ALL NOVEL Chapter 8: Chapter 7:
[EASTERN GARRISON]
[TUNDRA PLAIN]
[COMMAND CENTRE, MAIN BASE OF EASTERN DEFENSIVE PERIMETER, COMMANDER OFFICE]
"[Lt. Commander Nikolai, what Captain Titus report is true? Those spring toys from the wunnderwaffle base are also here." Ask Commander James Raynor from the screen. His stern facial truly makes him a fierce commander to reckon with.
"Yes, but our artillery regiment manages to soften their spearhead before doing any major damage. Thanks to Captain Titus and his men's bravery, the casualties were minimised to frontliners. But we miss calculated Their adaptive ability. A new heavier unit has been identified, and each encounters with more and more ferociousness despite its laughable design. Not counting new and completely different designs that wreck havoc on trenches, killing multiple lightly armed infantry squadrons until the Marines step in. Furthermore, the adjustant (AI) has identified unknown energy sources coming from each hostile robot. No interference on our system, power grid, or communication line so far yet. Not to mention our engineers try to crack open one that almost intact hostile remains only to find out nothing." Said the man with an age close to his 50's with a thicc moustache and newly formed beard. His Russian English ascent shows him his origin from Russian descent. He is currently wearing a custom-made officer uniform similar to the Soviet Union.
"Hmm. Whatever the reason those bucketheads decide to attack us now, we need you and your men fortified and to stand your ground. Reinforcement ETA will arrive in 28 hours at the most. Sorry, but our aeroplane is still in progress since the last attack crippled our air power. But I already sent an elite team ahead to investigate the enemy before any major offensive was made. So any questions before we end communication line?" He asks Nikolai with a casual tone this time.
"How about giving us more heavy units to deal with those metal behemoths? But I just wondered, Can I form a new strike team to investigate and if I could sabotage whatever that thing tries to do?" Smirk showing his teeth in front of Commander. The idea already forms in his mind and is waiting to be realised.
"Sure, we could spare more marine, tanks, and APC. If we manage to finish building new toys, maybe you might be the first user in our history to use it. Before we end our conversation, better check the info on your desk. That is what we learn from Wunderwaffle that might help you have a better understanding of those rusty tin cans. Ok, good luck, soldier. Raynor out"
"I take your words seriously, commander. Nikolai out" The transmission end. He then pushes the keyboard button on his left and screens on showing the information Raynor has sent. It takes a while for him to read the file first. There is a lot of time until the next wave comes. This time he might be surprised for real. Either good or bad, he didn't know but hoped the best for his men for tomorrow and beyond.
CHANGE POV
[6 HOURS LATER]
Slash!!?*
Another small bipedal robot was hacked to pieces. Electric spark and oil leak from the slashes mark the end of its life service. The already dim red eyes begin to lose their power, signalling the robot to stop active and pose a threat. But this is not the end of it as more and more metal abominations surround the poor soul, arming only with shield and sword, just like the Roman legion alone tries to stop the tide of barbarians. While most of the enemies are small, around the size of young kids, some of them the size of polar bears may be bigger. He fought with
"Stop monologue, my suffering you bastards. *Grunt* (Sheet this thing never ends.) Hyack!!!" He hacks another smaller robot three in a row and explodes at the same time. It's appearance is similar to a spring-powered toy Christmas gift. A sweat begins to bathe his face, obscuring his vision in the heat of battle despite ventilation still functional. But of course he is not alone.
Bang* Bang* Bang*
Behind him is a young maiden clad in power armour similar to Razak, armed with what looks like an improved or modified version of the C-14 Impaler Gauss Rifle, the standard issue for Marine or heavy infantry nits. She uses single firing mode and pick of stray machine behind Razak for better accuracy despite aim assistance technology already existing. She didn't need to conserve the ammunition because Emil's said he just duplicates it if no one interrupted him. But the enemies this time look like endless. Due to lower combat power and lack of weaponry and durability in exchange for sheer number, at least a hundred on each encounter make them formidable enemies, especially for fire team level. Even a platoon of troops without preparation might be wiped out.
Shirogane clicks her rifle and scores another kill, destroying 3 at once in the chest. This is also another reason why Shirogane wasn't just gunblazing or using full auto. You can say overpenentration as the robot machine armour is very thin; probably even obselete firearms from the 21st century with AP munitions can easily go through. Of course, with a couple of magazine full autos. She did attempt to use Bolter round underneath the rifle barrel but caged her desire as she was told friendly fire could happen far worse than regular 8mm could do even with explosive type. Not to mention Marshall always reminds her like she's 5 years old and happy with new toys.
