Chapter 237: with translation of chapter title

The three squads where the corporal was, plus two other combat squads belonging to the First Assault Group, followed five heavily‑armed Kriegs as they charged into the thick smoke generated by the explosion.

In the smoke, the ground was littered with shredded meat chunks and limbs, as well as Beast Entities whose heads had been torn from their bodies, while the occasional whir of rotating chains echoed around.

The thick smoke gradually dissipated.

When the helmet screen cleared, he saw that the Beast Entities gathered near the tower entrance had been almost entirely wiped out by the Krieg's bombardment and close‑quarter charge.

He also saw the red‑helmeted Krieg squad leader, who had been at the front of the crowd, dodge a lunge from a slightly larger Beast Entity, then spin sharply, using the momentum to swing the Chain Sword clenched in his right hand toward the creature's neck.

Ssshh!

The high‑speed rotating chain violently tore the Beast Entity's skin, flesh, and bone, spraying out inky‑blue blood.

In the end, the red‑helmeted squad leader completed the decapitation.

Thump… thump thump… the head, separated from its body, rolled onto the ground.

The body, due to inertia, kept running a few meters before collapsing with a thud.

Although a Krieg's physique surpasses that of ordinary humans, they are not Astate and cannot withstand the "death" amplification provided by the Thunder Hammer powered armor.

Thus the surrounding paratroopers could clearly witness how the red‑helmeted squad leader killed that oversized Beast Entity.

Its death signaled that the path to the tower was now unobstructed for everyone.

The red‑helmeted squad leader flicked his right hand, flinging off the blood clinging to the chain.

Dozens of Kriegs sheathed their Chain Swords back at their waists, detached the laser guns attached to their backs, readied them, and gathered with the five heavily‑armed Kriegs beside their squad leader.

After reorganizing the unit, the red‑helmeted squad leader brandished his Chain Sword, leading the heavily‑armed Krieg combat squad silently toward the blue‑glowing entrance.

"Step, step." Only clear, orderly footfalls reached the ears of the corporal and the hundred paratroopers.

"Third squad, fall in," the lieutenant said over the comms: "Several combat teams have already entered the target building; we can't lag behind."

The combat teams the lieutenant referred to were actually the 3rd Battalion and the First Assault Group, mixed into fourteen small task forces that dispersed into the tower to improve the efficiency of locating the colonists.

The aerial formation remained outside, tasked with dealing with the remaining enemies in Paris.

Upon receiving orders, the corporal and his comrades followed the Kriegs ahead into the interior of the tower.

They entered a spacious vaulted hall, its smooth walls and corners sprouting tendril plants that provided illumination.

At the far end of the hall were several tunnels, each about ten meters in diameter, leading deeper into the tower and upward.

This architectural layout rendered numerical superiority less significant.

Consequently, the red‑helmeted squad leader at the front divided his combat squad into three squads of a dozen or so each, while the three parachute squads also chose to split up.

The corporal and his comrades joined the squad personally led by the red‑helmeted squad leader and entered one of the tunnels.

Inside the tunnel, luminous plants grew along both sides.

After marching for a while, they discovered the tunnel spiraled upward, and at regular intervals new tunnel entrances opened to unknown areas.

"It looks like an ant hill; who knows how much more deranged it gets inside, or if we're becoming like insects ourselves," a comrade grumbled over the squad comms.

"Indeed," the quiet corporal couldn't help but agree upon hearing the jest.

The tunnel's space wasn't small, but its ant‑hill‑like structure did make humans feel uneasy.

Fortunately, since they entered the tower, none of the combat units had been attacked by Beast Entities.

"Tell me, why do Kriegs love to charge?" another comrade asked, changing the subject.

"I don't know why, but I do know that the target of that death whistle is finally no longer us."

The comrade beside the corporal spoke with lingering dread.

A year ago, during a large‑scale joint exercise, the UNSC handled the attack while Umbrella defended, both sides equipped with identical training gear and weapons.

Their elite from the 9th, 1st, and 3rd Airborne Divisions boarded drop pods, performed orbital insertions away from the fleet, and raided the rear of Umbrella's defensive zone, preparing for harassment and decapitation missions.

Having landed, they entered a training‑purpose unmanned town and immediately attracted the nearby Krieg 01 Company.

At first, the airborne elite were confident, since the numbers were five times in their favor.

But as the street fight unfolded, the airborne elite found the numerical edge meaningless; each time a Krieg's whistle blew, a comrade's name and ID appeared in the upper‑right corner of the helmet display with a "KIA" alert…

It was a relentless stream of alerts.

