Ch.233Assault (2)

Shadows fall over countless branches. The clouds that had scattered have returned to block the sunlight.

In the cool grayness, we followed the traces of the Screamers.

The footprints, which had been sparse at first, were becoming more numerous. Beyond just the prints on the ground, there were marks left by sharp alloy claws on scattered trees and embedded rocks.

‘It’s not just one or two of them.’

While Screamers have eight legs, which naturally leaves many footprints, there were still too many tracks even accounting for that. Enough to suggest dozens of individuals at least.

“How many Screamers were deployed for this mission?”

I mimicked a voice using stored genetic information to question PS-111.

“300 units were deployed at the start of the mission.”

“300? That’s quite a lot.”

I was slightly surprised by his answer.

Considering that regular Screamers are treated almost like biodrones in the Star Union, having 300 Screamers deployed isn’t particularly unusual. Even in the game, Screamers were sometimes deployed in thousands during large-scale ground battles.

However, that was due to players’ commands. The Star Union regular army rarely deploys Screamers alone.

Screamers possess powerful combat capabilities but have the disadvantage of lacking strategic thinking and flexibility. So when unexpected situations arise, they can’t respond properly.

‘Normally, they would need something to compensate for their shortcomings…’

Mutant Screamers solved the old model’s weaknesses by dividing them into two categories: standard models and commander-class models. The strategic judgment capabilities of the commander models are evident just by looking at PS-111.

When fighting Odd Grad, he quickly noticed the signal I sent and brought the cruiser. A regular Screamer would never have made such a judgment.

‘The good news is that their numbers must have decreased significantly by now.’

With dangerous creatures swarming the entire planet, it’s unlikely that all 300 units would remain intact. After all, even PS-111 was half-destroyed by the Ice Horror’s attack.

“How many do you think are left? 200? 250?”

“The total number has likely not decreased significantly from 300 units.”

“Why not?”

While Mutant Screamers are strong, they’re not invincible against apex creatures like Ice Horrors or Glacier Fiends.

PS-111, searching for traces with the sensory organs protruding from his eyes, answered.

“According to the data stored in my brain, the former Main Controller ‘Pyrrha Eleven’s’ battleship is equipped with Mutant Screamer production facilities.”

“What?”

“With genetic information, large energy sources, and organic materials for resources, S-model Screamers can be produced.”

In the game’s setting, Screamers are strongly perceived as consumables, so they don’t often receive support from ships. The most they might get is supporting fire from fleets waiting in orbit after Screamer deployment.

But since Mutant Screamers have higher strategic utility than the old models, it seems they’ve prepared a separate support ship.

“Considering the scale of a Screamer production line, it would need at least a Jax Alpha-class battleship to house the facilities. And even then, they’d have to fill it with production equipment, leaving only what’s necessary to maintain the ship.”

“Current data is lost, so I cannot provide an accurate answer, but your conjecture seems reasonable.”

The XAX01-class battleship is named after the Star Union’s capital planet. This ship, commonly called Jax Alpha, is the largest and best-armed among Star Union warships.

Of course, in this case, it would be quite different from its original form since it’s been converted into a Screamer support ship. They would have removed all internal facilities and equipment and replaced them with Screamer-related facilities, leaving only the minimum equipment necessary to operate the ship.

“Do you remember where it landed?”

“I apologize. Data loss prevents confirmation.”

The total length of a Jax Alpha-class battleship is just under 1km. I haven’t seen any landing traces of a ship that size around here.

Moreover, the Gallergorns wouldn’t miss a ship of that size entering the planet’s atmosphere. Since there’s been no mention of it, the ship must have exceptional stealth capabilities.

Thinking about it, something seemed odd.

“You said your goal was to capture me, right?”

“If you’re referring to Special Objective A set by former Main Controller ‘Pyrrha Eleven,’ that is correct.”

“Why have 300 self-repairing Screamers, with additional production capability, been sitting idle until now?”

Looking back, they had several opportunities to attack me: when I first arrived on the planet, when I was weakened after fighting Jason, when I was ambushed by Odd Grad, and so on.

Yet they never gathered systematically to attack me. This seemed to negate the purpose of deploying commander models to compensate for the Screamers’ weaknesses. All the Screamers I’d seen so far were stragglers.

That leaves only one answer: something must have happened to Pyrrha Eleven.

After a moment of silence, he answered my question.

“I don’t know about that either.”

“You don’t know?”

“Memory data was damaged during the system reboot process. However…”

He mechanically tilted his head. The gesture resembled a person pressing their temple trying to forcibly recall something they couldn’t quite remember.

“In my last memory, Pyrrha Eleven was severely damaged for some reason and was in a dormant state.”

“Dormant state? Was she attacked by Gallergorns?”

“No. Pyrrha Eleven… error, excuse me. She was damaged after failing to perform actions necessary to achieve the objective.”

From what he said, it was clear that Pyrrha Eleven had been unable to function normally for some time.

‘Come to think of it, the one I met when hunting the Winter Walker said something similar.’

He definitely said he was in a command delay state. The ones I met after killing Jason and entering the forest said the same thing.

This suggests that until relatively recently, their commander, Pyrrha Eleven, had been incapacitated.

“These traces are evidence that she’s active again.”

“That is a reasonable assumption.”

There was little useful information despite the high probability of an encounter with them. Besides knowing we were pursuing multiple enemies, there was almost nothing to go on.

‘Didn’t PS-111 say he could control lower units?’

When I first met him, he said he could physically contact the circuits of lower models to seize control. It would be nice if he could take over commander-class units too, but he said it was impossible because Pyrrha Eleven had improved the security of the control system.

‘I’ll need to capture some Screamers alive.’

