——————
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
——————
Chapter 236
-
Screars are controlled entirely by machines connected to their brains. While the original consciousness remains, all physical control is dominated by the machinery.
Despite their na, ‘Screars’ can't even let out a sound of their own will. They're essentially moving prisons.
This holds true for the new mutant Screars as well.
Though there are differences, such as the uncertain identity of the modified subjects and the ability to alter organic parts through gene absorption, they are still bio-weapons under machine control.
The greatest advantage of an AI-controlled combat unit is its lack of fear.
Whether witnessing a comrade being vaporized by a plasma round or seeing a Hulk Mutant tear apart a regular soldier, they remain unfazed. They simply continue advancing toward their objective.
Of course, the consciousness within the creature serving as a Screar might feel fear, but that doesn't matter. Once the emotion control module connected to their brain is activated, their emotions won't influence their actions.
In any case, Screars don't fear unexpected situations.
Even if space itself starts shifting, or if life signs suddenly appear throughout the entire cave, they remain undeterred.
“D Team, recalibrate your detection system.”
｢B Team switching to thermal detection. Heat detected throughout the passage, making it ineffective.｣
｢C Team confirms that the sonic detection system acquired through 'Cave Goyle' genes remains effective.｣
｢E Team’s psychic detection sys...bzzt, testing...bzzt｣
｢Reporting to Pyra Eleven. All units stand by...bzzt｣
“Psychic interference detected. Communication lines need restructuring.”
At the command of the mutant Screar responsible for D Team’s communications, the other units went on standby. The monstrous creatures, with their grafted features from various organisms, used their respective detection organs to monitor their surroundings.
Then, from deep within the cave, gray smoke began to slither out. A Screar in the vanguard detected it and reported.
“Toxic substances detected in the air.”
“Connect the resPyratory tubes.”
So tubes connected to their tal skeletons and life-support systems detached and plugged into their mouths.
｢Kuuuu｣ ｢Analyzing harmful elents in the air.｣
｢78% probability of enemy ambush｣ ｢Kuuuu｣
The Screars of D Team communicated in harsh chanical voices, their mouths sealed by the tubes.
Toxic mist seeping into the narrow passageway signalled an imminent enemy attack. The Screars drew their weapons and focused on the direction ahead.
｢Kuuuu｣
A rough breathing sound echoed through the cave, mixed with another noise. The squelching sound of footsteps on muddy ground. Soone was approaching.
｢Kuuuu｣ ｢Magmigator's ignition organs confird to be effective.｣ ｢Kuuuu｣
｢Initiate preemptive strike.｣ ｢Kuuuu｣
Several Screars with abnormally swollen flesh moved forward. tal pipes nestled within their bloated flesh aid toward the front.
A mont later, intense flas burst forth from the pipes, engulfing the passage. The fire, fueled by gas and flammable substances stored within their bodies, consud the corridor.
Then, from deep inside the passage, a purple energy bolt shot out, striking one of the fla-spewing Screars. Flesh burst open, and the flammable substances inside spilled out, covering the nearby Screars.
The mutant Screars' tal skeletons and chanical parts were highly resistant to heat. Their organic exteriors were genetically engineered to withstand high temperatures. None of them cared that their bodies were burning.
Of course, the original minds within them were screaming in silent agony from the searing pain.
｢Confird Gallagon presence.｣ ｢Kuuuu｣
｢Comnce counterattack.｣
The Screars aid their newly attached limbs forward, firing translucent purple energy bolts. These were psychic rifles, ford by absorbing Gallagon genes.
As psychic energy bolts rained down over the roaring flas, the dark passage was instantly illuminated. At the end of the long corridor, a small, red-skinned Gallagon quickly retreated.
｢Comnce pursuit of the target.｣ ｢Kuuuu｣
｢Confir...｣
Just as D Team’s Screars prepared to pursue, a PS unit in the rear suddenly collapsed mid-response. All eyes turned to the fallen unit.
