Chapter 376: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield[R-18] (92)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 376: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield[R-18] (92)
My unit tore through another squadron of drones, shattering them and scattering the debris. With a deafening roar, the wreckage filled my view before dispersing into the void of space. Metal fragments struck the exterior of my machine, creating small sparks, but I didn't slow down.
However, behind them, the swarm of drones was still endless.
“…How many of these did they hide?”
I frowned, looking at the number of enemy signals on my HUD. I had already destroyed over fifty units, yet the enemy contacts on my radar were only increasing. It was as if I had kicked a beehive; they just kept pouring out.
My unit’s sensors were picking up a constantly multiplying number of enemy signals. No matter how many I shot down, their numbers only grew. Hangars hidden throughout the asteroid field were revealing themselves one by one, continuously spewing out new drones.
These new drones were different from the previous ones. They were faster, more precise, and above all, they seemed capable of learning. They were analyzing my patterns and responding with increasing effectiveness.
“Tsk, so now they’re learning.”
The moment I muttered, three drones formed a triangular formation and attacked simultaneously. It was a coordinated movement, distinctly different from the drones before.
—BOOM!
I dodged by a hair's breadth, but their coordinated attack was incredibly precise. One unit drew my attention from the front while the other two executed a pincer attack from the flanks.
I banked sharply and returned fire. My blade flashed, slicing the drone on my left in two, but the other two immediately pulled back to regroup.
Just then, Elena’s urgent voice came over the comms again.
[Another Rock Fortress…! We’ve confirmed at least three. They keep appearing all around us!]
“What did you say?”
I quickly widened my field of view. Sure enough, more Rock Fortresses were appearing.
As the first fortress fired hundreds of beams, the second and third fortresses began a chain reaction of bombardments. A crossfire of beams shot across space, threatening the allied fleet.
“Colonel, there’s no end to this.”
As I spoke over the comms, Sheryl’s Eclipse gracefully carved an arc, destroying two drones at once.
[I’m thinking the same thing. If we keep fighting a war of attrition like this, we’ll be the first to burn out.]
Sheryl was right. I might be able to handle it, but the other pilots would quickly tire. We had to end this fight decisively before that happened.
[Lieutenant, we need to focus our attack on the central fortress where Aaron Blake is.]
I agreed with Sheryl.
“But I don’t think it’ll be easy to get close.”
As I said that, a new development occurred at the central fortress. A massive hatch opened, and something slowly emerged from within.
It was a mobile weapon. But it was unlike any unit I had ever seen. It was enormous. An imposing silhouette covered in black armor.
“What… is that?”
The colossal machine slowly detached from the fortress and moved into open space. Its movements were unbefittingly fluid for its size.
“Is that a drone, too?”
But its movements were on a completely different level from a typical drone. It moved with a natural grace, as if controlled by a veteran pilot.
When the giant machine raised its arm, a massive weapon befitting its size was clutched in its hand. It looked like a composite weapon, combining a beam cannon and a ballistic firearm.
—KRA-KOOOOM!
The giant machine’s first attack began. Its firepower was beyond imagination. A single shot completely vaporized an entire asteroid.
“You’ve got to be kidding me…”
Sheryl and I dodged in a hurry, but we were all stunned by its power. With that kind of firepower, a standard warship would be silenced in a single hit.
The moment the giant machine prepared its second attack, I pushed my thrusters to their maximum output.
[Lieutenant!]
Sheryl shouted, but I was already charging toward the colossal unit. The size difference was overwhelming, but I had the advantage in maneuverability.
The giant machine swung its fist. A fist the size of a small ship flew toward me.
Dodging by a razor-thin margin, I attacked its elbow joint. My blade pierced the armor, but the damage was minimal.
“The armor’s too thick.”
The giant machine retaliated. Multiple weapon pods detached from its back and unleashed a simultaneous barrage. Missiles, beams, and bullets flew at me all at once.
[Jin Seo-yun!]
Sheryl provided covering fire from the side, but the machine’s armor easily deflected our attacks.
“This isn’t working. We need another way…”
Just then, I felt a strange presence from behind the giant machine’s back. It was an energy wave, as if something was charging up inside.
“Don’t tell me…”
Its chest began to open. A massive cannon muzzle was revealed within. It was a beam cannon with the firepower of a main battleship gun.
[Dodge it! That’s a Positron Cannon!]
Sheryl’s warning blared. But with the charge nearly complete, there wasn’t enough time to evade.
At that moment, the allied fleet made a new move.
[All ships, prepare to fire a concentrated volley! Target is the giant weapon!]
Following Elena’s command, every ship aimed its cannons at the colossal machine.
—KRA-KOOOOM!
The allied fleet’s volley began. Hundreds of beams and missiles slammed into the giant machine. Seizing the opportunity while its charge was interrupted, I quickly moved into its blind spot and aimed for the cannon muzzle in its chest.
“Now!”
I channeled maximum power into my blade and thrust it deep inside the machine’s cannon. Sparks began to fly as its internal circuits were damaged.
