Outwardly I feigned doubt; inwardly, I was certain.The situation felt pretty hopeless.The eastern hub where the Pommel android production zone sits.This place, where I’d expected to find [Mother], had already become the lair of [BEHEMOTH].I grit my teeth and swallowed the despair.“If this is the case, can we even use androids…?”I sighed faintly and looked down at ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) my hands, slick with sweat.[BEHEMOTH].It wasn’t like the ordinary weird creatures.A sleek body of five meters from head to tail.It lacked the crushing bulk of [Mountain]—its frame more akin to [Jimba]’s.The real problem was its physical ability.And a human-level intelligence that could fully exploit that body.If I were to define it…It was an irrational being that meant instant death upon encounter.A being that was death itself.If I fought it at my current level—a thousand scenarios flashed through my head in an instant.Among all those outcomes, none ended with me butchering it.No matter how far it exceeded human limits, that was still within human terms.This thing transcended the standards of all living creatures; it was irrational.“All of Ark’s forces would have to form a perimeter just to fight it.”If the whole Ark unit fought it, maybe it would be possible.But right now those conditions couldn’t be met.“This reconnaissance mission… ended in failure.”There was nothing I could do here.This was not a situation where I could even try fighting it.That left only one thing.Urgently get out of here.But leaving as-is left a bitter, twisting taste in my gut.“Do I really have to go like this…?”A brief internal conflict.I looked around to see if there was anything I could still do.That action didn’t last long.Kki҉.gi҉.҉gi҉.gi.҉gi.҉gi.gi҉҉.҉gik҉!A grotesque noise.The strange sound BEHEMOTH made rang in my ears—not loud, not soft.Then the mutantss began to react.What followed made my head throb even worse.Parurururur—!!A black shadow appeared from somewhere.“Damn!”The only mammals that can fly: bats.Even hundreds of bats are threatening.But that distant black shadow was far more than just hundreds.If they swarmed onto the Black Wing—it would be really over.Once my thought cleared, I acted without hesitation.I pressed the on-screen button at once.[EMERGENCY ACCELERATION MODE]I prepared acceleration mode.The engine revved up.Even if the engine was overworked, it would push to maximum output.At full power it could only fly for about a minute.But for that moment, nothing could catch the Black Wing.Tearing through the air, about to break into the sky—another sound hit my ears.Kki҉.gi҉.gi҉.gik҉.kkik.kik҉.҉kik.҉kkeuk.kkeuk҉-?BEHEMOTH’s chilling cry.Kwa-deuk!I instinctively yanked the stick, but immediately felt a massive weight transferred to the craft.“…!!??”It was a mistake.I should have been higher.At least 150 meters up would have been safe.With a single leap BEHEMOTH had grabbed the Black Wing’s wing.The hull crashed toward the ground under that overwhelming mass.An irreversible situation.The overheated engine exploded.Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!!!My body was flung in an instant.The craft’s horsepower.And BEHEMOTH’s weight.Perhaps the craft’s power was just a bit ahead.With that extra force, the Black Wing tore through the air at explosive speed carrying the massive creature.When I looked back, four pairs of eyes were staring at me.Dangerous.If it so much as tightened its gripThe craft would crumple.“Damn—!!!”Thinking too many thoughts at a critical moment returned as a fatal mistake.Just a few seconds.Or a few dozen seconds of hesitation.The price could be my life.My heart began to pound harder and harder.At this rate, one of two things would happen:Either acceleration ends and we crash, orthe craft breaks and explodes midair.But—if I could create a third way inside that—a desperate situation.My cluttered mind suddenly cleared.I looked back at the scene.Its body was inching closer to the saddle.Kki҉.gi.҉gi.҉gi.gi҉.gi.҉҉gik҉-?It approached slowly as if to mock me.Its pupils dilated like someone who’d found an amusing toy.It saw me as nothing more or less than prey.Butit revealed something odd.Even while clinging to the craft, it didn’t seem to have the strength to tear the craft apart.Why?It didn’t take long to find the reason.“Wait….”Even from the rocking aircraft, I could clearly see its body—more precisely, the many wounds on it.“Is it… recovering from injuries?”From far away you couldn’t tell, but up close BEHEMOTH’s body was close to a wreck.Marks from countless bullets tearing it apart.Charred, shredded arms and legs.“It must have been in a fight not long ago.”At least two days ago.Did it receive devastating damage then?By whom?No.That didn’t matter now.What mattered now was that it wasn’t in normal condition.In an instant one thought filled my head.Maybe—“Now is the only time.”Only now.Only now is possible.If it’s now, maybe I can rip it apart and kill it.BEHEMOTH, which treated me like prey and tightened its grip little by little—an apocalypse capable of slaughtering an entire group by itself.It might be possible to eliminate it…now.Seeing that possibility lit a cold fire in my body.And at the same time,matching the sneer on its face,a dark smile spread across my mouth.