The star of Planet Origin had fallen to the east, casting a shadow on the cold western expanse.
Chilly air breezed through the MD-102 as its heavy footsteps leave wide-open tracks in the snow.
Julian made his way into the ridge and glanced at the swarm of crystalline ants right atop the villium ore deposit. His mind steeled, firmly grasping the handles inside the mecha suit.
"Avina, how long can I last outside with the PCS?"
"The oxygenator of the PCS-MD-101 will last for two hours under standby mode, successor," Avina explained. "Should the successor engage in fierce combat encounters, the consumption will persist for at most 30 minutes."
"That short, huh?" Julian weighed the variables in play. "Let's lure them first. If that doesn't work, we'll directly engage."
"Shall Avina take control of the PMS-MD-102 during the battle?"
Julian raised his eyebrows. "Fine by me, but I'll take over when things get rough. The catchphrase is Exodus. Do you copy?"
"Avina copies."
The PMS-MD-102 jolted as it changed its pilot.
Julian moved his hands, and the machinery followed but the PMS-MD-102 no longer responds.
Suspended inside the mecha suit, his eyes glisten and await the spectacle to be held.
The mecha suit slid, trailing into the base of the ridge, and catching the attention of a few crystalline ant patrols who started wriggling their antennae in the air.
The PMS-MD-102's energy readings received a spike and Avina quickly spun and fired the MG against these still dumbfounded ants.
Four crystalline ants lay dead and almost got buried in the snow. The other four had charged up, their laser strikes hitting the earth wall behind the mecha suit.
This miss instigated a loud howling deep within the earthen walls followed by a blast, creating a deep hole.
A uniped creature crawled out of its dwelling, using its two long and crystal-covered arms to walk, supported by the lustrous blunt tail pounding the ground to dust.
"Detecting new creature! The danger level is high!"
The crystal golem raised its hand and thrust it into the heart of the PMS-MD-102. A surge of light energy swarmed from its shoulder into the crystal hand's edge, blasting off the ground into a 2-meter-deep burnt hollow on impact.
The mecha suit narrowly evaded, sending a shiver into Julian's back. He could feel the sweat pouring out of his tightly closed pores. "Fire a rocket launcher at its chest and get some damn distance!"
The long barrel locked its sight on the crystal golem's torso, retaliating with a shot into its core.
The crystal golem moved its left hand and blocked the path of the rocket. Chunks of crystals broke out of its body, enraging the crystal golem, and started a chase.
Its loud and hoarse voice was no different from a cow, reverberating the entire ridge and its surrounding area.
The wary beasts ran away in fear for their life while a hundred of this crystalline colony marched upon the obstruction of snow, desiring the death of the intruders that invaded their home.
The PMS-MD-102 turned around and fired a few shots, thinning out the angry colony.
Avina calculates the laser strike trajectory of the crystalline ants, leaving her successor dizzying out from the cluttered mecha visor.
With precision and quickness, Avina evaded the never-ending streams of laser strikes.
Such an excellent performance deserved nothing but praise in Julian's eyes.
"Good, that's good. Keep doing that, Avina. Maybe we don't need the help of the outpost at all!"
Before Julian could revel in joy, a laser strike grazed the upper left shoulder of the mecha suit, tearing off the barrel of the rocket launcher.
As a parting gift to its owner, the last rocket strikes the center of the ant army, yet the crystal golem waved its hand, protecting its allies from a dangerous blast.
"Lucky bastard! I'll get that fucker once I'm done with this!"
The lone MG continuously barraged the increasing colony to no avail. Avina acknowledged the increase in pressure and hurled a large rock into their formation.
The crushed ants wailed in pain, their heads bobbing side to side until they died.
The ants at the rear channeled their strength into a large concentration of light energy, tearing through the rock in the middle, causing a few more casualties.
The crystal golem roared at the sudden loss of life. Its arms moved quickly like a gorilla, wanting to intercept the bullets of this fast-moving prey.
Julian smiled in delight, knowing the inherent weakness of the crystal golem's material. "Switch target to the golem, Avina."
The MG momentarily paused, adjusting its angle to match the crystal golem. When the barrel spun and the bullets flew, the crystal golem found itself riddled with cracks all over its 'hard' body.
Its strength drained into the void, putting its life in peril for the first time. Fearing that it may fail to defeat its enemy, the golem condensed particles of light energy into its core.
"You will not get away with that!" Avina suddenly raised the mecha suit's arm, now armed with a smaller rocket payload than before.
Though small as the rocket may have become, the crystal golem collapsed to the ground under the explosive greeting, leaving it broken and unalive.
Its last wails of agony echoed into the skies; its crystal body pulled back into the earth where it rightfully belongs.
The ants underneath suffer from its end, crushed like a paste with regrets of their lifetime.
The fall of their guardians emboldens the crystalline ants, furiously blasting a higher intensity of laser strikes unto their adversary.
Julian exited the ridge, but the ants suddenly halted their advance, their U-shaped antennae pointing in the western direction. The army collectively retreats as if something had gone back home.
Julian was intrigued, wanting to discover the surprising turn of events.
"The queen must have made her move. Avina, deal with this hunk and return to the colony's nest. Let's see what these ants are up to."
"Should we not report our findings to Hesab and Intellus, successor?"
"Can we?" Julian chuckled. "I doubt they would spout anything but estimates just like we do now. If you want to go back, then it'd better be due to ammunition. Our stocks are rather low for the moment."
