When the head of the sentinel exploded, Rex was showered in green blood, and chunks of its head flew everywhere. Luckily, he had his helmet on. Otherwise, it would’ve been a lot more disgusting. He yanked his sword out of the bug’s massive body, wiping the blade clean with a quick flick.
"Damn, those things were even tougher than I thought. Cleo, how much energy do I have left?" He asked, still shaking off bits of bug guts.
"There’s 80% left. Overdrive didn’t drain too much this time, but the laser cannon took 12% after those few shots."
"Yeah, it ate up a bit, but at least it was strong enough to take out those armored bastards," Rex muttered, glancing back at the fallen creatures.
As he spoke, he heard shouting behind him. He turned around, frowning. "Now what?"
To his surprise, the members of the Crimson Claw were cheering, their weapons held high in celebration. Seeing Rex take down those massive bugs had clearly pumped them up. They looked like they’d never witnessed anything like it.
Rex gave a small smile and raised one of his swords in the air. The cheering grew even louder. After a few seconds, though, he started feeling awkward, so he lowered his arm and made his way over to Carlos.
Carlos deactivated his helmet, smirking. "Hey, look who it is, our local celebrity!"
"Oh, shut up," Rex grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Tell the guys we’re taking a break for an hour. We still have to go deeper into the hive and take out the queen."
"Roger that, hero," Carlos teased, clearly enjoying the role reversal.
Rex found a spot on one of the large rocks where Carlos and the heavy gunners had been positioned earlier. He sat down, then opened a communication channel with Cleo.
"Hey, babe, it’s me, your loving husband, just in case you hadn’t noticed," he said with a playful tone. "Can you send some combat drones into the tunnel for recon?"
"Already on it," Cleo replied. A moment later, two combat drones zipped into the tunnel. "Mapping in progress. Please stand by."
"Thanks, beautiful," Rex said with a grin, deactivating his helmet and weapons. He leaned back against the rock, letting his eyes close for a bit of rest. But before long, he heard a timid voice in front of him.
"Excuse me, Lord Noble... I just wanted to thank you for saving me from those bugs."
Rex cracked one eye open and saw little Mara standing there, looking nervous. He smiled.
"Hey, Mara, no need to thank me. Just doing my job."
"T-thank you, Lord Noble," she stammered, her cheeks turning pink as she quickly walked away.
Rex chuckled, but then he heard Cleo’s voice again.
"Hmph."
He raised an eyebrow. "What’s that about? You jealous or something?"
"I’m not jealous," Cleo replied, her tone flat. "If you want a harem, fine. Just make sure they’re all from my race."
Rex blinked, caught off guard. "Uh, I’m not sure if I should feel flattered or... confused. Your race is extinct though, right?"
"Technically, yes. But there are still some in dormant states within biogems, like I was."
"Well," Rex said, rubbing the back of his neck, "if they’re as beautiful as you, I won’t complain. But, uh, why only your race?"
"Because," Cleo said coolly, "I don’t share with inferior beings."
"Wait, what? Inferior beings? Does that mean I’m one too?"
"No, you aren’t. You’re the one I chose to lead the future of our race. Rex, I don’t think you fully understand what you are right now."
Rex was getting annoyed. "Oh, really? Then enlighten me, please, oh superior being!"
"Rex, I’m detecting your blood pressure is rising. Please calm down."
"I am calm! Just go ahead and answer!"
Cleo was a bit taken aback. It was the first time Rex had spoken to her like that. "You’re not human anymore, Rex. To save you, I had to alter most of your genetic code. You won’t be able to reproduce with any race that is compatible with humans."
"Your genetic code is closer to mine now. Your reproductive fluids won’t work with others, especially those who don’t have superior regenerative abilities since our race’s children are born with living metal on their bodies."
"The wombs of our females are also made of living metal. They’re incredibly sturdy, allowing us to give birth to our own kind. Though my race stopped reproducing naturally a long time ago."
"Instead, we started using incubators. All we cared about was increasing combat strength and conquering the galaxy. Well, you know how that turned out. As for the harem, I want you to build an empire with me at your side."
"And I know you’ll need strong descendants to conquer the galaxy. I can’t give you children fast enough since my race’s gestation period is three years. That’s why I want you to keep our bloodline pure by only reproducing within our race."
When Cleo finished, Rex let out a long sigh. "Conquering the galaxy and reviving a lost race, huh? Sounds like fun, Cleo, but try not to make remarks like that about others. I don’t really like it. Even if I’ve stopped being human, my heart is still human."
He touched his chest where his heart should have been. "Oh sh*t, I forgot—I don’t have a heart anymore. Damn! Well, you know what I’m trying to say."
Rex stood up from the rock and reactivated his helmet. "Alright, let’s drop this topic for now. How’s the mapping going?"
"The mapping got interrupted halfway. The combat drones were destroyed by multiple hostiles."
"Hmm, so there are still plenty of bugs out there. I hate fighting bugs. This mission isn’t worth 100k credits. I’m asking for a raise from Talon."
When the Crimson Soldiers saw the white giant starting to walk towards the front, they all stood and prepared to follow him. In their hearts, the admiration they felt for Rex was almost turning into fanaticism.
"Onward, men!" Rex shouted, waving his hand forward. The 400 or so Crimson Claws, along with combat drones and cargo drones, started to move. As they marched, they noticed the ground beneath them was turning... strange. The earth felt like meat, and the stench was beyond anything they had ever smelled.
After just 2 kilometers into the cave, they had already been ambushed four times.
"Don’t stop! Keep walking! You can rest when you’re dead!" Rex barked, pushing them forward even as the ambushes continued. While the bugs attacking them were numerous, it wasn’t enough to be called a true swarm.
The bugs’ numbers were still dangerous, but Rex’s army had too much firepower. They managed to fight through without much trouble. After about three hours of marching and fighting, they reached a massive open chamber inside the cave. There were eggs everywhere. Too many to count.
"Men, stay sharp! Be ready for anything! Spread out and search for the queen!" Rex ordered.
"Mara, take the left! Carlos, go right! The rest of you...you’re with me in the center!"
The small army split up, following Rex’s commands. The search for the queen had begun. But it didn’t take long before the Crimson Claws would face what would be remembered as their worst nightmare, their worst memory, that would haunt the survivors for the rest of their days.
The fleshy walls of the cave suddenly opened, revealing countless holes. From those holes, waves of bug warriors, flyers, and sentinels began to pour out. It was a swarm far larger than anything they had fought at the cave entrance.
Screams of pain echoed through the cavern, mixing with the relentless sound of gunfire. It didn’t take long for the small army to be overwhelmed. Then, a brilliant white light appeared in the air.
"Listen up, men! Form up under me!" Rex shouted from above as he hovered in the air. But there was a problem: Rex was too bright. The bugs were drawn to him like moths to a flame. In seconds, he was swarmed by the flying bugs.
Rex slashed through them without stopping, but there were just too many. They quickly engulfed him, forming a massive ball of swarming bugs. Nearby, Mara’s squad was the first to respond.
They rushed to help Rex, but the bug warriors tore through them with terrifying speed. The sentinels massacred them as if they were nothing. Even the drones’ miniguns couldn’t pierce the bugs’ thick armor.
Meanwhile, Carlos’s squad was completely wiped out. The bug queen had appeared in their section, launching acid missiles that devastated the small group. The swarm finished off whoever survived the initial attack.
Carlos, thanks to the shield Cleo had installed on his power armor, was the last one standing. But by then, he had already lost both of his arms; the shield had already run out of energy, and the blood coming from his injuries was enough to kill him, but Carlos fire could still be seeing in his eyes.