The battlefield was quiet now, but the tension was a living, breathing thing.
I moved Damian near the entrance, propping his unconscious form against the fractured wall. His face was pale, his breathing shallow.
The dull hum of GAIA's warning system pulsed in the background, red flashes from my HUD casting flickering shadows across the debris-strewn ground. Each second ticked away like a countdown to catastrophe.
My fingers flew across my wrist console, sweat slicking the controls.
Codebreaker Override pinged with a satisfying ding, quelling GAIA's invasive surveillance. It felt like slipping out of a straitjacket, but I wasn't naive enough to celebrate.
[GAIA Surveillance Disrupted]
[Masking Surveillance Data]
A sharp breath escaped me. Small victories—that's all they ever were. GAIA's eyes were blind for now, but it wasn't permanent. It never was.
My gaze shifted to the portal, its swirling violet light a gaping maw that seemed alive, pulsating with an unnatural rhythm.
My stomach churned as unease coiled around my chest.
That thing wasn't just a doorway; it was an invitation—a promise of something far worse than the Serak sentinels we'd faced.
The stillness broke as the portal rippled, and my gut twisted. Something stepped through.
This wasn't another Serak. This was something else entirely.
Towering over me, it emerged with the quiet grace of a predator. Its lilac skin glistened under the sterile Tower light, a blend of organic muscle and mechanical precision that made my nerves tingle.
Four massive arms, each ending in claws that looked like they could carve through steel, rested at its sides. On its shoulder, it carried a warhammer so massive it could have doubled as a battering ram.
The ground trembled beneath its steps, and I felt the vibration crawl up my legs.
The creature stopped, its glowing yellow eyes locking onto me. In that moment, it felt like the entire battlefield held its breath.
This wasn't a soldier. This was a force of nature.
A faint buzz drew my attention as one of my drones zipped forward, its sensors scanning the intruder. Data scrolled across my HUD.
[Detecting Intruder]
Name: Arvoc Ishmel
Class: Berserker
Rank: S
Race: Durant
Origin: Serakis Planet, Denith Cosmos
"Oh, great," I muttered, the sarcasm thin against the weight settling in my chest. "The Seraks were just appetizers. This guy's the main course."
The Durant's lips curled into a predatory grin, fangs glinting like polished knives. He hefted his warhammer, the massive weapon resting on his shoulder with effortless ease. His voice was low, guttural, like the rumble of distant thunder.
"Well, well," Arvoc said, his tone dripping with mockery. "What do we have here?"
The translation clicked into my ear, courtesy of GAIA's system—ever the unhelpful guide in moments like this. My heart pounded, adrenaline surging as I gripped the hilt of my plasma blade. I was outmatched. That much was clear. But I wasn't about to back down.
"You the welcoming committee?" I shot back, my voice steady despite the chaos spiraling in my mind.
Arvoc's grin widened, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Oh, I like this one," he said, his massive frame shifting as he studied me. "Are you the warrior of this planet's Tower?"
His question made me pause.
Warrior of the Tower? What did that even mean?
My silence only seemed to amuse him further.
"What's a Durant doing here?" I asked, forcing my voice to stay calm. "Why invade this Tower?"
He laughed, a deep, resonating sound that sent shivers down my spine.
"Invade? How quaint," he said, gesturing to the portal behind him. "This is the way of things. Towers exist to be destroyed. Yours, ours—it's all the same. Survival of the strongest. You must be… what's the term? Ah, yes. A newbie."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My mind reeled, trying to process the implications. The Towers weren't tests—they were battlegrounds. Interplanetary arenas. GAIA wasn't a protector. It was a puppeteer.
My jaw tightened as anger simmered beneath the surface. I couldn't afford to let it show. Not now.
"Are you alone?" I asked, buying time as I assessed the situation.
"For now," Arvoc said, his smirk never faltering. "Though it seems you've already dealt with my minions." He gestured to the scattered remains of the Serak sentinels.
His gaze shifted to the Tower Guardian behind me, its crystalline form flickering weakly. "Ah, there it is," he mused. "Your Tower's Guardian. Pity it's not much of a fighter. But why bother with that when I can smash you first?"
Before I could react, he moved.
One moment, he was standing near the portal; the next, he was in front of me, his warhammer coming down with a speed that defied logic. I barely raised my shield in time. The impact sent me skidding backward, my boots scraping against the floor as the shock rattled my teeth.
