Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 155 The Burning Arasaka Tower (Seventh Update)
Deep within the abandoned town's workshop, Chen Yu's crimson optical lens gazed at the dozens of split screens before him.

The screen displayed real-time data on Mann's squad's vital signs, weapon status, battlefield environment, and combat footage he captured from the city's surveillance network.

His approach involved calmly analyzing every detail.

"Tactical execution efficiency: 87.3%. Rebecca's bomb gun ammunition consumption exceeded the estimated model by 12%, indicating waste. Pila's flamethrower fuel injection mode was not optimized according to the type of enemy cover, resulting in an efficiency loss of approximately 8%."

Dorio's Oscillator can be activated 0.5 seconds earlier to maximize the impact effect. Mann's Plasma Cannon has a 0.2-second redundancy in its firing interval, which can further increase the firepower density.

Sasha and Qiwei's electronic warfare field synchronization rate is 94.7%, close to the optimal level, but there is still a 0.8-second delay in the field form switching speed.

He scrutinized this battle, which was already legendary in the eyes of outsiders, like a rigorous engineer.

Mann's squad indeed unleashed over 90% of the power of his pre-installed equipment, overwhelming their opponents.

But this is not enough.

In his standards, the passing grade is 100%, the excellent grade is 110%, and the perfect grade is 120%.

Any slight loss of efficiency is something that needs to be optimized.

He saw the media reports gradually changing, from "terrorists" to "unspeakable cyberpsychosis," and then to "walking natural disasters."

These noises mean nothing to him.

His only concerns were data, efficiency, and the ultimate goal—the complete physical erasure of Arasaka Tower.

Mann's squad eventually stopped in front of the Arasaka Tower Plaza.

The massive building cast a heavy shadow. The heavy blast door at the entrance to the base of the tower had been lowered, and the remaining Arasaka security personnel were putting up a desperate resistance, clinging to the last remaining fortifications.

Under the sunlight, the Warhammer Technic weapons worn by the members of Mann's squad gleamed with an otherworldly cold light, creating a stark contrast with the ruined streets, burning vehicles, and panicked media cameras.

They are standing here not to prove anything, but simply to carry out an order.

Chen Yu's synthesized voice whispered in the empty workshop, devoid of any emotion: "First phase of advance complete. Target building is now within direct fire range. Execute final clearance procedure."

Under the astonished gazes of countless people in Night City, Mann raised his left arm, which was equipped with a plasma cannon, and the muzzle once again began to gather a destructive, eerie blue light.

The real destruction has only just begun.
-
Inside the abandoned town outpost, after Mann's squad left, only David, Lucy, the injured Valerie, and Jack sitting next to her remained.

The faint sound of sporadic gunfire in the distance added to the unease.

David paced back and forth in the room like a trapped beast, his whole being enveloped in anxiety and worry.

Lucy appeared calmer. She walked to her device, deftly connected the data cable, and the connector on the back of her neck emitted a faint blue light.

“I’ll try to find some information,” she whispered, both to David and to Jack and Valerie, who were casting questioning glances behind her.

Jack helped Valerie sit back on a pile of cushions, pressing a relatively clean cloth against the crudely bandaged wound on her severed arm. His face was filled with worry: "Tell us as soon as you have any news. This is fucking insane..."

Valerie was pale and weak from blood loss and pain, but her eyes remained sharp. Her voice hoarse, she added, "Be careful... Arasaka's countermeasures... won't stand idly by..."

Lucy nodded, closed her eyes, and her consciousness sank into the data stream.

A few minutes later, a screen lit up in front of the group through the store's television equipment, and the flickering images and the host's almost frantic commentary broke the silence.

"...Unbelievable! Ladies and gentlemen, we are witnessing history! This group of militants...they have broken through all the defenses! They have reached the foot of Arasaka Tower!"

The image was somewhat blurry due to interference, but the towering Arasaka Tower was still clearly visible.

Against the backdrop of the colossal tower, several tiny yet menacing figures stood at the edge of the plaza.

As the camera zooms in, Mann's imposing silhouette and the distinctive heavy firearms behind Rebecca are barely discernible.

