Chapter 385

  The mechs opened fire on the enormous spiders as they poured out of the tunnel. The first two or three arachnids were killed immediately, heavy-caliber bullets tearing their black bodies apart.

  Kato’s team spread out across the cavern, adding their firepower to the attack. However, he could see that while the mechs’ heavy weapons were capable of doing a number on the strange spiders, the small arms his team was using barely scratched their hardened carapaces, with most bullets bouncing off harmlessly.

  Still, at first, Kato remained optimistic, noticing that the mechs had no trouble taking out the arachnids. Despite the sheer number of spiders, the advantage in firepower was with Kato’s side, so he was sure his team would emerge victorious from this battle.

  However, as more and more spiders emerged from the tunnel, scattering in every direction, it became increasingly difficult for the mech pilots and his team to track their swift movements. How fast those creatures were! Once out of the tunnel and into the cavern, where they had plenty of room to maneuver, the tables turned.

  Kato saw one of the spiders leap high and land directly atop one of the mechs, causing it to take a step back. Still, the mech didn’t fall. Those powerful machines were heavy and not easy to topple. The arachnid clung tightly to the mech, wrapping its long, multijointed legs around the metal body. At first, Kato couldn’t see what was happening, as the spider’s body concealed the top half of the mech. It appeared that the spider was attempting to bite into the armor.

  Good luck with that, Kato thought. There was no way the creature could breach the mech’s armor with its fangs. However, he soon realized he was wrong. The spider wasn’t trying to break through the mech’s armor. Instead, it was pouring some greenish-yellow liquid from its mouth onto the top of the mech. Upon contact with the metal, it hissed, causing wafts of smoke.

  Though Kato couldn’t see many details from his position on the other side of the cavern, he realized that the liquid was a powerful acid. It was quickly eating away at the metal, creating a rapidly widening hole in the armor. It wasn’t long before the mech pilot’s high-pitched screams of agony pierced the air, cutting through the cacophony that filled the cavern.

  Even though Kato couldn’t see her, he knew the mech’s pilot was being devoured by the acid seeping through the expanding hole above. Her screams didn’t last long, though. After dealing with the pilot, the arachnid leaped to the ground and scurried toward another mech, launching an attack from behind.

  Another scream of agony caused Kato to look in a different direction, just in time to see two arachnids grab a mech’s arms with their mouths, pulling in opposite directions like they were playing a twisted game of tug-of-war. With a deafening screech of tearing metal and the agonizing whine of protesting servomotors, both arms of the mech came off, along with the pilot’s arms inside them.

  Kato was so shocked by the sight that he stared at the armless mech for a few seconds, listening to the pilot’s screams of agony. Those huge arachnids were freaking strong!

  Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted an arachnid attacking another mech from behind, wrapping its front legs around the top of the machine. The spider then pulled backward, tipping the mech and causing it to lose its footing. Off-balance, the mech collapsed onto its back with a reverberating thud. Once on the ground, the mech couldn’t get back on its feet on its own.

  Kato knew the pilot was doomed. In the next instant, two more nearby arachnids joined the first, climbing onto the fallen mech and pouring acid all over it. It didn’t take long for the acid to eat through the metal. The screams of the pilot dying a horrible death were drowned out by the surrounding gunfire and the panicked cries of others.

  Kato couldn’t believe it was happening for real. It was clear that the battle was going to be lost. The arachnids were dismantling the mechs faster than he thought possible. Moreover, some of the spiders had already reached his team. The energy fields protecting each of them provided no defense against the spiders’ stabbing legs, fangs, and acid projectiles.

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  His comrades were dropping like flies, each dying a horrible death. Kato kept backing away, eyes locked on the massacre unfolding before him. He didn’t even bother to fire his weapon at the spiders, as there was no point in doing so.

  He knew this level of the mines was lost. There was absolutely nothing he could do to save the day. Just as he was about to turn and run, something caught his eye. He looked in that direction and saw the morphus appear out of nowhere and attack one of the mechs.

