novelbin Chapter 246 246: Swallowed
Chapter 246 246: Swallowed
"So, are you absolutely sure this is the right spot?"
At the surface excavation site in Sector B11, a base manager asked the question with heavy anxiety.
An hour had passed since the nuclear explosion triggered the massive underground cave-in. No one knew how long the men buried beneath the rubble could hold out.
Time was of the essence. The faster they dug, the higher the survival rate!
Much like a surface earthquake, the first 72 hours after a collapse were the "golden window" for search and rescue. However, there was one major prerequisite for a successful extraction: they had to dig in the exact right location! If they dug a massive hole in the wrong sector, starting over would cost them precious time they simply didn't have.
Unfortunately, despite all their advanced technology, there was no radar or scanner capable of pinpointing Captain Jason and his team through 500 meters of dense, mineral-rich bedrock. Radio communication was completely dead.
Their entire operation relied on the Super-Dog, Shadow.
Could a dog really smell the scent of superalloys buried half a kilometer underground? Many were skeptical, even though the animal's olfactory senses had been heavily mutated and enhanced by the Perfect Element...
After running the search grid several times, the Marine handler holding Shadow's leash nodded with absolute certainty. "Yes, sir! Shadow has locked onto the scent of powered armor directly below us, and he's reading a massive cluster of it! It's the distinct chemical signature of our chassis superalloys!"
Having worked closely with the Super-Dog for months, the handler knew how to read the animal's behavior perfectly. Shadow was incredibly intelligent, far smarter than any standard military K-9. He was meticulous on the job, and he wouldn't give a false positive on something this critical.
"Then... let's break ground! Concentrate all digging efforts right here!" With no other viable options, the base manager gave the green light. He then hurriedly relayed the confirmation back to The Ark command center.
Thousands of automated heavy excavators and transport drones were already on standby in the perimeter. Upon receiving the command, the machines roared to life, beginning their automated excavation with earth-shattering force.
Drills spun, massive scoops moved earth, and nearly six thousand heavy-lift dropships hovered in the sky above! The dropships worked in a continuous relay, transporting the excavated rock and sand hundreds of kilometers away to prevent the massive debris piles from causing a secondary surface landslide.
Based on the engineering team's calculated blueprints, the machines would dig in a massive, concentric circle, slowly carving out a highly stable, funnel-shaped crater. Because the upper crust in this sector was composed of relatively soft soil, the initial phase of the dig proceeded at a blistering pace...
"You have a solid lock on their coordinates? Excellent, excellent... Push the machines to their limits! Report back the second you breach the cavern roof!"
Back at The Ark, Austin was visibly relieved to hear the news. Still, his stomach would remain tied in knots until Jason and the others were physically pulled from the rubble.
For now, all command could do was wait...
Meanwhile, on the third subterranean level, seven hundred meters below the surface...
Marine Leo was locked in a fierce skirmish with the reptilian natives.
"Come on! I'll show you what a Federation Marine can do!"
Encouraged by the cheers of his trapped squadmates, Leo's adrenaline surged. His face flushed with heat behind his visor, and he let out a furious battle cry as he launched himself forward.
This was a matter of pride for the Federation; he absolutely refused to be humiliated by a bunch of primitive cave-dwellers!
In a split second, his powered armor propelled him ten meters into the air, effortlessly clearing the massive spike trap. A leap of that magnitude was biologically impossible for a baseline human, yet the mechanical servos handled it with ease. Experiencing the sheer, raw power of Federation engineering gave Leo an unprecedented surge of confidence!
Bring it on!
He roared, pushing his thrusters to accelerate. The suit's internal AI automatically calibrated his movements, optimizing his speed based on his neuro-link intentions. The Marines had trained relentlessly for three years to understand the absolute limits of this armor. It felt like an extension of his own body, a mechanized organ capable of devastating force!
But as fast as Leo was, the reptilian natives were faster.
Their subterranean world was a brutal, unforgiving nightmare. In such a hyper-lethal environment, how could a species survive to build a society without possessing flawless combat instincts? Anything slow had been eaten centuries ago!
Leo charged straight into the pack, but the lizardmen simply pushed off their powerful hind legs, scattering and bouncing high into the air in every direction.
"Fah!" one of the taller Lizardmen hissed, landing perfectly in a crouched fighting stance.
None of the natives retreated. Instead, they fearlessly raised their crude wooden spears and hurled them directly at the armored giant.
Human reaction speed has a hard biological cap. Even with the neural-assist of the powered armor, Leo simply couldn't dodge them all. Clang! Clack! In the blink of an eye, half a dozen spears struck his chassis, bouncing harmlessly off the reinforced plating.
