Ch.117117. Coupon Rider

After a brief spatial distortion phenomenon, a massive fleet including 46 interstellar hive ships appeared through space jump directly above Kupan Space Station.

The fleet, with main cannons already preheated, unleashed a barrage of fire upon arrival, destroying the defensive facilities in the western region of the space station. The fleet then sent landing craft to deploy monsters into the neutralized areas.

Surviving defense turrets and small patrol speeders desperately tried to block the landing by firing lasers and plasma torpedoes, but their efforts were futile.

These landing craft, easily carrying tens of millions, docked forcibly in the destroyed western region under the escort of monster vessels, unloading monsters before ultimately attaching to the space station and transforming into monster production facilities.

And the monsters that entered the interior—were literally grinding through the space station’s defense forces as they advanced.

Large monsters with tank-level physical capabilities fired energy shells from blasters mounted on their carapaces as they charged forward, while humanoid monsters wielding various weapons in their four arms advanced between them.

In spaces too narrow for large monsters to enter, close-combat monsters appeared to slaughter the defense forces, and if gravity generators were disabled, they controlled their bodies using gas ejection devices installed throughout their bodies while massacring the defenders.

The monsters were far too powerful for the defense forces, whose only experience was stopping ragtag pirates and whose armaments consisted of mere protein-dissolving grenades and power-regulated laser rifles.

Of course, thanks to Federal Marines who rushed in with armored weapons and heavy artillery, the occupation of key facilities was prevented, but that was the limit.

In most areas, monsters with both quality and numbers overwhelmed the defense forces, advancing at a pace that would reach the core areas in about four hours.

Arthur Petra, watching this horrific reality through videos transmitted to his brain implant, turned pale and muttered quietly.

“Why? Why? They weren’t detected… No, why was the precursor phenomenon so minimal for a fleet of that size making a space jump?”

Typically, monster vessels’ space jumps require folding space, making them faster than other transportation methods but also easier to track their path, with precursor phenomena visible to the naked eye and quite chaotic.

Strangely, this attack showed almost no precursor phenomena.

Crucially, while space folding normally takes 10 minutes and the subsequent movement takes about 1-2 minutes, this time the entire process of folding and movement took less than a minute.

And this meant only one thing:

The monsters’ space jump capabilities had improved, meaning they could now attack quickly without giving time to confirm their entry, while making their paths difficult to track.

‘Is there no way… to alert them?’

He naturally wanted to inform the Human Federation government of this crucial fact, but with psychic communications blocked and interstellar communications jammed by bio-EMPs, it was impossible.

Having given up on communication, Arthur decided to take action—

[Send the Kupan Riders! All eight companies!]

[Yes, understood!]

He ordered the deployment of the Kupan Riders, the elite soldiers of Kupan Space Station and private troops of House Petra.

※ ※ ※

Kupan Riders. In this era, they are commonplace elite private soldiers composed of genetically modified clones, “expensive” bodies that operate on a different level from security guards or regular infantry.

Designed at the genetic level to be superhuman beings completely obedient to the head of House Petra, they grow rapidly in test tubes until adulthood through various chemicals.

Basically standing about 3 meters tall—1.5 times the height of normal humans—they naturally possess muscular bodies with plugs implanted throughout their bodies connected to their nerves, allowing them to move their power suits as if they were their own bodies.

As the name “Rider” suggests, the Kupan Riders’ standard equipment includes hover bikes equipped with anti-gravity devices and rocket engines—which can be manually operated but are typically controlled by brainwaves.

The Kupan Riders, mounted on sky-blue bikes designed to quickly traverse the enormously vast interior of the space station, waited with their power suits connected to their bikes. The moment orders came down, they accelerated immediately, their rocket engines spewing fire as they flew forward.

Eight companies, a total of 800 of these emotionless genetically modified soldiers, endured the overwhelming acceleration through the power of their physique and equipment as they rushed through the space station’s dedicated passages. Before long, they encountered humanoid monsters that had infiltrated the corridors—

KWAAAANG—!!!

Beginning with a barrage from the plasma weapons built into their power suit shoulders while racing forward, they used their characteristic speed to outmaneuver the monsters.

Starting with the most primitive method—charging with impact horns—they also sprayed laser machine guns mounted on their bikes, and sometimes approached with melee weapons like cavalry to cut down their enemies.

This was possible because all Kupan Riders were intermediate-level monsters—bioweapons capable of single-handedly destroying tanks—and despite the monsters’ cosmic-scale resources, regular infantry couldn’t stand against them.

Before long, after the Kupan Riders had ground through the monster hordes, they began to take a brief rest to regroup.

They replaced overheated, melted laser machine gun barrels on their bikes, substituted crushed impact horns with materials obtained on the spot (monster carapaces), recovered depleted psychic energy, and charged their bikes through wall chargers.

Though this was their first real combat, they carried out the regrouping process according to knowledge instinctively engraved in their genes, reviewing the battle through their interconnected spiritual network and reflecting on past experiences. Just then—

WHOOOOSH—CRACK!

With a strange sound of air splitting, something flew in at supersonic speed and lodged itself in the head of the lead commander (company captain).

THUD.

As the company captain collapsed, instantly killed by the shockwave that completely pulverized his brain, nearby Kupan Riders identified the flying object as a dagger, but… they froze momentarily as they transferred command authority to the next in line due to the death of their commander.

And this was a fatal mistake for them.

KABOOOOOOM—!!!

With an explosion too grand to believe it came from such a small dagger, about seven more Kupan Riders were caught in the blast and turned to dust.

The fact that it produced this level of firepower despite the constantly deployed psychic barriers meant this wasn’t simply a chemical explosion but involved some form of psychic interference.

As the Kupan Riders drew their anti-psychic weapons and quickly began to attack in the direction the dagger had come from, at that very moment—

CRACK! BANG!

The wall split with a thunderous sound, and an arm that shot out from inside grabbed one of the Kupan Riders closest to the wall and dragged him in.

The sounds of flesh being torn and metal breaking came from beyond the wall, and naturally, the riders aimed their rifles and fired wildly at the hole where the arm had emerged, but… somehow what they heard from inside was the sound of metal clashing against metal.

Some Kupan Riders with melee weapons prepared to enter the hole to subdue “it”—and at that moment, something flew out from inside.

WHOOSH!

The thrown object, powerful enough to knock down one rider, was none other than the severely damaged body of the Kupan Rider who had been dragged away.

The body smashed into the wall and shattered into pieces, and naturally, all Kupan Riders’ vigilance was raised to the maximum at that very moment.

[[[■■■■■■■■■—!!!!!!]]]

After a gust of wind strong enough to make the Kupan Riders stagger due to the powerful psychic energy it contained, a dragon-man walked in from inside with a growling sound.

Despite hunching, it stood easily over 6 meters tall, with an overall appearance resembling a large lizardman with dragon wings.

In one hand it held the torn-off helmeted head of a Kupan Rider with the spine dangling, and in the other a massive, beautiful one-handed hammer. This being was recorded in the Kupan Riders’ database.

It was an oversized named monster that had repeatedly targeted the Kupan planetary system in the past—”Dragonia”—the sworn enemy of House Petra who had killed 71 heads of the house and over 400,000 soldiers.