The Epic of the Cold Weapon Era

Later scientists would study and dissect the corpses of dead Dragon Bugs, determining that its primary genes came from the Rock Centipede, the Ironclad Beetle, the Blade Mother Worm, and finally, the Gravel Dragon, the apex predator of Xinyumen's food chain.

So the question arose: the Dragon Bug had appeared. Where had the Gravel Dragon, which served as the genetic blueprint, gone? Had it been directly consumed by the Xenomorphs? That didn't align with the swarm's usual pragmatic, waste-free, and energy-efficient style. If they only needed to consume for energy and protein, there were plenty of other animals available, but a powerful "Phantom Beast" body wasn't always on hand.

Now, it appeared!

...Though it probably hadn't intended to.

Yu Lian guessed that the creature had burrowed high into the sky long ago, so high that it was invisible to the naked eye, and then plummeted down in freefall. Despite being a behemoth over ten meters long with vast wings, its dive was eerily quieter than a mosquito's hum.

In a sense, those Dragon Bugs and the Zerglings and Terror-Crawlers on the ground were just a diversion. This was the real trump card.

The monster's appearance was naturally imposing. Elegantly put, it resembled a neckless dragon—the Western fantasy kind; crudely put, it was like a large bat with an extra tail. In the Common Tongue, people called this creature a "Gravel Dragon" because it could not only fly silently and invisibly but also hide within gravel, ambushing for days without food or water until it encountered a suitable prey. Before human colonists arrived, they were the undisputed rulers of the planet, with no natural predators. They even dared to attack large Sandfolk settlements.

And after the human colonists arrived... well, they wouldn't dare attack large towns and military outposts, but they still attacked ordinary travelers, smaller farms, and mines.

Ordinary farmers and miners found this monster incredibly troublesome. On one hand, the monster was truly powerful; even a well-equipped small army would struggle against it. On the other hand, this monster was now listed on the Cosmic Rare Phantom Beast registry published by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Galactic Civilization Council. If it killed your livestock or even you, it could fly away; but if you killed it, you'd be breaking the law.

Also, calling it a "Dragon" was merely because humans habitually applied the term "dragon" to all large, predatory creatures that bore some resemblance to reptiles, but its lineage had nothing to do with those mythical creatures.

Furthermore, although not a mythical creature, since it bore the character "Phantom," it naturally possessed miraculous qualities.

For example, its unscientific size allowed it to fly.

For example, its massive body soared through the air without making a sound.

For example, as a "Phantom Beast," it actually possessed psionic abilities.

"Ina, the eye—" Yu Lian shouted towards the opposite gunnery position, but before he could finish, the Sergeant Major had already opened fire. A large burst of cannon shells flew towards the dragon's head!

Then, a vortex of air unfolded before the creature, instantly engulfing all the shells. After a moment of churning, they were flung back, striking and felling several unlucky individuals on the city walls, eliciting cries of agony.

Of course, the kinetic energy of the shells was greatly reduced when they were reflected, so their power wasn't lethal, but they were still 20mm high-carbon steel slugs! Even hitting someone would be deadly.

Gravel Dragons indeed possessed this ability, capable of deploying a psionic-like field to block or even reflect most kinetic weapons.

Killing it was also simple. First, use high-power energy weapons. Second, use high-explosive weapons. Third, use extremely powerful kinetic weapons.

...But weren't we just Guard Team Minions? None of the above were available.

Was there a fourth option? The thought flashed through Yu Lian's mind just as the giant flying beast reached within a few meters of the city wall and then... flew directly towards him.

What kind of grudge? Yu Lian thought, then, dragging his half-filled stomach of Nanomachines and his broken body, he leaped from the turret, but not before unleashing a Psionic Shockwave he had just learned.

Those without activated Star Rings, even if they could occasionally use basic psionic combat skills, relied on unreliable metaphysics. But Yu Lian was different; he was an old hand inhabiting a twenty-year-old fresh face.

Pia! The Gravel Dragon probably hadn't expected this. Its movement faltered slightly, but its pounce didn't diminish. With a BOOM, it slammed directly into the turret. The reinforced mechanical structure collapsed like building blocks. Fortunately, Yu Lian had already rolled far away.

He casually picked up a gun from the ground, only to find a severed arm still attached to the grip. Looking at the completely collapsed turret site, now a twisted mess of rubble and steel bars, he sighed inwardly, but his hands didn't hesitate. He sprayed a burst of bullets towards the Gravel Dragon's bat-like wings.

Gravel Dragons couldn't maintain their field defenses 24/7 without blind spots, otherwise, they'd be "Divine Beasts" instead of "Phantom Beasts"; however, the power of this C10 piece of junk was nowhere near enough to pierce its back and wings, only managing to kick up a few sparks on its thick carapace.

