Deep underground.
In a dimly lit chamber, the air wavered unnaturally.
Following that, a faint distortion in space appeared, growing more pronounced with each passing second.
Suddenly, a jagged rift split open, and out came a figure armed to the teeth with a backpack slung over his shoulders.
Who could it be if not Kev?!
As soon as he appeared, the rift behind him closed, exposing his back to a pair of bloodshot eyes searing with predatory desire.
"Unregistered individual discovered. Classifying as a threat. Beginning execution."
Kev couldn't understand what was said. The words were spoken in a language unfamiliar to him. But from the cold and chilling tone, he could tell it wasn't anything pleasant.
The voice from behind him, sounding alarmingly close.
He turned around suddenly, only to see a massive iron fist rocketing toward him.
With the passing of every fraction of a second, its reflection in his irises grew bigger and bigger. It was going to crush his face!
He raised his hands to block, his reflexes working on overdrive.
The guard was successful, but not entirely useful.
The iron fist struck his arms. The impact left them aching with pain.
Kev gritted his teeth, fighting through the discomfort to stay focused and respond to the follow-up attack.
But he was still a step too late.
His stomach was punched with such immense force that he skidded backward a full ten feet before coming to a stop, the wind knocked out of his lungs. He dropped to his knees and coughed out blood, his face pale from the intense, shooting pain erupting from the spot where he was hit, assaulting his senses.
"Damn, that hurts! What the hell just hit me?"
With cold sweat sliding down his forehead, he looked up from his kneeling position to get a good look at his assailant.
It was a seven-foot tall giant with seemingly no vulnerability in its defense. Almost every part of its body, from the top of its helmed head to the soles of its boots, was encased in smooth, blackened steel.
A giant broadsword hung on its back.
If it had used it instead of its fists just now, he would have died.
It was easy to guess why it hadn't bothered to use its weapon against him.
There were two reasons. Firstly, it didn't consider him a threat. He was a mere pest in its eyes. Secondly, it wanted to derive pleasure from beating him to death with its fists.
"How unlucky can I get?"
Kev couldn't believe his luck. He had just barely escaped one life-threatening situation, aided by an unimaginable being, and now he was thrust into another, forced to fight to the death against a psychopath who was build like a tank!
Adrenaline began to course through his veins, pushing back the pain and giving way to rationality. He stopped crying over spilled milk.
His gaze turned sharp as he examined his adversary with a scrutinizing look.
"Its armor seems impenetrable. I might not be able to pierce through it with the might of conventional weapons. I can't afford to take any chances. I need to target the only weakness in its defense from the get-go."
Pretty much all of its body was covered in thick metallic plating, providing it excellent defense against external trauma. Only the section around its eyes resembled the visor of a helmet, allowing it to see outside its armor. It looked easier to break than any other part of its body. Kev decided to focus all his firepower on it.
He got back up on his feet after taking a deep breath and glared at the giant encased in iron.
It was moving towards him while whistling playfully, its arrogant demeanor on full display.
Kev drew his rifle and pointed the barrel at it. Perhaps it had never seen a weapon from Earth before, or it didn't feel threatened by it. Either way, it didn't stop advancing.
"You are a sick psychopath deserving of a death sentence. So go and die!" Kev yelled as he pulled the trigger like a raving maniac.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Bullets flew out of his rifle, cutting through the air, heading straight toward the giant in steel armor.
The area he was targeting wasn't that big. It was the size of two fingers. But since he was shooting from a close distance and his aim was stable and impeccable, every bullet struck its mark.
The first two bullets failed to pierce through.
Even though it was the most exploitable weakness in its defense, it was still unbelievably sturdy, far too tough for a bullet or two to pierce.
A faint fracture formed from the impact of the third bullet
The next two bullets after that hammered the same point, causing the damage to spread throughout the thin film over its eyes in jagged, spider-like patterns.
When the sixth bullet landed on the already weakened film, it gave way entirely, shattering like glass, splinters bursting inward.
These splinters stabbed into the iron-clad giant's bloodshot eyes like well-polished knives.
The very next moment.
Urgh!
Its agonized screams echoed through the space inside the room.
All of this happened in less than a handful of seconds. The giant wasn't given any time to recognize the immense threat posed by Kev's weapon. Otherwise, it would have chosen a different tactic to deal with him.
Now it was too late to regret.
Fear and panic welled up within the iron-clad giant's heart. As its hands instinctively went to cover its eyes in response, Kev adjusted his aim and fired at it a few more times.
The bullets slipped past its iron-clad knuckles, went through the only opening in its defense, pierced its eyes and sank deep inside its head.
In an instant, it was blinded, forever unable to see the light.
The injuries it suffered at Kev's hands were severe, any human in its shoes would have already fallen dead, but it didn't die.
Despite having two bullets lodged in its skull through the eyes, it was still very much alive.
Its vitality was immense, incomparable to humans. Luckily, it wasn't miraculous.
Its injuries showed no signs of closing. It didn't have instant regeneration.
Its gait, which had become jerky and uncoordinated like a fly with its wings clipped after being shot in the eyes, made another thing obvious.
Its bodily functions were severely impaired because of the bullets stuck in its brain.
It was alive but very much close to death.
Kev's grip on his rifle tightened.
Victory was close at hand.