Faced with the genuine threat of death, No. 01 let out a feral, guttural roar, one that echoed like the cry of a tiger. The sound was deafening, but what followed was worse.
Pop! Pop!
The tumors on the creature's shoulders burst open, spraying dark, viscous liquid in every direction. The strange, almost living substance defied gravity, writhing and flowing toward the stumps where its arms had been severed. Fibrous black threads began weaving themselves together at an astonishing speed. Within seconds, it became clear—No. 01 was regenerating its lost limbs.
Inside the Apex Mk-2, warning lights flashed, and a robotic voice echoed in Zack's ears: "WARNING: Jet temperature critical!" The prolonged use of high-power rays had pushed the armor's palm emitters to their limits. The air around the emitters shimmered with heat, and Zack could feel the temperature rising.
"Fine, fine," Zack muttered, temporarily cutting off the pulse rays to allow the jets to cool. No. 01, sensing an opportunity, raised its head mid-healing. Its grotesque, half-burned face twisted into something resembling a grin as its exposed skull began regenerating flesh.
"Oh, you're laughing?" Zack scoffed, his irritation mounting. "Laugh all you want, pal. I've got more than just one way to roast you." The chest plate of the Apex Mk-2 shifted, and a high-power impact beam emitter emerged.
BOOM!
A beam of blinding energy, as thick as a human arm, erupted from the center of Zack's armor, striking No. 01 square in the chest. "And while I'm cooling down, what are you waiting for?" Zack growled. The moment the chest beam stabilized, the wrist-mounted lasers roared back to life.
Buzz!
Twin crimson rays shot out once more, their intense heat slicing through No. 01's newly regenerated arms like a hot knife through butter. "ROAR!!!" The creature's screams filled the air as its limbs were severed again, falling uselessly to the ground.
Meanwhile, the high-power beam from Zack's chest continued its relentless assault. The immense impact pushed No. 01 backward, its feet dragging deep furrows in the dirt as it struggled against the sheer force.
BOOM!
The beam pierced through No. 01's torso, boring a hole clean through its massive frame before slamming into the buildings behind it. Compared to the creature's near-impenetrable defenses, the reinforced concrete of the buildings crumbled like paper. The light beam tore through walls, melting thick slabs of cement into molten magma that dripped to the ground in glowing red streams. "Try healing from this!" Zack roared, his frustration turning to fury.
In the face of absolute destructive power, even the strongest self-healing abilities lose their effectiveness. As the light beam completely obliterated its heart and internal organs, Creature No. 01's regenerative aura vanished. The hulking mass of its body finally crumbled to the ground, lifeless. A massive, charred hole burned through its center.
But Zack wasn't ready to take any chances. As he'd said, this creature wouldn't stop being a threat until it was reduced to nothing but ashes.
"Power consumption at 80%."
"Power consumption at 90%."
"Reactor limit approaching maximum output."
Warnings from the armor's systems flashed in Zack's HUD as the Singulium reactor in the Apex Mk-2 glowed brighter and hotter. "Shut up and activate the palm pulse cannons!" Zack barked.
Raising his hands, he reignited the pulse cannons that had only just cooled. Twin orange beams erupted from his palms, joining the arm-thick ray from his chest. The three combined beams turned the battlefield into a dazzling display of golden light, bathing everything around them in an intense glow. The surrounding air shimmered with heat, distorting everything in view.
"ROAR..." No. 01 let out one final scream, its voice strained and hollow. Under the relentless assault, its entire upper body was incinerated.
"Power consumption at 99.99%."
"Triggering power protection..."
"Reactor ceasing high-output operations."
With a final beep, the Apex Mk-2's energy weapons powered down, leaving a haze of smoke and glowing embers in the air. "Ego?" Zack asked calmly, lowering his arms.
"No vital signs detected. Target is confirmed dead." Zack said nothing, his breathing steady as he surveyed the battlefield. The emitters on his palms, chest, and wrists glowed red-hot from the prolonged use, triggering the suit's internal fire suppression system. Cool gas hissed through the armor, enveloping Zack in a refreshing mist.
"Sir," Ego's voice chimed, breaking the silence. "Analysis shows this creature's strength was comparable to a mutated lord or even stronger. Based on this data, the Apex Mk-2 now possesses the capability to neutralize similar high-level targets without external support."
"That's good to know," Zack replied, though his tone remained critical. "Still, there's an issue. Just like with the Apex, the attack methods are too... simple. It needs versatility." Zack descended toward what remained of No. 01. Calling it a corpse was generous—what lay before him was nothing more than a half-charred husk. The entire upper body had been melted away, leaving behind only a brittle, carbonized spine and a blackened skull.
He nudged the remains with his foot. The spine crumbled instantly, the pieces disintegrating into fine, black dust. "Let's go," Zack said coldly, stepping over the ashes. "Time to find out which genius thought creating this thing was a good idea."
While Zack battled No. 01, the fearless warriors and the mechanical legion had finished the final sweep of the base. Gunfire and screams had faded, replaced by an eerie silence, broken only by the crackling of flames and the pungent stench of blood and smoke that filled the air. Without the mutants, the remaining soldiers were no match for the mechanical legion. Many threw down their weapons and surrendered, while others were slaughtered in their futile attempts to fight.
The ordinary survivors—former defense forces and civilians—were spared once they surrendered. Mechanical dogs herded them into makeshift holding areas, keeping them under strict surveillance. The Vanguard soldiers, however, met a grimmer fate. Their brainwashed loyalty ensured they fought to the bitter end, refusing to surrender even as the mechanical legions annihilated them with ruthless efficiency. By the end, there was only one place left untouched: the command center in the heart of the base.
The command center was surrounded. Fearless warriors and Terror Spiders positioned themselves at every exit, their weapons trained on the building. Anyone who tried to escape was gunned down instantly or crushed by a warrior's chainsword. A handful of survivors attempted surrender but detonated the control chips implanted in their bodies, killing themselves on the spot.
Inside the command center, only two people remained: Victor, the base commander, and his last loyal subordinate, Chuck. "Damn it! How can he be this strong?" Victor muttered, his face pale as he slumped into his chair. "Even Biological Weapon No. 01 is dead..."
"Sir, you have to get to the backup cabin!" Chuck urged desperately. "We can still transmit your consciousness to Lady Immortal Fox! She'll find a way to bring you back!"