With the landing zone finally cleared, Luca stepped back. Finally. The crew gathered near the Peregrine.
"Alright," he said, "the site's ready. Ryan, bring down the Percival."
"Preparing descent sequence now," Ryan replied.
The Percival descended from the clouds, settling into the clearing with a smooth thud.
"See that, Luca?" Ryan said, grinning as he gestured at the landing. "Textbook approach. Maybe I should handle the flying from now on."
"Right," Chris added. "At least the autopilot doesn't curse at the nav system."
Emily leaned against the Peregrine. "Or threaten to space anyone who touches the controls."
He rolled his eyes. "I get us where we need to go, don't I?"
Zoe, usually the first to throw in a playful jab about his piloting skills, was silent. She stood apart from the others, arms folded, clearly unsettled. Without her scout suit, she seed smaller sohow.
The sudden buzzing broke the mont of more flying insectoids, Vexillari Skyflayers. They sward into the clearing, wings blurring and their compound eyes glowing green.
Before anyone could react, the Percival's autocannons spun to life, tracking each insect. The cannons whined as rounds exploded from the guns, leaving the insectoids in pieces before they got close.
"Effective," Emily murmured. "I think we can call this delivery secured."
"Let's get moving," Luca called. Joey took the lead in his powered armor, lifting cases of samples and equipnt into the dropship's hold.
"Sure wish I had those servos," Danny muttered, glancing at his mismatched heavy gear.
Zoe nodded. "Yeah, tell about it. At this rate, I'll be scouting without a suit."
They emptied the Peregrine of all non-essential gear, piling everything into the Percival. When the last crate was stacked, Joey walked down the ramp.
"Ryan," Luca said, "send the Percival back to the Triumph."
Ryan paused at the controls, giving him a look. "You know, a 'please' wouldn't kill you."
Luca sighed. "Please send the Percival back." Maybe he was getting a little bossy.
"There we go," Ryan said, initiating the launch sequence.
The dropship's engines kicked to life, rising into the air and vanishing into the sky.
As night settled in, the surrounding forest felt more ominous.
Luca glanced at the shield monitor. Back on Earth, no mob under level 60 had ever gotten through. But here? TL9 plasma shots had nearly punched through twice already. If a real force ca through, the shield would fold like paper.
They couldn't afford to sleep here.
"Let's not take any chances," he said. "Rather than settle in, I say we move on. Closest portal isn't far, we can make it before dawn."
Ryan nodded, hefting his plasma rifle. "Smart call. If anything decides to move in tonight, they'll find an empty clearing."
Danny climbed back into the Peregrine. "Yeah, let's move. I've had enough of those acid-spitters for one day."
They piled back into the Peregrine and moved on, leaving the cleared landing zone behind.
The drive to the portal should've taken three hours. It took nine.
Nine hours of rough terrain and constant mob encounters through steady rain. The Peregrine struggled through flooded trails and muddy slopes.
[ 111,895 XP]
[ 40,500 credits]
[Item acquired: Power Cell x3]
Mobs were everywhere now. Not the passive wildlife from their first few days, no. These were ard, organized, and hunting in groups. System-spawned, no doubt. They ca out of the trees in twos and threes, sotis in fives.
Zoe refused to fight. She stayed curled up inside the Peregrine, silent and withdrawn. He couldn't bla her, not after what happened to her suit, but it still left a sour taste in his mouth.
So it was just him, Ryan, Chris, and Emily taking shifts on the roof, with their rifles and blasters. They huddled under the makeshift rain tarp Chris had rigged up, eyes on the treeline.
Keep the mobs at range. Don't let them circle. That was the plan.
Joey tried to help, but ranged combat wasn't his thing. He stuck to patching bruises, recharging energy cells, and shouting warnings from inside.
The worst part? There were no warnings and no safe zones. Just another group of shadow-wrapped weasels or roaming beasts coming out of the trees.
By the ti they reached the portal clearing, Luca was exhausted and running on adrenaline.
The Peregrine rumbled to a stop in front of the portal. The massive, swirling gateway lood before them, casting a faint glow over the clearing. It was one of those larger portals that allowed vehicles or multiple squads to go in.
Luca stepped out and raised his arm, his interface coming to life as a system ssage displayed.
[System ssage: Operation Site]
Tropical Rainforest
Gateway: Stable
Recomnded Level: 64
Maximum Level: 72
Mission Objective: Harvest the rare dicinal herbs while fending off territorial beasts.
Environntal Hazards: None
Difficulty: Easy
Ti Limit: N/A
[End of ssage]
Relieved, a smile spread across Luca's face as he read through the mission details. It was as if the system knew they needed a break: no environntal hazards, no pressing ti limit, just a straightforward task.
Nothing but gathering so herbs and dealing with a few "territorial beasts," which, if past experience was anything to go by, were likely more bark than bite.
Easy peasy.
