READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 133: Hide & Seek
Just like the ravagers and EchoForce breached the omens’ provisional base, the Cloudstar lost their main barrier and could only run inside their headquarters to hide and hold out until backup arrived. With both omens and ravagers fighting in the courtyard to claim the two main entrances, Crisis got a head start to follow their allies and regroup. They could hear the massive battle outside as the ravagers tried an aggressive approach to flood the courtyard with as many soldiers as possible to get inside the headquarters since they had the upper hand at close range.
The omens did everything they could to keep them away, and since they already had to retreat and went to great lengths to ring the walls down, they weren’t backing down and missing their last chance to break into the base. Both armies threw everything they had at each other. The goal was no longer controlling the most territory; it was getting inside the headquarters and clearing any opponent inside to take over the entire gorge. Even when they retreated and didn’t participate directly in the fight, the Cloudstars were caught in the middle of the conflict no matter what they did, but at least they had Crisis with them.
With Frost following the last Cloudstars to run, they made their way to the center of the large main building after reaching the end of the south hallway. They didn’t leave any barriers behind, but since the entrance connected to multiple corridors, the Cloudstars spread out to maximize their chances. Crisis took the one in the center, going straight to the center, which was the more direct but open path. They cut through the outer sides of the buildings, consisting of barracks and break rooms. The injured Cloudstars took other paths, most of them going to the medical center closer to the west wing, where they could hear the enemies getting closer and desperately searching for ways to break in.
The Cloudstars had the advantage that only the south and north wings had viable paths to the headquarters, and since the interior was all enclosed, the only other ways were from the towers and roofs above. Luckily, the buildings were tall enough to make climbing an impossibility, although they all still seemed paranoid of the chance the enemy could pop through the walls or ceilings at any moment. The base was just as large as Savepoint, but the layout resembled more of a square maze, sectioned in semi-circles as hallways intersected at every turn.
It was easy to get lost, meaning the Cloudstars’ strategy of hiding showed promise, although most felt safer staying together in the center. To get to the rest of their allies, Crisis cut through all the layers of corridors and rooms, not knowing where they were heading, but gaining confidence as the enemy would have a hard time chasing after them. Since neither omens nor ravagers made it very far at the south wing, they were relieved to glance back and see no one behind, although they could hear the mayhem outside and couldn’t help but remain on edge with the unsettling presence looming.
The furor of the battle was sonically overwhelming, as both armies clashed and slaughtered each other without wasting time on gimmicks or any strategy beyond pushing harder than the other one. It became increasingly difficult to hear anything on the battlefield. The rain was pouring harder than ever, making it seem as if the roof was about to cave in. The sky roared as the clouds got heavier and charged with electricity. The weather had undoubtedly worsened during the span of the battle, but it was gradual before; now it seemed as if a phenomenon was taking place that could change both the atmosphere and conditions of the battle, both literally and psychologically.
A violent storm was about to be unleashed at any moment, and as the fog closed in the middle of the field, it turned the Cloudstar base from an important military facility to a tenebrous and ill-fated burial ground for hundreds of soldiers. It didn’t become fully apparent to the willing participants since they were preoccupied with their unyielding thirst for blood. But now all the parties were realizing how close and dark the clouds were, how the absence of moonlight turned everything somber, and why the rain suddenly poured harder and heavier. For a brief moment, when the winds began howling ominously in anticipation of the storm brewing in the heart of the battlefield, everyone paused to collectively recognize the imminent danger, only to realize it was far too late to retreat since they were already in it, caught in the eye of the storm, no less.