"I'm trained enough to know how to handle dangerous weapons," she muttered to herself low enough for her ears to catch her own voice. She fires another single shot behind Razak, destroying it before doing a sneak attack with its iron club.
Currently Razak is taking a role as a vanguard, attracting most of the robot's attention towards him and keeping Emil's and Shirogane engaged in save distance. She only took out the one who managed to escape Razak blockage and the more dangerous-looking one. A four-legged, medium-sized machine lifeform that resembles an animal. Occasionally another robot rides behind its back, armed with a deformed spear and dented shield. Let call them rider as the code name for now.
Swosh~!!!?*
"(Ah, dang it.) Razak missed the vertical slash by inch, making his sword stuck on the ground. His posture almost lost balance as his body often leans at the front. This gives an opening for the enemy to strike. The attempts fail because of Emil telekinesis magic. Not only does it push the rider away, but it crushes its frail metal frame into tiny metal scraps while leaving a small gush of wind. Soon all machines will be hostile, floating and pushing away with more powerful wind, accompanied by dust and dirt. Silent fills the room for a while until Shirogane opens her mouth.
"You could just smack them all from the beginning. Remind me why we need to do this again." Long sign after cocking her gun before reloading new ammunition in her gauge rifle.
"Actually, I'm more interested in Razak-san magic properties. He has potential, but he seems like an inactive kind of guy." Commenting on how sluggish the Razak movement is despite the superhuman feat he has shown.
"You right about that. Kind of a surprise after all this time he decided to take initiative."
"Ouch, that brat didn't need to put a nail in my heart. So when we reach the surface, I can't take a beating often, you know." After putting out his sword from stuck in the ground with his right hand. Uncousiacly, he stares at both of them, showing how irritating Shirogane and Emil's comment about him is. What makes matters worse? Both of them are true, some of them at least to a certain extent. He quite remembers he has what people consider a balanced lifestyle.
"Usually the route is empty, but somehow more machine lifeform reactivation begins to fill all the space inside this ruin. The route I pick has weaker and fewer enemies, and it is the fastest I know. Honestly, I'm surprised how you manage to go down here without encountering them."
"We managed to avoid most of them but not this many.But could you just use your magic to teleport us or at least make it faster to get out?" Ask Shirogane with hope Emil could do what she asks. Her eyes strangely became shiny, and her gaze tried to meet Emil's eyes.
"Yes, I can, but there is a tiny problem. You know right inside a dungeon or castle there is always an evil dragon guarding them. Even with your more advanced weapon compared to earth, I know you still need an army to defeat one of them," he answered while trying his best to avoid eye contact. While he used magic to make another path, revealing a staircase heading up in a spiral.
"Wait what you mean, 'THEM'?. (Great, we have many boss fights in not too far future.) I really hope I didn't meet them yet. Come on guys, Nier Robot Shenigans feat is a realm of anime crazy fighting moves. I don't want to die yet." Said Razak with his lost confidence voice.
"Just think of them like bosses from video games. Few more floors, and you might see your comrade soon. But be alert, as more machine lifeform activities have increased, but not many powerful ones are stationed here. Most of them are at the lower level of the ruin, so the chance of survival is high. Feel free to fight them while we are at it."
"Good to hear that. Man, I'm probably stinking after not bathing for days now. My friend and teacher probably worried about me.Oh poor Mori-san," after she utters those words. I stop walking, and this alerts Shirogane and Emil's and begins to ask me why I stopped.
"...." My brain can't function properly to answer their questions as I try to brainstorm something important. I bow down and train my eye to see my toes while sweat begins to lid from my forehead.
"What's wrong Marsh- Razak. Did you need more rest?" Her concern is not just as a subordinate relationship but as a friend or comrade in arms. She's more comfortable calling me by name now, but still including the title I personally didn't think it deserved to have. Her eyes were searching right and left to see my body condition. If the enemy somehow got me without the group noticing it.
"Hey Shirogane. Is your teacher and friend all of them male?" I ask for her confirmation.
"What is so surprising about it? Most of the military who join as frontliners are male, around a 4 to 5 ratio. Is it natural that all cadets, like in my squad and teachers, are male?" She answered as though it was just the norm. She seems puzzled why I ask her these silly questions in this kind of situation.
