Chapter 234
Chapter 234
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 234
Chapter Title: Screamer Onslaught
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The forest was on the move. Amid the whisper of wind rustling through the trees came the unmistakable clang of artificial metal.
Hundreds of Screamers were heading our way.
｢Great One｣ ｢Kin｣ ｢Are you okay?｣
Adhai, hiding behind me as cover, asked worriedly.
'They probably didn't wipe them all out.'
The spot where we and the Screamers now clashed was the forest on the opposite side of the cliff housing the nest.
Emerging from the woods led to sheer cliffs, with a massive river flowing between them—the same route Sky Mother and Ship Orte had used to escape.
And across that river, on the facing cliff, countless caves dotted the rock face. Those caves served as entrances to the dragon's nest.
The terrain was a natural fortress, impossible to assault head-on at a glance. Without flight capabilities, the Screamers would suffer heavy losses trying to breach it.
'My guess is the Gallerons are hunkered down defending.'
Sure, a good number of the nest's Gallerons had likely perished. They'd fought the Screamers out in the open at first, but once casualties mounted, they probably fell back inside to fortify.
If the Gallerons had been annihilated, the enemy would've ambushed us at the nest, not here.
[Zzzt zz zzzt zzzzt zzzt (Don't worry. We'll head to the nest when the chance opens up)]
｢Got it.｣
Gallerons, sensitive to psychic waves, must have sensed Adhai's arrival. The fact they hadn't emerged meant things inside were dire—maybe something bad had happened to Nel Germa, the one commanding the nest.
'We need to link up with the nest.'
It wasn't far from here. We'd fight these bastards and slip away when the moment was right.
While I pondered, the enemy kept advancing. The auxiliary organs under my jaw detected their numbers exploding exponentially.
I was mulling the best timing to charge when #26, nestled in my smaller chest arms, tapped me.
｢Big baby.｣
[Zzzt (What's up?)]
｢Something like friends coming from over there.｣
[Zzzt zz zzzt zzzt zz (Those aren't friends—they're bad enemies)]
Command-unit mutant Screamers like PS-111 carried Sea Demon genes, so #26 mistook PS-111 for kin.
'I scolded her hard last time, so she should be fine, but...'
Worried she might hesitate again, I started to warn her, but #26 beat me to it with her own waves.
｢The bad guys are talking to each other.｣
[Zz zzzt (Talking?)]
｢Yeah. They use hard words, so I don't know what they mean.｣
I focused my auxiliary organs again, but aside from faint electromagnetic pulses from their machinery, no psychic waves registered.
'Waves only Bubble Amoebas or Sea Demons can pick up?'
"#26 picked up their chatter. Hear anything?"
A voice came from above at my question. PS-111, perfectly camouflaged in the branches.
"Rebuilt on independent lines tuned to the new main controller. PS-model lines can't be accessed or detected."
"Figures."
Eavesdropping their comms would've let us hijack their plans perfectly. No dice with PS-111, so I asked #26 to relay what she'd caught.
｢Mungnyong uwang? Uwang tayeong?｣
[Zzzt zz zzzt zz zz (Sounds like 'flank strike order' or something)]
｢What's a flank strike?｣
Unfortunately, #26 could eavesdrop but not grasp the meaning. Time to analyze slowly? No chance.
'Wait a sec.'
An idea sparked amid my regret.
#26 could flood an area with psychic power for an EMP-like effect—strong enough to stall a starship.
'Could she jam their comms?'
She glowed at my question, eager.
｢I can quiet them down. Now?｣
[Zzzt zz zzzt zz (Not yet. Wait for my signal)]
Tempting to use now, but I held off.
Mutant Screamers learned in combat, bio-weapons that they were. Jam comms, and a stray one slips away? We'd tip our hand.
'Need a chance to wipe them all.'
This forest gave them too many escape routes.
Then, their forms appeared between the trees.
Pale human faces atop heads, but below: tangled machine parts, tubes, rigid metal skeletons.
Biomechanical torsos sprouted eight spindly legs—red muscle and metal tubes exposed, ending in alloy claws.
Mechanical spiders with human heads, eyes glowing red.
Those crimson gazes held no emotion but the intent to shred foes.
I gaped wide, activating my acidic spore gland. An oval green glob shot from my maw, splattering a distant tree trunk.
Roots melted instantly; the tree toppled toward the Screamers. Some leaped airborne.
I unleashed psychic breath at the airborne ones—a dragon's roar from the movies, straight at them.
"Bl-black metal def, defense unbreach..."
The airborne Screamers powdered mid-sentence. Trailing ones yammered.
"Special Target A. Confirmed use of ultra-high-risk psychic breath."
"Logging."
As expected, they recorded our fight. Data beaming straight to their boss, 'Pyra Eleven.'
'Doesn't matter.'
I had traits galore, some tweakable at will.
'Sometimes knowing is worse than ignorance.'
I kept blasting psychic breath, purple flames devouring dense foliage. Screamers dodged nimbly.
"Cluster shot ineffective confirmed. Switching to high-velocity impact rounds."
"Switch acknowledged."
Meanwhile, more closed in. Close enough to see clearly, they prepped to fire—legs twisting into RPG-like barrels.
Muzzles locked on my head.
Lightning flashed in the dark woods; sharp pain lanced my skull.
'High-velocity impact rounds.'
