Chapter 80

– Kiyaaaaaaaa!!

A deafening shriek echoes loudly.

Tentacles, numbering in the hundreds, erupt from beneath the ground, wriggling about.

The small buds at their tips split wide open.

Inside, figures are revealed—miniature versions of the Earth Eaters, but differing only in size.

– Kiyaaa!!

– Kyaaaaa!! Kyaaaaaa!!

The sound of shrieks reverberates in unison.

The tentacles bend, pulling up an indeterminate mass.

As if wielding a whip, all the tentacles spring forth, propelling a green liquid high into the sky.

The liquid sprays forth to such an extent that it feels as if rain is falling upward from the heavens.

The fluid impacts the Third Fleet.

Ku-kung, kwaang! Kung!

Deafening noises resonate through the barriers.

“Such madness…!!”

Susa-Jo curses under his breath, observing the terrifying sight displayed on the command bridge screen—of the monstrous fiend opening its maw.

“Ah….”

“Yyee—”

Could it be the memories of past defeats? Soldiers go pale at the sight.

Some clutch their heads, others pant heavily.

“Hold yourselves together! Are you soldiers of the Empire?!!”

“There is no time for hesitation! Report the situation! Quickly!!”

Susa-Jo shouts, his words supported by the executive officer, which spurs slow movement from the soldiers.

Their sluggish hands operate the controls.

Yet, they are soldiers of the Empire; information begins to gather with one soldier finally speaking up.

“Sir, the barrier continues to sustain damage from the enemy’s attacks. We may soon lose the ability to maintain it!”

“Biological reactions on the ground keep increasing!”

“Allied vessels are requesting orders via radio. That is all!”

Voices intermix.

But Susa-Jo’s decision is swift.

“Entire Fleet, full speed ahead! We are leaving this area!!”

“But, Admiral, there’s an enemy fleet ahead—”

“Regardless, our forces are superior! Enough useless talk—move faster!!”

Susa-Jo dismisses the helmsman’s words.

“Aa, Yes sir!”

The helmsman answers hurriedly, his movements quick, as the engines ignite, and the fleet begins a slow acceleration.

At that moment, as if sensing their movement, the massive bud that had opened its mouth before closes it.

A murky violet current begins to flow through its body.

“What…?!”

Preparatory movements.

That figure, appearing to settle slightly into the ground, suddenly springs upward, opening wide again.

– Piieeeiiiiii—

“Yyee!?!”

An excruciating, piercing sound assaulting their ears.

A dark spherical mass expelled from the fiend’s mouth hurtles toward the fleet, colliding with the barrier before they can react.

Upon contact, a ‘bang’ sound occurs, violet currents spreading across the barrier.

Simultaneously, sparks erupt from all shipboard equipment.

“Aaak?!”

“Waaak?!”

Startled troops withdraw their hands from the malfunctioning devices.

But there was no time for hesitation, Susa-Jo immediately pushes them on.

“Assess the situation!!”

“A, Acknowledged!”

Anxious, they return to operating the equipment.

“Damage to the ship is none!”

“Communications status is unaffected as well.”

None affected?

As such a notion crossed his mind, Susa-Jo noticed a soldier whose face turned ashen.

Clearly, that person was the helmsman tasked with moving the ship.

The creaking movement of his head turns toward this side.

“Admiral….”

“What is it?”

“The propulsion system isn’t responding, the engines have completely ceased operation!”

“What?!”

“Restart the equipment from scratch, is there some malfunction?”

The executive officer interjects.

At his calm advice, the helmsman nods and attempts to reactivate the equipment, but the halted ship does not stir.

Tick-tick.

In the unpleasant silence, time flows, and the executive officer glances at Susa-Jo.

“Admiral.”

The shadowed face, shaking his head.

“Of course…!”

With so many intact systems, why the engines?

No, if this monster were part of their trap, this situation must be part of their design.

But how did they figure out this monster has such abilities?

An incomprehensible situation.

But there was no time to dwell on thoughts.

