Chapter 146: PROJECT · Shadow
Roland was well aware of the little schemes these companies were plotting, but he didn’t pay them much attention. Among them, only Tsunami Defense, Militech, Kang Tao, and Arasaka truly had both the intent and the capability to make a move against him.
As for the rest, they weren’t worth mentioning—or rather… there was nothing they could really do to Roland.
At the moment, Arasaka was too busy dealing with its own mess to stir up any trouble. Militech, though tempted, was still technically an ally for now, so they chose to wait until someone else made the first move and snatched something from PROJECT.
Then they’d just rob that person instead.
That way, they wouldn’t offend PROJECT and could even earn themselves a favor. Heh.
That left Tsunami Defense and Kang Tao.
Kang Tao was interested, but only to a limited extent. They had no intention of stealing anything; buying the technology or pursuing cooperation would suit them just fine.
Given that attitude—along with Roland’s impression of the corporation and its background—he readily agreed.
Which meant that only Tsunami Defense remained.
All of Militech’s hopes were pinned on them now, eyes fixed eagerly on Tsunami Defense, waiting for them to make a move.
And in fact, Tsunami Defense did respond.
Among all the corporations, they were the ones most desperate for stable, reliable electromagnetic weapon technology.
Especially after developing the Nekomata and witnessing firsthand the power of electromagnetic weapons, they understood exactly what kind of impact low-cost, mass-producible electromagnetic weapons would have on the entire weapons landscape.
And unlike the products currently on the market, Tsunami Defense wasn’t aiming small.
They wanted even stronger electromagnetic weapons—true cutting-edge arms.
Smart weapons, power weapons, Tech Weapons—it didn’t matter. Their philosophy applied to all of them.
Tsunami craftsmanship—you can trust it.
...
“What do you all think about this weapon PROJECT has released?”
Sonemoto Ichiro, head of Tsunami Defense’s R&D Department, swept his gaze across the room before speaking calmly.
“Extremely high stability, an efficient rate of fire, and powerful penetration…”
“This is undoubtedly a rifle unlike any Tech Weapon currently on the market. It makes up for most of the shortcomings of previous electromagnetic weapons and already has a complete manufacturing system. We need to get our hands on it.”
“I don’t care about anything else. I just want to know exactly how this weapon is constructed…”
Listening to the unanimous agreement around him, Ichiro nodded. They were absolutely right.
Unlike earlier Tech Weapons, this firearm addressed numerous long-standing flaws, and its craftsmanship was remarkably complete. That meant one thing—the other side had achieved a true technological breakthrough, which was the most important point.
Past electromagnetic weapons all had obvious problems: low rate of fire, poor stability once firepower was increased, or terrifying recoil when combined with power-weapon technology.
None of those issues appeared in PROJECT’s weapon.
A rate of fire faster than traditional power weapons, outstanding stability, minimal recoil—even the noise was significantly reduced.
It was practically… a work of art.
“In that case, since there are no objections, I’ll notify the Intelligence Department and the Special Operations Unit.”
Ichiro glanced around, then raised his hand first.
“Seconded.”
“No objections.”
“Tell them to hurry up. I can’t wait.”
“Very well. The proposal is approved. I’ll submit the request immediately.”
Ichiro nodded and, without hesitation, sent out the information he had prepared.
Soon, both the Intelligence Department and the Special Operations Unit received the message from R&D.
“Looks like we’re in for a busy time.”
Takahara Fukuyama glanced over the report and slowly stood up.
“I’ll lead this operation.”
A cold-faced man rose to his feet, his tone flat and emotionless.
“I trust your abilities,” Takahara Fukuyama said, shaking his head as he stepped forward and patted the man on the shoulder, “but unfortunately, this mission will require multiple squads working together. The target is very strong, and upper management is taking this extremely seriously.”
“This time, you’ll need to act together with your fellow trainees.”
...
“Lissandra, have you found a suitable candidate for the Shadow?”
Roland rested his chin on his hand as he looked at Lissandra. He already had the essence prepared—now he was just waiting for the right person.
He was quite satisfied with acquiring the Shadow. At the very least… he didn’t have to spend money on a key.
“Sir, we’ve collected data on many of the world’s top mercenaries and Solos. You’ll need to review the list yourself.”
Lissandra then transmitted all the data to Roland. He nodded and accepted it.
After all, the Lissandra he had summoned into reality was still a bit different from the one associated with the System.
“System, this part’s up to you.”
“...Searching...”
“...Are you slacking off?”
“Ding! Search complete. Target: Yabu Kentaro. Trained under a ninjutsu master. Currently a squad leader in Tsunami Defense’s Special Operations Unit.”
Roland blinked at the photo of the man with an unusually cold expression, then broke into a smile.
“From Tsunami Defense, huh? Well, that’s… quite the coincidence…”
He chuckled and set the tablet down on the table. Since Tsunami Defense was currently his enemy, there was nothing to worry about.
Based on his understanding of them, Roland estimated that they wouldn’t take long to deliver this compatible host straight to him.
He wouldn’t even need to make the first move.
“Have Astat keep a close watch on surveillance. The moment Kentaro shows up, notify me immediately. Also, tell the PROJECT squad to be on standby—ready for combat at any time.”
“I understand, sir.”
With that, Lissandra vanished from where she stood.
After she left, Roland began thinking about what to have Zed do next.
“Hmm… first, let’s have him spar with me—test his level… or maybe test my own…”
Roland had a pretty clear sense of where he stood on that front.
“Oh, right… the PROJECT squad as well…”
He suddenly thought of Vilet, Kiwi, and the others, who had been getting a bit too cocky lately. Pyke, in particular, had activated his emotional module after the last incident and now had little to do.
As a result, they were all starting to slack off, wearing that unmistakable look of invincible arrogance.
At times like this, it was only right for a senior to step in and give them a lesson. Conveniently enough, Zed was already the leader of PROJECT’s counterintelligence and intelligence unit.
“Maybe we should formally establish a counterintelligence unit first… something that operates in the shadows… and we can give that role to Jhin as well…”
“Yeah. That’ll do.”
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