Chapter 747.3: The Sacrifice For Humanity
Chapter 747.3: The Sacrifice For Humanity
Meanwhile, deep beneath the bedrock of Blood Peak.
Alpha-1006 led Sideline Slacking, Eye Owe Money, and the others deeper into the underground passages.
The remaining strength of the Alpha Mobile Task Force was almost entirely gathered there.
What was truly sobering was that the battalion, originally over a thousand strong, only 112 members remaining.
As for Sideline Slacking's group, besides a dozen or so brothers, there were only the 20 oddly shaped "babies" raised by Eye Owe Money.
The tunnel they were walking through had been mapped at the cost of nearly 1,000 drones and over 100 operatives.
By tracking the bodies of the fallen members of the 13th squad, they had already pinpointed the Hive's approximate location.
Most of the Bloodhoof Clan's Plague Monks had been tied down near the palace of Prophet Sodo. Ironically, the place, which should have been the most heavily guarded, was defended by only a few dozen creatures.
Sideline Slacking estimated that something had gone wrong with the Bloodhoof Clan's command structure. Otherwise, considering how meticulous their overall deployment had been, they should never have left such a critical location vulnerable.
For example, the Great Lord of Plague seemed to require either the Beast King or the Prophet in order to communicate with its underlings.
After all, those Plague Monks were not its true offsprings. If both the Beast King and the Prophet became too occupied at the same time, the already primitive communication methods of their forces would likely become completely clogged.
In truth, even their own command system struggled in these complicated tunnel networks.
Signals frequently cut in and out. Even without considering the electromagnetic pulse traps hidden throughout the tunnels by the Torch Church, the solid rock itself formed a natural barrier.
Sideline Slacking had no idea how the Alphas maintained their level of coordination.
As for the Death Corps, they relied heavily on their offline scheduled communications cheat to relay important information.
"Is something wrong?" Noticing the Death Corps commander repeatedly glancing at him, Alpha-1006 turned his emotionless gaze toward him.
Seeing that he had been noticed, Sideline Slacking decided not to hide his curiosity. "No. I'm just personally curious... how do you people communicate with each other?"
Alpha-1006 replied, "It's very simple. Our thoughts are shared. Every one of us serves as a communication node."
Hearing that, Eye Owe Money wore a strange expression before asking, "But... what if you accidentally think about something weird?"
Since it apparently wasn't classified information, Alpha-1006 answered without hesitation. "That isn't a concern for us. Portions of our cerebral cortex have been surgically removed. Even necessary thought processes are carried out from the perspective of the Alpha Mobile Task Force as a whole."
"Removed..." Eye Owe Money blinked. "But why go that far?"
"Why?" Alpha-1006 pondered briefly before answering again. "I don't know what the higher-ups were thinking. Perhaps it was to improve combat effectiveness. Perhaps it was to eliminate other hidden risks. But even setting those reasons aside, don't you think it's convenient?"
"Convenient?" Eye Owe Money stared blankly at the man.
Alpha-1006 nodded. "Even from the perspective of an individual, meaningless wandering thoughts only create unnecessary suffering. Whether our sacrifices have meaning, what rewards await us after victory, or why we're only allowed to eat four bowls of rice with toppings per meal..." He paused before he continued, "Even if we knew the answers, nothing would change. In that case, I see nothing wrong with saving that processing power. At the very least, we can enjoy the time we have left according to the plan without unnecessary worries."
After a brief pause, he added, "And on that note, I should thank you all. Originally, our lives were supposed to end half an hour ago. Now... perhaps we'll even live long enough to eat tomorrow's breakfast."
For some reason, Sideline Slacking suddenly felt a trace of sympathy toward him. His throat tightened as he said, "... When we get back, breakfast is on me. Eat as many bowls as you want."
Alpha-1006 nodded. "I appreciate the gesture, but money isn't the issue. Still... we're rather looking forward to seeing what's new in the cafeteria tomorrow."
Looking at the rigid soldier, Sideline Slacking could only give a helpless smile. Eventually, he sighed, "Then at least eat together with us."
He could simply order a few extra dishes. Those people who always ate the exact same meals could use some variety.
After thinking for a moment, Alpha-1006 nodded. "That won't be a problem."
Their commander had never forbidden them from dining alongside allied troops. It was simply because people found them boring and preferred not to sit too close.
The objective was drawing nearer and the foul stench in the air grew thicker and thicker.
Everyone became fully alert, falling silent as not another word was spoken.
Soon, a vast underground chamber came into view. At its center yawned a massive sinkhole over 100 meters across. Around its edge stood wooden and iron structures, decorating the cavern like some mysterious ritual altar.
Besides the altar, more than 100 Plague Monks with three heads and six arms waited.
Their ugliness defied description.
Compared to them, even the many-legged beasts covered in tentacles looked downright adorable.
The moment they spotted the intruders, the Plague Monks shrieked and charged forward, intent on tearing them apart.
Unfortunately, against the fully assembled task force, such numbers were little more than cannon fodder. The soldiers of the Academy had long since become accustomed to these monsters' bizarre fighting styles and nearly absurd regenerative abilities.
Keeping their distance and maintaining alternating fields of fire, they effortlessly pinned all the monsters down inside the tunnels.
It didn’t take long for the group to arrive at the edge of the enormous pit. Dark crimson mist seemed to be drifting upward from within.
