City-21 “Kyiv”, UNSA Protectorate, Avril Dominion

Solomianskyi Landscape Park

Vasiliy Horobetz, August 12, 2049, 12:30 PM

Vasiliy Horobetz was no stranger to danger. His reputation was forged in the fiery crucible of the relentless corruption investigations of Kyiv and Odessa during his younger days. As the corruption faded into obscurity following the Wolfsburg Accords, he shifted his journalistic lens towards the murky realms of military corporations.

It was there that Vasiliy unearthed a veritable gold mine. He collaborated with giants like Armadillo, Aegis Corp, NSG, and dabbled with smaller factions ranging from the “Angels of Oblivion” to the ones like “Kaestu Brigades.” The stories he dug up were rich, grim, and filled with scandal – a serious war might have marked only once in his memory, but “armed incidents,” as the corporates coyly called them, were a perpetual affair. Corporations were omnipresent, forever inserting themselves into conflicts between Polises and States.

Vasiliy’s twin journalistic callings were corruption and warfare.

In Kyiv, the situation was just beginning to smolder, but Horobetz was already on the move. He was among the first to broadcast the horrific footage where the shaiszu savagely tore apart a crowd of five hundred in mere minutes. He captured the chaos from two vantage points: piloting his drone into the heart of the turmoil and from a rooftop nearby, using professional optics. The resulting footage was of excellent quality. Startlingly clear picture, close-ups, the strikes of “mantis” and “asps” in slow motion; the sheer brutality underscored by the shaiszu’s preference to abduct rather than kill on the spot.

This particular video, titled “Carnage at Vokzalnaya! People captured ALIVE!” exploded in popularity on his channel, amassing over 350,000 views in less than an hour.

After the “Carnage,” he caught the initial cleanup operations by the police and two “Armadillo” mobile brigades. However, he retreated as soon as heavy artillery came into play.

By 11 AM, Vasiliy was both exhausted and exhilarated – never in his career had he collected as much footage in a single day. The situation was horrific – monsters were ravaging his hometown, numerous human casualties, streets in ruins and fires blazing. Yet, the only thought that shone before his eyes was “Content!!!”

Wildversum Chapter 22 - Vasiliy Horobetz [https://i.imgur.com/tJnjg3o.jpg]

Forced to abandon his van with equipment in the parking lot – the city faced escalating urban gridlock, he switched to a sports motorcycle and sped to the banks of the Dnieper, towards Trukhanov Island, drawn by a bizarre atmospheric phenomenon...

In the end, he lost four racing pro-drones but managed to live-stream UNSA’s machinery in extreme detail. Despite fierce competition, Vasiliy managed to get closer than anyone else.

After a brief respite, during which the Protectorate issued several announcements, Vasiliy decided against the agreement and chose TACTA. After a moment’s consideration, he called his wife and sent her and their daughter away from the unfolding chaos to wait in a parking lot at the auto center on Teremky.

For himself, Horobetz was determined to be out of the city by 7:00 PM. He planned to escape along back roads, likely the 100-kilometer zone mentioned in the Protectorate messages won’t be thoroughly monitored in all this chaos. And if it were patrolled – he could weather the curfew overnight at any dacha. He was armed – a pistol at his side, a Mossberg pump shotgun with two boxes of shells in the car.

Leaving the city now, in the height of the conflict, would violate every fiber of his professional being.

Having analyzed the course of the Protectorate’s combat machines, Vasiliy Horobetz set his sights on the largest contingent, observing it for nearly forty minutes. Ten wings, each consisting of seven stormtroopers, and under their protection, three more wings each bearing four heavy drones – likely transporters or bombers, Vasiliy surmised.

This particular group caught his attention due to its unusual behavior, distinct from other UNSA machinery. Rather than engaging in skirmishes, they seemed to merely observe, moving along a circular route like a hawk hovering over a field, waiting for a larger prey to emerge from its burrow for a swift dive attack. Having witnessed virtually every type of military hardware crafted on Earth, Vasiliy understood that these drones, while similar in appearance to our terrestrial models, were controlled by a far more experienced intellect, one well-acquainted with these portal monsters and already devising cunning strategies against them.

As the predatory machines suddenly changed their course, realigning themselves and darting toward Solomianskyi Park as if given a new directive, Vasiliy’s intuition screamed: “This is it!”

This was footage he couldn’t afford to miss! With tires screeching, his motorcycle leapt from the overpass onto the pedestrian path below. The roads were useless anyway, jammed solid after the shutdown of the AIs that managed traffic.

Approaching the park, the sound of gunfire grew, though it was impossible to discern who was shooting at whom. Covering seven kilometers in just ten minutes, Vasiliy executed a sharp turn from Solomianskaya onto Volhohradskaya Street, but had to abruptly slam on his brakes, gripping the handlebars with all his might. Fortunately, the motorcycle had already slowed before the turn; otherwise, Vasiliy might have been thrown forward.

