Survival Instincts

Chapter 7: Survival Instincts

The crimson sky above Proxima darkened, it was as if the planet was planning something big for them.

The Proximars came in waves, their hulking forms glowing ominously with pulsating cracks of energy coursing through their bodies. Their molten eyes burned with predatory instinct. Their speed was unnatural, a huge contrast to their massive size.

"Here they come!" Ava shouted, drawing an arrow from her quiver. The tip shimmered with a faint psychic glow as she notched it, her focus unwavering.

The first Proximar lunged at the group with terrifying speed, but Ava's arrow was faster. It pierced the creature's glowing skull, and it disintegrated into a burst of ash and sparks.

"Nice shot," Darius said, cracking his knuckles. His body began to shift, skin hardening into metallic plates as he charged into the fleet of Proximars. With a powerful swing of his arm, he sent one Proximar flying into the air and Ava easily took it out.

Mira stepped forward, her silver hair glinting under the red light. Her calm demeanor remained unshaken as she raised one hand. A group of Proximars froze mid-lunge, their movements suspended as though gravity itself had betrayed them. "Take them out," she said coolly, her voice cutting through the noise.

Caden didn't need to be told twice. Unsheathing his katana, he dashed forward with fluid precision. The blade glowed faintly as he funneled energy into it, carving through the immobilized creatures with effortless speed. Each slash left behind a faint trail of light as the Proximars where easily killed off.

"Focus on clearing a path!" Ava commanded as she fired another arrow that exploded on impact, taking out three Proximars at once.

But the swarm only thickened, more creatures emerging from fissures in the ground.

Caden glanced at the increasing numbers of Proximars and frowned . "We need to move," he said in a serious manner . "Staying here will get us surrounded."

Ava nodded, firing another arrow into the oncoming horde. "Agreed. Darius, make a path. Mira, keep the rear secure."

"Got it," Darius replied, his voice gruff as he transformed his arms into massive claws. He charged ahead, clearing a path with raw strength, his metallic form deflecting the Proximars' attacks.

Behind them, Mira raised her hand again, creating a gravitational field that slowed the pursuing Proximars. Their movements became sluggish, giving her enough time to fire precise plasma bullets into their glowing bodies.

Caden moved round the whole, his katana a blur as he cut down any creature that slipped through Darius's defenses.

"This isn't going to stop," Mira said, her usually calm tone carrying a hint of urgency as more Proximars poured in from the fissures.

"Then we'll make them stop," Ava replied, her psychic aura flaring as she unleashed a series of rapid shots, each one detonating in a blaze of light and energy.

Despite their efforts, the swarm seemed endless. Caden could feel the tension in the air, but he also noticed something else: the Proximars were now increasing in strength . They moved faster, their glowing bodies growing brighter as if they were absorbing energy from their fallen brethren.

"We need a plan," Darius shouted over the chaos, his metallic fists smashing through another group of creatures. "They're not getting easier to kill only stronger!"

Caden's eyes narrowed behind his mask as he scanned the battlefield. "Stay together," he said. "Don't split up. If we lose our formation, we're done."

The team tightened their formation, moving as a single unit. Ava and Mira provided long-range support, their attacks precise and devastating. Darius continued to take the brunt of the attacks, his hardened form holding strong. And Caden moved like a phantom, his katana cutting through the chaos with lethal efficiency.

Suddenly a Proximar leaped into the air as it formed a ball of radioactive energy. Mia tried to stop the Proximar's movement but couldn't and just as it was about to release the ball Caden also leapt of the ground as a crater was formed in Proxima solid ground and he divided the Proximar into two parts as it's dead body and organs fell to the ground.

Caden landed in front of Darius who stopped in his tracks shocked. "Let me handle this" Caden said and his katana lit up with a green light and he made an horizontal slash releasing a long energy beam

Instantly all the Proximars obstructing their part forward was killed as pieces of flesh, organ and bones slashed everywhere.

