Richard, Graves, and ten members of the Special Forces split up, each heading to strategically important locations around Tianjin to intercept enemy forces. Richard’s target was a lone Goliath advancing from the east toward the city’s outer defenses.

As Richard approached, the Goliath detected his presence, reacting with a swift upward swing of its massive arm blade in an attempt to take him down. With quick reflexes, Richard maneuvered sharply to the left, narrowly avoiding the deadly swipe. He quickly retaliated, aiming his plasma cannon at the Goliath. The shot was precise, hitting the Goliath directly in its left eye, causing significant damage but not enough to stop it completely.

The Goliath put its hand over to its eye visibly in pain. But Richard felt no remorse or feelings toward it. So he swooped in, activating his plasma blade and then slicing the Achilles tendon of the Goliath to further impair its mobility. The Goliath roared in pain and frustration, its advance significantly hindered by the precision of Richard’s strike. Now limping and partially blinded, the Goliath became less of a threat to the city’s outer defenses but still posed a danger that needed to be eliminated.

Richard circled above, analyzing the situation. The Goliath, now severely weakened, attempted to continue its assault on Tianjin, driven by whatever dark impulse or command it was under. Richard knew he had to finish this quickly to prevent any potential damage it could still inflict.

He communicated with Graves and the Special Forces team, updating them on the situation and requesting additional firepower to ensure the Goliath’s swift elimination. Within moments, support arrived in the form of heavy artillery, positioned at a safe distance but with a clear line of sight to the Goliath.

On Richard’s command, the artillery units opened fire. The barrage was relentless, and under the concentrated firepower, the Goliath could no longer maintain its stance. Each hit took a toll, further weakening the structure of the behemoth until it finally collapsed, unable to withstand the onslaught.

Richard looked atop its head, and there it was slivering health bar. It’s not yet dead. He landed on its chest and prepared for the final blow. With his plasma blade still activated. He walked over to the right, where its heart was located. The moment his foot touched down, the Goliath let out a weak roar, a last attempt to intimidate or perhaps a reflex of its fading life force. Richard didn’t hesitate; he knew the importance of finishing this quickly to prevent any resurgence. Positioning his plasma blade directly above the Goliath’s heart area, he thrust downward, piercing through the thick hide and into the core of the beast.

The effect was immediate. The remaining life force of the Goliath flickered out as the plasma blade disrupted its vital systems. Richard watched as the health bar vanished completely, confirming Goliath’s termination. He withdrew his blade and stepped back.

With the Goliath neutralized, he tried joining the rest—No, an Alpha Hunter leaped from the right, its hand extended forward as if it were going to maul him. However, Richard’s perception skill and the predictive feature of the suit allowed him to simply lean backward, dodging the incoming attack with a fluid motion. The Alpha Hunter’s claws swiped through the air, missing Richard by mere inches. In the brief moment the Hunter was off-balance from its missed strike, Richard capitalized on the opportunity. He activated his plasma blade once more, turning swiftly to deliver a counterattack aimed at the Hunter’s midsection.

The blade made contact, cutting through the Hunter’s flesh with ease. The creature howled in pain, recoiling from the attack, but it was far from defeated.

It rose up and then unleashed a flurry of swipes in rapid succession Richard, relying on his enhanced perception, dodged each attack, moving with a speed and agility that seemed almost superhuman. The dance between predator and prey was intense, with the Hunter relentlessly pursuing Richard, who skillfully evaded and countered when opportunities presented themselves.

Despite Richard’s superior agility, the confined space of the battlefield and the Alpha Hunter’s persistence began to narrow his options. The Hunter, learning from its initial failed attempts, started to anticipate Richard’s movements, forcing him to adopt a more defensive posture.

Realizing that a prolonged battle could attract more enemies or drain his resources, Richard decided to change tactics. He feigned a moment of vulnerability, baiting the Hunter into committing to a powerful lunge. As the Hunter took the bait and surged forward, Richard used the momentum against it, sidestepping at the last moment and using his plasma blade to deliver a critical strike to the Hunter’s weakest part.

The impact of the blade was significant, cutting deep into the Hunter’s torso and severing vital pathways. The creature staggered, its movements becoming sluggish as it tried to comprehend the severity of its wound. Richard didn’t give it a chance to recover. He pressed the advantage, delivering a series of rapid strikes with his plasma blade, targeting the weakened areas of the Hunter’s body.

Finally, Richard’s blade found its way to the Hunter’s heart, effectively ending the threat it posed. The Hunter collapsed, its body going limp as the life faded from its eyes. Richard stood over it for a moment, ensuring it was truly down, before deactivating his plasma blade and scanning the area for more immediate threats.

With the immediate danger neutralized, Richard quickly checked his surroundings for any signs of additional enemies or any of his team members in need of assistance.

"Hmm? Alpha Gryphon huh? Don’t worry, I’ll be there," Richard said to himself, noticing the distress signals and the reported location of an Alpha Gryphon wreaking havoc on another part of Tianjin. Knowing the devastation that such a creature could cause if left unchecked, Richard didn’t waste any time. He activated his thrusters, propelling himself into the air with a burst of speed, heading straight for the location of the Alpha Gryphon.

As he approached, the Alpha Gryphon came into view, its massive wingspan casting a shadow over the ground below. The Gryphon spotted Richard approaching and let out a piercing screech

Richard assessed the situation quickly. The Gryphon was agile in the air, but he knew its size and strength would be its downfall if he could disable its ability to fly. With this strategy in mind, Richard closed the distance, dodging the Gryphon’s talon swipes.

Coming in close, Richard aimed his plasma blade at one of the Gryphon’s wings, slashing at the base where it would cause the most damage. The blade cut through the thick hide and muscles, severely injuring the wing and rendering it useless. The Gryphon screeched in pain and anger, its flight now erratic as it struggled to maintain altitude with one wing compromised.

Not giving the Gryphon a moment to recover, Richard targeted the other wing, repeating his earlier maneuver. The second wing was also severely damaged, and without the means to stay airborne, the Gryphon plummeted to the ground, crashing with a heavy thud that shook the nearby area.

With that, Richard called an artillery strike to where the Alpha Gryphon landed, and moments later, multiple explosions erupted.

"Good thing this was easy. If we are having difficulties, then we won’t stand a chance against Lin Feng."