Chapter 2345 - ESM 14

"The signal has come. Prepare for entry."

The 4th squad, under the command of Yannick, stood at their secret camp.

The movements of the members became busy.

Externally known as the reserve unit under the 2nd division, when Vice Commander Vicus reported the unit details to the defense force, they declared themselves as part of the 2nd division. However, that was not the reality.

The 4th squad received a secret order from Denver. Their mission was not to kill the monster but to capture it alive. Additionally, they were ordered to eliminate any other defense force if discovered during their mission.

"Commander Yannick, all preparations are complete."

"Good."

The Lion Knights were composed entirely of veterans with genetically enhanced warriors, but the 20 members of the 4th squad were selected from among them as elites.

Furthermore, their weaponry and equipment were exceptional, taken from the armory within the ship.

Apart from the plasma bolters, the standard equipment of the knights, they had two additional pieces of equipment. The first was the auto-plasma pistol attached to the reinforced shoulder armor. It boasted superior performance to the original, with improved durability and the ability to synchronize with the user's vision for automatic defensive shooting.

The other equipment was the assault pack attached to the backs of all members of the 4th squad. The assault pack was designed for operations in harsh environments, including space. It not only reinforced the performance of the attached armor but also featured jetpack and oxygen supply functions.

In summary, it could be considered an enhanced version of the reinforced armor.

Both pieces of equipment were astronomically expensive, matching the price of a small colonial planet. Even for Prime Capital Eden, they were so costly that they could only be deployed in truly crucial battles.

"What about the launchers?"

"For now, bring them along."

In response to Yannick's words, a member hoisted a plasma launcher onto his back.

With all preparations complete, Yannick and the 20 knights entered the sewer.

Due to the knights leaping over the contaminated water, the residents in the underground hid in panic.

"Distance to the target, 1 km remaining."

"At the upcoming intersection, everyone turn right."

It was a maze-like sewer, but the movements of the silver knights were decisive. Thanks to various mechanical devices attached to their helmets, real-time information about the sewer's interior was constantly relayed to them.

"Enemy forces detected 20m ahead."

"Everyone, bypass them."

While eliminating encountered defense forces was part of their mission, there was no need to deliberately engage if it could be avoided. The knights moved towards their objective, avoiding the operational radius of the defense forces displayed on their devices.

"Hold on, everyone, stop."

At Yannick's command, the members of the 4th squad, who had been running against the current, came to a halt. Floating in front of them was a grotesque object – the corpse of a deceased deserter due to the compliance device.

Approaching the corpse, Yannick examined its condition. The sight was gruesome; the head had exploded due to the compliance device, and blood was dripping down. Even more horrifying was the state of the abdomen. The abdominal skin showed signs of an internal explosion, and all the organs inside were charred. Inside the belly, compliance devices and signal chips were visible.

'What has that creature done?'

Upon inspecting the corpse, Yannick immediately understood what the monster had done. It had forcibly made the deserters swallow compliance devices and signal chips.

'I need to report this.'

Yannick picked up his communication device to inform Jacob of the situation. Since the activities of the 4th squad were confidential, they were not linked to headquarters or cameras. Thus, essential information had to be reported through wireless communication.

"Fed one to a corpse?"

"Yes."

"I see. Since there are people nearby, I'll cut it short."

"Understood."

After ending the communication with Jacob, Yannick looked back at his subordinates.

"Be cautious, everyone. This doesn't seem like an ordinary enemy."

"Got it."

Leaving the corpse behind, they resumed their journey toward the objective.

Where they disappeared, the lone corpse swaying along the waves suddenly got sucked into the water.

***

'Gone.'

After the knights left, I, who had been lying not far away from them, got up. Before their arrival, I had been examining a corpse along the path. It was necessary to fill in the final piece of my plan.

As I attempted to investigate the corpse further, my auxiliary organ warned me. The rapidly fluctuating water indicated that the knights were approaching at high speed. Rather than facing them head-on, I chose to hide and observe the situation.

'I have no idea about the enemy's level of armament and numbers coming this way.'

Observing and, if the enemy seemed manageable, ambushing them; otherwise, just gathering information and retreating would be the plan. I submerged myself and pressed my body against the ground.

'Surprisingly, they arrived faster than I thought.'

Initially, I wondered if they had set up another camp nearby. However, my assumption was incorrect as I observed their appearance.

'They were wearing assault packs.'

Assault packs significantly enhanced the functionality of reinforced suits and offered various useful effects. Therefore, in the game, assault packs were so popular among MegaCorp players that they were often referred to as mercenaries' uniforms. The presence or absence of this equipment could completely change the planets that could be conquered.

'Although the price is outrageously expensive.'

In any case, those who wore assault packs on top of advanced reinforced suits were proudly displaying enhanced physical abilities. In the sewage filled with contaminated water, they moved at an extremely fast pace, almost as if running on flat ground. Thus, they had caught up with the other squads faster than expected.

'There are 20 of them. Fighting them head-on with all of them equipped with assault packs would be burdensome.'

While using the 'Symbol of the Hunt' would lead to an easy victory, the aftermath was the issue. Due to the nature of endurance, I wouldn't collapse immediately, but it would affect my future combat performance. Additionally, losing sanity was also a problem.

'Sanity and knowledge.'

These were my essential weapons. Losing either of these would reduce me to a mere beast.

'Becoming a beast without reason in a situation of fighting multiple enemies is dangerous.'

Although enemies were generally considered smarter than wild animals, they still categorized me as a wild animal.

'In such a situation, if the enemies get what they want, it's a shortcut to defeat.'

Therefore, I postponed the fight momentarily. As a result, the group of 20 did not discover me.

The only income I gained from delaying the fight was confirming the enemy's equipment level.

'The vision system doesn't have much difference among the knights.'

Despite wearing assault packs, except for a few pieces of equipment, the rest was similar to regular knights. From what I had observed, the enemy's detection methods included heat detection and vibration detection.

'Vibration detection is ineffective due to the constantly fluctuating waves.'

'Heat detection is the same.'

Due to soaking in the cold water of the sewage for a long time, my outer layer was practically an ice coating. Even if they saw me through heat detection, I would appear as a rough surface.

'I've confirmed the level of their perception system. A surprise attack should be easy.'

The enemies were gone, and it was time to finish my business quickly and follow them. I submerged myself again and examined the melted interior of the corpse.

'Here it is.'

Holding a small signal chip in my hand, I gently scratched the combat sewage wall with it.

And then, I inserted the chips I had been carrying into the remains.

'I need to use them as a new bait, so they must not be damaged.'

Since I had discovered a group of knights, the corpse-bait had already achieved my first goal.

'But if it ends here, it's not fun.'

The reason I safely stored the chips taken from the corpse was for the second plan to complement the first.

'When chasing maggots, there will be a point where they gather.'

Either the starting points of the scattered enemies were closer than I expected, or they could assemble earlier for reasons I hadn't considered. At that moment, I planned to create a new bait to shake up the enemies, utilizing the new corpse-bait.

'Those who entered the underground don't know about maggots.'

Maggots roaming in the sewer were not naturally occurring organisms. They were deliberately released by city administrators for the efficient management of the sewer system. If I had thrown many maggots as bait from the beginning, there would undoubtedly be someone among the city officials questioning me.

'They might think I'm using maggots for a disruption operation.'

If they became cautious, well-prepared, and started tracking me, the disadvantage would be on my side. Therefore, I intentionally implanted a signal chip in only one maggot.

Before entering, they probably thought I was just catching and eating the employee without knowing the presence of the signal chip. Unfortunately, the knights moved faster than I expected and discovered the corpse.

'I was planning to eat and dispose of the corpse while collecting the chip.'

It was an unfortunate accident that they found the corpse before I could carry out my plan.

'Especially when the path to find maggots overlaps with the location of the corpse.'

Other corpses were far away from the maggots, making it difficult for them to be discovered unless someone intentionally sought the corpses.

'However, this corpse was unfortunately in the knights' path.'

Because I allowed it to roam freely without controlling it like a parasite, it became an unexpected incident.

However, the fortunate thing was that they didn't know about the maggots.

The discovery of the corpse was not a significant problem. I swallowed the remnants of the corpse I was holding without leaving any traces, as I continued to chase the 20 knights.

After dealing with them, my plan was to return to the hidden location of the chips.

'Next, I'll create a new bait.'

Then, the enemies would be extremely confused.

'Now that the bait suddenly becomes two.'

Once they entered the sewer, it wouldn't be easy to call sewer officials for questioning. During that time, if I escaped, their operation would automatically fail.

