Chapter 205: The New Enemies
Kai had brought back twenty Steelbreaker Swords from Haven‑45.
They were weapons that worked surprisingly well against the mechanical army despite being blades.
For some reason, they carried an additional effect similar to steel bats... They had crushing power hidden within them, and against machines, that force was invaluable.
Now, outside the shelter walls, the threat had arrived.
The ground trembled as fifty mechanical Hounds scrambled up the barricades...
The fifty of them weren’t a small matter...
Their metal claws could easily tear through their shelter’s crudely made barriers.
They were also strong enough to crush the bones of unlucky Survivors if they allowed themselves to get beaten...
"Front liners, move!" Kai ordered.
The workers who had been given Steelbreakers rushed forward, gripping the heavy swords with both hands.
Behind them, ten others raised their carbines, ready to provide covering fire.
Mei, Aurora, and Amer stood among the fighters...
They were determined to increase their experience points!
Kai, however, remained at the rear.
He had already decided that this battle would be theirs.
Every kill would go to them, so their experience points would rise faster.
***
Soon, the first Hound leapt over the wall, and it immediately started attacking or biting the nearest person...
"Let’s try this now!"
The Steelbreaker swung with a powerful force, smashing into the creature’s side.
Bam!
Instead of slicing, the blade’s hidden force crushed the Hound’s frame, sending sparks flying as it collapsed!
"Whoa..."
"That’s strong!"
"Steelbreaker it is!"
"Good! Keep hitting them hard!" Aurora shouted, firing her rifle.
Her bullets pierced through another Hound’s leg, slowing it down before a Steelbreaker finished the job.
Mei, however, dashed forward as she wanted to test the Steelbreaker and learn whether it would actually hurt or not...
Soon, she struck a Hound across the head!
Bam!
The force from the move made her almost release the sword as it felt like it stung his hands. Nonetheless, the Steelbreaker’s crushing effect dented its skull until the machine fell limp.
She didn’t stop... another came at her, and she turned, slamming the blade into its chest.
Amer, though less experienced, fought with surprising focus.
His Spirit Sense was now fully in use... It was warning him of a Hound rushing from his blind side. He turned just in time, swinging his Steelbreaker upward. The blade connected, shattering the Hound’s jaw before it could bite.
"This Steelbreaker Sword is just too good."
Kai watched silently, as he slowly scanned the battlefield.
The survivors were scrambling, but they were holding their ground. The Steelbreakers were proving their worth.
The carbines were also being used, peppering the Hounds with suppressive fire.
Each shot weakened the machines, making it easier for the front liners to finish them off.
Still, the Hounds were not stopping...
More climbed over the wall with their claws digging into the barricades.
One worker was knocked down and a Hound went for his throat... but Aurora’s bullet struck it perfectly, piercing its eye.
The machine collapsed before it could finish the attack.
"Stay together!" Kai called out. "Don’t let them isolate you!"
The survivors tightened their formation, fighting back‑to‑back. Steelbreakers were continuously swinging in heavy arcs, crushing frames and snapping joints that they could hit.
Then, to ensure that they would not get overwhelmed, the carbines fired in bursts, keeping the pressure constant.
[ Enemy Unit Destroyed: Hounds (D) ]
[ Experience Points distributed among all participants. ]
[ +200 Experience Points ]
Soon, even Mei’s blade smashed into another Hound, and the damaged circuitry created sparks everywhere!
Still, its body crumpled. She breathed heavily as her sweat dripped down her brow. It seemed like it was a dangerous move, but her eyes were focused...
Meanwhile, Aurora reloaded quickly, as she made sure that she had enough ammunition around her.
After this, she fired again, taking down another Hound that tried to flank them.
At the same time, Amer’s Spirit Sense noticed something...
He looked up just in time to see a Hound leaping over the barricade. He swung his Steelbreaker upward, catching it mid‑air. The crushing force shattered its chest, sending it crashing to the ground.
Thud!
’They’re moving faster and faster... They’re adapting a bit too well. This has to be patched...’
The battle raged on. The survivors fought desperately, but their teamwork held.
One by one, the Hounds fell. Their mechanical bodies littered the ground...
Kai remained at the back as he calmed himself.
He could have joined in, but this was their fight. Every kill meant more experience points for Mei, Aurora, Amer, and the others. They needed this growth.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the last Hound was struck down. Its body collapsed with a metallic thud, and silence fell over the battlefield.
"We’ve done it!"
"Heck yeah!"
"We defeated those things... Incredible."
The survivors panted heavily as they all couldn’t help but thank Kai, who wasn’t too far...
The Steelbreakers were dented, but they had held strong thanks to his support.
Aurora lowered her rifle... "I hope there’s another enemy. That’s... fifty down."
Mei wiped her forehead, her grip still tight on the Steelbreaker. "We did it."
Amer looked at Kai and thanked him silently....
Kai nodded slowly as he was only doing what he had to do.
"Good work. Every one of you fought hard."
The survivors exchanged tired smiles.
Kai turned his gaze toward the horizon. The night was far from over. More enemies would come. But for now, the shelter stood, and his people had proven themselves.
"Rest for now," he said firmly. "Tomorrow, we’ll face whatever comes next."
The survivors nodded, as they all felt relieved with how they had managed to survive so far...
They had endured, and they had won all their battles... They were at least confident that they could survive until the end of the Global Event.
***
Two days passed. The survivors had barely recovered from the relentless waves of Swarmers, Drones, Hounds, and Hunters...
But the night sky looked eerie again.
"Hmm?"
Kai was the first to notice the faint hum... It was a vibration that grew louder, heavier, until the ground itself seemed to vibrate.
He stepped outside, and his eyes went wide!
There it was.
The disk‑shaped vessel, Dominion, had come!
Furthermore, it wasn’t alone this time!
Two Aerial Gunships or the Impulse vessels flanked it like escorts!