The hivemind is conquering for me? Chapter 790: Kill The Bug!

Nerissa snapped out of her stupor upon hearing my words and looked up. The others remained oblivious until she shouted, "Kíndynos ánothen!"

The rest of the Praetorians instantly directed their gazes upward towards the colossal creature as it let out another deafening roar.

*Rooaaarr!*

"Aaaah!" I cried out, instinctively covering my ears. The sheer proximity of the creature's roar felt like a physical assault. Nevertheless, I regained my composure as it plummeted towards the ground where we stood.

I retreated rapidly, a considerable distance, but the creature's immense bulk necessitated another evasive action. As I moved, I swung Zircon outwards.

*Twiiiiing~*

My blade, Zircon, began to vibrate violently in my grasp, not from excitement, but from the forceful recoil generated by the kinetic energy's reverse wave.

Nerissa immediately opened fire with her Deimos rifle, striking the creature squarely in the face. This staggering blow caused it to reel back, creating a crucial distance that allowed me to get a clearer view of our assailant.

It was some sort of Insectoid. The creature was elongated and slender, stretching at least fifty meters in length and possessing hundreds of sharp, pointed legs. Its chitinous carapace was a muted tan color, overlaid with exo-plates of a dark, purplish-black hue.

The insect shrieked again in response to the assault on its face, seemingly ignoring the pain as a peculiar thought surfaced in the back of my mind.

'Would.'

Pausing momentarily to decipher the origin of this bizarre notion, I scrutinized the creature, absorbing its finer details before I shook my head.

'Not a bug wife.'

Dismissing the thought, I then aimed my minigun and unleashed Psionic rounds. My pre-prepared ammunition, I suspected, would prove insufficient to penetrate such thick and formidable biological armor...

*Brrrt!*

My weapon roared to life, expelling projectiles as I shifted into combat mode, leaving any distracting thoughts behind.

The Praetorians were equally engaged. Without a word, the unit began assaulting the beast with a ferocity that I struggled to match.

However, the insect was holding its ground. While it lacked apparent advanced intelligence, its exceptional durability was undeniable, and it swiftly began to discern which of us posed the greatest threat.

Yet, we were not ordinary prey. This apex predator was also contending with other formidable hunters.

"Ness! Deimos me!" I shouted from behind as I moved towards her. She extended her hand to the side, letting it drop as I passed. We both then dodged simultaneously as the creature attempted to crush us with a segment of its body.

Nerissa retreated a significant distance, while I dodged horizontally, launching myself onto the wall and proceeding to scale it. Utilizing the elevated position, I began directing a powerful laser beam towards the creature.

My accuracy was surprisingly precise, even while running and firing; I hit the target almost continuously. Nevertheless, the laser's power proved inadequate, its beams merely refracting harmlessly off the exo-plate.

The beast roared upwards in my direction, clearly enraged, but it couldn't maintain its focus on me as Phoebe occupied its front while Rhapso, Marnes, and Aeteos worked to immobilize its body and evade its attacks.

I maneuvered around the creature, eventually positioning myself directly above it. From this vantage point, I fired downwards, searching for any vulnerabilities.

I commenced firing at its legs, targeting its less armored joints and even its head, but to no avail. Well, it was sustaining damage, but at this rate, the battle would drag on for hours. The insect began to thrash wildly in its fury, dislodging entire sections of the wall. This presented a grave danger, considering our subterranean location.

I didn't interfere with the Praetorians' actions, allowing them to handle their roles, as I knew they possessed superior capabilities in such direct confrontations.

Marnes and Aeteos might have lacked the raw strength of Nerissa or Phoebe, but their speed was exceptional, while Rhapso provided support from the rear, using her Psionics to intermittently dent the beast's formidable exo-plate with powerful spikes.

As I continued firing, I observed the creature lunge forward, attempting to bite Phoebe with its massive mandibles. During this movement, I noticed something significant. Its neck extended considerably when it lunged, exposing a segment of pinkish flesh. My mind instantly grasped the implication.

'Weakness.'

I scanned the ceiling, my gaze settling on a large chunk of Praedoxite—its red tip sharp and pointed. A smile touched my lips.

I then turned to Nerissa below and yelled,

"Ness! I need its neck fully engaged! Give me five seconds!" I then turned and sprinted towards the crystalline deposit. Bracing myself, I wrapped my arms around it as best I could and heaved.