'Of course, I have no intention of running away.'

As seen when the knights didn't detect me earlier, it's evident that the knights couldn't detect the maggots swimming in the water.

I don't know how many soldiers from the city's defense fleet are there, but it's challenging to think that their equipment level is worse than elite knights.

'If they were barehanded, they could probably sense creatures passing between their legs.'

If the enemies were barehanded, I wouldn't have gone through all this trouble. In any case, the remaining distance to the maggots is now not much.

'No other enemies can be sensed around here.'

The meaning of that statement is clear—one that is highly advantageous for me. I approached one of the knights in the rear closely. Moving submerged and sticking to the sewer floor made almost no sound.

The surface around the knight who was running vigorously in the water was in great turmoil. I grabbed his hind legs with the combat limb from underwater.

"!"

The knight was about to fall. Before he could make a sound, I quickly bit into his neck. With my jaw strengthened by bite strength characteristics, I crushed the knight's cervical vertebrae.

Meanwhile, the other knights had no idea that their comrade in the rear had been taken down, and they continued to run ahead.

'Being too fast is also a problem.!

I ripped off the assault pack from the knight's back and smashed the battery of the powered armor. The light went out from the powered armor, and the knight's body slumped lifelessly.

I carried the doughy body of the knight and submerged into the water, as if seeping through.

***

"The remaining distance to the target is 30 meters. The enemy's speed is slowing down."

"Everyone, stop."

At Yannick's command, the knights came to a halt in their tracks.

'That guy, who was moving at an incredible speed until now, suddenly slowed down.'

If it weren't for the assault pack, he would have been difficult to chase. As a result, the other teams were far behind.

In this situation, which is crucial for Yannick to secretly capture the monster, it is very advantageous.

'Seeing the slowdown in speed, it seems he's noticed our pursuit.'

Considering the intelligence of that creature, it might be planning to ambush the knights.

'Not being able to gauge the opponent's level, it seems a beast is just a beast.'

No matter how powerful the monster is, handling the firepower of the 20 present here is almost impossible.

Yannick made a vow.

He will teach that ferocious beast the truth that there is a sky above the sky.

'Before the battle, I need to check the personnel.'

Yannick stood in place and observed the weapons of each of his men.

'Hmm? Someone is missing.'

One of the members who was originally at the back was not there.

Perplexed, Yannick counted again, but there was no way someone missing could appear.

There were 19 members present.

In the place where there should have been a member, there was only a dense shadow.

'Shadow? Could it be?!'

Realizing the meaning of that unnatural shadow, Yannick shouted.

But it was already too late.

The shadow shot up from the water, and a long, giant serpent emerged, wrapping around one of the knights.

At the same time, the auto-plasma gun attached to the shoulder of a knight next to the captured comrade activated and fired.

"Ugh?!"

"Oh no!"

"Everyone, watch out for friendly fire!"

However, the serpent used the captured knight as a shield, and the plasma energy broke through the knight's sturdy armor, spraying blood into the air.

With about half of the upper body gone, the comrade was carried by the serpent and disappeared into the murky sewer water.

The knights pulled out their bolt guns and began firing into the water. The green energy pellets illuminated the dark sewer.

"Cease fire! Cease fire!"

Yannick shouted as if cursing, and the members stopped firing.

Where the serpent disappeared, only the right arm of their fallen comrade remained, floating in the dark sewage.

-x-X-x-

'Be afraid. Be afraid.'

The enemies unleashed a barrage of plasma volters, but being underwater, no one managed to hit accurately. Escaping unscathed from the saturation of plasma bullets, I retrieved the blood-sucking tentacle, pulling a knight along in the process.

"…Kuk!"

The knight caught in the tentacle somehow resisted by drawing the Blade Claw with his left arm on the opposite side.

'That won't work.'

With the sharp claws on the back of my hand, even if they were reinforced, they would easily be cut into pieces. My blood-sucking tentacles responded to my will and penetrated into the broken gloves of the opponent.

"Aargh!"

The tentacle with sharp teeth on the inner surface entered the armor, turning the opponent's body upside down. As the arm fell off, the knight writhed in pain.

'Maybe calming down with some water will help.'

Thanks to the assault pack, the knight received oxygen through the helmet connected to the pack even underwater. After pulling the knight, I removed the combat helmet.

Inside, moderately long blonde hair flowed.

'What the… a woman?'

I naturally thought it was a man, but it turned out to be a woman. Perhaps due to genetic modification, her appearance was quite outstanding.

"Darn it…!"

The female knight distorted her expression due to extreme pain.

'In the game, many MegaCorp players try to recruit female mercenaries.'

The knights provided as a special bonus by the Eden family are randomly chosen in terms of both name and appearance. There are instances of bulky, muscular African-American males appearing, as well as fair-skinned blonde females like the knight in front of me.

Therefore, among MegaCorp players, there are quite a few who want to assemble mercenaries with beautiful knights.

There were even guides in the community on how to recruit only cute girl knights.

'I preferred Amorphs, though.'

Of course, being an ordinary man, I felt a liking when I saw a beautiful woman.

But now, for some reason, looking at the beautiful woman's face didn't evoke any special emotions.

'Anyway, a female knight.'

Watching her, I had an amusing thought.

If she's a woman, there might be some use.

I opened my mouth and gently bit her neck.

"Ugh?!"

She groaned.

Since I bit her gently, it shouldn't be painful. It might be because of some physiological aversion to Amorphs.

The neurotoxin in my saliva seemed to take effect, as her expression quickly relaxed. Perhaps the pain from the amputated arm wasn't being felt either.

Confirming that she was paralyzed, I placed the helmet back on her that I had removed earlier.

'To connect the assault pack… Ah, here it is.'

As I connected the tubes on her neck and shoulders, light returned to the helmet. With power restored, the reconnaissance chip inside the helmet should be functioning again.

'You'll be my bait.'

In my experience, female comrades make excellent bait. Most people react more sensitively to the death of a woman than a man.

I wondered if there would be gentlemen in this space age rushing to rescue a damsel in distress.

It's worth experimenting with.

***

'Was the signal device a decoy?'

Yannick double-checked the signal. The signal that had been 30 meters away before they arrived was rapidly moving farther.

'Is there another creature here?'

After a brief pause, he shook his head.

'No, it's unlikely that wild animals would follow his intentions so precisely. Assuming he has the ability to split is more plausible.'

Creatures that can split their bodies are rare but definitely exist.

'He uses the split ability to insert signal chips for disruption. He's a strategist.'

A quite skilled one, at that.

Yannick felt the need to broaden his estimate of him.

'Ability to breathe fire, shoot bone spikes, become invisible, split, and high intelligence. Quite impressive, indeed. The Commander would be pleased.'

Even with the current technology for creating hulk mutants, it was impossible to incorporate so many different traits into a single body. While the genetically modified humans of the Yujin family might possess diverse characteristics, the creature's appearance didn't seem human in any way.

'When I saw him earlier, his appearance resembled that of a snake.'

He hadn't used the invisibility ability, probably because of the flowing water in this location.

"Captain Yannick! Catherine's vital signal is still valid!"

"What?"

Upon hearing a member's shout, Yannick manipulated the terminal on his wrist. Soon, the vital signals of the members of Squad 4 and the vanished comrade Catherine, as well as the visual feed from her camera, appeared inside the visor.

'She's still alive?'

Catherine's signal was faint, but she was still alive. Judging by her view, she seemed to be leaning against a wall somewhere in the passage.

"Captain, Catherine hasn't died yet. If we don't rescue her quickly, it might be too late."

"…"

Yannick fell silent at the member's words.

'A trap.'

The creature was using the signal device for disruption tactics. There seemed to be something fishy about it.

"He's highly intelligent. There's no way he'd leave a wounded person for no reason."

"Catherine might have resisted. With enhanced physical abilities from the assault pack, she could easily handle his body, even with a blade cutter."

That was a valid point. When they entered the sewers, they didn't just rush in without any information about the monster. Based on various types of information, including the armaments of the comrades who fought with him at the hospital and the station, the current Eden Knights had an idea of the monster's defensive capabilities.

"Captain, we came here secretly to capture him. If we encounter the defense forces later, it will complicate matters. We don't have time to hesitate."

That statement also made sense. The enemy was more intelligent than expected, and if the defense forces got involved, the situation would become much more complicated.

As the team member said, they needed to deal with the creature as quickly as possible. In the process, they could also rescue their comrade.

"Alright. I'll report to Jacob immediately…"

As he raised the communication device, something flew from behind the passage. The slender object pierced directly into the communication device Yannick was holding.

