Intergalactic conquest with an AI-Chapter 418: The enemy within. {6}

[Warning: Structural integrity compromised]

[Power reserves critical...]

[System fault detected... reboot sequence initializing...]

[Error... manual override received... reboot sequence cancelled]

The bot maid staggered, holding onto a support beam as her systems flickered. Small trails of smoke escaped from her joints, and sparks crackled along the broken seams of her frame. Her golden lights dimmed briefly but did not go out.

She was still standing... still guarding her lady... still fighting.

"Since the enemy has been taken care of, I need to return to the lady at once," the bot maid said, her voice remaining soft but firm despite her battered condition.

Her golden eyes flickered dimly. "Her wounds are stable for now, but the medi-gel won’t hold much longer. It’s starting to dissolve, and if I don’t get to her soon, she could be in serious danger."

She limped slightly as she knelt down to collect one of the enemy rifles, along with a few spare magazines scattered on the floor. The sleek black weapon looked almost comically large in her slender metal hands.

Just as she turned toward the staircase to descend, a sudden, deafening explosion tore through the wall beside her, sending her flying through the air like a broken doll.

The shockwave slammed her into the far side of the room with brutal force; her body crashed against the metal wall hard enough to leave a dent.

"Impact confirmed," a voice barked over a comm outside. "Reload and fire again. Level the entire building. I want nothing left standing."

Outside, two armored tanks with their barrels glowing red-hot adjusted their aim. With mechanical precision, they unleashed round after round of heavy shells, hammering the building relentlessly. The repeated concussions of the blasts echoed like thunder, shaking the ground as if an earthquake had been unleashed.

It was clear their commander had made a calculated decision that rather than lose more soldiers to a mysterious and dangerous enemy hiding within, he had chosen overwhelming firepower to end the threat.

Inside the inferno of debris, fire, and smoke, the bot maid’s form emerged. Blackened, cracked, and sparking, she dragged herself forward, her eyes glowing faintly through the haze.

She raised the rifle and squeezed the trigger. Her shots were wild and scattered; her aim was no longer steady. The damage she had sustained was now too severe to ignore.

When she finally landed on the ground outside the ruined building, her left leg shattered beneath her, sending her tumbling into the dust.

"Hahaha! What even was that?!" one of the enemy soldiers laughed cruelly. "Even a child could shoot straighter than that!"

"Capture her," their commander ordered coldly. "She’s valuable. Might still hold some data we can extract."

Without hesitation, two soldiers stepped forward and fired electrified harpoons into her damaged body. The metal spikes pierced deep, and arcs of lightning crackled as the powerful current surged through her already fried circuits. Her body jerked and twitched uncontrollably, limbs locking in painful spasms.

Though she could not feel pain in the human sense, the electrical feedback made a mess of her internal systems. Her processors flickered. Warnings flooded her visual feed.

Joints that once moved with fluid grace now seized and stuttered. And worst of all, she couldn’t move. She was completely immobilized.

Back on the upper floor of the ruined building, Lyra lay motionless, staring up at the cracked ceiling with her heart heavy with unease. The long silence had gone on too long, and she couldn’t shake the dread growing in her chest.

She clenched her teeth and forced herself to sit up, despite the sharp pain stabbing through her ribs and spine.

"I... I have to know what happened," she muttered. Slowly, shakily, she made her way to a nearby hole in the wall, dragging her battered body across the floor. freewebnøvel_com

The wind was cool and harsh against her sweat-covered face. Outside, the once quiet night was now swarming with lights and shadows.

From her vantage point, she saw dozens of search drones, their powerful beams scanning every corner of the wreckage. Blue and red lights flashed in the dark as enemy fighters zipped overhead, patrolling the skies like hungry hawks.

Below them, countless squads of enemy troops moved with discipline and purpose, checking bodies, buildings, and the nearby roads.

"...They’re looking for someone," Lyra whispered, her voice sounding bitter and tight with pain.

"I have to find her..."

With a trembling hand, she pulled out three adrenaline injectors from a hidden compartment in her armor. She stared at them for a moment, knowing full well what it meant to use them all at once. A normal person would die instantly from the overload.

But she was no normal person... she was from the Blood Clan.

