[/RTG1_nominal]

[/RTG2_nominal]

[/Total_production_capacity: 62%]

[/System_power_reserve: 100%]

[/All_system_nominal]

[/Combat_mode_engage]

[/Power_consumption: 140%]

[/Total_operation_time: 5:50:00 0/0/0/0]

[/Forcebladev1_online]

[/Pneumaticriflev1_online]

[/Weapon_control_system_online]

[/Warning: Gate1 offline]

[/Warning: Gate2 critically damaged]

The machine lowers its posture slightly to lower its center of gravity, therefore improving its overall stability as the machine quickly tags the bugs crashing through the gate and charging toward it and Erika, the machine has no intention of letting its future benefactor fending for herself and getting injured in the process. The machine will try to take the fight by its own by all means.

[/Collision_warning]

The machine raises up the rifle on its right arm and fires a single overpressurized shot at a leaping Evolved Hivewarrior, the attack does not do much damage to the creature aside from a small scratch on its carapace as the shot got deflected off its hard skin, the machine missed its first shot.

[/Collision_occured: Light damage to hull.]

The leaping Evolved Hivewarrior rams the machine and tries to penetrate its hull armor with its strong tail, fortunately, it strikes the spot where the machine's armor is thickest and causes only minimal damage to the machine, it still leaves behind a nasty dent on the plating surface, however.

"Urchin!. Step aside!"

Erika draws her sword and puts on her black helmet as the young Ethereal Paladin dashes forward quickly while chanting a quick spell.

"Spirit of d-"

"Btzzztztrrtzzzz"

Before Erika could finish her chanting, the machine emitted an eerie sound with its damaged primary voice box as it punched the bug by its exposed underbelly before extending the hidden blade straight into the bug's soft part.

"Wha-?"

[/System_power_consumption: 155%]

The machine moves its arm in a downward swinging motion to cut the Evolved Hivewarrior's belly and the root of its tail, then it turns to another charging bug to shove the blade into its head and zap fry it. The machine is frustrated and feeling furious, the gates it spent time working on and the overall clean room are messed up, and now the bugs are scratching the machine's plating and attempting to destroy the machine and its home.

*screeches*

"Bzztrrrtzzzzttrrt"

*screeches*

The machine's distorted voice and the bugs' painful screeching mix in to create a horrifying sound as the machine pulls the force blade out and stabs the belly-dissected bug, at the same time it pushes the air rifle into the spasming bug's mouth and sends an overpressurized shot into its body. Killing both of them instantaneously as Erika watches the scene quietly, she seems interested in Pioneer's power and its simple looking, but somewhat effective weapons.

[Pioneer 0 defeated Evolved Hivewarrior | +900XP]

[Pioneer 0 assimilated Evolved Hivewarrior | Lesser Evolution Core gained 75XP]

[Pioneer 0 defeated Evolved Hivewarrior | +900XP]

[Pioneer 0 assimilated Evolved Hivewarrior | Lesser Evolution Core gained 75XP]

"...Greater Appraisal"

Erika quietly casts her appraisal skill on Pioneer as the machine continues its defense against the second wave of bugs rushing through both gates. Numbering in dozens of Evolved Hivewarriors and a few Evolved Hiveravagers, the machine is clearly getting overwhelmed by sheer number sooner or later by the look of it.

"...So you do know how to use magic...Body enchanting, huh?"

Erika misunderstands Pioneer's ability to change its overall efficiency and effectiveness in according to its power consumption rate as a magic power after observing the changes in the status screen. The machine stats are a bit higher than before, but the MP bar is dropping slowly too.

"Strong Urchin, but not impressive enough."

Erika mumbles as she watches the machine trying to stand its ground against the charging and leaping bugs, Pioneer can take down a bug or two, maybe three at the same time without too much difficulty, but when the number bumps up to more than 60 of them swarming in, the machine can only try to make some distance and do little damage to the bugs on the front.

As the machine can not afford to take another step backward and is about to get overrun by the swarming bugs, Erika steps in and joins the fray, the girl has got a nice grip on how strong the machine really is in real combat situations and how ferocious the bugs are, and she is certain that Pioneer won't mind getting a cut or two if it got caught in the way of her blade by accidents.

"Spirits of the void, heed my calling, grant me power and take my mana, shroud me in darkness and strike down my enemies!. Ethereal Accel!"

As soon as Erika's chanting is finished, the knight's body turns into dark mist as she dashes toward the bugs, then in a split second the misty knight dashes back and forth hundreds of time, delivering countless amount of slashes and on the bugs before finishing the fight by clashing her sword against the ground while standing in the center of the swarming bugs. The heavy strike releases a strong shockwave that blows all the chopped up Evolved Hivewarriors and injured Evolved Hiveravagers away from where the knight is kneeling at.

[/Warning: hull damage detected]

The machine which got caught in the sword-swinging mayhem has its armor scratched and cut on many parts, part of its optical sensor array's transparent cover also received a deep cut and cracked half way through the entire length of the cover. But the machine is still operatable and generally 'unharmed'.

[/Objective_failed: 'Erika' has joined the battle]

The machine quietly looks at Erika for a second before it turns its head left and right slowly, the colony chamber is a mess, blood splattered everywhere and the place is littered with bits and pieces of dead Evolved Hivewariors. The only place that isn't dyed red yet is the place where Erika is standing.

[/Data_file_'Erika'_entry_edit | Danger_level: Very high]

The machine takes note of Erika's display of power as it slowly turns toward the weakened Evolved Hiveravagers which are slowly getting up to continue the fight as the cut wounds aren't all that bad to them.

"Tsk...These guys even tougher than 4 legged urchin. Why don't you drop down and d-"

[/Objective_failed: 'Erika' was hurt]

While Erika was pointing her sword at one of the shaking Evolved Hiveravager and taunting it, the knight got herself smacked away and crashed onto one of the already damaged algae farming vat by a new bug which just entered the fray suddenly without any warning. The machine could only watch it happen from where it is standing as it quickly approaches Erika to see if she is alive or not.

"Ouch...That...hurt..."

Erika grumbles painfully as she casts Greater Heal spell on herself while Pioneer observing her body on the ground to check for wounds and recording the somewhat familiar body recovery power happening on Erika's wounded body and damaged suit of armor.

"What are you looking at...4 legged urchin?..."

Erika grumbles again as she slowly pushes herself up and retrieves a blue mana potion from her medical pouch to drink it and restore some of her lost magical power. The machine is curious what she had done to recover and repair her armor from such a serious looking injury, but the machine isn't into investigating it right now as it has something else to worry about. As the machine turns around and Erika recovered herself out of danger, the two look at the new creature who abruptly joined the battle and the Evolved Hiveravagers gathering around the creature.

Their new enemy has nothing in common with the other two previous bugs they just fought against, instead of being scorpion-look alike, the thing now resembles a giant gray spider with a pair of flexible and sharp arm-blades on their back, the creature is hairless and has glossy looking carapaces on its entire body, in addition, its poison-leaking fangs, muscular mandibles and eyeless face isn't really any more terrifying than the already ferocious evolved hivewarrior and evolved hiveravager.

"Greater Appraisal"

Erika mumbles quietly as she looks at the new monster after casting spell on it, a cold sweat drips down on her face as she tightens her grip on her sword.

"Greater Hivewarrior...Level 110...This isn't good..."

The creature screeches loudly as Pioneer and Erika gets in their combat stance before planning their attack and escape routes ahead, this battle will possibly their hardest challenge yet, and the first time they will work with each other.

[/New_objective: Eliminate the unknown creature and ensure the survival of Pioneer 0, 'Erika' and the Colony.]