'Bone spike!'

As his gaze turned toward the back of the passage, the auto-plasma gun on his shoulder activated. Green energy bullets illuminated the passage as they flew.

For a brief moment, a serpent-like creature could be seen disappearing beneath the water's surface. The black shadow that briefly appeared on the water vanished beyond the passage.

"Captain!"

"I'm okay."

The cunning creature had taken advantage of the moment when Yannick was distracted by holding the communication device.

"Darn!"

Yannick carefully examined the debris of the broken communication device in his hand.

'As long as the chip isn't damaged!'

Fortunately, the chip itself was intact, untouched by the damage to the communication device.

'Phew, luckily it's not completely broken.'

He placed the communication chip back into the wrist terminal. Soon, the function to send files and messages was activated. Yannick sent a brief warning message to Jacob along with the recorded data from his camera.

'With this, there's evidence left, but…'

During the secret operation, he deliberately used a communication device connected to an independent network to avoid going through the defense fleet's communication network. Unless they were foolish, there would undoubtedly be suspicions raised if the data was transmitted through the terminal. He had to trust that Denver, their superior, would somehow cover it up.

'He's far more cunning than we anticipated, so there's nothing we can do.'

"Let's move."

Having safely transmitted information to Jacob, Yannick led his subordinates and continued on their way.

The warriors of steel rushed through the passage, a force to be reckoned with.

Even the creatures halfway filling the passage, numbering over 18 knights, couldn't stop the onslaught.

Perhaps due to their anger or enhanced bodies from assault packs and reinforced suits, the knights caused the hard floor of the sewer passage to ripple with each step.

"Catherine is 15 meters away."

"Everyone, slow down, and be cautious of the surroundings."

As Catherine's position got closer, the knights slowed down.

The knights, with heightened vigilance, carefully scanned their surroundings. The auto-plasma guns also moved diligently to be ready to fire at the owner's designated target at any moment.

'He doesn't seem to be around here.'

Apart from the flowing water, no other movements were detected.

When Yannick made a gesture, two members approached Catherine.

She was laying her upper body on the surface of the water, seemingly bowed down.

Although she looked as if she were dead, all the knights continued to check vital signals, making it clear she was still alive.

"Hey, Catherine. Are you okay?"

"…"

One member approached her, grabbed her left shoulder, and shook her. In response, she made a murmuring sound.

"What did you say?"

"…"

Her voice came from inside the helmet. She seemed to want to scream, but something seemed to be suppressing her.

"Danger? Is it dangerous?"

As he spoke, two red tentacles emerged from behind Catherine, or in other words, from behind the knights.

"Huh?!"

"Ugh!"

The tentacles forcefully swept the necks of the two knights in the rear.

No matter how protected they were by reinforced suits, the neck is a vulnerable area for humans. The tentacles, as thick as the thighs of an average adult male, hitting the neck directly couldn't leave them unscathed. The necks of the two knights departed from their original positions and twisted in a strange direction.

"It's the enemy!"

With Yannick's shout, the attention of the knights turned momentarily to the rear. A green energy shot from the auto-plasma gun hit one of the tentacles.

The tentacle hit by the plasma shot detached halfway. In the meantime, the other one remained hidden in the water.

"Eliminate that creature!"

The knights aimed their bolters in the direction of the tentacle.

But the creature's attack was not over yet. While the knights were focused on the rear, the main body of the tentacle hid under Catherine and emerged.

The real target of "It" was the two knights who had come close to inspect Catherine's condition.

"Huh?"

A foolishly murmuring knight.

In front of him, he turned his head, revealing small, white blades, and darkness. A deep darkness engulfed his entire head.

"Damn it… Ugh?!"

In an instant, "It" bit off the head of the nearby comrade. The knight, witnessing this, hastily tried to swing the blade claw.

Even if something hadn't entwined his leg, he would have successfully beheaded the creature.

Although the knight's posture was disrupted, he was a veteran among veterans. Moreover, enhanced by the assault pack, he could adjust the direction of the claw even while his stance was crumbling.

As a result, his blade claw successfully cut into the creature's shoulder. Blood spurted from the creature's wound, splashing onto his helmet.

The creature, in pain from the attack, opened its mouth, releasing the comrade's head it had been biting.

"Grrrr!"

"Success… Ugh?"

That was fine, but what happened next was something the knight couldn't predict.

The helmet, stained with blood, began to rapidly melt.

"What… Ugh?!"

"He's around! Don't take off your helmet!"

In order not to melt his head along with it, the knight quickly removed his helmet.

A little late, but Yannick saw that the creature's main body was hiding in front, not behind.

However, his warning came too late.

The tail of "It," which had wrapped around the knight's leg, emerged from the water and pierced through the back of his head.

"..ugh!"

The knight with a hole in his head collapsed.

"Damn it! The main body is behind us! Open fire!"

Yannick and the knights quickly fired their bolters. Several shots hit the creature's head, but it didn't care and leaped across the passage.

"One person, stay to protect the wounded! The rest, follow me!"

Thirteen knights chased the creature at a rapid pace.

The creature's movements were still fast, but being hit in the head seemed quite lethal, as it couldn't widen the distance from the knights.

Yannick, who was closing in on the creature, alternated between his bolt and plasma gun.

'I misjudged! I should have waited and called for reinforcements!'

In a short time, less than a few minutes, four knights were killed. Furthermore, one was injured.

While they managed to injure the creature, the losses on their side seemed much greater.

"He's moving through the narrow passage!"

"According to the map, the passage end is blocked."

"Good!"

The somewhat good news was that the creature seemed confused.

It frantically moved around, seeming unfamiliar with the injury, to the point of pushing itself into a dead end.

"Alright, this is our chance."

Yannick resolved to subdue the creature while it was still disoriented. He and the knights entered the narrow passage.

***

'Ah, damn, it hurts a lot.'

I sustained wounds on my body. Thanks to the regenerative effects, the outer layer of my head had almost completely healed, but the shoulder area was still recovering. Moreover, the blood-sucking tentacle on my left arm was torn about half, requiring considerable time to heal.

'It's indeed tough without the Symbol of Hunt.'

While my exterior was tough, it was challenging to block blade cutters or plasma attacks.

'Maybe the 'Perfect Organism' properties alone aren't enough.'

The synergy of the organic enhancement type and the complete organic effects made my skin more robust than ever, but there were still many shortcomings.

'I intentionally tried to lure them into complacency.'

Plasma attacks were thrown with confidence in the resilience of my head, but getting hit by the blade claw was unexpected. It hurt more than I thought, to the point where I unintentionally made a sound.

'There are still many enemies to fight, so I need to be more careful.'

Anyway, it's almost over now. I'm currently at a dead-end in a narrow corridor, just wide enough for me to barely fit. Even without focusing on auxiliary systems, I could hear the sounds of enemies chasing me into the corridor.

'They're furious.'

Seeing the turbulence in the water, it seems the enemies are quite enraged.

'Losing composure during battle is most dangerous.'

I adjusted my posture, half-submerged in the water. This narrow passage was indeed a bottleneck. The enemies, taller than 2 meters, could only form two columns at best, or one column if not. They would move within the passage like that.

In other words, there was no cover even if a powerful area attack were to be launched.

'Psychic enhancement type, and Perfect Organism that enhances the type effect.'

How strong will it be?

'Let's experiment.'

When I first obtained the Psychic enhancement type, I instinctively knew. Thanks to the type, the restriction on the psychic breath had increased, allowing me to fire it up to a maximum of two times.

'Normally, one time would make me lose consciousness.'

Not now. The current situation doesn't allow for it. Seeing the increasing flow of the water, the remaining distance between them and me is now minimal.

'The enemies have come far enough.'

In case they turn around to flee, I need to time it as accurately as possible. Even though I could use it twice, I couldn't waste my valuable psychic breath ability in vain.

[The distance with the creature is 10 meters.]

I heard the enemy's voice. The outline of the knight leading the way could be seen in the darkness.

I turned my body toward the outside of the passage and activated the monster's tentacles.

A bunch of violet tentacles emerged from the back of my head, trembling and moving. Long and thick violet tentacles aimed toward the front of my head, demonstrating the power of a dragon.

[He seems to be bo… Wait! Something's not right!]

"What's this? E…Everyone, activate your shields!"

The one who appeared to be the commanding officer among the knights hastily shouted.

Not a bad judgment, but can shields really block this?

After I became Amorph, I never experienced such an overwhelming psychic power concentrated in front of me.

