"Let's start by moving to the nearest location."

"Yes, sir!"

We set our sights on the closest exploration point. The score for this location was on the lower side, but it was a good starting point to get a feel for things.

Smith instructed the squad to maintain perimeter security. With numerous tall buildings around us, our visibility was severely limited. In such terrain, even portable sensors would be highly ineffective, so it wouldn't be surprising if an enemy suddenly appeared from anywhere.

We had been moving cautiously for about ten minutes when we encountered our first enemy.

"Autonomic Combat Device Armor Spider. It's an early model."

"Judging by its appearance, it's infected by a neuro-parasite, right?"

"Yes, sir."

We saw three Armor Spiders. Each Armor Spider was a small combat device about one meter in size, with six legs. While their ranged weapons were either in a state of disrepair or completely missing, the energy-condensing cutters attached to their mechanical arms were still quite threatening.

There was a notable detail. Normally, Armor Spiders were sturdy allies created by the Human Alliance to fight against aliens. However, these three Armor Spiders were covered in a bizarre, slime-like substance. This strongly suggested that they were controlled by a neuro-parasite that infects autonomous robots. And this meant...

"There must be an infection nest nearby. Considering the direction, it should be at our exploration point."

"Shall we take care of them?"

"I'll handle it myself. We need to conserve ammunition."

"I'll support you if needed."

I stepped forward alone to confirm a few things. If they showed any signs of calling for reinforcements, I could quickly retreat.

[Static...! Protect target ...static! Eliminate target detected static...!]

The Armor Spiders reacted as soon as I rounded the corner of a building and approached them. This was typical behavior for combat machines infected by neuro-parasites.

[Eliminating... static!]

They advanced rapidly on their six legs. Their speed was alarming, akin to a sprinter at full tilt. Despite their infection, which should disrupt their behavior circuits, they were incredibly agile. An ordinary person wouldn't have time to scream before being struck down.

"Ha!"

But for someone who regularly sparred with the likes of 'Bloody Rose,' this speed was almost laughable.

The lead Armor Spider lunged at me with its energy-condensing cutter. I twisted my body to dodge and simultaneously delivered a short, powerful punch that shattered its front sensor. Given the Armor Spider's lack of barriers, this single blow likely wreaked havoc on its internal components.

In the same fluid motion, I kicked out, striking the head of the second Armor Spider, causing it to crash into the third. They tangled together and fell, right where I wanted them. I then stomped down hard on the one at my feet to finish it off.

"Whew."

In a single breath, I had dealt with all three Armor Spiders.

There was no sense of accomplishment. Just a feeling of inevitability.

Among the academy cadets, there wasn't anyone who couldn't handle three Armor Spiders. Even regular soldiers could easily take them down with a single gun, considering they couldn't use their ranged weapons. Still, I was satisfied with the "process."

'At least I won't get scolded.'

I wondered how Rose would have evaluated the situation if she had been watching, as I inspected the wreckage. Inside the broken armor, I could see the circuits infested with the neuro-parasites. I stomped on those as well.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"A large number of Armor Spiders are approaching, Commander."

"Hold... no, stay on standby."

"Will you engage them?"

"I need to blow off some steam. Just wait a moment. No support necessary."

"Understood. We will report any anomalies."

I had initially thought about retreating, but I changed my mind. It seemed I had accumulated a lot of stress unknowingly. I wasn't naturally a violent person.

'Then again, can anyone stay the same in this environment?'

The characteristic whirring sound of the Armor Spiders' motors echoed from all directions. My heightened senses detected at least 30 of them. However, without their ranged attack capabilities, these combat machines were nothing more than punching bags for stress relief.

After a short while, the well-maintained combat area turned into a mess of broken Armor Spiders' wreckage.

*

After the skirmish, I analyzed the neuro-parasites. Unfortunately, I didn't find any useful traits that I could apply. Being a derivative created by the infection nest, the amount of information was quite limited. I stored only the relevant data for collection purposes and discarded the rest.