  Kato couldn’t believe his eyes. Where had that freak come from? They had always anticipated that he would eventually try to attack their base, but they expected him to come from above, not from below! How had he managed to do that? Had he dug a tunnel for himself and his enormous spiders to reach the bottom of the mines?

  There was no time to ponder that, though. Kato knew he had to get out of the mines fast. It wouldn’t be long before the morphus and his army of monsters finished off the mechs and the rest of his team before moving up. There were a few other levels of the mines, but they were guarded by mere personnel, not mechs. Given how quickly the spiders were dismantling the mechs, it would be no trouble for them to tear through those guards at all.

  Suddenly, Kato spotted several armed people bursting from the tunnel the arachnids had emerged from earlier. He didn’t waste a second pondering who they were, as it was pretty obvious they were the resistance fighters. Their leader, a woman named Samantha, was among them.

  They quickly glanced at the huge arachnids tearing apart the mechs and the rest of his team before moving toward the side of the cavern where the workers crouched, hiding behind rock outcroppings to avoid stray bullets from the unfolding battle. The arachnids paid the resistance fighters no mind at all as they led the frightened workers to safety.

  It was clear that the morphus was in cahoots with the resistance fighters. Grinding his teeth in frustration and anger, Kato wheeled around and darted out of the cavern.

  As he sprinted up the sloping tunnel leading to the next level of the mines, he tapped his earpiece to open a comms line with Skullface, who he was sure was monitoring the situation unfolding on the bottom level via the surveillance camera feeds.

  “Are you seeing this?” Kato panted as he sprinted at full speed. “It’s… the morphus! He’s… They’re… attacking… Shit!”

  He struggled to catch his breath, finding it hard to speak while running at his top speed.

  “Yes, I’m aware of what’s going on,” came a reply from Skullface, his voice calmer than Kato had anticipated. This wasn’t surprising, considering that, unlike him, Skullface was securely holed up in his quarters on Level A, far from the massacre unfolding at the bottom of the mines.

  “Send Ryan over!” Kato panted as he navigated the final stretch of the inclining passage and emerged into a cavern on the next level of the mines.

  Ryan was the cyborg created from a defiant worker. He represented Skullface and Kato’s very first successful attempt at building a powerful cyborg, with a significant investment of resources put into him. Ryan was now completely obedient, doing everything he was told, and he was extremely powerful as well. If he couldn’t stop the morphus, nobody could.

  Breath coming in ragged gasps, he continued to run at his top speed, knees pumping, fists flying. Skullface didn’t reply right away, and Kato became worried he might refuse to dispatch Ryan. Ever since creating the cyborg, Skullface had constantly kept him at his side as his personal bodyguard, unwilling to part with him even for a brief moment.

  When there was still no reply, Kato panted again, “Send him down here! He’s the only one who can defeat the morphus! If you don’t send him out, the mines will be lost and everyone down here will be dead!”

  Kato knew Skullface didn’t care about anyone but himself. He feared that Skullface would refuse to dispatch Ryan, so he was genuinely surprised when Skullface said, “Alright, I’m sending him out. Meanwhile, you stay down there and warn the guards on the other levels about the situation. Tell them to be ready for the morphus and his army.”

  “Will do,” Kato panted.

  “Also, I want you to stay down there for now,” Skullface added in a cold voice. “Make sure the morphus is dead once and for all. Don’t return until the job is done.”

  What the fuck is he talking about? Kato thought. What could he do to ensure the morphus was dead? Only Ryan could kill that freak. As for Kato, he was completely powerless against the mutant.

  Still, he knew he had to follow orders. If he pissed Skullface off, he could easily deactivate the elevator system, leaving Kato trapped in the mines with the morphus and his monstrous horde. So, for the time being, he resolved to play ball.

  “It’s done,” came Skullface’s voice through Kato’s earpiece. “Ryan’s heading into the mines right now. He should meet up with you in a minute or so.”

  Out of breath, Kato nodded as he continued to run at top speed, not realizing Skullface couldn’t see it.

  Cryptborn.