"Five."
The moment those words rolled off his tongue, their program was once again exposed. Some drones were still shot down by people they couldn’t identify. But those that managed to slip past security were controlled virtually.
The camp team held their breaths, recording the situation in real time as the feed returned to them clearly.
"What?" one of them blurted out in shock, staring at the live feed. "How is this possible now?"
"Just moments ago, the feed didn’t show to us at all anymore."
Another whipped his head toward a different program, checking whether the file transfer had reached its destination. To his surprise, the feed was being transmitted to the reinforcement team, who were waiting for a clear view of the city.
"It’s live too," he muttered in awe, causing others to check if they were finally connected to the reinforcement unit. And just like how it surprised the first one, they too were flabbergasted.
Unnecessary tabs flickered across their monitors, only to disappear in a split second.
"He... that kid..." one of them whispered, voice barely audible. "He’s single-handedly fighting off all the cyberattacks. Where has this kid been all this time?"
"Holy shit," the other also commented. "Fuck?"
For a moment, everyone on the camp team could only stare at their screens, dumbfounded. Even the man in charge had his jaw hanging open, wide-eyed.
"Why the hell is this kid hidden at the bottom rung of the cybersecurity ladder?" the man in charge blurted out, before shaking his head to recollect himself. He clapped his hands sharply to regain everyone’s attention. "What are you all doing, watching the kid do all the heavy lifting?"
He smacked the man nearest to him. "Help the damn kid!"
"Y—yes, sir!" The rest of the team snapped to attention, all fired up.
Sure, Pika was impressive, but they quickly realized he had the guts to request such a risky maneuver because he currently held the main domain in the city itself. Even so, they couldn’t let him shoulder everything alone, and with their support, the burden on Pika eased.
Thanks to their joint effort, those on the field began receiving far more precise information: mercenary positions, the exact locations of Tomie’s group where the fighting was fiercest, and where other civilians were still trapped and hiding.
They were able to get the exact situation of almost everything.
With that, field teams immediately mobilized, especially the rescue units. They wasted no time and focused on the known location of residents trapped in the battle. Those tasked with reclaiming the city moved alongside the rebels to secure ground.
At the same time, reinforcements stationed outside the island gained a clearer picture of the situation.
"Thanks!" Pika’s voice finally came through the line after several minutes of silence. "They’ll need more time after that back-and-forth. I’ll reach out again, but we’ve got around fifteen minutes before they can attack us again."
With that, Pika didn’t linger on the line. He didn’t mute his earpiece, but his focus shifted to finding a more suitable location. He was barely maintaining a stable connection and needed better positioning before the next wave of cyberattacks disrupted their intel again.
So, it wasn’t the camp team who needed those fifteen minutes.
It was Pika.
*****
Meanwhile, back at the camp, silence settled over the team as they stared blankly at their screens.
Since the beginning, their system had been under constant cyberattack. They had held the line themselves, but it had been difficult. The enemies they were facing clearly had the upper hand.
"Wow," one of the men muttered, unable to hide his shock. "That kid is something else."
"I thought the madam had poisoned the master’s mind when he agreed to take that little guy in," another said, his expression distant. "But damn... that kid’s really good."
"Good?" someone scoffed. "I’m buying him a drink when this is over."
A bit of liveliness returned to the camp team as they finally caught their breath, thanks to Pika. For the first time since the battle began, things were running smoothly.
"Fifteen minutes!" the man in charge clapped again, waiting for everyone’s attention. He stepped forward, resting a hand on one man’s shoulder as his eyes swept across the camp. "We’ve got fifteen minutes to prepare."
He smiled faintly, a knowing look in his eyes. "Don’t let the kid outshine his seniors too much. His potential’s high, but let’s show him this team can pull its weight too."
"Yeah, yeah!" someone clapped, stretching his fingers. "I’m fired up now!"
"Get those motherfuckers, boys," the team captain added. "And this time, don’t forget to go on the offensive. I think the kid already showed you how."
Eyes lit up across the camp. Pika’s actions had ignited something unexpected, not just a challenge, but motivation.
As everyone dove back into their work, capitalizing on the precious fifteen-minute window Pika had bought them, a thunderous roar echoed overhead. The team paused and looked up.
"Keep working," the man in charge said as he stepped outside the camp.
Once outside, he lifted his gaze and spotted several fighter jets tearing through the sky. More followed, emerging from a small territory outside Ravah.
"Hah..." He exhaled, unsure whether it was relief or something else entirely. But one thing was certain—the time Pika had bought them was enough for reinforcements to finally move.
"I thought we’d have to send them in blind," he muttered, turning slightly. Their camp was positioned outside the territory, farther than ideal.
Even so, the smoke rising into the sky was enough to tell him the situation on the ground was far worse than any drone footage could capture.
"How... did it turn out like this?" he murmured, eyes narrowing as he scanned the sky. His brows knit together. "And how did those guys get here so fast?"
They had reinforcements, but not fighter jets.
It gave the unsettling impression that Atlas had over prepared.
"Or..." he whispered, unease creeping into his voice, "was he planning to take over Ravah from the very beginning?"