BANG! BANG! Two heavy sniper bullets flew exactly across the field. They pierced the thick metal fuel tanks on the backs of two running Pyre soldiers. The tanks hissed violently. PSSSCCCCHHH! Highly flammable, liquid fire sprayed wildly out of the bullet holes. The fire caught on a spark, and the two soldiers exploded like massive Roman candles, screaming in pain as their own weapons destroyed them. The Vanguard team fought with absolute, beautiful perfection. They moved through the burning farm like a synchronized machine. Landon charged forward into the thickest part of the smoke. Three red-armored soldiers tried to spray him with fire. Landon didn't even slow down. He raised his glowing white hands and clapped them together. BAM! A wall of invisible kinetic wind shot forward. It blew the streams of fire completely backward, spraying the flames directly into the faces of the Iron Order soldiers. The soldiers dropped their weapons and fell to the ground, screaming. Landon ste

The sleek, black stealth ship flew fast through the dark, freezing night sky. Landon Hale sat in the pilot’s seat. His large hands gripped the steering controls. He stared out the thick glass windshield. The winter storm was brutal. White snowflakes whipped against the glass like tiny, angry bugs. But Landon did not care about the snow. He cared about the sky. Fifty miles ahead of them, the sky above the city of Chicago was a terrifying nightmare. The dark night was entirely gone. It was replaced by a blinding, sickly, toxic purple light. Massive storm clouds swirled in a violent circle. Huge bolts of dark red and purple lightning smashed into the earth. General Kade Rauth was inside that city. He had injected the toxic blood of a dead god directly into his own heart. He was waking up the ancient sea monsters. The end of the world was starting right now. "How fast are we going, Jin?" Landon asked. His deep voice rumbled in the quiet cabin of the ship. Jin sat in the back of the

In the center of the village stood a large, beautiful white stone church. The heavy wooden doors of the church were locked tight. But through the stained-glass windows, Landon could see hundreds of terrified faces. Over five hundred innocent villagers had locked themselves inside the church to hide from the soldiers. The three giant Pyre Brutes were marching straight toward the church. They raised their glowing red, burning fists. They were going to smash the building and burn everyone inside to ashes. "No!" Landon shouted furiously. Landon sprinted down the street. He ignored his burning back. He ignored his aching, broken rib. He ran as fast as his heavy boots could carry him. He reached the front steps of the white church just as the three fire monsters arrived. Landon stood completely alone on the stone steps. He spread his massive arms wide, blocking the huge wooden doors with his own body. "You will not touch them," Landon growled deeply. The three Pyre Brutes roared. Th

The freezing winter wind blew across the white, snowy hills of Illinois. The dark, terrible night was finally over. The morning sun was trying to rise in the east. But the sun could not break through the thick, swirling purple clouds that covered the sky. The air was incredibly cold. It stung the skin and made every breath look like a thick cloud of white smoke. Landon Hale stood at the top of a high, snowy ridge. He was breathing heavily. His broad, muscular chest rose and fell. His thick winter coat was torn and burned from a hundred different battles. His dark hair blew wildly in the freezing wind. Landon looked behind him. He was not alone. He was not just standing with his small, brave Vanguard team anymore. Behind Landon, an absolutely massive army was marching through the deep snow. There were thousands and thousands of people. They were not professional soldiers. They were normal, everyday people. There were farmers from the burned villages. There were office workers fro

"I am fine," Landon grunted, wiping sweat from his eyes. "Keep moving. We are almost at the gates." The massive civilian army cheered as the giant cannons exploded. They raised their weapons and marched faster. The fear was gone. They felt completely invincible. They marched until they were standing exactly one hundred yards away from the towering, pitch-black gates of Bastion. The massive black wall loomed over them. The toxic purple magic hummed loudly in their ears. The shadow of the giant Deep One monster shifted in the sky above the fortress. Landon stood at the front of the army. He stared at the giant black doors. "General Rauth!" Landon roared. His deep voice echoed against the dark steel walls. "Your outer cities are liberated! Your armies are broken! Your supply lines are ashes! Come out and face me, you coward!" For a long, agonizing minute, there was absolute, perfect silence. The wind howled. The snow fell. And then, a loud, heavy, terrifying sound echoed from deep