Chapter 47: Blowing Up a Bunch of Possessed People

The desert night was alive with the roar of engines and the flicker of headlights cutting through the darkness. Arlo squinted as the approaching vehicles painted streaks of pale light across the sands, their low rumble growing louder until it felt like a chorus of metal thunder. His grip tightened on the AR-15, the weight of the weapon grounding him as his heart thudded steadily in his chest.

"Here they come," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the growing cacophony.

"Shoot them!" Michael commanded, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

Gunfire erupted around Arlo, bullets ricocheting off the hoods and grilles of the oncoming cars. Arlo didn't fire right away—he waited, his eyes tracking the possessed who poured from the vehicles like a flood of darkness.

His lips barely moved as he muttered, "Come on, come on, just a little closer."

When the lead car stopped a dozen meters away, its doors flung open, and twisted, grotesque figures emerged, shuffling and twitching unnaturally. Arlo's danger intuition flared hot and sharp, a clawing urgency in the back of his mind. It was time.

He pulled two detonators from his pocket, one in each hand.

"Bob! Michael! Percy! Take cover!" he shouted, the intensity in his voice slicing through the chaos.

There was no time for hesitation. They dove behind the barricades as Arlo's fingers pressed both triggers.

The ground erupted. The left side of the highway exploded in a fireball that reached toward the sky, followed immediately by a second blast on the right. Shrapnel and flame shredded the packed crowd of possessed beings, dismembering some and launching others into the air like grotesque ragdolls. The shockwave hit the diner with a dull thud, rattling its windows.

Smoke and fire blanketed the battlefield, casting a sinister orange glow on the remaining figures.

Arlo saw a flurry of notifications pop up in his HUD but dismissed them for now, focusing on the situation at hand.

Kyle peeked out from behind cover, his mouth agape. "Holy shit! That was one hell of a bang!"

Percy, his hands trembling, looked wide-eyed at Arlo. "What in God's name kind of explosives were those?"

Arlo, calm as ever, dusted off his coat.

"C-4," he said with a smirk, the casualness of his tone making the revelation hit harder.

Kyle's jaw dropped further. "C-4?! Where the hell did you even get that?"

Before anyone could demand answers, Michael's sharp voice cut in.

"Stay focused! They're not all dead! Keep firing!" His words snapped everyone back into action.

Arlo grabbed a Molotov cocktail from the crate and lit the rag wick with a practiced motion. He hurled it with precision, watching as it arced through the air and exploded on impact. Flames consumed the nearest cluster of possessed, their shrieks lost to the roar of fire. Percy followed suit, lighting and throwing with a speed born of desperation.

More Molotovs ignited, turning the ground into a burning inferno. Flames danced like hungry beasts, devouring everything they touched. The remaining possessed flailed, their bodies consumed by fire, some collapsing while others stumbled toward the diner, driven by an unholy persistence.

The stench of burning flesh and gasoline filled the air, making Arlo's nose wrinkle. He glanced toward Michael, who was reloading with calm efficiency, a soldier through and through. Percy, sweat dripping from his brow, muttered prayers under his breath as he threw another bottle.

Finally, silence fell, broken only by the crackle of flames and the occasional pop of a dying ember.

"Is it over?" Kyle asked, his voice a mix of fear and hope.

"For now," Arlo replied, his gaze scanning the horizon. "But this is just the beginning."

They climbed down from the roof, heading back inside. Arlo was the last to enter, pausing at the door. He glanced at the road, now littered with smoking wreckage and charred bodies. A grim smile tugged at his lips.

"One step ahead," he murmured. "But one mistake, and it all goes to hell."

Inside, the others regrouped. Despite the brief victory, Arlo's mind raced. He knew how easily things could spiral out of control. Fate wasn't easily swayed, and the battle was far from won.

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Inside, the heavy door of the diner slammed shut behind them, cutting off the desert's ominous whispers. Michael took a long breath and scanned the room.

"Someone needs to be on the roof," he declared.

"I'll do it," Percy offered, hefting his shotgun.

"No," Bob snapped, stepping forward. "Before anyone goes anywhere, you're going to explain what the hell is going on." His voice carried a sharp edge of fear and anger.

Michael didn't flinch. He took his time, resting his hands calmly on the counter. "Fine. Gather around," he instructed.

Arlo took a step back from the circle forming in front of Michael. He leaned against a booth, arms crossed, while Link sat quietly by his feet. Arlo already knew the speech; the movie played out in his mind as if on a projector.

Michael's deep, even voice broke the silence. "The first time God lost faith in man, He sent a flood. The second time..." He gestured toward the chaos outside. "...He sent what you see out there."

The room buzzed with whispered exclamations. Audrey clutched Sandra's hand tightly. Howard stared at Michael, slack-jawed.

"You sayin' this is the Apocalypse...?" Percy asked incredulously.

"Extermination," Michael said, matter-of-factly.

Arlo kept his eyes half-lidded, absorbing but not reacting. His attention flicked to Charlie, who stood stiff as a statue, her hand protectively over her belly.

"Are you here to protect us?" Audrey asked timidly.

Michael shook his head. "No. I'm here to protect her." He pointed to Charlie. "Specifically, the child she's carrying."

A ripple of confusion and disbelief passed through the group.

"What's so special about her baby?" Sandra blurted.

"The child is destined to be the savior of mankind," Michael explained. "God ordered me to destroy him. I disobeyed." His voice was steady, unrepentant. "I still have faith."

Charlie's mouth opened, then closed again. She finally managed a strangled, "What?"

Arlo raised a brow. "You're basically Virgin Mary," he remarked dryly, "except not exactly... the virgin part."

The tension snapped as everyone turned to stare at him.

Charlie pointed an accusing finger. "You! You said there was danger when you read my fortune. You knew!"

