304
-x-X-x-
The cult owner and leopard-headed Wolff gave me a refreshing feeling.
Even the Insect Man clerk knows that the cult owner is quite famous in this street. There are too many eyes to attack right away in a crowded place.
So, I plan to have an in-depth interview with them later at night.
In the meantime, I stopped by an additional store introduced by the Insect Man clerk. Unfortunately, there was no trace of the 22nd ranked Cold Blood ranker.
'It might not be in this city.'
It is unlikely that No. 22 left Berzan 02. It won't be easy to secretly escape from this heavily guarded planet. Also, if you make a mistake, you could be caught by the ruling faction, including Jason.
So it is certain that it is somewhere on this planet. Of course, there is no guarantee that you will be in this street, this city.
'I already expected it would be a long game.'
This is why a hiding place was prepared. There is no need to fret anymore.
"Let's go back soon."
｢Wait.｣
After stopping by the hiding place, I was about to move again at night when Heavenly Mother called me and stopped me.
"why?"
"Let me buy some clothes."
"Because of him?"
"There's that, but I think it'll be a hassle if we keep going like this."
She scratched her beak and got irritated.
In fact, this case is more about the cult owner behaving strangely. What proves a slave is the silver necklace around his neck, not his naked body.
Moreover, she has a black wave pattern tattoo on her body. Anyone can see that they are close to free people belonging to the Wolf tribe.
'But…'
Cults have a strong sense of being the chosen people and do not change their thoughts often. By their standards, the Mother of Heaven would appear extremely barbaric and uncivilized. It may be rare for someone to do something like this so openly, but there is a good chance that an uncomfortable situation will arise.
"I need to get dressed while I'm here. "I don't want to run into those bastards who are bothering me."
"I'm naked too?"
"Stop talking nonsense. "You look like a normal cult because of the mimicry organ."
"I'm kidding. "Then let's look around some more and then go."
After leaving the slave market, I looked around the clothing store with her. There, I purchased clothes that resembled a stola, which were mainly worn by high-ranking members of the cult. This is the clothing worn by female nobles when going out, so from now on no one will disrespect the Mother of Heaven.
"…It's awkward since it's been a while since I wore clothes."
She fidgeted as if she wasn't used to the feeling of the cloth wrapping around her body.
She, who had the feel of a beast warrior, felt completely different wearing such soft cloth. Perhaps because the clothes were designed to be slightly tight, the body that had been covered by fur was clearly revealed. The strong muscles and unique female curves were harmoniously intertwined, showing off a strange charm.
"are you okay. matches well."
"If I transform, it will tear right away."
"It would be a waste, so I have to take it off and transform."
"During battle? Would you do that?"
Contrary to his grunting tone, his amber eyes were slightly curved. It was the first time in a long time that he felt awkward wearing clothes, but he didn't seem to be particularly dissatisfied with the clothes themselves.
So I returned to the place where Charas was waiting with my Heavenly Mother.
–
"Master. "I found out where he went."
A room in a luxurious mansion.
After completing the communication, the leopard-headed Wolff reported to the young cult man.
He has silver hair and yak horns and his name is Alkadi.
He is the one who owns the most slaves in the streets of light and has Alshas, the captain of 'Defender of Berzan 02', as his younger brother.
His younger brother is the captain of an imperial carrier and he holds a great deal of wealth, so there is no one on this street who does not know him. Even in the political world of Berzan 02, his influence is difficult to ignore.
However, his reputation among cult nobles was not good because of his hobbies.
Alkadi had a pathological obsession with collecting slaves. He collected many types of slaves in his collection, including beautiful slaves, strong fighters, and smart slaves. Even slaves who had masters had to be taken into their own hands in order to be relieved.
Even though it is an individual's freedom to be a slave in a cult society, Alkadi's actions were problematic. This is especially true in aristocratic societies with strong conservative tendencies.
It was so bad that his younger brother begged him not to do that. When his younger brother, who was outstanding enough to be appointed as an advisor to the politically conflicting innovative faction, said so, Alkadi was also quiet for a while.
That is, until I met a suspicious person at a store today.
"As you said, he was not a gunner. "They say they're staying at an abandoned Hover Bus Center."
"As expected, my prediction was correct."
At leopard-headed Wolff's words, Alkadi nodded with a triumphant expression.
'There is no way there is a soldier who doesn't even know my face.'
There cannot be a warrior who does not know himself, the older brother of the captain of the imperial carrier that protects this planet. This is especially true if you are a naval gunner.
Moreover, Alkadi had a special tool that others did not know about. This bracelet was given to him by his younger brother as a warning against terrorism by political enemies, and it alerts the wearer if someone is hiding nearby.
It doesn't tell us exactly how they went into hiding or the identity of the person who went into hiding, but it doesn't really matter. Anyway, it's enough to know that there are threats around.
Anyway, the bracelet was pointing to a suspicious shooter who did not even know Alkadi's face. That means the other person is not normal. In some ways, they may be Vortex One cultists who are like a cancer to the empire.
So wouldn't it be okay to rob the beautiful slave he has?
"I will send warriors to where it is at night."
"good. Don't kill the owner, just in case, but bring him to me. "If you are a cultist who secretly infiltrated this planet, you will have to hand it over to the Society of Prophets."
"All right."
"Oh, and that Wolf. "You must never cause harm."
I have seen many Wolff slaves, but I have never seen one as attractive as the female Wolff that the suspicious gunner was carrying.
Delicate and strong muscles as if they were woven from smelted steel and golden hair as brilliant and shiny as Nova Metal. And the eyes are as beautiful as if they were miniature stars shining in the sky.
There was nothing ordinary about it. It was hard to imagine how ecstatic it would be to mix bodies with that slave.
While Alkadi was intoxicated by the beauty of the female Wolf, the leopard-headed Wolf nodded and opened his mouth.
"master. To me, she seemed quite capable. "If I go together, there will be less damage."
"You want me to go with you?"
Panther-headed Wolff is the greatest warrior among Alkadi's slaves. If he is wary, it means that the opponent's skills are not average.
"Strong and beautiful Tuhee. It's even more appealing. "You go and sort it out yourself."
"yep."
After the leopard-headed Wolf disappeared, Alkadi called the other slaves. Even as all kinds of female slaves served him, he was reminded of the female Wolf's body.
–
Time passed and night came to Berzan 02.
It was only night, but the sun was still shining outside.
The Aur star system, to which Berzan 02 belongs, is a type of binary star system with two stars. So, you can see a total of two suns in Berzan 02.
Of course, it is rare to see two suns at the same time because the orbits of the two stars are different. Cults view it as day when the relatively bright sun rises and night when the sun rises relatively darkly.
Now is the time when the dark sun, or companion star, rises.
'Should I go out soon?'
Cults, like humans, are creatures that need sleep to survive. At night, everyone goes home and sleeps. By now, the cult owner I'm targeting is probably either getting ready to leave the store or has gone home.
｢Big baby, where are you going?｣
[Zuzuz zuzu (I have business to do)]
｢Business?｣｢What business?｣
Adhai, who was buried in the sand and enjoying the heat, looked up.
[Zuzu zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (I have food left during the day)]
｢When you come｣｢Us｣｢Gift｣｢Bring it｣｣
｢That's right! I want to receive gifts like the middle child!」
[Zuzuzuz (if possible)]
The kids who saw Mother of Heaven wearing clothes during the day showed a lot of interest.
From Adhai saying that his ugly friend was wearing dwarf clothes, to No. 26 asking why he doesn't have anything of his own, to PS-111 asking the subject who watched the whole situation through MPS-05 in his backpack to get genes for improvement.
'I don't know why that guy was there.'
In response to Sea Demon and Gallagon's cute congratulations, I promised them a gift.
'I was planning on transplanting it anyway when I got a new trait.
The reason I am going out now is not unrelated to this. If you give them good traits, they will like them.
[Zuzuzu (then let's go)]
"Please take care of me. ask."
I picked up MPS-05 and went outside.
Then there was a kingdom of sand stuffed into rubies.
