Chapter 41: Chapter 41: System's Onslaught - 2

The Locus's roar resonated through the air, momentarily paralyzing everyone present. The creature loomed menacingly just meters away. Its four arms waved erratically in the air, its compound eyes reflecting the scene before it.

Elio, still on the ground where he had fallen when Marcus's henchmen released him, struggled to combat hypoxia. The pain from the blows received and the lack of oxygen clouded his mind. His lungs burned, desperate to process the air in the city's rarefied atmosphere. Each inhalation was agony, every movement a titanic effort.

Fortunately for Elio, the Locus seemed more attracted to the humans in motion than to the nearly motionless one on the ground.

Marcus and his henchmen, caught between shock and fear, instinctively retreated. Their level 4 and 5 armor gleamed under the sunlight, their supposed superiority seeming insignificant in the face of the fear of being captured.

"Defensive formation!" Marcus shouted, his voice betraying a tremor of fear he tried to hide. His men obeyed automatically, years of training overcoming their initial panic.

Marcus, reacting quickly, threw his level 5 lance. The weapon flew with precision, impacting one of the Locus's compound eyes. The creature roared in pain, momentarily retreating.

"Now!" Marcus yelled. "Use the lances!"

The Locus, however, didn't wait. With a speed belying its size, it lunged at the group. Its claws cut through the air, heading for the nearest henchman.

The man, whom Elio had mentally labeled as Henchman 1, raised his lance in a desperate attempt at defense. The clash between the Locus's claw and the lance resonated with a metallic boom. The force of the impact made Henchman 1 stumble, his feet sliding on the smooth, indestructible surface of the street.

Marcus took one of Elio's level 5 lances near his feet and threw it. The other three henchmen launched their level 4 weapons almost simultaneously. All of them found their target, embedding themselves in the Locus's exoskeleton. But it wasn't enough.

But his shouts fell on deaf ears. Henchman 3 quickly disappeared down a side street, leaving behind the chaos of the battle.

The Locus, oblivious to the desertion, continued its relentless assault. Marcus and the remaining Henchman 4 decided to flee in different directions. It was then that Marcus saw Elio's last lance.

Marcus thought for a moment that he could easily take it from Elio's hands, that he still had a chance to kill the monster and get another core. He had 96, he only needed 4 more so it would be worth it... But it wouldn't be so.

The Locus lunged forward and one of its upper claws caught Marcus by the torso. The level 5 armor creaked under the pressure but held thanks to its high resistance. Marcus screamed, not from pain, but rather from rage, as he tried to free himself from the monster's grip.

Elio observed the scene with a mixture of horror and fascination. Part of him wanted to help, despite everything Marcus had done to him. Another part, more pragmatic, reminded him that he hadn't even managed to stand up yet.

The Locus lifted Marcus off the ground, its compound eyes fixed on its prey. Marcus fought frantically, pounding with his fists against the claws that held him, but his attacks didn't seem to bother the creature.

With a fluid motion, almost elegant in its brutality, the Locus brought Marcus closer to its mandibles. There was a moment of terrible stillness, as if time had stopped.

Then, with terrifying speed, the Locus's jaws closed around Marcus's neck. There was a horrible crunch, a choked scream, and then silence.

Marcus's body fell to the ground with a thud, separated from his head. The level 5 armor, still intact, gleamed under the sunlight, a cruel reminder of its ultimate uselessness.

Elio felt a wave of nausea at the sight, but he didn't have time to fully process what he had just witnessed.

It was at that moment that Elio noticed something strange. A faint glow emanated from the book next to Marcus's lifeless body, barely perceptible but undeniably present.