Drone Swarm: Nightfall Counterbreak

Mike wasn't fully immersed in his game. His mind kept circling back to the potential counterattack brewing in the city center.

Given the current situation, it was almost certain that "So-Guy," as people mockingly nicknamed the city center's leader, wouldn't take his back-to-back setbacks lying down. If he had already resorted to brazenly using force to seize survivors, then his next moves would only grow more desperate and extreme.

Mike's instincts proved right.

At precisely 1:00 a.m., the urgent buzz of a report broke through his comms, pulling him from the game. Lin Yue's voice came through, tinged with urgency:

"Commander, 10 minutes ago, a massive swarm of drones launched from the city center and began a coordinated breakout attack!"

Mike froze, his hands hovering over the keyboard.

"We've sustained over 50 casualties and more than 2,000 injuries among our forces."

The chilling report sent a shock down his spine.

"Drones? Where the hell did he get drones?" Mike shot out of his chair, bewildered.

His memory raced back. Drones of that caliber required a Level-3 settlement to produce—high-end tech that demanded both exorbitant resources and advanced infrastructure. The city center wasn't anywhere near that level. Their settlement barely scraped by as a Level 1.

"It has to be a gifted individual," Lin Yue explained, her tone steady but grim. "Based on intelligence provided by Chen Dafei earlier, someone in the city center likely has a talent that lets them manifest or control drones en masse."

Mike's thoughts churned. "What about the army? Where are our forces now?"

"They've already pulled back," Lin Yue responded. "Two blocks have been evacuated as a defensive buffer zone."

Mike blinked, momentarily stunned. "Retreat? Just like that? That's not... her style."

He was, of course, referring to Jiang Xiaoci, the iron-willed strategist who had masterminded their survival thus far. Her moves were calculated and precise, never wasteful or reactionary. To retreat seemed unlike her.

Lin Yue hesitated before continuing. "Jiang instructed only one person to stay behind within the buffer zone."

Mike's brow furrowed. "One person?"

"Yes. Chen Dafei."

Mike was silent for a moment, then let out a dry chuckle. "Of course, it's him."

The guy seemed to have a knack for being at the center of the storm. If there was a hellish assignment that no one else could handle, Chen Dafei was the go-to.

Without wasting time, Mike patched into Chen's combat feed. The moment the connection stabilized, an eruption of chaos filled his senses. Explosions thundered across the darkened streets, flashes of firelight illuminating the night in violent bursts.

Chen Dafei was a whirlwind of motion amidst the chaos. Leaping skyward with superhuman agility, he punched through the densely packed swarm of drones overhead. Each swing of his fist sent shockwaves through the air, shattering clusters of drones into fiery debris.

The drones were sleek and small, their matte-black frames nearly invisible against the night sky. Despite their compact size, they were deadly—armed with machine-gun fire, explosive payloads, and even kamikaze protocols.

Yet, they were nothing against Chen.

Each explosion lit up his figure, his bare torso catching the flicker of flames. Shrapnel and heat waves lashed at his unyielding body, but they failed to leave a mark. Only his clothes suffered, charred and tattered as he tore through the drone swarm with relentless fervor.

From the chaos below, Chen's booming voice rang out, carried by a mixture of adrenaline and sheer bravado.

"You little bastards! Drones again? Do you really think this crap can take down your Grandpa Chen?"

He grinned through the smoke and fire, his black hair whipping in the wind, singed but untamed. With a powerful leap, he shot back into the sky, meeting the next wave of drones head-on. Explosions rippled across the night like a fireworks show, and Chen's laughter echoed amidst the chaos.

"Maniac," Mike muttered, shaking his head.

Chen was a one-man army. It was clear why Jiang had left him behind. His overwhelming power turned what should have been a massacre into a spectacle. To Chen, this wasn't a desperate stand—it was an exhilarating challenge.

And it wasn't just about survival. The drones carried a reward—10 points of merit for every one destroyed. It was a race, a game, and Chen was determined to come out on top. His eyes gleamed with the thrill of battle and the promise of glory.

But the drone swarm wasn't mindless. Those controlling them had a strategy. Realizing that brute force wouldn't be enough to overpower Chen, the drones began to scatter, weaving around him and breaking through the perimeter he held. Their new target wasn't Chen—it was the military forces positioned beyond the buffer zone.

"They're going for the army," Mike murmured, his eyes narrowing.

The city center's goal was clear. If they could use the drones to breach the defensive line and decimate the military, the siege would collapse, and their people would be free to escape.

It was a clever move, but they'd underestimated one thing: Jiang Xiaoci's foresight.

Mike leaned back in his chair, his lips curling into a faint smile.

"Your move, Jiang. Show me what you've got."

4o