The Devil's Cage

Chapter 31: Bloody Nightfire

Translator: Dess Editor: Efydatia

The guards in the base were a little distracted.

Their attention was diverted by the loud explosion sounds coming from one specific direction.

The direction where General Zenning’s base was.

Every single one of them knew what was happening over there, yet they still held onto a small thread of hope.

If Major Zarukhar could win this battle, then they would be able to survive and they wouldn’t be treated as bargaining chips on a negotiation table.

Zarukhar had put up a good show. He had captured the hearts of the soldiers and none of them had doubted him for a moment.

Distracted as they were, the guards did not notice the black shadow lurking between the third floor and the roof.

Not until...

Bang!

A gunshot was fired and the machine gunner at the outpost had his head blown off.

His headless body fell to ground from the ten-meter high tower.

“INTRUDER!” the patrolling guard shouted loudly.

Kieran fired two more shots, taking out the machine gunner behind the roadblocks.

The entry level [Firearm (Light Firearm)] skill allowed Kieran to continuously shoot his targets smoothly.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

After Kieran had taken out the three biggest threats, the guards below started to react to what was going on and fire back at him.

Kieran replied with a rain of bullets.

Then he pulled a side roll, left his sniping point and lifted up his gun.

Shooting a hundred rounds per minute, the [HK-20]’s muzzle flash-fired at the guards below, instantly killing about five of them.

The patrol leader was shouting loudly.

A rocket flew towards him, faint white smoke trailing behind it. It had been fired from the top of the building. The patrol leader instantly gave up hope.

Watching his impending death descend upon him, he could not help but close his eyes.

Boom!

A rocket explosion was always bigger than a grenade explosion, no matter the power or the terrain.

However, the wide area did help Kieran, who did not even have to aim perfectly, just estimate the range of the shot.

A couple of guards hiding behind the tents were bombed to pieces. The rocket even took down several tents.

[Explosion: Inflicts 100 Damage to Target HP, Target dies...]

[Explosion: Inflicts 100 Damage to Target HP, Target dies...]

[Explosion: Inflicts 100 Damage to Target HP, Target dies...]

.....

Battle notifications spammed Kieran’s view one after the other.

This was just the beginning.

Now that he owned military weapons, he was not going to spare any expenses during the fight.

Kieran loaded another rocket launcher and lifted it on his shoulder.

“Go repent your sins in hell!” he shouted as he pulled the trigger.

Boom!

The rocket launcher displayed its destructive power once again.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Three more rounds of rockets.

The whole base was engulfed in flames and almost all the soldiers were burnt to a crisp.

Not all of them, though.

There were two more soldiers who were hiding at just the right angle to avoid Kieran’s wrath.

Kieran unloaded the [Tekken-II] from his shoulder and quickly loaded another one, aiming towards the steel door at the top of the building.

The soldiers were coming for Kieran and the locked steel door would not prevent them from knocking it down if they really meant business.

Soon Kieran heard footsteps coming from the stairs. He imagined both soldiers rushing up towards him.

Bang!

A shot was fired, breaking the lock on the steel door.

At the same time, Kieran pulled the trigger on his rocket launcher. The rocket flew in a straight line towards the steel door.

The heatwave and fire caused by the explosion turned the soldiers into ashes.

[Explosion: Inflicts 100 Damage to Target HP, Target dies...]

[Explosion: Inflicts 100 Damage to Target HP, Target dies...]

After he read the notifications, Kieran started to gather the weapons on the roof.

Practically, Kieran could not have taken away all the weapons in Zarukhar’s armory, but he still knew how to pick the ones that would be easy to carry.

He found a large pack in one of the tents, and claimed it for himself so he could carry the weapons.

Rocket launcher, light machine gun, grenades, ammunition...

He grabbed everything that could fit into the pack.

He was very fast. Everything was settled within two minutes.

When he strapped the pack on himself though, he couldn’t help but feel how heavy the extra load made it.

Despite his upgraded attributes, it was still quite a lot of weight to carry.

That, however, did not stop him from bringing the weapons back.

It was his loot after all.

Kieran walked down from the third floor and exited the base.

