Ch 3 — Rank E Commander
The body hit the ground—
hard.
The impact echoed across the street.
Dust rose, spreading outward as the creature's corpse collapsed across two lanes.
Arjun didn't move.
For a moment—
he just stood there.
Breathing.
Heavy.
The rifle in his hands hummed as it cooled.
"…That worked."
[Hostile Unit A1 Eliminated]
Notifications appeared instantly.
+500 Combat Points
Commander Rank Increased
New Rank: E
A new interface opened.
Commander Status
Name: Arjun Mehta
Rank: E
Combat Points: 500
Planet Civilization Rank: F
Arjun blinked.
"…That was enough?"
[Commander progression depends on combat contribution and threat level.]
He looked at the corpse again.
"…Yeah. That counts."
The drone suddenly shifted.
[Alert Detected]
Arjun followed its movement.
The sky.
The warship still hovered.
Massive.
Unmoving.
Then—
more shapes dropped.
[Multiple Hostile Units Approaching]
Total Count: 147
Arjun exhaled slowly.
"…So that wasn't even the start."
[Correct.]
New data appeared.
Earth Invasion Phase: Active
Current Hostile Units on Surface: 12,843
Silence.
"…You're serious."
No response.
The drone projected a map.
The city appeared.
Covered in red.
Hundreds of markers.
Arjun's position—
blue.
Alone.
[Nearby Hostile Units Detected]
Distance: 420 meters
Threat Level: Medium
A crash echoed nearby.
Arjun turned.
Another creature landed.
Different.
Smaller.
Faster.
Its body resembled a massive insect—
blade-like limbs extending outward.
Its eyes locked onto him immediately.
Arjun sighed.
"…Of course."
[Hostile Unit A2 Identified]
Threat Level: Medium
It moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
Arjun fired.
Missed.
The creature dodged mid-motion—
unnatural speed.
"Great."
"This one's faster."
It leapt—
landing on a nearby car.
Then launched again.
Straight at him.
Arjun shifted.
Barely.
The blade struck behind him—
cutting through metal like nothing.
Debris scattered.
"…Noted."
[Combat Suggestion Available]
A new interface appeared.
Combat Skill Unlocked: Target Prediction
Effect: Predicts enemy movement
Energy Cost: Low
Arjun smirked.
"…Now that helps."
He activated it.
His vision changed.
Faint lines appeared—
tracking possible paths.
The creature moved again.
But this time—
Arjun was already aiming ahead.
He fired.
Impact.
Mid-air hit.
The creature crashed.
"Got you."
But it rose again.
Faster.
Angrier.
It charged.
Arjun adjusted.
Fired again—
clean.
Direct hit to the head.
The creature dropped.
Still.
[Hostile Unit A2 Eliminated]
+120 Combat Points
Arjun lowered the rifle.
"…Better."
[New Threat Detected]
The map expanded.
Three markers.
Large.
Moving fast.
Toward him.
Distance: 900 meters
Threat Level: High
Arjun exhaled.
"…Let me guess."
"Bigger."
[Correct.]
A new notification appeared.
Emergency Directive
Secure Sector 17
Reward: Advanced Equipment Unlock
Failure: Civilian Casualties Increase
Arjun looked around.
Cars destroyed.
Buildings damaged.
In the distance—
people running.
Screaming.
He tightened his grip.
"…Yeah."
"No choice."
The drone scanned again.
[Multiple hostiles approaching]
Arrival Time: 2 minutes
Arjun stepped forward.
Into the street.
Alone.
The armor pulsed faintly.
The rifle charged.
He cracked his neck.
"…Good."
A pause.
Then—
steady voice.
"Let's see how long I last."
Above the city—
the warship moved.
More creatures fell.
This wasn't a battle.
It was an invasion.
And Arjun was already inside it.