Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

The crimson giant beast from afar revealed no clues, only in close combat was it possible to spot the inconspicuous pair of claws that usually rested by its skull.

These claws were indestructible, capable of easily piercing even a mecha structure forged from octalloy.

The grating sound of metal warping and snapping rose sharply as the pair of mech pilots lying on the ground tried in vain to use their arms to fend off the creature's attacks with all their might.

The strength of the crimson behemoth was far greater than the maximum power that could be summoned by the arms of a basic mecha.

Hidden beneath layer upon layer of iron armor were the fragile electrical circuits and core components within the mecha.

Sparks flew in an instant, and a crimson alert flashed within the cockpit, warning of imminent danger.

Sensing the end was near, one pilot broadcast his final warning, "Be careful, everyone! The strength of these bugs is terrifying!"

"Boom!"

The fear and confusion from possible imminent destruction had barely begun to form when the feedback from the mecha's arms suddenly lightened.

Immediately after, a loud noise assaulted the ears, accompanied by a violent tremor that shook the entire ground.

"Can you still move?"

A blue-and-white mecha appeared before them, not knowing when it had arrived, and through its clear viewport, the reddened eyes of its two pilots were visible, relief flooding in as they realized they had narrowly escaped death.

"Captain..."

One pilot, slightly calmer now, remembered the captain's query, "I can move... but..."

"That's enough," Bai E interrupted, "Get yourself back, leave the rest to me."

Bai E was pleasantly surprised that the severely damaged mecha could still move; he hadn't expected a mecha with so many systems destroyed to keep up with the fierce pace of battle.

With a turn and a slash, Bai E targeted the crimson giant insect that had been knocked down by a flying kick but had gotten back up.

"Clang!" His reliable combat blade struck the chitin armor covering the beast, producing a sound like metal on metal.

It was only when facing the crimson behemoth head-on that Bai E could closely observe its features—all over its body was a red armor, so dark in places it was almost black, with a heavy carapace that left no trace of weakness exposed, not even at the joints designed for movement, where the bone armor was also extraordinary.

The information from the panel confirmed this—

[Your attack hit, but failed to penetrate the target's armor.]

[Based on the effect of your attack, you obtained the following information—]

[??? (Bug Race): Health ???/???; Defensive Power: 800; Attack Power (Type: Blunt) 600~600; Traits: Beast Template, Full Chitin Armor, Symbiotic Weapon—Rending Claws, Guardian Instinct; Mobility: 80%...]

High attack and defense, but slow movement, a pure war behemoth.

An 800-point defensive power nearly exceeded the limits of any means Bai E could currently employ, with mecha weapons unlikely to break through to such an extent.

An indestructible opponent.

And there were three of them!

The mecha controlled by Bai E faced off against the creature briefly, and during that brief exchange, both sides realized their opponent was not to be taken lightly.

While Bai E struggled to penetrate its defenses, the mecha, imbued with a degree of technical striking skill under his control, was not something the behemoth could simply overpower with brute force.

"Retreat..."

At that moment, a sonorous and indescribable voice suddenly resounded in his mind.

This familiar voice sent a shiver through Bai E, instantly reminding him of the shadow of some invincible giant beast.

Sure enough, following that command, the three crimson giants gave a final glance at the corpse of a gray-brown behemoth lying not far away, as if confirming that the target they were meant to guard was truly dead, and then turned and ran...

Their legs moved alternately, swaying from side to side, a comical sight.

Yet faced with this action, the few mecha that still had combat capability had no way to stop them.

Or rather, even if they could, no one wanted to.

Indestructible!

That was the stark reality everyone came to understand through the brief exchange.

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"Let them go!" not until this moment did the command from the rear command vehicle finally arrive, delayed in the cockpits of Bai E's team members, "Get back and support the main battlefront, end the battle quickly."

The appearance of the new behemoths signaled endless variables, and the commander of the sizable mixed military forces felt uneasy, hoping to quickly achieve the strategic objective and then retreat as soon as possible.

"Yes!"

His team members responded instantly before relaying to Bai E, who had already cut off communication.

"I know," Bai E replied softly, gazing in the direction where the three crimson guardian behemoths had departed.

He vaguely felt as if he could see another familiar crimson figure—the Domineer.

Was that peerless beast also nearby?

Had it received news and come to aid but was unwilling to risk itself?

Or had it anticipated this all along and lay in ambush here but for some reason didn't act until the end?

Unknown.

The objectives of the Bug Race were not simple; while they refused communication, the creatures that had entangled with humanity for many years also possessed considerable intelligence.

It just wasn't clear... what exactly did they want?

"Shing!"

With his sword sheathed, Bai E turned and headed towards the rear line of the bugs.

Cold weapons could still be of use against single foes, but against the numerous swarm of bugs, hot weapons were more brisk and efficient.@@novelbin@@