Hanford Site, Washington - 5:37 AM

The trek across the snowy terrain did take me a while, but I was feeling good by the time I arrived. Many years ago, the site had been a nuclear production site. It had been decommissioned for many years now. None of the reactors were functional, and the only one in the area was several miles away and used to provide electricity to countless homes throughout the region.

This was no longer the case.

A long, tall wall had been built on the perimeter of the Hanford Site, and most everything inside had changed. Even though I couldn’t see very far within, it was unmistakable what was going on. The whirring of machines at work, bolting and cutting sheets of metal, crashes and clanks as heavy objects were moved about; it was the sound of an assembly line.

The administrators had changed this place into a gigantic factory.

Getting close to the wall, I could hear the thrum of electricity going through it. Touching it wouldn’t have been fatal, but it would have dealt an excruciating amount of hit point damage to someone like me. I knew from experience that there was no entrance or exit. Everything that came in did so from the air, which meant I would have to do the same.

Raising my Vambrace of Wires above my head, I Lifted it upwards. My body went with it, slowly ascending to reach the top of the wall.

<<<>>>

[[Patron Message]]

Remind me again for my own edification, how many times have you completed this? Have you done it solo?

<<<>>>

“Twice, and no, I’ve never done it solo,” I admitted, unable to help the excitement in my voice. “It’s going to be dangerous, sure, but that’s okay. I can handle everything that’s in there. So long as it comes in waves. And I use cover to my advantage. And a few other things fall in my favor.”

I pointed up at the sky. “Which you might think means I’m not up for this, but I assure you that I am. There's nothing to worry about.”

Finally reaching the top, I got my first look inside. The area was so well lit that it seemed like daytime. All around the perimeter, I could see hundreds of patrolling robots.

The most common were the P-11 Obstructors, each painted olive green. Aside from their arms and legs, which were mostly normal, everything else was made up of bulbous, ovular sections. A single green eye swiveled around their heads, watching for intruders. One of their arms was a simple two-finger gripper, while the other tapered down to a point they could use to fire lasers out of.

Others, the ones that were less numerous, were sleeker. They were the Q-07 Hunters. Their dark bodies weren’t nearly as rotund, and their four-fingered hands were much more dexterous. These held on to what could obviously be called ray guns based on their aesthetic. I knew that this model was created for the second scenario. They were tougher and more accurate than their predecessors and could operate the vehicles seen around the site.

Several drones flew in and out carrying supplies, mostly cars and other vehicles. There wasn’t a lot left in the area, but they were grabbing what they could from nearby buildings and the decommissioned reactors. A few even traveled so far as to go to the Columbia Generating Station, the nuclear reactor miles away.

There was also a healthy abundance of bulbous tanks, three-wheeled armored personal carriers, and a few motorcycles. Most of these were manned by the Hunters, but not many of them were currently in use. That would change soon.

In the center of it all was a truly gigantic robot. Nearly sixty feet tall, its sleek black and red design was something straight out of anime. It had booster jets on its back, grinders on one hand with a cannon on the other, enough guns mounted on it to outshoot a battalion, and enough power to simply walk through a building in its way. The chest plate pulsed with radioactive green energy, but it was slow to start and wouldn’t become active until I’d wreaked enough havoc.

This was the boss of the Hanford Site’s third scenario, the G-3 Omega Colossus. It wasn’t finished yet, but it was complete enough to put up a good tussle.

“Yeah, I’m going to fight the shit out of that,” I said, still only peeking over the wall.

There was no response from Sara so I assumed I had her blessing, just like I always did. Taking a breath, I pushed myself over the fence and allowed myself to fall on the other side.

Shrill alarms started going off from all corners of the base, and I pulled my Cloak of the Snow Witch into my inventory as I dropped into the snow as quickly as I was able. I had chosen this side of the facility specifically due to the snow piling up from the wind. My feet collided with the embankment and I was suddenly ten feet under.

