Chapter 50: Time to Introduce Freedom

Chapter 50: Time to Introduce Freedom"Okay, it’s time for us to shine," Inigo smirked. The warlord’s molten staff ignited with pulsing energy—crackling, humming, screaming with magic as it gathered in its crystal core. Then it released. A bolt of condensed arcane energy streaked across the chamber, a glowing lance of death heading straight for him and Lyra. Inigo didn’t flinch. [–500 Tokens: Freedom Shop – Ballistic Shield – Series X-RAM Mk IV] A sharp flash of blue lit up his right wrist, and with a mechanical whir, a solid ballistic shield materialized around his forearm. Matte black plating layered with carbon mesh, mag-locks stabilizing its center, and a sleek digital HUD flaring to life across its rim. He brought it up just in time. The spell struck. The entire cavern lit up in blue and violet, thunder cracking around them like a dragon’s scream. Sparks exploded as the shield took the brunt of the force. Inigo’s boots scraped back across the stone floor, digging trenches beneath him—but he held. Smoke curled from the shield’s surface. Its outer rim glowed red-hot. The Freedom OS HUD blinked: [IMPACT ABSORBED. STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY: 72%]. Inigo’s eyes narrowed. "My turn. Summon WLSN-7." As soon as he said that, something spawned from the ether beside him. It hit the ground hard with a mechanical thud. A low-profile, armored vehicle the size of a large dog—a hybrid of tank and nightmare. Twin miniguns unfolded from recessed compartments. A dorsal pod clicked open, revealing six high-explosive micro-missiles. Its treads rolled out like the limbs of a predator. [Combat Unit Online. Designation: WLSN-7 "Wheeler." AI Link Established.] "Wheeler," Inigo commanded, pointing toward the warlord. "Engage primary hostile. Open fire." The drone responded instantly, its engines purring with menace. It zipped forward with shocking speed for its size, treads handling the rocky terrain with ease. Twin 5.56mm miniguns whirred to life—and then opened fire. The cavern roared with the echo of steel-on-steel. Hundreds of rounds per minute tore through the air, peppering the boss’s shoulder and chest armor with stinging impacts. Sparks flew. The warlord staggered back, its dark cloak fluttering as it tried to shield its face with its staff. And then the missiles fired. Three thudded into the warlord’s left flank in rapid succession. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The cavern trembled as fire and shockwaves erupted. Stone cracked. Dust and ash bloomed from the point of impact. Reina screamed above the chaos, "What the hell is that thing?!" "Is that a golem?!" Kael barked, shielding his face from the blasts. Inigo stepped forward, letting his shield retract. "It’s my familiar." "Your what?!" Marianne gasped, still kneeling beside Shade. "Summoned beast," Inigo said coolly. "Very expensive one." The warlord roared in pain and rage, shaking off the explosions. Chunks of armor had been blasted off, revealing dark, scaled flesh beneath. But it wasn’t down. "Of course you’re tougher than that," Inigo muttered. He slung his rifle forward—the standard M4 carbine he’d favored for weeks. He aimed, fired a burst at the warlord’s exposed midsection. Sparks. Ricochet. No penetration. "The hell?" He adjusted and aimed for the eye sockets. Still nothing. The rounds bounced off its dark hide like pebbles. Inigo clicked his tongue. "Fine. You want firepower?" [–1,500 Tokens: Freedom Shop – Mounted Auto-Turret – M2 .50 Caliber Heavy Gun] Another flash. Behind him, a sleek, tripod-mounted turret materialized with a loud thud, its long barrel already swiveling to acquire targets. The HUD in Inigo’s visor blinked with telemetry. [Auto-Turret M2 Online. Manual Override Available.] The weapon spun, locked on, and fired. BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM. Each round thundered through the cavern like cannon fire. The warlord recoiled as one hit its shoulder—shattering the remaining armor there—and the next buried itself into its chest. Blood sprayed, dark and steaming. "Inigo," Lyra called, her voice calm—but focused. "Right flank. One of the lackeys is closing in." He turned just as one of the boss’s elite guards lunged. Claws outstretched. Teeth