He knew the explosions and flames shone bright, but no survivors or thugs would dare approach.

However, if the soldiers that were currently engaged fighting Zenning’s forces noticed that something was off, they would definitely head back to the base.

At the thought of the number of the soldiers and the terrifying tank, Kieran could not help but shiver.

He quickly hastened his steps.

The craters and holes created by the explosions slowed him down.

The once flat, concrete ground had been blown into ruins, and there were still flames lingering around the area.

It all felt very familiar. It reminded him of the place he was from.

Kieran had to make a detour to avoid the holes.

As for the burnt bodies inside them?

He had witnessed worse. He felt no fear anymore.

“The fact that it’s becoming a habit is kind of scary,” he laughed at himself while he jumped over a burnt body.

Suddenly the body moved !

It was not dead yet .

Kieran tried to dodge it, but the weight on him prevented him from doing so.

The burnt soldier was fuelled by his final survival instinct as he tried to drag Kieran down and kill him.

The flames were dancing under the crescent moon as a sharp dagger was lunged at Kieran’s abdomen.

Before the dagger could land on him though, Kieran felt an icy cold sensation.

If the dagger had stabbed him, his abdomen would have opened up and his intestines would have burst out of his virtual body, causing him to die.

He clenched his teeth and struggled to turn his body.

He did not want to die.

The newbie dungeon stage was finally coming to an end and he was fully loaded with loot.

Kieran was not prepared to die just yet. His heart would not allow it.

This unwillingness became his fountain of hope amid his despair and allowed Kieran to twist his body around and avoid what would have an unavoidable hit.

Despite Kieran’s sudden change of position, the zombie-like soldier did not stop. He just lunged forward with all his remaining might.

Kieran’s slight turn had exposed the side of his waist to the soldier.

The incoming dagger was about to pierce through his skin and tear his kidney apart.

“Arrrghhh!”

The soldier let out a death call for Kieran and himself.

He knew very well that the damage to his body was too severe for him to make it.

If he could drag Kieran down to hell with him though, it would all be worth it.

This single thought turned into motivation. His motivation and Kieran’s unwillingness to die came to a standstill.

It felt like time had stopped for the two of them.

A clear sound came from the dagger near Kieran’s waist area.

The dying soldier’s eyes turned blank.

He did not know what had happened.

How could a sharp dagger be stopped by flesh?

The soldier’s gaze was vacant.

After that last strike, his life was reaching its end.

“Arrrrrhhh!”

The soldier let out a disappointed shout and moved his hand slightly.

This time, the tip of the dagger pierced Kieran and entered his body.

The blank-eyed soldier looked at his successful hit, satisfied with his achievement.

Still, he could not escape his ultimate fate.

Kieran unloaded his backpack and retreat quickly, avoiding the incoming attack and punching the soldier’s temple hard, robbing him of his last breath.

[Punching: Lethal Attack, Inflicts 6 Damage to Target’s HP, (3 Combat (Basic) X2), Target dies...]

[Stabbing: Inflicts 35 Damage to your HP, Bleeding Status...]

After Kieran had confirmed his kill, he held his shirt up and checked his wound.

It was about ten centimeters long and blood kept gushing out as he moved.

Just below the wound was his [M1905].

The dead soldier’s last attack had landed on its handle.

The sudden move of the soldier had not allowed Kieran to evade him, but he’d thought of the [M1905] on his waist.

Although it was a weapon, that did not mean that it could not be used as defensive equipment as well.

Especially in a desperate situation like this one.

Kieran had struggled to turn his body so he could use the [M1095] as a shield.

Although it had worked, he had still gotten hurt.

He survived though.

He looked at the dead soldier again, and made himself commit this incident to memory.

This was a life-changing moment for Kieran.

“If you lose your grip, you’ll get hit, huh? Well, let’s hope Maggie is as good at bandaging wounds as she said!” he mumbled to himself.

After covering up his wound and lightening his backpack, he headed back towards the hideout where Colleen and Maggie were waiting.

Although it was a pity, he knew he could not carry the full weight of the pack while he was wounded. The trip back might cost him his life.

He had escaped death once again.

He did not want to stare the Grim Reaper in the eyes again anytime soon.