I watched the weapons of the fallen vanish. The system didn't allow looting of the Premium Packages; those items were extensions of their owners, as exclusive as my own life. The objective now was simple and terrifying: clear the area to reach the town alive.
Ha-jin readjusted his position. His Apex Sniper—a lead-gray railgun with a skeletonized design—seemed to absorb the sunlight. A blue glow bathed his face as the HUD synchronized wind and distance data.
"Let's set priorities," he murmured without taking his eye off the scope. "I'll mark the Alpha to destabilize it. You finish off the wounded one before the Stalker flanks us."
I unsheathed my Resonant Blade. The chrome edge reflected the desert like a distorted mirror. As I activated the hilt, the sonic generator emitted a hum that made my skin crawl. A cyan light, cold and electric, ran along the edge from one end to the other.
"Got it. As soon as you fire, stealth is over," I replied, feeling the bitter weight of the weapon.
"I know. That's why I won't miss."
The silence became absolute. I could only hear my heart pounding against the fibers of my suit. In front of us, the Alpha Worm continued to grind the remains of the fallen Vanguard, unaware of the projectile that would soon fracture its existence.
"Three... two... one..."
The railgun shot wasn't a conventional roar, but a sonic whip that tore through the air. A flash of kinetic energy crossed the distance and struck the Alpha's side squarely. The colossus let out a guttural shriek as its health bar plummeted; the impact knocked it out of the fight momentarily.
"Now!" Ha-jin roared.
I didn't wait. While the Alpha writhed under the impact, I set my sights on the second specimen—the one already dragging wounds from the previous slaughter. I sprinted toward it. The lightness of my boots turned the sand into a blur, and my blade vibrated with a deadly frequency.
The unstable ground tried to swallow my momentum, but the suit's agility compensated for every stride. My prey, despite its agony, reacted. It emerged from the sand in a helical motion, kicking up a cloud of particles that clouded my vision.
Its jaws lunged for my torso. Before they could snap shut, a second projectile from Ha-jin struck the ground right in front of me.
"Left!" he ordered over the internal comms.
I spun on my axis. Ha-jin's suppressive fire forced the worm to recoil, and I seized the opening. I closed the distance to within three meters. Just then, the system flashed red before my eyes.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: FIRST BLOOD] Effect: Opening Pulse. Full bio-rhythmic synchronization with target. Hit probability: 100%.
The world came to a halt. The hiss of my Resonant Blade turned into a high-pitched whistle that sliced through the air. I felt an unnatural connection to the beast; I could visualize every vibration of its chitinous armor and the exact spot where its flesh was vulnerable.
It wasn't an ordinary slash. The blade sank into its mass with absolute precision, ignoring physical resistance as if cutting through smoke. Then, the sonic frequency exploded within it. The creature disintegrated from the inside out in a cloud of ash and viscera.
Success came at a cost. The Leader Worm, possessing superior intelligence, hid its advance behind the explosion of sand. With lethal speed, it launched its abdominal tentacles at me. I reacted too late. A metallic hook tore through the fabric of my jacket and sank into my right forearm.
I felt the fire of metal against my skin and a violent tug that nearly tore my arm off.
"Takamori-san, fall back!" Ha-jin roared as he covered my retreat with a flurry of shots.
I wrenched myself free with a desperate move, leaving a trail of blood on the sand. Ha-jin also lost his advantage; the third worm attacked the base of his dune, forcing him to roll down the slope. He descended with the Apex clutched to his chest as an enemy blade left a mark on his leg.
We regrouped back-to-back, panting. Two worms still surrounded us, led by that specimen that watched us with an almost human focus. Sweat stung my wound, but there was no time for pain. The Stalker dove into the sand and emerged just a few meters behind my partner.
"Twelve o'clock!" I shouted.
Ha-jin reacted instantly. He threw himself to the side and fired a shock projectile from the hip. The hit was precise. The projectile pierced the beast, leaving a massive hole through which its fluids sprayed under pressure. It fell limp immediately. It wasn't luck; it was pure professional instinct.
Only the Leader was left. The level disparity became tangible as it charged toward us. It was faster and heavier; its lateral blades vibrated with a frantic intensity. Ha-jin took aim, his eyes tracking the beast's every move.
"It's too fast!" he exclaimed, aiming for the head.
"Distract it!" I ordered.
He fired. The bullet grazed the leader's back, distracting it just long enough for me to flank its position. I leapt onto its spine. My tactical boots provided amazing stability on that rough, putrid surface.
I raised my sword over the abdominal slit, ready for the final blow. The sonic energy reached its critical point, weaving an arc of red light that promised the end of the nightmare.
However, the ground vibrated with a different frequency.
Three new silhouettes emerged from the depths. They weren't the grotesque aberrations we had faced; they were smaller, more agile. Their skin lacked that sickly, purulent brown tone. They possessed a smooth gray surface so hard it reflected the sun without a trace of decay.
I stopped, my sword still raised.
Those silver worms ignored us. With cold, coordinated ferocity, they lunged at the Leader. Their maws, clean of tartar and old blood, clamped down on the giant's joints with a particular ruthlessness. They weren't looking for a meal; they were looking to eradicate it.
What followed was a brutal execution.
The newcomers tore the Leader apart with an efficiency that turned my blood to ice. They ignored its screams and desperate attacks, ripping away shreds of its infected flesh as if they were excising a tumor. In seconds, the Level 18 beast was reduced to a lifeless mass.
Once the butchery was over, the three worms dove back into the sand. Not a single glance, not a single threat. They vanished as quickly as they had arrived.
I lowered my sword. Silence settled over the desert, heavier than the din of battle.
Ha-jin approached slowly, his Apex still at the ready, confusion etched on his face.
"What... what just happened?" he murmured, staring at the Leader's remains.
"I don't know," I replied, trying to steady my breathing. "It felt like they were hunting it. Like it was the plague."
We stood there, in the middle of that sandy graveyard. The system was hiding secrets far darker than the mere hunger of its monsters.