Nest in the Ruins (2)

The cargo drones flew toward the hill entrance, and once they were close enough, they released the petrol tanks. The tanks dropped quickly, aimed right at the bug hive entrance at the top of the hill.

"Hey, Mara, you might want to open your mouth and plug your ears," Rex said, doing just that himself.

"Mmm? What do you—"

Before she could finish, a massive explosion rocked the hill, sending dirt and debris flying. The ground trembled, and the hill erupted like a volcano. Minutes later, a swarm of half-burning flying bugs poured out of the entrance, screeching in fury.

The bugs didn't waste time. They spotted their enemies and charged, only to be met with a barrage of bullets that stopped them in their tracks. These flying bugs were a winged variant of the insectoids, known for attacking from above, spitting corrosive acid or shooting barbed projectiles from a distance. They were fragile but hard to hit.

The earlier explosion had done a lot of damage, and with the hill's entrance being the only way out, many of them had been scorched as they escaped. Still, despite the heavy damage, their numbers were overwhelming.

The small Crimson Claws force was starting to feel the pressure. Acid bullets flew toward them, and the corrosive rounds were potent enough to eat through vehicle hulls and kill unprotected soldiers almost instantly.

"Cleo, release the combat drones! We need more pressure on that hill entrance since there are still too many of them," Rex ordered through his communicator.

"Understood. Releasing combat drones. The ship will also engage in combat, redirecting energy from the engines to shields and weapon systems."

The combat drones deployed from the main ship, quickly joining the fray, picking off flying bugs as they emerged. The ship itself entered the battle, its shields deflecting the bugs' desperate attacks while the turrets picked them off one by one.

As the flying bugs burned and fell, the insectoid warriors started pouring out next. These creatures were fast, agile, with razor-sharp claws and deadly mandibles. They typically attacked in swarms, climbing walls to ambush their prey.

Fortunately, the fire still raging at the hill entrance took out many of them before they could even reach the battlefield. But those that made it through caused chaos, slashing through the Crimson Guard soldiers.

"Mara, send out the armed flyers! We need them to target the bug warriors and support our troops on the ground," Rex called, his eyes darting across the screens showing different angles of the battlefield. He was almost in complete control of the fight.

Mara grabbed the radio and relayed Rex's orders.

The armed flyers were like transport ships equipped with missile launchers and mounted miniguns on both sides; they soon took off, circling the hill in a pattern opposite to the main ship. From this angle, they provided solid air support to the ground troops.

After hours of relentless fighting, the swarm of flying bugs and warrior insectoids finally began to thin out. The battle that once seemed desperate was slowly turning into a cleanup operation.

"Well then, once the bugs are dealt with, tell your men to rest up and reload. We're going into the bug hive as soon as the fire clears," Rex said, patting Mara on the shoulder.

Cleo flew the ship over to Rex's location, landing smoothly so Rex and Carlos could board.

"So, Cleo, are the new toys ready?" Rex asked with a grin.

"Affirmative. Emilia, help Carlos get suited up; his gear's on the second floor. Rex, come with me to the charging bay."

"Understood, ma'am." Emilia gave a small bow to Cleo and Rex before leading Carlos to the second floor. Rex followed Cleo toward the charging bay, glancing around as they entered, looking for his gear.

"So… Where's my gear? Is it ant-sized or something?" Rex joked.

Cleo chuckled softly. "Don't be silly. Your gear's a bit special. You'll need this." She motioned as a cargo drone rolled in, carrying several tubes filled with metallic substances.

Rex raised an eyebrow. "Is this the stuff we snagged from the Crimson Tower last time?"

"Exactly. This is nanomaterial, a downgraded version of living metal. It won't upgrade your body like the living metal I've integrated with, but it'll still work for crafting armor and weapons."

"Oh, that's actually pretty cool. But why are we in the charging bay?"

"These nanomaterials are in a dormant state. Once I introduce them to you, they'll draw power from your nucleus. The charging bay is the best place to activate them. Now, get undressed and be ready to... drink all this nanomaterial."

Rex blinked. "W-wait, drink it?"

