A Plan of An Option

Before the innumerable attacks could land, the mecha stood silently, as if calculating the most effective way to dodge them.

A millisecond later, it vanished—then reappeared some distance away, effortlessly evading Puffy's slashes and the thousands of needles.

But the needles adjusted their trajectory mid-air. Puffy charged again, radiating intense killing intent.

None of it worked. The mecha dodged every single one at insane speed. Even when I surrounded it from all angles, it slipped through the gaps, leaving only afterimages.

Despite its incredible agility, it never struck back. That puzzled me.

*Can it not attack while dodging?* I wondered, turning to the idiot who summoned this thing.

Gone. Seriously?

Now what? My original plan's toast. If it could dodge those needles, a tank drop of water would be nothing.

Just as I was formulating a new plan, a chill ran down my spine. Something was wrong.

I turned my attention back to the battlefield.

As if Murphy's Law had activated, the mecha clenched its fist. Its body glowed gold, and yellow sparks of electricity trickled from its limbs.

The glow intensified until it exploded like a flashbang, turning everything white. Electricity spread outward in a dome, engulfing the area.

Inside the dome, my thousands of needles vanished. I couldn't feel them anymore.

I frowned, scanning for Puffy—but it had disappeared as well.

Then, almost like the mecha read my thoughts, I felt its presence behind me. Relief washed over me for a second—then confusion.

I couldn't feel it properly. I couldn't control it.

And that's when I realized what was happening.

Too late.

Puffy slashed my neck.

My body dissolved into a cloud, and I reformed somewhere else.

I knew I couldn't beat it directly. I fled.

While flying, still reeling, I caught a wisp of smoke curling from a ventilation shaft. I paused, staring, and then my eyes widened.

*That's it.*

I zipped through the familiar streets until I found an abandoned building—a hospital. Though deserted, it was heavily guarded due to leftover medical tech.

Fortunately, only robots and AI drones were stationed there.

No way I could walk through the front.

I shifted into white mist and slipped through the thin cracks of a tightly sealed window. Inside, the hallway was dim and quiet, lit only by the dull hum of red emergency lights.

Only my own breathing echoed as I glided in mist form through the corridors.

Then, the floor trembled slightly.

Gunshots echoed in the distance—rapid and relentless.

*You're here,* I thought.

But then—silence. Sudden and complete.

Unease crept in. I wanted to check it out, but forced myself to keep searching.

About 50 meters ahead, my instincts screamed.

I froze.

Nothing happened.

*Maybe I'm just paranoid,* I muttered.

I was about to move again when I heard metal crashing—something tearing through walls and machinery.

Without hesitation, I shot backward, clearing 100 meters in seconds.

I reformed at the end of the hall, just as the wall I had stood near exploded. Chunks of debris flew in every direction.

Dust filled the air, and within it, a silhouette emerged. It turned its head toward me.

Twin golden glints pierced through the haze.

"Aren't you quick? Can't wait to meet me, huh?" I sneered, taking a heavy puff from my vape.

Thick smoke billowed out. Before the ventilation could suck it in, I willed the smoke to flow into the vents and solidify, sealing them off.

With the vents blocked, the smoke lingered—thick, blinding. Vision dropped to five meters at best.

Still, I wasn't naive enough to think the mecha couldn't see.

It's a machine. It might have heat vision or something worse.

Either way, time for the next step.

My body turned translucent again and became mist, blending with the fog as I moved toward my goal, slipping right past the mecha.

I floated by as silently and calmly as possible, suppressing every emotion. Any hint of fear might alert it.

I thought I made it.

Then—goosebumps.

A shockwave slammed me from behind, flinging me down the hall and breaking my mist form.

I hit a wall hard enough to leave a crater.

Luckily, I'd coiled myself in a long rope of smoke to cushion the impact.

Even so, my vision blurred. When I came to, the mecha was right in front of me, sword raised.

I ducked. The blade missed, slicing into the wall like butter.

I spotted an opening and didn't hesitate—turned to mist and shot away.

The mecha moved to follow—but the mist throughout the hall quivered.

In an instant, the fog transformed into razor-thin threads. Transparent and deadly.

A lone fly, caught mid-flight, was sliced cleanly in half.

The mecha stopped. Looked up.

I hadn't even noticed it had escaped.

A hole gaped in the ceiling. It was gone.

Slipped away before the trap could fully form.

That thing's too damn fast.

I swear—it didn't need more than a second to vanish.