"Move now!" Caden said out of breath due to him using all his stored energy in that single slash. Quickly Caden and the team got to mountains easily and they quickly found a cave to stay in.

The team's heavy breaths filled the damp, shadowed cave as they pressed themselves against its cold, jagged walls. Mira's flashlight flickered to life, casting long, shadows on the stone.

Caden leaned against the wall, his katana still gripped tightly in his hand, its glowing blade was now dim. His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath, sweat dripping from his brow. He didn't let the others see his exhaustion, though he knew they'd noticed.

"That… was insane," Darius finally muttered, breaking the tense silence. His metallic skin shimmered faintly as it began to return to its normal flesh tone. He sank to the ground, groaning as he stretched his limbs. "You don't just clear a horde of Proximars like that, and with ease Caden. What the hell was that move?"

Caden shook his head. "Not something I can pull off again anytime soon. I burned through nearly all my energy reserves." He stared at his katana.

"Whatever it was, it saved us," Ava said, slumping down beside Darius. She removed her gloves and flexed her fingers, faint wisps of psychic energy crackling around her hands. "But that horde wasn't normal. They shouldn't have been adapting that fast. Did anyone else notice how their strength kept increasing?"

"I noticed," Mira said softly, her silver hair clinging to her face from sweat. She was still focused on the cave entrance, her plasma pistol at the ready. "Proximers are only like that when the a been controlled."

"Controlling them?" Darius scoffed. "The Proximars are mindless brutes. They don't take orders."

"They do if there's a hive leader," Mira shooked her head as she replied "We're not dealing with random Proximars here. This is a coordinated attack."

The group fell silent as the implications sank in. A hive leader was a creature that could organize and direct Proximars, they are the ones who are the real threat to humanity and the Humans leaders already thought they have all been killed off.

"Then that means…" Ava started, her voice trailing off.

Caden finished her thought. "We're not safe here."

Mira nodded. "Not for long. The leader will track us. They'll want to eliminate us before we can regroup with the others."

Darius groaned. "Fantastic. And here I was hoping for five minutes to breathe."

Caden pushed off the wall, standing straighter despite his exhaustion. "Five minutes is all we get. If the hive leader's targeting the students who are participating in this test, we need to figure out why." He turned to Ava.

Caden nodded, his mind racing. The system remained silent, offering no guidance this time.

"We need a plan," Ava said, standing up and dusting herself off. "If we wait for them to find us, we're dead. If we run blindly, we're dead. And if there's a hive leader…"

"We kill it," Caden interrupted, his voice firm.

The others turned to him, their expressions varying from surprise to skepticism.

"You can't be serious," Darius said, crossing his arms. "We're barely holding our own against the grunts. A hive leader would be on a whole other level."

"We don't have a choice," Caden replied. "If we take out the leader, the rest of the swarm will collapse. That's how Proximars work right." He looked to Mira for confirmation.

She nodded. "He's right. The leader's death will cause the swarm to lose coordination. But getting to it won't be easy."

"Nothing about this has been easy," Caden said with a faint smirk. "We've made it this far. We can handle this."

Ava sighed but nodded. "Alright. But we need a solid strategy. No more rushing in blindly."

Mira stepped forward, her analytical mind already working. "We use the cave to our advantage. Funnel them into a choke point. I can slow them down, Ava can thin their numbers from range, and Darius can block any that get through."

"And what about the hive leader?" Darius asked, raising an eyebrow.

Caden tightened his grip on his katana. "Leave that to me."

The team exchanged glances, doubt in their eyes. But they all knew Caden was strong but they didn't believe he was strong enough to kill a hive leader that hasn't been found. There was no other way out of this.

"Alright," Ava said, drawing another arrow and watching it shimmer with energy. "Let's end this."

The quiet hum of the Proximars outside grew louder, signaling the approach of the next wave.

And deep in the distance, a guttural, ear-splitting roar echoed across the barren terrain. The hive leader made itself known.

