Leveling Up With My Dragon System

The Arena went quiet with everyone present watching keenly on the monitor as Kai and Frode attempted to complete their mission. They were still consciously strapped on to the simulation seats, battling with the challenge they faced.

This was no ordinary challenge, they had no Nodes with them for the challenge and had to depend solely on teamwork and the training they had been put through since their arrival in the academy.

The room was packed with high-ranking officers, their expressions grim as they reviewed the intel. Kai's stomach twisted as he saw the images of the Gormorker weapon, a massive construct that dwarfed even the city's most formidable defenses. Frode's hand found his, a silent promise of solidarity in the face of the monstrous threat.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The briefing was a quick one, as the plan was laid out with military precision. "We're sending in a strike team to disable the weapon," the head instructor announced. "Kai, Frode, you two will be a part of it. Your reconnaissance was invaluable, and now we need you to use that knowledge to assist in the assault."

Kai's heart raced as he thought of the impending battle. He glanced at Frode, whose gaze was firmly set on the holographic map. Frode had always been the more level-headed one, but even he couldn't hide the anxiety in his eyes.

The briefing concluded, and the room buzzed with activity as teams were dispatched to prepare for the assault. Frode and Kai were ushered into a separate room to review the intel again, their mission's stakes higher than ever before. They studied the layout of the Gormorker base, the locations of the new weapon's components, and the potential escape routes.

"We need to be critical about this," Frode said, his finger tracing the path they would take through the enemy camp. "In and out, cause as much damage as we can without getting caught."

Kai nodded, his eyes never leaving the map. "We have to assume they're expecting us now. They might have changed their defenses since we were there."

"True," Frode acknowledged, "but we have the element of surprise on our side. They won't expect us to attack so soon."

The two friends exchanged determined looks. They had come too far to falter now. They were the ones who had found the Gormorker's secret, and it was their duty to be the ones to put a stop to it.

The strike team was composed of the academy's elite, handpicked by the head instructor himself. They were a motley crew of skilled recruits, each with their specializations and stories etched on their faces. Kai felt a pang of nerves but pushed it aside, focusing on the mission ahead.

Frode's eyes met his, a silent question. "Ready?" he asked. Kai took a deep breath and nodded. They were about to step into a war zone, but together, they could handle it. Frode offered a reassuring smile, and together they followed the team to the hangar where a fleet of combat-ready hovercrafts awaited.

The journey to the Gormorker base was fraught with tension. Frode sat in the pilot's seat, his knuckles white on the controls. Kai checked and rechecked his gear, the weight of his laser rifle comforting against his shoulder. The city grew smaller in the distance, replaced by the desolate wasteland that was the battleground for this ongoing war.

As they approached the base, Frode brought the hovercraft into a hover, the engines whining in protest. "We're going in on foot from here," he said, his voice tight.

Kai nodded, his heart racing. He could see the weapon's silhouette in the distance, a towering monstrosity that seemed to suck the life out of the surrounding landscape. Frode handed him a pair of binoculars, and he peered through them, his stomach dropping at the sight of the alien guards patrolling the perimeter.

They disembarked from the hovercraft, the ground beneath them feeling unsteady. Frode led the way, his movements a silent dance of precision and stealth. They stuck to the shadows, the moon casting long, distorted shapes across the uneven terrain. The air was thick with the scent of burnt metal and alien technology. The strike team left leaving only a hover bike for Kai and Frode.

They were to set up a defensive line just before the city should there be a need for battle.

As they approached the base, the sounds of Gormorker activity grew louder—the clank of machinery, the hiss of alien communication devices, and the occasional roar of something unidentifiable. Frode held up a hand, signaling for Kai to stop. They crouched behind the remnants of a destroyed building, their hearts pounding in unison.

Frode's gaze was intense, his eyes scanning the perimeter for any signs of danger.

Kai's HUD flickered to life, displaying the layout of the base and the location of the weapon's components. He tapped Frode's shoulder and pointed to the nearest target, a large energy core that powered the weapon. Frode nodded, understanding the plan. They would split up, each taking a different path to reach the core simultaneously. It was a risky move, but the stakes were too high for caution.

They moved out, the cold night air biting at their exposed skin. Kai's boots crunched on the debris, each step echoing in his ears like a drumbeat counting down to battle. Frode melted into the shadows, his movements barely discernible even to Kai's trained eye. They had agreed to keep their comms silent unless necessary.

Kai stuck to the plan, weaving through the wreckage, his eyes and HUD scanning for threats. His path took him closer to the energy core, the pulsing light a siren's call in the night. He could feel the power it emitted, a vibration that seemed to resonate with the very air around him. He had to be careful; one wrong move and the Gormorkers would be on them like a pack of hungry wolves.

As he approached the energy core, Kai spotted a trio of Gormorker guards, their hulking forms silhouetted against the glow. His grip tightened on his laser rifle, his breath shallow and quick. He waited for the perfect moment, his instincts honed from countless simulations and the recent real-life encounter. He aimed, his finger hovering over the trigger. Frode had to be in position by now.

The Gormorkers moved their alien language to a low murmur. Kai's heart skipped a beat, and he fired, the laser bolt sizzling through the air. The first guard fell, his cry cut short by the second shot. The third, caught off-guard, barely had time to look up before Frode emerged from the shadows, delivering a swift, silent takedown.

They moved in unison, Frode slicing through the power conduits leading to the core while Kai hacked the control panel. The alien technology was unlike anything they'd seen in training, but the intel they'd gathered earlier proved invaluable. They worked swiftly, the tension building with each passing second.

The air crackled as the core's power surged, alarms blaring in the distance. Frode's eyes darted to the flickering display, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Got it," he murmured, just as a squadron of Gormorkers rounded the corner.

"Fall back!" the head instructor's voice blared through their comms. Frode and Kai sprinted back towards the hover bike, laser fire coming right behind them. They could hear the thunderous footsteps of the Gormorkers, their growls and roars a cacophony of rage. Frode leaped into the pilot's seat, Kai covering him as best as he could.

The hover bike roared to life, the engines straining under the weight of their urgency.

Kai felt the heat of a laser bolt graze his shoulder, searing through his armor and leaving a smoking trail. He winced but didn't slow down. Frode's eyes met his in the rearview, a silent question of whether they should engage. Kai shook his head, the mission was too important. They had to get out alive.