Chapter 54: Chaos

As Fatty Lei gave the order, the two heavy Armored Vehicles that had retreated rolled back onto the Sand Dune. Five Armored Vehicles lined up in a row. The heavy Laser Cannons mounted on each vehicle aimed at the Alien Queen opposite.

“Command!”

Fatty Lei’s mind raced. This was the first time he’d given a combat command. This was also the first time he’d experienced such intense excitement. He felt very stirred and tense.

Remember, Fatty Lei used to be just an Otaku. But now, he’d become a ‘company commander’ leading several hundred people and Artificial Human Soldiers under his command.

Even if he gave himself that title…

Wangcai snapped his body upright, standing stiffly straight. It actually looked quite convincing.

“Artificial Human Soldiers, immediately form defensive positions! Prepare to counter any attacks from the Xenomorphs or Bugs!”

“Whoosh!”

Artificial Human Soldiers swiftly poured out of the Armored Vehicles. Carrying Laser Rifles, they moved in front of the vehicles and quickly organised into a defensive formation.

After all, Dr. Rogue created these Artificial Humans specifically for battlefield combat. Their tactical movements were strikingly precise and skilled. This made Fatty Lei feel considerably more at ease.

“I must earn tons of Credit Points. Then I can buy many, many Artificial Human Soldiers. When I have more troops under my command, I won’t fear any stupid Xenomorphs or Bugs,” Fatty Lei resolved inwardly at this moment.

He didn’t know how long it would take to leave this desolate place, so Fatty Lei temporarily pushed away thoughts of escaping.

For now, the biggest issue wasn’t leaving, but how to make his surroundings safer.

He had to eliminate all hidden threats around the Military Outpost.

Only then could he peacefully plant Sweet Potatoes to earn Credit Points, buy a Warship, and escape this godforsaken place.

That was Fatty Lei’s current plan.

“Energy output calibrated and ready!”

…

Confirmation messages stating their readiness came back from the other Armored Vehicles.

Fatty Lei stared intensely at the Alien Queen opposite. His expression was icy cold.

“Fire!”

“VOOOOOOM!!!!!!!”

Each heavy Armored Vehicle mounted two heavy Laser Cannons on its roof. With five vehicles, there were ten cannons in total.

Following Fatty Lei’s order, all ten Laser Cannons fired simultaneously. Ten thick, indigo laser beams roared toward the Sand Dune opposite.

The Alien Queen, who had previously seen Fatty Lei’s group as mere insects, hadn’t considered them worth any attention. To her fury, these insignificant bugs she’d looked down upon dared to attack her.

“Could these creatures be allies of the Zerg?”

The Alien Queen shrieked, violently shaking its triangular head. Enraged, the black membranes surrounding its skull snapped fully open.

Unfortunately, Fatty Lei’s group was using long-range weaponry, not engaging in close combat. So, no matter how much it roared in anger, there was nothing it could do directly.

Compounding this, only a few dozen Xenomorphs remained close to protect her. The rest had charged deeper into the Basin to exterminate the Zerg.

The ten indigo laser beams slammed into the ground near the Queen almost instantly. The Xenomorph guards around her were vaporized completely in the first moments of impact.

The Alien Queen fared little better. Despite its protective cordon.

Under the barrage of long-range human weapons, its Destiny was the same – vaporized.

The first strike eliminated the Alien Queen. Fatty Lei’s side was victorious.

“Defend! Defend! Don’t let a single Xenomorph get through! Fire at will! Unlimited fire!”

After eliminating the Alien Queen, Fatty Lei stood atop an Armored Vehicle, shouting down to the Artificial Human Soldiers holding the defensive formation.

Honestly, even without Fatty Lei’s command, the Artificial Human Soldiers knew what to do.

Holding their Laser Rifles steadily, they had already begun firing at the Xenomorphs remaining inside the Basin.

Just moments before their Queen’s destruction, the Xenomorphs had been mercilessly slaughtering the Bugs.

Suddenly, these Xenomorphs felt their connection to their Queen vanish entirely. This threw them into disarray. Their attacks immediately became sluggish and weak.

This gave the Bugs a crucial chance to catch their breath.

Xenomorph society’s structure was quite similar to the Zerg’s. Beyond physical differences, their basic hierarchy was much the same.

The Queen, as the supreme Leader of the Xenomorphs, maintained a deep, intricate connection with every Warrior.

Essentially, every single Xenomorph shared a Bio-electrical Wave link with the Queen, its strength varying.

The Xenomorph Warriors possessed no intelligence of their own. Their nature was purely to obey the Alien Queen’s orders in combat, attack, or hunting. In this regard, they were just like their Zerg enemies – identical.

Therefore, the sudden disappearance of their Commander and Queen threw the Xenomorph Warriors still fighting within the Basin into chaos.

They were biologically accustomed to receiving the Alien Queen’s commands and feeling her physical presence through bio-sensation.

“Gaaahhhhh! Gaaarrgh!”

Xenomorphs began shrieking wildly, crashing about aimlessly. They even attacked their own kin.

Some immediately started bloody assaults on kin standing right beside them.

Thinking about it, this wasn’t surprising. Xenomorphs were inherently ferocious creatures. Predatory instinct and belligerence were hardwired into their nature. They didn’t judge based on kinship.

The only entity that could impose order, that unified them into a fighting force, was the Alien Empress.

