Exo Seeker: The Strongest Human Woke Up In The Future!-Chapter 35: Flames

As a Final Boss, the Ground Fire Hog had its own strategies for dealing with humans.

A moment of silence, a brief opening—that was all it needed to eliminate the humans present. So the Behemech waited, watching for that silence to come. For the moment they ran out of bullets, their weapons failed, or they fell into disarray from conflict.

This had always been its strategy, allowing the Ground Fire Hog to deliver lethal blows without using much of its 'core.'

It was a strategy that always worked. Humans would panic at the Behemech's First Skill, scattering in fear, forced to flee. But where could they run? In this place, the only thing they had to stand on was the circular platform.

An easy kill.

However, the Ground Fire Hog didn't expect to meet a foe that would force it back into its wild form.

A beast among beasts.

The Ground Fire Hog lost its reasoning, its mind consumed by a primal fury. All it wanted now was to wreak havoc, uncaring of its own state. The Behemech's blood or the humans' blood—it didn't matter. In the end, only one side would be left standing.

Losing its mind meant losing the feeling of being alive. That was why all Final Bosses who gained 'consciousness' resisted returning to a wild Behemech state. But remaining 'awake' was difficult. They had to stay calm, to never lose their composure. And even then, it was taxing, slowly but surely consuming their 'core.'

And now, the Ground Fire Hog, who had remained 'sane' all this time, had become nothing more than a crazed, wild dog.

The Final Boss exhaled a wave of fire, sweeping it across the Primers before turning its attention to the group of black-suited individuals.

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It was only a basic ability—not even a Skill—but its strength was already on par with one.

Yet, the New One group merely smiled at the oncoming attack.

"Herm," Carina called, and the axe user nodded in understanding.

"Don't worry, this is just a piece of cake," Herm said confidently. Though he still held the black suitcase in one hand, he only needed the other to deal with the fire.

Raising his axe with his right hand, he waited until the fire breath came within reach—then brought his weapon down.

The axe let out a whirring sound, its body glowing with a light similar to a Shield Tube. However, instead of a barrier, the translucent energy covered the axe itself, making it appear even larger. The moment the flaming breath clashed against the enlarged weapon, the fire split in half, forced aside as it passed them.

"Ah, sh*t!"

Dave and Lance cursed at the same time as stray flames landed on their shoulders.

"Watch out, nerd!"

"Stop playing around!" Carina shouted. "Quit aiming for the legs and focus on its head!"

"Tsk! Another tie!" Dave glared at Lance.

"That's because I'm holding back!" Lance retorted.

They had been targeting the Ground Fire Hog's legs, trying to sever one, but despite the damage, its metallic bones and the plates protecting its limbs made it nearly impossible to cut through with bullets.

Their bet was simple—whoever took off the monster's leg first would win. However, with their Captain's angry shout, they had no choice but to follow orders.

Bullets erupted from their weapons, striking the Behemech's head. Sparks and blood flew with each impact.

But the Behemech didn't bother with the wounds on its face. In the next second, flames covered the wounded area, healing it instantly. Then, the Ground Fire Hog used the flames surrounding it as a shield, protecting itself from the attacks of the other Primers and the New One group.

The fire breath didn't stop, holding Herm in place.

"I hate Final Bosses," Herm muttered, though there wasn't a hint of worry in his voice. "They're persistent, especially in their crazed state."

"Don't underestimate it. Who knows? Maybe she has more Energy Reserve than the other Final Bosses we faced before," Fermin said from the side as she reloaded her sniper.

"She does," Carina confirmed. "Attributed Behemechs have an abundant amount of Energy in their Growth Orbs—way more than their peers without an Attribute."

"Letting her empty her Energy isn't going to be worth it," Fermin said.

"Hold the fire," Carina ordered, lowering herself slightly. Brandishing her glowing sword, which left a trail in the air, she glanced at their sniper. "How many seconds can you handle these flames on your own?"

"Three seconds at most," Fermin answered before glancing at the crazed Dave and Lance. "If these fools help, we can extend it to five."

Unlike Herm, Fermin, Lance, and Dave didn't have high defensive capabilities. They had high firepower, but when it came to defense, Herm was the best. His Half-Aegis was more focused on it, and his axe allowed him to both attack and defend.

"That's more than enough," Carina nodded. "We can't let these metal scrap users gain more Contribution, and we must not let that dog use a Skill."

"Got it," Fermin said. Then she turned to Lance and Dave. "Hey! You two, we're holding the flames!"

"Seriously?! That's Herm's job!" Dave shouted back while his weapon continued raining bullets on the Behemech.

"Do you want to meet God?!" Fermin shouted coldly.

Dave and Lance shivered at her words. They could anger their Captain, but they would never dare anger their short teammate with a short temper!

"Who wants to meet God?" Lance hurriedly moved beside the sniper user, followed by Dave.

"We're still too young, right?" Dave chuckled. "So, what do we do?"

"Use your shield, dumbass," Fermin clicked her tongue.

"On my count," Carina said, nodding at them before focusing her gaze on the Behemech.

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three..."

"Go!"

Herm and Carina activated their Speed Modules at the same time, their bodies becoming blurs.

The high-intensity flames surged forward, making the air so chaotic that vapor materialized out of nowhere.

Expecting this, Dave, Lance, and Fermin activated their shields simultaneously. Black translucent barriers materialized in front of them, holding off the flames to the best of their abilities.

Although they had Half-Aegis suits, a much stronger Exoskeleton compared to the standard Primers, they were still a newbie group with less than half a year of experience wearing the suits. The New One Company wouldn't invest all its money and resources in them just yet.

This made their suits different from one another, designed solely for individual roles. Since they lacked the same defensive capabilities as Herm, holding off the flames for more than five seconds would be difficult.

"The f*ck?! This isn't even a Skill, and our shields are already melting!" Lance cursed.

"I hate Attributes!" Dave shouted.

"Just shut up and hold!" Fermin snapped at the two fools.