Two gunboats quickly approached. These 20-meter-long steel behemoths looked insignificantpared to Godzi’s towering figure, standing over 100 meters tall.


    Godzi paid no attention to the metal boxes circling nearby. As the undisputed ruler of Great Dawn for countless millennia, it had every reason to disdain lesser beings.


    It continued moving toward the explosion site, entirely focused on its goal.


    This disregard gave the two gunboats a chance to circle it at a distance of two or three kilometers, meticulously observing the colossal creature.


    “Incredible,” Dr. Lute murmured in awe once again. “When do we take action?”


    “Once it’s farther from the shore. With our current equipment, we can’t do much to it in the water,” Major Camis replied.


    Lute nodded in agreement. Their manpower was limited, and given the beast’s speed and the ocean’s vast depths, if it retreated into the sea after being attacked, they would have little recourse.


    If the creature decided to stay submerged, the mission would end in one of two undesirable oues: either they returned home with mere data instead of the creature itself, or they waited decades for reinforcements.


    Both scenarios were uneptable. Bringing back a living specimen was exponentially more valuable than bringing back reports. And waiting for reinforcements could take so long that by the time they returned, their loved ones on their homeworld might have already passed away.Two hourster, Godzi had trudged 20 kilometers ind. Despite its slow gait, its immense stride length allowed it to cover significant ground.


    During this time, the two gunboats had filmed Godzi from every angle, capturing even close-ups of the soles of its feet whenever it lifted them.


    Major Camis had deployed all nine remaining squads. Seven were positioned behind Godzi to form a defensive line, preventing it from returning to the ocean. The remaining two operated the gunboats, providing fire support.


    Transport ships had delivered heavy artillery, vehicles, and other armaments to reinforce the frontlines. These elite troops, proficient in variousbat equipment, quickly prepared for battle.@@novelbin@@


    On the ind side, no defensive points were established. As long as Godzi didn’t return to the sea, it was seen as a fish on the chopping block—ready for ughter.


    An additional hour passed. Godzi was now 30 kilometers from the coast. Its relentless march toward the explosion site underscored its fascination with the nuclear st. Otherwise, such a creature would likely have avoided such an exhausting journey.


    “Begin,” Camis ordered softly into themunicator.


    The escort squads, long impatient, opened fire instantly.


    Over a dozen long-range cannonsunched massive energy beams. These weapons resembled scaled-up rifles, with firing rates only marginally slower than handheld versions. On a cannon, such speed was astonishing.


    Simultaneously, the ten gunboats joined the assault, raining down red energy beams from above. Five squads of ground troops, positioned two kilometers from Godzi, added their firepower, their weapons zing.


    A storm of red energy beams filled the sky.


    Caught off guard by the sudden barrage, Godzi hesitated. How long had it been since anything dared to attack it? The answer would require a moment of thought—though now was hardly the time for contemtion.


    “What?!” Exmations of disbelief echoed across the bridge, the artillery posts, the gunboats, and the forward lines.


    The energy beams inflicted far less damage than anticipated. Although the Riken forces experimented with two firing modes, the results were disheartening. In pration mode, the beams struggled to pierce Godzi’s thick outer armor, leaving only small dents.


    The explosive mode fared even worse. The minor sts and burns wereughable to a creature that could bathe inva and generate nuclear fusion within its body.


    As for the infantry’s small arms, they were less than a nuisance, not even qualifying as an itch.


    Godzi was not a creature to endure an attack in silence.


    Its dorsal fins began to glow, emitting a faint hum as the surrounding air grew noticeably hotter.


    rms red across the Cat’s Ear Spaceship, gunboats, and portable reconnaissance devices.


    “Fusion strike detected! Beware!”


    “It’s about to attack!”


    A red glow traveled upward from Godzi’s abdomen, lighting up its torso and neck. When it opened its massive jaws, a beam of concentrated energy erupted forth.


    The artillery positions, over 20 kilometers away, avoided being the first target due to their distance despite their ferocious firepower. The gunboats, having ascended rapidly upon the first rms, evaded the initial strike thanks to their mobility.


    Unfortunately, the infantry squad closest to Godzi bore the brunt of the attack.


    The Riken had spected that Godzi possessed long-range capabilities, but Major Camis had gambled on overwhelming it with concentrated firepower. This led him to risk deploying infantry armed with personal weapons.


    His gamble failed spectacrly.


    Although he ordered a retreat as soon as their weapons proved ineffective, he underestimated Godzi’s rapid counterstrike.


    The squads clustered near the transport ships for evacuation became easy targets.


    One squad won the “lottery.”


    A single nuclear breath st descended upon their position. Before they could react, the explosion obliterated them, creating a mushroom cloud.


    Those outside the transport ship were vaporized instantly, their protective suits offering no resistance. The ship itself was flung into the air, its remains heavily damaged. Whether there were survivors inside would require post-battle rescue efforts.


    One st was not enough for Godzi. The rms continued as it unleashed a second nuclear breath, annihting another squad.


    Thankfully, the remaining three squads managed to board their ships and retreat before Godzi could fire a third time.


    Losing a fifth of the escort force in mere moments was a tactical disaster. Without significant justification or results, Major Camis risked facing a military tribunal rather than receiving des upon returning home.


    Aware of this, Camis felt his mouth go dry.


    “Camis, pull yourself together andmand the battle. If we capture this creature, Lute and I will ensure this setback is omitted from our reports,” Reggie assured him.