Reboot: Mechanic

As Shi Tian bound his wounds as best as he could, he heard the elite soldiers' voices through the smoke. 

They were regrouping, likely discussing their next course of action.

Shi Tian knew he couldn't stay in one place for long. 

The smoke wouldn't provide cover forever, and the soldiers would eventually close in on his position. 

He needed to act fast.

His eyes scanned his surroundings, looking for any advantage he could exploit. 

Then, he spotted it — a cluster of large, metallic debris, likely remnants of the explosion that the Claymore Mine had created earlier.

With newfound determination, Shi Tian activated his boosters' suit and sprinted toward the debris, using it as cover. It was a risky move, as the soldiers might have seen his dash, but he had no other choice.

Hunkering down behind the metallic wreckage, Shi Tian caught his breath. 

His injuries throbbed with pain, but he couldn't afford to give in to weakness. 

He needed a plan, and he needed it fast.

As he crouched there, he assessed his remaining resources. His pistol was still loaded with a few rounds of Esper special bullets, and he had a couple of smoke grenades left. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

'The soldiers are still regrouping amidst the smoke grenade.' Shi Tian thought, calculating the time he had left till the smoke dispersed. 

He had seen the leader taking out some goggles from his pocket to put on his face before he had retreated.

Thus, it wouldn't take long for the rest of the soldiers to start equipping some sort of goggles that could allow them to see in the smoke. Hence, Shi Tian didn't attempt to hurl another smoke grenade at them. 

After all, it would only become his disadvantage if he could no longer see them whereas the soldiers would have full vision of him. 

He also knew that he couldn't take on the remaining soldiers head-on. 

They were too well-coordinated and disciplined for that. He needed to find and exploit their weaknesses to create chaos.

Shi Tian's mind raced, devising a new strategy that would hopefully turn the tide in his favor. The battle was far from over, and he was determined to emerge victorious against Theobold's elite soldiers.

'The leader is the one maintaining the group, so he must be eliminated first.' Shi Tian concluded. If it wasn't for the fact that the leader earlier was heavily protected by other soldiers, then he would have shot him first. 

It was just a shame that the elite soldiers seemed to understand their duty well, even going as far as using themselves as human shields to protect the leader.

As blood continued to drip from his wounds, Shi Tian grabbed another Blv-21 from his pocket. 

At the same time, he retrieved a small stone with his other hand, having figured out a plan on what to do to counter the human shields. 

Now that the smoke was starting to disperse, his vision would soon clear to be able to see the leader of the elite soldiers. 

As the smoke gradually cleared, revealing the figures of the elite soldiers regrouping, Shi Tian knew he had to act swiftly to gain the upper hand. 

He had a plan in mind, and it involved exploiting a weakness he had noticed in their formation.

His heart pounded in his chest as he prepared to execute his plan. 

He tightly gripped the Blv-21 flashbang in one hand and the small stone in the other. His injured body protested, but he pushed through the pain, his determination unwavering.

The soldiers were still somewhat disoriented from the earlier chaos caused by the smoke grenades. Their goggles allowed them to see through the dissipating smoke, but their senses were still recovering.

Shi Tian's eyes focused on the leader, who stood at the center of the group, barking orders and maintaining control over his team. 

This was his chance.

With a quick and precise motion, Shi Tian hurled the Blv-21 grenade at them. 

However, the elite soldiers were alerted already. So unlike previously when they were unprepared and didn't expect an ambush, this time, they were ready to avoid the flashbang. 

Unfazed by the elite soldiers' reaction, Shi Tian had long known the same trick wouldn't work twice on them. 

If it truly worked, then these elite soldiers are a straight scam to the public.

The elite soldiers used their shields and turned around to avoid the flashbang, the exact action that Shi Tian was looking for.

Making a pose similar to what a professional baseball pitcher would do when they throw their baseball toward the catcher to strike out the enemy batter. 

Although his imitation was obviously lacking from the real professional, Shi Tian managed to grit his teeth despite the pain he was feeling. 

And with a heavy throw, Shi Tian threw the stone toward the center of the group.

It was also at this time that the soldiers had recomposed themselves, and turned their attention back to Shi Tian.

However, they were slightly stunned when they noticed Shi Tian was throwing a stone at them. 

"Is this ambusher for real?" One of the soldiers standing at the front of the formation said in disbelief. His facial expression unconsciously held a contempt at this unknown enemy that had ambushed them. 

What could a stone possibly do to them when they even survived the explosion and bullets earlier? 

Casually activating an energy shield, the soldier didn't bother much with the stone and was instead ready to listen to the order to shoot the enemy down. 

Alas, once the stone connected with the energy shield, the soldier realized something was amiss.

"What the-" 

Before the soldier could comprehend the situation, he was forcefully propelled backward, causing a domino effect on the other soldiers behind him to crash behind.

As the soldiers were falling in pieces as if they were a bunch of dominoes, Shi Tian's facial expression was cold. 

"Checkmate!" 

Shi Tian uttered a single word as he pulled the trigger, his target being the leader of the elite soldiers.