Ashlem, looked at Singla, who was kneeling, exhausted but with a satisfied smile on her face.
"That was... harder than I expected," she said, catching her breath.
Tony, in turn, approached, helping her up.
"You did it. I could hardly believe what I saw." He smiled, trying to mask the tension on his face.
Ashlem looked over the battlefield, where the creature was now in pieces. The smell of burnt flesh still lingered in the air.
"Let's continue. What else does Nero have in store for us?" he said, his expression serious.
Singla gazed at the horizon, where more shadows moved.
"Don't underestimate Nero. The worst is yet to come," she said.
The war had only just begun.
While the battlefield was still imbued with the energy of the fight, the trio moved forward cautiously, their senses heightened and ready for what lay ahead. The distorted shadows of the trees around the Zone began to move, as if they watching every step they took.
"Singla, what else has Nero prepared for us?" Tony asked, his gaze fixed ahead, suspicious of every noise in the air.
Singla, now visibly tired, looked at the two of them.
"This place... is full of traps. Nero wouldn't let us leave so easily. The N Zone is filled with horrors he has created — beings and security systems that are difficult to overcome. And the worst is still to come," Singla answered, her voice low and grave.
Ashlem felt a wave of tension spread through the atmosphere. The sky above them, already distorted by the simulation, seemed to be closing in, becoming more oppressive with every passing moment. The air was thick with unsettling electricity.
Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps sounded in the distance, followed by a guttural growl. Before they could react, a new threat came from among the distorted trees. It was another creature, but this time, it was an even more monstrous form.
It was a hybrid of man and machine, with parts of its body made of metal, while others were covered in decaying flesh. Its eyes glowed with a red light, and its hands, transformed into metal claws, dragged along the ground, advanced toward them. It was a soldier of Nero, a prototype of chaos, created to be more than human — a mixture of flesh and technology.
"These..." Singla began, but the sight of the monster interrupted her words.
Before they could prepare, the being advanced with impressive speed, its claws cutting through the air like sharp blades. Ashlem, with quick reflexes, dodged to the side and leaped, already preparing his SURNATOY punch. The impact was devastating, but the hybrid soldier immediately got back up, feeling no pain.
"These monsters... are immune to most conventional attacks," Singla explained, her eyes on the creature, noticing the resistance of the machine.
"What do you mean? That attack wasn’t conventional. What's happening to me?" Ashlem said, stunned, feeling a strong headache accompanied by a quick vision he couldn't follow in his mind.
Tony, without wasting time, raised his pistol and fired a barrage of bullets, but the bullets ricocheted off the creature's metal plates without causing any damage. The hybrid soldier then stopped and fixed its red eyes on Tony. The creature growled and advanced again.
With a swift movement, Singla launched herself forward. She touched the creature, and in an instant, its life force was drained, but it wasn't enough to bring it down. The hybrid emitted a roar of rage, the technology that formed its structure beginning to glow in intense red hue.
Ashlem saw the creature's weakness. The life force was being drained, but incompletely. He ran, feeling the power of SURNATOY growing in his right fist. He lunged at the creature and, with a direct blow to the hybrid soldier's metal chest, delivered the final strike.
The impact was overwhelming. The creature shuddered for a moment, its internal circuits exploding in a burst of sparks. It fell backward, a mix of decaying flesh and twisted metal scattered across the ground.
The trio, panting, watched the destruction they had caused.
"That was harder than I imagined," Tony said, trying to catch his breath, as he looked at the remains of the creature.
Singla, still with her eyes glowing in a reddish hue, looked at the two of them with a look of approval.
"Each battle here will be a test. Nero doesn't make concessions, and each of his creations will be stronger than the last. But we're closer to finding the heart of this base. If we can reach the core, we may be able to deactivate the simulation system," she said.
Ashlem, maintaining a firm posture, took a step forward, looking at the vastness of the N Zone ahead of them. They were closer than ever to their goal, but also further from safety.
"Then let’s continue. If this is what we've faced so far, we can handle the rest," he said.
As they advanced through the N Zone, the terrain around them transformed. The trees, distorted by the simulation, bent inward, creating a dark and narrow corridor. The cold wind cut through their faces, while shadows moved in the corners of their peripheral vision. The silence was oppressive, as if the very base were watching every movement.
They passed more traps and creatures, facing increasingly dangerous challenges, but with each victory, their powers grew. Singla, with her ability to drain vitality, became stronger with each battle, and Ashlem and Tony perfected their techniques, their weapons and skills becoming more precise and destructive.
But with every step closer to the core of the base, a growing sense that something even greater awaited them began to form.
"The end is near," Singla said, her eyes fixed on the horizon, where a red light glowed intensely. "And now, there's no turning back."
The environment around them closed tighter. The simulation of the sky above flickered between shadows and pulsing red lights, and the ground, once firm, began to vibrate. A sense of impending destruction hung in the air.
"We're close," Ashlem said, his eyes focused ahead. His voice was deep, but there was no doubt. He felt their fate was tied to that final step. They had overcome stronger enemies with each passing moment, but what lay ahead seemed like an even crueller test.