Ch.15Spider Web (2)

“Damn it! Wake up!”

“Urggghhhh…”

“A3 is going into shock! Inject the medicine!”

“Injecting now!”

A2 manipulated the terminal on A3’s wrist. Air hissed from the power suit as healing fluid was injected into the wearer. A3’s condition, who had been foaming at the mouth with rolled-back eyes, improved slightly.

But this was merely emergency treatment. The healing fluid built into the power suit only had minimal life support and pain relief functions, with limited detoxification capabilities.

They needed to complete the mission as quickly as possible and get A3 to a doctor.

A1 and A2, thinking the same thing, exchanged glances.

“A1 here. We’ve injected medicine into A3. Continuing the mission.”

「This is Control. Permission granted.」

After reporting to headquarters, they got up, leaving A3 lying there. That damn monster had killed three of their comrades. They wouldn’t be able to sleep properly until they caught it and tore its head off.

“A1. I request permission to inject enhancers for efficient suppression.”

「…Permission granted.」

As soon as approval came through, A1 and A2 pressed buttons on their terminals. Enhancement fluid was injected, and blood vessels bulged on their faces and necks.

The advantages of power suits extend beyond the built-in AI that assists physical activity. One of them is the special solution that enhances a soldier’s combat abilities.

Lower-grade power suits contain painkillers, while mid-grade suits are equipped with two chemical solutions: healing fluid that treats injuries and aids natural recovery, and enhancement fluid that temporarily strengthens muscles and senses.

If enhancement fluid is injected into an ordinary person, their physical abilities improve enough to punch holes in concrete walls. For soldiers wearing power suits? It goes without saying.

However, there was a fatal side effect—permanent muscle loss and up to a week of lethargy after the enhancement effect wore off. Soldiers usually avoided using enhancement fluid, but these men, already beyond reason, didn’t care about side effects.

“I’m going to kill that fucking bastard myself.”

“I’ll get to it first.”

Their orders were to capture the mysterious dangerous creature alive. But after losing their comrades, all they could think about was tearing it apart with their bare hands.

They walked along the passage, grinding their teeth. Following the direction where the creature had disappeared, they noticed strange traces. The floor had been melted in spots, creating an intermittent trail.

“Looks like it’s injured too.”

“Damn. Acidic blood… I have no idea what kind of monster this is.”

Realizing their enemy was no ordinary threat, they followed the melted marks with heightened tension. Soon they realized they needed to prepare themselves mentally.

A low, narrow passage that would require an adult man to bend at the waist to move through was waiting for them.

“…It’s tight.”

“What should we do?”

“We go in.”

They had already injected enhancement fluid. Retreat was not an option. The two soldiers forced themselves into the passage.

–

‘They’re coming.’

My auxiliary organs detected subtle vibrations in the air, like prey caught in a spider’s web. Intruders had stepped into my territory. Their heartbeats were much rougher and faster than normal humans. Harsh breaths escaped their mouths like animal pants, dispersing into the air.

‘They’ve used enhancement fluid.’

Mid-grade power suits have severe side effects—the enemy must be quite angry. But it doesn’t matter. In this damp, maze-like space, enhanced physical abilities are almost useless.

‘Let’s begin.’

Now that I’ve successfully lured my prey, I need a trap.

I opened my wound wide and spilled a lot of blood onto the floor. As the acidic blood pooled, toxic gas rose in clouds. Through the gas filling the passage, I could see the corridor. The acidic blood, not content with melting through the ventilation duct, had eaten through the corridor ceiling and was still widening the hole.

‘This should be enough.’

I tended to my wound and quickly left the spot. I hid in the darkness and waited for them to arrive.

Before long, they appeared. They wore special helmets attached to their power suits. Thanks to the helmets’ gas protection, they moved without difficulty through the passage filled with toxic gas.

They seemed surprised by the sudden gas but acted calmly like experienced soldiers. Moving cautiously, they soon discovered the source of the gas.

One soldier stepped forward as he noticed the corridor light dimly illuminating the passage.

“This is A1. There’s a large hole in the ventilation duct. No sign of the target nearby. It seems to have gone down to the corridor.”

「This is Control. We’ll search the corridor. State your location.」

“We’re near the agricultural sector…”

A1 focused on communication. The other soldier examined the corridor below.

Now’s my chance, while everyone is distracted.

I sprang from my corner like a leopard targeting a gazelle. The narrow passage was no obstacle for me crawling on six legs.

“!”

A2, with senses heightened by enhancement fluid, reacted immediately. His gun barrel quickly aimed at my head and spat light.

The energy ball that flew at light speed grazed the tip of my tentacle behind my head. I could see A2’s dismay at missing his shot.

No surprise there. Why else would I choose this cramped, uncomfortable place as my battlefield?

The enemy’s aim was slightly off due to the awkward space. Meanwhile, my dark brown chitinous exterior served as perfect camouflage in this lightless place.

Disadvantageous for the enemy, advantageous for me.

That’s why I chose this place as my hunting ground.

“Kuk?!”

He corrected his stance and aimed at me again. Fast enough, but I was already at his throat. Before his finger could pull the trigger, my hands near my shoulders grabbed his head.

Perhaps sensing death, his dilated pupils were visible through the translucent visor of his helmet.

While the power suit helps exert superhuman strength, it couldn’t protect flexible, delicate areas like the neck. As I applied pressure, A2’s neck snapped as easily as a brittle twig.

“Aaaaargh!”

A1, noticing me a moment too late, screamed and fired his laser at me. I lifted A2’s limp body to shield myself.

