Esse verum venator-LXI

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DATE:20th of July, the 70th year after the Coronation

LOCATION: Concord Metropolis

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I awoke to the sound of Mike's rough voice, his urgency cutting through the haze of sleep.

"Aionis!" he hissed, shaking me awake. "Get up. I heard something. Hounds."

I groggily sat up, rubbing my eyes, trying to shake off the grogginess of the night. Outside, the wind howled in the distance, but there was something else now. Something that set the hairs on the back of my neck on edge. A low, unnatural growl echoed through the night, followed by another, and then a series of snarls.

Mike was already moving, quick and purposeful, heading to the window. I followed him, my mind still foggy with the remnants of sleep, and peered through the glass. My eyes narrowed at the sight that met me.

In the darkness, dozens of glowing red eyes dotted the perimeter of the cabin, reflecting off the forest floor. They seemed to move in a slow, deliberate circle, surrounding us like wolves stalking their prey. I swallowed, a cold shiver running down my spine.

"Damn," Mike muttered, his voice tight. "They're closing in."

I didn't have time to process. Mike had already turned toward the door, reaching for something on the wall. I moved toward my gear, my mind snapping to attention. I didn't know what was out there, but I was sure as hell going to be ready for it. I grabbed my flak suit, slipping it on quickly, the heavy material hugging my body with a sense of reassurance. Next, I retrieved the exoskeleton, making quick work of reinstalling it. The familiar hum of the suit as it powered on gave me the focus I needed. I wasn't about to face whatever those things were without my best chance of survival.

Mike turned back to me as I secured the exoskeleton, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "You carry all that on you? You must've been expecting trouble."

I didn't answer immediately, just adjusted the suit, the mechanical limbs clicking into place. "Better safe than sorry," I muttered, my mind already shifting into combat mode.

Mike had started reinforcing the door, slamming planks of wood against it, trying to make it sturdier. The noises outside were getting louder, closer. The hounds—or whatever they were—hadn't gotten any closer, but the tension in the air was palpable. The sound of their growls was mechanical, strange, like something human had tried to mimic nature and failed. It didn't sit right with me.

One of the hounds howled again, this time much closer. It wasn't a natural sound. There was something synthetic about it, a slight echo to it that made the hairs on my neck stand straight. I could feel the adrenaline starting to pump, the sharpness returning to my mind.

"Stay close," Mike said, his voice low but steady. He was doing his best to keep calm, though I could see the wariness in his eyes. Whatever was outside was beyond his experience.

We retreated into the living room, the only space that felt even somewhat secure at the moment. I heard the soft click of the reinforced door as it held under the weight of whatever was on the other side. But the growls didn't stop. They circled, prowling like predators with no intention of letting us escape.

Emily was concerned.

I could feel the drug being pumped into my bloodstream. My mind was clear and I couldn't hear my own thoughts even if I wanted to. I was focused.

Suddenly, a loud crash filled the air, followed by the sound of glass shattering. I whirled around just in time to see something leap through the broken window, a blur of fur and metal. My heart skipped a beat as I processed the creature that now stood before us in the living room, glowing red eyes gleaming in the low light.

It was a dog, but not a dog at all. It was a machine, a mechanical monstrosity wearing half-decayed dog skin, barely clinging to the rusted metal framework underneath. The skin looked stretched, tattered, and rotting, but the gleaming metal beneath was unmistakable. I could see the hydraulic pistons in its limbs, the sleek metal chassis underneath the mess of fur. It snarled, its mouth opening wide in a sickening metallic screech, revealing rows of jagged, rusted teeth.

Before I even thought, my fingers instinctively reached for the taser at my side. I pulled it out in a swift motion and fired.

The electrical current shot out with a sharp crack, making contact with the creature's chest. The taser hit its metal body with a resounding spark, and the lights flickered violently before going out completely. The creature froze for a moment, and for a brief second, I thought it might have been enough. But then, it growled again, its body jerking, and it charged at us with terrifying speed.

Without thinking, I activated the exoskeleton's combat mode. The suit hummed with power, the mechanical limbs responding immediately as I sprinted toward the creature.

The hound was faster than I expected, its mechanical legs moving like pistons. It lunged at me with a horrifying screech, and I barely had time to react. I sidestepped, narrowly avoiding its snapping jaws, and aimed another jolt of electricity straight at its head.

