The Final Desperation

Genji boarded a ship and found a seat. Beside him, two heavy metal weapons were resting. They were a heavy sniper and a mini-gun, respectively.

[Heavy Plasma Sniper]

Rating: Legendary

Damage: 35

Energy: 50/50 (each shot uses 10)

[Plasma Mini-gun]

Rating: Legendary

Damage: 20

Energy: 200/200 (each shot uses 2)

With these weapons, Genji was confident he could mow down anything he needed, especially with the backpack full of level 2 energy cells. To specify, these weapons were built to utilize these purple cylinders, causing mass destruction to their enemies.

HQ had invested a lot, transferring these weapons over specifically for potentially skilled soldiers, though they never expected two of them to end up in Genji's hands.

Their power could be attested by the fact that these were weapons used on the core battlefield. In that place, monsters on the mini-boss level were as common as dogs, and bosses were like squad leaders. It was a chaotic environment.

Genji looked out the window, noticing three other ships following them. So many people had been drafted that they needed four enormous ships to transport everyone. Upon landing, they were greeted by a fleet consisting of 26 ships. Including them, there were 30 ships. One can only imagine how many people were being transported here.

They disembarked and joined the army of Celestials. Genji followed the commander with the other elites from their fortress. Soon, they arrived at the main ship and met with the other commanders and elites. A total of eight teams had been gathered here, with one General leading the entire operation.

The General provided a brief rundown of their attack plan before giving them some time to become familiar with each other.

"Hamilton, it's been a while."

"Adams."

They hugged and patted each other's backs before separating.

"Come, let me introduce you to our best sniper," Hamilton said as he brought his friend over to meet Genji. Genji wasn't particularly enthusiastic about socializing, but he wasn't going to reject Hamilton's hospitality.

"Nice to meet you," Genji shook Adam's hand as he assessed him.

"You must be pretty good if Hamilton fully acknowledged you taking his title."

"I guess I do know a thing or two," Genji said humbly.

"Then I'll leave my back to you."

"No promises," Genji had learned from his experiences of going to extremes to keep his promises. Don't get him wrong, he still would, but he was less willing to make them.

"That's fine as well. May we survive this battle."

"Yes."

 

---

 

Hours later, all the preparations were made. The army spread out and began marching in an orderly fashion. At this rate, it didn't take long before they arrived at the Zerg nest. Towers of flesh reached into the dull sky as if supporting it in grim fashion. A mushy carpet of creep tugged at their feet as they approached.

The pungent air suffocated their senses as they trudged into shooting range. It was a highly unpleasant environment, but they had gotten used to all kinds of things during their time.

The infantry opened fire on these structures of flesh and bones, destroying them before they could do anything. Prior experience had taught them that allowing them to exist only brought more trouble. This destruction caused the lair to shake, and the large nest's doors opened. A massive swarm of Zerg bugs rushed out, only to be gunned down by the soldiers.

However, despite this massacre, the Zerg bugs continued flooding toward them. No, this was only the beginning. Soon, a flap at the top of the nest opened, and gliders emerged. Although they were quickly gunned down, the extra direction caused them to narrow the distance. Then, Ravagers followed, pushing the line closer. With the way things worked, every step the Zergs took forward was another step they couldn't recover.

Genji waited until the Devourers showed up before unleashing his sniper rounds. With this gun's energy consumption, it wasn't worth going for the Ravagers. He had to leave that to the other snipers, hoping they could finish them quickly before they tanked too many shots.

*Bang Bang Bang*

It took three shots to the head for Genji to kill one of them. A terrible ratio if he wanted to achieve killing efficiency, but he had no choice but to endure the burst fire. If these Devourers ever got into the crowd, a massacre would ensue. They would lose too many men before they could kill them, and by then, they would be overrun.

"You're still as good as I remembered, despite changing your weapon," Hamilton thought to himself during reloads.

The situation stabilized for a while before a new unit appeared on the battlefield. Appearing in a large wave, thin bugs with large shells attached to their arms marched from the nest. Behind them, a horde of soldier bugs pushed these massive barricades.

