Chapter 2386 - ESM 55

298

-x-X-x-

After the Heavenly Mother returned, we prepared to leave the planet.

Adhai was the last one to catch a lot of prey with me. This was to ensure that the Gallagons could eat their fill for a while.

Meanwhile, PS-111 departed first to Gigacracker with the remaining four, leaving only one Mini Screamer on the Screamer support ship. The lone Mini Screamer decided to take on the management and repairs of the support ship.

Mother Sky was responsible for transporting the four mini screamers and PS-111. The sight of her sighing deeply was something she really didn't want to do, but she eventually accepted it.

The Gallagons were quite sad to hear that we were leaving.

In particular, the Gallagons in charge of childcare were very sad when they heard the news that No. 26 was leaving. It's probably because they know that if he's gone, it'll be that much harder for them.

Ham Ort also seemed sad that his daughter was leaving on a long journey again. Aadhai must have felt the same way, spending time with his mother from the time the hunt ended until he left.

After cleaning up for a day, we returned to Giga Cracker.

When I entered Gigacracker's situation room, I was greeted by a device I had never seen before.

It looked like a miniaturized obelisk, but was about 1m long. The color of the exterior was bright silver and had geometric patterns engraved on it.

'Cult's interstellar communicator?'

Cults with a keen interest in geometry often reflect their tastes when creating special equipment or ships. However, this is my first time seeing an interstellar communication device like this.

'Has it been improved?'

If you look at the lower part, which should have been empty originally, there were several port holes. Currently, the cables and wires inside the situation room were connected there.

"It's an item that was sold on the black market, so it operates with power other than psychic power."

Sky's mother, who returned as a beast doll, explained as if she had read my question.

[Zuzuzuzu zuzu zuzuzu (It looks different from what I remember)]

｢Yes. It's a model modified based on a cult-style interstellar communication device."

From the looks of it, it looks like the entire communication device itself was taken from storage.

[Zuzuzzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzuzu (Didn't you go to contact me?)]

｢I guess you could say that's what I expected, but things got a little complicated.｣

She frowned slightly at my question.

"I kept contacting them right after I arrived, but there was no answer from them. If you see that the signal is going, it doesn't mean it's broken."

[Zuzuz zu zuzuzuzu (I guess I'm not receiving communication)]

"So, let's check it another way."

[Zuzzu zu (another way?)]

"Yes. Location sharing function has been added between linked devices. "

Location coordinate analysis completed. "I will launch a hologram."

A huge hologram appeared in the middle of the situation room along with the voice of PS-111, who was working next to the communicator.

The territory of the cult empire was realized in video, filling the situation room. A hologram containing a vast territory expanded around a certain point. It started with star systems, expanded to star planets, and even city units inside planets, and then stopped.

"This is planet Berzan01 in the Aurora star system."

｢Berzan 01? " It's there?"

"Do you know?"

Ouro99's Berzan 01. One of the Empire's most prosperous planets, it is famous for two things.

'The largest branch of the Society of Prophets is there.'

The original headquarters of the Prophet's Association was not Berzan 01, but a desert planet called 'Guardian'.

However, it is close to the center in a cultural and historical sense, and the place with real power is Berzan 01. The Eye of Revelation Priests, a military group belonging to the Society of Prophets, are also stationed in Berzan 01.

[Zuzuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzuzu (22nd place wasn't Coldblood? That's surprising)]

｢That's right, but how did this happen?｣

In the cult empire, most Coldbloods are treated as cultists or criminals. His image is worse than that of Wolf, who treats him like a slave.

Such a person is hiding in a place in the empire where religious influence is so strong that it can be felt within one's fingers.

'So it's dark under the lamp?'

Now that I think about it again, it's not entirely strange. Even coldbloods have ways of operating secretly.

Another characteristic of Berzan 01, where the largest branch of the Society of Prophets is located, is that it is the planet with the most active slave trade in the empire. If you disguise yourself as a slave, entering the planet itself is not difficult.

'How we will function after that is a separate issue.'

I've also been to Berzan 01 a few times in the game. I once went to an adult planet, but I remember that it was quite difficult to conquer the planet.

As soon as the rampage begins on the planet, a powerful military group, the Eye of Revelation Priests, a huge garrison, and a large number of cult players pop out from everywhere. Plus, the planet's defense facilities are a bonus.

'If we want to fight now, we can fight, but there's a catch.'

7th place cult ranker Beomho.

In the game, Berzan 01 is one of the main points of the cult. If I were a bastard, I would probably have established a force in Berzan 01 as well.

'It'll be difficult if you go and run into them.'

Unlike games, if you die in real life, it's over. It is best to avoid an all-out war until you have sufficient information.

"You can't take giga crackers. "If you go there, there will literally be a war."

said Heavenly Mother, who thought similarly to me. As she said, if you bring weapons that destroy the planet, it will be war. If the entire planet falls into chaos, the chances of meeting the 22nd place drop, and if you are not careful, you may collude with the 7th place. Even if I were 22nd, I wouldn't feel like talking to Amov with the Gigacracker in tow.

"So, are you planning on taking over the new ship?"

I kept my mouth shut in response to PS-111's question.

Actually, there is one ship. A cult pirate ship that I rode until I got the Gigacracker. The ship remains on the dwarf planet that Gigacracker was trying to mine.

'No, there might not be any left.'

By now, the previous owner, St. K, is probably searching everywhere to find the missing super weapon. I would have already checked the star system that Gigacracker was in before it disappeared, so I would have found the ship I left behind. It is very likely that the boat was recovered.

'But it's also difficult to get a new ship.'

Berzan 01's surveillance is quite strict, so you must choose carefully which ships to rob.

If it's a ship that has visited the planet often, it might be okay, but if it's a ship that has never visited, it's nine times out of ten.

However, it is not easy to manipulate the port guards and get through it like when robbing Kesha Arma. Berzan 01 is a planet with a population that is incomparably larger than that of a fortress, so the number of guards is also high. It would be nice to be able to dominate them all, but unfortunately, it is impossible.

'It's trickier than I thought.'

Of course, the hidden planet is the famous Berzan 01, so it is quite difficult to infiltrate. Even in the game, a lot of preparation was needed to attack that area.

'As I became an adult, my body grew bigger and I also have giga crackers. Should I just go with the regular method?'

In the game, you had to attack it alone without any tools, but isn't it different here? There may be a 7th place out there, but I don't know if that's really the case.

While I was wondering if I was overthinking it, another idea suddenly occurred to me.

'Because of the size of the body.'

Metallic Gremlins, known as space marauders, are considered the natural enemies of ships. Their notoriety is not due to them moving around in groups. If that were the case, the 'group' rather than the individual would have been infamous.

I know how they break through sophisticated radar and invade ships. This is because I, too, learned their methods as a sub-adult and infiltrated space cities and planets several times.

[How long does it take to get to Berzan 01 from here?]

"With Gigacracker's engine performance, it will arrive within two weeks."

[Zuzu zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu (How long do you think it would take if I go there myself?]

"If you analyze the data accumulated so far, it is confirmed to be between 3 and 5 weeks."

[Zuzu (Okay)]

Execute the plan in mind. To do this, you need a few characteristics. It's not bad if it's about a month until Berzan 01.

｢Going in person? What are you going to do?｣

[Zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzu (I'm trying to go the old way after a long time)]

｢…I have a bad feeling. It costs.」

[zuzuzu zuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzuzu (How many times did you have interstellar communication? Was it 5?)]

"Are you planning on taking MPS-05?"

I put my fighting arm on the floor. MPS A mini screamer named -05 was placed in the palm of my hand.

[Zuzuzu zuzzzuzuzuzu (Yes, I will have to borrow this guy's power)] It

was instilled with characteristics other than those related to combat. Interstellar communication. This is to ensure that the function can be supported efficiently.

'To accomplish this plan, we need PS-111's help.' To be

exact, 'PS-111's.'

I looked at MPS-05 calmly looking up at me from the palm of my hand. Laughed.

–

The 'Surveillance Office' of the Aur star system that Berzan 02 belongs to.

The role of the Watch Office is to record the energy flow of super-light power emitted by ships entering the system. If an unrecorded energy flow occurs or causes a problem, It is a device installed in case a ship escapes at faster than light speeds.

