Gravity Fluctuation (11)
We first decided to retreat. We didn't have nearly enough information about that monster to attempt a frontal assault, and it seemed that unless we stepped on the creep, it was unable to sense us.
"This is turning into a headache."
Crossing without stepping on the creep—that was impossible. In the first place, this place was basically a habitat for the deathworm.
Apparently, since it didn't have visual organs, it reacted to signals from the creep, and there would be no reason for it not to cover its claimed territory in creep.
'Once we get past here, the special storage bay is right there.'
Creep was spread out everywhere I could see, so it looked impossible to pass through without defeating the deathworm. And we couldn't try to bypass through the outside, either—the area out there was packed with infected power loaders and all sorts of mutants, all attracted by Roxy's diversion.
Depending on the angle, we might even take fire from the defense facilities. If we got into a fight with the deathworm, mutants would approach, alerted by the commotion.
Still, we could mitigate that by waiting until Roxy arrived and had more targets for their attention. If we went outside, there was a chance we wouldn't be drawn into Roxy's decoy at all, so I had to consider that escape route closed.
Kanna stared ahead with tension in her eyes. The deathworm she watched had hidden itself back in the creep.
If ten meters of body could be hidden, it meant not only that the creep here was thick, but the floor itself was blanketed in it.
"Is that the entity called a Bud?"
"No. That's just a new type of mutant."
It wasn't a Bud. If it had been a blossomed Bud, it would bear its given name. Deathworm was the temporary name I used for that mutant, and everyone accepted it.
"It looks really angry. Like it's been constantly provoked."
"It definitely looks vicious. If there's a special reason, it's probably because we kept dropping explosives on it."
"Then wouldn't it be possible for Roxy to lure it away? If it gets provoked, we might be able to draw it out."
Celestia speculated that since it had such a foul temper, it probably didn't have much patience either. She seemed eager to avoid the deathworm, apparently expecting that there would be casualties if we fought it.
But that wasn't something only Celestia realized. We all knew it.
"But wasn't there no mention of such a monster before? Maybe it can't leave this sector. That rage will likely come down on us."
The soldiers worried that if we attracted attention and that tactic failed, the risk would increase.
"... That mutant probably made that hole, right?"
Someone muttered about the gaping hole where the terraforming device had once been. The hole itself was much larger in scale, but given the size of the deathworm we'd faced, it was highly possible.
Both the hole and here, the surfaces had become bumpy and slippery as if transformed by strong acid—that could serve as evidence.
Those who saw the hole lost some morale. Even though it was just a hole, its oppressive atmosphere was more intense than any other experience.
I was just about to propose splitting into two teams when Roxy's call came through.
—Friend, you seem deep in thought.
"Roxy!"
—You sound happy to hear from me.
"Did you take care of the problem?"
—If you mean the pureblood supremacists' shuttles, of course. Shot them right out of the sky.
Roxy gave a raspy laugh, reporting that Griffin was unharmed as well. Since he was here, it was the perfect time to ask for help with my plan.
"Roxy, can you draw their attention one more time?"
—That's my specialty. Is that enough? Griffin can come along and make it even bigger if you want.
"Griffin's here too? Then—no, just you for this operation, Roxy."
—Guess you have something in mind? Okay, I'll listen to you, friend.
Roxy was about to say he'd start dropping bombs as soon as I gave the signal, but then remembered something.
—Oh, right. The old boss wanted me to tell you the defense facility hack will take more time. Just so you know.
"She could have said it herself. Why use you as a messenger?"
—Hey, some things are sensitive. She promised to handle it, so now she feels responsible.
"Maybe..."
I didn't know the details, but I knew Licorice was working hard. After ending the call, I gathered the others to explain my plan.
"We're splitting into two teams. One will fight or pin down the deathworm to buy time; the other will enter the special storage bay and retrieve the Albatross."
"But then..."
"It'll weaken our strength considerably, I know. But it's the only way."
I emphasized simultaneity. With the presence of the deathworm, a step-by-step approach was out of the question.
There could be no gap between reaching the special storage bay, checking and repairing the Albatross, and launching. Since we didn't know the situation inside the storage bay, if the battle with the deathworm spread there, the Albatross could be destroyed before we reached it.
"That's why there's a second team. Kanna, you and your teammates will go to the storage bay and check the Albatross's condition. Celestia, you too. Go with Eric and help clear the inside."
