Andrew reluctantly crunched on an Adamant Seed as a precaution. Without Honey and Bitterbug Juice, he had no way of making any Catalysts.
And without that basic Catalyst, potions like Armorskin or Demondrug were completely out of the question.
So, Andrew could only grit his teeth and eat the Adamant Seed raw.
According to the data from the lab, the troops stationed outside were purely for security, simply garrisoned here.
So, to ensure he could capture them alive rather than kill them, playing it safe was the right move. Boosting his defense was the way to go.
Of course, he was facing this world's army. Before the real confrontation, who knew what kind of unexpected super-tech they might have.
His specific approach would have to depend on their actions.
As the gate opened, a field of recently built temporary barricades appeared before Andrew.
Seeing this complete and utter intruder, the nearest squad of Raider Troopers immediately charged at Andrew.
As the most mobile soldiers of all the squads, they wielded dual blades and wore light armor, charging toward Andrew under the cover of the rifle-wielding Vanguard Troopers behind them.
Faced with rifle rounds, Andrew didn't block or dodge as they expected. He just stood there, letting the bullets pepper his body.
Thwack thwack thwack
Watching the rubber bullets bounce off and fall to the ground, he wasn't surprised. They were completely useless against his armor.
?
Although they were only meant to incapacitate, wasn't it a bit ridiculous that he didn't even flinch?
Andrew slammed a fist into a Raider Trooper who charged at him, driving him into the ground. Realizing the ammunition was just non-lethal rubber bullets, his hostility toward the soldiers dissipated significantly.
Andrew wanted to stop, but once the fight started, it was hard to put the brakes on.
The Platoon Leader on the front line saw one of his soldiers instantly knocked out, life or death unknown, and threw any thoughts of holding back to the wind.
With a single command, after a quick reload, the next volley of bullets were real ones. While they were still useless against Andrew, it told him that a peaceful negotiation was now off the table.
At this point, the only option was to knock them all down first and talk reason later.
Bending down, he fed a little Recovery Potion to the soldier he'd planted in the ground with an iron fist, healing his injuries. Then, Andrew charged toward the soldiers before him once more.
When the Raider Troopers saw that even live rounds were useless, they didn't hesitate, immediately throwing their carried projectiles.
Grenades capable of blowing a low-level, small-sized Ethereal to bits were tossed into the air, but for Andrew, who'd been a master of thrown items since his hunter days, this was child's play.
With a click, a Capture Net was loaded into the launcher on his right arm.
Whoosh!
The Capture Net shot out, unfurling into a massive web that caught all the grenades in one clean sweep.
Without retracting it, Andrew spun around, using the momentum to hurl the net and its contents right back at them.
The soldiers were dumbfounded, watching their own grenades returned to sender.
Tossing them back again was impossible. The Patrol Troopers immediately pushed forward, shielding themselves and their teammates with their shields.
BOOM!
The force of multiple grenades exploding at once sent a numbing shock through their arms, even through the shields.
Fortunately, the soldiers who could perfectly wield the Inert Ether shields were well-trained veterans. Their impressive endurance allowed them to suppress the discomfort.
And the shields, made from heavy Inert Ether material, maintained their defensive integrity even after taking several small grenade blasts.
The Raider Troopers, refusing to give up, tried twice more, but it did nothing except blast their own defensive line into disarray.
Seeing their most effective projectiles were useless, they finally drew the dual blades sheathed at their waists, preparing to achieve results with close-quarters combat.
As the Raider Troopers rushed before him, thrusting their twin blades toward the gaps in his armor, Andrew finally threw a punch with lightning speed.
They tried to dodge, but it was pointless.
The Raider Troopers were fast, but not fast enough for Andrew. He landed a precise punch squarely on a soldier's forehead, and in the next instant, the trooper was sent flying.
He sent the trooper on his right flying with one punch, just as another charged him from the front.
At the same time, his keen senses picked up the deliberately muffled footsteps of someone rushing him from behind.
He feigned ignorance until both were within arm's reach.