Now the Alien Empress was gone. Control over the Alien Warriors, the invisible shackles binding them, vanished too.

Without their Queen’s restraining influence, the latent, warlike cruelty inherent in every Xenomorph’s biological makeup erupted.

Within moments, the Xenomorphs in the Basin descended into madness, furiously attacking any creature near them – fellow Xenomorph or Bug alike. Their ferocity shocked even Fatty Lei watching.

“Commander Master,” Wangcai observed, noticing the change. “It seems the Xenomorphs have become chaotic after losing their Queen.”

“The Alien Queen was their Commander. She was their collective brain. These Alien Warriors themselves possess no intelligence,” Fatty Lei replied with a knowing smile, watching the chaotic scene within the Basin. This was exactly what he’d hoped to see.

For Fatty Lei, the more chaos among the Xenomorphs, the better it was for his side.

“Plus,” he explained to Wangcai while the Xenomorphs were distracted and not attacking, “the Xenomorphs’ basic nature contains that violent, combative instinct. They only stick together and fight enemies because the Alien Empress exists and dominates them.” He had this opportunity to explain.

“Now we’ve wiped out the Alien Queen. It’s like removing the chains from these Alien Warriors’ heads. That completely unleashes the savagery inside them. So, seeing them act like this is completely expected, nothing strange.”

Based on his analysis, Fatty Lei laid it out for Wangcai.

Just as Fatty Lei finished his quick explanation to Wangcai, the situation within the Basin had already been turned upside down.

The death of the Alien Empress meant her Warrior brood lost their Leader. Utter pandemonium ensued.

They attacked wildly, chaotically, blindly lashing out in every direction. What had been a position of strength collapsed instantly into utter disadvantage for their own forces.

The Bugs saw the Xenomorphs falling apart. Though they didn’t understand the reason, they sensed a chance to reverse the battle. Guided by the Hive, the Warrior Bugs swiftly gathered themselves. Disciplined and coordinated, they began their counterattack.

The Bug population had already plummeted to well under five thousand. The Xenomorph numbers had dropped even more drastically, now below a thousand.

And crucially, the remaining Xenomorphs were still attacking insanely, like headless flies.

Commanded by the Hive, the Bugs split into numerous smaller units. Each squad consisted of roughly eight or nine Warrior Bugs. They systematically pushed through the chaotic mass, isolating the frenzied Xenomorphs before methodically destroying them.

Five thousand Bugs against fewer than a thousand Xenomorphs should have meant a more balanced contest.

However, the Xenomorphs had profoundly lost their Queen, their Commander.

Conversely, the Bugs were very different. Though they’d suffered heavy losses under the Xenomorph assault, their command structure remained intact – the Hive still led them. This kept their Combat Power unified.

The Xenomorphs, on the other hand, fought as isolated, uncoordinated individuals. Without their unifying Queen, their fighting effectiveness plummeted.

One side was organised and disciplined. The other was chaotic, tearing itself apart.

One side fought with surging morale. The other drowned in confusion, even killing their own kind.

By this point, even a fool could see the Xenomorphs had lost. Their complete destruction was just a matter of time now.

Watching this, Fatty Lei’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

“Not bad. Pretty much what I expected. Looks like my gamble paid off. Without organisation, they really won’t attack us,” Fatty Lei chuckled, feeling pleased.

Fatty Lei had thought through possible outcomes. As he saw it, killing the Alien Queen would lead to one of two results:

First: The entire Xenomorph force abandons the Bugs and turns all their fury on him.

Second: Like now, eliminating the Alien Empress leaves her Warriors Leaderless and plunges them into chaotic disarray like headless flies.

Wholeheartedly, Fatty Lei had wished for the second scenario.

Because that would decisively tip the situation in his favour.

“Commander Master, what should we do next?” Wangcai inquired about the next step.

Even though fighting Xenomorphs or Bugs didn’t require much thinking, Fatty Lei felt triumphant. For the moment, his face beamed with confidence.

What man doesn’t secretly crave the thrill of the battlefield?

Though Fatty Lei was just commanding Artificial Humans to shoot Xenomorphs, it still counted as combat, right?

Of course, while Fatty Lei yearned for military life, the absolute precondition was his own safety.

If the Xenomorphs hadn’t descended into chaos but instead reacted as in his first prediction – all turning their savagery against his forces – Fatty Lei absolutely would have ordered an immediate retreat back to the Military Outpost right then.

Now, scrutinizing the Basin, Fatty Lei saw the Xenomorph numbers had dwindled to fewer than two hundred. They’d been squeezed by the Bugs into a dense mass and were being slaughtered in their final stand.

The Bugs, meanwhile, still had over two thousand left.

“Huh. Looks like the Bugs won and wiped out the Xenomorphs, but they got hurt pretty bad too,” Fatty Lei remarked, a hint of sly satisfaction crossing his face.

“Report! Laser Cannon firepower calibrated! Maximum power restored!” The muffled voice of an Artificial Human gunner came through.

“Take their lives while they’re sick! Whatever it is, Xenomorphs and Bugs are our enemies. Spare none of them!” Fatty Lei clenched his fist and shouted the command.

“All Laser Cannons, target the Basin! FIRE!”

Following Fatty Lei’s shout, ten gigantic laser blasts engulfed most of the densely packed Bugs crowded within the Basin.