The pulse cannon beams blasting from his palms slammed precisely into the pitch-black tide ahead. Each explosion could temporarily clear a small patch, and the scorching shockwave would fling several dark shapes away.
But the results were minimal.
The things hit by the pulse cannon finally revealed their true form
They were beetles nearly half a meter long. Their shells had a dull metallic luster, like they were born wearing iron armor. And there were far too many of them—pouring out nonstop like a black flood from cracks in the tunnel walls and deep maintenance passages.
What was most unsettling was what they were doing.
They were devouring every piece of metal they could find—rails, signal cables, even ventilation ducts. The sharp "crunch-crack" sounds never stopped. Under their razor mouthparts, solid steel rails were being bitten apart like dry biscuits.
This was the true culprit behind multiple trains being immobilized.
"Sir, these 'Iron Beetles' have abnormally high shell durability and show significant resistance to small energy weapons. The tunnel environment restricts the use of heavy ordnance due to the risk of structural collapse," JARVIS analyzed calmly.
Tony clicked his tongue, brow furrowed beneath the faceplate. He switched to the small shoulder-mounted laser emitters. Several high-temperature beams shot out, slicing through the front line of Iron Beetles like a hot knife through butter. The severed bodies smoked, giving off a burnt, rancid stench.
But the swarm behind them instantly filled the gaps.
They didn't seem to feel fear—only an almost instinctive greed for metal.
The lasers were more efficient, but against a sea of insects that felt endless, it was still just a drop in the ocean. In the narrow tunnel, his armor couldn't fully maneuver. Every shot had to be carefully angled to avoid damaging the tunnel structure.
"Damn it… what alien scrapyard did these things crawl out of?" Tony muttered, keeping the swarm at bay with continuous laser fire while rapidly thinking through countermeasures.
Maybe he needed large-scale freezing equipment. Or high-frequency sonic weapons.
But deployment would take time, and the swarm's destruction continued every second.
Just then
At the tunnel entrance, amid the chaos of evacuating crowds, a figure walked down against the flow, unhurried and casual.
He was wearing ordinary casual clothes. Under the emergency lights, his bald head reflected a bit of shine. His expression was the same as always—calm, blank, and even a little… confused.
It was Saitama, who just happened to be visiting New York. Hearing the commotion at the subway station, he wandered in to take a look.
"Oh? Power outage? Or an accident?" Saitama murmured as he looked at the dim tunnel and the intermittent flashes of energy fire deeper inside. He started walking further in, seemingly not bothered at all by the burnt smell in the air or the metal-grinding noise.
The deeper he went, the denser the swarm became.
A few Iron Beetles noticed this new target immediately. They swiveled toward him with a hiss, their many legs clattering as they charged. Their sharp mouthparts opened—more than enough to bite through steel.
Saitama looked at the huge bugs rushing him without the slightest hint of panic.
He only bent his waist slightly.
As the lead Iron Beetle leapt up at him
He casually reached out and grabbed it, pinching its body with perfect precision.
The beetle struggled violently in his hand, its mouthparts chomping at his fingers in vain, unable to leave even a white mark.
Saitama applied a little more strength, casually testing the hardness of its shell…
(End of Chapter)
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