Today, the personnel of the Observatory were busy monitoring the numerous ships traveling to and from the Aur system. The sudden occurrence of an

unrecorded flow of energy was not surprising to them. It was not something special. Dispatching a fleet belonging to the Surveillance Agency to a place where energy was observed was also a common occurrence. "

Approaching the point where faster-than-light navigation occurred."

"It should have been observed at this point. Knowledge Manager?"

"Hmm. "It can't be observed properly because of the powerful magnetic field."

"Magnetic field? Is it from another star system?"

"I'm not sure. We'll continue to try to analyze the information."

An elite fleet under the Surveillance Office is in an area where an unidentified magnetic field is spreading. It's getting closer.

In the situation room inside the ship, cult crew members were imaging records taken by the ship's external cameras and data from the surveillance radar and floating them in the air.

Meanwhile, Charas, a knowledge manager dispatched from the Surveillance Office, was quickly organizing the information in his head. Even when I thought about the wavelength data emitted by stars, nothing special came out.

Fortunately, it was not an example of stellar activity that showed a similar wave pattern. That was the wavelength observed during an event that occurred on a certain planet.

'The Saigil 08 disaster?'

She recalled that incident, which is still often talked about as ominous.

At that time, the Judge and Mother Battle Group of the imperial carrier Damos 08, which were dispatched to purify the contamination, were destroyed by an unidentified entity. The Imperial Diet named the monster the 'Three-Headed Demon'.

And the wavelength observed by the surveillance office was similar to the unknown energy storm that the monster was emitting.

'…there are quite a few differences. 'What should I do with this?'

In fact, the wavelengths were not completely the same. What was observed at the time was close to a type of energy storm created by the condensation of a large amount of energy. Although the stream of waves emitted with the energy storm was similar to the observed wavelengths, that was it.

Currently, there are no giant energy storms or monsters recorded at the time here.

'According to the report submitted by the Imperial Council, it is incapable of flight.'

The Aur star system here is incredibly far away from the star system where the holy site Saigil 08 is located. Even if you could fly, getting all the way here is physically impossible. What if we could travel faster than the speed of light?

"First, we confirmed several results that matched the wavelength. However, it is difficult to say for sure, so we are requesting the Monitoring Office to review."

"Hmm, there's no harm in being cautious. I know."

"It enters the area of the magnetic field."

As we entered the suddenly generated magnetic field, the lights inside the ship flickered for a moment. Although it was rare, this kind of thing did not happen at all, so no one among the crew was shaken. The same was true for not only the ship Charas was on, but also other ships.

After restoring the ship's systems in an instant, they reached the point where a large amount of energy was generated, that is, the place where faster-than-light travel took place.

Cameras that are less affected by magnetic fields as well as warrior unit members who can use search-related psychic power technology were mobilized, but nothing special could be found.

"There is nothing. "That's strange."

"What are you going to do?"

"Has this phenomenon been fully reported to the surveillance office?"

"yes. "It is currently under review."

"It would be better for some of the ships to remain here, just in case. "I will contact the other ships directly for this."

As the captain attempted to contact the other ship, a new image appeared in the situation room. It was an image floated by the person in charge of the ship's shield.

"Ship shield restored to normal at 99.9%. "It hit something small."

"What is the size of the colliding object?"

"Less than 5m."

"It looks like a piece of rock floating around."

Perhaps by coincidence, the magnetic field that had spread over a wide area gradually faded after the collision was reported.

After the abnormal phenomenon subsided, the order issued by the surveillance office was a return order. It was understood to be a natural phenomenon, but in order to prevent an unexpected situation, only some were left behind and the rest were to return.

The incident of sudden magnetic field generation came to an abrupt end.

-x-X-x-

'It was close.'

I almost got caught. Thanks to good timing, I was able to board the battleship.

I've sneaked into the game to attack Berzan 02 before, but I've never searched this thoroughly before.

'Plus, the detection system has been upgraded.'

They tried to break through the 'dark curtain' using all kinds of detection equipment and psychic power technology. If I had stayed in the adult state, there was a high possibility that I would have caught it.

While the dark curtain was disrupting the enemy's detection net, I used the trait 'Organic Evolution' to transform my body into a completely different form. It is a 'clever weakling' that reduces its body to less than 5m and provides a stealth effect.

'Is this the first time you've become an adult and turned into a clever weakling?'

I checked my body condition while hanging on the outer wall of a large warship.

Previously, when he transformed into a clever weakling, his body shape was similar to that of a centaur. Even after transformation after becoming an adult, the approximate form was similar. Except for the two fighting arms and the small chest arm, the remaining arms became legs, and the entire body was covered with shaggy fur.

The difference is first of all the head and neck. The necks, which were long before transformation, have shrunk significantly. In particular, the two heads on either side were so close to the shoulders that the neck was barely visible.

The common shape of the heads is that the occipital carapace area is greatly reduced. Only the head carapace was lost, but the auxiliary organs under the chin and the tusk horns remained. The monster's tentacles on the neck and back of the head mixed with the fur and flowed down like ponytails.

The only part that has changed other than the head is the tail.

Like the head, there were still two, but the thickness became thinner and the length became shorter. The biocannon attached to the left tail also disappeared and took the form of a snake's tail. The pincer tail on the right remained reduced in size.

'Once inside the shield…'

I returned the shape of the horn I used to pierce the shield to its original shape. The pointed horns on the head, resembling those of Gallagon, changed into a curved and rough shape. It was the effect of a 'variable biological weapon' that could change body parts as desired.

'Because Gallagon's horn nullifies the psychic shield.'

Thanks to this, even with his small body, he could easily pierce the shield.

'If I had transformed and lost my horns, I would have been in real trouble.'

The only traits that cannot be used while in smart weak state are 'Nightmare Horizon', 'Complex Spectral Body', 'Black Devourer Cannon', and 'Medusa Organ'. In addition to this, due to the disappearance of wings-like parts of the body, characteristics related to faster-than-light navigation were also banned.

The same goes for variable biological weapons. Since the head carapace has been greatly reduced and the wings have disappeared, it cannot be replaced with Ice Horror's head carapace or Gallagon's wings.

'There is a part that cannot be changed, but where is it?'

As I was checking the horns that had returned to their original state, the Mother of Heaven quietly lifted her head from under my legs.

｢Do you know what happens if you get caught in the middle of the shield when it is restored?｣

[Zuzuzu Zuzuzu (cut off)]

｢You may survive even if your body is cut off, but that's the end for me, right?｣

Taking the form of a griffon beast, she is the fleet's detection system. To avoid it, it came in hiding between my four legs.

[Zuz, zuzu, zuzu (I was lucky)]

｢Lucky? I heard you calculated it earlier?"

[Zuz, zuzu, zuzu, zuzu, zuzu, zuzu (That's what they say. Let's move slowly.)]

"Ugh."

She glanced at me with her captivating amber eyes and crawled under my body again.

So we moved close to the outer wall, keeping our breath in sync.

The effect of 'Unknown Creature's Fur', a clever weakling's perk, is to provide a hiding effect through the long fur on the entire body.

Since she had no stealth skills, I had to cover and protect her while moving. If she stepped out of her long fur, she would be caught by the ship's external cameras, so she had no choice but to move slowly.

[Zuzuzuzzuzu(Isn't it frustrating?)]

｢It's okay. Are you really uncomfortable?」

[Zuzu (not really)]

She plans to move around like a beast doll for a while. I brought the necessary equipment to make up for my lack of combat power. The backpack she carries on her back contains the priest's golden spear and MPS-05.

Thanks to this, the short folded spear stabbed the inside of my front leg, but it wasn't enough to bother me.

She and I walk together between the black sky and the ivory earth.

One of the unique features of cult ships is their ornate decorations and beautiful colors. The characteristics of a typical cult ship were also reflected in the ship we boarded. The hull, made of Moonsilver alloy, shined vividly in ivory color, and its surface was full of geometric patterns.

That pattern was not created simply for decoration. It's only on the outside, but if you look inside, you'll find it's full of mechanical parts. The cult ship's decorations are a type of functional device installed to amplify the ship's psychic power capabilities, such as shields.

'Including external cameras.'

Avoiding the lenses disguised with complex patterns, I continued to look for a passageway into the ship.

'It should be around here.'

While walking with my body lowered, I discovered a slightly protruding part of my auxiliary organ.

'found.'

On the outside, it looked no different from any other exterior wall, but an empty space was detected inside. This is the space where the anti-aircraft guns needed to deal with small ships are placed.

'Let's go in here first.'

