Later scientists have discussed and dissected the remains of dead Dragon Worms, confirming that the main genes of this creature came from rock centipedes, armored beetles, and blade mother worms, finally culminating in the Gravel Dragon, the apex predator of New Yumen’s food chain.

So, the problem arises: the Dragon Worm has appeared. Where did the Gravel Dragon, which was used as the genetic blueprint, go? Was it directly eaten by the Xenomorphs? This doesn't align with the Bug Swarm's consistent style of practicality, non-wastefulness, and energy efficiency.

If it was merely for sustenance to replenish energy and protein, there were plenty of other animals, but the body of a powerful “Phantom Beast” isn’t always available.

Now, it has appeared!

…Though it probably didn't want to.

Yu Lian guessed that the creature must have soared high into the sky, to a height where it was invisible to the naked eye, and then plunged down in a free-fall trajectory.

Despite being a massive creature over ten meters long with huge wings, its dive was so silent that it was quieter than a mosquito.

In a sense, those Dragon Worms and the Zerglings and Dread Worms on the ground were just a diversion. It was the real trump card.

This monster's appearance was naturally very majestic. To put it elegantly, it was like a dragon without a neck—the Western fantasy kind; to put it harshly, it was like a large bat with an extra tail.

In the common language, people called this creature a “Gravel Dragon” because it could not only fly, doing so invisibly and silently, but also hide among the sand and gravel, lying in ambush for days without eating or drinking until it encountered satisfactory prey.

Before human colonists arrived, they were the undisputed overlords of the planet, with no natural predators. They even dared to attack large-scale Sand People settlements.

As for after human colonists arrived… well, they naturally didn't dare to attack large towns and military outposts, but they still dared to attack ordinary travelers and sparsely populated farms and mines.

Ordinary farmers and miners found this creature quite troublesome. On one hand, the monster was indeed formidable; even a well-equipped small army would not fare well against it.

On the other hand, this monster is now listed in the “Cosmic Rare Phantom Beasts” catalog published by the Environmental Agency under the Galactic Civilization Council.

It could bite your cattle and sheep, or even kill you, and then just fly away; but if you killed it, it would be illegal.

Furthermore, it's called a “dragon” simply because humans are accustomed to labeling all large, predatory, and reptile-like creatures with the word “dragon,” but its lineage actually has no relation to those mythical legendary creatures.

Additionally, although it is not a mythical legendary creature, since it has the character “Phantom” in its name, it naturally possesses extraordinary qualities.

For example, such an unscientific body shape can actually fly.

Another example, such a huge body soaring in the sky, surprisingly makes no sound.

Yet another example, since it is a “Phantom Beast,” it actually possesses psionic-like abilities.

“Ina, watch out…” Yu Lian shouted towards the gun emplacement opposite, but just as he opened his mouth, Sergeant Ina had already opened fire.

A large volley of autocannon rounds rushed towards the giant dragon’s head!

Then, a vortex of air instantly unfolded in front of the creature, sucking in all the bullets, churning them, and then directly bouncing them back, immediately knocking down several unlucky individuals on the city wall, causing a chorus of wails and screams.

Of course, when the shells were bounced back, their kinetic energy was greatly reduced, and their power was not fatal, but those were 20mm high-carbon steel rods!

Even just hitting a person would be deadly enough.

Gravel Dragons indeed possess such an ability, capable of deploying a psionic-like field to resist or even deflect most kinetic weapons.

Killing it is also very simple. First, use high-power energy weapons. Second, use high-explosive weapons. Third, use very, very powerful kinetic weapons.

…However, aren’t we just a bunch of weaklings from the garrison? Don’t we lack all of the above?

Should we use the fourth method? Just as this thought flashed through Yu Lian’s mind, the massive flying beast had already flown to within a few meters of the city wall, and then directly… directly pounced towards his position.

How much hatred? This thought flashed through Yu Lian’s mind, and then, dragging the half-tube of nanomachines in his stomach and his half-crippled body, he leaped down from the turret, but still remembered to deliver a psionic impact to the opponent, which he had just learned to wield.

For a Sensitive who hasn't opened their Star Ring, even if they occasionally manage to use basic psionic combat techniques, it's a hit-or-miss, mystical affair. But Yu Lian was different; he was an old hand, in his twenties, possessing the body of a young man.

Pia! The Gravel Dragon probably didn't expect this hidden attack; its figure paused slightly, but its pouncing motion showed no sign of weakening, still crashing directly into the turret with a “boom.”

The reinforced concrete structure instantly collapsed like building blocks. Fortunately, before that, Yu Lian had already rolled far away.

He picked up a gun from the ground, only to find a severed arm still hanging from the grip. Looking at the completely collapsed turret, now a tangled mess of rubble and steel, he sighed inwardly, but his hands moved without hesitation, firing a burst of bullets at the Gravel Dragon’s bat-like wings.

The Gravel Dragon cannot maintain its field defense 24/7 without blind spots; otherwise, it would be a “Divine Beast” species, not a “Phantom Beast.”

However, the power of a shabby C10 gun was simply insufficient to penetrate its back and wings, only sparking off a few scattered embers on its thick carapace.

