"The world is so complicated and bizarre. I feel like I’ve had a few daytime drinks… Should I just grab a bottle while I’m at it? There’s no one on duty today anyway."

"Just because there’s nothing to do doesn’t mean you should start drinking alcohol in broad daylight, Captain Sirkins."

"…I didn’t realize how off-track everyone was until now."

"After the war, everyone’s become a bunch of drunks."

Despite all of us wearing Icarus Gear on our wrists, meaning no hangovers or anything, why is it that once the war ended, everyone just kept babbling like they had lost their minds?

Thinking this, I, along with Jin, Rain, and Olivia, stepped into New York, which had just started to regain its life, though it had been nearly dead before. Even Logan and Lorentina had never met anyone from this world, but this meeting was possible for one simple reason: Olivia had just returned from Savannah.

"It’s nice to see you again like this. How should I address you? Should I just call you Olivia? After all, the chickens—err, the idiots—back in Savannah are probably still chewing dirt."

"…So, I’m still the 'chickenhead' here, huh? Great."

"Some things never change, no matter how much the world turns upside down."

As expected, Olivia quickly adapted to the situation. But that didn’t mean there weren’t noticeable differences. The Dagger team, as usual, teased her relentlessly, saying things like, "Why have you become so docile?" Of course, it was understandable. Olivia, the former commander of Task Force Laser, had been a formidable night commander. But influencer Olivia now acted like a parrot.

Perhaps the saying "situations shape creatures" could apply to humans too. Just like how the otters in our country are vastly different from the otters in Brazil, the Olivia who had lived a fashionable life, wearing fancy clothes and eating delicious food, was inevitably different from the one who had spent every day in the smell of gunpowder as the commander of Task Force Laser.

Regardless of this conclusion, the conversation continued.

"I can faintly smell coffee on you. What were you doing in the other world?"

"Well, I’ve been working as a fashion influencer…"

"Pffft-!"

"What the hell, man! How can you spit everything out like that!?"

Lorentina asked, Olivia answered, and Logan sprayed his drink in response.

Ionized drink misted through the air in tiny droplets, and those within Logan’s range were caught in the shower, while the others couldn't help but laugh. I was in the latter group. Of course, I understood why he was spraying his drink—after all, it was a pretty shocking response.

Having spent six years in a world where the smell of gunpowder had permeated my bones, none of us questioned our roles as operators, and this disaster was the result.

Logan, still coughing violently, was patted on the back by Marcus, while Shark, with a look of confusion, finally broke into a grin, showing sharp teeth and chuckling.

"Does it really not suit me?"

"Haha, that response really threw me off. It’s not strange, though. We’re the kind of people who can make anything look good. So, are you still modeling?"

"A bit of everything. I’m on a semi-break right now. I might get back into it soon. It's been a while since my memory came back, so... I’m still stumbling around a bit."

"Well, that’s fortunate. I see you’ve already decided on a direction with the kid. And by the way, I’ve received some pretty interesting news, so come over and hear it."

Interesting news, huh? I wasn’t sure if it was the same news that Jin and Rain had shared with me, but judging by how she said it, it seemed like there was more to it.

A few seconds passed, and a series of windows popped up in front of me. Sure enough, much more data had been added compared to what Jin and Rain had explained earlier. It was clear that the data had been processed several times.

As Owens called Jin and Rain over using their Icarus Gear, I examined the most prominent aerial shots and the terrain data of Savannah. New fortresses, server storage, and factory complexes appeared on the map.

Beneath them were the massive shipment logs. These were all from the past. Savannah was once a hotspot for logistics, lined with ports, warehouses, and all kinds of factories—Georgia's largest warehouse. But the view through the UAV was dismal, to say the least.

It became apparent why. Unusual catapult marks were highlighted. They belonged to Artemis drones. They were stripping the area of materials.

And we already knew what they were making with it.

"It’s not a city anymore, it’s a fortress. After tearing apart the materials, it looks like they’ve repurposed them for some extensive modifications…"

"And that's not all. Since April, they've been gathering military supplies and rare metals. The shipment logs from after April show that. It's probably because they were too busy fighting the war on the West Coast to notice this."

"Enough with the discussions. Come here, everyone. We still have mountains of data to go through."