"Did you relieve some stress?" Smith asked.

"Much better now."

Smith nodded in relief and continued.

"While you were dealing with them, Private Nolan climbed a building to scout the area."

"Did he find anything?"

"It seems you dealt with all the Armor Spiders in the vicinity. There are some larger ones further away, but they're not nearby."

That meant we could proceed to the exploration point at a brisk pace.

"What's the quickest route?"

"I've shared it with you."

"Thanks."

"All thanks to Private Nolan. He has good eyes."

I checked the information on my tactical visor. The indicated path would allow us to reach our destination without further encounters.

"Let's move out."

"We'll proceed with a rapid march."

I took position at the rear. The infantry armor worn by the squad had basic propulsion units for movement assistance. These units used the surrounding air to provide thrust, effectively reducing battery consumption and physical fatigue. However, the speed wasn't very fast, so I had to adjust my pace to match.

'...Is this the place?'

We arrived at our destination.

The building, which looked like a research facility, was dark and gloomy, emitting a foul stench from within.

"It looks like it's definitely an infection nest."

My personal alien sensor was reacting. Considering the characteristic "smell" of an infection nest, it was undoubtedly one.

"Shall we split into teams?"

"Yes, let's split into three groups: one with me, and the others split among the squad. How about that?"

"Good decision."

Judging by the level of alien contamination detected by the sensor, this infection nest wasn't particularly dangerous. Even if there were risks, five soldiers would be enough to handle them.

To speed up the search, we divided the squad into three groups.

The internal search wasn't as difficult as expected. We encountered two Armor Spiders, but that was it. The other teams also dealt with their encounters without any issues.

"Looks like we've succeeded in the mission."

"What about the infection nest itself?"

"I'll take a look. Could you check if there are any hidden items nearby?"

"Understood."

The final goal of the search seemed to be the infection nest guarded by around twenty Armor Spiders and automated turrets. Unfortunately, Smith's team found it and cleared it out before I got there. They asked me whether to destroy the remaining nest, so I requested a brief delay.

'I hope this isn't disappointing.'

It's hard to assess the danger level of an infection nest. It varies greatly depending on what has been infected. If found early, an infection nest can be dealt with relatively easily. If not, even superhumans might struggle to destroy it.

Infection Nest [8990]

Contrary to its appearance, it was quite substantial. Compared to a Tier 2 danger entity like the Razor Bee, it had almost two and a half times the amount of material.

Even with my well-trained abilities, it would take a considerable amount of time to process. However, the surprise was short-lived. As the analysis progressed, my expression grew grim.

'What is this? Most of it is just meaningless junk.'

It wasn't much different from the neuro-parasites produced by the infection nest. The genetic information constituting the nest itself was only marginally better than that of a Tier 1 danger alien, the Hidden Worm. The rest was essentially dummy data randomly transmitted from infected subjects.

'No, no. There has to be something useful.'

I focused on the analysis, hoping for something valuable from this rare opportunity. The final yield was disappointing.

I ended up rediscovering only what I already knew. An infection nest is a kind of alien information collection depot. It gathers information and sends it upwards to create something that can confront humanity. This means that the aliens have been using these nests as their scouts for the past century to mimic humans.

'So that's how it works...'

Despite knowing this, the real-time information streaming through my mind sent chills down my spine. Can humans really defeat these monsters?

"Commander, we've finished the search. Here are the findings."

I collected the data for record-keeping and then incinerated the infection nest. Completing the mission with the entire squad resulted in more than double the points awarded.

"Oh? That's a lot."

"We had some keen-eyed people working hard."

I turned to see Private Nolan giving an awkward smile.

"Good job."

"Shall we move to the next objective?"

"Hmm, no. Let's take a break and have something to eat. But not here; let's move away from this stench."

"Yes, sir! Squad, prepare to move!"

The preparation was done swiftly. The squad members were eager to leave this filthy place.

The practical test proceeded smoothly.