Gravity fluctuation (25)
Thud, thud thud thud—
The muzzle of the pulse rifle glowed blue as it fired countless rounds.
The noise came from Kanna and Eric holding back waves of mutants with the Beta Series, while the shots I fired at the new type of mutant echoed as I faced it down.
Effective hits seemed to work fairly well against ghouls, but when the monster in front of me raised its guard, the bullets simply bounced off, clattering to the ground, dented and useless.
I clicked my tongue as I looked at its exoskeleton, unscathed even after unloading a full magazine. Even after debuffing it with the weakener, the result was almost the same.
Unlike before, bullets did sink in, but the rapid regeneration meant my ammo would run out before I could kill it by piling up enough damage. It was clearly a much more reinforced exoskeleton than usual.
A monster that rendered most attacks useless—formidable, a veritable mountain. I couldn't help but think 'Dreadnought' would be a fitting name.
"It's not working, just as I thought."
- The rear armor looks weaker at least.
Nadia sealed her cockpit tight and opened a private channel. The power loader kept the Dreadnought in check so it couldn't relax its defensive posture.
Carry, instead of a missile pod, had equipped a flamethrower on top of the power loader and was pushing it back with blue flames. The rear exoskeleton was indeed weaker. Just barely.
The weakener's debuff had at least boosted our weapon power, but we still lacked a decisive blow.
I glanced behind me. A horde of ghouls hammered at a barricade while the Beta Series shoved them back with their shields, jamming muzzles into their mouths and pulling triggers. The biomass forming their heads splattered onto the ghouls behind, riling them into a frenzy in a relentless sequence.
The only reason the power struggle was at a standstill was because of that barricade. If it fell, we'd be overwhelmed in an instant. Explosives were still out of the question. With the Dreadnought's arrival, the already shaky facility was losing stability by the second.
A hulk like the Dreadnought could crash through a makeshift barricade, so we needed to lure it elsewhere first.
Then it happened. The flamethrower's stream—meant to buy us time—sputtered out as the fuel ran dry.
Beyond the flickering flame dissipating into the air, I saw the reinforced exoskeleton glowing red—then rapidly cooling.
The Dreadnought let out a monstrous roar almost simultaneously.
「KRAAAAGH—!」
As if to say its turn had come, the Dreadnought dropped its guard and readied to charge, flexing its grotesquely developed upper body and arms.
It seemed wary of our weapons so far, but seeing that nothing could pierce its exoskeleton, that wariness faded, replaced with confidence in victory.
The power loader shifted its stance, naturally switching to melee equipment.
- You need to decide, Hyun-woo.
"I already have. It seems to like tests of strength—let's show it what we've got. But first, let's get clear of here."
- Got it.
Nadia understood and chose a direction to push the Dreadnought toward. As we leaped away, the Dreadnought responded immediately.
With its massive arm, it swept at the ground.
Crack!
The metal floor, tough as it was, tore and shattered under its blow, fragments flying everywhere.
Its raw strength was no joke. A mutant specializing in brute force would have reason to be confident in direct combat.
But what the Dreadnought didn't know was that we weren't just beginners. We weren't underestimating it just because of its appearance. In fact, we never even considered underestimating it. We would simply give it our all.
'We've taken down even stronger ones than you.'
Nadia and I evaded its threatening swing with a high jump. The area that must have housed its visual organs tracked us, the carapace on its back opening as if on cue.
Inside the opened area were bundles of black spikes loaded in its living tissue. With a creak, the black spikes fired at once. The dust cloud left by its rampage was immediately pierced by countless holes.
I wasn't in the blast range, so dodging wasn't a big problem, but Nadia's power loader was a big target. If the posture-control thrusters on the loader's rear and other parts hadn't activated, it would have been instantly disabled by the black spikes.
With moves uncharacteristic of a power loader, the mech minimized damage, then clung onto the Dreadnought and began hindering its movement. Even for a tank like this, close contact seemed to be a burden—it thrashed violently in an attempt to shake her off.