A massive psychic power, something only the great dragons of the universe could handle, focused in front of me.

The dirty filth inside the narrow passage couldn't withstand the energy, boiling.

It wasn't the same as before, where all my life force and mental power were sucked out. Now, it wasn't to that extent.

Instead, it was scorching hot.

And then, like a violet sun that only great dragons could wield, it fired.

The water evaporated, and the metallic walls that composed the sewage turned into dust.

The violet light emitted from the shields the knights raised couldn't compete with the pure energy in the corridor. When the violet heat touched, the shields disappeared as if they had never existed.

The sturdy armor of the knights, the expensive assault packs, the various genes in their bodies – everything was engulfed by the violet heat.

After the psychic breath ended, there was nothing left in front of me.

-x-X-x-

Operation camp set up in the commercial district.

A facility temporarily established for the joint operation between the Eden Knights and the City Defense Forces.

There, Denver was observing the operation command of the crisis management team.

Although Denver was an outsider, the atmosphere was not bad. He was the head of the Prime Capital Eden, but at the same time, he was also a hero who had participated in various wars.

Understanding the nature of a soldier well, he tried to avoid actions that would annoy the Defense Forces as much as possible.

The Defense Forces also appreciated his consideration and treated him warmly.

The friendly atmosphere of the operation camp was disrupted by a new visitor brought by Laila.

"Haha, long time no see, Mr. Denver."

"Ahem, Wei Zhao."

The newcomer to the camp was a blue-haired yellow-skinned man.

His name was Wei Zhao. He was the head of the Zhao family, which competed with the Eden family for dominance over Mars.

Denver looked at him, who casually took out a cigar indoors, with a somewhat complicated expression.

"… What brings you here?"

Denver, who was friendly to everyone, couldn't do the same for the people of the Zhao family.

The two families had been fighting for hundreds of years to become the sole ruler of Mars. It was not the first time they had experienced bloodshed in the conflict between the families.

Even now, in the main city of Mars, invisible struggles between the two families were in full swing. So, it was natural that their relationship was not good.

Wei, who revealed hostility, responded to Denver with a relaxed smile.

"No, I heard there was something interesting going on. I'm one of the journalists, so if there's a new incident, I should cover it, right?"

Denver looked at Laila's face, who came with Wei.

Her expression was also icy. It was clear that he had requested it forcibly, even though she did not want it.

'Just at a time like this….'

The Zhao family owns the largest newspaper, Daily Mars, within MegaCorp.

News of an accident in the Special Trade Center would have been delivered long before the board meeting.

"Everything is under control, Wei. There doesn't seem to be anything here that would attract your attention, right?"

"Haha. Don't be so disappointed. I'm here because of the vote, too. I can't miss the opportunity to judge whether the target of the vote is legitimate or not."

"…."

Wei Zhao supports the reelection of Akira Yujin.

As far as Denver knows, the Zhao family is divided into those who support Akira Yujin and those who do not.

In other words, from Wei's perspective, it is most important to reveal how incompetent Akira's competitor, Samdam Chemblin, is.

That way, the public opinion within the family can be unified.

'…I hope Vicus does well.'

If something goes wrong with the most influential leader of the yellow press in MegaCorp here,

The plans of Samdam and Denver will be completely ruined, and they will have to wait for the next council meeting.

In Laila's case, she may have to take responsibility and step down from her position as general administrator.

"Anyway, this is my problem, so don't worry about it, Mr. Denver. Hm? Hey, what's that camera over there?"

Wei, who silenced Denver, questioned the crisis management team leader with a cigar in his mouth.

"It's the personal camera of the platoon leaders of each Defense Forces detachment participating in the operation. It allows us to easily check the progress of the operation here…."

While the crisis management team leader was responding, the entire camp shook violently.

"An…an earthquake?!"

"Everyone, be careful!"

The earthquake, which shook everything inside, including computers, equipment, and people, quickly subsided.

However, those who were in place all had bewildered expressions.An earthquake in an artificial structure floating in space.

The first to regain composure was Laila, the ruler of the city.

"Contact the dome manager immediately and confirm if it's due to a meteor collision."

"Understood."

The secretary hurriedly ran out of the camp.

Wei, who was embarrassed by the wind that caused him to fall alone, got up with a stiff face.

"…I heard T&C is highly regarded for colonial development. Is it always like this?"

"No, it's not. This is the first time."

"It has to be trustworthy."

"Laila, Wei, calm down. This vibration seems to have come from the ground. Crisis management team leader, can the units below confirm?"

At Denver's request, the crisis management team leader gestured to a communication soldier. The soldier quickly sent a message underground.

"This is the operations headquarters. Is everything okay down there?"

[Defense Force Team 1. Zzz zz… no injuries…Zzz zz…confirmed. No issues with the Vice commander and the Knights… Zzz zz…as well.]

[Zzz zz…Defense…Zzz zz…Team 2. Sewer collapsed…Zzz zz…some casualties…Zzz zz…reported. Currently undergoing treatment for injuries.]

[Defense Force Team 3. Collapse phenomena around the camp and…Zzz zz…ground collapse occurred… Zzz zz…personnel in the underground area…Zzz zz….in a state of lost contact.]

"Communication is unstable. Send additional support to Team 2, and tell Team 3 to try contacting again."

"Yes. This is the operations headquarters…."

While the communication soldier was conveying the crisis management team leader's instructions, Denver, although he didn't show it outwardly, was quite startled internally.

'There's no one in the underground except for those who went down with Team 3.'

Currently, Denver's Knights are participating in the Defense Force's operation in the form of reinforcements. The support structure was divided into three squads to support the operations of each Defense Force team.

All three squads set up a joint camp with the Defense Forces on the surface, and among them, Vicus and Jacob of Squads 1 and 2 were commanding members on the surface. Only Tennessee, burning with revenge, went directly underground. He even volunteered to be the bait.

Denver left the camp for a moment, pretending to have something to do.

Confirming that no one cared about him in the vicinity, he sent a communication to Vicus.

[Zzz zz, Your Highness? Is there a problem?]

"Check Tennessee. Something's wrong."

[Currently, the commu….Zzzz zz….nication status is unstable…..Zzz zz, I will personally go and check on him.]

Until then, Denver wasn't particularly worried.

The collapse of the sewer due to an earthquake was an unexpected event, but everything was believed to be under control.

Or so he believed.

***

A city's arteries are forged with advanced refining technology. A metal conduit impervious to deformation, even when various pollutants flow through it.

However, this impressive sewer is currently severed.

'Stronger than I thought, huh?'

Psychic Breath ruthlessly destroyed everything blocking its path.

The interior of the conduit was naturally obliterated, piercing through walls filled with metal and concrete.

I expected it to strengthen due to the type effect, but this is beyond my expectations.

'Not just the conduit, but it seems like the surrounding ground has collapsed.'

Since the underground is forcibly emptied by the Psychic Breath, the ground above, unable to withstand the pressure, collapsed.

As the ground sinks underground, a chain reaction occurs, causing buildings above to collapse as well, greatly expanding the scope of destruction.

Probably about one-fifth of the commercial district where I am has turned into ruins.

'Are the kids okay?'

I telepathically contacted number 26.

[ZZZ ZZZZ ZZ (Are you okay over there?)]

｢Big Baby, there was just a thud, thud, thud! Are you hurt?｣

[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZ (I'm fine. How about you?)]

｢The little one warned me with thud, thud, thud in advance, so I avoided it.｣

Thank goodness.

Even though it's a mutant, it's a genuine Blue Gallagon.

Gallagons are sensitive to the flow of psychic power. It probably felt the flow of psychic power and knew to move to a safe place.

[ZZZ ZZZZ (For now, stay hidden.)]

｢Okay.｣

Confirming the safety of the kids, I got up.

The place where I was has changed from a narrow conduit to a wide communal area.

Thanks to the collapsed sewer, light seeped in bit by bit from above.

'The situation is getting a bit complicated.'

If the enemy realizes that I'm a monster capable of collapsing the entire city, they might come out recklessly.

'The possibility is low, but they might resort to fleet bombardment.'

If deploying forces to the sewer doesn't work, there's no other option.

Honestly, it's like trying to kill a fly with a sledgehammer, but you never know.

Humans aren't that rational.

'Let's secure the remaining genes first.'

It's pointless to worry about things that haven't happened yet. It's much more beneficial to deal with immediate tasks.

Among the knights chasing me, there are only two left and are not far away.

I exited the transformed conduit.

'Since the sewer has collapsed, that area must be chaotic now. It won't be too difficult to ambush them, but the problem is the rear.'

