Zzzaaap-zzzaaap-zzzaaap!

The walls of the third level reverberated with vibrant luminescence and the chaotic thunder of multiple shots echoing in the direction the soldier had been dragged.

"Let's go!"

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Zyrgon exclaimed urgently, and the Astrylites, dressed in regular or Xenotech armors, aimed without hesitation. They advanced quickly toward where the soldier had disappeared, their footsteps echoing in the oppressive darkness of this place covered in roots and dust.

Some tried to use the advanced scanners built into their helmets, devices that detected not only temperature but also cold, electromagnetic waves, and much more.

However, the scanners' response was baffling: it seemed as if they were alone in that place, with no signs of enemy presence.

This was the first time something like this had happened to them!

Wooosh!

Green tentacles emerged from the shadows, entwining around the imposing armors of everyone.

"!"

Tens of thousands of them, twisting and swaying like viscous snakes, confused and overwhelmed the warriors, who found themselves struggling to break free.

Confusion reached its peak when they were dragged towards the source of the tentacles, revealing a horde of silver androids. The eyes of these automatons suddenly glowed green, a sight that made them look like specters in the midst of darkness.

Their bodies housed a small black box on the back, and on their fronts, like a third eye, was a small triangular device.

The Astrylites wasted no time in recognizing these androids as an emerging threat. However, no one was prepared for the ambush that awaited them, especially from a group of automatons that looked as shiny as if they had been unboxed for the occasion.

"More of these things? Then, take this!" roared a soldier, aiming his plasma rifle at one of the androids.

In slow motion, the weapon unleashed its internal potential: a small plasma tube was pushed into the rifle's chamber, injecting an advanced gas, like a mixture of deuterium and tritium in the process. A vibrant blue glow illuminated the barrel before, with a distorted buzz, two powerful plasma bursts cut through the air.

Zzzaaap-zzzaaap!

The anticipation of destruction filled the moment, but reality diverged from their expectations. The android's forehead lit up red, activating the opening of the box on its back in a blink.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Crack!

Dozens of small spherical drones emerged, forming a row of five octagons that generated solid green shields.

The plasma beams collided with these shields, destroying one after another until the fifth one also succumbed. But as the soldier celebrated his momentary success, the drones returned to the small compartment on the back of the android, which escaped unscathed.

Literally, it hadn't received a scratch!

Perplexity seized the soldiers who had witnessed this scene, forgetting to breathe for a moment.

"Is that advanced biomass, no?" Zyrgon muttered, examining the green biomass entwining his Xenotech armor. The flickering green substance and the smoke it released hinted that it also emitted surprisingly high temperatures.

The others also reacted upon noticing what these androids were expelling from their arms: advanced liquid biomass that was normally only found in Type One and Two civilizations. Its presence indicated a technological sophistication that defied the expectations of the Astrylites, who, though aware of its existence, had not advanced in that branch of technological evolution.

Boom! Boom!

Draylith, without caring about the biomass enveloping him, shouted, "Go to hell!" as he fired his BlasterX.

Explosion after explosion filled the dark third level with a blue glow!

Despite the unleashed destruction, no android was destroyed...

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All this was due to countless drones forming massive shields of solid biomass that, while not completely stopping the explosions, delayed them enough to prevent any android from being affected, giving them the time to move to other locations.

"..."

Each of them was affected by a growing headache; these automatons proved to be truly irritating.

Zzchhhuuumm!

In the silence that followed, a powerful shot echoed!

It was Zyrgon with his Magnetic Hunter, who had fired at a group of androids.

Interestingly, the device on the foreheads of these androids emitted no light, and the drones on their backs did not react either, making it easy to destroy hundreds of them in a single wave.

Unfortunately, the effectiveness of his weapon came at a cost: it needed to cool down after each shot.

Although this gave the Astrylites a crucial revelation: the androids did not react to anything other than plasma weapons.

Krrraaack!

The soldier with the Voxelar unleashed bursts of rays that incinerated the internal systems of numerous enemies. The response was immediate: everyone began to employ diverse methods, some using weapons that did not fire plasma, although few had such devices, while others opted for direct combat with their own bodies.

Swooosh!

Thud!

Craack!

The colossal fist of Draylith's Xenotech armor collided with the chest of an android, disarticulating its metallic structure into a rain of scattered pieces. Although the inability to use their plasma weapons significantly reduced the efficiency with which they faced these automatons, the truth was that they cared little.

