Chapter 373 – Exile (15)
Even though the monster’s cry was heard, there was no visible movement.
Did they notice us? Or maybe one of them was talking in his sleep?
Either way, there is only one important fact.
“I think this is the epicenter.”
The homing instinct of a runaway Exile, a bone tomb proving nearby extinction, and a variety of inactive cocoons spread out before your eyes.
Regardless of this evidence, the feeling of a soldier who had passed through life and death several times spoke volumes.
They say that if we wipe out this place, we will be able to eradicate them.
“Place the bomb.”
The demolition engineers dispersed and planted explosives carried on their backs.
Although we are deep in the mountains, remote triggering is no problem.
Because they came in with transmitters that touch the baton at regular intervals from the entrance.
“Crrrrn-.”
The crying sound was heard again. It’s much closer than before. As if in response, other cries echo here and there.
It seems like they noticed the intruders.
The demolition engineers were not told to hurry. Because mechanical soldiers do not change their actions regardless of whether the situation is favorable or unfavorable.
All you have to do is aim your gun at one of the many holes and wait.
An Exile sticks out his face from somewhere on the ceiling ahead.
Bang!
Just like that, his head broke, and he fell.
After staying in the air for quite a long time, it hit the ground and splashed bodily fluids in all directions.
[Detects multiple movements in all directions.]
With Artemis’ warning, black shapes appeared from caves everywhere.
Perhaps they had not yet come to their senses, but their movements were closer to wandering.
Like the guy who was killed for the first time, he stuck his head out of the hole and died instantly, or he was running up the wall and a bullet hit his side and he was lying down.
Gunshots, groans of pain, and the smell of blood and flesh spread throughout the cave.
“Kirururururururuk-!!!”
Exile, aware of the situation, unleashed its characteristic warning howl with all its might.
Not only that, the cocoons that were inactive began to shake.
Various monster shapes visible beyond the translucent shell struggle violently.
Most of them were standard Exiles, but it was not uncommon to see objects that were completely new to you.
Right!
Sharp nails or ugly snouts tear the surface of the cocoon one by one.
The larvae that sense danger are trying to enter a combat stance even though their pervert is not yet complete.
“Burn it all!”
[Roger.]
Flamethrowers came to the front.
Because of the integrated nozzles on the arms and the fuel tank on the backpack, it looked much more heavily armored than an ordinary stalker.
Shuhuaaaaa!
The bright red flames flickered like the tongue of a fire dragon and swallowed countless cocoons.
Dozens of blisters appeared on the shell and burst, spraying yellow liquid.
Accordingly, the sound of roasting beans echoes loudly from all directions.
The cocoon itself even burst open, spreading body fluids and flesh everywhere. Like an egg in a microwave.
“Kyaaaaa-!”
The larvae that tore through some of the cocoons also turned into fireballs, rolled around on the ground, and stopped after a while.
At that sight, large Exiles rushed at them in a fit of rage, but they only got hit by bullets and flames.
Countless flesh candles burn with their own life as fuel.
The dark interior of the ice mountain range glowed brightly and reflected light dizzyingly.
[First explosive setting completed.]
A report was reported from the demolition engineers who quietly completed their mission even during the fierce battle.
[Are you going to retreat like this and then trigger?]
“No, it’s still early.”
It doesn’t matter if you blow it up right now. Although it is a waste of the stalker troops and equipment currently deployed to the mountain range, the loss is within the allowable range.
However, it is not known how far this den extends. We need to go further to finish them off.
The cave is so deep that it would be difficult if even one person in the innermost part survives.
I don’t want to feel any anxiety when I go home and fall asleep with Artemis in my arms.
The intermittent firing changed to close to continuous firing.
“Kyaarrrrva-!”
“Crrrrva!”
They were pouring in from all directions.
New Exiles appeared as they stepped on the fallen corpses of their compatriots everywhere.
We formed a circle and responded with powerful firepower, but since we were surrounded 360 degrees, the distance gradually narrowed.
In this situation, it may sound crazy to postpone the explosion and go deeper, but it is possible with an army of machines.
