Hey all! It's nice to be back. I've been extremely busy, but with the little bits of time I've salvaged from my time during traveling, I've produced this. It's only the first chapter and I'm not exactly sure if I should continue it to be honest. The more exciting stuff happens around Chapter 3 and onwards, I've yet to plan how that's going to go.
In the meantime, some of you may have noticed that I've deleted my story Genocide. I'm here to explain a little why. Since I've given so much break time ever since the last time I've written it, I've actually... forgot what it's about? I know it sounds kinda strange, after all, I should know how a story should be planned out the beginning, middle, and end. In reality, I've planned the beginning AND the end, while completely neglecting the middle. Given that my old style also makes me die inside a little bit, I also wanted to take the chance to update it. Maybe I'll reupload it if I feel like changing it again in the future.
As for my story My Psychic Helper, I'm still planning on continuing that. Chapters are still coming along slowly since I'm going to be modifying the first chapter a little bit. Ideally, I'm trying to aim for around... 3k words per chapter? Quality over Quantity as always if anything. Hopefully, you guys are excited to see what's new there.
Finally, again I'm just going to stress that my uploads are going to be slower than usual, until February. But until then, I'll be writing bits and pieces, here and there, as my break from work I suppose.
Please leave some reviews and comments! I always read everything you guys send my way, so I really appreciate it! Enjoy.
PS: Please check out my art accounts that I've been working on!
DeviantArt: Layton-san
Twitter: SanLayton
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"Hit them hard, kill them hard." This was the motto my captain had said to me and always lived by.
This random thought occurred to me while standing in front of the fight in front of me. A battle of humanity versus the unknown. The creatures of this world were strange, filled with unknown blood, and possessing weird powers. Powers that defy all laws of physics and understanding. It was something straight out of a fiction text.
I've always been quite fascinated with the idea of wielding elemental substances, like fire powers for example. But, as a blazing fire roared from the mouth of these creatures, I've quite frankly changed my idea. I'd rather not. While sliding to a nearby Jeep for cover, I inserted a fresh magazine into my M4A1 and pulled the charging handle. A click prompted me to turn around and fire at no specific enemy.
"Shit," I muttered while stumbling backward. A barrage of bullets erupted on our side. Our infantry took behind cover from our vehicles. The heavy-armored tanks that have arrived freshly came from our behinds and stood guard at the line. From our position, on a hill, we held an advantage over the creatures. They struggled to climb up the hill that we've overtaken and been ruthlessly shot down with our bullets.
"Move! Move!" My brother in arms said while pushing ahead into the depths of the unknown. Gripping my rifle and readjusting my standard-issue helmet, I charged in with them.
A couple of days ago, a large portal of some kind opened in the middle of a random street. I say portal, but in reality, it was a massive door of some kind. Gate perhaps would be a better word. As you would expect, the citizens were bewildered and panic set in on that very day. The door opened a wide and out came... beings of strange elements. Hard to explain. A mountainous monster of 2 stories high came from the barrier. Five actually. They were all being harnessed by... humans? They looked rather weird, almost tribamatic. Perhaps the wrong word. It was as though they were medieval. They rode with phalanx helmets and spears. It took me a moment to realize that this was no Hollywood acting scene. Their shining armor and sharped swords gathered the attention of people and set panic through them. Their appearance didn't matter, but what did matter was the fact that they were stomping the newly formed pavement. With a roar, they advanced and attacked. The cracked pieces spewed everywhere and tore down buildings, causing panic to occur. People were shoving and pushing to leave the area. The police quickly formed a loosely formed line of protection. They shot the monsters, but the thick armor of the creatures merely bounced the lead pieces away. It didn't seem to phase them. As the dinosaurs of some kind went rampaging, the people with spears charged the civilians with a loud cry, stabbing those who were unlucky enough to cross their paths. The second wave of louder screams erupted. As the police scrambled to shoot them down, it was only a matter of time until they realized that pistols with the caliber of 9mm wouldn't do anything against these hulking monsters. Reinforcements were called, and it was a good 3 minutes before attack helicopters filled the skies. The loud noises from the choppers rang throughout the city to alert the people of their heroic arrival. The heavier caliber rounds easily punched through the shields and rustic armor of these nomads. It was a bloodbath, to say the least. The military of defense came into the blazing in all glory. Spurts of bullets rained from the air to the ground. The bullets pierced through their hearts and rendered the unknown strangers dead. Quickly, the formation of the invaders was broken and each one of them ended up with holes in their arms, chests, legs, and, maybe, in the head. In five minutes, all the invaders had moved onto another realm beyond earth.
