READ NOVEL FREE Chapter 382
The ancient cannon fire ripped through the night sky. Jagged artillery bursts shot out between the armored joints of a giant Hekatonkheires, spewing forth blue and white flames.
-Zap-!
A flash seared through the air, piercing the maritime base.
This was no ordinary attack. It was the manifestation of anger and hatred accumulated over thousands of years, unleashed in a blue flash.
[Enemy… foe!]
The ancient ship trembled with rage. Advanced detection systems picked up the presence of enemies everywhere.
The wicked demons that had destroyed its creator were right here.
The cannons, boiling with fury, all fired at once. Steel structures of the base were torn apart like wet paper.
The entire platform shuddered as if screaming.
Dozens of turrets spun in a macabre dance of death, and the circuits exposed between the shattered armor pulsed ominously like a red heart.
[We will annihilate you – destroy you!]
Inside the ship, countless mists surged out like mercury.
Under the exploding flames, it gleamed coldly like metallic sand. Everywhere the mist touched, the platform and everything on it began to corrode, bubbling as if boiling.
[I am a nanobot!]
Precision machinery beyond human comprehension moved as if it had a will of its own.
A swarm made of silver mist moved busily like a horde of ants, gnawing away nearby structures and binding wires at the ship’s command.
The bodies of the Violets were no exception.
“Agh! My skin!”
The Ether Protection covering her skin sparked and clashed with the nanocloud. It was a response so intense that it couldn’t even be compared to Corbus Infection.
The furious giant’s attack didn’t stop there. Focusing its will, a massive black hole-like cavity opened up in one corner of the platform.
A powerful gravitational field twisted and warped the space. Nearby humans and machines scrambled, clutching onto columns and floors, but in the end, they were all sucked into the hole.
-Kaboom-!
Once again, beams showered down. Research facilities exploded, and hangars melted away.
Cranes and steel frameworks collapsed like a line of dominoes. The foundation’s advanced defense systems and the combat power of the Violets were mere toys before the war machine from another realm.
Anti-aircraft batteries ignited like columns of fire, while tanks, desperately firing back, shattered like glass bottles.
No one could stop it. The ship’s sensors only detected unfamiliar, alien entities they had never seen before. Persuasion or conversation would be pointless.
-Zap!
The control devices attached by the foundation sparked and fell one by one.
With an ominous energy combined with those strange creatures, the assessment came quickly.
[Detected creatures from another realm – presumed to be duplicates of Aedos]
Over the black sea, fire rained down like a meteor shower. The remnants of the base scattered like meteorites, and the platform let out a tortured groan.
Molten steel plunged into the sea, and debris from the explosions dotted the night sky like red shooting stars.
The gigantic hull slowly rotated, like a predator.
More weapons of destruction revealed themselves. While the fire from another realm ravaged the maritime base, no one could stop that frenzied fury.
[Annihilate them.]
Finally awakened, the giant began to push everything that bound it into the flames of destruction.
Our Violets were truly in an absurd situation.
No, it was not just absurd; it was dizzying.
While we were in the middle of a fight with those Rumyx goons, a wicked alien ship suddenly went berserk.
“What the hell! It’s attacking us!”
“Uwaaaah!”
Through the Financial Director’s memories, we vaguely understood what the foundation was researching.
That wicked alien ship possessed such astounding technology that once awakened, something monumental would happen.
But who could have predicted this? It awoke after a long slumber and immediately began its mad dance.
“No way! Did those Rumyx jerks order it to kill us? Eek!”
Unit 664 frantically dodged the oncoming beams and grumbled before ultimately vanishing.
We other Violets hurriedly rotated our positions, readying for counterattacks, but the scene before us was utter chaos.
“Uwaaaah! I’m gonna die! I’m getting sucked in!”
“Kkyyaaaaah!”
The ship flying low continuously burst out strange flashes. It seemed so close I could touch it, but I had no intention of getting closer.
Every time the rainbow-colored lights flashed, the maritime base crumbled like a gingerbread house.
Whenever something mist-like appeared, it melted objects upon contact, and suddenly the space twisted like a black hole, sucking surrounding objects in.
Explosions erupted high above unexpectedly.
This was a force so tremendous that it could only be explained as magic, not science.
Abilities that seemed supernatural and bizarre, like those wielded by an Apostle.
“How do we fight this!?”
In the midst of the chaos, our Violets suddenly realized something strange.
The foundation’s forces on the scene were also floundering, but their reactions were drastically divided into two.
Some fled in terror, as if they thought something that shouldn’t happen was unfolding, while others desperately turned their weapons on that alien tin can.
“Looks like they didn’t mean for this to happen.”
Our collective intelligence quickly deduced a few possibilities.
One was that the foundation had activated their artifact, losing control in the process. The other was that the artifact had awakened completely on its own.
“Either way, it doesn’t change much. Command Center, what’s the update on the other side?”
“Everything’s going smoothly except for the archer’s position!”
“Good, connecting now!”
I quickly organized the situation and made my choice.
Some of the terminal access points had resisted with self-destruction or lockdown, while a few were decoys. One was guarded by that horrifying Hellman archer.
But I had already secured one spot and intended to take the rest shortly.
Updates were proceeding smoothly, so it wouldn’t hurt to pull out at this point.
Retreat wasn’t hard. That ship seemed intent on destroying everything in this area, not just us.
I could just leave, but something nagged at me. What was that?
“I feel sick! How dare they touch us!”
Right, this maritime base was soon to be our territory.
It was unforgivable for them to meddle with our spoils.
That hunk of scrap should be destroyed quickly.
-Boom!
Both the foundation and we began firing concentrated volleys at the huge hunk of metal floating in the air.
That ship, while absorbing most of the attacks with its main armor, seemed irritated and retaliated with its cannons.
