously, precisely targeted lightning magic paralyzed his mana heart, disrupting the magical circuits that powered the suicide mechanism and rendering it completely inert.
With his limbs severed and his breathing controlled by enemy magic, Commander Xian found himself utterly helpless. The decades of preparation and conditioning that had sustained him through his long infiltration mission proved inadequate against an opponent who possessed both the skill to defeat him in combat and the knowledge to prevent his final act of defiance.
August carefully secured the unconscious commander before transporting him to Count Gremory's estate. He understood that this prisoner represented a valuable intelligence asset who would likely face extensive interrogation and possibly torture to extract information about Arwen's intelligence networks and future operational plans. The information contained within the commander's memory could potentially save countless lives by exposing other sleeper cells that might be operating throughout the region.
After completing his prisoner transfer, August returned to his quarters at the Fernando estate as the first hints of dawn began to appear on the eastern horizon. His route took him through sections of the city that bore the scars of the night's violence. Dark plumes of smoke continued to rise from multiple locations where successful assassinations had occurred, creating a hellish landscape that would haunt the city's collective memory.
The city's response to the crisis demonstrated remarkable resilience and community spirit. Magicians worked alongside soldiers and civilian volunteers to combat the fires that threatened to spread beyond the initial target sites. Bucket brigades formed spontaneously as neighbors helped neighbors despite the personal danger. The sight of ordinary citizens risking their lives to protect their community provided a stark contrast to the calculated violence that had precipitated the emergency.
The final casualty report would take days to compile completely, but initial assessments indicated that Operation Lion Killer had achieved mixed results at best. Of the 250 assassins who had participated in the coordinated assault, only ten had been captured alive. The remainder had either successfully activated their suicide mechanisms or been killed by defending forces before they could be taken prisoner. Their dedication to the mission had been absolute, but their sacrifice had not achieved the strategic objectives that justified such losses.
While Count Gremory had survived the assassination attempt, the psychological impact of the attack would resonate throughout the city for months to come. The knowledge that enemies had lived among them for decades, forming relationships and earning trust while secretly planning their destruction, would fundamentally alter how the citizens of Gremory viewed strangers and newcomers. The paranoia and suspicion that would inevitably follow represented a secondary victory for Arwen's intelligence services, even if their primary objectives had not been achieved.
The city would mourn its losses when the sun rose fully, but it would also celebrate the courage and quick thinking that had prevented even greater tragedy. In the complex calculus of warfare, Operation Lion Killer would be remembered as both a devastating assault and a testament to the resilience of those who refused to be intimidated by terror.