In contrast, those three minutes the military took to arrive caused more deaths than anybody had expected.
Over the next month, reinforcements were made to protect the area. Nobody was allowed in or out within the perimeter. The door was hidden from media news and lots of information was unknown about it. The attention of the issue quickly reached the government. It spread worldwide, rather. As a good month passed, people began to wonder what was in there. Perhaps new resources. New materials to enrich the world that we have so nicely destroyed out of greed.
In another solid month, preparations were made to enter the strange place. Over the early phases of the trial, elite scouts were sent to survey the area. All of them made it back, luckily. It was good that nobody died coming from or to the new world.
They reported seeing many creatures on the land. Not just any creatures, however. Get this. They had magic powers. How retarded did that seem? The first time my platoon heard of the news, they laughed. But they quickly shut their mouths as the first death was reported. From the rumors that spread around my section, the body of the scout was charred. It was stomped out without mercy. The scattered remains laid bare within the soil of the new world. Rather than feeling morose, the room turned angry. Angry that one's life was taken, fueling the desire to storm the new world.
The death of this hero did not stop our advance. The spies collected all the data they could about this unknown world. Within this strange realm where creatures were able to manipulate elements, we were trained to deal with specific elements. The firefighters formed a joint unit with the military. The navy, likewise. We were specialized in psychic creatures. It was through harsh training that I am where I am now. We were tested and also evaluated on the amount of stress our minds can withstand and the ability to shake off outside influences on our thoughts. As simple as it sounds, the brain of a human is the hardest to take control of, even yourself. It's hard to consciously suppress certain elements of our mind, as much of it is not in our control.
Once we were given the green to enter the gate, we were ordered to be on standby near the gates. On that day, I stood in front of the locked gates, unsure of how to feel. My gear was strapped to my body from the head to the feet. We were preparing for a long journey. My gear weighed heavily against my body, causing my mind to itch for rest.
"Are you ready?" Ted said to my left.
"Yes sir," I said, taking a sharp breath.
"It's rather cold today, isn't it?" Frankie said to my right. He was right, winter was approaching. Standing headstrong with our gear, our breaths would dance in the air and disappear.
"I wonder what's ahead," Ted says, checking his ejection port on his M4A1. We were given these rifles as standard issues. While not the latest technology, it was enough to do the job.
"Probably catgirls," Frankie said, shaking in slight laughter.
"Let's take this seriously," I said, adjusting my sights. "Though I would love to see a wolf girl on the other side. Imagine."
"Wolf girls?" Ted says, hanging his tongue out. "Y'all are weird."
"Says the lolicon." I chided.
"Oi oi, let's not go THAT far." Ted said, clicking his tongue in annoyance, "y'all are cheap for landing low blows."
"Don't worry, we don't judge," Frankie said, peering over to him from my right. with a grin.
"ATTENTION!" A thunderous voice clapped across our unit. Frankie reared back to his position. "Standby has been lifted. We're all green."
Quickly, we all mounted into the vehicle. There were thirty jeeps, eight men in each, ready for deployment. Fifteen tanks and ten specialized vehicles with turrets were to enter behind us. The flagmen waved their orange sticks and the vehicle began to move towards the gate. The insides were dark. It was as though darkness was being absorbed in the tunnel. I peered out the window to see the other jeeps better. We were in a side-by-side formation and a dark tunnel lied in front of us.
"It will be a while," I said, turning to the others. "You guys doing okay?"
"Yes," Ted said.
"I'm excited to shoot up these fuckers." Frankie said.
"Everybody has armor-piercing magazines?" I asked around. "I sure hope you guys don't have blue magazines."
