Chapter 600 Stealing Materials And Supplies
"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
Tovan cursed under his breath as the blaring alarm shattered the relative silence of their escape. One of the invaders had spotted them, and his panicked shout drew immediate attention.
"Move, move!" Tovan barked, hauling the hover sled that was filled with materials and supplies.
The team sprinted toward their exit point but the whine of jetpacks grew louder above them. Shadows streaked across the walls of the canyon-like depot as the sign of the arrival of their pursuers.
Seven figures descended with practiced precision, their jetpacks hissing as they landed. Each invader was clad in sleek enhanced black armor that shimmered faintly with Magic. Their energy weapons were already trained on the group.
Tovan's heart sank as he counted heads. They were evenly matched in numbers, but the invaders were far better armed. His team carried only basic weapons and the stolen supplies. Nothing capable of fending off this level of firepower.
"Drop the materials and surrender!" one of the invaders barked, his voice distorted by the helmet's comms system. "Did you really think you could walk out of here alive? Stupid move, you dirty natives!"
Kael stepped in front of the group, his daggers gleaming faintly in the low light. He pressed a finger to his comm device and spoke quickly but calmly, masking the desperation in his voice.
"We're pinned down. Seven enemies in front of us. Outgunned and outmatched. We need backup, now! Or we are fucking die."
The voice on the other end responded almost immediately.
"Hold tight. Eccar's on his way."
Kael nodded grimly, though his team's nervous glances betrayed their uncertainty. They knew Eccar's strength, but would he arrive in time when he now is still engaging with his own battle creating distraction for them? But if someone can reach them in time, it must be Eccar because nobody can reach them now.
The invader who had spoken earlier took a step forward, his weapon glowing with ominous energy.
"You're not getting away," he said coldly, raising his rifle. "But you might live a little longer if you surrender."
Tovan tightened his grip on his sword, his mind racing. They couldn't risk losing the materials because they were the key to the resistance's survival. But they couldn't fight head-on either, not with the enemy's superior equipment.
"Over my dead body," Tovan growled, his defiance masking the fear gnawing at him. He will not give up to this invaders.
The invader chuckled darkly. "That can be arranged."
Just as the enemy prepared to fire, a deafening roar echoed through the depot, shaking the very ground beneath them.
The invaders hesitated, their helmets snapping upward toward the source of the sound.
A figure appeared at the edge of the depot, silhouetted against the glow of the chaos he had wrought above. Eccar descended like a destructive force, his black armor gleaming and his hands wreathed in crackling energy.
The invaders immediately adjusted their stance, their attention shifting to the far greater threat.
"Looks like I arrived just in time," Eccar said, his voice carrying an almost casual confidence as he surveyed the scene.
The lead invader snarled. "You'll regret interfering—"
Eccar didn't wait for him to finish. With a thunderous stomp, he sent a earth spear from his place toward the invaders troop and knocking several of the invaders off balance.
Before they could recover, he closed the distance with inhuman speed and using his clawed hand to slash through one of their energy weapons and rendering it useless.
"Go!" Eccar said, turning his head slightly toward Tovan and Kael and their team without losing focus on his opponents. "Get those materials out of here. I'll handle them."
The team didn't need to be told twice. Tovan shouted orders and the group began hauling the hover sleds at a dead sprint. Kael lingered for a moment, his gaze locked on Eccar as the Dragonborn engaged the enemy, his every move a display of raw power and precision. He almost didn't belive his eyes.
"Kael, move it!" Tovan snapped.
Kael hesitated only a second longer before nodding and falling back into formation. Behind them, the sound of battle roared like a storm, with energy blasts and the clash of claws against metal echoing through the depot.
As they neared the extraction point, Nerin's voice crackled over the comms.
"The exit is clear. Hurry up—I'm tracking reinforcements inbound."
"We're almost there," Tovan replied, his breath labored.
