Chapter 283 Mist Planet. {5}

Words : 1128 Updated : Oct 11th, 2025

Rex watched the live feed from the scout drones, his jaw tightening as the battlefield unfolded before him. The plateau was a chaotic storm of plasma fire, screeching mist creatures, and the relentless advance of the fog itself. The creatures were endless, a writhing, churning tide of biomechanical nightmares that seemed to surge forward with a mindless, unyielding ferocity. But what worried him more than their numbers was the mist. It wasn't just a passive veil; it was alive, expanding and thickening as the creatures pushed forward, swallowing the terrain like a predator closing in on its prey. His gaze flickered to another feed of Aegis units, their black-and-red armor gleaming under the flickering light of gunfire, who were falling one by one, overwhelmed by the sheer weight of the horde. The plateau's edge was a slaughterhouse, and the Blood Legion was barely holding the line. "Nyra." Rex's voice cut through the comms, firm and unwavering. "Take 500 Aegis units and push down the mountain from the west." "Okay, but let me just say... this sounds like a terrible idea." On-screen, Nyra stood atop one of the operational defense turrets with her arms crossed as she scanned the battlefield. Her usual bravado was tinged with a rare hint of unease. "If I head down alone, I'll be surrounded. And let me tell you, getting eaten by those ugly things is not on my to-do list today." Rex smirked while leaning forward in his command chair, his fingers steepled. "Don't worry. You'll have air support. The frigates are standing by for orbital bombardment, and Cleo is deploying bombers to clear out the densest mist pockets. You'll have plenty of firepower to work with." Nyra exhaled while cracking her knuckles. "Alright then... guess I'm going." She took a deep breath before activating her comms. "Squad One, with me! Lyra, you're in charge of the remaining squads!" Without another word, she leapt off the turret, her boots hitting the ground with a sharp thud. She sprinted toward the plateau's edge, her twin swords flashing as she cut down anything that got in her way. Her movements were like a deadly dance, weaving between lunging creatures with fluid precision. Every step forward was marked by a severed limb, a flash of crimson, or a dying shriek. Behind her, the Aegis units moved in perfect synchronization, firing calculated bursts into the advancing horde. But the real test was still ahead. Nyra skidded to a stop at the plateau's edge, staring down into the abyss below. {Nine kilometers.....} She swallowed hard. {I was never a fan of jumping from high places...} Her helmet snapped into place, the visor dimming as it locked onto her trajectory. She took a breath and then jumped. The wind rushed past her, howling against her armor as she plunged through the thick layers of mist. The world blurred around her, the ground rushing up at an alarming speed. {IT'S SO DAMN TALL—!!} Behind her, 500 Aegis units followed, their dark forms slicing through the air like falling daggers. The remaining 1,500 stayed behind under Lyra's command, holding the plateau at all costs. As Nyra descended, squadrons of fighters roared past her, missiles streaking downward and detonating in bright bursts across the mist-covered terrain. The sheer scale of the battle hit her like a shockwave; this wasn't a small skirmish. This was war. Her breathing stayed measured. Her mind was clear. "Master! The situation up here is under control. You can send in the construction teams!" Lyra reported between shots, her voice composed yet urgent. Back on the Cleopatra, Cleo was already in motion. "Understood. Deploying cargo and construction drones now." With a flick of her wrist, thousands of drones emerged from their carriers, descending toward the plateau. Their task: to build the factories, the beating heart of their war effort. One facility would produce weapons and ammunition, ensuring their forces never ran dry. The other would manufacture Aegis units, replenishing their numbers in real-time. But with such immense value came immense vulnerability. If either factory fell, their entire operation would be crippled. Rex's jaw tightened as he stared at the blackened holo-screen, the words "NO SIGNAL" pulsing like a grim reminder of their vulnerability. The mist wasn't just a physical barrier; it was a weapon, a living, breathing entity that seemed to actively work against them. His mind raced, calculating the risks, the unknowns, and the potential fallout of their current strategy. "How long can the drones last down there?" he asked, his voice low but edged with urgency. Cleo's fingers danced across her holo-screens, her golden eyes flickering as she processed the data. "At full shielding capacity? Ten minutes, maximum. After that, the EMP will fry their systems. We'll lose communication, and they'll be sitting ducks." Rex's frown deepened. "And Nyra?" Cleo hesitated, a rare crack in her otherwise unshakable composure. "Without visual confirmation, it's impossible to say. But if the mist is disrupting our drones, it's likely affecting her armor's systems as well. She's strong, but..." She didn't need to finish the sentence. Rex knew what she meant. Nyra was a force of nature on the battlefield, but even she had limits. And the Mist Planet seemed determined to push them all to the brink. Rex leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he stared at the tactical displays. The plateau was holding for now. Lyra's precise sniper fire and the Aegis units' disciplined formations were keeping the creatures at bay. But the factories were still under construction, and the longer they took, the more vulnerable they became. "Cleo," Rex said, his voice steady but firm. "We need eyes on Nyra. Now." Cleo nodded, her expression hardening as she input a series of commands. "I'll deploy a high-altitude reconnaissance drone. It won't last long, but it should give us a brief window to assess her situation." The drone launched from the Cleopatra, its sleek form cutting through the atmosphere as it descended toward the mist-covered battlefield. The feed flickered to life on the bridge's main holo-screen, revealing a chaotic scene below. Nyra was a blur of motion, her twin swords flashing as she carved through the mist creatures with brutal efficiency. The Aegis units around her fought valiantly, but their numbers were dwindling, their formations buckling under the relentless assault. The mist swirled around them, thick and suffocating, as if it were alive and actively working to isolate them. Rex's grip tightened on the armrest of his chair. "She's holding, but she's cut off. We need to reinforce her position."

Chapter 283 Mist Planet. {5}

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