Chapter 179: A Grotesque Monstrosity |
The Empire moved with impressive speed.
Only a few days after Elizabeth delivered her report to Mist City, massive quantities of Holy Water were transported directly to the Rune Mining Area.
Along with the supplies came a fully armed military force. Unsurprisingly, Levi spotted Henry among the ranks.
Of course, the team had not been idle during the days leading up to the Empire's arrival. The corpulent Father had spent every single day praying and producing Holy Water in the church, losing nearly five kilograms in the process. When Levi saw him again, the priest's red robes, which had once stretched tight across his frame, hung loosely around him.
Though visibly exhausted, the priest was filled with excitement. After all, having spent his entire life worshipping the Holy Lord, this was likely his very first time witnessing the divine power with his own eyes.
Most of the Holy Water produced by the Father was administered to the patients on the thirtieth layer. Elizabeth had found a way to vaporize the remainder, channeling it directly into every lower floor through the ventilation shafts—in an underground mine, such ventilation systems were absolutely vital.
Levi took some time to inspect the lower levels. The symptoms of most of the infected had eased, though breathing the vaporized solution was naturally less effective than a direct injection. Of course, the scarcity of the available Holy Water also limited its impact. The Rune Mining Area was not built to produce medical supplies, and saline solution was not something that could be sourced just anywhere.
"Long time no see, Captain."
Upon his arrival, Henry immediately reported to Levi.
"You already know the specifics of the situation?"
"Of course. That is precisely why they deployed us."
Henry nodded. Their primary objective here was to completely eradicate the Risen Dead currently roaming the lower mining zones. Unlike a typical RPG game, Holy Water did not inflict catastrophic damage on these zombies, or perhaps the concentration simply was not high enough to obliterate them outright.
While the main tunnels of these mines were relatively spacious for humans, attempting to bring a Mecha down here would be impossible; it wouldn't even have room to turn around. Steam Mech-Soldiers, however, were a different story. They possessed heavy firepower and thick armor, yet their physical dimensions remained well within what the mine shafts could accommodate. They were the perfect counter for these zombies.
Had the Empire not feared the spread of the infection earlier, they would have deployed them long ago. Now that the threat of infection was resolved, the remaining problems were no longer obstacles.
"Very well. Remember, our primary adversary is entrenched at the very bottom. The target is massive. Did you bring heavy artillery?"
"We brought heavy weaponry, but..." Henry frowned slightly. "Discharging heavy artillery inside a mine shaft... Won't that risk a structural collapse?"
"Of course it will. That is exactly why we need your expertise. Regardless of the risk, the source of the plague must be eliminated. If the lower levels collapse..."
"If they collapse?"
"Then they collapse. What else can we do?"
Levi remained entirely nonchalant. He was simply stating a practical truth. If it caved in, they would just have to dig it out again. Since the miners here had already managed to excavate a three-thousand-meter abyss, a little more digging wouldn't hurt. It was far better than leaving a scourge behind to cause further disaster.
From this point onward, the battlefield belonged to technology.
Thousands of Steam Mech-Soldiers boarded mine carts in successive waves, descending to the various mining zones below the fiftieth layer to ruthlessly purge the remaining zombies. Although Levi had previously cleared a path using his puppets, he had only carved out a single route without clearing the zombies from every individual floor—he had neither the time nor the inclination for such a chore.
These Steam Mech-Soldiers, however, were tasked with sweeping every single level to ensure not a single zombie remained. Afterward, the corpses would be hauled to the incinerators to be completely reduced to ash.
Thus, the battle commenced within the cramped confines of the mine pits.
With ample supplies secured, Elizabeth initiated another comprehensive cleansing of the entire mine network. Vaporized Holy Water surged through the pipes, completely filling the tunnels. The density of the mist made Levi feel as though he were sitting inside a sauna. Though the humidity was uncomfortable, the results were undeniable.
The zombies, already sluggish by nature, began to convulse as if struck by electricity upon encountering the vapor. Even the mutated variants Levi had previously encountered became utterly listless, looking thoroughly diseased. The tables had turned; now it was the monsters' turn to cough and sputter fluid as they struggled against humanity.
This environmental advantage made combating the creatures remarkably simple. In fact, Levi spent most of his time casually walking behind Henry, watching with supreme comfort as the Steam Mech-Soldiers operated like mobile turrets, relentlessly blasting every zombie and monster in their path into unrecognizable fragments.
Levi's only role was to occasionally activate his [Soul Sight] to provide a wall-hack perspective, warning the squad about creatures hiding behind the stone walls. Even a monster with arms thick enough to shatter solid rock was no match for the heavy machinery. On several occasions, Levi watched such beasts charge blindly from the other side of a tunnel, only to be torn into a bloody paste by a merciless hail of bullets. Naturally, if a particularly durable specimen appeared, Levi did not mind stepping in to deliver a clean headshot with his firearm.
Having a large army at one's disposal truly made all the difference.
Strolling through the mine pits while listening to the gunfire echoing from all directions, Levi stretched contentedly. Notions of solo heroism and small-team adventures were utterly overrated. The truly effective method was simply to call for overwhelming reinforcements, deploy an entire military corps, and conduct a thorough sterilization. All he had to do was follow along, enjoy a leisurely stroll, and collect his rewards.