I transformed my right arm into that of a Hellside Hornet. The joints of the arm were twisted and the four fingers were crumpled and sucked into the carapace. Next, a bone resembling a huge sickle protruded from where the palm had been.

The Hellside Hornet's scythe, boasting terrifying sharpness, is now in my hands. Then, the tip of the sickle was driven into the inside of the protruding part.

Small sparks appear in the plywood covering the anti-aircraft guns, revealing cracks. I put my front leg and left arm into the gap and opened it wide.

Even though I was having a hard time, it was enough space for Heavenly Mother to enter. She read what I meant and quickly jumped inside.

After letting her in, I forced the plywood open and went inside. As soon as I let go, the plywood closed automatically.

The first thing I saw when I entered the ship was a gun the size of my body. The next thing I saw was the dazed face of the cult gunner beyond the gun barrel.

He was staring blankly at me and the Heavenly Mother. Seeing that he was holding a cup in his hand, it looked like he had just come back from the gun room for a break.

"I…!"

Sharp emotions return to his widened eyes and his body resumes movement.

A cup containing a drink falls from the cultist's hand. His hand moves up to grab something instead of a cup. He was trying to put the headphone-type communication device that was hanging on the horn of a goat into his ear.

At that time, the Mother of Heaven hurled out the priest's golden spear at lightning speed. A golden javelin pierced his throat, and the only sound that came out of his mouth was the sound of wind.

"…her!"

His suffering did not last long. I beheaded him with my sickle-armed right arm and lifted his head. I removed the communicator from the horn and swallowed the remaining head.

"No. 15 naval gun. "What's going on?"

I answered into the low-pitched communicator.

"it's nothing. "It appears that the protective wall has malfunctioned."

｢Malfunction?｣

"The shield was damaged when it was hit by an incoming meteorite."

"Right. First, report it to the knowledge manager.

"I understand."

After roughly finishing the conversation, I shut down the communicator.

Heavenly Mother, who was next to me, breathed a sigh of relief.

"I never thought I would run into the gunner when I came in."

"So."

I started eating the headless corpse to destroy the evidence.

Perhaps because it has three heads, the food in its hands disappears in an instant. No trace was left where the cult shooter was.

"What did you call a mimicry organ? "That's always creepy."

"How useful is this?"

"…I won't say anything. Anyway, since it arrived, take it."

"Thank you."

She took out a mini screamer about twice the size of a human face from her backpack. Named MPS-05, its body contains interstellar communication devices separated from the Screamer support ship.

'That's why he's a little bigger than the other kids.'

However, it was impossible, no matter how small, to completely implant a communication device into this small body. It was never easy to send a signal to Gigacracker across dozens or hundreds of star systems.

So, the kids are currently hiding not in Giga Cracker, but in an asteroid in a star system adjacent to the Aur star system. This is because he calculated that communication with the Mini Screamer would be possible at that distance.

I returned my arm back to normal and was handed a mini screamer.

The one with her eyes closed like a princess from a fairy tale. The reason there is no reaction at all is because it has entered a dormant state.

Thanks to the implantation of interstellar communication functions, MPS-05 can move by receiving commands from a distant main body. However, if you do such a thing inside the ship, there is a high possibility that it will be caught by enemies due to the radio waves generated by its body.

To prevent this, I ported two characteristics to MPS-05.

'Neural junctions and wavelength mimicry.'

The environmental adaptation characteristic, 'wavelength imitation', was something I originally possessed, and 'neural junction' is an internal organ characteristic I acquired again while exploring the underground kingdom of Gallagon. If I didn't have these two characteristics, I wouldn't have thought of bringing him over.

I acted the way PS-111 told me in advance.

'Connect the circuit first and then apply power.'

When I tore off the chair in front of the anti-aircraft gun, I could see cables neatly organized under the plywood. I separated some of it with the small arm of the chest and connected it to the port on the back of the MPS-05's head.

'And then…'

While I was working, Heavenly Mother kept watch to see if anyone else came nearby.

After attaching a bunch of cable mechanisms to the guy's body, I put my finger in his mouth.

Unlike humans, when I pressed the manual switch inside its dry mouth, MPS-05 began to tremble.

"Is it done?"

"I said I would have to wait."

He and I set up the neural junction to automatically activate when energy is supplied to the MPS-05. The reason it trembles is because its body is being adjusted to the ship's equipment.

'I will prepare wavelength imitation along with him.'

By analyzing and imitating various types of signals and radio waves generated from the ship, it is possible to prevent communication with the outside world. Unless the Mechanical Committee directly analyzes all signals, it is nearly impossible to find signals from those that imitate wavelengths.

'As long as he has this trait, he won't get caught.'

After waiting for about 10 minutes, the guy opened his eyes. The eye with the red camera lens blinked a few times and captured the image of Mother Sky and me.

"peristalsis. check."

"It's a success."

"Is this really happening?"

"Because he's a special guy."

"Special! Special!"

This completes the preliminary preparations for the Berzan 02 infiltration operation.

Now, all that's left is to search through the information stored on the ship and find a ship that can safely enter Berzan 02.

There are two elements needed for this.

'Computer hacking and….'

Knowledge manager. he needs it

A knowledge manager, a position that only exists in a cult, is a living computer and a treasure trove of knowledge. In particular, a knowledge manager aboard a ship monitoring the star system would know a lot about Berzan 02's defense system.

'Plus, you might be able to get information about the planet's internal situation.'

What are the weaknesses, what enemies or elements should I be concerned about, and is there anything different from the game?

All of this information is essential for conquering the planet. Right now, I'm here to meet number 22, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to know the strategy in advance.

"I'll leave the computer part to you. Please take care of me."

"Leave it to me. possible."

The next target for me and the Mother of Heaven is the knowledge manager aboard the ship.

-x-X-x-

In a cult society, a knowledge manager is a position with a fairly high status.

The role of the knowledge manager is to assist the captain and help the ship complete its mission safely.

In order to perform their given roles, they have acquired knowledge across a wide range of areas. In addition, I learned psychic skills to exchange that knowledge with other knowledge managers.

Although it is a cult with strong psychic power abilities, becoming a knowledge manager was not an easy task. Only through hard work over a long period of time can one achieve the honor of carrying out a sacred task.

Because of that, knowledge manager is a very prestigious position, regardless of its importance. The rank itself is lower than that of a captain or warrior leader, but it is no less inferior to them in terms of stature.

Charas, a knowledge manager belonging to the Aur System Surveillance Office, also earned the respect of the ship's crew. Because thanks to her, the ship escaped danger more than once.

However, contrary to the perception of the flight attendants, Charas did not attach much importance to his job. For her, becoming a knowledge manager was one of the gateways she passed through during her long life.

Her ultimate goal is to become a member of the Imperial Parliament.

That was the only way for her to become a member of the National Assembly, as she had no faction and only had ordinary goat horns.

'It's not long now.'

Since boarding the ship belonging to the Observatory's elite fleet, she has made numerous achievements. Perhaps thanks to that, a few months ago, I received an offer from the Providence faction, one of the prominent factions of Berzan 02.

If you are interested in the future of the empire, wouldn't you agree with them?

'If you're a fan of providence, it's not a bad start.'

The Providence Sect suffered a significant blow after Jason, the leader of the Providence Sect, was overthrown for taking responsibility for the 'Saigil 08 disaster'. However, recently, talk about the great invasion of Outspacers began to emerge in the National Assembly, and the Providence faction gained strength again.

The core ideology of the Providence faction is that strong force must be actively used to serve Providence and protect the security of the empire. They are opposed to the revolutionary faction that advocates disarmament, and they gain power as the empire becomes more unstable.

From Charas's perspective, the future of the Providence faction looked quite promising. In fact, looking at the information gathered while performing the duties of a knowledge manager, not only the empire but the entire universe was in a state before the storm.

The destruction of Megacorp's space city, Star Union's military provocation, and the recent crash of 'Kesha Arma'. Unprecedented events are happening in a short period of time.

The point is that when the universe becomes chaotic, the providential faction, which advocates the realization of providence using force, gains strength. It is highly likely that the Providence faction will continue to be strong for some time.

'It's a benefit to me as a rookie who needs meaningful political experience.'

She took in the rosy future for a moment and then got back to work.

Currently, the ship she was on was waiting at the point where an unidentified magnetic field occurred. This was to check immediately if an abnormality occurred again.

