2026-03-06 13:51:28
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CHAPTER 336
The roar of the six-wheeled beast was the only warning the first outpost received.Situated in a narrow pass between two jagged cliffs, the checkpoint was a fortress of reinforced concrete and heavy iron gates. Two Weaver guards, encased in their humming exoskeletons, stood lazily by the barrier, clutching long-range rifles. They saw the familiar shape of their own transport kicking up a massive plume of dust and iron-rich dirt."Is that Unit Four?" one guard asked, squinting against the morning sun. "They weren't supposed to be back until—""He isn't slowing down," the other noted, his voice rising in alarm. "Hey! Unit Four, status! Drop your speed or we’ll—"Zarek didn't touch the brakes. He didn't even flinch. He slammed his foot to the floor, the turbochargers screaming as the transport hit eighty miles per hour."Shaw, brace your neck!" Zarek commanded."Already on it!" Shaw grunted, pressing his head back against the armored seat, his eyes wide with a mix of pain and adrenali
CHAPTER 335
They sat in the deepening twilight, the only sounds the crackle of the fire and the distant howl of a wasteland wolf. Zarek sat across from Shaw, tending to the fish with the same focus he used to dismantle a Weaver exoskeleton.When the trout were charred and flaky, Zarek flaked the meat onto a clean piece of bark and handed it to Shaw. Since Shaw couldn't use his hands, Zarek sat beside him, helping him eat in a silence that wasn't awkward, but deeply grounded in years of shared blood and dirt."Tastes like... actual life," Shaw murmured, chewing slowly. "Better than the Morning Sun’s five-star menu.""Context changes the flavor," Zarek said, taking a bite of his own portion. "In the city, you eat to fuel the machine. Out here, you eat to remember you're still human."Shaw looked at his splinted arms, then up at the stars peeking through the pine needles. "Do you think the Maces are looking at these same stars right now? Or are they still staring at their bank accounts?""Kaelen
CHAPTER 334
As the second guard reached for his sidearm, Zarek gripped the man’s armored wrist, twisting it until the suit's mechanical joint hissed and buckled. A quick strike to the base of the skull, and the second man was down.Zarek checked the cab, empty. He whistled low, a sharp, melodic note that pierced the mechanical hum of the yard.Shaw emerged from the shadows, stumbling slightly as he made his way toward the vehicle. He looked at the two unconscious guards and then at the idling beast of a truck."Nice ride," Shaw wheezed, his face still pale but his spirit unbroken. "Does it come with seat warmers? My arms are starting to feel like they're made of ice.""It comes with a full medical kit and a clear path to the Weavers' main gate," Zarek said, hauling Shaw into the passenger seat before climbing into the driver’s side. He slammed the transport into gear, the heavy tires churning the gravel as he swung the vehicle around. He didn't look back at the wreckage of their SUV or the me
CHAPTER 333
Zarek didn't move until the last microsecond.He dropped low, sliding through the dirt beneath the giant’s outstretched arms. As he passed, he jammed his tactical knife into the exposed power cable at the back of the Weaver’s knee. Blue sparks erupted. The suit’s hydraulics locked instantly, and the man’s own momentum carried him face-first into the gravel with a bone-shaking thud. He tried to scramble up, but his left leg was a dead weight of useless steel."You’re fighting the suit," Zarek said, his voice terrifyingly level as he stood over him. "I’m fighting you."The fourth Weaver, the youngest of the group, panicked. He leveled his heavy-caliber sidearm, his hand shaking. "Stay back! I’ll blow the fuel tank! I'll take us all out!""Then do it," Zarek challenged, stepping into the path of the barrel. His eyes were devoid of fear, a void that seemed to swallow the young man’s resolve. "But know that I’ll be the last thing you see before the fire takes you. Is that worth a p
CHAPTER 332
"The Maces were soft because they thought money was a shield," Zarek said.He stood up slowly, empty hands relaxed at his sides. His loose, predatory posture was far more unnerving than if he were leveling a weapon. "You're arrogant because you think those suits make you strong. Let's find out where the machinery ends, and the man begins."The lead Weaver didn't flinch. "Kill the driver. Take the Boss alive.""Try it," Zarek whispered, a cold smile touching his lips. "And I'll make sure the tree isn't the only thing with roots in the dirt tonight."The Weaver lunged. His hydraulic servos hissed as he threw a punch with enough force to shatter a brick wall. Zarek dipped his head by a fraction of an inch, the massive gauntlet whistling past his ear, and countered with a palm strike to the giant’s throat-seal. The armored man wheezed, stumbling back as internal oxygen sensors flared crimson."Shaw! Get back!" Zarek barked, stepping over his lieutenant to intercept a second Weaver sw
CHAPTER 331
Shaw fought the steering wheel, his knuckles white, but his grip kept slipping. "I’ve lost it!" he roared. His boots hammered the floorboards, pumping dead brakes.The SUV careened off a boulder, the impact launching the front end into the air for a terrifying heartbeat. Straight ahead stood an ancient tree, its trunk as thick as a pillbox and its roots gnarled like iron claws. The world dissolved into a blur of grey shale and screaming metal.CRASH.The impact was bone-jarring. The SUV plowed head-first into the tree, the reinforced bumper crumpling to absorb the brunt of the force. Zarek and Shaw snapped forward, straining against their harnesses. The airbags, disabled for tactical reasons, stayed tucked in the dashboard. The sound of the wreck echoed through the ravine like a thunderclap.The engine hissed, a plume of white steam geysering from the mangled hood. Then, a heavy silence.Zarek sat perfectly still, a high-pitched ring whistling in his ears. He blinked, checkin
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