Chapter 627 Rash Decision (3)
Two Xyran guards stood vigilant ahead of the entrance of the Xyran mine, their bright eyes scouring the surroundings for any signs of disturbance. While the hum of machines and the distant noises of labourers toiling echoed off the rigid, metal walls.
"Why bother being alert?" a third guard scoffed at the other two. "It's not like we have left anyone alive enough to fight us, haha!"
"Shut it, Strig." Mirku, one of the guards reprimanded him. "Not all of us have a daddy to care for our expenses. Besides, if the colonel learned we were slacking, he would chop our heads off. You know how he is!"
Mirku and the other guard, Jena, exchanged wary glances, well aware of the strict discipline imposed by their superiors.
Strig's careless attitude could lead to dire consequences for them only as Strig's family was well-renowned in the Xyran community. His parents would certainly cover for him in any mishap.
But the Mirku and Jena won't be extended the same courtesy. That's why they couldn't afford any slip-ups. Still, they couldn't deny the truth in Strig's words.
between caution and appearing loyal to their cause. "Did you forget It has been years since they took hold of the Ombra sector and none of them had ever faced any threats. Even if someone showed up there they would either be shot down before they enter Nefarion's atmosphere or they'll be apprehended like that one blood-sucking beast they did a while ago.
"That said, Mirku, what Strig said makes sense," Jena chimed in. "We already took out every single native species here. Those that we didn't are working for us, so where is the harm in relaxing a bit?"
"We may have taken control of this wretched place, but we mustn't underestimate the intruders," Mirku said, trying to strike a balance between caution and appearing loyal to their cause. "Did you forget the chaos those few bloodsuckers caused us?"
"Bloodsuckers, this! Bloodsuckers, that!" Strig rolled his eyes, dismissing his comrades' concerns. "Bah! You worry too much. Those intruders won't be able to get past our defences. We've got enough firepower to blow them to smithereens even before they land!"
"Yeah," Jena mumbled. "Just because they made it through once, doesn't mean they can do it again."
"Exactly! You're a Xyran. So behave like one, damn it!" Strig laughed, sipping on his drink.
Just as Strig continued his careless chatter, a sudden shuffling noise echoed from a pile of rubble nearby. The guards' attention snapped to the source, and they cautiously approached with their energy blasters at the ready.
"What was that?" Mirku whispered, his hand trembling slightly.
Before any of them could react, a figure emerged from the shadows – a Xyran guard, or so they thought. The guard stumbled towards them and fell head first on the ground.
His appearance was bruised and battered, and his armband glowed erratically, indicating that he was injured and had been missing for a few hours.
As Strig, Mirku, and Jena came rushing towards him, Ashton smile inwardly but acted the part well, pretending to be disoriented and weak to even look at them.
"What happened to you?" Strig asked, his suspicion giving way to concern. "What the hell happened to you?"
"Talk about asking the wrong questions," Mirku rolled his eyes and pointed his weapon at Ashton. "Which team do you belong and what's your designation?"
"Private, J. J. Jikem..." Ashton weakly mumbled, showing them the imprint on his forearm that signifies his rank. "Expedition team beta/99..."
"Shit, what happened to you and where's the rest of your team?" Jena asked while reaching for his first-aid kit.
Ashton groaned in pain, clutching his side. "I was ambushed by intruders… dozens of them! They're in the central plaza!"
Mirku and the other guard exchanged alarmed glances, their eyes narrowing with determination.
"Intruders? How did they get in?" Strig inquired while looking around to check if the man was followed by the enemy. "and what about the rest of your squad?"
"I-I don't know," Ashton stammered, acting as if he could barely stand. "They caught us off guard and started attacking. They've already killed everyone in there! I barely escaped during the massacre to inform the colonel about the attack..."
The guards exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of the best course of action. Strig's eyes flashed with fear. His family hadn't pulled so many strings for him to get him an easy deployment, for him to die like that.
