Story Reader / Main Story / 21 Spiral of Chronos / Story
In the transport craft, Lee leaves the still tumultuous Babylonia at full speed.
The radar blares incessantly, signaling imminent danger. In ten minutes, he will encounter the Hetero-Creatures that once obstructed the path to Earth.
Ever since the Pulia Forest Park catastrophe, Hetero-Creatures have acquired the ability to fly and asserted their dominance in the virus-laden airspace.
Humans invested considerable effort in retrofitting transport crafts and bolstering the workforce to just barely sustain weekly transportation between space and Earth.
But now, Lee is the only one in this craft.
Despite his expertise in transport crafts, the forthcoming battle will prove arduous. He may even lose his life before reaching the intended destination.
Making direct contact with flying Hetero-Creatures in 8, 7, 6...
It is impossible to break through such an overwhelming number of enemies head-on.
Ascend first... and then look for a suitable location to land!
This is undoubtedly the correct decision, considering the unpredictable nature of the enemy's potential attacks. It is wise to utilize the aircraft's speed advantage to buy more time...
Just as Lee is about to pull the lever, excruciating pain engulfs his entire M.I.N.D., ripping through his chest and the left side of his body.
A powerful vision overtakes his sight, revealing the imminent collision of the aircraft with the Hetero-Creatures, set to occur within mere seconds.
Amidst the explosion of the engine, the remaining half of his body plummets along with the wreckage of the craft.
...!
The intense pain stretches his nerves, as if the experience were truly happening. In order to maintain focus, Lee plans to deactivate his pain receptors.
But unable to take his mind off the overwhelming pain, he glimpses at the explosion point in his vision.
...!
He spots an unknown creature at the rear of the craft, its abdomen emitting an ominous glow.
What will happen if he attacks it? Lee wonders about the potential consequences, yet he cannot afford to test his thoughts in this critical situation.
Speed up and charge in...
What?!
Lee's body moves instinctively, faster than his mind can process. With deft swiftness, he lifts the security lock of the craft's cargo bay and discards everything within it.
Upon contact with the cargo, numerous Hetero-Creatures violently explode. If Lee were to decrease his speed and ascend... he would face the same fate as the shattered freight.
But he has no time left to dwell on the "ifs." As the craft gains decent acceleration from the reduced weight, it begins to lurch fiercely and plummet to the ground.
Hold it there...!
Lee clenches the lever with all his strength to keep the craft's head up, fighting against the ruthless pull of gravity.
The craft charges into an even denser swarm of Hetero-Creatures. Deafening wing-flapping noise comes from above, almost rendering the engine's roar inaudible.
At least he has bought himself some time to catch his breath. Almost no Hetero-Creature can catch up with a craft flying at such high speed, whereas those in its way will be smashed into pieces.
...
Was that a vision of the future or a memory of the past?
Regardless of its nature, the pain undeniably saved his life by serving as an alert. With this realization, Lee decides to keep his pain receptors active for now and focus on pushing forward.
As the craft draws closer to the signal mark of the Hetero Tower, indicating that the destination is within reach, a sudden surge of pain strikes Lee once again.
This time, the vision reveals an abundance of minuscule Hetero-Creatures, no larger than termites, formed by the slime residue left on the craft's outer armor from the crashed Hetero-Creatures!
They are silently gnawing their way into the craft, into the cockpit, and into his own body.
Tsk...
No longer holding a shred of doubt regarding the vision, Lee takes immediate action. He quickly detonates the incendiary bombs stored within the wing launchers, unleashing a torrent of fiery destruction.
The wings are instantly torn into fragments, while the flammable substance from the bombs envelops the entire craft.
The blast has undoubtedly reduced the Hetero-Creatures to ashes. However, it comes with an unfortunate consequence—the entire craft has transformed into a colossal, blazing metal coffin.
Ugh...
As the craft is still wobbling due to the blast, a new vision befalls, bringing with it another wave of excruciating pain.
This is the price the "vision" exacts—subjecting him to mental torment, pushing his M.I.N.D. to the edge of fracture, and only to have him mended by the relentless force of pain, time and time again.
In a fleeting moment, Lee recalls the scene where Commandant struggled to regain consciousness by using broken glass to inflict pain.
"What a reckless fool," he thought back then.
But now I'm nothing different...
As the crimson light of the Hetero Tower looms ever closer, the craft, on the verge of transforming into a blazing fireball, rushes toward its own destruction.
Lee quickly seizes the parachute he prepared after seeing the "vision." In one swift motion, he kicks open the cabin door and propels himself into the open air. A deafening explosion erupts behind him the next moment, its flames blossoming fiercely.
Ignoring the persistent phantom pain coursing through his body, Lee opens the parachute and swiftly extracts his weapon. With determined focus, he unleashes a barrage of gunfire upon the Hetero-Creatures relentlessly pursuing him.
The crimson monsters swarm around him, as if they have discovered a delectable feast. He realizes that relying only on his weapon is pointless as their numbers overpower him. Even the specialized parachute proves ineffective in shielding him from their unrelenting assaults.
When Lee reaches a height of a hundred meters above the ground, the parachute is completely ripped apart, leaving him defenseless against the pull of gravity.
...Almost there!
He firmly pulls the trigger of his weapon and unleashes its full power upon the ground below. The forceful discharge creates a momentary recoil, ensuring a safe landing.
He lifts his gaze, and before him stands the entrance to the glowing spiral tower.
The moment his feet touch this mysterious zone, an indescribable sense of familiarity washes over him.
Is this not the first time I have come here?
┘ ┘ ┘ will ┘ ┘ ┘ fail again ┘ ┘ ┘...
┘ ┘ ┘ must save ┘ ┘ ┘...
...?
With an unsettling presence, a fragmented voice whispers into his ears.
Don't ┘ ┘┘ Commandant ┘ will ┘ ┘ ┘ die.
What?
Murray ┘ ┘ ┘ will also ┘ ┘...
Those words, traversing a great distance, resound with cries woven from layers of regrets upon regrets—they are echoing ominously, bearing dire warnings of an impending future.
