Novel Full Chapter 58 Exterminating the Biggest Threat
Chapter 58 Exterminating the Biggest Threat
Richard sat in the passenger seat of the JLTV Oshkosh, his eyes fixed on the unfolding battle ahead. They trailed behind a convoy consisting of an M1A2 Abrams Tank, M117 Guardian, and LAV-25.
He clenched his jaw in frustration as the formidable Goliath resisted wave after wave of Hydra rockets, Hellfire Missiles, and 20-millimeter armor-piercing rounds.
Glancing at the health indicator displayed above the Goliath’s turret, he noted it was down to just 13 percent. They were so close to neutralizing the most significant threat they’d encountered since the outbreak began.
“All stations, prepare for danger close engagement, and provide sitrep when able,” Richard ordered.
“This is Warhammer-2, we’re still engaging the Goliath. Our situation is critical,” came the response.
“Copy that, Warhammer-2. We’re one minute out from the AO,” Richard acknowledged. He then radioed Blackwatch for an update on the approaching zombie hordes.
“Blackwatch here, non-mutant and mutant zombies are closing in on Oriental, ETA nine minutes,” Blackwatch reported urgently. “You must eliminate the Goliath before they reach us, or we’ll be overrun.”
Richard muttered to himself, “No need to remind me of that.” Thankfully, the Goliath had separated from its infected minions, making it easier for them to focus their firepower on the Goliath without the distraction of the horde.
One minute later, they arrived at the combat zone. Richard stepped out of the vehicle and gazed at the Goliath swinging its blade arm around, trying to cut down the attack helicopters that were firing upon it like hornets.
The attack helicopters have learned from their mistake. Instead of flying low within reach of the Goliath, they were now hovering high enough that the Goliath would have to either jump or extend its blade arm impossibly high to reach them.
“Sir, here you go,” One of the soldiers passing by set the weapon’s crate down on the ground before him.
Richard knelt down and opened the crate, revealing an FGM-148 Javelin. He hefted it onto his shoulder and gave a nod of appreciation to the soldier before turning his attention back to the Goliath.
“This is going to be my first time firing this weapon, yet it feels like I have fired it many times,” Richard commented before turning around and facing Andrea, whom he brought along with him.
She was holding a katana in her right hand, her gaze fixed on the Goliath.
“Andrea, Andrea,” Richard called repeatedly to get her attention. When she finally turned to him, he continued. “Look, if you still think you can’t do it, you can stay behind and watch us blow that monster.”
Andrea simply nodded.
Richard brought her along in the battle for one thing, and that is he believed her power was dormant and needed to be triggered by the situation. Being in danger, for example, the fight and flight response was a great tool and he’ll utilize it.
Richard focused on the task at hand. He aimed the FGM-148 Javelin at the now severely damaged Goliath and pulled the trigger. The missile flew out from the tube and crashed at the head of the already wounded Goliath.
Two M1A2 Abrams tanks roared into action, their massive turrets swinging to face the beleaguered Goliath. The air was filled with a cacophony of sound as their 120-millimeter APFSDS-T M829A2 rounds were unleashed, the high-velocity projectiles tearing through the air with deadly intent.
Simultaneously, three LAV-25s joined the symphony of destruction, its 25-millimeter M242 Bushmaster autocannon spewing forth a torrent of armor-piercing fire. The shells streaked toward the Goliath, a relentless barrage of firepower that sought to strip away the monster’s remaining health.
Explosions erupted around the Goliath as the rounds impacted its flesh. It howled in anguish. On the ground, Richard saw its health bar.
“Nine percent.”
The Goliath flickered its gaze down at the M1A2 Abrams, LAV-25s. It started raising its arm up, and Richard’s eyes widened in realization.
“All stations! Disperse! Disperse!”
The warning came too late. The Goliath swung its massive blade arm downward with thunderous force. The earth trembled beneath its power as the blade sliced through the air, creating a cataclysmic chasm in its wake. 𝘦𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝗇𝓔t
The M1A2 Abrams tank and LAV-25 were caught and were neutralized.
“Shit! Richard cursed loudly as he staggered back from the shockwave of the Goliath’s devastating blow.
The chasm created by the Goliath’s blade arm stretched out like a gaping wound in the earth. It tore through asphalt and soil alike, leaving behind a jagged scar that seemed to reach down ten or twenty meters.
Breathing heavily, Richard and the surviving members of his team scrambled to their feet, their bodies aching from the shockwave. The Goliath, though severely damaged, still stood defiantly.
Their firepower is decreasing as the helicopters that have been engaging the Goliath found themselves low on armaments.
“All stations! In three minutes, thousands of zombies are going to reach the perimeter of the Oriental. Hunters and Flyers too. What’s the situation on the ground?”