"Affirmative. The alternative is calling a medic drone to inject it directly into your body."

Rex let out a nervous laugh. "Ahahaha, no need for that. I was just asking, you know, out of curiosity."

With a sigh, Rex undressed and, without much enthusiasm, gulped down the contents of the tubes.

"Ugh, this tastes awful!" Rex grimaced as he finished the last tube and stepped into the charging tank.

"Oh, by the way," Cleo said nonchalantly, her fingers tapping at a control panel, "I forgot to mention that it's going to hurt once the nanomaterials activate."

Rex stiffened. "Hurt? Like, what kind of pain are we talking about?"

Cleo tilted her head thoughtfully, tapping her cheek. "Mmm, imagine thousands of tiny needles moving inside your body." She flashed him a cute, almost mischievous smile.

"W-wha— AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Rex screamed as the activation process began, his body convulsing with pain.

Upstairs, Carlos, busy gearing up, heard the scream and jumped. "What the hell's going on down there?" He made a move toward the exit, but Emilia blocked his path.

"Don't worry," she said calmly. "Lady Cleo warned this would happen. It's important not to interrupt them. She also mentioned everything will be fine, so, uh, don't mind the yelling." She smiled reassuringly, though Carlos still looked uneasy.

Usually, when someone activated the nanomaterial inside their body, it would lash out in different forms, almost like it was trying to destroy the host. But in Rex's case, being already half of the robotic race Cleo belonged to, the nanomaterial seemed to feel right at home.

It still hurt like hell during activation, but nothing drastic happened to his body otherwise. Hours passed, the nanomaterial fully integrating inside him.

When the pain finally subsided, Rex was drenched in sweat, his muscles noticeably larger and more defined. "Ugh... I hope this was worth it. So... what can I do with it?" he asked, panting.

Cleo, monitoring his vitals and the new data from his body, responded, "Give me a second. I'm transferring some blueprints to your brain; they're some of the things you can craft using the nanomaterial."

Rex climbed out of the charging tank, wiping his forehead. "How do I craft them?"

"Just think about it, and the nanomaterial will respond."

"Hmm, okay, let's see." Rex closed his eyes, focusing on the idea of armor. Almost instantly, an image of sleek, well-defined armor materialized in his mind. The nanomaterial responded, forming a white-and-black suit of armor that covered his entire body.

Rex opened his eyes and looked down at his hands, marveling at the new armor. "Whoa... this is insanely cool. What about weapons?"

"For now, I've only uploaded a blueprint for a Claymore energy sword," Cleo explained. "Since we don't have a steady source of nanomaterial, weapons that rely on ammo are out. But I also included a shoulder-mounted laser cannon that'll use energy from your nucleus."

Rex frowned. "Won't I run out of energy mid-battle if I use that?"

"Negative. I upgraded your nucleus battery with some of the nanomaterial. It'll last twice as long now. But don't overuse the shoulder cannon often since it still drains energy quickly, especially if you're fighting a swarm. Remember, they always have numbers on their side."

"Got it. Thanks, hon."

Rex stepped out of the charging bay, where Carlos was waiting for him.

"Brother! How're you feeling? Everything okay? Wait... since when are you this tall?" Carlos asked, eyes wide.

"Hey, bro. Yeah, I'm fine. Now that you mention it... I am taller. Uh, Cleo?" Rex looked over at her.

"Nothing to worry about," Cleo said casually. "I increased your body size to store the nanomaterial."

"So... how tall am I now?"

"You're just shy of 2.5 meters."

"Damn, I'm huge now. Isn't that going to be a problem?"

"Negative. You're still small by my race's standards. The average height is 6 meters. As you collect more nanomaterial or living metal, you'll keep getting bigger."

Rex chuckled. "Alright, let's table that discussion for later. Let's focus on finishing the mission."

With that, Rex and Carlos stepped outside the ship. The soldiers who had been waiting outside were stunned since no one could believe how someone who'd been barely 1.8 meters tall was now towering at 2.5 meters.

Rex just smirked and started to walk toward Mara.