Myers' expression was extremely grim as she rubbed her forehead in discomfort. Just moments ago, while monitoring the battlefield, she had received a message from NetWatch—there was an AI uprising at Blackwall.
They were requesting reinforcements.
For Myers, who was already on edge, the news only made things worse. By the time she finished dealing with that situation and turned her attention back to the battlefield, the scene before her made her heart sink.
Although the number of troops there was still considerable, nearly a third of them had already been lost in such a short time—and that was against a single enemy target.
Myers simply couldn't understand it.
Were all the people under her command useless?
How could such an overwhelming numerical advantage fail to eliminate the enemy?
"Myers, I think it's time."
Suddenly, a high-ranking hawkish official spoke slowly.
Myers immediately turned her head and glared at him.
"What are you talking about?!"
"I think you understand what I mean."
Facing her sharp questioning, the hawkish official merely returned a cold glance and replied calmly.
Myers' breathing suddenly stalled.
She recognized the man standing before her—Rocco. A radical hawk within the government who had never been particularly satisfied with her presidency of the New United States.
In the current situation, it was likely that ambitions he had previously suppressed were beginning to stir again.
"I can't make that decision. Nearly two-thirds of our forces are still within the blast zone. If we launch a nuclear strike now, even if those soldiers aren't killed outright, they'll suffer horribly from radiation exposure!"
"You don't have any other choice."
Rocco remained expressionless as he spoke.
"Your only option now is to gamble—bet that this nuclear strike will produce favorable results. Besides, our troops aren't the only ones inside the target area. PROJECT's forces have already entered the zone too, haven't they?"
Myers' face gradually darkened as she listened.
She understood that if she refused to launch the nuclear strike, the situation would only worsen. All the measures provided by the Blackwall AI had already been exhausted. No matter how many reinforcements arrived, they wouldn't be able to change the outcome.
If the battle dragged on, the result would be obvious.
The arriving PROJECT forces would slowly consume the remaining troops. Afterward, they would seize their equipment, personnel, and facilities—using them to strengthen their own forces.
From there, they could continue expanding through war, attacking the next targets with the resources they had just captured.
And as the President who had advocated for this war, she would bear the full responsibility for the catastrophic losses.
So…
Rather than letting those troops be absorbed by PROJECT and turned into their resources, it would be better for her to end their lives herself.
Perhaps some of them might even survive the blast.
At the same time, the strike could heavily damage PROJECT's forces—especially that monster that had shattered her army from the front.
As this thought settled in her mind, a hint of madness appeared in Myers' eyes.
"It seems you've made your decision."
Seeing her expression, Rocco couldn't help but smile.
Myers shot him a cold glance, then activated a control panel on her desk. After completing several layers of identity verification, only the final step remained—the password.
For a brief moment, hesitation appeared on her face.
Then a faint red light flashed in her eyes.
Her hand paused for a moment—before she entered the password.
As the launch button was pressed, a missile silo slowly opened somewhere far away. Thick smoke rose as the launch sequence began.
The sudden event immediately drew the attention of every high-ranking official in the New United States command center.
They exchanged uneasy looks.
Especially the hawkish officials who had supported Myers' war and provided large numbers of troops—at that moment, their hearts began pounding wildly.
Then the missile's launch target appeared on the main screen.
Instantly, several of their faces turned deathly pale.
"Myers!!!"
Myers slowly closed her eyes after completing everything.
Silently, she waited for the result.
If the strike managed to eliminate a significant portion of PROJECT's forces, she might still have a chance to turn things around.
If not…
She refused to think about it.
Instead, she leaned back in her chair and quietly waited for the report.
Meanwhile, after witnessing everything, Rocco left the room with a satisfied smile.
His objective had already been achieved.
No matter what the result of the nuclear strike was, he could use Myers' decision to heavily damage her reputation—and elevate his own political standing.
"I have to say… I should thank you, PROJECT…"
...
"Mr. Roland, a nuclear missile from the New United States has locked onto this area. Please keep track of the timing."
Swish—
Another flash of blade-light cut through the battlefield, slicing a battle tank cleanly in half.
Roland's movements suddenly stopped.
The excitement he had felt moments earlier instantly vanished, as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over his head.
"I didn't expect them to actually make that decision…"
Roland muttered.
Then he immediately began issuing orders.
"Inform Chris about the situation. Have all units regroup and retreat toward the outer perimeter. Activate the energy shields and raise defensive output to maximum. There's no need to continue fighting here."
"Understood."
Upon receiving the order, Lissandra immediately relayed Roland's instructions.
After receiving the message, Chris reacted quickly. He knew very well how destructive a nuclear weapon could be, so he completed the necessary preparations in a short time.
At the same time, numerous anti-nuclear defensive systems within the army were deployed to minimize damage beyond the energy shields.
Roland glanced once at the incoming missile's direction—then immediately began sprinting away.
Although he had great confidence in Oblivion's defensive capabilities, he had absolutely no intention of standing at ground zero and tanking a nuclear explosion.
Meanwhile, the surrounding New United States soldiers watched as Oblivion disappeared from the battlefield.
Their expressions were filled with confusion—and relief.
They didn't know why the monster had suddenly left.
But anything was better than continuing to face it.