Global Awakening: Infinite Gift Pack System-Chapter 49: The Artillery Targets

It didn’t take long before Kai confirmed the large artillery being arranged.

’So that’s the Artillery?’

Kai thought as he adjusted the periscope.

Through the narrow scope, he saw the artillery...

It was massive with angular constructs of steel, mounted on tracked platforms. He couldn’t really properly describe it, but he knew that it was definitely something that humans would have difficulty creating.

Their barrels were long and segmented... Furthermore, it seemed as if it had hydraulic arms that locked each weapon into firing position, while mechanical loaders fed shells the size of small vehicles into their chambers.

Perhaps, the closest description he could give to this artillery was that its appearance resembles a spider carrying a long-barreled cannon.

Nonetheless, the sight was enough to make him feel worried. These weren’t improvised weapons, they were purpose-built engines of destruction, designed to level shelters in minutes.

’What the heck is this level of difficulty? Isn’t this a bit too much?’

Kai couldn’t help but think that the system had an irrational understanding of difficulty level. There was simply no way that survivors like them with barely any skills they could use would be able to survive something like this.

Still, none of them could complain right now...

Kai and his team had already begun discussing Plan D, the dreaded evacuation protocol!

However, one of the scouts shouted... "Wait! The artillery turned! It isn’t aimed at us! There’s another battle nearby!"

"What?" Kai’s eyes lit up as he realized that the system seemed to be reasonable.

Relief rippled through the room, but it was short-lived. The realization that the bombardment was part of a larger conflict meant danger was still close.

***

In the meantime, outside the Haven-45, a group of people were fleeing from the Mech Siege that had devastated their own Shelter, Haven-15!

"This is bad..." Terrence muttered as he looked at the artilleries...

Like Kai and the others, he was a Foreign Survivor, transported from Earth into this apocalyptic scenario. He was already 40 years old and was previously working as a security guard in a bank...

When given the choice, he had selected A.I. Rebellion Apocalypse over the other options, Zombie Outbreak and Demon Invasion.

He believed it was the most "livable" scenario. Machines, after all, were dangerous but not so unpredictable as zombies that could have various mutations, and Demons that could possess superpowers.

The machines, on the other hand, followed logic, programming, and tactics. He thought he could adapt to this world.

At first, he was lucky. His starting point was Haven‑15, a shelter far stronger than he had initially thought.

Within his first three days, or beginner protection, Terrence learned how fortunate he was. The shelter housed three Augmented Humans. They were warriors enhanced not only by Gene Serums but also by mechanical modifications.

They were legends among the residents, capable of feats ordinary survivors could not dream of.

The presence of these three guardians gave Haven‑15 a sense of invincibility. No one worried about raids or Sentinels that would stumble upon their hidden base from time to time.

Terrence himself grew complacent, reassured by the false security. He also had a revolver in his hands, so he felt a little comfortable.

He had to admit that during beginner protection, he trained little, relying on the Augmented Humans to protect them... since even with his Talent, there wasn’t much he could do.

But complacency was a fatal mistake.

The Mech Siege that struck Haven‑15 was unlike anything Terrence had imagined. Even the residents of the shelter were surprised by the intensity of the enemy’s attacks!

The Sentinels came in waves, supported by artillery fire and mechanical hounds.

The three Augmented Humans fought valiantly, but the sheer power of the assault was several times greater than anything they had faced before.

Even if the Haven‑15 had numbers, over 200 survivors, only 40 could fight. The rest were civilians, untrained and terrified.

Including Terrence and seven other Foreign Survivors, their combat strength was pitiful. They had relied too heavily on the Augmented Humans, and now the problem could be felt!

Terrence fled with two other Foreign Survivors who trusted his judgment. They ran through burning streets, dodging falling debris, as artillery shells dropped in the distance. Luck was on their side since none of the shells struck them directly.

But the devastation was everywhere.

As they fled, Terrence glanced back and saw something unforgettable. One of the Augmented Humans, the strongest of the three, had pushed forward, charging toward the artillery positions. His movements were inhumanly fast, and his fist carried force that could destroy a Sentinel.

With every step, he tore through Sentinels, dismantling their formation.

’Is he going to-’

For a moment, Terrence believed the impossible, that this lone warrior might silence the artillery itself. And indeed, the Augmented Human reached the emplacements, forcing the machines to halt their bombardment.

But it wasn’t for long. The Sentinels swarmed him, dozens upon dozens, mechanical hands and plasma blades tore him into pieces!

Even augmented strength had limits...

It was a heartbreaking sight. The strongest protector Haven‑15 had ever known was gone...

***

Now, Terrence and his two companions had nowhere to go...

Aurora, who was only 18 years old and was a convenience store clerk back on Earth, and Jonas of the same age, who was also a construction worker, could only look at him with hope...

The reason he decided to save the two were because they were still too young..

"Let me use my Talent again..."

[ Pathfinder (Epic): Grants instinctive awareness of safer routes and concealed zones. Generates a subtle protective field that conceals a small group from detection, suppressing noise and heat signatures. Activation costs 30 Spirit Points and lasts for 5 minutes, but the effect immediately ends if disrupted. ]