The entire military base had fallen silent.
Every soldier stared toward the forest, where an enormous creature was slowly emerging from the darkness.
Its body was covered in black scales, and several massive horns extended from its skull. Its glowing red eyes illuminated the surrounding trees, while an enormous tail swept through the forest behind it.
The creature was unlike anything Destiny had ever seen.
Even the Iron Titan and Ashclaw seemed insignificant compared to this monster.
[DING!]
[EMERGENCY ALERT!]
[UNKNOWN HIGH-RANK ENTITY DETECTED.]
[IDENTIFICATION: MONSTER KING'S GENERAL.]
[RANK: C-RANK.]
[LEVEL: 30.]
[STRENGTH: ???]
[AGILITY: ???]
[VITALITY: ???]
[DEFENSE: ???]
[WARNING! HOST'S CURRENT LEVEL IS INSUFFICIENT FOR DIRECT COMBAT.]
[RECOMMENDATION: IMMEDIATE EVACUATION.]
Destiny's expression darkened.
A C-Rank monster.
Level 30.
He had only just reached level 6.
The difference between them was enormous.
"System, can you identify its weaknesses?"
[DING!]
[ANALYSIS FAILED.]
[TARGET POSSESSES ADVANCED ENERGY PROTECTION.]
[HOST MUST REACH A HIGHER ANALYSIS LEVEL.]
Destiny clenched his fists.
For the first time, his system couldn't provide him with the information he needed.
Captain Marcus approached him.
"Destiny, what are we dealing with?"
Destiny looked toward the monster.
"A C-Rank creature, sir. It's far stronger than the ones we've fought."
Marcus's expression changed.
"How much stronger?"
"Enough that we shouldn't attempt to fight it directly."
The captain immediately turned toward his soldiers.
"ALL UNITS! PREPARE FOR EVACUATION!"
A military officer rushed toward the command center.
"Sir, the civilians are still inside the shelters!"
Marcus looked toward Destiny.
"We need to hold this creature back long enough to evacuate everyone."
Destiny nodded.
"Understood, sir."
He turned toward his squad.
"First Squad! Assemble!"
Daniel, Joseph, Brian, Ethan, Michael, Naomi, Grace, and Peter gathered around him.
Destiny quickly examined their condition.
Several of them had sustained injuries during the battle against Ashclaw.
Their energy was also running low.
They couldn't survive another full-scale battle without preparation.
"Listen carefully," Destiny said. "We're not going to fight that monster head-on. Our priority is to protect the civilians and help the military evacuate the base."
Daniel nodded.
"What's the plan?"
Destiny looked toward the defensive wall.
"We'll divide into three groups. Joseph and Daniel will help defend the inner gate. Brian and Ethan will support the military units with their abilities. Michael and Naomi will assist with reconnaissance and evacuation."
He turned toward Grace and Peter.
"Grace, stay with the medical team. Peter, help the engineers repair the emergency vehicles and reinforce the evacuation route."
Both nodded.
Destiny looked at the entire squad.
"Nobody takes unnecessary risks. We move together, and we make sure everyone gets out alive."
"YES, COMMANDER!"
***
Inside the forest, the enormous creature stopped moving.
It lowered its head and stared at the fallen body of Ashclaw.
A low growl escaped its throat.
"WEAK."
It raised one enormous claw and crushed the remains beneath its foot.
Then it looked toward the military base.
"THE HUMAN WHO KILLED MY GENERAL..."
Its red eyes narrowed.
"BRING HIM TO ME."
The smaller monsters immediately roared.
Hundreds of creatures began moving toward the base.
***
The evacuation operation started immediately.
Military vehicles were lined up near the main gate, while soldiers guided civilians toward the transport area.
Children cried as their parents hurried them forward.
Medical personnel carried injured survivors on stretchers.
Destiny moved through the evacuation zone, helping soldiers organize the movement of civilians.
"Keep everyone together! Don't allow anyone to move toward the eastern wall!"
A young soldier ran toward him.
"Second Lieutenant! We have a problem!"
Destiny turned.
"What happened?"
"The eastern road has been blocked by fallen debris. Several evacuation vehicles can't get through!"
Destiny immediately looked toward the system.
"System, show me the base map."
[DING!]
[TACTICAL MAP ACTIVATED.]
[CURRENT LOCATION: MILITARY BASE 07.]
[EVACUATION ROUTE STATUS: PARTIALLY BLOCKED.]
[ALTERNATIVE ROUTE DETECTED.]
[ROUTE B: NORTHERN SERVICE ROAD.]
