Chapter 65: Collision of Worm and Shell
A shell launched at an initial velocity of 5,000 m/s was stripped of its casing due to air resistance. The projectile, resembling a pencil with stabilizing wings, soared towards its target while maintaining its speed.
The distance was approximately 70 meters.
With hardly any reduction in speed, the projectile pierced through the head of the Worm.
“Hit!”
The head of the Worm jerked violently, as if struck by an unseen force. A shockwave, or perhaps the Worm’s own tissue, spread out like smoke. The shell appeared to have penetrated straight through the Worm’s head.
“What’s the effect?!”
“Analyzing now.”
The Worm, still propelled forward, was deflected from its path by the force of the shell and slammed into the ground. Normally, it would burrow into the earth headfirst, but having been shot from the side, it made contact with the ground at an unexpected angle, unable to dig in and instead sliding across the surface.
“Analysis complete. The projectile has penetrated the Worm’s head. It may have been too fast, resulting in insufficient shock being delivered.”
“Penetrated? So it wasn’t deflected like that Rain Croin?”
“Yes, Ma’am. The warhead has breached the surface tissue of the Worm, and the projectile has entered its body without being destroyed. It is confirmed that the projectile is continuing through, damaging the internal tissue on the opposite side. No significant damage to the projectile itself has been observed, suggesting that the interior is relatively soft.”
The projectile, entering at 5,000 m/s, maintained most of its kinetic energy as it exited the other side. This meant that it had failed to deliver a significant impact to the Worm.
However, one would expect that any living creature would sustain damage if its torso, especially its head, were penetrated.
“Worm activity confirmed.”
In the footage, the Worm, thrown to the ground, began to move autonomously.
“Looks like one shot isn’t enough to kill it.”
“Continuing observation. The four guards have successfully escaped. If the Worm is still active, we will continue the attack.”
The long body of the Worm remained buried in the ground. However, more than ten meters of its front half, including the head, lay sprawled on the surface.
Suddenly, the Worm’s body quivered.
At the same time, an unsettling low-frequency grinding sound began to resonate.
“What is that, a cry?”
“It appears to be the sound of its hardened outer tissue rubbing together.”
For several seconds, there was no sign of movement, but the Worm soon resumed its activity. Had there been nerve connections at the site of the projectile’s penetration, it might have been a one-hit kill, but it seemed that the shot had missed that critical point. If it appeared to have sustained little damage, it would be necessary to fire again immediately.
The Worm writhed and shook its head, scattering what appeared to be bodily fluids. No movements towards the envoy, the Communicator Android, or the Multi-legged Tank were observed. The damage to its head seemed to be having a significant effect.
And then—
In the footage, the scales on the Worm’s body stood on end all at once.
“Yikes!?”
Commander Eve flinched. RINGO received the results. The displayed footage was approximately 1.5 seconds behind due to the time lag from distance. By that time, the situation had already begun to change.
The tactical AI of the Multi-legged Tank detected the anomaly and fired the railgun without hesitation. This time, two shots were fired simultaneously: one at an angle into the mouth, and the other directly into the torso from the side.
Plasma surged forth as the armor-piercing shells were launched at an initial speed of 3,500 m/s.
This time, the kinetic energy was properly unleashed.
The shell that entered the mouth penetrated the interior, destroying it at an angle while colliding with the outer tissue. As it tore through, it scattered shockwaves, obliterating surrounding tissue.
The shell that struck the side of the torso crumpled as it shattered the hardened outer layer. It burrowed into the Worm’s body, the mushroom-shaped warhead ripping through tissue and blasting out the opposite side. The momentum from the shell in the mouth combined with the force of the impact sent the Worm’s head tilting skyward.
Then, after a brief pause, the torso exploded. The shockwave from the shell traveled through the tissue, causing it to burst apart like liquid.
The gaping wound expanded, ultimately leading to severance.
The destroyed head flew through the air.
As it spilled bodily fluids, the severed head rolled to the ground, while the remaining torso was sucked back into the earth with the same force.
“Wait…!”
She stared in disbelief at the footage. The headless Worm’s body rushed back into the hole from which it had emerged. There was no time to fire another shot.
In the blink of an eye, the ground swallowed it up, and the long body disappeared underground.
“What!? It’s not dead?!”
“Analyzing now.”
Meanwhile, the severed head lying on the surface seemed to have ceased all life functions. Though it rolled with momentum, it showed no signs of active movement.
“Detecting vibrations underground. The torso appears to be active. However, no digging sounds can be heard. Without its head, it seems incapable of burrowing into the ground.”
“Well, that makes sense!”
“This activity cannot currently be determined as either reflexive or as a result of not having sustained a fatal injury. However, the threat level has significantly decreased. For now, we can conclude that we have repelled it.”
The Worm’s torso had completely retreated underground. The severed portion was only about five meters from the tip of its head, but the rest had escaped. Whether it had truly fled or was merely moving reflexively remained uncertain.
“Ugh… But to think it could still move without a head…”
“Yes, Ma’am. If the creature has a simple structure, it can remain active even after decapitation, and some species can even regenerate their heads. For instance, certain earthworms are known to regenerate from severed parts.”
“Wait, it can regenerate?”
She was taken aback, but surprisingly, many creatures possess the ability to regenerate after being severed. The planarian is a well-known example; even when cut into tiny pieces, each segment can regenerate its own head and body. They can be sliced into over a hundred pieces, and each one will regenerate, showcasing incredible vitality. Of course, such high regenerative capabilities are characteristic of primitive organisms, and more advanced life forms with developed nervous systems likely lack such absurd abilities.
“Ma’am, it appears the head is collapsing under its own weight.”
“Hm…?”
The Communicator Android, observing the rolled head, reported this finding. Despite being destroyed, the Worm’s head had maintained a somewhat cylindrical shape, but gravity had caused it to be crushed.
“Of course, it would collapse since it’s dead.”
“Yes, Ma’am. When a creature dies, muscle tension relaxes, leading to deformation. It appears the tissue is being crushed. This phenomenon is similar to what was observed with the Rain Croin.”
The Rain Croin. It was the first monster that The Tree had fought. When the mysterious crystal found within its massive body was extracted, the strength of the maintained tissue was lost.
If this situation is indeed the same, it could mean that the crystal remains within the escaping torso.
“Come to think of it, that magic stone was found near the heart.”
“Yes, Ma’am. It is unclear whether that crystal is what we refer to as a magic stone, but that is correct. If the core of the Worm’s life activity is located around the crystal rather than in its head, it may not have sustained a fatal injury. Conversely, it could be regenerating its head underground and may attack again.”
Currently, no activity from the underground torso had been confirmed. It was uncertain whether it had succumbed to death after losing its head or if it was in the process of regeneration.
“If it is regenerating its head, it is crucial to determine whether it retains any memory. If the brain is located in the head and is responsible for thought, then this decapitation would reset its memory. However, if it possesses ganglia throughout its body that retain memories, it would still remember the attack on the envoy. If it avoids us because it has been repelled, that would be ideal…”
“The possibility of revenge is concerning. We need to find a way to eliminate it here and now…”
How to deal with the monster that had retreated 30 meters underground? Taking too long could disrupt the overall schedule. However, if the Worm were to regenerate and attack again, it would further complicate matters.
It was a troubling dilemma.