Around midday, a four-wheel-drive vehicle pulled up down the street and reached its destination.
It stopped in front of the Artemili Forest. Eden poked his head out of the car, smoking a cigarette, and remarked, "This is where our battle will be."
Cohen and Jelian were in the vehicle with him. Jelian responded, "Will we fight inside the forest?"
"No, out here," Cohen explained, outlining the plan. "We'll ambush them as soon as they come out of the forest and surround them with traps and ambushes."
Eden focused intently on a particular spot for a while, then remarked, "It's bigger than before."
"...it seems so," Cohen echoed.
These comments left Jelian feeling confused and bewildered. To keep him informed, Eden explained that what lay within the forest had once been a city larger than Osiroh, and that next to it was a vast plantation of various types of trees.
In the two years since the great disaster, it grew terrifyingly and very quickly, until it had swallowed up three nearby towns.
It was about to reach Kassel from the east and Coredith from the south, and after that, it would reach Usero and other areas.
Now, Eden took out his phone and showed Jelian a picture.
The picture was of the same forest in front of them; there was no difference, except for a huge, large metal sign that read, "Welcome to Artemili," lying on the ground. It was a sign to warn drivers that the road would be turning left.
Jelian was surprised and looked ahead at the forest again, but he hadn't seen the sign since they arrived.
Eden pointed to a spot inside the forest, and when Jelian looked more closely, he found the same sign by the side of the road as in the picture. The difference was that it was covered with branches and twigs, and it was inside the forest, unlike in the picture where it was outside.
"I took that picture two months ago, and now look where it's gotten to. This forest is growing at an insane rate. In just two months, it's expanded by more than 30 meters. What will happen if it continues like this long enough?"
Jelian thought to himself and quickly realized what he meant. If the forest continued to expand, it would reach Osiroh and engulf it.
But until then, it was still a long way off, and there was plenty of time to prepare against it.
After confirming the location, they ordered the troops by phone to move out and set up ambushes. Then the car moved on and resumed its journey, but it didn't return directly to Osiroh. Instead, it went in a different direction because Aiden wanted to show Jelian something.
An hour later, the car pulled over to the side of the road, and Aiden pointed to the right.
Jelian saw a vast, sprawling city, enclosed by towering white walls and covered by a colossal, thick Glassdome. This dome was constructed from multiple layers of insulating glass panels in a triangular geometric pattern, and before it stood a massive gate with a long, wide entrance.
"This is Sunomia's capital, Dorabora, or Glassdome, as it likes to call itself."
Jillian was awestruck by the majestic sight before him; though he was not close to it, the structure was unimaginably vast. Its design was advanced and futuristic, as if a setting from the cartoons and comics he constantly read had sprung into reality.
Aiden explained the nature of the Glassdome. It was a unique, thick, and durable structure; it blocked out even the tiniest particle of nuclear energy and was impervious to various attacks, including low-yield tactical nuclear bombs though, naturally, it could not withstand a full-scale nuclear strike.
The inhabitants living inside were entirely ordinary people; they were not Radiators, meaning they harbored no nuclear energy within their bodies. In short, they were just as normal as people had been before the nuclear catastrophe.
"Glassdome" or "Durabora" was one of the safest havens against the insidious nuclear energy, allowing residents to live normal lives within its walls. Venturing outside meant exposure to lethal levels of atmospheric nuclear energy, which would result in death, severe physical deformity, or the onset of critical illnesses; the dome was their shield against this fate.
The residents of Glassdome harbored deep animosity toward anyone outside the city. They believed outsiders had transformed into savage monsters contaminated beings who brought nothing but death to humanity. Such a sentiment was, in fact, a natural and understandable reaction for ordinary humans who possessed no nuclear energy themselves.
The population was not composed solely of the wealthy or an elite few; it was a diverse mix of backgrounds, ages, and nationalities. From the inside, the city appeared much like Osiroh, yet it was far more advanced and vibrantly alive. The reason a significant number of people survived avoiding a fate akin to a Radiator (scorched wasteland) is that Durapura successfully intercepted the nuclear missile aimed at it, thereby averting total desolation. Before the nuclear fallout could spread and impact the global population, the majority of Durapura's residents had already been sheltered in secure underground bunkers.
Prior to the cataclysm, Annas Obisha, President of the Republic of Sunomia, had planned the construction of secure shelters for the military and government officials to safeguard them against global threats or dangers facing the city. He sought to bolster the state's military might, equipping it with state-of-the-art weaponry and advanced technology.
The military has since expanded to become many times larger than Calvin's forces; the troops are rigorously trained and heavily armed, clad in advanced, full-body armor from head to toe. This formidable capability has earned them a position of undeniable power; indeed, since the Battle of Bagbeer, no one has dared to antagonize the government.
Several factors contributed to this success: officials and political factions that initially opposed the plan eventually became staunch supporters; foreign relations were managed effectively; political pressure waned amidst the collapse of the rule of law and widespread chaos; and, crucially, a team of brilliant scientists successfully harnessed nuclear energy to advance the development of equipment, combat suits, and weaponry.