From the lowest point of the Pacific Pass to the highest mountains around, the storm took shape in the form of high gusts of wind lashing at the base’s towers and roof and large masses of almost completely black clouds engulfing the base. The rain couldn’t be seen much but felt more than ever. It continued pouring violently, but it wasn't merely water drops anymore; it was increasingly larger hail, which wasn’t too consistent but strong enough to incapacitate unfortunate soldiers. Thunder became just as regular as the gunfire but overshadowed all other sounds, creating even more disarray as both sides couldn’t hear each other and were left with no other senses to work with but touch. However, they all seemed numb to it all as the heavy wind could knock even the largest of ravagers and batter the landscape, making it impossible for other soldiers from outside to get close to the base.
The storm practically isolated everyone inside and close to the base, acting as both a bubble of safety and devastation, depending on one’s position. The soldiers fighting up on the mountains, though grateful to be left out of it, feared for their teammates, as anyone caught in the storm could easily fall victim to its relentless fury. On top of everything, the clouds could no longer grow any bigger and finally released their pent-up energy with lightning bolts streaking across the battlefield, painting the sky a constant blue with their brightness and force.
Not only were the Cloudstars and Crisis trapped between their enemies, but those same enemies were also trapped in the eye of the storm. Crisis didn’t worry about it for now, even when it was clear that going outside was no longer an option and backup would be pointless if no one could get in or out of the storm. As Frost focused on following the higher-ranked Cloudstars soldiers, they gathered more soldiers at the center of the base. They were in a big hall serving as a junction for all four wings in an octagonal shape, with staircases in each corner between wings that led to the upper floors and towers. But as it became crowded and harder to navigate, Crisis searched for a way to get ahead and keep moving.
–So do we just wait here?– Saint asked curiously as the squad looked around the hall. This was the only relatively open area that seemed the most fitting to hold out, as proven by a good portion of the Cloudstars running straight, prompting Crisis to follow them across the hall into a wide corridor connecting to the north wing. However, shortly after making their way over to the corridor, they noticed the Cloudstars weren’t running in that direction to hide; they were dealing with an unexpected problem.
The hallway to the north wing was rather short, as there seemed to be a large room between it and the outer hallway to the courtyard and the big hangar. At first, Crisis couldn’t see past the wall of Cloudstars filling the hallway, but they kept moving forward as their allies flooded the room, catching glimpses of the inside. They appeared to be heading to a wide lunchroom that was turned into a stronghold to block the path of the enemy coming from the north wing. Before even entering the room, Crisis could already hear that the Cloudstars weren’t alone nor gathering for shelter, as the entire opposite side was filled with omens.
Since they already had soldiers inside before the ravagers caught up, the omens got the upper hand and took over the north gate. The ravagers’ resilience slowed them down but didn’t stop them from trickling in one at a time, eventually forming a group large enough to raid the building. They waited to make a coordinated offensive and push the Cloudstars back out of the hangar, and since they broke in before Crisis ran inside, they were already making their way to the center of the base. First, they had to face the Cloudstars in their way, but instead of pushing forward aggressively, the omens advanced with a cautious space to secure all the ground they gained, giving Crisis and their allies time to set up defenses in the lunchroom.
After falling back, the Cloudstars couldn’t figure out the omens’ intentions when taking over the hangar since it was already empty of all their functional tanks. Regardless, they charged into battle with everything they had; they couldn’t risk retreating farther than the lunchroom since it was the last secure point before reaching the open central hall. Their priority was keeping the enemy away from the hub, as they would give access to the entirety of the base if they lost it, including the seemingly confidential command center they kept in the basement locked shut to keep their intelligence and communication safe.
The Cloudstars were mostly unprepared and only carried melee weapons or handguns at best. Nevertheless, they noticed they were bigger in numbers and saw their opportunity to surround the omens in the lunchroom and hit them with everything they had. The enemy was just as underequipped after wasting most of their ammo fighting the ravagers, so they gave the Cloudstars little to no fight. They retreated to the other side since they stumbled upon the barricades at the lunchroom, making it easier for the Cloudstars to clear the room, using their surroundings to their advantage. They made use of everything at their disposal, throwing chairs at the omens before jumping at them from the table barriers they set up, and even using kitchen appliances to defend themselves as they turned tableware and small appliances into deadly weapons.
