Chapter 5 Game Over

 Chapter 5

Game Over

Elsewhere, Salih and Neil—a dark-haired man in his early thirties with closely cropped hair—were slowly pushing forward from their positions. They returned fire against the incoming shots, finding new cover with every step. Their breathing was ragged, sweat streaming down their faces. Eventually, they managed to take several enemies out of the fight.

But it was only a brief moment of silence.

Then, a larger group appeared from behind. As the mass of shadows closed in, a storm of gunfire poured over them. Just as Neil was about to move to the next position, he was struck by a heavy blow to the shoulder and collapsed to the ground. The impact of the bullet left him unable to move.

Now, Salih was the only one still standing.

From a distance, he could see Arch still fighting, trying to hold the position near Nathan and Gideon. But the enemy was multiplying from every direction. There was nowhere left to run, nowhere left to hide.

At that moment, another gunshot rang out.

The bullet that tore into Salih’s leg dropped him instantly to his knees. As the shock of pain spread through his body, the sounds around him dulled for a moment. Even breathing became difficult.

And he felt that everything was over.

Salih collapsed to the ground under the impact of the bullet lodged in his leg. Waves of pain surged through his body, making it hard to control his breathing. He groped at the ground with his hands, trying to steady himself; his leg muscles were trembling involuntarily, the pain almost turning into spasms.

As he fell, his weapon had flown from his hand, skidding several meters away. Salih tried to crawl toward it, but the instant he moved his leg, a sharp pain stopped him.

There was no bleeding, but the pain was unbearable.

Meanwhile, he could hear the rhythm of gunfire drawing closer. The echoes of shots were growing clearer, the sound of footsteps more distinct. When he lifted his head, he saw a member of the opposing faction advancing toward him. The man had his weapon aimed directly at Salih, approaching with heavy, confident steps.

Salih held his breath. He understood that the situation was completely sealed.

He didn’t even have the strength to move his leg. The pain inflicted by the suit was unbearable. His weapon was far out of reach.

There was no escape left.

At that moment, he let go of the struggle. He surrendered.

And in a trembling voice, he said:

“I’m exiting the game under my QX23 reference…”

The instant those words echoed in the air, the approaching faction member lowered his weapon. The blue light above the trigger of the gun turned red at Salih’s words. The threatening expression vanished entirely from his face. Without quickening his pace, he crouched beside Salih.

“Stay calm,” he said in a gentle voice.

“It’ll pass in a moment. It’s over.”

Salih took a deep breath; the pain caused by the suit vanished suddenly, and fear was gone.

The roar of the firefight seemed to recede into the distance.

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