Wham!
Just as it looked like Nadia was about to be thrown off, she jammed the polar impactor's stake into a gap in the Dreadnought's exoskeleton. No matter how thick or tough, it couldn't be a solid unbroken mass.
If you couldn't move, you became nothing but a target. That meant gaps would inevitably exist.
Thunk. The charged stake drove forward, energy radiating out in a spike. Instead of the exoskeleton, the comparatively weaker living tissue was disrupted. Nearly black body fluid spurted out.
A howl of mingled pain and killing intent followed. The ghouls rampaged even harder. Kanna shouted, wishing she could lob a grenade just once to blow off some steam.
While the power loader landed a hit, I reached the designated spot to lure the Dreadnought. The reason I didn't help Nadia was simple: if I joined in, it'd become a fight to the death, not a distraction. The power struggle would have to happen once the baiting was complete.
「KUAAGH!」
Even if it had accumulated damage, the Dreadnought, which had survived attacks that once pierced Blue Eye's exoskeleton, howled savagely and pounded its huge arms on the floor.
To deliver another blow, the stake needed time to recharge. Nadia knew this and disengaged instead of clinging on.
With reverse thrust from its boosters, Nadia's power loader leaped away. The Dreadnought, tracking the blue afterimage, locked eyes with me. Its gaze shone with pure murderous intent as it swept over me.
I grinned silently. I could immediately sense how that smile affected it. Enraged, the monster began charging toward us, ignoring the pain from its still-unhealed wound.
Thump, thump. Thump-thump-thump. My heart pounded fiercely, blood rushing. As its heavy body moved, the bridge shook.
My vision vibrated with the tremors, the tension sharpening my senses. My body was fully warmed up, and since I'd conserved stamina, I wasn't particularly tired.
"One at a time. Let's finish them off."
- Once you reach the target, I'll grab it—hit it then. If we keep it up, it won't have healed yet when you attack.
"Perfect."
I didn't know the position of its core. Now wasn't the time to search for it. Still, I could incapacitate it.
If the huge arms were the issue, I'd tear them off. If it was brute strength, I'd rip the tissue apart. If the thick reinforced exoskeleton was the problem, I'd aim for the gaps. There were plenty of ways.
KA-BOOM!
The infuriated Dreadnought fell for our provocation and smashed into the spot where we'd just been. Debris rained down. Its size and strength created a shockwave that blasted through the area. The air that had settled inside swirled, carrying a foul stench.
The Dreadnought's bulk grazed by, barely missing me. As our lines of sight crossed, I drew my polar impactor and dashed into the momentary pause as it recoiled from the impact.
Using the reinforced exoskeleton as footholds, I ran up its back. Each step elevated my vantage point. Standing atop the mutant, nearly twice the size of a power loader, the ceiling felt much closer. I could see the writhing creepers below crystal clear.
I looked down. The deep wound from Nadia's strike was healing in real time—but it wasn't fully restored. The gap was closed, but still looked a bit rough.
"I'm taking one of your arms."
I rammed in a stake with all my strength, pressing the trigger without hesitation. Thunk—a clear sound, and the area exploded, literally blasting apart.
「KUAAGH!」
Taking damage in the same spot again stunned the Dreadnought. With the living tissue that allowed it to wield its huge arm destroyed, it couldn't maintain balance, toppling under its own weight.
"Nadia!"
- I've got it!
The power loader grabbed one of the Dreadnought's arms. As she pulled, the already battered tissue stretched taut with ominous snaps. The regeneration tried to keep up with the destruction, but I wouldn't let it.
I pulled the polar impactor back for recharge and drew a plasma cutter, its blue blade flaring to life as I swung it recklessly—fully intent on severing the arm this time.
The Dreadnought didn't just sit back and take it, of course. Suddenly desperate, realizing the tables were turning, it rampaged—
A monster who had just been hell-bent on killing us now showed signs of retreat. It tried to shake us off, slamming itself into the wall.
