Chapter 224: Parasites

Chapter 224: Parasite

“The aerial strike has been executed!”

“Fuxi, assess hits and damage!”

By the shore of Nan Yi Lake, Shen Yue directed his men to hastily assemble a 152mm howitzer while peering through his smart visor at the reconnaissance images streamed back by the drone.

As his orders left his lips, Fuxi instantly reported the results of the air assault.

“Four rounds hit: target two is down, target one took a cruise missile and a Longsword‑S air‑to‑ground missile, but the damage appears limited.”

“Understood.”

Shen Yue nodded, turned and shouted loudly:

“Speed up the deployment!”

“The air strike’s damage is insufficient; we may not be able to hold them back!”

“The firing window is narrow—move faster!”

At his command, the still‑green Chinese soldiers, barely trained, quickened their motions, set down their spades, and swung the gun barrels into position.

Simultaneously, the drone kept feeding fresh position data; after the battle‑skull’s calculations, the numbers were turned into directly loadable parameters and pushed to Shen Yue’s PDA.

He vaulted onto the gun carriage, entered the parameters at breakneck speed, while Fuxi operated a humanoid robot to ready the smart ammunition.

The guns were ready; Shen Yue waited calmly for the moment.

Now his gun emplacement lay twenty kilometres from the beast’s location.

He had only one piece of artillery; if the second shot missed, tracking the monster again for a third round would become exceedingly hard.

He had to be meticulous, to chase that one‑shot‑to‑the‑soul chance.

Drawing a deep breath, Shen Yue issued another order:

“Attack‑17, launch two more cruise missiles and drive the monster toward me!”

“Copy.”

The battle‑skull’s cold electronic voice crackled, and a heartbeat later the distant Attack‑17 drone dove at breakneck speed, releasing a second volley of cruise missiles just under two kilometres from the creature.

Two missiles homed in on the beast; moments later they detonated with a thunderous blast at the point of impact.

“Boom!”

The massive explosion, softened by trees and terrain, became a muffled roar, yet the creature’s piercing scream rang crystal clear in Shen Yue’s ears.

At last, they had provoked the monster.

Like a war‑elephant clad in armor, the beast lifted its fore‑limbs high, the keratin plates linked by fascia unfurling like wings before snapping shut again.

With a “bang” that rattled the air, its massive fore‑feet slammed the ground, its grotesque tusks slashing through the forest and felling every tree within a few metres.

Its back was riddled with four holes blown by missiles from above, flesh and muscle exposed and twitching with each movement.

Blood surged out in gushes, staining the creature’s body crimson in mere seconds.

Then dark‑red blood streamed down the loose “scale‑curtain” on its back, trailing the beast’s momentum and spraying the surrounding air.

In that instant Shen Yue understood why the creature’s heat signature had vanished.

The “armor‑like” keratin layer was in fact a porous, lattice‑like network of tubes!

Each time it drank, it stored vast quantities of liquid inside; when the fluid entered the channels, it rapidly cooled its body.

Damn.

What a naturally anti‑infrared holy body!

Shen Yue gently turned the 152’s traversing gear, constantly fine‑tuning the bearing with the drone’s parameters.

The monster was already charging toward his position; as long as the drone kept baiting it, it would soon be within a safe firing envelope.

It had been a long time coming.

Calculating the lead, Shen Yue leapt from the gun carriage and seized the firing cord.

In at most three seconds the beast would reach the predetermined impact point.

He did not demand a perfect hit, but the shell had to land close enough to inflict decisive damage.

That was not an impossible aim.

Provided the monster kept advancing.

——

Yet at that moment the enraged creature, which had been lunging forward, abruptly halted its stride.

It stood its ground, roaring and wailing, letting the blood on its back cascade, yet refusing to take another step.

“What’s happening?!”

Shen Yue shouted in confusion, and Fuxi’s voice crackled through his headset at once.

“It seems this monster is being controlled; it won’t change its course!”

“Launch the last two cruise missiles! Push it again!”

“Copy.”

A terse reply rang out; a heartbeat later the final two cruise missiles aboard Attack‑17 were fired.

“Boom!”

“Boom!”

