The IFV moved out of our previous open area and sped off into the grassland. With the auto mortar dealt with, we didn’t have to dodge left and right to deal with the mortar. In the distance, the automata outpost came into view. Smoke from the destroyed mortars still lingered in the air.
“Ain, are you there? Switch to thermals,” Elene signaled through the radio.
I switched to the thermal vision of the gunner camera and looked at the outpost. A bunch of humanoid faceless robots were scrambling for defense. On the hill near the outpost, two figures were standing beside an armored vehicle.
“Can you see me?” Elene asked.
“I can see you clearly,” I replied.
“That’s us, don’t shoot at us, copy that?” Elene asked.
“Sure thing,” I said.
I scanned the targets through the IFV’s targeting display as Alice navigated the vehicle with steady precision. The bumpy terrain didn’t make things easy, but she managed to keep the ride smooth enough for me to focus on the battlefield ahead.
The enemy units came into view, and I studied them carefully. They weren’t simple machines—they were androids, humanoid in shape but distinctly mechanical in appearance. They had dark armor platings with a strange marking on their bodies.
The largest androids stood like towering juggernauts, their reinforced frames plated with thick armor. They were carrying miniguns and missile launchers, the massive barrels rotating idly as if they were already prepared to shred anything that came too close.
The medium androids were more versatile, equipped with an assortment of weaponry. Some carried sleek assault rifles, while others had marksman rifles slung over their shoulders. Their slimmer builds suggested they were faster and more agile than their heavier counterparts, but no less dangerous.
Then there were the smallest units, darting around the perimeter like restless predators. They carried compact SMGs in their hands, but what caught my attention was the long machete strapped to each of their hips.
“Why are they called facsimiles?” I asked.
“Because that’s the official designation the Federation gave them,” Alice replied, her tone matter-of-fact as she kept her attention on the controls. “Automata is more of a blanket term—a misnomer, really—for any unit associated with this robotic faction. Their headquarters are still a mystery, by the way.”
She then explained through the radio, “Facsimiles specifically refer to the humanoid models. The ones trying really hard to mimic us.”
“So it’s not just these guys?” I pressed.
Alice shook her head. “Not even close. You’ve got the tanks, the IFVs, the mechs... anything that doesn’t fit the humanoid mold falls under a different classification. Facsimiles are just the ‘foot soldiers,’ so to speak.”
“Fair enough,” I replied, aiming the autocannons at the facsimiles, but I hadn’t pulled the trigger yet, I was still waiting for the order to come from Elene since she would be on the most important part of this assault and make the job of us two easier.
The two figures walked toward the outpost. I observed the group. There was something weird about it, the two figures were having a rather dim thermal signature, almost blending to the background thermal radiation.
Maybe this was what Elene meant when she was a rogue paladin, she could do stealth mission while having a plan B at the ready. I wasn’t too sure about what their plan, or how Mira could identify the command facsimile.
Alice grinned as she gripped the steering controls tighter. “Alright, boss, let’s give them a show.”
The IFV roared forward, its armored wheels crushing the terrain beneath us as we approached the outpost. The facsimiles reacted instantly, their movements sharp and precise as they began to reorient themselves toward the incoming threat.
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I activated my [Focus] to slow down my perception of time. The turret rotation became much slower, and the vehicle was moving really slowly as the rushing facsimiles scrambled for cover. In the midst of the slowing down, I fired the autocannons.
A stream of bullets erupted from the autocannons, their thunderous roar cutting through the chaos. The 30mm APFSDS rounds tore into the two heavy facsimiles guarding the entrance to the outpost, shredding their torsos and severing their limbs with ruthless efficiency. Sparks and twisted fragments of metal scattered like shrapnel as the towering androids crumpled, their systems failing instantly.
Before their bodies even hit the ground, I swiveled the turret toward a cluster of medium facsimiles. The armed androids were raising their assault rifles, aiming directly at the IFV. I squeezed the trigger again. The autocannons spat another deadly burst, punching through their armor with ease. The facsimiles jerked violently as the sabot rounds ripped through their cores, sending plumes of sparks and shattered components flying in all directions.
“Nice one, Ain,” Alice’s voice crackled through the comms.
