Chapter 102

Friends transferring to the shuttle.

Nisia, the Cryptid child, and I remain on the Colossus.

“Edu, are you really okay?”

Edward asks again, his voice filled with concern.

“Yeah, hurry! Don’t forget to convey what I told Mr. Balder.”

Edward and the others nod at my words.

“Understood, take care.”

“Don’t get hurt, okay?”

“Both of you be careful.”

Friends leave one last word behind.

The shuttle that took off returns to the cruiser, and only we are left in the city.

“Ah, ugh…?”

The Cryptid child tightly holds my hand.

I cradle the child and look at Nisia, nodding my head.

“Nisia? Then let’s start.”

“Yeah!”

She pulls the belt wrapped around her body tightly.

The body of the Colossus spins, and the giant hands of the war machine behind move up high.

In those hands is a pair of short, stubby twin guns.

The guns lean slightly forward and are pulled inward as the stocks connect with the wrists.

Click.

An 18mm compact submachine gun, suitable for pouring a multitude of bullets in an instant to create a fire net— the mid-range armament of the Colossus.

While its accuracy is somewhat lacking, that downside becomes an advantage at times like this, allowing us to pour firepower across a wider area when facing massive enemies.

– Kyaaa!!

– Keaaa!!

A swarm of Cryptids rushes in with monstrous roars.

I take a deep breath while looking at them.

“Huuh….”

A gulping sound comes from behind.

I turn my head to see Nisia with a face full of tension.

Sweat beads trickle down her neck.

Well, even I, who had seen that much of quantity in AOE countless times, find myself in a tense situation.

For her, experiencing such a thing for the first time, it’s impressive that she’s not shaking in fear.

“It’s okay, Nisia. You’ve done well so far, right?”

“Uh-huh.”

I encourage Nisia and recall the plan.

The operation is simple.

Draw the Cryptids in towards the Colossus and then strike the exposed Cryptid commander entities with the Dragon’s long-range bombardment.

That’s it.

“Do you think it will go well?”

Nisia asks, her tone mixed with worry.

“We have to make it work.”

In fact, if the Dragon were a typical cannon in terms of size, we could wipe out the swarm with high-explosive shells, but unfortunately, the Dragon is a railgun.

And railguns have fundamental limitations due to their operating principles, which place a tremendous load on the projectiles and prevent the use of various ammunition types.

Of course, given the Dragon’s size, it possesses a different lethal range and can inflict collateral damage compared to typical railguns. However, that doesn’t mean that any abilities are magically enhanced.

So we need to sniper.

It’s the only way to efficiently eliminate them while maximizing the Dragon’s advantages.

“Don’t worry too much; I’ve had a lot of experience dealing with them.”

“Really…?”

“Yep.”

Cryptids are a mob of monsters that move according to a collective consciousness.

But as with this type of monster commonly seen in sci-fi movies, there are biological entities acting as relays that spread and maintain this collective consciousness.

These are the Cryptid commander entities, commonly referred to as Core Enemies or Head Types.

If we eliminate their control, even that fearsome army of Cryptids will lose their constrained instincts and quickly devolve into a disorganized mob.

– Kyaaa!!

A monstrous scream interrupts my thoughts.

Cryptid monsters surge like a tidal wave between buildings.

Looking at the ugly faces rushing up to me, I give orders to the Colossus.

“Colossus? Open fire!”

With a bright flash of flame, the bombardment begins.

Scattered bullets arrive in an instant at the monsters, piercing through the lower-grade entities as they move forward.

Splat, thunk.

The lower-grade entities burst and spill out, turning into a red mist.

– Kyaaa!!

– Kyae!

The intermediate-level entities seem to hold on a bit, but they fall to the subsequent gunfire.

Drrr- klack!

The magazine quickly empties.

As the corpses of the dead explode and the remains are left, the monsters push in again.

“Colossus, reload! Nisia!”

“Okay!”

She operates without hesitation.

The six-meter giant turns on its knees, and energy quickly gathers in the propulsion system.

Boom!

The giant’s body pushes lightly and soars high into the air.

While in that state, Nisia twitches the control sticks, and the Colossus’s body turns towards the monsters again.

“Fire!”

A rain of bullets pours from the sky.

18mm bullets pour down like rain upon the center of the group of Cryptids filling the road.

– Kyaek!

– Kaaah!

Cryptids drop as chunks.

