Chapter 66: Ah, I’ll Bring Back the Head
“Ma’am, should I dispatch a rotorcraft to recover the head of the Worm?”
“Hmm. That sounds fine. But do we have a craft equipped for microwave reception?”
“Yes, Ma’am. The base is battery-operated, but we’ve modified part of the cargo space to include a microwave power reception system. It’s more redundant than a dedicated design, but it will suffice for now.”
The battery-operated craft is equipped with a large battery and charger. Normally, it connects to a power supply for charging, but by directly linking it to the microwave reception system, we’ve enabled it to charge during flight. Since it was originally a cargo craft, there is ample space for the modifications. Although it has lower output compared to a dedicated microwave receiver, it is practical enough for limited use until we can manufacture a specialized model.
“Okay, then there’s no problem. Let’s move the expedition team quickly. Also, send a reconnaissance craft into the sky. I don’t think that Worm will start moving right away, but monitoring is necessary, right?”
“Yes, Ma’am. I will make the arrangements.”
At The Tree and the Second Fortress, we are currently ramping up production of microwave reception-equipped crafts. The Second Fortress is primarily focused on heavy machinery for resource extraction, while The Tree is increasing the production of weaponry. With a wide range of items to manufacture, we are still troubled by a shortage of resources.
That said, preparing weaponry to escort the expedition team should not pose any issues. RINGO responded to Commander Eve’s wishes by dispatching high-altitude surveillance drones and, as a bonus, sending ground attack aircraft from The Tree.
“After we recover the Worm’s head, let’s attack the main body underground. At a depth of 30 meters, we can directly strike with a Bunker Buster. Based on previous combat data, the Worm’s defensive capabilities are not expected to be that high. Our current bombs should be sufficient to inflict damage.”
“Oh, I see. I thought the multi-legged units on-site would be helpless, but we can indeed carry out an airstrike from here.”
The Bunker Busters stored at The Tree are one of the weapons manufactured during the game era for some tree unlocking purpose. They were left untouched since dismantling them wouldn’t yield significant resources. Originally designed for precision bombing using GPS, these ground-attack guided bombs can be dropped from an altitude of about 10,000 meters. According to the catalog, they can penetrate up to 100 meters underground by accelerating with a rocket booster before impact. By adjusting the rocket’s burn time, we can also change the penetration depth. Currently, The Tree cannot utilize GPS, but since external control is possible, we can directly manage the attack on the Worm from above.
“One flying boat has been modified to include the microwave reception system. Let’s arm it and send it to the site. For escort, we will also launch an SR-1 Albatross from the Second Fortress. It should reach the attack position in four hours.”
“Understood. In the meantime, let’s evacuate the expedition team. Are the horses alright?”
“Yes, Ma’am. The draft horses seem a bit frightened, but they should be able to move. In four hours, we can cover more than 50 kilometers.”
With that, we quickly began the movement.
We switched the multi-legged tank, which had been on standby in a state of alert, to cruising mode. Specifically, we folded in the extended legs and returned the deployed weaponry to their standby positions. The multi-legged Ground Mother Unit deployed its catapult and launched the escort craft. We added a wide-area surveillance drone and deployed ground attack drones as well. To ensure the safety of our route, we also sent out a small multi-legged reconnaissance craft.
The horse-drawn carriage, which had been held by mechanical arms, was lowered to the ground, and the driver was prompted to harness the horses. The cargo inside the carriage had remained mostly undisturbed due to the lack of sudden movements. The four escort members who joined us today would ride alongside. Taking advantage of the moment, we unloaded water and fodder from the Ground Mother Unit to feed the horses. The main tasks were left to the Communicator Android, which had not seen any action thus far.
“Still, this is not going to be easy, is it?”
“Yes, Ma’am. While reconnaissance aircraft can detect threats on the ground or in the air, it’s quite difficult underground. If there were noise during movement, we might have noticed, but with such silence, detection is impossible.”
The reason the Worm would attack the expedition team remains unclear. Perhaps it is seeking flesh. I can hardly imagine how much food would be required to sustain such a massive body. Moreover, the local fauna is exceedingly sparse. How does it survive in this environment?
“Is it waiting for prey to pass underground? But there are no forests nearby, so it would only encounter humans, right?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Since it’s a main road, if that giant is always present, it would make the path untraversable. Considering the Worm’s mobility, it seems unlikely that anyone could escape.”
This suggests that the Worm likely migrated from somewhere else. If it can maintain such speed underground, its range must be quite extensive. It might be patrolling a wide territory and attacking any prey that comes near.
“We should be able to obtain a sample for detailed investigation. It would be ideal to have the entire body, but it might be a bit short.”
“Even if we could obtain the entire body at that size, I doubt we could bring it back…”
“We’ll have to dismantle it and transport it in parts.”
If possible, I would also like to acquire that crystalline substance. So far, we only have samples from the Rain Croin, and removing it would cause the entire body to collapse, so we’ve left it as is for ongoing observation. Increasing our samples would be greatly welcomed.
“By the way, several types of monsters have been confirmed in the Afrasia United Kingdom, right?”
“Yes, Ma’am. There seem to be several species, including herbivores and carnivores. However, they all appear to inhabit more inland or forested areas. In this vicinity, the Worm is the only confirmed sighting.”
“When you mention forested areas… are you referring to the Forest Country, Lebresta?”
“Yes, Ma’am. There seem to be a fair number around the East Gate city, our destination, so we could capture some while we’re at it.”
If we are to continue our activities in the Northern Continent where the Afrasia United Kingdom exists, we should gather information about the monsters. To be honest, we don’t have a solid understanding of magic either, so conducting research would be beneficial.
“We should be able to approach the East Gate city in about ten days. There appears to be a town called Flatara along the way, so we might be able to gather some information there.”
“Ah… a town along the way. I wonder if it would be alright to stop by?”
“The expedition leader, Agritend Luvania, mentioned sending scouts. As for security, it will likely be a gamble. From what we’ve observed from above, it doesn’t seem like there is any ongoing conflict.”
“Scouts, huh… Should we assign some escorts?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Let’s attach a small multi-legged attack craft and a Communicator Android. It would be best to avoid drones, as they would be too conspicuous.”
To be honest, she had thought that the expedition’s journey would conclude without any issues. The anticipated enemies were merely bandits or small monsters. With two fully armed multi-legged tanks and one Ground Mother Unit assigned for escort, she had never imagined that problems would arise. Yet, before they had even covered half the distance, they faced an imminent threat of total annihilation. Although the likelihood was low, if they had camped without noticing the Worm’s approach, they would likely have been devastated.
“Hmm… We can’t take our eyes off this situation. It was a good call to complete the microwave power transmission system. I had also planned to refuel using transport aircraft, but that would have imposed too many restrictions on our actions.”
“Yes, Ma’am. There are too many unforeseen issues, and if we mismanage our responses, it could lead to catastrophic problems. Until we are adequately prepared, we should refrain from taking aggressive actions.”
“If the underwater platform becomes operational, it would significantly improve our resource balance…”
Commander Eve sighed as she muttered this, glancing at the resource trend graph for The Tree.
“Ma’am, I am concerned about the threats posed by deep-sea creatures. Particularly, deep-sea organisms tend to exhibit tendencies toward gigantism.”
“…Ah, yes… You’re right… It’s not as if there are no monsters in the sea… I wonder why I didn’t think of that…”
“Currently, the only marine organism with monster characteristics confirmed is the Rain Croin. However, the oceans of this planet are vast, so we cannot conclude that there are none.”
For the inhabitants of a sci-fi world, the fantasy realm proved to be a challenging place to navigate.