Destiny Among the Stars - Scifi - LitRPG - Adventure

Ryan grumbled something under his breath but didn't argue. The tension hung in the air for a moment before they pushed deeper into the chamber.

The rest of the chamber was, well, relatively easy. More of a grind than high stakes.

The tactic was simple. Luca and Zoe would take positions on the high ground, firing off shots to draw aggro. The worker drones would scuttle toward them, and the team below would mow them down.

Chris and Ryan formed the core of their firepower, their plasma rifles tearing through the drones with explosive force. Danny was the cleanup crew, his warhammer smashing anything that slipped past their crossfire. Emily weaved between the chaos, her dual blasters picking off stragglers. She only ignited her plasma sword when a drone got too close, but each time she did, it was a clean, instant kill.

They were a well-oiled machine, raking in the kills and XP. Danny and Ryan's theory about the exponential XP curve hung in the air, but Luca found he didn't care about the 'why' anymore. All that mattered was that he was finally leveling up his shitty skills, one kill at a time.

[+139,438 XP]

[+52,875 credits]

[Skill level up! Ranged Weapons Proficiency: Level 8 -> Level 9]

[Skill level up! Situational Awareness Proficiency: Level 8 -> Level 9]

[Skill level up! Adaptive Cover Proficiency: Level 7 -> Level 8]

[Skill level up! Light Armor Proficiency: Level 8 -> Level 9]

Unfortunately, no more TL9 weapon drops.

Just enough power cells to keep their ammunition stocked and some more sand-flavored rations. Nothing exciting, but at least they weren't running dry.

Zoe groaned as she loaded another cell into her sniper rifle. "We get one fancy grenade, and the rest is bug chow? This hive officially sucks."

"Come on, at least we're stocked up," Luca said, stretching out his sore arms.

"Yeah, yeah," she said under her breath. "But I was really hoping for something cooler."

It stepped through the far end of the chamber, past the pulsing, veined doorway.

Luca noticed it immediately, this one was different.

Two meters tall, with longer, sleeker limbs and a raised, segmented head. Its mandibles clicked, its six sharp limbs twitching. Unlike the worker drones, this one looked designed to kill.

And then it spat a barbed projectile, fast as a bullet.

"Cover!" Emily's sharp command cut through the air.

The team scattered just as the projectile slammed into Joey's shield. The shield crumpled inward, the impact so hard it sent Joey and his heavy powered armor staggering back.

"Fuck!" Joey grunted over the comms, bracing himself. "That thing hits like a goddamn truck!"

Another barbed spike slammed into the wall beside him, splattering corrosive liquid. The nearest eggs melted instantly, dissolving into a stinking, hissing puddle.

Luca's tactical mind snapped into focus. Their best weapons were now a liability. "No plasma fire!" he barked into his comm, his voice pure command. "If we hit the walls, we'll be swimming in acid!"

"Well, that's just fucking great," Chris growled, ducking behind an egg cluster.

Ryan gritted his teeth. "Okay, Plan B. Danny, you're up!"

Danny, already stomping forward, didn't need to be told twice. His powered armor thumped against the organic ground, the heavy steps shaking the humid chamber as he raised his Devastator Warhammer.

The scout drone didn't wait. It moved with a terrifying speed, a blur of chitin and limbs that made the bulky tank of a man charging at it look like he was moving through molasses.

Danny swung, a massive arc of kinetic force that whooshed through empty air. The bug had already vanished, ducking low and skittering around his flank before Danny could even adjust.

"Shit!" Ryan cursed, his plan evaporating. "We need another plan!"

A hot surge of adrenaline and frustration shot through Luca. All that talk about being useless, about his worthless gear, about watching from the sidelines while everyone else got the kills. Fuck another plan. Fuck waiting. He was done being a glorified alarm system on a ridge.

"Fuck it," he snapped, and he was already moving.

He sprinted full-speed from his position, closing the gap before his brain could register how bad of an idea this was. The scout twisted, sensing him, raising its bladed limbs to strike.

Luca jumped, landing hard on its back, and buried his Energy Tomahawk deep into the side of its neck. A savage grin split his face behind his visor.

The beast let out a piercing, electronic scream, its legs flailing and buckling under his sudden weight. Luca held on, gripping its carapace tight, hacking again, again, pouring every ounce of his pent-up frustration into the blows.

