[ Hold! ] The moment the command was issued, spreading through the communication channel, the seasoned harvesters readied themselves, neither too tense nor too relaxed, just enough balance between the two that would allow them to bring forth their optimal performance.
They were spread out in a circular formation, behind them was another circle consisting of their juniors who were less experienced in the viciousness of this cold world. Further inside were the new recruits, if they could be called that, after all they were the scions of nobility unlikely to ever venture outside the settlement after this.
The approaching monsters would not care for any of that, already their fierce gusts of winds produced by their charge destabilizing some of the young nobles.
[ Strike! ] Like well-oiled machines they moved, synchronizing their attacks with a practiced ease, their massive blades coated with Qi, making them harder, sharper. The blades struck the mix of ice, stone, and metal that made up the outer shell of these monsters not impeded in the least, ice shattered, forcefully torn apart as the blades continued onwards, tearing through the organs that were being nourished inside, isolated from the desolate cold that existed outside. A wave of death was unleashed from a single command.
[ Forward! ] The circle expanded as they stepped forward in synchronized steps, the corpse crushed under the weight of their armor suits.
The expansion led to gaps appearing in the formation that had to be filled by the younger, less experienced harvesters who struggled to keep up with their seniors. Behind them, the young nobles dragged the corpses aside, clearing the field. Here the differences from a normal recruit became apparent because even though it was their first time venturing outside the safety of the settlement, they did not make the errors that were abundant among the normal recruits. Only occasionally did they fall despite the constant trembling of the group, something that sped up the collection of the corpse.
[ What terrible timing, ] remarked the elders in charge of the operation while constantly issuing the commands. Even though his senses had been spread out to the maximum, the monster seemed endless.
[ Do we continue the operation? ]
[ Did we halt it even though we knew the princess was nearby? No, so why should we stop now? ] responded the one incharge after ordering the harvesters to retreat, causing the circle to shrink back.
[ But can't you sense their numbers? This stampede is not as severe as the regular ones, but it is still a challenge nonetheless and if those insurgents try to take advantage of it, we could be pushed into a disadvantageous position, ] another elder argued.
[ Isn't it odd that this is happening now? We organize an operation to kill those insurgents and this happens, ] Another voice joins, trying to help to pursue the first elder.
[ Are you suggesting these monsters are being controlled? Impossible! We've tried before, these creatures cannot be controlled! ]
[ Does it matter whether they are or not? We still need to be cautious. ]
[ Did you sense that? ] The heating discussion suddenly comes to a stop.
Suddenly, a massive entity made its presence known, each step crushing tens of monsters to their deaths. The entity attempted to charge, but an armor suit leaped into the air, thrusters propelling it toward the colossal beast. The blade held in the metallic arm extended, infused with the pilot's Qi, its intensity forcing the beast to focus on what was, at best, comparable to a mosquito.
On the ground, despite their admirable efforts, the errors began to pile up—inevitable but not any less disastrous. They struck once again, but this time a monster deftly evaded the attack. Its mouth unraveled, revealing rows of sharp teeth that quickly clamped down on the extended arm of the armor. The harvester attempted to strike it down, but it was already too late.
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[ Retreat! ] Despite the repeated punches that shattered the ice, the monster did not let go and despite the thrusters propelling the amor back with full force, it was too slow. A wave of monsters swiftly overwhelms the armor and its occupant.
The defenders sustained increasing damage, but the wave of monsters seemed unending. While they fought, the elders, including the one issuing orders, were preoccupied with battling the hulking monstrosities— something that required even veteran harvesters to group up to kill just one.
As the casualties piled up, the circle was forced to shrink, making the situation progressively more challenging. The monsters gradually gained the upper hand, forcing everyone's attention to remain fixed on them. Unbeknownst to all, something clandestinely maneuvered through the sea of monsters, and the monster not only ignored them but moved to create pathways for them. The vehicles came to a halt. The vehicles stopped in front of the circular formation. Motionless, they went unnoticed. Then, the wave of monsters launched another frenzied attack, an insanity not present in their previous assaults. They charged forward, disregarding their own safety which forced the harvesters to place all their focus on them. The vehicles spring into action.
Passing right by the harvesters, the bikes moved swiftly toward the noble scions. The recruits were powerless to resist and were swiftly abducted. All the while, the harvesters found themselves unable to intervene, and chaos descended upon the scene.
At some point, the orders ceased as the elders were forced to concentrate their attention on the massive monsters that relentlessly emerged in great numbers. They had no time to speak as they continuously attacked and evaded assaults from all directions.
[ Damage report. ]
Destruction lay in every direction, evident aftermath.
[ Sir! The young nobles are missing! ]
[ What in the world… ] The elder's frustration was palpable as he turned to address the others who had accompanied him. [ Spread out in every direction. We might still have a chance to pursue them. ]
[ That's futile, you should know better. We need to join with Knrama and decided upon further action from there. ]
***
Following Livian as she guided them to the nearest place with a dense life force, they stood in front of a laboratory within the Mid Barrier. It could not be called assault as the moment the guards came near her, they lost control over their bodies and so they entered the construction without any effort. They had come here for two reasons, first to find something that would help them not just avoid the punishment but to acquire enough reward that would allow them to survive. They had already expended all their resources to have the jinns open a portal that had allowed them undetected entry to this planet. The second reason was hovering in front of Livian.
“So, did you find anything?" Livian inquired, standing amidst the lifeless bodies strewn across the ground. The twitching of the fallen gradually subsided as time passed. Before her were three small spheres, each half the size of a finger joint, brimming with vital Qi extracted from nearly a hundred lab personnel.
"A few intriguing discoveries, but nothing substantial," Meelion responded. She delved into the lab's systems, swiftly navigating through data in search of anything useful.
"But won't presenting information about this place mitigate our punishment?" Livian persisted, her gaze fixed on the spheres, where life force continued to condense. Though nowhere near enough for them to fully recover, it would help nonetheless, enabling three of them to endure the harshness of their journey through this unforgiving land without further worsening their condition.
"We've depleted all our resources, Livian. We can't even afford a meal right now, so it doesn’t matter even if our punishment is reduced. We need to obtain a reward. So, did you discover anything?" Jionic replied while she searched the labs that existed inside the building.
"There is one thing. One of the projects they worked on was called Eternal Frost—they are trying to create a new physique attuned ice aspect,” Livian replied.
Upon hearing this, Meelion turned towards Livian and asked, "Which one of them had that information?"
"Ah... he's already dead."
"Idiot," Jionic interjected with frustration.
"We will go after that. Knowledge about a new physique should be enough to not just spare us from punishment but to get a reward, “ Meelion declared, leading the way out of the lab, now inhabited only by withered bodies drained of their energy.
"Here you go," Livian said, releasing the two spheres. They glided effortlessly into the mouths of Jionic and Meelion, who consumed them without hesitation.
The three of them departed, with Livian taking the lead, guiding them toward the next location where she sensed a flicker of life force.