“One step at a time. First, the enemies in front—”

Just as he was reaching a conclusion,

Kuuuuuung-!!

“Yyeeek!?”

“Waaaah?!”

A weighty impact strikes the flagship, sending the executive officer and Susa-Jo sprawling across the floor.

They quickly rise and shout.

“What? What kind of attack is this!”

“It’s the creature on the ground! It’s attacking us!”

They look at the screen.

– Kiyaaaaaa!!

The shriek echoes once again.

The creature, retracting its body, leaps upward, spitting out a glob of blue liquid.

It is a sticky mass resembling an abscess.

While the form of it is identical to what the smaller monsters spit out, what matters is its size.

A size nearly half that of the creature.

A chunk that could be called a meteoroid streaks toward the fleet in an instant.

It collides with the right wing of the cruiser, bursting like a water balloon, spreading the liquid.

That in itself is unpleasant, but the sight that follows makes Susa-Jo question his eyes.

Purrrrrr, Kwaaaaang!!

The liquid that touches the surface of the ship begins to boil before exploding consecutively.

The wing of the cruiser is torn to pieces.

“What nonsense is this…!”

Could the liquid expelled be exploding? It’s as if this insane monster has bombs stored inside its body!?

Anger wells up inside him, but Susa-Jo takes a deep breath and regains his composure.

Letting anger take over would not do.

The fate of the fleet rests on his shoulders.

There was no time to panic.

“Send the ground troops out.”

“Admiral, deploying the ground troops against a monster this size…”

The executive officer trails off, requesting reconsideration.

Essentially, sending ground troops in this situation was effectively using them as a shield for the fleet.

But Susa-Jo was resolute.

“I know.”

A short reply laden with multiple meanings.

Accepting Susa-Jo’s decision to prioritize the fleet, the executive officer nods solemnly.

“Understood. Ground troops, prepare for deployment! Open the arsenal and launch the shuttles!”

“From the command bridge, broadcast to all: Ground troops, prepare for deployment! Ground troops, prepare for deployment!”

The soldiers relay the command to everyone on the ship.

This would at least buy some time.

But the enemies are still—

Just as that thought strikes him, Susa-Jo realizes he had forgotten something crucial amidst the confusion.

What were they doing?

“Check the movement of the enemy fleets!”

“Roger that, sir!”

The soldiers immediately return to action.

As the screen shows the enemy fleet once more, the radar operator shouts.

“The enemy fleet is moving to the flank of our fleet!”

“Flank…?”

Indeed, the enemy fleet, bold enough to shift their entire hull, moves to flank our own in the screen.

An enemy fleet that cannot be shot at, having escaped the line of fire.

“Damn it…!”

Though we are not without cannons on the flank, the ships of the Third Fleet specialize in frontal attacks as part of large-scale offensive operations.

To fight in this manner was an unfortunate choice.

Just as he was about to give orders, a soldier shouts.

“Admiral! The monster!!”

They turn their heads to the screen reflecting the ground.

The gaping maw of the creature.

Inside emerges a lifeform that resembles either a bat or abscessed flesh sprouting bat-like wings.

Not one or two, but thousands of them.

In desperate haste, Susa-Jo issues commands.

“Launch all fighter craft from the carriers and the ships’ hangars to attack the enemy fleet and the creatures coming our way!”

“Acknowledged!”

In the rear of the fleet, a striking sight emerges: the enormous aircraft carrier with multiple stories of long decks.

From within, countless fighter crafts burst forth like disturbed bees.

Small capsule-shaped bodies with elongated wings – the Attack Pods.

On either side, Strike Discs – compact flying bodies in disk-shape, hum and glide around expertly.

And lazily at the rear, large flying bodies resembling a huge tray – the Bomber Discs.

At least hundreds, possibly more.

A swarm of gold transforms the blue sky, engaging with the monsters erupting from the Earth Eaters.

A dazzling flash of light and brilliance.

Susa-Jo shifts his glance.

Freya’s fleet continues to maneuver, and another golden wave approaches them.

