Ch.86Encounter with the Unknown! (2)

The support team leader, who was relatively far from the Abomination, spoke in a flustered voice.

“No way, an Abomination that huge… Wait! Communications officer! Connect with headquarters immediately, and launch more drones to expand our surveillance network!”

“Yes, sir!”

After directing his team members to provide emergency tactical support, the support team leader watched the First Team leader from a distance.

“Everyone, open fire—!!!”

With the First Team leader’s shout—the one closest to the Abomination—the Immediate Response Team began firing.

-Ratatata! Ratatata! Ratatata!

The standard rifles adopted by the U.S. military are effective weapons against Earth’s lifeforms and generally work well against aliens that threaten humans. Unless facing insectoid aliens with metal-hard exoskeletons or amorphous aliens like liquids or gases without proper form, even aliens made of flesh will eventually fall after several shots or emptying an entire magazine into them.

Additionally, the standard ammunition commonly used by the Immediate Response Team is cheaper and easier to obtain than other types. Unless facing aliens using advanced technology like plasma shields, firing a whole box of ammo usually does the trick.

The problem was that the Immediate Response Team’s 5.56mm standard rounds were practically useless against the Abomination. Although the bullets penetrated the Abomination, the wounds immediately healed due to its rapid regeneration.

-GROOOOAAAR…!

Just as a person would feel pain from being hit by a finger-sized pebble, the Abomination let out a pain-filled roar. Hearing the creature’s howl—a sound like a mix between a bear and a tiger—the First Team leader realized their attacks were barely effective.

Fortunately, one team member had managed to hit the same spot repeatedly, forming a tight grouping of bullet impacts. However, seeing the wounds visibly healing, he appealed to the First Team leader.

“It’s not working! Even if we use all our remaining magazines, the Abomination won’t go down!”

They needed more destructive power.

The Immediate Response Team had come equipped to handle a group of ordinary aliens, not a monster with rapid healing abilities that could withstand pain and remain standing.

The First Team leader gritted his teeth as he watched the Abomination trapped among the containers. He noticed something on the chest of a team member who was engaging the Abomination from the closest position.

There were two fist-sized grenades attached to the front of his tactical vest.

“…Wait for it to open its mouth, then throw the grenade! Mark, prepare to throw! Everyone else, aim for what appear to be weak points to maximize its pain!”

The First Team leader directly ordered Mark, the team member with the best throwing accuracy.

-Ratatata, Ratatata!

Following the First Team leader’s command, the other team members emptied their remaining bullets. Even while emptying one magazine and inserting a new one, they took turns to maintain continuous fire.

-GROOOOAAAR…!

“Throwing now!”

After pulling the safety pin, Mark executed a perfect throw. The grenade followed a perfect arc with perfect timing, landing inside the Abomination’s mouth as it roared in pain.

‘3, 2, 1…!’

-BOOM!

Though all team members winced at the earth-shaking explosion, everyone remained focused on the Abomination.

-Hack, cough, GROOOOAAAR!

Making sounds like a human with phlegm in their throat, the Abomination was still standing firmly on two feet.

“That fucking…!”

Martin, who had thrown the grenade, cursed. Despite seeing the grenade explode perfectly inside its mouth, the Abomination remained standing.

“Martin, throw another one when it opens its mouth again!”

“…Understood!”

The power of a grenade is stronger than most people realize.

As it’s known that within a 15-meter radius of a grenade explosion, the probability of death is extremely high—people nearby die instantly, and even those at some distance suffer severe injuries.

The Abomination appeared severely injured at first glance. Blood poured from its mouth and neck due to the powerful explosion, and a gaping wound was visible, exposing the inside of its throat even from the outside. Its snake-like scales had been brutally damaged, though some were already regenerating.

The problem was that the wounds were healing rapidly, and having been hit once, the same method likely wouldn’t work a second time.

“How can a creature with such overwhelming power…!”

The support team leader clutched his combat uniform tightly as he sent the drone camera footage to headquarters, clearly panicked.

“If we don’t stop it, it will threaten civilians, and OSA’s identity will be exposed. We have to deal with it somehow!”

“I know. But the method… what means should we use…”

The First Team leader, facing the Abomination, was also at his wit’s end.

“Support Team leader, this is First Team leader… respond.”

-Receiving you clearly.

“…We’re going to need more personnel. I don’t think the Immediate Response Team’s firepower will be enough.”

-…Requesting backup.

While the First Team leader was communicating with the Support Team leader, Martin threw another grenade, but the Abomination, seemingly having learned from its previous experience, swatted the incoming grenade away.

“It has intelligence too…”

“At this rate, team members close to it are in danger!”

While defeating the Abomination was important, protecting the Immediate Response Team members who had been with him was equally crucial.

“Martin and all team members close to the Abomination, fall back!”

Though there was no verbal response to the First Team leader’s firm order, the team members retreated as quickly as possible.

-Thud.

“Ugh.”

