[Name: Leviathan]
[Length: 6000M—???M (variable)]
[Role: Assault biological starship]
[Armament: Bile Launchers, Tentacles, Bio-Plasma Cannons, Scourge]
[Description: This gigantic flying Zerg organism is the largest recorded organic lifeform of the Zerg Swarm. The Leviathan serves as the Swarm's flagship, also called a Zerg satellite. It is fully capable of deep space travel and warp jumps. Its internal organ chambers can serve as habitats for Zerg. Typically, Leviathans are armed with formidable arrays of bio-weaponry.
Their massive, hollow tentacles can function like Spine Crawlers, capable of seizing small spacecraft and puncturing the hulls of large vessels, allowing Zerg to board and tear enemies apart. Most Leviathans can launch high-velocity rotating organic projectiles—a missile-like anti-air Bile Launcher—and powerful plasma cannons to deliver devastating strikes on targets.]
This battle was going to be extremely tough. Scourge charged out first, crashing into the nearest Hive Ship.
But the Tyranids weren't just Hive Ships. Countless Gargoyles swarmed out, also sky-blackening, like clouds of gnats over water.
Trading Gargoyles for Scourge was a slight loss for the Tyranids. After all, a Gargoyle was a Termagant plus a pair of wings. Scourge were much cheaper, hatching two from one Larva.
But the Norn Queen didn't care now. She could afford the loss.
Moreover, almost simultaneous with the Scourge-Gargoyle clash, ten Tyranid Hive Ships spewed massive acid projectiles towards the Leviathan.
If hit, the Leviathan would instantly lose over a quarter of its body mass; even a Leviathan would perish.
However...
†This Leviathan is different, oh~~ Because I'm here!†
The Swarm Overmind was the Leviathan's greatest asset. The Overmind's psychic shield activated, blocking the incoming acid projectiles. The acid could only explode helplessly outside the shield, unable to harm the Leviathan.
†Sss—these projectiles pack quite a punch. Now I understand how Void Shield generators feel.†
Every impact on the psychic shield fed back to the Overmind's consciousness.
It caused waves of stinging pain, but that was trivial. As long as the Leviathan could escape this aerial battlefield, it would be a victory.
The Leviathan began accelerating. But the Tyranid Hive Ships wouldn't let it leave so easily. Massive tentacles shot from the Hive Ships, wrapping around the psychic shield around the Leviathan, slowing its speed.
Then a second, third, fourth... numerous tentacles entangled it, severely hampering the Leviathan's speed.
It also prevented the Leviathan from warping.
Scourge changed direction, flying towards these tentacles. Each Scourge explosion caused significant damage to the thick tentacles. But as soon as one tentacle snapped, another followed to ensnare.
With Scourge no longer harassing them, the Gargoyles swarmed around the Leviathan's shield, firing fleshborers.
The battle reached a stalemate. The Tyranid Hive Ships couldn't breach the Overmind's psychic shield, and the Zerg Swarm's Leviathan couldn't break free from the tentacle entanglement.
The Overmind couldn't even drop the shield. If it stopped supplying the psychic shield, the Leviathan would be completely trapped, unable to escape.
†This is getting troublesome.†
The infested Imperial ship delayed several other Hive Ships. If those Hive Ships finished incapacitating the infested ship and then turned on the Leviathan, it would be in even more trouble.
Over a dozen Hive Ships—any faction's flagship would struggle against that.
The Leviathan turned within its psychic shield, aiming its head at the Hive Ships behind. It then opened its maw, gathering and firing a massive projectile composed of acid and spores.
This was the Bio-Plasma Cannon, the Leviathan's most powerful weapon. A single shot blasted a bloody hole in the Hive Ship's body, revealing shattered internal chambers and corridors.
But that still wouldn't kill a Hive Ship over ten kilometers long. The wound was already healing rapidly.
†Tch. Taught by the same master; can't break each other's moves.†
The Zerg Swarm's Leviathan and Tyranid Hive Ships were too similar in capabilities, leading to this situation where neither side could quickly resolve the fight.
†Zasz, figure out a way to blast those tentacles. The Leviathan will warp immediately.†
"Yes, Overmind."
Zasz focused all efforts on directing Mutalisks and Devourers to attack the tentacles. But the same problem persisted: tentacles snapped slower than new ones wrapped around. Moreover, the Hive Ships were getting closer to the Leviathan.
Some Hive Ships had rams. If those rams hit, it was questionable whether the Leviathan's psychic shield could hold.
At that moment, the System's notification chimed.
[Mission Completed: Collect 5,000,000 Biomass (Progress 100%)]
[Mission Reward: Mutalisk variant unit [Guardian]]
†Mission complete. What unit was the Guardian again... Oh, right, the crab!!!†
The Guardian, a large flying unit resembling a crab, evolved from Mutalisk chrysalis. It was a unit with formidable attack power but slow flight speed.
[Name: Guardian]
[Length: 50-100 meters (variable)]
[Role: Siege bombardment]
[Armament: Spore Acid]
[Description: These heavy air-to-ground firepower units, mutated from Mutalisk chrysalises, were once the Zerg's most fearsome long-range ground attack force in the sector. They have gradually been replaced by the more powerful Brood Lord.
Although Guardians are slow-moving, these terrifying creatures can spew explosive acidic spores over great distances to attack ground targets. Their splash damage can cover large areas of the battlefield, easily destroying enemy defensive lines.]
†A tear for the times. When did official descriptions start including phrases like 'replaced by so-and-so unit'?†
The Guardian's combat capability wasn't weak. They, along with Mutalisks and Scourge, were the Zerg's main air force in StarCraft I, also appearing in StarCraft I cinematics. Their size was far larger than Mutalisks.
They had extreme range and a massive splash area. Their only drawbacks were slow speed and inability to target fast-flying aerial units.
Yes, they couldn't attack air in the game.
†If they could attack air, they'd be the Zerg's Tempest. Speaking of which, they should be able to hit stationary targets like tentacles, right?†
The Leviathan's hive chambers immediately began incubating Guardians. This unit was decent as an aerial combat force, though not as good as the Corruptor in StarCraft II.
Crab-like Guardians emerged from the Leviathan's brood sacs. Their flight was more like an Overlord's float, with a pair of pincer-like structures on their sides. Their central maw was large, spewing equally massive spore acid.
As the Overmind thought, Guardians could hit stationary targets like tentacles, and their effect was much better than Mutalisk attacks.
A single spore acid glob could corrode large sections of tentacle flesh. If Mutalisks were †slicers† and Devourers were †drillers†, then Guardians were †smashers†.
†More Guardians, should be able to blast through!†