NOVEL NEXT Ch39 Dilinur: Flesh Pot
15:00, February 24, 2295
Azure Mount Logistics Hub, Songnei Starport, Taipei, Taiwan, Imperium territory
"Pour it down! And don't get eaten!" a Peon shouted, piloting a cart filled with sickly green slurry.
Amid the busy military preparation, several Peons in gray hazard suits dragged the unconscious form of Flesh Pot into the open. Even unconscious, the mutated creature towered nearly four meters tall. Looking like a mix of mole rat and bald man, its huge jaw hung open, showing rows of jagged teeth dripping with saliva.
Dilinur eyed the substance warily. Helionite, the byproduct of fusion power plants. Food that all Radi-Mons craved, even the one the Imperium had created. She watched as a Peon moved the cart above Flesh Pot's mouth, pouring the thick liquid down its throat. The monster shuddered with a low hum.
"Well? Is it enough?" she asked uneasily.
Suddenly, Flesh Pot's rat-like eyes snapped open. It roared and thrashed. The soldiers behind Dilinur and Prince Joon-Seok panicked as the beast rampaged.
Flesh Pot's hulking body writhed, muscles pulsing beneath its reddish-brown skin. Bony spikes crowned its head, a sight that made Dilinur shiver.
"Peons! Get back!" she shouted, barely heard above the chaos. Too late for one Peon; Flesh Pot grabbed him and swallowed him whole.
"Natural selection," Joon-Seok muttered with a smile, looking amused rather than horrified.
"Śamaya Manasaḥ!" Dilinur pointed at Flesh Pot, casting her spell.
Waves of violet energy flowed from her hands toward the monster. Flesh Pot paused briefly, confused, then shook its head with a snarl and continued rampaging.
"Dragon's dong!" Dilinur cursed under her breath.
She pulled out a silver fan from her belt. It was beautiful, with intricate patterns across each slat and a red jewel at its center.
"Tarim Aytün! Amplify my Aether!" She unfolded the fan, feeling power surge through her.
With renewed confidence, she cast again. "Śamaya Manasaḥ!"
Flesh Pot stopped thrashing, now swaying gently as if hypnotized.
"That's more like it," Dilinur sighed with relief. The soldiers cheered, their fear replaced by admiration.
"Flesh Pot, Executioner of the Imperium. I am Dilinur Altai, your Prefect," she said firmly. "Heed my call. Aid our siege on Osram to claim the Moondust Crystal."
Flesh Pot sat down, his deep voice echoing. "I am yours to command, Prefect Dilinur."
Prince Joon-Seok nodded approvingly. "Well done," he praised as Dilinur folded her fan and returned it to her belt. "A proper use of your Psi Fan."
"Thank you, Your Highness," Dilinur said, glancing at Joon-Seok before looking back at the now-obedient Flesh Pot. She felt both relieved and uneasy.
Seneschal Cheng Wei approached, his red armor gleaming in the sun. He carried a Holo Scroll, which he presented with a bow. "Prefect Altai, Governor Qin has updated this with new information for your mission."
Dilinur took the scroll with a nod, opening it to see the glowing roster of troops. The names and numbers materialized before her in neat columns.
"Strike teams, form up for inspection!" she commanded, her voice cutting across the logistics hub.
The response was immediate. Bloodtroopers in their crimson armor and Amber-Eyes with black-fletched crossbows moved with precision, organizing themselves into five distinct units. Each formation displayed the Imperium's military discipline—rows perfectly aligned, weapons held at identical angles.
"Team Tiger, twelve souls ready for blood!" The lead Bloodtrooper's voice boomed through his horned helmet, his squad standing rigid behind him.
"Team Dragon, twelve warriors prepared for glory!" Another leader called out, the dragon insignia on his pauldron catching the light.
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"Team Ox, twelve strong, unbreakable!" The third team's leader struck his thermal battleaxe against the ground.
"Team Hound, twelve hunters awaiting the chase!" The female Amber-Eye who led this unit already had her Kinetic Crossbow loaded, the Zephyrium tip humming with energy.
"Team Boar, ready to tear through any Alliance scum!" The final leader's enthusiasm carried even through his helmet's modulation, his troops shifting eagerly.
Dilinur surveyed them with satisfaction. Sixty soldiers in total, plus support personnel. She then checked the list of additional forces—mostly Peons, ex-criminals who'd had their memories wiped clean.
"My fellow Blood Mage. Which one would you pick for a blood sacrifice?" she joked, showing the scroll to Joon-Seok.
Joon-Seok chuckled darkly. "Whoever smells bad or annoys me."
Near the Draconic Engine, a figure in a crimson leather jacket lounged against the massive tank's treads. Iron Roach adjusted his signature red sunglasses, watching the military display with apparent boredom. "All this standing around. Can't we just blast our way in already?"
