The first rays of sunlight had barely appeared when the gates of Wolf Fortress opened.
Destiny stood before twelve soldiers, checking their equipment.
Daniel stood at the front of the formation, carrying an assault rifle. Michael and Brian were beside him, while Naomi held a tablet displaying the route to Warri General Hospital.
Kane stood at the rear of the group.
Some soldiers still looked uncomfortable around him. The man had only recently been an enemy, and his Blood Manipulation ability made him particularly dangerous.
Destiny noticed their expressions.
"Listen carefully. Kane is now a member of this unit. He will be judged by his actions from this moment forward. We have a mission to complete, and I expect every soldier to cooperate."
"Understood, sir!" the soldiers answered.
Kane gave Destiny a brief nod.
The commander opened his system interface.
[RESCUE OPERATION: WARri GENERAL HOSPITAL]
[OBJECTIVES:
- Reach Warri General Hospital.
- Eliminate the monsters surrounding the facility.
- Rescue at least 100 survivors.
- Secure available medical supplies.]
[REWARDS:
- 3,500 MILITARY POINTS
- 1 RANDOM MILITARY SKILL
- EXPERIENCE]
"Move out!"
***
The journey to the hospital was dangerous.
The main road was blocked by abandoned vehicles, forcing the squad to move through narrow streets and damaged buildings.
Several times, Naomi spotted monsters wandering between the ruins. Destiny ordered the squad to avoid unnecessary battles.
They had limited ammunition, and the hospital was their priority.
After nearly an hour, Naomi raised her hand.
"Commander, I can see the hospital."
Destiny moved beside her.
The large building stood in the distance, surrounded by overturned ambulances and broken vehicles. Several monsters crawled across the parking area.
A system notification appeared.
[MONSTERS DETECTED]
[ENEMY GROUP:
- 18 F-RANK RAVAGERS
- 11 E-RANK BONE REAPERS
- 1 D-RANK BONE TYRANT]
[WARNING: D-RANK MONSTER DETECTED]
[LEVEL: 17]
Destiny's eyes narrowed.
The Bone Tyrant was a massive creature covered in thick bone armor. Its long arms dragged across the ground, and a row of sharp spikes extended from its back.
"That thing is guarding the entrance," Michael whispered.
Destiny activated Tactical Analysis.
[TARGET ANALYSIS: BONE TYRANT]
[THREAT: D-RANK]
[LEVEL: 17]
[ABILITIES:
- BONE ARMOR
- REGENERATIVE STRUCTURE
- BONE SPEAR]
[WEAKNESS: CORE LOCATED INSIDE THE UPPER CHEST]
[TACTICAL SUGGESTION: DESTROY THE ARMOR BEFORE ATTACKING THE CORE]
Destiny studied the battlefield.
The smaller monsters were spread across the parking area. If the squad attacked the Bone Tyrant immediately, the other creatures could surround them.
"Daniel, take Brian and Ethan to the left side. Draw the smaller monsters away from the entrance."
"Understood!"
"Michael, stay with me. Kane, prepare to restrain anything that gets too close."
Kane raised his hand, and thin strands of blood began gathering around his fingers.
"Let's see how useful this new army of yours really is," he said.
Destiny ignored the comment.
"Move!"
***
Daniel's team opened fire.
The sudden gunshots attracted the attention of the Ravagers. The creatures rushed toward the soldiers, their claws scraping against the asphalt.
Brian fired several controlled bursts, forcing the monsters to change direction.
"Keep them moving!" Daniel shouted.
Ethan raised his hands.
Electricity crackled between his fingers before a bolt struck one of the Bone Reapers.
The creature stumbled, giving Daniel enough time to finish it.
Meanwhile, Destiny's team advanced toward the hospital entrance.
The Bone Tyrant turned its skull-like head toward them.
A deep growl shook the air.
"Here it comes!" Michael shouted.
The creature slammed one of its massive arms into the ground.
Concrete shattered.
Destiny leaped backward as a wave of broken pavement rushed toward him. Michael rolled behind an abandoned ambulance.
The Bone Tyrant opened its mouth.
Several sharp bone spikes formed around its jaw and shot toward them.
"Take cover!"
Destiny ducked behind a vehicle. One spike pierced the metal door, stopping only a few inches from his face.
[WARNING: HIGH-DAMAGE ATTACK DETECTED]
Destiny activated Combat Prediction.
He watched the creature's movements carefully.
The Bone Tyrant was powerful, but its attacks followed a pattern. It raised its right arm before striking, and its chest armor shifted whenever it prepared to launch bone spikes.
"Michael! Its chest armor opens when it attacks!"
Michael leaned out from behind the ambulance.
"Understood!"
He fired at the creature's chest, distracting it long enough for Destiny to move closer.
The Bone Tyrant swung its arm.
Destiny slid beneath the attack and struck its leg with his combat knife.
The blade barely scratched the armor.
