Chapter 86: Operation Skybreak, part 11/11

Glowing orbs of scorching plasma, resembling miniature suns, fell like fiery meteorites upon the airborne machine, relentlessly assaulting it from every conceivable angle. The searing projectiles struck with pinpoint accuracy, targeting the vulnerable engines, the bristling cannons, and even the delicate front glass cockpit, creating a breathtaking spectacle of destruction in their wake.

Perched atop the machine's roof, Tia's silky hair danced in the soaring winds and explosions of blue plasma.

She maintained a poise that bordered on ethereal, her eyes tightly shut as she was tapping into her energy reserve. She wielded an invisible symphony of floating guns, each seemingly attached by an invisible string to her mind, orchestrating their lethal dance with grace and precision.

'More, I need more!' She channeled her focus, directing an unrelenting torrent of fire toward the roaring engines, each surge of energy crackling with intensity and rising engine temperature while chipping metal piece by piece.

At last, molten metal and flames burst forth, painting the sky with their vibrant hues before cascading down like a rain of deadly sparks. The once-proud machine groaned and vibrated, caught in a dizzying whirlwind of smoke and chaos falling from the sky.

'You are done.'

Tia's lilac eyes snapped open, their brilliance a stark contrast to the surrounding turmoil. With a swift, almost ethereal leap, she gracefully glided back to the roof, her lithe form defying gravity as she moved.

Watching the giant machine burst into flames, relief washed over her.

However, the adrenaline that had fueled her seemed to recede, replaced by an acute, throbbing pain that coursed through her body. She touched down on the still scorching-hot concrete with gentle grace, her injured and broken legs giving way beneath her as she collapsed to the ground.

Her skill proficiencies jumped up, but she didn't even care to pay them any attention as her focus was already taken by more problems.

'No, I must continue!' She heard the humming of the drones, knowing the danger hadn't passed.

Ding!

Objective cleared!

Addition to the final pool: 1 X Special Mission Voucher; 2 X +2 to Random Stat

Instant Rewards: 2 X +2 to Random a stat

A thunderous thud resounded beside her, wrenching her attention from the wreckage. A hulking figure, muscle-bound and towering, landed on the roof's edge with a bone-rattling impact. His face bore a menacing visage, his mustache and mouth curling into a maniacal grin that sent shivers down her spine.

"You've eluded me once before!" he bellowed, his voice a discordant symphony of rage. "Laszlo won't tolerate it! Laszlo won't let you escape his clutches!" His fist ignited with a radiant, golden light, and the very concrete beneath his colossal form cracked as he propelled himself toward the still-kneeling Tia.

'I hate muscleheads!' She felt like screaming at how wrong it all turned out. A burning desire to survive surged through her veins, and she instinctively lifted her trembling hand, still gripping her wand.

'I need to get time!' The floating gun, seemingly guided by an invisible hand, shifted and realigned itself with unnerving precision, poised to intercept the human projectile hurtling her way.

The roof's concrete erupted into a shower of debris, and a shockwave surged forth from the tip of her wand.

The man submerged in a golden aura didn't even slow down, his eyes flaring and his aura brightening as he clashed with his fist against the shockwave. The roof collapsed beneath his feet as the concrete crumbled beneath the force of the golden explosion and raw kinetic force.

'Dumb idiot!' Tia ridiculed him silently, suspended above the chaos, her chin smeared with blood leaking out of her mouth and nose.

"Perish, you mongrel!" Her voice dripped with venom as she snapped her fingers. All the guns at her command unleashed a torrent of sapphire plasma bolts, each one descending upon the golden-glowing adversary.

The vibrations of the explosions reverberated through the surroundings over and over. She pulled the trigger again and again, unrelenting in her assault. At last, she stopped, her eyes still burning with rage and madness.

"Hahaha!" She laughed, bathing in the sensation of crushing, tricking, and killing her most hated foe: a musclehead.

Beep!

<<<<>>>>

<Reward> --> +1 to ENE; +2 to WILL

<<<<>>>>

Amid the maelstrom of chaos, Tia had no luxury to dwell on the newly uncovered function of her system as the heavens lit up with vivid azure radiance.

Her frantic gaze darted in every direction as the weapons and engines around her hummed with ominous energy. A squadron of drones, a dozen strong, locked onto her like vultures circling their prey, sending a surge of rage and desperation coursing through her.

"To stand alone against an entire world," she muttered through gritted teeth, finally grasping the profound implications of those words. The overwhelming numbers threatened to siphon her energy, drain her stamina, and wear her body down to its breaking point.

She braced herself, her body tense, ready to evade and endure once more, prepared for the inevitable agony as her muscles strained and threatened to snap even more.

And then, an unexpected pause. Her brows furrowed in bewilderment as the drones hovered in eerie silence, their once-menacing gun glow flickering and dimming.