Its acidic blood splattered over Luca's arm, hissing against his suit.

He smeared his arm against the creature's own carapace, wiping away the worst of the goo before it could eat through the armor.

One last brutal swing, and the fucker finally collapsed. Luca rolled off, landing hard, his chest heaving as he panted, his visor fogging from the sudden, intense heat of his own exertion.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Dead.

[+23,297 XP]

[+9,000 credits]

[Skill Level up! Tomahawk Throwing Proficiency Level 8 -> Level 9]

He was still trying to catch his breath when her voice, sharp and angry, sliced through the ringing in his ears.

"What the fuck were you thinking!?"

Luca barely had time to turn before Emily was on him, her gauntlet clamping onto his arm. Her eyes were blazing behind her visor.

"You just... just jumped on that thing!" Her voice spiked, vibrating through the comms with a raw, frayed edge. "You could have been—Jesus, Luca!"

A snort crackled over the comms. Zoe. She was grinning, clearly enjoying his near-death stunt. "I mean, it worked, right?"

Emily's head snapped toward her. "That is not the point, Zoe!"

Zoe just shrugged, the picture of deadly calm. "Looked pretty badass to me."

Luca raised his hands, a placating gesture. "Em, I'm fine. It's dead. We didn't have a choice."

"You always have a choice!" she snapped back, her grip on his arm tightening. "Like, I don't know, maybe using the plasma rifles like we're supposed to?"

He sighed, the adrenaline beginning to ebb, leaving him feeling drained. "We couldn't. The scout was too fast, and one missed shot would have melted the floor out from under us."

Her jaw clenched. "And jumping on its back was the better alternative!?"

He opened his mouth, ready with a cocky retort, but the look in her eyes stopped him. He closed it, then just shrugged. He knew she was right, but he'd do it again.

She groaned, a sound of pure frustration, and finally let go of his arm, turning away. "You are such an idiot," she muttered, the anger in her voice softening into something that sounded suspiciously like relief.

Ryan, ever the opportunist, clapped a hand on Luca's shoulder. "Well, I for one think you did great, buddy."

Emily shot him a look that could have melted steel.

Ryan's hand vanished from his shoulder. "Right. Yeah. I'll shut up."

Zoe just chuckled, a low, appreciative sound. "Bet that adrenaline rush felt real good, huh, Cap?"

The impact, the scream of the beast, the savage satisfaction of the kill. Fuck yeah, it did.

But instead, he just nodded, forcing a steady breath. "Yeah," he admitted, his voice quiet. "It really did."

They finally hit a crack in the wall. The irony wasn't lost on Luca. Tight spaces and unknown dangers, this was what it was all about. Veiny tendrils stretched along the walls, pulsing slowly, like a heartbeat. The organic, fleshy texture made his skin crawl. He reached out to touch it, because he was a dumbass, and it contracted under his palm, like it had felt him.

He yanked his hand back.

Scanners showed a chamber beyond. Of course it did. It's a dungeon. What, did they expect us to just stroll through a wide open door? Bring it on, System.

They'd fought through wave after wave of drones, taken down a scout, and now they had to squeeze through this claustrophobic, pulsing, disgusting gap.

Ryan, drama queen extraordinaire, let out a huge groan. "Seriously? We've been blasting through these monsters like pros, and now we're reduced to crawling through a hole? Whose idea of fun is this?"

"Guess they want to keep us on our toes," Danny chimed in, grinning. "Or on our hands and knees, apparently."

Holy shit, did he just say that out loud? Luca thought, surprised.

Zoe, of course, had to add fuel to the fire. "Oh, I don't know, Danny. I've heard you're not bad on your hands and knees." She gave him a playful nudge. Damn, she was good.

Danny nearly choked on air, turning bright red, while Ryan gave Zoe a flat, unimpressed look. "Really?" Ryan grumbled. "You're the worst."

Zoe just grinned and patted his cheek. "Oh, sweetie, I know."

And then, completely unbothered, she slung her rifle over her back, dropped to her stomach, and crawled right in. No hesitation. She just vanished into the tight, pulsing darkness.

Emily went right after her. "You guys are ridiculous," she tossed over her shoulder, a smile in her voice. "And maybe a little obsessed with your own butts."

