Breachers

(OsiriumWrites) Breachers -I- Path of Steel - Chapter 21 (The Hole Truth)

Breachers – Path of Steel

21

I

The Hole Truth

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Several minutes had slipped away since Marcus had entered the Sphere, witnessing a world in flux. He glimpsed familiar bits of the junkyard, though most had mutated or broken down beyond recognition. Trees were starting to sprout atop heaps of plastic refuse, the latter having their shapes twisted. The plastics occasionally crumbled as if breaking down into something richer, more capable of sustaining life. He moved at a careful pace, taking in his surroundings as he did so. 'I only have experience with Spheres when the Orbs suddenly become active, not after they have been so for several days or weeks already,' he mused as he turned the corner. A row of old refrigerators came into view, enveloped by hefty vines and adorned with peculiar blue flowers at the top rows. He noticed patches of rusted metal displaying curious metal-like bubbles, as if the frame was in the midst of a transformation. 'No wonder people usually keep lesser Spheres like this for farms to harvest rare resources. But if a light blue Sphere is able to do this over time... what the hell would a red Sphere be able to do? I don't even want to think about the gold ones.'

As he rounded the corner, an unfamiliar dead end blocked his path, and he couldn't shake the feeling that it hadn't been there before. A massive line of battered cars was now in front of him, partially buried beneath mounds of earth. 'It almost looks like a fortified nest of sorts,' he mused, instinctively stepping back. He had done his research regarding this current Sphere and knew that several Breacher parties had already gone inside, slaughtering creatures for Monster-Glass and scavenging rare materials. Apparently, it was designated as a 'farm' for the next few months, seeing as its location wasn't a danger or inconvenience to civilians. 'The question is, how quickly does this Orb make new monsters—' he wondered, until a sudden noise behind him caught his attention.

Marcus swiveled around, his steel feet crunching on the debris-strewn ground of the junkyard. He instantly locked onto the grotesque hybrid creature that emerged from a pile of rubble. The abomination stood hunched, its gnarled form a disturbing contrast against the rusted metal and twisted wreckage surrounding it. Its twisted, crow-like beak dipped low to the ground, and its head bobbed rhythmically as it inhaled deeply as if sifting through the cacophony of scents, filtering out potential prey through smell and hearing alone. The creature's scarred hide bore the evidence of past confrontations, with arrow shafts sticking out and bullet holes forming a gruesome mosaic along its flank.

'It's blind?' Marcus wondered, his silence stretching momentarily. He hoped his metallic body didn't betray his presence with any distinctive odors, especially ones that would distinguish him from the surrounding garbage. Kneeling down slowly, he gingerly set the hammer aside before selecting a small rock. He then hurled the stone against a small metal bin positioned behind the monstrous creature, creating a sharp bang. The monster jerked around instantly, fixing its senses on the source of the disturbance. In a swift motion, Marcus then grasped his hammer and closed the distance before lunging at the creature. His destroyed, spear-like arm slid into the monster's neck, encountering resistance as it struck true while the monster began to thrash around violently. Without hesitation, he hammered the creature's ribs, each blow shattering bone with a sickening crunch until the monster suddenly started to swell up.

'What the hell?' Marcus thought, his hammer striking down again as his camera caught the bizarre sight of tiny feathers slicing through the monster's skin, as if they'd been hidden within its body. These feathers gleamed with an unsettling sharpness. 'Shit!' Marcus reacted, swiftly dropping to the ground and grabbing a nearby metal sheet to shield himself. A cacophony of impacts followed, and he winced internally as he observed several of the rigid feathers partially penetrating the metal piece he had picked up. Marcus released the metal sheet, left hand now gripping the hammer's handle as he charged at the wounded monster once more. The creature rose sluggishly, emitting a pained clicking sound while bleeding profusely from the hundreds of smaller cuts now on his body. Marcus's hammer connected with the creature's face with all the kinetic force his steel frame could force into it, breaking bone and smashing apart flesh. Internally, he roared, 'Just die, you stupid piece of shit!' With each hammer blow, new splashes of gore coated his metallic surface. The relentless assault only halted when there was barely a trace of the monster's head remaining, except for a shard of Monster-Glass protruding amidst the visceral aftermath.