It even tried to leap for a ceiling fixture, maybe to escape. For a second, the barricade almost got swept away, but I managed to limit the Dreadnought's charge.
With one arm sealed, its movement was restricted both vertically and directionally, so it kept slamming into the auxiliary armor deployed on the bridge.
One of the Beta Series was caught and ripped apart, its upper and lower halves torn in the Dreadnought's grasp. We couldn't afford to lose any more, so I cursed and dug in deeper.
It tried to assume a defensive stance, but couldn't manage it—I was keeping its reinforced exoskeleton from closing up. I could feel it straining to shake me off, but I was confident in strength contests, too.
Though I couldn't lift and throw a beast this size, I could easily prevent its exoskeleton from locking. After intense grappling, the arm finally tore off.
The already overtaxed regenerative tissue couldn't withstand the shock anymore and ripped apart. I clung to the suddenly pitching Dreadnought and shouted,
"One down!"
- I'll throw this as far as I can!
Nadia controlled the power loader, grabbing the Dreadnought's severed arm and hurling it as far as possible—just in case it could reattach.
Thunk—!
Now forced to attack and maintain its balance with only one arm, the Dreadnought grew even more frenzied, and the ghouls—having finally smashed the barricade—attacked in chaos.
Lose at this contest of will and you'd never regain the upper hand. Once you started losing, it was nearly impossible to turn the tide.
You couldn't deny the Dreadnought counted as a high-rank creature. Even with help from other ghouls, seizing control of a battleship this size was no small feat.
A ship of this scale meant a lot of crew and gear, and wiping out or infecting everyone capable of operating it was crazy to consider.
But the Dreadnought was arrogant. It didn't know us—we knew it. We hadn't seen this exact mutant before, but had faced similar types. With this experience, we could find a way and not lose our heads.
With one arm gone, the Dreadnought was no longer a threat. Even if it kept firing black spikes as a ranged attack, moving out of its line of fire was simple; to adjust, it needed to move, which left it wide open.
I worked into its openings and quickly severed its remaining arm. With its unstable lower body, it couldn't maintain balance, collapsing and writhing on the floor.
It was now without its armored exoskeleton. Its once-proud massive arms could no longer wreck the ship's systems. Its gaping maw, now battered by pulse rifle rounds, was ruined.
"Looking pathetic."
I sneered at the Dreadnought, now just a beast robbed of everything. There wasn't a trace of its former menace. Like a defanged and declawed animal, it was no longer a threat.
It still snapped at us in a last, desperate attempt to kill us. But that was all. Nadia's power loader stomped over, raised its foot, and brought it slamming down.
Crunch—
Something hard shattered, sticky body fluid splattering the floor. The Dreadnought, which had killed almost everyone but one, twitched once and moved no more.
The ghouls, witnessing this, were paralyzed with fear. Or rather, they couldn't come any closer. Hanging back, they retreated to their nests, fleeing for their lives.
Kyle collapsed to the ground with a look like he'd come back from the dead, face pale as a ghost. Kanna, panting, pointed her muzzle at the retreating monsters and asked,
"Should we clear them out?"
"It's fine. It'll all be over once we leave this place."
It wouldn't have been hard to kill the fleeing creatures. But we weren't going to use this ship, and we'd already gathered what mattered. Further fighting would only waste supplies.
"Phew..."
- Hyun-woo, nice work.
"Nothing special."
I bumped my fist against Nadia's power loader's fist. The metal was sticky with bits of flesh, but my own suit was the same, so it didn't bother me.
With combat over, all that was left was to deal with the Reformist in the panic room. Everyone's eyes moved to the large, rectangular metal box.
"Come out if you're watching."
I kicked the metal box. There was no point minding manners when nothing good would come from it, so I was rough.
If they tried to stall instead of coming out, I'd have gotten annoyed, but fortunately, the panic room's door soon began to open. They must have realized resistance was pointless.
