Ch.6969. All-Out Offensive

“I did it! Success!”

Some time after deploying it.

“As expected of the Nano-Spirit, its performance is definitely reliable!”

When I could visibly see the rapid decrease in the number of monsters being replenished from Pyongyang, I rejoiced at the success of what I had used not long ago—a biological weapon using Nano-Spirit, a nano-virus.

How this was possible is because the identity of those rock-like objects I had recklessly launched toward Pyongyang earlier was actually massive capsules containing nano-viruses that had been perfected after dozens of improvements.

At a casual glance, they could be mistaken for rocks due to their gray, irregular shape, but while I call them capsules, they were actually packaged with the same material as the exoskeleton of a Hive Tank to withstand the pressure and impact of flight.

Additionally, the surface of the packaging capsule was thinly coated with a special anti-psychic paint extracted from Hunter Raptors, which allowed the capsule to evade the psychic barrier of the Pyongyang Hive Mind.

The launching method used an improved version of the catapult I had used previously. Made with materials that generously incorporated both human materials engineering knowledge and monster biotechnology—such as tendons from high-grade monsters or elastic bones (the raw material for mythril)—it had a firing range of several hundred meters.

Anyway, the anti-psychic component in the paint wasn’t very strong and was scraped off in the process of neutralizing the psychic barrier, so the nano-virus inside was successfully delivered as planned by being shot down.

This was a special nano-virus designed specifically to sabotage the Hive Mind’s monster production facilities, completely different from the nano-virus used during the past Orc extermination campaign.

While the previous version had to be stored in an airtight container and would only last a few hours at most—more like a toxic gas than a virus since it couldn’t even spread—the improved version not only had its lifespan extended to nearly three days but also possessed its own infection mechanism.

The improved nano-virus particles, instead of directly targeting monsters—though they can still infect individual monsters through their respiratory system—are primarily aimed at the Hive Mind’s monster production facilities. When deployed, they burrow into the swamp-like production facilities and infect them.

Once infected, these production facilities unconsciously consume part of their nutrients to disperse nano-viruses into the air, and monsters born from infected facilities are inherently infected with the nano-virus.

The virus concentrates primarily in the most vital areas of the body, specifically the bio-core or brain, and like conventional viruses, it multiplies inside the body and is released externally with each exhaled breath, inducing infection in uninfected individuals.

As time passes after infection, the nano-virus spreads throughout the infected monster’s entire body, significantly affecting its overall physical condition.

It attaches to the digestive system, reducing energy conversion efficiency, interferes with energy circulation from the bio-core, and causes various abnormal symptoms that slightly decrease physical abilities.

Moreover, the nano-virus itself is essentially a toxin that gradually damages the infected monster’s body while simultaneously parasitizing cells to repeatedly multiply.

And if, during this multiplication process, the nano-virus exceeds a certain ratio within the body—

The true purpose of the nano-virus is triggered: the metallization of body tissues occurs in the infected host.

Tissue metallization phenomenon. This effect, which occurs when the mass ratio of nanomachines in the body exceeds a certain threshold relative to body weight, operates on a similar principle to what was used against the Orcs before—but manifests differently in its specific effects.

Compared to the previous version, where metal machinery would burst out from inside the body, ultimately turning the host into a machine-monster hybrid, the symptoms themselves have actually been weakened.

The only symptom is that the body tissues maintain their original form but transform into metal, with no additional forced control effects.

One might think this isn’t particularly significant compared to the previous version, except that the infection target range has expanded to include living mid-grade monsters—but that would be a grave misunderstanding.

This tissue metallization phenomenon is terrifyingly severe beyond imagination.

Naturally, a body that has turned to metal loses all its biological functions, and the metallized parts become essentially useless, like having a metal lump replacing a severed body part, making it impossible to move freely.

Therefore, if the head or heart accidentally metallizes, it’s practically instant death. Moreover, the resulting metallized biological tissue isn’t even a particularly good material.

The texture feels like a mixture of wrought iron and cast iron… but in terms of strength and quality, it’s naturally inferior even to the backyard furnace steel from China’s Cultural Revolution era.

As a result, even if relatively less critical areas like the carapace metallize, durability actually decreases—and even if it were harder, the neutralization of all biological armaments clearly represents a net loss.

For example, the Hunter Claw, with its extremely simple structure, is characterized by cutting power from nanometer-thin blades and biological tissue that recovers instantly when damaged. If metallized, it simply becomes a disposable sharp blade.

In other words, becoming infected essentially means becoming terminally ill… but there are ways to resist.

As long as the body doesn’t completely metallize, one can concentrate the field flowing within the body along with bio-psychic energy as a kind of disinfectant. This method can reasonably prevent metallization even at the final stages—and in the early stages of infection, complete recovery is entirely possible with a bit of luck.

For this reason, the Pyongyang side has somehow noticed this fact and is preventing additional infections… but it’s already too late.

Roughly 40%, or conservatively at least 30% of the monsters have been effectively neutralized by ongoing tissue metallization, and on top of that, at least 60% of the monsters are weakened by nano-virus infection.

Since it’s obvious that all monster production facilities have been infected as well, now is the perfect opportunity.

Prepare for deployment!

This is the ultimate chance to take the head of that damned entity living in Pyongyang—the so-called North Monster Mark 2.

※ ※ ※

Since I was determined to end this insufferable conflict with this final battle, my mind was completely focused on launching an all-out offensive on virtually every front except for a select few.

And for that reason, I mobilized practically every force at my disposal.

The Northern Front has two high-grade monsters as commanders: Theseus and his wife Hwarong, with 270,000 mid-grade monsters and 470 million monsters stationed in the north all being mobilized.

Since they were primarily created using dragon lineage factors, making them physically superior and resilient monsters, these northern garrison forces will lead the vanguard of the advancing army.

Meanwhile, the Southern Front’s southern garrison forces… have been assigned the role of the second army, providing rear support and filling gaps in the front line rather than advancing.

With 340 million low-grade, 300,000 mid-grade monsters, and two high-grade monsters—Mountain Lord and Nine-Tailed Fox—stationed there, the southern garrison is by no means weak. It’s just that their composition, specialized in defense with psychic users and self-propelled artillery monsters (tentative name), makes them somewhat unsuitable for leading a frontal advance.

Anyway, while these 800 million monsters comprising the main force were moving chaotically, I mobilized the remaining monsters to form a decapitation unit.

It includes Theo, a Grade 1 humanoid monster, leading 5,000 Grade 5 humanoid monsters—Hive Starlights; Seri in full combat gear leading the Griffin Knight Order of 2,000 (effectively 4,000 counting both riders and mounts).

Additionally, there are three battalions of Special Order troops (3,000 personnel) restored by recovering their souls, 300 bio-armored vehicles made with nanomachines to transport them, and about 1,000 of the Royal Guard, which could be considered Grade 3.5, out of a total of 20,000.

Add to this various supply monsters, support monsters, and mechanical monsters for combat assistance—notably nanomachine Giant Armor with biological components, as well as tanks and other diverse units—totaling 3,000 more, and the result is a formidable decapitation unit comprising 15,000 mid-grade monsters, 1,000 Grade 3.5 monsters, and forces equivalent to at least 4 high-grade monsters.

Of course, deploying such a large force means there’s a high risk of suffering significant damage from the Pyongyang Hive Mind’s psychic attacks, but an opportunity like this may never come again.

Therefore, as I ordered them to advance, I was firmly resolved to end this once and for all.