While thinking, I felt the flow of waves coming from the opposite conduit.

The knights I was looking for were coming this way.

'Let's deal with them first.'

It's difficult to hide here because there's not much water. Due to the evaporation caused by the violet heat lines, and the holes in the walls, the water level around here has dropped.

'No. There's no need to hide.'

Checking with the auxiliary organ, I found one person supporting another. It seemed like one knight couldn't move due to paralysis, and the other was supporting her.

That means the enemy's combat strength is less than 0.5. There's no need to hide. I moved along the wall to avoid the flow of waves from reaching them.

From the other side of the conduit, I heard the knight's voice.

"Yannick Team Leader! Vicus Vice commander! Damn it, communication is completely dead!"

"Ugh, ugh…."

"Oh no! Catherine, are you okay?"

"Ugh! Ugh!"

A knight who didn't notice me because he was focused on the female knight. When the female knight, who saw me first, reacted, he raised his head.

I leaped from the ceiling towards him. I flattened the knight, and the three of us tumbled to the sewer floor.

"Eick!"

The knight quickly pulled out a blade claw to fight.

However, the distance between us was too close for him to swing his arms. I grabbed both of his arms with my reinforced claws and bit through his helmet with my mouth.

"Ugh, ugh?"

My jaw, strengthened by powerful muscles, crushed his helmet. The visor part shattered, and the knight's face became exposed.

The reinforced glass shattered, spilling inward.

"Ah, ahh!"

The knight screamed as the helmet crushed his entire head, and broken glass shards stabbed into his eyes.

His legs, which were swinging wildly while being held by me, calmed down after a moment.

Confirming the knight's breath had ceased, I released my grip and pulled away from the helmet. The helmet was completely crumpled, reduced to one-third of its original size.

"Ugh! Ugh, ugh!"

The female knight, who had witnessed her comrade dying beside her, let out a whimper.

She tried to throw the body she was holding to the ground, but at that moment, an unfamiliar weapon appeared from another knight.

'A plasma launcher?'

The knight was carrying a plasma launcher on his back.

I took the launcher from his back and held it in my hand.

'You came well-prepared, huh?'

I don't know about other things, but a launcher is dangerous.

Even if you wear the symbol of a hunter, if you get hit by more than two shots in a row, it can be dangerous because of its powerful firepower.

'If it's a defense force, having a launcher is appropriate, but why would the knight's order have it?'

If it's a defense force belonging to the defense fleet, they naturally possess plasma launchers.

As far as I remember, it was one of the ceremonial weapons issued on a squad level.

On the other hand, the Eden Knights don't use plasma launchers.

Their main weapon is the plasma bolter. Compared to the launcher, it may lack firepower, but it is much more versatile.

However, that's in the game; here, it could be different.

Since she is wearing reinforced armor, she might be able to personally wield the launcher.

'I should use this.'

I grabbed the launcher and looked back at the female knight.

'From what they were saying earlier, it seems like there's a problem with the communication function.'

Huge psychic power can cause radio interference.

Of course, it's not permanent. It should recover in about 10 minutes.

'I need to handle as much as I can before that.'

With the collapse of the ground in the commercial district, there must be many ruins of buildings.

I should consider using one of them as a temporary hideout.

'Then, what should I do with this female knight?'

If the communication function is a mess, it's vague whether I can use her as bait.

'I'll just give her to the kids.'

I don't know how much longer they'll have to starve.

Giving them a delicious meal now, considering that they filled their stomachs with corpse maggots, would be better.

'Come to think of it, I've practically eaten all the knights.'

Strengthening myself with the genetic essence is the top priority, but it's also necessary to grow them.

'Since the knights were all rich in nutrients.'

If the kids eat and become stronger than before, it's a benefit for me.

They are excellent combatants with outstanding potential.

Leaving the female knight behind, I started devouring the comrades.

I stripped off the thick armor and tore out the sturdy muscles inside.

Putting the flesh in my mouth and chewing, I felt the chewy texture created by delicate muscle fibers.

'This person's meat tastes like pork?'

To be precise, it tastes like pork neck.

Usually, when you eat neck meat, the taste is rich but somewhat dull, but the knight's meat had a better texture, surpassing pork neck.

'There are no pigs in Space Survival, it's strange.'

In the game setting, the Earth became a wasteland due to nuclear warfare between the seven major corporations and various governments.

As a result, pigs became extinct, and chickens, endangered species, can only be tasted by those above the Prime Capital class.

'It's a pitiful dystopian world where chicken and pork belly are gone.'

I quickly devoured the knight's meat while having such thoughts.

'Sigh. I've already eaten it all.'

The last thing left was the knight's wrist.

It tasted familiar, so it felt good, but it was regrettable.

'It can't be helped.'

It's not like I can choose not to eat.

I swallowed the wrist in one gulp as I thought that.

The moment the wrist passed through the throat.

[Predation effect activated! Successfully obtained 'Apparent death' genetic essence.]

[Extracted the 'Apparent death' from the biological characteristics of the 'Hound Hyena.']

[Do you want to apply the 'Apparent death'?]

[PR/N:- Apparent death is a behavior in which animals take on the appearance of being dead. It is a form of animal deception considered to be an anti-predator strategy, but it can also be used as a form of aggressive mimicry.]

'Oh?'

Is it because I haven't had a tasty meal in a while? The translucent text box that appeared for guidance felt surprisingly welcoming, more so than usual.

It's a bit awkward to say this, but I wasn't popular in the game. To be precise, I was famous but not in a positive way. Players in Space Survival called me 'Morph enthusiast' (모프박이). Interestingly, even in foreign communities, this nickname became a kind of unique noun used to refer to me.

[Note:- "모프박이" is a Korean slang term that refers to a person who enjoys and spends a significant amount of time playing the video game "MapleStory," a popular multiplayer online role-playing game. The term combines "모프" (MapleStory's Korean name) and "박이," a suffix indicating a person who is a fan or enthusiast of something. In this context, "모프박이" would roughly translate to "Morph enthusiast".]

Of course, I had an explanation for it.

'If the character design is originally like this, there's no need to criticize me.'

The Amorph race itself specialized in ambush and hunting. So, there would be no user who plays as conventionally as the game company prescribed, as much as I do.

Anyway, the reason why I brought up the past is due to the trait that I applied to my body. 'Apparent death'. Surviving as an Amorph until it grows enough is not easy. Even if it evolves safely, it cannot entrust its back to comrades or clans like other races, always having to fight alone.

What characteristics does an Amorph Need the most? Surviving, devouring, evolving—among these, ironically, the most important thing for Amorph is the first one. 'Surviving.' Not dying and persistently surviving, just like a cockroach, is the essence of an Amorph play. Only by surviving can the rest—devouring, evolution, etc. be possible.

However, unless other players are fools, they won't leave a potential threat as it is. Hence, there are players who specialize in hunting Amorph, and most users will try to kill Amorph if they discover it.

So, how can one survive safely?

'After all they wanted me dead.'

At this point, I changed my approach. I would do what they wanted, but inversely. Hence I started to often disguise my death to escape enemy surveillance.

The 'Apparent death' trait, as the name suggests, temporarily puts the player in a half-dead state. In Space Survival, when a player dies, the corpse remains in place until resurrected. So, even if my corpse remains, enemies will find it hard to notice anything strange.

As the system judges it as equivalent to death, it appears as if I died without a hitch from the NPC's point of view. For example, mercenaries scouting for MegaCorp can't distinguish whether I faked my death with the trait or not. They simply report finding my corpse to their client.

'In fact, it's not a mistake or error on the NPC's part; it's designed that way in the system.'

When the 'Apparent death' trait activates, the caster's health or status is all falsely displayed. Even players with the ability to read other's information can't distinguish whether I actually died or not.

The only way to see through the 'Apparent death', excluding the caster, is to use equipment, techniques, or characteristics that nullify its effects.

When enemies who don't have a means to see through it, their reactions when they see my corpse usually fall into two categories. Most just leave the spot, satisfied with having killed me, or they quickly move away, assuming I might pull off some trickery.

Those who remain cautious and move away are not necessarily timid or cowardly. They have their reasons for behaving that way. Before engaging in a fight, I always prepare various things on the battlefield. Setting up nests in unexpected places and ambushing from there, etc.

'There's a trait related to nests that changes the respawn location after you die, to a nest.'

I've turned the tide of the battle using these methods several times. Therefore, players who have experienced many defeats against me become more cautious when fighting with me. Of course, there were brave users attempting to provoke me by defiling my corpse. There were many users who were driven by revenge, who were fueled by anger, lost their sanity and tried to torment me.

