I prepared myself to confront the warehouse backup, making my way back to the massive tree where I had stashed my grenade launcher. Retrieving it, I loaded it up, ensuring it was fully armed. This launcher could unleash seven shots in rapid succession when fully loaded.
"Nolan, what's the status?" I inquired, eager for an update.
"Frankie, most of them are either dead or have scattered, but the other K.R.A.K.E.N armored guy is still on the move. He'll be a tougher opponent than the last one because he's not injured and he still wields that massive axe," Nolan cautioned, his tone grave.
"I know, that's why I took the grenade launcher and loaded it," I informed Nolan.
"I see. Did you get any information from the scarred guy?" Nolan asked me with curiosity.
"No, he's a real bastard, and every time he opens his mouth, it infuriates me. If I continue talking to him, I'll surely end up killing him," I replied, my voice seething with anger.
"Wait! Can he still talk?" Nolan asked, sounding concerned.
"Yeah, he can still talk, but I'm not sure if he can walk properly or not," I updated Nolan on the scarred guy's condition.
"Well, that's fine bu- Frankie, duck!" Nolan was about to say something but suddenly interrupted himself, urgently warning me.
I followed Nolan's warning promptly, and then there was a massive explosion that shattered the calmness of the area. Debris, dirt, and dust filled the air, making it hard to see. After waiting for the dust to settle, I saw that it was caused by a massive rock that had flown past me and shattered into pieces on impact.
I swiftly turned to identify the source of the projectile, and there stood the other K.R.A.K.E.N armored guy. Just as Nolan had warned, he appeared brimming with energy, clutching his massive axe. The sheer strength he displayed left me terrified. That rock he had thrown was nearly as powerful as a cannonball. If it weren't for Nolan's timely warning, I might have been shattered into a thousand pieces.
While I was pondering my next move, he charged toward me like a rampaging bull. Quickly, I readied my grenade launcher and fired a shot right at his chest. The grenade hit its mark, forcing him to halt his charge and stagger backward.
My plan was working as intended. I kept firing, and most of the grenades struck him directly. He tried to use his massive axe to defend himself, managing to block a few shots, but the rest found their mark, with the final one hitting him in the face.
Under the relentless grenade assault, he started to lose his balance and wobble. He couldn't maintain his footing and dropped his massive axe unintentionally. This was my chance. I rushed toward him, converting my Neo arm into the Hyper Blade.
Taking aim at the back of his knees, I sliced through them using the Hyper Blade. The combination of his exhaustion and the attack on his knees caused him to collapse, his legs giving way beneath him.
*Ahaa*
With a faint, pained cry, he crumpled to the ground. Without hesitation, I grabbed my Aquarius, forcefully inserted the barrel into his mouth, and slightly tilted it upward, directly targeting his brain. A series of shots echoed through the air, and after a few tense minutes, his lifeless body thudded onto the ground with a deafening impact.
*Thud*
I, on the other hand, found myself gasping for breath due to the extreme exhaustion.
*Huff Huff*
I collapsed to the ground, spreading both my hands and legs out. Taking down the second K.R.A.K.E.N armored guy felt somewhat easier than the first, perhaps because I'd unleashed enough firepower to defeat a small army on him.
"Nolan, everything's clear here. Let Mr. Norman and Lucas know to gather around," I informed Nolan of the situation.
"Alright, Frankie. I'll relay the message, but I'll stay in the same location, and keep an eye on your surroundings. You can never let your guard down in this kind of situation," Nolan advised.
"Alright, sounds good," I responded to him.
Nolan's caution was well-placed, and he had mentioned that some of the enemies had escaped. It was wise to stay alert. As I contemplated this, a thudding sound reached my ears, followed by the rhythmic footsteps.
The footsteps weren't approaching me but were instead moving away. I swiftly got to my feet and observed the situation. It was the man with the melee weapon who had been assisting the scarred guy until now. He had dropped the scarred guy to the ground and was now making a hasty retreat.
"You bastard! What do you think you're doing? How dare you abandon me alone with the enemies? Have you no shame?" The scarred guy was furious, shouting at the melee weapon guy who was fleeing.
"Shut up! Do you think I can do something against a monster like him? He's more like the Grim Reaper than a monster, a one-eyed reaper. And I never liked you from the start. You treat us all like pieces of shit, but the truth is, you are not just a piece of shit; you are the whole shit. You can go and die for all I care." The melee weapons guy launched a flurry of verbal abuse at the scarred guy as he continued running.
Did he really think I would let him leave just like that because he cursed the scarred guy? I aimed my Aquarius and pulled the trigger. A laser shot from the Aquarius struck the running guy directly in the arm.
*Ahaa*
He let out a small pained cry, and stumbled a little, but regained his composure and continued running with all his might. Within a few minutes, he disappeared into the darkness of the night. Dammit! He got away.
"Nolan, are you there? The guy who was supporting the scarred guy ran away. Can you find him?" I informed Nolan about the escapee and asked if he could track him down.
"What? Did someone escape from you? Wait a minute, I'll look for him and let you know," Nolan was surprised to hear that someone had escaped but quickly regained his composure and said he would search for him.
"Oi, Frankie, looks like you made a massacre here," I turned around to see who was shouting in the middle of the night. It was Mr. Norman, just as I expected. He and Lucas were walking toward me, and within a few minutes, they reached me. Mr. Norman started talking.
"Well, you protested heavily when I said that you'd have to fight around fifty to sixty guys by yourself. But look at you now, you barely have a scratch. What do you think about my exceptional leadership skills? Are you amazed? I always knew that you could take on this many people by yourself. That's why I assigned this important role to you," Mr. Norman wore a cocky grin on his face, as if he had just won something.
*Sigh*
I couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh. "Yes, yes, Mr. Norman, I'm truly amazed by your leadership, just as one would expect from the Commander of the NS Scorpion," I reluctantly replied.
"Well, as long as you understand that," he replied with that annoyingly smug grin of his.
"Frankie, did Grandpa and Lucas manage to regroup with you? Give me a moment; I'll be joining you guys shortly," Nolan said. True to his word, he joined us a few minutes later.
"Frankie, I hate to break it to you, but the guy who was supporting the sacred one managed to slip away, and I couldn't track him down," Nolan said, wearing a dejected expression.
*Sigh*
I let out a sigh and reassured Nolan, "It's alright, You did your best, and if it weren't for you, I might not be here right now. Thank you for saving my life."
Lucas turned to me with a questioning look, his brow furrowing. "So, is this guy the leader of the slave traders?"
I nodded wearily, my exhaustion showing. "Yes, I believe so, but he's not willing to talk, no matter what I try."
Mr. Norman, always one step ahead, chimed in with a sinister grin. "Don't worry about that, Frankie. We'll take him back, and I have a few methods up my sleeve to make him talk."
His words sent a shiver down my spine, and I couldn't help but wonder what dark methods Mr. Norman had in mind to extract the information we needed.
"Rex, where are you, buddy? We're about to leave," I called out to Rex.
*Woof Woof*
He responded promptly, running toward us with his favorite Bloody Axe still clutched in his mouth.
I gave him a gentle pat on the head and praised him, "You did a great job, Rex. Now, let's head back and celebrate."
With our mission somewhat accomplished, we decided to return to the Scorpion Syndicate's old base, bringing the scarred-faced man with us.