Its head was completely gone.
And then, another dark blue energy bolt flew from behind, once again targeting the head of the PS-model unit serving as the commander.
The D Team’s commander unit raised its tal leg to block the attack. The leg vanished without a trace, as if it had been hit by a Cultist's disintegration weapon.
｢Confird effect similar to the Cultist disintegration weapon 'Demolisher'.｣ ｢Kuuuu｣
｢Kuuuu｣ ｢Deploying counterasures for obfuscation attacks...｣
｢Ambush from the side.｣
｢Ambush...｣
Just as they were preparing to target the enemies ahead and behind, the black walls on both sides of the passage suddenly lted away. From within, white-scaled Gallagons sprang out.
The Screars had assud they were standing in a straight tunnel, but they were wrong.
This place was originally a junction.
---
“Communication with D Team is poor. Attempting to restore the connection.”
｢B Team and C Team have rged and entered a large chamber.｣
E Team continued to attempt communication with the commanders of the teams that had gone ahead.
Mutant Screars, with genes spliced from Sea Demons and various psychic organisms, were experiencing communication disruptions—an impossible situation. They weren’t using electronic devices but rather their unique psychic powers to communicate, so who could possibly interfere?
A powerful psychic entity, like a Sea Demon, could disrupt the connection, but that was impossible. The forr ruler of this nest, the Black Gallagon, was already dead, and there were no Sea Demons on this planet.
Two commander models of E Team were trying to figure out the cause of the communication disruption when a command ca through from outside.
｢Transmitting orders from Pyra Eleven. Consider it a trap and retreat imdiately.｣
“Order acknowledged. Retreating.”
There had been interference since earlier, so they were lucky to have received the ssage. E Team quickly prepared to exit the nest.
Although they hadn’t made contact with the Screars of D Team, that was sothing for Pyra Eleven, the overall commander, to handle. They, serving as re interdiaries, didn’t need to worry about it.
“The map records are aningless due to periodic structural changes.”
“Based on our current position, breaking through the wall seems most effective.”
“Confird. Preparing to break through.”
A Screar with many legs moved forward. Those with genes from the Hellside Hornet had very large claws attached to their legs.
The Hellside Hornet uses its scythe-like claws to dig through the soil in the caves it inhabits. Just as the original did, these Screars intended to dig through the wall to escape.
The Screars with scythe-like forelegs began excavation. Each movent of the sharp claws tore through the solid wall as if it were sand.
“There is an unidentified substance mixed in with the soil.”
“Life signs detected within the substance.”
The scythe-like claws were covered in a black, viscous material.
That substance might be what was interfering with their communication. The commander-level PS models in the rear imdiately relayed this information externally.
“Anomalous material not found in Gallagon nests detected. Drone usage is not possible, so transmitting relevant information only.”
｢Chhzz, material, zzzt, confirmation, chzz, confird...｣
“New material detected, transmitting data. Please confirm.”
The previously stable communication suddenly deteriorated rapidly. As the E Team commanders tried to report again, another transmission ca through.
｢Zzzt, zzzt, confird, zzzt, malfunction, zzzt, malfunction...｣
“Communication failure. Please confirm.”
｢Zzzt, malfunction, chzzzt, malfunction, malfunction, zzzt, malfunction, malfunction...｣
“PS-005?”
｢Malfunction malfunction malfunction malfunction malfunction malfunction malfunction malfunction malfunction malfunction malfunction malfunction malfunction malfunction malfunction malfunction malfunction...｣
The sudden communication overload forced the PS models to quickly cut off the connection. When they tried to reconnect, it was completely dead.
But that wasn’t the only problem. Simultaneously with the communication cutoff, an overwhelming flow of psychic power was sensed from behind them. Even the Screars digging through the wall sensed it and turned around.
A pink, balloon-like object was now sitting in the black passageway.
Even to the Screars, it was a completely out-of-place object, but the commander-level units imdiately recognized what it was. It was sothing that should never exist on this planet, sothing that must not be here.