In the end, Company 01 held them off with a suicidal stand, buying time until Umbrella's main force arrived.

Even though it was only a large‑scale exercise, that distinctive "death" whistle left a deep imprint on their minds.

That explains why, when the Krieg combat squad sounded the charge whistle earlier, the paratroopers felt a chill down their spines.

"Alright, stay on high alert; not encountering the enemy doesn't mean we're completely safe."

"Yes, Lieutenant."

The idle chatter on internal comms ceased, thanks to the lieutenant's "joining."

The group then marched on for several minutes, reaching another vaulted hall in the tower's mid‑section.

Inside this hall were several rows of hybrid electronic devices made of fleshy tissue and metal, as well as a seat resembling a mall massage sofa but coated in a viscous liquid.

"All units, attention!"

Seeing the equipment, the lieutenant immediately reported their observation and warned all combat units inside the tower: "Potential target work or living area detected."

"Copy (understood)." The other officers responded promptly.

Discovering this vaulted hall suggests that the colonist race they're after is likely present within the tower.

!

At that moment, the red‑helmeted squad leader raised his left hand and clenched his fist forcefully.

The dozen‑plus Kriegs who saw the gesture instantly responded, stepping forward, forming a half‑crouched fan shape on the ground, pointing their barrels at a tunnel entrance at the front of the hall.

Two heavily‑armed Kriegs at the rear of the formation swapped fresh drums into the Gauss machine gun and pulled the bolt hard.

The three squads, of course, didn't just stand idle; they coordinated with the Kriegs at the hall's center to form a semicircular formation.

Inside the corporal's helmet.

The dynamic detection radar in the upper‑left corner of the screen displayed a dense field of red dots.

"Howl!" and the sharp howls coming from the tunnel further indicate that a group of special Beast Entities is rushing toward the hall they are in.

Just as the Beast Entities were about to charge out of the tunnel…

"Tap-tap-tap!"

Lasers and pulse weapons fired in unison, red lines and gunfire flashing.

"Ding-ding-ding!"

Two Gauss machine guns continuously fired spike rounds, inflicting penetrating damage on the Beast Entity wave.

Soon, the first "Beast Entity" successfully charged out of the tunnel.

Even at the moment it charged out of the tunnel, it was pierced by red light and then blown apart by concentrated solid-shot fire, but once the first one fell, a second followed, and then more.

I saw this special group of Beast Entities running on two legs. Their muscles were extremely developed, their gray skin rough and hard, their five fingers replaced by slender, sharp bone spurs—basically hairless werewolves.

All these traits indicate that the colonist species has begun using human genes to cultivate a "next-generation" biological weapon.

Wolf Entities are agile and have relatively strong resistance to solid ammunition.

More and more Wolf Entities surged into the spacious hall, spreading out, which only increased the pressure on everyone.

At that moment, dozens of Wolf Entities suddenly leapt, jumping straight over everyone's defenses, apparently preparing to flank them with their comrades.

"Third squad, take the rear!" the second lieutenant immediately said.

In fact, before the second lieutenant's order, the corporal and his comrades had already turned their guns around.

But those dozens of Wolf Entities that had landed steadily and adjusted their balance were now closing the distance at great speed.

Just as the corporal finished turning around, a Wolf Entity leapt up at him.

"Thud!"

"Ah!"

"Damn!"

In that instant, the corporal and many comrades who couldn't dodge in time were knocked to the ground by the Wolf Entities.

But the anticipated massacre scene did not seem to occur…

"Fuck your mother! Get lost!"

A fallen paratrooper, shouting angrily, raised his right leg, coiled and unleashed a kick at the Wolf Entity's abdomen pressing down on him, which was at least one size larger than him.

A muffled "Boom—!"

The Wolf Entity that let out a whine "Ah…" was actually kicked back by that paratrooper, its body struggling to keep balance as it stepped backward.

Seizing the opening, the paratrooper lying on the ground raised his gun and fired.

Still angry, he literally fed that Wolf Entity nearly thirty Shellless Pulse Ammo.

"Pfft!"

Until the Wolf Entity's upper half exploded completely, blood spraying everywhere like a burst, the paratrooper then satisfiedly released his trigger and rolled to his feet.

Not only that ill-tempered fellow, but all the paratroopers who had been knocked down managed to counter-kill.

Only three unlucky comrades suffered light wounds when bone spurs pierced the gaps in their armor, requiring medics to staunch the bleeding with biological foam and then temporarily seal the holes with gel to ensure the airtightness of their individual gear.

