'Hmm... not bad.'
Although they don't appear often for now, as the stages progress, monsters and beasts imbued with poison or radiation show up more frequently.
Even if they're the same rank of beast, they gradually become harder to deal with.
In that sense, obtaining the [Poison Resistance] trait at this stage was a very good sign.
'It's a trait I would've needed eventually anyway... but to think I'd get it now.'
Well... a good thing is a good thing.
'Anyway, that aside...'
After relentlessly firing bullets in every direction for a while, I noticed the barrel of the NOA-31 Anti-Behemoth Machine Gun glowing red and released the trigger.
It seemed I had been too reckless with the firepower, and now it was time to manage the heat.
I opened a rift and stored away the NOA-31 Anti-Behemoth Machine Gun and the CRN-842 Hemp Rocket Launcher.
Then I pulled out the BLT-47 Plasma Launcher from my coat and took hold of Horus' reins.
"Let's go."
Unlike when I was carrying the NOA-31 on my back, Horus' wingbeats became faster as the weight lessened.
With the lighter load, Horus had regained its signature agility.
[KIEEEEEEK─!]
Excited, Horus flapped its wings wildly, weaving through the airborne beasts.
[KAAAAAK!]
[KYAO, KYAO-O!]
The flying beasts that had been kept at bay by the NOA-31's suppressing fire now came charging at us.
But it didn't matter.
A barrage is meant to form a barrier to keep enemies away, but from now on, I would simply kill everything that came close.
ZIIIIIING───!
A crimson flash burst from the BLT-47 Plasma Launcher, sweeping across the sky.
At a glance, it looked like a light graze, but what followed was anything but light.
THUDUDUDUK──!
THUD!
Fragments rained down from the sky.
Meat chunks of what were once beasts and monsters.
I didn't stop there.
The flashing light of the BLT-47 Plasma Launcher slashed indiscriminately through the air once more.
[KAAAAAAAK!]
[BEEP, BEEKGEEK!]
The light of destruction struck the beast swarm hanging in the sky like dark clouds.
No matter how sturdy their hides or how fast their wings, it was useless.
No matter how thick their armor, they had weaknesses, and no matter how quick they were, they couldn't outrun light.
CHHHH─
By the time I felt the heat from the handle of the BLT-47 Plasma Launcher, I stored it away and firmly gripped the Ark-34 Automatic Conversion Rifle.
CLICK-
Switching the Ark-34 into assault rifle mode, I flew straight toward the beasts with Horus' reins in hand.
"Let's go."
The flying beasts charged at Horus all at once, but bony tentacles shot out from Horus and pierced them in an instant.
SSSSS!
STAB! STABSTABSTAB──!
Horus' tentacles, impaling the beasts, began to feast greedily.
It was a form of local procurement.
SLURP, SLURP──
SLURP, SLURP, SLURP!
The tentacles writhed as they consumed.
Seeing this, the beasts grew more frenzied and charged again, but what I had for them wasn't lost blood and flesh—it was A-985 explosive rounds.
BOOMBOOMBOOM───!!!
In the thick haze of explosions and fire, I kept pulling the trigger.
BANG──!
RATATATAT──!!!
Explosions rang out nonstop.
No matter how agile the flying beasts were, they couldn't escape the blast radius of the A-985 rounds.
CRASH─!
BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM───!!!
[You have slain Grade-3 Flying Beast: Sky Whale.]
[Damage to Grade-3 Flying Beast: Sky Whale has increases by 0.05%.]
[You have slain Grade-8 Giant Insect: Giant Fly.]
[Damage to Grade-8 Giant Insect: Giant Fly has increases by 0.05%.]
[You have slain Grade-4 Flying Beast: Sky Marlin.]
[Damage to Grade-4 Flying Beast: Sky Marlin has increases by 0.05%.]
.
.
.
[You have slain Grade-5 Flying Beast: Dark Ray.]
[Damage to Grade-5 Flying Beast: Dark Ray has increases by 0.05%.]
It was then.
["Master! Behind you!"]
With Esther's urgent cry, something came rushing at me from behind.
WHIIIIIIING───!
In an instant, bone tentacles rose from Janus, intercepting whatever was charging at me.
CLANG!
The thing that deflected off with a metallic sound was none other than a giant stinger.
And not just any stinger—a massive one.
'Hmm.'
The owner of that stinger was, of course, a giant wasp.
Among insect-type monsters, these were particularly dangerous due to their swarm tactics.
And it wasn't just one.
Before I knew it, a swarm had formed and begun to surround me, filling my entire field of view.
'Wasps, huh…'
Normally, giant wasps are among the most troublesome enemies to deal with.
They not only act collectively by default, but if a Grade-1 Giant Insect: Queen Wasp is present, they can even execute strategy and tactics.
But that was all in the past—right now, they were actually helpful to me.
"Horus, Janus."
At my call, Janus and Horus responded together.
[GEET!]
[KIIEK!]
I spoke.
"Begin."
There was no need to give detailed instructions.
