— Wakanda's Capital, Birnin Zana: City Defense Center
The City Defense Center controlled the energy generators for the capital's Sky Shield, making it one of the most critical security installations in all of Wakanda.
Not only was the building protected by vibranium armor and automated defense turrets, but it was also surrounded by multiple unmanned watchtowers and double-layered walls.
Shaped like a massive key, the structure had no hidden passages or emergency exits like some cliché villain's lair. In fact, being a fully automated facility, it didn't even have sewage systems—this place was as close to a fortress as it got.
Infiltrating this metal coffin of a building head-on? Virtually impossible.
Fortunately, Kagura wasn't alone.
Accompanying her was a very important ally: Wakanda's princess, Shuri.
Outside the perimeter of the Defense Center, Natasha Romanoff fine-tuned her combat suit.
"Scanned the area. Mapped out all the automated defenses and blind spots. Stealth mode calibrated across all frequencies. Ready to move, Hitomi."
"Hold on," Kagura stopped her just before departure.
"While the building's internal systems are isolated, the outer defenses—like the walls—are still linked to Wakanda's central network, right?"
She glanced toward Shuri.
"In other words, I don't think getting inside is going to be as hard as it looks. We might not even need to sneak in at all. Am I right, Princess Shuri?"
"Haha! You figured it out already, Miss Kagura. You're amazing as always!"
Shuri smiled brightly. "Even though Ultron took over the city, I still have access to my secure admin account."
Seeing the surprised look on Natasha's face, Shuri chuckled again.
"No need to be so shocked. Sure, Ultron's processing power is unmatched. But exploiting a few loopholes and keeping my high-level privileges hidden? That's not too difficult for me."
As Wakanda's brightest mind and leading researcher, Shuri was a match for Tony Stark in intellect.
She had also conducted extensive research on AI entities like Ultron. So even with Ultron controlling the capital, she wasn't exactly helpless.
Unbeknownst to Ultron, Shuri had quietly preserved her access to Wakanda's network, embedding her credentials where even a world-dominating AI couldn't sniff them out.
Earlier, when Kagura attempted a remote hack into the City Defense Center's automated systems using her "Basic Electronic Infiltration" skill, she was surprised to discover that Shuri's admin account was still active and still held a decent level of control.
A walking security key. This princess was a cheat code in human form.
And with that, the mission began.
As they approached the facility, Shuri used her credentials to discreetly deactivate the defense systems in the surrounding area.
Alarms, cameras, turrets—none of them even blinked as Kagura and her team walked right through.
Thanks to Shuri's backdoor access, they entered the heavily guarded City Defense Center effortlessly, saving critical time in their mission to deactivate the Sky Shield.
But once inside, it was a different world entirely.
The interior systems of the Defense Center were completely isolated and Shuri's privileges no longer applied.
What greeted them beyond the front door was a long, sterile service corridor.
Since the building was fully unmanned, there were no offices, no staff, no signs of human activity.
Silver-gray floors, silver-gray walls. Aside from a few iconic Wakandan totems, the design was bare and utilitarian.
Kagura glanced around, feeling more like she was in a tomb than a control center.
The air was lifeless, the path forward straightforward yet foreboding.
Traps and automated defenses lurked unseen within the walls and floor.
Even the elevator at the end of the corridor resembled a coffin—cold and devoid of life.
Yeah... this was definitely a tomb.
"Creepy, isn't it?" Shuri remarked, noticing Kagura's expression.
"I think so too. It's not a place meant for people. This corridor is only used when technicians occasionally come in for maintenance."
Natasha shrugged.
"So every time someone needs to fix something, they have to sneak in like us?"
"Of course not!" Shuri laughed.
"Under normal conditions, we'd use our control over the Sky Shield to temporarily disable the security systems and escort the staff in."
Kagura nodded.
"But since Ultron locked us out of that access, the only option left is a good old-fashioned infiltration. Slip in under the radar and hope nothing notices us."
"Exactly! That's the idea. I knew you'd get it, Miss Kagura!"
Shuri grinned.
"Well, it's time to see if those stealth suits of yours can really bypass Wakanda's highest security tier."
The corridor may have looked empty to the naked eye, but Kagura's holo-UI overlay painted a very different picture.
A horrifying list of traps was neatly itemized before her.
[Concealed Auto-Turrets]
[Magnetic Bio-Sensor Mines]
[Thermal Scan Alarm System]
[High-Sensitivity Vibration Sensors]
[Precision Optical Surveillance Devices]
[X-Ray Recon Systems]
[Gamma Ray Cutting Lasers]
[Blinding Flash Systems]
[High-Voltage Defense Fields]
…
"Wow, that's a lot of toys," Kagura muttered, narrowing her eyes.
"But… you know, Shuri, I might have a faster, safer way to deal with all this—without playing this deadly obstacle course."
The reason Kagura could suggest something so bold?
Her holo-UI had revealed two very important lines beneath the wall of red alerts:
[All systems temporarily disableable via "Basic Electronic Infiltration."]
[Full override available through core skill: "Deep Dive."]
Oh-ho~ Now we're talking.
A confident smirk crossed the silver-haired girl's face.
Alright then, proud people of Wakanda. Let me show you what a real electronic infiltration specialist looks like.