Chapter 20: 18 Multiple Bullet Wounds
He leapt behind a piece of concrete rubble and changed the empty mag with the spare one from his waist inventory slot.
And with the RM Sensor's visual-assist, Nuel aimed at the two targets and pulled the trigger on them.
Level 2 Necrobiote Hounder's [ HP ] -64 (Piercing!).
Level 2 Necrobiote Hounder's [ HP ] -72 (Critical!).
Level 3 Necrobiote Sentry's [ HP ] -96 (Piercing!).
Level 3 Necrobiote Sentry's [ HP ] -56 (Critical!).
The two zombie-bots had the typical, very low [ RES ] stat, thus they were easily shredded into minces of rotten meats and rusty metal parts.
「 F**king. EPIC!!! 」
Ding!
_____
You have neutralised a .
You have received +2.38.
You have received +2.
You have neutralised a .
You have received +3.57.
You have received +3.
_____
"Phew..."
「 Tad a bit harder than I thought! I've used up three-quarters of ammos on this Eisa, and I only got to down four...my Accuracy stat is just that worse... 」
The exosuit's smokescreen ability had just reached the end of its duration, but the thick hot smog lingered still in the chilly winds.
He trotted towards the four shredded corpses with a single LED torchlight mounted at his helmet and began looting them under its bright light.
Ding!
_____
You have obtained × 11.
You have obtained × 6.
You have obtained × 4.
You have obtained × 2.
You have obtained × 2.
_____
Nuel's [ HP ] -1 (Small Bullet Wound!).
He ignored the throbbings of his injured right shoulder as he stored all of the looted items into Schwei's rig.
Meanwhile, a hundred meters southeast, in the middle of a wide, open clearing, he could see the landing, its surrounding bright with the few floodlights at its front and rear.
The mobile base had just began hunkering down against a high-walled building - supposedly, an Administration's garrison fortification, which was also neighbouring the brilliantly shining .
The , similar to several other outposts that existed within the field zones of the , was a non-Administration's paramilitary installation.
Instead it belonged to the faction, and lore-wise speaking, it was erected during the establishment of .
Compared to the petty Administration's fort beside it, was a well-protected militarist compound with an intact Old World building at its centre acting as the command post; the building was so old, it even maintained its original faded cream-coloured walls and original glass windows.
The building had eleven floors, with the top being where the was placed and operated.
Surrounding the compound were four watchtowers, each housing Estama's sentry guards and an engineering room - which stored the , as to extend the range of the barrier of light around the outpost.
The hyperlight barrier only worked against the Umbrals though, so concrete walls, barbed wires and pillboxes were also erected around the outpost to protect against other monsters, such as-
「 -these f**king zombie-bots. I guess I have to use the gunlance instead from now on... 」
Nuel had pulled up his [ Character Status ] screen and unequipped the clipless from there.
Ding!
_____
You have unequipped .
Your [ Initiative Chance ] stat has returned to normal.
Your [ Crit.Proc ] stat against and targets has returned to normal.
_____
Then he scrolled through his inventory before selecting and equipping a two-and-a-half meters long weapon - it was the medium-class he had crafted in the prior to his incredulous escape through the exhaust duct.
It was spear-like, with a bladed-edge along one of its side with an odd contraption attached to its 'hilt' - a , a more modern iteration than the batteries he scavenged from the .
Ding!
_____
You have equipped as your [ Main Weapon ].
You have gained the .
You have gained the .
Your melee [ DMG ] against and <Robotic targets has increased greatly.
Your [ Crit.Proc ] against and targets has risen significantly.
_____
Nuel pulled up his [ Character Status ] screen and checked the [ Mission ] tab.
_____
[ Crisis Mission : The Flood ] (ongoing):
Progress :
i) Combat contribution : 0 >> 10
ii) Medical contribution : 0
iii) Logistic contribution : 0
Rewards :
• Bonus +0.02 per .
• × 1.
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Suddenly, multiple explosions and heavy gunshots could be heard coming to his direction from the east.
「 Oh, f**k the zombies! 」
Nuel immediately sped off towards another broken building further ahead, as he rushed his way towards .
The exosuit's +5% [ Movement Speed ] and his activated Delusory Shroud ability, really helped him slipping from cover to cover unnoticed, but then all of a sudden, large-caliber shells volleyed at his direction.
Nuel's [ Initiative ] was triggered, but the bullets were too many and hit him.
Nuel's [ HP ] -9.1 (Piercing!).
Nuel's [ HP ] - 4.5 (Glancing!).
Nuel's [ HP ] -8.9 (Piercing!).
"F**K!!"
Despite his Precognition ability, he could not evade all of the shells - some impacted at his Schwei exosuit and chipped off its armour durability, some went through between the gaps of the exosuit's armour and tore into his flesh underneath directly, though most, however, were just either glancing shots or near-misses entirely.
「 This was like before that huge-ass 5 gig update patch in 2016, the aim of these mobs are so OP...! 」
Ding!
_____
You have been critically hit with several bullets.
Your previous have worsened into the .
The has been triggered.
Your [ Immunity ] stat has been improved noticeably.
You have failed to resist the .
Your [ Max.HP ] is reduced by 10% until treated.
