Mech: Shattering of the Galaxy Chapter 1500: 16: Pre-Battle Evolution
Previously on Mech: Shattering of the Galaxy...
In this moment, the small, meter-sized worms present with blood-red eyes. Their bodies, once flat, began to inflate, their brown exteriors darkening to a deep crimson.
Observing the scene, it became a blur of tens of thousands, or possibly hundreds of thousands of these worms, surging forward like a colossal tsunami towards the three colossal Bone-faced Insect Beasts positioned ahead.
The Bone-faced Insect Beasts remained upright, and in a swift instant, the ferocious swarm of worms completely engulfed them.
The very next second, a horrifying spectacle unfolded!
These squat, flat worms, now unhinging their jaws, tilted their heads upwards… and began to bite down with savage intensity!
Squeak! Squeak!
A grating sound emanated from within the structures of the three Bone-faced Insect Beasts, whose forms were being forcefully rent open and sliced apart at that precise moment.
Subsequently, as the worms moved with unnatural speed, vast quantities of severed segments forcefully aligned and merged. The instant different segments made contact, those specific worms detonated into a syrupy fluid, their brethren’s mouthparts aiding in the forceful rejoining of the pieces.
Tens of thousands of worms continuously repeated this self-annihilating consolidation process.
As countless worms met their demise, a gargantuan form gradually took shape.
A colossal insect beast, towering a full 150 meters, materialized in the initial location.
Its head no longer bore the previously sleek, skeletal visage but now resembled a thick, malevolent helm.
The original white bone mask had integrated into the face, transforming into an interwoven mosaic of brown and white bone plates, with three pairs of crimson eyes symmetrically arranged atop its head.
“The Bone-faced Insect Beasts can actually fuse?”
Even Mu Fan found himself taken aback by this development.
“Why is there no data regarding their fusion within my database?” Black questioned from the virtual expanse, shifting his gaze to Mohandas, who stood garbed in a tattered cloak nearby.
Mohandas’s spectral green eyes held an ever-deepening intensity as his hoarse yet chilling voice resonated: “They have evolved… they’ve undergone another transformation within this universe…”
“Throughout the nearly century of conflict between my kind and them, these vermin have advanced at least six times… They have drastically compressed the developmental timeline for life forms by thousands of folds. The sole logical conclusion is this: in the period following my Spirit Attachment… these insects have achieved yet another evolutionary leap.”
“The most formidable hunters do not cease their pursuit simply because their quarry grows stronger; they must adapt their strategy. Mu Fan, execute a reconnaissance strike to ascertain the physical strength metrics of this Mutated Bone Worm Beast.”
“—ROAR!”
Just as Mu Fan acknowledged the command, the immense Bone-faced Insect Beast concluded its fusion, tilting its head back to unleash a piercing shriek.
At this juncture, the viscous effluent and the massive husks of worms coating its body spontaneously vaporized into a fine mist.
This Savage Beast, having undergone fusion and evolution, now unveiled its formidable chitinous armor.
Instantly, it tilted its head, its enormous, blood-red maw agape, as a mass of cyan-yellow vapor began to coalesce and expand within its throat, growing progressively larger and more luminous.
The Giant Bone Insect Beast fixed its gaze upon the rapidly approaching Crimson Meteor in the void, its head snapping sharply backward as the cyan-yellow vapor erupted from the protective shield of the Star Body Fortress.
Concurrently, the towering burrows commenced a frenzied writhing once more, as Bone-faced Insect Beasts of conventional size began to emerge, their rate of appearance significantly higher than before. With each emergence, the flesh tunnels visibly thinned.
It was evident that these insects sensed a disturbance, commencing to forcefully deplete the Life Force from the Fungus Blanket and its passageways.
Presently, the continuously advancing Forest Domain Fleet had been entirely transformed into the insects’ defensive perimeter. As subordinate warships were annihilated, Cornelles’s countenance remained impassive, betraying no hint of sorrow, though a dangerous spark flickered within his indifferent eyes.
