Chapter 52: Crisis!
Translated by: Chua
Edited by: TN and Elkassar
A raindrop sized lead projectile bathed in smoky fumes volleyed towards the hydralisk’s head. Yet, due to Sheyan’s natural deficiency in accuracy, a distinct crooked trajectory could be seen. The saying, a thousand mile consequence from a millimeter mistake, could be used to describe this bullet. Yet a strange mysterious happening occurred. An unknown mystical energy seemed to manipulate it, suddenly reversing the trajectory of the bullet, blatantly correcting its path!!
The inevitable hit effect had surfaced!
(TN: recalling Ambition’s Rum and Songs ability from ch 102, it possesses an inevitable hit effect)
This one lethal lead round lodged into the blood-old hydralisk’s head, sending it into a stunned stupor. After that 3 seconds of stunning effect faded, Mogensha had already regained his mobility. He hastily dove behind a cover, leaving no chance for any more hostile attacks.
Following that, Reef charged straight into the pack of zerglings. With the reliable, impregnable silver shield guarding him, he released a heart shuddering roar! A formless shock wave swept out, blowing viciously against the surrounding blood-gold zerglings. Slits of blood streamed out from their nose and eyes. Suddenly, these savage pack of carnivores experienced a huge plunge in their speed!
Shattering Cardiac Roar!
Originally, these intellectually superior nurtured zerglings wanted to charge towards the backline long range combatants – Blackthorn tribe’s hydralisk and the elite marines. They totally selectively ignored the two unmoving brutes in front. But after having their power speed reduced by half; if they persisted in their actions, it would only lead to one outcome. With their tortoise like movement, that would be becoming target practice for the barrage of bullets and torrents of acidic jets. Thus, they rerouted their target to Sheyan and Reef. Unfortunately for them, these two humans were like an unwavering solid boulder with their current attack prowess. Their skin was like granite.
In a short span of minutes, the fierce battle had concluded. In this battle, Sheyan was left with only 3 hired zerglings. Luckily, the long distance firepower team was perfectly preserved. From this scene, Sheyan’s expression had sunk even heavier. He cannot allow any more zergling casualties, if not, he would have to use a hydralisk to scout ahead. Needless to say, there would be numerous dangers lurking ahead.
For example that Tyrannical Spore Colony ahead. It was like a teacher teaching a class of barely naked and defenceless girls, but charging up to seize them would be come with a frightening backlash. On the contrary, after the arachnid guards had perished, a huge sense of threat was lingering within Sheyan’s heart; as though constantly working hard to advise him:
“Don’t go near, don’t go near! You must never, ever go near!”
After the group of them rested for ten minutes, they were waiting for their bodies to heal while discussing their attack plan. But during this peaceful moment of pondering, their nightmare imprint transmitted a notification to the trio:
“Warning! You have delayed for too long, the governing forces of the Blade Empress over this Spore Highland has detected an abnormality; dispatching additional patrolling forces. 10 minutes before arrival.”
“Warning! You have delayed for too long, the governing forces of the Blade Empress over this Spore Highland has detected an abnormality. From here on, waves of patrol would be dispatched in 30 minutes intervals, wave strength would be exponentially increased.”
“Oh! Crap!” Sheyan hadn’t had the time to curse, he instantly scanned his surroundings. Mogensha and Reef who were both respective experts, instantly identified the most suitable region for a defensive fort! Very swiftly, a patrolling arachnid wave arrived. It approximately comprised of 30 blood-gold zerglings, and 5 blood-gold hydralisk.
Furthermore, amidst the arachnid mix, was a freakish creature they had never seen before. This creature seemed to have 8 long legs like a spider. A metallic knife blade stretched out from the tip of its legs, releasing a baleful chill. Its head had the appearance of a hydralisk, but larger by 2-3 folds as compared to a hydralisk. Because of incessant sliding movement of its 8 legs, its advancing speed was relatively rapid. A golden stripe extended from its torso splitting towards the 8 long legs. It emitted a dignified demonic aura!
After Reef saw this creature, his eyes were hugely opened; immediately communicating to Sheyan.
“That is an advanced strain of the hydralisk! We encountered it previously when attempting to rescue Johnny, it surfaced at the same time as the flaming beetle! That creature is called a Lurker. It doesn’t attack over the ground surface, but can drill and burrow underground at frightening speed. While underground, it will release its razor-sharp spines in waves, wildly slashing upwards and impaling everyone. Because of that, we didn’t notice it previously, and ended up with 13 Roughneck marines dying in its hands! We definitely have to dispose of it as a priority. If not, once it burrows into the ground, then it would difficult to deal any damage to it.”
(TN: can google lurker if you wish to see its image)
“It has an AOE attack like the Sunken Colony?” Sheyan coldly glared at the carapace shell of the Lurker. The carapace was shimmering with a metallic luster. Obviously, this guy possessed extraordinary defensive capabilities! “What is its range?”
