Next up? Danny.


    Another Rhea Vanguard Heavy Powered Armor user, meaning he was a walking tank, same as Joey. But unlike Joey, he didn’t carry a shield or med kit.


    Oh no.


    His combat path? Crusher. And Danny? He brought a goddamn Devastator Energy Warhammer.


    A twice-upgraded monster of a weapon he’d traded on our first trip to the Moon Base from a group of cute German girls.


    Danny never talked about them much, but sometimes, when he thought nobody was watching, he''d run a hand over the Warhammer’s grip, his expression unreadable.


    Absurdly heavy. Stupidly destructive. Every swing hit with a concussive energy field, turning it into a shockwave of devastation. Bludgeoning damage on steroids.


    See, while most energy rifles and standard weapons were System drops across Earth, some weapons, like my Tomahawk, were regional.


    The Warhammer? That was a Bavarian regional weapon, supposedly based on the Teutonic Warhammers from ye olde knight-smashing times. It was big, brutal, and designed to crush armor like tin foil.


    And Danny? Danny was obsessed with it.


    Paired with his powered armor, it turned him into a wrecking ball, devastating against heavy targets, fortifications, or anything dumb enough to stand in his way.


    The only problem? He had to get there first. And yeah, he was a tank, but he wasn’t a sprinter. Still, at least he could take the heat, literally and figuratively.


    <hr>


    And then there was Ryan. An asshole first, a terrible shot second. Which was hilarious, considering he was a Combat Engineer, a guy loaded with firepower but somehow always managing to miss the easy shots.


    But Ryan? Nope. He made up for it with his Oberon Devastator Energy Scattergun, which, in plain English, was a sci-fi shotgun. A long-range scattergun that fired a wide cone of energy bolts, giving him the best chance of hitting something, anything, in front of him. At least he could adjust the spread, and yeah, he usually shot in the right direction.


    Not that Ryan relied on his gun alone. That wasn’t his job. He was here to control the fight, lock down the battlefield, and funnel enemies into kill zones. Between his Tethys Medium Armor and Power Surge ability, he was as much about shaping the fight as he was about surviving it.


    And then there was his gear. Because, of course, Ryan wouldn’t be Ryan without a backpack full of explosives and bad decisions.


    Slung across his back was his deployable turret, the heavy-duty kind that chewed through energy cells like a starship at full burn. He carried it like it was no big deal, probably because he was too stubborn to admit it was slowing him down. The damn thing was bulky as hell, but once it was set up? It provided automated suppressive fire, locking down lanes and cutting off enemy flanks.


    Then there were the grenades. Because Ryan? He never went anywhere without enough firepower to level a small building.


    Four of the stunner grenades hung from his belt, ready to blind and disorient anything dumb enough to get in his way. Inferno Gel Grenades, two of them, filled with sticky, napalm-like gel that clung to anything it touched and burned like hell. And if that wasn’t enough, he had Shardburst Grenades, which were just shrapnel bombs designed to tear through anything with flesh.


    And then, of course, the tank mines. Because why not? Two heavy-duty pressure mines, meant for vehicles or something big enough to ruin our day. He had them strapped to the side of his armor, looking like the world''s most unstable fashion statement.


    And, of course, Ryan had his Arcwave Disruptor, because just shooting wasn’t enough for him.


    The device was barely bigger than his palm, strapped to his arm. To use it, he had to slide it forward like a goddamn Ghostbusters trap. It would skid across the ground, lock into place, and release a charged pulse, an electric shockwave that fried biological nervous systems, locking up muscles and causing temporary paralysis, along with other fun side effects.


    The range was garbage, but for close combat and zone control? It was perfect. The catch? He had to be right up in their faces to use it effectively. Which was either stupid or ballsy as hell.


    And finally, because he wasn’t completely stupid, he carried an armor repair kit, complete with a compact welder to patch up damage on the go.


    And because Ryan burned through energy like an idiot, he had an energy cell recharger strapped to his hip, letting him restore up to four energy cells in an hour.


    At first, we thought it was a great idea. Extra energy, easy reloads, what’s not to love?


    And then Ryan started collecting shit.


    The deployable turret? A bottomless pit for power cells.


    The Arcwave Disruptor? Drained faster than Ryan’s patience in a strategy meeting.


