Please support the translation by reading the translation and commenting on otakutl official site.
Thank you.
Everyone from Otaku Translation
Previous | TOC | Next |
Chapter 23: A Night of Bloodshed
Kraftmann was not a particularly assertive man. Deep down, he had a lazy, go-with-the-flow demeanor. The entire base consisted of around 240 personnel in total, with about 120 of them working in research, logistics, and other non-combat roles. The remaining 128 comprised the combat units, organized into five platoons. Of these, Wei Haitao commanded the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th platoons, leaving Kraftmann in charge of only the 1st and 4th.
When Gu Zhigao and Pritt entered the detention zone, plotting to end Tang Fang’s life, three soldiers remained stationed outside, keeping watch.
Roland and Jeremy were sitting on the ground, chatting idly, while Hayden was sprawled nearby, engrossed in a dog-eared fashion magazine. His vacant gaze lingered on a lingerie model posing provocatively on the page.
“It’s been a while. Is Gu Zhigao done yet?” Roland muttered as he glanced out the corridor window at the night sky, chaotic and swirling like a demonic dance.
Jeremy yawned widely. “Who knows? Should we go check?”
Suddenly, muffled thuds and crashing sounds erupted from within.
Hayden raised his head from the magazine. “Sounds like they’ve wrapped things up. Gu Zhigao and Pritt are probably staging the scene now.”
“Alright, let’s go help them finish up. The sooner we’re done, the sooner we can get some sleep,” Jeremy said, rising to his feet. He walked to the security door and pressed the access button.
With a hiss, the airlock door painted with the emblem of a holy sword slid open. Roland had barely taken a step forward when a blur flashed past, accompanied by a sickeningly cold breeze that swept across his neck.
Time seemed to slow. Roland felt an icy sensation at the base of his neck, and the world tilted abruptly. He vaguely saw a headless body, with blood gushing out in spurts from the wound. Then, the thud of something heavy hitting the ground resounded, and for a moment, his vision was blurred by the crimson mist of blood. At the same time, that torso, clad in a hauntingly familiar outfit, collapsed stiffly to the ground, a large spray of blood frothing from the mangled severed neck.
Hayden remained frozen in his original posture, but a claw had already pierced through the magazine he was holding. It plunged straight into his chest, shredding his still-beating heart. Blood sprayed from the wound, splattering across the smooth, seductive curves of the lingerie model on the page, painting her stomach a vivid crimson.
“What… what the hell is this thing?” Jeremy stammered, wedged between the doorway and the wall. He had miraculously avoided the first attack, but the horrifying scene before him made him cry out in terror.
The creature that had decapitated Roland landed on the ground with a thud, its powerful hind legs skidding across the steel floor. Razor-sharp claws left deep marks as it slid, producing an ear-piercing screech.
“An attack? An alien bug?” Jeremy stammered as the monster that had killed Hayden turned to look at him. His mind buzzed, and an icy chill ran from the top of his head to his heels.
“Control room! I need to call the control room!” He fumbled for his communicator with trembling hands and pressed the green button.
“This is the control room. What’s going on?” a voice crackled in response.
“The base… the base has been infiltrated by… by—ah!”
A sharp screech interrupted him.
“Jeremy? Hayden? Roland? Respond! What’s happening?”
The communicator clattered to the ground as a claw tore through Jeremy’s abdomen. Blood mixed with bile and stomach acid spilled out, pooling with the blood from Roland’s lifeless body.
One after another, more of the creatures poured in. Their clawed feet thudded against the floor, the sound reverberating ominously. Their piercing screeches and the shrill noise of claws rending metal echoed through the base, spreading terror like wildfire.
The base was divided into four sections. To the east were the living quarters and mess hall, where personnel rested and ate. The south housed critical facilities: laboratories, the command center, data processing rooms, and the communications tower. To the north lay the armory, helipad, and hangar. The west held storage rooms, greenhouses, and basic life support systems.
The detention zone was situated in the northwest corner of the base. Now, the gray swarm of alien creatures surged southward like a plague of locusts, heading straight for the operations area.