As he turned back to the Peregrine, his voice crackled over the comms. This was just what they needed. "Guys, we've got an easy one ahead of us, tropical paradise, low-level creatures, and a simple harvest mission."
He barely finished the announcent before the cheers erupted from the crew inside. This portal felt like a gift: a chance to regroup, rest, and maybe even reset their gear strategy. The last ti they'd run a similar mission had been back near Sandworth, where they'd faced oversized but harmless critters and ca out with a generous haul of resources.
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"Finally, sothing that won't try to kill us imdiately," Ryan's voice ca through the comms. "Let's get moving, Luca."
"Yeah," Zoe chid in, so of the tension leaving her voice. "Anything's better than staying out here in the dark."
With everyone in agreent, Luca climbed back into the Peregrine, sealing the ramp and maneuvering into position. The anticipation was palpable as the crew secured their equipnt, the rumble of the engine underscoring their excitent.
The Peregrine moved forward, its headlights illuminating the swirling expanse of the portal as it drove through. The world around them dissolved into a shimring glow before reforming on the other side.
The portal deposited them into the heart of a sprawling, alien rainforest.
Wait, what?
Instead of being inside the Peregrine, they were standing outside. The transition was jarring. One mont, he was in the driver's seat; the next, they were on foot, in the middle of nowhere. What the hell just happened? It was like the portal had spat them out, separating them from the Peregrine. And where's the Peregrine?
The rainforest was dark, thick with tangled vines and towering trees that blotted out most of the light. He felt the isolation of the vast wilderness closing in around him.
Not good.
They didn't have long to adjust. Almost imdiately, the air filled with an eerie, high-pitched screeching that echoed from every direction.
Ambush.
Before they could react, the creatures erged, sleek, scaled, and fast. Very fast. Raptor-like beasts with claws that clicked on the forest floor and jaws lined with sharp teeth.
"Move!" Luca shouted, but the snarling roar of the creatures drowned out his voice as they lunged. Chaos exploded around them, each of them forced to react and move as they were torn away from each other.
Every man for himself.
Ryan was closest to him, firing off quick shots from his plasma rifle as they sprinted through the underbrush. Luca fired his sniper rifle in quick succession, his shots illuminating the snarling faces of the creatures. But as they cut a path through the trees, the ground gave way suddenly beneath them, and they fell into a hidden ravine. Shit!
Branches slapped his face as they plumted. He twisted mid-air, trying to brace for impact, but there was nothing to brace against.
A thud echoed as he t resistance, but it wasn't the ground.
Ryan.
Ryan groaned beneath him, armor clanking as they both hit the dirt in a heap.
Luca rolled off him with a wheeze, landing hard on his shoulder. Pain lit up his side. He gasped, gritting his teeth. His armor didn't protect much, but at least he could still move.
Ryan sat up, brushing leaves off his helt. "Next ti, try not to land on ."
"You're the one built like a damn fridge," he muttered, wincing as he pushed to his feet. His flashlight flicked on, casting harsh light across a narrow, root-choked trail. The ravine walls soared up like a prison.
No way back up.
And they shouldn't have ended up down here in the first place.
They panicked.
He clenched his jaw. They shouldn't have. Sure, the System pulling so new bullshit chanic wasn't exactly sothing they were used to. But they should have adapted.
Danny could've drawn aggro with Taunt. He could've popped Ghost Protocol, gone invisible, flanked. Ryan and Chris should've dropped covering fire and rotated wide. They knew how to fight together. They'd done it a billion tis.
But instead?
They ran. Scattered like green-level rookies.
Why? Lack of sleep? Stress? ntal fatigue stacking up? They hadn't had real downti in days. Just one objective to the next. The crew was stretched thin, and no one wanted to admit it.
He exhaled slowly, grounding himself in the mont. Focus, Luca. Worry about the after-action report later. Survive now.
Ryan stood, rotating his shoulder. "You good, Luca?"
"Yeah." He shook out his limbs, still aching. "Let's find a way out. Regroup with the others. If they're still kicking."
Zoe darted through the dense undergrowth, her heart pounding as the raptors closed in. She didn't have her scout suit or the benefits of its visor.
Shit, shit, shit.
She could hear their footsteps behind her, the rustle of leaves as one lunged closer, jaws snapping just inches away from her shoulder. She stumbled over a root, barely catching herself before scrambling forward, her eyes darting desperately for cover.
Ahead, a massive tree lood, its roots sprawling across the forest floor, wide enough to create a low, hollow space beneath its base. Without a second thought, she dropped to her knees and crawled inside, pressing herself back as far as she could into the dark crevice.
She went still.
Her breathing was ragged, each inhale sharp and shallow. Her fingers curled around the hilt of her plasma dagger, knuckles white. Useless unless the thing was right on top of her.
One of the raptors followed her, its scaled body brushing against the entrance as it poked its head inside, sniffing the air.
