The drone captured a terrifying scene—two monsters were fighting hand-to-hand, shaking the earth and sky.
They hadn't even reached the South yet, and the Awakened were already turning on each other. One was a more-than-five-meter-tall xenomorph with a two-meter-long neck, the other was a spider roughly the same size. A grotesque blend of insect and human anatomy, and now they were locked in brutal combat.
"This footage was taken three hours ago, just over 20 kilometers from here. At the same time, we've spotted several suspicious figures—likely more yoma—moving southward at high speed. They're expected to arrive before dusk today." Zhang Dong had already met with the other team leaders and now gathered all team members. This was the second large-scale yoma attack since the clean-up squad from the Organization had surrounded them. A decision had to be made.
They chose to fight. Although Zhang Dong personally preferred retreating into space, the other leaders insisted on holding their ground. They had weapons—heavy weapons even—so there was no reason to flee. Besides, the soldiers themselves were eager. Maybe they thought, 'No matter how big the monster is, it's still just a big target. A few rocket rounds and it's toast.'
With no other option, Zhang Dong joined them in drawing up a battle plan. They would set an ambush along the forest line to catch the Awakened off guard.
"Bold of them," Luciela said with a smile. It was her first time seeing humans daring to ambush Awakened Beings. Regular yoma alone were enough to scare most people senseless.
"They're soldiers. When enemies meet on a narrow path, the brave win," said Kid.
"I'd say it's more like fools rushing in. They're going to die horribly."
Kid didn't argue. This time Luciela was right. Their high morale probably made them forget how different Awakened Beings were from Earthlings.
But once the decision was made, they moved fast. They deployed into a wing-shaped formation, with 40 soldiers on each side. This was nearly the entire expeditionary force—everyone was going all-in to protect their base.
Still, from both Liu A'dou's and Luciela's perspective, Earth's military strength stood no chance against the yoma.
Liu A'dou believed that without tanks or air support, Earth troops couldn't possibly defeat Awakened Beings.
Zhang Dong checked his wristwatch, then raised his binoculars. The drone was still tracking the Awakened. They'd be within firing range soon.
The first to lock on the enemy was the team's only sniper, a Russian from their allied expedition force.
"Three, four… six, seven." Seven targets.
"The drone spotted 13 earlier. The other six probably took a different route."
The Awakened had spotted each other too. The first two were both badly wounded from their fight, and now everyone realized it would be stupid to start another battle before even reaching the South. If they were going to fight, they'd wait until they arrived and settle everything at once.
So even though they'd crossed paths, none of them attacked. It was rare to see Awakened traveling together like this—maybe only in the frozen North. For the South, this was a first.
"Taking on seven Awakened at once... you've got guts." Usually, the Organization would send four Claymores to handle one Awakened.
Seven Awakened would require 28 Claymores. In the Northern Campaign, they had sent 24 warriors against six Awakened, and even then they only won after losing 17 of their own.
And in truth, only one of those six Awakened had been a former single-digit warrior. The others had been weakened or incomplete.
But this time, all seven Awakened were former top-tier single-digit warriors, both male and female.
Ophelia gritted her teeth. For the first time, someone who had always dreamed of slaying Awakened Beings felt fear. She had fought them one-on-one before and believed she would never back down, but facing seven single-digit Awakened was something else entirely. The pressure from their gathered youki was no less than that of an Abyssal One.
"They're going to die," Luciela declared.
Bang!
The sniper rifle cracked. A bullet whistled through the air, aiming straight at the head of the first Awakened.
The shot packed just as much punch as a Claymore's slash.
Through the binoculars, Zhang Dong saw the target's head jerk to the side and drop. Did it work? Unlike the other commanders, he wasn't optimistic. He had a gut feeling that the enemy wasn't dead yet.
"It's starting," Luciela said calmly into the silence.
As if her voice triggered it, the fallen Awakened stood back up. There was a hole in his skull, yet he still rose. Then his body started making cracking sounds as it twitched and swelled—transforming into a monster.
"Open fire!"
Flames burst from the barrels, surrounding the Awakened, some shots piercing their bodies, others bouncing off their hardened exteriors. Sparks flew where bullets met their shells.
"How's that possible?" Zhang Dong muttered. These were bullets. He hadn't realized that Awakened Beings weren't like ordinary yoma. They had abilities even most yoma lacked—like armor tough enough to deflect a Claymore's strike.
"RPG," someone shouted. Bring out the rocket launchers.
Whoosh—
Boom!
The explosion set the nearby trees ablaze. Smoke engulfed the Awakened. The soldiers stared wide-eyed, desperate to see whether the monster was dead.
Once the ringing in their ears faded, the wounded Awakened emerged from the smoke. He wasn't dead. Blood dripped from the spot where the rocket had hit, but he stood tall.
"How's that possible?" That was a rocket meant to bust armored vehicles.
The Awakened's strength shattered everything Earth's soldiers believed about combat.
"Don't stop! Fire everything you've got—don't let up!"
Ratatatatatatatat—
A downpour of bullets surged toward the Awakened. The continuous fire made them frown.
'Not bad,' Luciela thought. Earth weapons were more than enough to wipe out regular yoma. Unfortunately, Awakened Beings were the peak predators of this world. Those weapons just weren't enough.
"Rocket launchers—keep firing!"
Boom. Boom. Boom!
Like money didn't matter, the rockets kept launching. Trees as thick as thighs collapsed under the shockwaves. The entire area was scorched black, yet the Awakened still lived.
Monsters. Actual monsters.
Now that the commanders had seen what Awakened were really like, they began to regret it.
Zhang Dong finally understood. This place didn't just have yoma—there were things far scarier than yoma. The worst part? The Awakened hadn't even started attacking yet.
Their signature move was extending parts of their bodies to pierce or slice their enemies.
Whoosh!
A sudden slicing sound split the air. Everyone felt a chill overhead. Looking up, they saw every tree in front of them had been sliced clean through. The Awakened had finally launched their counterattack. Just one swing had severed more than a dozen thick trees.
"Retreat!" someone finally shouted. The pressure was too much. A mixed unit began pulling back while firing.
"Heh, they're running," one Awakened sneered. Their golden eyes narrowed, then they launched a new attack. This time, they were out for blood.
Stab!
"Ahhh!" One soldier, mid-retreat, was suddenly impaled through the thigh by a long tendril. He collapsed, screaming in agony.
Kid nodded to himself. It was time. He turned to the two women and said, "You're up."
Luciela had been itching for this. She was ready to shred the Awakened invaders who dared trespass on her territory.