Legacy of the Void Fleet-Chapter 274: Ch
About 40 Marines activated their suit’s external thermal cleaning system. The exterior of their combat suits heated up, completely evaporating any blood or residue that had adhered to the material down to the molecular level.
With the cleaning done, Noel and Jay waved briefly at Kaelen before each of them, along with their assigned Marines, phased through the metal walls to either the left or right side and disappeared toward their targets.
Kaelen turned to the three Marines he had kept with him. "All of you, get rid of that filth from your combat suits and off the ground. Hurry up, we have to catch up with the others!"
He then produced a few small, matte black, ball-shaped objects and threw them at the Minotaur corpses. One landed near him, and others spread out further. Ananya, Kabir, and Aarav instantly did the same, tossing one or two of the small devices onto the floor among the dead.
The balls landed with a metallic "Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting!"sound, instantly lit up, and burst into a brilliant, shimmering white light—like a flash explosion that rose about ten centimeters from the ground. This white, foggy light rapidly extended outward, consuming all the corpses within a five-meter radius.
Within five seconds, the white clouds dissipated entirely, as if they had never existed. When the corridor became clear and visible, there was no sign of any corpse or any blood.
The objects Kaelen and his team used were Molecular Disassemblers. The resulting white fog was a gas containing self-replicating nanobots specifically programmed to target and destabilize the atomic bonds found in organic matter, whether living or dead. Since all organic life is built upon the fundamental bonding of atoms into molecules, this device targets the most basic structure of existence, ensuring total destruction at the molecular level, leaving zero biological trace evidence.
Despite its power, the Molecular Disassembler had several drawbacks, or rather, limitations.
First, its effect could be resisted by stronger energy shields or by intense internal energy (mana). Second, it destabilized quickly in any unstable or violent environment. And critically, it carried a high risk of self-harm to the user, as it consumed and disassembled anything within its effective range. This was why the devices were held in spatial storagerather than physically carried; and why Kaelen and his team instantly materialized their energy shields the moment they threw the devices.
"This never ceases to amaze me," Ananya admitted, a hint of fear in her voice.
"Right? That huge amount of terror I felt when it took effect, and we’re already at the peak of world-building realms and even comprehend laws," Kabir added, his eyes lingering on the spot where the white fog of annihilation had just been.
"Seeing this, I can’t help but think about the Molecular Annihilation Weapons that those mad people have created. Just how powerful would those weapons be? After all, they are upgraded by a few levels compared to this molecular disassembler." Aarav shuddered, his voice laced with dread. "That thought gives me chills and goosebumps."
Kaelen, listening to his squadmates, internally agreed. That hint of primal fear had flashed through his own eyes when the small, dangerous devices activated—even though he was already taking massive strides toward the Genesis Realm.
He recalled words spoken by his superiors back at the fleet: the upgraded Molecular Annihilation Weapon had already been used by Grand Admiral Elria, not just once, but multiple times. It was said to have literally wiped out millions of Minotaurs, along with the structures they occupied, in the vacuum of space.
The level of destruction caused by that weapon was almost unimaginable. Though Kaelen was in the World Building Realm, having already constructed the framework of a nascent planetary body within his internal domain (a powerful, planet-shaped meteoroid), he lacked the capability for absolute annihilation. He could destroy smaller worlds if he used his strength properly, but he couldn’t completely erase matter. He knew he’d need top-tier shield equipment just to stand a chance against such an attack.
The sheer fearsomeness of that technology caused his body to tremble slightly, and a tiny drop of sweat formed on his face within his visor. He was genuinely frightened.
But he recovered quickly, shaking his head and pushing the terrifying thoughts to the back of his mind. The mission was ongoing.
"Okay, enough with it!" he snapped, his voice ringing with forced briskness. "We don’t have time to waste on such things! We will know about the performance and capability of those weapons soon enough. For now, we should make our way and move toward the fourth intersection!"
The others, hearing Kaelen’s voice, looked toward him blankly. A hint of respect formed in their hearts. He truly sounded unaffected by their discussion or even by their shared moment of terror.
Is the gap between a peak World Building Rank expert and one just a step away from the Genesis Realm that big? they wondered. The Lieutenant really appears unaffected! That’s the composure of someone in the top thirty of our training camp.
"Yes, Lieutenant! We should be getting going," they said in unison.
"Okay! Good. Follow me up closely," Kaelen said naturally. He then began running toward the second corridor, where the action had already started and was quickly coming to an end.
Meanwhile, the time Kaelen and his team took to clear the first intersection, the others at the second and third intersections were already neutralizing the Minotaurs effortlessly and quickly
Meanwhile, the time Kaelen and his team took to clear the first intersection, the others at the second and third intersections were already neutralizing the Minotaurs effortlessly and quickly.
At the Second Intersection, Sam and Ava had already taken care of the guards positioned behind the intersection door. They had also successfully dealt with the two patrolling teams in the middle. Clean-up was left to two members of their team, while the rest, in stealth, moved toward the third intersection gate and the resting Minotaur patrols there.
At the Third Intersection, Alex and Ryan, along with five other Marines, had phased behind the thick door. They immediately neutralized the door guards, who were more numerous than the first two gates—about fourteen stationed there. They were quickly taken care of, till nothing of their existence was left.
Alex and Ryan looked at each other. "We should make our way towards the mid-intersection," Ryan suggested. "Everyone is in place already, and those Minotaur patrolling teams are approaching each other."
"Yes, we really should get going," Alex agreed. "Before the Lieutenant comes, we should really take them down as well! Let’s go, everyone."
Meanwhile, the Minotaur patrol that was heading from the third intersection toward the fourth was moving casually in three different columns, their total number reaching 100 or more. They walked with a gap of four to five meters between columns, chatting about the increasingly grim chances of survival, the identity of their enemy, and the growing friction within their own ranks and the silent main command back at the Star Fortress.
They slowly halted as they came face-to-face with the other patrol team, completing their cycle.
"Hey, have you felt the interruption on the comms?" the lead Minotaur heading toward the third intersection asked his counterpart. "I really am struggling to even reach out to the command here in our ship, and I’m not even able to establish a connection with you and others on the other intersection."
"Oh, you noticed about it too," the leading Minotaur walking toward the fourth intersection confirmed. Let’s call him Minotaur 2A.
Minotaur 3B made a guess: "Look like it’s that enemy of ours! They are at something once again! First, they cut us off from the whole universal net and the channels connecting us with our home worlds, but now they are starting to cut off this as well."
Minotaur 2A confirmed the speculation: "It can only be them! But isn’t it unusual? They could have done this before, along with when they cut us off from our clan. They left us the ability to interact within the fleet, but now they’re stripping that away, too."
"Now that you mention it," Minotaur 3B agreed, "it is really weird for them to do that and then reverse it again on us! After all, if I had such an advantage, I would have cut them off completely, disrupting the chain of command and causing chaos. But they didn’t do it then, and they are doing it now! It is really strange what these enemies of ours are thinking, doing that..."
As the Minotaurs’ conversation continued, they remained utterly unaware that 46 Void Marines had already surrounded them from the left, right, and rear. Another 14 Marines were approaching from the opposite way, covering the only escape route.
The members of the Delta Squad teams had been waiting for them, only their heads extending slightly out of the corridor walls while maintaining full stealth. The Minotaurs were perfectly encircled.