[ESTIMATED CLEARANCE TIME: 12 MINUTES.]
Destiny studied the map.
The northern service road passed through a narrow industrial area before connecting to the main highway.
It was longer, but it was still usable.
"Tell the evacuation commander to redirect the vehicles through the northern service road!"
The soldier saluted and hurried away.
Destiny opened his military inventory.
[DING!]
[MILITARY INVENTORY ACTIVATED.]
[AVAILABLE ITEMS:]
[1. BASIC MEDICAL KIT]
[2. STANDARD MILITARY RATIONS]
[3. REPAIR TOOLS]
[4. BASIC AMMUNITION]
[5. ADVANCED MILITARY SUPPLY CRATE]
Destiny focused on the advanced supply crate he had received after defeating Ashclaw.
[DING!]
[ADVANCED MILITARY SUPPLY CRATE AVAILABLE.]
[OPEN CRATE?]
"Open it!"
The system flashed.
[DING!]
[ADVANCED MILITARY SUPPLY CRATE OPENED.]
[REWARDS ACQUIRED:]
[1. ADVANCED ASSAULT RIFLE × 2]
[2. MILITARY BODY ARMOR × 5]
[3. TACTICAL HELMET × 5]
[4. EXPLOSIVE CHARGES × 10]
[5. ADVANCED MEDICAL KIT × 3]
[6. MILITARY DRONE × 1]
Destiny smiled.
These supplies would be extremely useful.
"System, distribute the equipment among my squad."
[DING!]
[EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTION COMPLETE.]
[PRIVATE DANIEL: ADVANCED BODY ARMOR, TACTICAL HELMET.]
[PRIVATE JOSEPH: ADVANCED BODY ARMOR, TACTICAL HELMET.]
[PRIVATE BRIAN: ADVANCED BODY ARMOR, TACTICAL HELMET.]
[PRIVATE ETHAN: ADVANCED BODY ARMOR, TACTICAL HELMET.]
[PRIVATE MICHAEL: ADVANCED BODY ARMOR, TACTICAL HELMET.]
Destiny kept the remaining equipment in his inventory.
He also assigned the military drone to Naomi for reconnaissance.
"Naomi, use this drone to monitor the surrounding area. I want to know if any other monsters are approaching."
Naomi examined the small device.
"Understood, Commander."
She activated it.
The drone's rotors began spinning, and it rose into the air.
A live image appeared on Naomi's tablet.
She looked at the screen.
"Commander, the northern forest is filled with monsters."
Destiny frowned.
"Can you estimate their number?"
Naomi zoomed in.
"There are hundreds, maybe more. But most of them are moving toward the eastern wall."
Destiny looked toward the forest.
The monster army was preparing for another attack.
And the evacuation was still incomplete.
***
A deafening roar suddenly echoed across the base.
ROOOOOAAAAARRR!
The ground trembled.
The enormous C-Rank monster stepped forward, crushing a military watchtower beneath its foot.
Soldiers opened fire.
Bullets struck its scales, but they barely caused any damage.
The monster raised its head.
Then it opened its mouth.
A massive sphere of dark red energy began forming between its jaws.
[DING!]
[WARNING! EXTREME ENERGY SIGNATURE DETECTED.]
[HOSTILE SKILL: BLOOD CANNON.]
[IMPACT ZONE: EASTERN DEFENSIVE WALL.]
[IMMEDIATE EVACUATION RECOMMENDED.]
Destiny's eyes widened.
"EVERYONE, TAKE COVER!"
The monster released the attack.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
A gigantic beam of red energy struck the eastern wall.
The explosion shook the entire base.
Concrete shattered.
Military vehicles were thrown into the air.
The defensive wall collapsed in a massive cloud of dust.
Several soldiers were caught in the blast.
"MEDICS! WE NEED MEDICS!"
Grace immediately rushed toward the injured.
Destiny sprinted toward the damaged wall.
"Joseph! Daniel! Help me move the survivors!"
The two soldiers followed him.
They found several people trapped beneath broken concrete.
Destiny and Joseph lifted a large piece of debris while Daniel pulled an injured soldier free.
"Get him to the medical area!" Destiny ordered.
Daniel nodded and carried the soldier away.
Destiny looked toward the monster.
It was slowly approaching the base.
Every step caused the ground to tremble.
He opened his system interface.
