The fortress was a storm of activity. Survivors scrambled to repair the damage from the Apostle's assault, their faces etched with exhaustion and determination. The quantum cannon's barrel still glowed faintly, its core humming with residual energy. Shen Mu stood atop the wall, his gaze fixed on the northern horizon. The rift was gone, but the crack in the sky remained—a jagged scar bleeding darkness into the world.
"It's not over," Zhao Ling said, her voice low. She stood beside him, her sniper rifle slung over her shoulder. "The Apostle's gone, but the Devourer God… it's still out there."
Shen Mu nodded. The system's interface flickered, its warnings more urgent than ever.
[Veil Instability: 72%.]
[Devourer Activity: Escalating.]
"We need to be ready," Shen Mu said. "The cannon bought us time, but it's not enough."
"And if the God comes?" Zhao Ling asked.
"Then we fight."
---
The system's new feature was a revelation.
Shen Mu discovered it by accident, while reviewing the fortress's defenses. The interface flickered, and a new option appeared:
[Fortress Defense Teleportation Module: Unlocked.]
Allows temporary deployment of fortress defenses to the user's location. Duration: 10 minutes. Cooldown: 24 hours.
"Granny Wen," Shen Mu called, his voice sharp. "We've got a new toy."
The old engineer hobbled over, her goggles reflecting the interface's glow. "What's this? Teleportation? That's… *impossible*."
"Not anymore," Shen Mu said, his mind racing. "If we can deploy the turrets or shields wherever we need them…"
"It's a game-changer," Zhao Ling finished, her eyes narrowing. "But it's also a risk. What if the defenses fail while they're deployed?"
"Then we improvise," Shen Mu said. "We don't have a choice."
---
The first test was a disaster.
Shen Mu activated the module during a skirmish with Fang stragglers near the Spire. The turrets materialized in a flash of light, their barrels spinning as they mowed down the enemy. But the cooldown timer ticked down too quickly, and the defenses vanished mid-fight, leaving Shen Mu and his team exposed.
"That could've gone better," Luo Qi muttered, his gauntlet sparking as he crushed a Fang scout's skull.
"It's a prototype," Shen Mu said, his voice tight. "We'll refine it."
But the system's warnings gnawed at him.
[Energy Drain Detected: 45%.]
[Fortress Integrity: 58%.]
The module was powerful, but it came at a cost.
---
The Apostle's final message haunted Shen Mu.
That night, as the survivors slept, he stood in the workshop, staring at the corrupted core. Its twisted energy pulsed faintly, like a dying heartbeat.
"You're not done with me, are you?" he murmured.
The core flared, and the Apostle's voice slithered into his mind.
"You think you've won, Fortress Lord? You've only delayed the inevitable. The Endless Maw comes. And when it does… you will kneel."
Shen Mu's fists clenched. "I don't kneel."
The core's light dimmed, its energy fading. But the Apostle's laughter echoed in his mind, cold and mocking.
---
The horizon cracked at dawn.
A low, resonant hum pulsed through the air, and the survivors froze, their faces pale. Shen Mu stood atop the wall, his gaze locked on the northern sky.
The crack had widened, its edges writhing with shadowy tendrils. And beyond it, something *moved*—a vast, shapeless void, its maw stretching across the horizon.
"It's here," Zhao Ling whispered, her voice trembling.
The system's warnings screamed:
[Devourer God Detected: Endless Maw.]
[Veil Instability: 89%.]
Shen Mu activated the teleportation module, his voice cutting through the chaos.
"Deploy defenses! Now!"
The turrets materialized in a flash of light, their barrels spinning as they unleashed a barrage of energy bolts. The shadows faltered, their forms flickering under the assault.
But the Endless Maw didn't stop.
Its maw opened, and a wave of darkness surged toward the fortress. The turrets' fire was swallowed whole, their energy dissipating into the void.
"Fall back!" Shen Mu barked, his voice sharp. "Regroup at the inner courtyard!"
The survivors scrambled, their movements frantic. Shen Mu stood his ground, his pistol blazing as he fired into the shadows.
"We can't hold them!" Luo Qi yelled, his gauntlet sparking as he crushed a shadowy form.
"We don't have to," Shen Mu said, his voice cold. "We just have to buy time."
He activated the module again, this time deploying the fortress's energy shield. The barrier flared to life, its light pushing back the darkness.
But the Endless Maw's maw opened wider, and the shield *buckled*.
"It's not enough!" Zhao Ling shouted, her rifle cracking as she fired into the horde.
Shen Mu's mind raced. The cannon was their only hope, but its core was still unstable.
"Granny Wen!" he barked. "Can you modify the cannon to target the God?"
She hesitated. "It's not designed for that. The energy feedback could—"
"Do it."
She nodded, her hands flying over the controls. The cannon's core flared, its light shifting from blue to a deep, ominous red.
"Firing sequence initiated," she said, her voice steady. "Target: Endless Maw."
Shen Mu stepped to the controls, his hand hovering over the trigger. The system's warnings screamed:
[Energy Feedback Risk: 95%.]
He didn't hesitate.
"Fire."
The cannon roared, its beam lancing toward the God. The Endless Maw's maw opened wider, its darkness swallowing the beam whole.
For a moment, the battlefield fell silent.
Then the God screamed.
Its form shuddered, the shadows writhing as the beam tore through its essence. The crack in the sky began to close, its edges fraying.
But the cannon's core sparked, its light dimming.
"It's overloading!" Granny Wen shouted, her voice panicked.
Shen Mu didn't flinch. "Hold it together!"
The beam intensified, its energy surging. The Endless Maw's form unraveled, its scream echoing across the wasteland.
The crack collapsed, the shadows dissipating.
The survivors cheered, their voices raw with relief.
But Shen Mu didn't celebrate.
The cannon's core exploded, its light blinding.
When the dust settled, the fortress was silent.
---