Chapter 52 – NTL-001
One.
Are you deliberately letting your enemies run away?
To be honest, Netoru’s story was hard to believe.
If that’s the case, if what he said is really true.
It was said that now the bugs are making their own ‘strategic judgment’.
Originally, the bugs so far were just plain ignorant attacks. When the troops gathered, just pushing them into the enemy camp was all the strategy tactics they used.
So the concept of deliberately letting go of enemies running away for a specific goal could not exist.
It’s been like that for the past few years, but it’s hard to believe that the pattern has suddenly changed today. In particular, it must have been more shocking to Commander-Lien, who had been learning the patterns of bugs for a long time.
Still, as the platoon members changed their direction by somehow changing the joining point,
Ceres asked anxiously as the holy cavalry stopped alone at the ideal road to block the enemy.
“… Are you really going to be okay with the two of us?”
“Well. Anyway, I have no choice but to try. But we can’t run away alone.”
Netoru’s voice was grave. At first glance, it seemed irresponsible. However, Ceres was rather relieved by that appearance. Unlike the tone of voice, it was because of the meaning contained in the words.
Even so, Ceres was worried about the platoon members who were falling behind. But it seems that Netoru was the same.
‘… ‘
This fact surprised Ceres. No, he was a little surprised.
What should I say about this… He didn’t look like the image he was thinking of. Because of that sense of difference, Ceres stared blankly at him for a moment. Then, suddenly, a question crossed my mind.
And I saw… Even a few days ago
“… Netoru. Did you act as bait when the bugs came over from the border area?”
“… “
When I asked, Netoru looked at me incredulously, as if asking why. Seeing that he doesn’t deny it, it seems to be the correct answer.
But what Ceres wanted was his answer.
However, no matter how long he waited, Netoru never responded. As if he wasn’t even worthy of an answer.
If he was a person who liked to boast a little, he would have said it proudly, but there is none of that. Rather, it was a look that seemed to bruise him not to talk about useless things.
Are you a surprisingly self-sacrificing person?
Ceres, who glanced at Netoru, turned his head away with a subtle expression and closed his mouth.
Bugs are coming soon.
It wasn’t just to confuse the enemies when Netoru changed the merge point to point 97.
It was because there was an ideal place to pass the time in the middle of the road to it.
A suitable place to temporarily block the enemy’s path.
However, no matter how good the location is, the number of enemies is considerable. Netoru said that he would buy enough time and fall right away, but would that be easy?
Even Netoru wouldn’t be able to do anything if he was surrounded by dozens of centipedes.
However, he took on this role himself. Ceres decided to believe in his unwavering heartbeat, felt through the coupling.
Netoru remained calm despite the anxious wait. Thanks to this, Ceres, who was connected by a coupling, also felt the beating of her heart subside little by little.
In this case, it is helpful to connect each other’s images. Even if you are scared or nervous, you can rely on your partner.
“Ceres.”
“… Yes. I’m ready.”
At Netoru’s low voice, Ceres focused his consciousness. Then, Netoru grabbed the control rod and began to gradually increase the output of the holy cavalry.
His mana seeps into his body and rushes into his lower abdomen. Even though her body had already been warmed up from a single battle, Ceres could not suppress her tremors. It was because the amount of mana that was continuously inserted into him was increasing.
As his output increased, the amount of mana controlled by Ceres began to increase as well.
Netoru’s mana, which touched the mana nervous system, was still violent. But for some reason, I didn’t feel so reluctant now.
Is it because I saw a little kindness hidden in my mischievous appearance today?
Ceres shook his head in surprise at the sudden thought.
‘… What are you thinking?’
The important thing now is not the other side of Netoru. So he tried his best not to care.
But then he suddenly whispered from behind.
“Ceres. Let me tell you one thing in advance.”
“Yes… Oops… What?”
I was a little surprised and my voice leaked.
But Netoru didn’t care and continued.
“Now that the situation is like this, I don’t think we will be able to adjust the pace this time, so don’t be too resentful. He’ll probably have a hard time when he returns to the unit today.”
