LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 9: The Architects' Displeasure
Chapter 9: The Architects' Displeasure
[Anteverse -the other side of the breach]
The Anteverse was almost kaleidoscope in appearance, sporting multiple colors across a barren wasteland engulfed in a storm cloud with a burning yellow planet and red sky.
Precursors its owners were spindly creatures who stand over twelve feet tall, and are capable of living for millions of years. Their appearance is akin to that of an aquatic insect. They have translucent wings and shell-like bodies that reveal their internal system. They have elongated, crest-like heads and protrusions that stem from their heels, and small, opal eyes that are reminiscent of the eyes of a shark.
For countless ages, they had orchestrated the Kaiju incursions, a systematic terraforming project, a brutal cleansing intended to eradicate humanity and claim Earth as their own. Their plans had unfolded with cold, calculated efficiency, the Kaiju a relentless tide of destruction, each wave more devastating than the last. Their control had been absolute, their dominance unchallenged. Until now.
The first tremor of unease, a ripple in the otherwise smooth surface of their grand design, came during the Hong Kong incident. The Precursors observed the battle through the eyes of their Kaiju, Otachi and Leatherback, their neural link providing a direct, unfiltered sensory feed. They witnessed the Jaegers' initial resistance, a predictable, almost insignificant obstacle, like insects buzzing around a charging beast. But then… it appeared.
Through the dying eyes of Otachi, they saw a colossal form descend from the sky, a creature of obsidian scales that shimmered like polished night, crowned with horns that glowed with an internal, golden light. They felt the shock of its arrival, the raw, untamed power it exuded, a force of nature unleashed. They witnessed it tear through their Category IV Kaiju with terrifying ease, a display of brutal efficiency that shattered their carefully calculated combat models. It was not a battle; it was a slaughter.
The Precursors recoiled, their ethereal forms flickering with a collective unease, a disturbance in their normally placid existence. This was an anomaly, an unforeseen variable, a wrench thrown into their perfectly calibrated machine. This creature, immediately designated "Obsidian One", was not of their design. It was something else entirely, something… otherworldly. A wild card they had not accounted for.
They analyzed the fragmented data gleaned from the Kaiju's final moments, sifting through the chaos of their dying thoughts, attempting to decipher the Obsidian One's physiology, its abilities. Its immunity to EMP, a weapon specifically designed to cripple Kaiju, was perplexing, a direct contradiction to their understanding of Kaiju biology. Its raw strength was alarming, exceeding even their most powerful creations. And its sudden, dramatic increase in size was utterly baffling, a phenomenon they could not explain with any of their existing theories. This creature was not merely a predator; it was an evolutionary force, adapting and changing in ways they could not comprehend, a living embodiment of chaos in their ordered universe.
"It consumes them," one of the Precursors communicated, its thoughts echoing through the citadel like the tolling of a distant bell. "It absorbs their essence, their energy, their very being."
"It is a threat," another responded, its form shifting into a more rigid, defensive posture, the swirling energies around it condensing into sharper, more defined shapes. "A threat that must be neutralized. A threat that cannot be allowed to disrupt our plans."
A new design began to coalesce within their collective consciousness, a Kaiju unlike any they had created before. This one would not be a mere brute force weapon, a mindless engine of destruction. It would be a countermeasure, a specifically engineered response to the Obsidian One's unique abilities. It would be their ultimate answer.
They called it Onslaught.
Onslaught was a hulking behemoth, dwarfing even the largest Category IV Kaiju with ease. Where other Kaiju were driven by instinct and brute force, Onslaught possessed a chilling intelligence that burned in its reptilian eyes. Its overall form echoed that of a western dragon, much like Oblivion, but with distinct and formidable differences. Its wings, rather than being broad and leathery, were more compact and closely guarded, folded tightly against its body like a bat's, suggesting powerful, controlled bursts of flight rather than sustained aerial maneuvers. Instead of horns, a thick, bony shield, reminiscent of a Triceratops' frill, extended from the back of its skull, providing formidable head protection. This shield was not a single solid plate but appeared to be composed of interlocking segments, hinting at flexibility and surprising maneuverability. Its claws were wickedly sharp and elongated, capable of rending flesh and tearing through metal with equal ease. Its jaws were equally menacing, lined with rows of serrated teeth designed for both gripping and tearing. Thick, armored plates covered its body, providing exceptional protection against physical and energy attacks. Unlike Oblivion's obsidian scales, Onslaught's hide was a mottled grey, almost like granite, further emphasizing its solid, defensive nature. This was not a creature of raw, untamed power like Oblivion; it was a carefully crafted weapon, designed for calculated destruction.
Onslaught's primary ability was adaptive gigantism. It was initially deployed at a Category IV size, comparable to the Kaiju the Obsidian One had already destroyed, a deliberate tactic to lull it into a false sense of security and because the breach was not stable enough. But Onslaught was capable of absorbing the biomass of other Kaiju, not through simple consumption like the Obsidian One, but through a unique and far more efficient process of cellular integration. Upon contact with another Kaiju's remains, even the smallest fragment, Onslaught could rapidly absorb the organic material, converting it into additional mass and enhancing its own physical form. This allowed it to match, and even surpass, any size advantage the Obsidian One might possess, turning the Obsidian One's own tactics against it.
Onslaught was also equipped with enhanced regeneration, far surpassing that of any previous Kaiju. Wounds that would cripple other creatures healed in mere moments, the bio-metallic plating beneath its thick hide knitting together like living tissue. This plating, a new innovation in their bio-engineering, made Onslaught far more resistant to physical and energy attacks, capable of withstanding even the Obsidian One's powerful blows. It possessed large, leathery wings, granting it aerial maneuverability to match the Obsidian One's own, ensuring that the battle would not be confined to the ground. And as a final, devastating advantage, it could emit a powerful bio-acoustic pulse, a concentrated sonic attack designed to disrupt the Obsidian One's sensory organs and disrupt its focus, momentarily disorienting the creature and creating openings for attack.
"It will adapt," one of the Precursors declared, its form pulsing with raw energy, the very air around it shimmering with power. "It will grow. It will destroy the Obsidian One. It will be our response."
They deployed Onslaught through the Breach, a monstrous figure disappearing in the portal, its roar echoing across the land, a challenge thrown down to the Obsidian One. The message was clear: the Precursors were not pleased. They had been challenged, their plans disrupted, and they were responding with overwhelming force. This was not just another Kaiju attack; it was a declaration of war against the Obsidian One, a battle for dominance that would shake the very foundations of Earth. They watched, their insectoid forms flickering with anticipation, waiting to see if their creation could finally restore order to their carefully constructed plans, to reassert their dominion over this world.
It was not alone as two more kaijus followed it. Waiting to emerge from the breach and on the seabed of pacific. Ready to assert there role in this battle.
[Somewhere deep in the Pacific]
Oblivion was trailing a school of fish. A sense of unease settled over him, a premonition of something significant about to occur. He hadn't forgotten the two Kaiju he'd dispatched near the city. They had been targeting him; the reason the EMP hadn't disabled his abilities was because they possessed their own internal electromagnetic fields. Once he reached three horns, this field could extend outwards, eliminating his need to flap his wings for flight and freeing him from this solitary planet.
Reaching that stage, however, required either high-quality metal or a vast quantity of it. Consequently, he had located the largest deposit of metal buried beneath the ocean floor and begun consuming it, preparing for what was to come.
He could feel himself growing stronger, more powerful, his form becoming denser, more resilient. The sea floor trembled beneath him as he fed, the ocean currents swirling around him in a vortex of power.