Chapter 57: Beyond the City

Jim picked up a D200 assault rifle, and Daly chose the same weapon. Their selections were made to ensure a balance of firepower and maximum lethality, so neither opted for anything too specialized.

“David, do you want to choose a spare gun?” Jim asked, noticing that Myron was holding David’s imitation of the Death’s Eye.

“Jim, no need, I have this!” David answered with a smile, patting the sword sheath on his back.

“David, we’re not armored warriors. Cold weapons may sound powerful, but it all depends on who’s wielding them!” Though De Quincy was less than friendly toward David due to his closeness with Myron, he bore no malice and offered his advice.

“Don’t worry, David is a genius!” Myron turned and replied.

Jim instantly fell silent. The last time Myron had said that, he’d witnessed David pass the military sniper training assessment with his Death’s Eye imitation.

The others, seeing Jim quiet, refrained from further persuasion.

In any case, the weapons in everyone’s hands were more than enough for whatever trouble they might encounter.

Sergeant Boris remained behind on the heavy armored hover vehicle, with its two mounted heavy machine guns as his weapons.

Jumping down from the vehicle, David first caught a faint scent of blood in the air.

Myron found a protruding boulder, set up his Death’s Eye imitation, and began searching for his target.

“Daly, you cover the left. De Quincy, you watch the right. David, keep an eye on the rear—call out if anything happens. I’ll lead the way!” Jim instructed, holding his D200 rifle.

“Jim, what about me?” Myron interjected, not hearing his own assignment.

“Don’t leave your current spot. Sergeant Boris on the vehicle can protect you, and your sniper rifle can reach any larva within two kilometers. If you’re dissatisfied, switch to a mid-range weapon and join us!” Jim said helplessly.

They wouldn’t be straying more than two kilometers from the armored vehicle anyway; in fact, Myron was the safest among them, perched atop a boulder and covered by Boris’s twin machine guns at close range.

“Then you all go ahead, I’ll protect you!” Myron responded, quite satisfied with the arrangement.

“Myron, don’t aim within ten meters of me—I don’t trust your marksmanship!” David instructed, recalling Myron’s shooting skills with some unease.

Myron’s marksmanship had been honed in the windless environment of the shooting range, and in these conditions, who could say how much accuracy would remain?

“Myron, don’t shoot in our direction!” Jim reminded, remembering Myron wasn’t exactly a veteran.

Even De Quincy, glancing at the Death’s Eye imitation in Myron’s hands, instinctively shrank his neck, wondering if Myron’s unreliable aim would end up blowing his head off.

After repeated reminders, Myron promised not to fire recklessly, ending the chaos before their mission had even begun.

“Set your identity bracelets to channel 988 and keep communication clear!” Though the excursion posed little danger, Jim insisted on following protocol.

Ten meters above David’s head, the Shadow Attendant had already begun surveying the surroundings.

From this height, everything within several hundred meters was visible, especially given the Shadow Attendant’s crystal-clear vision. As long as it was within sight, David could observe every detail through it.

He was confident that unless the insectoids hid behind rocks, none could escape the Shadow Attendant’s gaze.

The four-man team moved forward, David taking the rearguard.

“Jim, why doesn’t the city defense attack the larvae?” David asked, noting their proximity to Pelan City—still well within the city’s defensive perimeter. Yet larvae appeared here; did the city defense simply ignore them?

“City defense only deals with Tier One insectoids. Larvae are normally handled by hunters or crows. On one hand, hunters and crows need the income; on the other, if city defense weapons were used to attack larvae, the daily expenditure would be enormous. Of course, if larval numbers become abnormal, the city defense battalion will sortie for a sweep, and if that fails, they'll deploy Interceptor drones for bombing!” Jim explained as they walked.

David had heard before that larvae could never be eradicated, thanks to the insectoid reproductive method. Vast numbers of larvae lurked underground, and when energy was plentiful, they would refrain from evolving, instead splitting into more larvae to gather energy anew.

Under such circumstances, complete extermination was impossible; only repeated purges could keep them in check.

Fortunately, Rock Star was desolate, with little energy to be replenished, so larvae could at best evolve into Tier One insectoids. The chance of evolving further into Tier Two was very low, the key being constant clearing and energy scarcity.

On planets closer to Battle Star, the harm caused by Tier Two and higher insectoids forced the Galactic Federation to deploy greater military power to those worlds.

Just then, the Shadow Attendant spotted a pointed head peeking from behind a stone twenty meters ahead. Before David could warn the group, Jim’s D200 rifle barked.

A burst of accurate fire struck the head.

A piercing scream followed, then a pool of green blood oozed out, spreading around the stone.

“Ha! Such luck!” Jim laughed, rushing forward. Despite his delight, he remembered to fire a triple burst at the fallen larva’s head, confirming its death before stopping.

As the larva fell, the Shadow Attendant above David’s head darted forward, stopping ten meters ahead, inhaling deeply.

David sensed a trace of energy being absorbed into the Shadow Attendant’s body, though it was extremely faint, nothing like the refreshing sensation from absorbing a human soul.

“David, come over here—I’ll teach you how to dissect a larva!” Jim called to David, who stood still.

“Coming!” David withdrew part of his consciousness from the Shadow Attendant, responding as he hurried toward Jim.

Behind the stone, he saw the insectoid larva in its entirety.

This larva was slightly smaller than a human adult, its body wrapped in a thin shell, curled up with eight pairs of slender legs beneath it—two pairs notably longer, tipped with sharp spines.

Its earth-gray exterior made it easy to overlook in this environment.

“David, the first cut is to sever the larva’s brain nerve!” Jim took a dagger from beside his leg and stabbed it into a gap in the larva’s shell on its back.

“No matter what, remember: insectoids are incredibly resilient. Even a dead insectoid should never be taken lightly—one mistake from our fragile bodies could cost us dearly!” Jim continued.

David nodded, watching Jim’s movements intently.

With Jim’s explanation, the seemingly sturdy shell was deftly removed in just a few strokes.

Beneath the shell, two pieces of strengthened flesh, distinct from the rest, were exposed. Jim sliced each end of the strengthened flesh, then pulled the two strips free.

“David, do you dare eat it now? Only flesh extracted on site works best!” Jim laughed, holding up the two strips for David.

David took them, noticing the sticky larval fluid still clinging to the flesh, and felt his stomach churn.

But he knew this was a hurdle he must cross. He’d heard many armored warriors gained strength during battle precisely because of the fresh supply of strengthened flesh.

He closed his eyes, put the flesh in his mouth. The long strips had not been processed, unlike the neatly portioned pieces bought at home.

With nearly a thousand kilograms of force, his teeth were strong and powerful; this raw strengthened flesh was not as unpleasant as expected. The taste was much like the processed flesh at home, with a hint of sweetness.

Soon, he realized the sweetness likely came from the sticky larval fluid, and he forced down another wave of nausea, chewing faster.

“Good!” Seeing David finish the two strips, Jim, Daly, and De Quincy cheered loudly.

They had all been through this themselves and knew well what it felt like the first time—everyone here had vomited before.