Lt. Stark's voice rang out, issuing directives to his team. “Two Elites ahead: Gravity Field and Fireball. We’ve dealt with Gravity Field before at the apartments.”
Ray listened closely as Stark continued. “Ray, don’t even try tanking Fireball. It’s physical, not energy-based—making it a natural counter to your Stormguard Shield. Our plan is to exploit their lack of defensive E cards. While Gravity Field has some defensive properties, we can neutralize it by maintaining a distance of at least 25 meters."
Stark turned to Kowalski. “You'll send their cover hurtling back at them. The rest of us will hit them with plasma under smoke. Spread out—don’t let Fireball pin you.”
“Smoke and Chrono, now!”
Rodriguez and Jones activated their cards, imbuing the squad with heightened abilities and transforming them into an unstoppable force.
Assault and the alien forces collided in a brutal clash, the cacophony of plasma fire and explosions filling the air. Lt. Stark's assault squad, in perfect synchronization, moved to execute their well-coordinated plan. But as the dust began to settle, they were caught off guard by the emergence of the hidden alien Elite, a Psyker. Surprised and momentarily disoriented, the assault squad hesitated.
Kowalski acted first and targeted the Psyker, locking it down in a duel. Kowalski's Metal Matriarch card tore chunks of steel from the ground, reshaping them into jagged barriers and massive metallic fists that lashed out at the Psyker. In response, the Psyker's telekinetic force blasted debris aside, its psionic energy twisting the terrain into jagged spikes and gravity wells that swallowed entire sections of the battlefield.
Every move Kowalski made, the Psyker countered. A wall of metal rose to shield her squad, only to be shredded by a barrage of invisible energy. The air crackled with raw power as they fought to control the terrain, metal clashing against psychic force in a deadly tug-of-war. Beams of psionic energy ripped through her constructs, forcing Kowalski to constantly reshape the battlefield around her, sending steel plates hurtling toward the Psyker while twisting the ground into defensive formations.
Ray could see the plan slipping as the duel raged on. Lt. Stark’s strategy was falling apart without a clear shot at Gravity Field. The battlefield had become a storm of shattered metal and psychic energy, a deadly dance between Kowalski and the Psyker.
In the midst of the chaos, Ray spotted the alien forces starting to retreat. A thought flashed in his mind. "Jones," he called over the comms, "we can outflank them. Cut off their escape. Are you in?"
Jones nodded, and the two slipped through the maelstrom of battle. Dodging between collapsing metal and psychic blasts, they weaved their way toward the retreating aliens. Stark, catching on, directed nearby Titans to open a channel for them, clearing the path as Jones and Ray closed in on their target.
Ray crouched low, eyes trained on the swirling smoke. He could feel the tension building, each second dragging as the aliens grew confident he was still pinned in the melee. Stark’s orders had funneled them toward a warehouse, its ceiling collapsed, casting an eerie orange glow from the city’s fires.
As the alien elites entered the warehouse, Ray’s grip tightened on the Plasma Pike. The moment came. He lunged from cover, unleashing the Pike’s power in a blinding explosion that tore through the air. The blast sent the aliens flying, crashing into crates and debris, the shockwave scattering them in disarray.
Without a pause, Ray switched to his Plasma Rifle and charged. Jones followed, both of them pushing forward with raw determination. Ray’s mind raced, knowing they had to act fast before the aliens could recover. Fireball’s threat loomed over him, every step shadowed by the fear of a sudden, fatal blast. Just as they closed in, a crushing force slammed into them—Gravity Field. The alien elite, badly wounded but still dangerous, had trapped them. Ray’s breath caught as panic set in, his movements slowed by the oppressive weight. He scanned frantically for a way out.
Then came the roar of jetpacks.
The Celestial Sentinels descended from above like falling stars, their sleek forms slicing through the smoke, jetpacks leaving trails of blue flame in the night. They landed with precision, a ring of glowing armor and thrusters encircling the alien elites. Plasma rifles flared to life, lighting up the battlefield in rapid bursts of neon fire. The air buzzed with their coordinated assault, beams slicing through the warehouse, hammering the enemies with relentless force.
The Gravity Field flickered, weakened under the onslaught. Then, with a final blast, it collapsed. Ray felt the pressure lift from his body. He inhaled sharply, relief flooding through him as he watched the last of the alien elites crumble under the barrage.
