Capítulo 58: Escort Mission
After finishing their preparations, Abigail, Modeus, and Marlene finally arrived at the gathering point to start the mission. The scene around them was quite impressive. About 20 people, all fully equipped, had already assembled. Several advanced jeeps with heavy weaponry were lined up along the field. The air was thick with the smoke from running engines, the clinking of metal weapons, and an atmosphere full of tension.
Modeus gazed in awe at the lineup of armored vehicles and the weapons mounted on them. "Wow, they're really serious about this setup," he said, admiring one of the jeeps equipped with a rocket launcher. "This is going to be an exciting ride."
Abigail glanced briefly at Modeus and offered a small smile. "Escort missions like this aren't new, but I don't mind the extra preparation. It just shows how important the cargo we're protecting is."
Meanwhile, Marlene was busy checking the weapons she had mounted on her jeep. She made sure everything was securely fastened and nothing was overlooked. Satisfied with her inspection, she nodded to Abigail and Modeus. "Get ready. This may look like a routine escort, but in Fertissio, nothing is ever truly safe."
A burly man in heavy combat gear approached them. "You're Marlene and your team?" he asked in a gruff voice.
Marlene nodded. "Yes. This is Abigail and Modeus; they're joining us for this mission."
The man sized them up before gesturing toward a heavily armored truck parked nearby. "Alright, we'll get started as soon as possible. These trucks carry crucial supplies for the exploration of the ruins, including medical equipment. You'll be escorting these trucks for the duration of the journey."
He continued, "The trip will take about 12 hours to the ruins. This route is usually prone to attacks from bandits or wild creatures, so make sure you stay alert at all times. We'll be moving out now."
Abigail listened attentively to the instructions, while Modeus looked a bit restless, perhaps due to excitement. "What if we encounter a major attack? How many can we expect?" Modeus asked, his eyes still sparkling with enthusiasm.
The man looked at Modeus for a moment before replying, "We've faced situations like this before. With our weaponry, it shouldn't be a major problem. Just don't underestimate any threats that might come up."
After this warning, the man gave the final orders, "Get ready now. Everyone head to your vehicles. We're moving out soon."
With that command, everyone started heading to their vehicles. Marlene hurried to her jeep, now outfitted with the heavy weaponry she had purchased earlier. She double-checked her gear, ensuring everything was in order. As she got into the jeep, she waved to Modeus and Abigail. "I'll be in the front. Make sure you stay close."
Abigail glanced at Modeus. "Let's get on our bikes. Make sure your gear is ready." He had already checked his A.R.M. to ensure everything was functioning properly.
Modeus nodded and walked toward his bike, parked not far away and equipped with additional weapons. "Don't worry, I'm ready for anything," he said with a confident smile.
As they mounted their bikes and prepared to move, Marlene sent a brief communication through her A.R.M. "Stay in formation, we need to ensure these trucks stay safe until we reach our destination. If anything seems suspicious, report immediately."
Abigail nodded and replied, "Understood."
Modeus, trailing behind Abigail, grinned widely and added, "I hope something suspicious comes up. It's been a while since I've had a good fight."
Abigail sighed at Modeus's enthusiasm but knew that's just how his partner was. Sometimes too eager, but that's what made him one of the best fighters.
Soon, the roar of the jeeps and trucks filled the air with a vibrating noise. The convoy began to move, with Marlene leading in the front with her heavily armed jeep, while Modeus and Abigail followed behind on their bikes.
The journey started, navigating through rough roads and rocky terrain toward the ruins. The sky began to darken, hinting that rain might hit them during the trip. They moved slowly but steadily, ensuring the trucks they were escorting stayed safely within the formation.
On his bike, Modeus glanced at Abigail. "Do you think we'll run into anything on this trip?"
Abigail remained calm, his eyes focused on the road. "Maybe. There's always a chance. But the most important thing is keeping those trucks safe."
Modeus just smiled, preparing his weapons. "Well, if we do encounter something, I hope it's something big. I'm ready for a fight."
Marlene, overhearing their conversation through her A.R.M., chuckled softly. "You're always ready for a fight, Modeus. But remember, this mission is about escorting, not unnecessary combat."
Modeus laughed softly, though his expression remained serious. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But if the opportunity arises, I won't pass it up."
With an atmosphere of vigilance, the convoy continued its advance. Everyone was prepared for whatever might come on this long road to the ruins. The escort mission had just begun, and no one knew what lay ahead.
During what seemed like a smooth, uninterrupted stretch, Modeus and Abigail chatted lightly. They both enjoyed the break, though remained alert, knowing that in Fertissio, prolonged calm often signals trouble.
Modeus turned to Abigail with a smile, "How far do you think we are from the ruins?"
Abigail stayed focused on the road, his gaze straight ahead. "We're probably about ten hours away. We've only been on the road for two hours." He glanced briefly at Modeus. "Don't get too comfortable."