Apart from the mission the ship received, the Observatory gave her another mission. We are reviewing the information she sent regarding its connection to the 'three-headed devil', so please continue to organize and send the information.

After working non-stop for several hours, her work was done. The organized information was also reported to the surveillance office using transmission techniques that only knowledge managers can learn.

'Should I go out and drink something?'

My head was pounding, perhaps because of the excessive use of psychic power. In this case, the Berzan 02 style cocktail is perfect.

Charas left the room, imagining the sweet taste of the cocktail. I have no regrets about this ship, but the only thing I was disappointed with was the delicious cocktails served at the ship's bar.

After passing through a hallway decorated with geometric shapes and arriving at an unmanned bar, she ordered her favorite Berzan 02-style cocktail.

Could it be that I was exhausted from the heavy workload? Or was it because of the headache? She drank more cocktails than usual. Thanks to this, I was able to leave the bar feeling refreshed instead of having a headache.

Now that the headache is gone, all that remains is to go back to the room and sleep.

'ah.'

Except for one thing.

'You said you were hit by a meteorite earlier, right?'

I heard a story from the situation room in the afternoon. It is said that a meteorite hit the outer wall of gun number 15, causing the protective wall to malfunction. In fact, there was no report from the gunner in question, so I forgot about it.

'It's annoying…'

It's highly likely that the ship's technicians have already taken care of it by now, but it's still a good idea to check. There shouldn't be any noise until you enter the Providence Sect.

She turned around and headed to the 'Shield Management Center', which manages the ship's protective walls and shields. If the organization that engages in close combat with the enemy on board is the warrior corps, the shield management office is the organization that protects the ship itself.

She walked down the hallway leading to the Shield Management Center with slightly disheveled steps.

It was the same at the bar, but there were no flight attendants in the hallway. This is because many of the crew members went to sleep.

"…."

The hallway is no different from when I went to the bar earlier. It was the same as the hallway she usually walked through, with only a different geometric pattern.

But she felt anxiety creeping up her spine.

As a knowledge manager, she knows everything about every nook and cranny of this ship. Cameras are installed inside the unique patterns on the hallway walls.

She does not know that she is being monitored in real time in the situation room. Still, an unknown ominous feeling was stabbing her head like an awl.

Something terrible lurks beyond the brightly lit hallway.

When I thought that, I sobered up as if I had poured cold water all over my body.

'Something is wrong.'

Charas is a cult that has learned various psychic techniques. I know very well that this feeling cannot happen for no reason.

She immediately traced the decorative patterns on the wall. There was a clicking sound, the shape of the pattern changed, and a small communication device popped out. It is a communication device directly connected to the 'ship surveillance team' that manages the cameras in the hallway.

"This is the middle of the hallway leading to the Shield Management Center. "Is there anyone in this hallway?"

"This is the shipboard surveillance team. Currently, the knowledge manager is alone in the hallway. "No one came since two hours ago."

"Two hours ago?"

"yes. Is there a problem?"

"no. it's okay."

"We will keep a close eye on you just in case."

"Thank you for your consideration. I hope you have a good night.

I was able to feel at ease only after hearing confirmation from the ship's surveillance team that there was no one else in this hallway except her. Unless the cameras throughout the hallway are broken, what they say is probably true.

The anxiety that was weighing down her spine was gone, but this time a new problem tormented her.

'What is this smell?'

A smell I had never smelled before in my life was permeating the air.

It was something strange that is difficult to describe in words. A foul odor permeated my nose and mouth, as if insubstantial insects were trying to burrow into my body.

The closer we got to the Shield Management Center, the stronger the foul smell became.

'…I have to check quickly and go back.'

The alcohol was almost gone. She almost ran towards the Shield Management Center.

Fortunately, other than the smell, there were no other abnormalities. She reached her destination safely.

When I opened the door, the lights inside glowed brightly, recognizing the new visitor. As the ship's surveillance team said, all the technicians had left work two hours ago, so there was no one inside.

She quickly checked the computer. I quickly checked the shield and protective wall, but there was nothing particularly problematic. The technicians seemed to have taken care of the fact that gunner number 15 did not report it.

'I don't know who it is, but I'll be reprimanded tomorrow…'

She was about to shut down the computer after having a hard time because of shooter number 15.

At that moment, I heard a sound in my ears.

"!"

Startled, she quickly turned her head. Under the bright lights, nothing was visible except the deactivated cult-style computers.

"I heard it wrong… inhalation?!"

Just as I was about to think I heard wrong, I heard that sound again. It was similar to the sound of several small metal skewers hitting the floor.

Charas realized that it was the sound made when something with many strong legs crawled across the metal plate.

she saw An object bigger than the head of the cult slipped out between the computers, playing with its long legs.

'Well, I guess I saw it wrong, right?'

She swallowed her saliva and focused her psychic power on her hands. If he showed up again, I was planning to shoot him right away.

"…!"

Then I heard a sound. A black shadow with many legs passed between the computers.

'We have to get out now!'

Not everyone who is a knowledge manager learns excellent combat skills. She knew that fact better than anyone else and quickly ran towards the door.

But suddenly, the computer close to the door fell forward for no reason. She immediately fired the psychic technique she was preparing, 'Psychic Impact', at the computer.

The psychic impact disappeared in the air along with the sound of air exploding. At the same time, someone came out from behind the computer with both hands raised.

"Don't shoot!"

Charas almost screamed when he saw the cult man appear in an unexpected place.

"you are?"

"I am the gunner in charge of the ship's guns."

"Maybe number 15?"

"Yes yep! I came in earlier to take care of it before Knowledge Manager Ji came. I was about to leave after finishing everything, but the department manager…."

A cultist who introduces himself as gunner number 15. As he said, he was wearing a gunnery uniform in charge of naval gunfire.

"You can't believe they're trying to handle it this way without even making an official report. "Are you out of your mind?"

"I think I was immature because I just became a gunner. sorry."

"It's no use apologizing to me. I will begin disciplinary proceedings tomorrow morning…"

Before I could finish speaking, the sound of a strange creature was heard. Her and gunner number 15's heads simultaneously turned in the direction of the sound.

"What did you just say? "Have you heard anything?"

Is it because I have more colleagues around me? Charas' thoughts changed slightly.

'If we take care of the problem here…'

Instead of contacting the ship's surveillance team, she decided to use this stupid cult to solve the problem.

He had sneaked in here anyway and was in no position to claim credit. What this means is that all the credit he has earned will be hers. Before joining the Providence faction, I am doing my best one more time.

"There is an unknown creature somewhere here."

"yes?"

"For now, please help me. "If this is handled well, we will consider lowering the level of disciplinary action."

"Oh, I understand!"

His confused appearance was not trustworthy at all, but he still received basic military training as a gunner. At least in terms of military power, he will be superior to Charas.

"The sound came from the tool room."

As she said, the tool room door was slightly open. The lights did not react to the strange creatures, so all that was visible was pitch black darkness inside.

"Can you make lights?"

"Oh, I'm good at that…"

Without asking any more questions, she created a light with her psychic power and illuminated the inside of the tool room.

The inside floor was full of tools that spilled out when stacked boxes collapsed. The monster that had messed up the tool room was nowhere to be seen.

"If you find him inside, kill him immediately."

"All right."

"Stop screaming like an idiot like before…"

"Why are you doing that?"

As she spoke, she closed her mouth. This is because, through a conversation with Gunner 15, I realized that something was strange about the situation.

"I said you can't start a fire, right?"

"uh? yes."

"When I came in here the light just came on, but before that…"

Gunner 15 just said he couldn't start the fire.

That means he operated the computer from a place where he couldn't even see an inch in front of him.

Even if the lights were turned off to secretly operate the computer, something strange remained.

Said by the shipboard surveillance team.

No one has come down the hallway that leads here for two hours.

So what was gunner number 15 doing in the dark and with a strange creature for two hours?

"Aha, the light."

Gunner number 15 said as if he hadn't thought about that.

no.

'It' wearing the shell of gunner number 15 spoke.

There was not just one monster at the Shield Management Center.

-x-X-x-

After MPS-05 was activated, we encountered unexpected difficulties.

In order for this guy to safely attempt hacking, he must be physically connected to a computer with high privileges. It would be possible to hack the main body anywhere as long as there is a terminal, but this is not possible with the mini screamer, which is worse than the original.

The problem occurred elsewhere.

There were too many surveillance cameras in the hallways of this battleship. Although I know that battleships have a high level of security, I have never seen cameras installed every few meters like this one.