<<<>>>

[[Joint Scenario Quest: The Nuclear Army]]

The Hanford Site has been left to its own devices, allowing the robots to proliferate. They have only one goal: domination.

And what better way to do that than to evolve?

What you see before you is the efforts of three scenarios’ worth of work. First came the P-11 Obstructors. They built the first weapons of war before the spark of creativity hit them and they made the Q-07 Hunters.

The Hunters, more advanced than their predecessors, improved upon the weapons. They created vehicles knowing that their path to domination was a long one. This lasted for a time, but only until they, too, were hit with the spark of creativity. They created the masterpiece in the middle of the base.

The G-3 Omega Colossus will lead the Nuclear Army to victory. Not only does it represent an overwhelming amount of firepower, but the robots have gained a sense of morale in its presence and will fight harder because of it.

In order to win this scenario once and for all, the leaders of each type will need to be defeated. Kill the P-12 Foreman, Q-08 Headhunter, and G-3 Omega Colossus to stop this threat from spreading.

Objective: Destroy the Nuclear Army leadership.

Rewards: 4,500 points, access to the Nuclear Army’s vault.

Notice: This is a Joint Scenario Quest. Multiple MVP accolades can be received here.

[[Patron Quest: Defeat G-3!]]

Alright, Ant. They’re coming your way, so now is your time to put on a better show than the one back in Mesa.

Defeating the G-3 before it has a chance to activate would be the best thing to do, but I have to admit I’m rather excited to see you fight a robot ten times your size. Worried, but still excited.

I’m sure you already know what to do, so I will leave you to it, then.

Objective: Defeat the G-3 Omega Colossus.

Reward: 6,000 points.

[[Notice]]

You were one of the first players to find the Hidden World Boss [Esaraphelscion, Angel of the End]. +5,000 points.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

This reward has been reduced due to scenario limits. Points will be given to you at the beginning of each scenario until you have received them all.

<<<>>>

“Thanks, Sara,” I said, waving up to the sky through the hole I made as I snapped away the quests and notice.

Retrieving the Cloak of the Snow Witch from my inventory, I put it back on and started digging forward towards the motor pool. With my Strength, I could easily carve a path through the snow even if it was considered “solid ground” thanks to the properties of the item.

I was pretty sure the Snow Step passive wasn’t meant to be used this way, but I was going to exploit it while I could anyway. Once I had dug out enough space, I pulled the Mirror Mannequin’s torso shield out of my inventory and placed it under the opening.

Several of the Obstructors were coming my way. They had auras despite being robots, a stark contrast to the mannequins back in the Mall of America. The difference was at their center. Each of the enemies here had a radioactive green core in their chests, and this energy flowed through them. It lit up their bodies and made it easy to pick them out.

From my inventory, I grabbed the Staff of Raphael to push my Wisdom as high as I could. That allowed me to see the Hunters that were now at the very edge of my vision. They were approaching more cautiously, waiting for any sign of me to spring up.

I continued to dig one handed as I got farther away from the wall. The embankment was tall, but the slope of the snow was steep. I very quickly had to get to my hands and knees to stay under and out of sight. Thanks to Snow Step making everything solid around me, there was a reduced chance of making the enemies aware of me through shifts in the surface.

Eventually, I was crawling through the snow on my stomach halfway to the motor pool. I had to keep my head down and the Staff of Raphael to my side. Even though I was some fifty feet from the wall, I was still only halfway to my destination when I had to stop.

The Obstructors were now all around me. None of them had crossed my specific path, but I was surrounded by the bulbous robots. Their eyes whirled about, trying to find any signs of disturbances. These models weren’t equipped with infrared sensors like the Omega Colossus was, which made stealth easier.

At least, it was easier until I came across a section of snow that had been padded down by constant patrols. It was nearly eight feet wide as the robots on duty moved in threes, and there were a few Obstructors waiting on the path. I could clearly see my targets up ahead, but this was the end of the line.

