"A Hexapod mau- mau- ler?" Tatehan asked, curious as he was anxious.
He knew what a mauler was, at least the meaning. And now Hexapod?
The Spaceship wanted him to kill a Hexapod mauler!
The brutenecks might have been easy to fight because they had an obvious weakness, their necks and they were dumb (at least to him).
But a Hexapod mauler?!
From what he knew, a "Mauler" typically refers to a brutal or aggressive fighter, especially one who relies on strength and force over technique.
Frankly, he had never expected this to be his second task. He had rather expected his second task to be repairing some loose wires in the spaceship or even using a hammer to fix some stuff, since the spaceship looked pretty broken (a damn lot).
But now, he was to defeat a Hexapod mauler?
He hadn't seen how all monsters on Mars looked like, but apart from the brutenecks, he knew there'd be many though. Strong and resilient fighters actually, and the thought of going against them sounded really deadly.
But then again, he reassured himself that if the spaceship had known it would be too difficult, to the point of taking his life, it wouldn't have assigned him the task.
Tatehan paced around the space now, trying to picture how the mauler would look.
Hexapod Mauler suggested a violent, relentless beast created to maul or destroy its enemies.
The more he thought of the name Hexapod mauler, the more anxious he became.
"How does the beast look like?" Tatehan asked.
[It's a really monstrous monster, a fusion of a shark and a crab but much more sophisticated and monolithic.]
Tatehan thought about this for some seconds, then he asked:
"Why do I need to kill the Hexapod mauler?"
The Spaceship's AI replied:
[This creature's brain contains a Bio-Neural Core — essentially, hunting instincts perfected over decades.]
[Once I integrate it, I'll be able to sense enemies approaching from much farther away. Think of it as giving me the predator's awareness.]
[I'll also gain tactical instincts during fights, the ability to predict how opponents will move and strike.]
[The core is located at the base of the Hexapod mauler's skull, but it's heavily armored. You'll need strategy to extract it safely.]
Tatehan rubbed his chin. So the Bio-Neural Core in the skull of the Hexapod mauler was to restore how the spaceship's AI once was to… an extent.
That sounded… useful. Anytime an enemy would be approaching the spaceship, Tatehan would be alerted, making him know what was coming.
And being able to gain tactical instincts during fights also sounded cool. But that might only be put to use once the spaceship started flying again.
But perhaps the main reason for this task was the Spaceship's ability to detect incoming danger.
"And you think I can defeat the Hexapod mauler?" Tatehan asked, worried. He did not come back to life only to die again.
[Yes,] the spaceship AI replied. [But note, facing a beast as brutally fierce and ruthless as a Hexapod mauler requires not physical strength but inner strength.]
Tatehan furrowed a brow.
[By inner strength I'm advising you use your brain more than your fist. Be tactical and be smart. Fire isn't fought with fire. Fire is fought with water.]
The more the Spaceship's AI spoke, the more worried Tatehan became.
This could only mean that the beast would be quadruple his size, maybe even larger.
And something that large? He couldn't start thinking how aggressive it would look.
"Where is it located?" he asked after a few seconds.
[Quite far from the Spaceship. In a deserted region where only it lives.]
So it resided in a secluded place, alone.
This might sound like some advantage, but to Tatehan it wasn't. The monster living in a secluded area meant one thing, at least to him.
This could be a result of the creature's behavior, how fierce and ruthless it was.
"Was the region once occupied with other monsters?" he asked.
[Yes,] the Spaceship's AI replied. [The place once teemed with lesser monsters. All now killed by the Hexapod mauler.]
Tatehan blinked very quickly thrice in a row.
It made sense actually for no more monsters to be there. Of course. A mauler mauled. That's what it did.
The Spaceship's AI seemed to notice Tatehan's increased fear and now it said:
[That is to be expected though. It's perfectly normal.]
Tatehan furrowed a brow.
"Normal?"
[Yes] the AI replied. [Most Humans kill animals to live. It's the same principle. The Hexapod mauler just does it more brutally.]
[A/N: I used MOST because, well, vegetarians exist.]
Thinking about it, Tatehan realized that the Spaceship's AI was actually making sense.
If he was stranded in a place filled with chickens and he had a gun or knife or anything to kill them, he wouldn't hesitate.
Even the thought of a fried chicken with pepper would make his mouth water.
But then, this thought led to another thought…
He was a lesser creature to the Hexapod mauler. To the beast, he was basically food.
"Don't you have a holographic dummy of a Hexapod mauler I can use to train?"
[There was, but when the spaceship crashed, everything was erased. The core restored the humanoid-like dummies though, but onwards, you'll have to design the monsters.]
"Design the monsters?" Tatehan asked, genuinely surprised.
[Yes, you should be able to do so with your enhanced brain. But first you'll watch tutorial videos on how to.]
Tatehan scratched the back of his head. This wasn't making sense to an extent.
"I mould them or…?"
The Spaceship's AI seemed to facepalm.
[No, you don't mould them, you program them using the spaceship's in-built computer.]
There was silence. Tatehan wanted to ask a question, but like the spaceship's AI could guess, it quickly replied:
[Yes, you'll have to restore it too. Frankly, you have lots of work to do. Not core-seeking work but actual work, which involves you repairing the spaceship with a hammer and other tools.]
Tatehan exhaled. He thought back to his age. Seventeen now, thanks to reincarnation. Before, he'd been twenty-seven. He'd gone a hundred years into the future just to be a teenager again.
Ironic.
With a shrug, he planted his hands on his hips, now standing akimbo, (quite a signature move of recent) and stared at the viewport.
"Well. Time to go die, I guess."