The dark light was shining on the red sand, so all the colors in the world took on a deep cherry color. Although it was a sight I had seen several times in games, it was very different in real life.
'It was an eerie feeling in the game.'
There were some players who didn't like it because the world was filled with red at night.
But the world that now unfolded before me was extremely beautiful and majestic, despite its eerieness. Ruinous beauty. That was the night of Berzan 02.
I ran through a street filled with only red sand. The hiding place quickly disappeared, and all around me were buildings buried in sand.
While the four legs worked hard, the auxiliary organ under the chin diligently checked to see if there was any sign of movement in the building.
As the sun changed, the temperature on the street dropped to a level that was difficult to compare to during the day. Unless you're stuck in the sand like Aadhai, it's not wise to wander around on deserted streets. As I thought, there was no sign of popularity in the building.
'As expected, there's no one there… huh?'
At that moment of relief, something happened to my auxiliary organ. A group of people are coming towards me.
I hid in the sand with MPS-05.
After a while, suspicious people with their faces covered appeared. They were carrying reinforced clothing and various weapons and passed by the sand where I was hiding.
When they were far away and out of sight, I got up.
There's no way I wouldn't recognize them just because their faces were covered. The leader among them was the leopard-headed Wolf I had met during the day.
They were heading to my hideout.
'under.'
It was clear what the heavily armed slaves were aiming for. Their master did not give up on his heavenly mother.
'Are you going to come out like this?'
It felt fresh once or twice. I feel bad seeing what they are doing now.
No, it's very unpleasant.
[Zuzzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu (tell the kids that the food is going)]
"Confirm. enemy. check!"
[Zuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzu (Save one guy. I need to know where their owner is)] "One guy
. "Keep me alive."
I commanded PS-111 through MPS-05 and ran toward the streets of Gwangmyeong again.
There is no need to go back here. Those who went to the hideout now will be wiped out by the kids. I just need to hear where their owner is and move immediately.
'I wonder how great of a guy he is that he does this.'
It's been a long time since someone made me feel this uncomfortable.
Is it really possible for me to look like this even after seeing myself in person?
How dare you behave like this to me even though you have parasites stuck in your head?
Before the day is over, he will pay for his actions.
-x-X-x-
"No movement detected inside."
"Undetected? "There must be at least two."
"It does not properly detect if there is a jamming device inside.
"Did you check with energy detection mode?"
"First of all, a trace amount of psychic power is detected underground, but it is not certain."
Building in front of the Hover Bus Center.
Twelve people wearing high-level reinforced clothing from Megacorp Mountain were having a suspicious conversation.
"It's a jamming device. "I thought it was suspicious, but it was still that way."
"Could it be that they are cultists?"
"Even if you are not a cultist, you must make yourself a cultist. "That way you can rob slaves."
In the empire, Vortex One cultists are subject to severe punishment regardless of status. Even if you are a member of the Deer Antler Cult, if you are found to be a cultist, you will be deprived of all rights and punished by having your antlers cut off. Of course, property is also confiscated.
And leopard-headed Wolff would often carry out these illegal activities for his master Alkadi.
Being falsely accused of being a cult member by another cult is a serious crime, even worse than cult activity, but he has never been caught so far. This was partly because of Alkadi's power, but also because he was resourceful.
For example, he never uses cult-style equipment when doing illegal things. Among the equipment produced by Megacorp Star Union, only those that are commonly used are selected for use. This is to pretend that visitors from outside have caused the problem.
Even now, none of the people here were carrying cult-style equipment or tools. The reinforced clothing and weapons worn were made by Megacorp, and the communication and detection equipment were made by Star Union.
"Everyone activate stealth mode."
"check."
"Check communication status."
"Communication status is good."
When Wolf the leopard head and his subordinates pressed the button on the pad of the armored suit, their bodies slowly disappeared. 9 out of 12 red shadows moved toward the hover bus center. The remaining three waited in the building for sniping and support.
The nine slaves entered the hover bus center after carefully examining its interior.
The inside of the center was filled with only sand. Looking at the sand piled up on the floor and the cracked walls due to lack of maintenance, it never occurred to me that anyone would live here.
If it weren't for the footprints on the floor, I would have thought I had come to the wrong house.
"I'm sure these footprints Wolff is here."
The leopard-headed Wolff, who came face to face with the female Wolff, quickly found traces of his target.
"Oh, but what are these traces?"
Other than the cult and Wolf footprints, other traces were also noticeable.
There were traces here and there that were hard to see, such as traces that looked like a round object had dragged a body across the area, and footprints left by something that looked like a small spider.
"These…look like animal tracks?"
"It could be an animal that escaped from the market. "You never know when something might pop up, so don't separate from each other."
Other slaves gathered as leopard-headed Wolff spoke. After checking on his colleagues, he realized something was wrong.
'eight??'
There are nine people who came here, including him. But there were only eight people here, including him. The others also noticed that their colleague was missing and became confused.
"I was behind the bar until just now!"
Leopard-headed Wolf hurriedly attempted to communicate, but did not receive the call. We contacted the two people in support roles at the rear, but they also said they did not see anyone leaving the building.
'There's no way he could have been defeated in such a short period of time.'
"Where was he when I last saw him?"
"It was over there!"
As the slave pointed out, they approached the mountain of sand piled up in the corner. Even though it was indoors, a Gauss rifle was lying in front of a mountain of sand.
'Any other traces… huh?'
Leopard-headed Wolff discovered strange traces while picking up his subordinate's dropped gun. It was a large scratch in the sand.
Then they heard the sound of sand pouring from behind them. All eight heads turned in unison.
There was a dragon in the red sand. A huge snake reminiscent of a red worm, a carnivorous earthworm that lives somewhere in the desert, raised its head.
A dragon with lighter pink skin than Red Worm. The leopard-headed Wolff, facing its numerous eyes, had a hunch.
I need to run away right now.
The moment his foot hit the ground, countless snake heads popped out of the sand. Slaves who failed to react in time were caught by the snake.
There was no screaming.
Before the slaves could utter a sound, the snake dragged them into the sand. Just by looking at the bright red liquid soaking the sand, it was easy to imagine what kind of fate the slaves met.
While five people were covered in blood, three people, including the leopard-headed Wolff, left the scene. The two ran inside, and the leopard-headed Wolf ran outside.
"sniper! Respond!"
Even when I yelled at the communicator, there was no answer. Instead, I heard another sound overhead.
The ominous sound of flapping wings was heard from the bright red sky.
Sometimes close and sometimes far away. Even when I looked up and checked, the owner of the wing was not visible.
At that moment, a loud sound of leather exploding was heard in the sand in front of the building. Something had fallen from the sky.
Leopard-headed Wolff, who checked the fallen object, fell silent in shock.
"!"
Now I know why the snipers failed to respond. The identity of the object that crashed on the sand was one of the snipers hiding in the building.
Thanks to the reinforced clothing, the body itself was in good shape. Because of this, he had to see the strange shape of the corpse clearly with his own eyes. The dead sniper had lost all blood and moisture from his body and was completely mummified.
"shit!"
I knew it as soon as I saw it. The building is wrong.
He gave strength to his trembling legs and ran.
We must return to the owner immediately and let him know how dangerous something is lurking here.
His master is a man with enough power to summon a cult army. We will be able to purify the hover bus center taken over by monsters.
But there was one thing he was mistaken about.
Now that he has entered the territory of monsters, his life is no longer his. They never lose sight of their prey.
"!"
And one of the ruins' new owners intercepted the intruder.
Wolff holds a golden spear that shines vividly under the red sky.
On top of its head, which resembles a white bird of prey, are black horns reminiscent of helmets worn by warriors. Underneath was a strong body that seemed as if it were made of melted gold.
I definitely met her during the day. However, Wolff, standing firmly on the sand holding a javelin, felt completely different.
Leopard-headed Wolff didn't hesitate and aimed his Gauss rifle at her.
The moment his finger pulled the trigger, she ducked. A tungsten bullet narrowly passed over her head.
'Did you avoid it?'
