I Married A Degraded Alpha
Chapter 68: The Massive Insectoid Queen

Chapter 68: The Massive Insectoid Queen

Navigating from the safe zone to Tuss took Yuri over twenty minutes, as Tuss was always on the move and quick on his feet.

When she spotted the vibrant red and green mecha in her sightline, Yuri was taken aback. The mecha was towing a small, battered flying vehicle.

What on earth had happened? Yuri thought to herself.

The exterior of the flying vehicle was severely damaged, as if assaulted by a corrosive substance and then subjected to gravitational battering. Its inner machinery was exposed through the wreckage.

And not too far behind them... Yuri’s jaw dropped. What’s that thing? Some unholy combination of a land octopus and an alligator?

The creature was massive, larger than a mountain, and yet it moved as swiftly as a rabbit. Yuri was astonished.

An incoming message echoed in her vehicle. Tuss’s commanding voice followed, "Yuri, turn around and head for the spaceport. Now."

Changing her course, Yuri followed behind Tuss, asking, "What’s going on?"

"When we went to kill the larvae and destroy the eggs, the insectoid queen showed up out of nowhere. None of us knew where she was hiding before this," Tuss explained rapidly.

"Dude, that thing’s a level five, it’s super powerful. Don’t get reckless, Yuri," Daleks’ voice came over the communication channel.

"Yuri, the troops are on their way. We have no weapons, the best thing we can do is stay far away," Ender chimed in.

"We were overpowered instantly. We didn’t stand a chance," Kilana added.

With a blank face, Yuri remained silent. Really? Do they think I’m reckless, without a sense of self-preservation?

"But I want to see," Yuri admitted, her curiosity piqued.

Just as the others were about to urge her to stay away, Tuss, ever the indulgent husband, spoke up, "Alright, just keep your distance."

Yuri didn’t know what Tuss considered a safe distance, but she stopped when he did. Then, she fell silent.

All she could see with the naked eye was rising flames and smoke far far away. The massive insectoid queen shrank to the size of an ant in her view. The military’s machas and fighters were too small to see.

"You can use the long-range viewing function in the vehicle. You can see it from the screen inside," Tuss suggested, as if he could read Yuri’s mind.

Following his guidance, Yuri soon had a clear live feed of the scene on her screen.

The firepower of this world was beyond anything Yuri had ever imagined. Each blast turned the rocks on the ground into dust.

And yet, all this seemed like a mere tickle to the insectoid queen, leaving nothing more than a slight scratch.

"Are level five insectoids that tough?" Yuri asked, frowning.

"The higher the level, the stronger the defense, especially for the insectoid queen," Tuss answered.

"The insectoid queen’s psychic power is too strong. The army doesn’t dare get too close. We’re in a bit of a tight spot," Ender analyzed.

"Hey, look at its claws. Is that something?" Kilana asked.

At her words, everyone quickly zoomed in their screens, scanning over the queen’s numerous claws. They quickly noticed that one claw was clutching a large lev.

"That’s one of the lev transports for the evacuees!" Yuri exclaimed in shock.

"Are there people inside?" Tuss asked.

"Yes. I was in the second to last lev, and that was the last one. There were no less than two hundred people on board," Yuri said gravely, then hesitated for a moment before making her decision. "I have to go back and see if there’s a chance..."

"I’m coming with you," Tuss cut her off.

Tuss landed the small flying vehicle that Ender, Daleks, and Kilana were in. As they watched the red and green mecha and lev fly away, their expressions turned grim.

"The harsh reality is, they’re more important than thousands of us combined," Daleks said with detachment.

"That may be, but it’s impossible to disregard life," Ender responded seriously. "If it were us, we’d make the same decision."

Neither Daleks nor Kilana countered. They were frustrated with their lack of mecha and aircraft, unable to assist.

"I hope Tuss doesn’t do anything rash," Daleks prayed.

"Me too," Kilana echoed, joining her hands in prayer.

All three watched the video were breathing fast.

Meanwhile, Yuri remained calm. Officer Lyao had had Yuri lev specially reinforced, but it still didn’t compare to a mecha or a fighter jet.

Before she could get close to the battlefield, her lev was assaulted by various energy waves, swaying and trembling like a leaf in a storm, threatening to fall apart at any moment.

Tuss’s mecha stayed close to her lev, like a parent holding a child’s hand while crossing the street.

"I’ll try connecting to the large lev," Yuri said.

Tuss hummed in acknowledgement, his eyes darkened as he watched the large lev being tossed about in front of them.

Around them, there were other levs and mechas like theirs, wanting to help but unable to move forward for various reasons.

They set up a temporary public channel and started chatting.

"Tuss, I see you. Where are your bodyguards? How did they let you wander off?" someone asked.

Tuss’s face darkened, feeling like a prisoner being watched.

"Yeah, Tuss, you shouldn’t be here. It’s too dangerous. Be a good boy and back off," the tone was eerily similar to someone coaxing a child.

"Next time, have the Alliance give you a better-equipped mecha. Can’t wait to see you wreak havoc."

"A battleship would be even cooler."

"Has the Alliance’s battleship retreated yet? If it were still here, the insectoid queen would have been dealt with, right?"

"The battleships have gone to deal with the insectoid army."

...

On the other side, Yuri managed to connect with the large lev.

"Miss Jones, are you all okay?" someone asked. Jones was the person in charge of the refuge.

"Not really," Jones strained to reply, "There are no seats inside the lev. Everyone’s crammed together, getting thrown around. Many are injured, some even unconscious—"

Another bang interrupted her. Jones was tossed around, slamming into a window and momentarily cutting off communication.

The army’s mechas and battleships had targeted the queen’s tentacle holding the lev multiple times. However, the insectoid switched the lev from one tentacle to another as if it were playing a game.

Yuri counted. It had over a dozen tentacles. By the time it was done switching, there would be no one left alive inside.

The soldiers had the same idea, and their attacks became more and more intense.

Yuri noticed that Tuss was making a move too. His red and green mecha dashed forward, its hands morphing into a massive "blade".

The blade was a solidification of energy, not a tangible object.

"Crap, he’s going in."

"Where are the bodyguards? What about the hundred soldiers?"

The hearts of the spectators seemed to leap into their throats.

"Tuss, come back," the bodyguards finally arrived on the scene.

"You clearly promised us you’d head to the spaceport," a soldier grumbled angrily. Tuss had pledged that he’d willingly go to the spaceport, which was the only reason they had stayed behind to destroy the insectoid eggs and newborn insectoids.

"We should’ve known better than to trust him."

"Typical hot-headed youth, not knowing the gravity of the situation."

The soldiers grumbled, their tones laced with frustration and a tinge of admiration.

Each of these soldiers was fully kitted out, each with a mecha of their own, all equipped with heavy weaponry.