Chapter 378 – Aftercare (5)
There is a big difference between human injury and machine injury.
When one part of the human body is damaged due to pain and physical condition, all parts of the human body, including mobility, strength, and judgment, decline.
In movies, warriors who fight well even with a sword stuck in their stomachs are possible because it is a movie.
On the other hand, damage to a specific part of a machine has a small effect on other parts.
Activities that use the whole body, such as running or throwing, naturally become unstable, but fighting, such as brute strength or pounding, can do its job.
Alpha, who rolled in one piece with the Tanis Mountain Walker, attacked faster even though he lost his mount stance.
Phew!
The steel index and middle fingers dig into Walker’s eyes like awls.
Even though I didn’t feel any pain, the walker stopped due to a sudden blockage of vision and signals from the brain nerves sending out chaotically.
In those few seconds, Alpha pushed the guy a few meters away.
Since the overriding goal was to gain time, there was no reason to waste time on an entity that had lost its eyesight and combat power.
Alpha, Charlie, Echo.
The stalkers ran out of ammunition and entered a CQB combat stance.
Charlie, surrounded by three walkers, squatted flat like a frog.
The movement was so fast that the walkers felt as if Charlie had disappeared for an instant.
Of course, it only took a moment to realize that it was right below, but that was enough.
Charlie’s arms, holding two military swords in his hands, rotate 180 degrees.
Suddenly!
As the blades passed in opposite directions as if drawing a Taegeuk symbol, three walkers fell, cutting off his ankles.
There was only one ankle that was cut cleanly, but the bones of the other five were exposed, and the tendons were damaged.
Boom!
Kudang!
Before the three walkers on the ground could get up, Charlie held back his dual swords.
And then he stabs them in their foreheads and noses.
The military sword used by Stalker is of such a size that it would be embarrassing to call it a dagger in keeping with the robot’s strength and size.
It was slightly smaller than the gladius used by the Roman army.
So, if you pierce it into a vital area such as the head or heart, you can kill it with one hit, even if it is a walker.
“Kralic-!”
The remaining one crawled up and tried to attack, but Charlie was one beat faster.
Kwasik!
Two military swords pulled from the corpse were inserted into both sides of the temples of the crawling walker.
The blade must have hit the wrong nerve in the brain, and Walker’s eyes fluttered in all directions like a cross-eyed look before stopping.
Meanwhile, Echo was fighting against a mutant equivalent of Earth’s Reaper.
A bluish claw reminiscent of a lion’s claw flies towards Echo.
Kang!
The military bayonet in Echo’s left hand struck it down.
Then, the guy used the recoil to hit the nail on the other side.
Kang!
Echo also responded with the blade in his other hand.
“Krrrr-!”
The Reaper purred fiercely.
When the infection spread to Tanis, anyone who caught it would have been easily torn to death.
The steel soldier in front of me seems to be annoying because he has endured as much as two times.
Ripper rotated his upper body sharply and swung his hands using the centrifugal force.
The intention is to apply enough force to break down the blade’s defense and finish it off with one strike.
[Pattern and trajectory analysis completed.]
However, Echo is a warrior who has mastered the swordsmanship that has been developed over thousands of years since the days when mankind warred with cold weapons.
It wasn’t difficult to analyze Reaper’s attack method, gaze processing, and body movements.
Pashuk!
This time, instead of the sound of blades and fingernails clashing, a crushing sound was heard.
He caught the Ripper’s fingernail at an angle using the skill of the sword technique.
It didn’t end there, the blade went up the man’s fingernail and split the top of his finger.
“Kaaaaa-!”
Like a higher-level variant, it cries out as it feels pain from its developed nerves.
But while he was doing such useless things, Echo burrowed into the guy’s arms.
Boo!
I swung my other healthy hand horizontally, but Echo’s body was so low that it almost touched the ground.
A lunge that is more like a forward dive than a run!
But his two toes are firmly supporting his body. In human terms, it’s like supporting a body that is tilted only with its toes.