I didn’t have time to reply. The battlefield shifted again as the remaining units began to scatter, their coordination visibly breaking down. The smaller facsimiles moved like predators, darting toward the IFV with speed.
Even with their erratic zigzag patterns and inhuman reflexes, the autocannons tracked them effortlessly. The turret rotated smoothly, locking onto the nearest group. I fired another burst, the rounds tearing through their ranks with brutal precision. The first facsimile disintegrated under the impact, its body exploding into a shower of sparks and shredded metal. The others followed quickly, their glowing heat signatures flaring brightly in the thermal display before fading into darkness.
“AIN, STOP! I WANT SOME OF THEIR BODIES INTACT!” Mira’s voice burst through the comms, startling me out of my killing spree.
I scanned the outpost again, my eyes narrowing as I toggled through the thermal and standard vision modes of the turret camera. Still nothing. No movement. No heat signatures. Just the glowing wreckage of facsimiles I’d destroyed and the scattered outlines of active enemies scrambling to regroup.
Where were they? Elene and Mira couldn’t have just disappeared. Could they?
A thought nagged at the back of my mind. Why hadn’t Elene used this stealth ability back in Solimat, when everything had gone to hell? It would’ve made things so much easier—smoother, cleaner. Was it because of some restriction? A cooldown?
I scrubbed the thought away as I only focused on the facsimiles that remotely gave any threat to the IFV slowly approaching the outpost. Alice wasn’t even concerned one bit about this bum-rush tactic, but again, our vehicle’s health bar didn’t reduce despite the heavy incoming fire.
I tracked another group of mediums as they moved behind the cover, their weapons glowing faintly in the thermal spectrum. They were aiming at the IFV’s tires—smart, but not smart enough. I shifted the turret, lining them up in my crosshairs. My finger hovered over the trigger, ready to fire.
“AIN, I SAID STOP!” Mira’s voice barked through the comms again, louder and angrier this time. “You’re blowing up everything! I need some of them intact!”
I groaned and released the trigger, the turret going still for a moment as I clenched my jaw in frustration. “Do you want to come up here and shoot them yourself?” I snapped back. “Because I’m not exactly built for precision when I’m being shot at!”
“Disable them!” Mira shot back, her tone unwavering. “Aim for their legs, arms—anything that keeps them from turning into molten scrap! We need the cores and neural modules intact if you want me to figure out their software!”
I sighed, hard, “Whatever.” Instead of firing a full burst, I squeezed the trigger lightly, sending a controlled stream of rounds into their legs. The bullets shredded their limbs with brutal precision, sending them tumbling to the ground in spasms of sparks and twitching metal.
“There, happy?” I grumbled.
“Much better,” Mira replied, her tone sharp but satisfied. “Now keep it that way.”
Two dim thermal signatures—barely visible, blending almost perfectly into the background. It had to be Elene and Mira, slipping through the chaos toward their objective. They seem to be approaching a single heavy facsimile.
“They’re closing in,” I muttered, mostly to myself.
“Which one?” Alice asked, glancing at me.
“Both,” I replied. “They’re near the command facsimile. I think Mira’s going to try hacking it.”
The dim thermal signature then got closer to the heavy facsimile and one of the figures stabbed the facsimile with a blade. The facsimile shot its gun all over the place, raining lead bullets everywhere, and then suddenly, it stopped.
Not only the heavy facsimile stopped, but the whole facsimiles in the whole outpost stopped moving. It looked like, whatever Mira did to the heavy facsimile, it worked flawlessly in disabling all of them. They stopped shooting and stood still, lifeless and motionless.
[Exiting Combat: +18,000 EXP]
[Level Up: 18 → 20]
[48 Stats Points Available]
[10 Skill&Perks Points Available]
[New Class: Restorationist]
[Skill Change: Healing Hands +10 > Healing Aura]
[Quest Completed]
[2,122,947 UC → 5,622,947 UC]
[Healing Aura]
You possess the extraordinary ability to heal others without the need for physical contact. Your healing extends across distances, allowing you to mend injuries and restore health from afar. Additionally, this power can address and cure pathological conditions.
“Alright, new skill, new class.”