Chapter 81 - Hot Stuff
“Neo!” Talia shouted, her voice laced with urgency.
[Warning: Incoming hostile fauna detected. Threat level: High.]
Talia reached for her survival tool, flipping it into combat mode. The device hummed to life, energy lines glowing a menacing blue while the integrated HUD activated to show her its remaining charge.
The ground erupted as a massive creature burst forth from the earth. A giant jungle worm smaller than the ones Talia had encountered before—a baby. That wasn’t saying much though, it was still larger than her vehicle!
The monstrous creature rushed straight for the CRD-X9, its gaping maw filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth.
The miner lurched out of the way, narrowly avoiding the worm’s attack.
Talia retreated, her heart pounding in her chest as she watched the spiders scatter into the trees, their shrieks of “Danger-danger-danger!” echoing in her ears.
The worm turned its attention to Talia, its beady eyes fixating on her. She raised her survival tool and fired, the energy blast striking the creature’s tough hide. The worm recoiled but quickly recovered, charging towards her with renewed fury.
Talia ran, her exo-suit’s enhanced strength and speed propelling her forward. The suit’s automated systems took over maneuvering, helping her maintain balance as she zig-zagged between the massive jungle trees. The worm pursued relentlessly, its massive body churning up the ground and destroying everything in its path.
Despite her best efforts, Talia could see the worm gaining on her in her rearview HUD display.
The spiders sprang into action, hurling rocks at the giant worm with incredible strength and precision.
The stones pelted the creature’, causing it to turn and roar in anger. It charged after Dusky, who had thrown a particularly large rock at its head.
Dapple quickly joined in, throwing another stone and drawing the worm’s attention. It changed course after Dapple.
Hot Pink took her turn, lobbing a rock at the beast and causing it to pursue her instead.
The spiders continued the pattern, making the worm go in circles as it chased each of them in turn.
“Neo, please tell me you have a solution!” Talia shouted. “Throwing rocks isn’t going to stop this thing!”
[Response: Modification of CRD-X9 laser to combat mode will take approximately 45 seconds.]
“Protecting me and the spiders is top priority!” Talia yelled, her heart racing as she watched the worm close in on Dusky once more.
Talia raised her survival tool and opened fire at the worm from long range. The energy blast struck the creature’s side, causing a small spot to glow and sizzle. It was far beyond max range, and the damage was minimal.
The worm ignored the burn, its attention solely focused on Dusky. The spider attempted to climb away, but in her haste, she slipped on the bark and fell, tumbling.
Talia watched in horror as Dusky fell towards the worm’s gaping maw, but a sudden harpoon shot out from the CRD-X9, stabbing into the worm’s side.
The vehicle lurched backward, yanking the worm away from Dusky just in time. The spider hit the ground and shook, clearly rattled by the close call.
Talia ran over to Dusky, her heart pounding in her chest. “Dusky! Are you okay?”
“Protect-maker-save!” Dusky shouted.
Talia looked up just in time to see the CRD-X9 and the worm slam into each other at high speed, metal crunching as they collided.
The vehicle jammed its laser into the worm’s mouth, opening fire. The laser punched through the creature’s flesh, but the worm roared in pain and anger, munching down on the vehicle and chomping off the laser.
The CRD-X9 shot away, the harpoon still embedded in the worm’s side and dragging it along. Talia’s heart sank as Neo’s voice echoed in her ear.
[Warning: Weapon system failure detected. Laser non-operational.]
“I can see that!” Talia shouted, frustration and fear mixing in her voice.
The vehicle wrapped around a nearby tree, the harpoon and coil causing the worm to slam into the trunk with a sickening crunch.
The creature thrashed and roared, smashing into the CRD-X9 with its massive body. The vehicle flipped onto its side, stuck and helpless against the enraged worm.
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Talia ran up to the worm, her survival tool set to maximum power.
She aimed at the creature’s side and fired, the energy blast searing through its thick hide. Chunks of flesh melted off the worm, the smell of burnt meat filling the air.
Despite the damage, the worm continued to thrash and roar, its rage only intensifying.
Suddenly, a pink blur shot out from the trees above.
Hot Pink shrieked “Kill-kill-kill!” as she caught on pink flame midair.
The spider landed on the worm’s back, her sharp legs stabbing into its flesh like it was butter. The flames spread rapidly across the creature’s body, causing it to writhe in agony.
