CHAPTER 57: CHAPTER 11: FINAL HOUR

PRIORITY QUEST UPDATE: OPERATION NIGHTFALL]

Current Sub-Objectives:

☑ Rest and Recovery (6 hours completed)

☑ Memorize tactical routes with Asha (15/15 key passages memorized)

☑ Equipment familiarization and testing (Complete)

☐ Final briefing and team coordination (In Progress)

Time Remaining: 1 hour until Vault Night Cycle

---

After chatting about a bunch of stuff with Asha, Jin makes his way to the command center, where he spots Rosa, Clara, and Sera already knee-deep in planning. Even though he had memorized 15 key sections with Asha, his mind felt all jumbled when he tried to recall everything at once. The directions kept getting mixed up in his head—was it left at junction B-7 or a right?

"Come on, focus, Jin," he mumbled to himself, tracing the holographic paths with his finger. At least his body knew what to do, even if his mind was lagging behind.

Jin stood in the command center, trying to come off as confident, even though he had forgotten half the route already. Yeah, he memorized it with Asha, but now everyone was watching...

"Okay, so I go left at the... no wait, right at the..." Jin squinted at the map.

"The junction, you idiot," Sera snapped. "We just went over this!"

Sera huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose with a frown. "Geez, can’t you see we need to concentrate? Ugh, we have, like, less than an hour left, okay?"

Jin nodded, his face turning serious. "Okay. The decoy blasts Rosa set up are gonna go...uhh, off here and here," he pointed out on the map, clearly having taken notice. "That gives me a chance to get to the environmental controls while they’re checking out the explosions."

"Hmph, fine, I guess you’re not completely hopeless after all," Sera said, trying to sound indifferent, but there was a hint of warmth in her tone. "Maybe, just maybe, there’s a glimmer of hope for you."

"I-I’ve also modified your baton’s grip," Clara added, pulling the weapon from her kit. "T-The modified baton had two modes - normal strikes and the single-use overcharge."

Jin took the weapon and gave it a good feel, checking its weight. He fumbled a bit since his Dexterity was only 6.22, meaning he wasn’t exactly skilled at delicate movements. Still, the baton felt comfortable in his hands, and with his Strength at 24.77, he figured even clumsy swings would pack a punch.

"You’re brilliant, Clara. I’ll just... try not to drop it."

She blushed furiously. "I-it’s nothing!"

"Alright, everyone knows their positions," Sera concluded, checking her chronometer. "Forty-five minutes until night cycle. We move in—"

SCRAAAPE.

The sound from above froze everyone mid-motion. A deliberate scraping, like claws on metal, directly above the command center.

"T-That’s... not supposed to happen yet," Clara whispered, her tablet showing the night cycle countdown.

The scraping above grew louder, joined by another source. Then another.

"T-Three signatures are close," Clara reported, her stutter vanishing in the face of a technical crisis. "They’re spreading out...out looking for entry points!."

"Four minutes," Sera corrected, pumping her rifle. "Whatever you’re doing, Clara, do it faster."

Jin positioned himself between Clara and the main entrance, baton humming with barely contained energy.

The main door shook as something heavy hit it from the other side.

"Hmph, so much for sneaky tactics," Sera muttered, rolling her eyes as she steadied her aim at the entrance.

The door shuddered again, metal groaning under the assault. Jin’s grip tightened on the modified baton, his knuckles white. But instead of backing away, he stepped forward.

"Open the door," Jin said, breaking the tension with his voice.

"I’ll draw them away while you all keep doing your thing.." Jin firmly grip the baton.

"What?!" Sera whipped around to look at him. "Are you out of your mind?!"

"Just a little crack, enough for me to slip out."

Jin shifted his weight onto the balls of his feet. "If they bust it down, they’ll swarm in here. But if I go out first—"

"They’ll follow you," Rosa chimed in, realization hitting her. "Classic bait and switch move."

"I’ll lead them toward Sector B-5. That’s the opposite direction of where you’re going to cryo-bay." Jin said as he headed for the door controls.

"T-That’s crazy!" Clara exclaimed, almost dropping her tablet. "You can’t—"

"I’m tougher than I look," Jin said gently, cutting her off.

Another thud hit the door, leaving a dent in the tough metal.

"Asha," Jin thought, "I thought you said Crawlers go dormant at night. Why are they so aggressive?

*"An excellent observation that you’ve made approximately thirty seconds too late,"* Asha replied. *"The night dormancy pattern applies to standard Crawlers exhibiting baseline behavior. However, these specimens show signs of pack coordination and an Alpha presence. The Alpha can override dormancy instincts, driving the pack to hunt regardless of circadian patterns."*

"So they’ve got a leader," Jin said, half to himself.

"I don’t like this," Sera admitted, but she positioned herself to guard the door with her rifle. "You’re on your own out there."

"I’ve got Asha. And this," he said, lifting the baton and feeling its weight. "Besides, you’ll need time to get set up. This gives us that time."