Sheryl focused her attacks on the joints from the opposite side. With the continuous support fire from the allied fleet, the giant machine’s movements became noticeably sluggish.
But at that moment, a new weapon system deployed from the machine’s back. Dozens of missile pods opened in unison, and missiles began firing in all directions.
“Damn it!”
The missiles were targeting not only us but the allied fleet as well. It was an area-of-effect attack, as if trying to eliminate all enemies at once.
[All ships, evasive maneuvers!]
Elena’s urgent command rang out. But dozens of missiles were already flying in every direction. On top of that, the drone weapons and Rock Fortresses were also focusing their attacks on the fleet.
“Colonel, we have to help the fleet!”
[I know. But if we pull back now…]
I made a decision.
“Colonel, please support the fleet. I’ll hold this thing off, even if I have to do it alone.”
[……Understood. Be careful, Lieutenant.]
Sheryl pulled back, and I charged toward the giant machine once more.
Dozens of small units detached from its back. Each one moved independently and began to surround me.
“Remote-controlled weapons?”
The number of detached units was overwhelming. More than fifty small weapons were aiming at me from all sides.
Simultaneously, they began firing their beams.
—Boom! Boom! Boom!
I banked sharply, dodging the beams flying from all directions. But there were so many that a complete evasion was impossible.
A few beams grazed my unit. Smoke rose from the scorched armor.
“This is endless.”
I activated the system. It would cause a severe overload, but I felt this was the right time to use it.
I slammed the red button, and the thrusters on my back entered a temporary overload mode. My maneuverability instantly increased by more than three times.
I tore through the small weapons at super-high speed, shooting them down one by one.
I destroyed about ten of them, but there were still nearly forty left.
Just then, it began preparing a new attack.
I ignored the remaining small weapons and flew straight for the giant machine. I had to get close before it finished charging.
I shot down the smaller units with my beam rifle while simultaneously blowing its head off with a high-output cannon from above.
—BOOM! BOOM!
“This is the end.”
I raised my blade to maximum output. Blue energy gathered sharply as the blade began to glow. I plunged that blade straight into the center of the machine’s abdomen. A high-frequency vibration, like a scream, echoed throughout its frame.
“Die…!”
—KABOOOM!!!!
With an explosion, the upper body of the giant machine was destroyed, sending sparks flying through space. The ensuing chain reaction ignited its internal energy core, and the machine completely disintegrated amidst a cloud of black smoke.
As soon as the fierce battle with the giant machine ended, I turned toward the central fortress where Aaron Blake was likely hiding, without even a moment’s rest.
“Let’s see your face.”
I began attacking the fortress’s outer wall to punch a hole through it.
The armor was thick, but under my sustained assault, cracks slowly began to form. Finally, I succeeded in breaking through the outer wall and invading the interior.
Inside, the fortress was quieter than I expected. But that silence was all the more ominous. Complex corridors stretched out in every direction, surveillance equipment was installed everywhere, and countless weapon systems lined the walls.
“It’s strangely quiet.”
The moment I muttered, the corridor lights suddenly turned red. An alarm began to sound, and the weapon systems on the walls all activated at once.
[Intruder detected. Activating elimination protocol.]
A mechanical voice echoed throughout the fortress. At the same time, defensive drones poured out from all corners of the corridor.
I prepared to engage them immediately. But at that moment, the drones all stopped in unison and cleared a path. As if they were inviting me forward.
‘What’s he planning?’
It was a strange situation. One moment they were activating an elimination protocol, and the next they were clearing a path for me.
But I had no other choice. I had to go deeper into the fortress to find Aaron Blake anyway.
I cautiously moved along the path the drones had opened. Dozens of drones on either side were providing a silent escort. They were in a position to attack at any moment, but for now, they were just watching.
The path led deeper and deeper. The corridor narrowed until I reached a point where my machine could no longer proceed.
Ahead of me was a single, human-sized doorway.
“So I’m supposed to get out here.”
I opened the cockpit. Leaning out into the zero-gravity space outside, I checked my gear, then slowly disembarked from my unit and stood before the entrance.
The door opened on its own. It was just wide enough for one person to pass through. It was dark inside, with only a single strip of light illuminating the floor. A beam of light stretched out long before me, as if guiding me.
I slowly walked along the path. Only the sound of my footsteps echoed in the silent corridor. The walls on either side were completely dark; only the light at my feet guided my way forward.
‘This could be a trap.’
The corridor was longer than I thought. After walking for what felt like several minutes, I finally saw a faint light ahead.
The end of the corridor. A vast, circular hall appeared.
A massive dome-shaped ceiling, and hundreds of monitors covering the walls, each displaying scenes from different wars.
And in the center, a single man sat on a single chair.
He was leaning back, his head bowed. I approached him cautiously.
“Are you Aaron Blake?”
Only then did he slowly raise his head. His eyes were lifeless. But I could still feel something burning within them.
“Welcome. I am Aaron Blake.”