Chapter XVIII

MISSION LOCATION: Federated Autonomous Region of Coral
BASIC INFO: Coordinates: 0°'N 155°6'E. Area: 790 square kilometers. Population: 1.8 million.

To cater to accelerating globalization, economic growth, and development, a number of Southeast Asian countries and Australia led the way for the CORAL Initiative and began constructing the largest artificial island cluster in human history at the conjunction of Asia and Oceania. The CORAL Initiative was completed in 2006 and consisted of a main island and 3 super large scale platform isles. Buildings on vertically layered zones create a visage that resembled a natural coral reef and gave rise to the name of the artificial archipelago.

The 3 platforms have a triangular arrangement divided into different functional zones. An extensive and complex traffic network allows residents to conveniently access any platform. Residential zones with plenty of cultural and entertainment facilities are located at the base layers. The western platform serves as the financial district, while centers for science and R&D are located at the eastern platform. Island administration also offers competitive policies that attracted numerous MNCs to establish offices at Coral, transforming the island state into yet another major economic hub in the Asia-Pacific region.

The main island is home to the crown jewel and symbol of Coral. Given its advantageous location at the equator, it became the ideal place for a groundbreaking space elevator project.

Rapid development has propelled the young and vibrant island city of Coral into the center of the Asia-Pacific. Coral is the place of opportunities and wonders, and the growing space elevator serves will transform her into a shining beacon of the seas and a paradise for those who wish to build their dreams.

NAME: Ana Schariac
POSITION: A-rank Valkyrie
AGE: 18
HEIGHT: 166 cm
WEIGHT: 51 kg

RESUME:
A-rank Schicksal Valkyrie. Currently leads the Snow Lotus squad garrisoned at Coral Island. Extensive combat experience.
Member of House Schariac. Began training to fight the Honkai from a very young age. Became a Valkyrie at age 12. Promoted to A-rank at age 16 and was made the Adjutant of the Snow Lotus squad.
Ana was the sole survivor of Snow Lotus squad during the Manila Honkai Event in 2015 and managed to save dozens of victims on her own. In recognition of her exemplary performance, Schicksal restored the squad with her at its head. Under her leadership, the elite Snow Lotus squad saw action in many dangerous battle zones.

Dark Tides in the East - an action-thriller novel based on the conflicts of Southeast Asian secret societies and currently one of the most popular novels for young adults. The novel provides an exposé of underground organizations and the little known history of gangs and gang warfare.
Many of the plot details are inspired by real world events. The fan favorite chapters that covered the rise and fall of the Thousand Fists were largely based on actual events that took place in Singapore during 2016. Rumors say the criminal organization was annihilated overnight by an unknown mercenary who operated alone. The only evidence left at the crime scene was a floor covered in black feathers. Even to this date, police investigation has yet to make any progress.
The story was covered by every media outlet and gave rise to numerous urban legends around the mysterious assassin and the Thousand Fists itself, of which "Dark Tides in the East" is by far the most successful portrayal.
The novel is now getting a television drama and movie adaptation. It won't be long before we can relive the legend on screen.

ALIAS: Owl
NAME: CHEN, Tianwu
GENDER: Male
AGE: 19
HEIGHT: 173 cm
WEIGHT: —

RESUME:
World Serpent officer. An elite agent specialized in recon and stealth ops. Serves as the hidden fang of the underworld for the World Serpent by providing vast amounts of valuable intel.
Owl was originally named Tianwu Chen and was the sole survivor of his family during the 2015 Manila Honkai Event. Chen's body was heavily corrupted by the Honkai and it forced him to find a cure. To do so, he joined the criminal organization named the Thousand Fists where his skills earned him a respectable position. Meanwhile, Chen continued his search for the truth behind the Honkai event that destroyed his home.
Chen later met a rival mercenary named Raven. Impressed by his skills, Raven introduced Chen to the World Serpent after the destruction of the Thousand Fists. Chen accepted the offer and earned his alias - "Owl". With his extraordinary willpower and endurance, Chen was quickly promoted to an officer. His Honkai-corrupted body was also replaced with cybernetic parts. Though death remained likely, the mechanical replacements did prolong his life expectancy. Chen is still searching for info about the Honkai by using the massive intel network of the World Serpent. His reasons may be personal hatred or some other secret that he has yet to reveal.

Galactic Stairway: An epoch-breaking space exploration and development project first proposed by the United Nations in 2008. The primary aim of the Galactic Stairway was to construct a space elevator as a direct transport link for building a massive space station at low Earth orbit (LEO). This would then serve as a bridgehead for human space exploration efforts.
The Galactic Stairway was officially launched after 2 years of negotiations. The project would be located at Coral, an emerging island metropolis. The island state's strong economy and technological advances would help direct the united power of humanity towards the space elevator destined to rise into the heavens itself. The elevator base was completed after 7 years of hard work and the elevator itself had risen to a height of 1300 meters. The best engineers of the world had met and overcame numerous challenges and continue to strive towards greater heights.
The Galactic Stairway is set to be completed by 2025. We believe this 15-year project shall become a milestone event in our history and usher in a grand new era for humanity.