In such cases, there's only one thing I can do.

'Treat insanity with insanity.'

Anyway, I had many enemies, including players ranked lower or higher than me. For someone like me, always living in danger, the 'Apparent death' characteristic was one of the most useful.

'I was lucky to have acquired such a good trait.'

Thankful for the taste of pork that the knight had, I picked up my gear and moved. I headed to the place where I first lured knights into a fight. Since there were four knight corpses left, I needed to take care of them.

'I'll give the female knight to the kids, and eat the rest.'

It would be nice to create a new decoy with the hidden signal chip, but with the current sewer conditions, it seemed challenging.

A significant portion of the surrounding walls had collapsed, so the signal chip would likely be damaged.

'Anyway, due to the effect of Psychic Breath, the signal won't be properly transmitted.'

Upon arriving at the location, I cleared the collapsed debris and retrieved the corpses. Thanks to the protection of the superior reinforced armor, the condition of the corpses was good.

I left the body of the female knight nearby and carried the corpses, chewing them.

'It would be nice to eat leisurely, but there's no time.'

I have to hurry since I don't know when other enemies will come here.

'Did they use the same genes? All of them taste like pork.'

Even though I like pork, having the same taste again and again makes it a bit boring.

'There's just one left, should I just give it to the kids?'

Perhaps it's better for me to eat the female knight and give this corpse to the kids. While pondering over the corpses, the auxiliary organ sent a signal to me.

'Someone is approaching from this direction.'

I took the female knight and the remaining corpses and submerged them into the water. By pressing my body against the floor, I could barely conceal myself except for the back part.

'Fortunately, there's a lot of debris around here.'

Concealing myself amidst the collapsed ruins, I heard voices from afar.

"Honestly, do we need to go rescue the knights?"

"Knights aren't omnipotent, are they? They get hungry if they don't eat, and they get squashed if the building collapses; it's the same for 'It'."

The newly arrived individuals numbered six in total. They were all wearing gas masks and intermediate reinforced armor, carrying Gauss rifles.

'They are the Defense Force.'

This space city is managed by T&C, and those responsible for city security and defense are undoubtedly military personnel from the Defense Fleet, not knights.

'Indeed, the two divisions are conducting a joint operation.'

I had suspected this since the time they hired dozens of mercenaries, but now it was confirmed. Those soldiers came here to find the knights who were around here. They probably came to check if everything was okay since the sewer had collapsed.

They passed by without noticing my presence.

'It's a joint operation between the two families.'

The seven major families of MegaCorp are set to have a bad relationship with each other. This is because they compete for the pinnacle of power, the position of the CEO.

The right to nominate a CEO candidate lies with Noble Capital only, but Prime Capital also competes with them. Prime Capital dreams of promotion to Noble Capital because they only have the right to vote and cannot nominate a CEO candidate. To achieve this, one must pull down one of the five families above and climb up to take their position. Therefore, they naturally have no choice but to fight each other.

'It seems like they're cooperating for some reason before the board meeting.'

Eden is Prime Capital, and T&C is Noble Capital. Perhaps Eden made some kind of contract with T&C in exchange for their vote.

If there were significant security issues in the special trading center of T&C, the venue for the board meeting, it would be disadvantageous for those who made the secret agreement. They might be deliberately conducting a joint operation to prevent this.

'Can I use this situation to my advantage?'

In fact, the situation I'm in is not very favorable. Although I have wiped out a unit of knights and devoured dozens of mercenaries so far, the overall situation is still unfavorable for me. My presence has already been discovered on the other side, and they have weapons that can kill me instantly.

'Due to the characteristics of the infrastructure, they probably can't attack me recklessly, but…'

If the T&C family judges that leaving my presence alone is more detrimental than destroying the sewer, they will mobilize the Defense Fleet.

'Artillery fire can't be stopped as a symbol of hunting.'

To fight against warships, you need special characteristics. Unfortunately, I can't obtain that here.

'Let's organize the situation and conditions once.'

When I organize the information I obtained in the sewer, it goes as follows.

'Currently, the enemies threatening me are T&C and Eden, two families.'

The reason they consider me a threat is that, prior to the Big Event, I've been disrupting security. They are conducting joint operations in the sewer to eliminate me, the unsettling factor, as quickly as possible.

'I need to break that cooperation.'

In the first place, due to the MegaCorp structure, fights are inevitable.

Even a slight conflict could shake the friendship between the Eden family and the T&C family. Of course, since the two are in a secret agreement, it's unlikely that the conflict over me will deepen significantly. I don't wish for it to go that far either.

'Causing confusion for them should be enough.'

So, how can I shake their relationship?

'Since communication is unstable, information transmission may not be proper…'

Fortunately, I have a tool that can sow discord between the Defense Force and the knights.

'There are corpses of knights and a launcher.'

I activated a small follow-up launcher. A light appeared on the small terminal hanging on the long, slender barrel over 1m.

'The launcher is fine.'

Upon checking the knight's corpse, except for the broken neck, everything else seemed intact. Without inspecting closely, it was difficult to sense that something was wrong.

'Good. Let's leave the bait here.'

Before entering the operation, I broke all of the female knight's arms and legs.

"Ugh!"

A faint whimper came from the helmet, but I didn't pay much attention. The reason I didn't kill her, even though I could, is one.

'If I kill her, it might not count for the kids' growth conditions.'

Unlike me, who follows the rules of the game, number 26 and Adhai are creatures of this world. So, they are likely not identical to me, but still, you never know. After hiding the female knight underwater, I took the knight's corpse and launcher and followed the Defense Force.

On the way, I had already contacted number 26 in advance. It was about what to do after my 'death.' Contrary to my expectations, number 26 reacted very violently to the fact that I was dying. It said he would rather die than leave me to die alone.

'Surprisingly sensitive to death.'

Perhaps it's because it has grown mentally. I didn't expect number 26 to dislike it so much. Instead, I persuaded it by promising to bring tasty food.

It seemed more interested in the fact that I would definitely come back than the food.

｢If the big baby doesn't come back, I'll be really mad.｣

After that statement, Number 26 didn't send any more signals.

'Of course.'

What's the use of all this if I'm going to die? Having explained the plan to number 26 like that, I increased my speed and closed the distance with the soldiers.

'They haven't gone far.'

Unlike the knights in superior reinforced armor, their movement speed wasn't very fast.They still weren't aware that something was chasing them from behind.

'Is this distance enough?'

I calculated the distance with them and set up the knight's corpse appropriately. Thanks to the armored form of reinforced armor, it wasn't difficult to make it look like I was standing. In a half-submerged state behind the knight, I activated the launcher.

'Charging 10…20…'

The sewer turned into a semi-ruin, murky water up to the waist, shadows.

And somewhere inside that darkness, the mysterious monster lurking.

'It's a perfect environment to lose your mind.'

I don't intend to end it just by making them resent each other.

'What's important is action and results.'

By provoking a chaotic situation, there should be something I can gain.

'If it's a chaotic situation, anything can happen.'

'Charging 40…70…'

For example, what if I were to appear in a situation where they are firing launchers at each other? What if, in the midst of their fight, I appear and 'die' by getting hit by a launcher?

'Tracking me will end with that.'

As the cause of the joint sewer operation, I would be eliminated, leaving an unbridgeable gap between the knights and the defense force. Moreover, if I give the enemies the certainty that I am dead, my range of action will widen even further.

'Old memories are coming back.'

It was the same when I fought against four clans on the Jungle Planet in the past.

The enemies' power was overwhelmingly strong, and I was just a weak individual compared to them. The factor that allowed me to win even in unfavorable battles was that I used everything at my disposal. Among those factors was even the idea of my own death.

'Charging 90…100%'

When the terminal's number reached 100, an advanced weapon capable of destroying even a battleship spewed fire towards the soldiers.

***

"I'm wearing a gas mask and can still smell it, the hell is going on?"

"Cough, and the atmosphere doesn't feel right either. I've been feeling strangely chilly since earlier…"

"Hey, dude, do you have to talk like that in such a crappy situation?"

"If we survive this mission, I'm going to propose to my fiancée when it's over."

"That crazy bastard is talking nonsense again."

"The guy who goes out every morning and plays with himself on VR TV is talking about engagement, damn it."

"It's true! Not here in the Special Trade Center, but on another planet…"

While soldiers were chatting with each other, a green light suddenly flew from behind. The pale green beam, like a laser, turned not only the upper bodies of the soldiers but also the walls of the passage into dust.