"Then just the two of you remain?"
"Yes, only Nadia and I will handle the deathworm."
"At least bring Eric along, can't you? I know Hyun-woo is strong, but this is too dangerous."
"That's exactly why. Because it's dangerous. There could be another deathworm in the storage bay."
This place was a narrow passage leading to the storage bay, not as spacious as the storage bay itself. A mutant that sprayed strong acid—if there were more people, casualties would increase exponentially.
"We don't know the Albatross's condition either. If repairs prove impossible, we'll have to leave it and withdraw. To learn that quickly, splitting up is the best option."
There wasn't much time. The pureblood supremacists' recon shuttles had all crashed, so the news must have reached their main force. Before additional pursuers were organized, we had to get out of military base Keter.
"Let's move."
"Hyun-woo..."
I stood up as if to accept no objections. Celestia reached out to stop me, then let her hand drop weakly. It was the signal to begin the operation.
"We need to cross as quickly as possible, but it's tough with this creep swamp."
"Use the gravity fluctuation. So far it's been happening at fairly regular intervals."
Kanna said to her team. As she pointed out, the gravity fluctuation wasn't completely random—it happened every hour or two. If this pattern held, another fluctuation was about to occur.
「Warning. Temporary gravity fluctuation detected. Activating dampeners at maximum.」
As our bodies began to float, Kanna and her team took off. They kicked off the floor, blasting oxygen behind them for thrust. If they moved while floating, they might not trigger the deathworm.
But that would last only a very short time. The fluctuation would keep us aloft, but eventually our heads would hit the ceiling.
And the ceiling was also coated in creep, so if we so much as brushed against it, the monster would react—just like now.
「Kiiiiiirrrr—!」
The deathworm burst out in response to the creep's signal, snapping its pincers to ward off intruders.
The soldiers' hands trembled on their pulse rifles at the menacing display, but they didn't turn to fire. I'd already told them Nadia and I would immobilize it, so they could focus on moving ahead.
The gravity fluctuation wouldn't last long. If stopped for too long, they would lose precious seconds.
Landing heavily on the creep, I drew a metal spear and threw it with all my strength. The spear streaked through the air and struck the deathworm's hide.
'I put my all into that throw.'
But only the tip embedded. It hadn't inflicted meaningful damage. Nevertheless, I'd succeeded in drawing its attention through the impact and the creep's signal. For a moment it was confused by signals from front and rear, but when the shock hit what I assumed was its back, it swung its head toward me.
The snapping pincers came my way. It looked like I'd be swallowed whole, not just have my bones broken—I muttered to myself involuntarily.
"This is savage. Maybe we poked the wrong beast."
"It, it's fine! That monster will die too! We just have to beat it down!"
Carry waved its support arm, as if agreeing with Nadia. Now that I saw it, there were two people (or robots) next to me scarier than the monster itself. My confidence revived.
'Got to avoid getting into the center—who knows when gravity will return.'
The power loader had a booster on its back for short hops, but I didn't. If I dropped suddenly, things could go badly.
"Nadia, remember what I said earlier?"
"Yeah...!"
"Good. Focus on dodging. I'll create an opening. Or I can strike on my own if the chance comes."
I intended to target the core on the deathworm's head. I wasn't sure why a vulnerable blue crystal core was on the outside, but I figured if I broke it, the thing would be neutralized.
I couldn't jump high enough alone to reach and smash a core ten meters up. That's why I needed the degraded Big Hand that Nadia had modified. If she could use an artificial gravity chain to pull the head down, I could reach it to attack.
「Kyaaaaaaak!」
As I threw more metal spears, the now furious deathworm tore through the creep, rushing at me. It was fast, but not as fast as a cramper.
'If that thing was as fast as a cramper, it'd be insane.'
As the giant monster charged at us, Nadia and I split to the sides. Nadia and Carry used the power loader's boosters; I used the suppression wave emitter to propel myself.
The deathworm's head smashed into where we'd just been.
Bang—!
The base's solid floor shattered, debris scattering everywhere—a testament to the creature's strength, not just its size. Debris scraped my helmet as it flew by, and I slightly revised my plan.
'Have to use the weakener well.'
The device's area was smaller than the worm itself. I needed to see if it would be effective. As soon as I decided, I released a suppression wave in the opposite direction. I flew backward with a whoosh—my body, not the monster, being hurled by the force.