This time, the sparks were more intense, arcs of electricity flashing across its metal skull, and the creature staggered back. The light from the spark filled the room before it cut off entirely. I took advantage of the brief moment of confusion, rushing forward and slamming the taser into its exposed circuitry.

The hound spasmed, its glowing red eyes flickering, and then, finally, it collapsed to the floor with a mechanical groan.

I stood over it, breathing heavily, watching as the body twitched and spasmed until it lay still. The room was completely dark now, save for the faint glow of the ruined machine's eyes.

I looked at Mike, who had been backing away, still holding the door shut. He wasn't saying anything, but I could see his jaw clenched tight. Whatever this was, it was beyond him, and probably beyond most people.

I tapped my earpiece, activating the connection to Emily. Her voice crackled in my ear. "What's going on?" she asked, the urgency clear in her tone.

I gave her a quick rundown. "We've encountered a mechanical hound. It's down for now, but it's not just any beast—it's some kind of machine with organic tissue grafted onto it."

"Scanning…" Emily's voice was muffled for a moment, likely as she focused. "Got a hit. I'm reading high electromagnetic interference, but I'm picking up data streams. It looks like you fried its internal computer. The taser did some serious damage."

"Great," I muttered, wiping the sweat from my forehead. "How much of the charge did I use?"

"Half," Emily responded. "It's enough to disable it for now, but be careful. If there are more, they won't stay down for long."

I stared at the lifeless mechanical hound on the floor, its decaying dog skin stretched tight over the cold, metal frame. I could hear the others outside, still circling, still hunting. This wasn't just an animal attack—it was something far more sinister. And it was clear this wasn't going to be the last one.

"Mike," I said quietly, "we've got a bigger problem on our hands. Get ready. We might need to move fast."

He nodded, still holding the door but now with a look of grim determination on his face. "I'm not going anywhere. Not until I know what the hell's going on out there."

The hounds were still out there, and I had a feeling they wouldn't stop until they got what they were after.

My mind began to race. The creature was advanced—far more sophisticated than I'd expected—but something was off. I'd seen enough machines in my time to know that this thing didn't possess its own artificial intelligence. The movements were too mechanical, too predictable. It was being controlled, either from a distance with cameras or by someone much closer using direct control.

I let out a slow breath, grounding myself in the situation. This wasn't just an attack; it was a hunt. And we were the prey. My first instinct was to track down the operator, find out who was behind this and take the fight to them. I turned to Mike, whose expression was tight with concern but still steady, focused.

"Mike," I said, my voice low. "Reinforce the window. We've got more company coming."

He gave a quick nod, moving without hesitation toward the shattered glass, grabbing more wood from the nearby pile, and beginning to cover the opening. He wasn't one to panic, but I could tell he knew this wasn't going to end well unless we made a plan.

In the meantime, I tapped the earpiece in my ear, activating the connection to Emily. "Emily, I need you to scan the machine, see if it's using satellite control or radio. If it's radio-based, the operator should be close."

There was a brief pause, and then her voice crackled through, steady as always. "Understood. Scanning now."

I stood still, glancing out the window at the approaching hounds. The others had grown more aggressive, moving in tighter circles around the cabin, and the tension in the air was palpable. The wind had picked up, and with it came the sound of rain beginning to fall, though it didn't seem to faze the mechanical beasts. Their glowing eyes continued to track us, and I could hear their mechanical growls rising in pitch as they began to converge.

I was preparing for the next wave when Emily's voice came through again, more focused now. "The machine emits radio waves. I'm narrowing down the operator's position."

My gut tightened. Radio waves? That meant the operator was likely within range of the machine, but also that they were closer than I'd initially thought. If it were a satellite link, they could be anywhere. But this… this meant they were using a direct line of communication. And that meant they had to be within the machine's effective range.

I gave Emily a quick acknowledgment, but something gnawed at me. I didn't need her confirmation on the exact position of the operator. I could already make an educated guess based on my knowledge of how radio waves worked. They had to be close. A long-range operator wouldn't put himself in danger by being near the cabin but if they they couldn't be too far. If we'd run in his opposite direction it would lose connection to the machines. It was likely they were at around 70% of the maximum range. Still close enough to control the hounds, but not close enough to put themselves in direct danger.

And then, it hit me.

Mike's cabin was situated on a hill, which gave me a clear advantage in figuring out where the operator might be. Radio signals travel in a straight line, and if the operator was using radio-based control, they'd need to be positioned at a higher elevation than we were. The simple logic of the geography hit me hard.