“Total Commander! Enemy fighters incoming!”

“Given that they’re still chasing us in this situation, it seems they’re still quite upset with us.”

Freya mutters with a shrug as she raises her shoulders.

Her concerns, however, were brief.

“All ships, focus on anti-air defense! Close ranks and prioritize interception of the enemy!”

“Acknowledged!!”

Freya’s fleet tightens their formation and slows down to prepare for the incoming fighters.

Aiming.

[Engage. Glory to the Empire.]

But just as their attacks are about to reach—

Shoooon—

Quickly advancing missiles attack, striking the incoming fighters.

[?!]

[Side response, enemy aircraft!]

From beyond the heated mist rising from the heated ground.

Numerous fighter squadrons traverse the blue sky and quickly enter the battlefield.

A graceful blue curved fuselage, equipped with a great number of missiles stationed at the hardpoints.

Knights in silver armor, mounted on steel steeds, confront the aliens.

[Spotted enemy fighters, a ridiculous number.]

[Still, it’s been a while since the last aerial battle; it’s time to earn our keep after sitting idle.]

The commanders exchange light jests.

Meanwhile, the commander who caught his breath quickly glares ahead with fierce eyes.

[The commander and that little one worked hard to set this stage. Don’t disgrace yourselves by crumbling to these alien bastards, understood?]

[[[Roger.]]]

[Alright, let’s start the fireworks. Engage!]

Fighters scatter to engage the enemy fighters.

The Discs and Pods that were approaching Freya’s fleet switch priorities and launch interception.

Energy beams and missiles, as well as cannons, decorate the sky.

“Our friendly aircraft!”

A soldier announces this to Freya, a faint smile appearing on her face.

“Thankfully, they aren’t too late, good. Alright, now it’s about time to get moving.”

“Acknowledged!”

Freya’s fleet accelerates once again.

—

Susa-Jo’s face contorts.

“Admiral! The enemy fleet is maneuvering again!”

“I see it too! What about the deployment of the ground forces?”

“They’ve begun landing now. Deployment will follow shortly—”

[AAAAAAHHHHH?!]

A scream echoes through the command bridge.

Everyone turns their heads towards the communicator, and from the trembling man’s earpieces, loud screams continue.

[My gosh! Evade! Evade!!]

[The fire is too relentless! Z, I need support!!]

Without even needing to see, their voices vividly tell of the situation of the dispatched ground forces.

The executive officer quickly approaches Susa-Jo.

“Admiral, should I recall the fighters?”

“Then the fleet will be exposed to enemy attacks!”

“But as this goes on, the ground forces—”

“Damn it!!”

They’re using the best options according to the situation, yet it continues to slide into the worst.

The unidentified creatures buried within the ground.

The well-timed arrival of enemy airpower, as if reading their moves.

Exactly how did the monster know and predict all this?

“Admiral!! The enemy attack is coming!”

At the soldier’s shout, Susa-Jo looks up.

High in the sky, a swarm of missiles rapidly descends toward them.

“J, Intercept them!!”

Reacting to Susa-Jo’s order, the ships fire anti-aircraft barrages, and explosions erupt from the intercepted missiles.

But something felt off.

“What?”

From the exploded missiles, something shiny scatters in all directions.

“What is that?”

The same substances spread from the nearby missiles as well.

“Huh?”

A brief response from the radar operator.

But Susa-Jo didn’t miss it.

“What’s the matter?”

“The radar is malfunctioning. Something’s affecting it…”

“???”

Susa-Jo turns to the radar operator.

Indeed, the radar wasn’t working as it should.

Could it be that the missiles dispersed an anti-radar device? But why?

Pushing the questions down, Susa-Jo looks on.

There, the enemy fleet is retreating.

Accelerating rapidly without even attempting to stop.

They weren’t after our flank?

Then why target the ships?

The moment that thought crossed his mind, another sight caught Susa-Jo’s eye.

Pung! Pupung—

Signal flares fired from enemy ships.

