The stench of burning metal clung to the air, mixing with the acrid scent of scorched earth beneath Caleb’s boots. His breath came in short, shallow bursts, still haunted by the remnants of the battle. The Brachalisk and its swarm of maulers had nearly overwhelmed them, but they had managed to push through—barely. The battlefield was a graveyard of shattered military vehicles, their once-pristine surfaces now twisted and blackened, trailing smoke like the last breath of a dying titan.

Caleb shifted, his shield creaking under the strain as he checked his surroundings. Every step he took was heavy, as if the earth itself were holding him down. His muscles ached, every part of him on high alert. The battle had taken its toll on him, but there was no time for recovery. Not yet.

"I’m fine," Caleb muttered, but the words felt empty even to him.

Iris’s sharp voice cut through the tension. "You sure about that? You look like you’ve seen better days."

Caleb didn’t respond immediately. Instead, his gaze swept over their team, scanning the horizon with the same steely determination he had held throughout the fight. "We’re alive. But that doesn’t mean we’re safe."

The ground beneath their feet trembled, the ominous vibration vibrating through Caleb’s chest like a warning. The distant growl that followed sent a cold shiver up his spine. It wasn’t just the usual rumble of an approaching threat. This was something far worse. Something bigger.

Carter’s gaze snapped toward the noise, his fingers already twitching over the controls of his portal gauntlet. "It’s coming. And it’s not just big. It’s huge."

Jian, ever the quiet strategist, flexed his fingers, his posture coiled with readiness. His eyes, usually calm and calculating, were now sharp with intensity. He was prepared. Despite the exhaustion gnawing at him, the promise of danger was enough to push it all aside.

Then, through the haze of smoke and debris, it appeared.

The shimmer was almost imperceptible at first—a distortion in the air, like the ripple of heat rising from a desert floor. But it was moving too quickly for Caleb to track with his eyes. A bang sounded through the air—too loud, too fast to react to.

A bullet sliced past Caleb’s ear, the gust of wind from its passage brushing his cheek. Instinctively, he raised his shield. The world around him erupted in a series of violent blasts, debris scattering in every direction. The shot was a warning. A deadly game of cat and mouse had begun.

"Sniper!" Iris barked, already retreating behind a wrecked military truck. "And it’s not just any sniper. This one’s good."

Caleb’s grip tightened around his shield, his pulse thundering in his ears. His mind raced. "How good?"

"Better than me," Iris grunted, trying to find a clear angle.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The massive silhouette of Apex No.1 emerged from the shadow of a wrecked Brachalisk. Caleb's stomach dropped. Its mechanical body loomed over them like a towering nightmare, its limbs grinding with the sharp, mechanical rhythm of a machine designed for destruction. The red gleam of its faceless mask burned through the dimness, its cold eyes flickering with malevolent intent.

The ground vibrated underfoot as Apex No.1 shifted, preparing its weapons. The ominous hum of its energy cannons filled the air, and Caleb’s stomach churned. His shield felt heavier now, like a burden instead of a defense. The weight of this enemy was unbearable.

"Iris, any chance you can get a shot?" Caleb asked, his voice tight with urgency.

"I can see it," Iris responded, her voice low and controlled. "But it’s behind cover. I can’t get a clean shot without exposing myself. And I’m not about to hand it my head on a silver platter."

"Then we’ll have to make our own luck," Caleb said, his fingers clenched tight around his shield’s handle. He felt a surge of adrenaline flood his veins. They were about to face an enemy unlike any they’d encountered. The sense of finality hung over him like a shadow, but there was no room for doubt.

"Caleb!" Carter called, his voice edged with urgency. "Get to cover! Now!"

From above, the roar of an approaching ship filled the air, a sound that didn’t belong in the chaos of battle. Caleb turned just in time to see Luna’s drop ship descending from the smoke-filled sky, its engines screaming through the air.

"Stay low," Luna’s voice crackled over the comms, calm yet unyielding. "I’ll track its movements. You’ll get your shot if I can keep it distracted."

Caleb’s lips twitched into a wry grin. "Stay low? We’re already low on options here."

But the sense of hope that Luna’s arrival brought was enough to fuel him. "Copy that," he said, his voice steady despite the storm that raged inside him.

The drop ship’s engines roared as it unleashed a salvo of heavy artillery, each shot shaking the battlefield as explosions ripped through the air. The massive barrage aimed directly at Apex No.1. Each blast was deafening, but Caleb hardly heard them. His focus was fixed on one thing: the chance to fight back.

The hulking figure of Apex No.1 whirled toward the incoming fire, its mechanical arms raising with terrifying speed. In response, its energy cannons flared to life, unleashing beams of intense, searing energy that sliced through the air, their crackling hum filling the silence between each blast.

"Keep moving!" Caleb shouted, signaling for his team to advance. They couldn’t afford to wait. Not now.

The sound of gunfire was punctuated by the screeching of metal, the whine of energy blasts, and the rhythmic thud of their boots on the cracked earth. Caleb’s heart raced, but he didn’t let himself stop. They had to keep pushing forward.

The building ahead loomed closer, a fragile promise of cover. As they neared it, Stacy and Lysander arrived at the scene, weapons drawn, eyes scanning for threats. Stacy’s grin was all too familiar—dry, confident, ready for whatever came next.

"You called for backup?" she asked, her tone almost amused, though her eyes betrayed the seriousness of the moment.

"I didn’t think we’d need it this fast," Caleb muttered, though a part of him was relieved. They needed all the help they could get. "But that thing’s got us in its sights. We’re not out of the woods yet."

Lysander glanced up, his sharp eyes catching the faint flicker of a sniper shot grazing past them. "Guess we get to make this interesting then," he said, his voice steady.

The ground rumbled once more as Apex No.1's cannons hummed to life. Another barrage was coming, and this time, Caleb could feel the impact before it even hit.

"Get ready," Caleb called to his team, raising his shield, his stance unwavering. "We fight as one, or we don’t fight at all."

The words were simple, but they carried the weight of everything he was fighting for. His team. His friends. His future. The battle wasn’t just against Apex No.1; it was against the fear, the doubt, the failure that always lurked beneath the surface.

And as the first volley of energy blasts screamed toward them, Caleb felt a surge of clarity.

They had no choice but to win.

[End of Chapter]