Chapter 72: Standing Out

Chapter 72: Standing OutThe Aegis Lock dome pulsed faintly—cracks splintering across its silvery surface like a wineglass ready to shatter. Every heartbeat was another tick off the countdown. Elira was barely conscious, propped against the wall with a hand clutching her ribs. Lyra gritted through the pain in her burned leg, trying not to cry out. Serina’s eyes were half-lidded, drained from overcasting magic far beyond her current reserves. And Inigo? He was the only one still standing. Outside the barrier, the demon-minotaur circled like a siege weapon come to life—its eyes blazing with violent intent. The armor fused to its flesh still glowed with the remains of cursed heat, and every exhale filled the air with the scent of sulfur and death. Inigo inhaled sharply, fingers tightening around the grip of his Desert Eagle. His M4 was nearly empty. His mana reserves were low. But worst of all—his team couldn’t keep fighting. If he didn’t act now, they were dead. "Alright," he muttered to himself, opening the Freedom OS interface in his mind. "Let’s stop screwing around." With a flick of thought, he pulled up the inventory of his freedom system. Then he found it. [Tracked Combat Drone – Unit Designation: WLSN-7 "Wheeler"] Loadout: Twin 5.56mm Miniguns (2500 Rounds), Micro-missile Pod (6 HE Rockets) Features: Combat AI, Infrared Sensors, Auto-Retreat, Deployable Smoke, Self-Destruct System He didn’t hesitate. "Summon." A flash of blue light shimmered inside the dome, just behind him. A mechanical hum filled the chamber. Treads spun gently against the ground. Twin barrels mounted on a low-slung chassis rotated in place. The matte-black drone extended from its folded stasis mode, armor plates sliding into combat position. Red indicator lights blinked to life along its sides. WLSN-7 "Wheeler" Activated. Awaiting Orders. "Wheeler," Inigo whispered, allowing a grin to form. "Get out there and raise hell." With a hydraulic hiss, the drone rolled to the edge of the barrier. A circular lens rotated as its forward camera calibrated, locking onto the demonic minotaur outside. seaʀᴄh thё Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The barrier broke. The moment the silver light shattered into sparks, the beast roared and lunged. But Wheeler was faster. The drone’s twin miniguns spun up with a screaming whirr—then thundered to life. BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT! A wall of 5.56mm rounds tore into the creature’s chest and arms, peppering molten armor with relentless fire. Each bullet was infused with a light arcane charge, designed to disrupt cursed energy. The beast recoiled slightly, shielding its face with one massive forearm. And then came the second volley. [Micro-Missile Pod: Engaged] With a chirp of targeting, the six high-explosive rockets launched in rapid succession. FWISH–FWISH–FWISH! The chamber exploded in flame and force. Three of the rockets hit dead center—two struck its right shoulder and chest, blowing off part of the fused plate. One clipped the creature’s leg, detonating with enough force to knock it off balance. "YEAH!" Inigo shouted, leveling his M4 and joining the assault. He dashed to the side, using Wheeler’s barrage as cover. Firing in short, mana-infused bursts, he focused on the cracked armor plates now exposed by the rockets. Every shot glowed faintly, amplifying with arcane energy and slamming into the demon’s side with echoing cracks. The beast howled in frustration, swinging its massive sword at the drone. Wheeler reversed—treads squealing—just as the blade came down. It missed by inches. [Auto-Retreat Engaged] Deploying Smoke—Now. A cloud of thick gray fog blasted outward from the drone’s flanks, blinding the creature momentarily. Inigo used the cover. He broke into a sprint, sliding beside the stunned Lyra. "You still with me?" She nodded weakly, grabbing his arm. "I can still shoot if I get a clear line." "You’ll get one," he said. "Wheeler’s keeping it busy." Behind them, the smoke began to clear—and the demon roared again, stepping through the mist, its sword dragging sparks across the floor. Its left arm was limp now, part of the shoulder blown open from the missile volley. But it was still alive. Still enraged. Inigo pulled up the interface again, cursing under his breath. "Need more. I need something that’ll drop this bastard for good." He scrolled—rifles, explosives—none of it big enough. Then he found it. [M777 155mm Towed Howitzer] Cost: 18,000 Tokens Payload: Standard High-Explosive (HE) rounds – Direct Fire Capable Instructions: Manual fire. Yank the cord. Say goodbye. His eyes widened. "That’ll do." Purchase Confirmed. Behind him, the sound of air distorting signaled the weapon’s arrival. It wasn’t subtle. The M777 didn’t appear gently—it slammed into existence with a thunderous crash, the long barrel clanking against stone as arcane runes lit along its length. The howitzer was fitted with stabilizers and had a pre-loaded shell glowing with condensed energy. Wheeler wheeled back, its miniguns clicking dry. "Fall back, buddy," Inigo said. "I’ll take it from here." He climbed onto the firing platform, gripping the heavy pull-cord linked to the trigger mechanism. The demon, sensing something was wrong, charged again—full speed. "Just a little closer..." Ten meters. Five. "NOW!" Inigo yanked the cord. BOOOOOOOOOOOM! The sound was deafening—pure thunder ripped through the cavern as the shell fired point-blank. A white-hot streak of energy shot forward, crossing the short distance between cannon and beast in a blink. The shell hit square in the demon’s chest. The explosion that followed was cataclysmic. The chamber lit in a blinding flash—shockwaves ripping through stone, vaporizing debris. A massive crater formed where the demon once stood. Flames licked upward toward the ceiling. Cracks spidered along the cave walls. Dust and smoke enveloped everything. For a few long seconds, there was only silence. Then the smoke began to clear. The demon was gone. All that remained was a smoldering ruin, its sword snapped in two, its fused armor now cracked and scattered. Inigo slid down from the cannon, panting. He turned to the others. Elira was stirring again, blinking groggily. Lyra raised a thumb. Serina, still exhausted, gave a weak but thankful smile. Inigo looked at Wheeler, then the crater. "That," he said, "is what you call freedom. But don’t rest easy right now. The minotaur is still alive."