Confirming the signals, the enemy aircraft cease combat and rapidly withdraw from the area.

The puzzling retreat of the enemy who had just gained the upper hand.

Unavoidably, the question leaves Susa-Jo’s lips.

“Just what are they planning?”

Our current state: totally immobile.

They could secure an easy victory by attacking our flank, and yet they are retreating?

“I do not know.”

The executive officer also shows doubt, remaining quiet.

– Kuuuu…

At that moment, a breeze-like sound from somewhere.

The faint noise begins to grow.

“Hmm?”

“What’s that, what’s the noise?”

Susa-Jo and the executive officer look around.

But the soldiers on the command bridge merely shift their gaze here and there.

As the sound continues to grow,

When it reaches the point of ear pain, Susa-Jo frowns.

“What is this, deal with this noise—”

His impatient words stop mid-sentence.

“Silent…?”

Susa-Jo, who had been hurled out of the command bridge and tossed into the air.

A beat later, an enormous roar strikes their ears.

Kwaahhhhh!!

“Huh…?”

An oblivious voice.

The ship’s body, severely deformed by the incredible impact, bends into a V, and at the center, a golden ship was vertically embedded.

An escort destroyer.

A Tentegor-class assault destroyer operated by the Third Fleet.

Though covered in some debris, there was no mistaking it for a destroyer of the Third Fleet.

The broken warship and the speeding destroyer.

It was only then that Susa-Jo understood the situation.

All of it was an elaborate deception.

The surprise attacks as soon as they landed.

The relentless conventional weapon strikes.

The immobilized fleet.

All of this was a ruse to divert attention.

The decisive strike was always aimed directly at us.

A trap that utilized the ship as a weapon deployed at high altitude to end the flagship at once.

“Kukk….”

A chuckle escapes.

Using tactics like this, they called it a strategy.

Yet even such tactics had snared none other than Susa-Jo himself.

And the defeat by what Susa-Jo thought was nothing but an ordinary ship.

A self-mocking laugh escapes Susa-Jo as he reaches toward the sky.

“Haha, these beastly bastards….”

A sinister smile, but his eyes were filled with conviction.

“This time they may have won, but the Empire will not—”

Susa-Jo’s body, tossed, falls into the mouth of the Earth Eater.

The light streaming out from within the destroyer.

The light, growing brighter, suddenly cuts off, and an immense explosion engulfs Susa-Jo, the fleet, and the ground.

—

Just a little earlier.

Edu, observing the battle situation through a magnified screen.

Even with extreme magnification, the image was slightly blurred, narrowing his eyes and frowning.

Earth Eaters appear, and the enemy fleet is seen scrambling.

The accelerating enemy fleet gets tangled up after being hit by the purple current—biological electric artillery.

‘So, that’s it.’

The hardest part when fighting Earth Eaters.

This was the biological electric artillery.

A bizarre ability that specifically halts large equipment systems, particularly propulsion systems.

Hence, in Earth Eater assaults, they must preposition the necessary equipment in optimal locations.

“Edu, things going smoothly?”

“Yeah, should be good in just a bit.”

Observing the screen a little more, fighter aircraft launched from the carriers could be seen.

Together with the shuttle groups descending to the ground.

“Alright, this is the best timing now. Let’s quickly move!”

“Yeah.”

Nisia, lifting me, pressed the button next to the destroyer’s command bridge.

With a noise, the window opens, and Ryuje within the Albatross looks this way.

“Are you all set?”

“Yeah, excuse me then.”

“Alright.”

We share the helmets and take our positions.

“Huu….”

[Whoosh…]

Nisia breathes deeply.

With support functions and practice, but she seems genuinely tense operating the Albatross herself.

“Don’t worry too much, Nisia.”

[Don’t worry too much, Nisia.]

“A, yeah. Thank you.”

[A, yeah. Thank you.]

She grips the control stick.

“Then I’ll start.”

[Then I’ll start.]

“Yeah.”

[Yeah.]

With a press of the large button on the left side of the cockpit, the Albatross transforms.