"Nngghh!"

...

Nerissa heard Apollo's request and immediately sprang into action. "Aeteos! Marnes!" she commanded, summoning two chains forged from Damatirum with her power. "Get those around its neck while we keep it distracted!"

The twins seized the chains and darted forward. As they moved, the pair activated their powers in unison. Marnes's form took on a daunting black hue, while Aeteos radiated a brilliant white light.

A distinct Psionic frequency then pulsed through them, and in unison, they unleashed their power.

A torrent of void slammed into the insect’s face, causing it to recoil from the impact. Simultaneously, a blinding flash seared its compound eyes, incapacitating the creature for the moment.

It began thrashing wildly, becoming even more perilous in its blind rage. Nerissa and Phoebe continued to inflict minor wounds, keeping the creature occupied, while Rhapso seemed focused on another task.

As the insect’s frenzied attacks targeted Phoebe and Nerissa, Aeteos and Marnes skillfully maneuvered beneath its elongated neck. They leaped up from opposite sides, lodging a chain between segments of its exoskeleton before dropping to the other side.

Feeling a tightened yoke around its neck and disoriented by its blindness, the insect panicked, attempting to surge backward and lashing out. Marnes and Aeteos strained against the chain, but the beast’s powerful pull continued. Nerissa and Phoebe joined the effort, and a fierce tug-of-war ensued.

Observing the stalemate, I intensified my efforts to extract the crystal, but it remained stubbornly lodged. Despite channeling all my Gyrokinesis, the crystal seemed to absorb the surrounding energy, making my task increasingly difficult.

Below, I could see the Praetorians being dragged along; their hold wouldn't last much longer. I desperately needed more time...

Suddenly, a tremor ran through the cavern, but I couldn’t afford to be distracted.

Deep below, Rhapso’s eyes snapped open as she gazed at the creature. Instantly, colossal spikes erupted from the ground beneath it. They angled precisely, wedging themselves between the exoskeleton plates, momentarily arresting the creature’s backward surge.

This abrupt halt to its retreat granted the other Praetorians a crucial moment to exert their full strength pulling together.

Just as I cried out, my legs braced against the rock above finally began to splinter and crack it. Moments later, the gem broke free.

With the immense Gyrokinetic force I was applying to my own body, the crystal plummeted like a projectile, pulling me with it. With a sickening sound, it severed the creature’s neck, separating it cleanly from its body.

The headless body convulsed and thrashed violently for several more seconds before the spasms gradually ceased. I, or rather, whatever I was inhabiting, was strangely drawn to the fallen form...

...

“Whew! That was quite a workout. This day is turning out even better than I anticipated,” Marnes commented.

“Tell me about it! I actually had to use my legs. That was one formidable Psionic bug. It’s a shame it wasn’t friendly.”

“The creature was driven mad,” Rhapso and Nerissa stated in unison. Rhapso then added, “We could sense its disconnect from nature. It discovered these crystals and became… fixated. A pitiable thing. We did the right thing by ending its suffering. Its essence can now return to the cosmos.”

Phoebe surveyed the scene, shaking her head. “We nearly succumbed too. If not for the shock of Nerissa speaking the ancient tongue, I might not have snapped out of that daze. That was incredibly reckless of us. We ought to thank Apollo for his composure…” She then turned, her expression shifting to surprise.

“Apollo? Are you alright?”

...

The Nymphs then turned their attention to Apollo, as Phoebe had spoken. His entire body was spasming uncontrollably.

Nerissa’s heart pounded seeing something was terribly wrong, and she rushed forward. “Apollo? Are you okay?”

She abruptly stopped as Apollo thrust his hand backward and shouted, “Stay back! Just… give me a moment… I… Nerissa, can I ask for a significant favor right now?”

Nerissa was taken aback. Apollo sounded gravely serious. Disturbingly serious… It piqued her curiosity more than it probably should; she ought to be concerned… But then again, it was Apollo.

“Of course, ask. If not for you, this battle could have taken a disastrous turn.”

She waited a beat as Apollo continued to tremble before speaking again.

“Alright. I know this was a collective effort. But I… I need this body. All of it. Can I claim it as ‘spoils of war’ or something similar? While you all start gathering the crystals? I can’t quite explain the reason, but it’s crucial for me.”