Chapter 304: Heroine Chapter: Never a player [1/2]
Chapter POV: Isabella Taurus
___
The warp knocked me to the ground. I landed like a superhero, just like Honey suggested. It didn't hurt, but it was uncomfortable.
'I guess that is the least of my worries.'
"{Connect}"
[Welcome to the Defender Network for Zone 1033-1, downloading situational data]
"Tsk, such a rudimentary map, even the models are shit."
I analyzed the battlefield and saw over 100 Rank F undead and a single Rank E. If someone had told me a month ago that I would be fighting zombies in hell, I would have told them they had little monkeys in their brains.
Yet here I was, fighting a horde of zombies with a .44 Magnum.
"[Inventory] 629."
I drew the chrome revolver I got from Honey. This was one of the guns that accompanied him in his battles. Just how much courage and will did he have to muster to fight as Formless. Unlike us who simply followed, he was the one who led the way.
I placed the weapon next to my right temple and uttered a silent prayer. If I could draw even a fraction of my husband's courage, it would be enough.
'Honey, grant me courage. Grant me strength. Grant me the will to go forward.'
Of course, I could never say such things to him directly. I no longer had any dignity in front of my man.
'At least forgive me for having this little harmless secret.'
"{Perspective} - Limitless."
My vision then switched with the man I loved the most. He was looking at my children. With one mind, we raised our hands and invoked our {Fate}.
"{Portal}." X2
I abruptly cut the connection, and I didn't linger. While he gave me strength, he also made me weak. This was something all the Sirens felt. Protected by his large back, we felt safe. The desire to cower and hide in his love was irresistible.
But none of the Sirens chose that option. Ironically, it was Zachary Lynch who made us realize it.
"You all must have noticed, right? How much that bastard loves all of you? What do you think would happen if one of you died?"
None of us could answer his questions. Zach, perhaps understanding our hesitation, answered them himself.
"He would seek vengeance. The bastard would channel everything he has into destroying your murderer. Human, undead, it makes no difference to him. And unlike most men, John Smith is truly a monster. Surely you have all felt it. He loves without restraint and is suicidal to a fault."
Perhaps it was a manifestation of Honey's will. {Rewind} had an extremely large flaw. Similar to {Withstand}, {Rewind} had no safety measures. It had {Auto} and {Save}, but they were not automatic.
This meant that even if you had {Rewind}, you would still die if you did not use it. It was more like a parachute than a safety belt. If John Smith was truly a coward, his {Fate} would manifest itself as something that would preserve his life.
{Rewind} was built on a very different premise. Its primary benefit was the ability to be as reckless as possible without consequence. It was not designed to save you, but rather to maximize your body to the limit before going back.
Once you did then you fought for real.
'This is the mindset of a predator. And a merciless one at that.'
Analysis of tactics or weaknesses. From feints to acting as bait. Anything was possible. {Rewind} would allow any fighting style to be created without restriction. Theoretically ensuring that its user could surpass any opponent.
"If before the cooldown of {Save} forced him to play defensively, {Replace} broke that barrier."
{Replace} allowed multiple {Save} with moveable save points. It was literally the ability to die a hundred times for the sake of a single victory. This meant that a warrior could fight forever as long as he had souls.
"What kind of sick, twisted mind would come up with {Rewind}?" I lamented.
It was a mindset very similar to that of the game Darksouls. Giving up a hundred lives just to learn how to defeat a single opponent. But if even people on a controller got frustrated, how much more when the player felt the pain of every death?
Zach's words said it best.
"I don't know who the hell made that bastard, but I do know this. If he remains uncontrollable, he is no different than a rabid dog. You girls are both his strength and his weakness. If you cannot be a leash, then he must be put down while we still can."
Of course, after hearing such words, my sisters and I lost our minds and tried to kill the Nightmare with everything we had. But against a Specter, we were no different than children.
"Alfonso, Henry, Sabel. It is time to eat."
[Yes, Mother.] x3
The sounds of a 6.6 liter diesel engine and caterpillar tracks came from the portal in front of me. A Ripsaw MS2 Armed UGV inched forward, accompanied by four MAARS UGVs.
Along with them was a Skydio drone. On top of the Ripsaw were three Switchblade 600 tube launchers. Eight smaller Black Hornet drones buzzed around the unmanned micro tank like flies.
After all my children exited, the portal disappeared. Then I gave a single command.
"Children, please set the table."
[Yes, Mother.] x3
I picked up the three Switchblade 600 tube launchers, opened their legs, and prepared them for use. At 54 kg each, carrying them would be a bitch if I didn't have {Limitless}.
The Switchblade 600 loitering missiles all fired at once. Three black UAVs armed with 2 tandem armor piercing warheads flew into the sky. Meanwhile, the Black Hornets all flew in opposite directions, racing toward the corners of the zone.
The MAARS formed a protective formation around me, synchronizing with my footsteps. Alfonso, driving the Ripsaw MS2, revved his diesel engines as he began to charge the enemy.
"[Inventory] Puma."
A large airplane-shaped drone appeared to my left. This thing weighed about six kilograms, but with {Limitless} and [Load], I could carry it on two fingers. Like a paper airplane, I launched the RQ 20 Puma. It was a UAV designed for battlefield reconnaissance.
[Sabel: Mother, the Skydio drone is in place].
"Kill them all," I said in an emotionless voice.
A sweet scent wafted through the air as the Skydio invoked the {Honeytrap} Soulgear on a metallic lure.
My enhanced hearing picked up the iconic sound of the M2 Browning machine gun. Chambered in .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO, Normies, even Bigfoots, would hardly be a concern.
The zombie counter on my heads-up display began to drop at a rapid pace.
With the Puma's aerial view, I saw events unfold in real time. The Skydio was circling in front of the Ripsaw as if fishing. The zombies running after it were blasted into confetti by the M2 machine gun.
Chuckies too small to be shot were simply run over by the Ripsaw's tracks. At over 4000 kilograms, the small bodies were crushed into paste like bugs.
As for the zombies that had the misfortune to be near me, the MAARS mercilessly gunned them down. With four M240s guarding me, the firepower was pure overkill. And unlike humans, my children never missed.
With Sabel's army of flying drones, I quickly created an accurate map of the zone. {Connect} allowed me to see what each drone saw. My daughter marked each zombie and quickly found the E-rank.
It was a Cyclops. A seven-meter giant with a large club. It was slowly jogging towards Alfonso. It would be interesting to see what it could do to my son's micro tank. But alas, I wanted this to be over as soon as possible.