After Jianjia's explanation, no one questioned Prester John's threat level anymore.
Even without her boosting ambient Hume levels to suppress him to Tier-3 or 4, the natural Hume density of the Pamirs alone would weaken him to Tier-4.
A Tier-4 reality bender was formidable, but not insurmountable—Foundation sites worldwide had contained worse. If a joint force of Achilles' Heel and Hammer Down couldn't handle this, humanity would've been doomed long ago.
Prester John's Keter classification stemmed primarily from the unpredictability of his containment. No one knew when SCP-3221-1 would fracture again, releasing him. If he escaped the Pamirs before being re-contained, the consequences would be catastrophic.
With Achilles' Heel's briefing done, it was Hammer Down's turn.
Peter, still sulking, deferred to the nuclear weapons specialist.
"After reviewing the data, I conclude nuclear ordnance is mandatory," the specialist declared. "No point wasting time—go straight for the nuke."
Luo Shu frowned.
The Pamirs are the water tower of Asia. Nuclear contamination here would poison hundreds of millions downstream.
Barbie shared his concern. "I said 'if necessary.' Environmental impact can't be ignored."
Whether out of spite or genuine conviction, the specialist doubled down. "If conventional weapons are useless, why risk lives for nothing?"
"And the environmental cost?" Jianjia interjected, her tone sharp. As a fellow East Asian, she understood the Pamirs' ecological significance far better than the Westerners present.
The specialist waved her off. "We'll use depleted uranium munitions—minimal long-term radiation. Besides, this is a no-man's-land. Who cares?"
Peter backed him. "DU rounds it is. We're here to save locals, not martyrs."
Typical Western arrogance, Luo Shu thought. Like the U.S. military dumping DU in the Middle East while claiming to 'liberate' people.
Ironically, Barbie—despite her vendetta—showed more ethical restraint. Ideological divides bred conflict, but at least she wasn't as blindly supremacist as Peter.
With Hammer Down's majority favoring the DU strike, even Barbie couldn't override the decision.
"Prester John's location?" Peter asked. "The sooner we bomb, the better."
Barbie pointed to a live satellite feed. "We're tracking him via Scranton satellites and White-Eyes' gaze."
White-Eyes added urgently, "Hurry. He's moving south—converting villagers."
South.
Luo Shu checked the map. The Pamirs stretched east-west across Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and China's Kashgar region. Their southern slopes were steep—a quick descent into Pakistan's Kashmir.
There, ambient Hume would normalize, unleashing Prester John's full Tier-5 devastation.
Time was running out.
The Horror at Tokhtamysh
Helicopters raced toward the border village of Tokhtamysh. Satellite imagery revealed a nightmare:
Villagers lined up before Prester John.
His zealots severed their left arms, replacing them with clockwork prosthetics.
The maimed then ate their own severed limbs raw.
Among them: a toddler, barely a meter tall.
"The village is lost," Barbie whispered, genuine grief in her voice. "Authorize the DU strike."
For the first time, Luo Shu doubted his assumptions.
Was this really Barbie's setup? Or is she just as trapped in this tragedy as I am?