Annoyed, Leo swiped his heavy mechanical arms, snapping several of the wooden shafts in two, sending splinters flying. But the creatures were incredibly cunning. They darted in and out of his reach, and he failed to grab even a single scale.
After just one exchange, Leo realized he was outmatched in sheer agility.
These primal lizards possessed combat reflexes far beyond his imagination. They moved with blinding speed, faster and more erratic than the most agile jungle cats! By comparison, Leo was a slow, clumsy elephant. They could poke, prod, and distract him from all sides, and by the time his heavy armor pivoted to strike, they were already gone.
It was incredibly frustrating. He was heavily armed, but under strict orders from Sergeant Will, he couldn't fire his plasma rifle or ignite his plasma-saw! Using his lethal weaponry would result in a massacre, ruining any chance of diplomacy.
But trying to catch these creatures bare-handed was like a blindfolded man trying to catch a fly.
The Lizardmen were small, but they were incredibly strong and possessed boundless stamina. Leo couldn't lay a finger on them, and every few seconds, another wooden spear would jab against his armor.
Fortunately, his powered armor was essentially a walking tank. The primitive wooden spears couldn't even scratch the paint, making him entirely invincible to their attacks.
Because he wasn't in any real danger, his squadmates at the bottom of the trap weren't the least bit worried. In fact, they were laughing and actively gloating over his clumsy performance, which only fueled Leo's embarrassment and anger.
"Get 'em, Leo! Use your legs!"
"Watch your six! He's right behind you!"
After a few more useless ding-dong sounds of spears bouncing off his helmet, Leo grew rash. He spun around wildly, only to have his heavy boot snag on a thick, concealed tripwire.
Losing his center of gravity, the mechanized suit tipped over, crashing to the cavern floor with a heavy thud.
"Gara-tak!"
The reptilian natives erupted into excited cheers at the sight of the steel behemoth falling. Immediately, they hurled massive, heavy woven nets over him, pinning his limbs to the ground. They fully intended to capture the giant alive!
"Damn it, I'm pinned!"
Leo struggled violently against the restraints, but he was shocked to find that the alien vines used for the netting were exceptionally dense. Even the hydraulic strength of his powered armor struggled to snap them through brute force alone.
A wave of crushing dejection washed over Leo. If he hadn't been wearing military-grade armor, he would have been severely wounded by the spears, and he'd likely be dragged off to be eaten by these indigenous lizards.
If Captain Jason were here, he would have subdued them instantly, Leo thought bitterly. Or if Captain Marcus was in command, he would have devised a tactical counter-measure... I'm just too inexperienced.
Experiencing his first real tactical failure, the young Marine's mind began to race with self-doubt.
"...You idiot! Why the hell aren't you using your plasma-saw?!"
Sergeant Will's furious voice crackled over the comms, cutting through the laughter of the other Marines. They had all managed to climb out of the spike pit and were currently watching, highly amused, as Leo was trussed up and dragged away by a cheering mob of lizards.
Hearing Will's voice, Leo snapped out of his funk, his face burning bright red behind his visor.
He instantly triggered the weapon mount on his left gauntlet. With a loud, aggressive Vrrrrrr, the high-frequency plasma-saw roared to life, the glowing blade instantly slicing through the thick alien netting like warm butter.
Startled by the deafening mechanical roar and the blinding light of the plasma blade, the reptilian natives shrieked in terror. They immediately dropped the net and retreated in unison, staring at Leo with deep wariness from ten meters away.
"Kha, A'hab?"
Several of the Lizardmen hissed to one another, clearly exchanging bewildered questions. What in the world were these creatures? They were indestructible, completely immune to fall damage, and could summon blinding light to break through their strongest hunting nets!
At the same time, Leo noticed the pack's defensive formation shift. They tightened their circle, fiercely protecting a slightly larger, more decorated Lizardman in the center of the group. Was that their chieftain?
Leo grinned maliciously behind his visor, raising his plasma-saw and preparing to launch a non-lethal counter-charge to secure the leader.
But before he could take a step, a blood-curdling scream echoed from the dark tunnel behind the native pack.
"Ya ha ma ta gai! Ya ha ma ta gai!"
Another Lizardman native sprinted frantically out of the tunnel entrance, looking utterly terrified. It skidded to a halt, stunned to see the cavern filled with towering, armored giants wielding glowing blades!
But in that brief, fatal moment of hesitation, a colossal shadow erupted from the darkness of the tunnel behind it. Massive jaws clamped shut, swallowing the shrieking native whole!