Because of that, I changed my plan slightly.

The Mother of Heaven decided to stand by in the gun room where gunner number 15 was and move with MPS-05.

Regardless of race, the situation room is where the computer with the highest authority within the ship is located. The same goes for this battleship, but it is impossible to get there without getting caught by someone.

The clever abbreviation's 'unknown creature's fur' effect prevents it from being caught by general detection equipment or characteristic techniques. If you come face to face with a cult, of course you will get caught.

Thanks to the mimicry organ, he appears to others as the 15th shooter, so he won't be caught outright, but it will still arouse suspicion. Of course, they would be surprised to see a single gunner coming in and out of the situation room.

In any case, it was difficult to target the situation room, so the next best option was the 'Shield Management Center', which manages the outer walls and shields of the ship. This is because we had to stop by the Shield Management Center at least once to delete the records of damage to the shield that occurred during our infiltration and the damage to the protective wall protecting gun number 15.

After waiting for the crew to fall asleep, MPS-05 and I took action. It took a lot of time to avoid the eyes of patrolling warriors, but we were able to arrive at our destination safely.

While he was busy working at the unoccupied Shield Management Center, an unfamiliar visitor came in.

One of the two goals to look for on this ship is a knowledge manager.

"Ke Keek… save me…"

The female cultist, caught in the fighting arms, struggles. The high-handed atmosphere that occurred when people mistakenly thought I was gunner number 15 was nowhere to be seen.

'I didn't know you would come back on your own.'

I thought it would take at least a few days to capture the knowledge manager, but my prediction was wrong again.

The knowledge manager also serves as the ship's chief engineer. It's also her job to look for errors in the ship's defense system. I came to check for errors in the protective wall that occurred while I was infiltrating.

"Ship. Gi record. copy."

"Be careful not to get caught."

"worry. invalidity."

The guy who was hiding in the tool room came back out and continued his work.

'Then let me do my thing too.'

I looked down at the knowledge manager who was shaking.

Currently, my parasite is receiving the strengthening effects of two unique characteristics at the same time: 'Great Infection' and 'Shape Ruler', which is a sign of a strong enemy. The size itself has become much larger than the game, and its abilities have also greatly improved.

Previously, it only attached to the infected person's brain and controlled it, but not anymore. Either it preys on the brain and the parasite takes over the brain's function, or…

'You know what to do, right?'

I sent a strong will to the parasite crawling out of the inside of my hand. The eel-like parasite nodded and crossed over to the other hand, pointing at an unknown part of its head or body.

"?!"

The knowledge manager is horrified by the sight of the parasite crawling up my arm. The cult's beautiful face is distorted into an ugly sight.

She closed her mouth and tried to avoid the approaching black eel, but it was no use. This is because worm-like things came out of the parasite's body, strengthened by the Great Infection effect, and forced her mouth open.

"town! Ugh!"

In an instant, the parasite entered the cult woman's mouth and began its activity.

The mouth quickly gnawed off part of the brain, and the torso ate the spinal cord. Her whole body was shaking, and after a few seconds, she fell limp as if she were dead.

"Get up."

As soon as she heard my voice, she, who had been motionless, moved. When I relaxed my grip, she stood on the floor on her own.

"You can tell me."

"What is this…?"

Cult's eyes were full of confused emotions. It had to be that way because suddenly my body couldn't move as I wanted.

"State your name and position."

"My name is Knowledge Manager Charas. "What have I done to myself?"

"Shh."

"…!"

Before going to the space fortress 'Kesha Arma', that is, when robbing the pirates' slave market.

I chose 'Parasite Colony' as the target for strengthening the great infection. As a result, many changes occurred in the parasite.

It was not simply that a parasite the size of a small snake had grown as large as an eel and that its dominance effect had become stronger.

A different form of governance than before. This is one of the newly acquired powers of the parasite colony.

The parasites of the original parasitic colony take over the brain and control the other person's body at will. Even after being strengthened, the basic method remains similar.

It is useful when you need to completely dominate your opponent, but in cases like now, it has the disadvantage of being counterproductive.

For knowledge managers, the brain plays an important role in remembering and utilizing vast amounts of knowledge and information. If you're thinking of using her, you should at least be careful with her head.

So this time I used a newly acquired method.

There is currently a parasite attached to a portion of the spinal cord in her head. In this way, only a part of the brain controls the remaining parts through fusion with the spinal cord. Thanks to this, as you can see, she is in a situation where she cannot lift a finger of her own will.

There are two downsides.

The point is that it has less control than replacing the brain and that it is impossible to replace.

The parasite is fused with the infected victim's spinal cord and cannot be separated by any means. When the parasite reaches the end of its lifespan, the infected person also dies.

'I don't know what will happen if I have surgery, but…'

It is a meaningless assumption at this point. Knowledge Manager Charas must serve me until death.

I spoke to Charas in the voice of gunner number 15.

"Then, let's start with the ships that can enter Berzan 02."

Her body and knowledge are now mine.

–

Two days have passed since an abnormal phenomenon occurred in the Aur star system.

The unidentified magnetic field was no longer observed.

Although one of the knowledge managers pointed out a relationship with the 'three-headed devil', no clear conclusion was reached. This is because there was insufficient evidence, and the knowledge manager who submitted the opinion also reported a new corrected opinion.

Eventually, the surveillance office ordered the ships waiting at the point where the abnormality occurred to return. The ships wandering in the middle of space returned to the surveillance office in an instant using faster-than-light navigation.

"It ended sourly this time."

"That's right."

"I should take comfort in the fact that there were no casualties from the battle. Isn't it…um? "Where is the knowledge manager?"

"You submitted your vacation request this morning."

"iced coffee. It did. "Did you say you were going down to Berzan 02?"

The captain felt regretful at his subordinate's words. Regardless of her position, Charas was quite an attractive woman. I wanted to build a better relationship with her, but I ended up not being able to even say a word to her.

"So, shouldn't you have talked to me a long time ago?"

"How can you do that when the operation is underway?"

"Seeing as they disappeared as soon as they returned to the surveillance office, they may have loved ones."

"…I guess you want to be demoted."

The captain thought to himself while joking with the crew in the situation room.

'Tsk. We'll have to talk about it when I get back.'

He got off the ship with his men, wondering if it would be a good idea to talk about Berzan 02.

"There were many gunners who applied for leave."

"okay? "I should go to Berzan 02 too."

While the crew was chatting, a personal spacecraft flew close to the ship. The spaceship, shaped like an elongated triangle, came close to the battleship.

Then, after staying for about a minute, the spacecraft left the spot. It was rare for a personal spacecraft to get that close to a warship, but because it happened over such a short period of time, not many people witnessed it.

Additionally, no one saw something pitch black boarding the personal spaceship.

The spaceship, whether aware of the fact or not, blended into the procession of hundreds of spaceships flying around.

Numerous ships crossing inside the surveillance office, a huge space building. The triangular spacecraft that was flying together broke away from the procession midway.

In addition to the spacecraft, some other ships also deserted, but their numbers were not large. Because what they wanted was to get out of the surveillance office, not to move to another area.

Personal boats were inspected and taken out in front of a large gate located on one side of the outer wall. After completing the inspection one by one, it was finally the triangle spaceship's turn.

｢Knowledge Manager Charas?｣

"That's right."

"You reported your destination as Berzan 02. What is the reason?"

"I'm on vacation."

"Do you have any companions?"

"I am alone in the cult."

｢If you plan to visit Berzan 02, an internal inspection is required as part of the procedure. "Please cooperate."

"Wait a minute. I reported to my ship and the surveillance office in the morning and received permission to visit. Please confirm."

The person on the other end of the communicator fell silent at Charas' words. After a while, a voice came from the communicator again.

"Has confirmed. Thank you for your cooperation.

"Thank you for your consideration."

Charas passed through the gate and came out of the surveillance office. Then a pale red planet appeared before my eyes.

That planet is her destination, Berzan 02.

The spacecraft, which had been accelerating ever since it left the monitoring office, got closer to Berzan 02. Although she couldn't see it, countless artillery pieces on the ground were aimed at her ship.

Of course, there was no way she would be attacked as she received permission from the surveillance office. The scenery seen beyond the tempered glass of the ship that passed through the atmosphere was a red earth and an endless forest of buildings.

It was an incredibly wondrous sight, but her expression did not change at all. Her expression had been the same ever since she left the surveillance office.

