Arc - Genesis of Flux - Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - The Harvest of Wraith

December 18, 998,

10 in the morning

The helicopter hovered over the hill just outside the village. South sat in the back, his face set in a grim expression as he opened the briefcase the driver had given him. Inside, organised among various vials and syringes, was a small booklet, a tutorial on the extraction process.

He flipped it open and scanned the instructions. The words were blunt and direct:

*To extract corrupted Flux from a Netherwraith, the creature must be alive. Dead Netherwraiths decay within one to two minutes, making extraction impossible unless they are the last of their group. Approach carefully and aim for the chest, just near the heart, where the corrupted Flux is most concentrated. Stick the syringe deep into the chest cavity and begin to fill the jar. Repeat until the jar is full of black, bioluminescent liquid. Exterminating all remaining Netherwraiths is also preferable after extraction is complete.*

South scoffed, muttering to himself, "Great, just gotta get close enough to dance with one of those things and hope it doesn't tear my fucking head off."

He stuffed the booklet back into the briefcase and snapped it shut, turning to look at the helicopter driver. The man was older, with a scarred face. He glanced over his shoulder at South, his expression as unfriendly as it had been the entire flight.

"You better know what you're doing down there," the driver grunted, his tone flat and unwelcoming. "I'm not coming back for a corpse."

South shot him a sideways glare, thinking, *This guy's a real dick.* He tightened his grip on the briefcase. "Just make sure you're back in 30 minutes. I don't need you hovering around like some scared little bitch."

The driver scoffed but said nothing more. With a nod, he manoeuvred the helicopter over the drop zone. South jumped out, landing in a crouch on the grass of the hill. He watched the helicopter take off into the distance before turning his attention to the village below.

He knelt down, scouting the area. It was a scene from a nightmare, blood splattered across the ground, bodies strewn about, the stench of death thick in the air. "Fucking hell," he muttered, his stomach wrenching at the rancid smell of decaying flesh.

He counted ten Netherwraiths prowling the village. He needed to get close to one of them to extract the corrupted Flux, but it had to be alive for the extraction to work. And once they were dead, they'd decay quickly, so he had no time to waste.

Sliding down the hill, South moved quickly but quietly, keeping to the shadows of the huts. As he crept forward, he saw three Netherwraiths ahead, feasting on the remains of farm animals. One had its head buried deep in a cow's split stomach, tearing out chunks of organs. The other two fought over a severed cow's leg.

"Disgusting," South whispered to himself, barely containing his disgust as he took another cautious glance. He needed to be strategic, a direct assault was too risky.

South weighed his options. He needed to draw them into a position where he could handle them one by one or in small groups. He decided to create a distraction.

He reached into his gear, feeling the Flux energy humming as he formed the shape he needed. A grenade materialised in his hand, small and sleek, with a faint glow, a *perception grenade*. He smirked. "Let's see how you like this," he muttered.

South pulled the pin and tossed it toward the far side of the village. The grenade bounced once on the ground before exploding with a flash of light. Instantly, his vision sharpened. Everything became vivid, the world around him slowed slightly as the outlines of every creature within a hundred metres flared bright through the walls.

He spotted three more Netherwraiths moving toward the commotion. "Gotcha," he whispered.

He adjusted his sniper rifle, taking aim at the closest Netherwraith. The bullet struck the creature's shoulder, sending it sprawling to the ground. Immediately, the other two looked up, hissing as they charged toward his position.

South quickly holstered the sniper rifle and grabbed another grenade from his gear, a fragmentation type. He lobbed it toward the creatures and ducked behind a broken wall just before it detonated with a bang.

The blast sent shards of metal flying in every direction. Two of the Netherwraiths screamed as the shrapnel tore through their bodies, collapsing in a pool of thick blood.

"Three down," South muttered, already moving. He formed his Flux-infused knife into a sleek assault rifle and took aim at the remaining Netherwraith, which was struggling to get up, its arm dangling uselessly at its side. He dashed forward, closing the distance quickly, and in one fluid motion, transformed the assault rifle into a railgun. He aimed, and fired a piercing shot that tore through the creature's skull, shattering it like glass.

South quickly shifted the railgun back into a tactical knife and crouched down next to the Netherwraith's body. He pulled out a syringe from the briefcase strapped to his side and drove it deep into the creature's chest, right near the heart. The Netherwraith convulsed, but he held firm, gritting his teeth as he began to draw the corrupted Flux into the jar attached to the syringe. The liquid oozed out slowly, a thick, black, bioluminescent substance.

The creature's thrashing grew weaker. South glanced over his shoulder and saw more Netherwraiths moving toward him, drawn by the sounds of battle. He needed to be quick.

"C'mon, c'mon..." he whispered impatiently, watching the jar as it reached the halfway point. The Netherwraith spasmed one final time, and then with a shudder, it stopped moving entirely.

South finished filling the jar, yanking the syringe out just as the creature began to dissolve. "Got it," he muttered, sealing the jar and slipping it into the briefcase.

But the remaining Netherwraiths were closing in fast. He transformed his knife into a shotgun, firing off shells at close range, blasting apart two of them. Still, three more kept coming. He needed to thin their numbers further.

South reached into his pouch, forming a heavy grenade in his left hand, a more powerful explosive designed to clear a wide area. He pulled the pin and lobbed it into the centre of the oncoming group.

The grenade exploded with a boom, sending dirt, debris, and Netherwraith parts flying in every direction. The shockwave knocked the three creatures off their feet. South didn't waste a moment. He sprinted forward, transforming his weapon into an AK-47, and opened fire, mowing down two of the remaining Netherwraiths.

Only one left. South flipped a switch on the AK-47, ejecting the empty magazine. spinning the new magazine in his hand before slamming it back into the rifle with a click. "Last servings," he smirked, ready for the last creature.

He aimed carefully and fired, catching the final Netherwraith in the shoulder. It let out a shriek, staggering backward. South shifted his rifle back into a pistol, advancing with quick, precise shots that drove the creature back further. It was almost down.

With a final leap, South morphed the pistol into a plasma cannon and fired a searing bolt of energy directly into its chest, vaporising it on impact. "All clear," he muttered, scanning the area for any movement.

He pulled out his radio and called in. "This is South. Extraction complete. Area's clear. Get your ass back here."

The radio crackled. "Already? Damn, you're quick," came the driver's rough voice. "Helicopter inbound. ETA twenty minutes."

South took a deep breath, leaning against the remains of a shattered wall as he waited. He pulled out another cigarette and lit it, taking a slow drag. The adrenaline was wearing off, but he kept his senses sharp, just in case.

Twenty minutes later, the helicopter appeared on the horizon, the sound of its rotors growing louder. It swooped down low, and South gave a casual wave as it approached.

The helicopter landed, and the driver looked at South with a grudging respect. "Didn't think you'd make it out alive," he said.

South shrugged. "Told you I would."

He climbed aboard, and the helicopter lifted off, carrying him away from the village and back to the Leichen base. The mission was done.

The driver glanced back at him. "You're good, rookie. But don't think it'll be this easy next time."

South smirked. "Easy? That was just the warm-up."

The helicopter banked to the left, heading back toward the base. South looked out over the horizon, the village fading into the distance. The job was done, and he'd be ready for whatever came next.