Immediately afterward, the third squad regrouped, quickly dealt with the threat attempting to flank them, and then cooperated with the Kriegs to eliminate the remaining Wolf Entities.

The reason they could easily counter-kill is simple.

Even if the paratroopers' gear doesn't reach the level of TPS or CMC, it's definitely not "cheap" junk; the titanium alloy armor and sixth-generation mechanical femur are certainly not just for show.

The UNSC indeed spent a fortune to equip the nine airborne divisions with this gear.

As elite corporals of the airborne divisions, if they were killed by such Wolf Entity trash, losing their lives would be secondary; the main loss would be face for the third squad.

Soon after.

Inside the vaulted hall, corpses lay everywhere.

"Pop! Pop!"

Despite lacking the Red Helmet Platoon Leader and two Kriegs, the others continued to relentlessly finish off the enemy.

As expected, more than ten Raccoon Dog Entities that knew how to play dead couldn't help but leap up for a sneak attack, but they were all dealt with by the prepared crowd.

As for the corporal, a Wolf Entity attacked him from behind.

"Whine~—sizzle—sizzle!"

Before his comrades could raise their guns to fire, a Krieg in TPS Power Armor with obvious female characteristics swung her sword down, severing the Wolf Entity's head and neck.

Noticing the commotion, the corporal turned around, glanced at the corpse, then looked at the female Krieg sheathing her Chain Sword and said, "Thanks."

"."

Upon hearing that, the female Krieg responded with a slight nod, acknowledging the corporal's thanks, then continued to finish off the corpse.

"Buddy! You're lucky, that Krieg nodded at you—did you see?"

"Give it a try, maybe you can get her contact info, hahaha~!"

The female Krieg had barely walked away when the corporal heard his teammates teasing him over the internal comms; he gave a slight, helpless shake of the head, found an excuse to refuse, and said, "Nobody knows what they look like, so don't chase after them—just look after yourselves."

While the corporals were chatting,

The Red Helmet Platoon Leader and two other Kriegs left the tunnel where the Wolf Entities were surging out and returned to the vaulted hall.

Two Kriegers also escorted a thin-bodied creature that looked devoid of fat, with skin similar to a wolf's but smoother and more viscous gray skin, and it had an extra pair of arms compared to humans—a humanoid creature.

!

"All personnel, attention!" Seeing this humanoid creature, the lieutenant, unable to hide his excitement, reported over the comms: "We have captured a creature suspected to be the target!"

———————

…

Several hours later.

At the forward base located in the Sahara Desert, a gloomy, overcast 'dawn' arrived.

Inside the base.

The Anbu Lei La Engineering Department and UNSC engineers who finished shift change still drove SCVs and engineering exoskeletons, steadily improving all the base's facilities.

Survivors from Rabat were temporarily housed in the two barracks on the south side of the base.

After years of fear, the survivors could finally enjoy food and drink without worry, and lie down on their beds to sleep soundly.

Especially to guard the fortress's layered gates, Ti Si·Bo Lun—who hadn't gotten proper sleep for a month—and the fewer than three hundred soldiers of the United Army Defense Force had this treatment, but a certain 'survivor' did not, even enduring the 'abuse' from Umbrella.

Inside an interrogation room in the base's central facilities.

The humanoid creature captured by the 3rd Platoon and Ke Li Ge, its four hands bent backwards and legs bound, is now twitching on the metal chair like an epileptic seizure.

Ah… ah…

After the spasms, the humanoid creature weakly shook its head, letting out a painful groan from difficulty breathing.

It is the 'survivor' subjected to inhuman treatment, and also the colonizer species that Umbrella seeks to find.

Since it is not human, giving it 'inhuman treatment' seems reasonable.

Opposite the colonizer on the metal seat sat NuoWa, legs crossed, right foot tapping rhythmically, corners of her mouth slightly raised, wearing HES.

Standing diagonally behind NuoWa was Robert, arms crossed in front of him, his expression cold.

All surveillance equipment in the interrogation room had been shut off according to Robert's orders, providing a disturbance-free environment for the 'non-existent' NuoWa to be questioned.

"Already spoken? Hmph." NuoWa looked disdainfully at the colonizer before her, then turned her body to look at Robert, saying: "This guy is the supervisor responsible for manufacturing their bioweapons; the true mastermind is in New York, and moreover New York's portal connects to their homeworld. Besides, this guy is already useless, so. I can kill him now? Robert."

(End of chapter)