Christian and Sharov were performing maintenance on life-support equipment with two mechanical engineers when the floor beneath them began to tremble. The noise grew louder and closer, making them exchange puzzled looks. Before they could react, five of the creatures burst around the corner.
Two of them leaped several meters into the air, pouncing on the engineers atop the platform. They were dragged down in a spray of blood, their screams cut short. Christian and Sharov barely had time to process the scene before the remaining three creatures slammed into them, tearing through their flesh. Blood splattered across the room, and in an instant, their lives were snuffed out.
Similar horrors unfolded across the west sector. Gu Zhigao’s assassination operation had delayed the base’s detection systems. By the time the command center noticed sporadic gunfire and explosions from the west sector and reactivated the surveillance network, the footage left everyone stunned.
The west sector was ablaze, a horrifying tapestry of blood and fire. Alien creatures rampaged freely, leaving a trail of carnage and destruction in their wake.
Worse still, a dozen of the creatures had breached the perimeter and were charging toward the south sector—the heart of the base.
Had these creatures been outside the walls, the base’s defensive artillery would have easily neutralized them. But here, within the confines of the base, the situation was dire. Most personnel were asleep, and the creatures had the advantage of surprise.
“Yale, get me the commander now!” Lieutenant Cromwell, acting as interim commander, barked. “Gianna, sound the alarm! Get all combat personnel to the south sector immediately!”
The piercing wail of the alarm roused the base. Marines rushed from their quarters, assembling quickly to defend the south sector. Meanwhile, the research staff huddled in their rooms, trembling as they whispered desperate prayers.
“What’s going on?” Wei Haitao burst into the command center moments later, his hair still disheveled.
“Sir, the base is under attack—by alien bugs.”
Wei Haitao froze. He had anticipated trouble but still shivered at the confirmation. The surveillance footage displayed a series of horrific scenes: disemboweled corpses, severed heads with wide, unblinking eyes, streams of blood, and the ferocious alien creatures at the center of it all.
In the cramped hallways and rooms of the base, conventional firearms were nearly useless against the swift, armored creatures. Death seemed inevitable for anyone who engaged them in close quarters.
“Why? Why is this happening?” Wei Haitao’s face turned pale. His legs felt weak as his fear overtook him.
The 3rd platoon was decimated in minutes. The 4th and 5th platoons suffered heavy casualties, while the alien bugs lost only four of their own. The base was on the verge of collapse, with the south sector nearly overrun.
Wei Haitao’s mind raced, but his fear paralyzed him. He had too much to lose—a noble’s bright future, a life of luxury. He couldn’t die here.
“Why are these damned things in my base?!” Kraftmann stormed into the command center, followed by two soldiers.
“Cromwell! What the hell were you doing? Where was the early warning system? Why didn’t the alarms go off sooner?” he roared.
Cromwell paled but said nothing. He dared not reveal the sordid deal he had struck with Wei Haitao.
Kraftmann shot him a glare before turning to the surveillance monitors. His fist slammed onto the console. “This is suicide! Pull the troops back!”
“But sir, if we pull back, who will defend the command center?” an officer hesitated.
“Close the doors. Drop the security hatches!” Kraftmann barked.
“What about the west sector personnel?”
“The west? Do you think anyone there is still alive?”
Silence filled the room.
“Then what are you waiting for? Do it!”
Kraftmann’s years of experience as a soldier shone through. In the face of disaster, he took swift action.
Orders were issued rapidly. Troops retreated, and security hatches sealed off sections of the base, temporarily halting the alien bugs’ advance.
As the room breathed a collective sigh of relief, Kraftmann gave his next order: “Tell the 1st platoon commander to head to the north armory. There are emergency power suits stored there. They’ll need them.”
Everyone’s attention was fixed on the monitors, watching as the creatures clawed through the thick security doors. In the chaos, no one noticed Wei Haitao quietly slipping away.
Please vote for this novel at
If you would like to support this translation, you may choose any one of the options below.
There are advance chapters available now
Access will be granted 24 hours after the donation
Tier 1: 3 Advance chapters
Access fee $3.00 Monthly
 | Link |
How to find a list of chapters
Please find the chapter label next to your favorite translator's name, and click the label.
No comments:
Post a Comment