He didn't care what happened to the rest, but he knew he had to get to safety first. However, Jena and Mirku had other plans.
"We need to warn the others and take them down!" Jena exclaimed.
"No!" Ashton interjected, trying to sound panicked. "There are too many of them and they're incredibly powerful! We need to get reinforcements first!"
Mirku hesitated, torn between caution and the fear of being branded a coward. Strig's impatience got the better of him, and he made a snap decision.
"I'll stay here and get the injured to safety. You two head out and check if we're safe." Strig feigned being concerned about them when he was only concerned about himself. "Central Plaza is a vital area for... something, I can't remember what, but we cannot let intruders compromise it."
"Fuck... ok!" Mirku took a deep breath. "We'll do that, just make sure to inform the Colonel about this!"
"Right, go now!" Strig yelled, pushing the two soldiers away.
Ashton nodded, pretending to be too weak to argue.
"Be careful," he whispered hoarsely. "They're not like anything we've encountered before."
Jena and Mirku rushed towards the Library, leaving Ashton in Strig's care. As soon as they were out of sight, Strig lifted Ashton up and began dragging him towards the camp around the mines.
His plan was to drop the injured guy there and inform the colonel about the situation before making a break for it. Though he will get reprimanded for his selfish decision, he knew his parents would be able to keep the mess at bay... like they always had.
"Come on, up you go," Strig mumbled before throwing his arm over the shoulder.
"Thanks..." Ashton replied.
"No need, for thanks. We're comrades, it is my duty to help you..."
Strig replied, trying to be overly sweet to the guy so that he could be used as a character witness during his trial for abandoning his duties and fleeing.
'As long as I have a witness for my chivalry, the punishment wouldn't be so harsh...' Strig thought to himself. 'Although helping someone like the bastard isn't what I'd normally do, I have to tolerate it for a while.'
"It seems you misunderstood me," Ashton whispered, suddenly yanking his hand off Strig's shoulder. "I was thanking you for your sacrifice."
Strig was confused, was the man beaten so much that he began hallucinating or something? But before he could put his thoughts into words, he felt a sharp pain in his neck.
In the blink of an eye, Ashton's true form reappeared, and he sank his fangs into Strig's nape. The unsuspecting soldier could only watch in shock as Ashton drained him of his blood, his life fading away.
With Strig's lifeless body now lying on the ground, Ashton wiped the remnants of blood from his mouth and stood there, a cold and emotionless expression on his face.
"Damn, you were one hell of a backstabbing bastard!" Ashton mocked Strig as his lifeless form hit the ground. "To think you were planning on running away first and foremost. Well, at least I don't feel guilty about killing you anymore."
[Get moving fast. You can save your dialogues for some other time.]
"Right..."
Saying so, Ashton transformed once again, but this time he took Strig's form before kicking Strig's corpse into Valhalla for the skeletons to feast on. Once he was done, he headed straight for the mines where his next target, the colonel, was waiting.
"I hope they take the bait," he muttered to himself. "Now, to find Dracula, Irina, and Verina."
Moving swiftly and silently, Ashton ventured deeper into the mine. He relied on his vampiric abilities to evade detection, silently navigating the twisted tunnels and avoiding any Xyrans that crossed his path.
Strig, as Ashton had observed in his memories, was not well-liked among his peers. This worked to Ashton's advantage, allowing him to move through the mine without unnecessary interactions or suspicion.
"Time to give the colonel a taste of betrayal," Ashton murmured, his voice characteristically cold. "But first, gotta infiltrate into the surveillance room. They ought to have information or recording relating to Dracula."
Ashton eventually reached the surveillance room. The door was sealed with an intricate lock, but Ashton's nimble fingers made quick work of it. He slipped inside, the room bathed in the soft glow of the surveillance screens.
The sight before him was overwhelming - countless monitors displayed live feeds from various sections of the mine. Ashton knew he had limited time before the guards could discover his intrusion, so he focused on locating any information related to Dracula, Irina, and Verina.
"There it is..."
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