Both arms, which had crossed in the shape of an X, spread left and right on the ground.
Suddenly!
Two ankles cut off cleanly.
The ugly, large feet were still on the ground, showing a cross-section of the ankle bone.
“Krarara… Wow!”
The screaming was cut off before the crippled and leaning Reaper fell to the ground.
This is because the blade penetrated from under the guy’s chin and pierced his brain.
Charlie and Echo.
They fought thoroughly pragmatically.
Thanks to his overwhelming sense of balance, physical ability, and holding a sword, his reach is longer than that of the infected.
Utilize these advantages to the limit.
A surprise attack on the ankles and shins, which are usually not defended, to break the balance and then a hit at a vital point.
It may seem simple, but it is an effective tactic.
Of course, I lowered my posture every time and didn’t cut my shin with a knife.
Kwasik!
The walker approaching Solaver collapsed.
This is because Charlie, who came running, kicked the guy’s knee as if stomping on it.
A military bayonet is inserted into the man’s side as his knee shatters, and he collapses.
When the blade pierced the heart and was pulled out, blood poured out and Walker died.
Boom!
A little distance away, Echo was pulling a knife from another walker’s armpit.
On Earth, he wouldn’t have to aim for the side or armpit, just stab him in the left chest. Then his heart ruptured, and he died instantly.
But this is the alien planet Tanis.
“Keueeeeek!”
There are more than one type of walkers that rush at you.
Perhaps because the freedom of the hands was important in the process of evolving into a highly intelligent species, the majority walked on two legs.
So, although their shape is similar to that of a human, there is no guarantee that their heart will be on the left side.
To kill with a single blow, it was more effective to aim for the side of the body rather than stabbing the chest.
When attacking, anyone’s gap is revealed, but the opponent is a monster that ignores death and rushes at you.
If you can’t inflict fatal damage with one hit, the stalker will also be at risk of counterattacking.
“The transmission is almost finished! “Hold on just a little longer!”
Geeing!
Geeing!
Geeing!
The three robots beeped in response to Solaver’s shout.
When the number of infected bodies lying around the warp device reached double digits, something unusual occurred.
Kwaduk!
The moment the eighth walker was suffocated, the military bayonet in Charlie’s left hand broke.
This is because it was only an auxiliary weapon to begin with. It is not a weapon made with the premise of cutting down 10 monsters.
Charlie plunged the cut-in-half knife into the eye of the walker charging at him from the side.
“Keeeeek-!”
A walker keeps running, eye juice and blood leaking from his eye sockets. The broken blade was too short to reach the guy’s brain.
Crack!
However, when the blade stuck in his eye rotated three times, his brain nerves were concussed, and he died.
Unlike the human wrist, which can rotate about 90 degrees at most, Stalker’s wrist could rotate without limit.
Bang!
Charlie threw away the unusable knife and even threw the remaining military bayonet.
He held it back and threw it like a javelin, and it flew straight and pierced the neck of the walker who was attacking Solaver.
“Crrrr!”
The guy who tried to walk away with blood foaming from his mouth was caught by Alpha.
He held his face with one hand and the sword handle with the other and twisted it, breaking Walker’s cervical spine.
Poop!
However, Alpha also fell to one knee after being hit in the face by another walker.
Unlike the human-based Earth walkers, the walkers here are much more threatening due to the aliens’ superior physical capabilities.
Walker grabbed the alpha’s kneeling neck, ready to rip it off.
His neck was crushed in an instant, but the strong armor plate prevented him from being fatally wounded.
Alpha pulled Walker’s little finger with the force of tearing it off.
With the sound of cracking finger bones, the neck was released, but there was still a relationship between the person kneeling and the person standing and striking.
The former is overwhelmingly disadvantageous.
Walker counterattacked the moment he raised both hands with the intention of smashing Alpha’s head.
The CQB combat system built into the Stalker ordered a change of position as it could not inflict significant fatal damage in this configuration.
Alpha’s sharp attack exploded behind Walker’s knees.
