Ch.172172. Erosion

Shortly after, when the soldiers had hurriedly returned to their positions after their late dinner.

“Aim! Fire with precision!”

The second battle against monsters began, with both their numbers and quality vastly improved compared to before.

“K-kuh!”

“Don’t panic! Stay calm and prioritize hitting single targets!”

Unlike the mindless infantry charge from earlier that afternoon, this attack was thoroughly calculated and strategic.

Several dozen elephant-rhino-boar hybrid-like quadrupedal monsters, standing about 20 meters tall, advanced at the front line. Between them were rhino-like combat beasts roughly the size of armored vehicles.

These beast-type monsters, each deploying psychic shields of varying width and strength, were so eye-catching that firepower naturally concentrated on the massive creatures.

Meanwhile, other monsters were approaching with almost no resistance, using the giant animal-type monsters as shields… Despite knowing this, the primary targets inevitably had to be the beast-type monsters.

With that size and mass, they could collapse the barrier walls just by passing through, and if they swung those massive horns, hardly any building would survive.

Moreover, if they were sturdy enough, they could withstand and destroy the fortress’s plasma field, so the giant monsters had to be the priority targets…

Fortunately, even monsters of that size seemed to have their limitations.

Apart from air blasts shot from their noses that never exceeded harassment level, they had no ranged attack capabilities. When concentrated fire was poured on them, the monsters began to fall one by one.

After some time, most of the giant monsters lay sprawled on the ground with holes throughout their bodies, but numerous problems remained.

First, while these giant monsters sacrificed themselves to absorb the bombardment, the well-armed humanoid monsters had easily reached within about 200 meters of the fortress walls.

Additionally, many of the rhino-like monsters the size of armored vehicles were still advancing, and at some point, masses began flying in from somewhere and pounding against the energy field.

Of course, judging by the range and trajectory, and confirmed by direct visual observation, the method of this ranged attack was the primitive catapult, but even catapults become different stories when the materials and projectiles differ.

Catapults made from monster bones and tendons had abnormal elasticity, and they were launching spherical monsters specifically created to be projectiles.

Somehow, these projectiles created ripples upon impact with the plasma field, and it was confirmed that the output at the collision points was actually decreasing.

“Infantry, focus fire on the foot soldiers! Artillery, prioritize targeting the catapults!”

A countermeasure was established under the orders of the company commander, who was assessing the situation with high-level psychic detection, but…

“M-monsters approaching from the air! Presumed to be evolved Wild Bat types!”

“Monster projectiles from the 4 o’clock direction have tripled! We don’t have enough firepower to respond!”

“Soldiers experiencing confusion symptoms from mental psychic attacks are increasing at the 9 o’clock position! Three casualties!”

“Company Commander! Javelins, javelins incoming!”

The commander-type superior monsters leading the monster army were not stupid, as evidenced by the need for countermeasures.

Soldiers confused by their mental psychic attacks were causing chaos and rioting, while bat and imp-like flying monsters somehow penetrated the plasma field.

Moreover, not only was the field’s strength weakening due to the increased number of monster projectiles, but javelins were now flying through the weakened sections.

Javelins thrown with monster strength were practically more powerful than military crossbows; being hit meant instant death even if their power was reduced after passing through the field.

As the battlefield fell into chaos and the command room lost detailed control…

“Squad Leader, they’re coming!”

“Yeah, I… know!”

TAAAAANG—!

Ray Chang and the assistant squad leader, who had first discovered this monster group, were engaged in fierce combat with the main monster force to the north.

“Take… THIIIIS!!”

TUDUDUDUDUDUDUDU!!!!

Against the bat-like monsters diving down from the sky to attack them, the two led their squad members in returning fire to shoot them down.

Though quite nimble and difficult to hit, their straight-line flight speed wasn’t particularly fast.

By forming a firing net, they could handle them without much difficulty. The soldiers, though splattered with monster blood, were able to shoot them down with relative ease.

But right then.

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAH—!!!!”

Suddenly, Melina, a machine gunner who hadn’t worn her helmet because it bothered her, grabbed her face and screamed wildly. Startled, Ray approached her to check her face and—

“W-what is this…!”

There, she horrifically saw plants growing from the monster blood on Melina’s face, taking root in her skin.

The skin where the roots penetrated was crumbling like actual soil, and the plant’s appearance was bizarrely unnatural with its fluorescent blue stems.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!”

“H-hang on!”

Realizing immediate action was needed, she grabbed the plant and tried to pull it out—

SQUELCH!

The deeply embedded roots damaged the flesh as they were pulled out, and Melina ended her life with her face looking as if it had been eaten away by something.

“AAAAAAAAAH!!!”

“H-help, help—GAAAK!”

And this phenomenon was occurring throughout the battlefield.

Wherever monster corpses or blood had touched, regardless of whether it was an object or human body… yes, it was turning into a forest.

Trees grew, grass sprouted, materials crumbled into soil, and rocks and flowing water appeared.

Even though psychic abilities were regarded as a type of technology despite seeming magical, this truly resembled the mystical phenomena that pseudoscientific psychic scholars often described.

Moreover, the area turning into forest was expanding over time, and critically—Ray heard something cracking beneath her feet.

“Danger! Everyone g—”

As she shouted to warn those around her to prepare for the crisis, the sound grew louder before she could finish—

KRAAAAAAAAAASH!!!!!

The barrier wall, which had begun to collapse at some point, finally crumbled into pieces, having transformed into a substance somewhere between soil, rock, and steel.

Naturally, Ray Chang was caught in this sudden collapse.

※ ※ ※

A little while later.

“Ughhhh… my body.”

Ray, who had briefly lost consciousness from the impact of the fall, groaned as she opened her eyes, and the scene before her had completely changed.

‘…What is this place?’

The collapsed barrier wall looked as if tree trunks had sprouted from within and caused it to crumble, with densely grown trees all around, and the occasional sounds of battle and screams in the distance.

Anyone could see that the fortress had collapsed, so she thought she should immediately leave for somewhere safe, but there was one critical problem.

‘My suit…’

The powered suit for shock infantry that she had been wearing had somehow turned into a mixture of soil and grass by the time Ray regained consciousness.

Should she consider herself fortunate that the half-earthen powered suit had reduced the impact of the fall and allowed her to survive, or that her body hadn’t turned to soil?

Either way, convinced that staying here would accomplish nothing, she emerged in her tank top and military pants that she had been wearing underneath.

‘This is broken… ah.’

After frowning at her damaged rifle, she sighed as she picked up the assistant squad leader’s laser machine gun, which was in relatively good condition despite being covered in blood.

Unable to assume her survival, Ray’s heart felt like it was being torn apart as she mentally confirmed the death of someone who was practically a friend outside of duty.

However, dying because of such emotions would truly be foolish, so she immediately tried to move to find a safe place, but—

‘…Shit.’

Grrrrrrrrrr…!

At that very moment, she unfortunately encountered a werewolf-like monster passing by.