“Wait, Jimmy! Get up quickly!”

Jimmy tripped over a rock while retreating without proper visual confirmation, and another team member grabbed his arm to help him up.

As if spotting prey, the Abomination slowly began approaching the two team members.

“It’s coming this way, fire everything!”

Even Jimmy, still sitting on the ground, was firing at the Abomination.

-Ratatata, Ratatata!

The Immediate Response Team members poured bullets to protect Jimmy, but the Abomination approached with thundering steps, seemingly unaffected. Then it raised one hand.

“It’s going to attack Jimmy, stop it somehow!”

-Whoosh.

The Abomination swung its massive arm. The destructive power behind the arm was concerning enough, but its sharp, long claws were equally threatening.

If the Abomination’s claws were to slash someone, it would not only be painful but would certainly cause severe injuries at minimum.

Still sitting on the ground, Jimmy didn’t want to meet such a terrible fate and tried to dodge the trajectory of the swinging arm.

-GROOOAR…!

-Rip.

“Hah!”

With a short roar, the Abomination swung with enough force to create a noticeable air pressure. The claws passed just in front of Jimmy’s face. The team member barely managed to dodge by quickly stepping back, but part of his hazmat suit was torn.

“Jimmy almost died, throw the grenade now!”

Jimmy and the other team member retreated while throwing a grenade on the ground, then immediately fled without looking back.

-BOOM!

This time, the Abomination couldn’t dodge the grenade and staggered as it took the blast while trying to approach Jimmy and the other team member.

“Retreat further back!”

Noticing that the distance between the Immediate Response Team members and the Abomination had narrowed, the First Team leader ordered them to widen the gap. They couldn’t risk being helplessly attacked like Jimmy had almost been. After regaining some distance, the Abomination circled around once, looking for vulnerabilities.

Though grenades and standard rifles weren’t completely effective against the Abomination, it was clearly learning that being hit still caused pain.

“…Maintain vigilance.”

Unable to expend ammunition indefinitely, the Immediate Response Team followed the First Team leader’s order, keeping their rifles aimed at the Abomination while maintaining their guard.

A standoff between the Abomination and the Immediate Response Team.

The Abomination was the first to break this standoff.

“Something’s wrong with the Abomination’s behavior.”

The Support Team leader, monitoring the situation via drone, pointed at the Abomination in the center of the monitor. While the team was retreating and maintaining their guard, the Abomination suddenly crouched down to the ground.

“Hold position.”

As this strange situation unfolded, the First Team leader remained extra vigilant, preparing for any unexpected developments.

“It’s raising both hands!”

“It’s definitely not surrendering… what is it doing?”

The Support Team leader and OSA agent watched with confused expressions as the Abomination raised both hands while still crouching.

-Crack, crack, CRACK…!

“It-it’s digging into the ground!”

Valley of Fire State Park is an area with hard ground and many red rocks, making it difficult for large trees to grow.

Yet the Abomination began digging into the hard ground as if it were soft soil, leaving the Immediate Response Team’s First Team and the distant Support Team leader completely bewildered.

“Wh-what should we do?”

The First Team leader was debating whether to risk attacking the Abomination with their limited armaments as it dug, or to maintain their guard and wait for a clearer response.

After digging ruthlessly, the Abomination disappeared into the ground, leaving behind a massive hole.

“How many magazines and grenades do we have left?”

“Most team members don’t have much. We can’t sustain an attack at this rate.”

The First Team leader looked around at the team members nearby.

“Support Team leader, can you check inside the tunnel with thermal cameras?”

-Affirmative.

“…Please continue monitoring the Abomination with drones and thermal cameras.”

After radioing the Support Team leader, the First Team leader chose to preserve his team rather than risk further danger.

“…Until reinforcements arrive, maintain perimeter security in pairs, taking turns to rest.”

After confirming the Abomination had gone underground, the other team members pressed buttons on their ballistic helmets to remove their hazmat suits and masks.

“…Thanks. If you hadn’t fired, I really could have died.”

“I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

While some maintained guard duty near the tunnel where the Abomination had entered, Jimmy and other Immediate Response Team members were inspecting the spaceship interior with the OSA agent, watching for any potential alien life forms.

“Those claws were no joke. Look how easily they tore through the hazmat suit.”

Jimmy, standing with another team member, pointed to the torn part of his hazmat suit near his chest.

“Yeah, seriously. But there was nobody in the cargo ship’s cockpit either. What’s going on here?”

“I heard the emergency landing system was activated.”

“Was there some kind of emergency?”

There was no one on the spaceship, and they couldn’t find any personal belongings that might identify the ship’s owner.

“Ahem.”

As the Immediate Response Team members relaxed at the seemingly normal state of the spaceship, Jimmy suddenly cleared his throat.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, my throat just felt itchy for a moment.”

“Had me worried there.”

Seeing his teammate chuckle, Jimmy also thought nothing of it and soon handed over to the support team that had just arrived.