Michael's eyes narrowed, sharp with curiosity. "Is that true?"

Sighing heavily, Arlo ran a hand through his hair.

"Look," he began carefully. "Yes, I know what's happening. I'm here to protect the savior, same as you. That's all I'll say."

"And how do you know all this?" Charlie pressed.

"Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to," Arlo muttered.

Arlo remained still, his mind racing beneath his composed exterior. He replayed every word he had spoken, weighing it against the invisible lines drawn by the HUB and System rules. These weren't just arbitrary restrictions. Violating them would lead to serious consequences, ones he wasn't ready to face. The HUB enforced its laws like a cosmic bureaucracy—harsh, unyielding, and entirely indifferent to intent.

He had only revealed his quest or intention, the role assigned to him. Not future events. That was the key distinction. The System's rules were clear: Sharing detailed knowledge of future occurrences was strictly prohibited, especially information about the HUB and the System, even if it was intended to help others. But sharing observations derived from divination was permissible.

It was a loophole, sure, but one rooted in action, not just words. Divination required skill, ritual, and interpretation—it wasn't spoon-fed certainty. If Arlo wanted to bend the rules, he would have to play within this framework. He remembered the divination he had told Charlie earlier. The cards revealed danger, a threat to her unborn child, and a glimmer of hope. That act had been genuine divination, not just foreknowledge from watching a movie.

The System couldn't fault him for making true predictions based on mystical insight.

Loopholes exist for a reason, Arlo thought to himself, his eyes sharp. It wasn't lying—it was framing the truth in ways the System couldn't penalize. If he could turn every future event warning into a divination, he would have more freedom to act without risking catastrophic penalties. He would need to refine his divination abilities and integrate them into his strategy at every turn.

A slow smile crept across his face as he formulated his next move.

Michael's gaze didn't waver. "Are you an angel?"

Arlo chuckled. "No wings. No halo. Just a guy with a unique skill set."

Michael accepted this with a slight nod. "Then use your skills. Protect her. Protect the child."

"Wasn't planning on doing anything else," Arlo replied, a sharp glint of determination in his eyes.

....

Michael's eyes darkened as he surveyed the group. "If you want to live, you'll do what I say. This first attack was just a test of our strength. The next one will be a test of our weakness."

Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, the weight of his words sinking in. The air grew thick with tension, silence pressing against the walls of the diner.

Kyle cleared his throat, stepping forward with a determined expression. "Okay... so, what's your plan?"

Michael didn't hesitate. "We'll keep watch on the roof in shifts of two. Jeep, get some tools. We need to board up that window before something worse comes through."

Jeep nodded reluctantly. He threw a worried glance at Charlie, who sat silently, her hand resting on her belly, fear etched into her face. He hesitated, then turned to follow Michael.

The blinds over the shattered window flapped wildly in the wind, a haunting reminder of how fragile their shelter was.

On the roof, Percy and Kyle huddled together, rifles resting within easy reach. They wrapped themselves in blankets to ward off the biting cold and protect against the persistent swarm of flies. Their eyes scanned the desolate horizon, nerves stretched taut.

Arlo, free to relax for a bit, decided to check his BrainLink since the notifications were long overdue. A series of notifications popped up in his HUD:

[EXP Gained: +100]

[EXP Gained: +100]

[EXP Gained: +100]

[EXP Gained: +100]

[EXP Gained: +100]

[EXP Gained: +100]

[EXP Gained: +100]

[EXP Gained: +100]

...

This made Arlo dizzy due to the sheer number of notifications flooding his vision. After sorting through them all:

[You have Killed 213 Possessed Human]

[EXP Gained: +21300]

[Level Up! Current Level: 10]

[Level Up! Current Level: 11]

[Experience: 7731 (10890) XP]

Arlo was shocked at how much EXP he had gained by setting a well-placed trap.

Yes! Yes! My plan worked after buying that much C-4 from Mr. Seaworth. I could kiss him, he thought happily.

Arlo looked at Link, who was guarding Charlie, and smiled at his Pokémon's loyalty. Then he glanced at Audrey, who was twisting the dial on Percy's old radio. Static hissed back at her, a monotonous, mocking hum of nothingness.

"It won't work," Arlo said simply.

Audrey glanced up, her eyes tired but grateful. "I haven't thanked you for helping my dad. I owe you."

"It's fine," Arlo replied.

Audrey asked, "You think we're going to survive this?"

Arlo met her gaze, the faintest hint of a smile curling his lips. "I don't know. But as long as we don't give up and lose hope, there's always a chance."

Audrey studied him, noting the calm in his eyes, the way his smile didn't falter. "How can you smile like that... in a place like this, in this situation we're in?"

He chuckled softly, the sound almost surreal in the gloom. "What makes you think my smile isn't just an act?"

"Is it?" Audrey asked.

"Yes," Arlo said with disarming honesty, leaning forward just enough for his voice to drop into a conspiratorial tone. "I'm terrified, actually."

Audrey blinked, startled. "You don't look it."

"Smiling doesn't mean I'm not afraid," he replied. "It just means I choose not to let fear win. Fear's part of the fight. You just have to keep moving anyway."

Her gaze softened as she processed his words. She opened her mouth to speak again but stopped, a faint beep from Arlo's HUD catching his attention. A notification flashed in his vision:

[Notification: Clown's Potion Digestion Progress: 5%]

Arlo's smile deepened, more genuine now. He pushed back from the booth.

"It's my turn to keep watch." He nodded at Audrey as he moved toward the door, his expression serene despite the storm raging outside.

Audrey watched him go, her heart lighter but her curiosity piqued. Fear, bravery, and hope all mingled in her mind as she turned her attention back to the radio, twisting the dial in search of a voice in the darkness.