---
The alien Elites fell back to the foundry, preparing for a desperate final stand. Above, Celestial Sentinels zipped through the smoke-choked battlefield, their sleek armor catching the glow of distant fires as they scouted from the air. With sharp precision, they relayed the positions of the remaining eight enemy E-ranks hidden in the chaos below.
"Brace yourselves for Phase Four," Stark warned. "We've got eight E-ranks to face."
The assault team exchanged hardened looks. They were ready. Ray’s pulse quickened, his fingers tracing the edges of his new F-ranked cards.
Ray's deck now contained:
Federation Standard Combat Battlesuit (Grade F)
Federation A56 Laser Assault Rifle (Grade F)
Federation JX9 Skybound Thruster (Grade F)
Federation GL42 Siege Breaker (Grade F)
Federation Emergency Nanoheal Patch (Grade F)
Federation Gravity Boots (Grade F)
Plasma Pike (Grade E)
Stormguard Shield (Grade E)
Deck Capacity - 371/10
Stark had assured Ray that the deck capacity penalties wouldn’t affect him during the tutorial, but his warning lingered: without the right Titles, any well built Distinguished could still wipe the floor with him—even if he managed to grab onto multiple D ranked cards. Ray tucked that thought away, focusing on the fight ahead.
The Federation troops had the numbers—14 Elites spread between the three companies. Their confidence was palpable, each soldier brimming with the thrill of the looming victory. They reorganized, forming two squads of Elites – the Iron Elites and the Titan Elites.
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Sergeant Riviera joined the Iron Elites, her hands gripping the looted Fireball card—its true name, Magma Barrage. The E ranked card pulsed in her hand, a weapon capable of unleashing devastating molten rock upon their enemies. She grinned, knowing that the battlefield would soon be scorched by the power she wielded.
---
The time had come—the storming of the foundry. Soldiers braced themselves, their hearts pounding with adrenaline. Ray drew a deep breath, steeling his nerves for the battle ahead.
Captain Sylvia Kowalski’s eyes burned with focus as she activated her Metal Matriarch card. Her hands moved fluidly, manipulating the foundry’s solid walls like clay. With a commanding gesture, she tore through the metal barrier, forging an opening for the squad to advance. The sound of screeching metal and the hiss of displaced air filled the space as the wall crumbled, revealing the enemy.
Through the settling dust, the squad saw the alien forces arrayed within. Their grotesque, iridescent armor shimmered in the dim light, reflecting an unsettling beauty. Behind them loomed hulking war machines, their massive frames casting long, menacing shadows over the battlefield.
The stillness shattered in an instant. A barrage of plasma fire rained down on the Iron Elites. Ray leaped into action, raising his Stormguard Shield. The plasma slammed into the shield, energy crackling and converting into a violent electrical storm. Ray stood firm, his shield absorbing the onslaught as he held the line for his comrades.
With a roar, the Iron Elites surged forward, their E-rank cards activated and brimming with power. The foundry erupted into chaos. Magma Barrage hit the alien defenses with explosive fury, molten rock spraying across the battlefield. Chrono Accelerator and Smoke Cloud once again united to create a lethal combination—time slowing for their enemies as the Iron Elites moved with superhuman speed, striking from the cover of thick smoke.
The battlefield descended into pure chaos, a storm of plasma, molten rock, and clashing steel. Ray held his ground, shield crackling with each impact, ready for the next wave.
Suddenly, an enemy Elite lunged at Captain Rodriguez, the air warping around him with dark energy. Ray’s heart jolted, instincts kicking in. He charged forward, the Stormguard Shield meeting the alien’s strike with a thunderous crash. The electric field surged, shocking the alien and hurling it backward.
The battle roared on, a chaotic storm of fire and plasma. Through the haze, Ray spotted Sgt. Riviera, her Magma Barrage turning the foundry into a furnace of molten rock. But her triumph was short-lived. An enemy Elite, clad in shimmering armor, emerged from the smoke like a ghost.
Without warning, the Elite unleashed a barrage of razor-sharp projectiles, slicing through the air with deadly precision. Ray’s stomach dropped as he watched Riviera and Jones fall, their bodies torn apart by the swarm, collapsing lifeless to the ground.