"I have the slap ammo ready here." Our riflemen said. I nodded. I took a deep breath and settled into my seat. It was nerve-wracking. I felt the humming of the vehicle as we treaded smooth ground.
"ETA in 3 minutes." The radio chattered. "We are deploying in an unknown zone. Once the first keeps arrive, we will stand by the entrance en phalanx. We aren't sure if we will be arriving by night nor day, so have NV goggles ready. Once we've hit the sand, be ready for anything."
With that, the radio stopped and turned off. My hands reached for my helmet above to pull down the goggles. It was a simple monocular tube. I began to dial in, as the others were doing the same.
I glanced at the driver, who was gripping the wheel firmly. I couldn't tell what his face looked like, but I can tell they were anxious.
"Final check." A third class lieutenant said in the car. "Speak up if there's an issue. NV at ready. Safeties off. Boots strapped. What's the motto?"
"Hit them hard-"
"Kill them hard."
"Fuck fuck fuck." Frankie said, crouching by the car aside from me. Once we've landed, we were quickly met with a set of monsters guarding the entrance. We forced our entry and had to fight to keep the line.
"We're supporting Alpha from behind," I said, ejecting my jammed bullet from the chamber. "What's the situation?"
Ted waved from the other side as the creatures let out an outcry. It was similar to when the gates opened, only that no humans were found this time. It seems that these are wild animals.
"Go go!" I yelled. Training my sights on a creature, I let out a short burst before the gun malfunctioned again. "For fuck's sake."
"I'll cover, get your gun unjammed," Frankie said, peeking over the car. I focused my attention on the broken charging handle. Angering swearing, I hit the weapon in frustration before taking out my secondary. An M45A1 with .45 ACP rounds.
"I can't take any armored fellows. Only soft-skinned." I said, sliding the magazine into place. Collectively we all dashed behind team Alpha, who was struggling to hold the border. The creatures charged the line of defense, causing many units to yell in surprise and fall back. Several managed to get past the line and gnarl on the unshielded skins of our soldiers.
"Advance! Do not fall back!" Our commander roared, unleashing a barrage of bullets from his LMG. With each shot, a shell littered onto the floor.
I focused on the situation at hand, attempting to fend off a fox-like creature that was clinging onto my arm. Its sharp teeth dug into my skin slightly. Thankfully my arm was covered, so I suffered from light pain. Frankie swung his rifle and knocked the animal off balance, and I swiftly followed with two shots into the head.
"Thank you," I said, mentally calculating how many rounds I have. Frankie slid to the ground next to me while Ted hurried over to our cover. "There's more coming from the right."
"We have the height advantage." Ted breathes heavily. He peered over the Jeep quickly and fired multiple rounds consecutively. "They just keep coming."
I deeply breathed in and lined up my pistol's sights. We were lucky we were not assigned to be in the front lines. Because we were psychic specialized infantry, it meant that our minds needed time to adjust and to avoid physical stress and mental endurance during the beginning of our deployment. I glanced around the field as a geyser of flames erupted on the anomalous side. It seemed as though the scouts were correct since the region that we were located in was mostly fire elements. It did fit the surrounding area too. The dirt beneath our feet was cracked and hard. It was evident that the vegetation was lacking in the area. If there were any, most of the grass and flowers were huddle in small bunches beneath the few trees around the area. I emptied my magazine and turned around. My measly support fire from a .45 won't offer much support.
A man in grey ran over to us. I quick glance at his badge told me that he was in the navy sector. We were around fifteen minutes into the standoff.
"What's the situation?" He asked, crouching down beside the three of us.
"We're giving support to Alpha," I explained to him. "Your unit should be either up there or around the sides."
"The unit got separated. We were planning to enter the river regions, but a strange cut in signals happened and we've lost communication with the commander." He shook his head to emphasize his point. "Our sources are telling us that the waves are coming from the forest. There's a muting agent that's happening in there. As protocol, I'll be with your unit until I find my own squad. I can offer you close combat support."
