The glowing system message slowly disappeared, leaving the mess hall wrapped in uneasy silence.No one was caught off guard. They had been warned ten days earlier that this event was coming.But knowing something was coming and actually facing it were two completely different things.The countdown had reached zero.The Field Tyrants had officially been deployed.No one knew what they were truly capable of, and that uncertainty settled over everyone like a weight.Max rose from his seat and looked around the room.“It’s begun.”“Stay sharp.”“We’ll confirm whether there’s a Field Tyrant inside our territory first.”Everyone nodded.They had spent the past ten days preparing for this exact moment, running drills, organizing teams, and discussing every possible scenario they could think of.Yet now that the event had finally begun, everything felt different.The pressure was far greater than anyone had imagined.One mistake could easily cost lives.Fortunately, they weren’t completely un

Max believed they could win.If the odds had been hopeless, he would have ordered everyone to retreat immediately. Staying alive always came before pride. But after studying the enemy’s formation, considering Atom’s strength, and reviewing every strategy they had prepared over the past ten days, he was convinced they had a real chance.At the very least…Their chances of success were around seventy percent.That was enough.He turned toward Xander.“We’ll proceed as planned. Your assault team will eliminate the Spyder Rangers first. They’re the eyes of this formation. Once they’re gone, dealing with the Reapers becomes much easier.”Xander nodded without hesitation.Max then looked at Aya.“Your team waits until the Reapers react. Once their formation breaks, move immediately. Hit them hard and don’t give them time to regroup.”His gaze shifted to Frank.“You’ll lead the charge. Don’t hold back. Use as much ammunition as you need.”Frank smiled confidently.“Understood.”Then everyone

Atom didn’t fire this time. Instead, it quickly moved aside as the massive claw swept toward it.Thud!The mechanical claw slammed into the ground and caught nothing but air.Atom’s smaller frame gave it a clear advantage against such a massive opponent. The Field Tyrant’s attacks were powerful, but its enormous size made its movements easier to anticipate and avoid. Still, Atom couldn’t keep dodging forever. Constantly evading attacks would eventually drain its energy, and once that happened, the Tyrant would have the upper hand.Atom needed to attack as well.Crank… Crank…Realizing that the smaller machine was difficult to catch, the Field Tyrant changed tactics. Its cannon began humming again as another blast charged inside the barrel. Fortunately, the weapon required several seconds to build enough energy to fire, giving Atom the opening it needed.BOOM!The third metal projectile slammed directly into the cannon housing.The impact tore through the outer casing. Metal screamed a

Atom’s movements were as steady as ever, almost lifelike despite its mechanical body. Max studied the A-Grade Reaper from head to toe, looking for anything that might have changed after whatever had happened inside the Field Tyrant. At first glance, there seemed to be nothing different.Yet something about Atom felt different.He couldn’t quite explain it, but there was a new sense of confidence in the way the Reaper carried itself, as though whatever it had taken from the Tyrant had somehow strengthened it from within. Even its dull mechanical “eyes” were glowing slightly brighter than before.‘Did we just solve the energy problem?’ Max wondered.That question had been bothering him for days. He had no idea how long Atom could actually operate before exhausting whatever energy source powered its body. The possibility of his strongest combat unit suddenly shutting down in the middle of a battle had always been a major concern.Thankfully, the brighter glow in Atom’s optics seemed like

Mila had always taken pride in her work, even though most people rarely noticed how important it was. As the head of the Sanitation Crew, she and her team were responsible for keeping New Ark-45 clean and livable. Toilets, floors, the junkyard, storage areas, and even the most disgusting corners of the shelter were their responsibility. Nothing was considered beneath them because, in a world like this, every dirty corner could become a serious problem.During an A.I. apocalypse, infection and sickness could be just as deadly as a Reaper’s plasma blast. Medicine was scarce, and even when they managed to find some, there was no guarantee that it would actually work. Keeping the shelter clean was therefore more than simple housekeeping. It was another form of survival, and Mila understood that better than almost anyone.Once her daily duties were finished, Mila never simply sat around. She had already realized that being unable to fight could become a weakness, so she started training wi