"Some of us appreciate tactical preparation," Kaori's voice came from inside the tank, dripping with disdain. "Unlike certain underground thugs who think with their fists."
"Better than thinking with a joystick, princess," Roach shot back, but there was an amused edge to his tone.
"Roach and I hate to ruin the mood, fellow Serpents. But are we ready to leave?" Kaori's voice came through Dilinur's ear comm, more serious now.
"In a minute, Kaori. I think the Prince wants to give a speech first," Dilinur replied, glancing at the massive Draconic Engine in the distance.
The siege tank looked like a resting beast, its red armor gleaming in the sun. A huge turret sat on top, housing the main cannon with its thick barrel. Golden spikes jutted from the turret's edges. Heavy red treads supported the tank's weight, and its exhaust ports shaped like dragon jaws released heat in slow pulses.
"Team assignments before we depart," Dilinur announced, projecting her voice. "Tiger and Dragon teams will form the line. Ox provides center support. Hound scouts our flanks. Boar stays in reserve for rapid deployment."
"What about us?" Iron Roach called out, gesturing between himself and the tank.
"You and Kaori in the Engine will provide heavy fire support. Try not to hit our own forces," Dilinur said dryly.
"No promises," Roach muttered, earning a sharp elbow from one of the nearby Amber-Eyes.
Prince Joon-Seok climbed onto the platform and raised his hand for silence. The soldiers went quiet, their earlier enthusiasm transforming into focused attention.
"Sons and daughters of the Celestial Dragon," he began, his voice strong and inspiring. "Today we seek the Moondust Crystal, an ancient artifact that will help us control the Radi-Mons and secure our rightful place in the cosmos."
"I heard the Prince was always good at motivational speeches," Cheng said, standing beside Dilinur.
"Evidently so," she replied with a half-smile, noting how even the typically irreverent Iron Roach had straightened up to listen.
"For centuries, foreign powers have tried to weaken us. Since the fall of the Qing dynasty, we've been cast as villains. The Allied Powers, the United States, the Terra Alliance – all western outsiders interfering in our affairs," the prince continued, his fierce gaze sweeping the crowd. "But we have endured. Like our ancestors, we will triumph over any challenge."
The strike teams remained at attention, but Dilinur could feel their energy building. Team Boar's leader shifted his weight slightly, eager for action. The Amber-Eyes of Team Hound had their hands on their crossbows, ready to draw at a moment's notice.
Peons placed Zephyrium crystals on a plate while two Conjurers stepped forward in their black-crimson robes. They began casting a spell to create an Arcstar Portal, the Imperium's method for transporting troops across space.
The portal formed, pulsing with golden energy. The Conjurers stood on either side like guardians. Dilinur watched the swirling vortex nervously.
As Joon-Seok finished speaking, the portal roared behind him. "Today, we claim this artifact. Only we understand its true power!" he declared over the portal's noise. "Strike teams, to your positions! Together, we bring glory to our Imperium. To those born with the Celestial Dragon's sacred blood!"
"The Celestial Dragon!" Team Tiger's leader shouted.
"The Celestial Dragon!" The other teams echoed in unison, their voices creating a thunderous war cry.
He strode toward the portal, his ebony cape flowing behind him. The strike teams fell into their assigned formations—Tiger and Dragon teams taking point, Ox in the center, Hound spreading to the flanks, and Boar holding back as reserve.
"Engine crew, you're last through," Dilinur called to Kaori and Roach. "We need to establish a perimeter first."
"Finally, some action," Roach said, cracking his knuckles as he headed toward the tank's access hatch.
"Record anything unusual in the city while I'm gone," Dilinur told Cheng before turning to the portal. "Ask Shazmeen if you're unsure about anything. Let me know if Governor Qin demands something."
"With pleasure," Cheng replied, his eyes determined. "Good hunting, Prefect."
"Our objective is to unlock the Vault of Primal Urges beneath Mare Imbrium," Joon-Seok announced one final time. "March with me!"
The strike teams surged forward in perfect order. Team Tiger disappeared first into the golden light, followed swiftly by Dragon. Ox team marched through with measured steps while Hound team's scouts vanished into the portal's glow. Team Boar waited, maintaining their reserve position as trained.
Joon-Seok disappeared into the portal as the organized advance continued.
Before stepping through, Dilinur took one last look at the sunny sky. Behind her, she could hear Iron Roach and Kaori preparing the Draconic Engine for transport.
"Wait for my triumph, Taipei," she whispered, her brown eyes determined. Then she turned and stepped forward.
Earth vanished instantly, replaced by the gray, vast landscape of Osram.