While we drove through the city, we suddenly saw numerous large explosions in several buildings in front of us. I could see helicopters firing missiles and jets dropping bombs at one point of source.
As we got closer, we heard the sound of gunfires roaring each other, and finally, we saw a large group of heavily armed troops in combat vehicles firing in the same direction as the missiles and bombs.
Dozens of tanks were continuously firing their warheads. It turned out they were firing at a massive wave of monsters, which seemed to be slowly pushed the armed troops back.
Lucy immediately asked Robbin to approach the troops. When we arrived, our car stopped. Lucy asked us to roll down all the windows, and we all waved our hands out at the troops.
One of the soldiers who saw us immediately shouted,
"Get behind the defenses!!! We'll repel them as best we can!!!"
Robbin parked his vehicle behind the line of troop combat vehicles that were already on standby.
I looked behind our car and saw several combat vehicles were in smaller numbers than those in front of us, to be prepared for a suprise attack from behind defenses. We watched from inside the car as the troops fought tenaciously to fend off the monsters.
I saw various forms of monsters that looked exactly like those from the game The Mayhem. There were humanoids, dinosaurs-like birds, reptiles, and hellhounds. I had just realized that the monsters we encountered were only classified as the low level.
But even one monster was already causing horrific brutality on my recent sighting. Playing The Mayhem from the perspective of a Hellraider, the experience was completely different when the monster was right before my eyes.
However, all the armed forces efforts were fruitless. The monsters kept coming in ever more, like ocean waves crashing against the shore. The troops guarding behind us immediately rushed forward to help. The monsters were almost approaching the defensive perimeter, and some had already jumped into the ranks of the troops.
The monsters viciously ripping apart poor troops bodies. The other troops immediately fired at the monster attacking their comrades, but due to their carelessness for not looking ahead, some became the next victims.
"What's going to happen? We can't expect them to protect us anymore. We have to get out of here immediately!!" Larry said, his voice already filled with panic.
"Run away??? Don't joke around!!! Do you think we'll be safe from that monster if we just run away??? What if we get trapped by monsters somewhere else???" Navel replied angrily.
Robbin, Lucy, and I were speechless, as if at a loss for what to do. The casualties on the troops continued to mount, and the monsters were getting closer to our car. I could only imagine us being the only ones left in the car to become the monster's final meal.
Robbin had already started his car and was preparing to escape. He apparently didn't care what Navel had said. I actually agreed. If we stayed here, we were almost certain to die. But if we ran away, there was still a chance to escape the monster's pursuit. At the end of the line, the troops defense was in despair.
....
Suddenly, we saw a bright red light engulf our surroundings from behind. And from above, we saw a large red energy ball with brighter part in the center flying rapidly toward the wave of monsters. As the energy ball passed over the monsters, their movement was immediately halted, followed by a rapidly intensifying, reddish electric shock, and the monsters exploded.
What made it even more deadly was that upon detonation, the electric shock spread to subsequent targets in all directions, creating a similar, continuous, chain-like reaction effect until the target was completely destroyed.
The large ball continued to fly for several kilometers, striking and destroying the massive wave of monsters until we finally saw the energy ball explode violently at the edge of the city, followed by several smaller explosions in succession.
I was stunned to see this scene, and quickly reminded of something. It was one of the most powerful and famous weapons in the game The Mayhem, the MKM-999 (Mass Killing Multiplier-999). The MKM-999 resembles a large, futuristic cannon, but can be carried anywhere by a Hellraider.
The weapon can be in two modes: Regular laser that can hit directly to enemies and an energy ball, which has a destructive effect that varies depending on its charge time, with the highest level being like a tactical nuke.
I have a poster of the Hellraider holding the MKM-999 in all its glory, and it's my favorite. My next biggest question was who fired the weapon?
Before I could even begin to guess, we suddenly heard heavy footsteps from the right side of our car. We all simultaneously looked out the right car window. I could see a man, tall, large, yet very muscular, wearing full space soldier gear with dark blue, maroon and gray composition, but with his both forearms exposed.
He walked carrying one of his main weapon, "The Obliviator," a submachine gun slightly larger but deadlier than conventional submachine guns. One shot to an enemy's weak point could destroy more than half of its body.
He headed towards the remains of the monster that was still moving. I couldn't believe what I was seeing with my own eyes.
"That… that's… a real Hellraider!!!" I screamed with the with joy.
The Hellraider was already in right side front of the perimeter that had previously been destroyed by the monsters, then opened fire on the remaining monsters which unaffected by the MKM-999.
I'm pretty sure he fired that weapon from atop a building behind us, then quickly switched to The Obliviator. His shots were so precise that one shot instantly destroyed most of the monster's body, a stark contrast to the previous defense force's fire.
The other men and I cheered with joy, especially Navel.
"Look... look...!!! Finally, our ultimate savior has arrived!!!" Navel exclaimed, tears welling in his eyes. He quickly got out of the car to see his idol in person.
The others and I also got out to watch. The remaining troops who were helping their wounded comrade suddenly stood still, watching the real Hellraider in action.
After all monster was dead, he paused for a moment to reload his Obliviator. Navel then walked quickly past the troops and out the right side of the perimeter, approaching the Hellraider, which was still reloading it's ammunition. I, still standing, stared at Navel, wondering what he was planning to do.
The Hellraider, sensing Navel's approach, turned toward him. Navel stopped and finally spoke to him.
"Oh, mighty Lord Hellraider. Thank you for arriving just in time to save us from these monsters. We certainly wouldn't have survived without you. We have a request, Lord. Would you be our ultimate protector? For only you can destroy these monsters?" Navel asked with a slightly pleading expression.
The Hellraider, who had finished reloading, didn't say a word and looked at Navel once more. I knew he was the silent protagonist who rarely spoke throughout the game except when a glimpse of Hellraider's past was revealed.
A moment later, I could sense something so unpleasant was about to happen.
The Hellraider pointed his gun at Navel and immediately shot him once in the chest.
The upper half of Navel's body exploded, blood splattered everywhere, leaving only his waist and legs to fall.
My eyes widened, and I immediately covered my mouth with my hands. I truly couldn't believe it.
The Hellraider had killed an innocent civilian.
One of the soldiers in front, who also had witnessed this, immediately shouted to behind.
"EVERYONEEE... STEP BACK AND RUUUNNN...!!!"
Robbin immediately grabbed my arm and led me into the Jeep, followed by Larry and Lucy. We watched as the other soldiers carried the wounded soldiers into the combat vehicles to leave the area.
As we got inside, and Robbin started the car and turned around, I shakily glanced at the Hellraider, who was still standing, staring at us all as we tried to escape from him. I could already imagine the look of a cold-blooded killer beneath his helmet.
"The reason I never wanted to play that game again was because he was a complete psychopath!!! He had killed his fellow soldiers, and now he's killed Navel!! He's nothing but a monster in human form, so only he can kill fellow monsters!!" Larry said in a full of anger tone.
I remained silent, looking down. The first part of Larry's statement was true, because I knew the story of the Hellraider began with his actions, namely killing all the soldiers on his team.
Why had I become so blindly obsessed with the Hellraider without questioning his actions? Were all my criminal acts because I had unknowingly taken on the role of a Hellraider?
If the Hellraider had taken civilian lives, who else could we turn to for protection against the attacks of monsters when even armed forces were incapable?
My tears broke out and I sobbed uncontrollably inside the car.