Chương 62: Cripple

The core itself? Gray transmitted. Wouldn't that be the same as the transplant process you mentioned during the intermission? Essentially, though the application is completely different, Gozen explained. The Skin Hopper's ability allowed it to possess a new host outright, replacing the vessel's original core with its own Kaiser-Ranked core. Unfortunately, I figured out the extent of its power too late. That thing slaughtered the rest of our mid-tier platoons across every sector within minutes.

Silence lingered over the mental link before Gray finally broke it. Did you have to wipe out its entire horde before you could finish off the host? Gray asked. Wouldn't it retain its necromancy capabilities every time it jumped into a new body? It could keep summoning an endless army while always leaving itself another escape route. That was the reality, yes, Gozen replied, bitterness creeping into his voice. But I wasn't the one who finished the job.

I was benched by that glorified seagull, and his church took over from there. In the end, the media spun me into some hero and hid the church's actual involvement. Gray frowned as the point of the story finally clicked into place. I think I understand how this relates to me now. You failed in your role as a leader, and afterward, they denied you the chance to take responsibility and avenge the people you lost. I still have that chance. Is that what you're getting at? Gozen gave a low, rumbling grunt.

Precisely, kid. So, what's your decision? Gray scratched his cheek. I mean… how am I supposed to relate to that story? I'm not some war commander like you. I'm only eighteen, sir. A faint smirk tugged at his mouth. Honestly, you already convinced me with the prostitution part. Why do I even bother… Gozen muttered. Whatever gets you motivated, I suppose. Gray raised a hand to catch his teammates' attention. Eugene paused his work on the drone and looked up, while Andre merely tilted his head in acknowledgment.

"There's been a slight change of plans." Gray clapped his hands once, breaking the tense silence.

"I think I'd like to clear this level after all."

"Oh, thank God!" Eugene blurted. Gray slowly turned toward him, one eyebrow raised.

"I don't know what I would've done if I lost this class," Eugene admitted, relief washing over his face.

"Its potential is limitless. If we failed, I'd go right back to being nothing more than a programmer, just like I was in the old world." Gray stared at him.

"Then why did you agree to give up in the first place?" Eugene's cheeks flushed, and he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Peer pressure."

"How was I supposed to argue when the leader was the one throwing in the towel?" Eugene added, gesturing toward Gray. Gray sighed and dragged a hand through his hair. The words stung more than he expected, reinforcing everything Gozen had just told him about the weight of leadership.

"I'm sorry for putting you in that position."

"It's fine…" Eugene murmured, lowering his gaze.

"My stance hasn't changed," Andre cut in.

"I'm staying here with Delilah for the rest of the level."

"I figured as much." Gray nodded.

"That's why I'm heading out alone. I'll earn enough points to push us into the Top 25 while you two stay here and secure the base." Eugene's head whipped toward him.

"By yourself?!"

"Yes. Solo." Gray folded his arms.

"I'm not risking your life out there, Eugene." Eugene bit his lower lip, his expression tightening.

"…No." He shook his head.

"I'm not doing that." Gray raised a curious brow.

"What?"

"I want to fight. I want to be in control of my own fate." The hesitation had vanished from Eugene's voice, replaced by a confident smirk.

"I don't want to dump the burden of my life—and the team's—entirely onto your shoulders. I want to help."

"Are you sure?" Gray asked. Eugene bent down and retrieved his drone.

"Yeah. I can handle myself. And if it comes down to it, I'm absolutely certain I can deal with the Fractured Rift anomaly." Gray slung an arm around Eugene's shoulders, grinning.

"Hard to argue with that. But this time, we're working together, okay?" You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Eugene gave a firm grunt of agreement.

"So, what's the plan?" Andre asked as he adjusted the woven bed of grass beneath Delilah. Gray scratched his chin, his gaze shifting between their pylon and Eugene.

"I'm not entirely sure this qualifies as a plan, but here goes. Eugene and I clear every Rift we can find. If his radar detects anyone heading toward the base, we rush back immediately. If we can't make it in time, let them take the pylon." His expression hardened.

"But if they're dead set on killing you two first, destroy it yourself and end our run." Andre looked up at them.

"Sounds good. I appreciate it." He gave them a solemn nod.

"Stay safe out there, guys." Gray and Eugene nodded in unison.

"Where to first?" Gray asked. Eugene launched his drone high above the canopy and activated its radar sweep. A few seconds later, his eyes sharpened.

"Five hundred feet this way!" He broke into a sprint toward the treeline, waving for Gray to follow. They stopped at the edge of a vibrant meadow. Sunlight spilled across the tall grass, illuminating the Rift at its center. Fifteen HydraCrawlers prowled around the core, their triangular heads twitching as they guarded the pedestal. Gray folded his arms.

