They say what goes up must come down.
Tonight, the Leviathan Crew, the so-called pinnacle of the government's superhuman agents—was about to learn that lesson the hard way.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire tore through the night like thunder. Blood sprayed in vicious arcs as dire wolves screamed and crumpled one after another. The beasts had come in fast, teeth bared, but they never stood a chance. Most were cut down before they even realized what was happening.
When the last wolf lunged, a soldier met it mid-air with a combat knife, driving the blade deep into its throat. The creature hit the ground twitching, then went still.
The Leviathan squad moved like predators themselves—precise, ruthless, and terrifyingly efficient. Bullets found skulls with surgical accuracy. Blades flashed under moonlight, carving through fur and flesh without hesitation.
In the middle of the carnage stood Marcus, calm as death itself, one hand resting on the shoulder of the man they had come to collect, Ethan, and that the soldiers didn't like.
"You…" One of the soldiers leveled his rifle at Marcus, eyes burning with fury. "Last warning. Step away from the target. Now."
Marcus didn't flinch. He simply raised his own gun, pressing the barrel forward with cold indifference.
"A-rank soilders," he muttered, almost amused. "A little overkill, don't you think? I'm just here to even the odds."
The surviving soldiers rose slowly, drenched in blood, some theirs, some the wolves'. Their armor was torn, but their posture screamed defiance.
"Six A-ranks against two C-ranks?" another soldier spat, training his weapon on Ethan. "Hardly seems fair… for you."
He made a sharp hand signal. The rest of the squad followed instantly, forming a practiced kill formation.
They were rattled, yes. But these were elite agents. A surprise attack wouldn't break them.
Ethan's eyes flicked to the glowing blue system window only he could see.
Dire Wolves Eliminated: 4/5
Soilders Eliminated: 4/5
One more. Just one more kill and the strength point would be his. His fingers itched with anticipation, but time was slipping away.
[Recharging: 2%]
The bar crawled forward agonizingly slow. Sweat trickled down Marcus's temple as he kept his gun steady, buying precious seconds. But with six elite A-rank agents staring them down, that one kill suddenly felt like it was a million miles away.
Captain Reyes stepped forward, rifle steady. He was the biggest of the bunch, shoulders like concrete blocks under his torn tactical vest. A long scar ran down the left side of his face from some old mission.
"Marcus Vale. We have your file. Leviathan crew worthy. You know how this ends. Hand over the target and we all walk away with bonuses. Refuse, and we drag both of you back in body bags if we have to."
Marcus kept his gun aimed at Reyes's chest. "File's outdated, Captain. I didn't wash out. I walked out when I saw what you people do with the ones who wake up different. Ethan isn't a weapon for your bosses to poke at in some lab."
Ethan stayed behind Marcus's shoulder, pistol gripped tight. His C-rank body felt slow compared to the agents circling them.
Four wolves. He had put two of them down himself earlier—one with headshots while they charged, one with a knife after it clamped onto his arm, and one that Marcus had wounded and he finished, but the system procured the kills as his.
Even though, the squad had taken the fifth. The system gave him credit for assists as well it seems.
The woman to Reyes's left, Agent Voss, short black hair, speed specialistcracked her knuckles. "Target's vitals are stable. We can still bring him in alive. Orders say priority is the system user."
Another agent, a sniper type named Kane, had already moved to the side, rifle raised. "I have the shot if the big guy twitches."
Ethan's eyes darted between them. Six A-ranks. Enhanced strength, speed, durability, and at least two with active abilities.
He was C-rank baseline—decent aim, nothing special without the system. Marcus was the same rank on paper but fought like someone who had survived worse. Still, numbers were numbers.
"Recharging: 4%," the blue window updated.
Too slow. Ethan needed that skill ready. It was the only thing that had kept him alive the last time kukyj to xfbbg4since the system first appeared. One use left him drained for hours, but right now it was the only edge they had.
Reyes gave the order. "Non-lethal on the kid. Lethal on the traitor. Move."
The squad exploded into action.
Voss blurred forward, faster than any normal person. She closed the ten meters to Marcus in under a second. Her fist drove toward his ribs.
Marcus twisted, took the hit on his forearm, and the impact still lifted him half a foot off the ground. He grunted but countered with an elbow to her jaw. Bone cracked. Voss staggered back two steps, blood on her lips, then smiled like it was nothing.
"You were never a soldier." She beckoned.
Ethan raised his pistol and fired twice at the closest agent charging him. The man, built like a tank, probably strength-focused, didn't even flinch as the rounds smacked into his vest.
He kept coming, grabbed Ethan by the collar, and slammed him into a tree. Bark exploded against Ethan's back, forcing a jarring Pain through his spine.
"Got him," the tank growled.
Marcus was already there. He fired point-blank into the tank's knee. The A-rank howled and dropped Ethan. Marcus followed with a kick that sent the man rolling across the dirt.
Gunfire stitched the ground around them. Kane had opened up from the treeline. Bullets whipped past Ethan's ear. One clipped Marcus's shoulder. Blood sprayed. Marcus didn't slow down. He grabbed Ethan by the arm and yanked him behind a thick pine.
