Estimated reading time: 6–7 minutes
Chapter 32
「The most terrifying thing about the Strain are those tentacles」
On the morning of the decisive operation, I am inside the Kōmitsu Solutions in the game, having logged into HAO since morning. I am making preparations for the day. The modifications to the Apollyon are nearly complete, with just testing remaining, but Momiji says she has something going on starting at noon, so the meeting is happening at this timing. In the entrance, Reina from 2060 sits next to me just like she had been at the donut shop back then, with Momiji sitting across from us.
「Not armored?」
「To be honest, I don’t really care about the armor. If you can hit it with a bullet, it can be crushed, so there’s nothing to fear. The problem is the tentacles hitting back against the bullets.」
It feels like I just heard some tremendously powerful words. Reina ignores the question marks popping up over my head and continues.
「It has good eyesight, and those tentacles are its sensory organs, arms, and weapons. They block anything it judges to be dangerous without hesitation. For example, it deflects nuclear bombs with those and causes them to miss direct hits.」
「Its parry skill is way too high…」
「That’s why no matter how many bullets you have, it’s meaningless if they’re all blocked. That’s where we come in to distract the tentacles’ awareness. If the armor is peeled off, even players can get damage through」
「So the first plan is to divert the tentacles’ attention and in that opening, aim bullets at the heart or brain. The other one is to destroy all the tentacles so players can directly target the heart when it’s exposed. How’s that?」
「Right. Either way, I will enter my instant-kill mode to solo target the back legs and divert its awareness. That should reduce the burden on the players even more」
「I don’t really get this instant-kill mode, but I understand what you want to do. So how many tentacles did you say there were again?」
「One hundred and twenty-one.」
「I’d like to go home now, please」
「Now now, with the first plan there’s no need to worry about that number. Besides, the tentacles aren’t constantly moving, so if you target the brief windows after they finish an attack, you should be able to destroy several in one go. How many bullets can you carry again?」
「20 rounds」
「Then that’s 6 tentacles per bullet.」
As the conversation continues, it’s true Reina and UK-08 are strong. However, I didn’t think us players, who have trouble even against Machine Beasts, could properly win. But Momiji smiles at me and says:
「Don’t underestimate fellow players.」
Those words were true. I narrowly dodge the approaching tentacle by a hair’s breadth. It’s probably close to 3 meters thick, extending several dozen meters as it roars and charges at me. One hit means I’m out, but the weight reduction from negative mass matter is saving me. And the players behind me slip under like playing limbo, letting out victory cries as they press forward.
Everyone has changed their equipment. Wearing lightweight power suits emphasizing mobility, they leap through the air as if skipping rope.
「Instadeath is f****** bullshit!!!」
「100 meters is way too freaking long, are they insane?!」
「But I do this kinda stuff in Jump Rope Online so no prob!」
I’ve been so immersed recently that I momentarily forget, no matter how realistic this is, it’s still a game. So players are hardy conquerors who know not of death or pain, and seasoned experts who have cleared many games before this one. Especially the eager players charging ahead.
I’m not playing this game alone. There’s been so much going on that it slips my mind, and it’s only been a week anyway, but fundamentally this is an MMO, so cooperating with stranger players is another form of content.
As if to shatter my pessimistic delusions, the heroes dash forth. Inspired by the sight, the anxious players who had been behind them also begin hurling themselves at the tentacles one after another.
「Please aim for the sides so you don’t hit allies! Players with low mobility or high firepower should do this! Anxious players too!」
Momiji’s voice, unusually in standard Japanese, echoes through the amplifier for all to hear. Along with it, several players spread out to the sides and begin firing their weapons. I also reload UK-08 and fill it with oxygen. Due to its design, this weapon has to gather the 3% oxygen existing in the atmosphere before it can fire. The players are making full use of that time.
「There’s an opening after it finishes moving, just like the intel said!」
「Since the tentacles have a wide range of motion, there are holes in the armor! We can counter if it’s not turtled up!」
「Rare item! Rare item!」
「I lost my lower half but at least I can still grip a gun with my upper body…」
With each swing of the tentacles, the number of players decreases. But the rate is below projections, and furthermore they’re even succeeding in destroying tentacles beyond initial expectations. That’s right, without any attack patterns or fear, this level of enemy is nothing.
Reina who was next to me steps forward.
「You going?」
「Yeah. Then, activating instant-kill mode…!」
With her expression hidden behind the mask, Reina takes out something like a canteen and connects an injection needle to the tip, then stabs it into her neck. Next she reaches out for the blades on my back.
I should have considered a little more about why they’re called beastkin. Some hints were hidden in their intense hatred for strains and any technology involving them. In other words, it’s self-hate stemming from them being family.
As a scaly silver metal starts precipitating on Reina’s skin, a single tentacle like those belonging to the Machine Beast in front of us slips out from under her pant leg.
Indeed, the “beast” in beastkin refers to Machine “Beasts”, the far more advanced second generation strains, in other words.
「Transcription initiating…! Here I go, Primordial Strain Type-0!!!」
Just like with the fusion, it’s a chimera with strains or machine beasts implanted into it.
『Machine Beasts of the Past』
It’s not like machine beasts suddenly started appearing en masse after 2050. Even before 2000, specialized heart-like structures were frequently unearthed in areas with high imaginary atoms contamination. In Russia, there was a project seeking to utilize this energy to create superhumans. The compatibility rate between structures found in a certain northern region and humans was extremely high, with beastial traits appearing in the ears, hands and feet according to records. It wouldn’t be until much later that it became known these structures were prototypes of machine beasts.
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