Chapter 578: Experience
In close combat with the Space Octopuses, the humanoid advantages of the mechs were completely negated. First, how could a metal mech, no matter how flexible, compare to the soft, pliable body of a Space Octopus? Second, while the mechs had only two arms, the Space Octopuses had at least eight tentacles, and without joints, their tentacles were far more agile.
Thus, in this close-quarters grappling match, the mechs were utterly outclassed.
However, the mechs weren’t entirely defenseless. Multiple compartments on their bodies opened, revealing high-speed rotating saw blades. The mature and larval bodies clinging to the mechs were caught off guard, and chunks of flesh flew everywhere.
The mature bodies fared slightly better, but the smaller larval bodies were instantly torn open by the high-speed gears. For most creatures, such severe injuries would be fatal.
But the Space Octopuses, based on the fungal carpet template, could still struggle even in this state. For some reason, the Swarm seemed to know exactly where to strike in their first encounter with the mechs—the cockpit.
The Space Octopus extended two tentacles, gripping the mech’s head and twisting. The mech, designed to closely mimic the human form, had inherited the fragility of the human neck.
Even with the size difference, the larval body, crackling with electricity, gradually exceeded the critical threshold. Finally, the mech’s head, along with the cockpit, was torn off.
The neck now sparked with electricity, and black smoke billowed from the exposed circuits. However, the mech wasn’t a human body. Losing its head and pilot was significant, but it didn’t completely disable the machine.
Detecting the emergency, the auxiliary AI took temporary control of the mech. The mech twisted its body, the powerful output causing sparks to fly from its waist and leg joints. With a sudden jerk, the joints were forcibly broken.