"... Ha, so an even greater monster has come for me."
The only survivor of the massive ship, the Reformist, stepped out. This beastman, more animal than human, did their best to mask their fear but sounded exhausted.
"You had to do at least this much to survive. Not that it matters right now. Let's have a chat."
Knowing Nadia would react by gritting her teeth the moment she saw the Reformist, I waited to see if she'd take the lead. But she just stood still.
"... I don't think this is the kind of conversation I was hoping for."
Surrounded by our forces, the Reformist couldn't hide their trembling. The momentum from their earlier struggle still lingered.
"Start with your name."
"... Gedric."
- Gedric, huh... I'll look you up, see what info we have.
That was Licorice's voice, updating us on her progress.
- Oh, and the main engine is loaded on Roxy's shuttle. Once you're back, we can start debriefing—just get out for now and question them later.
I nodded in response, but right then—
- This is Griffin! To everyone on the Reformist ship: evacuate immediately!
Griffin sent an urgent transmission, her voice panicked.
― Maker!
A suspected Maker is rapidly approaching your location!
"What did you say?"
- Gravitational fluctuations have been detected, and it's heading straight for you! Is your situation still not resolved over there?!
"It's done. We'll evacuate at once. Buy us some time—don't overdo it."
- It's moving underground, so our attacks probably won't be effective, but we'll keep trying! Hurry!
After hearing the transmission, we quickly cuffed Gedric with restraints. We lowered our muzzles but took basic precautions against any tricks.
Since Gedric hadn't heard the transmission to us, he looked confused.
"What now...?!"
"Something even more dangerous than what you saw is coming for us. If you want to live, follow."
We hurried toward the fastest escape route—the auxiliary armor deployed over the bridge. Thanks to the Dreadnought's repeated charges, the fittings were much looser than before.
We pried the gap wide open using our tools and the power loader. Immediately, the outside air rushed in, a freezing wind peppered with distant explosions.
"Let's hurry. It's already very close."
"Yes!"
We exited straight out through the bridge. Climbing to the top of the ship, the landscape below looked unnaturally stretched. The phenomenon from before—a tornado—could be seen all the way from the horizon.
Why could the Maker move somewhere other than the Sea of Silence? I put that question aside. The thing's approach was so quick, all we could do was board the shuttle as fast as possible.
"Roxy! Get down here, fast!"
- What would you have done without me, friend?
"I'd have just been running myself to death, that's all!"
- I'll save you the stamina. Get in!
A shuttle descended from the sky, its door already open for quick boarding. The Reformist ship's main engine was on board, thanks to Licorice, leaving little spare room.
I hadn't realized the main engine would be so big. I hesitated, wondering if there would be space for the power loader, too.
"Roxy, can we all fit?!"
- Plenty of room!
"Damn it...! Everyone in!"
I loaded up the people first. If there was no extra space, the Beta Series could cling to the outside. If the flight got rough, one might fall off—but that was better than risking human lives.
Everyone hurried aboard, and then Nadia maneuvered the power loader into the hold. Luckily, none of the Beta Series had to be left behind. With some cramming, we just managed to fit.
With that, everyone was loaded on Roxy's shuttle. Almost simultaneously, the ground around us began to collapse.
- Unable to intercept! Unable to intercept!
The solid ground fell away like a sandcastle. Not because Griffin's weapons were pounding it, but because the Maker, moving beneath the surface, was making its presence known.
As the earth caved in, darkness swallowed the void below. The yawning abyss was the Maker's maw. The Reformist ship sank into the vast pit, bit by bit.
- Hold on tight!
The very moment Roxy's shuttle pulled away from the ship, the Maker shot up and swallowed it whole—in one gulp.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Damn, will there be a fight against the Maker?
Also, apparently it wasn't Neo.
Nadia and Gedric probably have bad blood between them based on how Nadia reacted on Gedric's voice.
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】