I surrendered to the push and steadied myself.
"Roxy, begin!"
—All I've been waiting for!
Explosives began to rain down on the base. With a boom and a crash, shockwaves spread and for a moment the deathworm seemed disoriented. Huge swarms of mutants converged on the explosions and the defense facilities began automated interception.
With the creep transmitting so much information all at once, it accidentally caused more confusion.
「Keeruk?!」
While it was distracted, I got closer and activated the weakener at its head, compounding the confusion. Still, I had to dodge—a telltale gurgling meant the deathworm was about to spew acid everywhere.
As soon as I heard the bubbling sound, I separated from Nadia as much as possible. Backing away from the worm was useless—it could always adjust angle and height with its head.
As long as Nadia and I didn't cross each other's paths, we could dodge it. I had that much reflex.
Fwoosh—
A torrent of green acid spurted out. Where it swept like a laser, noxious smoke curled up.
I jacked up my respirator to maximum and kept firing suppression waves to veer aside. I swapped out the depleted cartridge quickly, then closed in again. My back twisted painfully, but it was bearable.
'Looks like it can't fire twice in short succession?'
Apparently it had to wait for the acid sac to refill—with the pocket empty, it just snapped its pincers at me but made no move to spit more acid. When I slashed at its thick hide with my plasma cutter, only a black scratch appeared.
But after activating the weakener, its hide split apart with a tearing sound. The deathworm screamed in agony.
Since I wasn't stepping on the creep, it couldn't locate me, so I attacked with everything I could muster. I had to drain its stamina or whatever it used.
Nadia, who'd be noticeable if she moved, fixed her power loader in place and supported me with the degraded Big Hand. Occasionally the hand got caught on the walls and ground, but that was it. The prey was just so big that the gravity chain couldn't get full purchase.
The worm's bodily fluids were acidic but not enough to dissolve my suit, so I ripped into its flesh with abandon. Even a ten-meter-long beast hurt when I kept striking the same spot over and over.
I frantically dodged and swung at the deathworm, again and again. I tried to decapitate it, but unfortunately it regenerated so quickly that it was pointless.
As I kept piling on the damage—
「Warning. Gravity anomaly restored. Beware sudden fall.」
The base's announcement sounded, and my feet touched down—onto the creep.
「KEEEEAAAK!」
Having finally pinpointed my position, the deathworm shrieked in rage and lunged at me with its enormous bulk, spinning and laying waste to the area.
"Scary...!"
Swept up by the sudden vortex of wind, I tumbled across the creep. If not for my helmet, I might have eaten some of the stuff myself.
Drenched in cold sweat, I stared at the sticky creep swamp. Standing still, I found myself slowly sinking. Sensing organic matter, the creep stirred hungrily, trying to consume me.
'Even though this isn't a Bud, it's this bad.'
The mutants had evolved. They were evolving. Even right now.
The deathworm lowered its head and charged me, as if to swallow me whole. But it was still too high—just a little more, a little lower.
Then, as if I'd been waiting for it, I shouted.
"Nadia, now!"
"Hyaaa—!"
Kicking in her power loader's boosters, Nadia accelerated instantly. She managed to maneuver in the air and latch on to the worm's head.
Of course, the deathworm thrashed violently to shake the power loader off. The movement was so wild that I almost got hit by its flailing tail.
Nadia held onto the only projecting part: the pincers. The metal hand of the loader squeezed with such force it looked like it might crumple the pincers.
Screeeee-!
Pssh—
But instead of breaking, the pincers were slowly closing in. Nadia's loader poured all its stored energy into holding on.
But things looked bad. The overloaded actuators were venting hot steam and the frame was twisting bit by bit.
"We have seven arms!"
Shouting, Nadia fixed the loader's arms in place, then fired up the degraded Big Hand to maximum. The backpack glowed red, pushed beyond its limits.
Apparently, she was counting Carry's support arm as one of the seven. The multipurpose laser in Carry's arm seared the inside of the deathworm's maw. It would have worked inside most creatures, but this mouth had such strong durability that it only made the deathworm angrier.
「Kirrrrrrk!」
Unable to bite through or shake off the loader, the deathworm tried to smash it against the floor.
"Ugh...!"
Nadia strained with a pale face, barely hanging on. Sensing the crucial moment, I seized it. The power loader's hands were now free. The polar impactor, normally mounted there, had returned to me.
