Global Awakening: Infinite Gift Pack System-Chapter 102: Noticed by the Enemy

About an hour ago, Kai and Atom had also begun their search for the Gene Trader.

They moved steadily north, leaving Haven‑45 Shelter behind.

Atom, the Sentinel, walked at Kai’s side so it could easily protect him if necessary.

The first stretch was open ground. There were rusted vehicle frames lying half-buried in the soil, stripped long ago by scavengers.

Kai stopped at each wreck, checking for footprints or discarded supplies or any other traces of people, but found nothing.

During this time, Atom just followed silently with its sensors scanning the area as it waited for orders.

After half an hour, the terrain shifted. They reached the outskirts of what had once been a small settlement.

The buildings weren’t intact anymore.

Most were collapsed houses, their walls were scorched, and roofs caved in.

"This..." Kai was then surprised to see missile craters that were everywhere in the streets. Needless to say, the pavement had also been shattered, showing where explosions had torn through.

Then Kai noticed bullet holes riddling large sections of the walls.

A few minutes later, he came across a long, scorched line carved into the road. It was the unmistakable mark of laser fire cutting across the surface.

Everywhere they looked, the signs were clear... This place hadn’t been abandoned peacefully. It had been destroyed.

Kai stepped through the remains of a workshop, kicking aside broken tools and shattered glass. There were no tracks or signs of life at all.

"Gene Trader... Where are you?~" Kai muttered as if the Trader would show up if he started calling for him.

In any case, they moved deeper, passing a row of ruined storefronts. The signs were faded, letters barely visible.

Inside, shelves were overturned, and they were all stripped bare. Kai crouched, brushing dust from the floor.

There were no footprints or any trail... It means that there was no need to further explore the building since the Gene Trader should not be here.

Another thirty minutes passed as they searched. They checked a burned-out gas station, a collapsed warehouse, and even the frame or husk of an old bus left on the roadside. Each stop turned up nothing but silence...

The frustration built in Kai’s chest. He had hoped for at least a clue, but this place was actually very desolate. There weren’t even any enemies or Mechanical Soldier lurking around!

"Ahh... Is that—"

Kai suddenly noticed smoke. A dark column of smoke rose in the distance, and it was thicker than cooking fires and too heavy to be anything but destruction. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Kai knew that there was a huge battle going on right now!

"Let’s move," he muttered.

They then moved forward until the smoke came into view.

A shelter that was probably previously a prison stood in the distance...

At this point, its walls were badly damaged and only patched with scrap metal and sandbags. But it was under siege.

A Field Tyrant, towering six meters tall, was pummeling a few survivors in front!

Its massive limbs smashed barricades, each strike shaking the ground.

What was even more terrifying was the flamethrowers mounted on its shoulders that could burn through their fortifications...

Whoosh~

Then the flamethrowers roared.

Twin nozzles mounted on its arms spewed torrents of fire, washing over the barricades and igniting everything in their path.

Sandbags burst into flame, wooden supports collapsed, and the defenders inside scrambled to avoid the inferno.

Kai knew that this would be very difficult to survive unless that shelter had several Survivors with high-grade combat talent... or perhaps, they had a trump card like Atom that could fight against it.

Soon, he heard survivors shouting from behind the walls, firing desperately through gaps, but their bullets sparked uselessly against the Tyrant’s armor.

Some were even using bows and arrows, but the machine just advanced step by step with its flames sweeping across the fortifications, reducing them to ash.

Just like that, the surroundings were filled with charred debris that littered the ground.

The shelter wasn’t just being attacked, it was being burned alive!

Kai crouched as he studied the battlefield. He had fought two Tyrants already, but this was the first time he’d seen a mounted flamethrower...

He then glanced at Atom.

The Sentinel noticed this, but it was just motionless, waiting for orders.

Kai wryly smiled as he turned his attention back to the battlefield.

"We spent an hour without getting good news. I guess this is the sign to help them."

Well, he was also thinking that this shelter might have information about the Gene Trader. So it might be better to get involved.

Boom!

Suddenly, the Tyrant unleashed another blast of fire, sweeping across the barricades.

A section of the wall collapsed inward as the hot flames started consuming the supports. After a few moments, survivors scrambled out while coughing through the smoke.

Then, it was at this point that two survivors burst from the shelter’s ruined entrance and each of them was wielding a heavy sword.

Their armor was mismatched, but that didn’t matter at all! They moved like some sort of Heavy Knights!

One charged straight at the Tyrant, swinging his sword against its armored leg.

Bang!

Sparks flew as steel scraped metal, forcing the machine to shift its stance.

The other survivor dodged to the side while slashing at exposed joints of the Tyrant, before rolling out as the flamethrower spewed fire!

It looked inelegant moving like that, but they both dented the Field Tyrant. It was not enough, but they had done something.

The Tyrant retaliated, sweeping its massive arm to knock them back, but the pair didn’t back down!

Their blades struck again and again, not enough to pierce the plating, but enough to slow its advance and draw its attention away from the shelter!

Kai crouched lower, watching their desperate stand.

He knew they couldn’t hold out for long, but their courage bought precious seconds.

Then, he glanced at Atom standing ready beside him, waiting for his command.

"Not yet..." He muttered.

Then, Kai’s radio suddenly came alive with its static breaking through the silence.

Russell’s voice came through urgently, "Kai! We found him. The Gene Trader... he’s here!"

"Nice..." He was relieved that they finally found the Gene Trader... But before he could properly respond and ask about the whereabouts, the radio’s noise had actually been carried across the battlefield.

Because of that, they were noticed by the Field Tyrant!