Currently, he is wearing a reinforced suit with the cloaking function activated. Unless that Wolff has a special detection device, you can't see him.
The battle has already begun. While he was worrying, the other person quickly closed the distance.
The second bullet leaves the gun barrel, aiming for the enemy's chest. The distance between him and the enemy is not very long. It is impossible to avoid bullets fired from such close quarters.
The enemy's hand holding the short spear moves like lightning. A golden thunderbolt cuts through the flying bullets. The bullet, split in half, passed her and lodged in the sand.
"What?!"
He opened his mouth wide at the sight he couldn't believe. The javelin with the bullet in it was aimed at his neck. He hurriedly raised his Gauss rifle and tried to block it, but his opponent was overwhelmingly faster.
"Kuh keuhuh…"
A thin stream of blood splashed onto the sand. A small hole appeared in the throat protected by the reinforced suit.
Leopard-headed Wolf threw down his gun and plugged the hole, but it was not enough. His life drained away quickly like water over a collapsed dam.
"What are you looking at me? "A female that was sold?"
Had she lived as a slave for so long that she had even forgotten her primal instincts?
Faced with angry amber eyes, the leopard-headed Wolff recalled a legend he had heard from his people when he was very young.
The story of the fall of great gods.
The person in front of him is not a slave.
It was the goddess of the hunt.
–
"Crazy! "Why did you come this way!"
"shit!"
The two slaves who had planned to run across the center to the opposite exit soon regretted their decision. This was because all the doors were blocked by sand and debris.
The only open space was the road leading underground. Since there was no other way, the two had no choice but to go down the stairs leading to the basement.
Unlike the upstairs, the lights were on downstairs.
Irregularly blinking lights illuminated the exposed steel frame and wires on the ceiling and walls. The two slaves were very nervous because the atmosphere was quite eerie.
The thought that I had made a series of wrong choices crossed my mind, but it was already too late. They continued walking with their guns pointed forward.
At the end of the stairs was a very large cavity. As I was making it, I saw that there were several passages connected to the underground cavity.
"There are many roads. What do we do?"
"First, continue to the right…
Then both of them closed their mouths at the same time. This is because I heard a sound in the darkness that encroached on the cavity.
Clatter rattle rattle rattle. It was the sound of metal clashing regularly.
"…."
The slaves pressed the button on the pad on their wrists with trembling hands. They switched the vision of their helmets to thermal imaging mode and turned their heads in the direction of the sound.
Their third mistake was seeing with their own eyes something lurking in the gray world.
Crouching in the middle of the cavity was a spider of overwhelming size.
"Hee hee!"
'It' responded to the slave's short scream. The head of the human woman on top of the spider's body turned 180 degrees to face them.
"Two?"
'It's' eyes, as cold as a camera lens, moved like a machine and scanned the outsider.
"I will remove one."
The spider that was staying in the cavity woke up.
It didn't take long for the screaming coming from down the stairs to stop.
–
[Zuzu zuzu zuzu zuzu zuzu (huge mansion at the end of the street?)]
"Mansion. mansion."
As expected, the slaves sent by the cult master were quickly cleared out. PS-111, who obtained information from the only remaining survivor, told me where their owner was through MPS-05.
I was on top of the building, picked up MPS-05 and moved towards the mansion where the cult owner was staying.
When you become a 'clever underdog', not only your body size but also your weight decreases considerably. Add to that the 'stealth maneuver' effect that I had previously acquired in Aadhai's hometown, and the sound of footsteps almost disappeared.
Even though I ran around the building on four legs, waving my long tail, no one below noticed me. Even if they saw me, they would see me as a cult soldier standing on top of a building, clutching something in his hand.
As we went further into the slave market, a wall larger than the building began to appear in the distance.
'It looks like it's over there.'
As I got closer, I saw that the mansion was semi-fortified. Cameras and various detection devices were attached to the wall, and Star Union storm guns were on watch.
'But it's of no use to me.'
He put all his strength into his four legs and strongly kicked the roof of the building. My body flew quickly like a cannonball fired from a naval gun and passed over the wall.
As you climb over the wall, you see an armed guard at your feet. Seeing that he was wearing a poncho with an inverted triangle and diamond overlapping over a suit-shaped armored suit, he seemed to be from a cult 'warrior group.'
He was on patrol and didn't notice me jumping over the fence. My body landed behind him.
"hmm?"
The warriors reacted to the sound coming from right behind them. Just before his head turned, my tails moved.
The claw at the end of the right tail hit him hard on the head. The warrior's head was broken with the sound of a watermelon breaking. Before he fell, his left tail, which resembled a snake's tail, wrapped around his upper body.
I quickly disposed of the corpse using three heads. The cult's unique sweet flavor filled my mouth, but I don't have time to enjoy it now.
The head on both shoulders ate it greedily and wiped away all the blood that spilled with the tongue of the middle head. The mimicry organ inside the body received newly collected genetic information from outside and constructed a completely different type of pheromone system.
From now on, I am not a gun gunner belonging to the Surveillance Office, but a guard from the warrior corps.
'It's the same in my eyes.'
I walked with MPS-05. As I passed through the large and bright garden inside the wall, a mansion with a shape similar to a pyramid greeted me.
Around the mansion, I see cultists wearing the same clothes as the guards I captured. I approached the mansion without paying attention to their gaze. Some people tilted their heads when they saw me, but there was no other reaction.
Of course, the guards guarding the entrance were different. Two cultists blocking the entrance to the mansion blocked me.
"what? "You're not in charge of the mansion, are you?"
"You said you would check on the newly acquired creature."
"Tsk. "Go in quickly."
The two guards clicked their tongues briefly and opened the door. It was a familiar sight, as this happens often.
So I passed through the entrance to the mansion without any stopping.
'Where do you want to be?'
I used the assistive organ under my chin to look inside the mansion. Even though it was late at night, a lot of movement could be felt inside the mansion. Probably slaves and guards.
So, on the contrary, I looked for something that moves less. It seems unlikely that the arrogant owner will work until night.
An auxiliary organization that collected all kinds of elements, including air flow, sound, and smells within the mansion, began analysis. Soon, an unusual movement was detected in a place on the top floor of the mansion.
'There it is.'
Unlike the others who were moving around diligently, I saw that he was extremely still, and it seemed like the movements of someone who was clearly asleep. After finding my target, I got on the elevator.
When I arrived at the top floor and the elevator door opened, I was greeted by a gorgeous visit with a strong cult style. There were also two armed cult guards waiting here.
"You're not in charge here, are you?"
"The owner said he would check on the newly acquired creature."
I gave the same excuse as I had given at the entrance, but this time the reaction was different.
"Alkadi already went to bed an hour ago."
"He didn't give an order to bring in any living things."
"okay?"
It would have been nice if things had gone smoothly, but it's a shame. They chose the wrong answer.
I whacked one guard with my right tail while using my fighting arm to grab the guard who was trying to call out to his comrades.
"Keck!"
"town?!"
The guy who was hit in the waist by the claws at the end of his tail was thrown against the wall, his body bent in an awkward position. The guy who had the front part of his face grabbed by the fighting arm was embarrassed and struggled.
The reason why a warrior group with seasoned skills is left helpless is because of the mimicry organ. Because my senses are disturbed by pheromones, enemies cannot properly recognize my true appearance.
Parts that are not on the body of the intelligence I am disguising, such as the tail, multiple arms, and head, are not visible to the enemy. If I attack an invisible part like I do now, the enemy will feel like they have been hit by an invisible attack.
"What are you…"
I used my hand to crush the cultist's head. The horns and skull were shattered and their contents soaked my palms.
After eliminating the intruder, I opened the door and entered the room.
The culprit who was bothering me was sleeping peacefully, completely unaware of what was happening outside. I put down MPS-05 and climbed onto the brightly decorated bed.
Then he sensed someone and opened his eyes. When he saw me, his eyes widened greatly.
I quickly stretched out my fighting arms and grabbed his head.
"…!"
The cult seems confused as to why the warriors are here and why their bodies are not moving.
I disarmed the mimicry organ and brought my snout closer to him.
