Chapter 94: The Fatal Blow

The armored rock beetle’s forelimbs once again swept toward Lieutenant Elmer. His position was particularly troublesome for the creature—it was nestled just behind its head, in a hollow where the beetle could sense its enemy but could neither see nor easily reach him. Its only recourse was to flail with its forelimbs, attempting to locate the intruder by touch.

Two heavy-axe warriors, struck and sent flying, crashed to the ground more than ten meters away. Though they tried to roll to dissipate the force of the impact, their exoskeletal armor was fractured in multiple places, robbing them of agility. The two warriors tumbled across the ground like broken toys, their injuries worsening with every uncontrolled roll.

The auxiliary system in Gilead’s exoskeletal armor flashed persistent warnings: “Unit damaged: 30%. Two skeletal fractures detected. Rib bone puncturing thoracic cavity. Immediate medical attention recommended!” He glanced at his companion, whose status indicator now glowed a flickering red—unconscious.

“Inject Hormone Number Two!” Gilead commanded in a low, resolute voice, his eyes fixed on Lieutenant Elmer still under attack. He knew he could not afford to collapse. Hormone Number Two was a potent blend, dulling pain and spurring latent strength, enabling him to fight on for a brief time.

“Stabilize fractured bones!” he ordered again as the medication coursed into his arm, the pain subsiding rapidly. The chest was especially vulnerable and often fatal when injured, so the military had equipped the armor with emergency measures. With brutal efficiency, the suit’s auxiliary system drove a fixation pin into his body, forcibly stabilizing the two broken ribs.

“Need medical attention?” a medic, laden with emergency gear, sprinted over and shouted.

“Tend to him—I’ll manage!” Gilead shouted back. He surged upright, grabbing his unconscious comrade’s secondary heavy axe, wielding both weapons as he charged forward.

Lieutenant Elmer was in dire straits, fending off the beetle’s flailing limbs while continuing to hack at the fissure in its head with his heavy axe. Fortunately, two warhammer warriors rejoined the fray, slamming their weapons into the armored legs of the beast, causing its massive form to lurch and quiver. The repeated harassment sent the creature into a frenzy.

No longer caring about the persistent foe clinging to its back, the beast used its body as a battering ram, crashing violently into everything nearby. A row of anti-air autocannons crumpled into twisted scrap under its bulk. The creature then rammed into a massive laser cannon, knocking its barrel askew and rendering it useless.

Though Lieutenant Elmer struggled to keep his balance atop the beast as it thrashed, the suction beneath his feet allowed him to remain anchored.

The fissure in the creature’s head had noticeably widened, but still wasn’t fully split. Realizing it could not shake its tormentor, the beetle leapt high into the air, then twisted to slam its back into the ground. If Elmer didn’t abandon his perch, he would be crushed beneath the beast’s colossal weight.

Even as the rock beetle soared upward, Elmer managed two more heavy swings at the fissure. At the last moment, he disengaged the suction on his boots, kicked off with all his might, and leapt away.

“Die!” roared Gilead as he arrived, both hands gripping the axes. With a mighty heave, he hurled the left-hand axe at the fissure in the beetle’s head, channeling the momentum of his charge, his own strength, and the surge granted by Hormone Number Two.

The secondary heavy axe, glowing with an eerie blue light, spun through the air and struck the fissure dead on. At last, a chunk of the insect’s shell, battered from sustained assault, broke free, exposing the green tissue beneath.

Alas, Elmer was no longer on the creature’s back—another strike could have finished the beast. The beetle howled in agony, its forelimbs slicing the air as it lunged for Gilead, who was still airborne and unable to evade.

Suddenly, a figure dashed in from the side, tackling Gilead’s armored form. Both exosuits skidded a dozen meters across the ground before coming to a halt.

The beetle lashed out with its hind legs, sending the two warhammer warriors flying. It clearly remembered who had dealt the most damage and now charged at Gilead and the just-rescued Elmer.

Seeing the monster bear down upon them, Gilead knew he could fight no longer. He shoved Elmer aside. “Live!” he bellowed, snatching up his heavy axe—determined to take a chunk of the beast with him, even if it meant his death.

At that instant, the Number Five long-range sniper cannon thundered. A first-grade bullet tore through the air, piercing the beetle’s compromised shell and burying itself in its skull. Though a first-grade round was normally useless against such a creature, this one churned within its brain, turning the tissue to chaos.

The sudden, fatal blow halted the beetle mid-charge. Life fled its body even as its inertia carried it forward, barreling past Gilead, all the way to the Number Five sniper control room.

Like a cat spotting a fish, the Shadow Attendant darted toward the dying beetle. A powerful wave of gratification surged through David, whose mind was partly linked to the Attendant. He forced himself to remain focused; Number Six sniper cannon was already aimed at the spatial rift, and another newly emerged rift flyer was dispatched with a clean headshot.

“Captain, I’m still alive!” Gilead shouted with a laugh, adrenaline and the lingering effects of Hormone Number Two making him feel better than ever.

“Gilead, brothers, we’re all alive!” Lieutenant Elmer laughed wildly as well.

Engaging a Tier Two bug in close combat was never a pleasant experience. No warrior willingly faced such a foe at such close quarters—one misstep meant annihilation.

“David, you’re my brother now! My son will call you uncle!” Elmer shouted over the comms.

“Yes, that’s right—David, you’re my brother too! Daley should call you uncle!” Gilead echoed with a booming laugh.

The other two warhammer warriors joined in, their bodies aching but spirits soaring—the day’s achievements had far surpassed anything they’d ever imagined.

“Ahem, David is my brother too!” came a weak voice over the channel—the heavy axe warrior who had just regained consciousness.

David listened in silence, waiting for a response from the sniper cannon. Now was hardly the time to interrupt; better to let them calm down first.

“David, David, do you read? Please respond!” came a flurry of calls. David checked his identity band—the caller was Jim.

“Jim, I’m on the wall fighting. Talk later if it’s not urgent!” David replied quickly. Less than ten seconds remained before the next sniper shot; he had no time for distractions.

“I’m almost there—I’ve brought you second-grade ammunition!” Jim replied, breathless from his haste.

“It’s dangerous here, be careful!” David warned. “Load the second-grade ammo into Number Seven sniper cannon—it’s furthest from the battlefield and safest.”

“Understood, wait for my signal!” Jim hung up, knowing the urgency.

“Lieutenant Elmer, Jim is on his way to load second-grade ammo into the Number Seven sniper cannon!” David said, unsure how else to address Elmer at this point.

“Excellent! With your marksmanship and second-grade ammunition, even more Tier Two bugs won’t be a problem!” Elmer’s joy was evident. Despite the ferocity of the battle, his squad had suffered few losses—thanks entirely to David.

He was already considering how to recommend David for commendation once the war was over. It was a pity such talent would never remain in Pellen City, for with David’s sniping skills and enough ammunition, the city’s safety would never be in question.