Ashwalker

Chapter 41: Above Void Zone



Theta-9 Dropship "Clawhold" – 12 Minutes to Deployment

The interior of the dropship trembled as it tore through the upper Void currents. Cold light flickered across armored visors. Eight Krugers—Theta-9—sat locked into their harnesses, weapons sealed, visors dimmed to red. A mechanical heartbeat pulsed through the cabin.

Kaiell's HUD pinged.

[PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: INVESTIGATE SECONDARY SHRINE STRUCTURE AT GRID VZ-48][VOID BLEED LEVELS: CRITICAL / TIMEFRAME: UNKNOWN]

A 3D topographical map unfolded across his forearm interface. It depicted a rocky stretch of terrain half-sunken into a crust of organic matter. The shrine was at its center, surrounded by jagged monoliths. But the system overlay flagged something else—heat signatures. Movement.

Too many.Even for a ruined shrine.

"Joran," Kaiell said, voice steady over the team channel. "Pull my map feed."

Joran tapped his helmet. "Copy. Seeing it… That's a formation. Defensive perimeter?"

"Looks like they're waiting for something," Kaiell muttered.

Beside them, Halen adjusted her ritual gauntlet. "Or protecting something. Those monoliths are covered in tether marks—Void chains."

"Pilot," barked Sergeant Lareth from the front bay, "confirm estimated landing vector."

The pilot's voice crackled back through static.

"—Taking flak. Something's down there. Can't see it—wait, pulling up evasive nav—shit—"

[WARNING: HEAT SPIKE. INCOMING PROJECTILE LOCK.]

A shriek tore through the hull.

Alarms screamed. The dropship spun violently, sirens drowning out voices. Everyone slammed against their harnesses.

[IMPACT WARNING – SECTOR STRIKE – BRACE FOR CRASH]

The world snapped back into shape through shaking vision and red overlays.

Smoke. Fire. Twisted hull.

Kaiell tore off his crash harness, slammed open the emergency side hatch, and crawled into the fractured exterior. His interface stuttered but restored orientation.

Theta-9 Status: REDSurvivors: 6 Confirmed AliveVoid Energy Spike: IMMEDIATE VICINITY

He scanned the wreckage. The ground around them pulsed with red mist and twitching nerves, like the land itself was breathing.

Shapes moved in the fog. Fast. Many.

Kaiell's heart locked.

They weren't alone.

[VOIDLING SIGNATURES: MULTIPLE – SURROUNDING THE SITE]

"Form perimeter!" Lareth shouted from the left flank, blood streaming from his brow. "Guns up! We're surrounded!"

The mist parted.

Then—screams.

Not human.

From all sides, Voidlings poured in—dozens. Thin, skittering, armored. Some crawled on limbs shaped like blades. Others moved like ink pulled through static. Their eyes burned with the same slow, hateful blue as the being beneath the shrine.

Kaiell drew Nightfell.

Its edge crackled to life, the blade ringing with familiar hunger.

Joran came to his back, rifle raised. "This feel like a scouting mission to you?"

"Not anymore."

The first Voidling lunged—and Theta-9 answered.

Gunfire exploded across the clearing.

Nightfell screamed.

And the war for the shrine began.


Tip: You can use left, right, A and D keyboard keys to browse between chapters.