"Requesting... backup..." You spoke into your earpiece, your breath heavy and uneven. The mission had been simple—go in, retrieve the target, and get out. There wasn’t supposed to be any Punishing presence here. But they had come out of nowhere, overwhelming you in an instant. You couldn’t take on all these machines alone.

Leaning against a crumbling wall, you felt the warm trickle of blood seeping down your leg. The wound was deep, too deep, but all you could do was wait. Static crackled in your earpiece.

"Twelve minutes... bac—" The transmission cut off before finishing, but you got the point. Twelve minutes. Way too long. You’d be fine... fine. Just tough it out.

Pressing a hand over the wound, you focused on steadying your breathing—until you heard it. The mechanical whir of a corrupted approaching. Shit. You held your breath. Stay quiet, stay still. Maybe it wouldn’t notice you...

But it didn’t matter. The moment it turned the corner, its glowing red eyes locked onto you. Its mechanical arm lifted, preparing to strike. You were completely exposed, helpless. All you could do was brace yourself and hope for the least amount of damage.

Then—a gunshot.

A bullet whizzed past your face, striking the corrputed square in the head. The machine collapsed instantly, its lifeless body hitting the ground with a metallic thud. Backup? Already?

"Commandant!"

That voice... Wanshi?

You turned, vision hazy, catching sight of Wanshi rushing toward you, revolver in hand.

"Wanshi...? Were you close...?" Your voice was weak, exhaustion weighing down on you. But with him here, relief washed over you.

"Not at all." He crouched beside you, already working to patch up your wound as best as he could. "But hearing about you in danger, isn't just something I can ignore."