Like Mega Corp's plasma launchers for heavy armor, Star Union had equivalents.
HSB (Heavy Shock Blaster), nicknamed 'Shocker.' Made to counter Mega Corp heavies like Hulk mutants—devastating lethality.
Shocker rounds didn't pierce; they vibrated on impact, shredding internals. Thick-armored Mountain Crawlers? Exterior fine, guts mush.
I had no surface damage, but the sting lingered.
'Smart counter.'
Unless they packed thousands, they couldn't kill me. Regeneration and recovery traits abounded.
'Plus, Shockers have flaws.'
They fired again. Alloy slugs screamed through acrid smoke, aiming to pulp my head.
Not one connected.
"Unexplainable anomaly."
"Suspected physics warp from massive psychic power. Analysis requested."
Slugs hung midair, time-frozen. Psychic sensitives would see them snared in invisible webs.
｢I really hate the ones hitting big baby!｣
The web's owner thrashed tentacles vigorously.
Slugs reversed, exploding into their masters. Screamers, caught off-guard, burst.
I played my next cards to sow chaos.
'Time to work. All out.'
Tooth Fairy nest before tail carapace; Face Worm hosts on back when not hunting—both activated.
Flea-like bugs with huge teeth shredded nests, dropping to ground. Back: humanoid-faced worms tore free.
'Tooth Fairies harass; Face Worms pin commanders.'
Bug legions surged on command.
"Enemy multiplying."
"Small size. High-velocity rounds ineffective."
Tooth Fairies zipped across, clamping Screamer legs, gnawing metal with ship-crusher teeth.
"Ignore small units. Skip shooting for melee... gk?!"
Rear commanders flinched mid-order—Face Worm sonic assault paralyzing them.
'Machines immune, but not these hybrids.'
Bio-machine fusions, still with hearing under machine control—prime sonic targets.
"Suspected auditory attack. All units disable hearing... gk!"
[Zzzt zz zzzt zzzt zzzt zz (Target paralyzed and downed ones)]
Mutant Screamers could self-destruct. Unstopped, they'd blow us anytime.
Adhai's waves heard, she rapid-fired psychic breath—her specialty—cleaning immobilized foes fast.
"Special Target B confirmed with unique barrier."
"Current gear can't bypass. Aim for unshielded spots."
They timed for Adhai's head exposure on breath, but futile.
Red Armor guarded her head. No weapon could crack it.
Many targeted body or wings, but I shielded with wing arms each time.
We couldn't all die simultaneously—their win chance slim.
'Same for us.'
I'd guessed hundreds from sky attacks; nope, way more.
And their responses sharpened over time.
Novel attacks overwhelmed now, but limits loomed. Once they cracked us, heavy losses.
'Full suicide rush? Uncounterable.'
Time to head to nest.
I edged toward it amid fight. Some ditched shooting to close.
Corrosion tentacles whipped out—snake-like, from back, lashing them.
One Screamer lucked past, aiming cluster shot at #26.
Indigo energy bolt from trees blew its head off; it crumpled.
"No mercy for those touching Main Controller."
"Tree enemy needs pinning."
"ID'd as scrapped PS-model. Series 100s estimated. Weakness noted."
They shifted to PS-111, hosing the tree. I scooped Adhai atop tail, bolted for nest.
"Enemy path predicts Galleron nest."
"Block before link-up... gk."
They clocked my intent fast, but Tooth Fairies, Face Worms, and kids' aggression blocked properly.
"Main Controller Pyra Eleven updates orders. Retreat, reform lines. Additional counters in prep."
"Acknowledged."
Boss command down; they quit pursuit.
We and PS-111 broke for nest cliff.
Out of woods, I unfurled wings without pause. Face Worms quit pinning, clung back aboard.
"Thank you."
Tail pincer nipped trailing PS-111 aboard; I glided into a nest entrance.
Feet hit cave floor moments later—a Galleron emerged. Skinny White one, Sha Belmag, first to rebel against Od Grad.
｢Sha Belmag｣ ｢Great Adhai｣ ｢Welcome｣
His state was rough: wings shredded, rear legs gone—crawling on forelegs.
Adhai fired panicked waves.
｢What｣ ｢Happened?｣
｢Stinky foes｣ ｢Attacked｣ ｢White kin｣ ｢Strong｣ ｢Combined｣ ｢Barely｣ ｢Drove off｣ ｢Kin｣ ｢Many｣ ｢Dead｣
｢Nel Germa?｣
｢Nel Germa｣ ｢Wounded｣ ｢Severe｣ ｢Can't｣ ｢Move｣
Gallerons were key fighters. Couldn't lose them all.
Combat arm scooped Sha Belmag.
[Zzzt (Lead the way)]
｢Path｣ ｢That way｣
We plunged into the dragon's nest following him.
The whole cliff was nest—tunnels vast, branching mazes. Wide enough for me, lit by psychic-absorbing minerals.
Frankly, stunning—worth leisurely tour sans crisis.
Through the long, twisting natural labyrinth opened a vast cavern. Glowing minerals like starlight illuminated fallen Gallerons.
｢All｣ ｢Wounded｣ ｢Bad!｣
As Adhai said.
Cavern center: shallow lake, Galleron blood turning it crimson.
'No good.'
Healing this many? One way. Set Sha Belmag down, slithered into lake.
Soon, black slime gushed from my body.