The Cloudstars effortlessly overpowered the omens to the point where Crisis only had to stay back to guard the lunchroom's entrance instead of being on the front lines. As they set up more barriers with tables and built a flimsy wall with some spare materials scrapped from outside, Nitro and Candy checked back to see if more enemies were coming from behind. However, only a few seconds into the battle at the lunchroom, Frost and Panda spotted the real threat incoming while the Cloudstars were still trying to block the doorway on the omens’ side.
–Oh, come on, not these guys again…– Panda sighed, exasperated, more frustrated than concerned at the sight of new opponents showing up. A few special omen units were pushing their way to the frontline to assist in taking down the improvised wall and leading another mass attack.
The extra-armed and reinforced gear omens simply kicked their way through the first line of defense, prompting the Cloudstars to fall back but take the sides of the doorway to gang up on the enemy as soon as they stepped inside. But as they imposed their presence immediately, the Cloudstars jumped at the omens in hordes, only to be pushed back as they seemingly did no damage. Their strength scared them into taking defensive positions instead of fighting, while half of Crisis couldn’t even see much since they were at the back and Panda was blocking their view.
–Who again? What are we talking about?– Saint asked with increasing confusion and anxiety as he had a hard time spotting the enemy, but he was left in doubt by his teammates. He didn’t need any response since Frost and Panda were already making their way to the front effortlessly, as the Cloudstars weren’t sure how to tackle this new threat. As the squad stepped forward with weapons in hand, Saint caught a clear and straight view of the special omen units that appeared to make Crisis worry. He couldn’t identify them at first, having never seen them before, but Crisis clearly had, and they were visibly unhappy to encounter them again.
The soldiers in question were tall men with heavy armor, but they were not just equipped with bulletproof vests and helmets; they were fully covered in anti-explosives and hardened layers to protect them from blades. Their juggernaut suits were so big and heavy that each one of them looked like two people underneath, and not only were they protected but armed to the teeth. They each had grenades and small but multiple guns strapped to their backs and waists, as well as holsters with swords and brass knuckles implemented in their tactical gloves. On top of everything they carried, they wielded automatic assault rifles of high caliber like Indie’s, except with plenty of attachments to make them bigger, almost the size of Paxinterra.
The Cloudstars almost surrendered upon finding out the endurance of the juggernaut suits, since neither their tiny, sharp weapons nor bullets could penetrate. They all scattered and tried to hide below the tables or behind the corpses of the omens they managed to kill. All the time they managed to buy for themselves seemed worthless now that they would instantly die at the hands of these overpowered and seemingly indestructible soldiers. The other omens retreated to give the juggernauts some space and as much freedom to have fun as possible. While they were slow, they didn’t need to move and could simply stand in the doorway and shoot anyone who crossed their line of fire. They were practically sentient turrets with imperfect aim, but it didn’t really matter if they missed a few shots since they were supplied with all the ammo they could carry. Once they opened fire, they began exterminating Cloudstars without any thought, and it looked like there was nothing Crisis could do except wait for the juggernauts to run out of ammo.
–Holy mother of-...– Saint exclaimed as he watched lives end moments while the Cloudstars screamed and cried for help. He didn’t even step back to hide; he was completely absorbed by the massacre before his eyes, as the juggernauts’ bullets were so powerful that they destroyed anything in between them and the Cloudstars, leaving them defenseless.
Despite their robust and intimidating figures, or the fact that nobody could get close to them without getting shot, Frost, Panda, and Kiwy were already charging at them, leaving Saint behind with Nitro and Candy to watch and try to help the Cloudstars crawl back to safety in the main hall. Their allies were trying to flee but could only stay at the corners and hug the walls to get as far from the juggernauts, clearing the middle and shifting their attention to Crisis. Before they could kill more vulnerable allies, Panda rushed at the juggernauts head-on with his shield, leaving his machine gun to Sait and Nitro. He put all his weight into tackling the first enemy in front, with four more right behind and already locking sights on him.