That way, I could get necessary information like the battleship’s landing location and their plans.

After our conversation, we continued following the traces for quite some time.

At first, there were only footprints, but as time passed, other traces became visible. Around the footprints, there were remains of creatures torn to shreds.

“They were replenishing energy.”

“Seems that way.”

PS-111, with the Blood River function implanted, can supplement his body’s energy by absorbing bio-energy in addition to consuming meat orally. He’s the exception; originally, Screamers obtain nutrition by sucking in small prey through absorption tubes attached to their mouths.

‘The blood has been dry for a while.’

Due to the dry, cool location, the body parts were decomposing slowly. Thanks to this, I could somewhat guess how they hunted.

‘They said they had production facilities, so there are modified ones.’

Just as PS-111 upgraded his body by absorbing genes, some enemy Screamers had adapted to the environment.

‘Like means of ranged attack.’

I pulled a large bullet the size of my finger from a pool of blood. It looked similar to a Storm Gun’s depleted uranium round but was more threatening.

“Do you know what this is?”

“It resembles an APDT depleted uranium round, but examining the internal structure, it appears to be modified into a flechette round.”

“Right. It has Black Silver fragments mixed inside.”

When I shook the deformed bullet, small fragments of Black Silver alloy fell out. Not a large amount, but enough to be lethal to certain species.

And on this planet, there’s only one type of creature that could be significantly damaged by flechette rounds containing Black Silver.

‘Gallergorns!’

Now I understand what they’re targeting.

“Do you know where Odd Grad’s nest is?”

“Yes. This way.”

“We don’t have time, so get on my back and guide me.”

With urgency, I put down all the corpses I was carrying and placed PS-111 on my head. Then I called for No. 26 and Adhigh.

[Bzzzz bzz bzz bzzzz(No time, get on me)]

“No food take?”

[Bzzzz bzzzz bzzzz(We’ll come back for it later)]

No. 26 seemed to sense the urgency and didn’t ask further questions. He shrank his body and jumped into the small arm on my chest.

I held him tight and sent a wave to Adhigh.

[Bzzzz bzzzz bzzzz(We’re going to fly. Get ready)]

“Where” “are we going?”

[Bzzzzzz bzzzz bzzzz(We’re going to Odd Grad’s nest)]

I spread my wing-arms wide. The massive membrane extended, and my body shot upward rapidly. Adhigh followed behind me as I smashed through branches on my way up.

“Nest” “danger?”

[Bzzzz(Probably)]

“Keep going straight in this direction.”

Adhigh tensed up at the mention of possible danger at the nest. I flew at full speed in the direction PS-111 indicated.

During the flight, I continuously monitored below with my auxiliary organs in case Screamers might fire from the forest. There was no reaction from below as our shadows passed.

‘…This doesn’t look good.’

It was eerily quiet despite the fact that hundreds of Screamers should be roaming somewhere in that forest. I couldn’t tell what they were planning, but it certainly wasn’t good.

After flying in high tension for nearly half a day, the cliffs where PS-111 said the dragon’s nest was located came into view.

There was no sign of Screamers or other creatures around the cliff.

‘Wait, nothing is visible?’

By now, Nel Germa, Adhigh’s proxy, should have returned with time to spare. Since we’re approaching the nest, at least one or two Gallergorns should have shown themselves.

“Great One” “something” “strange” “herd” “guards” “gone”

Adhigh seemed to have noticed the same thing, sending puzzled thought waves.

Gallergorns always keep sentries at their nests because of predators like Sky Whales. Green Gallergorns or White Gallergorns take turns guarding the nest to prevent unexpected attacks.

The absence of guards meant something was seriously wrong.

As I was about to warn Adhigh to be careful, my auxiliary organs detected movement in the forest below.

The forest, which had been quiet with no sensation until just now, began to move all at once. Like an ant colony stirring, numerous movements occurred simultaneously.

Realizing what this meant, I hurriedly sent a wave to Adhigh.

[Bzzzz bzz bzzzz(Adhigh! Use your power!)]

“!”

Just as I sent the wave, an enormous number of bullets erupted from the forest.

A rain of death, blacker than the dark clouds above, came flying to take our lives. I moved my body below Adhigh while protecting No. 26 with my combat arms.

Black Silver flechette rounds, so densely packed they completely obscured my vision, hit my entire body.

Since I’m not a psychic creature, these anti-psychic bullets don’t cause me much harm.

‘But they’re different.’

The enemy fire didn’t harm me at all, but it’s a different story for Adhigh and No. 26. If No. 26, who heavily relies on psychic power, gets hit by Black Silver flechette rounds, he would be completely incapacitated.

Adhigh is in a better position since he can use “Red Armor,” an absolute defense technique, but he can only protect his head and part of his front legs, so he can’t block their attacks.

[Bzz bzzzz(Is everyone okay?)]

“I’m fine.”

“Great One” “thanks to you” “I avoided it”

Fortunately, thanks to my acting as a shield, No. 26 and Adhigh weren’t harmed.

“I was hit by a few rounds, but the injuries are minor.”

Only PS-111, who was on my head and thus an easy target, was exceptionally hit by a few rounds.

“I’ll get you some good food later.”

“Acknowledged.”

After a brief reloading period, the ground fire resumed. They fired madly, as if determined to finish off Adhigh or No. 26 even if they couldn’t kill me.

‘This isn’t a good place to fight.’

[Bzzzz bzzzz bzz bzzzz bzzzz(Adhigh, stay close above me and follow)]

I flew toward the nest while being hit by Screamer bullets. Adhigh followed, staying close to my back.

Then I landed at a suitable spot where they were. As soon as we descended, the trees shook ominously.

Swarms of Screamers were following us.