"Stay down and look for your opening," Marcus said through clenched teeth. "I'll keep them busy."
Ethan nodded. His back hurt. His arm where the wolf had bitten him earlier was throbbing again. But the system window was still there.
[Recharging: 11%]
The fight had only been going for twenty seconds and already Marcus was bleeding from two places. The squad was reforming, spreading out, using the trees for cover. They were professionals. No panic. Just steady pressure.
Agent Reyes activated his ability. His muscles swelled visibly under the armor. He picked up a fallen wolf corpse, one of the big ones, at least two hundred pounds, and hurled it like a sack of meat. It crashed into the pine Marcus and Ethan were using. The tree shook. Splinters rained down.
"Last chance," Reyes called out.
Marcus answered by leaning out and putting three rounds into Reyes's center mass. The bullets flattened against the reinforced vest, but the impact made the big man step back.
Voss used the moment to flank. She appeared behind Marcus in a burst of speed and drove a knife toward his kidney.
Marcus spun at the last second. The blade cut across his side instead of going in deep. He headbutted Voss, breaking her nose, then shoved her away. She rolled and came up shooting.
Ethan saw his moment. While everyone focused on Marcus, he slipped around the other side of the tree. Twenty yards away, in the shadows between two bushes, something moved.
Yellow eyes reflected moonlight. A dire wolf. Not dead. The fifth one. It must have crawled off after the squad thought they finished it. Its left hind leg dragged, fur matted with blood, but it was still alive. Still moving.
Ethan's pulse spiked. He raised his pistol and ran straight at it.
"Ethan!" Marcus shouted, but he couldn't break free. Two agents were on him now, trading blows that sounded like hammers hitting meat.
The wolf saw Ethan coming and snarled. It lunged, three-legged and desperate. Ethan didn't dodge.
He met it head-on, jammed the barrel of his pistol into its open mouth, and pulled the trigger twice. The back of the wolf's skull blew out. It collapsed at his feet, twitching once before going still.
The system window flashed.
Dire Wolves Eliminated: 5/5
Quest Complete.
+1 Strength Point Awarded.
100x Reward applied.
+1 => +100
Current Strength: 12 → 120
Power flooded Ethan's arms and legs. A freaking huge jump, but it felt like someone had turned up the volume on his muscles. His breathing steadied. The pain in his back dulled. He felt faster. Stronger. Ready.
[Recharging: 47%]
Still not there. But the strength point was real. He could feel it in the way his grip tightened on the pistol without shaking.
He turned back toward the fight. Marcus was on one knee now, left arm hanging useless, blood running down his side. Three agents circled him. Reyes was stepping in for the finish, massive fist raised.
Ethan sprinted forward. The extra strength let him cover the distance quicker than before. He didn't shout.
He just raised the pistol and fired at Kane in the trees first. The sniper jerked as a round punched through his shoulder. Kane dropped his rifle and fell back.
Voss noticed Ethan and blurred toward him. Ethan planted his feet and swung a punch. The hit connected with her cheek. The speedster flew sideways like she had been hit by a truck. She crashed into a bush and didn't get up immediately.
Reyes turned. "What the hell—"
Ethan fired again. The round hit Reyes in the helmet, snapping his head back. The captain roared and charged. Ethan sidestepped, faster than he should have been, and drove a knee into the big man's gut. Reyes folded, air exploding out of him.
Marcus used the distraction. He surged up, grabbed the tank agent by the neck, and slammed him face-first into the ground. The man stayed down.
The remaining two agents hesitated. Their formation had broken. One of them—younger, maybe new—looked at his teammates on the dirt and took a step back.
[Recharging: 68%]
Marcus wiped blood from his mouth and stood beside Ethan. "You got it?"
"Yeah," Ethan said. "Strength point's in. Feels solid."
The two agents still standing raised their weapons, but their aim wasn't steady anymore. Reyes was pushing himself up, coughing. Voss was shaking her head, trying to clear it.
Marcus spat on the ground. "Six A-ranks. Thought you'd be tougher. Government's been cutting corners on training, huh?"
Reyes wiped blood from his lip. "This isn't over. Reinforcements are two minutes out. You can't run forever."
Ethan checked the window.
[Recharging: 79%]
One more minute. Maybe less if the fight kept them busy.
He raised his pistol again. "We're not running this time."
Marcus grinned despite the blood. "That's the spirit."
The agents moved in again, slower now, more careful. Voss tested her speed and found it still worked, but she was favoring one side. Reyes came straight at Ethan, slower than before but still dangerous.
Ethan met him. He blocked the first punch, something he couldn't have done cleanly ten minutes ago, and countered with an elbow that split the captain's lip. The strength point made the difference. Small, but enough.
Gunshots rang out. Marcus dropped the last standing agent with two precise shots to the leg and shoulder. Non-lethal, but enough to end the fight.
Reyes backed up, breathing hard. "You'll regret this. The program doesn't let assets go."
"Watch me," Ethan said.
[Recharging: 100%]
The bar filled. A new line appeared under it.
Skill: Overcharge – Ready