Ice Bullets

"Hmm." Kael, standing at the far back, narrowed his eyes at the Captain of the New Ones group through the gaps between the Primers in front of him.

Seeing her tense shoulders ease up and the small smile forming on her face, Kael concluded that she had advanced knowledge of the Final Boss. He also noticed her teammates relaxing, further solidifying his suspicions. Additionally, their sniper—a woman barely reaching the captain's shoulders—changed her magazine, a faint blue light flickering as she did.

They were the only ones displaying such composure. The other Primers didn't dare lower their guard, despite the door being Grey, signifying that the Behemech they were about to face was a Grey Final Boss—not an anomaly of a higher grade.

As Kael observed them, a deep roar erupted from the grey door. A few seconds later, the temperature in the air began to rise.

He checked his equipment and found that he had only a dozen or so bullets left in the Pulse Sniper Rifle clutched in his hands. His utility belt held only a few shield tubes, some of which Trey had given him at the last minute.

No grenades… hmm, this is enough, Kael thought after assessing his remaining weapons. He still had the High-Frequency Sword for close-quarters combat and a small knife that had come with the utility belt he had stolen from one of the Primers he killed earlier.

Kael racked the slide of the Pulse Sniper Rifle, the sound of plasma churning filling the air. However, it was quickly drowned out as the Primers around him prepared their own weapons.

Glancing around, he saw their low-quality weapons powering up. Then his eyes fell on a group of men—the same ones who had tried to steal his Growth Orbs. His gaze locked onto their captain, Aaron, and a smirk crept onto his face. Silently, he made his way in their direction.

The Primers, too focused on the monster emerging from the Grey door, paid no attention to the suitless madman clearly walking to his death.

Another roar reverberated through the air as a massive paw stepped out of the door.

Those with sharp eyes immediately recognized what kind of Behemech was coming through. The paw was covered in red fur, moving with elegance and grace.

"It's a fire-attributed Behemech!" one of the Primers shouted. The moment his words fell, the teams began shifting their formations and strategies. Their expressions darkened—they hadn't expected a Behemech with an Attribute to appear.

This just made the battle far more difficult.

After the paw, the Behemech's head and body followed.

It resembled a giant dog, with a pointed nose and ears standing tall. Its towering body, at least ten meters high, was covered in flame-like fur—red as the sun and hot as a furnace. The fiery strands flowed as if gravity itself couldn't contain them.

Then, with a sharp snapping sound, the Behemech's tail crashed against the platform. And with another mighty roar toward the 'sky,' fire spewed from its mouth.

Trey, watching from the back, couldn't help but gulp nervously. The sheer presence of the monster alone was enough to make his knees weak.

"This is too scary," he muttered in fear. "It's a Ground Fire Hog. A ferocious Final Boss. This is going to be hard for them."

"Just from the looks of it, I don't think it's a friendly dog," Bach said with a bitter smile. Although he had seen plenty of Behemechs before, facing a massive one still made him nervous.

"K-Kael… he disappeared," Trey stammered, looking around for the lunatic but finding no sign of him.

"Worry about him later." The miner glanced at the young man, concern flickering in his eyes. "How are you going to keep me safe?"

"With this." Trey pulled out a shield tube and activated it, forming a transparent barrier around the two of them.

"Is this enough?" Bach asked, tapping the barrier a few times.

"Why are you asking so many questions, old man?" Trey raised an eyebrow at him. "Just trust me, alright? I've been doing this for a long time. This isn't the first time I've encountered an attributed Behemech."

"Well, if you say so," Bach replied half-heartedly. "I'd already be dead if Kael hadn't found me. If we're going to die, I might as well accept that it's my fate."

"Don't jinx it!" Trey clutched the Growth Orbs in his hands tightly, his nerves showing.

At the same time, after its deafening roar, the Final Boss scanned the humans before it. Its red eyes swept over each of them, the sheer pressure making the Primers tense up.

Suddenly, a burst of light erupted from the monster's right side. Before it could react, a bullet struck its body, sending a booming shockwave through the air. Ice instantly spread across the Behemech's shoulder, freezing a section of its fur.

The Ground Fire Hog growled, baring its fangs in fury. With a powerful shake of its body, the ice melted in an instant. The monster then turned its glowing eyes toward the one responsible for the first attack.

On its right stood a small human clad in full black, holding a silver advanced sniper rifle and peering through its scope. Beside them, four others in identical suits stood ready.

"Nice shot, Fermin," Carina said as she stepped forward. With a tap on the side of her helmet, the transparent visor covering her face darkened, seamlessly blending with her Half-Aegis. "The aggro is on us now! Focus on keeping it in one spot!"

As her voice rang out, she pulled a black handle from her back. With a press of a button, a deep blue energy blade materialized in the shape of a sword.

A whirring sound hummed from the blade, and with a sharp command, the Primers began firing their weapons!

"Attack!" Carina's voice echoed, followed by a hailstorm of bullets erupting from the Primers' guns.

"Hehe, this is gonna be fun!" Dave grinned as he unloaded his mini machine gun, each bullet stiffening the Behemech's movements.

"Let's see who can tear off its limbs first!" Lance laughed as the Ground Fire Hog charged at them. In his hands were twin handguns, each shot striking with the force of a sniper round.

Meanwhile, Herm stood beside their captain, gripping an axe tightly and waiting for her order.

The Ground Fire Hog barreled toward them, its towering body shaking the ground with each step. However, before it could gain momentum, it was forced to stagger back.

Every time the bullets from the New Ones group landed, ice erupted across its body, forcing it to focus on melting the frost.

With additional fire coming from the other Primers, the Behemech had to divide its attention to protect its vital spots, making it difficult to charge forward. Despite this, its furious gaze never left Carina's sniper.

"It's waiting," Fermin muttered to his captain.

"I know," Carina replied. "Then let's kill it before it unleashes its first Skill."