"I heard you are willing to pay an unimaginable price?"
"?!"
The guy's body is shaking.
Was it regret for what he had done, or was it the kind of fear that someone who saw a monster in the comfort of his bedroom would have?
Actually, it doesn't matter what he thinks.
What matters is how much value he can pay.
He will give me everything he has.
Regardless of whether you want it or not.
-x-X-x-
"I'm sorry for asking you to meet me when you were busy."
"haha. no. Seniors."
In an office with a stiff atmosphere, two cult members are sitting across a desk.
They both had yak horns on their heads, but other than that they had no other resemblance. The male cult member, who looked almost middle-aged, was unusually wearing the uniform of the Megacorp crisis management team. On the other hand, the female cultist sitting in front of the office desk wore a cult-style purple military uniform.
"I should have contacted you sooner. "Is the accommodation I provided okay?"
"The accommodations in the 'water fortress'. "I heard it was good for a long time, but it was beyond my imagination."
"It is not a waste to treat you and those who saved you at the imperial palace."
"It was such an undeserved kindness that it made me question whether I could accept it. Thank you so much. Alshas."
"Seniors! "Lift your head up!"
A cult member wearing a Megacorp uniform bowed his head politely. Then the female cultist, Alshas, waved his hands as if he was embarrassed.
"When Senior Nern contacted me, I offered a prayer of thanks to the great Providence. "For giving me the opportunity to repay the favor I received from my senior."
"Alshas…"
"So please raise your head."
At her dissuasion, Nern had no choice but to raise his head.
Well-maintained silver hair and a face with mature beauty and elegance. Nern faced the face of his junior, who was much younger than him, and recalled the past.
A long time ago, Nern and Alshath served on the same ship.
At the time, Alshas could not properly adapt to ship life. It's probably because he boarded a ship at a particularly young age. She wouldn't be here if Nern hadn't saved her several times from the threat of Outspacer.
'That crybaby is now the captain of the imperial carrier.'
The cult that shed tears every time a battle ended is no longer here. Nern glanced at the badge on Alshas' right chest.
An emblem with a small circle within a gold diamond. Nern received a badge that looked exactly like that when he became the captain of the 'Judge of Damos 08' 10 years ago.
When did an unreliable subordinate grow up to become the commander of the imperial carrier 'Defender of Berzan 02' that protects this planet?
In fact, he knows that several years have already passed since she became captain. Still, I couldn't let go of the feeling that time was passing so quickly.
"Anyway, are you really not going to come back? Now the empire is in chaos. "It's time to need a hero like you."
"Didn't I tell you? "I have no intention of going back before I complete my revenge."
"Are you talking about the three-headed devil? I know this because I have seen the records. Subjugation is impossible without cooperation with the empire."
As soon as the words 'three-headed devil' came out of Alshas's mouth, Nern felt his body suddenly stiffen. This is because the fear from when I faced that monster still lingered in my body.
"You would know. The Empire cannot afford to use its power to catch that monster. Even if it were there, that council would probably oppose it."
"If I help you…"
"Then if you are kicked out of the innovation faction, that will be the end of the empire."
"…."
"They are humans. It is true that they are a weak and primitive race. "But they are the only key to helping me get revenge."
Sihyeon Eugene, the owner of the group that currently houses Nern, can use an artifact with great power. It's unclear why she can use it, but it doesn't matter anyway.
She would be able to kill even a three-headed demon with the relic she possesses.
"Is it because of that artifact?"
"okay. "You heard it, so you remember it."
"Thanks to you, my senior and I survived, so of course I remember. I never thought someone who could use that scary artifact would appear again. "I didn't expect it at all."
Alshas was also on the ship when the artifact was activated. However, because she was hospitalized, she was unable to see the artifact in action. By the time she heard about the artifact, Nern had already hidden it on a planet.
"Anyway, I came to meet you today for something related to that."
"yes?"
"Please help relic user Sihyeon Eugene meet with a member of the innovation faction."
"You mean the innovative member?"
"We need different types of weapons and ships. The Providence faction is advocating rearmament, so they will never try to hand over their weapons. But…"
"Are you saying that the innovative faction that advocates disarmament is different? "That is correct."
Alshas frowned slightly. Even if she was the captain of an imperial carrier, it was not easy to force lawmakers to sell weapons.
Moreover, the people they are selling to are entities whose identity is unclear. You never know when they might cause harm to the empire. If Nern had heard this offer, he would have flatly rejected it.
Nern, who knew what she was worried about, quietly waited for an answer.
After a while, Alshas sighed briefly and nodded.
"This is my chance to return the favor, so can I turn it down? "The person I regard as a gift is here, so I will talk to him."
"Really?"
"yes. He is a well-versed megacop among the innovative faction. "Maybe we can communicate well."
"Thank you!"
"If you are so grateful, please return. "There are many imperial carriers here."
"Hmm, anyway, how is your brother?"
Alshas chuckled when he saw Nerne clearing his throat and talking.
"Brother Alkadi is still the same. As you know, you cannot escape your noble hobby."
"There's nothing to say that much. "He is definitely a resourceful person."
"You are probably the only one who thinks positively about you, you idiot."
Contrary to her sarcastic tone, her expression was not bad.
From what Nern remembers, the Alkadi Alshas siblings had a good relationship. This is rare among cults that have a vague awareness of brothers and sisters.
"How about giving this a chance? If it were your recommendation, it wouldn't be difficult to become a counselor to the governor, right?"
"It's hard to give up a crappy hobby. "Congressmen will oppose it."
"Tsk. "Why are there so many people, including those of the Providence faction, who are so obsessed with slavery?"
"Are you talking about the missing youngest priest? I heard that all the slaves have disappeared…"
The important story was over, but Nern did not leave.
They met for the first time in a long time and talked about various events that had occurred recently.
–
'A water fortress.'
I swallowed the delicious piece of meat and thought about what I had seen during the day.
Last night, I broke into Alkadi's mansion and planted parasites on him. He is quite famous on this planet. So, instead of using the normal mode, I decided to control it in a way that mainly controls the body, just like Charas.
There were two main things I asked of the cult with the most slaves on the Streets of Light.
Information and products.
First, I asked him for a ledger listing all the slaves he had ever sold.
He refused, saying he could never give me that even though I was right in front of him. He said he couldn't hand it over because it was his bottom line.
Of course, his refusal did not mean much in a situation where parasites had taken over part of his brain and spine. After inflicting pain on the bastard, I gave the order again.
Please bring the ledger.
It was only after he had expelled all the contents of his stomach that he listened to me. After receiving a small data chip from him, I then asked about the creatures he had.
If Alkadi had only sold slaves, he would never have achieved as much wealth as he does now. As expected, he had many creatures for sale or collection.
'I didn't know there were Apex-class rare creatures.'
Of course, he told me to bring them too. Send it secretly to the place where I am hiding.
After being hit hard once, he obeyed my orders. Alkadi swore to me that he would never let anyone else catch it.
That's the end of the matter. After leaving it to the guy to clean up after me, I returned to the hideout.
As soon as I got back, I called PS-111.
The guy was analyzing the reinforced suit brought by the enemy in order to improve his metal body parts. I asked him to analyze Alkadi's data chip after he was finished.
I said it was okay to take it slow, but PS-111 went through all the massive amounts of records overnight. He selected only Coldblood slaves sold by Alkadi and showed them to us through the hologram of the Hover Bus Center.
While going through the list, Heavenly Mother said one person was suspicious.
The reason for doubt is that it has already been 10 years since she last saw No. 22 in person. He was a young Coldblood when we met, so he should have grown up by now.
Moreover, the 22nd ranked player is a target of the ruling faction, including Jason. It is highly likely that he hid his appearance under a completely different guise.
'Well, he seems certain.'
Anyway, Coldblood, estimated to be ranked 22nd, went to a new owner staying at the Water Fortress just two months ago. It's only been a few months, so I guess I'm still in the water fortress.
'The problem is that it's not easy to break through the water fortress…'
I thought as I chewed the food Alkadi sent me.
