Chapter 105: 105: Howling Cannon
Gianna quickly crawled onto the roof of the speeding APC.
Her fingers dug into the freezing metal as the vehicle bounced across the snowy terrain.
Behind them, the gigantic lobster monster continued its relentless pursuit. Its massive armored body tore through the snow as it steadily closed the distance.
Carefully making her way across the shaking roof, Gianna reached the mounted cannon and lowered herself behind it. Taking a deep breath, she placed both hands firmly on the controls and lined up the barrel toward the charging monster.
"I’ve got it..." she muttered while adjusting the sights.
Everyone immediately turned toward her.
Gianna tightened her grip and squeezed the trigger.
BANGGG!
A small missile grenade erupted from the cannon with a burst of smoke and fire.
The recoil was far stronger than expected.
The entire cannon jerked backward violently, rattling the roof beneath them as the missile streaked through the air.
For a moment it seemed perfectly aimed, but it suddenly drifted sideways.
BOOOOOM!
The projectile veered off course and exploded harmlessly in the distance, sending snow and dirt flying.
Reigns stared at the missed shot in disbelief before turning toward Gianna with a questioning gaze.
"The balance is off!" she replied flusteredly.
"Off?"
"Look!"
Without wasting another second, Gianna fired again.
BANG!
This time Reigns focused on the cannon.
As the recoil shook the frame, he immediately spotted the problem. One of the bolts on the left support leg had come loose.
Due to loosened mounts, every shot shifted the cannon slightly out of position.
"Screw you, Duster... It was yours."
"Mine... What the hell? The screw might be a problem. I had made sure to push it hard down that gaping hole."
"Now what?" Gianna asked anxiously.
Before anyone could answer, Seon’s voice tore across the battlefield.
"GUYSSS!"
"STOP CLAMBERING... IT’S CLOSING CLOSER..."
Almost at the same time, Rock shouted from below.
"Guys, there isn’t enough traction ahead... We need to slow down."
"DAMNN!"
Reigns nearly grabbed his head.
The gigantic lobster was rapidly gaining ground. Its massive claws smashed through the snow while its countless legs propelled it forward with frightening speed.
’We don’t have enough time to pull the screw out and put it back.’
Reigns clenched his jaw and made a decision right then.
"Gianna, I will hold the leg... Make sure to adjust and fire."
Gianna looked at him.
"Are you serious?"
"We don’t have another choice, do we?"
Without waiting for a response, Reigns activated Berserker.
A surge of strength flooded through his body.
He carefully crossed the shaking roof and reached the loose support leg. The APC lurched beneath him while the freezing wind and snow blasted across his face.
Pulling out Chameleon Dirge, he transformed it into a heavy war hammer.
CLANG!
The hammer slammed against the support.
Reigns immediately leaned forward and pressed his full weight onto it, forcing the loose leg firmly against the APC.
His muscles strained as he held it in place.
"Now shoot!"
Gianna immediately adjusted the cannon.
This time, she ignored everything around her.
The violent shaking of the APC beneath her feet, the freezing wind slamming against her face, and the terrified screams echoing from behind all faded into the background as if they no longer existed.
Her entire focus narrowed onto a single point.
Only the target remained.
Her eyes locked firmly onto the charging lobster monster as it barreled across the frozen ground with an unstoppable momentum.
She didn’t rush.
She simply waited, watched every movement, and silently calculated the perfect trajectory in her mind.
Then, the moment she found the opening, she calmly pulled the trigger.
BANGGG!
A blazing missile erupted from the launcher with a deafening roar and tore through the air at incredible speed, leaving behind a trail of smoke and fire.
Despite the raging wind and the speeding vehicle beneath her, the shot remained perfectly stable as it streaked straight toward its target.
Everyone watched as it slammed directly into the center of the lobster’s armored body.
"YEahhhhh!" Duster screamed in triumph.
BOOOOOOOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted across the snowy wasteland.
A massive sphere of fire expanded outward as blinding flames engulfed the monster. Snow, ice, and fragments of shattered shell were blasted into the air while a powerful shockwave swept across the battlefield.
For several seconds the giant lobster vanished behind a wall of fire, smoke, and debris.
Then a painful shriek echoed through the smoke.
SQUEEEEEEECH!
Not willing to take any chances, Gianna fired again.
BANG!
BOOOOM!
Then another.
BANG!
BOOOOOM!
And another.
BANG!
BOOOOOM!
Explosions rolled across the frozen landscape one after another, completely swallowing the lobster in fire and smoke.
"Hoohoho!" Duster suddenly shouted.
"Calm down, Miss... The ammo isn’t free... Calm down."
Only then did Gianna stop firing, and the APC slowed down slightly.
Realizing what she had done, her face immediately turned red.
"Uuhh... Sorry..."
With that, she stepped back from the cannon awkwardly.
"It just felt too good."
Her answer immediately made both Reigns and Duster stare at her.
’Damn! I want to shoot too!’
"Is it finished?" Reigns asked, turning toward Gianna. His chest rose and fell heavily while cold mist escaped from his mouth. The battle had left his muscles aching and his entire body exhausted.
"I don’t know!"
"..."
"You don’t know? Just check the notification."
"Uh... I didn’t get any," Gianna replied immediately.
Reigns’ eyes widened.
"Say that again?"
"I didn’t get any experience points."
Gianna repeated.
For a brief moment, only the roar of the APC’s engine and the crackling of distant flames could be heard.
Reigns and Duster slowly looked at one another.
Their expressions stiffened.
If nobody had received a notification...
Then the monster wasn’t dead.
Almost instinctively, the three turned toward the massive cloud of smoke and fire that was still rolling across the snowy battlefield.
Flames flickered within the thick smoke while shattered pieces of shell occasionally fell onto the snow.
Then the smoke suddenly exploded outward as a massive figure lunged forward.
"DODGGGGE!"
BANG!
Before anyone could react, a gigantic figure burst through the burning cloud and slammed directly onto the roof of the APC with terrifying force.
The impact sent a violent shockwave through the entire vehicle, making it shake uncontrollably as a deafening crash echoed across the snowy plain.
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