Ch.159159. Attack of the Necro-Kists

Indeed, dealing with the Wildbats was far too easy.

These monsters, standing about 1.2 to 1.3 meters tall with large wings, humanoid bodies, and deep purple skin, resembled the Imps commonly depicted in media. Their abilities were limited to speed and simple flame-based psychic powers.

While these abilities might be effective against ordinary planetary defense forces, the enemies the Wildbats faced were none other than battle-hardened intermediate mercenaries.

With only 50 creatures, they stood no chance, and the Travelers’ mercenaries dispatched the Wildbats with ease before moving on.

※ ※ ※

Of course, true to their reputation as cosmic cockroaches, the Wildbats appeared several more times during the search operation.

Most were groups of less than 100 low-level specimens that the mercenaries could easily sweep aside, but occasionally, some that had miraculously evolved into intermediate-level monsters caused trouble.

Particularly, Wildbats that evolved beyond intermediate level gained psychic stealth, explosively quick reflexes, and claws that could split adamantium. One surprise attack could sever the neck of even an intermediate mercenary.

However, among the threats they faced, these were considered relatively safe.

There were traps that would activate when unauthorized individuals reached the middle point, blasting the entire area into space; traps where plasma masses would suddenly appear and explode; and traps that induced madness. But the most troublesome were the ancient civilization’s security robots.

Standing about 4 meters tall—slightly larger than the ancient alien species that used these facilities, estimated to be around 3.5 meters—these were humanoid masses of adamantium with disproportionately large upper bodies.

As one might expect from their form, unless the core located in their center was destroyed, they would simply reabsorb any fragments and return to their original shape no matter how much damage they took. True to their material, they were incredibly solid and durable.

This was partly because energy from the internal core coated the adamantium body like a layer, but fundamentally, that much adamantium naturally possessed insane durability.

And a punch delivered by such a solid body translated directly into destructive power—a single hit could crush one’s body.

THUD───!!!!

[Urgh············!]

That’s why one of the few methods to defeat these security robots was to strike the head with an adamantium battle hammer equipped with a jet engine at the back—a weapon that required at least an intermediate hunter wearing a specialized powered suit.

While their durability and strength were impressive, their movements were slow, and their attacks limited to punches. With enough time, striking the back of their head would solve the problem.

When the overwhelming acceleration of the jet engine combined with the monstrous strength of the powered suit and its user was delivered through a one-time shock wave generator, the security robot would shatter into pieces, destroying the core as well.

Then one could collect the valuable adamantium remains…

But of course, it was never that simple.

The target area for a one-hit kill was too small, making it easy to miss, and these security robots typically moved in groups of three or four.

Because of this, senior mercenaries eventually had to join the front lines, allowing the team to advance deeper without casualties while earning decent profits.

And then, as they pressed forward relentlessly…

“(Gesture).”

The scout hunter who was guiding them raised his hand signaling a stop, then reported what he had detected to everyone through psychic communication.

[I’ve detected 20 unidentified humanoid machines about 2.2 meters tall and 5 machine entities the size of large dogs within 200 meters. Based on their behavior patterns, they haven’t noticed us yet, but we’ll soon encounter them on our current path.]

[Can you confirm their armaments?]

[……..Yes. They all appear to be equipped with assault rifle-type weapons. And the quadrupedal large dog-like entities are carrying what seem to be machine guns on their backs.]

[Understood.]

Though 200 meters might sound distant, it was actually quite close, and with the enemy presumably equipped with ranged weapons, there was no reason to charge straight at them.

[We’ll wait and intercept the unidentified hostile machines. Weeooee, please confirm their exact position and relay it.]

[Understood, Captain.]

With the mercenary captain deciding to wait and strike in one go, the veteran exploration team quickly began concealing themselves in the narrow space, each using their own methods.

They particularly used what was jokingly called “cardboard boxes”—ochre-colored concealment equipment that, though single-use, could hide them from any detection method for about 30 minutes, making them quite useful.

As the mercenaries hid in various ways and focused on the predicted movement path, they began to hear rhythmic sounds like soldiers marching in a parade, growing louder.

‘……………………….??’

Just as they were wondering why anyone would move so loudly in such a dangerous area, the vanguard finally appeared before the mercenaries—and their appearance was enough to surprise them.

‘What are those things?’

While silver bodies with purple accents weren’t particularly strange for machines, what shocked them was how closely these machines resembled Lokists.

Except for being made of metal and having a clean, mechanical appearance, they looked exactly like fully mechanized Lokists.

Yes, the entities the mercenaries encountered were Nec-Lokists.

More precisely, they appeared to be a small exploration team of Nec-Lokists, treated as expendable “canaries” sent into dangerous areas.

[Attack!]

Of course, 20 infantry units and 4 machine gun mounts were no match for the concentrated fire of these powerful intermediate mercenaries.

Five machine guns firing 500 laser beams per minute and plasma machine guns spraying rice-sized plasma masses shredded the infantry, who couldn’t withstand the assault for long.

[What are these things?]

[I don’t know. So… let’s just collect some samples and withdraw.]

Since they seemed somewhat resilient but not particularly strong, the mercenaries decided to salvage some of their weapons and body parts before moving toward the central area.

※ ※ ※

Afterward, the mechanized Lokists (Nec-Lokists) appeared and attacked the mercenaries several more times.

But they made no attempt to conceal their presence, moving with loud, thumping steps, while their combat ability was only equivalent to upper-tier low-level mercenaries, and their numbers never exceeded 50.

After sweeping aside these Nec-Lokists, which they had come to regard as mechanical Wildbats, the mercenaries finally reached what appeared to be the central facility where something important was clearly located.

[Brand. Diego. I’m counting on you.]

[Yes, Captain.]

[……..Understood.]

As the two trap-disarming specialists began preparing to breach the solidly locked door that resembled a vault, they suddenly heard loud, numerous thumping sounds echoing around them.

[What’s that?]

The 100 mercenaries in the large chamber just outside the central area recognized these as the footsteps of Nec-Lokists, or “mechanized Lokists” as they called them, but they had never heard them so loud or numerous before.

[Everyone, prepare for combat!]

The mercenary captain quickly assessed the situation and raised his weapon, ordering everyone to prepare for battle. Just as the mercenaries raised their weapons, whether they had assessed the situation or were simply following orders—

THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP───!!!!

From the end of the long, wide corridor, mechanical insects resembling hunchbacks with long legs began to appear, followed by countless more mechanical insects surging forward like a massive wave at a surfing hotspot, endlessly pouring in along the corridor.