The Water Fortress is like the capital of this planet and is where the largest branch of the Society of Prophets is located. The level of defense is so high that it is difficult to compare it to this place.
Also, if there is a player other than 22nd in Berzan 02, there is a high probability that he will also be in the Water Fortress. The water fortress is the center of the planet's economy. If I were a cult player, I would definitely base myself there.
'No matter what, it's impossible to break through in two days.'
There are only a few days left for the 'clever underdog' to last. In all likelihood, the transformation will wear off before you enter the water fortress. If you're going to wage an all-out war against the city, it's almost impossible to infiltrate the city with a body tens of meters tall.
I came here to ask 22nd about the vision he saw during evolution. I'm not sure yet if he's hostile to me, but I can't turn the city into rubble.
'I'll have to spend my time here for at least 30 days.'
There is work to be done during that long period of time.
Preparation for infiltration and….
｢Predation effect activated!｣
'Okay.'
When the container sent by Alkadi arrived, I immediately used the 'Symbol of Hunting'. This is because you have to learn the characteristics of the creature he sent.
The creature I just ate was the fluid of a 'red worm'. It is a carnivorous earthworm that only lives on desert-type planets and is called by nicknames such as the sand dragon and red snake.
The unique characteristics of this creature have a deep connection with me. This is because I acquired it by chance not long after falling into this world.
'I put it to very good use.'
This characteristic was put to good use for a while and then used as a fusion material. It has been very useful so far and I plan to use it actively in the future.
｢Take over 'mimicry' from the creature characteristics of 'Red Worm'.｣
｢Do you want to apply 'mimicry'?｣
'Of course. check.'
The treasure I got from the cargo hold of the Megacorp research ship is back in my hands.
As I accepted the characteristics that emerged from the predation effect, I began to think about the most important issues.
I plan to give this dutiful son trait to one of my children. So who is it most effective to give it to?
'The simplest good person would be PS-111…'
More than half of PS-111's body is a machine, and it can change its body through modification. It's not difficult to change your voice.
'It should be useful in some way, but that's about it.'
In the case of Heavenly Mother, it is not a bad choice. Of all the kids, they are the type that is best at predicting what will happen if imitation is applied to them.
'But I feel ambiguous about giving it to her.'
Since she is of the Wolf tribe, she does not feel any hindrance in her external activities. It feels a bit of a waste to give it away to be used only in battle.
Of course, she is the only one among the kids who knows how scary imitation is. Because I had a painful experience in the game. I've seen and heard something, so if you give it to me, I'm sure it will be put to good use.
'I honestly don't think Aadhai will work.'
For gallagons, a bundle of tentacles acts as a mouth. Even if a mimicking organ is implanted in the throat, it is difficult to make sounds due to the structure of the oral cavity.
In fact, considering the shape of the oral structure, No. 26 has the same limitations, but it has one distinguishing advantage.
'He can change his body.'
In the underground cellar of the space fortress 'Kesha Arma', it ate a creature called 'Faceless'.
Faceless is a creature that has the ability to change its body at will.
The guy who inherited that power gained the power to freely change the shape of his tentacles. 'Mutant Tentacle', an ability that did not exist in the game.
'Mutant tentacles is the name I gave it.'
In any case, even if the mimicry organ doesn't fit his body, it won't be a big problem for him. All he has to do is change his tentacles to match the new organs on his body.
Of course, if that happens, it will be very different from what I imagine. It may be much better than I expected, or it may just end up making a sound that is difficult to call a voice.
'Should I give it to Heavenly Mother or Number 26?'
On the one hand, there is almost no risk, but the results are predictable. I suspect that it will show an operation that does not deviate significantly from my expectations, whether in a good or bad sense.
On the other hand, the risk is low, but the results are unpredictable. It can be good or bad.
'…it would be better to give it to him anyway.'
After thinking for a while, I finally made a decision.
-x-X-x-
"We have arrived."
"Prepare for landing. "I check the condition of things."
"uh."
A transport ship with two slaves landed on the sand. While one person checked the instrument panel, the other looked at the containers loaded on the back of the transport ship.
"It comes every day, but I don't know why they ask me to leave it here."
"Arthur. This is what the master does. Never mind."
"Aren't you curious? "Why are they putting containers in that ruined building?"
A male slave sitting in the cockpit pointed to the tempered glass in front. Beyond the glass was a hover bus center half submerged in sand.
For the past three weeks, they have been coming to this abandoned street every three days. This is to place a frozen container containing living creatures in front of the hover bus center.
"hey. Curiosity is poison. "I'm going to move the container, so please help me quickly."
"Tsk."
The Insect Man slave who finished inspecting the container clicked his pointed chin. At his colleague's signal to take it in moderation, the human slave meekly opened the back door of the transport ship.
After that, the two operated the terminal and prepared to move the container outside.
Perhaps because it was the time of day when the sun was up, the temperature outside the transport ship was very high. Even though I was wearing protective clothing, I was still sweating.
The transport ship's machines are all responsible for moving containers, but that doesn't mean they won't be hit by a craze. When the container was unloaded in front of the hover bus center in the heat wave, the human slave spoke again.
"The creature we brought. Do you know how much it costs?"
"…."
"I checked and these are the most expensive items sold in the store. "There are even animals that the owner raised rather than sold."
"So what happened?"
The man said as if he was frustrated with Insect Man's still grumbling attitude.
"look. The day after tomorrow, there will be only containers left without any living creatures? "Isn't it suspicious that they are throwing away that expensive animal?"
"Just get to the point. "Just the main point."
"I think the master is in collusion with a cult."
"Cult group?"
Insect Man tilted his head at the man's words.
"What bullshit?"
"No really. "I heard there's no trouble on other planets than here."
"Think about it. "Why would someone as wealthy as you join a cult?"
"You never know. Maybe he became wealthy thanks to their support. In return, we are giving away precious creatures."
"Crazy guy. The master's younger brother is the captain of the imperial carrier. "If you do something like that, you will be hit with a purifying ray right away."
"I don't know. "My younger brother may have colluded as well."
Insect Man was irritated by his colleague's endless delusions. The weather was so hot that I was dying, but hearing this nonsense made me angry.
"If you're that curious, go in and check it out."
"uh? Really?" "Yes. "You go in and hand over the items yourself."
So far, they have only left the containers in front of the center and have never directly checked who receives them. This is because I told them to leave their belongings and return immediately.
The man hesitated at Insect Man's words. When I actually went in, I was worried.
If by any chance a cultist were to be inside, it would be a big problem. I might be captured by them and become a sacrifice in a bizarre ritual.
"If you don't do that, please shut up."
"…I'll go in and come back."
"what?"
"wait here."
"crazy! hey!"
However, the man, whose curiosity was greater than his fear of the cult, did something unexpected. He left Insect Man outside and entered the center entrance.
Even though it was broad daylight, the inside of the center was dark. Steel frames and pipes were clearly exposed on the walls and ceiling, and the floor was filled with sand brought in from outside.
It was a typical sight of a ruin that had not been managed at all. It was hard to imagine anyone living here.
"The goods have arrived!"
The man shouted loudly, wondering if there was someone there. His voice rang out against the walls inside the center.
There was no answer back.
'Is it a halfway point?'
If you leave items here, it may be a structure where the recipients receive them at the appropriate time. If so, mercenaries hired by criminals would still be hiding and watching him.
'Ugh, are you really involved with criminals?'
In fact, he was not the adventurous type of person. Today, it was just curiosity that led him strangely. I have never experienced such unexpected behavior before.
The man slowly walked back toward the entrance.
That's when you prepare to jump to the transport ship as soon as you leave.
I heard a sound in the dark.
"Have the items arrived?"
"Hi?!"
The man's entire body stiffened at the sudden sound of the voice. The cold sweat running down his back was not simply caused by the heat.
As I was frozen in place, the voice came out again.
"Have the items arrived?"
'…Where did you hear that voice?'
I once heard that voice in the same tone twice in a row.
There are slaves who do dirty work, such as terrorizing their master Alkadi's competitors, and the voice of one of them was very similar. I remembered it clearly because, like him, I was a human slave.