It was a weak check that could not cause harm, but it was enough to break the posture of a bipedal creature due to its body structure.
Then, the blade rises as if ascending to heaven and cuts off the walker’s neck.
Another walker runs behind the corpse, which falls backwards, pouring out a fountain of blood.
Alpha stood up and looked like he was going to fight, but then changed his posture in an instant.
Like a sumo wrestler, he keeps his center of gravity on the ground and delivers a headbutt to the knees and stomach of the walking walker.
Then, with the same momentum as it had been running, it spun around in the air and fell to the ground behind Alpha.
The Alpha’s foot stuck its weight into the chest of the walker who was struggling to get up.
Quad deuk!
After hearing the bloody sound of all of his ribs being shattered, Walker was unable to get up.
“They seem so persistent!”
Solaver shouted as he looked at the warp gate.
The eyeballs that were buried there struggled until the end even though they were melting into the vaccine.
-You can’t go… You… Can’t… Go…
Said the alien corpse lying near the warp gate. It is controlled by eyeball infections.
“I don’t have to go! But you must send that friend home!”
Solaver shouted.
-I can’t go… Never…
Variants are increasing due to the onslaught of infectious agents.
As soon as Echo saw something similar to the Dissolver, he grabbed a nearby walker corpse.
Cheeeeek!
As the corpse blocks the light yellow liquid spit out by the mutant, the flesh burns and the bones melt.
“Purr!”
The unique sound of applying pressure to spit out acid.
As soon as Echo heard that, he threw his military sword.
Blades broken here and there make a rumbling sound and dig into the guy’s abdomen.
Pop! With a sound, the compressed bag of gas and corrosive liquid exploded, and the thing turned into blood and melted.
“Now all I have to do is finish the work!”
Solaver, who operates the warp device, appears to have found his peace.
This is because the eyeball infection was driven to the brink of death by the vaccine.
The hand movements used to operate the device seemed to have become more gentle than before, perhaps due to less interference with coordinate input.
But now even stalkers are at their limit.
Charlie, who was fighting three walkers with his bare hands, quickly became covered in wounds when the Reaper joined in.
But then a large, hard-looking bone collided at Charlie’s feet.
It looked like a thigh-bone, but it seemed as if it was heavier and stronger than a baseball bat, indicating what race it was when it was alive.
Charlie kicked it up with his foot and swung the bone club in the posture of a number 4 hitter.
Boom!
Its penetrability is incomparable to that of a military bayonet.
Baaaaak!
Walker’s head was shattered by the blow and turned round.
The guy who ran from the right was hit in the face and fell about 5 meters.
The third walker was struck from below the chin, causing his body to spin backwards and fall face-first to the ground.
However, thanks to the three corpses, the Ripper was able to take advantage of the gap.
Kwaduk!
A grip like a pot lid and claws stronger than a lion’s claws struck Charlie’s face.
Charlie stopped acting for about a second due to the tremendous shock.
“Keeeeek-!”
He tried to fight back somehow, but was caught by new walkers that appeared from behind.
A shadow is cast over Charlie’s bitten and scratched face.
Reaper took a large bone club and held it high in the sky with both hands.
Bang!
Sparks fly on Charlie’s half-crushed face.
Bang!
Charlie’s electronic eyeball fell out, and her jaw joint was shattered.
After that, Charlie could not be seen as he was obscured by more walkers.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
All you can hear is the sound of something breaking.
Kiyiing!
At that moment, a loud resonant sound erupted from the warp device. At the same time, Solaver’s joyful laughter.
After the first transmission, a brilliant white sphere was created inside the warp gate again.
“It’s okay! You did it! Your master has arrived at Earth coordinates! I’m still trapped in a gap in space and time, but all I have to do is connect it to the exit on the Earth side! You too, hurry and get into that sphere!”
[Solaber. We have been ordered to serve you as well.]
Alpha said.
“I would like to, but that guy has sabotaged it to the point where it has gotten to this point.”