Logan quickly tossed over the data she was looking at. One file was a video, and the other was an unknown data flow. The video showed tiny drones released from a reconnaissance aircraft, slowly descending over Savannah, infiltrating the server storage.

Given this, the latter file was probably related to the former. Now I understood why Owens had brought Jin and Rain along.

If we had to start from zero, it would have been a nightmare. It would have been like sifting through an unreadable jumble of letters to extract meaningful results. But the two machines I brought could create something useful even in a garbage heap.

They were recording everything, all the orders and communication logs taking place in Savannah.

But that didn’t mean it was easy.

"…This is progressing slower than I thought."

"Is something wrong?"

"The command structure is a mess. There are missing parts, and things aren't working right... It looks like the orders are simple, but the syntax needs constant refinement before sending, which has caused a ton of junk data to pile up."

"Is that all?"

"Of course not, Archetype."

As we continued to analyze the network data, the two of them kept explaining, seemingly undisturbed. Naturally, the recording feature was on. Every word they said was a precious clue.

"Not only is the command structure a mess, but nearly all the digital signatures and certificates attached to the commands were created before 2036. Given that Artemis' leadership has vanished, it’s likely that the drones in Savannah are simply expanding their territory."

"If there’s nothing special, we could just bomb them and wipe it out."

"Not so fast. There’s something unusual here."

The more we analyzed the network, the clearer the structure became. Humans could never understand this without the final result, but these two, who understood what a network was at its core, didn’t need to uncover every detail. They could roughly predict where and what was happening.

Even in the junk data, there were deliberately separated error messages that could be identified, like finding a needle in a haystack. By retracing these messages, they could uncover something suspicious.

We all watched, satisfied, as they uncovered something.

How long had it been? The two of them had finally dug something out of the network’s abyss.

• [Alert: Ω-Level Certificate Detected.]

• [Alert: No data found for the certificate… Unable to access through the existing network. Comparing the certificate with the personal keys of the devices currently connected, 'Jin' and 'Rain'.]

• [Alert: Comparison complete - Confirmed to be of the same level as 'Rain'’s certificate.]

"Wait. What’s this?"

In an instant, everyone’s heads turned toward the screen.

“A new model?”

Wasn’t Mecha Eugene supposed to have wiped everything out or turned the base to ashes?

"Something unusual is happening here."

"It’s not uncommon for the situation to change. It's about time to release the new trailer, so let's stoke the fire a bit."

"Alright. Let’s hit the accelerator."

Meanwhile, at Icarus International HQ, the engines of the motorboats were started.

A new phase was beginning.

[??? : Not sure, but we should be back by Christmas.]

[??? : I’d bet against it. This thing’s gonna spiral out of control, where will the operation team leader place their bets?]

And thus, the trailer for the new Dark Zone Incursion dropped. A company so large that rumors said they spent all their earnings on server expansion and development, dropped another trailer only a short time after their last one, causing gamers around the world to flock to YouSpace.

The video began with a conversation between the Dagger team, and it transitioned into a cutscene showing UAVs gliding smoothly above the city and the eerie, silver-lit landscape of Savannah below. The buildings were all gone, leaving nothing but ruined foundations.

The situation in the lower part of Savannah was even stranger. Stranded ships of various sizes rusted away in horrific shapes, like chocolate chips embedded in cookies.

After humans had abandoned the city, the eerie silver shapes—almost like silver fungus—spread across Savannah’s roads, marking the territory of Artemis.

The haunting music swelled as drones flitted through the city. The screen shifted, turning black, and static buzzed through the radio.

Helicopters were heading toward Savannah, many shot down by something resembling railguns, but some still managed to land. It was only the beginning.

• [Conqueror 1 here, we've reached Savannah.]

• [We’ll begin fire support now.]

A Tomahawk missile soared from afar, and as it reached a certain range, a small cylinder the size of a thumb exploded, sending shockwaves in every direction.

It wasn’t important what the new bomb was. The audience would be riveted by the explosion.

"A new Mecha Eugene is appearing!"

"Get the draft written, and prepare the submission! A new model is coming!"

As expected, the community exploded. 5% of the websites crashed from the massive traffic surge.

It was inevitable.