Some trip over their dead comrades, while injured ones tumble on the ground.

But that’s only for a moment.

Those monsters are stamped out by the following Cryptids.

Blind advance.

The armies of monsters scale the buildings and fill the alleys, approaching.

The gray city becomes stained with their colors.

Thud.

The Colossus lands on the ground.

As I replace the empty magazine, I immediately give commands.

“Keep shooting!”

Drrr-

A barrage rains down upon the advancing monsters.

The Cryptid swarm is ripped apart and drenched in blood.

Then it retreats again.

As we repeat attacks and retreats, we continue to draw their attention towards us.

“Alright, let’s head outside the city like this!”

“Okay!”

Thud.

Crossing the sky bridge that divides the city area, we land on the opposite side.

The Cryptid swarm closes in from above and below the bridge.

“Colossus, destroy the bridge!”

With a whooshing sound from the backpack, a cylindrical object launches into the air.

The object, hitching along, is embedded in the center of the bridge.

Beep, beep, beep—

The rapidly decreasing sound of the alerts.

Then with a massive explosion, the sky bridge is completely severed.

– Kyae—

– Kyaaa!!

The monsters fall into the deep darkness, leaving behind only their cries.

At that moment, a loud footstep echoes, and with a crash, a building about seven stories tall tilts forward.

Boom, rumble…

A shadow hovers over us.

“Nisia!”

“Okay!”

She quickly maneuvers the Colossus.

And then, the building falls.

Kwaaaaang!

With a colossal noise, dust and concrete debris scatter in all directions.

Beyond that, a large beast measuring about five meters appears.

– Oooooooh!

A booming roar reverberates.

Its four legs stand out like rocks in an X shape, and its upper body protrudes forward.

The vaguely humanoid upper body is clad in a robust external skeleton like armor, and large carapaces rise from its arms like shields.

A Danger Level 5 Cryptid, Ram.

True to its name, this hulking monster bulldozes forward, using its tough outer skin as a weapon to carve the path for the swarm.

Its six compound eyes fixate on us.

Thud, thud. Thud!

The creatures trample the lower-grade entities below as they close in on us.

The one that has its arms crossed, fixed tightly, charges forth, stomping its feet.

“Colossus, fire!”

Two submachine guns spew fire.

A torrential downpour of countless bullets rains down upon it.

Ting, ting!

The 18mm rounds bounce off its armor, failing to penetrate.

A few bullets find their way into the creature’s flesh, but they barely leave a mark due to its large size and tough muscles.

– Oooooooh!!

It seems enraged, letting out a low growl as it crouches down and accelerates further.

“Edu!”

“Okay!”

Recognizing that it would be difficult to strike this creature, Nisia sends the Colossus into the air again.

Thud.

The Ram and the Cryptid swarm move further away.

– Ooooooooh!!

The creature hesitates for a moment as it loses sight of us, but soon locks onto us again and accelerates in pursuit.

Boom!

The Colossus lands back on the ground.

“Colossus, fire!”

Whoosh—

A cylindrical object is launched once more from the backpack.

The white-tailed object collides with the accelerating Ram, exploding with a loud bang.

– Oooooooh?!

The ground rapidly transforms into a flaming sea.

As flames engulf its body, the Ram stumbles as if its momentum has halted.

“Shoot!!”

Gunfire targets that moment.

A storm of 18mm bullets pours down, and one of them embeds itself in the creature’s eye.

– Oooooooh!!

It thrashes its head violently in intense pain.

Taking advantage of that opportunity, Nisia retreats the Colossus to widen the distance.

Click, thud!

The sounds of jumping and landing resonate from the joints.

As I regain a steady position, maintaining enough distance from the swarm.

“Ah, ah!”

The child’s hand extends towards the air.

It seems to be pointing at something.

Following the direction, my eyes widen.

“Nisia! Get down!”

“!!”

She reacts reflexively.

Just as the Colossus is retreating, a violet liquid strikes where we were standing.

Sizzle, crackle…

Sparks fly as the viscous liquid melts the asphalt.

Looking up again, I see a monster shaped like a flattened centipede wrapped around and clinging to a skyscraper.

Its black carapace splits open sideways, revealing a grotesque protrusion made of flesh.

A Danger Level 5 Cryptid, Centipede.

– Ssssssssssh!

A sinister-sounding roar emanates as a turret on its body turns towards us.

“Colossus! Change to 60mm shotgun! Use slug ammunition!”