Simply standing at the edge and looking down was enough to make one feel death lurking below.
The Alpha Protozoan around them became increasingly restless, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not infect any one of those scary fellows who arrived.
Somewhere deep within, a faint call echoed upward. It sounded like the howl of a beast, or perhaps a desperate plea for mercy.
Sideline Slacking gave Eye Owe Money a meaningful glance.
It’s time.
Although he had known exactly what the mission entailed all along, and couldn't find a single fault with the administrator's compensation package, actually throwing away the babies he had raised with his own hands still made his heart ache.
He wasn't truly heartless, after all.
Looking at the rotund little fellows with their swollen bellies, he muttered softly, "Little Gray... Little Little Gray... Little Little Little Gray... don't blame Daddy after you go down there. Daddy doesn't have a choice. It's all the administrator's fault..."
Listening to him ramble, Sideline Slacking rolled his eyes. If this bastard was really that reluctant, why had he accepted the [Selling Your Wife] mission in the first place?
Nobody had forced him... There were plenty of Crunchers in Clearspring City!
Sure, not many had been fattened up this much. but he could've just raised more.
Before Eye Owe Money even finished speaking, the 20 of them seemed to have grown tired of listening. They let out soft "Yiwu" cries as a farewell before walking over to the edge and jumped into the pit themselves.
They were merely tiny cells of Little Feather. Long before entering the cave, Little Feather had already issued them their orders. They never needed a command to carry out the mission to the very end.
Eye Owe Money, however, looked utterly devastated. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Holy shit?! They’re that realistic?!"
He hadn't even gotten the chance to properly say goodbye to his children!
Sideline Slacking rolled his eyes at him. "They're Little Feather’s sub-entities to begin with. They don't even have self-awareness. What were you expecting?"
Standing nearby, Drumhead Washing Machine couldn't help adding, "Exactly! You thought 100 Silver is enough to buy yourself a wife? Are you dreaming?"
"God damn it!"
Ignoring the players' bickering, Alpha-1006 stepped to the edge of the pit and looked down. "So... that's all it takes?"
Patting Eye Owe Money on the shoulder, Drumhead Washing Machine laughed. "Probably! Our job's done. The rest depends on Little Feather. Worst case, we can throw this guy down there too. He's carrying a part of Little Feather as well."
Eye Owe Money quickly turned away. "Fuck no! Get lost!"
Alpha-1006 nodded. Looking into the abyss, however, he frowned slightly. The indicator inside his helmet showed that the surrounding spore concentration was changing rapidly.
Clearly, those sub-entities truly were poison to the Hive beneath them. However, poison was always relative.
The Hive beneath them was fundamentally different from the one in Clearspring City. The latter shared most of its organic matter with its children. The one before them hoarded nearly everything for itself.
The two had chosen completely different paths of evolution.
If the Clearspring City’s Hive was like a king who had granted titles to countless knights and lords, the Hive before them resembled a wizard secluded within an ivory tower. It was so miserly that it refused to share even its own biomass, instead expanding its territory through the strength of its followers.
"... Alpha Protozoan concentration is decreasing. Spore concentration is increasing."
"Alpha Protozoan eruptions have ceased. Aggression is decreasing... Has it judged the danger to be gone? Or does it simply lack the strength to continue?"
"If it's the latter, spore concentration should also be falling."
"'Victory is assured, then?"
"... This is disgusting. Let’s hurry and end it."
"If that's a conclusion based on the number of sub-entities already committed... 20 of them are probably insufficient to completely consume it. Another possibility also exists. Sub-entities alone cannot devour it. Something else is required."
"Possibility of requesting additional sub-entities from the rear?"
"0%. Transmitting the message alone would require at least an hour. According to information provided by allied forces, the rear is already facing an emergency situation and cannot spare reinforcements. If the Hive adapts to Little Feather's devouring ability, or acquires its genetic traits and evolves specifically to counter it, this method of attack will lose all deterrent value."
Within only a few breaths, the entire squad completed their discussion through wireless transmissions and they all arrived at the same conclusion.
The attack was working, but it wasn't enough.
After glancing at the allied players laughing and fooling around nearby, Alpha-1006 turned to Sideline Slacking and spoke without warning. "... Looks like I'll have to cancel breakfast tomorrow."
Sideline Slacking froze. Eye Owe Money, who had been grabbing Drumhead Washing Machine by the head, also stopped in surprise.
Before any of the players could react, Alpha-1006 had already removed his exoframe, gas mask, and helmet.
Only then did Sideline Slacking realize Alpha-1006 was actually a long-haired young woman.
No one could have guessed it from her voice alone...
Not just Alpha-1006. Every Alpha simultaneously removed their weapons and equipment, leaving everything neatly behind.
While the batteries inside their exoframe could certainly serve as a final explosive, destroying the Hive was not their objective.
Besides, such insignificant damage meant nothing against a lifeform of such a magnitude. Only strategic bombardment could truly annihilate it.
The real final bullet was the Little Feathers living inside their own bodies.
After countless cycles of injury and healing, that tiny organism had become part of them. It had grown alongside them.
They could all sense that the little fellow didn't particularly like them. much like the other survivors back at the military base.
Whatever it was, it didn't matter. Not a single one of them hesitated. Calmly, they walked toward the bottomless abyss. Without so much as a pause in their stride, they jumped.