Despite the urgency, Kael cast one last glance over his shoulder. Even as they fled, he couldn't help but marvel at Eccar's ferocity. The Dragonborn wasn't just fighting, he was dominating, each strike shattering their enemies' confidence.
For the first time in a long while, Kael reallly felt more flicker of hope. If they could survive this, if they could use the materials they had stolen to turn the tide, perhaps victory wasn't as impossible as it seemed.
They just had to make it out alive first.
While they escape, Eccar stood motionless for a moment, his imposing figure is like a statue of power amidst the chaos. The seven invaders circled him warily cause they had never seen someone of the natives people this confidence before, their weapons raised and energy cores humming with deadly intent.
Their armor gleamed under the flickering light of the depot, but Eccar's blackened form blended seamlessly into the shadows, save for the faint gleam of his piercing eyes.
One invader stepped forward, rifle trained on Eccar's chest. "Surrender now, and we'll make your death quick!"
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Eccar tilted his head slightly, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. "that should be my word."
He moved.
The invaders barely saw it coming. In a single fluid motion Eccar surged forward. His speed defying the limits of their perception and it caught them off guard.
His clawed hand slashed upward and immediately severing the barrel of the first soldier's weapon as if it were made of paper. The invader staggered back, stunned, but before he could react Eccar's other hand closed around his throat. With a swift and brutal twist, the soldier fell limp with his throat ripped, crumpling to the ground.
The remaining six raised their weapons, their initial confidence giving way to sharp, barking commands. They fired, bolts of crackling energy searing through the air.
Eccar just danced, dodging between them with impossible grace, his movements so swift they seemed like a blur.
One soldier took aim from his body, his weapon tracking Eccar's movements. But as he fired Eccar was already behind him. The Dragonborn's clawed fingers sank into the seams of the invader's armor and effortlessly peeling it open. A swift jab to the neck and break his neck, sent the soldier sprawling lifeless to the ground.
The remaining five closed ranks, desperation etched into every tense movement. They switched to close-quarters combat then drawing energy-infused blades and lunging as a coordinated unit.
Eccar ducked under the first strike, his clawed hand flicking out in an arc that slashed across two soldiers' torsos.
Their armor sparked as the near-invisible claws ripped through the enchanted plating like fabric. They crumpled with strangled cries, their lifeless forms collapsing in a heap.
A third soldier aimed for Eccar's back, thinking he had an opening. Eccar spun with blinding speed using his claw to catch the attacker mid-strike.
The attack connected with an audible crunch and the soldier's weapon clattered uselessly to the ground before he too followed suit.
The final two soldiers stood frozen for a moment, their confidence utterly shattered. They had never natives moves like this or delivering attack like this. Their devices had smothered all the Magic in the air so they can't use it.
So that mean that this man who is slaughtering them is not using Magic. But just pure physical strength.
Eccar's claws glinted faintly under the depot's light but their dark almost indistinguishable hue made them appear as part of his armor. To the invaders, it looked as though he was tearing them apart with nothing but his bare hands.
One soldier broke first and turning to flee.
Eccar don't let him get away. He lunged, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.
His hand snaked out then gripping the invader's shoulder and yanking him back with brutal force. A swift strike to the helmet sent the soldier sprawling, his neck twisted at an unnatural angle.
The last soldier dropped his weapon, his hands trembling as he backed away.
"W-what are you?" he stammered, his voice quivering with terror.
Eccar stepped closer, his movements slow and deliberate now, as if savoring the moment. He leaned in, his voice a low growl that sent shivers down the soldier's spine.
"Your worst nightmare."
With one final move, Eccar struck. The invader's body crumpled lifelessly, his fear still etched onto his face.
Eccar straightened, surveying the scene. Seven enemies lay scattered around him, their advanced weapons and armor rendered meaningless against his strength.
He rolled his shoulders, brushing off the faint scuffs on his armor, his claws retracting seamlessly into his hands, once again blending with his dark gauntlets.
"They are not that strong," he muttered. This task could be easier than he had thought. Surely, nothing unexpected will happen.
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