The steel giant reacts promptly to my command.

The Colossus returns the submachine guns back to the backpack and grabs the shotgun that was stored at its waist.

Thud, click!

The magazine is loaded, and the pump slides as the Colossus sets its aim at the Centipede coiling around the building.

Bang!!

With a flash of fire, the slug rounds scatter.

The projectile speeds towards the Centipede, shredding through its body before it has a chance to react.

A large hole is left in its center as it staggers.

Soon, its massive form collapses towards the ground.

Thud.

– Oooooooh!!

Without a moment of respite, Ram charges towards us with overwhelming force from the front.

“Nisia!”

“Okay!”

Nisia evasively moves to the side to dodge the charge.

In that fleeting moment.

The Ram brushes past us and collides with a building on the other side.

Bam!

Buildings bend and collapse with tremendous impact.

In between, we make significant jumps to create distance.

After doing so multiple times.

Despite handling quite a number of enemies, their aggression shows no sign of declining.

If anything, they move with even more vigor, pressuring us from all directions.

The number of them shown on the radar and external screens is barely different from the start.

“Nisia, above!”

“!!”

Rough control.

Bombardments target where we just were.

– Shyaaa!!

– Kyaaaa!!

The Cryptids draw closer.

“Edu, it’s about time—”

“Yeah, let’s get out of the city!”

We’ve bought enough time by now.

After hearing my words, Nisia nods her head and prepares to retreat.

Energy gathers in the propulsion system of the Colossus.

At that moment, the ground violently shakes, causing the Colossus’s stance to falter.

Thud.

The giant kneels.

Then, a massive explosion occurs.

Boom!!

With a soaring cloud of dirt, buildings and debris are sent spiraling into the sky.

Beyond the massive sand barrier, a dark shadow looms, revealing a creature through the slowly dissipating sand.

A maw flares open, blooming like a flower.

– Growww…. Kyaaaaa!!!

A shockwave erupts from its monstrous roar, scattering the swirling sand in an instant.

A Danger Level 7 Cryptid, Gigant Worm.

It blocks our escape route.

“E-Edu!”

“Stay calm, Nisia. For now, let’s retreat—”

– Ooooooooh!!

A roar echoes from the side.

The Ram, having approached us, collides directly into us.

Boom!!

“Uwaah?!”

“Kyah!”

The cockpit jolts with a heavy blow, one so forceful it even registers poorly on the shock absorbers.

The diverted Colossus rolls to the ground and crashes into a building.

Bang!

The cockpit shakes violently once more.

“Uagh…”

“Aaagh…”

My whole body aches, but I endure it and assess the situation.

“Edu, the child…?”

“J-Just a moment.”

I look down to see the child clinging to me, squealing with joy.

Despite the chaos, the Cryptid child appears to be happily smiling.

“Kya, aah!”

The small hand reaches out towards me, and I gently grasp it.

“I think we’re okay.”

“Got it, let’s get out of here—”

Nisia attempts to lift the giant.

At that moment, a gigantic foot lands atop the Colossus.

– Ooooooooh….

The weight presses down, nearly crushing the Colossus while the Ram leans in.

Five of its compound eyes stare down at us, drooling from its maw.

– Ooooh, ooooooooh!!

With a resonating roar, the Ram raises its hands before charging forward.

“Ugh!”

Nisia instinctively crosses the Colossus’s arms, bracing for the impact.

The Ram’s arms come crashing down.

Thick carapace plates approach in an instant.

At that moment.

“Uwaaa!”

The child reaches out towards the creature and cries out, causing it to freeze in place.

– Oooo, ooooh?!

Its body trembles uncontrollably.

Amidst this, the swarm of Cryptids rushes toward us rapidly.

A dire situation.

At that moment, a flash ignites, and a mighty explosion erupts among the advancing Cryptids.

[ Commander, are you safe!! ]

“Mr. Balder!”

[ Bombardments will begin shortly! Take cover! ]

Mr. Balder’s urgent shout.

Without hesitation, I cover the child’s ears with my hands.

“Aah?”

The child seems to think it’s a game, babbling happily.

In the next moment, a 1000mm shell fired from the Dragon cleaves the battlefield with a dazzling flash.

Boom!!!

The delayed thunder echoes, shaking the ground with a vibration.

With a brief stillness, the battlefield shifts.

First, the Gigant Worm that had been blocking our path.

– Kaaah….