Accompanying the two explosions, the monster surged forward as if whipped by a lash.

But instantly it froze, almost terrified, its massive inertia bending its fore‑limbs into exaggerated arcs, nearly toppling over.

The bizarre tableau left Shen Yue stunned.

Yet now he had no room for retreat.

“Fire!”

He yanked the firing cord with a sudden pull.

“Bang!”

A deafening crack split the air as the howitzer round burst from its barrel.

After a long arc, the shell slammed into the ground less than fifteen metres from the beast.

“Boom!”

A shockwave swept across, shrapnel ramming into the creature’s flesh.

Blood sprayed everywhere as the monster staggered backward, trying to escape an attack it could not comprehend.

But Shen Yue would give it no respite.

The moment the first round left the barrel, he re‑loaded new parameters and, in under five seconds, prepared a second shot.

This shell, guided by uncanny precision and foresight, fell directly beside the monster’s flank.

Less than a meter away.

"Boom!"

A massive explosion erupted right beneath the creature, the overpressure shattering the loose armor plates into oblivion.

Like a skin being torn away, its body instantly flushed a gruesome crimson.

Deprived of its keratinous shield, countless shrapnel ripped through its side, carving a horrifying gash of blood.

Dark‑blue entrails spewed forth in an instant; the monster convulsed, staggered a few steps forward, then collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Its head remained raised, even attempting to prop itself up with its curved fangs to stand again.

But life was draining from it at a frantic pace; the last vestige of strength was swept away by a torrent of blood, seeping into the filthy earth.

A mournful wail echoed through the forest, sending a shiver of gooseflesh across Shen Yue's skin.

He sensed, in the vaguest way, that this beast differed from all the others he had slain.

It seemed to possess a purpose of its own.

It seemed—not merely to howl because of its own death!

That intuition hurled Shen Yue into a strange valley of terror; he took several deep breaths before he could steady his nerves.

Then, clenching his teeth, he barked orders:

"Everyone, abandon the artillery, move light and fast!"

"These two monsters are anomalous; we must dissect one to see what's inside!"

Elsewhere, near Cangzhou City.

Chen Jian’s squad had just arrived at the modest town, having completed negotiations with the Mechanical Cult’s guardian troops stationed there and received a fresh consignment of supplies.

He ordered the convoy to take a brief rest outside the city while he cradled his PDA, munching on rations and consulting the power map that Fuxi had just compiled.

"From Cangzhou City heading north, we're essentially entering the domain of the Holy Blood Hall," he said. "The Mechanical Cult still clings to some influence, but its voice has nearly vanished and its strength has waned considerably."

"From now on we can't rely on the Mechanical Cult for logistics; we must turn to the Holy Blood Hall for cooperation."

"The good news is that our relations with them are fairly decent, and collaboration runs smoothly."

"The bad news is that the Holy Blood Hall's organizational capacity is far inferior to the Mechanical Cult's, so the aid they can offer is limited."

"Anyway, we're almost at the Imperial Capital now."

"Our next stop is to set foot in Jinmen."

"It will be the first coastal city we've reached in ages; perhaps new clues and discoveries await there."

Hearing this, Lei Jie gave a slight nod, then mused thoughtfully:

"I don't know if we'll get a glimpse of an aircraft carrier—theoretically, Jinmen to Sanshan is only about three hundred kilometers; if a carrier happened to be operating nearby during the cataclysm, it might dock at Jinmen's port, right?"

"Not certain."

Chen Jian shook his head:

"According to standard emergency protocol, returning to the home port is the proper move."

"But who can say? This thing is unpredictable."

"From the intel we've gathered, there are no legends of 'great ships' or 'giant vessels' around Jinmen, which likely means the locals have never seen an aircraft carrier."

"Warships, perhaps, could exist."

"But three hundred years have passed; any ship, whatever its class, should have sunk by now, no?"

"Indeed."

Lei Jie sighed:

"In this apocalypse, the mightiest force we could hope to find might be those colossal warships."

"Unfortunately, they're unusable."

"There are plenty of things we can't use; I still wanted to try the big black fish, though."

Chen Jian answered offhandedly, swallowing the last bite of his ration.