The worm slammed its body against the nearby tree, trying to dislodge Hot Pink.
Talia barely managed to retreat in time, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the massive creature.
She watched in awe as Hot Pink ran up the worm’s body, stabbing it constantly and leaving a trail of pink flames in her wake.
Hot Pink was using the same power she had witnessed during the battle at the research module with the insane combat Blue.
The spider’s flames seemed to be fueled by the HEM she had consumed, allowing her to immolate herself without harm while inflicting devastating damage on the worm.
Hot Pink reached the top of the worm’s head and then, with a fierce cry, stabbed her way into its eye. The worm let out an ear-splitting shriek, thrashing wildly.
Hot Pink burst out of the worm’s other eye, her body engulfed in pink flames. The worm thrashed and writhed, its massive body burning from the inside out. With a final, agonized roar, the creature collapsed, its charred form going still.
Hot Pink leaped off the worm, her flames extinguishing as she landed gracefully on the ground. Talia rushed over to the spiders, her heart still pounding.
“Is everyone okay?” Talia asked, her voice laced with concern as she gently petted each spider.
“Maker-safe-good,” Dusky chirped, nuzzling against Talia’s hand.
“Spiders-strong-together,” Dapple added, her voice filled with pride.
Hot Pink bounced excitedly, her pink exoskeleton still radiating heat. “Hot-Pink-kill-kill-kill!”
Talia couldn’t help but smile at Hot Pink’s enthusiasm. “You were amazing out there, Hot Stuff.”
The spiders chattered amongst themselves, their voices overlapping in a cacophony of clicks and chirps.
“Hot-Pink-fire-strong!” Dusky exclaimed.
“Snack-power-good,” Dapple agreed.
“More-treat-please!” Hot Pink demanded, her eyes wide with excitement.
Talia chuckled, shaking her head. “I think you’ve had enough HEM for now. We don’t want you burning down the whole jungle.”
With the spiders calmed and accounted for, Talia turned her attention to the damaged CRD-X9. She approached the vehicle, assessing the extent of the damage.
“Neo, what’s the status of the artifact?” Talia asked, her brow furrowed with concern.
[Notice: The artifact is secure within the armored compartment. Containment integrity is holding.]
Talia let out a sigh of relief, her shoulders sagging as the tension drained from her body. “Thank goodness. At least something went right.”
[Update: Aerial evacuation is en route to your location. ETA: 10 minutes.]
“Well, it’s a good thing the jungle isn’t as dense near the river,” Talia remarked, glancing up at the canopy above.
[Affirmative. The reduced vegetation density will facilitate extraction.]
Talia approached the damaged CRD-X9, her survival tool in hand. With a few precise cuts, she extracted the artifact from the vehicle’s armored compartment. The egg-like object glowed softly in her hands, its surface smooth.
[Assessment: CRD-X9 unit is beyond repair. Recommend scrapping and salvaging usable components.]
Talia sighed. “Alright, Neo. Continue with the new Durasteel mining site. Put it as a higher priority than the rare metals site. Redirect vehicles to get started here right away.”
[Confirmation: Durasteel mining site prioritized. Suggest queuing additional CRD-X9s for production and dispatch.]
“Of course,” Talia agreed, nodding her head. “We can’t afford more setbacks.”
The distant hum of engines caught Talia’s attention, and she looked up to see the Seeker-H7 approaching. The sleek aircraft descended gracefully, its landing gear extending as it touched down in a nearby clearing.
Dusky bounced excitedly, her chirps filled with joy. “Fly-fly-fly!”
Dapple, on the other hand, looked at Talia with pleading eyes. “Sleep-inside-please?”
Hot Pink, however, had other ideas. “No-no-no!” she shrieked, scurrying into the jungle and peeking out from behind a bush.
Talia turned to Dapple. “Dapple, could you see if Hot Pink will come with us?”
Dapple scuttled over to the bush. “Abandon-Maker-No!”
Hot Pink poked her head out, her eyes wide with fear. “Flying-high-scary!”
Talia smiled, her heart warming at the spiders’ loyalty. “It’s okay. You can all come inside with me.”
[Notice: The entry point of the Seeker-H7 is not large enough to accommodate the spiders.]
Talia grunted, her brow furrowing with determination. “Not with that attitude,” she declared, pulling out her survival tool. She approached the Seeker-H7, already considering a solution.