Huff...

The cold breath froze due to the low temperature and rose up as white fog but the man was looking at something beyond that; Something far beyond that. On this rare instance of a clear sky, he was looking at the stars.

Huff...

He stood there blankly, on a distorted, ruined land with no vegetation in sight. He could feel a little puddle of water on a hard ground through his shoes. The cold air tickled and sometimes slightly pricked his skin yet the man kept watching the stars as if possessed. It was as if he wanted to carve the sight in front of his eyes into his memories so as to keep it with him forever.

No, forever was not the right word.

One day of rest huh, how generous..... well tomorrow is the final battle after all.

The man thought. After all, when would they rest if not today?

Heh, I should probably eat my remaining saved up rice.

Come to think of it,▣▣▣▣, that ba**ard still has not confessed to vice captain Mons glacialis, has he? Hmm, I wonder if he will today.

Oh I'll be meeting my old pals soon enough probably, no, most likely since I will die tomorrow.

The man considered his current leisure generous, yet rightfully deserved at least, that was what he thought. The currently decided mission was already a suicide one and he had one of the most dangerous roles in it.

Then for a brief moment, grief and pain filled him and his face twisted lightly, his hands trembled but it passed quickly.

Yes... there is that too... I have been delaying it for far too long.... I have to end it today.... I'll collect the 'things' and face the past properly. I have to move on now.

Heh, finally facing the future at the end of my life huh, how ironic.

The man shook his head at his own sarcasm. These seemingly random thoughts had atleast gave him a little peace. It was a very rare time for him. He let himself free for a moment and his hands twitched. He looked at his yellowish nails and sighed.

Man how I want to smoke. I can't even drink today! It's been ages since I've had a drink.

Just then His SAA(Soul bounded Artificial Assistant) blinked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Sir, It has been two hours since the meeting ended. The commander wishes for you to rest for the battle tomorrow.>

"Alright, I was just about to head back"

The man's voice was rough and with a wry smile, he took one last look at the sky.

[https://postimg.cc/WdKCwJMN][https://i.postimg.cc/KYvbFPjM/Img-Creator-ai-the-scenery-of-a-beautiful-night-sky-full-of-stars-1.png]

Then turning back he followed the trail of lights towards his camp.

******

Heat swirled in the surroundings. Heat strong enough to blaze everything.

"*Cough*, the position, give us the *Cough* position damnit!"

The man shouted but no voice came from the communicator. The atmosphere tensed significantly.

Maybe they have already been wiped out.

He thought. He shook his head at the commander's inquisitive gaze. The commander nodded and shouted

"Ya all heard him. The connection's off. We are switching to plan B! Keep the sound barrier stable and MOVE! MOVE FAST!"

The team sprinted out of the hideout at the order, heading towards the large black cocoon and the swarm of elite monsters guarding it.

Plan B is to somehow get this device to the cocoon. It will end the source of it's limitless energy. I wonder how this works.

The man nodded at the commander both of them simultaneously understanding what the other was about to do.

"Cover me" ▣▣▣ shouted.

The team moved at the commander's shout, paving a way and providing cover while the man removed his armor, covered himself in a monster's corpse and triggered the last invisibility cloak left.

He then took out a small box which rapidly morphed into a mini cannon.

L-2004, the latest model. I can only shoot once as it will blast me along with it.

The man silenced his breath, emptied his mind and focused. He could now see everything happening at the battlefield.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Not now

Then he saw one of his teammate being eaten. The monster twisted and crushed ▣▣▣▣'s neck and spilled his intestines. Blood splattered and soon within seconds nothing remained.

The twelve years he had spent with ▣▣▣▣ flashed in his mind. No, the man had seen many such sights before but why now? He was getting distracted for some reason.

Don't think. Focus.

He saw another one being swallowed whole. One was being petrified slowly but didn't suicide so as to buy some time. One was holding hundreds in a barrier even while being crushed. Another one blocking all spells and then another one.

One by one all of his companions the man had spent his life with were dying. He knew that he too would soon die but for that moment , just for a single moment the man felt regret.

Something on the battlefield reacted, artificially enhancing his negative emotions but experience made the man bury them in a second, all the while being focused on his commander.

Not now.

The commander ▣▣▣ had finally reached the cocoon while beheading an astronomical amount of monsters.

Just then, the cocoon sensed something and pulsed, releasing pitch black shadows to intercept the enemy. ▣▣▣ as if waiting, somehow switched his position with one of the shadows closer to the cocoon and threw a cube at it with full power.

The cocoon sent shadows in the form of hand as it cast a spell on the cube. As soon as the spell hit, a small pure silver cylindrical object shot out of the cube. The shadows tried to intercept again but an accurate electrical discharge paralyzed most of the shadows. The commander who was already almost covered in the shadows except half of his face had sent it. All of this, the cocoons multiple tries and ▣▣▣'s accurate prediction occurred in milliseconds.

It failed.

The shadow hands were limitless. They held the object through a spell and started covering it.

However, ▣▣▣ in his dying moments smiled in relief. His SAA had not given him the notification which meant 'he' was still alive. Not betraying the commander's expectations, something very silently and very stealthily hit the back part of the object which was still being covered.

A laser shot.

It blasted the object right through the shadows, making a hole into the cocoon and reached its core. The object lit up and the cocoon cried and shrieked as if experiencing extreme pain.

The commander who had been hurled away looked at the sight etching it deep into his soul and smiled. He breathed his last after turning his eyes towards the one who had made the shot.

The man reflected in his eyes had lost a complete arm and shoulder. He too was in his last moments.

But that man too nevertheless smiled.

It's over

Would humanity survive? He did not know, what he knew was that the calamities were definitely over.

He closed his eyes with that thought as his last.

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"O Hero, I pray for you to rest in Peace

O Martyr, born on Earth date 7 August year 6112

O Soldier, who worked tirelessly for Humanity

Your Name will be engraved in History

Sir E▣PI▣ P▣▣IT▣A>

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******

The man was in a state of suspension. He felt like he saw something. He had dreamt of something.

The man— we —I had a thought.

Who am I?

.

"Ack.. AaaaAAAhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHH"

With that...

I woke up.