The cockpit retracts inside, and the folded limbs extend into human-like joints. The surrounding darkness envelops everything.

The noise of complex machinery activation continues without pause, and after a bit of time, there’s a solid “boom” twice.

As the screen displays the outside, light fills the dark cockpit.

“Wow!”

[What!]

The first experience of the transformation.

However, that honest admiration turns into—

“Uuk, my stomach….”

[Ohh, my stomach…]

I cover my mouth to avoid an incident and lean on Ryuje.

“Definitely a bit dizzy, isn’t it?”

[Definitely a bit dizzy, isn’t it?]

Ryuje pats my stomach gently while holding me.

Through teardrops, the reality of the situation differs from romance, but after a while, my body feels slightly better.

“Uug…”

[Uug…]

“Hey, you okay? Edu?”

[Hey, you okay? Edu?]

In worry, Nisia asked.

“I’m fine, let’s move quickly.”

[I’m fine, let’s move quickly.]

“Ah, yeah!”

[Ah, yeah!]

With Nisia’s response, a whining sound starts, and the cockpit tilts.

Engine sounds grow gradually louder.

A light floating sensation comes with it as the surroundings gradually fill with blue skies.

[All done, Edu.]

“Yeah, then let’s begin! Marionettes!”

I send a signal to the marionettes waiting within the command bridge.

At my signal, the figures respond.

The large destroyer gradually tilts, then rises vertically toward the ground.

This was the finale of this operation.

It’s extremely hard to face Earth Eaters head-on due to their characteristics of restricting equipment operation.

But now, with the aliens preoccupied, Earth Eaters’ abilities won’t have an impact here.

Plus, this ship is loaded with large quantities of napalm and explosives very effective against Earth Eaters.

In other words, we’re delivering a nuclear honey punch as a final blow from the sky.

Literally a double-win strategy.

It’ll deal heavy damage to the alien forces and eliminate the Earth Eater.

Of course, the ship will likely take some damage, but it’s sturdy hardware, so it might not be entirely destroyed.

A perfect plan.

A perfect operation.

A smile naturally appears on my face.

“Alright, let’s charge forward!”

The destroyer accelerates slowly.

The ship, boosted by gravitational acceleration, begins an incredible maneuver, and soon an alert sounds.

– Warning, nearing operational range limit.

– Warning, exceeded operational range. Puppets will be released.

Though the marionettes disappear, all preparations have been completed.

The destroyer continues its acceleration.

The ship, streaking like a light, quickly passes through the center of the enemy fleet, spearing the Earth Eater.

An explosion and a flash follow.

[Wow! Success!]

[Uh, that’s good.]

I smiled joyfully, looking down at the ground, but as the smoke slowly dispersed, I realized something was amiss.

[Huh…?]

The pinned-down enemy fleet.

This part was expected, but stuck deep within the scorched mouth of the Earth Eater was some object.

A shape resembling something that had been crumpled.

[Huh…?!]

Narrowing my eyes to focus on the screen, I soon realized what the object was.

Trugget-class assault frigate.

The moment I identified it, a flash of light occurred, and an explosion erupted from the crumpled frigate.

My body shakes violently.

And I could do nothing but shout out with utmost frustration.

[Oh no, my ship!!]

– Gain 25 experience points.

– Gain 36 experience points….

– Level up, LV 25 ▷ LV 26.

– Level up, LV 26 ▷ LV 27.

– Level up, LV 27 ▷ LV 28….

– Achieved Level 30, unlocking the third skill tree, Armor.

– Reached a certain level of growth, enhancing the ‘Compendium’ function.

– Achieved achievement, Shooting Star.

– Achieved achievement, Giant Killing.

– Event boss ‘Earth Eater’ has been defeated, gain ‘Consumption’ trait as a reward.

– Event boss ‘Earth Eater’ has been defeated, enhancement of the ‘Collection’ system as a reward.

– Event ‘Darkness of Zizer’ has been cleared, gain +50 bonus to all growth stats.

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