The roar of another volley jolted him, and to his shock, he realized the active gunfire was coming from the ground – below! Several black silhouettes spun through the air, performing dizzying acrobatics and managing to return fire. Among them were large drones, which Vasiliy assumed were likely bombers – they hovered in the air above the houses near the park and did not attempt to move closer.

But who was firing artillery from the ground? Horobetz would have been less surprised if giant “anti-air bees” or “earth-to-air dragonflies” – biological entities like everything else that emerged from the portals – had ascended. But here, it was artillery shells. And the tracers were rising in volleys from multiple positions!

Understanding the terrible risks, he still decided to get closer. He left his motorcycle in the parking lot of a luxury residential complex, rebuilt about five years ago.

He took out his pistol. The familiar weight in his hand offered a little reassurance, though minimally, considering a pistol against anti-aircraft guns was laughably inadequate. He had only four flying cameras left, all stowed in a container on his motorcycle. The rest of his equipment was either in the van or lost.

He attached three cameras to the holders on his tactical vest and, crouching low, ran toward the park. Aware of the dangers, Horobetz had not only drawn his pistol in advance but, after confirming the magazine was full, had taken off the safety.

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

Settling in dense bushes, Vasiliy momentarily set aside his gun, pulled out an action camera with a head mount, and put it on. After ensuring the live stream was active, he launched a drone. The smart device buzzed to life, rotors spinning, and the drone, wobbling, stabilized in mid-air. Vasiliy quickly switched on the live feed through the TACTA’s network. Controlling the drone through augmented reality, he cautiously flew towards the descent as the park and firing positions were located in a depression.

“Aha, and here’s the answer. Oh boy! Astonishingly, those things are using our own terrestrial weapons! Lacking their own artillery, and with teeth and claws suited only for close combat, they had chosen a different approach…”

A gust of wind briefly swept away the smoke, revealing details. Only Vasiliy's utmost professionalism allowed him to maintain control and not lose the feed, though the monster, shown in close-up, was overwhelmingly intimidating. It resembled an immense, unimaginable hybrid of a squid and a turtle if any comparison could be made at all, if you could even compare that chimera from an alien world to anything.

Six massive limbs dug into the ground, forming a sturdy base akin to a gun carriage. Armored with thick chitin plates on its sides and top, the beast resembled a tank on legs.

Briefly, the armors parted to reveal a viscous mass bristling with tentacles that seemed to engulf the barrel and mechanism of the anti-aircraft gun, now manipulating it with incredible speed, unseen even in rapid-fire turrets like those of the Aegis system during a missile attack.

Flames burst from the barrels, a short burst rang out, and the armor plates closed once more. The creature enveloped itself in smoke, drastically reducing visibility, yet it was evident that the retaliatory strike from the Protectorate’s drones had done no visible harm to the monster. For a few seconds, rounds pelted the armor, occasionally sparking, but the chimera merely crouched slightly on its monstrous limbs.

As the gunfire ceased, a gap appeared from which tentacles surged forth. Lifting a massive, heavy lid on the ground beside the beast, they pulled out another box of ammunition and vanished within. The living cannon’s armor snapped shut once more. The creature deftly shifted its stance, positioning itself anew.

Another biomechanical artillery unit emerged from behind the bushes. Swiftly it scuttled to a spot nearby. A second later, the sky was pierced by another volley. Tracking the trajectory of the projectiles, Vasiliy watched as two drones in the air were suddenly engulfed in flames and spiraled down to earth, leaving behind plumes of black smoke. The remaining crafts twirled in the air, evading further shots.

In a different context, one might jest about a “chicken-legged cannon,” but the reality was far from humorous. Could these creatures so effortlessly master any of our mechanisms? To operationalize use is far more complex than simply understanding theoretical principles, which itself could take military cadets months of study!

And where were these “artillery squids” manufactured? Could it be that deep within the portal lies a cache of some unimaginable biological “Lego-constructor,” allowing the shaiszu to swiftly craft monsters for any purpose? Or did these chimeras come directly from another world? Such thoughts swirled in Vasiliy's mind as he cautiously edged his flying camera forward, inching as close to the ground as possible.

Fortunately, this tiny unit went unnoticed, allowing him close access. Further observations revealed that the invaders might not have mastered the earth’s material as flawlessly as assumed. It seemed electronics were still beyond their grasp, and they aimed their cannons by mere sight.