"Fast," I muttered, recalibrating my stance. "Big guy's got moves."
Arvoc laughed, the sound echoing off the walls. "Nice suit," he said, circling me like a predator. "It'll look better on me."
"Not happening," I grunted, activating my plasma blade. The weapon hummed to life, its energy crackling with lethal intent.
I deployed the Drone Swarm, sending the units zipping into position. Their feeds appeared on my HUD, locking onto Arvoc with surgical precision.
[Drone Swarm: Active]
[EMP Barrage Ready]
"Let's see how you like this," I muttered, triggering the EMP Barrage. The wave of electric blue energy exploded outward, shorting out the lights and sending sparks flying. Arvoc staggered, his armor hissing and sparking.
But then he straightened, his expression darkening. "Tricks," he growled, his voice a low rumble. "You rely on tricks?"
"Nope," I said, leveling my blade. "I rely on skills."
The battle exploded into chaos. Arvoc's warhammer struck with terrifying force, each blow sending shockwaves through the battlefield.
But I was faster.
The Mecha Suit's enhancements kept me one step ahead, my movements precise and deliberate. The drones fired relentlessly, their attacks disrupting his rhythm.
But then, the portal flared again. My heart sank as a second wave of Serak sentinels poured through, their spindly forms skittering toward the weakened Tower Guardian.
"Great," I muttered, adrenaline surging. "Because one existential threat wasn't enough."
The drones shifted, creating a defensive perimeter around the Guardian, but it wasn't enough. Cracks splintered along the crystal's surface, its energy faltering.
"You're starting to understand, aren't you?" Arvoc taunted, his grin widening. "This is just the beginning. Your Tower is a prize—one of many in a game far beyond your comprehension."
"What game?" I demanded, slashing at his armor.
"The game of survival," he said, parrying effortlessly. "Your planet's Tower stands until it's conquered. And then? No more Tower. No more planet."
The truth hit like a gut punch, but there was no time to process it. I deployed the Electromagnetic Barrier, absorbing his blows as the drones picked off the remaining sentinels.
With one final surge, I activated the Overload Pulse. The shockwave tore through the battlefield, crackling with energy. Arvoc roared, his armor finally failing as his body convulsed with electricity.
"Now or never," I whispered, my heart racing.
I launched forward, activating the Mecha Suit's enhanced speed. My plasma blade slashed through the air with deadly precision, striking at the weak points in Arvoc's armor. Sparks flew as I pressed the attack, each strike pushing him closer to the edge of defeat.
But he wasn't done yet. With a snarl, Arvoc swung his warhammer in a desperate arc, the force of the blow sending me sprawling. Pain flared in my side, but I rolled to my feet, ignoring the ache.
"You've got fight in you," Arvoc growled, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth.
"Yield," I growled, my voice low and edged with a dangerous calm. The plasma blade in my grip hummed, its light casting sharp shadows across Arvoc's battered frame.
The Durant berserker staggered, his breaths ragged and labored. Blood smeared his lilac skin, mixing with the crackling sparks of his ruined warhammer. His glowing yellow eyes still burned with defiance as they locked onto mine.
"You think this is a victory?" His voice was a guttural snarl, full of venom and spite. "This is just one Tower. One battle. You'll never stop what's coming."
The weight of his words pressed against me, a grim reminder of the storm brewing beyond this fight. But I didn't flinch. I met his gaze, steady and unyielding, the tip of my blade inches from his chest.
"Maybe not," I said, the sarcasm and resolve intertwining in my tone. "But I'm stubborn as hell, and I don't quit."
His sneer faltered, just for a moment, as if he hadn't expected that answer.
I didn't give him time to respond. With a calculated thrust, I drove the plasma blade into the core of his warhammer, shattering it in a cascade of sparks and light.
The blast threw him backward, his massive frame collapsing into the jagged debris as the portal behind him flickered violently, then imploded with a deafening roar.
Silence followed. The kind that rings in your ears and sits heavy in your chest.
[Tower Mission Completed]
[Distributing Rewards...]
[Bonus Mission Completed]
[Distributing Rewards...]
The notifications blinked across my HUD, but I barely noticed. My eyes remained fixed on the remnants of the portal, its energy dissipating into nothingness.
One battle down.
A million more waiting.
But for now, the Tower stood. For now, we had a chance.