The delicious smell of burning flesh tickled the edges of my auxiliary organs. I threw A2’s charred remains at A1.

“Fuuuuuck!”

He lost his mind and sprayed laser fire. At close range, several shots hit my body.

Perhaps due to the not-insignificant pain, my fighting spirit boiled up. The sharp dagger at the end of my tail flew at him. It seemed about to pierce his shoulder, but the veteran deflected it with his enhanced left arm.

My tail hit the passage wall, and he lunged at me, swinging his fist.

I considered blocking with my combat arms, but he wore a power suit. Plus, with enhancement fluid, his combat power had increased dramatically. No need for unnecessary risks.

I stepped back a few paces to avoid A1’s fist. His punch collided with the innocent wall instead. A clear fist imprint remained on the hard alloy panel of the passage.

‘Stronger than expected.’

It wasn’t this intense even in the game.

‘Fighting like this is too risky.’

I needed to change my strategy.

I swung my tail widely to force him back, then fled. Laser bullets rained from behind, but all missed.

‘One enemy left.’

I’ve used all my tricks. Ordinary deception won’t fool A1 now.

I hear A1 shouting behind me. He’s so enraged that a surprise attack might not be effective.

‘Ah. One thing left?’

As I pondered, a good idea came to mind.

My senses detected two living beings.

Rampaging A1 and paralyzed A3.

A1, having lost his reason, was firing lasers wildly. While he was distracted, I crawled toward A3.

Leaving the narrow passage, the ceiling rose high above. Walking on two legs, I saw A3 lying in the middle of the passage.

“Uh, uuuh…”

A3, who had received emergency treatment, had barely avoided death but didn’t look well. Still partially paralyzed, he could only moan.

I approached from a direction not visible to his camera. When I was a few meters away, he sensed my presence.

His painful moans were laced with terror, making it easy to tell.

“Uuuh, uuuuh!”

He tried to alert Control about the situation, but his limbs were already paralyzed. He wriggled like a grub avoiding an ant. I approached the frightened grub and stepped on his back.

「Grrrrrr」

“Uh! Uuuh! Uuuh!”

I could see the hair on the back of A3’s neck standing on end. His hair was already soaked with cold sweat. He breathed roughly like a terrified animal.

Lying face down, I couldn’t see his eyes, but they must be trembling uncontrollably.

Coincidentally, A3 had only been attacked from behind so far. So he didn’t know what I looked like. Perhaps that’s why he was more afraid? They say the greatest fear comes from the unknown.

‘Not that it matters since he’s going to die anyway.’

I thrust my four combat arms into his side. With no protection there, my hands easily penetrated his body. Through my claws stepping on his back, I felt him exhale his final breath.

After killing A3 instantly, I applied force to the hands buried in his side. I grabbed his long intestines with four hands and roughly pulled them out.

I hurriedly stuffed the dangling entrails into my mouth. Without time to savor the taste, I roughly chewed and swallowed, then scraped out more organs from the corpse.

Time was running out. To use A3’s body as a shield, I needed to empty his insides. I continued scraping out his entrails.

‘This should be enough.’

When A3’s weight had been reduced by about half, I flipped his body over.

The camera lens shone with a welcoming red light, illuminating me. I destroyed the cameras and communication devices attached to A3’s body.

Now they would know A3 had been attacked.

I pushed my head into A3’s side. Sticky blood and the warmth still remaining in the corpse enveloped my entire body. My tail, which couldn’t fit inside, was coiled and hidden under the lower part of the corpse.

Shortly after, I heard A1’s footsteps outside.

“A3! Are you okay? Answer me!”

The dead don’t speak. A3, now practically a mummy, maintained his silence.

I sensed him reaching out. He was completely off guard. He thought A3 might be dead but never imagined what might be lurking beneath the skin.

When he was close enough, my arm burst through A3’s abdomen. A1, who had bent one knee to check for a pulse, was completely exposed to my attack. My sharp claws raked his thigh.

“Kuk?!”

He tried to get up, but it was too late. A deadly neurotoxin was paralyzing his lower body and moving upward.

His body fell to the floor like a log. Fallen, he tried desperately to get up, but his central nervous system had been destroyed long ago. Like Troy falling to the Trojan Horse from within, A1 was being destroyed from the inside.

“Uh, uuuh, uuuh!”

A1’s body trembled. Was it from shock, or from his approaching fate?

Either way, his future was determined. Like prey caught in a spider’s web, there was only one thing he could do.

Wait for death.

Emerging from the torn corpse, I licked the blood on my hands. A primal sweetness, like condensed sugar syrup, shot through my brain.

I wanted to enjoy it more, but I still had work to do. I approached the trembling A1.

With my lower arms near my ribs, I grabbed his shoulders, and with my upper arms, I removed his helmet. The revealed face was younger than I expected. But the scars around his eyes showed he was a warrior who had survived many battlefields.

Even such a veteran warrior seemed afraid of death. His face was a mess of tears and mucus.

My two upper arms wrapped around his head. Anticipating what was coming, he squeezed his eyes shut. To fulfill his expectations, I applied force to my hands. With a sound like a tree being uprooted in a typhoon, his neck was slowly torn off.

There was no scream. The neurotoxin allowed him neither screams nor the slightest movement. His pupils shook violently from the pain of having his neck torn while still alive.

By the time the white neck bone was exposed, A1 was dead.

Holding his head with its protruding tongue, I glared at the camera. Though there was no sound from the communicator, I could tell.

They were afraid.

Judging that my message had been sufficiently delivered, I destroyed the camera.

The spider’s web isn’t just spread in the ventilation ducts.

They’re next.