I turned to Mike, who was still at the window, reinforcing the planks with his tools. "Mike," I said, my tone sharp, "is there some hill around us on a higher elevation?"

Mike paused for a moment, squinting out the window, as though considering my question. "Yeah, there's a rise about three kilometers north. It's a bit of a hike through a dense forest. The valley between here and there is thick, real dense."

I nodded, a plan already beginning to form in my mind. The radio waves wouldn't be able to reach from a higher hill without losing connection. I estimated the operator would be positioned on that hill, using the higher elevation to maintain line-of-sight control over the machines. That's where we needed to go. It was the only place they could be.

The dense forest in the valley was going to slow us down, but that worked to our advantage. The mechanical beasts might be able to track us from a distance, but the forest would be a maze to them. Slowing down the hounds was our best shot at surviving the next few hours.

I turned back to Emily. "Emily, do you have a lock on the operator's location yet?"

She responded after a brief moment. "Almost there… Yes, I've got it. The operator is three kilometers north of you, exactly where Mike said. It's a steep climb. I recommend you move fast."

I didn't need much convincing. We didn't have time to waste.

The biggest issue was getting past the hounds circling the cabin. There was no way we could both leave together without being caught. The pack was closing in, and I could see the red glows of their eyes flicker in the trees, too many to take on head-on. But I didn't need to fight them all. I just needed to get out.

I turned to Mike, who was still reinforcing the cabin, but now looking at me with a mix of confusion and concern.

"Hunker down in the cabin and keep their attention," I said quickly. "I'll sneak past them."

Mike blinked, clearly unsure of how I planned to pull that off. Then it dawned on me—he didn't know about my ability. He only saw me as another mercenary. A killer. I could tell by the way he looked at me that he thought UltraMan's death had come at the hands of just another man, not some kind of… anomaly.

I took a deep breath, meeting his gaze.

"I can slow down time," I said, my voice steady despite the tension. "It's how I killed UltraMan in the first place. I've been using it to stay ahead of things. I'll go out there, take care of the operator, and get us out."

Mike's face fell as I said the words, his eyes widening in disbelief. "You're telling me… you can slow down time?" he muttered, almost in awe. But then his expression shifted, and I saw the disappointment creep in.

He'd thought he'd been fighting alongside just a man, not someone who could bend time itself.

I met his gaze again, this time without flinching. "I'll manage. You stay here. Keep the hounds focused on you. I'll go after the operator."

He hesitated for a moment, as if weighing the decision, but finally nodded. "I'll keep them busy," he said grimly. "But don't get yourself killed out there."

I gave him a quick nod before moving to the window. We tore down the barrier, the wood falling to the floor with a soft thud. I jumped out, hitting the ground with a quiet roll to absorb the impact. And then, I exhaled.

I could feel the air around me slowing, stretching. It was time.

The world around me thickened, as though everything had been dipped in molasses. The hounds, their glowing red eyes scanning the area, couldn't even react as I moved. They were too slow, mechanical limbs jerking as I passed them, my speed so overwhelming that they barely registered my presence.

The exoskeleton, still attuned to my movements, increased my running speed by nearly half my normal limit. It felt like I was gliding through the air, each footfall silent and quick. The hounds barely made a sound, too sluggish to respond to my rapid advance.

I sprinted through the woods, pushing myself as far as I could go in the slowed time. It was a strange sensation, almost meditative. The trees around me blurred as I pushed forward, and my thoughts became razor-sharp. Everything felt in perfect sync. It was the closest thing to pure, unfiltered focus I had ever experienced.

Five minutes later, I took a sharp breath, slowing down just enough to regain some control. The world snapped back into normal speed, and I found myself in the midst of the woods, still several hundred meters away from the operator's likely position. I ducked behind a large tree, hiding for just a moment to catch my breath.

The exoskeleton still hummed with energy, and I could feel the charge building up again. I had more than enough time to reach the hill.

I'd already covered significant ground, but I needed to keep moving if I wanted to stay ahead of the machines that might come after me.

I stood at the edge of the forest, the hill looming ahead, its steep incline marking the end of the trees and the start of my confrontation. I could see the hooded man perched near the top, silhouetted against the dim light of the rain-soaked sky. Emily's triangulation was dead-on—there he was, the operator, wearing a radio backpack with a spindly antenna swaying in the wind.