    The armor repair kit? It was cheaper to hope for an armor loot drop than to repair the damn things.


    What was supposed to be a boon for the team had turned into Ryan’s own personal life support system. We weren’t even sure if the recharger was helping us anymore, or just barely keeping his dumb ass operational.


    All in all? Ryan was a walking supply depot with a bad attitude. He wasn’t precise, but precision wasn’t his job. His job was to make a fight as miserable as possible for everything in front of us.


    And in that? He was damn good.


    <hr>


    Emily, oh Emily. Unlike Ryan, she could actually shoot. She grew up around guns, her dad had been a cop, and she’d always had a bit of an obsession with weapons.


    Swords too. Big sci-fi nerd. You can probably guess what kind of swords she liked.


    The problem? Swords break. Even with all her skills, she knew durability mattered. So instead, she packed two Hyperion Devastator Energy Blasters.


    Same model as Joey’s, but while Joey’s was Truestrike-enhanced for aim assist, Emily’s were modded purely for damage.


    Add in her Deadeye path skills, and yeah, she was our best DPS by far. No thanks to Ryan.


    Chris might be able to outgun her, but we hadn’t seen him in action yet. The way people talked about him, though? Could just be his fan club hyping him up. Guess we’d find out soon enough.


    <hr>


    Zoe, Zoe, Zoe.


    Assassin Path. Master of long-range takedowns, silent kills, and generally making things miserable for anyone on the wrong side of her rifle.


    Her armor? Same as mine. Dione Vanguard Light Armor Suit. Or, as we called it?


    The Scout Suit.


    The original Level 10 version had been called that, and no matter how many upgrades we slapped on it, that name was never changing. And honestly? This thing was a technological masterpiece.


    Like the others, it had five core pieces, helmet, chest, gloves, legs, boots.


    Once equipped, it wasn’t like normal armor. Nope. Instead, a black, elastic material spread from each piece, merging together into a form-fitting bodysuit.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    And when I say form-fitting? I mean, this thing clung to you and squeezed. A little scandalous at first, sure, but it moved like nothing else.


    Unlike Medium Armor, which gave you mobility and some protection, the Scout Suit gave you mobility and zero protection. But the benefits? They were worth it.


    Passive camouflage: always blending into the background. Harder to see, harder to hit.


    Active ability? Full camouflage for 30 seconds. Turning us completely translucent, day or night, moving in total invisibility. Problem? Cooldown was a bitch, 2 minutes and counting.


    And if you weren’t seen? You couldn’t be hit ...That was the theory, anyway.


    Zoe didn’t just snipe from a distance; she dominated it. Her Enceladus Devastator Energy Sniper Rifle was her pride and joy, a weapon that could melt skulls from miles away.


    The rifle had pinpoint accuracy, a long-ass effective range, and the power output to punch through most armor like it was wet paper. If she had a shot lined up, the fight was usually over before anyone knew it had begun. Headshots weren’t just her specialty,they were her personality.


    And if something, or someone, was stupid enough to get close? That’s where her Phobos Devastator Energy Dagger came into play.


    Most people didn’t take energy daggers seriously. They saw the small frame, the sleek handle, the humming energy field around the blade and assumed it was just a fancy knife. They were dead wrong.


    The thing cut through armor like butter, burned straight through flesh, and cauterized the wound on the way out. Quick, quiet, efficient.


    I’d seen her use it before, fast, brutal, and usually over before her target even realized they were dead. Zoe didn’t fight fair. She didn’t need to.


    Zoe was built for the shadows. And whether she was lining up a shot or sneaking up behind someone, you’d never know she was there, until it was too late.


    <hr>


    Finally, there was me.


    Operative Path. Same Scout tree as Zoe, but instead of focusing purely on long-range kills, my combat path leaned into hand-to-hand combat, infiltration, and hacking.


    The Dione Vanguard Scout Suit adapted to my body, molding itself snugly, offering full mobility at the cost of actual armor. The thing was downright revealing, but it more than made up for it in performance.


    And yeah, you didn’t wear much under it. I mean, you could, but it’d feel like being shrink-wrapped alive.


    While all our armor was airtight and could keep us alive in a vacuum, they weren’t all created equal. Joey and Danny’s Rhean Powered Armor? Built to handle insulation, temperature control, and negate body heat buildup.


    The Scout Suit?


