Path to Becoming the Greatest Space Mercenary-Chapter 49 - Monster Hunting

The moment squad one exited hyperspace, they fanned out and were on high alert for energy lifeforms.

Avery had his eyes peeled on the view screen and a window showing the short-range radar, while Kasandra was handling communication as always and checking the Dauntless' long-range sensors.

It did not take long for the energy lifeforms to notice the twenty-eight spaceships that had just entered their domain.

"We've got hostiles incoming. Time to go."

"Whoo-hoo. Let's blow 'em away and make some cash."

"Hey, don't break formation! We need to hold this area so that the others can exit hyperspace safely."

As a few of the more gung-ho mercenaries started to accelerate towards the incoming energy lifeforms, Captain Ais barked orders to keep them in line. This was not a wild free-for-all. Precision and teamwork were going to be necessary to eradicate the monsters that had infested this system.

Fortunately, the first wave of enemies was only around a hundred small energy lifeforms.

Certainly, this would present a major threat to a single or couple of vessels, but with twenty-eight battle-hardened fighters at the ready, they were hardly a threat.

"Time to test out what this ting can do." Avery said, powering up the Aida EMP Mk VII.

The large blaster popped out of the top of the Dauntless where the Auto Turret usually was, and it quickly swiveled around as Avery practiced the controls.

Finding it easy enough to aim and perfectly responsive, he opened fire on one of the incoming energy lifeforms.

Avery watched as a fast moving electrically charged ring flew from out of the weapon's barrel.

It was quite a bit slower than a shot from his laser cannons, but it still moved far faster than physical projectiles and plasma.

When the disruptive ring of energy passed through the small energy lifeform, its spherical form immediately started to distort, before fully dissipating. With all that remined being a marbled sized crystalline core that could be considered the creature's true form.

"I've marked it on the map so that we can pick it up after the battle. When I was doing research on these things, I never imagined that their intact cores were so valuable." Kasandra said, her eyes gleaming with future profit.

From what she had found online, cores from energy lifeforms were often used in high-end generators and other electrical systems.

Of course, they were pretty rare, as the only way to obtain them was to kill the creature using an EMP weapon. Anything else would inevitably destroy their core and render it useless.

Having the longest range and most effective means of attack among the entire force, Avery naturally took out the most energy lifeforms.

Using the Aida EMP Mk VII alone, he eliminated thirteen of the around a hundred and scored himself quite the profit in cores and kill bonus.

"Think that we're living up to expectations?"

"Probably, but the real fight hasn't truly begun yet. That's when we're really going to prove ourselves." Kasandra replied, finally detecting the queen and having the viewscreen zoom in on it.

Avery pursed his lips when he saw the monster and her entourage.

There were now over three thousand small energy lifeforms, and almost a hundred of the medium ones.

If there was any consolation, it was that the queen's size shrunk considerably. To create so many subordinates, she had to split off pieces of herself. She was now around a tenth the size she had been just a day prior.

"The last squad has arrived. We're now going to split off in seven directions and split their forces. Everyone stay mobile and in formation as we pick them off. Make sure you don't get surrounded." Captain Ais commanded.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is freewebnøvel.coɱ.

After that each induvial squad followed their leaders and spread out across the system. The energy lifeforms greatest assent was their ability to swarm in mass. Even a heavy cruiser would be unable to withstand a concentrated assault from every possible angle from so many energy lifeforms.

Thankfully, their attack patterns were fairly simple. Going after the nearest and most potent source of energy.

With each squad containing the same number of ships and flying closely together, the massive, thousands strong swarm spilt up and gave chase after each of them.

"Deploy mines."

Receiving the order from their squadron leader, the mercenaries at the back of the formation that had loaded their vessels with both explosive and EMP mines began shooting them out of the back of their ships.

A series of bright flashes lit up the area as the first wave of energy lifeforms reached the hastily set minefield.

Like moths to a flame, several of them charged directly at the floating explosives and rammed into them. Wholly unaware of what was to come.

By the time the first energy lifeform broke through, their numbers had already been cut down to less than seventy percent.

"This is almost too easy compared to how much trouble were had before." Avery said, his EMP blaster turned around firing rapidly at the pursuing space monsters.

With every shot he took out at least one, and when a group was clustered close together, he could easily get four or five at once.

"Don't relax yet. The real threats haven't made their appearance yet." Kasandra said, pointing out the twenty medium energy lifeforms closing in on them.

Unlike the small ones, they had the ability to return fire. Several streaks of orange light flew off their bodies and towards the first squad.

The tight formation they were in began to break apart as it became impossible to stick together when under such heavy fire.

Avery took a couple shots at one of the medium energy lifeforms, but found that his EMP weapon was not able to take them down instantly like it did the smaller ones.

Obviously, it did manage to inflict some significant damage, causing the surface of the creatures to ripple and break away from the main body.

However, Avery calculated that it was going to take anywhere from five to nine shots to take them out depending on how much power the medium energy lifeforms possessed.

"Kasandra, prep the missiles for launch. It's time to see what our other new weapons can do against these things."