Leveraging the power of the media and a degree of control over the digital realm, Glassdome promoted itself as the state's dominant and most powerful entity, successfully cementing its hegemony, a strategy that yielded positive results. No sane person would ever consider attacking Glassdome even if they gathered in the thousands, only two individuals, or rather, two "Calamities". Even Glassdome, with its advanced army, was uncertain whether it could prevail against them; after all, they weren't dubbed "Calamities" without reason.
now, after gazing at the sight of the Glassdome for a brief moment, Jelian, Aiden, and Cohen resumed their journey home.
…
For two full days, Eden and his forces focused on preparing for battle against Calvin's army; they scouted the battlefield, set traps and ambushes, and intensively trained volunteer soldiers in combat and the use of weaponry.
Jelian, however, did not concern himself with training in the same way. Unlike the others in the force, he felt no anxiety though he certainly wouldn't neglect the matter either; having survived countless struggles in Coredith, he had already gained extensive experience in both combat and strategy.
Back in Coredith, before leaving, he would spend ordinary days after ensuring his sister's health was stable touring the city. He explored buildings looking for anything useful: edible food and drink, monsters to slay, electronic gadgets like handheld games for entertainment, or medicine. Sometimes he practiced with weapons and daggers, or encountered newcomers to Coredith mostly people with ill intent whom he would either kill or let flee.
When he found medicine, he faced the same problem as most people: a lack of understanding regarding the drugs. Jelian was unwilling to bring back unknown medications that might cause health issues for Nandi. He would read the packaging or the enclosed leaflet, trying his best to decipher the information, though he often encountered unfamiliar terminology.
If he found something like a painkiller, he would test it on himself first; once satisfied it caused no adverse effects, he would collect it in a box, sorting his stash into medications he deemed safe to use and those he was unsure about.
Possessing extraordinary abilities, he felt supremely confident; he saw no need for training nor any cause for anxiety regarding the war. Since he would not be fighting on the front lines alongside the super-powered Radiators, he could easily conceal his true strength among the volunteer troops. Should anyone, even an ally discover his powers, he would not hesitate to kill them, though he would ensure the death appeared natural to avoid complicating his own situation.
Instead of training, he spent his time exploring the streets and shops of Osiroh, observing everything without buying a thing, before returning to the new apartment he shared with Nandi and Luzia.
One amusing detail was his habit of visiting a specific café to order a chocolate milkshake with an extraordinarily high sugar content. The staff was shocked by the unnatural amount of sugar he requested; despite their attempts to persuade him to cut back, he remained adamant. He became known to them as a unique customer with an insatiable craving for sugar, leaving them half jokingly worried that he might single handedly deplete Osiroh's entire sugar supply.
He spent his days in this carefree manner, neglecting training and anything related to it, until the long awaited moment finally arrived.
Late one night, Jelian slipped out of the house, leaving the girls asleep in their room; they shared a single bed, and Nandi had grown accustomed to Luzia's presence without issue.
Jelian arrived at Osiroh's sole outer gate, where the troops were already assembled. Jelian stood before them, lightly dressed despite the cold air. Rossi, Bianchi, and Tariq greeted him, bringing out mud-colored armored military gear and weapons. The gear was custom-made to meet the troops' specific needs; it was lightweight yet impervious to standard bullets, and designed to fit everyone with the exception of the volunteers.
As for their armament, they were equipped with automatic assault rifles, two explosive grenades, one smoke grenade, spare ammunition, a bulletproof vest, a sharp military dagger, and a protective helmet.
Once everyone was geared up, they boarded the trucks; a convoy consisting of two trucks and three armored 4x4 vehicles rolled out through the Osiroh Gate.
Jelian rode in one truck with Rossi and some of the volunteers, while Bianchi and the remaining men took the other. Meanwhile, Tariq, Axel, Alex, Hugh, Aiden, and Cohen distributed themselves among the armored vehicles.
The gate guard unit did not join the mission; their presence was crucial to prevent any potential attack on the city while the others were away, and they were now more focused and prepared than ever.
The surveillance team also stayed behind; they were far more valuable at the center than on the battlefield.
Tiani remained with them for the same reason, serving as the liaison with Cohen for the exchange of information; this allowed her to manage operations and planning from the center without hindrance or distraction.
Now, at the gate, all the women along with the rest of the center's staff stood outside, facing the trucks and arms. They did so to avoid unnecessarily heightening tension and fear among the city's residents; they did not even inform the mayor.
This was because the mayor placed absolute trust in Eden, granting him full authority over all matters concerning troops and external missions.
To the average citizen of Osiroh, it appeared to be nothing more than a large-scale operation requiring a significant number of personnel and vehicles.
Now, with preparations complete, everyone boarded for a journey that promised to be anything but pleasant.
The massive iron city gates swung open, and the trucks and armored vehicles rolled out as everyone bade them farewell and wished them a safe return. Armored vehicles. To bid them farewell and wish them safety first, and then success yet none of them could hide the expressions of fear and anxiety on their faces.
The citizens were never notified about the war.
This was done to avoid unnecessarily heightening tension and fear among the city's residents; the mayor was not even informed of the matter.
The mayor placed absolute trust in Eden, granting him full authority over everything related to the troops and overseas missions.
To the average citizen, it seemed like nothing more than a large-scale operation requiring a significant number of personnel and vehicles.
Now, with preparations complete, everyone boarded for a journey that promised to be anything but pleasant.
The massive iron city gates swung open, and the trucks and armored vehicles rolled out as everyone bade them farewell and wished them a safe return.