Chapter 3 – No Rest for the Wicked

Ryo lay in the mud, ears ringing from the shockwave. His chest rose and fell in ragged breaths, his muscles screaming in protest. The battlefield was a burning graveyard—twisted metal, crumpled War Walkers, and the smoldering remains of what used to be Hellion soldiers.

> "Well, look at that. You're still alive. Lucky bastard."

Ryo groaned, rolling onto his side. His body felt like it had been through a meat grinder, but he was breathing. That was more than he could say for most of the people lying around him.

A shadow loomed over him.

"Kisaragi! Get up!"

Captain Vos grabbed him by the collar and hauled him to his feet like he weighed nothing. "I don't know what kind of demon possessed you to pull off that insane stunt, but you just bought us another night of breathing."

Ryo swayed, barely staying upright. "Did… did we win?"

Vos smirked. "Let's just say the Hellions won't be marching through here anytime soon." He clapped Ryo's shoulder, nearly knocking him over. "You're one crazy son of a bitch. I like that."

Ryo managed a weak laugh. His entire body felt like lead, but there was a grim satisfaction in knowing he had helped turn the tide.

Then the system chimed.

> [QUEST COMPLETE: DESTROY THE WAR WALKERS]

Rewards: 1,200 XP, 3 Gearbound Credits, New Ability Unlocked: Combat Engineer

> Combat Engineer: Allows the user to disassemble and repurpose mechanical components for personal use.

Ryo's eyes widened. That… sounded incredibly useful.

> "Finally, some skills are worth a damn. You're still an amateur, but at least now you can tinker with all this scrap metal instead of just standing around looking dumb."

Ryo ignored the system's jabs and glanced at the wreckage. Could he really salvage this tech?

Before he could think on it further, a loud crack rang through the air.

A single gunshot.

And then, chaos.

Betrayal in the Trenches

Ryo barely had time to react before a soldier next to him dropped, a fresh bullet hole in his skull.

"What the—?!"

Another shot. Another body fell.

Vos's expression darkened. "Sniper! Everyone take cover!"

The remaining soldiers scrambled for the trenches, diving behind sandbags and shattered machinery. Ryo threw himself behind a broken tank tread just as another bullet whizzed past, barely missing his head.

"Where the hell is it coming from?!" Karin hissed, loading a fresh magazine into her rifle.

Ryo activated Tactical Analysis. His vision sharpened—movement in the distance, a figure perched on the wreckage of a War Walker, cloaked in shadows.

"There!" He pointed. "Top of the second walker, behind the exposed plating!"

Karin didn't hesitate. She lined up her sights, exhaled, and pulled the trigger.

The sniper vanished just before the bullet hit.

"Shit!" Karin swore. "That was too fast—he knew I was aiming for him."

Vos's face was grim. "That's no ordinary sniper."

> "Congrats, genius. You just pissed off an elite Hellion Ghost Operative. Hope you're ready to die."

Ryo's gut twisted. Ghost Operative?

As if in answer, a low, distorted voice crackled over a nearby radio.

> "Impressive. But not good enough."

Ryo turned just in time to see something drop into their trench.

A figure cloaked in a high-tech stealth suit, twin daggers glinting under the firelight.

"Contact!" Vos roared, reaching for his pistol.

Too late. The Ghost moved like a phantom, cutting down two soldiers before anyone could react.

Ryo barely had time to raise his rifle before the assassin was on him.

A blade whistled through the air, aimed for his throat.

No time to think.

Ryo ducked.

The blade missed by a hair, slicing through the air where his head had been.

His body moved on instinct. He brought his rifle up and pulled the trigger.

Click.

Empty.

> "Wow. You really are a dumbass."

The Ghost's blade flashed toward his chest.

Ryo twisted, catching the assassin's wrist.

They struggled, mud and blood flying as they grappled in the trenches. The Ghost was strong—too strong. If Ryo didn't do something fast, he was dead.

Then he remembered—Combat Engineer.

His eyes flicked to the Ghost's suit. The plating on the arms was thin—wires exposed.

Bingo.

Ryo wrenched the assassin's arm sideways, slamming his hand against the trench wall. With his free hand, he reached into the exposed plating and yanked a handful of wires loose.

The Ghost stiffened.

Electricity crackled through the suit, the stealth field flickering wildly as the assassin spasmed.

Ryo didn't wait. He grabbed his combat knife and drove it into the Ghost's throat.

A gurgled gasp.

The body slumped against him.

Ryo panted, shoving the corpse off as the trench fell silent.

> "Damn. You actually pulled that off."

He looked down at his hands—covered in blood. His breath came in ragged gasps, his heart slamming against his ribs.

He had just killed someone.

Not in the heat of an explosion. Not from a distance.

Up close. Personal.

His stomach twisted, but before he could spiral, Vos grabbed his shoulder.

"No time to lose your head, son." His expression was grim. "That wasn't a normal attack. The Hellions sent an elite for a reason."

Ryo swallowed the lump in his throat. "Then what the hell are they after?"

A radio crackled again.

> "Target confirmed. Retrieval Squad inbound."

A cold chill ran down Ryo's spine.

They hadn't sent that assassin for the trenches.

They had sent him for Ryo.

The realization hit like a punch to the gut.

The Hellions knew who he was.

No More Running

Vos's jaw tightened. "We're pulling back. If the Hellions want you, it means you're important. And if you're important, we need to figure out why."

Ryo barely had time to process that before the distant thrum of engines reached his ears.

He looked up—

—And saw Hellion gunships approaching fast.

The system chimed.

> [WARNING: HIGH-LEVEL THREAT DETECTED]

[QUEST UPDATED: ESCAPE IMMEDIATE DANGER]

> "Well, kid, looks like you're officially on their shit list. Good luck."

Ryo clenched his fists, his mind racing.

No more waiting.

No more reacting.

It was time to fight back.