The UNSA’s machine losses were minimal – besides the two recently downed drones, Vasiliy observed no other damage. Perhaps these “turtles” possessed something akin to dolphins’ sonar, or other biological sensors for detecting living organisms; otherwise, how else could they hunt humans so effectively? Yet here, all such abilities proved futile. Clearly, their vision couldn’t accurately target through smoke clouds, and sonars were useless amidst the cannonade.

This likely allowed the unified counterattack by the stormtrooper squadrons to break through the anti-air defense and sequentially suppress these living anti-air batteries. By detecting the rhythm of the armor opening during shots, Protectorate military machines managed to time their strikes perfectly, launching explosive payloads directly into the squids’ soft tissue.

To Vasiliy’s journalistic fortune, he captured the moment one of the “turtles” was hit! The barrel flew dozens of meters away, while slime and tentacle fragments splattered all around. Only four severed limbs remained, embedded in the damp soil.

The other surviving “tortoises” suddenly crouched, almost burrowing into the ground.

“Take that!” Vasiliy couldn't help but exclaim, just as a blinding flash of light struck his eyes. Moments later, a thunderous boom rang in his ears, like a monstrous gong.

So that’s why all this upheaval started here, that’s why the Protectorate's group was directed to this exact location!

A large portal began to open in the park, the largest Horobetz had ever seen. More biological cannons rushed in, likely receiving signals that the portal area was unguarded, initiating a new round of anti-air defense. But that was already irrelevant.

The portal opened wide, unleashing streams of smaller creatures. Turning his camera, Vasiliy zoomed in to the sphere’s core. One by one, gigantic limbs with meter-and-a-half-long pitch-black claws emerged. With powerful strikes, they cracked the concrete and asphalt, digging into the soil.

It seemed as if the entire colossal portal was transforming into a massive entity.

“Something horrible is about to happen,” Vasiliy realized. He hadn’t seen anything like it since the invasion began. At that moment, the intensity of the anti-air fire increased dramatically. It was as if the “turtles” were desperately trying to prevent anything from flying too close to the portal.

Looking up, Horobetz aw swift black silhouettes darting in the sky above him. Gaining speed, they maneuvered sharply to evade the barrage of fire, especially as new anti-air emplacements emerged from the portal, grounding themselves and opening their armored covers to fire.

The Protectorate’s drones, clearly attempting to cover the offensive, flamed out one by one. A heavy machine exploded in a brilliant flash right above the reporter, scattering burning debris to the ground and deafening him with its blast.

“Definitely bombers!” He thought.

Despite the attackers’ efforts, losses continued, and new “fire flowers” bloomed in the sky.

Something huge flashed, shooting out of the portal, but at that moment, Vasiliy was so engrossed in the unfolding aerial battle that he failed to notice it. The emerging beast immediately began burrowing into the earth. Clumps of dirt and concrete shot up all around. Within seconds, the creature had dug itself a massive trench and vanished within it completely.

The remaining two heavy drones inevitably found themselves caught in crossfire from the increasingly numerous portal-based anti-air emplacements. One heavy machine sharply broke left towards the ground, drawing fire onto itself, while a squadron of assault drones covered the second, sacrificing themselves under the barrage.

The bomber, now identified, hovered momentarily above the portal. A sleek object detached from it and sped towards the portal, stabilizers unfurling. The remaining Protectorate machines sharply turned and sped away, simultaneously gaining altitude.

As a man who had spent his life filming wars and particularly inhumane and convention-banned weapons, Vasiliy knew this machinery well. His eyes sent a single signal to his brain: “RUN!”

His brain responded, “We can’t fucking outrun it!” Instinctively, he angled his camera upwards, threw it to the ground in emergency mode, and flattened himself against the earth, seeking any semblance of a shelter.

An explosion resounded – not just an explosion, but a thump. “Is that all?” a layman might think. “A vacuum bomb!” Vasiliy realized. Two stages of the detonation, a monstrous feat of military ingenuity, followed one another rapidly, but to him, it seemed time had frozen. The camera feed halted, pieces of grass and soil hung in the air – it seemed Horobetz was literally trying to burrow into the earth with his hands...

These so-called “vacuum bombs,” or thermobaric weapons, are relics of Earth’s past. And apparently, the Protectorate had them in its past arsenal, too. Among the most powerful non-nuclear weapons ever created by humanity, they might indeed be one of the most effective methods against a portal. The first, relatively weak explosion disperses a vast cloud of potent aerosol explosives, and the second triggers a volumetric detonation of this dust cloud. Immense pressure and the resultant shockwave, working in concert with the natural forces of the atmosphere, leave nothing within the blast radius a chance of survival.

It seemed Vasiliy was lucky to be far enough from the epicenter, although he still took a beating – as he felt, the shockwave lifted him and the ground like a feather, shook him violently in a colossal shaker, and threw him back down. When his senses of hearing and sight returned – there was no trace of the portal left... but this was just the beginning.