Chapter 160
Chapter 160
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 160
Chapter Title: Beholder Clash
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It's been a while since I've seen Roze this flustered.
As I drew closer, she shot to her feet and covered my eyes with both hands.
"Waaah! Don't look!"
"Ah, got it. I got it, so let go."
Merdi giggled beside us.
She watched with the intrigued gaze of someone enjoying a good show.
Roze glared at Merdi, but she didn't budge an inch.
"What, is there something weird?"
"It's not that, but..."
It felt wrong to press her when she was hemming and hawing.
Once she calmed down, though, she seemed to change her mind on her own.
"I'm just... really bad at it."
"Isn't that a practice program? There's no good or bad there."
I knew what the beauty program was.
It was a kind of hologram customizer.
You could dress up your avatar however you liked.
Since you could take the finished customization data to a real shop and have it applied, people of all genders used it a lot.
"...Right?"
Emboldened by my words, she showed me what she'd been hiding.
I was surprised when I saw it.
"...Huh. Um. You've got some artistic sense."
"Really?"
Merdi turned her head away entirely and burst out laughing.
It wasn't bad.
I was just shocked that the same face could give off such a completely different vibe.
"Practice a bit more. You'll find what you're looking for eventually."
"Yeah!"
"And when you do it, make sure to get advice from Merdi."
I watched Roze nod vigorously, lost in thought.
Was this what it felt like to be a parent with a teenage kid?
I hadn't even gotten married, but somehow, I got it.
"How long are you gonna make us wait?"
"Just a little longer. It won't be much more."
They'd been on standby for nearly ten hours now, so of course they were bored.
The next attempt would be in about thirty minutes.
She was getting more skilled by the minute, so maybe we'd nail it next time.
"Captain. You look tired."
Just then, Giz approached me.
Worry clouded his bear-like, steadfast face.
"I'm fine."
"I believe in you, Captain. I'll take down the Beholder."
"What're you talking about, you oaf? The Named Slayer title is mine!"
Runshin, who'd been leaning against the wall, jumped up and yelled.
Excluding Roze, those two were the strongest pure physical types.
Naturally, they were playing key roles in this Beholder raid too.
"No one here's beating me to that title!"
"You're an idiot. The captain and vice-captain already have titles."
"...Th-that doesn't count! I hadn't learned the family's true spear arts back then!"
I'd forgotten about that.
We already had Named Slayer titles from taking down Crimson.
Though for me, aside from firing that final crimson cannon shot, I hadn't done much—which was why my face was all over the place.
"That's why the real winner gets decided this time!"
"You're so petty."
"Shut up!"
Runshin's shout kicked off a noisy racket in the cabin that lasted a good while.
Thanks to that, the time passed quickly.
-Beep! Master.
R3D3's alert had me settling back into my seat.
The cabin fell silent again, probably so they wouldn't disturb me.
I had to succeed this time, if only to repay that.
'Let's see.'
I activated my horn.
At first, I'd force-activated it by crudely drawing out its energy, but now that I was used to it, I could do it properly without tricks.
It was just a bit slower.
'No need to rush.'
As the activation level rose gradually, euphoria started to build.
My senses expanded at the same time.
The first thing I picked up was the cores of the superhumans' core weapons.
The signals were as strong as any alien's.
My senses kept expanding after that.
10km, 20km... 100km.
My rapidly expanding senses reached the hive nest.
What I sensed there was a massive number of aliens, the numerous cores making up the hive nest itself, and...
'Hive Mind. Ack...!'
I froze for a moment, then yanked my gaze away the instant the Hive Mind reacted.
'Dangerous.'
My instincts screamed no.
If I looked at it, it could see me too.
We had to predict the Beholder's movements, not tip off the Hive Mind that we were watching.
Still, I was curious.
What would it do if it noticed me?
Try to dominate me? Or attempt communication?
'Next time.'
Whatever the outcome, now wasn't the time.
I pushed the horn's activation further.
Heat built in my head as my senses stretched out.
Once the range passed 200km, the strain got intense.
That's when I found what I was looking for.
'Beholder!'
One alien shining vividly at the edge of my senses.
It was flying low, using a spacecraft as cover, hurrying somewhere.
'That direction...'
I pictured the map.
There was only one fleet in that direction.
At its speed, it'd arrive in about thirty minutes.
Nailed it.
A little later, and we'd have missed it completely.
"Found it."
All eyes snapped to me.
I jumped up and barked the order.
"Engines on. Full speed ahead."
"Yes, sir!"
I set the destination and contacted the alliance fleet.
Factoring in the Beholder's speed and distance to target, time was razor-thin.
"All geared up?"
"All clear."
"Roze leads the drop. Robert, you're on her."
"Leave it to me."
Robert's role was crucial this op.
'The battlefield's the sky.'
Conditions inherently unfavorable for humans built to fight on land.
Jetpacks let us maneuver in the air, but they were awkward.
Nothing beat planting both feet on solid ground.
"Beholder incoming!"
"Distance?"
"Three minutes to contact!"
My pulse raced.
I monitored the situation in real time, prepping for every contingency.
Rumble!
A shockwave rocked the ship.
No doubt from the Beholder's attack.
Another hit ten seconds later.
"What if it runs?"