“Definitely not inferior to a marine. Although these guys cannot move while burrowed underground, but its attacking range and scope is at least comparable to our firearms. More critically, because of its underground attacks, even a bunker is useless against it. But more crucially, we have no clue if the Blade Empress’s Lurker possesses any additional enhancements!”
Naturally, Mogensha’s Sparta short spear was still in its cooldown duration. Sheyan sighed as he understood their predicament. This battle, would definitely be a hardfought victory! The only good news was, his ‘Rum and Songs’ only had a 10 minutes cooldown duration. This represented another usage within the battle.
15 minutes later, the battle finally concluded. Hidden sneakily by the side, Sheyan was successful in mounting a sneak attack. Straight away using his ‘Rum and Songs’ from the get go and inducing a 3 seconds stun, he complemented it with his ‘Electromagnetic Cloud Bomb’ resulting in a total stunning control period of 10 seconds for that blood-gold Lurker (Because the lurker had a stronger resistance to stunning effects). Thus, the long distance combat team was able to seize the opportunity to wipe out this deadly creature.
However, this patrolling wave of arachnids had ingeniously segregated itself. Under the twin tanking pillars of Sheyan and Reef, 7-8 blood-gold zerglings and blood-gold hydralisk managed to deliver attacks towards the long distance combat team! After the battle concluded, Mogensha was now blind in one eye because of the acid. Sheyan and Reef didn’t really incur much wounds. Instead, his entire hired zerglings were utter annihilated, and only 1 hydralisk had survived but was bitterly injured. The human race wasn’t spared either, as only 3 elite marines were left!
It was obvious. They had to complete the mission within the next 30 minutes, at least destroying this Tyrannical Spore Colony in front of them. They no longer hoped for additional rewards. They had to at least, prevent themselves for incurring the penalty of failure! Although his perceptive sensing was transmitting extremely clear warnings, Sheyan still ordered the final heavily wounded hydralisk to scout they way ahead. Inching forward to the Tyrannical Spore Colony with its swaying body.
A hundred metre, nothing.
80 metres, nothing.
50 metres……… suddenly, this heavily wounded hydralisk exploded! Its flesh and green body fluids spraying in all directions! Its flesh landed on the ground, rapidly dissolving like butter on a burning pan. In mere seconds, its existence was completely erased. At the instance of the tragic explosion, a golden brilliance flashed out visibly, as though trying to puncture people’s heart!
Sheyan turned to look at Mogensha who possessed the best vision. His expression sullen as he asked.
“Did you see it?”
Mogensha swallowed his saliva, his dry and hoarse voice sounded out.
“I saw it, it’s the impaling strike of a Sunken Colony, that attack was ruthlessly brutal, incisive and swiftly precise! It was brimming with blood lust! However, its attack speed seems to be only half of an ordinary Sunken Colony! Yet with every strike, two deathly pale, bloodstained tendrils will surface! The pointed tip of the tendril radiates with a golden flicker! Moreover, the position of that blood-gold Sunken Colony is extremely cunning, to deliver far range firepower against it, one has to make a big round over! However to do so, we would have to enter its attacking range. There has to be someone to tank its firepower first!”
Naturally, this should very well by the Tyrannical Spore Colony’s final defensive line – Blood-gold Sunken Colony! Thus, the pivotal role would fall onto Sheyan and Reef. If the two were able to withstand the assaults from the blood-gold Sunken Colony, then they would be able to destroy that Sunken Colony and complete the mission! But the crux of the matter is…… can they withstand it?
If they played the alternating swapping method, then the problem lies in the ability to attract the attention and aggro of the Sunken Colony. For example, if Sheyan was currently tanking and he cannot withstand any longer, then Reef must be able to attract the Sunken Colony’s aggro at the critical moment; and he had to ensure it would only attack himself.
Fortunately, this problem was quickly resolved by Baiise. He very confidently mentioned to Sheyan; according to the human race intelligence, every Sunken Colony is programmed to attack only the closest hostile enemy. Unless, the Overmind personally commanded and controlled it to attack otherwise. Moreover, there doesn’t seem to be any Overmind present within the Blade Empress’s forces. They would only obey the commands of the Blade Empress! Lucky for them, the Blade Empress herself wasn’t here, hence, this was a weakness they could very well exploit.
For the next step, very possibly the most important one, it was for Sheyan and Reef to personally experience the attacking might of the Sunken Colony. Instead, the test concluded with everyone getting icy cold water poured down onto their head! Although the blood-gold Sunken Colony’s attacking duration/interval was relatively longer, and could only attack once roughly every 6-7 seconds, but its damage output…… it reached at least an atrociously terrifying 200 points – 250+ points!! Furthermore, its regenerative prowess were not only dreadfully fast, its health point was estimatedly close to 7,000 HP!!