Black liquid flowed from the warp device that Solaver’s finger pointed to.
The eyes float like rotten bird eggs in a solid substance like red bean oatmeal.
Meanwhile, he rolled his blurry eyes and glared at me with hatred. It’s ridiculous obsession and malice.
“There is no time! Hurry up! The coordinator has to come in last anyway!”
Solaver finished off his Charlie and looked at the Reapers and Walkers looking this way.
The machine soldiers made quick decisions.
Hesitating here and now is the height of unnecessary action.
Alpha jumped in first.
However, the direction he was heading was not the warp gate, but the opposite direction.
“No, what are you doing now…”
Before Solaver finished speaking, Alpha picked up a skull that was rolling around and threw it at Reaper.
Reaper swats away Alpha with his hand as if it’s funny and then chases after Alpha to punish him.
Walkers followed suit. Is it a coincidence or is it an instinct to follow variants?
Echo took advantage of that brief moment and ran, carrying Charlie, who had stopped functioning, on his back.
When I got close enough to the warp gate, I spun Charlie around as if doing a giant swing and threw him.
Shuwoouk.
Charlie flies away like a fluttering cigarette and is swallowed by a white sphere.
Echo literally changed his course. He threw the last remaining military sword aimed at the back of the Reaper’s neck as he chased after Alpha.
“Cryalak-!”
Unfortunately, the blade missed his neck slightly and became lodged in his back.
However, Alpha, who was caught up and about to be crushed by his bone club, narrowly saved his life.
The Ripper turned around, howling in pain, and tried to pull out the sword from his back wearing a sword.
“Kyaooooo-!”
However, it was exquisitely out of reach.
While making a somewhat comical appearance, Alpha escaped the chase.
The movement speed was slow due to limping, but the walkers that followed were knocked out by Echo’s punches and kicks.
Echo, carrying Alpha in a firefighter-style transport, ran toward the warp gate with all his might.
After that, swarms of swarming infections come.
No more fighting and sleeping is impossible. The moment it hits you, you will be swallowed like a human in front of a tsunami.
The Reaper, who belatedly realized that his prey was running away, screamed and chased after him, but it was already too late.
Echo, who had even thrown Alpha into the sphere, stood next to Solaver holding two bones nearby.
It lacks the weight compared to what Charlie used, but it will be better than fighting with bare hands.
[Question and answer dance.]
Eco cut off Solaver who was about to say something.
[Whether I live or die, I am with you.]
Shuwoouk.
And Alpha’s vision, swallowed by the sphere, was filled with white flashes.
The record ended here.
* * *
“This is what happened.”
She said, clapping her hands together in a triangle in front of her eyes.
“This is what happened.”
Artemis from a little distance is staring at me as I mutter the same thing.
“He Solaver said, ‘I’m still trapped in the gap between time and space.'”
She said, crossing her arms.
“They also said, ‘Just connect it to the exit on the Earth side and that’s it.'”
She nodded her head at my answer.
“There was something wrong with that outlet connection. So, after wandering through the dimensional gap for three years, I was discovered by slave traders. In that case, I guess…”
“Stop. “I’ll just stop here.”
I could naturally imagine what would be said next.
“Just because you don’t hear what you don’t want to hear doesn’t mean the facts will change, right?”
“If it’s not confirmed, it’s not true.”
“Then let’s call it a hypothesis.”
“I hate it just like that.”
“Huh…”
Artemis didn’t say more, but what she was implying was clear.
The final finishing work on the remaining Solaver and Eco was not done properly.
They may not have been able to escape.
If they had succeeded too, there would have been no reason for me to have been stuck in a gap in space and time for three years and then fall into the wrong place.
[Can I ask you one thing?]
Alpha, who was quietly receiving maintenance, asked.
“You can ask me anything.”
[Are you and I the only ones who arrived?]
“…”
I couldn’t answer Alpha’s question right away.
I was a little surprised that Alpha asked himself, I was greatly surprised by the content of the question, and I couldn’t stop giving the answer I was supposed to give.