[Shield Bug]

Health: 7,800/7,800

Energy: 0/0

Con: 28

Str: 19

Dex: 2

Int: 0

Spc: 0

Skills:

Tanky: +5,000 HP

Protective Shell: +3 defense

Exactly as their name implied, these bugs were good only as meatshields. All their stats had been optimized to ensure the bugs behind them survived as long as possible. The worst thing about these bugs was that they weren't elites, so the nest could spawn a massive number of them.

This new addition to the group posed a lot of difficulties for the army. Although the marching speed had drastically slowed, the swarm was increasing at the same rate, exacerbating their problems. The snipers were also struggling because the massive protrusions made it very difficult to hit the shield bug's actual body. Missing meant wasting a shot, and even if they killed it, there were plenty more.

*Wuuueeeee*

As things got dangerous, a red shell arched over their heads and landed in the swarm of encroaching Zergs. Then a loud explosion cleared the area in a 5-meter diameter. With this addition, more shells flew past, thinning the swarm. Genji looked toward the origin of the attacks and saw rocket launchers on the shoulders of mini-boss Celestials.

"Seems like they brought out the big guns."

Explosions echoed across the battlefield as the gunfire pushed back the line. This battle pace continued for the next few hours. To everyone's relief, not a single Zerg approached them, meaning no casualties. There were a few close calls, but they managed to overcome them with more explosions. Everything looked good, but Genji had a bad feeling.

The front line had been firing non-stop to fend off the endless horde of Zergs, and they would run out of energy at this rate. The commanders noticed this problem and ordered the army to march forward. However, this brought more problems as they had to increase their energy usage to prevent more close calls.

The reason behind all this lay in the creep carpet. With this addition, all the fallen Zergs were broken down to spawn new units. It wasn't a perfect conversion, but it was enough to perpetuate the cycle.

That was why the Zergs could still swarm them even after so many had died. There was no easy solution to this terrain. Even if they destroyed the carpet, it would only regrow. The Zergs had optimized this one feature to maximize their energy usage, rendering all damage a waste of energy.

Unless they dropped a nuke, they wouldn't solve this dilemma. Yet Genji knew they wouldn't do that, not when they wanted to retrieve the items inside the nest. It was an unsolvable problem. The Celestials didn't often besiege a Zerg nest as they were usually on the defensive. Dealing with the swarm on the battlefield was troublesome enough, let alone the core of everything.

"We can't keep this up. We need a way to eliminate the heart of everything. An infiltration."

Genji stood up and walked back to the command ship. They had followed the General's orders and preserved their numbers, but it would only delay the inevitable. His orders weren't bad, as they hadn't suffered any casualties, but Genji found the approach too passive for his liking.

It was only a matter of time before they had to retreat at this rate. When that happened, they would incur countless casualties. Escaping the pursuit of suicidal bugs wasn't easy.

After that, the next operation would only become more difficult once the queen prepared.

"A beheading operation, you say?"

The General and the other commanders were shocked by Genji's audacity—both at his courage to bring up the topic in front of them and his idea. They had considered this plan before, but they lacked people who could execute it. The Zerg Queens always prioritized their safety and never left the nest. Inside, they were defended by the strongest fortifications and an endless flow of Zergs.

Even if they managed to infiltrate the nest, they still needed to kill the queen—an entity about which they had very little information. Who knew what abilities the queen possessed or if the plan was even feasible? Not to mention they had no idea about the nest's layout. Many unstable factors could affect the operation. All it takes is one thing to go wrong, and they would be sending their strongest soldiers to their deaths.

"If you give me a bomb, I should be able to sneak in and kill the queen. It might take a few hours, but I'm confident in my stealth."

"Are you sure you want to do this? One mistake, and you'll end up dead."

"Doesn't matter. Sometimes we need to take risks. When that time comes, we should do our best to minimize them." Genji shrugged, seemingly unconcerned about the danger he was volunteering to face.

"Very well. If you succeed, you'll be considered a hero among the Celestials."

[You have initiated the mission: Beheading Operation]

Details: Infiltrate the nest and eliminate the queen

Reward: 200,000 contribution points (values are doubled during this event), increased reputation within the faction

Minutes later, Genji was handed a small briefcase that he tucked beneath his cloak.

