Chapter : 686

"Your secondary objective is investigation," the Emperor commanded firmly. "You will search the 5 Wastelands. You will find these hidden facilities. You will uncover the leak. You will find out who is conducting classified research behind my back. You will bring me their names. And then you will destroy their work ."

The Emperor stood up from his golden throne. He looked down at his children.

"This is a high-stakes mission," the Emperor declared. "The radiation is deadly. The terrain is hostile. The assailant is armed with a legendary artifact. But you are the Top 10 Units of the Belmontia Empire. You will not fail. You will leave tomorrow morning. Prepare your equipment. Dismissed."

The Emperor turned around. He walked out through a side door. The imperial guards followed him. The golden doors closed loudly behind them.

The assembly hall erupted into noise again. The politicians scrambled toward the exits. The Royal units began discussing their strategies immediately.

Princess Iris turned to face her team. Her violet eyes looked determined. She did not look scared of the toxic zone. She stood perfectly tall.

"You heard the Emperor," Princess Iris stated smoothly. "This is a mandatory expedition. We are going to the 5 Wastelands. We must retrieve the artifact. We must stop the illegal research."

Laxmi punched her open palm. Bright orange flames popped around her fingers. "I am ready! I do not care about some toxic mist! I will just burn the poison away! We are going to smash a secret laboratory!"

"You cannot burn radiation, Laxmi," Sayma corrected politely. She pushed her glasses up. She opened a new page in her notebook. "We need specialized equipment. We need environmental protection gear. We need to secure purification items. The ambient toxicity will drain our mana shields in a matter of minutes."

Zinia crossed her muscular arms. "Sayma is right. We cannot just run in there blindly. We need a solid plan. The ground is unstable. We need to watch our step."

Ira stared blankly at the wall. "Statistically speaking, missions in highly toxic environments carry a sixty percent higher mortality rate. We must optimize our inventory. We must pack extra medical supplies."

Luna rolled over on her jacket pillow. She opened one sleepy eye. "Do we really have to go? Can we just tell the Emperor we got lost on the way? I do not want to go to a wasteland. Wastelands do not have comfortable beds."

Ken sat in his wooden chair. He picked up his popcorn bucket. He slipped his hands deep into his pockets. He let out a massive, highly dramatic groan. He threw his head back and stared at the painted ceiling.

"This is the worst possible news," Ken complained lazily. He waved a hand in the air. "A mandatory expedition to a poison swamp. This requires a massive amount of walking. We have to wear big, itchy hazard suits. We have to deal with toxic fog. Toxic fog ruins my hair. This is a complete violation of my vacation schedule."

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Naomi stood right beside him. She smiled a very bright, warm smile. She did not yell at him for complaining. She playfully bumped his shoulder with her arm.

"Stop whining, Ken," Naomi said. Her green eyes sparkled with genuine amusement. "It is an official mission. We all have to go. You cannot stay home and play video games."

"But my video games do not have toxic radiation," Ken argued casually. He gave her a goofy pout. "They only have digital monsters. Digital monsters are much easier to deal with. You just press the attack button. Real life requires actual cardio."

"You will survive the cardio," Naomi chuckled softly. She reached out and patted his arm. "Just make sure you pack your bag tonight. And you better pack some good snacks. The food in the wastelands is probably terrible."

Ken’s eyes lit up slightly. He dropped his pout. He nodded enthusiastically.

"You make a highly valid point, Naomi," Ken agreed lazily. He stood up from his chair. He dragged his shoes on the marble floor. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff. "I need to go to the grocery store immediately. I need to buy extra sour cream and onion potato chips. I need chocolate bars. I need gummy worms. You cannot explore a poison swamp without a massive sugar supply. It is basic survival logic."

"I will help you pack," Naomi offered warmly. "I will make sure you do not forget your water bottle. You always forget your water bottle."

"You are the best," Ken smiled a goofy, lazy smile.

The 13th Unit walked together out of the grand assembly hall. They walked past the arguing politicians. They ignored the arrogant stares of the other Royal units. They were the underdogs, but they were a team.

Ken put his hands into his pockets. He drooped his shoulders. He thought about the upcoming mission. He knew the 5 Wastelands was dangerous. He knew the missing artifact was a massive threat. He knew a secret laboratory meant powerful, hidden enemies.

But Ken did not feel scared. He did not feel worried. He was the secret ruler of the shadows. He possessed infinite, god-like power. He could easily erase the toxic radiation with a single thought. He could easily destroy a secret laboratory.

He just did not want to put in the effort. He wanted to maintain his perfect, lazy disguise.

"I will just let the girls handle the fighting," Ken decided casually in his mind. He chewed on a leftover kernel of popcorn. "They are very strong. They can solve the mystery. I will just stand in the back and eat my chocolate bars. If a mutated monster tries to steal my snacks, I will trip it with a rock. It is a flawless tactical plan."

The mission was officially set. The Top 10 Units were mobilizing. The most dangerous, toxic environment in the empire waited for them. The lazy boy was ready to face the apocalypse, as long as he had enough potato chips in his backpack.

---

"Please let me go."

Risa stood in the center of the strategy room. Her small hands shook uncontrollably. She hugged her stuffed brown teddy bear tightly against her chest. Her bright green eyes filled with glossy tears. She looked directly at Princess Iris.

The entire room went silent. The girls of the 13th Unit stopped talking. They looked at the sweet pink-haired healer.

"I need to go on this mission," Risa begged. Her voice cracked slightly. She stepped closer to the Princess. "I cannot stay here. I refuse to stay behind in the capital city."

Princess Iris sat in a comfortable armchair. She wore a simple silver dress. She looked at Risa with very kind, worried eyes.

"The 5 Wastelands is an dangerous place, Risa," Princess Iris explained softly. "The air is filled with toxic radiation. The ground is poisoned. It is not a safe environment for you."

Risa shook her head rapidly. "Nowhere is safe right now! The Imperial Vault was just breached. The highest security system in the entire empire failed. A legendary artifact is missing. This is an unprecedented disaster. We are all in massive danger."