The hivemind is conquering for me? Chapter 800: Phase One: Master Baiter

"What are they doing?"

"I don’t know. A peculiar individual in strange armor is just standing there, shield in hand, striking it."

"A coward. Hiding behind armor. An easy target."

"Boss, what’s our headcount?"

A contingent of scouts posed the question before their leader responded.

"We have 800 elite warriors for the primary assault and twenty thousand conscripts. The flanks will serve as a diversion, as is customary.

"Has it been raining? The terrain appears different from the most recent scout report."

"It’s nothing. We’ve waded through worse mud. We’ll wash it off with the entrails of the pink-skins. Retrieve the Vim. Let’s leverage their technology."

...

Positioned at the foremost trench, I stood elevated, rhythmically striking Zircon’s pommel against my shield. The resulting impacts resonated briefly, but the tangible action was the primary objective.

My intention was to draw their assault towards myself, serving as a lure to create a bottleneck. Directly behind me, concealed within the trenches, were Rhapso, Nerissa, and Morrgan, accompanied by a substantial number of Phalanx warriors.

The remainder of the Psionic elites were strategically dispersed throughout the trenches, prepared for the impending engagement.

Before long, the number of distant scouts began to swell. Drakoshi began to materialize on the distant horizon.

I lifted my shield, signaling the commencement.

Artillery unleashed their barrage, the concussive force vibrating through the very air.

I observed as their projectile trajectories curved downwards, descending upon the burgeoning Drakoshi forces.

The distant explosions impacted the Drakoshi formations. However, instead of reducing them to mincemeat, a shimmering blue barrier materialized above their entire assembly.

Vim barricades. I had been briefed on these previously. While not impervious due to their portability—each carried by a single Vim—they were typically sufficient to minimize casualties until the Drakoshi closed the distance considerably.

The Drakoshi immediately charged, continuing their advance under the relentless artillery bombardment.

They too returned fire, though their accuracy was suboptimal. Nevertheless, I positioned my shield to cover my midsection.

The force of the projectiles pinged harmlessly off the shield, while a few impacted my helmet. An urge to laugh welled within me.

*ping ping ping ping*

The ammunition struck my armor before falling away. I could barely register the kinetic impact; the new armor was, quite simply, exceptional.

The bombardment persisted for a brief period. The Drakoshi were swift, rapidly traversing the intervening distance.

The Phalanx commenced firing, inflicting greater damage upon the shields. I remained a spectator, awaiting the opportune moment.

The Drakoshi maintained their full-speed charge for several minutes before reaching the swamps. Hundreds of the vanguard troops toppled over instantaneously.

Through their diligent efforts, Francesca and Rhapso had not merely created muddy pools. They had ingeniously disguised the ground to appear only slightly damp, when in reality, beneath a thin surface layer, it was essentially a treacherous slurry.

The massive forms of the Drakoshi plunged into the mud. In certain areas, smaller Drakoshi became submerged up to their chests.

Yet, the mud was not the sole surprise awaiting them.

As the Drakoshi began utilizing the immobilized bodies of their own kind as impromptu terrain, planting their feet into the mire, large spikes suddenly erupted from the mud, impaling the advancing Drakoshi.

This horrifying spectacle repeated itself in numerous locations. A Vim Drakoshi, wading through the slurry, was suddenly transformed into a grotesque totem pole.

The spike pierced its body, emerging from its back and impaling the shield generator unit lodged there.

The offensive resumed as gaps appeared in the shields, allowing the thunderous bombardment from Fort Amberrock to descend upon the alien invaders.

I raised my shield once more, absorbing a few incoming shots to my torso. As I did, the artillery began to fire… all of it, this time.

Despite sustaining heavy losses, the Drakoshi continued their arduous advance through the mud. Their projectile weapons became encrusted, rendering them useless, prompting them to draw their melee weapons as they neared the front lines.

I turned to the Phalanx, raising Zircon aloft. The Phalanx warriors in the initial row prepared for engagement, while Rhapso and Nerissa joined me atop the trench.

The pair immediately opened fire with their Deimos rifles, while I deployed one of the new functionalities of my mini-gun. It was mounted atop my right shoulder, and I unleashed its fury.