Modeus chuckled. "I've never really gotten too comfortable in this world. But honestly, I start to get bored if there's no action for too long."
Just then, a sudden voice crackled through their A.R.M. One of the scouts spoke urgently, "Attention, we've detected several monsters approaching from the right and rear. There are about 40—mostly mechanical wolves and some mechanical birds from behind. Prepare for combat, and we'll keep moving without stopping!"
Abigail tensed up immediately, his eyes narrowing as adrenaline surged through him. He stabilized his bike and shouted to Modeus, "Did you hear that? Get in position. I'll focus on the road, you handle the shooting!"
Modeus quickly responded, turning around to take his position behind their bike, pulling out his Longstrike M-12 sniper rifle. "Finally, something exciting!" he said with an eager grin.
As Abigail sped up the bike, Modeus aimed at the approaching horde of monsters in the distance. He held his breath for a moment and then pulled the trigger. His shot flew wide, missing the target. The monsters were moving too fast, and the rough terrain made it hard to get a steady shot.
"Damn it!" Modeus cursed in frustration, trying to adjust his aim. But his second shot also missed, only hitting the ground beside the speeding mechanical wolves.
Meanwhile, up front, Marlene was driving her jeep calmly while smoking. She heard the warning through her A.R.M. She finished her last puff, flicked the cigarette out the window, and quickly readied her mounted automatic weapon. "Alright, let's get this party started," she murmured with a relaxed but determined tone.
With a pull of the trigger, her automatic weapon began to unleash a hail of bullets, raining down on the monsters behind them. Each shot hit its mark. Several mechanical wolves were immediately shattered, their metal bodies exploding into fiery sparks as Marlene's bullets tore through them mercilessly. She shot while driving, maintaining complete control of her jeep as if this were just another day at work.
On the other hand, Modeus grew more frustrated with his missed shots. "Why won't these bullets cooperate!" he swore, his eyes still locked on the advancing monsters.
Finally, Modeus called on Neumann, the quantum A.I. embedded in his spine. "Neumann! Help me with the targeting! This can't be left to chance!"
Neumann's calm, monotone voice answered in Modeus's head, "Confirming order. Activating auto-targeting system."
In an instant, Modeus's perspective shifted. Neumann quickly accessed sensory data from the environment and began processing the speed and distance of the approaching monsters. A holographic display appeared before Modeus's eyes, automatically adjusting his rifle's aim.
"Target locked," Neumann's voice announced. "Ready to fire."
Modeus grinned widely, now more confident. He pulled the trigger, and his bullet flew perfectly, hitting the head of a mechanical wolf and destroying it with a single shot. "That's it! One shot, one kill!" Modeus cheered with delight.
With Neumann's help, Modeus continued firing. This time, every shot pierced the metal bodies of the monsters with precision, causing them to explode or collapse one by one. Meanwhile, the other guards on the right and rear also joined in, shooting at the increasingly close monsters.
Abigail, focused on driving, heard Modeus's cheers from behind and gave a small smile. "Finally hitting something. Let's hope it keeps up," he murmured as he accelerated the bike, dodging large rocks on the road.
Up front, Marlene, hearing Modeus's shots through her A.R.M., grinned. "Looks like Modeus finally figured out how to shoot. I thought he was only good at hitting things."
The convoy continued to speed forward, showing no signs of slowing down. Despite the large number of attacking monsters, the teamwork among the guards allowed them to handle the threat without reducing the vehicle's pace.
As the number of mechanical wolves dwindled, mechanical birds from the rear began attacking with aerial strikes. Modeus looked up, noticing one of the birds diving towards them with a beak sharp as a sword.
"Attack from above!" Modeus shouted, alerting the others.
Marlene, hearing the warning, quickly adjusted her aim upwards. With a burst of automatic fire, she took out two mechanical birds at once, their metal fragments falling from the sky. Modeus targeted another bird trying to attack from a different angle.
After a few intense minutes, a relieved voice came through the A.R.M. "All monsters have been eliminated. Continue the journey. Stay alert; there could be more attacks."
Abigail took a deep breath, feeling slightly relieved but remaining vigilant. "Alright, that solves one problem."
Modeus, sensing the situation was far from over, instructed Neumann. "Neumann, stay on standby and scan the entire area ahead."
Neumann, hearing the command, immediately created a visual representation of herself in Modeus's view—a young woman in an augmented suit seemingly floating beside their bike, visible only to Modeus.
"Begin scanning the area within a 2-kilometer radius around the user."
Moments later, Neumann suddenly emitted a warning signal. Her flat, calm voice sounded serious in Modeus's ear. "Vibration signal detected from underground to the left of the convoy. Intensity is very high. Potentially a serious threat."
Modeus, who had been watching the movements of the convoy behind him, immediately alerted everyone in the convoy via A.R.M. "Everyone, get ready! There's a major threat on our left. Be prepared for an attack!"