"Enemy attack! Take cover, everyone!"

"Take cover!"

When the commanding officer shouted, other soldiers quickly hid behind the debris of the collapsed sewer.

"Damn! What was that just now?"

"Sergeant! It's a plasma launcher!"

"What? Friendly fire?"

"The possibility is slim. The launcher is managed by a small computer."

That means they are being targeted and shot at by the enemy. The sergeant slightly pulled his head back from behind cover to confirm the enemy's appearance. In the darkness, the silver armor was certainly noticeable. Faced with the worst situation they didn't expect, he cursed.

"…Have those damn knights gone crazy? Why are they shooting at us?"

"They might have mistaken us for monsters or…"

"Wait and see."

Interrupting his subordinate's words, the sergeant shouted loudly from behind cover.

"Hey! We belong to the defense force! We're allies!"

His voice echoed in the sewer. As if in response to his words, the green light flashed again from the darkness on the other side.

"Son of a b*tch!"

The sergeant quickly threw himself into the sewage. The plasma beam barely missed his back.

"Sergeant!"

"You sons of b*tches!"

He didn't die, but unfortunately, his subordinate who was in cover with him couldn't escape that fate. The subordinate's body disintegrated along with the cover by the intense energy.

"We don't have enough firepower to fight the knights! I'll cover you, so everyone retreat!"

"Understood!"

While the squad leader fired a gauss rifle at the enemy, other soldiers emerged from cover and leaped into the darkness.

"It doesn't matter which team, just go and inform them! This knight is insane… Agh!"

A scream echoed from behind. It wasn't hard for the soldiers to imagine what had happened to their leader.

"Sergeant!"

"Damn, the sergeant was wrong! Run, you bastards!"

Among the remaining soldiers, the one with the highest rank led his comrades down the corridor. The sounds of splashing water in the silent ruins were filled with the soldiers' panting. With the death of their leader, their senses had become extremely sensitive. So, they could discern something alien mixed among the sounds of their footsteps.

"Ah!"

Following the scream, a loud splashing sound was heard. The soldier at the back of the team fell. The comrades quickly turned around, but he was instantly sucked into the water and disappeared. In his place, only a gauss rifle floated aimlessly.

"Damn!"

"Run!"

"Damn, damn, damn!"

The fleeing soldiers were almost out of their minds. Darkness, ambush, sudden death of comrades, and strangely unfavorable physical condition—all these factors turned well-trained soldiers into a disoriented group. In their heads, there was only the thought of staying alive. Perhaps because of this, after the sergeant's scream, the plasma beams didn't come flying anymore, but they didn't sense anything odd. After running for a while, they finally met with other team members.

"Who's there?"

"H-help me!"

"Huh? Why are you here? Wait, aren't you all from Team 3?"

The escaping group encountered a mixed-gender reconnaissance unit from Team 1, wearing gas masks and intermediate reinforced suits with knights in silver armor scattered among the soldiers.

"Eek!"

"Have they gone crazy as a group? Why are they suddenly like this?"

The escaping soldiers screamed in horror at the sight of the chaotic scene. While the defenders of Team 1 were perplexed by the disheveled state of the escapees, the crisis management manager appeared.

"What's going on?"

"These are members of Team 3's reconnaissance unit. They suddenly came here, and…"

"Manager! Please save us!"

"Hmm? Did you find it? Calm down and tell me."

The crisis management manager calmly questioned them. The escaping soldiers, who had somewhat stabilized, shouted while pointing at the knights.

"It's them! Those knights attacked us with plasma launchers!"

"What?"

"Three out of six have died! All because of the knights' attacks!"

Hearing this, the manager glanced at Vicus, the Vice commander of the knights. Vicus quickly managed his expression, but the manager didn't miss it. The emotion that briefly appeared on his face and then disappeared was closer to an embarrassment than surprise. It was as if his hidden secret had been exposed.

-x-X-x-

"What is happening? Please explain," the Crisis Management manager asked Vicus.

The words themselves didn't carry anything special, it was just a normal enquiry about the situation. However, the tone was that of an officer interrogating a criminal. The atmosphere among the members of the mixed search team from Unit 1 quickly turned chilly.

"Well, what do you mean?" Vicus evaded the question with a casual face, but his thoughts were far from simple.

'How is the situation unfolding? Could it be Yannick's doing?'

The soldiers present in the room, especially those led by Yannick in Team 4, were given a secret mission by Duke Denver.

Capture the monster.

In the process, if they encounter the defense force, eliminate them.

'Damn, it's inconvenient not being able to contact them directly. Yannick being reported as a reserve unit under Jacob of Unit 2 adds another layer to the complexity. To issue commands to Yannick, it has to go through Jacob, Yannick's direct superior.'

The establishment of such an intricate command structure wasn't a result of the Knights being naive. In case of an accident, it was designed to cut off mid-level commanders to prevent them from causing harm to their masters. For instance, in a situation like the one Vicus was facing now:

'No, I still don't know exactly what the situation is.'

There was no need to rush things and reach a census prematurely, even if Yannick's attack wasn't confirmed. Vicus spoke while removing the cigar, "What does that statement mean?"

"What?"

"Isn't it strange? They might have fled because they were scared of the monster and then falsely reported it."

The manager grimaced at Vicus' words. Understandably so, as Vicus' statement was a blatant insult to the Defense Fleet soldiers.

"We can't let that statement slide. Our Defense Forces are not of such low standards to be ridiculed like that."

"As I said, our Knights are the same. Trained to value comrades more than their own lives. Would we, who prioritize our comrades, attack the Defense Forces?"

The manager remained silent in response to Vicus' words, who was trying to pressure the manager.

If the fleeing soldier hadn't intervened in their conversation, his intent would likely have succeeded.

"Ah, no! Manager! The Knights attacked us with plasma launchers!"

Saying this, the soldier showed a neatly cut shoulder guard and a section of a Gauss rifle. There aren't many means capable of precisely destroying a reinforced combat suit like this, especially in the sewer system.

The manager squinted at Vicus with suspicion.

"Huh, the monster carries launchers around?"

"…."

"In the first place, the launcher receives shooting assistance from the embedded AI. The soldiers' information is registered, so it's designed to minimize damage to allies when shooting in the presence of friendly forces."

His words were true. The plasma launcher was one of the top-ranked weapons in MegaCorp's arsenal in terms of destructive power. Therefore, to prevent significant damage in case of accidental discharge or capture by enemies, various restrictions were placed on it. One of them was the shooting assistance system regulated by AI.

The launcher's AI can register soldiers' personal information. The registered data is stored in an encrypted state to prevent the launcher from shooting allies. To override this, a specific code known only by the commander must be entered to enforce a forced shooting command. A launcher which stores the information of the defense fleet soldiers cannot attack its allies. In other words, the launcher that attacked the soldiers was not a weapon possessed by the Defense Fleet but was most probably brought by others. The only others in the underground were the Eden Knights.

"Of course, the Vice commander of the Eden family must be aware, but I was just mentioning it."

"…Ahem."

Vicus, whose response was anticipated, cleared his throat. Originally, the plasma launcher was an improvement on the artillery mounted on warships. Vicus, who was from the renowned Eden family famous for ship development, was not unaware of this fact.

'Yannick! What on earth have you done?'

The reason for providing the launcher to Unit 4 was to break through the monster's tough exterior, not to shoot at the Defense Forces. The difference in armament between quantum levels was stark enough that even a plasma bolter alone could harm damage.

'…Should I clean up here?'

He wanted to call Jacob and confirm about the situation, but communication devices weren't functioning properly in the sewers. Even if he wanted to send a message from here, it would be problematic since the deputy leader would undoubtedly monitor their conversation.

'What should I do?' A careful assessment was needed, but there was neither time nor the situation for it. Vicus pondered. His contemplation ended abruptly with a green beam flying out of the darkness.

"Enemy ambush…!"

The soldier who tried to convey the information was incinerated into dust before finishing his words. Not only him, but also his nearby comrades were engulfed in a fiery energy mass. All the just-deceased individuals were Defense Fleet soldiers. As the fact that the enemy targeted only the soldiers became apparent, flames of rage flickered in the deputy leader's eyes.

"Vice commander Vicus!"

"Tch, everyone, prepare for combat."

As Vicus gave the command with a click of his tongue, the knights simultaneously drew their bolters. Now there was no turning back. Before the communication network was restored, they had no choice but to kill all the soldiers from the Defense Forces present in this location.

***

'Good. They're fighting fiercely.'