"You'll have 30 seconds after activating this. After that, everything within a 30-meter radius will be destroyed."

 

---

 

Genji waited for nightfall before making his move; it was during this time that he was at his strongest. The wait wasn't long, given the extended battle. Finding a remote location, Genji circulated his energy and fused with the darkness. Then, he walked flanked around the stream of Zergs and approached the large nest, making sure to avoid the senses of any traps or ambushers.

There were plenty of creatures in the Zerg army deployed solely to guard the nest. Most of them were stationary, but they posed a problem to deal with. That's why they had been firing from a distance the entire time.

Climbing up the side of the gate where the Zergs were pouring out, Genji clung to the ceiling. Due to the prolonged battle, few were paying attention to this area anymore. After confirming the stability of his position, Genji began to climb further inward, ensuring he remained unnoticed.

If necessary, he was prepared to venture into the folds of the fleshly interiors to avoid detection. Although repulsive, it was a better choice than getting surrounded. Soon, he encountered a crossroads with three paths.

He logically excluded one path, as it was the route the Zergs were emerging from. Unless essential, he preferred to explore the other tunnels first. Sneaking down the central path, Genji dodged a series of guards. These guards possessed a semblance of intelligence, unlike the mindless Zergs being sent out.

This intelligence was expected, considering the Queen had tasked them with guarding the area. Genji waited until the armored creature shifted before activating his speed-boosting skills to slip by.

He repeated this pattern until he reached a room containing worker bugs and crystals. This room marked the end of the tunnel, with no other passages leading away. The worker bugs carried clear crystals, inserting them into crevices in the wall. These crevices would clamp onto the crystals, draining their energy and gradually disintegrating them.

This room served as the storage for the Zergs' energy reserve. These crystals represented crystallized bio-energy accumulated by the nest over its existence. During times of war, these crystals were broken down to swiftly nurture a Zerg army. This concept resembled Genji's method of crystallizing his weapons, although his shadow energy hadn't reached the level of standalone crystallizing.

For a moment, Genji considered bombing this area. If the nest ran out of energy, then the war should end quickly. However, Genji quickly dismissed that thought. There was a lot of energy in this room, and setting off an explosion could cause a catastrophic chain reaction of explosions. The intensity of such an explosion might just level the nest, killing Genji inside and destroying all the machines they are fighting for.

Genji wasn't feeling suicidal right now, so he decided to backtrack and enter the other tunnel. One thing that differentiated this tunnel from the others was its slope that descended into the ground. It curved around the nest like a staircase, with multiple branching paths connecting to it. This is the tunnel system the Zergs use to send units around the territory and man the defense towers.

Worker bugs crawled through these tunnels, conducting maintenance beyond the capabilities of natural regeneration—maintenance aimed at addressing issues like Genji. While they couldn't directly engage him in combat, their deaths would alert the Queen to the intruder's presence, prompting her to deploy stronger units.

Clusters of worker bugs crawled through the tunnel walls as Genji walked past them. The convenient thing about these workers is that they are blind. The interior of the nest is very dark, so they have evolved to sense presences using vibration. Why would they waste energy forming eyes when they won't get used?

'If I were the queen, where would I hide?'

Genji pondered this question to determine whether he should backtrack into the breeding area. Eventually, he concluded she would hide underground - deep underground. It was a logical choice if she wanted to survive a nuke from the Celestials or Sentinels. Genji doubted the Queen would make a different decision, given her cowardly nature.

As for where the machines are stored, Genji has no idea. It could be in any of these branching paths or not even in this nest! For now, Genji doesn't want to think about the implications of the latter.

He closed his eyes, attempting to sense any distinct presence within the tunnels. It was a clumsy method, but it was the best he can do. Several presences stood out from the surrounding worker ants, so Genji headed toward the deepest one.

He hoped his assessment was correct, or he would have to retreat. The army can only hold on for a few more hours, and he can't risk staying around when there's nothing to distract the queen.

