The shed shook under the Crawlers' weight.
The metal walls bent inward.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
Red lights slid across the cracked windows like demons peeking inside.
But inside—
five people stood ready.
Qin Mian held Yin Lie tightly in her arms, breathing fast but steady.
Kai stood at the door, rifle raised.
Chen Gu gripped a shock baton like a terrified librarian holding a sword for the first time.
Thorne lay half-conscious on the floor, whispering,
"Please let this be a nightmare…"
And the sniper—
the woman who dropped from the roof—
clicked a fresh magazine into her rifle and said:
"Wave's coming.
Don't blink."
Kai shot her an irritated look.
"You could sound less dramatic, you know."
Sniper smirked.
"Why? I like the atmosphere."
The First Wave Hits
The Crawlers roared and charged.
SCRAAAAA—!
A dozen metal bodies smashed into the shed walls.
BOOM—!!
Wood cracked.
Metal bent.
The whole building shook like it would fall down.
Kai braced herself.
"Hold positions—! Don't let them break through—"
But one Crawler did break through.
It crashed through the left wall, landing in a pile of sand and debris.
Its red eyes flared.
Its legs scraped the floor like blades.
And it launched straight at—
Qin Mian.
She gasped, shielding Yin Lie with her body.
The Crawler leaped—
And a bullet exploded through its head.
BANG!
The Sniper blew the smoke from her rifle barrel.
"One."
Kai glared at her.
"Stop counting."
"Two."
She fired again.
Another Crawler's face exploded in sparks.
Kai nearly dropped her rifle.
"You shot again just to count—?!"
Sniper winked.
"Motivation."
Kai Joins the Fight
The third Crawler dove toward the two women.
Kai stepped forward, firing six rounds in a blink.
BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!
The bullets dented the Crawler's armor but didn't break it.
Kai cursed.
"These things keep getting stronger—!"
The Crawler lunged, claws out—
Sniper shot its leg, forcing it to stumble.
Kai jumped and kicked the metal head sideways, smashing it against the wall.
"Stay down!"
The Crawler twitched violently—
Then Kai stabbed a knife through its central eye.
It went still.
Sniper raised an eyebrow.
"You're welcome for the opening."
Kai rolled her eyes.
"Oh, shut up."
Chen Gu Accidentally Helps
Another Crawler burst in from the right.
Chen Gu screamed and swung his shock baton wildly.
He missed.
Completely.
The baton hit a rusted pipe on the ceiling.
CLANG.
The pipe broke.
A cascade of dirty metal scraps and half-loosened beams fell—
directly on top of the Crawler.
CRASH—!!!
The machine got crushed instantly.
Chen Gu stared.
"…I… I killed it…?"
Thorne crawled forward, eyes wide.
"You're a hero!"
Chen Gu stood tall.
"Yes. I know."
Sniper glanced at Kai.
"…Is he always like this?"
Kai sighed.
"Unbearable."
The Bigger Threat Appears
Outside—
The swarm reorganized.
Red eyes moved into formation.
Then the next wave stepped forward.
These Crawlers were bigger.
Thicker armor.
Stronger legs.
Longer claws.
Chen Gu's legs turned to jelly.
"Oh no… they upgraded…"
Kai gritted her teeth.
"They adapt fast. Too fast."
Sniper narrowed her eyes.
"They won't break in at the same spots again."
Qin Mian swallowed hard.
"What do we do?"
Sniper cocked her rifle.
"We break them. Simple."
Kai pointed to the roof hole.
"Climb back up. Give us cover."
Sniper smirked.
"You ordering me?"
"YES."
"Fine."
She leapt up again, grabbing the metal beams with agile ease, disappearing into the darkness above.
A second later—
BOOM—!
The first armored Crawler outside exploded.
Qin Mian's Turn
The next Crawler shoved half its body through the wall.
Its claws reached for Qin Mian and Yin Lie.
Qin Mian gasped.
"Lie—!"
Yin Lie's voice was faint, barely a whisper:
"…stay…"
"I'm staying," she whispered back.
Her hands shook.
But her heart didn't.
She raised her palm.
The world vibrated.