As the atmosphere seemed uncertain, I decided to provoke the situation further, and the enemies started fighting like madmen, as if they had been waiting for me to shoot the beam. While the knights were overwhelming in terms of armament, the soldiers outnumbered them. The knights massacred the soldiers with their bolters, and the soldiers fired tungsten rounds from cover.

'It's going tough with regular rounds.'

The advanced reinforced armor worn by the Eden knights nullified weight for enhanced defense. To stand a chance, they needed to switch to armor-piercing rounds.

'The issue is that the knights also have countermeasures.'

"Even-numbered squads, switch to armor-piercing rounds! Odd-numbered squads, provide cover!"

"All members deploy shields."

As soon as the Defense Forces commander shouted, the knights immediately responded. A faint violet wave emanated from the knights' right wrists, materializing into a rectangular-shaped shield. This true psychic shield, shaped like a violet suppression shield, was a genuine psychic shield provided as a standard option with the advanced reinforced armor.

'The psychic shield attached to the advanced reinforced armor isn't bad.'

Despite the humorous nickname MegaCorp users gave them, the psychic shields were potent protection against both physical and psychic attacks. They were on a different level than the fakes brought by the armored police in the previous fight in the apartment.

As the soldiers realized they couldn't penetrate the psychic shields with armor-piercing rounds unless they had AP rounds themselves, the defense force commander shouted, "Ready launchers, fire!"

"Oh no! Scatter, everyone!"

The firepower of the launcher could tear through the shields like paper. The defense force commander shouted, "Everyone deploy shields!"

The knights scattered to avoid the incoming fire. Despite the superior defense of the advanced reinforced armor, it was no different from paper against the beams of the launcher.

Before the knights could disperse, multiple launchers unleashed their beams. Most managed to evade, but some couldn't. Some knights lost half of their bodies, while others lost limbs.

"Argh!"

"Injured, fall back!"

Several knights carrying injured comrades approached.

'Should I step in now?'

I had two goals by doing this: sow chaos among the enemies and fake my own death.

'I need to intervene at the right time.'

The enemies weren't fools. To deceive both those present and those above, I needed to show them getting hit by the enemy's attack and me dying.

For that, it would be best if as many people as possible witnessed my death.

While waiting for the right moment, a beam aimed at the knights flew towards me.

'This should be enough.'

Emerging from the darkness, I threw the corpse of a knight who had already died by my tentacles into the path of the beam.

The corpse directly met the beam and oxidized instantly.

Now, only I knew that the corpse was already dead, its neck broken by my tentacles.

A knight carrying an injured comrade shouted, "Our ally got hit!"

He seemed to have only seen the sight of his oxidizing comrade, not noticing my presence.

'It seems like he didn't see me. If he didn't see me, I should let him know.'

I charged forward, using my head to knock him down.

Even with sturdy armor, my powerful charge and the sharp horns protruding from my head were something they couldn't withstand. The two horns pierced through the knight's side.

"Argh?!"

The knight emitted a brief scream, filled with blood. With the knight impaled, I lifted my head, shaking it.

The penetrating wounds in the knight's abdomen widened, and the horns were soaked in bright red blood. Another knight saw my appearance and shouted.

"The creature has appeared!"

I threw the knight who had turned into a pinwheel due to my head shake into the distance, and then I swung my tail broadly, scattering spike hairs randomly. They embedded in the knights' reinforced armor, and some even reached the soldiers hiding in cover.

"It's a mons…ster?!"

"Don't panic! He's the target we were searching for! Concentrate all firepower on him!"

The initially bewildered soldiers quickly regained composure under the seasoned command of their leader. Though the armor-piercing rounds they fired showered over me, my body is currently dual-reinforced, with both physical enhancement type and a fully organic structure. While the outer layer was gradually being pierced, there were no fatal injuries.

The soldiers' target switched to me, but not the knights. A knight who seemed like the commander shouted.

"Those in the rear, contain him; the rest, clean up the Defense Forces."

"Vice Commander Vicus! Are you insane?"

"He must not be handed over to them. We must capture him alive, no matter what."

The Defense Forces commander, bewildered by the statement from the knight commander, referred to as Vice Commander Vicus, shouted in disbelief.

'Huh?'

Hearing that, I paused for a moment.

Not to be handed over to them? It didn't imply any intention to assist me, especially judging by the knights ready to unleash their bolters on me.

'Let's think about this.'

Pretending to be dead was temporarily put on hold. While avoiding the pouring flames, I pondered.

'They must know I'm not an easy opponent. Why would they want to capture me alive?'

"Die… Ugh?!"

I dodged a knight swinging a Blade Claw and seized him with combat arms. Then, I threw him into the path of the incoming green beam.

The knight made bewildered sounds and lost his right upper body to the beam.

'What can they gain with my physical body?'

Having dealt with one knight, I submerged underwater and laid low.

The soldiers were shouting, trying to find where I had gone. The sound was faintly audible.

At that moment, a submerged corpse came into view. The face of a man, who had lost half of his upper body. It was the knight I had thrown into the plasma beam a while ago.

Despite losing half his face, the broken helmet revealed a strikingly handsome appearance.

A genetically modified human created only with superior genes, as expected.

'Genetically modified knights… Genes…Oh?'

"He's here!"

The knights discovered me, and their shouts echoed as they fired bolters into the water. I quickly moved away from that spot.

'Are they targeting my genes?'

Why did it only occur to me now?

I had been assuming that the Eden family wouldn't have much interest in genetic modification since I had been thinking within the framework of the MegaCorp game settings.

I believed that genetic modification and Hulk mutants were exclusively the domains of the Yujin family.

'But this is reality.'

Genes were handled solely by the Yujin family, and warships were exclusively Eden's responsibility, but this was reality here; there was no enforced system like in the game.

I was evolving, breaking out of the game's constraints and understanding the reality.

The plot twist was long overdue.

The Eden knights I devoured were all genetically modified humans. In the game, they were randomly generated NPC mercenaries, occasionally including non-human species like Bolters or Cultists, but the basic foundation was that they were all human.

'In the game, you could just redraw until you got the desired NPC, but here it's reality.'

The knights were humans appropriately processed under the command of the Eden family's patriarch. They were humans modified for combat by incorporating genes from various creatures, commonly known as Hulk mutants.

'Eden's patriarch is extending beyond the domain of the Yujin family.'

In the eyes of the Eden family, I would be a genetically diverse entity with various traits, ripe for valuable research.

"Argh!"

Having snapped the neck of another knight, I reached a conclusion. The knights from the sewers and the Defense Forces had subtly different goals. While both aimed to eliminate the threat I posed to the city's security, there was a distinction in the specific methods to achieve this.

The knights' objective was to capture me alive or at least leave my corpse intact. This way, they could conduct research on my physical form.

'Attacking the Defense Forces is probably because they don't want to hand over the corpse to them or the T&C behind them.'

If T&C knew that I, a valuable research subject for the Eden family, was being targeted, they would likely attempt negotiations. Although the two families were currently cooperating, it was an alliance with the underlying tension of potential future competition. If necessary, they would try to exploit any weaknesses in each other.

'I fought too fiercely from the beginning…'

Who would've thought there would be such intricacies behind the scenes?

'Actually, it worked out well.'

Originally, I planned to feign death in front of the enemies and secretly escape this place. However, now I had a choice.

'Should I escape under the control of the Eden family, or should I go to the T&C family?'

If I were to annihilate any one of the two forces present, it would naturally create an opportunity for the other side to claim my 'corpse.'

'If I go with the Eden family, I'll likely end up in their battleship's lab.'

In that case, I could seize a ship and escape the city.

'But the problem is, I don't know how tight the security measures inside their battleship are.'

A battleship is much more secure than a research vessel ship. Moreover, considering they planned to capture me secretly, there's a high chance they would take my 'corpse' to the family patriarch's flagship, where the lab is situated.

'If it's the flagship, security will be even more stringent.'

Even though the fights that I had so far were challenging, dealing with a battleship would be much tougher.

'Then, what about T&C?'

Judging by the current situation, the Defense Forces here seem to know little about me.

'But after the battle ends and they calm down, they'll probably understand the situation roughly.'

'Something essential in me is drawing the attention of the Eden family. Even to the extent of committing murder and aggression against their own allies.'

Although the two families are currently working together, there's an underlying relationship of competition that may lead to conflict again. If necessary, they will try to exploit any areas where they can outsmart each other.

'How should I proceed?'

Time is running out. If I delay further, the Defense Forces might be wiped out before I make a decision.

Bullets and plasma beams saturated the area around me as I finally made a decision.