However, several shots to the membrane of its wings somewhat affected the Gravel Dragon’s flight path. It instinctively flapped its wings several times, causing its entire body to suddenly ascend, directly soaring Past the turret where Ina was located—if it hadn't ascended, it would have truly crashed into it.

The Sergeant who had narrowly escaped seemed unfazed, continuing to fire. The cannon shells formed a terrifying whip of fire, fiercely striking the Gravel Dragon’s back. One shot even precisely pried open a portion of its scales, bringing forth a spray of reddish-brown blood plasma.

It lost its Balance for a moment, its body twisted, and it clumsily crashed into the barbed wire at the edge of the city wall, then slid down the smooth iron wall panel with a *Duang*.

Its body structure clearly wasn’t suited for crawling on stony ground, and for a moment, it couldn’t right itself, appearing quite disheveled.

Several brave soldiers approached a few steps, raising their rifles and unleashing a barrage of fire.

The Gravel Dragon, after all, is a wild animal; theoretically, it should possess some animalistic tendency to seek advantage and avoid harm. If it were during normal times, such injuries would already make it consider retreating.

However, this fierce behemoth not only didn't flee, but didn't even let out a grunt, instead just raising its head indifferently, like a tough guy who, despite countless wounds, still bravely slays his enemies, incredibly cool.

The approaching soldiers shifted their muzzles, preparing to attack the head.

Yu Lian couldn't help but shout, “Disperse! Disperse! You idiots!”

What are you doing standing in a huddle? Having a hot pot? Keeping warm? Being a stirrer?

The soldiers probably didn't hear him, not budging an inch. However, before they could pull the trigger, the Gravel Dragon opened its maw, its razor-sharp teeth like two floodgates.

Once opened, a particularly bright ball of light whistled out, crashing into the center of the crowd with a “whoosh,” then exploding into a dazzling ball of light with a “boom,” engulfing an area of five meters in a scorching blast.

Three soldiers were completely engulfed, their remains unrecognizable. The two standing on the outermost edge were thrown several meters away, their bodies somewhat deformed; even if they weren't dead, they were certainly crippled.

This is another psionic-like talent of the Gravel Dragon. Its ability to spit out concentrated explosive light balls is a guaranteed one-hit kill, even against lighter armored vehicles or even airships, with power comparable to small to medium-power phase-wave cannons.

This ability was even more pronounced in the later evolved Dragon Worms and Air Guard Worms, becoming one of the Bug Swarm's most formidable air-to-ground suppression units.

But the problem is, if these soldiers hadn't been positioned so unprofessionally, there wouldn't have been such heavy casualties, would there?

Yu Lian sighed silently. He deeply missed the CIWS from his home. If he and Ina had been operating that, the super-sized bat wouldn't have been able to get down.

Even gunpowder weapons, in such situations, were more suitable for close-range defense than railguns with their less-than-ideal rate of fire, and their power was not inferior.

“Technologically advanced” doesn't necessarily mean “easy to use,” but many people just don't seem to understand such a simple concept.

He missed the soldiers from his hometown even more—their weapons were “primitive,” at least far more primitive than in this vast universe where starships flew everywhere, but at least they didn't huddle together when fighting.

He had spent his entire previous life missing it, and he probably would continue to miss it for a long time in this life too.

After the Gravel Dragon sent these annoying little bugs flying, it then proudly got up, intending to raise its head and give another blow to the soldiers on the city wall above, but then realized it seemed to have no neck.

So, it spread its wings, flapped them forcefully, stirring up a gust of wind, and then forcibly lifted its massive body several meters off the ground.

It opened its gaping maw again, aimed at the most densely populated area on the city wall, and let out a silent roar. Dazzling, bright light once again gathered between its sharp, blade-like teeth.

But at this moment, the soldiers were all dumbfounded, neither knowing how to retaliate nor remembering to scatter and dodge.

Naturally, the gunfire also thinned out.

In the distant wilderness and sky, the remaining Xenomorphs, of course, would not let go of this opportunity and accelerated their charge.

Yu Lian gritted his teeth, held his breath, and slowly aimed his gun at the Gravel Dragon’s eyes, but whether it would be effective was truly uncertain.

The Gravel Dragon’s eyes were indeed fragile, but that also depended on what it was being compared to!

He pulled the trigger, firing a burst of bullets. But almost at the same instant, with a *duang* sound, the Gravel Dragon suddenly convulsed, as if struck by an invisible lightning bolt, and the energy cannonball in its mouth naturally failed to be spat out.

Its wings went limp, and it fell back to the ground with a *pia*.

Yu Lian naturally didn't think it was the power of his broken gun; it was clearly the armored plate that had smashed onto the dragon's head that had done the great deed.

He turned his head and saw Sergeant Baka, the bear-man, had somehow rushed to the city gate, letting out a roar that was no less impressive than a true Kodiak brown bear.

He once again picked up a broken steel bar from the ground and threw it like a javelin.

“For the Commonwealth!”

Lieutenant Mondeson, carrying a chainsword, swept Past Baka, launching a lightning-fast charge under the cover of the “javelin.”

The setting sun formed a halo around his cold, hard mobile armor. He was like the heroic knights of legend who charged fierce evil dragons, already an epic.

…An epic of the cold weapon era.