Chapter 223 – Close Encounter (2)
Battle machines tempered by Artemis by gathering the essence of human technology. They advance toward the huge spaceship.
Unmanned vehicles move forward without hesitation, rolling on their own wheels or on endless tracks, and flying units form formations at knife-like intervals and dominate the air.
Below them, infantrymen ran, pounding the ground from all over.
It was a spectacular sight to see the infantrymen, all of whom had large bodies reminiscent of bodybuilders, running at a speed faster than that of a track and field athlete.
Every time I took a step, sand dust flew up from the dirt road like an explosion, and the weeds in the grass were torn apart by the force of the fierce rush. A scene similar to that seen when cavalry charges unfolded beneath their feet.
The heavy weapons the soldiers are carrying are massive, as if they are claiming at a glance, ‘This is equipment that is fixed to the ground.’
Unlike human soldiers, robots can individually operate heavy weapons that would otherwise be mounted on vehicles.
Unless it is a tank or self-propelled gun, the difference in firepower between combat vehicles and infantry is not that great.
Therefore, as the individual performance of the robots was strengthened, a strange phenomenon was created where the combat doctrine reverted to the infantry, which was advantageous for responding to terrain and situations.
[Reach the target location.]
The first to take up position was the unit in charge of fire net shooting.
Their mission is to stop alien infections from escaping from damaged or open parts of the spacecraft.
This is to prevent contaminants inside the spacecraft from leaking out.
Therefore, rather than a penetrating weapon with a powerful single shot, it is equipped with a shrapnel-type weapon suitable for forming a fire net.
This is because it is effective against the majority of infectious agents, but has weak penetrating power, minimizing damage to the interior of the spacecraft.
As long as one maintains a fixed position, much mobility is not required, so the 1st generation Insomniac and 2nd generation Marauder series became the main characters.
[Discovering movement.]
The leading robot reported.
There was a figure writhing out of the crack at the bottom of the spaceship.
The guns that had been previously aimed in that direction spewed fire all at once, and hundreds of iron balls flew out and were completely pulverized.
Pow!
The return fire was so fast that even I, with my enhanced senses, could not fully see this monumental first runner.
The iron balls hitting the spacecraft hull created thousands of sparks and made the sound of firecrackers exploding.
“You crawl out so quickly. At this level, it’s almost like I’ve been waiting.”
“Think about it from their perspective. “You must be itching after being locked up for so many years.”
The dust caused by the saturation soon cleared and visibility was restored. This is because the rocky area was selected as the landing point, taking these aspects into consideration from the beginning.
The area around the hole where the infectious agent escaped looked like dozens of water balloons filled with blood had burst. Neither bones nor flesh can be found.
There was only one ankle left lying on its side about 3 meters away. That’s the only part he left in the world.
“Are they a marine race?”
“Maybe.”
When Artemis snapped her fingers, the ankle screen enlarged, showing that there were claws between the four toes.
She is a woman with a large liver who doesn’t mind seeing her bones and flesh being cut off.
[Additional movements discovered.]
Meanwhile, guys kept crawling out of all over the spaceship. The size and appearance are completely different from the infectious agents on Earth.
So, at first glance, it was difficult to tell whether they were regular walkers or powerful variants, but the question was resolved within a few seconds of their appearance.
[It’s fast.]
An individual that manages to escape the screen is caught on the screen.
“Is it a variant?”
“Maybe.”
The guy ran, covering his face with his thick arms. It is an action that cannot occur without intelligence.
“It’s a great upper.”
Artemis was interested.
The fleeing variant had a tattered surface, but not a trace of blood was visible, let alone a penetrating wound. Not even a single shrapnel could pierce the leather.
It cleverly ran away using a rock or a hollow ground as a shield.
The attack by the unit in charge of fire net fire continued, but was unable to inflict significant damage due to the obstruction of terrain.
By the time I fell more than 100 meters from the spacecraft.
Wow!
A radius of several tens of meters exploded. The shattered torso flies high into the sky with its intestines hanging out.
Buuung-.
A helicopter passes leisurely in the sky. There were rockets hanging at the bottom, and the spot where it had just been fired was empty.
“So far, it’s as planned.”
Slurp.
He lifted his mug to his mouth while listening to the sporadic sounds of artillery fire. As the black coffee comes in and the bitter taste hits my tongue, my mind becomes clearer.
“Strictly speaking, it deviated a little from the plan. “We deviated 212 meters from our original intended landing point.”
Artemis said.
“There’s nothing you can do. “I wasn’t called in an official way, but rather with improvised equipment, so I’m just grateful that we landed safely.”
[Target escapes.]
This time it was an entity running on four legs. It was bigger than a guerilla, but its height was almost as low as that of a medium-sized dog.
