Chapter 248: Facing The Clover Mercenaries!
Otopi gulped, his tentacle-like fingers twitching as his large, bulbous eyes fixated on the newly arrived spaceship. There was something unnervingly alien about it, even to someone like him who had roamed the galaxies for decades. Its surface shimmered with an ethereal white glow, unlike any material he'd encountered. It wasn't just a spaceship; it felt like a being, as though it was alive.
The doubts crept in like shadows. Could she be inside? Was this the ship that housed the Kaelrian? But the moment those thoughts emerged, Otopi pushed them aside, forcing himself to focus. He couldn't afford hesitation. Not now. Not when his reputation and the honor of the Clover Mercenaries were on the line.
His gaze swept over his men. Their faces mirrored the unease he felt: wide, uncertain eyes darting between him and the glowing leviathan before them. These were seasoned plunderers, hardened by years of piracy and conquest, yet now they trembled like recruits.
"Enough!" Otopi's voice boomed, breaking through the heavy silence. His deep, guttural tone resonated across the clearing, drawing every eye to him. Straightening his posture, he forced a grin, exposing rows of jagged teeth. Confidence was infectious, and he would not allow doubt to poison his crew.
"When has the Clover Mercenaries ever been afraid?" he barked, pacing in front of his troops. "We've plundered fleets, conquered planets, and turned empires into rubble. Every corner of the universe knows our name. We are fear incarnate, not the ones who fear!"
The murmurs of doubt began to fade. His words ignited a spark in their eyes, rekindling the fire that had almost gone out.
"We have a forbidden-level god behind us!" Otopi roared, his voice cracking with fervor. "Do you know what that means? It means we don't lose! No matter who or what stands before us, we crush them. This is our doctrine, our way!"
A ripple of cheers erupted among the mercenaries. They stood straighter, weapons gripped tighter. The fire in their hearts spread like an uncontrollable blaze.
"Sir! Yes, sir!" they shouted in unison, pounding their chests in defiance of the imposing whale spaceship.
Otopi's grin widened. "That's more like it!" He raised a hand in a thumbs-up gesture, pausing for dramatic effect. Then, with a swift motion, he flipped it downward. "Fire!"
The air erupted with the deafening roar of heavy artillery. Beams of plasma, bursts of kinetic missiles, and waves of destructive energy shot toward the whale spaceship with merciless precision. The onslaught was relentless, a storm designed to annihilate even the most fortified ships.
But to the Clover Mercenaries' shock, the whale spaceship stood unmoved. The energy blasts disappeared into its gleaming surface, as if absorbed into its very essence. The shimmering white glow didn't fade; if anything, it grew brighter, casting an almost divine light over the battlefield.
To all this heavy artillery bombardment, the whale spaceship remained intact. Within the spaceship, the families of the Deri -legu were scared but they didn't utter any word since their leaders were indifferent, they even had smiles on their faces, so they felt the situation was under control.
Nzak Deri was the most amused, "idiots..." He muttered. He knew the engineering behind the construction of the whale spaceship, after-all he more or less lead the different groups of engineers, scientists, mathematicians, fabric experts, electricians and the likes to bring about this marvel of engineering and novel creation— the whale spaceship.
Let them waste their ammunition," Nzak said, his voice calm, almost bored. "Every shot only makes us stronger."
The other Deri-Legu leaders chuckled, their fear replaced by confidence. One of them, a sharp-witted alien with shimmering scales, added with a grin, "They're practically fueling us at this point."
The ship's hull was composed of a fusion of Beri metal and Golden Cray Shaft, materials so advanced that even forbidden-level weapons would struggle to leave a dent. The Green Clay integrated into the ship absorbed kinetic energy effortlessly, converting it into additional propulsion power. It wasn't just a spaceship; it was a masterpiece of engineering—a fortress disguised as a celestial beast.
The ammunition was easily absorbed by the Beri metal and Golden cray shaft fusion, while the green clay would absorb the impact from the kinetic energy generated from the bombardment. This was like adding propelling air-flow to the wings of a winged tiger.
When the other members of the Deri -legu people realized the truth, they also stopped being afraid and even started laughing at the ignorance and foolishness of the clover mercenary group.
Everyone present was an alien of different planets, not a single human being was in sight, but that didn't make the scene any less akin to human nature.
Outside, Otopi's confidence was beginning to crack. His octopus-like beard writhed as he watched the whale spaceship descend gracefully, untouched by the relentless barrage. Its surface shimmered with a purity that was almost mocking, as though the ship was mocking his futile efforts.
"Captain..." one of his men whispered, his voice trembling. "It's... it's not even scratched."
Otopi pulled at his beard in frustration, his mind racing. This was no ordinary opponent. Whoever commanded that ship was far beyond the Clover Mercenaries' usual prey. And yet, retreating now would mean humiliation—an indelible stain on their name.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the spaceship's landing. It touched down with a grace that belied its massive size, its white surface gleaming like the scales of a mythical beast. The ground beneath it rumbled softly, as though the planet itself acknowledged its presence.
Otopi's heart pounded. For the first time in years, he felt the cold grip of fear
Otopi who had been expecting the spaceship to explode at some point was stunned to see the spaceship land without any issue. In fact he could tell that the whale spaceship, with Its white shimmering surface, glowed beautifully like it was being improved by the onslaught.
Otopi pulled his octopus like beard as he stared in both trepidation and confusion.
From one of the sides of the huge whale spaceship, one of the entry and exit arch opened and a staircase rose like a soaring eagle and landed on the cold floor.
Otopi and his men didn't move, they don't know if they should run for the hills or wait it out, however, their curiousity was greater than anything else. From within the spaceship came Tessa.