The street had gone quiet.
Too quiet.
Arjun stood in the center of the broken road, plasma rifle raised, eyes fixed on the end of the street.
The drone hovered beside him, its blue scanning beam sweeping left and right.
[Hostile Units Incoming]
Estimated Arrival: 30 seconds
Arjun exhaled slowly.
"Three high-level monsters at once…"
The system remained calm.
[Recommendation: Prepare defensive position.]
Arjun glanced around.
Shattered cars.
Collapsed streetlights.
Broken glass everywhere.
Not exactly a great battlefield.
But something caught his attention.
To his right stood a half-destroyed convenience store.
The entrance was blocked by debris, but the structure was still standing.
Arjun smirked.
"Good enough."
He moved quickly.
With a powerful kick, he cleared the debris and stepped inside.
The interior was dark.
Shelves were overturned.
Food packets were scattered across the floor.
But more importantly—
It had walls.
"Drone, scan entry points."
[Scanning…]
Two primary entry points detected.
Front entrance: compromised
Rear wall: structurally weak
Arjun nodded.
"Perfect."
He positioned himself behind a partially broken counter.
The plasma rifle hummed as he adjusted its power output.
The combat suit tightened slightly around his body, preparing for impact.
Then—
A deep roar echoed outside.
The ground trembled.
Arjun's grip tightened.
"They're here."
The first monster appeared at the entrance.
It was massive.
Even larger than the first creature Arjun had fought.
Four legs.
Two enormous arms.
Its body looked like it was made of black stone fused with metal.
Its glowing red eyes scanned the area.
Then it saw him.
[Hostile Unit A3 Identified]
Threat Level: High
"Of course it's high-level."
The monster charged forward.
Arjun fired immediately.
Two plasma shots slammed into its chest.
But unlike the previous enemies—
It didn't even flinch.
"...That's not good."
The creature smashed through the store entrance, destroying what remained of the wall.
Arjun jumped back just as its massive arm crashed down where he had been standing.
The floor cracked under the impact.
Dust filled the air.
"Okay, new plan."
The drone spoke.
[Weakness scanning in progress…]
Before the scan could complete—
The second monster arrived.
This one moved fast.
Extremely fast.
It slipped through the broken wall like a shadow.
Its body was sleek, almost humanoid, with elongated limbs and glowing blue veins running across its surface.
[Hostile Unit A4 Identified]
Threat Level: High
"Two at once… great."
Arjun activated Target Prediction.
Blue movement lines appeared again.
The fast creature lunged toward him.
Arjun fired where it would be.
The plasma shot clipped its arm.
The creature hissed and jumped back.
"Still fast… but manageable."
Then the third one arrived.
The wall behind Arjun exploded inward.
He barely had time to turn.
A massive shape burst through the rear of the store.
[Hostile Unit A5 Identified]
Threat Level: High
This one was different.
Bulkier.
Slower.
But its entire body was covered in thick layered armor.
Arjun exhaled sharply.
"Three high-level monsters… in a small room."
The system responded calmly.
[Survival probability: 23%]
"…That low, huh?"
The first monster (A3) charged again.
The second (A4) circled him like a predator.
The third (A5) blocked his escape route.
Arjun adjusted his grip on the rifle.
"Alright… let's think."
The drone beeped.
[Weakness detected — Unit A4]
Location: Chest Core
Arjun's eyes narrowed.
"The fast one."
He immediately focused on A4.
The creature dashed toward him.
Arjun didn't move.
At the last second—
He fired.
The plasma shot pierced directly into its chest.
The creature froze mid-motion.
Then collapsed.
[Hostile Unit A4 Eliminated]
+220 Combat Points
"One down."
The other two monsters roared simultaneously.
A3 slammed its arm into the ground.
The shockwave threw Arjun backward.
He crashed into a shelf, sending debris flying.
A5 slowly advanced toward him.
Its heavy footsteps shook the floor.
Arjun coughed.
"Okay… these two are tougher."
The system responded.
[New Combat Option Available]
A new interface appeared.
Skill Unlocked: Energy Burst
Effect: Releases short-range shockwave
Cooldown: Medium
Arjun smirked.
"Now we're talking."
A3 charged again.
Arjun waited.
At the last moment—
He activated Energy Burst.
A powerful wave of energy exploded from his body.
The monster was pushed back violently, crashing into the wall.
"Nice."
But A5 kept advancing.
Its armor absorbed the shockwave with minimal effect.
"Of course…"
The drone spoke again.
[Weakness detected — Unit A5]
Location: Lower spine joint
Arjun nodded.
"Hard to reach, but not impossible."
A3 recovered and charged again.
A5 moved to block him.
They were coordinating.
Arjun's eyes sharpened.
"Then I'll break your coordination."
He ran forward.
Instead of retreating—
He moved straight between them.
Both monsters attacked at once.
At the last second, Arjun slid across the ground.
Their attacks collided with each other.
A3's massive arm slammed into A5.
The impact staggered both of them.
"Got you."
Arjun spun around and fired at A5's lower spine.
The plasma shot struck the weak point.
A5 let out a deep roar.
Its legs collapsed.
[Critical Damage Inflicted]
A3 turned toward Arjun in rage.
It raised both arms.
Arjun didn't hesitate.
He overloaded the plasma rifle again.
Energy surged through the weapon.
"Let's end this."
He fired.
The blast tore through A3's upper body.
The monster staggered—
Then fell.
[Hostile Unit A3 Eliminated]
+300 Combat Points
Arjun turned immediately.
A5 was still struggling to stand.
He raised the rifle one last time.
A single shot.
The monster went still.
[Hostile Unit A5 Eliminated]
+350 Combat Points
Silence filled the ruined store.
Arjun lowered the rifle slowly.
"…That was intense."
Then the system spoke.
[Sector 17 Secured]
Reward: Advanced Equipment Unlock Available
A new notification appeared.
[Warning]
Large-scale Hostile Movement Detected.
Incoming Threat Level: Extreme
Arjun's expression hardened.
"…Of course it doesn't end."
He stepped out of the destroyed store.
Above the city—
The sky cracked even wider.
And something far larger than before began descending.
Arjun tightened his grip on the rifle.
"Alright…"
"…let's see how far this goes."