“Grim,” Richard responded succinctly.
“Do we send reinforcements to the area?”
“No, if we do that then the three fronts would be left vulnerable and defenseless. Keep them there,” Richard said.
“But, Actual, if we don’t give you reinforcements, the Goliath is going to break through the perimeter.”
“I know that—” Richard said as he opened he reloaded a missile into the tube of the FGM-148 Javelin, preparing for another shot at the Goliath.
Andrea, who had been observing the battle, stepped closer to Richard. Her eyes were no longer filled with doubt; they now held a spark of determination and understanding.
“Richard…I can feel it now…” Andrea said.
“What do you mean?” Richard tilted his head to the side.
“I can’t describe it—it’s like I smell something within the Goliath. Something delicious,” Andrea explained.
“Huh?” Richard exclaimed softly before turning his head to the Goliath. The attack helicopters continued their relentless assault before flying away as they expended all their ammunition. Soldiers on the ground fired their small arms at the Goliath, doing no damage to it at all.
He wondered how much health the Goliath had left.
Scanning the Goliath, his eyes widened.
“Five percent!” Richard said. “All stations, use your Javelin missiles. Aim for its head!”
As Richard’s urgent command echoed across the battlefield, soldiers who were armed with Javelin missile launchers swiftly took aim at the towering behemoth. They locked onto the Goliath’s head.
Andrea, standing beside Richard, felt her senses honed in on the Goliath’s weakened state. She could feel a strange, almost primal connection with the monstrous creature, like an irresistible urge drawing her closer to her target.
“Now!” Richard shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.
Simultaneously, eight volleys of Javelin missiles streaked through the sky. The high-powered projectiles homed in on the Goliath’s head.
The missiles impacted their mark with incredible force, causing a series of fiery explosions that engulfed the Goliath’s damaged head.
One percent!
“Moah—I can’t take it anymore!” Andrea, awakened by her primal instincts, unsheathed her katana and surged forward at blinding speed. She leaped at the Goliath, her katana gleaming with a deadly intent. In that split second, it felt as if time itself slowed down. The soldiers watched in awe and disbelief as Andrea closed the gap between her and the Goliath with supernatural speed.
With a powerful, precision strike, Andrea swung her katana in a graceful arc, aiming directly for the Goliath’s neck. The blade cut through the air with a high-pitched whirr, and then, it connected.
The Goliath’s head was severed cleanly from its massive body. A fountain of dark, viscous fluid gushed forth, and the monstrous creature let out a final, horrifying scream before collapsing to the ground in a lifeless heap.
For a moment, there was silence on the battlefield. The soldiers, still in shock from what they had just witnessed, stared at Andrea, who landed on top of its body.
Andrea couldn’t shake the strange sensation she had experienced earlier—the feeling of something within the Goliath, something delicious. She looked down at the creature’s lifeless body and made a decision.
Kneeling beside the Goliath’s massive corpse, Andrea carefully made an incision with her katana. She reached into the creature’s body and pulled something out—a small, orange pill-like object.
It smelled sweet and tasty, and Andrea couldn’t resist her primal urges any longer. Without hesitation, she brought the mysterious orange pill-like object to her lips and gulped it.
As Andrea consumed the mysterious orange pill-like object, an immediate change overcame her. Her eyes widened, and her body trembled with newfound energy. It was as if a beast had been awakened within her, a primal force that threatened to consume her sanity.
Richard watched in growing concern as Andrea’s expression shifted from determination to something more feral. Her eyes glowed with an eerie light, and a low growl escaped her lips. Her grip on the katana tightened, and her entire demeanor became more predatory.
“Andrea?”
Andrea snapped her head towards Richard and she lunged towards him. Her sudden lunge took Richard completely by surprise. In her frenzied state, she tackled him to the ground. They landed in a tangle of limbs, Andrea straddling him.
“Andrea! It’s me! Snap out of it!”
For a brief moment, it seemed like Andrea’s frenzied state wavered. Her eyes blinked rapidly as if she were trying to regain control. Richard seized this opportunity and pushed harder against her chest, forcing her back.
“Sir Richard?” Andrea uttered.
“Yeah it’s me,” Richard said. “What happened to you?”
“I don’t know—when I ate the pill, it felt like I was possessed by someone. But it’s okay now. And I—And I never felt so strong before. But I’m back now.”
Richard helped Andrea to her feet, relieved to see her return to her senses. The strange pill seemed to be powering her.
[You have killed Goliath!]
[Reward: 65,000,000 gold coins, 1,200,000 experience points!]
[Your level has risen to 24]
[2,101,924/2,348,658]