-Zziing!
“Ugh! It’s coming again! Accelerate! Accelerate!”
In this situation, the mysterious acceleration ability we had recently awakened didn’t seem very helpful.
After using it once, my head felt hot and dizzy.
“Just run!”
We Violets scattered in all directions, feeling the sensation of hair scorching as bright flashes zipped by.
Strangely, it seemed like every time we exerted ourselves, its firepower focused on us.
Screams erupted from everywhere.
“Ugh, uuaah! Take cover! Hurry!”
“Orders from above! Abandon the base!”
Unarmed personnel, whom I had no idea were hiding, began popping up like cockroaches from everywhere.
I immediately instructed the Violets managing prisoners.
“Toss the captives into the sea for now.”
“Are we killing them? Alright, let’s feed them to the sharks!”
“No! We don’t need any unnecessary deaths, do we? Give them something to stay afloat and throw them in!”
If they were talent from the foundation, we could put them to work as slaves.
The plan to capture Hellman and link him to our network to join our Violets was along the same lines.
We divided into two groups.
One to fight against that mad alien artifact, and others to infiltrate the foundation’s terminal access points and pillage other resources.
“Kyaaaah! Help me!”
“Alright! Now you are part of Ariel Group!”
We lunged into the flames, grabbing people and tossing them into the sea.
It was hilarious how they all screamed thank you as if they were being saved.
“L-Let go of me! Ugh, uahaaah!”
“This is a life jacket, got it?”
“T-Thank you! Huh? Uwaaaah!”
-Splash!
As we simultaneously collected personnel and fought, the foundation’s destruction accelerated.
Fighter jets occasionally attacked the alien ship, but it barely felt like a mosquito bite.
-Boom!
Another explosion rocked the platform. This time, the west side, which seemed to be the research complex, crumbled. Screams echoed from below.
“Kyaaaah!”
“There’s more over there!”
“Let’s grab them! Hehe!”
We three leaped into the flames, where a half-dozen individuals appeared to be trapped beneath the crumbling debris.
As we rushed to rescue them, the interior continued to collapse.
“This is dangerous! Hurry and get them out!”
-Thud! Thud!
The Violet squad firing from above suddenly flattened like dried fish under increased pressure.
My vision shook for a moment. Steel structures above literally came crashing down.
Unit 238 swiftly reached out and pulled two people out, while Units 445 and 887 each pulled one to safety.
But two still remained.
“S-Save me…”
“Ugh, what a hassle!”
Now that I had seen them, it would be hard to just ignore it.
At that moment.
“Wait, Hellman!”
Turning my gaze to where Hellman was, I saw him stagger, as if experiencing a system error, amidst the explosions and flames.
Perhaps it was because of our earlier injuries; even from behind his armor, he looked in poor shape. He kept glancing back and forth between us and then suddenly stumbled.
“…!”
He suddenly hunched over, clutching his head as if suffering from a terrible headache. Like a computer program malfunctioning.
Then his movements changed. His swaying body briefly froze and then he darted toward us.
“Oh no! He’s gathering our captives!”
Just as other Violets lifted their guns to retaliate against his attack, a bizarre noise echoed overhead. A gigantic container was tilting as if it had become a pestle, dropping right onto the structure we were on.
“Ah, we can’t save them now!”
Just as we felt a pang of regret, a black shadow sliced through the air like lightning. It was a Sword User.
“…?”
Without hesitation, he lunged for the falling container.
The Cutlass traced a silver arc as it spun viciously. Waves of fierce slashes brushed over our heads.
A cutting strike glanced off one side of the container.
In due time, a cut surface appeared. The container split in two, sliding off to one side. One half landed next to us, while the other went toward the researchers.
-Clang!
The sword fell with a cold metallic sound.
Immediately, the Sword User charged under the container. His arms, which had thrown the sword, braced the other end of the container with his body.
He trembled for a moment, then lightly tossed the container aside.
He then slightly turned his white mask toward us and down.
Earlier, he hadn’t even let out a scream when struck by a sword, but now he spoke.
“Hurry!”
The researchers hesitated for a moment at his words but quickly fled.
He shot me a meaningful glare before looking away. His gaze pointed toward the artifact hovering in the darkness.
I tilted my head. Why was he acting like that?
“That…?”
As if answering that question, the Sword User raised his gaze.
Suddenly realizing something, he grasped the fallen weapon again and aimed it.
-Paat!
He charged not toward us but toward that monstrous object dangling with pipes and cables like a spider’s web.
“Should we take that first?”
Now standing mid-air, the Sword User engaged the artifact in battle. The object wielded its wires like tentacles, whipping at him.
Could this be what they call a temporary alliance?
Just as I pondered, a familiar flash split the darkness. A blue energy sphere flew through the air as if time had stopped.
-Flash!
Hellman hastily retreated from the ship. Moments later, a violent explosion erupted and the sphere crashed against the ship’s armor.
The alien artifact twisted in the air, belching smoke.
When we turned our heads to find the sudden cause of its failing state, we all understood the reason.
In the distance, a vertical takeoff transport aircraft was hovering with the ramp wide open.
From there, a group of people jumped down like a special forces team.
Among Irene and the Scholarship Officer siblings stood none other than the orange-haired little girl.
“Hey! Why are you here!”
Why was she not in the academy dormitory? I was stunned, and Enrique hesitated.
“…I asked to help, even if it’s just at the end…”
Seeing the expressions of the others, it seemed genuine.
[Well, at least it will be enough to smash that alien ship!]
Yeah, since things were urgent, I’d deal with the details later.
Amidst the flaming maritime base, countless Violets charged at the alien artifact like a swarm of bees.
“You tin can that meddled with our spoils! Die!”