Chapter 15: Targets
Rick knew he couldn’t pass out here; whatever had hit him would strike again. Trying his best, he concentrated again, his thoughts racing, and he began to notice several details. Whatever had hit him had entered through his back and exited near his abdomen. It was quick, but he could feel it, and Joe, who was still running towards him, screamed and looked up at the sky as if warning him of some danger, confirming it.
With just a thought, his huge axe disappeared into his inventory, and a smaller one appeared in his dominant hand. In his left hand, a level 1 crystal appeared, and Rick stuck it directly into the wound. This was something that only he knew would work as first aid.
Biting his tongue to help maintain consciousness, he turned around, trying to look in the direction Joe was looking.
But when he finished turning around, all he saw was a circular blue energy disappearing into the sky. A burst of gunfire from the soldier made the circular light appear in the air again, but it soon disappeared as he dodged the shots. Rick knew what had hit him: a stealth attack drone. This type of drone was exclusively for military use, but he had never seen one of these with so much firepower. And the worst part was that such a thing shouldn’t even be working after the start of the apocalypse. Rick struggled to get to his feet and shouted:
"DON’T COME CLOSE!"
Joe, Maya, and the soldier stopped before they got any closer, obeying his order. Their eyes turned to the sky, searching for the object again.
Rick continued to support his left hand on the wound and made a throwing pose with his right hand using the small hatchet. Taking a deep breath, he concentrated, trying to use at least a fraction of the power he would only gain after becoming a level 3 mutant...
He knew that the drone would lower its shields during the next attack, and it was likely that, since it had failed the first time, it would try to get closer this time... Still in the throwing pose, he concentrated as much as possible and continued to move slowly, turning his body, not leaving his back exposed for too long.
The complete silence and the anticipation of what would happen left everyone watching Rick anxious and breathing heavily...