With his shield up, Panda stayed low on the ground while blocking the incoming gunfire and also repeatedly bashing the first juggernaut to prevent him from firing. He knocked the rifle out of his hands and made him fall back a little, only for the omen to attack right back with a sword. Panda dashed backward to dodge, which was easy since the juggernaut was almost as big as him but half as fast. However, stepping back wasn’t enough since the other omens kept blasting him, forcing Panda to hold his shield up with both hands while luring in the first juggernaut. The latter kept approaching with his sword and a murderous stare barely visible through his reinforced helmet, until he tried to strike Panda over his shield, prompting him to lift it and block the strike, exposing his legs in the process.
The juggernauts might have had their movement hindered but not their reflexes since they immediately focused on shooting at Panda’s uncovered feet. He reacted fast and planted his shield on the ground to protect himself before stepping back again to dodge another strike from the first juggernaut, who seemed to be distracting him into exposing his head. With the shield lowered, the omens aimed at Panda’s head, and since Frost and Kiwy were just about to join the fight, he ducked the bullets before backing away one last time. The persistent juggernaut in front got impatient, and as Panda left his shield planted on the ground, he tried to steal it.
Almost cracking a smirk upon seeing the enemy fall into his trap, Panda gave up his shield, and once the omen tried to lift it, he jumped back in to grab it as well, fighting over it for a brief second until he raised it as hard as he could to hit the omen on the chin. The move didn’t seem to injure him but did stun the omen for long enough to allow Kiwy and Frost to make their move. The juggernaut tried to adjust his helmet and dropped the shield before trying to strike again, only to hesitate when Panda stepped right in front, pulling him close to his body and holding him in place by grabbing his vest.
Right as the shield was about to hit the floor, Frost slid between Panda’s legs, grabbing the shield with one hand while thrusting one of his blades upward at the exact moment he was under the juggernaut. He had to strike the only unprotected area of the juggernaut suit, the one between his legs, which was tricky since all the plates were overhanging and forming a skirt that could only be penetrated from underneath. But with correct timing and a mix of excitement and spite, Frost slashed the juggernaut’s crotch, cutting deep enough to rip the suit and tear his perineum, unleashing insufferable pain alongside an agonizing howl from the omen.
Frost kept sliding after striking the juggernaut until he was behind him, where he stood up but allowed Panda to finish him off instead of stabbing the omen in the back. Since he was now facing the other four juggernauts in front, Frost used Panda’s shield to defend himself, and since he couldn’t approach from the knockback of the bullets, he tried to hold the juggernauts’ attention while his teammates closed the distance. Even though he was crying as he bled from his intimate parts, the first juggernaut was still putting up a fight, so Panda used his fists to shut him up before dragging him to the side and trying to clear room for Kiwy before she could pounce on the enemy ahead.
However, as soon as the four juggernauts saw movement from Panda, they looked past Frost and fired at him carelessly, not realizing he was hiding behind one of his teammates. The juggernaut turned into a meat shield and caught all the bullets, being put out of his misery, but it was now impossible for Panda to hold his dead body as it weighed him down. He stepped back into cover and stopped Kiwy from attacking as Frost used the distraction to attack the two juggernauts in the middle, bashing the shield to break their formation and split them into pairs. They were too slow to turn and shoot, and before the two farther away from Frost could fight back, he stabbed the two right next to him in the neck, jamming his blades in the small gap below their helmets.
The sight of Frost’s blades sticking out of the back of the omens’ throats and blood gushing out of their mouths all over the face shield mortified the two remaining juggernauts, who were even more frightened upon realizing Frost knew exactly which vulnerable spots he should target. They froze in place, watching their teammates scream while choking on their blood, until Frost pulled out his blades and tried to do the same to them. The two omens were so startled that they seemingly forgot how armed they were and just began fleeing, allowing Panda to run to his shield and pick it up while sharing a devilish laugh with Frost as they kept tormenting the enemy.
