Bloodsteel Horizon
Episode 7 — Kill Zone
Current Level: 70
Evolutions: 1 / 150
Mods: Target Lock Mk. I, Overcharge Burst, Precision Strike, Rift Breaker Rounds
Currency: $79,000
Drop Zone
Kael barely had time to clean the blood from his guns before the next Rift opened. This one wasn't like the others — it tore wider, glowing with violent crimson light.
His HUD pinged multiple incoming signals.
HOSTILE COUNT: 24+
WORLD TIER: 3 (Hunter Squadron Deployment)
They came like a storm — armored figures dropping from the Rift in staggered formations, each hitting the steel ground in a crouch before fanning out into attack lines. They bore the marks of different clans: some cybernetic, some magic-imbued, all elite.
The Hunter Net wanted him dead so badly, they were sending a squadron.
Kael spun his barrels once, the metallic hum settling into his bones. "Alright," he muttered. "Let's see how many you brought to die."
First Engagement — Vanguard
The front line charged — six hunters in heavy assault armor, each wielding mag-hammers designed to shatter Rift beast hides.
LVL 71 — Vanguard Squad (6)
Kael's Target Lock painted a web of weak points, and he didn't waste time. He danced between their hammer swings, Precision Strike making each burst hit harder.
Two went down with Overcharge Bursts to the chest. The third lost an arm to Rift Breaker fire before Kael kicked him into a pillar hard enough to break his neck. The last three tried to flank him — but Kael pivoted, firing in controlled arcs that punched through their helmets.
LEVEL UP!
Current Level: 73
Second Engagement — Shadow Cutters
Four cloaked figures phased into view, moving with impossible speed. Energy daggers flickered in their hands, their movements designed for throat and spine kills.
LVL 74 — Shadow Cutters (4)
They were hard to track — until Kael switched fully to Target Lock predictive mode. His guns moved before his body did, following the AI's projection of where they'd be in the next second.
Three short bursts, each ending in a spray of blood. The fourth tried to vanish into the shadows — Kael didn't even turn, just angled his left-hand gun backward and fired once.
The cloak fell, revealing a corpse.
LEVEL UP!
Current Level: 76
Third Engagement — Rift Bombers
Three hunters in reinforced flight rigs circled overhead, dropping Rift grenades designed to collapse terrain.
LVL 77 — Rift Bombers (3)
Kael sprinted along the steel terrain, timing each explosion to leap just ahead of the shockwaves. He let his guns track independently — right barrel shooting the grenades mid-air, left barrel punching holes in their flight rigs.
The first fell into the blast of his own grenade. The second spun out of control after Kael shredded his thrusters. The third tried to escape into the Rift — Kael's Overcharge Burst tore him out of the sky.
LEVEL UP!
Current Level: 79
Fourth Engagement — Wraith Spear
The ground split open as a single hunter emerged, wielding a spear of crystallized Rift energy that could pierce anything.
LVL 80 — Wraith Spear (1)
He was faster than the rest, his spear leaving arcs of light in the air. Kael couldn't dodge forever — so he didn't try. He baited a thrust, catching the shaft between both guns. The impact shuddered through his arms, but it gave him the angle.
Two Rift Breaker Rounds straight into his chest ended it.
LEVEL UP!
Current Level: 82
Fifth Engagement — Titan Enforcer
A ten-foot cyborg stomped into view, each arm a rotary cannon spinning to life.
LVL 83 — Titan Enforcer (1)
The firestorm that erupted was deafening. Kael dropped low, sliding across the steel floor, rounds cutting the air above his head. He rolled, firing up into the Enforcer's torso until the armor peeled away.
A final Overcharge Burst cored his reactor, the explosion lighting up the Wilds.
LEVEL UP!
Current Level: 85
Sixth Engagement — Final Sweep
The remaining nine hunters regrouped, forming a tight semi-circle around him. They moved like a single organism — some firing suppressive rounds, others advancing with melee weapons.
Kael's breathing slowed. His vision tunneled. The steel forest became a kill map in his mind.
He didn't just move. He flowed.
Every squeeze of the trigger was deliberate — a headshot here, a disabling shot to the knee there, then spinning to catch the one who thought he'd found Kael's blind spot.
The last hunter standing tried to flee. Kael didn't chase — he aimed, fired once, and watched the body crumple before it could reach the Rift.
LEVEL UP!
Current Level: 88
Aftermath & Unlock
The Steel Wilds were painted in bodies and smoke. Kael's HUD scrolled:
Levels Gained: +18 (6 fights)
Current Level: 88
Evolutions: 1 / 150
Currency Earned: $21,000
Total Funds: $100,000
Before the level tracker cleared, another alert appeared.
SYSTEM NOTICE: Combat Efficiency Threshold Surpassed
New Ability Unlocked — Unlimited Power Tier I
UNLIMITED POWER — Bulletstorm Core
• Personal Stat Boost: Damage Output +50%, Firing Speed +200%, Agility +25% permanently.
• Special Effect: No magazine limit for 15 seconds once per fight.
• Integration: Synergizes with Target Lock & Overcharge Burst.
Kael's guns pulsed with a constant low growl, their barrels now faintly steaming even at rest.
He flexed his fingers, feeling how much faster they moved. How much lighter his body felt.
The next Rift opened.
He didn't wait for it to finish forming — he walked into it, both guns already spinning.