The street went quiet.
Not calm—
empty.
Like something had cleared it out…
just to make space.
Arjun didn't lower his weapon.
Because this kind of silence—
never lasted.
The street went quiet.
Not calm.
Empty.
Arjun stood in the middle of the broken road, rifle raised, eyes locked on the far end.
The drone hovered beside him—
scanning.
Searching.
[Hostile Units Incoming]
Estimated Arrival: 30 seconds
Arjun exhaled slowly.
"Three at once…"
[Recommendation: Prepare defensive position.]
His eyes moved.
Fast.
Scanning.
Shattered cars.
Collapsed poles.
Open space—
too exposed.
Then—
he saw it.
A half-destroyed convenience store.
Structure still standing.
Barely.
Arjun smirked.
"…Good enough."
He moved immediately.
One kick—
debris cleared.
He stepped inside.
Dark.
Tight.
Limited space.
But—
walls.
"Drone. Entry points."
[Scanning…]
Two primary entry points detected
Front: compromised
Rear: structurally weak
Arjun positioned himself behind the broken counter.
"Perfect."
The rifle hummed.
The suit tightened—
ready.
Then—
a roar.
Close.
The ground trembled.
Arjun's grip tightened.
"They're here."
The first one appeared.
Massive.
Larger than anything he'd fought.
Four legs.
Two arms.
Body like black stone fused with metal.
Red eyes locked onto him.
[Hostile Unit A3 Identified — High Threat]
"…Of course."
It charged.
Arjun fired.
Two shots—
direct hits.
Nothing.
Not even a flinch.
"…That's bad."
The creature smashed through the entrance.
The wall collapsed inward.
Arjun jumped back—
just in time.
The impact cracked the floor.
Dust swallowed the room.
"Okay…"
"…new plan."
[Weakness scanning…]
Before it finished—
movement.
Fast.
Too fast.
Something slipped through the broken wall—
silent.
Sharp.
[Hostile Unit A4 Identified — High Threat]
Humanoid.
Blade-like limbs.
Glowing veins.
Already moving.
"Two…"
"…great."
Arjun activated Target Prediction.
Lines appeared.
The creature lunged—
he fired ahead.
Hit.
It recoiled—
but didn't stop.
"Still fast."
"…manageable."
Then—
impact.
Behind him.
The rear wall exploded.
Arjun turned—
barely in time.
A third presence filled the space.
[Hostile Unit A5 Identified — High Threat]
Larger.
Heavier.
Layered armor.
Slow—
but unbreakable.
Arjun exhaled sharply.
"…Three."
"In a box."
[Survival probability: 23%]
"…Not helping."
A3 charged.
A4 circled.
A5 blocked the exit.
No space.
No distance.
No room for error.
Arjun steadied his breathing.
"Think."
The drone beeped.
[Weakness detected — A4]
Chest core.
"The fast one."
A4 moved.
Too quick—
but predictable.
Now.
Arjun didn't dodge.
He waited.
Last second—
fired.
Direct hit.
The creature froze—
collapsed mid-motion.
[Hostile Unit A4 Eliminated]
"—One."
The room shook.
A3 slammed the ground.
Shockwave—
Arjun was thrown back.
He crashed into shelves.
Debris rained down.
A5 kept walking.
Unaffected.
Relentless.
Arjun pushed himself up.
"…Two left."
[New Combat Option Available]
Energy Burst — short-range shockwave
A3 charged again.
Arjun didn't move.
Closer.
Closer.
Now.
Energy Burst.
A shockwave exploded outward.
A3 was thrown back—
slammed into the wall.
"Good."
But A5—
kept coming.
Unstopped.
"…Of course you did."
[Weakness detected — A5]
Lower spine.
Hard angle.
Limited window.
A3 recovered.
Both moved—
in sync.
Coordinated.
Arjun's eyes sharpened.
"…Then I break that."
He moved forward.
Not back.
Between them.
Both attacked—
same moment.
Arjun dropped—
slid across the ground.
Their attacks collided.
A3's arm smashed into A5.
Both staggered.
"Now."
Arjun turned—
fired.
Direct hit—
lower spine.
A5 roared.
Legs gave out.
[Critical Damage]
A3 turned—
rage.
Too late.
Arjun overloaded the rifle.
Energy surged—
unstable.
"End it."
He fired.
The blast tore through A3's upper body.
It collapsed.
[Hostile Unit A3 Eliminated]
No pause.
Arjun turned.
A5 was still moving—
barely.
One shot.
Silence.
[Hostile Unit A5 Eliminated]
The store went still.
Dust settling.
Arjun lowered the rifle slowly.
"…That was tight."
[Sector 17 Secured]
Reward: Advanced Equipment Unlock Available
Then—
a warning.
[Large-Scale Hostile Movement Detected]
Threat Level: Extreme
Arjun stepped outside.
The sky—
was breaking further.
Wider.
Something massive—
descending.
Not like the others.
Bigger.
Slower.
Heavier.
Arjun tightened his grip.
"…Of course."
The thing descending—
didn't stop above the city.
It was coming straight down—
toward him.