As I approached, a series of thoughts swirled in my mind. **What should I do with him?** Killing him was easy, but interrogation might yield answers. I needed to know who had sent him and why the masked men were targeting us. Yet the last time I'd tried to interrogate someone, my hostage had been teleported away before I could extract anything useful.

Then it clicked—their teleportation relied on not being observed. It was quantum physics. But Emily had cameras embedded in my flak jacket and exoskeleton. As long as Emily kept her eyes on him, he couldn't vanish.

I exhaled slowly, pulling out my Beretta. The familiar weight in my hand steadied me. I slid the safety off and cocked it, feeling the mechanism click into place.

"Emily," I whispered. "Stay locked on him. No matter what happens, don't stop recording."

Her voice crackled in my earpiece, calm and reassuring. "Understood. I've got his every move."

I breathed in, slowing time once again. The world dulled to a sluggish crawl as I moved, silent and swift, closing the distance between me and the operator. His back was turned, the antenna on his radio pack twitching as it transmitted data. He hadn't noticed me. Not yet.

I stepped closer and leveled the Beretta at him. I aimed carefully and fired four shots in quick succession, each one finding its mark. The first two shattered his elbows, sending metallic fragments spraying into the air. The next two ripped through his ankles. He crumpled forward, but I caught him before he hit the ground, grabbing his hoodie with my left hand to keep him upright.

I dragged the hood back, revealing his face—or what was left of it. My stomach twisted involuntarily. His head was a grotesque fusion of flesh and machine. Patches of skin clung to a mostly mechanical skull, wires snaking into implants that pulsed with faint red light. His eyes were nothing but black, unblinking cameras, the lenses whirring as they focused on me. Less than ten percent of his head seemed human.

Before I could react, his right hand jerked at an unnatural angle, striking my chest with incredible force. I was flung backward, the impact sending me skidding across the muddy ground. I stopped nearly seven meters away, my breath knocked from my lungs.

I scrambled to my feet, raising the Beretta again.

The operator was already standing. **Standing,** despite the fact that I'd blown apart his elbows and ankles. His movements were stiff but deliberate, his limbs operating without the cartilage and tendons a normal human would need.

"Emily," I hissed, my voice tight. "Are you seeing this?"

"Yes," she replied, her tone sharper now. "The damage hasn't slowed him because his limbs are entirely mechanical. No bones, no muscle. He's more machine than man."

The operator turned his head toward me, the cameras in his eye sockets zooming in. The sight sent a shiver down my spine. It wasn't just the unnatural stillness of his gaze—it was the way he seemed to analyze me, as if weighing whether I was a threat or merely an obstacle.

"Stay alert," Emily warned. "His movements suggest combat protocols. He's not just some technician."

I steadied myself, leveling the Beretta at his head. "Then let's see how well his protocols handle this."

I aimed at the remaining flesh on his head, squeezing the trigger with precision. Each shot exploded bits of skin and tissue into the air, leaving only sparking wires and metallic plating. Yet, the operator seemed unbothered. He dragged his feet across the muddy ground, his movements sluggish and almost mechanical. It was like watching a predator toy with its prey before pouncing.

**He was slow now, but I knew better than to relax.**

I kept my distance, circling him with my Beretta ready, waiting for him to falter. **Distance was my advantage—at least, I thought so.** But when the clip ran dry, I realized how wrong I was.

The instant I stopped firing, the operator sprang into action. His sudden burst of speed caught me off guard, closing the gap between us in seconds. I ducked just in time, narrowly avoiding his outstretched arm as it lashed out toward my head. If he had caught me, he would've snapped my neck cleanly.

I gasped for air, adrenaline coursing through my veins, and instinctively reached for my taser. This had to end now.

I breathed in again, slowing time to a crawl, and lunged at him, the taser raised. Sparks flew as I struck him repeatedly with the device's back end, trying to damage his cameras. But no matter how hard I hit, the lenses remained intact, swiveling toward me with relentless precision. His mechanical gaze felt like a death sentence.

Emily's voice buzzed in my ear. "His cameras are reinforced. You need to target something more vulnerable!"

I didn't have time to think. As I pulled back to reevaluate, his hand shot out at an impossible speed. Even in my slowed perception, I couldn't react in time. His metal fingers struck me across the chest in a brutal karate chop, sending a jolt of pain through my ribs.