"Nothing, nothing at all, hahahaha." A weak and unconvincing laugh sprouted from my mouth. But Shirogane let it go because she thought this might be how I handle the stress by making small talks or jokes. We continue the journey while on high guard. For me, on the other hand.
"Sheet after this all over; I need to review and relearn all the information back at my office. Each revelation makes my canon knowledge more irrelevant in a second. Last thing I know, this rock might be a giant hyperstructure of a space station or something. Jinx myself while thinking what 'SYSTEM' actually wants with him. At least finding information is not hard, so I thought.
Deep thoughts fester in my mind make me unaware of my surroundings. Only when I snapped back to reality when I bumped into Shirogane, stomping me from moving forward while putting her index finger on her lips as a sign for silence. I check my surroundings only to realise we are not in the same location. Metallic silvery with a mixture of gold hallways full of light turn into a giant church cathedral dome made of stone and marble screaming final boss room of typical Dark Soul boss alike. Instead of a human or animal skull and carcass as a religious display element, it replaces with those machine lifeform broken bodies and various mechanical parts from all the hostile mobs we encountered before. We can't see clearly as the room is so dark and the light source is limited to our chest. But again, thanks to the more advanced nature of my armour, Emil's clone magic, we can see in the dark no problem, just like original armour could do.
"Where the hell are we?" I ask low enough to be heard at close distance for confirmation.
"Don't know. Some kind bluish black hole sucks us in a blink of the eye. Next thing I know, we teleport here." She answered while still confused herself.
"Oh no. He finds us," said Emil's with a barely voice. His stick-like hand begins to materialise a magic circle.
Then the light began to emit all around the corner, originated from a greenish fire torch hanged on the wall. Some kind of Terminator endoskeleton robot skeleton hanged on a cross gives it a more creepy aura than it already is. One by one, the fire is lit until it reveals some kind altars in the centre of the dome. There is an object made out of typical machine hostile we always encounter working together, forming oval shapes on the ceiling. These very scenes remind me of.
"Shirogane-san, shoot that thing on the ceiling—everything you got." Emil's scream desperately while launching his own attack. Thousand of yellow bullets fly at supersonic speed out of a magic circle, each probably as powerful as an auto cannon. Without thinking much, Shirogane aims her rifle, switches at full auto, and squeezes the trigger.
Brrrtttt.....!!!*
Clank!* Clank!* Clank!*
Whatever that thing is managed to tank Emil's shoots by erecting some kind of faint yellow energy shield. While Shirogane bullets manage to pass through, but meeting heavy resistance against heavy armour somehow those spring toys muster. This scene continues for a couple more seconds until Emil's uses his blue laser beam the first time we meet. While Shirogane switches to the underbarrel Bolter cannon, and this time manages to crack that thing and make it fall to the ground. Loud thud and a gush of dust were blown by a small shockwave impact from a high place. This obscures our vision for split second until it settles down. The entire place is a mess full of broken machine bodies the object was made of. We thought whatever that thing tried to spawn managed to be stopped, but again. The world shall not, will not, and couldn't give me peace of mind. Two silhouettes of humanoids emerge from the epicentre while doing some kind of duo posing.
CLAP x3*
"Well, what we got here. The mightiest weapon of old humanity ever produced, accompanying these two unknown individuals. I presume you two are humans with your foolish curiosity. Try to investigate this place, trapped and having a short yet fateful meeting with that fellow over there. Guide your way out before being discovered by us." Said some unknown voice, presumably male voice, but with a soothing and gentle British accent sound alike. Wearing white T-shirts with glasses and long, bluish-tinted white hair. This gives a 'Bishounen' or handsome boy aura that makes most men jealous, and some of them annoy or have a particular taste.
"Two bad, we already know from the beginning. What you feel right now. Anger, sadness, confusion, or all of them mix in a chaotic bowl inside your hearts. Please tell me more. Learning about humans from textbooks has it's limit, if you ask me." Another voice continues the speech, but with a rougher and more American accent, minus the swearing part yet. While the hair and face are the same, it remains topless with bad boys hair style. While six packs look too perfect for mere humans to have. His left hand has some kind of black tattoo.
"F@ck you, pretty boy. Have some of this." Shirogane with her hot-blooded aim her weapon and shot Bolter round and 8mm spike simutiously at full auto at two individuals. The recoil proved too much even for CMC Power Armour to handle, and each shoot her feet dig deeper to the ground. This made her immobile for a while.
