The interface, a crude projection against the wall, displayed a a white pixelated cat in black background appear. A synthesized voice emanated from the device..

“are you going to donate 100.000 credit to improve popo level to 10 commitment? (increase up to 20% immune debuff to bribe)”

“yes. black cat. i told you.. dont ask me twice.. just do it. ” a hint of irritation on wanderer voice

“transfer successful, do you like check our latest weapon? we good flame thrower can burn freak skin up to 70 meters!. only 2000 credit”

“no. thanks.. im out.” Wanderer turned away from the terminal.

Two SWAT officers watched him go. “look at him. he should better invest on the better tool than broken police system”

The other shrugged. “well..he just think if burden of whole world on his shoulder”

later. wanderer on reach the new constructed office area, its was astonishing just month ago. this place just a smelly oil derrick run by mutant. but now was a advanced small city. upon reach a room. there is a screen on wall. its says.

possible career options for incompetent infantry

landmine finder

gas mask tester

radiation scout

live organ donor

latrine builder

fiction writer

then wanderer turn his attention to a person in desk. a one eyed SWAT commander. The commander nodded approvingly as he reported the mission. "Good job as always, Wanderer. This scout will be sent to a retraining facility for his actions. The reward will be transferred to your account."

Wanderer nodded, though a hint of irritation flickered in his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I still haven't talked to the old commander."

The SWAT commander raised an eyebrow. "Why so, Wanderer?"

Wanderer closed his eyes for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "I just... feel irritated, you know? Risking my force just for one guy."

The SWAT commander nodded in understanding. "I can feel that. But let me assure you, his decisions are always for the greater good."

"Alright. I'll trust you on that."

Days passed, and Wanderer never saw the scout again at the base. Rumors circulated that the young man had been reassigned to a breeding house somewhere in the sentinel.

Later, Wanderer was in his office, attempting to relax with some soft music and his small reconnaissance drone. The old commander, a bulky, older man, entered without warning. Wanderer quickly landed the drone in his hand, startled. "Damn... you should send a message first if you want to come here."

The old commander grinned, chuckling at Wanderer's surprise. "Ah, Wanderer. Always vigilant, aren't you? I like that." He approached the desk and took a seat across from him. "I figured I'd drop in unannounced. I have something I wanted to discuss with you."

Wanderer raised an eyebrow. "What? Destroying some random freak town again?"

The commander's smile faded, replaced by a serious expression. "No, no, nothing like that. This is something a bit more... delicate." He leaned forward, his gaze intense. "I need you to do something for me, Wanderer. A special operation. But it won't be easy. It will require all of your skills to complete."

Wanderer crossed his arms, "Humpf... that sounds like the same thing, just with a different package."

The old commander rolled his eyes. "You really are difficult sometimes, Wanderer. Just listen to me, will you? This isn't your typical raid. This is something different." He leaned even closer, his expression serious. "It's a stealth operation. We need you to infiltrate a highly secure location and obtain a crucial piece of intel. Can you handle that?"

Wanderer shook his head. "No... you know I'm very bad at infiltration missions. You know me. I go in with a bang."

The old commander sighed, shaking his head. "Yes, yes, I am aware of your rather... direct approach to things, Wanderer. But sometimes, subtlety is required. This particular mission calls for it. And I'm afraid you're the only one I can trust to do it."

"Alright... I'm listening,"

The old commander nodded, a satisfied look on his face. "Good, good. Glad to see you're willing to listen. Now, here's the situation." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small data chip, placing it on the desk between them. "The target is a heavily fortified base, located deep in enemy territory. It's swarming with guards and equipped with some of the most advanced security systems around. But that's not even the hardest part."

Wanderer smirked. "Sounds like a very easy task, doesn't it?"

The old commander's expression turned grim. "Oh, if only it were that simple. The base is also defended by a group of highly skilled and well-trained special forces. They are some of the toughest fighters I've ever seen. And to top it all off, the base is also protected by some of the most advanced defensive systems available." He took a deep breath, looking Wanderer dead in the eye. "This won't be a cakewalk, Wanderer. This will be a challenge. Are you sure you're up for it?"

Wanderer chuckled lightly. "Hehe. No."

The old commander rubbed his forehead, frustration evident. "Come on, Wanderer. Don't be like that. You're the best I've got, and I need you on this mission. Trust me, if there was someone else I could send, I would. But there isn't. You're the only one I can count on."

The commander leaned forward, his eyes fixed on Wanderer's. "Please, Wanderer. I'm begging you. I need you to do this. For me, and for the faction."