I stumbled, trying to catch my breath, but before I could recover, his knee slammed into my gut. The force lifted me off the ground, pain exploding in my midsection. Time seemed to freeze—not because of my ability, but because the impact stole the air from my lungs.

And then he finished the combination.

As I hung suspended in the air, his fist collided with my side in a crushing blow. The punch sent me flying across the muddy terrain, slamming me into the base of a tree. My body crumpled to the ground, and for a moment, I saw stars.

Get up.

The voice in my head screamed at me, urging me to move, but my body refused to obey. I coughed, tasting blood in my mouth, and forced myself to sit up. My chest burned, my ribs screamed with every breath, and the rain poured down harder, soaking through my flak suit.

Emily's voice returned, sharp and urgent. "Are you okay? He's advancing—don't stay down!"

I looked up and saw the operator dragging himself toward me again, his movements steady despite the gaping wounds in his metallic frame. His feet scraped against the ground, leaving gouges in the wet soil.

This thing wasn't human anymore.

I spat blood and tightened my grip on the taser. "Emily, I need an idea. Now."

She hesitated. "His power source might be in his torso. If you can pierce it, you might disable him completely."

I glanced at the combat knife strapped to my leg. It was a long shot, but it was my only shot. No guns, no taser, just a blade and my determination.

I pulled the knife free, the steel gleaming in the dim light, and took a shaky breath. This was going to hurt.

The rain poured relentlessly, cascading over us as if nature itself bore witness to the battle. It mixed with the blood and oil-like fluids pooling at our feet, painting the ground in chaos.

I tightened my grip on the bayonet knife, locking my eyes onto the abomination. Its torn hoodie flapped in the wind, revealing glints of metal and a faint glow of blue liquid beneath the layers of plating. That reservoir—it had to be its power source.

I lunged forward with a feinted jab, forcing it to recoil instinctively. In that split-second, I drove the bayonet toward its chest, aiming for the vulnerable gap between the metal plates. The blade struck hard, but it didn't pierce. Instead, it scraped against the reinforced plating, sending sparks into the rain.

Through the ripped fabric, I caught a clearer glimpse of the glowing reservoir. I adjusted my stance, pretending to overcommit, drawing out a reaction. The abomination took the bait, swinging wildly, and I darted in again, slamming the blade with all my strength.

It still didn't puncture, but I was wearing it down. I could feel it.

The creature retaliated, its fist smashing into my lower abdomen. Pain shot through me like fire, but I gritted my teeth and used the momentum to my advantage. I twisted around its arm, stabbing once more with the bayonet. This time, the force of the blow made it stumble back a step.

For the first time, it seemed to hesitate. The creature raised its hands to guard its chest, retreating slightly. Could it feel pain? Or was it simply protecting its power source?

I decided it didn't matter.

I lunged again, feinting another strike to its chest. It caught my arm mid-swing with a vice-like grip, and before I could react, its other hand backhanded me with enough force to blur my vision. I staggered, my footing unsteady, but I refused to retreat.

The taser lay just a few feet away.

I dove for it, rolling through the mud, and grabbed the weapon. Before the abomination could close the distance, I jammed the taser into one of the exposed gaps in its head. I pulled the trigger, unloading the last of its charge.

Sparks erupted from the contact point, and the creature let out a garbled, distorted scream. Its hands shot up to its head, clawing desperately at the taser to rip it out.

Now.

Seizing the opening, I surged forward with everything I had left. The bayonet drove forward with all my weight behind it. This time, the blade pierced the glass reservoir, shattering it with a sharp, satisfying *crack*.

The blue liquid spilled out, mixing with the rain.

I stumbled back, pulling the blade free to avoid plugging the breach. The abomination froze for a moment, its hands moving frantically to cover the rupture. Its mechanical movements became erratic, spasming as the liquid poured out in rivulets.

It staggered, its knees buckling, and let out one final guttural cry before collapsing to the ground. The light from its cameras flickered once, then dimmed completely.

I stood there, chest heaving, the rain washing away the grime and blood. It was over.

Emily's voice crackled weakly in my ear. "You... you did it. The signal's gone. He's offline."

I knelt by the body, exhausted but wary. "Good. Let's see what else we can learn from this bastard."

Even as the rain continued to fall, I felt the faintest glimmer of triumph. One step closer to the answers I needed.-*-*-*-*-*