Taking a deep breath, I mentally reached back and Lifted the Mirror Mannequin’s shield. It immediately became the center of attention. While I couldn’t see it with my own eyes, I knew it was reflecting all the powerful spotlights that were suddenly looking its way.

The Obstructors started opening fire. Surprisingly cartoonish sound effects could be heard from all around me, reminding me of old science fiction shows from long before I was born. Despite how silly they may have been, their effects were powerful.

A good number of the lasers hit the mannequin torso, displaying varying degrees of accuracy. The energy blasted the mirrors, melting both them and the plastic underneath from the constant fire. I made the torso Spin, duck, and weave to make sure the attention was fully on it.

Since they were busy, it was time for me to get to work. I ejected half of the Cable Conglomerate from my Vambrace of Wires and let it snake its way towards the nearest Obstructor. It left a minuscule trail in its wake, but with all eyes and sensors on the mirrored distraction there was no trouble. As I coiled the rope underneath the robot, I repositioned the mirrored shield by Lifting it as high as I could.

As the enemies looked up, I shot the Cable Conglomerate upwards, whipping it around the Obstructor’s laser hand. Its eye swung to see the metal snake grabbing it from below. With a mental command, I made one piece of the wire rope unravel from the rest.

This piece threaded between the plates in the Obstructor’s arm, aiming for the trigger. It was hard to see inside of the robots even with my advanced senses, but it wasn’t impossible. Because of this one’s proximity, I was able to get the wire into position rather quickly.

When the Cable Conglomerate jerked downwards, the lone thread pulled the trigger. The laser beam shot even as the Obstructor tried to pull its arm back into position. Once again, the first scenario monster proved that it couldn’t keep up with my stats.

It also proved that it could take down another of its kind with ease. The shot I had forced it to fire off melted the back of another Obstructor’s head into slag. It beeped for a few seconds, its own gun misfiring, before falling to its knees and face planting in the snow.

There was a lull in the battle where the only laser being fired was the one I commandeered. Even though the weapon was only capable of firing off a single beam every second and a half, I was making each one count.

The Obstructor flailed, trying to take control of its arm back with its gripper. Its shaking was only a minor inconvenience as I shot down eleven more robots before the others finally turned on this one.

They turned, nearly twenty strong, and began firing at their traitorous comrade. I yanked the Cable Conglomerate, causing the Obstructor to fall to the ground and avoid most of the shots. Its head was destroyed, but its core was still operational, and that was enough.

I dragged the arm, firing two more shots through the snow before I started reeling in the rope. The other Obstructors continued firing the moment they realized it was still shooting, and the robot was a smoking mess before they all paused again as if getting new orders.

In unison, they turned back to the mirrored torso and resumed firing. I Dropped it to the ground, falling into the snow, and decided that there had been enough hiding. Pushing off of the ground, I put the Staff of Raphael back into my inventory as I emerged from the snow.

I lunged forward to grab one of the Obstructors by its gripping arm, which I pinned to its back. I wrapped the Cable Conglomerate around the other, commandeering its gun just like the last one. I didn’t aim for any of the robots behind me, but the ones ahead.

While the Obstructors had numbers on their side, they were far less accurate than their successors. A line of Hunters had been watching patiently, their ray guns out and pointed in the right direction but not firing. As soon as I started running over the snow towards them, that changed.

I jumped to the side onto my Heelies, enjoying the smooth snow I could travel on as I manhandled the robot. Its green lasers fired with precision, knocking the shoulders off of the Hunters while they fired back at me. Their guns made slightly newer sound effects, but I still considered it all rather flippant, given the tone of the mission.

The line of Hunters started dwindling as I returned fire. Some of them managed to hit my Obstructor, melting it down, and those were the ones I focused on. As I shot their shoulders off, their ray guns fell to the ground, and I Lifted them back up. I had to Split my focus into two ways to aim and fire, and since I could manipulate three items total, that meant I could alternate on their slower cooldowns.