She held her breath, fingers clutching the hilt of her plasma dagger tightly. The creature's eyes glead in the faint light, its nostrils flaring as it tested the air. She felt its hot, rancid breath against her cheek, the scrape of its claws digging into the earth as it tried to wedge itself deeper inside.
Don't move, Zoe. Don't even breathe.
She swallowed hard, her pulse pounding in her ears, praying it would lose interest. For a mont, the raptor hesitated, its head twitching as it cocked one ear toward the distant sounds of gunfire. Probably the others, buying her so ti. With a low, guttural growl, it pulled back, scraping its claws against the roots before finally retreating, disappearing into the dark.
She was alone, her only weapon the plasma dagger in her hand, but she had no choice. She needed to find the others.
Danny and Joey faced their own struggle in a small clearing.
Joey used the strength of his powered heavy armor to throw one of the raptors into a tree, but more were closing in, their dark forms flashing in and out of sight under his helt's flashlight. Danny had that plasma chainsaw in hand, the blade humming with energy. He spun just in ti to et another raptor lunging at him from the side.
"Joey!" Danny shouted, gritting his teeth as he parried the raptor's claws. "Where's the team?"
"Not sure, man," Joey replied, his voice steady despite the chaos. "I saw Ryan and Luca go down the ravine, but the others... we might be on our own for a bit."
Danny exhaled, his eyes fixed on the raptor in front of him. "Works for . Ti to show them what we can do."
Back-to-back, the Donahue brothers turned the clearing into a stand. The raptors circled, probing for weakness, but Danny and Joey moved like a unit. Joey absorbed the blows like a walking tank, redirecting weight, slamming back with brute force. Danny was faster, weaving through the gaps, his chainsaw roaring with every sweep.
One raptor lunged low and caught Danny's leg. He hissed in pain but didn't fall and didn't slow. Joey pivoted instantly, catching the thing by the tail and flinging it into a boulder.
Back in the ravine, Luca and Ryan trudged through the mud, their flashlights sweeping the walls as they searched for an exit. So easy mission this turned out to be. He glanced over his shoulder. "You think they're okay up there?"
"They're tough," Ryan replied, his voice confident. "But let's not leave them hanging. There's gotta be a way out."
A faint sound caught their attention, a scuffing noise above, followed by the unmistakable hiss of a raptor. They froze, their lights catching a pair of glowing eyes staring down at them from the edge of the ravine.
Shit.
It let out a shriek before leaping down, its claws extended as it barreled toward them.
"Move!" he shouted, using the uneven terrain to his advantage. The creature landed in the mud beside him with a splash. Ryan raised his plasma rifle, firing two quick shots, one of which hit the raptor's shoulder, sending it staggering back. But the creature recovered quickly, its eyes locking onto Luca as it charged.
Oh, fuck.
He rolled to the side. He barely had ti to react before the raptor lunged again, its jaws snapping just inches from his arm. In a desperate move, he drew his energy tomahawk and brought it down in a swift arc that connected with the raptor's neck, sending it stumbling back with a screech.
Ryan took aim, firing again, this ti hitting it square in the chest. The raptor let out one final snarl before collapsing, its body dissolving into dark wisps.
[ 3,143 XP]
[ 1,125 credits]
"Close call," Ryan muttered, reaching down to retrieve his flashlight. "Think that's our cue to hurry."
"Agreed," Luca replied, catching his breath. "Let's find a way out and regroup with the others."
"Hold on," Ryan said, reaching into the loot box that materialized next to the corpse.
[Item acquired: Centauri Guardian Mk-64 Terrain Adaptors]
Luca whistled.
Ryan turned the boot in his hand, eyebrow raised. "They'll be even better once I get the full set."
"Yeah, until then they're just high-end paperweights," Luca muttered. "Still, it's a nice find. You're two pieces away, right?"
"Yup," he said, sliding the boots into his pack like they were made of glass. "Chest piece and the helt."
"Helt's probably gated behind a boss drop," Luca added.
They continued deeper into the ravine, their flashlights cutting through the darkness. The walls seed to close in around them, and the sounds from above had grown ominously quiet.
Too quiet.
Ryan stopped suddenly, holding up his hand. "You hear that?"
Luca strained his ears. At first, nothing. Then, a low rumbling sound, like distant thunder. But it wasn't coming from the sky.
It was coming from deeper in the ravine.
The rumbling grew louder, accompanied by the scrape of claws on stone. Sothing big was moving toward them through the darkness.
Ryan's flashlight beam trembled as he swept it ahead. "Luca..."
The rumbling stopped.
In the sudden silence, they could hear their own breathing, their hearts pounding. Then, from the darkness ahead, ca a sound that made Luca's blood run cold.
A deep, guttural roar that echoed off the ravine walls, so loud it seed to shake the very ground beneath their feet.
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