Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] Chapter 203: Book3: Chapter 54: Slaughter

Read chapter 203 of Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] by TTReynolds on NovelPedia.

Book3: Chapter 54: Slaughter Chapter 54: Slaughter The Hive Queen glided among them like a phantom, her claws flashing in lines of pale light. Every strike landed with brutal, lethal precision. Garret raised his bent and mangled shield in time to catch a blow, only for her second claw to shear through his thigh without any resistance. He screamed out, toppling backward to the floor in a spray of crimson. Alex saw the Queen stoop down, her mandibles gnashing happily. She picked up the severed limb in one claw, tore away a strip of flesh from it, and swallowed before he could even hit the ground. Garret fumbled for his Teleportation Token, tears of fury already swimming down his cheeks, before vanishing in a flash of white. A second later, Allie screamed as a wing-beat tossed her aside and slammed her against the wall, her bones snapping like twigs. She crawled, dragging herself with bloodied fingers. The Queen’s shadow fell over her, and a single claw sank into her shoulder. Alex lunged toward her, shouting out with a shaky voice. “Allie!” But he was too slow. The claw ripped free of her body, her collarbone and shoulder torn away, chunks of flesh disappearing into the Queen’s mouth. Allie’s lips trembled as she crushed her own token, light whisking her out of the cavern before the killing blow could fall. Eric charged the Queen with lightning bursting along both his arms, his accompanying war cry shaking the chamber. The Queen caught him with one hand—one hand—dangling him by the throat. He still swung at her, and she caught that arm in her other hand before she snapped his forearm like a glass stirring rod. The lightning along his skin guttered as she raked a claw across his chest, tearing at his ribs. Eric spat blood, but his rage was unbroken even as he staggered. “Win… Alex!” Was all he said. Then he was gone in the next blink of light. Tom-Tom showed immense courage as he darted in as well, his teeth bared, the brave little fool. For a second he almost slipped beneath her guard and was poised to bring his augmented ladles to bare. But her heel came down with a crunch , pinning his tail to the floor. His shriek split the air as she plucked him up like a mouse, mandibles clicking. Rynel's arrows still flew, aimed perfectly to miss the kobold on his hands and strike the Queen instead. The missiles rattled against her hardened exoskeleton and careened away just as Devon's rifle shots struck the same spots, mana rounds bursting harmlessly upon impact. Everyone launched attacks, doing their best to free the little kobold from the Queen's grasp. But none of it worked, she backpedaled and dodged, the small lizard swinging about from the acceleration but still held firmly between her claws. "Coldblooded meat... how delicious." Her words barely left her clacking mouth before her head whipped forward. She bit, tearing away Tom-Tom's ear and a chunk of his neck before the kobold smashed his token as well, the little guy's eyes wide with terror. "Noo!" Alex wasn't the only one to shout that word, everyone was appalled by the Queen treating their small friend like that. They all dove at her with renewed motivation. Kate and Zach fought together, both their blades sparking against her chitin. Shadowy spear and fiery sword moving in offbeat tandem. The Queen laughed as she stepped through their assault. She spun and parried with impossible speed. Alex's fists were even knocked away, the small bit of force he could muster in his wounded state just unable to keep up. Lance and Ghrukk faired no better, sword and halberd, earth, and shade-fire, it all met the impossible wall that was the Queen's defenses and sheer physical stats. None of them could stop it. A claw sank into Kate’s gut, then another swept Zach’s left arm clean off at the elbow. Their blood hit the stones at the same time, and before either could move, she devoured the ruined limb she’d taken from Zach even in the midst of dodging Alex's [Wind Lance], as if mocking them the wh