The battlefield was covered in smoke.
The Ironhorn Colossus lay motionless outside Wolf Fortress, its massive body slowly dissolving into dark particles. Soldiers moved across the battlefield, collecting monster cores and recovering damaged equipment.
Destiny stood beside Daniel, looking toward the eastern industrial district.
"Commander, the wounded have been taken to the medical station," Daniel reported. "We lost two vehicles, and five soldiers suffered injuries. Thankfully, none of them are critical."
Destiny nodded.
"Good work. Have the engineers inspect the damaged vehicles. We can't afford to lose our transportation."
A notification appeared before his eyes.
[ BATTLE RESULTS ]
[ENEMIES DEFEATED: 1 C-RANK, 34 E-RANK, 51 F-RANK]
[EXPERIENCE GAINED: 5,000]
[MILITARY POINTS RECEIVED: 4,000]
[MONSTER CORES ACQUIRED: 3]
[LEVEL UP!]
[CURRENT LEVEL: 9]
[FREE ATTRIBUTE POINTS: 5]
Destiny distributed the points, placing two into Strength, two into Agility, and one into Vitality.
[HOST STATUS]
[NAME: DESTINY]
[RANK: FIRST LIEUTENANT]
[LEVEL: 9]
[STRENGTH: 19]
[AGILITY: 23]
[VITALITY: 15]
[INTELLIGENCE: 12]
[MILITARY POINTS: 22,000]
[SOLDIERS: 16/100]
[BASE: WOLF FORTRESS - LEVEL 2]
Destiny closed the interface.
Although he had grown stronger, the battle had revealed how dangerous the second phase would be.
A C-rank monster had nearly broken through the fortress's defenses.
He needed more soldiers and better weapons.
"Commander!"
Naomi hurried toward him.
"We've received a weak distress signal from the eastern industrial district. It may be from the missing reconnaissance teams."
Destiny immediately turned.
"How long ago was the signal sent?"
"About fifteen minutes. It was interrupted before we could establish communication."
"Prepare a rescue team."
Daniel stepped forward.
"I'll lead the Assault Squad."
Destiny shook his head.
"Not this time. The signal may be a trap. I'll lead the operation personally."
He selected Daniel, Naomi, Kane, Brian, Ethan, and six additional soldiers.
"Everyone, prepare for departure in ten minutes."
***
The eastern industrial district was almost unrecognizable.
Tall buildings had collapsed, roads were split open, and abandoned vehicles were scattered everywhere.
Destiny's team moved carefully between the ruins.
Naomi studied the signal tracker.
"It's coming from somewhere near that factory."
Destiny looked toward the building.
The factory's entrance was partially blocked by broken concrete. Strange claw marks covered the walls.
"Stay alert. We don't know what's inside."
The team entered.
Inside, the air was thick with dust. Several broken machines lay scattered across the floor.
Suddenly, Naomi raised her hand.
"Movement!"
A small monster leaped from behind a machine.
Brian fired immediately, eliminating it before it could reach the team.
Destiny activated Tactical Analysis.
[MONSTER DETECTED]
[NAME: BONE CRAWLER]
[RANK: F]
[LEVEL: 8]
[THREAT: LOW]
"Keep moving," Destiny ordered.
They advanced through the factory until they reached a large storage room.
A metal door had been forced shut from the inside.
Three soldiers were standing behind it.
"Commander!" one of them shouted.
Destiny recognized their uniforms.
They were members of the missing reconnaissance teams.
He ordered his soldiers to clear the entrance.
When the door finally opened, the three soldiers stumbled outside.
Their uniforms were torn, and one had a deep wound on his leg.
"Where are the others?" Destiny asked.
The soldier swallowed.
"We were attacked by a monster while investigating the factory. The others escaped toward the underground storage tunnels. We haven't seen them since."
"How many?"
"Three, sir."
Destiny looked at Naomi.
"Can you track their communication devices?"
Naomi checked her tablet.
"One signal is still active. It's coming from below us."
Destiny looked toward a staircase leading into darkness.
"Then that's where we're going."
***
The underground tunnels were narrow and damp.
Destiny led the team, using a flashlight to illuminate the path.
The signal grew stronger as they moved deeper.
Then the ground trembled.
A loud scraping sound echoed through the tunnel.
"Everyone, stop!"
Destiny activated Tactical Analysis.
[MONSTER DETECTED]
[NAME: TUNNEL STALKER]
[RANK: E]
[LEVEL: 15]
[ABILITIES:
- WALL CRAWLING
- CAMOUFLAGE
- CLAW STRIKE]
[WEAKNESS: SENSITIVE EYES]
The creature dropped from the ceiling.
Its long limbs struck the ground, and its pale eyes glowed in the darkness.
"Don't let it surround us!" Destiny shouted.
The Tunnel Stalker disappeared against the wall.
Naomi raised her flashlight.
"There!"
The beam struck the creature's eyes.
It screamed and recoiled.
"Fire!"
The soldiers opened fire.
The Tunnel Stalker rushed toward them, moving rapidly along the wall.
Kane raised his hands.
Blood chains shot forward and wrapped around one of its legs.
The creature struggled.
Destiny activated Power Burst and rushed forward.
He struck its head with his combat knife, but the monster twisted away.
Its claws scraped across his protective vest.
[WARNING: DAMAGE DETECTED]
Destiny stepped back.
"Brian, aim for its eyes!"
Brian fired.
The creature screamed as the bullets struck its sensitive eyes.
Destiny moved in and drove his knife into its neck.
The Tunnel Stalker collapsed.
[ E-RANK TUNNEL STALKER ELIMINATED ]
[MONSTER CORE ACQUIRED]
[MILITARY POINTS RECEIVED]
The team continued deeper into the tunnels.
At the end of a narrow passage, they discovered the remaining three soldiers hiding inside a maintenance room.
They were exhausted but alive.
Destiny helped them out.
"You're safe now. Let's return to the surface."
But before they could leave, the system flashed.
[MISSION COMPLETED]
[ALL MISSING SOLDIERS RECOVERED]
[REWARD: 2,000 MILITARY POINTS]
Destiny smiled.
They had rescued every missing soldier.
Then Naomi noticed something strange on the wall.
A black symbol had been painted across the concrete.
It resembled a crown surrounded by several sharp lines.
Destiny approached it.
"Do you recognize this?" he asked.
Naomi shook her head.
"No, sir."
The system suddenly responded.
[UNKNOWN SYMBOL DETECTED]
[WARNING: MONSTER KING'S MARK]
Destiny's expression changed.
The Monster King had left a mark inside the tunnels.
He stared at the symbol.
"Everyone, move. We're leaving this place immediately."
As the team returned to the surface, Destiny couldn't shake the feeling that the rescue operation had revealed something far more dangerous than a missing patrol.
The Monster King was already reaching into their territory.