Your [ HP ] will decrease by 3 every 5 seconds for 12 hours until treated.
If remain untreated in the next 12 hours, will develop.
_____
Nuel's [ Psion ] -2.5.
Nuel's [ HP ] -3 (Multiple Bullet Wounds!).
Nuel's [ Stamina ] -1.8.
He gritted his teeth and slid sideways to take cover behind some broken walls, the torchlight on his helmet was decisively switched OFF, devouring him and his surroundings into darkness.
「 F**k, damn it, I can't regen my HP with a DoT on...this current HP, I only got around three minutes plus to reach Estama...? 」
「 ...and considering my small Stamina, I only have thirty-three steps before I'd dry out...meaning I need to rest and recharge my Stamina about every sixty-six meters, which would be a thirty seconds rest... 」
「 ...this character really f**king sucks- 」
Heavy gunfire quickly interrupted his train of thoughts.
Three Necrobiotes were found ten meters behind him, apparently they came out from the alley between the demolished buildings to his left.
Nuel's [ Psion ] -2.5.
These newcomer Necrobiotes were different than the first four he downed earlier, they were dragging their two-to-three meters tall, rotten fleshes fused with corroded exoskeletal frames of unknown alloys attached with a few firearms of some sort, forming into hideous, asymmetrical creatures, half-biological and half-machine; their weapons' muzzles seething with heat and smokes, aiming at his hiding spot.
「 ...a Zombie, two Shamblers and one Rusted Dead, huh... 」
He glanced at his [ Stamina ] for a bit more, he could not afford to waste any more passing seconds.
The group of three zombie-bots crept their way closer, while mercilessly continuing their suppression-fire at the broken concrete walls he was hiding at.
His veteran gaming instincts was already kicking in.
A certain plan was formulated in his mind.
「 ...just like in the game...! 」
He activated the exosuit's for a second time, complemented with both of his psionic abilties.
Nuel's [ Psion ] -2.5.
Nuel's [ HP ] -3 (Multiple Bullet Wounds!).
Thick, boiling smog pumped out at high velocity from the two vents of the exosuit's specialised module as the single sensor at the helmet fired up.
Then, taking a deep breath, Nuel sprang from behind the concrete and immediately charged towards the three Necrobiotes fifteen meters away, his silhoutte wielding the medium-class in two hands was obscured completely within the viscid smokescreen.
On the other hand, the three Necrobiotes, although failing to detect the target despite their various optical and heat sensors, did not rest their large guns and began firing more relentlessly at his last-known-confirmed-visual location - the concrete rubble!
Nuel was hit with two or three more stray shells, worsening the condition of his already-injured body!
Nuel's [ HP ] -5.7 (Piercing!).
Nuel's [ HP ] -2 (Glancing!).
Nuel's [ HP ] -6.4 (Piercing!).
Ding!
_____
You have been inflicted with .
Your [ Max.HP ] is decreased by 10% until treated.
Your [ HP ] will decrease by 1 every second for 10 hours until treated.
If remain untreated in the next 1 hour, will develop.
_____
「 ARRGGHH!!! F**K, they got my chest! 」
Nuel staggered for a few steps before he stabilised himself and resumed on the counteroffensive.
He needed to end it quick, and he needed to end it now!
Ten meters away.
Nine meters.
Eight.
Nuel's [ HP ] -1 (Haemorrhage!).
Seven.
Six.
Nuel's [ HP ] -1 (Haemorrhage!).
Five meters.
Four meters left.
Nuel's [ HP ] -1 (Haemorrhage!).
Three meters.
「 ...NOW!!! 」
.
.
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====================
Author's Post-Script :
Nuel's handmade weapon!!! ~~~
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[ MAIN WEAPON ]
-----Inspired from the design of the Old World's stun baton - the - this bladed, high-energy-discharging melee gunlance is a menace to both organic and robotic lifeforms. The is an original design by Nuel Calibre.-----
Weight : 2.6 kg || Grade : Unique
DMG : 22 (bladed, electrical)
Eff. Range : Melee || Two-Handed
Stamina Cost : 2
Durability : 198/198
Effect(s) :
• Grants : Deals [ Total Melee.DMG ] by × 2.5 and have +20% Chance to proc against all , and targets. | Cooldown : 10s | Stamina Cost : 7 | Durability Cost : 3.
• Grants : Create a lightning field emanating from the weapon's tip to the area around the user which has a random chance to cause electrical damage to any , and targets within the AoE. | AoE : 4m | DMG : 70 per strike (electrical) | Strike Chance : 30% | Channeling Time : 20s | Cooldown : 200s | Stamina Cost : 1/s | Durability Cost : 70.
• +29.8% Damage against , and targets.
Additional :
• deals DoT = 2.2 /s for 2s.
• [ Item Stats ] +10% due to .
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[ MISC ]
-----Unlike a conventional gunlance, which is a ranged firearm, the is designed specifically as a melee weapon. And instead of bullets, it fires high-energy electrical discharges. This is an original design by Nuel Calibre.-----
Type : Blueprint | Data
Grade : Unique
Knowledge Prequisite :
• Electronic : Tier 1 or higher
• Machinery : Tier 1 or higher
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone