Ficool

Chapter 27 - 27

Page 57

Jhon's fortress bus burst into the hellish landscape of the Old Battery Factory like a colossus of steel and shadow. The factory's once-decrepit structure was now a battlefield, its twisted metal skeletons and crumbling walls serving as precarious shelter for the last survivors of Lua's group. The air was saturated with the stench of blood, burning metal, and the static electricity of released energy.

 

Jhon's enhanced, passive vision transformed the chaos into a vivid map of heat and movement. He could see the hot, rapid signatures of the Ravagers (Rank B), nightmarish creatures with claws that could rend steel and speeds that defied perception. There were three of them, tearing apart the smoking remains of a transport vehicle, while smaller Stalkers, like hungry shadows, circled just meters away from the huddled human figures.

 

The figure that stood out, even amidst the fury of battle, was Lua. And the Loli was right; she was no ordinary human. Her almost platinum blonde hair swayed against the dark smoke, and her eyes, even from a distance, seemed to emit an intense blue glow. Her battle-worn clothes didn't hide her stunning curves—ample breasts that defied gravity and hips that could, indeed, support a perfectly balanced cup, a work of nature's art amidst the desolation. She moved with uncommon grace, a feline agility, despite the desperation of the situation, brandishing an energy weapon that fired intermittent blasts.

 

Jhon didn't hesitate. The bus surged forward, its engine roaring to Level 2, a sound now echoing like an unstoppable freight train. The newly enhanced headlights burst through the darkness and rubble, transforming the area into a lit stage of destruction.

 

"Loli, prepare the Lasers and M-134 Miniguns!" Jhon commanded, his voice cold and calculating. "Focus fire on the Ravagers first. Then sweep up the Stalkers. Don't let them get close to the survivors!"

 

From the bus, 20 M-134 Miniguns, ten on each side, emerged from hidden compartments. Their barrels spun with a menacing whine before exploding in bursts of fire. The sound was deafening, a symphony of destruction that made the air vibrate and the earth tremble. Tracer bullets sliced through the smoke and shadows, striking the Ravagers with devastating force. The once-agile monsters were torn apart by hailstorms of lead, their shrill screams echoing before they fell, their bodies writhing amid sprays of blood and flesh. The Stalkers were decimated, turned into shapeless piles of debris before they could even react.

 

Jhon, with both katanas in hand, his Rock Chestplate armor fitting perfectly, didn't wait for the bus to come to a complete stop. He leaped from the side door, which opened silently, toward Lua and her group. Their movements were a blur, their katanas a flash of silver in the pulsing light of the miniguns. Any Lurker who dared approach him was cut in half with brutal precision, their bodies falling limp before they could understand what had hit them. Lua, her blue eyes wide, watched Jhon in action, a mixture of terror and fascination on her perfect face.

 

Page 58

The battle was over in minutes, a testament to John's new strength and technology. The smell of gunpowder and ozone mingled with the metallic tang of fresh blood and the dust slowly settling on the creatures' shattered bodies. The Old Battery Factory, once a place of despair, was now a field of deathly silence, save for the groans of the wounded and the labored breathing of the survivors.

 

Lua looked at Jhon, who stood over the body of a Reaper, his katanas dripping with dark blood. His blue eyes, once wide with fear, now shone with an almost reverent awe. His slender, curvaceous body, though tired, still radiated an ethereal beauty, even covered in dust and soot.

 

"You... are you real?" Lua asked, her voice soft and melodic, but hoarse with exertion. She stepped closer, her eyes roaming over Jhon's imposing figure, the rocky armor, the katanas, and finally the bus, which now resembled a metal monster, imposing and invincible. "This... this isn't a survival game. It's a... a war you're waging."

 

Jhon didn't respond immediately. His eyes scanned the area, his enhanced thermal vision already identifying other monsters that might have been attracted by the noise, but the silence was absolute.

 

"Loli, how many survivors? What are the conditions?" Jhon asked, his voice ringing with authority.

 

Loli, now projecting herself as a floating hologram beside Jhon, her form more vivid and detailed, responded with her usual efficiency. "Three survivors, Jhon. Lua, a man named Kael, with a compound fracture in his left leg, and a woman, Lyra, with a concussion and multiple bruises. Two other vital signs ceased before your arrival. Lua's body is in excellent condition, despite fatigue."

 

Jhon turned to Lua, his eyes fixed on hers. "Get in. The bus has a full infirmary."

 

Lua nodded, turning to help Kael, who was groaning in pain on the ground, and Lyra, who looked dazed. As they moved toward the bus door, which opened with a soft hiss, Jhon noticed the monster drops. They glistened on the ground, some with a brighter glow than usual.

 

He knelt down. Loli practically vibrated beside him.

 

"John! John! A Rank A monster! You took down a Rank A monster!" Loli exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement. "Look what he dropped! It's... it's unbelievable!"

 

In the center of the wreckage of the largest Ravager, an intense glow overshadowed the other drops. It was an item Jhon had never seen before, exuding an aura of unquestionable power. It was a pulsing heart, a deep, dark red, almost black, but with veins that glowed with a golden light.

 

Ancient Reaver's Heart x1 (Legendary): The hardened heart of a Rank A Reaver. Pulsing with life energy and primal ferocity. Has the potential to drastically enhance the biology of its user. Grants increased Strength, Agility, and possibly a significant lifespan extension.

More Chapters