Chapter 78- Last Stand

Rion wiped the blood from his brow and surveyed the battlefield for a moment longer, his bloodshot eyes taking in every detail. The terrain was littered with debris from the wreckage of their convoy and the morning sun had begun to thaw out the thick mist, making visibility slightly better. His heart was still pounding in his chest, but his mind remained sharp, processing every threat.

It was painfully clear to him that they were outnumbered and overmatched. If this devolved into a straight-up fight, there they'd be cornered and overwhelmed in minutes. He didn't even need to do the math. The opposing force had far more bodies, making a war of attrition pointless. It wasn't a question of skill—it was simple logistics.

He had to act fast.

"Listen up, everyone," Rion said, his voice low and urgent as he put his hand over his face, tears in the bodysuit glaring. "I think I have a way to get us out of this mess. But I'm gonna need you guys to buy me some time."

His voice was calm, but the unspoken urgency wasn't lost on anyone. They were all frayed, pushed to their limits. Kellen, the team's ever-stoic leader, was no exception. Her usual grim expression had deepened into one of exhaustion. Dark circles marred her sharp features, and the fine layer of dust and grime covering her face only added to the weariness she carried.

"Buy you some time?" she repeated, her voice gruff, almost incredulous. "What the hell are you planning?"

Rion wasn't going to explain. He didn't have time to lay out all the details. Instead, he glanced back toward the wreckage of the overturned truck. It was a gamble, but it was the only card he had left to play.

"All I can say is I brought something that can potentially pull us out of this mess. Trust me, it'll be worth it." Rion said as he met her gaze, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He could feel the weight of her skeptical gaze, but there was no room for doubt right now. "Just keep them off my back while I work on this."

"Fine." Kellen gave a short nod. "But you better have something good up your sleeve, Forger."

Without another word, Rion broke into a sprint, darting toward the wreckage. He kept his body low, zigzagging as bullets whizzed over his head, the mist making it harder for the enemy to get a clear shot. His heart pounded in his chest as he disappeared behind the twisted metal of the truck, his mind already racing through the steps of his plan.

Kellen watched him disappear behind the wreckage, her face set in a grim line. She turned back to the rest of the squad, exchanging a glance with Vance and Stone. "We don't have much choice," she muttered, loading a fresh magazine into her rifle. "He better pull off a miracle, though."

Vance chuckled dryly, wiping a streak of dirt from his face. "If anyone's dumb enough to pull off a miracle, it's Forger."

* * *

Inside the wrecked truck, Rion crouched low, his breath coming in ragged bursts. The acrid smell of burnt electronics and fuel stung his nose, and the cramped space made it hard to move, but he didn't have time to worry about comfort. His hands fumbled through the mess of wires and shattered glass, searching for the box he had stuffed into the truck earlier.

He couldn't feel the electrical sensation in the air anymore, proof that whatever had caused the electrical interference had run out of power or otherwise. There was no way his current plan could work if the interference still remained.

Gunfire and shouts echoed in the distance, muffled by the thick walls of the truck, but close enough to remind him that time was slipping away. His team was out there, buying him precious seconds, and he couldn't afford to waste any more of them.

Focus.

His fingers finally found the metal box. It was battered, the edges dented from the crash, but it was intact. He grinned, ignoring the throbbing pain in his arm from the bullet wound he'd taken earlier. The adrenaline surging through his veins kept the worst of the pain at bay, but he could feel it creeping in at the edges, threatening to slow him down. He needed to work fast.

* * *

Outside, Stone ducked behind the remnants of an old jeep, his massive frame barely fitting behind the cover as bullets pinged off the metal around him. His jaw clenched in frustration as he peered through the smoke, trying to catch a glimpse of Rion.

"What the hell is he doing in there?" he growled, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. He could feel the ground shaking beneath him as another round of artillery hit nearby, the concussive force rattling his teeth.

"Don't know," Vance called back, his voice barely audible over the gunfire as he popped off a few rounds in the direction of the attackers. "But seeing as we're running out of options, we better hope he's truly got something up his sleeve."

Stone clenched his fists and let out a long breath. The situation was dire, but they couldn't give up now. He reached into his pouch and pulled out a couple of potions, including a small vial filled with a viscous red liquid. His hands shook slightly as he uncorked it, the potent scent of different ingredients wafting from the container.

He glanced toward Kellen, who gave him a nod of approval. "Do it."

"Here goes nothing," he muttered, downing all the potions in succession.

Instantly, heat surged through his veins, a familiar and welcome sensation. His muscles bulged beneath his armor, the red glow of martial qi enveloping his body as the potion's effects took hold. Energy flooded him, pushing back the fatigue and pain that had threatened to overwhelm him.

He let out a low growl, the sound animalistic, primal. "Alright, you bastards," he muttered as he approached one of the overturned jeeps. With a grunt, he grabbed the mangled door, his enhanced strength making quick work of ripping it clean off its hinges.