The effect was almost immediate. Her body trembled violently, and her heart felt like it might explode. Her pupils dilated. Every nerve in her body lit up like fire. Sweat poured down her face, and her hands shook uncontrollably.

But she could move, and right now, that was all she needed.

As anyone familiar with the legendary assassins of the Blood Clan would know, they were unmatched when it came to silent killing and covert movement.

Their skills were honed for generations through blood, pain, and survival. Nighttime, especially, was their favored stage. It was in the dark where they thrived most; when others stumbled, they danced.

Even though Lyra was wounded, her body aching and her senses strained, she moved like a shadow caught in moonlight... elegant and precise... yet deadly. Her steps made no sound. Her breathing was slow and controlled. She flowed across the battlefield with the grace of a ballet dancer and the purpose of a hunter.

Despite her injuries, she remained focused, weaving her way between heavily armed patrols that roamed the ruined streets and broken buildings. She avoided searchlights, evaded drones, and only lingered when she caught murmurs of conversation between the otherwise silent soldiers.

Most of the enemy troops barely spoke a word, but every now and then, a careless whisper or a brief command gave her slivers of valuable information. Hours passed like minutes until finally, after careful observation and patient listening, she pieced together the clue she needed, the location of the enemy’s temporary forward base.

When she arrived at the edge of the enemy compound, she narrowed her eyes. It wasn’t a massive structure, not even close to a proper fortress or military camp.

It was a wide-open area, just large enough to accommodate several transport ships. A small control station, supply containers, and portable barracks dotted the base.

However, what stood out was the shimmering energy barrier that surrounded the entire area. It pulsed with a quiet hum, glowing faintly blue under the night sky.

It was a one-way gate; nothing could enter or leave without the barrier being disabled from the inside, and the controls were most certainly under heavy guard.

"Now then..." Lyra crouched behind a cluster of debris, her sharp crimson eyes studying the perimeter. "How do I get inside without turning this place upside down?"

As she remained still and contemplative, a returning military convoy rumbled into view. Several armored troop carriers and light tanks made their way toward the base’s entrance.

The moment she saw them, an idea sparked in her mind, a dangerous one, but also her best chance.

She waited patiently and silently, slipping toward the last carrier as it began to slow near the gate. With a burst of speed and precision, she leapt into the back of the vehicle, where several unsuspecting soldiers sat in silence.

With one wave of her crimson ring, the very same one Cleo had gifted her, the space filled with a faint red gleam.

They never had a chance.

By the time the ring’s glow faded, the entire squad inside the transport was dead, their throats neatly slit, their expressions frozen in surprise. Not a single sound had been made.

But the cost of using her ring again so soon was steep.

"Agh... damn it..." Lyra gasped through clenched teeth, fresh blood soaking through the bandages wrapped around her abdomen and shoulder. Pain rippled through her body like fire under her skin, but she forced herself to lie flat on the floor of the transport.

"Come on, Lyra... hold it together. You’ve done worse," she whispered to herself, her breath shallow. "I just need to get inside... find the maid... and get out. Easy. Just another mission... just another hunt..."

Before she passed out from the pain, she pulled the bodies of the dead soldiers on top of her like a morbid blanket, concealing herself beneath their armor and gear. She could barely breathe, but it was enough.

The convoy passed through the barrier with no issue. Once inside, the vehicles parked in their designated zones, and ground crews began maintenance checks. Soldiers stepped out and stretched. Mechanics rolled tool carts into position. No one noticed the extra bodies. Not yet.

Eventually, one of the mechanics walked toward her transport, clipboard in hand, ready to inspect the vehicle before it was sent for resupply.

He pulled open the thick canvas curtain and peered inside.

Big mistake.

A sudden flash of crimson light, then a crimson hand shot out from the shadows. The soldier didn’t even have time to scream. With terrifying force, Lyra yanked him inside and slammed him against the inner wall of the transport.

In one swift motion, she crushed the front half of his helmet like it was made of paper. Her hand, now tipped with crimson claws, pressed tightly against his face.

"Shhh..." she hissed, her voice sharp and quiet like a blade drawn in the dark. "Don’t scream. If you stay quiet, you’ll live."

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