'Got him!'
Just as a flicker of joy ignited in the troopers' hearts, they saw Andrew suddenly twist, his left and right hands lashing out simultaneously.
The reach advantage from his height was on full display. Caught completely off guard, the two were grabbed by the head and slammed viciously into each other.
"Mighty Skullcracker!"
Even with their protective helmets, the immense force knocked both of them out cold.
Looking at the two limp figures, Andrew tossed them over with the other soldier he'd sent flying, keeping the unconscious bodies safe from stray bullets.
The Ether-reinforced daggers were useless against his armor, but every one of Andrew's punches could make a trooper feel the sweet embrace of sleep.
"Goodnight, Makka Pakka."
In just a few seconds, with the final punch thrown, the ten-man squad of Raider Troopers was completely wiped out.
Seeing their teammates sent flying, their conditions unknown, the other soldiers' eyes turned red with fury.
Faced with this man who had appeared out of nowhere, they ignored their orders to retreat if the fight was unwinnable. The Platoon Leader, who also led the Patrol Trooper squad, immediately yelled to the Bombardier Troopers with rocket launchers behind him:
"Forget the rules! Light him up!"
The Bombardier Troopers had been itching for a fight anyway. Hearing the Platoon Leader's command, they immediately flicked off the safeties on their rocket launchers. Rounds packed with Active Ether Incendiary Agent shot out, leaving shimmering purple trails in their wake.
Seeing the rockets, Andrew immediately charged toward the Patrol Troopers in the front line. Without breaking stride, he pressed his left hand against the launcher on his right arm, swapping the Capture Net for Throwing Knives.
He raised his right arm, and a throwing knife shot out with immense force, striking the primer of one of the rockets as they converged on his position.
The sudden explosion of one rocket caused a chain reaction, detonating the others. The Active Ether Incendiary Agent instantly filled the area with roaring flames.
The soldiers stared nervously into the fire, trying to see if the rockets had achieved their intended armor-piercing effect.
Suddenly, a white figure burst out from the still-burning flames. Seeing Andrew completely unscathed, the Platoon Leader's eyes widened in disbelief and rage.
"That's impossible!"
The high-velocity rockets were so fast, you'd be lucky to even track them with your eyes, let alone see them clearly.
So no one could have imagined that someone could intercept them like that.
Even though the Platoon Leader couldn't fathom how the man before him had done it, Andrew was already right in front of him.
To be a platoon leader, he had to be a genius. He could lift the shield normally even when he first enlisted, and earned the title of "prodigy" during boot camp thanks to his immense strength and physical fitness.
After years of honing his skills in the military, his power had become exceptional. The shield and heavy blade that an ordinary person couldn't even lift were like extensions of his own arms.
"Trying to match my strength? You're overestimating yourself!"
He confidently placed his shield between them. As long as he took this hit, he could follow up with a thrust from the Ether Heavy Blade in his right hand.
Then, with the high-frequency vibration cutting function of the blade, he would definitely inflict a grievous wound on this man right then and there!
CLANG!!!
Andrew's left fist smashed into the center of his shield. The next moment, an immense force traveled up from the shield, and his left arm went completely numb.
Relying on his vast combat experience, he immediately dropped the shield and combat-rolled away, narrowly dodging the right hook Andrew threw immediately after.
The Platoon Leader looked up at the crystal-clear fist imprint on his meticulously maintained shield, then turned his head in disbelief to look at Andrew, who was pulling his fist out of the ground.
"Huh? No way... Am I not a genius?"
His expression was a mixture of shock and disbelief as he watched Andrew's fist grow larger and larger in his vision.
"Why? Why can't I even take three punches?"
But his thoughts couldn't change reality. With the arrival of the third punch, the shieldless Platoon Leader finally joined his subordinates in a rather unpleasant nightmare.
Looking at the man who, despite having seemingly identical gear to the others, was the only one to withstand three of his punches, Andrew scratched his head.
"What was all that gibberish he was saying?"
-
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