In the next instant, the Assault-class's chest burst open from within. Superheated steam, bodily fluids, and shredded tissue sprayed out together, and its massive forelimbs lost their support, sweeping past just above the Shen Hu Mech's head.
The Radiation Fluctuation generator overheated at the same time. Warnings sounded in rapid succession inside the cockpit, and the outer armor on the left arm glowed red. The IS core Tabane had temporarily connected immediately cut the overloaded circuit, preventing any more heat from entering the main power bus.
Lin Cuo pulled the Shen Hu Mech back to the other side of the shell crater. His chest heaved, and sweat ran from his temples into his eyes. He raised a hand to wipe it away, leaving his glove soaked.
The system showed that he had just killed another large BETA, but when he looked up, the mass ahead was still packed tight.
One went down, and two more followed. Two went down, and four more appeared.
Tank-class BETA threaded between the feet of the larger creatures, so numerous that the automatic identification boxes overlapped. Red target markers all but filled his entire field of vision.
"Why won't they ever end..."
Lin Cuo hadn't even realized that he had transmitted those words over the command channel.
Chifuyu heard him first, her tone as calm as ever. "Regent Lin, keep moving forward. You've already brought us in. You can't be the first to stop now."
He could only tighten his grip on the control sticks again. The more he fought, the more frightened he became, and the more frightened he became, the less he dared to stop.
Every pause forced him to see the numbers pouring toward them; every shot at least let him deal with the one closest to the engineering vehicle.
Only when