Chapter 117
Chapter 117
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: The Fifth-Grade Hatchery
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The Dread Knight's sword and fist collided.
My flung-back hand buzzed with a numb sensation.
It felt just like blood rushing back into a limb after sitting too long in one position.
However, there was no damage.
While I quickly regained my stance, the Dread Knight was pushed back into the air, flapping its wings to barely halt itself.
'I'll end this quick.'
I yanked a claw from my left arm and launched forward. The recoil from kicking off the ground tore up the soil, sending it flying.
As I closed in, the Dread Knight, just recovering from the impact, roared and swung its sword.
I didn't dodge. Instead, I seized the blade with my transformed left arm.
The barrier sparked wildly from friction before partially shattering.
Then the sword bit into my flesh.
Thinking it had won, the Dread Knight flapped its wings frantically.
"Not over yet."
I yanked my left hand back.
My strength had the edge. Unable to let go of the sword, the Dread Knight was helplessly dragged in and took a hit.
It resisted with its remaining five arms, but up close, I had the advantage.
After tumbling through the air, we crashed to the ground.
The Dread Knight's sword was still gripped in my left hand.
In terms of hardness, the claws on my left arm were a match for the blade.
It might tear flesh, but it couldn't cut bone.
By the time the Dread Knight sensed something was wrong and tried to pull away, it was already mired in a muddy brawl.
Crack!
After the barrier shattered, my thrust punch smashed the Dread Knight's face.
Considering its reputation, this was wrapped up in record time.
I'd taken some hits while fighting, but with my recovery ability, these wounds would heal in no time.
"...That side's still going?"
The other fight hadn't ended.
I'd finished so fast with my brute method that I had time to spare.
I considered helping, then shook my head.
'She looks like she's having fun...'
Roze seemed to be enjoying her back-and-forth with the Dread Knight.
Even against two at once, she was dominating them.
Her body was already covered in wounds here and there, so it wouldn't be long now.
"Ungh..."
I pulled the sword from the bone in my left hand.
Then I snapped the Dread Knight's wrist to fully detach the blade and gave it a swing.
'Not bad.'
Light and sturdy.
Though forged in a hatchery, this sword contained no contaminants—just pure metal.
With a bit of polishing and a proper hilt, even humans could wield it without issue, and some actually scavenged them for personal use.
I slashed the Dread Knight's chest with the sword. Its tough hide required several strikes to expose the innards.
Reaching inside and rummaging, I found a fist-sized core clinging near the heart.
I ripped it out by force.
A Dread Knight's core was small but equivalent to a hatchery core.
It was prime material for core weapons or other power sources.
One from a beast like this was actually superior to a single hatchery's core.
"This one's done."
Straightening up, I headed toward Roze.
She'd just finished, catching her breath.
"How was it?"
"Pretty good in its own way. Quick with its jabs. But you finished first?"
"Didn't seem like it'd let me catch it if it ran, so I pinned it and pounded."
"Good thinking."
Roze poked me and grinned.
Her hair was a mess from the intense action, making her look like a mischievous kid.
"That side's wrapping up too."
Flames kept erupting from the Flesh Guardians' bodies.
The heat was so intense that the air around the flames warped the view.
They clung on stubbornly even in that state, but with their limbs burned together, they were already immobile.
"Those won't recover quick, right?"
"Nope. Burns are something even Aliens can't handle."
Left alone, they'd eventually regain their original form.
Flesh Guardians were infamous for their regeneration.
But they wouldn't get the chance.
"Thanks to you, we took them down easy. On our own, we'd have been scrambling."
"These guys are my specialty."
Shepin bared his teeth in a grin.
But his face looked a bit weary.
He'd been using his ability nonstop since entry without a break, so it was no wonder.
"Take a breather."
"Can't. Not done yet."
"Better to conserve energy—who knows what else might pop up. Can't be exhausted when it counts. And there's Merdi too."
I nodded toward Merdi.
Despite using her ability more than Shepin, she showed no fatigue, steadily unleashing lightning.
Shepin shook his head with a dismayed look.
"She's a monster, no matter how you slice it."
"Don't say that in front of Merdi."
"Of course not. How could I? Ugh, just thinking about it scares me."
Shepin shuddered dramatically.
Even as a senior, Merdi terrified him.
"Grab the loot and move."
"Oh, that?"
Shepin nodded at the sword I pulled out and shook.
With his experience, he knew the value of a Dread Knight sword.
You had to snag these whenever you had the chance.
We took the sword and core from Roze's Dread Knight too, then pressed on.
"Blocked."
The space with the hatchery core was sealed by membrane.
A temporary wall to block intruders—nothing more than a stopgap.
I nodded at the mercenary captain, who instructed his men.
The mercenaries advanced and attached explosives to the membrane.
"Detonate!"