Thousands of Astrylite warriors were in the midst of an exhilarating battle, reminiscent of the intense fights against colossal creatures and civilizations comparable in technology to theirs.

Remembering battles in spaceships where they dodged countless beams of light and faced battleships that ruthlessly destroyed planets.

None of them surpassed the middle age of their race, which reached fifteen hundred years. Their hearts still beat with youth and excitement, and Draylith's words resonated in their minds. They couldn't afford to miss the chance to remember their roots at this crucial moment.

But this fleeting burst of fun barely had time to solidify.

"Wait... Why are there so many!?" exclaimed a soldier who had already taken down at least three hundred androids, noting that for every destroyed automaton, more emerged from the shadows.

The overwhelming number of androids prevented them from moving more than an inch. Reluctantly, they all understood an uncomfortable truth.

"Retreat!"

Bowing down and causing their legs to light up intensely, each soldier launched upward, harnessing the power of their armors to break free from the biomass tentacles.

Swoooosh!

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Returning to the second level, they aimed downward, prepared to shoot from an elevated position.

However, thousands of drones appeared, creating shield after shield of biomass, thwarting their attempts to attack from that advantageous position. This left them looking at each other uncomfortably.

"But if we don't use plasma weapons..." Zyrgon frowned, his narrowed eyes denoting concern: "I think someone is controlling them."

The others nodded in silence. Initially, they faced the biomass weapons, and now, amazed, they watched as these androids not only attacked but also demonstrated defensive abilities that seemed to develop on the fly, as if they were learning in the midst of battle.

Uncertainty hung in the air...

Rrrrumble!

As if the surprises weren't overwhelming enough, everything began to shake with such intensity that the ceiling of the second level threatened to collapse.

Not even the explosions of plasma grenades, the powerful impacts of the BlasterX, or the resounding shots of plasma rifles had managed to bring down this structure, but now, everything was coming down!

"Although a few rocks won't harm us, I have no interest in being buried alive!"

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Immediately after Draylith's words, everyone followed suit, continuing with large jumps until they finally emerged from the underground facilities after what seemed like endless hours. The sky, now dark, revealed the stars in all their splendor. A collective sigh of relief echoed, as the underground place was overwhelmingly oppressive and claustrophobic.

Nevertheless, the brief respite faded when thousands of cracks appeared, splitting the ground. In an instant, the mothership went into full alert; the Crimson Guardians from the four corners of the ship manifested and emerged with thunderous sounds.

In their full form, these mechanical titans reached twenty meters in height, imposing with a presence that even instilled fear in the Astrylites themselves.

Their red eyes gleamed as they scanned for the cause of the unusual anomaly, but their sensors detected nothing. Nevertheless, they remained in their positions, aware that the entire island was trembling, and the ground was crumbling into pieces.

The soldiers scattered quickly: some headed towards depots for additional weapons and ammunition, while others entered the mothership and emerged in moments with their ships.

In a blink, the entire base transformed into a state of total war!

Thooom!

A thunderous blow echoed from the depths of the artificial island.

Thooom! Thooom!

The ground began to tear at an increasing speed with each impact. It was as if a terrifying colossal beast was trying to break free from its cage.

Kraaaanng!

Finally, the ground gave way, and the debris that once formed part of the tall and modern buildings of Caelum fell into the void. Slowly, a massive, rust-covered metallic hand emerged.

To everyone's surprise, more and more hands appeared, counting dozens of them.

What was even stranger was that no Crimson Guardian was firing, as if they were unable to see those hands.

From a distance, unnoticed by everyone, thousands of small gray drones surrounded the island, creating an extensive web like a spider. Even below the island, something similar was taking place.

Once all the drones positioned themselves, a blue light shone on each of them...

Eldran, from the top of the mothership, observed the holographic screens reflecting the events: "Is this malfunctioning?" he wasn't without reason in his words, as instead of seeing the huge rusty robotic hands, all he saw was a blurry array of pixels, as if it were censored.

According to the reports he had received, enormous robotic hands had emerged from the interior of the island.

With no other option, he gritted his teeth in annoyance and reluctantly ordered that AI to communicate with him; after all, these glitches were supposed to be its troubleshooting area.