As he approached the presence, he noticed it was not the queen but a mini-boss creature resembling a blind hyena. Genji brought out a rock and threw it to the side, causing the creature to instantly pounce at it. Seizing the moment, Genji sneaked past it and closed his eyes again. There were more presences deeper down.

He continued downward, doing his best not to alert the mini-boss guards. Who knows what it would take to alert the queen? After 30 minutes of cautious progress, Genji arrived in a spacious chamber. Within, numerous worker bugs surrounded a hefty termite-like creature.

These worker bugs fed the creature indistinguishable chunks of food, which it devoured with its multitude of teeth. One bug lost its balance while lifting food, tumbling into the termite's mouth. Without hesitation, the termite tore apart the additional food and swallowed it indifferently.

[Zerg Queen, Zagona]

Health: 24,200/24,200

Energy: 640/640

Con: 42

Str: 13

Dex: 12

Int: 34

Spc: 34

Skills:

Boss: + 20,000 hp

Swarm control: Able to control her Zergs from a distance

Shared senses: Able to get information from up to 15 units at once

Nest Creation: Create a new nest over one week

No further skills can be read

 

After using insight, Genji confirmed the creature's identity. It was indeed the queen, although it appeared to possess limited combat prowess. Genji speculated that the queen utilized her special attribute to control the Zergs and enhance her spawning abilities, though he could be wrong. As for its formidable constitution, he suspected its immense size was responsible for that.

Genji retrieved the bomb and activated it, gripping it tightly as the timer began its countdown. After 25 seconds, he hurled the bomb toward the Zerg Queen and swiftly turned to run.

*KAAAABBBBBOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM*

An eruption of searing heat and blinding light enveloped the walls of the subterranean chamber as the shockwaves knocked Genji off balance.

*KAAAAA*

A high-pitched screech followed, indicating that his mission was still in progress. He waited for the heat to subside before reentering the now-expanded chamber, filled with debris and fissures. Amidst the wreckage, a severely wounded Zerg Queen struggled to rise.

"Filthy Celestial!"

Genji heard a gravelly, feminine voice within his mind, baffling him about the source. Looking around, he quickly recognized the only creature that could have uttered that: the queen.

Pushing aside his bewilderment about the mental communication, Genji drew his mini-gun and swiftly attached a chain of energy cells to it. Then he unleashed a barrage of fire upon the injured insect. The initial shots tore into the queen's form, punching new holes into its body, but subsequent shots dissipated before impact.

"Something's amiss. What sort of ability is this?" Genji quickly recognized the anomaly but persisted in firing at the invisible barrier protecting the queen.

"ENOUGH!"

A powerful mental force struck him, causing blood to trickle from his nose and a throbbing ache to spread within his skull. The impact disrupted his aim, granting the queen an opening to concentrate her mental strength on crushing the mini-gun.

Relinquishing the shattered weapon, Genji produced his sniper rifle. He managed to fire one shot before it met a similar fate as the mini-gun. At least the projectile found its mark, penetrating the queen's head and inflicting severe damage. It was a shame the termite head was humungous, or this fight would have ended.

Activating Flashstep, Genji materialized beside the queen. An immense force sought to crush him, but he pressed forward, his daggers igniting with shadowy flames.

Dagger Arts: SCAR!

With a swift and decisive motion, Genji carved a large X-shaped gash into the queen's side. Multiple legs were severed, and the neck suffered a deep laceration. The oppressive pressure lessened, but Genji was aware that this fight was not over. Pivoting back, he focused all his energy on one dagger before catapulting it through the gleaming eyes of the insect. A huge gust of air burst around him as it rushed into the vacuum left in his wake.

[You have slain Zerg Queen, Zagona.]

[You have completed the mission: Beheading Operation. You have been rewarded 200,000 contribution points.]

[Since you have reached your bearing capacity, Shroud of Terror will absorb the excess energy to grow.]

[You have received: Bio-crystal III]

[Bio-crystal III]

Rating: Epic (Quasi Legendary)

Effect: Grants 10,000 units of bio-energy upon use.

Description: One of the rarer types of bio-crystals within the Zerg inventory.

Note: While it's not a plasma sniper, maybe you can find a use for it.