On the other side, driven by a mix of skepticism and lingering dread, Lawson followed the hospital's name and address from his dream. Traversing through the teleportation array, he arrived at the far edge of Nova Star Town's East Sector 3.
He came to a halt, looking up at the dilapidated structure before him.
"Is this the place? The hospital that unilaterally declared me 'brain-dead'?"
The moment Lawson prepared to step into the ruins, a "native" lurking in the shadows—a Volt-Claws—locked its eyes on the "feast" that had delivered itself.
"The weakness is the triangular spike-core on the chest."
Lawson muttered under his breath. He swung the {Mercy Hammer} behind him, the heavy impact of displaced air preceding the strike as he smashed the first leaping Volt-Claw scout into smithereens.
Seeing their kin obliterated in an instant, the remaining monsters erupted into a frenzy. With a chorus of ear-piercing shrieks, they swarmed him like a tide of fury.
"Just in time."
Lawson calmly activated his skill: [Grace of the Armor God].
Suddenly, the metallic claws—sharp enough to shred solid steel—descended in a frantic blur, yet they seemed to pass through thin air. Not a single scratch was left on Lawson's body. He moved through the swarm with fluid grace, his motions so swift they were a dizzying blur. Before long, the wave of Shadow Shifters was cleared, leaving nothing but a field of wreckage.
Lawson fought his way up to the second floor. When the room number from his dream flashed into view, a surge of intense unease gripped his heart.
He stood at the door, his fingertips trembling, palms slick with cold sweat. He took a deep breath, terrified that the moment he pushed the door open, the non-human "self" from his nightmare would lung at him with a distorted grin.
Click.
The door creaked open.
However, the expected horror didn't happen. Instead, a tragic scene unfolded before him.
In the corner of the room, a mother and her child were huddled together in terror. Before them lay a burly man in a pool of blood. Even in death, his hands gripped a Volt-Sniper rifle with a white-knuckled intensity. The floor was littered with the cores of Volt-Claws, a silent testament to the desperate struggle that had taken place.
To protect this family, this nameless warrior had spent every last drop of his blood.
"Don't... stay away!"
Sensing someone entering, the mother's face went deathly pale. She pulled her child tighter into her embrace, staring at the stranger in the white coat with eyes of pure desperation, as if fearing he would snatch away their last remaining moments of life.
Lawson sighed softly, consciously withdrawing his killing intent. He released his grip, and the heavy {Mercy Hammer} dissolved into specks of golden light, vanishing into the void. He slowly knelt down, keeping his voice gentle and steady.
"Don't be afraid. My name is Lawson, the Chief Armor Smith of the Nova Star Town base. I'm not a villain; I'm just here looking for something." He pointed toward the door. "The monsters downstairs have been cleared. It's not safe here—head to the first floor."
As the pair stumbled toward the exit, Lawson stood up, preparing to search for clues. But before he could even start, a blood-curdling scream echoed from below.
"What?! I already cleared the area, how could..."
His heart tightened. Dropping everything, Lawson transformed into a white streak, rushing to the first floor at light-speed. When he burst into the hall, his pupils contracted sharply.
A monster, several times larger than the previous grunts, stood amidst the rubble. Embedded into its massive shoulders were two glowing blue [Volt-Sniper] rifles, their cold muzzles locked onto the mother and child cowering in the corner.
"That's... a B-Rank elite, a [Mutant Volt-Claw King]! Damn it!"
With a roar, Lawson reached into the void, and his hammer materialized. Simultaneously, several "Data Chains" shimmering with golden light shot out from the {Mercy Hammer}. These chains sliced through the air at millisecond speeds, instantly binding the limbs of the Mutant Volt-Claw King.
In that heartbeat, the snarling monster seemed to hit a "Pause" button. Its Action Value dropped to zero, its body freezing like a statue.
The creature struggled violently, attempting to fire the shoulder-mounted snipers, but the chambers were locked by a profound algorithmic logic. Despite the crackling sparks, they wouldn't budge.
"Useless."
Lawson approached step by step, hammer in hand. His gaze was icy, his voice carrying an unquestionable authority.
"With [Mercy Binding] active, your choices are over. Return to data fragments, you oversized lizard."
As Lawson's final hammer blow descended, a violent surge of energy pierced through the Mutant Volt-Claw King's core. With a shriek of exploding electricity, the massive beast collapsed, its body disintegrating into fine pixels of data.
Looking at the mother and child, who were still trembling and deathly pale, Lawson let out a soft sigh. He had to suppress his urge to continue searching for clues for now.
He stowed his weapon, his tone somewhat helpless yet undeniably reliable. "It seems this place is even more chaotic than I imagined. The search ends here for today. Tell me, where did you come from? I'll personally escort you to safety."
The mother clutched her child, her voice quivering. "Saviour... thank you. We live in the Rickman Survivor Camp. It's not far from here. We're so sorry for the trouble..."
Hearing that familiar name, Lawson's pupils shrank slightly, a look of surprise washing over his face.
"Rickman? That name... could it be uncle?"
He brushed the dust off his white coat, murmuring to himself in thought.
Then, he turned back to the pair, a meaningful curve tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Let's go. Take me there. If I'm not mistaken, your leader... might just be an old acquaintance of mine."
Beyond the "Safe Zone" lay a fractured world ruled by the Volt-Claws. Clutching his Mercy Hammer, Lawson knew the only way forward was a slaughter.
He was the only thing standing between the wasteland and the two fragile lives counting on him. The finish line was right there, but out here, a few yards might as well be a thousand miles.