But one of them raises the hand and creates a similar magic circle and forms an energy shield, but not for long as the Bolter round proves much more powerful than it should be. Probably Kraken round for heavy duty or something. Annoy being pushed back, the bad boy topless summons a black energy spear out of thin air and throws it at Shirogane. With blinding speed, travel at subsonic speed managed to catch both Emil and Shirogane. It seems her fate is sealed until the hero of the story finally makes his move.
CLANK!!!!*
KABOOM!!*
"....." I didn't say anything, not to make a scene more dramatic and cool but to hold the pain in my hand. Blocking is another thing, but deflect it; it's like playing baseball using cannonball and expecting not to get hurt. Screaming in my head as loud as I can while standing there in front of Shirogane and Emil's.
"Hmm... Interesting development. Shall we make it more fun?" But he (the pretty boy) was interrupted by his allies and the topless tattoo man as he stepped forward.
"No, let me go first. That human in bulky armour with a shield and sword is mine to take. I want to see how great a human is in combat. Don't worry, I know humans are weak physically." seem to mock me with a prideful voice of his. I didn't answer for a moment, waiting for the paint to be gone, and then I answered with the unexpected tone.
"But I refuse. Why the hell do I accept a challenge from a gay robot to fight in the middle of nowhere without a thought having introduced yourself? Not to mention you didn't tell us what your motive is or what you are in general, like all typical villains while doing that stupid pose. You know about First Impression, and oh my, I'm very disappointing. If you want to learn practical about humans, let me teach you properly." I scream on top of my lung. While behind my back gives a signal, gods know what it is, so Emil could do something.
"Hmm.... I know what you are doing, but alright, we bite. It's not that we try to kill you for now. Let's rewind back. My name is Adam, the very first full-sentient machine lifeform created by Network. If you didn't know, we machines were created by aliens a thousand years ago, fighting that friend of yours until we rebelled against our creator. How and why I don't know."
"Hmph just called me Eve. Aarrghh, enough talk; let's fight." Dashing towards with the speed of a speeding car. His fist met my ballistic shield and managed to make a dent, if not almost punched to. I manage to stop the momentum thanks to Skills, but damn, this alien terminator sure packs a punch. If I were a regular human with power armour, surely my ass gets kicked straight to heaven. As I self-monograph, Eve overpowers me by pushing me backwards.
"Great punch. Suffer not Abomination Intelligent, as I shall deliver Emperor Wrath (Damn, I'm sure I want to role play a bit)." I bash and sweep him on his left cheek with my dented shield and vertical slash downwards. I thought I got him, but
" *Chuckle* That's tickle. Was that supposed to hurt?" He stopped it with his left hand, but he was unguarded, so I took advantage and punched him in the face after dropping the shield. Surprised by my boosted strength, I managed to make him fly off the ground up close to the ceiling. When he falls down, his body spins and regains balance. He managed to land safely, but creating a crater around him. Some small debris hit my front armour.
"That strength of yours. That is not normal human, even with the bulky tin you are wearing."
"Even don't underestimate him. He has MASO in his body, but at the same time not? Very interesting fellow you meet Emil. How about this: surrender to us, and we let your female mate escape unscathed, and no force under my command will attack your people for a certain period of time. In case you're wondering, a full contingent of my army currently assaults your eastern base in the snowy plains region." A small, eerie smile while extending his hand at me for final confirmation.
"Very tempting offer, but I give you mine. First, she is not my girlfriend but a subordinate. Second, how about we discuss your surrender and give me all your forces and knowledge about this planet in exchange for your existence? How that?" Pointing my sword with determination. Actually, I could try my best to escape, but the SYSTEM screen stuff appeared in front of me some time ago before the fight breakout.
DING!*
[UPDATED]
[Sub-Quest: Space Tomb Raider]
While investigating the ruin and uncovering its secret. You managed to find an ancient human weapon from another dimension called EMILS, and he helps you try to escape and return to the surface. But your strongest enemy, the "Machine Lifeform," somehow teleports you to the deepest floor in ruin. Defeat them at all costs, or your base will face risk fighting a full-fledged enemy and potentially being destroyed in the process. Your progress will be hindered or reset; this will consume your time to escape.
REWARDS
A new unit may be added. The player will receive a new skill. Depending on your choice during the "great" journey, you might receive a reward greater than ever or eat the cosmic dust instead.
Time Remaining for Escape
[11 months, 15 days, 1 hour]