bared. Before he could even raise his gun, a blur of green and silver cut it off. Lyra. She moved like wind given form. "Spirit Essence," she muttered. A faint green aura shimmered around her body. Her feet barely touched the stone as she flipped past the charging monster, an arrow already notched and drawn in the blink of an eye. Then a second arrow appeared beside it—then a third. A glowing outline of overlapping arrowheads shimmered around her bowstring. Inigo blinked. "Wait, was that...?" She fired. Three arrows split mid-flight into nine, then twelve. Homing missiles. The arrows curved unnaturally, streaking around cover and striking the monster from three sides at once. They embedded deep into its limbs and chest, and then pulsed once—exploding in staggered bursts of radiant light. The monster howled and fell, smoking and limp. Lyra didn’t wait. She sprinted to another ledge, feet launching her up with barely a grunt, and fired a rapid burst of enchanted arrows—one after another—each one glowing with a spiraling trail of spirit energy. The second elite Draconute stumbled backward, its arm skewered with three shots, its face half-melted from the spirit-burn. "Spirit Bow Technique," Reina murmured from behind a stone pillar, eyes wide. "That’s elven archery. High-tier stuff..." Kael shouted, "Cover fire! Stay coordinated!" Inigo gave him a grin that could cut steel. "Oh, now you want coordination." The warlord roared again—injured, but not broken. Its staff raised high, glowing with a furious red now, pulsing with raw magic. WLSN-7 darted behind a stone outcropping and deployed smoke, obscuring vision as the drone retreated to reload and recalibrate. "Wheeler, deploy countermeasures. Marianne, stay clear!" Inigo barked. The turret repositioned and fired another burst. The warlord swung its staff in a wide arc, shattering the stone the turret was mounted on—but not before two more rounds slammed into its hip and right leg. Cracks ran through its armor like splintered glass. Lyra landed beside Inigo again, drawing in a breath. Her glow dimmed slightly. "I’m down to half essence." "Hold tight. We’re not done." Inigo checked his HUD. [WLSN-7: Ammo Remaining: 625 rounds | Missiles: 3 remaining | AI: Active] [M2 Turret: Operational. Heat Level: 56%.] He gave a sharp whistle. "Wheeler—pincer pattern. Fire remaining missiles and suppress left side." WLSN-7 beeped once, then rolled back into the open, launching its final three missiles at the warlord’s exposed rib section. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The warlord reeled, one arm now hanging limp. Smoke coiled around it. Its staff shattered at the shaft—cut clean by a lucky .50 cal round. It roared again—but it was faltering. Then—Kael appeared, sword flashing with divine light as Marianne finished chanting a holy enhancement spell. The knight didn’t speak. He struck. Right across the warlord’s exposed chest. The blade bit deep. And this time—it stayed down. The warlord staggered backward, stumbled— —and collapsed with a shuddering crash that echoed across the entire chamber. For a moment, nothing moved. Only smoke. And silence. Then— [You earned: 5,000 tokens from displaying freedom and slaying the beast] [New token balance: 148,150] Reina whooped. "YES!" Darius exhaled. Kael slowly lowered his sword. Shade groaned from where he’d been pulled to cover. Inigo walked forward, stepping over the blood-soaked stone and steaming chunks of armor. Wheeler rolled beside him, gears clicking softly. "What... what was all that?" Reina asked, slack-jawed. "The weapons, the shield, the familiar..." Inigo looked back, a lopsided grin on his face. "Freedom," he said. "That’s what it looks like." Sёarᴄh the nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lyra chuckled beside him, lowering her bow. "Took them long enough to notice." Kael approached, looking between them with narrowed eyes. "You’ve been holding back." "You told me too," Inigo replied. After hearing that, he knelt to his knee and then lowered his head. "I apologize for sidelining you in this mission. I admit, I underestimated both of your skills and doing so could have put our lives in jeopardy." What’s with him getting too formal all of a sudden. "Don’t worry about it. At least it’s done."