Ahhhhhhh… Huh?

  Dev woke up to a vibration in the air. He looked around his surroundings to see a shimmering, translucent blue dome hovering over him.

  Mana Barrier?

  Wait, what the hell is happening right now?

  He pursued his memory, trying to recollect—Xyros! What is he doing here? He’s not supposed to be here. Why is he here? What is even going on right now?

  Dev was in shock for a moment. The person he had been searching for since he came back to the past had suddenly just appeared in front of him—to save him. It was one hell of a coincidence.

  Dev calmed down. Years of battlefield experience and tactical analysis stopped his errant thoughts, narrowing them, focusing on deducing the scenario.

  Okay, fine. Xyros is here. How?

  Only the porter teams and the hunters were given maps of the gate. Half the hunters are dead, and the other half are trying to kill him, so that eliminates them. That just leaves the porter teams—specifically his team, considering they were closest to the boss area.

  If Rowan went back and informed them, it’s possible one of them might have been Xyros, and came down to help me.

  Either way, I’ve got a way shorter list. I can definitely find out who he is after this.

  Sounds of fighting reverberated through the air as Dev laid his eyes on Xyros, hoping he was beating the man with the large swo—Huh?

  Dev squinted, recognizing the shape of the creature across from Xyros. It didn’t look like the Boris who tried to kill him. It was a werewolf. The beast’s claws swiped through the air with deadly precision, its savage growls shaking the ground beneath them.

  Damn. He had a transformation-type innate ability. Probably from the Descent Series. If he had used that from the start, He would’ve been dead before I could even blink.

  He knew some of the users from back in the day. Some were even on his squad. Francis told him the transformation was painful as hell—but the benefits it gave were nuts. It granted you the senses and abilities of the animal you turned into passively, while also enhancing your physical abilities—an entire half-rank, sometimes even a full rank up upon transformation, depending on the animal.

  It was ranked Rare by the System, but it was a fairly well-documented ability, with some top hunters having it: the Red Bear of the Kremlin, the Tiger Sentinel of Cambodia, the Golden Lion of South Africa…

  He smirked at one more name that came to mind—The Minotaur of Chicago.

  He ended his reminiscence there. He had to focus—he needed to make sure Xyros beat the wolfman. He didn’t know if this fight even happened in the old timeline, but if Xyros lost here, everything would fall apart. The future depended on it

  Dev pulled out his gun, removed the magazine, and retrieved the mana stone from his pocket. He unloaded the bullets from the magazine and began chipping away at the stone. Once he had a small enough piece, he ground it down until it turned to dust.

  With a bullet in hand, Dev pulled out a pair of pliers from his porter overalls. He positioned the pliers over the bullet’s casing, the sharp steel biting into the metal as he twisted and pried it open. The casing split with a dull crunch, revealing the dark powder inside. Carefully, he poured the mana dust into the exposed casing, the fine particles shimmering faintly as they settled into the grooves of the gunpowder.

  Once the dust was inside, he pressed the casing shut, the edges clicking into place with a soft snap. He shook the bullet gently, feeling the distinct rattle as the mana dust mixed with the gunpowder. He repeated the process methodically with the rest of the bullets, his hands moving with practiced precision, each bullet now infused with a flicker of mana. The scent of crushed stone and gunpowder lingered in the air as the process continued, each bullet now a makeshift vessel of magical potential.

  It was a crude method to make mana-covered bullets, and the boundary effect of the mana coating would be weak as hell, likely dissipating after 50 feet. Definitely not approved for the field —seen as a waste of a mana stone. But in this moment, it was better than nothing. It might be enough to distract the wolfman—or even pierce his skull.

  After finishing with all the bullets, Dev slid the magazine back into his gun with a satisfying click. His fingers brushed against the cold metal of the weapon, a small comfort in the chaos of the moment. He adjusted his grip, settling into a crouch behind the debris, his body tense, every muscle primed for the shot. The sounds of the fight—clashing metal, snarling growls—echoed around him, but he focused only on the target ahead.

  He watched Xyros and the wolfman, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. His breath slowed as he scanned the scene, his eyes locked onto the beast’s movements. Every second felt like an eternity, but Dev remained still, barely blinking. The wind rustled through the trees, but everything else seemed muffled. It was just him, the gun, and the wolfman.