Unlike her blank, emotionless face, her hands quickly prepared to land. The ship landed at a small airport quite far from the forest of buildings.

"Im here."

Other than her, there were no other cult members on board this ship. Except for non-cult entities.

Behind her face as she stared at the tempered glass in front, the huge maw of 'it' rose up.

"This is Berzan 02."

'It' spoken in an ordinary human voice.

Charas could easily predict what outcome the 'thing' he had brought, or rather the three-headed devil, would bring to Berzan 02.

It was ruin. Just like it was at the Holy Land in the past.

"It's been a while since I've been here."

"High temperature. detect."

A voice different from the devil is heard from behind. The beings brought by the devil approached the driver's seat where she was sitting.

Wolf, a female with the head of a bird of prey. A terrible monster with a human head, metal parts, and legs.

Regardless of her concerns, the three-headed devil and his minions eventually succeeded in landing on Berzan 02.

"Now all we have to do is let the kids come."

The devil laughed, flicking his long tongue.

-x-X-x-

According to the setting, the cult's hometown is very different from Earth. Would you say it is similar to a desert on Earth because the temperature is high and there is little water? If they had not had psychic powers, they would never have developed a civilization on this barren planet.

The environment of Berzan 02 is quite similar to the cult's hometown. Endless red sand and rocks. A blue oasis that is rarely seen. These are common elements found in the home of the cult.

Just as our ancestors built an empire on the sand, their descendants built a huge city on the red earth.

A forest of buildings spread out over a vast desert. The light ivory-colored buildings reflected the light of the sand and turned red.

A day has passed since I arrived here with the help of a new minion.

On the day of infecting Knowledge Manager Charas, the information acquired from her and the ship was sent to PS-111.

What ship do you have to infiltrate to safely enter Berzan 02 without restrictions? How far has that ship come now?

While we spent two days on the battleship, they secretly boarded a large cargo ship moving toward the Aur system.

It was said that the boarding itself was not difficult because Aadhai, who could move the fastest among the group, carried PS-111 and No. 26.

Of course, it wasn't all smooth sailing. Because of the size of PS-111, it almost got caught on radar while boarding. The guy said that thanks to No. 26's wit, he got through without getting caught.

Anyway, the trade ship they are on arrives today. Right now, I'm waiting for them in the port area with Charas.

"Im here."

said Charas, sitting in the cockpit of his personal spaceship.

A large ship can be seen landing through the tempered glass on the front of the spacecraft. A rugged cargo ship with a gray color and a long rectangular shape. This is Star Union's manpower supply ship that was robbed on the way to Aadhai's hometown.

Berzan 02 is a slave exchange large enough to compete for supremacy in the cult empire. From a manpower supply standpoint, there is no place as easy to obtain cyborg materials as here.

They are hiding somewhere inside that huge ship.

When the ship's door opened, the cyborgs got out. There was no sight of the loaded cargo being unloaded. When we return, unlike now, the ship will be loaded with refrigerated containers full of humans and various races.

"What should I do?"

"waiting."

The cyborgs have all come down, but there are still many eyes around. I waited until there were no more eyes nearby.

'This should be enough.'

After about three hours, the number of cultists and outsiders passing by decreased significantly.

"Get ready."

At my command, she brought the spacecraft close to the side of the manpower supply ship, as I had already mentioned. As we got closer, the side door opened as if waiting.

Accordingly, the back door on this side also opened quickly. The moment the open doors faced each other, three familiar shadows appeared.

They quickly boarded Charas' spaceship. Charas, having achieved his goal, quickly increased the speed of the spaceship and left the port.

[Zuzzuzuzu (All three worked hard)]

"There was an error of about 2 seconds, but it is within the acceptable range. "There is no big problem."

｢Hello little big baby!｣

｢Big adult｣｢Why｣｢Did you get smaller?｣

The guys I met again after a few days were still the same.

Number 26, who had shrunk down to a small size, climbed on top of my head and Aadhai patted my shaggy fur with his paw.

"Then where are we going?"

Charas, who was piloting the spaceship, asks me.

She was not at all fazed even though there were four monsters aboard her spaceship. Because the reality was so unrealistic, everyone seemed to think it was a terrible nightmare.

At her question, I looked back at PS-111. The guy's red-lensed eyes fluttered. It receives information from MPS-05, which is synchronized with itself.

"The 'middle baby' has secured a hiding place and is waiting. "You can go there."

While I was waiting at the port, Heavenly Mother and MPS-05 went to look for a place for me to hide.

The duration of 'Clever Underdog' is 7 days. When the effect ends, my body becomes huge again.

'It's already been three days since I transformed.'

We cannot rule out the possibility that we will not be able to find 22nd place for the remaining four days. Even if we know the location of the communicator, if 22nd is not nearby, we have to search the entire planet.

I asked her to prepare a base in advance in case the search took a long time.

[Zuzuzuzzu Zuzuz (Guide to Charas)]

PS-111 heard me and crawled into the cockpit. Charas trembled as the human-faced spider, which was 7 meters long, excluding its tail, approached.

"You can go to the old Hover Bus Center on Glory Avenue."

"…yes."

The spaceship flew toward its destination, passing between numerous buildings.

As we continued to move, the buildings decorated in red began to decrease and the buildings that looked somewhat gloomy began to increase one by one.

'I was wondering why they chose the Street of Glory…'

If it's the Street of Glory, I know it too. It is a street located on the outskirts of the city we are in, and there is a large slave market nearby, so it is one of the places where many cults hang out.

However, the sight seen on the other side of the tempered glass was far from the glorious name.

'It's fallen.'

For some reason, the slave market that should have been visible by now was not visible. It was a ruined city itself, with buildings half buried in the sand.

Charas landed his spaceship in front of a large building that looked like a reclining equilateral triangle. The Mother of Heaven, taking the form of a prisoner, walked out from inside a building that appeared to be completely unmaintained.

[Zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (You managed to get a building like this)]

｢Because it's a 'building like this', isn't it possible to get it cheaply?"

[Zuzu (haha)]

｢The hover bus center was originally built for the slave market. hey. I heard that a large-scale market opened on another street along the way, and the street was destroyed and the center was closed as well." It

was just as she said. On the way here, I didn't see any ships or cults other than Charas' spaceship.

｢And the broker told me an interesting story.｣

[Zuzuzu zuzu(Interesting story?)]

｢I think it would be a good idea to come in and see for yourself.｣

Amber eyes, which are darker than usual as they reflect red light, are crescent-shaped. bent to She answered my question with a smile and led us inside.

The inside of the Hover Bus Center looked like a typical haunted house. Parts of the wall were cracked, exposing the steel frame inside, and there was a lot of sand on the floor.

'It's still spacious.'

Although it is old, it is large enough to comfortably return to its adult form. However, the Mother of Heaven continued to go inside as if this was not the end.

'stairs?'

It's a center where hover buses gather, but why is it connected underground? As we followed her down, we were greeted by a large underground space and several unfinished tracks extending into various branches.

'I understand why you asked me to see it for myself.'

It seems that this hover bus center was also intended to double as a subway facility.

"This was built while it was being built, so it wasn't connected to other places. "I guess it's because there was so much opposition."

The cult's home star is a desert-type planet full of sand. So I don't really like building things in the ground.

Of course, as seen in the space fortress, if it is deemed necessary, something like a subway will be built, but this will not be the case in Berzan 02.

'Besides, if you build something like this on a ruined street, no one will ride it.'

I looked around the under-construction subway station.

'It actually worked out well.'

This is a place to use as a hideout. It is advantageous that the tracks do not extend to other cities or streets. If necessary, I can drill more.

"And there's still more left."

[Z(Huh?)]

"I'll explain from here."

"I am. explanation."

As they came in, PS-111, which encountered MPS-05 again, came to the front.

As he operated the terminal in the corner, sparks flew from the ceiling of the underground common. A creaking mechanical sound was heard from beyond the cavity wall, and soon an image of a multi-meter-long sphere was output from an old camera mounted on the wall.

'This is…Berzan 02, right?'

On the image of Berzan 02, colorful marks were floating sporadically.

"This is a map of the hover bus center scheduled to be installed in Berzan 02 and the surrounding slave market."

｢Considering the 22nd ranked race, there is a high possibility that they are disguised as slaves at the slave market.｣ [

Zuzuzu zuzuzuzu zuzu zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzuzuzu (That means there is a person where this mark is)]

｢ huh. I think it would be a good idea to start looking here."