"what. You were surprised. "I'll answer when I'm inside."
"sorry!"
The man felt relieved at the thought of someone he knew.
It was clear that his master was plotting a new plot. They may have deliberately chosen such a remote location to store their items in order to avoid the attention of others.
"Have the items arrived?"
"uh! "I put it in front of the center."
"okay!"
After answering that I understood, the center fell silent again. No one came out with a different answer. There was no sign of presence, as if they were working deep inside.
'Looks like they're busy over there too.'
The man shouted again, wondering if he could still see his face.
"Hey, you must be very busy?"
"sorry!"
"I'm even sorry. "I wanted to take a look at your face."
"sorry!"
The man had a strange feeling as he kept hearing apologies.
As long as we are human, the tone of our voices and the way we speak change subtly every time we speak. But that wasn't the sound coming from inside. It was exactly the same as if it had been recorded on a machine and then played.
"…You left something behind? "Can't I check it?"
"okay!"
"…."
That wasn't the only strange thing.
It seemed like the conversation was continuing from before, but something wasn't right. I clearly knew this person, but the more I talked to him, the less I felt like I was talking to a person.
Moreover, the location from which the voice was heard was strange. The owner of that voice he remembered wasn't very tall. At best, it would be similar to that.
But the position where the voice was heard now was much higher than that. It still is. The author is speaking to him while standing at a height of at least 5 meters.
"…gulp then I'll leave."
"okay! bye!"
This old center is not a duplex structure. Above the sand-covered ground, there is only a ceiling with a clearly exposed steel frame.
So where does the owner of the voice speak?
No, is it really 'human' at all?
'Now that I think about it, that slave…'
I heard that he died while carrying out a mission ordered by his master.
When I remembered the memory I heard just three weeks ago, I came to my senses.
His instincts, not his head, are yelling at him. This is a strange place. You shouldn't stay here any longer.
He forced his cold legs and moved towards the entrance.
The moment he went out of the entrance, a voice came from behind him.
"Have the items arrived?"
The man was unable to answer the fourth question, which was asked with the same tone of voice.
He barely made it onto the transport ship. Sitting in the cockpit, he looked at the center in the blowing sand and made a decision.
Let's forget about today.
Let's not think about who owns the voice we heard at the center.
After making that promise, strangely enough, I felt at ease. I felt like something that was constricting my head was disappearing.
"huh?"
The moment the transport took off, the man felt that the inside of his ears were wet.
'It must be sweat.'
Even if you wanted to check anyway, it's impossible from here because of the protective clothing that covers your entire body. The man ignored it.
After the transport ship left, huge pink tentacles crept out of the center's entrance. They wrapped around the container and dragged it inside.
No one saw that scene.
–
｢Big baby! saw? Did you see it?｣
[Zuzuzuzu (Yes, you had a hard time)]
"Did you do well? good job? "Have the items arrived?"
[Zuzu zuzuzu (very good job)]
"Well done! okay!"
Number 26 beamed with joy at my praise. The colorful light coming from its body cleared away the darkness inside the center. At the same time, new 'special tentacles' were seen writhing on its body.
A tentacle that looks completely different from the fins or regular tentacles on its body. Not only does it look different, but its structure is also much more complex than that of regular tentacles.
Looking at its appearance, both the inside and outside of the tentacles have many long, thin hair-like protrusions. The protrusions moved constantly even when there was no wind, because the tentacles were closely connected to the creature's consciousness.
If you actually look at the translucent body of this guy, you can see that the tentacles are connected deep inside the body.
"Good job! Grrrr? okay! Water hahahaha."
Every time the protrusions shook and hit each other, a strange sound came out. Aside from the content, if you just listen to the sound itself, it sounds like a person speaking.
Unlike regular tentacles, which are used for multiple purposes like hands, these tentacles exist for only one function.
It's just imitating the human voice.
Those tentacles are the part that was created when the 'mimicry' trait was implanted into this guy.
'I didn't know there would be new tentacles.'
Three weeks ago now, I transplanted the Mimic trait to No. 26.
Originally, I was planning to give it to Heavenly Mother, not him. This is because it was judged that it would be more stable than transplanting it to No. 26.
But after hearing what I said, she refused.
Currently, the number of times I can transfer characteristics to a colleague is limited to two. It is said that the 'double helix monolith' itself is related to the space monster type, so it may increase in the future, but not yet.
That's why she said she wanted other qualities other than imitation.
'I asked for characteristics that match my style.'
Thanks to her giving up, the new master of mimicry became No. 26.
After the trait was implanted, new tentacles that could produce sound were added to the animal's body. I thought the 'mutant tentacles', which can freely change their appearance, would inherit the function of mimicry, but it was an unexpected change.
'It was applied as a replacement for the existing regular tentacles.'
It was a pretty good result as I got mutant tentacles and mimic tentacles, so to speak, 'mimicking tentacles'.
Of course, this was not without its drawbacks.
'The mechanism is very different.'
In my case, when I acquire the mimicry trait, my body gains an additional organ that analyzes the genes of other living things. This organ sends information to the vocal organ in the neck, allowing the animal to imitate the creature's voice.
However, No. 26 did not have such an analysis agency. Even if it eats someone, it can't imitate their voice. The sound it makes is the result of the tentacle's projections recognizing and reconstructing the waves contained in the voice of the slave I captured.
Therefore, at this point, he can only make sound if either I or PS-111 are next to him. It can be thought of as similar to recording voice with a machine and then synthesizing it.
'Besides, I'm not used to communicating with sounds.'
Sea demons do not communicate through vocalizations like humans do. They communicate through the light they emit from their bodies. Because it is a deep sea creature, it evolved that way.
As a result, he was not familiar with the concept of communicating with sounds. In order for him to use his mimicry tentacles properly, he needs to learn the sounds of the necessary words.
"difficult. It's not going well.」
[Zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzu zuzu (It'll be okay if you practice)]
"Grrrr practice! okay! good job!"
[Z(Yes)]
The good news among the misfortunes is that he learns quite quickly.
'Because he was a special guy to begin with.'
It's only been 3 weeks since I started learning, but it's already like this. If you teach diligently, you will be able to imitate voices as well as I do.
'I must be busy.'
｢I｣｢Study｣｢Need｣
"I also need confirmation of the newly transplanted gene."
No. 26 is not the only one that has been implanted with new characteristics. Useful characteristics were also transplanted to Aadhai and PS-111. In addition to teaching No. 26 to speak, we also need to teach him how to use his characteristics.
'Of course, before that…'
[Zuzuzuzu zuzu zuzu (let's eat first)]
｢Okay｣
"Okay!"
"What kind of creature is it today?"
There are about 11 days left until the cooldown of 'Organic Evolution' ends.
I think I can make the most of the remaining time.
–
"Thank you for your valuable time. "Elderly."
"Haha Captain Alshas is requesting a meeting, how could I refuse?"
A reception room with a bright atmosphere.
Two cult members and a human were sitting on luxurious chairs and having a conversation.
"Has the work of the Planetary Council been completed successfully?"
"Fortunately, this governor is someone who can communicate well. It ended well and without any problems."
"That's a good thing."
"More than that, this person is…"
"Hello. Mr. Kissos. "This is the vision of Yu Jin-ga, a member of Megacorp Noble Capital."
Sihyeon, dressed in the uniform worn by cult nobles, stood up and bowed politely. The cult called Chisos also stood up and bowed accordingly.
"Nice to meet you. Eugene's vision. Kissos of the Monzan tribe. "Are you familiar with cult-style etiquette?"
"That's too much praise. "I have had many encounters with cults, so I only learned from what I saw from the side."
"Hehe, Monzan's etiquette is strict but amazing."
"Thank you for a good look."
After hearing the visionary's humble answer, Chisos's eyes curved into a crescent moon shape.
In fact, her familiarity with cult-style etiquette was due to past experience.
She is the shadow of the Eugene family. There was a lot of blood on his hands, including quite a bit of the blood of cult nobles. Of course, unless you're an idiot, there's no way I'd say that here.