  Waiting for the slightest opening

  Waiting to fire

  ….

  The wolfman snarled, his chest heaving as he recovered from Rowan’s earlier barrage. Rowan stood his ground, his breath steady, muscles aching, but his mind still sharp. His HUD flickered with constant updates, the techno-organic nanite armor still processing the impact of each hit, still calculating, still trying to adapt to the relentless force of the wolfman.

  The wolfman didn’t waste any time. It let out a low growl, then lunged with terrifying speed. Rowan barely had time to react before the beast was on him, its claws swiping through the air. Rowan twisted his body, narrowly dodging the claws aimed at his neck

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  The wolfman's strike tore into the earth instead, spraying dirt and debris in every direction. Rowan stumbled back, boots skidding on the slick ground as his HUD flashed urgently. The wolfman didn’t waste any time. It let out a low growl, then lunged with terrifying speed. Rowan barely had time to react before the beast was on him again, its claws swiping through the air in a furious barrage. Rowan pivoted, his movements crisp and deliberate, avoiding strike after strike by mere inches.

  ducking beneath another sweeping claw, his armor humming as the nanites struggled to reinforce each impact point in real-time. The wolfman snarled in frustration, red eyes blazing as its claws whipped through empty air.

  "Xy," Rowan panted, dodging left and right, barely keeping ahead of the relentless assault, "What's the eta on the frequency calibrated"

  The alien's voice buzzed irritably in his head. “Thirty more seconds, Hooman—just hold out for thirty more seconds.”

  narrowly avoiding a strike that sheared a nearby tree trunk cleanly in half. Wood exploded into splinters, showering them both. He rolled to the side, springing up immediately and delivering a swift, armored elbow strike straight to the beast's jaw.

  The wolfman's head snapped sideways, a momentary flicker of surprise crossing its vicious face. But the creature recovered almost instantly, lunging back in with blinding speed. Rowan felt a heavy impact against his ribs as one claw finally found its mark, slamming him into the muddy earth with brutal force.

  As Rowan tasted blood in his mouth, his ribs throbbing painfully, he desperately struggled to rise, his HUD flashing warnings of structural compromise. Before he could fully regain his footing, a massive shadow blotted out the flickering sunlight. The wolfman loomed over him, a towering figure of primal fury, claws dripping with his blood, crimson eyes burning with unrestrained hunger.

  A feral growl resonated deep within the beast’s chest as it lunged, massive hands wrapping around Rowan’s armored torso, lifting him off the ground as if he weighed nothing. Rowan kicked and twisted, trying desperately to break free, but the beast's grip was ironclad. He heard the sickening snap of ribs protesting under the monstrous strength.

  “Xy—” Rowan gasped, eyes wide as the wolfman's jaws opened impossibly wide, lined with razor-sharp fangs glistening with saliva, inches from his helmeted head.

  "Twelve more seconds, Hooman!" Xy’Rosh's voice crackled urgently in Rowan's ears, strained yet determined. "Just hold out!"

  Rowan’s vision blurred. His armor’s integrity was critical, and he felt consciousness starting to slip. He saw his reflection in the wolfman’s bloodshot eyes, fear and defiance mingling together.

  Rowan desperately kicked at the wolfman's legs, striking repeatedly as if kicking a heavy punching bag, hoping the beast’s legs would buckle before its jaws reached him. But the wolfman only tightened its grip, channeling its pain into holding Rowan steady, unwavering as its maw descended dangerously close to Rowan’s head, ready to bite.

  A sudden sharp crack split the air—a gunshot.

  A loud gunshot was heard in the background followed by a mana-covered bullet hitting the wolfman in the head forcing his head forward away from rowans face the wolfman in a daze from the bullet turned his head around to see where the bullet came from and that was his final mistake

  "Aether frequency calibrated, hooman—NOW!" The General shouted triumphantly.

  Summoning every ounce of remaining strength, Rowan unleashed a massive pulse of aether. The shockwave slammed into the werewolf, hurling it backward. Its eyes widened in panic as its [Aegis Skin] trembled and weakened, desperately fighting to re-stabilize.

