I broke cover first, stepping into the open with a surge of dark energy swirling around me. I quickly cast my buffing spells, activating [Dark Psionic Imbuing] and [Demon Enhancement]. A sinister, bloody-red aura enveloped my body, while my weapon thrummed with dark power.

With the spells coursing through me, I didn’t hesitate. I pulled the trigger of my machine gun, unleashing a torrent of bullets laced with dark energy. The rounds cut through the air without aim, guided by sheer force, and slammed straight into the bodies of the two guards at the entrance. The heavy barrage echoed across the night, a warning to anyone else nearby.

The sound of gunfire from the soldiers upstairs was a confirmation of what I already knew—they were alerted.

I wasted no time. With the combined power of my own strength and the protection of the juggernaut suit, I charged the locked door. My shoulder collided with it, and with a sickening crack, the lock shattered. The door splintered on impact, sending debris flying.

Before I could even get a step further, the Divinity soldiers guarding the entrance opened fire. Bullets rattled off my armored body, but they were little more than nuisances against the juggernaut suit. Before I stood up, Elene killed the four Divinity soldiers guarding the entrance.

I stood up from the ground with the help of Elene. I looked up, seeing Uley moving back and forth, left and right, probably building up some kind of fortification or readying himself for the upcoming battle. Even he should have known that the husks wouldn’t be able to hold us out.

From the looks of it, he was about ten floors above of our head. Since the light was working, I was thinking that the elevator might also be working. However, I quickly shrugged off that thought since the elevator might as well be our killbox.

“Let’s take the stairs,” I said.

“I’ll be behind you, Ain,” Elene replied.

We moved through the emergency stairwell with me leading the way, my LMG raised and aimed at the stairs above. The imbuing surged through me, ensuring that every bullet found its mark, making our progress through the narrow staircase almost effortless.

Before the enemy had time to react, I squeezed the trigger, unleashing a barrage of bullets, each one guided by my psionic energy, tearing into the soldiers ahead. Their bodies crumpled with hardly a sound, falling in a heap at the foot of the staircase. Elene was right behind me, her .338 Norma Magnum machine gun thundered at the enemies. No matter how heavily armored they were, she made short work of them, her shots leaving nothing but shredded metal and blood in their wake.

I barely felt the weight of the nearly hundred-kilogram suit encasing my body. Perhaps it was my enhanced strength, or maybe the synergy with the suit itself, but every movement felt fluid. The LMG felt like an extension of my body, as natural as wielding an assault rifle.

We passed floor after floor, methodically clearing each level. The silence between our gunfire was only broken by the occasional echo of footsteps from above. Uley had to be preparing, and I knew we were getting closer to him. The enemies wouldn’t be that stupid.

As we reached the tenth floor, Elene signaled me to stop advancing, to let her clear the way first. I nodded in understanding, knowing that she knew better than me as a real special operation officer. She led the way, giving me a hand signal.

The moment we stepped into the hallway, bullets were already flying through. Elene took cover behind one of the walls leading toward the doorway. Uley was on the other side of the building. I could feel the tension in the air.

I peeked around the corner, catching sight of a squad of soldiers laying down a barrage of gunfire, trying to suppress us while another squad flanked to pin us down and deliver the finishing blow. Without hesitation, Elene pulled a grenade from her pocket and hurled it into the hallway.

The grenade flew with a metallic whistle before exploding in a deafening burst. A shockwave reverberated through the building, and a cloud of smoke and debris billowed out, obscuring the enemy’s vision.

I wasted no time. Charging out from behind cover, I leveled my LMG and opened fire, the roar of the machine gun filling the air as I aimed down the sights. My weapon churned out a relentless stream of 5.56 rounds, cutting through anyone still standing. Within seconds, the hallway was littered with debris and the lifeless bodies of soldiers.

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Elene was right behind me, covering my back, her fire precise and deadly. She took out any remaining threats, especially those with heavier armor that my rounds had trouble penetrating. We moved like clockwork—each of us covering the other, clearing the way.

We reached the doorway leading further into the building. Elene paused for a split second, scanning the area for any additional threats. Her caution was justified—if there was an IED hidden somewhere, it could have been a deadly trap.

She studied the door that led to the final hallway, the last barrier before Uley. I could feel his presence on the other side. I gave a nod, then kicked the wooden door wide open, the force sending it slamming against the wall. The moment it swung open, a barrage of machine gun fire erupted, the rounds tearing through the air in a hailstorm of deadly precision.

