LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 57 - Cleanup Operation
Sitting on the return train, Hestia held the gift box in her arms, feeling as though she were in a dream.
It was her first time traveling alone to attend an event in a new and unfamiliar place. The last time she’d ventured out was when she was a little girl, carried by her father to visit her sister’s academy and watch their winter festival performance.
Outside the train window stretched an endless, desolate expanse of barren wilderness. The evening breeze blew in from the world draped in twilight into the train car illuminated by a warm orange glow, bringing a refreshing coolness.
The rhythmic clatter of tracks beneath the train blended with the quiet atmosphere inside the carriage. Some students dozed against their seats, others whispered in hushed conversations, while a few browsed through pages and documents on their personal terminals.
Although no official notifications had been issued after the second-round tests, many students already had a good sense of the results. Some were jubilant, while others were downcast, discussing their future plans and lamenting the passage of time. Graduation loomed, and soon, they would part ways.
Holding her personal terminal, Hestia opened her class group chat for the first time in a while.
Jones: “My second-round results are out, and I’ve been officially accepted!”
Everyone: “Congratulations!” xN
Dudu: “Are you treating us to a meal?”
Born: “Dudu is just looking for an excuse to mooch off Jones.”
Dudu: “What? It’s rare for Jones to get into his dream high school. Celebrating is perfectly fine!”
Jones was the leader among the boys in the class. He loved sports, and although his grades were average, he was popular and often led group activities.
Jones: “Fine, fine, I’ll splurge this time. Recommend a good restaurant, but nothing too expensive—I can’t afford that.”
Everyone: “You’re the best, Jones! Big respect!”
Hestia scrolled past the messages and closed the chat, resting her head against the gift box. She gazed out at the night scenery through the window, enjoying the caress of the evening breeze.
Even though graduation was just a month away, it felt like an eternity since her classmates had been vivid in her mind. She spoke little in class and rarely joined in activities, eventually growing accustomed to staying alone in the corner.
Earlier that day, she had attended the second-round test at Swallow Garden Academy and was confident she would pass. Unfortunately, she had to forgo the test at Erin Academy due to a schedule conflict.
By now, her life had veered sharply from the path she had once planned. Originally, she had intended to pursue a career in medicine, attending a medical school’s entrance test instead.
Her personal terminal beeped with a message.
Cindy: “How did the assessment go at the academy today, Hestia? Did you pass?”
Hestia: “It went well…”
Her fingers hesitated momentarily. Hestia refrained from typing “Swallow Garden Academy,” knowing it would lead to an onslaught of questions. She decided to wait until the official acceptance before sharing the news with her former elementary school classmates, for whom she still held fond memories.
Together, they had spent six joyous years in that school, playing and creating memories she could still vividly recall.
Cindy: “That’s great! Let’s meet up soon. We’ve set the date for June 12 in the afternoon at Wind Dew Restaurant on Spinel Street.”
Hestia: “Alright, I’ll be there.”
Cindy: “Don’t miss it!”
Hestia: “I won’t! (^▽^)”
Meanwhile, her class group chat also finalized plans for a gathering.
Jones: “Alright, see you all on June 12 at Wind Dew Restaurant in the afternoon!”
Everyone: “Got it!” xN
By now, Hestia had already muted the group chat and wouldn’t check it again for days.
…
In the underground world of Arpeggio City, the cleanup operation was underway.
Massive dual-helix drills churned downward with deafening roars, shattering solid rock. Water sprays dampened the dust, and pulverized debris was carried aside by the drill’s spiraling grooves.
The enormous drilling equipment, six in total, operated across the city’s lowest levels. Their task was to penetrate deep into the subterranean rock layers, connecting the hidden underground realms into a single, accessible network. Each of the six passages was heavily guarded, with Viper-S52 tanks stationed at every level’s entrances and exits.
Squads of soldiers equipped with exoskeleton armor methodically cleared each level. Any resistance was met with lethal force. Mercy was not extended to these underground elements, who had long abandoned the values and education of the Federation.
The question of what defines “human” had been hotly debated during the Fifth Epoch, even sparking wars. By the current Sixth Epoch, interstellar nations had reached a consensus:
Only individuals born legally within a nation and who completed basic primary education were granted human rights. Other sapient beings, no matter their intelligence, were not.
This seemingly simple definition had been the source of countless bloody conflicts and hard lessons.
“Drop your weapons and come out one by one. The countdown begins now.”
Outside an underground gang hideout, two Viper-S52 tanks aimed their main cannons at the entrance. Behind the tanks stood two squads of soldiers, fully armed with electromagnetic rifles and clad in white exoskeleton armor. They issued warnings to the holdouts within.
Inside their helmets, data scrolled across golden translucent visors, displaying synchronized scans from the forward sensors.
“Report, Captain. There are 21 individuals inside—12 with Sequence 2 abilities, three Sequence 3, one Sequence 4, and the rest showing weak magical traces.”
“Understood. We’ll give them 40 more seconds. If they don’t respond, the tanks will breach the outer defenses, and we’ll initiate the sweep.”
“Roger that.”
Inside the hideout, the gang members argued heatedly.
“Boss Tiger, what should we do?”
All eyes turned to a bald, scarred man seated at the center. Metal bolts jutted from the side of his skull, and his body bore a golden tiger tattoo—a magical enhancement embedding special metal wires under the skin. Though effective, the process carried significant side effects, typically chosen only by those on the fringes of society.
“Surrender? Never.” His voice was sharp and low as he pressed his hands on his knees.
“You want me, Archi Tiger, to crawl out of here like a dog begging for mercy? I vowed decades ago to stand against the Federation and bring it to its knees.”
His steely blue-gray gaze swept across the room, silencing those who dared not meet his eyes.
“Hmph.”
He knew many of them feared death. If he gave the order to surrender, they’d likely rush out joyfully. But he also knew the Federation would show no mercy. After years of resistance, he was painfully aware of the cost.
Outside, the ultimatum rang out again, with a final deadline.
“Grab your weapons and follow me. You joined this gang, and you’ll follow its rules, even to death. Understood?”
“Yes, Boss Tiger…” Though some hesitated, his long-standing authority cowed them into compliance.
“Good. Now, let’s go.” Picking up a massive machine gun, the gang leader led his men toward the exit.
Not long after, gunfire erupted. The Federation soldiers retaliated swiftly.
Two minutes later, silence fell. The soldiers entered the hideout to clean up the remaining gang members.
“Don’t shoot! I surrender! I want to live!”
In a corner, a frail man raised his hands, crying out in desperation. Yet the soldiers remained wary, their guns trained on him.
Bang! Bang!
Two shots rang out. The man collapsed, disbelief etched on his face as dark red blood pooled around him.
As he had suspected, the Federation soldiers had orders to execute all gang members on the spot. Arrests and detentions were off the table.
Had it not been for the need to maintain appearances for the Federation’s lawful residents, none of the underground elements would have been spared. When individuals or groups severed ties with the Federation’s society and system, they ceased to be considered “human.”