Still, several shots hitting the membranes of its wings did affect the Gravel Dragon's flight path. It instinctively flapped its wings hard, causing its entire body to surge upward, narrowly missing Ina's gunnery position—if it hadn't ascended just then, it would have flipped the turret over.

The Sergeant Major, having narrowly escaped, didn't seem frightened and continued firing. The shells formed a terrifying whip of fire, fiercely striking the Gravel Dragon's back. One shell actually managed to pry open a section of scales on its back, drawing a spray of brownish-red blood. It instantly lost balance, twisting its body and crashing into the barbed wire at the edge of the city wall. Then, with a Duang, it slid down the smooth metal wall. Its body structure was clearly not suited for crawling on solid ground, and it struggled to right itself, appearing quite pathetic.

Several brave soldiers cautiously approached, raising their rifles and unleashing a barrage of fire.

Gravel Dragons were, after all, wild animals, and theoretically, they possessed an instinct for self-preservation. Under normal circumstances, such injuries would prompt them to retreat. However, this ferocious behemoth not only didn't flee but didn't even grunt. It merely raised its head indifferently, like a tough warrior who, despite countless wounds, still fought bravely—incredibly cool.

The approaching soldiers shifted their aim, preparing to target its head.

Yu Lian couldn't help but shout, "Scatter! Scatter! You idiots!"

What were they doing huddled together? Having hot pot? Trying to keep warm? Being a stirring stick?

The soldiers likely didn't hear him; they didn't move an inch. However, before they could pull the trigger, the Gravel Dragon opened its massive maw. Its blade-like teeth parted like two gates, and from within roared a particularly bright energy sphere. With a WHOOSH, it slammed into the center of the crowd, exploding into a blinding ball of light with a BOOM, engulfing a five-meter radius in a scorching shockwave.

Three soldiers were completely consumed, their remains unrecognizable. The two standing at the outer edge were flung several meters away, their bodies deformed. Even if they survived, they would be crippled.

This was another psionic talent of the Gravel Dragon. The concentrated energy sphere it spat out could deliver a fatal blow even to lightly armored vehicles or airships, rivaling the power of medium-to-low-power phase wave cannons. This ability was even more pronounced in the later evolved form, the Sky Guard Bug, which became one of the swarm's most formidable air-to-ground suppression units.

But the problem was, if those soldiers hadn't been standing so amateurishly, wouldn't the casualties have been lower?

Yu Lian sighed silently. He deeply missed the CIWS of his homeland. If he and Ina had been operating that, the giant bat wouldn't have been able to land. Even gunpowder weapons were more suitable for close-in defense than the sluggish railguns at this moment, and their power wasn't inferior.

"Advanced technology" didn't necessarily mean "better to use," but so many people seemed unable to grasp such a simple concept.

He missed his homeland's soldiers even more—their weapons were "primitive," at least compared to this universe of flying starships, but at least they didn't huddle together in battle. He had spent his entire past life reminiscing, and he would likely spend a long time reminiscing in this life too.

After knocking away those few pesky insects harassing it, the Gravel Dragon got up with satisfaction, intending to roar triumphantly at the soldiers on the city walls again. But then it realized it seemed to have no neck. So, it spread its wings, flapped forcefully, creating a gust of wind, and then forcibly lifted its massive body several meters off the ground.

It opened its blood-red maw again, aimed at the most crowded area of the city walls, and let out a silent roar. The blinding, snow-white light gathered once more between its sharp, blade-like teeth. But at this moment, the soldiers stood dumbfounded, neither counter-attacking nor remembering to scatter.

Naturally, the firepower dwindled.

In the distant wilderness and sky, the remaining Xenomorphs certainly wouldn't miss this opportunity and accelerated their charge.

Yu Lian gritted his teeth, held his breath, and slowly aimed his gun at the Gravel Dragon's eyes. Whether it would be effective was uncertain. The Gravel Dragon's eyes were fragile, but compared to what?

He pulled the trigger, firing a burst of bullets. But at almost the same instant, with a Duang, the Gravel Dragon's body suddenly twitched, as if struck by an invisible lightning bolt. The energy cannonball in its mouth naturally couldn't be fired. Its wings went limp, and with a Pia, it fell back to the ground.

Yu Lian certainly didn't believe his broken gun was responsible. An armor plate that had smashed onto the dragon's head had clearly done its job. He turned his head and saw that Sergeant Baka the Bearman had, at some unknown time, charged to the city gate. Letting out a roar that rivaled that of a true Kodiak bear, he once again grabbed a broken steel bar from the ground and threw it like a javelin.

"For the Commonwealth!"

Lieutenant Mondsen, wielding a Chainsaw Sword, swept past Baka. Under the cover of the "javelin," he launched a charge as fierce as thunder. The setting sun formed a halo around his cold, mechanized armor, making him appear like a heroic knight charging a ferocious dragon of legend—truly epic.

...An epic from the cold weapon era.