The body hit the ground—
hard enough to shake the street.
Dust rose.
Silence followed.
For a moment—
Arjun didn't move.
Not because it was over.
Because he knew—
it wasn't.
The body hit the ground—
hard enough to shake the street.
Dust spread outward.
The creature's corpse lay across two lanes—
motionless.
Too still.
Arjun didn't lower his guard.
For a moment—
he just stood there.
Breathing.
Heavy.
Controlled.
The rifle in his hands hummed as it cooled.
"…That worked."
[Hostile Unit A1 Eliminated]
Notifications appeared instantly.
+500 Combat Points
Commander Rank Increased → E
A new interface opened.
Commander Status
Name: Arjun Mehta
Rank: E
Combat Points: 500
Planet Civilization Rank: F
Arjun blinked once.
"…That was enough?"
[Commander progression depends on combat contribution and threat level.]
His gaze shifted back to the corpse.
"…Yeah."
A pause.
"…that counts."
The drone moved suddenly.
Sharp.
Focused.
[Alert Detected]
Arjun followed its direction.
Up.
The warship still hovered.
Massive.
Unmoving.
Watching.
Then—
movement.
More shapes dropped.
[Multiple Hostile Units Approaching]
Total Count: 147
Arjun exhaled slowly.
"…So that wasn't even the start."
[Correct.]
New data flooded in.
Earth Invasion Phase: Active
Current Hostile Units on Surface: 12,843
Silence.
His grip tightened.
"…You're serious."
No response.
The drone projected a map.
The city—
covered in red.
Hundreds of signals.
His position—
one blue marker.
Alone.
[Nearby Hostile Units Detected]
Distance: 420 meters
A crash echoed nearby.
Close.
Too close.
Arjun turned.
Another creature landed.
Different.
Smaller.
Sharper.
Its limbs—blade-like.
Its movement—
restless.
Its eyes locked onto him instantly.
Arjun exhaled through his nose.
"…Of course."
[Hostile Unit A2 Identified]
Threat Level: Medium
It moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
Arjun fired—
missed.
The creature twisted mid-air—
unnatural.
"Great."
"…this one's faster."
It landed on a car—
then launched again.
Straight at him.
Arjun shifted—
barely.
The blade carved through metal behind him like paper.
Fragments exploded outward.
"…Noted."
[Combat Suggestion Available]
Combat Skill Unlocked: Target Prediction
Effect: Predicts enemy movement
Arjun's eyes sharpened.
"…Now that's useful."
He activated it.
The world changed.
Faint lines appeared—
possible paths.
The creature moved again.
But this time—
Arjun was already aiming ahead.
He fired.
Impact.
Mid-air.
The creature crashed.
"Got you."
It didn't stay down.
It rose—
faster.
Angrier.
It charged again.
Arjun adjusted instantly.
Fired.
Direct hit—
head.
The creature dropped.
Still.
[Hostile Unit A2 Eliminated]
+120 Combat Points
Arjun lowered the rifle slightly.
"…Better."
Then—
the map expanded.
[New Threat Detected]
Three markers.
Large.
Fast.
Closing in.
Distance: 900 meters
Arjun exhaled slowly.
"…Let me guess."
"Bigger."
[Correct.]
A new alert appeared.
Emergency Directive: Secure Sector 17
Reward: Advanced Equipment Unlock
Failure: Civilian Casualties Increase
Arjun glanced around.
Destroyed cars.
Shattered buildings.
In the distance—
people running.
Screaming.
This wasn't controlled.
This wasn't contained.
This was spreading.
His grip tightened.
"…Yeah."
"No choice."
[Multiple hostiles approaching]
Arrival Time: 2 minutes
Arjun stepped forward.
Into the open street.
Alone.
The armor pulsed.
The rifle charged.
He rolled his neck once.
Calm.
Focused.
"…Good."
A pause.
Then—
steady.
"Let's see how long I last."
Above—
the warship shifted.
More creatures fell.
Endless.
This wasn't a fight.
It wasn't even a battle.
It was an invasion.
And Arjun—
was already in the middle of it.
The three incoming markers—
suddenly split into six.
And all of them—
were accelerating.