Boom!!
The explosion tore the membrane, revealing the path inside.
Residual blast swept the interior, sending half-hatched Aliens tumbling from shattered eggs.
Soldiers stomped them as they entered.
The core chamber was vast.
At least ten times larger than any hatchery room we'd seen.
Matching the scale, the walls and pillars bristled with countless eggs.
Even now, fully grown Aliens were hatching in droves.
"Those are hatching! Take 'em out first!"
A soldier unleashed a barrage.
An Alien that couldn't even stand properly bared its teeth at him before its head exploded.
"Captain. Hurry the extraction."
"We'll finish as fast as we can."
The mercenaries swarmed the core with extraction gear.
I watched for a moment.
'Huh...?'
My eyes widened at the core.
It was the size of an adult male's torso.
That was a fifth-grade core.
Large but immature—still, definitely from a fifth-grade hatchery.
I'd assumed it was fourth-grade based on the Aliens we'd encountered en route.
No sixth-class threats reported on Qubilion yet, and Dread Knights—fifth-class—were the top during the assault.
The hatchery was bigger than a standard fourth-grade but fell short of a typical fifth.
But it wasn't.
We'd hit it at the perfect timing, before it could produce sixth-class.
A little later, and the situation would've drastically changed.
Even with the secret passage for stealthy approach, getting here was tough.
If it'd truly been fifth-grade from the start, even early-stage, we'd have succeeded—but casualties would've been far higher.
'Jackpot.'
I peered at the core again as the mercenaries extracted it, letting out a sigh of admiration.
"Whoa..."
"Ah, Captain. What do you think? Big and beautiful, right?"
"...Yeah, big and beautiful."
The mercenary grinned, flashing his missing front tooth.
"That hurt?"
"Got cocky and took a hit. Captain's gonna chew me out."
"I'll put in a good word—just extract it without a scratch."
"Got it!"
While they worked, I scanned the chamber and approached a wall studded with eggs.
To gather intel on the first Ghost Spiders and Dread Knights I'd seen.
Then someone called me.
"Hey."
"...Yeah?"
I turned to see Merdi standing there.
Roze was off blocking Aliens swarming from a passage on the opposite side.
"Looked like you got hurt earlier."
I blinked at the sudden words.
Was this concern?
"...This scratch? No issue. See? Healed already. Thanks for worrying."
"Worrying? As if."
Merdi's face stiffened.
Had I been too direct? Oops.
"That's not it."
"Still, you noticed, so..."
"Whatever. That thing you used to heal me last time?"
"...That thing?"
"You know... that..."
Merdi stammered unusually.
She seemed to be explaining but also pointing at her mouth with her finger.
I racked my brain, then realized.
"Ah...!"
No wonder she couldn't say it.
Now I felt awkward too.
It'd been unavoidable for healing—a kiss—but with the award ceremony and all, time flew, and I'd forgotten.
We hadn't faced each other since.
Even seeing her the other day, it hadn't clicked.
'My focus was all on the hatchery assault.'
What to say?
I glanced at Merdi.
Her face slightly flushed, she averted her eyes with a sour look.
"You remembered, huh?"
"Uh, back then..."
"Forget it. I heard from Roze why. Anyway, it was to heal me. Right?"
"Uh, yeah. Right?"
I mumbled vaguely.
But Merdi didn't look satisfied even with the answer she'd prompted.
"...Fine. I'm done here. Do your thing."
Merdi turned and returned to her spot.
Staring at her back, I felt an inexplicable unease gnawing at me.
I'd thought I knew her well, but suddenly she felt distant.
I pondered a bit longer, shook it off, and turned back to the eggs.
*
The hatchery assault ended in success.
After five hours, of the 500 assault team members, 100 were dead, and over a third of the survivors bore moderate to severe wounds.
Including me, all five superhumans ended with injuries large and small.
Roze complained of hunger as usual, and Merdi got a scrape from a Ghost Spider that ambushed her from hiding.
Of course, that Ghost Spider was reduced to ash in instant retaliation.
Shepin and Rodrigo were near collapse from ability overuse.
They'd pushed hard to eliminate Ghost Spiders while protecting the soldiers.
Dozens of lives saved made it worthwhile.
'Clearing a fresh fifth-grade hatchery with this level of loss is incredible.'
To celebrate, the support force commander set up a party despite the chaos.
Military uniforms, one drink per person—a formal affair—but the achievement had everyone genuinely thrilled.
"Haha! I'm so proud of you all. No booze, but eat your fill!"
The congressman saying this already had flushed cheeks from several drinks.
He was pumped too.
With the biggest threat down, tackling the lower-growth hatcheries one by one would thin the Alien numbers, freeing Qubilion from war's flames soon enough.
Expressing his joy, the congressman moved from group to group, raising his voice.