"Too tough!"
The monster kicked backward.
Destiny was thrown across the parking area and crashed into a damaged vehicle.
[HEALTH WARNING]
[MINOR DAMAGE DETECTED]
He struggled to his feet.
The Bone Tyrant began approaching.
Suddenly, several blood chains wrapped around its left arm.
Kane stood near the hospital's entrance, his hand extended.
"Now, commander!"
The chains tightened, pulling the monster's arm sideways.
Destiny immediately understood.
"Michael, target the chest!"
Michael fired repeatedly.
The bullets struck the exposed section beneath the Bone Tyrant's shoulder. Cracks spread across its armor.
Destiny activated Soldier's Will.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: SOLDIER'S WILL]
His strength surged.
He rushed forward and drove his knife into the damaged armor.
The blade broke through.
A powerful roar erupted from the monster as it threw Kane against a vehicle.
The blood chains disappeared.
Destiny held on to his knife, but the creature began swinging wildly.
"Commander!" Michael shouted.
Destiny jumped away just as the Bone Tyrant's fist crushed the ground where he had been standing.
The chest armor had cracked, but the core remained protected.
He needed another opening.
"Michael, keep it focused on you! Kane, restrain its legs!"
Michael moved to the right, firing at the creature's head.
Kane struggled to stand. Blood gathered around his hands again, forming thick restraints that wrapped around the Bone Tyrant's legs.
The monster attempted to move, but the restraints held for a few seconds.
That was enough.
Destiny rushed forward and climbed onto the creature's damaged chest.
He raised his knife.
"THIS ENDS NOW!"
He drove the blade into the opening.
A sharp cracking sound echoed across the parking area.
The Bone Tyrant froze.
A bright light shone through the cracks in its chest.
Then its core shattered.
[ D-RANK BONE TYRANT ELIMINATED ]
The creature collapsed, shaking the ground.
[EXPERIENCE GAINED]
[MILITARY POINTS RECEIVED]
[MONSTER CORE ACQUIRED]
Destiny jumped down and immediately looked toward Kane.
"Status?"
Kane wiped blood from his mouth.
"Still alive."
"Good. Get up. We're not finished."
***
The remaining monsters were defeated within the next twenty minutes.
Daniel's team returned with minor injuries, and Naomi confirmed that no additional enemies were approaching.
Destiny ordered the soldiers to secure the hospital.
Inside, they found frightened civilians hiding in wards, storage rooms, and the basement.
A doctor in a torn white coat approached Destiny.
"Are you with the military?"
"Yes. We're here to evacuate you."
The doctor nearly collapsed with relief.
"There are children here. Some patients are too weak to walk. We have been trapped for three days."
Destiny immediately divided his soldiers into teams.
Michael and Daniel organized the evacuation. Brian and Ethan carried injured patients, while Kane helped clear a blocked corridor.
Naomi searched the building for anyone who had been left behind.
For nearly two hours, the soldiers moved civilians toward the hospital's main entrance.
One hundred and fifty survivors were eventually gathered outside.
Some cried with relief. Others simply sat on the ground, too exhausted to speak.
Destiny looked at the crowd.
He had saved them.
For the first time since the invasion began, he felt that the Military System was helping him accomplish something greater than simply becoming stronger.
A notification appeared.
[MISSION COMPLETED]
[150 SURVIVORS RESCUED]
[MEDICAL SUPPLIES SECURED]
[REWARDS:
- 3,500 MILITARY POINTS
- RANDOM MILITARY SKILL]
[SKILL ACQUIRED: MILITARY LOGISTICS]
[DESCRIPTION: IMPROVES THE ORGANIZATION, DISTRIBUTION, AND EFFICIENCY OF MILITARY RESOURCES.]
Destiny smiled.
"This will be useful."
***
Before leaving, Isaac contacted Destiny through the military communication device.
"Commander, the monster core experiment was successful!"
Destiny stopped walking.
"Explain."
"We managed to convert the energy from a monster core into usable electricity. The output is still unstable, but the basic process works."
A new notification appeared.
[RESEARCH COMPLETED]
[MONSTER CORE ENERGY CONVERSION UNLOCKED]
[NEW FACILITY AVAILABLE: ENERGY GENERATOR]
Destiny looked toward the rescued civilians.
"Isaac, keep working on it. We need reliable power before the next attack."
"Understood, sir."
The rescue convoy began its journey back to Wolf Fortress.
Destiny rode in the lead vehicle, watching the ruined city pass by.
He had rescued one hundred and fifty people, recruited an awakened soldier, and unlocked a new technology.
But the system's mission list reminded him that his work was far from over.
[MAIN MISSION: ESTABLISH EARTH'S STRONGEST MILITARY FORCE]
[PROGRESS: 11 SOLDIERS]
[BASES ESTABLISHED: 1]
Destiny clenched his fist.
"One day, this army will protect every survivor on Earth."