The fence in the Rätten's settlements is usually built with roughly interwoven branches. A delimitation rather than an actual defensive perimeter.
Now that's not the case, a well-made palisade reinforced with steel rivets and engravings that look like protective runes, following an equidistant pattern that emanates a knowing blue glow.
The watchtowers have aposted guards, but they are not caring poorly made slings or bows. Instead. Bolt-action Rifles and old hand-cranked machine guns with a water-cooled system.
Technologies far more advanced than what any veteran has seen in a Tier 4 Zone, as not even a Tier 7 Zone has normally gunpowder-based weapons, and the majority of them, are just muskets and blunderbusses at most.
N'Ïrk puts down his backpack, taking out a casquetless LMG (Light Machine Gun), as a replacement for his Battle Rifle.
"Inflamarae". The cooper colored bullets in the ammunition's tape tint themselves with an orange shade that mimics the hue of molten steel.
The swift change in N'Ïrk's gear is not understood by the members of the Purple Bitch Squad.
They had been together for five months, and their experience delving is limited to two or three months more than that, which is the case of Madame Lamar. N'Ïrk has two years of real experience and fifteen years of stories from his Grandfather and Parents. At least until the former disappeared and the latter passed away.
"Rättens abhor heat. Their muscles contain a highly flammable toxin". N'Ïrk's explanation is quickly followed by Veanice and Sonia.
The flat chested tomboy has a high affinity with heat, evident trait in her orange eyes.
Her primary weapon is an automatic shotgun with incendiary rounds. Increasing the damage the Piromancer can deal with the natural latency emissions of her tainted Empiric Energy.
Madame Lamar analyzes the data she is receiving from her inventions. "The «Zone Nucleus» must be in the Rätten fortress, the Empiric Energy signature is unusually high there and…".
An alarm rings from one of the drones, cutting the woman's speech as the machine shows an underground tunnel from where Rätten Soldiers are going out. Not Warriors or Hunters. A real army of trained troops that are marching to the Zone's entrance.
"Agent Sardos. Evacuate the area from civilians and prepare the platoons to contain a possible contingency". N'Ïrk's order comes at unison with Madame Lamar's.
Yet, the weird behavior of the Rättens puzzles Lidia. "Wouldn't be faster if they go out from their camp?. Why are they surrounding?".
"They're setting up an ambush for a pincer attack". Informs N'Ïrk. "Also, considering their deviation, the terrain may be mined, so be careful where are you stepping on Lidi-Di, or you will jump higher than you could ever do on your own". *Haha*
"T-That is not funny N'Ïrk!". Trembles Lidia a little, imagine how high she would fly if she actually steps on a mine.
"If it makes me laugh. Then it's funny". Says the young man as he walks towards the Zone, pulling out of his backpack a little disc that he throws with a lot of force.
The item flies into the dark passage for over three hundred meters before crashing against the trunk of a pine, falling to the ground and self consuming itself to deliver a devastating shockwave through the Zone's floor, simultaneously activating all the mines in a radius of five kilometers.
"Now they know we are coming!". Complains Veanive, to which Sonia replies. "Who cares, we have to fight the Rättens anyway".
The images coming from the drones are analyzed by their onboard sensors, using the kinetic shockwave like an external sonar, and mapping the Zone with detailed precision.
The Rättens have their ears bleeding. At least those who are hiding underground, which are a lot of them, as the Zone has more than a few tunnels in the earthy soil, if not an actual nest below the ground.
"The fortress is filled with Entropy Cores to lure us in the wrong direction!". Murmurs Madame Lamar in disbelief as she has never heard of something similar happening.
On top of that, sha has located the real underground chamber in which the Zone Nucleus is sealed. "A vault?. Do this Rätten understand how important is the Zone Nucleus?".
Sitting on her quadruped container along Lidia. The leader of the Purple Bitch Squad gives the order to advance. N'Ïrk and Sonia walk at the front with Veanive behind them in a broad inverted, arrow head formation to not mess with each other's line of fire.
"Nissu!. Purply-Pups!. The CEO of «Burkhú's AWS» (Advance Weapon Systems) is watching the stream, and she has kindly offer to us a massive gift. A truck with the finest Casquetless LMG in the market, the model N'Ïrk is carrying. He surely is going to have fun with the extra rounds!".
At the front, N'Ïrk is half bewildered and half annoyed. He is being used like free publicity for the Purple Bitch Squad grand finale, and to promote Burkhú's AWS. Which is quite evident as his Battle Rifle and Sonia's Automatic Shotgun belong to subsidiaries of the same corporation.
Free Ammunition is a nice touch. The casquetless bullets are far cheaper than traditional ammo, the projectile being almost the sole item in the fabrication process, which makes the production speed to skyrocket.
Still, physical Ammunition costs Units, and although Empiric Energy can be restored overtime. No one in their right mind, would spend such resource against a mob, unless is an actual necessity.
"It's not that i am ungrateful. But why don't she send us something better?. Testing some of Burkhú's AWS prototypes in an uncontrolled environment will be very beneficial for their progress".
"N'Ïrk, your are in a live stream remember?. Your voice can be heard all the time".
"I am aware Lidi-Di, that is why I am suggesting a field test. No matter how good a weapon looks in a laboratory, if it is exposed to the elements and instantly jams".
"You two, enough chitchat. Fire at will and do not spare resources".
"As you desire Madame Lamar". N'Ïrk's green eyes glow, focusing on the forest around them, distinguishing the heat signature within everything he is observing.
Several pines are thick, too thick, revealing their interior has been hollowed and several Rättens are ready to attack, waiting around two kilometers ahead, but many trees more have this deceiving and dangerous design.
A short burst of bullets is fired from the Casquetless LMG, the projectiles are fast and the recoil of the weapon is far from what N'Ïrk remembered.
The latency of a person is equal to the maximum Storage Capacity they possess. And the weapons use this waste to be powered up and fire the bullets instead of the traditional powder. Efficiency to its finest, if this hadn't a huge unexpected drawback.
The more Storage Capacity a person has, means higher speed, better damage output and range. But the recoil is proportionally brutal. And N'Ïrk went from 100 Empiric Energy to 455 Emen. Which is equal to 4.55 times the recoil of each shot he has normally fired.
"You were right Lidi-Di. This is going to be fun!". With a feral grunt, N'Ïrk advance. He is always down for a good challenge. And having to adapt in the middle of the battle, makes his blood boil.
He does a series of short burst, taking down with precision Rättens between 900 and 1400 meters away. A deed achievable due to how fast the bullets fly.
Normally, with a 100 Emen, the ammo has a velocity of «Mach 2.5». N'Ïrk's shots are near «Mach 12» more than four kilometers per second.
The devastating penetration power of each projectile is more than evident. Mowing down the pines like a saw would do with grass leaves.
Yet, the short rounds are barely helping to cope up with the intense heat the barrel of the Casquetless LMG is putted through, which is worse due to «Inflamarae», the previous incantation N'Ïrk engraved in the bullets to easily burn the Rättens.
The scorching rounds are mercilessly passing with no resistance, causing unparallel friction in their wake, igniting wood, leaves and flesh alike. Deforesting the area faster than a greedy company of condos destroying a natural reserve…