[HOST STATUS]
NAME: DESTINY
RANK: SECOND LIEUTENANT
LEVEL: 6
STRENGTH: 11
AGILITY: 17
VITALITY: 8
INTELLIGENCE: 10
FREE ATTRIBUTE POINTS: 5
MILITARY POINTS: 7,000
SOLDIERS: 7
Destiny stared at his available points.
He needed to become stronger.
"System, allocate my free attribute points. Three to vitality and two to strength."
[DING!]
[ATTRIBUTE ENHANCEMENT COMPLETE.]
[STRENGTH: 13]
[VITALITY: 11]
[FREE ATTRIBUTE POINTS: 0]
A surge of energy spread through his body.
His muscles strengthened, and his breathing became steadier.
He still couldn't defeat the C-Rank monster alone.
But he might be able to survive long enough to complete the evacuation.
Suddenly, the monster stopped moving.
Its enormous head turned toward Destiny.
Their eyes met.
The creature smiled.
"YOU."
Destiny froze.
The monster's voice echoed across the battlefield.
"YOU KILLED ASHCLAW."
Destiny raised his weapon.
"Yes. And if you attack this base, I'll fight you too."
The monster laughed.
"YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN DEFEAT ME?"
Destiny remained silent.
The creature lowered its enormous head.
"YOUR MILITARY SYSTEM IS INTERESTING, HUMAN. I CAN SENSE ITS ENERGY."
Destiny's heart skipped a beat.
The monster knew about his system.
[DING!]
[WARNING! UNKNOWN ENTITY HAS IDENTIFIED THE HOST'S MILITARY SYSTEM.]
[THREAT LEVEL: CRITICAL.]
Destiny slowly stepped backward.
"How do you know about my system?"
The monster's smile widened.
"BECAUSE I HAVE DESTROYED MANY WORLDS WHERE HUMANS POSSESSED SIMILAR POWERS."
Destiny's blood ran cold.
Many worlds?
Was this invasion happening beyond Earth?
Before he could ask another question, the monster raised its claw.
"BUT YOU ARE NOT READY TO DIE."
It pointed toward Destiny.
"YOU WILL GROW STRONGER. YOU WILL BUILD YOUR LITTLE ARMY. AND WHEN YOUR STRENGTH HAS REACHED ITS LIMIT..."
Its red eyes glowed brighter.
"I WILL RETURN."
The monster released a terrifying roar.
The remaining creatures immediately began retreating toward the forest.
Destiny stared in disbelief.
It was leaving.
But why?
[DING!]
[WARNING! HOSTILE ENTITY HAS INITIATED WITHDRAWAL.]
[UNKNOWN REASON.]
The enormous monster slowly disappeared into the darkness of the forest.
Its voice echoed one final time.
"PREPARE YOURSELF, LITTLE COMMANDER."
Then the forest fell silent.
***
Several hours later, the evacuation was finally completed.
More than six hundred survivors had been transported away from the damaged military base.
The remaining soldiers were organizing the wounded and securing the surrounding area.
Destiny stood on the roof of the command building, looking toward the distant forest.
Daniel approached him.
"Are you alright?"
Destiny nodded.
"Just thinking."
"About that monster?"
"Yes."
Daniel leaned against the railing.
"That thing was terrifying. I've never seen anything like it."
Destiny looked at him.
"It knew about my system."
Daniel's expression changed.
"What?"
Destiny explained everything the monster had said.
Daniel remained silent for several seconds.
"Then the monsters might have attacked other worlds before Earth."
"That's what I'm thinking."
Daniel looked toward the ruined base.
"Do you think we'll ever be strong enough to defeat creatures like that?"
Destiny stared at the horizon.
"We have to be."
He turned toward Daniel.
"Because if we aren't, humanity won't survive."
A system notification suddenly appeared.
[DING!]
[EMERGENCY MISSION COMPLETED.]
[MISSION: DEFEND MILITARY BASE 07.]
[REWARD: 5,000 MILITARY POINTS.]
[ADDITIONAL REWARD: 1,000 MILITARY POINTS FOR CIVILIAN EVACUATION.]
[CURRENT MILITARY POINTS: 13,000.]
[NEW MISSION UNLOCKED.]
[MISSION: ESTABLISH THE FIRST INDEPENDENT MILITARY BASE.]
[OBJECTIVES:]
[1. SECURE A PERMANENT LOCATION.]
[2. RECRUIT 10 SOLDIERS.]
[3. CONSTRUCT A BASIC TRAINING FACILITY.]
[4. ESTABLISH A DEFENSIVE PERIMETER.]
[REWARD: 8,000 MILITARY POINTS, ADVANCED RECRUITMENT TICKET, AND ONE RANDOM EPIC SKILL.]