    Let’s just say things got hot and steamy real fast. The material wasn’t spandex, but... yeah. It was tight.


    And the wedgies? Until I took the scout suit off, literally, that thing just rode up my ass. Or, more accurately, it rode up Zoe’s gorgeous bubble butt.


    For weapons, I carried my trusty Energy Tomahawk, a New England regional drop, twice upgraded with System mods, and still my favorite weapon. My dad had one too.


    Lightweight, deadly in close quarters, and great for quick, brutal takedowns. But when I wasn’t getting up close and personal, I had my Enceladus Farstrike Energy Sniper Rifle.


    Yet, regardless of how good our armor was or how much firepower we carried, the truth was, we all got dinged. We hadn’t lost any extremities permanently. Not yet.


    But time in the medical pods was a necessary evil. Whether it was resting, recovering, or regrowing a few fingers, we’d all been there.


    And considering what we were about to walk into? We were probably gonna need them again real soon.


    <hr>


    I led them to the portal’s edge, my scout armor fitting snugly around me, the familiar weight of my sniper rifle resting at my back and my tomahawk at my side. I raised my palm, and my own interface lit up, a display shimmering in the air, covering my vision:


    [System Message: Operation Site]


    Description: A massive underground hive has been discovered beneath the ruins of Outpost Theta. Swarms of insectoid creatures have begun emerging, attacking supply convoys and devouring everything in their path. Your mission is to infiltrate the hive, eliminate the Queen, and destroy their breeding chambers before they overwhelm the region.


    Gateway: Inactive


    Recommended Level: 64 (Entry allowed at level 60)


    Maximum Level: 76


    Mission Objective: Defeat the Hive Mother


    Difficulty: Easy


    Time Limit: N/A


    Activate: Yes || No


    [End of Message]


    My breath caught as I read the message. Level 64? What the fuck. That shouldn’t be possible. We’d all been capped at 60 for years, no matter how many portals we cleared or how many of these dungeons we dived into. It was like the System was taunting us. And "inactive"? We’d never seen a gateway locked down before. It was as if the whole thing was waiting for something, waiting for us.


    “What the hell?” Ryan’s voice was low, almost a whisper, as he leaned in to read the message over my shoulder. “Level 64? How is that even a thing?” He sounded pissed, but also kind of excited, the dumbass.


    “I don’t know,” Zoe said, shaking her head. “We’ve cleared dozens of portals back in Sol. Level 60 was always the ceiling. Now we’re suddenly looking at a cap of what, 76?” She glanced at me, her brow furrowed, her dreadlocks swaying. “This doesn’t make sense.”


    “Maybe this is a glitch,” Danny said, but there was no conviction in his voice. He sounded like he didn''t even believe it himself. “Or some kind of... special event? A one-off?”


    “Or maybe it’s a trap,” Joey muttered, his eyes dark with unease. “We’ve never seen a closed portal before. What if it’s locked because it’s not meant to be opened?”


    Ryan crossed his arms. “Or it’s locked because it’s the trigger. Come on, guys. This could be it, exactly what we’ve been looking for. Something bigger. If there’s a chance to level past 60, we need to take it.” He was practically vibrating with anticipation, the idiot. Didn''t he get it? This was dangerous.


    “Is it though?” asked Emily, who had been watching the exchange quietly and was finally stepping forward. “It could also be the opposite,” she said, her tone deliberate. “Think about it. We’ve been on this planet for four days, and we haven’t seen a single hostile. If this portal’s inactive, what if that means the whole system is dormant? What if... by activating it, we’re waking everything up?” She looked at me, then the rest of the crew, letting her words hang in the air. “Do we really want to be the ones to trigger that?”


    It made a kind of fucked-up sense, didn’t it? The silence, the stillness... it wasn’t natural, not for a planet tied to the System. Back in Sol, we dealt with constant mobs, portals churning out threats like clockwork. There was always something to fight, something to fix. But here? It was like the world was holding its breath, waiting. Waiting for someone, us, to make the first move.


    Her green eyes, fuck, those green eyes, they always hit me like a punch to the chest, locked onto mine, sharp and unrelenting. It wasn’t just a question; it was a challenge, a plea for sanity in a situation that made none. She didn’t look away, like she was waiting for me to pull some kind of brilliant answer out of thin air. Spoiler: I didn’t have one. "Do we really want to be the ones to trigger that?" she asked, her tone softer now.