The juggernauts retreated from the lunchroom, and with Panda and Frost standing in the doorway, any other omen who dared to come in would first have to deal with them. The Cloudstars began gathering in the center of the room behind the two, with the rest of Crisis stepping closer, but they didn’t block the way and stayed at a safe distance, except Kiwy. She hadn’t killed any juggernauts yet, and she was so eager to chase after the fleeing ones that she couldn’t wait any longer. She stayed low, avoiding line of sight, as Frost and Panda distracted the omens at the far end of the hallway with threatening stares. The juggernauts were done with the action and just wanted to return to the group, but with Frost and Panda slowly and menacingly approaching to push back, allowing the Cloudstars to advance with them, the juggernauts constantly glanced back in case they suddenly charged at them.
As they suspected, Frost used both blades to hook the juggernauts, aiming for the head. They were lucky to be wearing helmets, which blocked the hooks from hitting the back of their heads, but they came right off. They were surprised to see Frost giving up the chase and only taking away their helmets, but in a false sense of security, they didn’t see another attack coming. This time, it was neither Frost nor Panda, as Kiwy built enough speed to leap onto Panda’s shoulders and then boost herself off them to jump half across the hallway. The juggernauts almost sighed in relief as they were about to reach the end of the hallway and retreat with the rest of the omens, but they suddenly had a cat girl on their tails.
The first one panicked and began squealing as he felt Kiwy carving down his neck, at first tickling, but then stunning him in shock as she clawed her way down the back of his head without hesitation. Horrified by the sounds, the other juggernaut slowly turned around, only to scream for his life upon seeing such brutality as well. The latter pulled a handgun and tried to aim it, but he couldn’t believe what he was seeing as Kiwy ripped open the back of his teammate’s neck until she reached his spinal cord, and after chipping through half his back, he just dropped dead. The last survivor was speechless and began running away without breaking eye contact, but Kiwy was already leaping at his head.
In a desperate attempt to get her off him, he violently shook his head and entire torso, but it was in vain, as she already wrapped her claws around his face, and after getting comfortable with her grip, she began to shred contentedly. Saint and the Cloudstars were left in awe, but it looked like the rest of Crisis was more than used to seeing this kind of savagery. While Candy still looked disgusted, she shared some of the pride Panda and Frost showed as they watched with approving nods as the squad pet murdered two omens triple her size in the middle of the hallway between both sides. The omens on the opposite end couldn’t bear witnessing anymore and left the scene, prompting Nitro to laugh, although he was alone since everyone else found the sight deeply upsetting and disturbing.
Despite the carnage left, they all stepped closer as they followed Panda and Frost down the hallway to reach the other open area found ahead. It looked like a large vestibule connecting the hangar and stairs leading to the upper and lower floors. The laughter stopped when they saw the last omens fleeing from the hallway, now running down and upstairs. It looked like the omens were desperate, and they were the ones hiding now. But all of that changed once all the Cloudstars gathered around at the intersection, and with Frost stopping them from chasing right after the omens in case they were being lured, they soon found out they were already deep in danger and hadn’t realized it.
The hangar in front was close on the opposite end, the north side of the courtyard, but it was completely dark, immediately turning the area ominous as it was seemingly empty. The Cloudstars were cautious when approaching, but they all stepped back once the large tank garage began lighting up from back to front in sequence. Crisis could tell they were being played, but it was only until another group revealed itself that they understood the severity of the situation. The Cloudstars, while caught off guard, reacted like they came across any other enemy and tried to attack right away since they were outnumbered, but Crisis knew better as they weren’t up against any common enemy. They were facing the most dreaded and dangerous omens of them all. Spook had been waiting for them all along, and they accidentally came right to them, much to their delight.