It moved at an incredible speed, moving its legs like a cockroach.
Moreover, the place where he escaped is difficult for the fire net unit to shoot.
As mentioned earlier, this is because the spacecraft landed in a place that was different from the originally intended landing site.
However, a chase team organized for situations like this stopped the guy.
Consisting entirely of stalker models, they teamed up with helicopters and drones to monitor from the air and were responsible for tracking and killing on land.
Dalkak.
After adjusting a few buttons, I was able to see the escaped variant infection from the pursuing stalker’s point of view.
In the virtual screen of a robot running at terrifying speed, there is a rocket warhead sticking out its head.
“It’s absurd to see infantrymen sprinting at full speed while carrying anti-tank weapons.”
“To deal with a monster, you have to be the same monster.”
As a former soldier, I was speechless at the sight that went beyond common sense, but Artemis watched calmly.
[Fire.]
The visual screen flashed for an instant along with the emotionless voice of the stalker.
With the sound of a heavy piece of metal splitting the air, the rocket that was shaking its head on the virtual right side of the screen flies forward.
At the end of it, there was a mutant infectious agent running to its death.
Quagwagwang!
[Confirm target removal.]
The stalker caught up with the shattered flesh of the mutant infection before it even hit the ground.
Even as dust, blood, flesh, and bone fragments fell like hail, red shapes traced large chunks and calculated whether the person had completely died.
As a former soldier, I am impressed by his persistent and perfect instinct for completing missions.
[Run purification protocol.]
Hercules robots were deployed where the escaped infections were killed.
Thermite was sprayed from the huge containers they carried.
Shaaaaagh-!
Along with a horrifying sound, flames of high heat that melted the iron erupted fiercely. Disgusting blood and flesh evaporate and twisted bones melt.
Bombard, chase, and melt.
They rotated together as if slaughtering a pig and dismantling the meat in an automated slaughter plant.
The situation continued like this, and my army maintained the siege and made sure to eliminate the emerging infections one by one.
Occasionally the siege was pushed back by a threatening entity, but never once was a hole made.
“There is no need to rush. Because they are just rats in a poison.”
He placed his hands in his long hands and watched the battlefield.
Six black hands reminiscent of the front paws of a fly emerged from a fairly large crack in the hull and grabbed the cross-section. Soon, a crustacean over 3 meters long jumps out and roars.
The crustacean infection, which walks on two legs with a hunched posture, has a black sheen all over its body. It’s closer to disgusting than scary.
Should I say I’m glad I’m wearing clothes? If I were naked, I would have had to see my chest writhing horribly at various joints.
[Kyaooooo!]
A roar penetrates the battlefield. That cry contained something that would make an animal feel instinctive fear.
However, no one stands a chance on this battlefield.
The soldiers of steel move to target him emotionlessly without fear or physiological disgust.
A mutated cockroach that emerged from a crack in the house encountered an equally mutated army ant.
Covered by dozens of ants, it is torn apart in an instant.
* * *
How much time has passed?
“It seems like it’s over. “I think I can rush in at this level.”
Artemis said.
After two hours of trying to beat down the infectious agents leaking out of the cracks, there were no more people crawling out.
Chii Iik.
So much thermite was poured that toxic smoke enveloped the area like fog.
I think it’s a bit excessive, but there’s no harm in being careful.
[Entering.]
Stalker robots grouped into squads invaded the interior of the spaceship.
Boom!
Hercules robots placed empty barrels on the ground and followed suit, wearing engineering gear and close-quarters combat weapons.
Now it’s time to invite a special guest.
“From now on, you will need to help me. “I’ve heard many explanations, but wouldn’t it be just as good as someone who lived there?”
“Leave it to me. “You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for this day.”
Solaver nods with solemn determination.
“We know that feeling well.”
Hehe.”
Artemis and I looked at each other and laughed.
After the infection outbreak, I was reminded of the past when I had to watch the city being destroyed in real time while trapped in the upper area.
If you look at life’s story up close, it’s a tragedy, but if you look at it from afar, it’s a comedy?
[Multiple toxic gases are detected inside.]
The squad that entered first reported.
A confusing scene unfolded whether we were inside a spaceship or inside the body of a huge animal.
What appears in the ingredient analysis table displayed on the screen in the central control room is not a level that can allow humans to survive.
“Is this the future we would have ultimately reached if our city had not normalized?”
“I guess so.”
Artemis compared the atmospheric composition table from the time when the giant nest was spraying toxic gases. Even though the concentration was different, the ingredients were almost the same.
[It appears that all the infected organisms close to the hull crack have come out. I will head inside.]
At that point, several infiltration squads began entering simultaneously.