Kissos sat back down and opened his mouth with an expression of interest.
"okay. Eugene's vision. "What did you want to meet me for today?"
"I would like to make a deal with Mr. Kissos."
"It's a deal. It's an area I'm good at. "Tell me in detail."
"yes. "I would like to purchase the cult's weapons and equipment."
Kissos tilted his head at those words.
"If you're a member of the Eugene family, can't you get weapons from Megacorp? Why do you want to buy from me?"
"I am building my personal power without Eugene's help. "It's because I want to become self-reliant rather than relying solely on my family's reputation."
"Wow, it's not going to be easy, but it's amazing."
"If Kissos invests in me, I will definitely repay you."
"Invest."
Kisos heard her words and flicked his finger on the handle of the chair.
"I mainly deal with Megacorp's Carmelda. "The head of the company said that investments should be transparent."
"That is correct."
"Then shouldn't we also tell you why you are buying slaves in Berzan 02?"
At those words, Sihyeon's gaze briefly turned to Alshas, who was sitting next to Kisos. Her eyes were wide open. Looking at it, it was clear that it was not Alshas who had said this, but rather Kisos had independently investigated the vision.
"It's a shame, but the empire's security hasn't been very good lately. "No matter how much I advocate disarmament, this is a clear fact."
"…."
"I don't know anything about you. I have no idea if you're a cultist or a pirate. "I don't want to gain wealth at the expense of the empire's security."
Sihyeon thought for a moment.
'There is no point in lying any more.'
Chisos is a worn-out member of the Imperial Council and the leader of the Reformation faction. He is an old bastard who has maintained his position in the National Assembly where all kinds of secret fighting is rampant.
Not only would it not be easy to deceive him, but if she failed, she might have to leave Berzan 02 altogether. On this planet, the author is the most powerful person, higher than the governor.
'…is there really only a straight attack method?'
She decided to act as she had originally planned.
Sihyeon got to the point with a soft smile.
"If you are saying that you have doubts about whether I am a threat to national security, then it is true."
"It's true?"
"yes. "The target is not the empire."
"Hoo?"
"My goal is to regain Eugene's position as the head of the family. "For that, we must kill the current head of the family, Akira."
Alshas didn't seem to know that something like this would come up. My eyes were wandering here and there.
Unlike her, Kisos smiled slightly, as if he found Sihyeon's words quite interesting.
"As far as I know, Eugene's matriarch is the emperor of Megacorp, which means he also holds the position of CEO."
"you're right."
"I understand that the Garmelda family, with whom I mainly deal, has a friendly relationship with the CEO. Is that correct?"
"yes."
"But do you think I would invest in someone who would harm the CEO here?"
"Aren't you negative about Akira's rule?"
"I?"
Kisos narrowed his eyes after hearing those words.
"Akira Eugene is not hostile to the Empire, but refuses any further relationship. "It contrasts with the thoughts of Kisos, who wants an order in which the great powers unite around the empire."
"…."
"It would be a different story if someone who aligned with the empire's position and interests took over as CEO instead of Akira. In fact, I understand that a lot of 'investment' has already been made in relation to it."
As Sihyeon said, Keysos was investing heavily in electing Megacorp CEO. Provide kidney equipment obtained from Carmelda to TNC, Akira's strong competitor, etc.
However, this was all done in extreme secrecy. Even within the innovative faction, there are very few people who know about it, but this story came from the mouth of a complete stranger.
"Are you saying that you can serve the 'interests of the empire'?"
"To be precise, we plan to ensure that 'a person with the empire's interests in mind' becomes the CEO. For example, T&C."
"…."
After Sihyeon's words ended, the living room fell into silence.
Kissos glared at her for a moment, then a smile appeared on his lips.
"You're an interesting person. Someone who is 'worth investing'. "I hope we can continue to work together in the future."
"Please take care of me."
"Alshas, where on earth did you find such a person?"
"Uh, that's…sorry."
"I'm sorry. "Thanks to you, I met Sihyeon Eugene, so I am grateful."
With those words, Kisos stood up.
"Weapons and ships will be provided as needed. Oh, and one more thing."
"?"
"I'd like to introduce you to people I know. So that we can continue to receive investment."
Sihyeon was surprised by the unexpected kindness. Just being able to trade weapons was enough of an achievement, but I had no idea that I would be able to clear the regular route.
"There is a party scheduled to be held at this mansion in four days. Come there. "We'll talk about the details later."
"thank you. Mr. Kissos. see you again."
After greeting Kissos, Sihyeon left the reception room first.
As Kisos was about to send off the remaining Alshas, she suddenly opened her mouth.
"Elder."
"Why but?"
"The party four days later. "There are two people I'd like to take with me. Would that be okay?"
"two? Who is it again this time?"
"One is someone I have trouble talking about right now, and the other is my older brother."
"You mean that bad boy Alkadi? hmm."
Kisos stroked his chin in front of Alshas, who spoke carefully.
"I heard that Alkadi has business acumen."
"you're right. "Elderly."
"The governor has recently been considering redevelopment of the ruined streets. "A place like the Avenue of Glory."
"yes. "I understand there is talk of pushing that place down and building a new fortress."
"Alkadi has influence in that area, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to hire him. I'll try my best. "Bring him to the party."
"Thank you, old man!"
When Kisos gave a positive answer, Alshas bowed his head deeply.
Vision Eugene Kissos Alshas.
The transaction ended with everyone getting what they wanted.
-x-X-x-
"… Alshas, I didn't know you would be like this."
Nern, wearing a cult-like purple military uniform, glared at his junior next to him.
"I understand how you feel, sir."
"You say you understand and then you drag me here?"
"You're dragging me. "Do you know how important this place is when you say that?"
Currently, they were at the mansion of Chisos, the leader of the Innovation Sect.
Four days ago, Alshas arranged a meeting between the visionary Eugene and Kisos at Nerne's request. To her surprise, Kisos took her vision to heart and promised to provide her with a reliable supply route for her equipment.
Nern was satisfied that the negotiations were so successful. This is because the stronger Sihyeon's power becomes, the more likely he is to take revenge on that 'three-headed devil'.
So I was relieved, but I didn't expect to be hit in the back like this.
"I said I wouldn't return until I had my revenge."
"I'm not asking you to return either."
"The man over there is the vice-captain of the Eye of Revelation priests, and that is the chief of the Aur Surveillance Office. "You brought me to a gathering of the planet's key powers and said no?"
They were not the only ones invited to the party hosted by Kissos.
There were other guests in the banquet hall besides the two. He looked ordinary on the outside, but his position was anything but ordinary. Even when he was the captain of an imperial carrier, these people were in a position of power that he could not easily meet.
"Senior, you know it too. Sihyeon Eugene has more than one enemy. Even if she has her relics, it is true that the road ahead is difficult for her. "It never hurts to be prepared," she said.
"Do you think the council would keep quiet if they knew I was alive? "They will try to use it somehow."
"Kisos decided to help with that part. Until the vision's role is fulfilled, you will remain dead. "No need to worry."
"her."
It was all over before he knew it. Nern glared at Alshas.
He did not look very favorably on this kind of political maneuvering. This was partly because he was a natural soldier, but also because he had seen countless unjust deaths on the battlefield due to factional conflicts.
If it had been any other time, I would have been very angry, but this time I couldn't.
Because he knew that Alshas was acting for his own good. If it were the other way around, he would have tried to somehow help his junior return.
In the end, Nern sighed softly instead of getting angry.
"… "When can I say hello?"
"When Sihyeon and your brother are finished, you can greet them separately."
Currently, Kissos, the host of this party, was introducing Sihyeon to the participating guests. Although she was human, as expected from Noble Capital, she treated customers skillfully.
'Come to think of it….'
His gaze shifted from the vision to the silver-haired cultist in the corner of the banquet hall.
A man who not only resembles hair color, but also has a similar overall aura to Alshas. Alkadi is the one whose younger brother is the captain of an imperial carrier.
"Alkadi is here too."