  Rowan's aether gauntlets hummed with newly calibrated power. He planted his hands on the ground, pushing off with incredible speed and dashed toward the wolfman, determined to seize this critical moment.

  Rowan’s fist slammed into the wolfman's jaw with explosive force, the beast's barrier parting instantly, letting the full force of the strike hit. The wolfman sprawled backward, stunned by the sheer power. Rowan didn't let up, unleashing a relentless barrage of punches—each strike causing the barrier to momentarily vanish, allowing devastating impacts to the wolfman's body.

  The wolfman tried to retaliate, swiping desperately, but Rowan was faster now, easily sidestepping the attacks and landing another crushing blow directly to the beast’s abdomen, the barrier dissolving at the point of impact. The beast roared in agony, staggering backward.

  Rowan seized his chance, driving an uppercut that shattered the wolfman's barrier again and snapped its head violently upward. As the beast teetered, dazed and vulnerable, Rowan drew back one last time, channeling every ounce of remaining aether into his fist.

  The impact obliterated the wolfman's remaining aura, crashing through its [Aegis Skin] like glass. The beast flew backward, slamming heavily into a tree trunk. It slumped, motionless, utterly defeated.

  Rowan stood tall, breathing heavily, victorious. He screamed into the air, reveling in his victory. "How you like me now, you furry asshole!" He hurled obscenities at the unconscious wolfman until Xy’Rosh interjected irritably.

  "If you're done with your primitive victory dance, there is still a bystander we need to question." That statement instantly made Rowan shut up as he took stock of how he must look to Dev right now—a mystery metal man screaming at the sky and throwing curses like a gas station tweaker asking for a dollar.

  embarrassed. He quickly ran over to Dev, reintegrated the forcefield node back into his suit, and helped Dev stand up.

  "Thanks for the assist," Rowan said gratefully. "If he had even a few more seconds, I would’ve been dog food."

  "Yeah, well if you died, I would’ve been dessert, so I had to do something," Dev replied.

  Suddenly, the ground beneath them rumbled violently. Rowan exclaimed, "What’s happening?"

  Dev's eyes widened. "Someone killed the boss monster—the Gate's about to close and eject us!"

  "Last time I checked, this guy isn’t a monster—even if he looks like one," Rowan glanced at the wolfman, who was transitioning back into his human form, equally battered and bruised. "Correction, looked like one."

  "Not him. There was another guy, the man with the bow he was working with him” Dev pointed to Boris. “Last time I saw, he was fighting with the guy with the longsword. Something must have happened up there," Dev explained quickly.

  "Hooman, I don’t have enough aether to fight another person right now," Xy’rosh chimed urgently in Rowan's head. "Take this boy and run out of here in case that archer decides to show up."

  Rowan mentally nodded. "I can’t fight another person right now—we need to leave immediately," he told Dev, promptly picking him up in a princess carry and sprinting away.

  "Wait—" Dev exclaimed, but before he could finish, a blinding white light enveloped them both. Rowan's sensors overloaded, disorienting him as his body twisted violently through space.

  In a flash, they were suddenly back in Prospect Park. Around them lay the bruised and battered former wolfman, along with the archer sprawled on the ground, holding the longsword wielder—who was inexplicably smiling—in a firm chokehold. Porter teams, police, ambulances, agents from Pantheon, and hunters from Caelum filled the chaotic scene. Some hunters swiftly approached, weapons drawn, attempting to separate the archer from the swordsman.

  "If you’d let me finish," Dev said irritably from Rowan’s arms, "I would’ve told you that when a gate is cleared, everyone inside gets automatically ejected."

  "Oh," Rowan responded sheepishly.

  "You can put me down now," Dev said firmly.

  "Sorry," Rowan apologized, gently placing Dev back on his feet.

  An agent began walking purposefully towards them. Rowan tensed immediately, realizing that being questioned by these people would lead to unnecessary complications. "Xy’rosh, do you have enough juice left to help us escape?"

  "Hrrrrr," Xy’rosh groaned reluctantly. "Photonic Refraction activated."

  The agent stopped abruptly, bewildered, shouting urgently for backup as Rowan vanished. Rowan as he started hightailing down the road, invisible to everyone, racing swiftly away from the scene.