Rosa double-checked her shock mines. "I’ll start placing these forty seconds after you leave. That should give you a bit of a head start."

"Clara, I believe in you" Jin asked.

"T-Thank you, Jin!" She pulled up a live map. "Just... please be careful out there."

With that, Jin approached the door, his muscles tense and ready. The Tsurugi training was still fresh in his mind—footwork, timing, distance. Even without a sword, the basics were solid.

"On three," he said. "One—"

BANG! The door buckled further.

"Two—"

The metal began to tear at the seams.

"Three!"

Sera hit the emergency release button, and the door opened just enough—about six inches.

Jin saw the small opening and slipped through without hesitation, rolling as he went. He narrowly avoided claws that swiped at the space he’d just left. Once he was back on his feet, he flicked on his baton, and it hummed to life.

What he found in the hallway was total mayhem.

Three Crawlers were nearby, their skin looking shiny and wet. They all turned to look at him at the same time, their vacant white eyes locking onto him with an intense stare.

*[Combat Scenario Initiated]*

*Enemies: 3 Crawlers (Standard)*

*Environment: Narrow Corridor - Limited Evasion Space*

*HP: 160/160 | Stamina: 160/160*

The first Crawler charged at breakneck speed. Jin’s Predator Instinct kicked in, letting him visualize the attack’s path like a faint shadow.

*[Skill Synergy Detected: Predator Instinct + Melee Weapon Mastery]*

*Combined Effect: Predictive Counter Available*

"RAAAHHH!" Jin shouted and faced the attack head-on. He moved smoothly, making the baton feel like a part of him. Just when it seemed like he’d get hit, he dodged to the side and swung the weapon down hard.

*[Perfect Counter! -5 Stamina]*

*Damage Multiplier: x1.5*

*Electrical Discharge: Bonus Neural Damage*

The Crawler’s head cracked open from the big hit, with electricity sparking all over its messed-up body. But Jin wasn’t done yet. He took that momentum and spun around, swinging the baton and landing a nice shot right on the second Crawler’s jaw.

*[Combo Chain: 2 Hits]*

*Stamina Cost: -8 (Reduced by 15% from skill)*

*Current Status - HP: 160/160 | Stamina: 147/160*

The third Crawler attempted to creep along the wall. But with Jin’s Night Vision, he could see it all—how its muscles flexed right before it jumped and how it cocked its head to the side.

*"Left shoulder, rolling dodge, upward strike,"* Asha instructed.

Jin’s reflexes kicked in right away. He quickly ducked when the Crawler jumped, but its claws still scraped against his back as it soared above him.

*[-15 HP from claw swipe]*

*HP: 145/160 | Stamina: 142/160*

As it flew over him, he shot the baton up, hitting it right in the soft belly.

*[Weak Point Strike! -5 Stamina]*

*Critical Damage Dealt*

*+25 EXP*

*Current Status - HP: 145/160 | Stamina: 137/160*

But there were more approaching. Jin could hear them—claws scratching against metal, that familiar scuttling sound that made his skin crawl.

"Over here!" Jin shouted, waving his glowing baton. "Easy target!"

The Crawlers responded with inhuman shrieks, and worse—he heard answering calls in the distance. The pack knew he was there.

*[Pack Frenzy Triggered]*

*Incoming Hostiles: 7... 9... 12...*

*Recommendation: Tactical Retreat Required*

"Twelve?!" Jin’s voice cracked slightly.

*"Thirteen now. Fourteen. Stop standing there and RUN!"*

Jin dashed down the hallway, using his quick reflexes to bounce off the walls at the turns. Behind him, he could hear the constant sounds of someone chasing him—claws clattering on the metal.

*[Running: -2 Stamina per 10 meters]*

*Distance covered: 60 meters*

*Current Status - HP: 145/160 | Stamina: 125/160*

A Crawler burst from a side vent directly in his path. No time to dodge.

*[Desperate Strike Available]*

*Conditions Met: Imminent Collision*

*Cost: -20 Stamina*

"HAAAAHHH!" Jin lowered his shoulder and charged, holding his baton like a spear. They collided hard, but Jin rolled with the impact and came up in a crouch as the Crawler hit the wall.

*[Athletics Check: Success]*

*Desperate Strike Executed*

*Current Status - HP: 145/160 | Stamina: 105/160*

Three more Crawlers rounded the corner ahead, blocking his path. Jin’s mind raced through options:

*[Tactical Analysis]*

*Option 1: Break through (65% success)*

*Option 2: Wall run bypass (45% success)*

*Option 3: Instinct Surge + Blitz (80% success)*

"Option three," Jin growled, feeling the familiar surge of power.

*[Instinct Surge Activated - 10 seconds]*

*STR: 24.77 → 32.20*

*AGI: 15.50 → 20.15*

*PER: 17.60 → 22.88*

*Cooldown: 5 minutes*