"Shasha."
In the dense jungle, faint rustlings of animals could be heard from time to time.
"Thump-thump-" It sounded like someone was walking through the jungle.
But looking around, no one could be seen walking here. However, if one looked closely, several faint human-shaped outlines could be seen.
These 'outlines' were the USS operatives who had activated the optical camouflage function of their bio-armor.
The stealth-capable USS operatives ventured deep into the cordoned-off jungle to search for the Undying Giant Lizard, avoiding startling it into running wild.
Meanwhile, the UBCS, equipped with heavier firepower, followed far behind the USS, ready to provide support at any moment.
As for the Spartan-IIs led by Athena, they had only one mission: to contain the Undying Giant Lizard once its exact location was confirmed.
Soon.
Several USS operatives discovered traces of a massive creature crawling on the ground. Moreover, the surrounding vegetation seemed to have withered due to some influence.
The USS operatives followed the direction of the fallen plants and, after several minutes, finally spotted the enormous giant lizard.
The Undying Giant Lizard seemed to know it was surrounded, so it chose to remain still.
Then…
"Hoo… Hah…"
It let out an incomprehensible, muffled cry, turning its head towards the cloaked USS operatives, as if sensing their presence.
This immediately put the observing USS operatives on high alert.
"Whoosh—!"
The Undying Giant Lizard suddenly lunged forward, charging rapidly, raising its body high as if to strike the USS operatives with its forelimbs.
But the USS operatives, clad in bio-armor, were not combatants that agents could compare to.
Several USS operatives, relying on their reactions, easily dodged the giant lizard's attack.
Furthermore, one of the USS operatives immediately reported over the comms: "Command Center, this is Beta Team! Target located!
The target is highly aggressive, we need support as soon as possible!"
"Command Center received." Kent's reply came over the comms.
Then, Kent used the comms to order: "Beta Team, please lure the target to a location six hundred meters to the west."
"Beta Team received!"
The USS operative immediately responded loudly and instantly deactivated their optical camouflage, running west as instructed.
The other USS operatives did the same. As they ran, they fired rapid bursts at the Undying Giant Lizard, aiming to provoke the massive creature.
Beta Team successfully attracted the Undying Giant Lizard's attention and ran towards the designated location as planned.
Within half a minute, Beta Team arrived at the predetermined position.
This was a relatively open area in the jungle, with fewer trees, allowing direct sunlight to reach the ground.
Besides the good visibility, the USS operatives of Beta Team saw numerous friendly forces through the IFF (Identify Friend or Foe) markers on their helmet screens.
At the same time, a pilot's warning came over the comms: "Everyone, beware of explosions."
And then came…
"Boom… Rumble! Rumble!"
The entire area was filled with continuous, violent explosions, and small mushroom clouds rose.
Hovering above this area were two Vulture support craft, and the recent explosions were their handiwork.
As the smoke cleared.
Each of the Beta Team USS operatives, who were responsible for attracting attention, was enveloped in a emerald green energy shield to resist the previous artillery attack.
But the Undying Giant Lizard had no AT energy shield protection and could only use its physical body to withstand the bombardment.
However…
The reason it was called the 'Undying Giant Lizard' was because it could not be eliminated.
And with its rapid healing ability, it healed the injuries from the artillery attack in the blink of an eye.
"Rii…Buzz—!!!" (x8)
Seeing that the Undying Giant Lizard was still mobile, the gunners of the two Vulture crafts immediately operated their eight 20mm caseless Gauss autocannons.
The crisp, pleasant sound of gunfire echoed throughout the entire jungle.
Not only that, the six Viking fighters, originally on escort duty, performed a rapid dive.
Just as they were about to 'crash', the Viking fighters all transformed like Transformers, from highly maneuverable aircraft into mechs equipped with two rotary Gauss cannons.
"Thump! Thump!" (x6)
The six mechs landed steadily, aimed at the Undying Giant Lizard surrounded in the center, and unleashed a barrage of fire upon it as well.
"Splat! Splat!" The sounds of flesh being pierced mixed with the gunfire.
In an instant, nearly two-thirds of the Undying Giant Lizard's body was damaged.
Its bones and tissues were exposed, and its flowing blood further moistened the muddy ground.
"Roar…!"
Suddenly, the Undying Giant Lizard let out an angry roar.
It regenerated its body at a visible speed, and its appearance also changed. It was no longer shaggy but covered in some kind of grayish-white bone.
It seemed that within the tens of seconds of the Viking mechs and Vulture crafts' combined bombardment, the Undying Giant Lizard had grown its own unique 'armor' to resist the penetration of the flechette rounds.
However, all personnel involved in this containment operation already knew about the Undying Giant Lizard's information through William.
Killing it was impossible. The pilots and gunners, of course, knew this. Their combined artillery fire was purely to attract the Undying Giant Lizard's attention.
"Hoh!!" Just then, a woman's fierce cry came.
"Whoosh—!!"
"Thwack—!"
Accompanied by a whooshing sound and a golden flash, the Undying Giant Lizard's head was directly pierced by something, and its momentum undiminished, it was pinned to the ground.
Immediately after, dozens of unfurled special hunting nets wrapped around the temporarily pinned giant lizard.
The hunting nets, made of titanium fiber, immediately began to contract and tighten after wrapping the giant lizard, ultimately rendering the Undying Giant Lizard immobile.
Seeing this.
The Vulture crafts hovering in the sky ceased firing, and the Vikings reverted from mech to fighter form, quickly ascending to circle above.
And the weapon that pierced the Undying Giant Lizard was Athena's usual golden spear.
Athena slowly walked towards the giant lizard, reaching out to grasp the end of the spear.
With another "Splat—!" sound, Athena pulled out her beloved spear and habitually flicked off the bloodstains.
"Wo… yao… sha… le… ni"
The Undying Giant Lizard stared intently at Athena standing before it with its several eyes hidden in its fur, mumbling something incomprehensible again.
But Athena bothered not to pay attention and ordered through her earpiece: "Spartans, maintain vigilance."
"Yes."
Hearing the responses over the comms, the Spartan-IIs all left the nearby jungle and came to the vicinity of the Undying Giant Lizard to stand guard.
Meanwhile, Cortana looked up at the sky and said calmly: "Command Center, target temporarily incapacitated. Please dispatch the transport fleet for transfer as soon as possible."
"Command Center received." Soon, Kent's reply came over the comms:
"The transport fleet has already departed and is expected to arrive above your position in fifteen minutes."
"Good." Athena nodded slightly.
Then she looked up at the sky, smiled faintly, and murmured to herself: "Kid, you still have a long way to go."
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right nobut who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/TripleCrown
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"