This is because the fight between an army that is not active in life and an army that is active in life is extremely unreasonable.
[Many on the ceiling!]
Artemis warned.
Dozens of Exiles were seen running upside down from the diagonal holes in the ceiling.
The flamethrower, who had roasted the cocoons until they were very well done, stepped back and the chemical soldier stepped forward.
A nozzle loaded with poison gas is aimed at the ceiling.
Due to the nature of flamethrowers that ignite by spraying flammable liquid, it is difficult to increase the angle.
However, if poisonous gas is sprayed at high pressure, a vertical attack is not a problem.
Gray-white poisonous gas is distributed with a force dozens of times stronger than that of F Killa.
The monsters on the ceiling that were running towards me with bloodshot eyes disappeared into the fog of death.
A few seconds after that.
Coo!
An Exile falls.
The guy stood up shaking his vomit-covered face, but his legs continued to shake.
Boom!
Kwadang!
Afterward, the Exiles fell to the ground one after another, like flying insects falling from a tree.
Kwasik!
The guy who fell head first broke his neck and died instantly.
Even those who didn’t have blood foaming from the corners of their mouths from shock and neurotoxin.
“Kr-reuk -…”
The hecklers grabbed their heads and barely raised their heads.
However, the last thing the monsters saw before they died was a large-diameter bullet spinning in front of their noses.
Poop!
Puck!
Exiles with plum-sized holes in their faces collapsed in vain.
“Grenadier! It is quarantine time. Throw everything into the hole you can see!”
[Roger!]
Stalkers holding grenade machine guns rotated the launcher here and there and pulled the trigger.
Tung!
The grenade flew away, leaving behind a trail of white smoke, and went into the caves seen everywhere.
It hit the wall and bounced inside with a loud tin sound.
Kwaduk!
Exile, who had just come out of the cave, bit the incoming grenade with excellent reflexes.
This is possible because it is a gas grenade, not a high-explosive grenade, so it is large and has a slow bullet speed.
However, biting into a grenade filled with poison gas is not a very wise move.
Shwaaaaa!
“Kehehe! Hehe!”
Poison gas exploded from its mouth under tremendous pressure. Smoke leaked from the ugly snout, nose, and even ears.
The luminescent, suffering monster disappeared into the poisonous fog.
“Kellogg-! Kellogg-!”
“Kuweweek-!”
The cries of monsters vomiting and gurgling can be heard from beyond the various caves.
It is definitely a much more painful reaction than an infectious agent as the nerves have developed.
The stalkers, who had already emptied the 20-round grenade machine gun, reassembled the magazine and fired grenades again.
The waves of Exiles attacking quickly calmed down.
Not only did their numbers decrease, but those coming out of the den were in a state similar to that of half-zombies.
Some of the cries that inspired fighting spirit were drowned out by much more gurgling and vomiting.
Stalkers armed with combat rifles aimed at the head with single shots instead of firing repeatedly.
This is because there were almost no people running around safely, so one-shot, one-kill was easily possible.
Their skulls are hard enough to bounce off pistol bullets and have difficulty with rifle bullets.
Bang!
Pump!
However, it was easily penetrated in front of a 12.7 mm armor-piercing bullet.
The wide cavity quickly filled with black smoke and whitish poisonous gas coming from the burning corpses.
Cheek!
The ice inside melts due to the heat from the corpses burning everywhere.
Water falls from the ceiling like rain, and water droplets form on the wall like a sauna. The ice on the floor turned into water vapor.
A combination of fire smoke, poisonous gas, and water vapor makes it impossible to see even an inch ahead without the eyes of a machine.
The attacking Exiles were rubbing their stinging eyes and randomly waving their arms in the air.
On the other hand, equipped with motion sensors and a variety of alternative vision, we were able to see through the smoke and see through the enemies.
Ta-ta-tang!
Every time the stalkers fire without hesitation through the curtain of smoke, a bloody piece of meat falls down.
[No significant movement. It’s okay to move forward like this.]
The stalkers on scout duty stepped forward.
They were wearing similar observation equipment to Charlie, a member of the Tanis expedition.
