Kai didn't want to collapse another tunnel. He felt that it was too early and there were too few enemy units. It was not worth it!
There must be another way…
Then, as Kai was trying hard to come up with a plan to deal with this, Victor appeared, clutching one of the salvaged Plasma Rifles.
His face was pale, but his eyes were filled with resolve.
"I managed to charge it," he said quickly. "Well… I swapped the energy cell. It's unstable, but it should fire three times."
Kai's eyes widened. "Three shots?"
Victor nodded. "No more. Use them wisely."
Without hesitation, Kai handed the weapon to Ralph. "You're the best shot we have. Sharpshooter's Focus…make it count."
Ralph swallowed hard, gripping the heavy rifle. He didn't have time to think as the enemies were coming.
He crouched behind the smoke and steadied his breathing…
'I can do this…' Ralph reminded himself.
The closest black-plated Sentinel stepped forward with its shield raised, and sword ready…
At this time, Russel and the others didn't stop shooting at them, hoping that it would slow the enemy units.
Even if it wasn't working, it was still forcing the black Sentinels to raise their shields!
Soon, Ralph exhaled.
Focus.
Then soon, he found the perfect opportunity…
Bam!
The Plasma Rifle fired, and a beam of energy sliced through the haze. It perfectly struck the machine's head!
Sparks erupted, and the black Sentinel stopped moving for a moment… Its head was heavily damaged!
"Yes! It's damaged!" Ralph shouted.
He raised the rifle again, ready to fire a second shot, but Kai's hand gripped his shoulder.
"Stop. You only have two more chances. That one's already weakened. Don't waste it."
Kai drew his revolver and gave his command... "We finish it now."
Soon, several shots were fired, and the damaged black Sentinel could no longer raise its shield.
As soon as they emptied their revolver's chambers, Kai charged forward and pulled out another revolver and got closer to the black Sentinel!
He actually fired at point-blank range while the two other black Sentinels were slowed by the fire pit!
The bullet struck, piercing through the scorched plating.
The machine finally slowed to a complete halt as sparks started flying wildly.
Then, with a final shudder, it collapsed onto the garbage field.
A notification flashed before Kai's eyes:
[ Enemy Unit Destroyed: Sentinel (C) ]
[ Experience Points distributed among all participants. ]
[ +500 Experience Points ]
Kai froze, stunned. Rank C…?
The others stared at him, wide-eyed.
They also got the notification.
"One down! Haha! Finally!"
"We did it! Good job, Ralph! Let's eliminate the last two!"
"Continue firing! Let him get an opportunity to shoot their heads!"
The group immediately felt elated after seeing their successful destruction of the enemy unit.
However, Kai received another notification for getting the last hit!
[ Congratulations! You are the first to eliminate a C-Grade enemy unit! ]
[ You have received a Skill Point, a Survivor's Medal, and a Random Gift Pack. ]
[ Note: Only the first eliminations of C-Grade and higher grade enemy units can provide additional rewards. ]
This was no ordinary Sentinel. It was stronger, faster, and more resilient. And yet, they had managed to bring it down!
Kai wanted to celebrate a bit after seeing this, but the garbage field trembled as the remaining two black Sentinels advanced!
Their shields locked together in formation! Unlike the fallen one, these two decided to stick together.
They adapted to their tactics and moved faster.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Russel and the others kept firing with their revolvers from the smoke, but sparks bounced harmlessly off their shields. Still, the constant barrage forced the machines to keep their defenses raised, slowing their approach.
Kai shouted. "Keep the pressure! Ralph, save those last two shots for openings!"
Ralph nodded as he was already waiting for a chance.
Soon, the second Sentinel attacked Wallace, who had gotten closer, but this was all part of his plan. He was only baiting himself!
Suddenly, he charged in his Swift Stride, aiming for the leg joint.
Thud!
His hatchet struck, but the shield slammed down in retaliation, forcing him back.
Ralph steadied the Plasma Rifle… He waited, patient, until the Sentinel shifted its shield just slightly to strike.
Bam!
The beam tore through the smoke, hitting the chest.
'Good job, Wallace…' Ralph thought as he knew that the opportunity was created by Wallace's distraction.
The internal circuits within the C-Grade Sentinel were fried from that shot, and the machine staggered.
Then, Kai seized the moment and shot at them!
Wallace and the others followed… Together, they overwhelmed the weakened Sentinel until it collapsed.
[ +500 Experience Points ]
Only one remained.
This last Sentinel moved differently, clearly aware of their attack patterns.
"It's learning from the others…"
Kai frowned.
Adaptive programming from a C-Rank... That made it even more dangerous.
Still, with everyone working together against a single Sentinel, Ralph easily found an opening.
Bam!
The beam struck, piercing the optic of the enemy.
"Good… Finish it!" Kai ordered.
In just a few moments, they received another notification.
[ +500 Experience Points ]
As soon as they confirmed they've won, Victor and Wallace wasted no time. After all, they didn't know if there were other Sentinels marching here.
They pried open the chest cavities of the fallen machines, searching for anything unusual. Unlike the D‑Grade Sentinels, they soon realized that their cores were different. They weren't using some energy cells, but something entirely different!
A new notification appeared before Kai's eyes…
[ Congratulations! You have discovered: Sentinel Energy Core (C) ]
[ Origin: Not from the A.I. Rebel forces of this world, but from the A.I. Civilization that seeded and influenced its artificial intelligences. ]
[ Description: A condensed energy source harvested from a C‑Grade Mechanical Soldier. Unlike ordinary Energy Cells, this core also contains energy that can push organic hosts beyond their natural limits. ]
[ Requirement: Can only be absorbed by Survivors with Physique Rating of E+ or higher. ]
[ Effect: Upon absorption, the Energy Core will permanently enhance the host's body, unlocking the potential to surpass human limits and break through the Level 5 bottleneck. ]
[ Warning: Absorption is irreversible. Failure to meet requirements may result in fatal overload. ]