It stumbles back, a massive hole ripped open in its center.

The walls enclosing the sealed city are crumpled easily like parchment.

Moreover, the previously frozen Ram grabs hold of its head and lets out a pained roar.

– Oooooooh!!!

The hostility that had been evident until moments ago vanishes, and it stumbles, writhing.

‘Did we take down the commander?’

With that thought in mind, I raise my voice.

“Nisia!”

“Yeah!”

Nisia swiftly raises the Colossus.

She grabs the 60mm shotgun lying nearby and dashes towards the Ram.

– Oooo, oooooooh?!

It still screams in agony, unable to regain its senses.

Grabbing its neck, she shoves the shotgun beneath its chin.

“Fire!”

A flash of flame erupts.

The soft slug penetrates its flesh, shattering the creature’s head and the blood spews into the air.

The Ram, headless, stumbles before collapsing.

[ Ah. Edu, can you hear me? I just cleared that worm blocking your path while targeting the enemy commander! ]

Edward’s voice comes through the communicator.

I respond earnestly to his words.

“Edward! Good job!”

[ Well, then we’ll continue to provide support from here! Stay safe! ]

“Okay!”

Another flash of light bursts into the field.

Forgetting to protect what must be protected, the aged dragon that had stood vigil for years regains its memories.

Boom!!!

The dragon’s roar shakes the city as if to announce its return.

Cryptids caught in the impact of its powerful strike are erased from existence.

The number of commander entities continues to dwindle, and changes within the swarm occur.

– Growww. Kyaaa!!

– Kyaaa!!

The creatures glare at each other, growling.

The instincts that had been suppressed beneath a single will awaken, as monsters lift their teeth towards each other.

– Kyaaa!!

– Kyae!!

Crack, crunch!

The Cryptid legion falls into chaos as they begin attacking each other.

The remaining commander entities step forward to try to calm the situation, but what awaits them is only the Dragon’s judgment.

Boom!!

Releasing the pent-up rage they had endured, the Dragon unleashes relentless bombardment.

The Cryptid swarm, once fierce hunters and predators of the ground, devolves into a disordered mob.

[ Fire! Don’t let them approach the Commander! ]

Flop, bang!

In addition to that, a barrage rains down upon us from the cruiser hovering above.

The monsters, losing their commanders, succumb to their wild instincts and begin to annihilate each other, caught in the merciless bombardment.

From the hangar of the cruiser, armored suit squads emerge to approach us.

[ Commander, we will shield you! ]

“Yes, let’s fight together.”

[ Understood! ]

The armored suit squads spread out and begin clearing the remaining Cryptids scattered throughout the city.

“Nisia!”

“Got it!”

We also return to the battlefield, unleashing fire upon the remaining creatures.

The Cryptid swarm dwindles rapidly.

As time passes, a deep crimson sunset descends as if stained in blood.

At the end of the fierce battle, the Cryptid swarm that appeared in the sealed city is annihilated.

– Level up, LV 37 ▷ LV 38.

– Level up, LV 38 ▷ LV 39.

– Level up, LV 39 ▷ LV 40.

– Reached level 40; tier 1 summoning beasts are unlocked.

– Achievement unlocked: Swarm Hunter.

– Achievement unlocked: Swarm Predator.

– Achievement unlocked: Swarm Destroyer.

– Defeated the enemy ‘○▒ ※■’. Gains ‘◎■’ attributes as a reward.

…

In some unknown deep cave, sticky green membrane covers the walls and ground.

Colorful colonies of life cluster around.

A harsh voice resonates deep inside the dark underground filled with unusual creatures.

“…What? The Brain has fallen?”

A feminine voice echoes within the monsters’ nest.

For reasons unknown, it remarkably resembles human speech.

– Kyaaa, kyaaa!

“Tsk, incompetent fools who can’t even handle a single cub…. That’s why foolish beasts are worthless.”

Snap.

With a flick of her finger, the lower-grade Cryptid, Biter, which had been wailing, swells up and then explodes.

Blood splatters everywhere.

Even in the midst of such horrific scenes, the perpetrator maintains a nonchalant gaze.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. The White Queen’s army belongs to me.”

As if to prove that statement, the Cryptids surrounding the throne bow their heads, not daring to move.

The vast army of the White Queen, surpassing the one that covered the sealed city, pledges loyalty to this unidentified entity, creating a bizarre and ominous atmosphere.

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