Chapter 93 Hydra Part 1

Chapter 93 Hydra Part 1

On the ground, the convulsions of the concrete became more pronounced. The Boss, Mark, and the others felt the ground shake as if there was an earthquake. The vibrations grew stronger, causing nearby abandoned vehicles to rattle and the shattered windows of dilapidated buildings to shimmer. Dust began to rise from the cracks forming on the pavement.

At the command center, Richard mumbled a curse. "What the hell is that?"

Suddenly, the epicenter of the disturbance cracked open with explosive force. From its depths, a massive mutated snake thrust itself upwards. It bore a grotesque singular elongated body. Its reddish exoskeleton glistened under the sun, reflecting the terror of the scene around it. The beast's mouth split open sideways, revealing rows of jagged teeth. Its tongue, unlike that of any ordinary snake, was lined with additional sharp teeth, writhing and twisting in anticipation.

The creature towered twenty meters high, casting a colossal shadow over the immediate vicinity. Its eyes, cold and soulless, scanned the surroundings, locking onto the horrified faces of the ground forces and the few remaining civilians.

Mark stumbled back, his face pale, "It's... it's a monster," he whispered, his voice quivering with fear.

"It's my first time seeing that kind of monster," The Boss commented, his face horrified too.

Civilians screamed, their initial shock turning into sheer panic. Parents clutched their children, pulling them away from the scene as fast as they could. The soldiers, though trained for combat, had never encountered an adversary of this magnitude. They scrambled to their positions, loading rocket launchers and heavy machine guns.

The hydra-like snake, sensing the frantic movement below, let out a deafening roar that resonated through the city's ruins. Its body began to coil, preparing to strike.

Mark, over the comms, shouted, "All units, open fire on the unknown target! Bring it down!"

Rockets and bullets flew in a synchronized barrage, their trails crisscrossing the sky. The deafening sound of explosions and rapid gunfire filled the air as the ground forces unleashed their fury on the mutated behemoth.

The creature, however, appeared unfazed. Its reddish exoskeleton seemed almost impermeable, deflecting the incoming artillery with ease. Each time a rocket exploded against its body, it merely resulted in a burst of sparks, and the creature showed no signs of staggering or injury.

Richard, now observing the scene from the safety of the command center, furrowed his brow.

A holographic notification interface popped up in front of him.

[You have discovered Hydra!]

Description: nOVe)lb/In

The Hydra is a mutated snake-like creature, approximately twenty meters in height and six meters in width. It has a singular elongated body protected by a hard reddish exoskeleton. This creature's mouth is unique, splitting open sideways, and showcasing rows of jagged teeth. Additionally, its tongue is equipped with sharp teeth, indicating its predatory nature.

Small arms are ineffective against its thick exoskeleton.]

"So that creature is a Hydra huh?" Richard muttered under his breath, his hand on his chin as he pondered for a moment.

"Sir, there's a horde of zombies approaching from the north of the resort," Sara reported as she pointed at the screen displaying a bird-eye view of the resort. Multiple blips, representing the zombies, were converging toward the commotion caused by the Hydra.

"Spooky-1, get your fire control officer on the trigger, keep our men secure," Richard ordered and the AC-130 orbiting above the resort complied.

"Copy that, Eagle-Actual, sending rounds. All stations, commencing fire for effect, danger close."

As soon as the AC-130 warned the ground units, the AC-130 primary armament, the 25mm Gatling Gun, and the 40mm Bofors cannons, roared to life. The sky was lit with tracers, and the ground rumbled as the projectiles made contact. The 25mm Gatling gun spat out a rapid stream of bullets, tearing through the horde with mechanical precision. The 40mm Bofors cannons followed up with heavier punches, launching rounds that exploded on impact, decimating clusters of zombies with every shot.

Meanwhile, on the ground, the Boeing AH-64 Apache was engaging the Hydra, orbiting around it as if diverting its attention from the resort. The Hydra coiled its body toward the attack helicopter and swept its body.

The Apache lifted up the collective, avoiding the creature's rapid lunge by mere meters. The close call caused the Apache to temporarily lose its balance in the air, but the skilled pilot quickly regained control.

Without missing a beat, the Apache's weapons officer locked onto the Hydra, and the aircraft's rocket pods came alive. A barrage of Hydra 70 rockets screamed towards the massive creature. Each rocket exploded upon impact, creating bright flashes and thick black smoke. The continuous onslaught was relentless, with the Apache firing its rockets in quick succession, not giving the Hydra a moment's respite.

The LAV-25 was also engaging the Hydra with its main armament, the M242 Bushmaster chain gun. Firing 25mm rounds at a high rate, the LAV-25s focused their fire on the Hydra's eyes and mouth, aiming to blind or incapacitate the creature.

The ground forces were coordinating their efforts, with infantry providing cover fire and directing civilians to safer areas, while the heavier armored vehicles focused on the Hydra and incoming zombies.

The zombies, attracted by the noise and commotion, began to swarm the area. The ground forces, however, were prepared. Mines had been previously placed at strategic points, and as the zombies approached, they were met with a series of explosions that thinned their numbers.

The Hydra started to scream in anguish. It's feeling pain! But—Suddenly, the creature did something unexpected. With a swift and powerful motion, it snapped its massive jaws around one of the LAV-25s, lifting the armored vehicle off the ground with ease. Soldiers nearby watched in horror as the vehicle dangled from the creature's mouth, its treads still spinning in the air.

With a calculated maneuver, the Hydra flung the LAV-25 directly at the Apache, using it as a makeshift projectile. The helicopter's pilot reacted quickly, attempting to evade the incoming threat, but the trajectory of the heavy vehicle was unpredictable. The LAV-25 narrowly missed the Apache, but its momentum carried it further, crashing into an abandoned building and causing a massive explosion. Debris flew in all directions, and a thick plume of smoke rose into the sky.

The Apache, having dodged the immediate danger, resumed its attack on the Hydra. The weapons officer, realizing the creature's resilience to their previous attacks, switched to the Apache's AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. Locking onto the Hydra's head, the officer released a missile, which streaked towards the creature with deadly precision. The explosion rocked the area, and the Hydra reeled back, its exoskeleton charred from the blast.

"Did you see that Eagle Actual!?" Mark yelled intensely. "The thing easily tossed a 13-ton vehicle like it was a toy!"

Richard, still in the command center, responded quickly, "I saw it, Mark. Adjust your tactics. We can't let it get close to any more of our vehicles. Use hit-and-run strategies. Don't give it a stationary target. Spooky-1, you have culled the hordes and now shift your focus on the Hydra."