Her dream-light flared out of her chest—
WHOOOM—!!!
A blast of blue energy shot forward, smashing the Crawler backwards, flipping it onto the sand.
Kai stared.
"Okay, WHAT was that?!"
Chen Gu shouted:
"Dream Projection! She turned panic into a shockwave!"
Qin Mian didn't hear them.
Her heart was beating too fast, too scared.
She looked at her hands, shaking.
"I… I didn't aim that…"
Kai stepped closer.
"You protected him. That's enough."
Sniper's voice echoed from above.
"She'll aim when she needs it."
A New Monster Enters
Then—
the swarm split.
A shape stepped forward.
Not a Crawler.
Something worse.
A tall metal frame.
Long limbs.
A single crimson eye.
A breathing-like hiss coming from vents along its chest.
Chen Gu's face went pale.
"T-that's a Hunter Unit…
An Alpha model…"
Kai tensed.
"These things are designed to kill variants.
Fast. Clean. Efficient."
Sniper hissed from the roof.
"They must really want Yin Lie."
The Alpha Hunter lifted its head.
Scanning.
Targeting.
Its red eye settled on Qin Mian and Yin Lie in her arms.
Qin Mian felt ice run through her spine.
"No…"
Kai stepped in front of them.
"Over my dead body."
The Alpha Hunter moved.
Fast.
Blur-fast.
Kai didn't even have time to raise her gun—
But Qin Mian did.
She screamed:
"STOP—!!!"
The world shook.
Her power burst out in a wave of blue.
A wall of dream-light slammed into the Alpha Hunter—
BOOOOOOM—!!!
The monster skidded back in the sand, its metal feet carving deep lines.
Kai turned to Qin Mian, stunned.
"You pushed an Alpha back?!"
Qin Mian was panting, sweat on her forehead.
"I didn't push…
I just didn't want it to touch him…"
Yin Lie moved slightly in her arms, whispering:
"…Mian…"
She hugged him tighter.
"I've got you. You don't have to fight. Not now."
His fingers tried to curl around hers.
"…safe…?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
The Final Team Attack
The Alpha Hunter stood back up.
Broken?
No.
Angry.
Red lines lit across its body.
Sniper's voice snapped:
"On my shot—Kai, left! Qin Mian, right!"
Kai didn't hesitate.
"You heard her!"
Sniper aimed from the roof.
Kai charged from the ground.
And Qin Mian raised her hands, heart pounding.
Sniper fired first.
BOOM—!!!
A direct hit to the Hunter's shoulder.
Kai fired six bullets into its leg.
Qin Mian let out a sharp breath and pushed her hands forward—
WHOOOOM—!!
A focused blast of dream-light hit the Hunter dead center.
It staggered.
Sparks flew.
Its chest cracked.
Kai yelled:
"Qin Mian—NOW!!"
Qin Mian screamed with everything inside her.
"DON'T TOUCH HIM—!!!"
And her power exploded.
The dream-light wave hit the Hunter like a truck.
CRAAAAASH—!!!
The Alpha Hunter flew backward—
slammed into the sand—
and lay still.
Silence.
Slow.
Heavy.
Disbelieving.
Then Kai whispered:
"…We did it…"
Chen Gu gasped:
"You mean—
WE BROKE THE SWARM?!"
Sniper dropped down from the roof, landing softly.
She stared at the fallen machines.
Then at Qin Mian—
who was kneeling, holding Yin Lie, exhausted but still glowing faintly.
Sniper smiled.
"Not bad, little dreamer."
Qin Mian shook her head weakly.
"I didn't… do it alone."
Sniper lifted her rifle.
"Good. Because the next wave won't be this easy."
Kai sighed.
"Knew it."
Chen Gu fell to the ground.
Thorne fainted again.
Qin Mian pressed her forehead to Yin Lie's.
"Lie… it's okay…
The danger's not over…
but you're still with me…"
His voice was barely a breath:
"…don't… leave…"
She whispered back:
"I won't."
Outside the shed—
more red lights appeared in the darkness.
A new army.
A new threat.
And the night was far from over.
—Chapter 89 End—