"You did great, Nadia."
Leaping free from the creep, I jumped onto the deathworm's head and pressed the impactor against it. The weakener had shown I could get attacks through—this time, I was ending it with one blow.
I pulled the trigger.
Fwoom—!
A spike of charged energy shot out, stabbing straight through anything in its path. I'd hoped this would kill it, but the creature endured.
Despite the weakener working, the polar impactor couldn't fully pierce the deathworm's head. Some of the carapace peeled away, but the core inside remained. I knew it would be tough, but this was Bud-level durability.
━━━━━━!
The deathworm let out an agonized screech as it briefly stunned itself. Instinctively, it reared up tall, trying to raise its head.
"Hyun-woo, I can't hold much longer!"
The power loader still clung, but honestly, it was a miracle it held at all. All the energy Nadia had left was thrown into reversing the boosters, countering the worm's head movement as much as possible.
'Just a little more...!'
I reached out—intending to destroy the core myself. Enough damage had built up that when I grabbed hold, the blue crystal core shattered, scattering azure particles like a storm.
"Got it!"
"We did it?!"
Just as I was about to answer yes, I heard a bubbling noise from somewhere—in the chaos, I realized it must have come from the deathworm.
'It's not dead?!'
The sign of imminent acid eruption. If Nadia or I, or her power loader, took that full-force, we'd vanish without a trace.
"Nadia! Move away right now!"
Despite her expression, Nadia obeyed instantly. She released the loader's grip and boosted herself far back.
Perhaps because it had taken so much, the dying deathworm fixated on the big target: Nadia's power loader. With it stomping the creep, tracking her location was easy.
'I'm too far in. Boosters won't save me now.'
I knew it was too late to dodge the acid at this range, so if I couldn't block the spray, I had to delay it.
Drawing a deep breath, I stabbed my plasma cutter as deeply into its mouth as I could and shredded the insides. Grabbing one side of the pincers, I tore it off.
Crunch. The sickening sound of flesh being torn echoed for a moment, as the monster's jaws stretched wide open. I memorized the sight.
I was looking for the section connected to the acid sac. If I was right, it wouldn't be set too deep inside—even if it backflowed, it wouldn't be so far in. The monster itself wasn't immune to its acid.
Finally, I spotted the spot I sought. Maybe to facilitate long-range spitting, the mouth of the acid sac wasn't too big—just enough that a pincer could plug it.
Without hesitation, I jammed the severed pincer in with all my strength, then launched myself backward.
For a brief moment, I felt a floating sensation—then, instead of sticky creep, solid metal greeted me. Nadia, having figured out my intent without words, had caught me with perfect timing.
'The pincers aren't dissolved by acid.'
Normally, an object like a severed pincer would be spat or pried out, but the deathworm was too far gone. Its head core destroyed, most of its skull smashed—there was no time to react.
Would it swallow the acid, or try to eject it to clear the blockage? The deathworm chose the latter. With a series of bubbly noises, the weakened tissues couldn't withstand the backflow.
It wasn't the pincer that exploded, but the pressure-packed acid sac itself, bursting somewhere near its jaws—its head swelled and then detonated with a wet pop.
Nadia and I kept backing up, dodging falling chunks. A few drops landed on my suit—the gloves instantly dissolved, prompting me to retreat even faster.
In my haste, Nadia's power loader crashed into an obstacle and toppled.
We tumbled to the ground, but it was fine. We weren't the only things falling. With fluids gushing out, the deathworm's massive body began to collapse backward. Where the acid sac had spilled out, a stinking green pool formed.
Seeing the definite proof of death, Nadia let out a sigh of relief. The fight itself hadn't been long, but it had been extremely draining.
「(b˙◁˙ )b」
Carry gave a big thumbs up, as if proud of the battle. I wanted to react, but with my heart racing and legs shot, all I could do was smile weakly.
"We really got it, huh..."
"Yeah..."
Nadia slumped in her cockpit, exhausted. She glanced at the loader's dangling arms.
"If we had time, I'd love to get out and tighten up those parts, but I guess we don't, do we?"
"We have to regroup. Just drive the arms as carefully as you can."
"Got it."
Curious about the others at the special storage bay, I opened comms, which I'd closed to keep focus. As soon as the line connected, I regretted it a little.
—Parts of the Albatross hull are infected!
That was not the news we'd been waiting for. My face stiffened.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】