I immediately ducked for cover, just in time to avoid being shredded. But before I could get my bearings, an explosion rocked the hallway. A grenade trap—one we had barely dodged. The sound of shrapnel ringing off the walls confirmed it, and the gunfire from the machine gun ceased, likely to let the enemy reposition.

I peeked back out cautiously, but this time two bodyguards emerged from the smoke, AKs raised and aimed directly at me. Their fingers tightened on the triggers, and I had no time to think before they fired directly at my face.

The helmet tanked the shot without any trouble, but had it been Elene that did that, she might be killed. Well, maybe it was worth a shot. My weapon was still imbued with dark psionic energy, it might be worty trying to blind fire the whole magazine.

With my blue psionic bar running low, I knew it was time to deactivate [Demonic Enhancement] before it drained me completely. The moment I turned off the skill, the bloody red aura surrounding me dissipated, leaving me with only the raw power of my remaining energy.

I took a deep breath and blind-fired my machine gun into the room, hoping that the lingering dark energy would still guide the bullets, even without the full strength of the enhancement.

My gamble paid off. The gunfire tore through the air, and as the smoke cleared, I saw the aftermath—three bodies slumped on the floor. One of them had been the soldier manning the machine gun, while the other two were the bodyguards standing guard at the door leading to Uley. Their bodies were riddled with bullets, the heavy impact of my fire leaving little chance for them to react.

Elene chuckled, her voice laced with admiration. "You guys are scarily good, you know that?"

I didn’t take my eyes off the door, still focused on what lay ahead. "It’s just luck, and the fact that we don’t fear death," I replied, my voice steady, though my mind was racing. I stood right at the threshold of the door leading to Uley. The chaos inside had left me wondering what other surprises this man could have in store. Perhaps a missile launcher, for all I cared.

Then, the thought hit me, and I immediately regretted it.

Please don't be a jinx...

"Go ahead," Elene nodded, her eyes fixed on the door.

Without hesitation, I kicked the door open. What greeted me was unexpected—a bald man, dressed in a Soviet-style parka, clad in heavy armor, and wielding... a revolver grenade launcher? My mind momentarily stalled at the sight.

“You’re going to die, fucking feds!” he shouted, his voice thick with contempt.

Before I could react, a loud thump reverberated through the room, followed by a deafening explosion. The shockwave hit first, and then fragments of debris filled the air.

I instinctively threw myself in front of Elene, shielding her from the barrage of shrapnel. The metallic sting of fragments slicing through the air was deafening, but I managed to protect her as best as I could, my suit absorbing much of the impact.

"Bloody fucking hell," I muttered, gritting my teeth as the room filled with smoke and dust.

I heard Elene’s cough behind me, followed by her voice, strained but determined. “I’m alive. Get that motherfucker, Ain!” She quickly handed me the MG-338, her eyes fiery with the desire for vengeance.

Gripping the heavy weapon, I activated [Demon Enhancement], feeling the surge of power as the dark energy enveloped me once more. I then engaged [Focus], slowing down time, the world around me becoming a distorted blur. My senses sharpened, my heart pounding in sync with the rhythm of my thoughts.

I steadied the MG-338, my aim zeroing in on Uley’s helmet. A slight twitch of the finger and I pulled the trigger. The gun roared to life, sending a torrent of .338 caliber bullets toward him. They tore through the steel helmet like butter, the head behind it disintegrating in a violent explosion of gore.

I deactivated [Focus], and the world returned to its usual pace. Uley’s lifeless body crumpled to the floor, his final stand extinguished in an instant. The Milkor MGL rolled on the floor. It was interesting. However, there was a more urgent matter.

“Damn, this is bad, isn’t it?” Elene muttered, wiping blood from her mouth, her face pale but her voice still sharp. She coughed violently, blood splattering onto the floor beside her.

I quickly turned to her, the weight of the situation settling in. "Elene, damn it, you’re hurt." I stepped toward her, but she waved me off, clearly trying to push through it.

“Just give me a healing spell, Ain, I’ll be fine,” Elene added.

I placed my gloved hands over Elene's torso, channeling the healing psionic energy into her body. The glow of the psionics flickered faintly beneath my palms, spreading warmth through her wounds. Her breathing was erratic.

I kept pouring the energy into her, making sure that she stayed alive. I suspected rib fractures, but I wasn’t sure. Her breathing steadied, the erratic coughs less frequent, though the blood still stained her lips. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make her combat effective again.

“Well, that’s one target down,” I said quietly, my gaze shifting toward the hallway. "Two more to go."