The massive, black Trinity helicopter hung above the tower like a predatory insect, its searchlight skewering Leo and Lara. The roar of the rotors was deafening, and the fast-roping soldier—clad in dark, intimidating tactical gear—was descending rapidly, rifle held ready.
"Rappel now! Forget the stairs!" Leo screamed over the noise, shoving the heavy Tier 2 Climbing Gear into Lara's hands. His Meta-Strategist II trait was spitting out an emergency command: Exit Kill Zone. Use Ranged Deterrent.
Lara, fueled by pure survival adrenaline, didn't hesitate. She recognized the quality of the new gear immediately. "The rope is good! Secure your line!"
While Lara worked furiously to anchor the primary rappel line to the tower's central mast, Leo's mind was fixated on the Recurve Bow. He had two guns now, but the rifle-toting soldier was the bigger threat, and he needed a silent, long-range deterrent.
He looked at Lara's unused, smaller bow and his superior Recurve Bow. She was now the master of the pistol, but the bow was his specialization.
"Lara, hold this!" Leo commanded, shoving his own Recurve Bow into her hands. "I'm making a trade!"
He quickly grabbed the heavy, powerful Tier 2 climbing gear rope he had just looted. Then, with a frantic flurry of motion—amplified by his Dexterity (11) and his Mind (9)—he used the Pry Axe to cut and reshape a strong length of wood from the old tower railing. He dismantled Lara's less powerful bow and combined the materials with the new, stronger rope.
In a matter of twenty seconds—an impossible feat of speed—he had crafted a new weapon for her.
System Notification!
[Crafting Attempt: Improvised Recurve Bow (Tier 1.5)]
Materials: Salvaged Wood, Tier 2 Rope, Metal Fixtures.
Skill Check: Dexterity (11) – Success (Critical!)
[Weapon Crafted: Partner Bow (Lara's Recurve)]
"Take this! It's stronger! Use the Partner Bow to suppress the soldier, I'll cover our drop with the pistol!" Leo yelled, handing her the newly assembled weapon and the quiver of hunting arrows.
Lara didn't question the sudden, superior weapon or the trade. She secured the bow, nocked an arrow, and anchored the rappel line to the mast.
"Line secured! Go!"
Leo grabbed the line, wrapped it, and pushed off the edge, falling rapidly toward the ground. He landed his feet on the side of the tower, controlling the descent with practiced ease.
The Duel Arsenal Fight Begins.
The descending soldier, startled by their sudden move, paused his drop, aiming his rifle down the line.
"Halt or we fire!" the soldier's voice crackled through a helmet speaker.
Lara was already in action. She drew the Partner Bow back, utilizing the enhanced pull of the new rope. Her arrow hissed past the soldier's head, embedding itself deep into the rotor assembly of the massive helicopter.
The helicopter shuddered violently, the pilot fighting to maintain control.
TAT-TAT-TAT! The soldier compensated by unleashing a burst of suppressed fire directly at the rappel line.
Leo, rappelling rapidly below, pulled one of the 9mm pistols from his belt. He fired two quick, deliberate shots—not at the soldier, who was too heavily armored—but at the metallic fixtures holding the soldier's fast-rope line secured to the helicopter.
BAM! BAM!
The bullets found their mark, ripping through the thinner metal of the safety clasp. The soldier's rope snapped free from the chopper. He screamed, his descent suddenly turning into a terrifying, uncontrolled fall. He slammed hard onto a lower section of the tower, dropping his rifle.
"He's down! Move!" Leo yelled, his breath ragged.
They accelerated their descent, moving in a synchronized, running freefall down the side of the massive tower.
The helicopter pilot, regaining control, unleashed a volley of suppressing fire—not bullets, but a small, targeted explosive charge meant to destroy the mast.
BOOM!
The explosion tore into the tower mast thirty feet above them. Shrapnel rained down, and the entire structure began to sway violently.
Leo's Meta-Strategist II screamed: Structural Integrity Fail. Rappel Line at Risk.
Lara, seeing the imminent danger, grabbed the rope and used her Climbing Axe to cut her main line free, then swung herself onto a narrow, metal ladder bolted to the side of the tower. She was completely unsupported but using the momentum to bridge the gap.
"Cut yours, Leo! The line won't hold the sway!"
Leo pulled out his crude Knife, severing the rappel line. He swung out, letting his momentum carry him wide, then planted his boots onto the same metal ladder, running down the rungs with terrifying speed.
They were now exposed, racing down the side of the disintegrating tower structure, trading the safety of the rope for the speed of the ladder.
The Trinity soldier, battered but alive, was regaining his footing on the lower platform, grabbing his dropped rifle. He began aiming down the side of the tower.
Lara stopped suddenly, her body twisting to the side. She nocked an arrow into the Partner Bow. The soldier had the advantage of range and high ground.
Leo, continuing his lightning-fast descent, pulled out his pistol and fired a long burst of suppressing fire at the soldier's position, forcing the Trinity operative to duck back behind cover.
Lara took the opportunity. She fired a single, perfect shot. The arrow didn't hit the soldier. It slammed into the highly volatile fuel line of the tower's emergency generator, just beside the Trinity soldier.
The impact caused a catastrophic rupture. Fuel spewed across the platform.
"Jump, Leo! Get off the ladder!" Lara screamed, already launching herself sideways into a deep pile of scaffolding debris at the base of the tower.
Leo, seeing the torrent of fuel and the proximity of the sparking electronics, knew the immediate threat. He jumped laterally off the ladder just as the entire generator platform erupted into a massive, blinding FIREBALL.
WHOOSH!
The explosion ripped through the air, sending him tumbling head over heels into the debris below. The heat was immense.
He landed hard, the impact knocking the wind from his lungs. He felt a sharp, searing pain across his back. He had taken significant damage.
Lara was already pulling him to his feet, her face blackened with soot but her eyes blazing with determination.
"The tower is coming down! We run!" she shouted, grabbing his arm.
They didn't look back. They sprinted away from the collapsing tower base and into the dense jungle cover, leaving the sounds of exploding metal, cracking stone, and the distant roar of the Trinity helicopter behind them.
They had survived the ambush, defeated a mystical enemy, and exposed themselves to the world's most dangerous private military organization.
Leo stumbled, his back throbbing, but his Meta-Strategist II was already calculating the next move: The path leads directly into the next major danger zone—The Mountain Village.