[Quest: Siege of Sector 4 ..... Started!]
[Objective: Infiltrate the LIRI Research Hub.]
[Infiltration Progress: 0%]
We stood at the edge of the treeline. Below us, Sector 4 of the LIRI facility glowed like a jagged glass tooth against the dark South Carolina coast. Searchlights swept the perimeter, and the low hum of high-voltage fences vibrated in the air.
"Thermal cameras are everywhere," Shelton whispered, his 'Artificer' gauntlet projecting a holographic floor plan of the facility. "Even with Tory's Monarch Aura, they'll spot our heat signatures the second we cross the wire."
"Then we don't cross the wire," I said, looking at Shelton. "You have 'Material Synthesis' now. Use the Tracker's loot."
[Item Used: Stalker's Spinal Cord (Epic)]
[Synthesis Initiated...]
[Result: 4x 'Void-Cloak' Patches (Rank: Rare)]
Shelton handed us the small, shimmering patches. "These are made from the Tracker's own skin cells. They'll mimic the surrounding light and temperature. We'll be invisible to their sensors for exactly ten minutes."
"Ten minutes is plenty," Ben said, cracking his knuckles. The golden 'Pack-Link' tethering him to me felt thicker, more stable.
[Aura Active: Presence of the Monarch]
[All Pack Members: +20% Strength/Speed.]
"Move out," I commanded.
We moved as a single entity. With my new [Monarch] passive, I could feel every footstep the pack took. When Hi tripped on a root, I felt his balance shift and sent a pulse of 'Alpha' energy to steady him before he hit the ground.
We reached the primary ventilation shaft.
"Hi, you're up," I whispered.
[Skill Activated: Sonic Dash + Afterimage!]
Hi blurred. To the security cameras, it looked like three orange streaks were heading toward the main gate. The automated turrets swiveled, tracking the decoys.
The real Hi was already at the vent, his hands vibrating so fast they acted like a high-frequency saw. He sliced through the reinforced steel grating in seconds.
"In! Now!"
We slid into the dark, metallic throat of the facility.
[Infiltration Progress: 15%]
[Warning: Environmental Hazard ....Neuro-Toxin Gas detected in vents.]
"They knew we'd try the vents," Shelton hissed, his gauntlet sparking. "They're flooding the system."
"Ben, 'Colossus'.....now!" I ordered.
Ben's body didn't just grow; it hardened. His skin took on a dark, metallic sheen as he expanded to fill the width of the shaft.
[Skill Activated: Colossus Form!]
[Ben Status: The Living Shield.]
"Get behind me!" Ben roared....his voice muffled by his new mass. He took the brunt of the gas, his massive lungs filtering the toxin through his enhanced [Guardian] biology.
We crawled behind the iron wall of Ben's back until we reached a heavy bulkhead. I felt a surge of adrenaline. On the other side of this door was the Research Hub.
[Perception: 15 ..... Danger Sense Triggered!]
"Wait," I hissed.
Behind the door, I didn't hear guards. I heard scratching. Dozens of small, rhythmic scratches.
[Threat Detection: LIRI Scuttlers (Level 3 Swarm)]
[Count: 50+]
"They aren't guards," I whispered to the Pack. "They're 'Scuttlers'. Biological drones. They're waiting for us to open the door."
I looked at the 'Pack Evolution' menu. I had 5 unused Stat Points from my Level 5 jump.
'System, put all 5 points into Intelligence.'
[Intelligence: 18 -> 23]
[Intelligence Milestone Reached: 'Tactical Overload' Unlocked!]
"Shelton, give me your gauntlet's auxiliary power," I said, my mind suddenly processing a thousand variables at once. "Hi, get ready to move the second the door opens. We aren't going through them. We're going over them."
The door hissed open.
A sea of multi-legged, chrome-plated monsters lunged toward us.
"Overload!" I screamed.
THE SIEGE HAS BEGUN! Tory just dumped everything into Intelligence....will her new 'Tactical Overload' be enough to stop a swarm of 50+ Scuttlers?]