Avina prompts her understanding and collects the carcass and minerals left by the crystal golem.
She left the rocket launcher barrel behind as it is too far away and dangerous to be retrieved.
The PMS-MD-102 thrust into the air, leaving a trail of light that approached the outpost.
"What made you come back this early, successor? Did the plan fail?"
Julian was uncertain of Hesab's tone. Was it sarcasm or was it pity? "You should go out there and see for yourself. You love that, right?"
"Unfortunately, successor, I was not programmed to handle a mecha suit, unlike Avina." Hesab's tone turned to be more infuriating to Julian's ears.
"Then why don't you connect to my VNI during that time?" Ignoring his nonsense, Julian checked up on the damages that the PMS-MD-102 had received.
"Destroyed rocket launcher and some small things. The rest are good to go."
Before he could turn back around for another view, Secturus established a connection carrying grave news.
"Successor, danger is close. A huge anomaly has been detected in the villium ore area. Source unidentified. Energy levels increasing."
The red dot on Julian's VNI enlarged for several magnitudes, almost encompassing the 100-meter diameter circle he had custom added.
"Warning! The energy level readings are comparable to a Stage 2 Evolutionary Creature. The successor's current level is not sufficient to handle this anomaly. Initiating extermination protocol. Releasing the purple proto insects."
A dense purple mist suddenly appeared one kilometer above the villium ore deposit. Like thunderclouds waiting to unleash their wake, the purple proto insects gathered in place in search of one target.
Julian's body collapsed at the traumatizing sight. Death, emptiness, and hollowness. An image of the purple proto insects, describing the nature of their lore. "I... Is that?"
"Ah, the exterminators." Julian sternly gazed at Hesab's portrait, unaccustomed to the friendly tone that one would associate with the purple mist. "Secturus, leave some samples to me, won't you? It would be a shame if we cannot cultivate a specimen of this level. That would be a breakthrough to our discovery of this wild planet."
"Negotiation is highly improbable. The purple proto insects will handle the threat no matter the cost."
Hesab grunted. "Talking with brutes is so frustrating, don't you think successor?"
"What if I tell you I'm also a brute, huh?!" Julian scoffed at Hesab's remark.
Amidst their arguments, a loud hiss echoed deep within the mountains.
A blinding light flashes 500 meters away west of the outpost. The mech visor instantly closes yet the light punctures through with unstoppable might.
Julian couldn't help but close his eyes in fear. "Did a nuclear blast just happen?!"
An ear-shattering explosion burst hundreds of meters wide before Julian could reopen his eyes.
Waves of varying intensity confronted the western expanse, challenging its structure with destruction at hand.
He could feel the joints and metallic bars of his structures ring in distress. Even the heavy PMS-MD-102 could not help but slide several meters away from the shockwave.
The sound of the conflict struck fear into the hearts—of the weak—a Stage 2 evolutionary creature, a menace that could simply make everything kneel in defeat.
Julian's mind rumbled, his thoughts in disarray. He wondered how powerful of an enemy the purple proto insects were tasked to exterminate.
'If I am to fight that at my current level...'
To think that his experience had taught him everything. He had thought wrong.
The western expanse turned quiet after that short chaotic interlude. The commotion has ended.
Within the serenity floats the intense bloodlust emanating from the battlefield. A scent not too foreign for someone like Julian.
The mecha visor reopened as Secturus reconnected, his voice as bland and cold as usual.
"Threat exterminated. Purple proto insect survivability is at twenty percent. Retrieving purple proto insects. The successor may now continue. The area has been cleared."
Julian exhaled. "That was unbelievable..."
"Successor! You must hurry! We need to check the condition of that specimen! It is far too precious to be left out there decaying into dust!" Hesab hastily reminded.
"Why are you afraid of that beast decaying? Did that strike not horrify your damn mind?!"
"Successor, you do not understand! You know what... Call me insane, whatever you may prefer but I must get a sample of that specimen! This is far too important!"
Hesab's anxiety confused Julian. Nevertheless, he was interested in the appearance of that Stage 2 evolutionary creature as well.
With pockets filled and ready, the PMS-MD-102 lands back at the top of the ridge.
The bluish-white eyes lighting their head carefully scans the smoke-filled area. "How about thermal?"
Avina switched to thermal, almost blinding Julian with the extreme amount of heat residue. "What the hell happened here?! Exodus!"
He forcibly switched off the thermal vision and slowly walked down to the base of the ridge.
Sizzling sounds consumed the blackened trees and the snow had long been obliterated into oblivion.
Julian discovered a single leg of a crystalline ant and attempted to touch it, only to feel the metallic fingers clawing against one another. "Don't tell me everything here has turned to dust?"
It took him much longer to get through such a restricted area. When the smoke settled after a long while, the entire area was all for him to see.
Scorched earth.
Mutilated ant corpses.
And what appears to be the crystal ant queen dug out from its nest, the insides of which had been ruptured by something sharp.
Lying not far from it was a 1-meter-tall black spider. Its eyes had gone hollow, and its belly was torn out, forming a large hole.
The once sturdy and sharp crystal legs had been reduced to only a fraction of it. One could imagine how tall and ferocious this black crystal spider would have been when it was still alive.
Julian's gaze was drawn to the terrifying beast. The black crystal spider, despite being reduced to a shadow of its former self, instilled fear in his heart.
The events' details weave their way into his head, and a new surge of understanding rises within him.
"Oh, so that's what happened..."