It really put into perspective how absurd it was in standard RPG games where only a small hero party would dare to enter a demon king's labyrinth. If a villain explicitly intended to destroy the world, the rational response would be to assemble a massive army and blast the entire stronghold to kingdom come. Then again, perhaps doing so would leave the chosen hero with no purpose. Still, Levi reflected that if he were the hero, he would much prefer having a massive horde of meat shields in front of him rather than walking alone into the jaws of death.
"Captain, the one-hundred-and-twentieth layer has been completely cleared."
While Levi was killing time pondering these idle thoughts, Henry's voice brought him back to reality. Levi snapped out of his reverie and turned to face him.
"Have we secured the power room?"
"Everything is functional. A few power lines were damaged, but repairs are complete."
"Excellent. Are the searchlights in position?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then prepare yourselves. Get ready for immediate combat."
"Understood."
With the plague successfully contained, the only remaining issue for Levi was the entity lurking at the very bottom of the abyss. He still had no idea what the creature actually was; he only knew it was immense and highly dangerous.
Levi was not foolish enough to lead his men blindly into pitch-black darkness. He had already coordinated a plan with Elizabeth to mount searchlights on the one-hundred-and-twentieth layer. If the light could pierce the shadow, all the better. If the darkness proved impenetrable... then they would simply have a reconnaissance airship dump a massive payload of Holy Water from above to sanitize the area first.
"Additionally, the squads have reported that the number of enemies in the lower tunnels is significantly lower than anticipated."
"Yes, it is strangely quiet."
This was the other detail causing Levi concern. When he had descended previously, the zombies on each floor had been packed shoulder-to-shoulder. Yet during this descent, the numbers on each level were remarkably sparse, falling far short of the hordes he had encountered before. Furthermore, Levi was absolutely certain he hadn't killed anywhere near that many during his initial run.
"Tell them to stay alert and maintain caution."
Levi walked to the edge of the pit. The Steam Mech-Soldiers had already begun setting up light artillery and machine guns along the perimeter. The adjacent searchlights stood ready, and a communications line hung directly from the upper levels, connected to the local transceiver.
Engaging in a battle with such thorough preparation was an absolute pleasure. Levi casually picked up a nearby teapot and poured himself a cup. Conducting stealth infiltrations behind enemy lines could never match the satisfaction of a systematic, overwhelming advance. The hot tea brought a wave of comfort. He stood up once more, walked to the precipice, and peered into the depths before issuing the command.
"Turn on the lights."
As the command left his lips, the surrounding searchlights instantly ignited, casting brilliant beams of white light straight down into the bottom of the pit.
Yet, to everyone's surprise, the shadows at the bottom did not recede. Instead, the darkness remained entirely motionless despite the intense illumination. Viewed from this vantage point, it resembled a pool of stagnant, ink-black water.
Evidently, it was never going to be that simple.
Levi calmly picked up the receiver and dialed Elizabeth on the upper levels.
"What is the status?"
"The darkness is not dispersing. Just as I suspected, something is wrong down there."
"It could be a concentrated accumulation of the plague. Shall we proceed with the secondary phase?"
"Absolutely. Do it. Give this place a thorough disinfection."
Moments later, a scout airship slowly descended into the abyss. Once it reached its maximum safe depth, Levi observed the water release valves beneath the vessel swing open. A split second later, a roaring torrent of water erupted like a massive waterfall, plunging downward into the dark void.
The deluge cascaded heavily into the abyss, crashing straight into the shadows.
Then, the darkness began to churn.
A low, resonant sound resembling a clap of thunder reverberated through the cavern. Hearing the noise, Levi's expression instantly turned solemn, and the soldiers around him brought their weapons to bear. The ground began to vibrate violently, as if something massive was about to emerge—or rather, break free from its shell.
In the next instant, the darkness fractured.
The previously placid shadows erupted outward in a violent explosion, and a massive, grotesque entity surged forth from the depths, striking directly at the airship! Its true form was finally exposed beneath the harsh glare of the searchlights.
"What in the world..."
Staring at the creature's true form, Levi stood utterly stupefied, as did the soldiers beside him. It was not a matter of cowardice; the monstrosity simply defied anyone's wildest imagination.
In a strict sense, it wasn't even a single organism. Beneath the searchlights, countless zombies were clinging tightly together like a swarm of insects, condensed into a shape resembling a colossal serpent. It raised its head high, unleashing a furious roar as it lunged directly at the airship. The crew on the vessel had clearly not anticipated such an entity; the ship was instantly pierced through, bursting into a fiery explosion.
The massive serpent, composed entirely of intertwined zombies, coiled tightly around the wreckage, attempting to drag it completely into the depths.
Now Levi knew where all the missing zombies had gone. It was highly probable that Elizabeth's previous Holy Water disinfection had driven the majority of the horde back to the bottom of the pit, forcing them to fuse into this single entity—wait, the creature that had lunged at him previously might very well have been this exact monstrosity!
It was a good thing he had chosen to retreat earlier. This was simply not an opponent a single person could fight.
Levi took a sharp breath before barking out his orders.
"Fire! Open fire immediately! Destroy that monster!"
Instantly, the roar of artillery shattered the air.