"Now you've got me curious. How does a Machina actually fight?" A confident smirk tugged at Eugene's mouth.

"Why don't I show you?" Gray swept a hand toward the clearing.

"Be my guest. I'll be right here if you need me."

"Oh, I won't be going anywhere." Eugene raised both hands and began typing across an invisible keyboard. Seconds later, his combat drone plunged from the sky and braked hard barely a foot above the HydraCrawlers' triangular heads. His fingers flew across the unseen interface as he entered a rapid string of commands. Then he struck an invisible Enter key. A triple-barreled turret unfolded beneath the drone's chassis with a metallic snap. The barrels spun to life, producing a rising mechanical whine.

Three violet beams erupted from the weapon. They punched straight through the crowns of the nearest HydraCrawlers, vaporizing flesh and bone in an instant. Gray Kim's guild has slain [HydraCrawler] +100 GP | +100 CP x3 When the first three beasts collapsed, the drone's targeting system recalibrated. Its turret snapped toward the next cluster with machine precision, and another volley of beams tore through their slick exoskeletons.

Gray Kim's guild has slain [HydraCrawler] +100 GP | +100 CP x3 The assault never slowed. Each time a HydraCrawler dropped, the targeting system immediately locked onto another. Violet beams swept across the meadow in precise bursts, carving through the remaining creatures with efficiency. Gray Kim's guild has slain [HydraCrawler] +100 GP | +100 CP x9 The horde had been completely wiped out.

The drone's weapons retracted into its metallic chassis, thin trails of smoke curling from the barrels as the machine hovered over the carnage. Gray stared at it, mouth hanging open.

"Holy crap!" he blurted.

"That looks exactly like the attack those Void Rays use in GalaxyCraft!" Eugene crossed his arms, a smug grin spreading across his face.

"I guess you could say that. Using this class does feel like I'm playing an RTS sometimes."

"I bet." Gray stepped out of the treeline and into the meadow.

"You think there's going to be a second wave—" A thunderous crack answered him. Volatile arcs of electricity snapped around the edges of the portal. From within the tear, the familiar jagged silhouette of a hooked leg began to emerge. Gray didn't give the creature a chance to acclimate. He surged toward the breach, vaulting over the smoking carcasses scattered throughout the meadow. He braced the pommel of Tobari against his shoulder, its edge angled upward.

The instant the first HydraCrawler forced its head through the portal, Gray thrust the blade straight through its fleshy skull. Another creature followed. Then another. Gray butchered them one by one as they crossed the threshold, each fresh corpse collapsing atop the last until a mound of bodies clogged the entrance. They didn't neglect the hatchlings, either. Across the clearing, Eugene's drone hovered over a carcass covered in clusters of swollen, pulsating egg sacs.

Rapid bullets of violet plasma shot into the shells, melting them before anything inside could hatch. Gray handled the rest himself, crushing the sacs beneath his boots or splitting them open with quick strokes of his blade. Gray Kim's guild has slain [HydraCrawler] +120 GP | +120 CP x7 Gray Kim's guild has slain [Hatchling] +80 GP | +80 CP x26"Now that was a workout." Gray wiped a line of sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand before glancing toward Eugene.

"Your machine doubles as a peashooter, too?"

"Not exactly." Eugene gestured toward the drone.

"I have to supply it with mana to use any of its abilities. Those beams from earlier burned through a huge chunk of its reserves, so I switched to weaker plasma bursts to conserve energy." He crooked a finger. The drone immediately glided toward him and settled into his waiting hands. The moment Eugene gripped its chassis, his pupils flared with a blue sheen. The machine vibrated in response, and thin seams between its metal panels lit with the same azure glow.

Its mechanical hum steadily intensified as mana flowed into the drone, then faded several seconds later as the lights dimmed back to standby. Gray leaned closer, tilting his head as he searched the smooth casing for some kind of hidden compartment.

"Did you just top off its mana tank?" Eugene gave a dry chuckle.

"It doesn't flow into a literal fuel tank. The drone siphons mana directly from me and stores it throughout its mechanical body." Gray rubbed the back of his neck, flashing an awkward grin.

"Right. Obviously. I knew that." He cleared his throat and shifted his attention back to the mission.

"Anyway, we should run another radar sweep. Check on Andre and see if there are any more Rifts nearby." Eugene nodded and extended one arm. The drone lifted from his palm and shot vertically into the sky in a silent blur. Eugene's fingers immediately began moving across his invisible interface.

"The base is quiet," he reported after a few seconds.

"As for Rift Portals… there are three within our immediate vicinity." Gray rested Tobari across his shoulder, a grin creeping across his face.

"Then why don't we change that number to zero?" Eugene returned the grin and gave him a firm nod.