CHAPTER 1131: NOT AWAKE

The squad stationed on the rooftop could only stare in awe and fear. They had never seen anything like this before. Many of them had fought through dangerous missions, some of those missions nearly cost their lives. But this was different.

The danger of combat with firearms included was one thing. The danger of something else, something that came from beyond this world with power they barely known, was another thing entirely.

It struck them in a way no bullet or explosion ever could.

"Captain, what do we do?" one of the younger soldiers asked, his voice trembling as the wind howled around them. His knuckles were white from gripping his rifle too tightly.

The captain stood at the edge of the rooftop, rain splattering across his face. He kept his eyes fixed on the sky where the figure floated.

He took a slow breath before answering. "We do what we’re trained to do, son," he said firmly, though his voice carried a weight that showed his own fear. "We protect this facility. That’s our job. That’s our honor. No matter what that thing is."

The young soldier nodded, but he could see through the captain’s calm front that the man’s jaw was tight, his eyes flickering between courage and dread.

He was forcing himself to appear unshaken for the sake of the men who looked to him for strength.

The wind screamed louder now, pushing against them like a living thing.

The young soldier swallowed hard and tightened his grip on the rifle. The rain ran down his helmet and over his trembling hands.

Above them, the figure remained motionless among the storm clouds for now. His body was surrounded by violent lightning and whirling gusts of wind.

The background of the storm and dark clouds framed him like a god descending from the heavens. His eyes glowing with blinding light, every flash of thunder reflecting off his bare skin.

Then, slowly, he raised his hand.

The captain’s eyes widened.

"He’s moving!" he barked into the comms. "Command, the entity is raising its hand!"

Inside the control room, Adrien and the others could see it too through the flickering drone feed as well. The moment the figure’s hand began to rise, Adrien’s expression hardened.

"All rooftop units, open fire! Do it now!"

The order came through the radios, sharp and clear even through the storm.

"Open fire!" the captain shouted.

A moment later, the rooftop erupted in thunder of its own.

Dozens of machine guns roared to life, tracer rounds streaking through the air like burning comets. The dark day lit up with muzzle flashes as the soldiers unleashed everything they had from their machine guns. Their bullets cut through the rain toward the figure in the storm.

But even through the deafening gunfire, none of them could shake the feeling that they were shooting at something far beyond their comprehension. They knew that this thing didn’t belong to this world at all and most likely couldn’t be hurt by their bullets.

The bullets tore through the air against the roaring wind before hitting the figure in the storm. Some of them ricocheted off the arcs of lightning that danced across his skin but other bullets found their mark on his body.

Several rounds pierced into his flesh, sinking deep and burning with a searing pain that jolted through his body.

The being flinched, a low growl rumbling from his throat. His glowing eyes narrowed as pain coursed through him.

He looked down at his own chest, where faint trails of smoke rose from the wounds. For the first time since he arrived, the pain made him aware of something. He had no barrier.

He hadn’t formed one. His thoughts were disordered, drifting between consciousness and the fog of slumber. His arrival had been violent and sudden, the summoning tearing him out from another world and thrusting him into this strange world.

His mind was still struggling to piece itself together.

For now, it was just instinct that ruled him.

The next moment, lightning burst from his body in a violent surge.

The storm answered his pain with fury. Bolts cracked outward in every direction, lashing across the sky like whip.

The soldiers’ bullets never reached him because they were vaporized midair and dissolved by the arcs of electricity that rippled through the rain.

Down below, the rooftop squads were thrown into chaos when the lightning strikes arrived.

"Get down!" the captain roared as streaks of blue-white lightning sliced through the sky, splitting the air around them with deafening thunder.

The floor shuddered beneath their feet and several men dropped to their knees while covering their heads as static sparks danced over their helmets and weapons.

Inside the control room, alarms flared.

"Massive energy spike detected!" one of the operators shouted over the din. "He’s reacting to the gunfire!"

Adrien clenched his jaw. "Hold positions! Don’t break formation! We can’t lose visibility on him!"

But outside, visibility was already gone. The world had turned into a maelstrom of light and noise.

The rooftop trembled beneath the storm, sheets of rain flung sideways by the sheer force of the wind.

And then, for a moment, it all stopped. The lightning drew back toward the figure to gather and coiled like serpents around his arms and chest.

He lifted his hand again. The glow from his eyes pulsed once and then became dim as if he were struggling to stay awake.

His body swayed slightly in the air.

But then a moment later, the sky screamed.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

...

Bolts of lightning rained down upon the facility. They struck the metal walls, the courtyard, the surrounding fences, and anything that caught the storm’s attention.

Explosions of dirt and concrete erupted across the facility as the electrical discharge tore through the ground.

The rooftop shook violently, sending a few soldiers sprawling. Sparks flew from the radio antennae and communication dishes as circuits overloaded.

However, despite the devastation, the lightning never hit a single person directly.

Adrien watched through the flickering feed, brow furrowed. "He’s attacking, but..."

Jessica finished his thought quietly. "His aim’s all over the place."

Indeed, the being hovered there and looked like he was breathing heavily. His expression was blank and his glowing eyes looked unfocused.

His attacks were powerful but didn’t have direction.

Because in truth, he wasn’t awake yet.

—