After a sip of water to moisten his throat, he switched the PDA screen and continued addressing Lei Jie:

"Shen Yue's side has made progress."

"They've caught up with those two monsters, using Attack‑17 in concert with a 152 mm mortar to eliminate them."

"By his account, the two beasts only reached a fourth‑tier standard; one appeared slightly stronger, yet still far below the third‑tier monsters we've previously felled."

"But that isn't the crux of the matter."

"The real issue is that, from start to finish, those two monsters never mounted any decent resistance."

"They merely kept fleeing, constantly dodging."

"As if they knew Shen Yue was on their trail."

"That trait is exceedingly… exceedingly strange."

"Think about it—could the two monsters we haven't found be the same way?"

"Indeed."

Lei Jie furrowed his brows, thought for a moment, then said:

"We can now fairly confirm that these two pairs of monsters are linked to the Beast Tide."

"If encountering paired monsters repeatedly were mere coincidence, yet their behavior patterns are identical, then it cannot be coincidence."

"Such abnormal conduct must stem from a common cause."

"But what that cause actually is…"

He paused there.

After a long silence, he finally shook his head:

"I can't figure it out."

"I can't either; I just have a gut feeling this thing might be tied to the so‑called genetic progenitor."

"What could possibly…"

"What could be the connection?"

Lei Jie asked, bewildered:

"Thought control, perhaps."

Chen Jian folded away his PDA, rose, and replied:

"Manipulating a human's mind isn't fundamentally different from steering a monster's thoughts; who knows if these beasts have been brainwashed."

"That's absurd—there are countless monsters out there; are you suggesting someone installed a neural interface in each of them?"

"Who can say?"

Chen Jian answered casually, then waved toward Xie Liu, who was busy sorting gear in the distance.

The latter sprang up and ran over; Chen Jian then asked:

“How’s your communication with the Holy Blood Hall? Have they consented to our entry into the Imperial Capital?”

“This.”

Xie Liu instinctively scratched his head and replied:

“It seems they would find it hard to refuse.”

“The time has been set; I told them we will arrive at Jinmen this evening.”

“The Imperial Capital’s environment is relatively complex, and monster activity around it is frequent.”

“When the time comes, the Holy Blood Hall will send people to meet us.”

“They will guide us through the trade route known as the ‘Corridor Bridge’ that runs from Jinmen to the Imperial Capital.”

“It is the only relatively safe trade route.”

“Nevertheless, I think we need not be overly concerned; after all, the creatures that roam the outskirts of the Imperial Capital are mainly small monsters below rank four, and a considerable number of blood skeletons.”

“Even without relying on them, we have the capability to pass through smoothly.”

“Understood, then there is no problem.”

Chen Jian nodded with satisfaction, and Xie Liu turned and walked away.

In truth, he never truly regarded the Holy Blood Hall with any seriousness; the so‑called “securing the other's consent” was merely a formal courtesy.

It’s a simple principle: if you forbid me, does that mean I simply won’t go?

I’m informing you, not negotiating.

Yet from a pragmatic standpoint, such a procedure can spare one’s own squad countless needless troubles; why resist it?

Chen Jian gently massaged the slightly sore corners of his eyes, intending to return to the warrior’s carriage for a brief respite.

But at that very moment, a sudden call came through his headset from Shen Yue.

“Captain! Trouble has arisen!”

Chen Jian’s movement froze in place; he sat upright and immediately asked:

“What trouble?”

“We just arrived beside the corpses of those two monsters and have just finished the dissection.”

“I blew the whole thing apart; it was only after much effort that I located its brain tissue.”

“Now I understand why their behavior was so bizarre.”

“They are parasites! They’ve all been controlled by parasites!”

“Captain, do you know the twin‑plate leech? It’s something like that!”

“I know.”

Chen Jian replied.

So, the so‑called Beast Tide is linked to parasites?

Indeed, only this explanation can plausibly account for those monsters’ “coordinated actions.”

But what trouble is that?

Chen Jian was about to press on when Shen Yue’s voice rose again.

“No, Captain, you don’t understand!”

“I haven’t finished!”

“This thing is not a simple parasite!”

“It’s damn… iron! It’s a machine!”

(End of Chapter)