"You said it last time. He said he would do well if he became the governor's assistant. "Kisos said that a good spot has just become available."
"Wow, I never thought both siblings would be so resourceful."
Nern clicked his tongue and looked at Alkadi. He was holding a glass of alcohol to his mouth, looking somewhat anxious.
"You seem very nervous. Are you okay?"
"If I get close to my brother, I might say something different…."
"but."
"Honestly, I'm a little worried, but I'm sure it'll be okay."
While the two were chatting, Sihyeon's introduction ended. She stepped away, and Alkadi, who had been sipping his drink alone, moved towards the group of VIPs.
Although he has a bad reputation due to his bad tastes, it is true that he is a businessman with excellent skills. There is no way he would be rude to the planet's key powers. It will probably end without any problems.
"huh?"
That's what I thought, but there was something strange about the atmosphere.
The vice-leader of the Eye of Revelation priesthood suddenly stepped forward and blocked the space between Alkadi and Chisos.
Then, the vice-captain decapitated Alkadi with the knife on his belt. It happened so quickly that no one could react properly.
"Brother!"
Alshas, aware of her brother's death, let out a scream-like yell.
She quickly ran towards her brother's fallen body. Nern, who quickly came to her senses, followed behind her junior.
'Why, vice-captain? '
"… Vice-captain, what is this?"
Chisos's cold voice penetrated Nern's ears. At a banquet he hosted, his voice was extremely cold because the person he had invited had died.
If the person who committed the stabbing attack had been someone else, he would have been dragged away already. The reason he didn't do so was because the person who drew the sword was the vice-leader of the Eye of Revelation priesthood.
The Eye of Revelation Priests, along with the Temple Guardians, are one of the Empire's most elite military groups. While the Temple Guardians are experts at hunting monsters, the Eye of Revelation Priests mainly deal with internal enemies such as Vortex One cultists.
Due to the nature of their work, they require strong military and mental strength. There is no way the vice-leader of such an organization would act like that for no reason.
And the reason for the vice-captain's sudden action was soon revealed.
"What is that?"
"Oh, brother?"
Everyone's eyes were focused not on the vice-captain but on Alkadi's body.
Instead of blood, something else was flowing from the neatly cut cross section of the neck.
'snake?'
Something with a black, elongated body started writhing, but soon stopped moving. The vice-captain, who was watching the monster, opened his mouth.
"It is believed to be an outspacer parasite variant."
The banquet hall froze at those words.
–
As you can see, Berzan02 is a desert-type planet.
No matter where you go, all you see is sand, and with the two suns rising alternately day and night, the temperature is very high.
However, if you look at the names of big cities in Berzan 02, many of them are related to water.
This is closely related to the fact that these cities were built on areas with large amounts of underground water.
Even if the cult had interstellar travel technology, transporting water from another planet would be a very cumbersome task. This is because as the planet develops, transportation costs gradually increase.
Of course, it is not impossible for an empire that operates hundreds or thousands of space fortresses to transport water. There's no reason to waste the planet's water resources and do something like that.
Anyway, 'Water Fortress' is also one of the cities built on water and sand.
Unlike the above-ground bio-dome, the underground area has extensive waterway lines and groundwater management facilities.
Water is an important resource on a desert-type planet, so defenses are as thorough as those on the ground. Starting with fortress guns that can only be seen in space fortresses, all kinds of detection equipment, and an incredible number of cults are deployed in the management facility.
Even in the game, if you wanted to infiltrate the water fortress, it was easier to go through the aboveground route than underground. I have only succeeded in sneaking underground once.
However, the situation and conditions are different now.
For me, the best stealth mode is 'Clever Underdog'. And it also possesses a number of means to avoid the gaze of its enemies. If it were like a game, I would have avoided it, but here it is more advantageous to use the underground route.
So I prepared to infiltrate the underground route of the Water Fortress during the clever underdog's cooldown.
Digging the tunnel leading to the fortress.
After becoming an adult, their bodies become unsuitable for moving underground, but that doesn't mean they can't dig.
Moreover, the time given to me was 30 days. During the generous amount of time I was given, I dug into the ground every day. During the day, we taught the children how to use their newly acquired abilities, and at night, we built underground paths.
As a result of spending so much time faithfully, the tunnel I created has become closer to the management facility beneath the water fortress.
While getting here, there was no response from the city. Even though the management facility's detection system would have detected the vibrations I created long ago.
There is a reason.
｢… "I didn't know you could avoid surveillance in this way."
Heavenly Mother, who was riding on my back, shook her head. Even in the darkness of the underground, her eyes were staring straight at the creature in front of her.
Now, there are other creatures besides me and her on the passage I created.
In front of me, of course, is a red snake with a body as large as the Ice Horror I encountered before. The identity of that creature is an adult red worm.
"Imitating Red Worm."
The perception of adult Red Worms, which are slightly less powerful than Apex creatures, varies greatly depending on the species.
In Megacorp, the monster that imitates voices and eats its victims is viewed only as an object of hunting. On the other hand, the cultists do not want to kill Red Worm.
This is because red worms play an important role in the ecosystem of desert-type planets.
'To be exact, they are not red worms, but creatures that coexist with red worms.'
The body of this carnivorous earthworm, which is so large that it fills the width of a tunnel, has insects the size of children all over it. These bugs, called 'water beetles', help maintain the planet's environment by emitting clean water and substances that enrich the soil.
Water beetles feed only on the dead skin cells of adult red worms. As red worms decrease, water beetles also decrease and the planet's ecosystem deteriorates. From the perspective of a cult living on a desert-type planet, they naturally have no choice but to protect the adult Red Worm.
[Zuzuz zuzu (not bad, right?)]
"So that's why the players didn't know."
My adult size is similar to that of a young red worm that has not yet completed its growth. The management facility's detection system will recognize my presence as a new red worm coming from outside.
As long as I don't mess with the underground water pipe or equipment here, there is little chance that they will come to catch me.
Heavenly Mother also found out about this and laughed.
"Anyway, I'm afraid someone might think it's Morph Park, so look at his head."
[Zuzzuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzuzu (If you don't do this, you won't be able to get up to 5th place)]
｢… "You did well."
She was on my back, scratching her beak with her hand. The moment her hand touched her beak, the waves surrounding her body shook.
"I even prepared a reinforced suit just in case, but I don't think it's really necessary for something like this."
Currently, she is wearing advanced reinforced clothing. This is an advanced reinforced suit stolen from an attacker sent by Alkadi last time, modified to suit her physical conditions. By strengthening the existing hiding function, a weak stealth effect was added on top of the optical camouflage effect.
And while I was entrusted with improving the equipment, I searched for a route that would allow me to safely enter the water fortress. Unlike me, I was free to engage in external activities, so there were a lot more places I went to. In reality, the route she found was similar to the stealth method I used in the game.
However, at this point, the underground route is safer than the above ground route. Unless something happens that deviates from my expectations, I won't use the method she found.
'Well, things don't always go as planned.'
Seeing as there was no reaction from the city while we were here, it seemed like the infiltration itself would be successful. She said that because she knew it.
[Zuz zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu (it might be helpful after infiltration)]
"In a situation like that, I think it would be better not to be helpful."
In fact, much of the information she obtained during her research changed from the game. Among them, there was some information that would have been quite difficult if I had not known it. Her knowledge will come in handy when I get out of the city, or when I need to attack a planet later.
'Anyway, I guess that's all for today.'
Anyway, red worms kept wandering around, so it was difficult to dig any further.
It's not because I'm scared of them, it's because I'm afraid I might accidentally kill them. If Red Worm, which plays an important role in stabilizing the ecosystem, dies, the cult will react immediately, and if that happens, the tunnel operation will be over.
Just as we were about to stop digging the tunnel and return to the hover bus center.
A short but powerful signal flew into my head. My body stiffened without realizing it because of the death-like waves.
"what's the matter?"
Heavenly Mother on my back asked, but I could not answer.
The wave that just flew in.
It was the last signal sent by the parasite I had planted.
'Is Alkadi dead?'
Something happened that I never expected.