Dylan looked at Leo intently as he said that.
"...."
"This crazy guy has even gotten into gambling. Shouldn't we contact Antares?"
"Oh, I'm just going to get my principal back and then run away!"
Leo let out a small sigh as he watched Dylan acting like a child.
He is a person who is either cheerful or innocent.
But at least in terms of work, it was certain that he was a trustworthy colleague.
"Two thousand."
Their eyes widened as if they had not expected Leo to offer the ransom first, but Dylan came to his senses first.
"Four thousand. Instead, I will cooperate until the gang boss's head is cut off."
"Have you been listening to me all this time?"
"There are so many rumours going around in this place, how could you not know?"
Leo looked at Dylan bickering with Jenny and smirked.
"You're beating around the bush when you ask for 3,000 dollars."
"call."
If you can hire one reliable potential for 30 million cells, that would be great.
Anyway, if you put the cost in front of Dyke, Panoa will take care of billing it. Originally, there was no need to even negotiate.
Jenny shook her head as she watched the two men shaking hands as if they had made a promise.
"It seems like you and Dylan are becoming more and more similar."
"Watch what you say."
She was sticking out her tongue with a bewildered expression, but then suddenly she put her head down on the laptop under the bar.
"....I got a call from Panoa. He said he wanted to talk about his last request."
Leo smiled faintly when he heard those words.
Finally, the long and drawn-out collaboration with Dyke was coming to an end.
#
"There is no negotiation."
Those were the first words Panoa blurted out as she entered the conference room.
"It might have been okay before the operation began, but there is no reason to fall for such a trick now."
"What are the detailed plans?"
"We will recapture Cigar Bang's base immediately after 48 hours."
"oh…."
Dylan's surprised voice echoed softly as he followed Leo to the conference room.
"You are quite an extreme lady."
Leo asked again, ignoring Dylan's whispering words.
"Explain the available power."
"We plan to deploy all the forces that can provide military support, including everyone currently gathered here, the 100 or so freelancers newly hired by the company, and our project team."
Upon hearing those words, Leo's gaze naturally turned to Killian.
If we were to talk about project forces that have not participated in operations so far, would there be any others?
Killian noticed the gaze and nodded.
"This will probably be the last operation. The city council has probably given permission, so it should be fine for us to step forward now."
"The question is, what number is the boss of that gang hiding? That will be the key."
Panoa continued speaking.
"Given the various business partnerships the gang has attempted recently, it's clear they don't intend to die alone."
This is understandable, considering his dealings with retired military personnel, investments from drug dealers like Paul Ackerman, and collaborations with mercenary agencies and scavengers.
"We will surround Cigar Bang's base in 36 hours, and if no special abnormalities are found, we will retreat after 12 hours."
She looked around at the others sitting in the conference room and asked, after explaining in detail the main force's entry route and the distribution and assembly locations of each troop.
"Do you have any questions?"
There was no answer.
Everyone present felt that the plan was not far from success.
The success of the Railroad Station Operation and the coincidence of Beck Clinton's assassination occurring at the same time were a blessing in disguise, greatly increasing the odds of victory.
And the success or failure of this operation would have been impossible without Leo's abilities.
Everyone's eyes turned to the young wizard sitting in the corner.
Leo sat there silently, lost in thought, then said:
"Let's get started right away."
#
The Cigar Bang's headquarters is located in a large power plant on the outskirts of Area 48.
The main building, which was built by remodelling an abandoned power plant, includes a spacious parking lot, and the entire parking lot area is surrounded by barbed wire, and the power plant has its windows barred to prevent intrusion.
In addition, there are machine gun batteries and rocket launchers placed in clusters on the roof of the power plant.
The gang's headquarters, with hundreds of cars strewn about in front of the parking lot as cover, looked difficult to conquer at first glance.
"So you're saying that you still haven't been able to get through the main gate?"
Leo, who had stopped by Jenny's bar and joined us late, said with a dumbfounded expression.
Killian, who had arrived first and was leading the other freelancers in attacking the power plant, answered with a tired face.
"There's considerable resistance. They've brought in some pretty tricky collaborators from the other side."
"collaborator?"
"There are people who give off a vibe that is definitely different from gang members, and they are driving out our troops. I think they may have brought in retired soldiers who were dealing with the other side."
"...…"
I thought I had completely cut off all contact with the military after the incident at the train station, but it seems I have finally managed to call for reinforcements again.
Should we say that the boss over there is that great?
Leo pushed Killian away and stepped forward, spreading his magical power in all directions to assess the situation.
His vast sensory field of vision spread out over a radius of several kilometres, instantly surrounding the power plant and capturing life forms in all directions.
Eden
About five hundred inside the power plant. About one hundred and twenty people knocking on the door outside the power plant.
After filtering out the minor casualties, the troop ratio is roughly 4 to 1.
Is it because the other team members who were with Leo are struggling that the balance is maintained?
In particular, Dylan's performance, which was brought in late, is overwhelming.
They were focusing on securing space for their own troops by advancing while taking direct fire from the main gate.