Destiny smiled.
He now had enough Military Points to begin constructing his own base.
But the system wasn't finished.
[DING!]
[NEW FUNCTION UNLOCKED.]
[MILITARY TECHNOLOGY TREE.]
[DESCRIPTION: ALLOWS THE HOST TO RESEARCH AND DEVELOP ADVANCED MILITARY TECHNOLOGIES.]
[AVAILABLE RESEARCH:]
[1. BASIC DEFENSIVE TURRET.]
[2. ADVANCED COMMUNICATION SYSTEM.]
[3. MILITARY VEHICLE UPGRADE.]
[4. ENERGY DETECTION RADAR.]
[5. SOLDIER COMBAT ENHANCEMENT.]
Destiny stared at the new interface.
A technology tree.
This meant he could eventually develop weapons and equipment capable of fighting stronger monsters.
He opened the base construction menu.
[DING!]
[MILITARY BASE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVATED.]
[AVAILABLE BASE TYPES:]
[1. BASIC OUTPOST.]
[2. DEFENSIVE FORTRESS.]
[3. ADVANCED MILITARY BASE.]
[4. UNDERGROUND COMMAND CENTER.]
Destiny examined the options.
The Advanced Military Base and Underground Command Center required resources he didn't possess yet.
However, the Basic Outpost was affordable.
[BASE TYPE: BASIC OUTPOST.]
[CONSTRUCTION COST: 5,000 MILITARY POINTS.]
[REQUIRED MATERIALS: BASIC CONSTRUCTION RESOURCES.]
[CAPACITY: 100 SOLDIERS.]
[DEFENSIVE RATING: LOW.]
[CONFIRM CONSTRUCTION?]
Destiny considered it carefully.
A basic outpost could provide shelter, training facilities, and a secure location for his soldiers.
It was exactly what he needed to begin.
"Confirm!"
[DING!]
[CONSTRUCTION ORDER ACCEPTED.]
[PLEASE SELECT A SUITABLE LOCATION.]
A map appeared before him.
Destiny studied the surrounding region.
He needed somewhere far enough from the city to avoid constant monster attacks, but close enough to provide assistance to survivors.
Then he noticed an abandoned industrial compound several kilometers from the military base.
It had large warehouses, an open yard, and a road connecting it to the highway.
Destiny selected the location.
[DING!]
[LOCATION ANALYSIS COMPLETE.]
[LOCATION: ABANDONED INDUSTRIAL COMPOUND.]
[SECURITY LEVEL: MODERATE.]
[CONSTRUCTION SUITABILITY: HIGH.]
[CONFIRM LOCATION?]
"Confirm."
[DING!]
[MILITARY BASE CONSTRUCTION INITIATED.]
[CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS: 0%.]
[ESTIMATED COMPLETION TIME: 6 HOURS.]
Destiny smiled.
His first military base was finally being built.
Daniel looked at the holographic map.
"What's that?"
Destiny turned toward him.
"Our new home."
Daniel's eyes widened.
"You're actually building a military base?"
Destiny nodded.
"Yes. And this is only the beginning."
He looked toward the horizon.
Somewhere beyond the ruined city, the Monster King's General was watching.
Destiny knew that the creature would return.
And next time, he wanted to be ready.
[DING!]
[GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT.]
[HUMAN COMMANDER DESTINY HAS INITIATED CONSTRUCTION OF AN INDEPENDENT MILITARY BASE.]
[GLOBAL MILITARY RANKING UPDATED.]
[CURRENT GLOBAL RANK: 4,216.]
Destiny stared at the announcement.
His rank had increased dramatically.
But he knew that there were still thousands of commanders ahead of him.
And many more who hadn't yet appeared on the ranking.
He closed the interface.
"Daniel."
"Yes, Commander?"
"Tomorrow, we begin serious training."
Daniel grinned.
"How serious?"
Destiny smiled.
"Serious enough to make sure no monster can ever push us around again."
Far away, beneath the dark clouds, two enormous red eyes opened.
A deep voice echoed through an unknown dimension.
"THE HUMAN COMMANDER HAS BEGUN BUILDING AN ARMY."
Another voice answered.
"SHOULD WE ELIMINATE HIM?"
The first voice laughed.
"NO. LET HIM GROW."
A massive claw rested on a throne made of bones.
"WHEN THE TIME COMES, HIS ARMY WILL BECOME THE FOUNDATION OF MY NEW EMPIRE."
The red eyes slowly closed.
And the darkness swallowed everything.