By activating the cave exploration sonar, we found a path leading to a large cavity among dozens of caves.
We entered the passageway toward the next cavity in battle formation.
As I passed through the passage, an Exile appeared from around the corner, clutching its neck and stomach.
The guy who was staggering closer falls to his knees helplessly.
“Kuwaeeek-!”
He spits out the shake mixed with yellow vomit, dark red blood, and small pieces of intestines.
Then he plunged his face into the disgusting puddle and came to a complete stop.
Bang!
There was a large hole in the back of his head. There is no exception to confirmed killing.
There was also a guy leaning against the cave wall, breathing heavily.
“Rorrrr-.”
My hardened lungs are full of water, so every time I breathe, I can hear the sound of air blowing into a glass of water through a straw.
“Bugle-.”
The thing looked at us with difficulty, with blurred eyes that had lost all trace of his flesh.
Bloody tears were constantly flowing from the corners of his eyes, and bloody snot was flowing down his nose.
Bang!
The temple was shattered, and the body fell sideways.
It is a cocktail of chemical bombs that attack the respiratory tract and blood based on the VX nerve agent.
As it was a closed space, the effect was absolute.
It would be more powerful if it was mixed with a blister agent that destroys the protein itself, but it also damaged Stalker’s artificial muscles and could not be used.
As we continued down the passage, the poisonous fog became lighter, perhaps because the effect of the previously fired grenade had run out.
Every time that happened, the chemical soldier Stalker, who was in the lead, sprayed poison gas all over the front.
Flamethrowers and chemical bombs are in great use, so unlike usual, there is a surplus of live ammunition.
[Go forward 30 m and turn the corner to find a new cavity. According to Sona’s analysis, this is the final room.]
“It’s a cave with a total of three large cavities. It’s definitely a good place for them to set up shop.”
[Should I pour out the remaining gas before rushing in?]
There is not much left now.
“No, I spent too much time getting here. “First of all, we can see what kind of guys are inside and deal with them.”
I looked at the demolition engineers carrying explosives.
If necessary, you can detonate them here together with the bombs installed in the second cavity. There is absolutely no way for them to survive.
As we passed through the last passage, a cavity appeared, although smaller than the previous two, but still quite large.
Slam!
The stalkers who entered pointed their guns at once.
Each person was aiming at a different target, but did not fire.
This is because the person each person aimed their gun at was already dead.
“What are all these?”
Cocoon shells that rotted and crumbled a long time ago are rolling around on the floor. There were statue-like monsters on top of it.
Monsters that were mummified thanks to the cool internal temperature and dryness.
Thanks to this, even though it seemed like he had been dead for some time, his body was intact.
[It seems like a failure.]
“It’s a failure…”
But I couldn’t find a more accurate expression.
Fingers that grew uncontrollably differed in length and thickness by tens of centimeters. The limbs were even more asymmetrical, making walking seem completely impossible.
Next to him is Exile, whose face has melted and distorted as if exposed to high levels of radiation.
A guy with a bent back like a hunchback, or with limbs that are too short compared to the body like a dachshund.
A guy whose two legs are united into one, forming a lamia-like shape.
There was also one with two upper bodies twisted and joined together like a Siamese ssamdong.
All kinds of deformed Exiles are lying mummified.
And a huge shape visible beyond the countless deformities.
“There must have been a reason why those who eat even dead mammoths tens of thousands of years ago left the mummies here.”
All stalkers’ guns were aimed at one point.
“Grrrr-.”
At the end of it sat the largest Exile I had ever seen.
It was as big as a whale and looked like a mixture of a crab and a queen ant.
Traces of Exiles, a four-legged beast, were also visible here and there, but they were only a few. It looks much closer to an arthropod.
“Stop shooting.”
But he is in no condition to fight.
This is because the limbs were not able to move nimbly compared to the size of the body.
In addition, like a queen termite, the abdomen below the chest was very enlarged and long.
To add a bit of exaggeration, it can be said that the lower half of the body is closer to that of a caterpillar.
“Is she some kind of queen?”