“Xenooooon!!! Get out of here—!!!”Kaaaah—!!!With the shout, Xenon leapt off the Black Wing.We could ram the Black Wing into the ground to self-destruct with the creature, but that alone wouldn’t kill it.[‘Legendary Swordsman’ trait activated][‘Extra-sensation’ activated]All my nerves focused on a single point.Everything else felt unimportant.The only thing that mattered was that the creature was in a fatal state.And that it had lunged at me, giving me a chance.I instantly took control of the Black Wing.My button presses were fast and precise.[AUTOMATIC LANDING MODE][(Warning)][CRAFT UNSTABLE]‘Just a bit more.’Until automatic landing could be engaged.It should be possible once emergency acceleration ends.I glanced back in the meantime.BEHEMOTH was still staring at me.Its eyes curious, almost fascinated.No—that wasn’t quite curiosity.Pure malice.The kind of pure evil that ponders how to kill a living thing, without even emitting the will to live.Even as my whole body tensed at the horrific sensation, I warmed up.“Swift and decisive.”I had to kill it before it could react.If it tried to escape, not even the Black Wing could catch it. [AUTOMATIC LANDING MODE][(Warning)][CRAFT UNSTABLE]“Damn!”A monster with intelligence higher than a human’s.One that understands the traits of other entities and able to command them.If it continued to evolve, its path would differ from other evolving creatures.So kill it.Here.[AUTOMATIC LANDING MODE][(Warning)][AUTOMATIC LANDING MODE][(Warning)][AUTOMATIC LANDING MODE]“Absolutely.”[AUTOMATIC LANDING MODE][EXECUTE]Kuuuuuuuuuu…!Speed dying away.Altitude already dropping.A forest outside the city center.Perfect.Perfect for taking it on.The moment I pulled the blade, with no hesitation I slammed my foot onto the Black Wing’s saddle.[SLASH LV.5]An all-or-nothing strike.That strike was aimed at its head.Chaaaah—!!Sensing the crisis, it flung up three of its six raised arms and I cut them off.“Hup!”Air all around me —My body suspended.The moment it realized the gap, BEHEMOTH shot its tail out.Four tails hurtling toward me at lethal speed.My stance was already disrupted; slicing them was no longer possible.This time I was the one in danger.But a bitter smile remained at my lips.There is no special reason why.This was within my expectations.“Deploy barrier.”It was the moment where [Gamma] would play its role for the first time.Guwaaaang—!!!Kki҉.gi҉.gi҉.gi҉.gi.҉gi.gik.҉gik.҉gi.gik҉-!!!!Barrier deployed.[Gamma] consumes stored energy to instantaneously generate a plasma barrier.It’s not only for blocking attacks.It discharges a high-density plasma that can stop optical weapons and bullets.If a living creature were hit directly by that plasma?It would melt on the spot.One reason Gamma is a unique equipment is that the high temperature of that plasma can protect the user.As the barrier flashed, a hideous figure staggered before me. Kki҉.gi҉.gi gi҉.҉gik……A grotesque cry.BEHEMOTH’s tail partially melted away.Thick blood soaked the ground as the thing showed murderous intent.“Even though it’s only a Stage-2 specimen…”Is it already on the verge of Stage-3 evolution?Its disgusting, gradual regeneration made me wrinkle my nose.“…….”I deployed the plasma barrier to nullify its attack.I melted even its tail.On top of that I immediately aimed for the neck—but failed to end its life.A bass-like hiss came out.I’d half neutralized a tail and cut three arms in half, but that was where it ended.It was still quite alive.The remaining body was still threatening enough.What to do now?Inside the chrome-alloy reinforced suit helmet a thousand simulations ran.I couldn’t wait for its attack.Only a preemptive strike.But up to now the sword slashes I’d shown weren’t visible now.That meant one thing.Any attack would be useless.There was no opening.During that brief standoff,there was only one thing that could even approach its speed. [Slash Lv.6]A body that surged like a beam of light again aimed for its throat.Butit didn’t take long to realize that was arrogance.“Hup!”Kwaaaang-!!My body was launched upward.An immense force I’d never felt before.After a single clash my whole body felt like it would be crushed; I inwardly cried out in alarm.“Damn…!!”Kki҉.gik҉.gik҉.gik. gik҉.gik҉.gik҉?Its long, reptilian tongue flicked and continued the attack.The moment I saw that attack I instinctively knew:“I can’t block it.”The second attack can’t be stopped.If I tried, the third would come.And the fourth.My body would collapse first.So I chose to press forward instead.“Ugh!”Hoping my body could take the motion.I twisted my waist, dodging the creature’s strike midair.Swaaaak—!!Kwaaaang!Its arm.I flew toward that blind spot.At the same time, instinctively,I swung my blade at its waist.[SLASH LV.5]Chaaaaaak—!By the narrowest margin I succeeded in landing a valid hit.But when I raised my head—The half-severed tail lunged, threatening to rip the body apart.A moment of dire crisis—and a rare, fleeting chance.Its head—“Barrier—!!!!”....was within range.I still had two chances left.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.