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Wanderer shook his head, a frown creasing his brow. "It's just a recipe for disaster. I mean, I'm not a spec ops man. I'm just an expert at shooting anything that moves. This kind of job is more suitable for assassins than soldiers like me."

The commander's sighed again. "I know, I know. But we don't have anyone else, Wanderer. All our assassins and stealth specialists are already deployed on other missions. There's no one else who can do this, except for you."

He stood up, beginning to pace the room. "Listen to me, Wanderer. I'm not asking you to do this because it's easy. I'm asking you because it's important. We need that intel, and the only way to get it is by infiltrating the base."

Wanderer crossed his arms, "What is this? What’s in your mind? Why not just open up with me? I'm only one person in this entire scum-whipping annihilation task force, who you can trust. Open with me, man. What’s in your dream?"

The commander stopped pacing and looked at Wanderer, his expression grave. "Alright, fine. But trust me, you're not gonna like what I have to say." He took a deep breath, his voice low and serious. "We've received intel that the base is not just any base. It's a weapons development facility. And they're working on something—something top secret. Something that could change the entire course of the war. And we need to know what it is."

Wanderer raised an eyebrow. "It might just be another fertilizer," he replied, spinning his chair slightly.

The commander laughed humorlessly. "Oh, if only it were that simple. I wish it were just some harmless fertilizer. But no, this is much worse. It's a weapon, Wanderer. A deadly one. One that could wipe out whole cities in an instant."

Wanderer leaned back. "What? A nuke? Weather manipulation? Mind control? Do we have all of that in the past?" He spun his chair again, trying to process the gravity of the situation.

The commander shook his head firmly. "No, no, no. None of those. This is something new, something we've never seen before. It's something that could rewrite the rules of engagement, something that could turn the tide of the war in our favor or our enemies'."

He leaned forward. "That's why we need that intel, Wanderer. We need to know what they're developing before they unleash it on the world. And that's why I need you to infiltrate the base and get it for us."

Wanderer stopped spinning his chair, meeting the commander's gaze. "Just tell me what this is."

The commander took a deep breath, clearly hesitant to reveal too much. "I can't tell you everything, Wanderer. But what I can tell you is that it's some kind of biological weapon. A weapon that can target specific genetic traits and alter them. A weapon that can change people. And not in a good way."

Wanderer raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Interesting..." He spun his chair again, contemplating the implications. "I will think about it."

The commander's frustration was evident as he sighed. "Wanderer, this isn't a joke. This isn't something to be taken lightly. If that weapon falls into the wrong hands, if our enemies get their hands on it, it could mean the end of us all. Don't you understand that?"

Wanderer nodded slowly. "Yes, but I need to think if I'm capable of pulling it off or not. Because if I fail, it might encourage them to process the weapon faster."

The commander's expression hardened again. "I understand your concern, Wanderer, but we don't have time to think. We need that intel as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the more likely it is that they'll finish the weapon and use it against us. And we can't afford that. We can't let them win."

"How do you know all of this? Is it from that scout?"

The commander nodded, confirming Wanderer's suspicion. "Yes, we received the information from a scout. He managed to infiltrate the base and gather some intelligence before he was discovered and had to escape. He gave us some crucial information, but not everything we need. That's why we need you, Wanderer. We need you to go in and get the rest."

Wanderer considered this for a moment. "Hmm... interesting indeed. But I have a request. I want that scout on my team."

The commander raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by Wanderer's request. "You want the scout? Why? He's already served his purpose; we got the information we needed from him. And besides, he's not a fighting man. He's a scout, a spy, not a warrior."

"Yes, but he might know more about this base than anyone else. I need him for this so-called infiltration mission,"

The commander narrowed his eyes, "Alright, fine. I'll assign the scout to your team. But just so you know, he's not a soldier. He's not trained for combat. If anything goes wrong, he's dead weight. You're on your own out there."

Wanderer nodded, "Good. So who is this faction we're talking about? I bet the True Horde is too stupid for something fancy like this."

The commander shook his head. "No, not the True Horde. We're dealing with something far worse, something more dangerous. Even the True Horde are afraid of these guys. We're dealing with the Series 9 survivors."

Wanderer’s expression darkened as he processed this information. "Series 9... those cyberpunk mafia."

The commander nodded "Yeah, those guys. They may call themselves a 'faction,' but they're really just a bunch of organized criminals and thugs. They only care about themselves, and they're not afraid to break any laws or morals to get what they want. And now, they're developing a weapon that could change the course of the war. And that's why we need to stop them."

Wanderer smirked, "Good. I have a grudge with them. Let’s change our mission—not just infiltration and retrieval, but annihilation."