The 22nd ranked race is the Coldblood, who are persecuted in the empire. If you want to operate on this planet, where the largest branch of the Society of Prophets is located, it would be most effective to disguise yourself as a slave.

'Not a bad start.'

I put my face close to the map of Berzan 02.

'Even living creatures are sold at the slave market.'

Slave trading is the main focus, but in places as large as Berzan 02, rare creatures are often traded.

'It's not as good as Kesha Arma, but it's pretty good.'

It would be nice to collect genetic essence while looking for the hiding guy.

–

White room.

There, a woman with flowing black hair is sitting on a chair.

Two beings were standing behind her as she sat with her head down. Their faces were covered in black fog, as if they were mosaics.

The faceless ones kept their heads close to the ears of the bowed woman and were whispering something. They were talking so persistently that even though their faces were not visible, I could feel their expressions.

A whisper fills the room. It could no longer be called a whisper. The woman did not move as if she could not hear the noise echoing in the room.

At some point, the woman raised her head.

Black eyes that looked exactly like black hair stared straight ahead.

said the woman.

｢You ■■ ■■■.｣

"Gasp!"

Sihyeon Eugene let out a rough breath and opened his eyes. Her face was reflected on the transparent glass wall of the biocapsule.

That face, with its sweat-soaked hair hanging down, looked very similar to the face of the woman I had just seen in my dream.

'It's that dream again.'

After being resurrected in the clone's body, her dreams remained the same. It was a dream where the unidentified monster that killed 'Sihyeon Eugene' killed her again.

The nightmare that wouldn't go away no matter what I did is now completely gone.

To be precise, since the day she acquired the artifact from Gallagon's planet, she has stopped dreaming of being attacked by an unidentified monster.

Instead, her dream now is this.

It is a dream in which two beings whisper to her endlessly.

At first their voices were very sweet. Because it felt like I was guiding her wandering daughter to the right path.

But at some point she found the voice unpleasant. That they are manipulating her, not guiding her.

As soon as I started thinking about that, my sweet dream turned into a nightmare. Now she has become unable to sleep unless she enters a biocapsule like she does now.

"They said it was a mountain beyond the mountain."

After briefly mocking herself, Sihyeon got up from the capsule.

When the glass wall opened, cool air enveloped her naked body. The cold air created by the air conditioner blew away the sweat that had formed on her body.

As she came out of the capsule, the lights slowly turned on, casting natural light into the room.

It was a room lit with soft light and exuding an elegant yet exotic atmosphere. The geometric patterns painted on the walls and ceiling were something that could not be seen in Megacorp's facilities.

Even in such an alien space, Sihyeon walked out of the capsule as if nothing had happened.

The discomfort from the nightmare had subsided, but I didn't feel like going back to sleep.

She picked up the gown and pad she had placed next to the capsule. As always, I decided to start my day earlier than others.

'It will be difficult to supply more manpower than this. 'You have to calculate quality as much as quantity…'

She spent her time concentrating on work while wearing a thin gown. It was the sound of a knock on the door that woke her up.

"Come in."

A door with an old-fashioned design opened, and a creature that looked like a mixture of insect characteristics and a reptilian human base came in.

Coldblood is a race not commonly seen in Megacorp. The being, whose body was smaller than that of a regular Coldblood, wore a silver necklace around its neck.

"Did you cough? Sihyeon Eugene."

"I guess it's already time for the meeting."

"yes. Minseok Eugene is waiting in the reception room on the first floor."

"I'll be there soon, so wait." "I take care of my own clothes."

"All right."

Contrary to what he said, Coldblood came with Sihyeon's clothes and offered them to her. Sihyeon frowned slightly but said nothing.

She knows why this Coldblood is doing this. The reason they treat it with utmost respect, as if they were treating a king, is because that being is a slave.

And here in Berzan 02, where she is, this scene can be witnessed very easily.

Sihyeon, who was fully dressed, opened her mouth just before leaving the room.

"Thank you always."

Despite Sihyeon's praise, Coldblood just lowered his head. She also wasn't complimenting with the expectation of a response.

After the owner of the room left, Coldblood, who had been keeping his head down, quietly raised his head.

The back of her face is captured in the vertical pupils unique to reptiles. Only she can know what the owner of the eyes is thinking.

After looking at Sihyeon for a moment, Coldblood began cleaning the room as usual.

-x-X-x-

A drawing room decorated with luxurious decorations.

Several intelligent beings were sitting around a cult-style table with overlapping shapes.

Most were human, but not all. A being with his entire body covered in a black reinforced suit that looks similar to a walker from Star Union, a male cult with yak horns.

Members with various appearances were listening to a report from a human man holding a pad.

"Thanks to Captain Nern's connections, we were able to secure a new manpower supply route. We have recovered 67% of the losses incurred in Sachs-01…"

Sihyeon Eugene, a black-haired woman sitting at the head of the table, used her pad to check what her subordinate reported.

Originally, she had no intention of coming to Berzan 02.

After acquiring the artifact from Gallagon's planet, she focused on interpreting another record left by Beomho.

In the case of the already secured relic 'Abyss Destroyer', it was possible to roughly infer what effect the weapon had. There were people who actually witnessed this weapon in operation, so it was easy to obtain it.

The problem was the records of artifacts other than the Abyss Destroyer. It was revealed that it was a type of navigational chart, but it was impossible to confirm anything more.

In addition, the practical problems she was experiencing also made it difficult to investigate the artifacts. This is because communication was lost from her subordinates who had been planted in Star Union's capital castle, Sachs-01.

According to intelligence obtained through other channels, the Grand Commander ordered a search for dangerous spies. Not just for Sachs-01, but for all planets under Star Union jurisdiction.

Because of this, she lost half of her forces.

No matter how powerful a weapon is, it is impossible to operate if there is no force to support it. He had no choice but to postpone the investigation of the relics and decide to focus on restoring his forces.

'Originally, we planned to recruit mercenaries from Kesha Arma, but…'

The space fortress 'Kesha Arma' is occupied by pirates.

A place where large-scale auctions were held periodically, it was a perfect place to obtain skilled mercenaries, valuable information, and the genes of rare creatures. In fact, it is said that the original visionary, Eugene, visited there several times before she died.

In addition, there were rumors that many rare documents and navigation charts would be included in this auction. From her point of view, it was an extremely attractive option.

However, what greets them as they fly near the space fortress is 'nothingness.' Kesha Arma, who was fine until the auction was held, disappeared completely.

Even she, who had gone through all the hardships before birth, never imagined that the space fortress would disappear in an instant. What's worse, did she think that Akira Yujin knew her destination in advance and prepared a trap?

Thus, the plan to save the mercenaries and the sailing master ended in failure.

The person who helped her as she was wondering what to do was the former captain of the imperial carrier, Nern.

He went to Berzan 02 and proposed the idea of finding the necessary manpower from the slave market. As a bonus, he even added that since his successor happened to be there, he could ask for help.

So it's already been a month since I came here to Berzan 02.

"The supply and demand of manpower does not seem to be a big problem, but is equipment the problem?"

"That can't be helped. There is talk of rearmament in Congress from time to time. "It won't be easy to get weapons here."

Nern, who cooperated with Sihyeon in the name of revenge on the monster, continued to help even after coming to Berzan 02.

Sihyeon's butler Minseok Yujin also dismissed him as a cultist before coming here, but now he has completely changed his attitude. I don't know what he was thinking on the inside, but on the outside he didn't show a particularly negative attitude towards Nern.

While the meeting was in progress, a short message arrived on her pad.

"I will contact the innovation group and get the necessary supplies. "They are against rearmament, so they might sell weapons."

It was a message sent by Lila Chamberlain, a woman wearing a black life management suit.

'…Innovation group.'

Among the Noble Capitals, T&C Carmelda, to which Lila belongs, are two families that frequently interact with cults. If you use T&C's name, it won't be difficult to obtain weapons for the cult.

'The problem is that you can't do that.'

Currently, Laila is said to have gone missing when the T&C Special Trade Center collapsed. If she contacts the innovative group using the name of Noble Capital, the news will also be known to Megacorp.

'If Akira finds out, he will definitely do something.'

If you are pursued by the Megacorp CEO while your power is weakened, it will be difficult to escape.

'It's good to have contact with the innovators, but you can't use Lila.'

After continuing to think, she finally spoke.