I quickly gauged his loadout. He was carrying a large backpack, and what I presumed to be an oxygen tank. As expected of a frogman. His light armor was coupled with utilities that were easily accessible, like a knife, harness hook, large gloves, and the like. His standard issue for an M4A1 was attached for a quick red dot sight and an option to use side irons. Interestingly, for his smaller-than-expected body size, I could tell he was vet trained in CQC situations. I reached out a hand.
"Sergeant Hajinsko?" I asked.
"Codename Foxtrot, please. Fox if you will." He said, shaking my hand firmly.
"Pleasure to meet you, Fox." I radioed into my unit.
"We're changing up plans. The objective is to hold the perimeter." I said. A radio chatter indicator let us know that the armored unit will be arriving shortly. All units being deployed were ground units. Aircraft will be sent later after we've established a base at the entrance. To what seemed like a short moment of chaotic fighting, finally, the tides began to turn. Within several minutes of our entrance to the new world, we've pushed the smaller creatures farther out. Quickly, the established line of defense pushed outwards until we've reached the hills. Given our advantageous position, it was not hard to hold our positions.
A large boom can be heard from far away. I glanced at the gate we entered from and the tanks started to roll in.
"The saviors have come," Frankie said.
"About time," I said, watching them roll into positions. The gunmen mercilessly delivered chains of bullets into the crowd, quickly mowing down the unknown creatures. The tank fired a larger round at an armored monster and it promptly erupted into flames, killing it instantly.
With an hour, the battlefield grew quiet. The clean-up process has begun. A new commander issued the protocol to clean the battle remains.
"What even are they?" I asked, using my feet to point at a dead remain. We were all out on the fields to tend the order.
"Beats me," Ted said. He was carrying a line of wire. "Come help me set up will you?"
I carried the handle from the other side and Frankie watched us unravel the wires across the field. It took a large amount of effort to lay heavy-duty wires across the entire hill. Other soldiers were doing a similar task of laying down barbed wires to slow the progress down of the next wave if there was one.
"Don't cut yourself," Frankie said, watching us.
"Swap with me will you?" I asked him. "My back is killing me."
In the distance, I heard somebody call me over. I gave a curt nod to the rest before I departed from them. I was brought over to a makeshift tent that was quickly pitched. I opened the latch cover and stepped in.
"Second lieutenant, Aiden, reporting in," I said, saluting the officer at the table.
"Welcome. I've been instructed to announce your reports. Have it ready to me by noon at my table." He said, without looking up.
"Got it," I replied.
"If there are any issues with your unit, you should let me know immediately or fix the problem yourself." He said, reading through several pamphlets. "Your next deployment is briefed for tomorrow morning towards the East."
"Sir, I've been informed of the missing squad commander and several soldiers for Unit Lionfish," I informed him. "I've been meaning to send an investigation team towards the Forest. By the sounds of the situation, it will perhaps require my unit, who is trained in anomalous elements for dark arts and psychic users."
He grabbed his pack of cigarettes and pulled one out. With the other hand, he lit it and took a deep breath.
"It's not one of our priorities to recover any units lost in our push towards conquering this unknown land." He said solemnly.
"Is there a way to talk the upper hands about it?" I asked. He shook his head.
"None of them are willing to risk any lives here and risk the chance of another invasion of the gate on our side."
"..."
Again, he took a breath of his cigarette. With a deep sigh, he blew all the smoke at me, filling the tent with a sharp coal-like smell.
"Take a detour." He said, showing me a map. "You said the forest was blocking the signal?"
"Yes sir," I replied.
"Head over to the forest first in the morning and explore the area. We are not supposed to approach areas that were not marked by scouts yet. Little information is known about the forest, given that all the inhabitants seem to want to lure prey into the forest. If you are going to take a dip into the forest, then you must be ready to face anything," he said, scratching his chin. "I don't advise you to go any further beyond the hundred-meter mark. Once you've reached that line, turn West towards the exit. If you're going to save Second Lieutenant Ray, then do it right."
"Yes sir," I said.
"On the reports, say that you got lost." He said, turning his attention away from me. "You'd get in far less trouble if you report that you initiated a rescue mission by yourself."