Stark’s voice cut through the chaos. "They can see through the smoke! Rodriguez, deactivate your ability—now!" The cover that had been an advantage now worked against them.
Cold rage sharpened Ray’s focus. He leveled his Plasma Pike, launching its ultimate attack. The blast obliterated the Shimmering Elite in a violent explosion of energy. But there was no time to dwell on the victory—the fallen E-rank cards lay vulnerable. Ray sprinted forward, determined to secure them before the tide of battle turned again.
As Ray closed in, a barrage of superheated plasma blasts slammed into him, sending him skidding back. The aliens had managed to somehow squeeze heavy tanks into the foundry. Ray’s shield crackled, the electric storm around him surging in anger.
The struggle for the three E-ranked cards became a frantic contest. Both sides scrambled to seize the upper hand,knowing that victory hinged on claiming these powerful assets. Celestial squads dove into the fray from the roofs, jetpacks exploding as alien fire tore through them the moment they touched the ground.
The alien tanks pressed forward, their relentless fire forcing Federation troops to retreat, inch by inch, from the fallen cards. The situation turned desperate, alien hands drawing closer and closer to the unclaimed cards.
Ray’s voice tore through the din, desperate but resolute. “Kowalski, block those tanks with metal! Psyker, grab the cards!”
Captain Kowalski didn’t hesitate. Her Metal Matriarch card blazed to life, and with a swift motion, she tore machinery from its moorings, throwing massive chunks of metal into the path of the advancing tanks. The steel screeched as it twisted into a makeshift barrier, but the tanks kept pushing, their plasma cannons hammering the blockade.
The Psyker from the Titan Elite focused, his telekinetic grip pulling the scattered cards into the air with flawless precision. As they floated toward safety, one shot straight toward Ray. His reflexes kicked in—he snatched the card mid-flight and slotted it into his deck—Chrono Accelerator. A surge of power flooded through him, ready to shift the balance.
But before he could act, the battlefield twisted. A pulse of dark energy rippled through the air, and an enemy Elite, draped in black armor, tore through the smoke. His telekinetic force shattered Kowalski’s metal barrier like glass. The alien’s gaze locked onto Ray, and the ground trembled as he advanced, radiating raw power.
Ray’s mind raced, instinctively tapping into his deck’s full potential. His hand shot to his Plasma Pike, the weapon humming with deadly energy. Chrono Accelerator activated, warping time around him, slowing the Elite’s movements to a crawl. Ray moved in a blur, dodging the telekinetic blasts with precision, each step planned.
Ray triggered the Stormguard Shield, unleashing a crackling wave of electricity that jolted the Elite, throwing him off balance. With the enemy disoriented, Ray closed the distance in an instant, his Plasma Pike humming with energy at full charge.
With a swift motion, Ray activated the Pike’s ultimate, sending the Elite hurtling through the air, half-dead, crashing into the midst of his waiting squadmates.
The battle was over, and Ray stood victorious, his cards glowing in the aftermath.
---
The remaining alien Elites splintered, retreating in a last attempt to save their remaining cards. But the Iron Wolves and Terraform Titans had predicted this, blocking every escape.
As the isolated alien Elites emerged from the foundry, they found their escape route cut off by platoons of waiting troops. Trapped, they were cut down in a storm of gunfire, their powerful cards useless compared to sheer numbers.
As the remaining Alien Elites fell, their lifeless bodies crumpling to the ground, Ray took a moment to catch his breath. The cacophony of battle seemed to fade into the background, replaced by a haunting silence that left him with his thoughts.
Just yesterday, he was a college student juggling classes and video games. Now, he was standing in the middle of a war for Earth’s survival.
He clenched his fists, feeling the weight of the cards and the responsibility they carried. The transformation was terrifying. Within the span of a day, Ray had been catapulted from the mundane to the extraordinary, his actions now bearing the potential to alter the course of history.
As he looked over the battlefield, the faces of fallen comrades stayed with him. Doubt crept in—was he ready for what was coming? The question gnawed at him, tightening his chest.
But then his gaze shifted to the Iron Elites, their resolve unshaken. Their strength grounded him, reminding him he wasn’t alone. This wasn’t just his fight—it was the Federation’s. And today, they had won. Along the way, so many had helped him through this brutal tutorial.