*Brrrttt*

I continued firing for a short duration before advancing, striding forward as the Drakoshi drew near. Taking a deep breath, I focused my attention on my surroundings and exerted my Gyrokinesis to the utmost limit of my aura.

The surrounding Drakoshi were rendered completely immobile. I bypassed the closest ones and charged ahead.

I possessed a distinct tactical advantage, thanks to my Gyrokinesis. I began hacking and slashing at targets as I weaved through the Drakoshi with effortless agility.

The combat devolved into the familiar, instinctual exchanges I was becoming accustomed to. I deflected volleys of bullets when overwhelmed, dodged incoming blows, and executed counter-attacks, parries, and deflections.

...

Corpses began to pile up as the battle raged on, yet the sheer number of Drakoshi remained overwhelming. The trenches were starting to fall.

The Drakoshi, enraged by the difficult advance through mud, slaughtered indiscriminately, making each kill as brutal as possible.

An unarmored Drakoshi, after reaching the front lines, seized a Phalanx soldier. It paid no heed to the bullets tearing through its body.

Its small, malevolent eyes fixed on the doomed soldier, and it began to tear at the pink-skinned alien's limbs.

A cruel smile spread across its face as the agonizing screams echoed. It craved to witness the weak alien suffer, to make it pay for its very existence. Just a moment longer, and then—

Suddenly, its perception shifted, and it witnessed its own familiar form crumpling to the ground, confusion being its final sensation.

Skaja, seizing the moment after the kill, swiftly ascended back into the air. She surveyed the battlefield, issuing commands. Her communications directed commanders to areas where reinforcements were desperately needed.

Swerving to evade a massive projectile, she turned, a frown directed at its origin, before descending. As she lowered her altitude, her gaze locked onto Apollo...

He was submerged in a sea of fallen foes, but now, he stood isolated. The Drakoshi advance had pushed them into a full encirclement. He was fighting on all fronts simultaneously.

Spotting Apollo sustain a deep gash across the back of his armor from a colossal 12Ft Drakoshi, Skaja didn't hesitate and plummeted towards him.

...

’Vile creature!’

I cursed internally as I was violently shoved. Whirling around, I attempted a counterattack, but another gargantuan weapon descended, aiming to cleave my armor.

I evaded once more, and as the one who landed the lucky strike prepared to lunge again, I moved to use Zircon for a parry. In the blink of an eye, the massive brute suddenly sprouted wings, and a spear materialized from its head.

Certain of my rear being secure, I launched my assault anew against the infuriating enemy forces without a second thought.

Even with the new terrain of fallen bodies, the larger Drakoshi struggled to maintain their footing when forced into rapid movements.

Their massive feet crushed their own allies, and they became ensnared between limbs and gaping craters.

Consequently, when one made the fatal error of losing its balance, I seized the opportunity.

As one stumbled, I hurled Zircon while its arm was down, bracing itself. The momentary lapse in defense allowed Zircon to strike true, burying itself deep within the creature's cranial armor.

I then lowered my stance as a colossal cleaver swept overhead. With my left arm, I punched upward. My shield met a Drakoshi's chin with a sickening thud, sending it reeling backward.

Taking a brief pause, I tilted my head slightly, using my peripheral vision to check on Skaja. A sword had just impaled her wing, the sharp pain causing her to flinch, creating an opening for an attack.

Acting on instinct, I launched my shield with all my might towards the Drakoshi tormenting her, its sharpened edge embedding itself deeply. I didn't waste a second, rushing to Skaja's side. My ploy to draw in more elites had succeeded, as even more of them began to charge toward us.

I then retrieved my shield, passed it to Skaja, and brought my hands together. Flames erupted between my palms before I unleashed an unbridled torrent in every direction.

Skaja swiftly ducked behind the shield as I commenced a brutal Drakoshi barbecue. The rush of the inferno was exhilarating, yet I maintained composure. This allowed me to create some distance and survey the surroundings.

Nerissa and Rhapso remained precisely where I had stationed them. Morrgan had also scaled the trenches and was engaged in intense close-quarters combat with Drakoshi that ventured too near. It appeared dangerous, but his status as an elite meant he knew his capabilities. Nevertheless, the battle hadn't reached its climax yet. I needed to buy more time for Phase Two to commence.

Therefore, my course of action was straightforward.

I unleashed the Onyx once more.