He hefted the door in front of him, using it as a makeshift shield, and without hesitation, he charged forward, straight into the line of incoming fire. Bullets pinged off the metal door, leaving small dents but failing to penetrate the improvised armor.

"Let's see what you are made of!" Stone roared, his martial qi flaring even brighter as he bulldozed through the mist, closing the distance between him and the attackers.

The ground shook as Stone barreled forward, his steps pounding the earth as if each one was fueled by pure rage. Bullets ricocheted off the truck door, the metallic clang echoing through the fog. His eyes burned with determination as the gap between him and the attackers became smaller and smaller.

A few of them hesitated, unsure how to react to the human battering ram charging their way, but it was already too late. Stone plowed into the first line of attackers, the sheer force of his charge sending them flying like ragdolls. Without pausing, he swung the truck door in a wide arc, smashing it into the nearest enemy, who crumpled to the ground with a sickening crunch.

But Stone wasn't alone in his assault. Behind him, one of the team's cultivators, Reynard, took advantage of the chaos Stone created. He summoned the last reserves of his origin energy, his eyes glowing a fiery orange as he formed orbs of molten flame, the fire swirling in his hands like miniature suns.

Reynard's face was pale, beads of sweat dotting his forehead, but he didn't hesitate. He hurled one of the molten orbs toward the attackers, the fireball cutting through the fog and exploding on impact.

"Take that!" Reynard shouted, his voice straining as the flames erupted in a cascade of sparks and heat. The enemy scattered, trying to avoid the inferno, but one of the molten orbs hit its mark, engulfing two attackers in a torrent of flame. He gritted his teeth and launched another fireball, then another, each one cutting through the mist like a shooting star, leaving only destruction in its wake.

"Keep it up!" Kellen shouted, emptying another magazine as bullets ricocheted off the makeshift cover they had created. "We can't let them get too close!"

Vance and the others were doing their best, but the attackers weren't stupid. After the initial shock of Stone's charge and Reynard's fireballs, they quickly regrouped, spreading out and firing from multiple angles. The team's cover was starting to crumble, chunks of rock and debris chipped away by the barrage of bullets.

The scream of another attacker pierced the thick fog as Reynard launched his signature molten fire ball at him, but he had no time to savor the victory. He was running on fumes already, overworking his charged cells to produce even the most minute amount of origin energy.

"Reynard, fall back!" Kellen barked, her eyes flicking toward the thinning cloud of fire that Reynard had summoned. He nodded, panting heavily as he retreated behind cover, clutching his chest as the last of his energy flickered out.

Meanwhile, Vance, Kellen and the rest fired their rifles from behind cover, trying to pick off the advancing enemies. But their ammo was running low—too low. Each pull of the trigger was a calculated risk, and the gaps between their shots grew longer and longer as they conserved what little they had left.

Stone grunted, retreating back to cover. There was a long wound running from his left temple to his jawline and his makeshift shield was riddled with holes now, barely holding together. He tossed it aside, knowing it was no longer useful. "I'm tapped out." he said, collapsing beside Kellen.

"Come on, Forger!" Kellen muttered under her breath as she slammed another magazine into her rifle. The enemy was closing in, their movements growing bolder now that the flames had died down and Stone had run out if juice and retreated.

The attackers, seeing their advantage, moved in for the kill, their boots crunching on the gravel as they approached. The leader of the group raised his hand, signaling the final strike.

The members of the team were nearly out of hope. Stone was battered and exhausted, struggling to lift himself from the ground. Reynard had taken cover behind a fallen log, his body slumped and drained completely of origin energy.

Vance, Kellen and the rest of the combatants standing exchanged looks that spoke volumes. They were bloodied, their expressions grim as they assessed the dire situation. They were out of ammo, their magazines empty, the grim reality settling in. They had fought hard, but it wasn't enough.

The fog seemed to grow thicker around them as the attackers closed in, ready to finish what they had started.

"We're screwed," Vance muttered, finally losing all hope that they would make it out of this situation.

Then, all at once, low humming sound filled the air—a sound so foreign in the chaos that it caused everyone, friend and foe alike, to pause. It started faint, barely audible over the gunfire, but it grew quickly, rising into a deep, throbbing vibration that made the ground tremble.

Kellen's head snapped toward the wrecked truck, her heart skipping a beat. "What the hell…"

Before she could finish her thought, Rion's voice echoed from within the smoking wreckage, laced with mischievous glee.

"Rip them to shreds, my baby."

«Bbbbrrrrrrrrrrtttttttttt!!»

A thunderous torrent of gunfire erupted from the wrecked truck, the sound deafening as the rotating barrels spewed lead into the fog. The attackers didn't stand a chance. The bullets tore through their ranks, cutting down soldier after soldier in a matter of seconds.

The enemy's confident advance turned into chaos. They scrambled for cover, but the relentless barrage from the turret left them no time to regroup. The air was filled with the screams of the dying, the sound of metal tearing through flesh, and the heavy thud of bodies hitting the ground.