The guttural roar echoed across the barren terrain, cutting through the heavy silence like a blade. The team's breaths hitched as the sound made the whole room tremble.

"That's it," Mira said, her voice barely above a whisper. She tightened her grip on her plasma pistol, her usually steady hand now trembling slightly. "That's the hive leader."

"Then we don't have time to waste," Caden said, straightening despite the weight of exhaustion pressing down on him. His katana hung loosely in his hand as a faint green glow.

Darius groaned, pushing himself up from the floor. "I hate this plan already."

"Let's get one thing clear," Ava said, her voice sharp as she turned to Caden. "You don't charge in alone this time. We're doing this together. Neither of us is strong enough to take on a hive leader alone"

Caden met her gaze and sighed before he gave a small nod. "Fine. But when we get to the hive leader, I'll take the lead. You all focus on keeping the swarm off me."

"And what happens if you go down?" Mira asked and everyone turned to look at Caden as they clearly still didn't trust his abilities.

"I won't." Caden said with confidence .

"Alright," Ava said, adjusting her quiver. "Mira, where's it coming from?"

Mira closed her eyes, her silver hair shifting slightly as she focused and her iris glowed with a silver light as she looked out of the cave. "North. It's not far, but it's moving fast."

"Then we don't have time to sit around," Caden said, stepping toward the cave's entrance. "Let's move."

They emerged from the cave into the open terrain. The crimson sky was darker now, casting an eerie glow over the desolate landscape. The ground trembled slightly beneath their feet, each vibration signaling the approach of something massive.

The Proximars didn't wait long to make their presence known. Another wave surged toward the group.

"Darius, front!" Ava called out as she notched an arrow.

"On it!" Darius roared, slamming into the Proximars with unrelenting force. His claws tore through their glowing forms, splattering the ground with molten blood.

Mira raised a hand, creating a gravitational field that slowed another cluster of creatures. Ava's arrows whistled through the air, detonating upon impact and reducing the slowed Proximars to broken, smoldering heaps.

Caden moved forward his katana flashing as he cut down every Proximar his blade touched. His movements were fluid, he was slowly recovering his energy , while saving his strength for the hive leader.

"Keep pushing forward!" Ava shouted.

The team moved as a unit, cutting through the horde with relentless efficiency. But the closer they got to the hive leader, the more intense the resistance became.

The ground beneath them suddenly cracked, and a massive Proximar erupted from the fissure. Its hulking form dwarfed the others, and its molten eyes burned with a terrifying intelligence.

"That's no grunt," Darius muttered, taking a step back.

"It's a vanguard," Mira said, her voice steady but grim. "One of the hive leader's personal guards."

Caden stepped forward, his katana glowing brighter as he poured energy into it. "I'll handle it. Keep moving."

"Caden—" Ava started, but he cut her off with a glance.

"Trust me."

Without waiting for a response, he surged forward. The vanguard roared, swinging a massive arm toward him, but Caden ducked beneath the attack with lightning speed. He slashed upward, his katana leaving a glowing arc in its wake.

The vanguard staggered, molten blood pouring from the deep gash in its chest. But it didn't go down. Instead, it lunged at Caden with renewed fury.

"Caden move now" Ava shouted, firing an arrow that struck the creature's side, creating a small explosion.

The distraction gave Caden the opening he needed. He leapt onto the vanguard's back, driving his katana deep into the base of its skull. With a guttural roar, the creature collapsed, its massive body shaking the ground as it fell.

Caden pulled his katana free, his breathing heavy. "Keep moving," he said, not waiting for the others to catch up.

The roar of the hive leader grew louder, and the team could feel the oppressive energy radiating from its direction.

As they approached the source, the ground gave way to a massive crater and six vanguards came out and instantly threw over a hundred balls of radiation energy at the team and with a small expuof energy Caden formed a small force field which threw all his teammates far away from as the balls of radiation landed where he was and a huge explosion occurred.

{Guys tell me what you think of this chapter}