“They…they really made it there…” David stopped in his tracks, his voice trembling without him even realizing it.

He had witnessed Mann and his men demonstrate their power, but seeing them actually fight their way from outside the city to the heart of Ara-saka all by themselves was a completely different experience, both visually and psychologically. Jack whistled, trying to dispel the tension, but his voice was a little dry: "Hey, looks like Mann and his crew are serious! I knew these guys were something else!"

Valerie remained silent, her eyes glued to the screen, her lips pressed into a pale line.

As the former deputy head of the counterintelligence department, she understood better than anyone what a forceful attack on Arasaka Tower meant; it was not just about military force, but a direct challenge to the symbol of Arasaka's rule.

Lucy didn't say anything, she just stared intently at the screen.

She saw Mann raise his arm, seemingly launching an attack, but the specific details were unclear due to camera shake and distance.

The scene then cuts to the entrance to the bottom of the Arasaka Tower, where the heavy blast door appears to have been severely damaged, emitting thick smoke and sparks.

"...They're in! They forced their way through the entrance to Arasaka Tower! These...these people really got in!" The host's voice rose in fear. "What happened inside? We have no idea! The signals inside Arasaka Tower are completely blocked! We can only wait..."

The scene then shifted to a distant view of the tower's exterior, along with the host's and so-called "experts'" feeble analysis and speculation.

The waiting time felt exceptionally long.

David couldn't help but ask anxiously, "What...what will it be like inside? Will Brother Mann and the others...?"

“Calm down, kid,” Jack interrupted him, though his own brow was furrowed. “Mann and his crew are… living war machines right now. Don’t forget how those three cyber ninjas died.”

Valerie coughed weakly, drawing everyone's attention.

“The tower’s internal structure is complex, and the security level is several times that of the outside… Moreover, there must be emergency protocols…” She didn’t finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear—the real danger may have only just begun.

Lucy remained silent, but her fingertips unconsciously tapped on the table, revealing her inner turmoil.

She tried to find deeper signals, but the internal network of Arasaka Tower was like an impenetrable wall.

They could only look at the silent skyscraper, a symbol of the company's supreme power, through external cameras.

Time passed slowly, and just when everyone's patience was about to run out, a change occurred.

First, thick black smoke suddenly billowed out from a certain area in the upper middle section of the Arasaka Tower.

Immediately afterwards, an abnormal light appeared behind several adjacent windows. The light was not a flash of light from the explosion, but a continuous, spreading burning light!
Flames would occasionally leap from the broken windows, particularly glaring in the night.

"...Look! Fire! There's a fire inside the Arasaka Tower! It's on the upper floors! It's on the upper floors!" the host screamed, as the camera zoomed in frantically.

"Fire! There's a fierce battle inside!" David's heart sank, and he almost lunged at the screen.

Jack stood up too, his face grim: "Damn it, a fire in a place like that..."

Valerie watched the ever-expanding flames, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes—a mixture of pleasure and deep worry: "To cause a fire of this scale... the resistance they encountered was beyond imagination."

The news media were equally clueless, and their explanations consisted only of various horrifying speculations.

The limited visuals could not convey any specific details of what was happening inside the tower; only the ever-rising flames and thick smoke silently spoke of the carnage within.

“They’ll be alright, right, Lucy?” David’s voice carried a pleading tone that he himself didn’t realize as he looked at his companion beside him, hoping for some reassurance.

Lucy stared at the burning skyscrapers on the screen, her pale purple eyes reflecting the flickering flames.

She took a deep breath, then shook her head and whispered, "I don't know... Right now... we can only trust them, and... the boss."

Jack patted David's shoulder hard, trying to convey some strength, but his own hand was trembling.

A sense of powerlessness and deep worry permeated the four of them.

They witnessed the beginning of the legend, but at the most crucial moment, they were forced to become anxious bystanders, isolated by information barriers.

The massive outline of the Arasaka Tower loomed in and out of view amidst the firelight and thick smoke, isolating the Mann Squad and everything happening inside from the outside world. No one knew what kind of ending was being forged within.

(End of this chapter)