“Enemy... enco...!!!”
The PS model attempting to issue a command froze mid-sentence. The units that were about to charge at the pink balloon also stopped in their tracks.
As if ti had stopped, every Screar present ceased all movent. Not only that, but their bodies began to slowly rise into the air.
And then, as if being crushed by an invisible force, their bodies started to rge and compress.
The high-strength alloy skeletons bent like rubber, and the chanical components connected to the organic parts sparked and shattered. The mutant Screars' bodies contorted as if they had been thrown into the crushing depths of the ocean.
“Da-da-da-danger, danger, danger.”
So of the Screars fired off psychic energy bolts, but it was futile. The bolts froze mid-air, as if they too were being held in place by an unseen force.
“Sw-sw-swap to cluster bombs, cha-cha...”
“Ca-ca-cannot, ca-cannot resis...”
“Re-retreat, re-re-rtrtrtrt!”
They attempted to switch from energy bolts to physical weaponry, but it was futile. With their internal modules and tallic skeletons in shambles, there was nothing they could do.
All they could manage was a final death cry.
Minutes passed, and the passage fell silent.
The dozens of Screars that had been there were no more. Instead, a large, blood-red sphere floated in the air.
As the pink balloon disappeared into the darkness, the sphere split open, spilling its contents.
A grueso mix of blood, flesh, shattered tal fragnts, and foul-slling chemicals spilled out.
The remains scattered across the floor were quickly absorbed by the black sli coating the cave walls.
Soon, nothing was left.
---
While others were under attack, B Team and C Team continued to advance deeper into the cave.
Before the communication was cut off, their last received orders were to search the nest and eliminate Special Target A. They had decided to proceed with the exploration to gather as much information as possible needed to achieve the objective.
After advancing for so ti, they ca upon a massive chamber unlike anything they had seen before.
“Chamber detected. High moisture levels in the air.”
“Traces of nurous creatures detected.”
Within the chamber was a large swamp. One of the Screars approached the swamp and dipped one of its legs into the water. Given the high temperature, this was likely a place where Gallagons rested.
“Given the environntal characteristics, the presence of a swamp is unnatural.”
“Confirmation required.”
“Comnce internal investigation of the swamp.”
“Confird.”
The S-model Screars of B and C Teams entered the swamp. Outside, the commander-level units waited in the passage connected to the chamber, prepared to retreat if necessary while the lower-ranking units bought them ti.
“Multiple life signs detected.”
“No movent detected.”
It was a strange situation—life signs were detected, yet there was no movent. All other sensors produced contradictory results.
As the search continued, one unit noticed an unnatural ripple across the surface of the water. Periodic waves were emanating from the center of the swamp, disturbing the surface.
The Screars quickly spread out, forming a periter. The unit that had detected the anomaly slowly approached the source of the waves.
Pushing through the sticky, black liquid, it saw the tip of a black rock. The surface around the rock rippled faintly, as if the waves were originating from it.
“Subrsion needed for confirmation.”
“Permission granted.”
The Screar plunged its head deep into the murky swamp water. Thanks to its aquatic gene modifications, it could easily assess the situation beneath the surface.
What lay before it wasn’t so much a rock as it was a massive, tumor-like growth. Several long, thin tendrils extended from the rock-like object. The tendrils were long enough to reach under the feet of the Screars encircling the ‘rock’.
As the Screar examined the tendrils, it turned its gaze to the rock itself. The mont it saw the rock, it realized the truth.
The rock—or rather, the thing that only looked like a rock—was watching it with a wide-open eye.
“Special targ—”
The Screar tried to report the enemy, but it was too late.
A massive arm shot out from beneath the swamp and grabbed it. The Screar's organic components shriveled and shattered upon contact with the creature's hand.
Having absorbed the Screar's energy, the creature—no, Special Target A—began to rise slowly from the swamp.
——————
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
——————
Reviews
All reviews (0)