SWNOVELXO Chapter 106: Against the Beast
Following Zack's command, the three mechanical dogs stationed at the warehouse leaped from their positions, swiftly marking a triangular strike zone with their beacon systems. Moments later, from high-rise buildings in the distance, hundreds of Ant and Spiders unleashed their firepower. Hundreds of micro-missiles streaked through the night sky like a storm of fiery meteors, lighting up the city as they homed in on the triangular coordinates.
At the center of this targeted zone stood the Tyrant Beast. It had just crushed one of the mechanical dogs with its massive whip-like claws and was turning to attack another when the missiles struck. The onslaught began.
A torrent of micro-missiles rained down in rapid succession, engulfing the six-meter-tall monster in a fiery inferno. Each explosion was like a hammer blow, the earth itself trembling beneath the relentless barrage. The shockwave tore at the beast's heavily armored body, while flames licked hungrily at its frame. It was as if the Tyrant Beast had been thrown into a furnace of destruction.
Nearby, windows shattered as buildings two or three blocks away felt the shockwaves, raining shards of broken glass onto the streets below. "Don't let up! Keep firing!" Zack barked, his voice sharp. "Ava, angle the cannon and hit the target with everything you've got!"
Ava, piloting the Avalon above, responded immediately. She nosedived the aircraft, and the 30mm Vulcan cannon mounted beneath its hull roared to life. A fiery stream of depleted uranium armor-piercing rounds cascaded down from the sky, striking the triangular target zone with precision. The sheer force of the impact ripped apart the surrounding area, and even the unfortunate mutated Lord caught within the zone couldn't escape its fury.
Already weakened and covered in wounds, the mutated Lord was pounded by dozens of projectiles and micro-missiles. With a desperate, guttural roar, it was torn to pieces, its body shredded by the storm of firepower. The bombardment lasted over ten seconds—an eternity in battle. Thousands of micro-missiles and depleted uranium rounds poured into the area, reducing much of the place to blazing ruins. Fires raged uncontrollably, and smoke blackened the skyline.
The triangular impact zone itself had been obliterated. The Tyrant Beast's last known location was now marked by a massive crater, large enough to fit a basketball court. Flames roared within the depths, and molten debris glowed red-hot. "Send a dog to check it out," Zack ordered, his tone calm despite the chaos.
A mechanical dog equipped with a life scanner darted from the building, racing toward the crater. As it approached, the temperature spiked to levels hot enough to melt steel. The concrete had vaporized, replaced by smooth, glass-like soil baked by the intense heat. Streams of molten metal and magma pooled within the crater.
Radiation from the depleted uranium rounds lingered in the air, wreaking havoc on the dog's systems. Sparks erupted from its frame as it stumbled, its signal scrambled by the interference. Moments later, the machine collapsed near the edge of the pit. "Forget it. I'll go myself," Zack said, activating the thrusters on his suit. Jets of plasma erupted from his boots as he descended into the crater. Flames and smoke swirled around him, and the high-tech Apex suit absorbed the brunt of the heat and radiation.
Zack knelt by the fallen dog, inspecting it briefly. "Radiation fried its components," he muttered. He straightened and began walking toward the pit's center, his footsteps echoing against the glassy surface of the crater walls. The intense heat had transformed the soil into a brittle, ceramic-like material that cracked beneath his weight.
"Sir, I've detected a weak life signal," Ego, his AI companion, reported.
"What?" Zack froze, scanning the crater.
His HUD was useless—interference from the radiation had rendered most of his systems nonfunctional. Forced to rely on his own eyes, Zack peered into the depths of the pit. Then, he saw it. At the very bottom lay a massive black shell, its surface cracked and steaming. It was a hemisphere, five to six meters in diameter, resembling an enormous, armored turtle shell. Streams of molten magma seeped through the cracks, glowing ominously.
The life signal was coming from within. "A high-level zombie?" Zack speculated, his jaw tightening.
Then a chilling thought struck him. "The fittest survive..." he murmured. The Zeta virus was evolving. The idea that it might not be of Earthly origin crept into his mind, unsettling him.
"Sir! The life signal is intensifying!" Ego's urgent voice pulled him from his thoughts.
The black shell began to tremble. Cracks widened as molten lava spilled out, and a deep, guttural roar echoed from within. The Tyrant Beast was still alive—and it was waking up.
Without hesitation, Zack activated his thrusters and shot away from the pit. He wasn't about to take unnecessary risks before understanding the full extent of the Tyrant Beast's abilities. "Ego, lure this thing out of the city," Zack ordered, his tone calm yet decisive. His gaze shifted to Bear Mountain in the distance. "Direct it to Bear Mountain."
"Understood. Deploying the spiders now," Ego responded smoothly.
Moments later, the mechanical army's cannon fodder—the spiders—began mobilizing. "ROAR!"
A deafening bellow echoed from the blazing pit, loud enough to shake the ground like thunder. The force of the sound sent shockwaves rippling outward, extinguishing the flames and clearing the air of smoke and dust. As the pit came back into view, the massive shell-like structure that had shielded the Tyrant Beast was gone. In its place stood a new form—a towering figure over four meters tall. It was smaller than before but still intimidating.
The Tyrant Beast's body now had a crocodile-like texture, with thick, armor-like skin that glowed faintly black in the firelight. It took one slow, deliberate step out of the pit, its movements heavy yet deliberate. It roared again, its glowing eyes locking onto Zack, who hovered in mid-air. Despite its intimidating appearance, Zack could tell the creature wasn't as strong as it seemed.
The truth was, the Tyrant Beast wasn't a single organism but a cluster of countless viral fibers working together. Its ability to change form was both its strength and its weakness. The saturation bombing had destroyed its structure repeatedly, forcing it to adapt in real time. Though it had managed to survive, the damage was clear—its once-massive body had shrunk significantly, and its movements lacked the vigor it once displayed.
Still, its rage was palpable. Its glowing eyes burned with an unsettling intelligence as it glared at Zack. "Sir, the spiders are in position and engaging the target," Ego reported.
On the ground below, dozens of spiders lined up, forming a trail from the warehouse to Bear Mountain. The nearest spiders opened fire, unleashing a hailstorm of tungsten-core bullets at the Tyrant Beast. The bullets struck its crocodile-like armor but failed to penetrate. Sparks flew in every direction as the rounds ricocheted harmlessly off its body, adding fuel to the creature's mounting fury.
"ROAR!" With a burst of energy, the Tyrant Beast crouched low and leaped into the air, its massive frame slamming down onto one of the spiders. The impact obliterated the mechanical unit, sending its shattered remains flying in all directions. The other spiders didn't retreat. They continued firing relentlessly, their red-hot barrels almost brushing against the creature's legs.
Boom!