Chapter 665: Stingbats
Deep within the valley, the light grew increasingly dim. Only sparsely scattered bioluminescent fungi and moss provided a sickly illumination, outlining the jagged, bizarre rock formations and casting flickering, unstable shadows.
The air here felt stagnant. The roar of the waterfalls was insulated by the rock walls, sounding distant and muffled. The only sounds remaining were the faint rustling of gear as the team advanced and the sound of their heavy breathing.
Guided by Ryo's directions and the faint signal caught by the scanner, the team cautiously advanced along the valley.
Those massive Toruk claw marks appeared sporadically on the rock walls, serving as constant reminders of the latent threat.
Everyone gripped their weapons tightly, fingers resting just outside the trigger guards, their eyes continuously sweeping the rock ceilings above and the dark corners ahead.
"The signal is strengthening!" Falco's lowered voice carried a trace of excitement, sounding exceptionally clear in the silent passage. "Just around the corner ahead! Both the metallic signature and the faint energy readings are pointing right there!"
Ryo raised his hand, signaling the team to halt.
He closed his eyes, delving deep once more to access Celtic's memory fragments.
Images flickered: moving through a narrow passage, a cave entrance obscured by massive stalactites and hanging vines, and beyond the entrance... the cold reflection of metal.
"At the end of the passage ahead, there is a cave entrance concealed by vegetation. The objective is inside," Ryo opened his eyes, his tone absolute. "Maine, organize a recon element. Reynolds, establish a perimeter defense. Iron Guards, provide fire support, but note that the interior space may be constrained."
"Understood," Maine nodded, making a hand signal to Dorio and Rebecca.
The three formed a wedge and moved silently forward.
The two Iron Guards took heavy steps, securing advantageous positions on either side of the passage. Their weapon platforms aimed directly into the dark entrance ahead, ready to unleash devastating fire support at a moment's notice.
Hellfire Squad spread out rapidly, utilizing the rocks to establish a cordon, their muzzles covering every vector where a threat might emerge.
Standing just behind Ryo's flank, Asuka held her breath. She stared unblinking as the silhouettes of Maine's trio vanished into the vegetative shadows at the end of the passage.
She could feel her heart rate accelerating. This was a different kind of stimulation and tension from the security of piloting an EVA enclosed in a massive chassis; this was the raw, immediate thrill of being physically exposed in a hazardous environment.
Ryo, however, appeared exceptionally calm.
Standing behind relatively secure cover, his sharp gaze observed the environmental details of the cave entrance.
Celtic's memory fragments perfectly overlaid the scene before him, validating the accuracy of the intelligence.
Yet he did not relax in the slightest. The closer they got to the objective, the higher the probability of triggering final defense mechanisms or encountering unforeseen dangers.
Maine's hushed voice crackled over the comm channel: "Cave entrance confirmed. Heavy vegetation cover. Faint ambient light inside, unable to make visual confirmation of the depths. No obvious biological signatures or trap mechanisms detected. Moving in for reconnaissance."
"Maintain vigilance, advance in stages," Ryo replied.
A brief silence followed, leaving only the sound of the wind outside the valley and the faint echo of flowing water.
Every second stretched on. Everyone's attention was locked onto the dark cave entrance.
Suddenly, an extremely faint, decidedly unnatural low-frequency hum—like a piece of equipment idling—drifted out from within the cave!
"Movement!" Asuka, possessing acute hearing, immediately issued a low warning.
Almost simultaneously, Maine's voice rang out again, laced with tension: "Target acquired! Repeat, target acquired! The cavern is massive... I have visual on it!"
A sharp glint flashed in Ryo's eyes. He keyed his comm: "Describe."
"A... bizarrely shaped spacecraft. Spindle-like, roughly fifty meters long. The hull is a matte metallic color with complex geometric patterns. Portions of the hull appear fused with the rock... or perhaps it actively embedded itself into the wall? The hull shows signs of damage, like it was... rammed or clawed by something." Maine's voice held a trace of disbelief. "There is an open hatch at the aft section, with light spilling out! The humming sound is coming from inside the ship!"
An open hatch? Hull damage?
Ryo's brow furrowed slightly.
This deviated slightly from the intel extracted from Celtic's memories.
The ship in those memories was intact and in a concealed, standby state.
Did something happen right before or after Celtic's death? Or... was there a deviation or gap in the memory fragments themselves?
"Are there any life signs? Or... any other signs of activity?" Ryo pressed, his tone remaining steady, though his speaking pace quickened slightly.
"No biological signatures scanned... Wait!" Maine's voice suddenly spiked. "Upper rock wall, flanking the entrance! Something is moving!"
Everyone's heart leaped into their throats.
"Stingbats! A whole swarm! They're drawn to the sound or the light!" Dorio's urgent voice cut into the channel.
Stingbats—common Pandoran aerial predators resembling small wyverns, typically pack hunters with highly aggressive temperaments!
"Engage!" Sergeant Reynolds roared, his voice echoing down the passage.
Almost the instant his order fell, a dense, dark mass of shadows—each with a wingspan of nearly two meters—plunged from the rock ceiling above the cave entrance like a thundercloud. Screeching piercingly, they dove straight for Maine's trio, who had just exposed their position at the entrance!
The Swarm
The Stingbat swarm attacked with blinding suddenness. Like a grey tide of death pouring from the shadows of the rock wall, their razor-sharp claws and fangs glinted coldly in the dim light. Their target was clear: Maine, Dorio, and Rebecca at the cave entrance!
"Open fire!" Maine reacted with lightning speed. The plasma caster on his arm spat searing beams instantly, blowing the first two diving Stingbats out of the air. Scorched flesh and fragments splattered in all directions.
Dorio and Rebecca opened fire simultaneously.
Dorio executed precise burst fire, every shot finding the head or heart of a Stingbat. Rebecca was far more brutal; the heavy rotary cannon on her shoulder unleashed a deafening roar. A storm of metal instantly shredded a cluster of Stingbats into mist, briefly clearing a small pocket in the air.
However, there were simply too many Stingbats. Relying on sheer numbers to compensate for their lack of individual combat power, they swarmed forward relentlessly, utilizing their agile flight maneuvers to attack from multiple angles.
"Fall back! Establish a defensive line!" Sergeant Reynolds roared over the squad channel.
The soldiers of Hellfire Squad immediately concentrated their fire toward the cave entrance. A dense net of plasma beams formed a fiery barricade, attempting to stem the tide of the swarm.
The two Iron Guards also unleashed their full firepower. Valerie used her rapid-fire cannon to lay down area suppression, while Jake focused on picking off individuals attempting to dive from high altitude.
The passage was instantly filled with the deafening cacophony of gunfire, explosions, screeching Stingbats, and the thuds of bodies hitting the ground. The dim environment flickered wildly under the flashes of energy weapons, and the sharp stench of ozone and blood rapidly saturated the air.