[Rather than a queen…]
Artemis paused for a moment.
[You seem like a scientist. A monster that experiments.]
Artemis seemed really reluctant to give the title scientist to a monster.
However, it would be difficult to find a more accurate expression than this.
“Obviously, all individuals were breeding.”
During vaccine activities that were slowed down due to the cold, the infectious agent inside the cocoon mutated and became Exile.
However, humans also experience numerous trials and errors and failures when developing new drugs or new products.
That would be no exception, even if it were a monster.
The huge Exile adult in front of me was not reproducing, but was creating countless mutant cocoons.
Most of them seem to have failed and resulted in the production of deformed babies, but a few have succeeded.
That’s how the terrifying monster that swept through Russian villages was born.
“I’m glad I found it quickly. Looking at the new cocoons I saw in the second cavity, it seems like they were slowly accumulating know-how and trying to produce quality products.”
Ta-ta-tang!
I shot a nearby mummy.
The desiccated corpse was shattered and collapsed.
“Kyaaa ah ahhh!”
The unmoving adult Exile let out a roar as if it were torn apart.
[It looks like you have strong maternal love. That’s probably why other Exiles didn’t dare touch the corpse here.]
I’ve heard of the story of a chimpanzee mother who wouldn’t let go of her dead cub even as its body rotted, but I never thought a monster would do that.
“Place all remaining explosives.”
The demolition engineers moved quickly and planted bombs everywhere.
The adult Exile, which was glowing wildly, glared at me with eyes burning with hatred.
“I understand your love for your children, but coexistence with you is impossible.”
When I raised my hand and lowered it, the stalkers opened fire all at once.
Countless bullets and flames flew in, destroying and burning the source of this situation.
Countless pieces of flesh and blood splattered. A drum-sized intestine poured out, and amniotic fluid and yolk poured out from the huge torn abdomen, soaking the floor.
* * *
We escaped, boarded the helicopter, and detonated the bomb.
Rumbling!!!
The quiet mountain range shakes as if there was an earthquake.
Tremendous pressure surged from the entrance crack, distorting the surrounding atmosphere.
Afterward, flames erupt like a volcano erupting slowly for half a beat.
Weak parts of the mountain range broke apart, creating hundreds of new cracks large and small.
Flames and stone fragments shoot out from those places as well.
Hundreds of meters from the center of the majestic mountain range collapsed, causing a massive avalanche in the surrounding area.
The snow and ice that poured into the pit soon boiled with flames and heat rising from below, producing a large amount of steam.
In an instant, a snowy mountain with ice walls turned into a crater with boiling hot spring water.
“At this rate, the guys inside will definitely be finished.”
I calmly watched the scene from a helicopter hundreds of meters away.
[How come you don’t look very relieved?]
“I felt like the ending credits of a monster movie went up too easily.”
Temporarily created hot springs rippled in the crater at the center of the mountain range created by the explosion.
“By any chance, there is one person who survives on the surface after we go back! “They said he was coming up?”
[You’ve seen too many movies. Surviving an explosion of that magnitude would be impossible, even in the Stalker or Hercules series.]
Additional drone carriers were seen patrolling the surrounding area.
[Carriers docked with drones equipped with large-diameter firearms are under surveillance. Even if it’s just one chance, there won’t be a hole to escape.]
“Hmm.”
[It is the power of a single leadership system where all authority is concentrated in one competent person. This is because we were able to respond with maximum intensity from the beginning without the administrative waste common in human society. If it had been just one or two years later, it would have been much more difficult.]
“Okay, okay, I’ll stop worrying about nothing.”
When I smiled and nodded, the helicopters finally turned their heads to the south.
I don’t know what threats will target people in the future.
Monsters take root in unimaginable places and grow at an incredible speed, threatening the world.
That’s why it’s a monster.
However, monsters are ultimately living creatures, so they need rest and sleep.
On the other hand, those who protect and assist me run the Red Queen’s race without stopping for even a second.
We will always be a few steps ahead of them and nip them in the bud.
I felt the link to cyberspace being severed and my consciousness returning to the real world.