"We will hold off on securing equipment until we have the appropriate manpower. And Captain Nern. I would like to meet your successor. "Is it possible?"

"Meeting itself is not difficult. However, it will be difficult to obtain weapons."

"What about opening another route through him? For example, the innovative group."

"That's…hmm. "I guess I'll have to meet him in person and ask him to find out."

"Then we will meet and decide what to do next. "This concludes the meeting."

The path she chose was holding back.

–

"It's a much busier street than expected, isn't it?"

"I know. "It wasn't this scale in the game."

Above is a transparent shield, and on both sides you can see neatly designed buildings modeled after shapes. The floor below is covered with blocks made of a special material, so no matter who walks on it, no footprints are left behind.

In an arcade-style street with an exotic atmosphere, many intelligent people were wandering around looking for something to do. In fact, although it was described as an arcade, it is nothing compared to the arcades that existed on Earth in terms of scale.

Because the entire street was one building.

This place, named 'Street of Light', is a type of bio-dome modeled after an arcade. It was built this way to block sandstorms and heat from the red desert and provide the best environment for visitors.

Right now, I am walking along an old-fashioned street implemented with cutting-edge technology with Heavenly Mother.

Thanks to the 'unknown organism's fur' and 'mimetic organ', no one could see my true appearance. Beings that can sense pheromones will think of me as a cult gunner on the Observatory's elite ship, and the cameras won't recognize me at all.

'If I didn't have these two characteristics, I wouldn't have thought of coming in the first place.'

Anyway, the reason I came here is because it turns out that the 22nd ranker's communicator is in this area. Since it is impossible to confirm exactly which building it is in, you will have to look for it yourself from here.

"But was this originally a bio-dome?"

"no. It's newly built. Although Gwangmyeong Street was famous for its equipment exchange, there was no facility like this."

"Is that so?"

"Because you crashed the imperial carrier here, two equipment manufacturing clans were ruined?" I

remember hearing her scolding.

We invaded Berzan 02 just before an all-out war against the cult.

At the time, Berzan 02 was a planet with a reputation for being impregnable, so it was not easy for even an adult to conquer it. So the method I chose was to take advantage of the enemy's attack methods. The defense line was breached by luring the imperial carrier ships to the planet and colliding with them.

The players guarding the planet also failed to respond properly, perhaps because they did not know that the imperial carriers would crash. Many of them died in the aftermath of the conflict, and the rest were individually defeated by me.

"Because this is an important place for the empire. "If you don't organize it in advance, it will be a pain in the ass."

"Well, that's true. Because it is a prosperous planet that is ranked among the top five in the empire. Sometimes the high priest comes too."

"As far as I know, your base is not here, but you know better than I thought, right?"

"The clan that made my equipment was based here. Until it disappears because of you."

"Tsk. "I have nothing to say."

I heard that there were more than one ranker who suffered great losses due to the collapse of Berzan 02. It seems that Heavenly Mother was one of them.

She and I chatted about various things and entered the area where slaves were mainly traded.

Even though it was a slave market, the surrounding scenery did not change much. This is because all trading products are inside the store. Instead, billboards are erected in each building introducing what products are being sold.

Some billboards listed the specifications and physical conditions of slaves, while others listed rare creatures for sale.

In addition to the billboards, there were many people in this area wearing silver necklaces.

That silver necklace is proof that the wearer is a slave. Inside the necklace is a code that identifies the slave's owner.

It's better than Megacorp, which frequently kills its employees or treats them like experiments, but that also depends on the case. The fate of slaves varies greatly depending on the personality of their master. Even Jason, who lives as a human being in my body, treated female slaves as sexual toys during his lifetime.

The slaves on the streets were busy carrying out the orders given by their masters.

'The scale is enormous.'

Looking at the billboard, it seemed like not only were slaves slaves, but the biological trade was also active. In terms of quantity, Kesha Arma's underground storage unit had more, but in terms of diversity, this one wins by a landslide.

'If I do well, I'll be able to find the traits to give to the kids here.'

Even just a quick glance revealed several creatures with useful traits.

'We need someone who is well-versed in market conditions.'

Walking around and finding things to eat is cumbersome and time consuming. It is impossible to destroy stores by moving secretly.

In that case, it would be effective to manipulate the locals into giving them food, just as they controlled the smugglers in the T&C Special Trade Center.

"That store looks big. Should I ask there first?"

"That's a good idea."

Together with Heavenly Mother, I entered a building that was so large that it made me jump.

As we passed through the luxurious front door, we were greeted by an Insect Man clerk at the front desk.

"Our store… I'm so sorry."

He, wearing a silver necklace, sneezed briefly while trying to greet me. This may be because they were stimulated by pheromones emitted from the mimicry organ.

Of course, since Insect Man is also a creature affected by pheromones, he cannot escape the effects of the mimicry organ. His organs will recognize me as a gunner on a cult battleship.

The clerk touched his antennae in embarrassment and said hello again.

"Welcome to our store. "Is there something you want?"

"I want to learn about Cold Blood."

"Please wait a moment."

As I was waiting for the Insect Man clerk to look over the slave list, someone approached the desk.

"there."

"huh?"

I thought the clerk had something to do, but no. A leopard-headed Wolf wearing a suit-like suit spoke to me.

"How much is that slave worth?"

"slave? what do you mean?"

"The female next to me. Looking at you naked, I think you're a slave. "Aren't you here to sell?"

Only then did I understand what that Wolf was talking about.

"…She is not a slave, she is a member of the tribe. "It's not for sale."

"That's funny. Primitives are coming to Berzan 02? Naked too? "Don't lie to someone who uses you as a porter."

Wolf extended his finger and pointed to the backpack that the Heavenly Mother was wearing.

Meanwhile, Sky's mother belatedly realized that the leopard-headed Wolf had treated her as a slave. Without saying a word, she tried to take out the javelin from her backpack.

"wait."

｢….｣

She paused after hearing what I said.

Is it because I was insulted in a completely unexpected situation? The hairs all over her body stood up. This is the first time I've seen him so angry since he condemned Muriel.

"I won't tell you twice. She is my friend, not my slave. "I don't sell it to anyone."

"My master is willing to pay a price you cannot imagine."

"Please leave."

"…Tsk. You idiot. "You will regret it."

When I spoke firmly, stopping the Mother of Heaven, the leopard-headed Wolf clicked his tongue and retreated. He approached a cult man wearing luxurious traditional clothing in the distance and said something.

'This is my first experience like this.'

Whether in the game or in this world, there have been very few people who behaved like that before me. After becoming a ranker, it wasn't there at all. Maybe that's why I felt refreshed rather than angry.

"…That bastard."

Of course, Heavenly Mother was very angry at being treated so openly as a slave.

Cold amber eyes were focused on Cult and the leopard-headed Wolff leaving the store. If I hadn't stopped him, the leopard-headed Wolf would have had a hole in his head.

At that time, Insect Man handed me a small pad.

"You can check Cold Blood's transaction status through this."

"thank you."

I looked through the list of Coldblood slaves the clerk gave me.

'It's less than I thought.'

There weren't many slaves here, perhaps because they didn't handle many coldblood slaves. At the back of the list, the transaction status of which slaves were sold was organized, and when I looked at it, the number of transactions itself was small.

After checking everything, I handed the pad over to Heavenly Mother. After trying to control her anger, she quickly checked the list on the pad.

"It's not here."

"Are you sure?"

"huh. He's much smaller than a regular Coldblood. "You may have grown up by now, but you will still be short."

She also checked the names and personal information written on the transaction status, but eventually shook her head. Unfortunately, this place seemed like a dud.

I handed the pad back to the clerk and asked.

"Which store carries the most coldblood slaves?"

"There are three places on this street that serve cold blood, including this one. "If you're looking for a specialty store, you have to go to another city."

"What are the names of those stores?"

"One is close. Just go into the building on the other side of here. The problem is the other store…"

The Insect Man clerk trails off while looking at me.

"Why are you doing that?"

"The slave master I spoke to earlier handles cold blood."

"aha."

"He carries the largest inventory on this street. But as you can see, he is a very picky person…"

He also saw the entire scene that just happened. He also had a bad relationship with the owner of the leopard-headed Wolf.

'Well, I'm worried for no reason.'

"First, just tell me the name of the store and its location. "I will take care of the rest."

"All right."

Zara carries the most items on this street.

I really wanted to meet him, even if he didn't want to.