Her own form disappeared into the darkness, and Luca felt a familiar, distracting pull.

Joey gave Danny a mock-resigned look. "Well, if everyone else is going, I guess we'll just have to follow, huh?" He deactivated his shield and shimmied in. Chris and Danny followed right behind him.

Now it was just Luca and Ryan. And this fucking hole.

Luca stared at it. At the pulsing, fleshy crack in the wall. It was tight, dark, and it was moving. Fuck.

His breathing hitched, his chest tightening. He could hear it now, not just see it. The walls had a wet, sucking pulse, like a throat preparing to swallow. Faint squelching noises came from within, a slow, rhythmic contraction.

It was stupid. So fucking stupid. He was a goddamn Infiltrator, built for tight spaces, for slipping through cracks just like this one. But this wasn't just a crack. This was a living, suffocating throat ready to swallow him whole.

Ryan clapped a hand on his back. The bastard. As if he didn't know Luca was about two seconds from losing his shit. "You're up, Cap. I'll cover the rear."

Luca's mouth was desert-dry. He swallowed, shook his head, and tried to smile. It probably looked like he was about to vomit. "Nah, you go ahead. I'll be right behind you."

Ryan's expression shifted from smartass to concerned. He frowned. Shit. He knew Luca too well. "Luca..."

"Just go, Ryan," Luca said. "I'll be right there." Just not in this goddamn claustrophobic nightmare fuel of a tunnel. Not where the whole damn mountain could decide to take a nap on top of them.

Ryan studied him, his gaze flicking from Luca's face to the pulsing tunnel and back again. The gears were turning. "Ah, hell. You're not gonna freeze up on me now, are you?" He tried to sound light, but there was an edge to it, something that sounded like he actually gave a shit. He narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, okay," he said slowly. "Except I'm not going without you. You know that, right?"

Luca's fists clenched. "I'll be fine, just… go on ahead."

Ryan hesitated, then played his trump card. That asshole. "Alright, fine. But Emily's on the other side, waiting. You gonna make her wait longer?"

Luca exhaled sharply. "You're an ass," he said.

"Yep," Ryan shot back, slapping him hard on the shoulder. "So, what's it gonna be? We can crawl through this together, or we can wait until Emily comes back and drags your sorry ass through herself."

Before Luca could answer, Danny's cheerful voice crackled over the comms. "All clear! Just crawl on through, guys. Nothing on this side but a big empty room. We're good!"

Ryan raised an eyebrow, giving Luca that damn "I told you so" look. "See? Told you the walls weren't gonna eat you, Cap. Now get your ass moving."

"Fine," Luca said, the word tight in his throat. "We'll go together."

Ryan grinned like the asshole he was. "Atta boy." With zero hesitation, he crouched and slid in, making a big show of wiggling his shoulders as the wall made a slurping sound around him. "See? Nothing to it."

Yeah, well, you're not the one suffocating on air that won't go down right now, are you?

Luca forced himself forward, his hands sinking into the warm, yielding material. The walls actively pressed and pushed against his arms, his ribs and his back. Way too fucking close. Every instinct screamed at him to get out.

The moment he entered, it was hot. Thick, humid heat, like stepping into the mouth of something alive. The air clung to his suit.

A slow, wet contraction rippled down the tunnel.

He froze as it... breathed?

Don't think about the walls. Don't think about being buried alive.

Almost there.

He forced himself to keep moving, one hand in front of the other, following Ryan's boots through the pulsing darkness. The organic walls squeezed around him, alive and warm and wrong. But he pushed through, driven by the thought of Emily waiting on the other side.

Finally, mercifully, he felt Ryan's hand grab his wrist and pull him through into open air.

Luca collapsed onto solid ground, gasping, his heart hammering against his ribs. The chamber beyond was exactly what Danny had promised—big, empty, and blessedly spacious.

"See?" Ryan said, grinning down at him. "Told you it wasn't so bad."

Luca flipped him off, still catching his breath.

Emily was there in an instant, kneeling beside him, her hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

He nodded, not trusting his voice yet.

"Good," she said softly. "Because we've got company."

Luca looked up. At the far end of the chamber, something massive stirred in the shadows. Something that made the scout drone look like a house pet.

The Hive Mother had been waiting for them.