"Fighters will buy time."
With their lives.
I swallowed the last part.
Based on its pattern so far, it'd fire twice then bolt.
But like my prediction was off, a third shockwave slammed in.
"...Third?"
I'd been prepping to drop, but I checked the situation again.
The Murdoch-class battleship hit by the third strike was trailing smoke, losing altitude.
'How?'
Questions swirled, but no time to solve them.
"Now!"
At the pilot's call, Roze dropped first, with me, Giz, and Runshin right behind.
The moment we cleared the hatch, the view opened wide.
Fleet to the left, Beholder and a swarm of drones right below.
Fighters swarmed to block its path, guns blazing—only to explode under thin beams from its tentacles' tips.
"Accelerate!"
I maxed the jetpack thrust, boosting our descent.
The drones spotted us and scattered to intercept.
But the superhumans' abilities met them head-on.
Drones were no match for superhumans—Beholder aside, dozens were a joke.
Roze reached the Beholder unhindered.
Kreeeeek!!
It let out an ear-grating screech upon spotting her.
Then the two collided head-on.
Just before impact, it dumped all remaining energy into a barrier enveloping itself.
Boom!!
The crash sent them flying opposite ways with a thunderous roar.
Several forward tentacles burst, spines snapped.
No major visible damage, though.
'Not all that shows on the surface.'
But it struggled to right itself, so the impact had penetrated deep.
I closed in during the opening.
Left hand's blade extended to max, I swung wide.
Like with Roze, a barrier flickered up, repelling me.
But it wasn't enough.
The blade sheared tentacles and gouged four long gashes across the Beholder's body.
Kreeeak!!
"Urk...!"
Power drained along the blade the instant it hit.
Too late by the time I noticed and tried to control it.
Giz and Runshin's follow-ups hammered it, sending it reeling with another scream.
"This is..."
Runshin scowled.
For someone who'd speared a huge hole in it, he looked pissed.
"Watch out! It stole our core power!"
Even simple contact did that?
'Trade-off for taking damage?'
Contact time was barely a second.
Yet the siphoned core weapon energy was substantial.
'Thirty seconds of contact, and it'd drain us dry.'
That wasn't the only issue.
The more it took from us, the stronger it got.
'Can we take it down before it stockpiles enough?'
I eyed the Beholder.
We'd wounded it, but for a 10m beast, it wasn't critical.
I closed in again, signaling everyone to minimize contact time.
"Tougher than expected."
"Those tentacles are a pain. Don't they regen?"
"Yeah."
Just like she said.
Shredded tentacles withered at the base, new ones sprouting fast.
"Spines regen slower."
"Then we prioritize spines."
While we bantered, the Beholder moved quick.
Its speed blew past our jetpacks.
Fighters fired missiles, but it tanked them with the energy it'd just sucked from us.
"Tch, restrict its movement first!"
Forget everything else for now.
Me and the squad pursued relentlessly.
Seven physical superhumans could engage direct.
Ability users including Merdi hung back up high, watching for chances while supporting.
Kreeeeek!!
The Beholder screeched deafeningly.
It strained to keep distance from Roze above all.
But it couldn't shake Roze forever—her jetpack mastery was top-tier.
Colliding again, it poured built-up energy into a massive barrier.
"Hah!!"
The barrier shattered.
The deeper blow pulverized part of its upper body.
Chunks of flesh tore free as it screamed bloody murder.
'It's met its predator.'
Its weakness was raw physical force.
And Roze was a martial arts master bordering on ultimate weapon.
Pin it down for a beatdown, and it'd be over in seconds.
I carved another long gash into its flesh.
Then suddenly, a tentacle whipped out, coiling around me.
In a blink.
I dodged as best I could, but it stretched farther than expected, snaring my limbs.
"Gh...!"
Contact area grew, draining ramped up.
Having my power stolen like that felt utterly vile.
I gritted my teeth and resisted.
Wrenched and shoved at the binding tentacles, thrashing to break free.
But before I could on my own, Runshin arrived.
He slashed his spear, severing them.
"What the hell was that?!"
"Thanks."
"You better stay alive till I beat you...!"
"Watch your back!"
"...Urgh!!"
Now Runshin got dragged in.
He'd let his guard down mid-talk.
"Knew it'd happen."
Giz muttered as he moved to help.
Thanks to our efforts, Runshin was freed in twenty seconds.
Either fully drained or slapped red by tentacles, his face burned.
"...Eeeeek! You damn tentacle freak, how dare you?!"
"Stay out till your power recharges. It's got plenty now."
The glowing tentacles told the tale.
This Beholder was a hundred times deadlier than at the start.
Kreeeek!!
Just as I'd figured.
It lashed tentacles, blasting absorbed energy.
A squad member turning to attack ate it full-on, stance crumbling.
'Just blasting lumps of it? No energy shaping ability?'
Pure core weapon power wasn't ideal for attacks.
Maxing destructiveness needed transformation.
Meaning this was inefficient.
It had enough absorbed to pack a punch in bursts, but spamming it'd burn out fast.
Kre-ek!!
It seemed to realize after a few shots.
But its next move exceeded expectations.
"Ugh, seriously!"
Roze yelled, voice thick with frustration.
Even her light probes kept failing to close in.