The commander's eyes widened in surprise. "Annihilation? You're suggesting we wipe out an entire faction, the Series 9 survivors? Wanderer, you know that's not a simple task. They're heavily armed, well-trained, and well-equipped. It would take a small army to take them down."

Wanderer shrugged, "Just use your nuke storage."

The commander stared at him, disbelief etched on his face. "You're suggesting we nuke their base? Do you know what kind of damage that would cause? We can't just destroy an entire region! The fallout alone would be catastrophic. We need to be strategic about this, not reckless." He sighed, his voice heavy with the weight of history. "Even in the Great War, they didn't use nukes again."

Wanderer scoffed, his voice mocking. "Come on... they're not even human."

The commander's scowl deepened, visibly offended by Wanderer's comment. "Just because they've been modified doesn't make them any less human than you or I, Wanderer. They may have cybernetic implants and synthetic skin, but they still have feelings, thoughts, and emotions. They're no different from us in that aspect."

Wanderer rolled his eyes. "Tsk... alright, just air support then. If you refuse it, then I refuse the mission."

The commander sighed, clearly frustrated by Wanderer's stubbornness. "Fine. We'll provide you with air support. But I'm warning you, this is not going to be easy. You're going up against some of the most dangerous and ruthless fighters out there. And if something goes wrong, we won't be able to extract you. You're on your own, Wanderer."

Wanderer grinned, "Good, boy. We finally will win the war... no..." he paused. "Even if we capture this biological weapon, it might just be another catalyst for another war. What will you do after we get this?"

The commander's brow furrowed, "What are you suggesting, Wanderer? Are you saying we shouldn't pursue this weapon? Do you think we should just let the Series 9 survivors continue developing it and potentially use it against us?"

Wanderer shook his head. "Not like that... I mean, what will you do after you have that weapon in your hand?"

The commander took a deep breath and shrugged. "Honestly, I'm not sure. We'll need to analyze it, understand its capabilities, and figure out how to use it to our advantage. Perhaps we can use it as a deterrent against other factions, or even use it against the Caliphate if we need to..."

Wanderer interrupted. "Nyehhh... fuck, man. Just promise me to destroy it."

The commander nodded, reluctantly agreeing to Wanderer's request. "Alright, I promise. If we capture that weapon, we will destroy it. But right now, our priority is to get it out of the hands of the Series 9 survivors. Can you handle that, Wanderer?"

Wanderer raised an eyebrow. "Really? Pinky promise?"

The commander sighed and held out his pinky, playing along. "Fine, pinky promise. We'll destroy the weapon once it's in our hands."

Wanderer grinned. "Alright... deal."

The commander nodded. "Good. Then it's settled. You'll lead a team to infiltrate the Series 9 base and retrieve the weapon. I'll provide air support when you give the signal. But just remember, if anything goes wrong, you're on your own. We can't afford to lose any more soldiers."

Later, after integrating the scout into his force, Wanderer set their direction to the east. It would be a long journey crossing the uncharted desert to the Series 9 facility. Their mission now was to capture the mysterious weapon that could alter mutations,

As they moved through the harsh terrain of the uncharted desert in east from the sentinel, Wanderer's convoy passed a road sign in the barren landscape. West: a human skull labeled "SWAT." North: a grotesque human skull with horns labeled "True Horde." East: an erect penis labeled "Series 9." South: a normal arrow labeled "Caliphate."

The heat of the sun beat down on them, making the journey even more grueling. As they continued, Wanderer broke the silence in the command vehicle, where Chrome, Furqan, the Scout, and Shizuka were present. "Alright, scout, I think you speak the truth about the mutiny. The proof of the old general sending me to rescue you, despite having a large force, and even this ridiculous mission, is direct proof. His men are no longer following him."

The scout nodded, a grim expression on his face. "Yes, you're right. The old general's grip on his men is slipping. I've heard whispers of mutiny, and I've seen the looks of disdain on their faces when they think he isn't looking. They don't trust him; they don't respect him. And they're not alone. Many other factions are growing restless, questioning his leadership..."

Wanderer sighed heavily. "It might be my fault as well. I'm the one who let him in charge. I'm the one who made this silly war."

The scout shook his head. "Don't be too hard on yourself, Wanderer. You made the best decision you could with the information you had at the time. It's easy to look back with hindsight and see the mistakes. But at the time, you thought you were doing the right thing."

Wanderer rubbed his forehead, lost in thought, while the rest of the team remained quiet, respecting his introspective moment. The hum of the Mobile home vehicle's engine and the crunch of tires over rugged terrain were the only sounds that broke the silence.