Before Modeus could finish his sentence, a panicked shout came from the scout team ahead. "Look to the left! Quickly!"
All eyes turned to the indicated direction. From beneath the ground, a giant robotic serpent with a massive drill on its head emerged suddenly. Its enormous body looked menacing as it dug its way up, emitting a strange whining sound that made the ground tremble. Most of the serpent's body was already visible above the surface, while part of it remained underground, shaking the ground around it.
From atop Marlene's jeep, she immediately recognized the danger. "We need to move!" she shouted, remaining calm. "Veer right! Everyone, stay alert!"
Modeus focused on the giant serpent and commanded through the radio, "All vehicles, shift right! Concentrate fire on the emerging monsters!"
Soon, many monsters began to emerge aggressively from the area where the giant serpent had surfaced. They included various types, from mechanical wolves to mechanical birds they had encountered before, all appearing highly aggressive and ready to attack the convoy.
Abigail, driving his bike, kept a close watch on the situation from behind. "Modeus, get ready! We need to protect this convoy!"
Modeus quickly checked his weapon. With Neumann's assistance, he lined up his sights on the approaching monsters. "Neumann!" he shouted, then focused his rifle's aim.
Meanwhile, on Marlene's jeep, the mounted automatic weapon spun up and began unleashing a barrage of bullets. Marlene aimed precisely, destroying several mechanical monsters before they could get close to the armored trucks they were escorting. "Don't let any of them through," she said with a cool and controlled tone.
Modeus nodded and fired his rounds with improved accuracy thanks to Neumann's targeting adjustments. Each shot struck its mark, causing explosions of metal and debris to scatter through the air. "We need to clear these threats before they reach the trucks!" he shouted as he continued firing.
On the other side, the rest of the guards were engaged in the firefight as well. They were using a range of weapons from rifles to rocket launchers to destroy the approaching monsters. The sounds of gunfire, explosions, and roaring vehicles filled the air, creating an intense and chaotic atmosphere.
Abigail carefully adjusted the speed of his bike to dodge debris from the explosions and the monsters attacking from all directions. "Modeus, we need to keep our distance from that giant serpent! Focus on the monsters closing in!"
Modeus nodded and redirected his fire towards the monsters near the convoy. "We have to clear the way; don't let anything get near the trucks!"
Marlene continued to monitor the situation through her jeep's sensors, keeping a close watch on the monster movements. "There's another big monster ahead! Hold your position, we need to deal with this threat!"
Everyone worked in synchrony, directing their fire with high precision and coordination. The convoy swiftly moved right, following the scout team's instructions while continuing to shoot to reduce the number of pursuing monsters.
As the giant serpent tried to extend its body further out of the ground, it spun its drill at high speed, causing tremors that nearly toppled some vehicles.
Marlene shouted, "We need to pick up the pace! If the serpent stays out too long, we could get trapped!"
Abigail accelerated his bike, bringing Modeus closer to Marlene's jeep. "Let's go, we can handle this!"
Modeus glanced at Marlene. "If we can take down the giant serpent, the rest of the monsters will scatter. I'll focus on taking it out."
Marlene nodded. "Alright, give it everything you've got. I'll keep the serpent's attention."
With renewed determination, Modeus focused all his energy on the giant serpent, while Marlene continued to fire from her jeep to draw the serpent's attention. Abigail expertly maneuvered the motorbike, dodging falling debris and coordinating their movements.
Modeus, now targeting the giant serpent, called out to Neumann urgently. "Neumann, scan for its weak spot!"
Neumann's flat, calm voice responded, her visual projection pointing towards the serpent's drill head. "The weak spot is located on the top of the drill head. Visual coordinates have been uploaded to the targeting system, ready to fire."
Modeus suddenly saw a red laser-like dot from Neumann's hovering fingertip, directed at the serpent's drill head. He aimed precisely at the indicated spot, and with several well-placed shots, he hit the serpent's drill, causing a massive explosion that destroyed its crucial components.
With Marlene's automatic weapon continuously raining bullets and Modeus targeting the serpent's vital parts, the giant serpent began to crumble. Its body collapsed, and many of the monsters that had emerged with it were caught in the debris.
After several minutes of intense firefight, the voice on the A.R.M came through again, confirming, "The threat from the giant serpent has been neutralized. Continue to the mission site; we will increase the speed."
With the primary threat dealt with and the convoy stabilizing, Abigail, Modeus, and Marlene exchanged tired but satisfied glances.
Abigail shouted over the A.R.M, "Great job! We did it!"
Modeus let out a sigh of relief and smiled at Abigail. "That was pretty intense, but we made it!"
Marlene gave a small smile as she checked her jeep. "Good work. Now let's keep moving. We still have distance to cover and more work ahead."
With that, the convoy resumed its journey to the mission's destination.
***
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