They were already preparing, jaws wide open.
['Sonic Disruption' has been activated.]
Huuuuuup──
Janus and Horus inhaled deeply in unison.
Then, a massive sonic wave erupted.
[BEEEEEEEEEEEEP─────!]
As the sound burst forth from Janus and Horus, the movements of the giant wasps began to change.
[BEEP?]
[BEE-BEEP....]
[BEEP!]
Confusion in the chain of command.
Disobedience to orders.
Amidst all this chaos, the giant wasps simultaneously snapped their heads around.
[BEEEEP....]
[BEEK!]
[BEEEEEEEEEEP──!]
They weren't targeting me anymore.
Because to the wasps, I was no longer an enemy.
VUUUUUUUNG───
WHIIIIING──!
With the onset of their frenzy, chaos erupted among the flying beasts and monsters.
[KAAAAAAAK──!]
[KEK, KEHEHEK!]
[KAAAK, KAAAACK!]
At the heart of it all were the giant wasps affected by the sonic disruption.
They raged like mad, yet maintained formation, methodically hunting the airborne beasts.
Then, in that instant—
[BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP───!!]
A sudden new wave of sound rang out, and the giant wasps began regrouping again.
No need for deep thought—only one being could accomplish this.
'The Queen Wasp.'
Grade-1 Giant Insect: Queen Wasp.
It was reestablishing command over the giant wasps through fresh orders.
'Hmm…'
As powerful as Janus and Horus were, wresting control from a true Queen Wasp via sonic disruption was no easy feat.
But there was no need to worry.
If you couldn't take command by finesse, you could always just kill the commander.
ZIIIIING──
CLACK, CLACK.
I switched the Ark-34 Automatic Rifle to Railgun Mode.
It was about time the electromagnetic energy had recharged.
'Now then…'
Gripping the Ark-34 Railgun, I quietly aimed for the Queen Wasp's head.
With this distance and the railgun's velocity, a headshot was entirely possible.
TZZT, TZZZZT──!
Sparks flew wildly from the Ark-34 Railgun.
The magnetic field stirred so strongly that even my weapons in the air trembled—and then, I pulled the trigger.
SHWEEEAAAAAAAAAK─────!
It was a beam of light.
A perfect straight line.
FWOOOOOOSH───!!!
The shot tore through the Queen Wasp's head in a single instant.
No scream. No screech.
Not even a proper resistance.
Just the faintest tremor, and then her body plummeted to the ground.
[You have slain Grade-1 Giant Insect: Queen Wasp.]
[Damage to Grade-1 Giant Insect: Queen Wasp increases by 0.05%.]
What happened next was predictable.
Without their commander, the giant wasps once again fell into madness under the sonic disruption of Janus and Horus, igniting another brutal war between them and the other monsters.
Just as I had planned.
'Now then…'
The number of flying beasts and monsters had already been reduced significantly.
Ideally, I wanted to take this chance to wipe them out entirely, but unfortunately, all my weapons were overheated and couldn't be used immediately.
'In that case, I might as well focus on the ground.'
All I could do in the air without firearms was engage in melee combat with Horus and Janus' support—which wasn't exactly efficient.
Sure, if I wanted to, Horus and Janus did have some area-of-effect abilities...
'Still wouldn't be very efficient.'
The number of aerial threats had been thinned out enough.
And since Ark would be handling the rest in the skies, it made more sense for me to shift focus to the ground.
"Let's go."
Gripping Horus' bony reins, I steered toward the surface.
As we neared the ground, I prepared to jump off and spoke.
"Go find a quiet place to lay low."
[KIEEK!]
I fired up the Z-74 Jetpack and leapt fearlessly from beneath Horus.
FWOOOSH─!
No sooner had I landed than the beasts and monsters on the ground charged at me.
Of course, it wouldn't matter.
'Nowhere to run.'
SSSS──!
Dozens of bone tentacles burst forth from Janus.
I extended my right hand, gripped the Spear of Ankelenth, and swung at the encroaching monsters.
SHRAAAAK─!
The Spear of Ankelenth—capable of cutting through things even a plasma sword couldn't.
Each swing cleaved through the toughest hides of the beasts.
[KYAAAAOOO!]
[KAAK, KAAK!]
Blood and flesh flew in every direction.
Leaving the chaos behind, I quietly stared down at the ground.
'Hmm…'
There were several reasons I came to the ground, but the biggest was to test the ability I gained after consuming the Sand Devourer.
'Let's try it.'
At my command, Janus extended his bone tentacles into the earth.
['Earth Dive' has been activated.]
With a speed incomparable to before, I burrowed underground and began to swim through the soil.
I could launch tentacle attacks from below, but I had something bigger in mind.
'With the Sand Devourer's new ability, this should be possible.'
As I zipped through the ground, I felt the right moment—and activated the Sand Devourer's power.
['Sand Collapse' has been activated.]
That was the beginning.
KUGUGUGUGUGUGU─────!!!
The ground where I passed began to collapse all at once, swallowing everything above.