Kai was focused on the rifles of the Sentinels.
His team used various baits within the smoke to make them waste their rifle energy. As soon as he noticed the light in the rifles dimming, he knew it was time.
They're empty.
"Charge!" As soon as he gave the command, his team of six Survivors moved closer to overwhelm the Sentinels with their guns.
There was also a group of five more people led by Rene, who was busy reloading revolvers and waiting for their chance. They had already learned from the previous battle, so Kai had created a small team assigned specifically to reload the guns.
Meanwhile, the Sentinels lowered their weapons, switching to melee. Their arms extended as blades snapped out from hidden compartments.
"Now it's our turn," Kai muttered as he raised his revolver, firing point‑blank into a Sentinel's optic.
Since they were no longer hiding in the smoke, they could finally focus on shooting from a distance.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
This time, their shots were more accurate!
The machine staggered as sparks erupted across its body. The Sentinels' mechanical frames were still hard to break or pierce with their current guns... but it didn't matter!
After emptying their revolvers, the team tossed them back to Rene's group to reload. Just like that, they moved closer with their hatchets.
Wallace was the first to arrive thanks to his Level 5 Passive Skill, Swift Stride.
He darted to the side of the nearest Sentinel and swung his hatchet, burying it into its neck joint.
Thud!
As soon as he saw the result, Wallace laughed.
"Hahaha! Kai, you're right! They can't turn quickly! These things are noobs!" he shouted in joy as he retreated.
He failed to pull out his hatchet since another Sentinel had nearly sliced him apart. Still, he was happy with the result. He simply pulled out another hatchet tied to his belt.
"I knew it… Their turning rate is their weakness," Kai muttered. He had noticed this earlier, but now it was confirmed.
With that knowledge, they knew they had a higher chance of winning against these low‑level mechanical soldiers of the A.I. Army.
The others also made their move, ensuring they didn't engage in frontal combat. They used their speed and maneuverability to slowly dismantle the Sentinels.
Thud!
Ralph slammed his weapon into a Sentinel's shoulder, denting it. The force bounced back at him, but thanks to his level, his arm wasn't injured. He wanted to strike again, but Wallace pulled him back—
Ssaak!
A blade sliced through the air where Ralph had just been.
Shit! That was close… Ralph thought as he backed away.
"Be careful! They're working together," Wallace warned.
"Thanks. I'll try again." Ralph didn't give up. He was already Level 5 and felt confident. He knew he needed more combat experience now, while the enemies were still close to his level.
Just like that, the garbage field erupted into chaos.
The Sentinels attacked whatever was in front of them, but their blades were slicing through the air.
"Back away!" Kai shouted as he moved aside.
It was the signal for Rene's team to shoot with the reloaded guns.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The five people in Rene's team shot at the Sentinels. Even without perfect aim, they managed to hit knee joints and weakened parts, forcing the machines to stumble.
Just like that, the team emptied ten revolvers and stopped firing.
It was time to end the battle.
Everyone charged in again, swinging their hatchets at the enemies. This time, they aimed for necks and heads.
Sparks flew as hatchets tore through the circuits of the Sentinels.
In just a few moments, two more Sentinels were down.
[ Enemy Unit Destroyed: Sentinel (D) ]
[ Experience Points distributed among all participants. ]
[ +300 Experience Points ]
Now, only three remained, and they were already battered.
"We're almost there!" Kai shouted as he saw one of the Sentinels that couldn't even lift its arm anymore. Soon, it was destroyed by Wallace and Ralph working together.
Of course, these machines didn't retreat. They had no hesitation and continued fighting.
The last three Sentinels advanced with their blades.
Kai raised his voice. "Together!"
The team then charged forward with their hatchets one last time!
Clang!
Kai hurled one of his hatchets, striking a Sentinel's chest. The machine stumbled from the impact, and Ralph seized the opportunity, splitting its head open.
[ +300 Experience Points ]
Needless to say, they repeated the same tactic against the remaining Sentinels. Soon, all the mechanical soldiers fell, and silence returned to the garbage field.
Even the three Sentinels that had fallen into the fire traps had stopped moving, granting the team shared experience points.
The smoke drifted away while the flames crackled. The bodies of the Sentinels lay scattered, most of their heads destroyed.
"Damn. That's tough… I didn't even level up. What's the requirement for reaching Level 6?" Wallace frowned, frustrated. He had thought he'd level up this time.
"It's a bottleneck or something. I read about this in the novels before," Ralph replied, frowning as well. He knew he had already accumulated more than two thousand experience points.
"Maybe five… no, ten thousand points are required?" he mused.
Kai, on the other hand, didn't look at the notifications. Instead, his eyes lingered on the bodies of the three men who had tried to protect the women in their group.
Looking at their faces, it seemed they realized they had truly protected and saved those women.
Instead of anguish, their expressions looked satisfied... even in death.