Over a dozen police cars screeched to a halt along the street, kicking up thick clouds of dust as their engines roared to a stop. The atmosphere was charged with tension.
A large group of heavily armed officers jumped out of the vehicles in unison. Clad in blue uniforms and armed with black rifles, they quickly surrounded the rampaging Four Arms.
These were San Francisco's elite law enforcement officers—stronger and better equipped than most city forces, true veterans of the field.
Their captain, a middle-aged man with blond hair and green eyes, bore faint wrinkles on his face, but his gaze was sharp and merciless as it locked onto the alien creature in the distance.
"All units, fire at will!"
The captain raised his hand and gave a sharp wave, ordering the attack without a hint of hesitation. To him, whether it was a gunman or an alien monster, anything posing a serious threat to civilians had to be eliminated.
"Yes, sir!" the officers responded in unison, raising their rifles and taking aim at Four Arms.
"Wait—!" Gwen shouted, but she was a moment too late.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
A barrage of bullets exploded like a violent storm, forming a deadly steel tempest that engulfed Four Arms completely.
Yet the bullets did nothing. They bounced off his crimson skin without leaving a mark, falling uselessly to the pavement with metallic clinks. It was as if they'd struck a wall of iron.
"What?! That's impossible!" The captain's eyes widened in disbelief.
Too strong—he was actually immune to bullets! What kind of physical power was that?
He had faced aliens before, but never one as overwhelmingly powerful as this.
Four Arms roared, enduring the hail of bullets without a scratch. With immense strength, he lifted the entire kiosk and hurled it with terrifying force toward the police.
"Move!" the captain shouted, twisting his body to dodge aside.
Dozens of officers dropped their rifles and scrambled for cover, barely escaping as the massive metal structure hurtled toward them.
BOOM!
The kiosk slammed into the street with a deafening crash, sending out a shockwave that split the ground into spiderweb-like cracks. Upon impact, it shattered apart, scattering jagged shards of metal through the air—straight toward Gwen.
"Get out of the way, Gwen!"
Grandpa Max shouted, throwing himself forward with all his strength, his old body straining to protect her.
But he was too late. No matter how fast he moved, he couldn't beat the flying shards.
Just as one razor-sharp piece was about to slash across Gwen's neck, a green hand shot out and caught it effortlessly.
"Cuz..." Gwen's voice trembled as she looked up, stunned.
The figure was tall and lean, his skin a deep green that gave off a faint swampy odor.
But to Gwen, that back seemed impossibly tall and heroic—because he had just saved her.
Swampfire ignited flames from his hand, enveloping the metal shard. It melted into a puddle of molten iron, which he flicked aside casually. The molten drops sizzled as they hit the ground.
"Gwen, are you okay?"
Grandpa Max rushed over, his face filled with worry as he carefully checked her condition.
"Grandpa, I'm fine. Thankfully, Lucian blocked the metal shard for me," Gwen said softly.
"This place is dangerous. Grandpa, take Gwen and get her out of here," Swampfire said, turning toward him.
"Alright! Be careful, Lucian."
With that, Grandpa Max guided Gwen toward the entrance of a nearby shop, watching anxiously from a distance.
"That doofus—what got into him? I almost died back there," Gwen fumed, glaring at the still-raging Four Arms.
"I'm sure he has a good explanation," Grandpa Max said grimly, though his dark expression betrayed his anger.
The street was in chaos. Countless security officers had been beaten down by Four Arms, lying sprawled across the ground, groaning in pain.
The massive alien grabbed the bruised and bloodied security captain by the collar. His eyes gleamed with mockery as he burst into wild laughter.
"Is this San Francisco's security force? Pathetic! You're all useless!"
The captain gritted his teeth, blood trickling from his lips. Though fury burned in his eyes, he didn't dare speak.
Seeing that look of helpless pain only made Four Arms laugh harder. The sight filled him with cruel satisfaction.
This was what he wanted—to see fear and despair. Otherwise, he would've killed these weaklings already. Not one of them could take a single punch from him.
"What... do you want?" the captain roared hoarsely, a deep sense of powerlessness rising inside him.
"Enough." Four Arms shrugged, his tone mocking. Clenching his massive fist, he sneered, "Let me send you to the afterlife!"
[Alien Hacker Mission Triggered]
[Rescue the San Francisco Security Captain]
[Mission Reward: Random Enhancement Effect]
Whoosh!
Four Arms' blood-red fist, like a massive hammer, came crashing toward the captain's chest.
At the last instant, a deep green figure appeared beside him, gripping Four Arms' wrist with unyielding strength.
Four Arms froze, then snarled, "Who the hell are you, ruining my fun?"
"Your old man."
Swampfire threw a solid punch straight into his opponent's face, sending him flying through the air and crashing into a convenience store with a thunderous impact.
Caught off guard, Four Arms couldn't withstand the blow. Swampfire's power was no joke—he was strong enough to topple a tower if he wanted to.
The captain lay on the ground, eyes wide in disbelief as he stared at the green figure. "You... you're an alien too! Why are there so many aliens all of a sudden?"
Swampfire didn't answer. He waved a hand dismissively, his tone cold. "If you don't want to die, then leave—now."
The captain clenched his fists and, with great effort, pushed himself up. Staggering on unsteady legs, he moved toward his wounded team members, checking their condition while urgently calling for backup. He could only hope reinforcements would arrive soon to help them deal with these alien monsters.
Swampfire paid him no mind. His attention was locked on the enemy before him—because the counterattack was about to begin.
[Mission Complete: Captain Rescued]
[Swampfire's Physical Flexibility +10%, Flame Power +5%]
A mechanical chime echoed in Lucian's mind.
Crash!
Four Arms tore through the debris, shaking glass shards off his body. With a powerful kick, he launched himself out of the convenience store, landing in front of Swampfire.
Rage burned in his eyes—he wanted nothing more than to rip his opponent to shreds.
"You're Kevin Levin?" Swampfire raised his palm, aiming it at the furious Four Arms.
A faint, icy gleam flickered in Four Arms' eyes before disappearing. Then his gaze shifted toward Swampfire's chest.
"I see..." Four Arms smirked coldly.
He knew who this was. The last time they met, the guy had appeared in a different form—no wonder he hadn't recognized him right away.
When Swampfire didn't respond, he simply raised his arm and unleashed a torrent of blazing flames. They roared forward like a dragon of fire, surging straight toward Four Arms...
...
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