My strategy of taking out the more accurate robots was proving to be quite the winner. My Obstructor flailed, trying to kick me with its legs, but due to its bulbous body was having a hard time making anything stick. When its brethren behind me started firing was when I had more trouble. Their attention caused me to throw up Shield after the first laser struck me between the shoulder blades, burning through my clothes like it was nothing.

I burst through the line of Hunters, all but two of them down. The ray guns under my control made quick work of them and flew in to flank me on either side. They both blasted the Obstructor in my arms before I tossed it and grabbed them both.

Not one to leave good equipment behind, I Pulled two more ray guns out of the snow, giving me a total of four.

The motor pool was ahead of me, but it was swarming with Hunters. While most of them were armed, the vast majority were getting into the vehicles. Their armored personnel carriers and tanks would provide stellar cover while giving them the advantage in mobility, while the motorcycles gave them some sorely needed speed.

Not too far away from me, the first tank moved. It was an ugly, oval contraption with treads half as tall as I was. Three machine guns were mounted on it, one on the front and on each side, and the turret on top turned to face me down. While the smaller weapons were lasers like the rest, the big one used shells that exploded on contact.

“Guess I’m not stealing that one,” I said as I created a Force Field right in front of the barrel.

It took a moment, but the tank fired. The shell exploded prematurely, rocking the entire vehicle backwards and ruining the barrel so it couldn’t be used again. My levitating ray guns destroyed the small arms before they could finish warming up, and I jumped over the tank.

The one behind it was still open, and I Pushed my two floating guns through the hatch. I threw myself to the ground as more lasers came in, but the space between the two tanks was small and only a few enemies had line of sight. Extending my arms, I started firing while paying attention to the inside of the tank I had just sent my guns into.

There were spots for five different Hunters inside. The driver who controlled the tank and the forward machine laser, two gunners for the weapons on the sides, the turret gunner who aimed and fired the main gun, and the loader for the shells. Each one looked at the ray gun moments before I shot them in the head, destroying them.

Now that they weren’t considered animated objects anymore, I started Lifting them out of the tank.

My Shield shattered from the concentrated fire. I had to crouch to make myself a smaller target. Behind me, the Hunters were starting to exit their tank, forcing me to pay attention to them. I slowed down, emptying the one in front of me to kill them with their own ray guns.

I grit my teeth as I took damage from both sides. Even with the enhanced firing rate of the ray guns, I wasn’t taking out the enemies faster than they could come at me. The vehicles started pulling away as they filled up, and that would be problematic later on.

When three of the five Hunters were out of the tank, I decided that was good enough. I tossed the ray guns outward and continued firing, knowing that I could get more from inside the vehicle, and jumped up. The robots had a second to fire on me when I was out of cover, and I had to grab a Hunter from the top of the tank to hide behind as I slid down.

Letting the ray guns clatter onto the snow covered ground, I forced the last two robots out before closing the hatch behind them. Unlike most Human tanks, these could only be opened from the inside with a button press. Even if I was confident they were killed, I wasn’t going to leave it up to fate that one of them survived enough to sabotage me.

Sliding into the driver’s seat, I found it was a little uncomfortable. I clearly wasn’t its target demographic. But, that was okay.

With Pull, I fired the tank’s main gun just as an armored personnel carrier drove in front of me. The shell rocked the tank backwards from the force, and I grinned as I watched the other vehicle explode and fly away, running over a horde of Obstructors as it tumbled.

I Split my focus again as I reloaded the main gun and took over the two guns on the side of the tank. Retrieving the Staff of Raphael so I could heal while I drove, I cackled like a madman. Laser after laser hit my vehicle’s hull, and I was about to return it in kind, turning on their tanks in the process.

“This is why everything was going to be fine, Sara! Woooo!”