It is still a calm voice, as if giving notice. But somehow it didn’t feel too bad.
It has to be.
He said that since when did he worry about this?
“… Are you okay. Because I was prepared for that.”
However, for some reason, Ceres, whose expression was difficult to manage, avoided Netoru’s gaze and looked straight ahead.
Just in time, I see black centipedes running fast crawling on the floor not far away. No matter how many times I saw the black crowd slithering around, raising dust, it was disgusting.
But it wasn’t that scary. Even if he didn’t know anything else, he was a man whose skills could be trusted.
2.
It was like a narrow canyon. Steep rocky cliffs existed on both sides, and the path was narrow enough for two or three holy cavalrymen to pass.
─Check the aptitude object
The chasing centipedes, which were chasing the fleeing enemy objects, immediately distanced themselves when the enemy object suddenly appeared in front of them.
It was the appearance of avoiding battle no matter who saw it.
The reason was simple. This is because the current order given to them was not to annihilate, but to pursue the enemy while maintaining a certain distance.
So, the centipedes waited for new commands to be updated through the connected network. In this way, there were no orders as to what to do if the enemy approached first.
Thanks to this, a subtle confrontation with the aptitude object continued.
The group of chasing sentipedes that were chasing after the enemy objects had no will to fight until a new order was given, and the confirmed enemy objects also seemed unwilling to fight unless they approached further.
It was when a short time of about 10 seconds had passed.
─Kiriririk!
The pursuing centipedes that were suddenly confronting began to move fiercely. It was because a new order had been issued to annihilate the enemy and continue the original mission.
At the newly designated command, the pursuit-type centipedes rushed at the enemy without hesitation.
And the monster watched it from afar.
Of course, the battle was advantageous to the same people. Because there was only one enemy. However, the battle did not progress one-sidedly. This is because of the nature of the topography.
It is a narrow terrain that is difficult to enter. An overwhelmingly advantageous position on the blocking side.
Is that why? When the battle began, the centipedes, who had rushed forward with great vigour, began to die without being able to save their superiority in numbers.
The purple cavalrymen were seasoned.
While taking advantage of the topography, at the same time, he was fighting a fierce one-step fight, repeating hit and run so that his surroundings would not be surrounded.
It seems to fight bravely, but backs down without hesitation when necessary. That move could only be seen as a way to drag the time to catch the ankles of the people there.
As a result, a group of highly maneuverable chasing centipedes could not follow the movement and kept missing it. Several groups climbed the surrounding cliffs and aimed at the back, but the enemy had no openings.
Blood and flesh splatter. Every time the holy cavalry moved, the cry of the centipede echoed.
The situational judgment and the ability to control the holy cavalry were excellent.
That’s why the monster couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
Originally, that aptitude that the monster knew was not like that.
The purple holy cavalry blocking the road now was one of the insignificant holy cavalry that had been fighting poorly just a few days ago.
But yesterday’s battle, as well as today’s battle, her movements were unbelievably different.
Why is that all of a sudden?
It was not difficult to infer the answer.
It must have been that the pilot inside the holy cavalry had changed.
At the very least, he must have been so skilled that he could not be compared to the inexperienced pilots he had ridden before.
So, who is riding in it right now?
The data accumulated through observation soon gave the answer. Fortunately, the purple holy cavalry’s battle pattern was familiar to monsters.
─Registration code NTL-001
A special aptitude object that draws the attention of the Legion due to the characteristics of the holy cavalry that rides differently each time it is observed.
Could it be that he changed the genital cavalry again this time?
Some of the ‘collaborators’ were still wanting data from NTL-001.
Based on the sacrifices of the pursuit-type sentippets, the monster loaded the wide area network with all the information being recorded and sent it out.
And how much time has passed like that?
Contrary to original expectations,
Until now, one of the collaborators who had been silently cooperating with the invasion of the Kingdom of Frangia showed a new interest and delivered an interesting request.
-Never destroy Ceres’ holy cavalry
What he was interested in was not NTL-001, but the ‘Purple Sturgeon’ riding the subject of observation. It seemed that the owner of the purple cavalry was a woman named Ceres.