“Upon the success of this engagement, I shall reclaim all losses with considerable interest!”
At this very moment, he impassively observed the astonishing projectile launched by the Giant Bone Insect Beast.
None who have provoked the ire of these insects can expect to survive.
As the Shura carved a path directly through a triangular warship, it instantaneously collided with that corrosive vaporous blast.
The timing of the Giant Bone Insect Beast’s assault was insidiously perfect.
In that precise instant, Mu Fan’s eyes narrowed as his fist descended.
The scarlet cloak transmuted into a light-mist, completely enshrouding the fist.
Then, a single blow…
Struck true!
——
Buzz!
Mu Fan experienced a sudden, intense throbbing within his eardrums.
The cyan-yellow mist, now matching Shura’s height, was instantly flattened by the impact, revealing an exaggeratedly distorted indentation.
This punch had undeniably connected, yet it lacked the sensation of a solid, resounding impact!
Just as Mu Fan began to contemplate this anomaly, the insect beast’s luminous aggregate abruptly detonated, propagating a planar shockwave across the expanse of space.
Excluding that single arm, Shura's entire form was engulfed by the mist; even several distant Forest Domain Fleet warships were impacted, dissolving instantaneously within the potent, corrosive poison cloud. Once the luminous fog dissipated, within the triangular main vessel, Cornelles finally allowed a chilling smile to grace his lips. "I had assumed you were invincible... ha." In the light screen's view, the "Red Meteor" was forcefully brought to a halt, revealing a Shura that had lost its previous imposing presence. The once flawlessly smooth, obsidian armor was now marred with countless pockmarks, and even the intricate blade spurs had been corroded by more than half their length. After the armor succumbed to the melting, the intricate patterns of the nano-metal muscles were exposed, appearing flawed and discolored. It was evident that the recent high-velocity assault had inflicted severe damage upon an Emperor Body. Mu Fan could discern a flicker of derision within the eyes of the colossal Bone Insect Beast. And in the ensuing moment... The Giant Bone Insect Beast vanished without a trace. It was replaced by the sudden appearance of numerous Bone-faced Insect Beasts blanketing the sky. One head, two heads... within Shura's blood-red visual field, a total of fifty points of light began to ascend! The formidable strike from the Giant Bone Insect Beast had initiated the tide of the Zeg's retaliatory assault. Yellow-green ichor adhered to Shura's fractured chassis, adding an extra layer of desolation. "Mu Fan is in grave peril." Within the confines of the Dawn Battleship, Bai Guyue anxiously set down the medicine and powdered herbs, her hands clasped together, her face a mask of worry. Beside her, even Bai Yiduo, usually composed, had a frown creasing his brow. "The young Mu Fan will manage." This statement was uttered purely to assuage his granddaughter; regarding the actual predicament, he felt utterly uncertain. This level of mecha combat had soared beyond the boundaries of his comprehension. However, the sheer corrosiveness of those toxins made Bai Yiduo feel a sense of dread for the first time. The poison mist capable of dissolving a warship in moments could penetrate the Super Alloy defenses of both vessels and mechs. The nature of this poison mist exceeded his wildest expectations. This was akin to the White Stone Poison found in the machinery domain. He could not even conceive of a method to counteract it... "Ah!" Bai Guyue suddenly cried out, instinctively covering her mouth. Her wide eyes grew larger, and a tense flush spread across her fair complexion. The very instant her words faded, a distorted flash of white-brown light and shadow materialized before Shura, and an enormous Bone Sword, stretching a hundred meters in length, abruptly descended in a slash! And at the precise moment Shura raised its arms to parry the Bone Sword, visible shards of armor began to splinter from its palms. The mecha, standing at a mere twenty meters tall, bore the brunt of the impact, its injuries mounting as it intercepted the cleave from the colossal 150-meter beast. Shura's arms buckled; another meter lower... and it would be bisected by this colossal Bone Sword!
