Chapter 331: Genius

Words : 1231 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Chapter 331: Genius A stroke of genius, really. For as strange as it sounded, Ollie might have just hit the jackpot without even realizing it. Ollie, who still had hair sticking up on his head, was confused out of his mind, but it didn’t sound like a bad thing, so the confused mop just thanked his brother for the praise. But before he could ask for more details, Luca had already turned to Xavier, eyes shining with inspiration. "I have an idea!" Luca announced over the shared comms. There was a beat of heavy, chaotic silence, filled only by the sounds of dodging deathworms and the hum of thrusters, and yet Xavier encouraged his wife to go on. Luca beamed. "Ollie said it! Worms are supposed to eat plants, right?" "But they’re not eating the roots here! They’re chasing us instead," Luca said, as he thought about it more. While they weren’t sure about these monsters’ preference, metals couldn’t be their sole diet. For how else would they have survived for this long unless so many other victims with metals have been thrown in here? His plan was to kite these monsters outside of the barren lands so the monsters could take care of each other. Honestly, it made sense, and even the Duchess felt like it would be a good thing to try. "We can test it. And hopefully we find out why these deathworms are stuck here," replied Xavier, who only had a reservation about that particular detail. With the tenacity of these beings, how did they end up confined in this place, when out there could’ve been a buffet? It was a solid concern, one they’ll soon discover the answer to. Their plan was simple, and the execution was similarly simple: they were to kite the deathworms out of the barren lands and let them duke it out with the roots. If only it were that easy. Butler Gary took the lead, spiraling his mech in wide, sweeping arcs to draw the worms’ attention. His thrusters burned hot, weaving just low enough to keep the beasts chasing him, but high enough that he wasn’t immediately swallowed whole. "They’re following!" he reported, exhilaration lacing his voice. Two massive deathworms, responding to the trail left by his mecha, surged after him. Their huge bodies plowing the land, throwing up dust and boulders as they tore after their prey. The others followed suit, hurling cheap shots to continue to provoke them to follow. And the plan was working. The deathworms charged past the invisible boundary that separated the barren lands from the grasslands, that line where sickly dirt gave way to mossy soil laced with everything that wanted to kill them just a few hours ago. "Looks good!" Cece called out. "They’re breaching the line!" So they kept kiting, until they noticed how the first worm bucked violently. Its body, confirmed to be resistant to bullets, began to corrode with what sounded like a hiss. Then a second worm shuddered. And then the third. "It’s the spores!" Ollie yelped, wiggling on his human seat as he tried to see better. His starry pajamas did little to make him look more credible, but he was pointing frantically at the screens with gusto. The worms, now visibly smoking and wounded, screeched without sound, their bodies contorting unnaturally as their outer layers sloughed and peeled under the unseen assault of the spores. And for some reason, it was even faster than how their mechas corroded. Naturally, instead of continuing forward into the green-tinged lands, the deathworms chose to survive. They burrowed. With an urgency that spoke of sheer survival instinct, they dove into the earth, tunneling beneath the spore fields as fast as their massive bodies could allow. The ground visibly quaked again, but this time it wasn’t an attack. It was a retreat. Clearly, the spores were the worm’s natural enemy, which allowed for this odd check and balance. It was a bit discouraging, but Luca thought differently. The problem wasn’t impossible to solve if his guess was correct. "Isn’t this a good thing, though?" He asked, his head tilted a bit as he considered things. "If it’s just spores, then don’t we just need to douse them with that liquid?" "But at the same time, we can limit just how many we’d be sending out by controlling how many we’d douse?" "Woaaah! You’re right, brother!" Praised Ollie, who saw the light after hearing that, even offering the liquid he still had on him. The Duchess, on the other hand, had been listening to these kids, no, young men, who clearly had the capability to strategize by themselves. And it was a sight to witness. From a young baby to this one who was capable of reasoning like this, she felt a bit bittersweet. She was happy that her son managed to get to this point despite everything, but at the same time, wished they could’ve done more to ease him into the world. But then she figured they could always find an opportunity, or maybe, she could even learn from her son, who seems to have a whole skill set that was foreign to everyone. They could do that. Provided they get out of here. So she volunteered. "I’ll get more of the liquid instead. It’s better if we don’t use the stock we have now, since we’re not sure about the status of that lake." True. They weren’t even sure how long the liquid coating would last, especially for those that were just sprayed instead of dunked. "I’ve stayed here long enough to be familiar with the path. So, I think I should be the one to fetch more liquid." She continued. "Mom, maybe we should come with you?" Asked Luca, who was worried about his mother going alone. "I can bring Butler Gary, he’s used to my command. And Gisella and Cece could stay here, so you have someone familiar with the lay of the land." "Will that be okay, Mom?" Confirmed Luca, who didn’t really like this kind of uncertainty. "It should be, sweetie. Also, if we go as a group, we might attract the attention of that tree again." "What about you all stay here and see what else you can gather from those worms." "By the looks of it, D-29 might be able to tell you which items we can bring with us when we get out of here?" She said with a knowing smile that was supposed to be full of reassurance, but instead looked like a businesswoman with her claim to fame project. And Xavier thought that she learned fast. She really did, for that was very effective in diverting the attention of one money-grubber and one hoarder who suddenly realized the wealth before them. And D-29 did not disappoint as it pointed out the horns, the keratin, and that organic polymer that would ooze from the carcass. It was that temporary evolution again. And by now, Kyle had gotten used to the sudden commands of this collector. If anything, it was Cece and Gisella who were left shocked at the sight of these two mechas altering their goals and attack patterns. Ever the accommodating husband, Xavier asked Luca how he wanted his goods prepared, and the little money-grubber’s heart skipped a beat. Who needed jewelry when dead worms would apparently do the trick?

Chapter 331: Genius

Comments (0)