It seems to clearly show how highly skilled the mercenaries belonging to the Antares office are compared to other freelancers.
Another thing to note is that the gang members' vital signs and magical energy movements are unusually active.
It seemed that the strength of the allies had been increased through some special means.
When I told Killian this, he grimaced as if he had guessed something.
"Now that I think about it, there are quite a few prisoners we captured here who are showing symptoms similar to withdrawal symptoms. I think they may have been doping with some kind of drug."
"Instead of increasing physical abilities in a short period of time, it would have severe side effects."
"Yeah. Thinking about it, maybe it would be better to back off now and attack the power plant later?"
Killian said with an expression on his face as if he had realized an important secret.
It was obvious what he was thinking.
If they continue to stall like this, the gangs and soldiers will be consumed by the side effects of the drugs, and with their power clearly weakened, they will be able to attack the power plant more easily than they are now.
But Leo shook his head firmly.
"No, I have to go in right now."
"What? Why?"
Leo did not answer and just walked away.
Killian doesn't seem to think that far ahead, but if Panoa were here, he would probably say the same thing as Leo.
'There's no way they would have provoked Dyke headquarters and only prepared such a sloppy move.'
Even though he was the boss of a gang whose face he didn't even know, Leo never ignored or looked down on him.
The opponent is a skilled businessman who had been smoothly taking over the arms business in the 40th district until Leo got involved in this matter.
I don't know how far he calculated the fight and made the first move, but he probably didn't prepare a simple countermeasure that would be defeated by Killian's strategy.
No, rather, it seemed more likely that they were trying to give the impression that the longer they could delay, the more advantageous it would be for them.
'I don't know what they're preparing, but they're probably the ones who need to stall for time.'
If the countermeasures the other boss is preparing are nothing special, then it doesn't matter, but what if he has prepared a move that will turn this situation around?
Leo, who knew that the gang had attempted to contact Bokmajeon, had no intention of falling for their trick.
'Break through in one go.'
Take a step forward while strongly drawing up your magical power.
Dylan, who was attacking the main gate, turned his head at the strong flow.
His leather jacket, which held two short spears in his hands, was tattered with bullet marks, but he seemed to be able to move normally.
"Ban, isn't it too late?"
"Step back."
Whoosh whoosh!!
Leo muttered, spewing long flames from his hand.
"I'm going to blow up the power plant right now."
Dylan said nothing and immediately pushed back the other freelancers who had been following him.
Because I already know from several experiences what level of wizard Leo is.
And Leo did not betray Dylan's expectations one bit.
He throws the flame wrapped around his right hand down to the ground.
[Field of Flame]
Phew!!
The flames spread like wildfire along the asphalt and quickly flowed into the power plant.
The flames that began burning the vast parking lot without any fuel were neither hot nor intense.
But it was enough to stimulate the engines of countless vehicles scattered throughout the parking lot inside the power plant.
Kwaaaaang!! Kwaaaaang!!
It was only after the cars inside the parking lot began to burst into dozens of fireballs that everyone inside and outside the power plant realized Leo's plan.
"Oh, no!!"
"Stop it! If it all blows up we'll all die!!"
"Fuck, shit…!!"
Leo nodded as he looked at the gang and soldiers who had suddenly fallen into panic.
"Let's go in."
As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of freelancers standing behind Leo began to rush into the power plant.
Other team members who came running after hearing the news also joined in and began to attack the gang all at once.
Killian, who joined late, had his snout elongated and transformed into the shape of a wolf and leaped into the enemy lines, while Dylan's short spear quickly swept in all directions, piercing through the drugged veterans.
The machine gun fire pouring down from the roof of the power plant was sniped by Agria with a laser, and Zod and Kanie were the first to run forward.
It was only a matter of moments before the balance that had been maintained until then was reversed, and the power plant was once again surrounded.
Leo followed them at the back of the group, casting his gaze toward the entrance to the power plant.
'It's about time to come out.'
No matter how much they want to stall for time, it is impossible to not react after being pushed this far.
If the boss really has a hidden move like Leo thinks, he will take the time to prepare it.
As expected, as a cold silence flowed through the parking lot, a man slowly appeared on the roof of the power plant.
A sharp and sensitive looking handsome man. He looks gaunt as if he hasn't slept well, but surprisingly, his physique itself is very healthy.
He looked down at the hundred or so people gathered below the power plant with a blank face.
Leo sensed the fierce flow of magical power boiling within that body.
'It's that guy.'
The head of a huge gang called the Cigar Bang.
A businessman who owned the 40-year-old arms business together with Beck Clinton.
The gang leader, Eden Garcia, finally shows up here for the first time.
"It seems the letter I sent wasn't delivered properly."
Eden spoke. It was a low voice, but it pierced my ears clearly. It was the power of magic.
"I sent you an invitation, but this is not the kind of treatment I wanted."
"Is that all you want to say?"
Killian answered.
"I thought you'd want a better will than that."
A retort bordering on sarcasm. It means that Killian is confident that this plan will be successful.