    "You''re saying we could activate this, and suddenly the whole system goes live?" Joey asked, his voice quiet but steady. "That''s a hell of a risk."


    "Maybe," Emily said, still holding my hand. God, that felt good, but she was still pushing for caution. "Or maybe nothing happens. But if we’re wrong... this could make Sol look like a playground."


    Zoe stepped forward, hands on her hips, goddamn, that woman had curves in all the right places, looking like she was ready to take on the world. "But if it is dormant, and we don’t check it out, someone else will. And if this is how the system starts, then it’s going to happen sooner or later. Might as well be us, right? We’re the ones who’ve been grinding for this."


    My head was spinning. Ryan was right, we’d been stuck at level 60 for too fucking long, itching for something new, something to break this endless fucking cycle. But Emily’s words were like a damn alarm bell in my head. If we lit this thing up, and it triggered something across the whole system... were we ready? Could we handle that shit? I love Emily, I really do, but this is what we came here for, this is what I came here for.


    I looked at them all. They were all staring at me, waiting. Fucking always me. The pressure was crushing, but I couldn’t show it. They needed me to be the guy with the answers, even when I didn’t have a fucking clue. Emily’s hand tightened around mine for just a second.


    "If we do this," I said slowly, "we do it carefully. We don’t just dive in blind. We’re not here to set off a chain reaction we can’t control."


    Emily’s expression softened a little, but her eyes, they were still worried. "And if it does activate more than just this portal?"


    "Then we adapt," I said, meeting her gaze. "We’ve been through worse, and we’re still here. Whatever happens, we deal with it."


    Ryan grinned like a goddamn maniac. "Hell yeah, we do. Let’s crack this thing open."


    I adjusted the strap on my rifle, rolling my shoulders. The armor was all tight, sleek, and weightless. I barely felt it. Meanwhile, Ryan looked like he was prepping for an entire goddamn war.


    “Jesus, Ryan,” I said, eyeing the turret strapped to his back, the grenades bouncing off his belt, the extra energy cells wedged into every available pocket. “You bringing the whole armory with you, or do you just like looking like a walking tank?”


    Ryan grunted, shifting under the weight. “Some of us actually come prepared, noodle boy. Not all of us can prance around in spandex armor and pretend we’re untouchable.”


    "Hey!" Emily interrupted. "He''s not all noodle."


    I smirked, stretching out one leg like I was about to run a marathon. “Jealous?”


    Ryan scoffed. “Yeah, sure. I’d love to be one energy bolt away from streaking through a dungeon.”


    Emily snorted.


    Zoe, not missing a beat, cocked her head, eyes twinkling. “Would be a real shame if something happened to that suit, huh?”


    I flipped her off.


    “Seriously though,” I said, nudging one of the two tank mines strapped to Ryan’s thigh. “Do you really need all this crap?”


    Ryan gave me a flat look. “Let’s see... a turret that keeps us from getting swarmed, grenades to clear tunnels, a recharger because, oh yeah, I actually use energy cells like a normal person, and a fucking Arcwave Disruptor that just saved your ass last time.” He patted the bulky pack on his hip. “Yeah, I think I’ll keep it.”


    I shook my head, grinning. “You’re gonna throw your back out before we even make it to the first fight.”


    “Yeah?” Ryan shot back, grinning now too. “And you’re gonna get flattened by the first thing that sneezes on you.”


    Emily, ever the mediator, sighed. “Can you two flirt later? We’ve got a job to do.”


    I held up my hands. “Fine, fine. Just making sure our engineer doesn’t collapse under his own loadout.”


    Ryan cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders. “Don’t worry about me, Cap. Just keep looking pretty in your rubber suit, and let the real soldiers handle the heavy lifting.”


    I grinned. “I’ll remember that when you need me to save your ass. Again.”


    Turning back to the display, I focused over the "Activate" option. My heart hammered like a fucking drum solo. Emily’s hand slipped away, but not before one last squeeze. It was like she was saying, Don’t fuck this up. "We’re explorers," I said, mostly to myself. "And this is what we do."


    The portal shuddered. A low hum vibrated through the ground. The dark energy started swirling, getting brighter, spinning faster. The air felt... electric. Like something was about to pop off.


    "We’re going in,” I said.