324
-x-X-x-
'Ask?'
"…what do you want? "If there is anything I, or we, can listen to, I will listen."
The Heavenly Mother asked, but Isabel shook her head.
"Promise me you'll listen first. "I'll tell you what I'm asking you to do later."
With those words, Isabel closed her mouth.
It seemed like he had no intention of opening his mouth until we said we would comply.
'From what you say, it seems like you know quite a bit.'
It doesn't seem like he was bluffing to get out of an unfavorable situation. If I had meant to do that, I would have lied or taken a different attitude.
'Looking at the body's reaction, it's unlikely to be a lie.'
Auxiliary organs in each head are monitoring Isabelle's every movement. Eye movements, heart beats, breathing beats, muscle tremors, etc. flow through the air to the end of the accessory organ under the jaw.
Reactions when nervous or embarrassed are not detected. Except the muscles on my leg are shaking because my toe was cut off.
Unless he is a terrible liar, it is certain that he at least knows something about fantasy.
'Let's talk more.'
I moved my four legs and stood next to Heavenly Mother. She, who had been in a daze, was shocked by what Isabel said.
"I never thought they would make a counter-offer. "That's surprising." "It's even more surprising that Moffak chose 'conversation'." "No more nonsense. "I want to ask you something."
A sharp response came back, but I ignored it and immediately brought up the business.
"You said you would pass on what you know if you did me a favor, right?" "okay." "Is there any guarantee that you won't lie after this is over?"
Aside from everything else, the biggest question is whether Isabel will tell us the truth. What if he lies or intentionally omits important information? It's all a loss to me.
When Isabel heard what I said, she twitched her antennae as if she was displeased.
"Don't look at me the same as you." "I can't grant you a favor without being sure you'll tell me the truth." "If you don't believe me, quit." ｢Isabel!｣
The Heavenly Mother fired a thought wave to tell her to stop, but Isabelle paid no attention.
"If it doesn't work out through dialogue, we have no choice but to choose another method." "Do you think I'm here with no means of getting out?"
Of course not.
We already know that he is hiding his abilities. The power of Vortex One, which can be said to be Coldblood's true ability, remains because of the perks received by players who came to this world.
It is unclear what abilities and privileges he has, but at least he will be at a level that will help him overcome the current crisis. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't be alive until now.
But that goes for me too.
I am also hiding my strength. I have no intention of sending him off gracefully.
The other person holds the information I need in their hands. At this point, the surest way to obtain that knowledge is to eat Isabelle and turn her into a human insect. If you catch him, you won't be persuading him with words like you are now, but with your teeth.
'The problem is that the risk factors are high….'
If you fight with Isabel and the cults get involved, it will be a pain. The cult rankers currently on this planet probably think I'm dead. If he realizes that I am alive, he will try to kill me at any cost. In that case, you will have to fight Cult Ranker and Isabelle at the same time.
'Still, if you look at priorities, it's more important to get your hands on him.'
The reason I came to Berzan 02 in the first place was to get information from Isabel. Now that I've found him, it's safe to say that half of my goal has been achieved. If I fight here, my existence will be exposed to the cult, but it's better than losing Eoyeongbuyeong like this.
"hang on."
Just as I was about to make a decision, Heavenly Mother intervened.
"The problem is that Isabel can lie. Right?」 [Z(Yes)] "That's right." "Then there is a way to solve this."
She took a few steps in front of me and stood between me and Isabelle.
"Isabel, give me the contract for Vortex One. "I will pay the price for violation." "What?" [Z(What?)]
Isabel's eyes twitched at her old friend's sudden words. Perhaps because he was quite agitated, his heartbeat began to shake significantly for the first time.
I was also surprised by what Heavenly Mother said.
Vortex One, nicknamed the Devil of the Universe.
As their nickname suggests, all of their activities are carried out through contracts. It is all thanks to the contract that Coldblood can use the power of Vortex One.
Depending on which Vortex One's power you borrow, you can use abilities with completely different effects, such as strengthening yourself or destroying something with tremendous power.
It goes without saying that the stronger the borrowed ability, the greater the price required. The risk of not being able to pay the price also increases.
The price of the contract varies greatly depending on the severity and type of power borrowed, but the risks in case of violation are completely different. This is because not only does it cause death, but it also causes permanent damage to the player.
Here, Coldblood has one way to minimize the risk of not completing a contract due to its racial characteristics.
It's about using sacrifices. Damage can be minimized if the risk that must be incurred in case of contract violation is transferred to the victim.
Of course, if the unpaid price continues to pile up, the offering becomes useless, but that is not what is important now.
No matter how light a contract is, the risks are very severe. There is no way the Mother of Heaven does not know that.
Even though he knew this, he declared that he would take responsibility if Isabelle lied.
"If I lie, you will die." "Then you don't have to lie." "Why are you doing such a useless thing now?" "I think it would be more useless for you two to fight here." "…."
Isabel closed her mouth at those words. Sky's mother takes her eyes off him and looks back at me.
There was no sign of any wavering in the beautiful amber eyes. She had already made up her mind.
"If this is true, Amorph, you can believe it too, right?" [Z (Yes)]
I briefly agreed.
I didn't agree because I thought it was okay for her to die.
As I came this far, Heavenly Mother became an important companion to me. Even if she is less important than No. 26 or Aadhai, who are considered family, she is also precious.
Nevertheless, the reason I agreed was because Isabelle's reaction was quite intense. The guy who seemed detached from all relationships was greatly shaken when Heavenly Mother said she would risk her life.
What this means is that the affection for an old friend still remains. The fact that he didn't agree right away shows that his feelings are not small at all.
"…good."
After contemplating for a few minutes, Isabel sighed briefly and agreed to the conditions laid down by the Heavenly Mother.
The guy took out an object that looked similar to a shield creation device from his old clothes. If the shield creation device was in the form of a hexagonal plate, this object was a pentagonal plate.
'It's an energy blocking device.'
When signing a contract with Vortex One, energy is unconditionally generated. Even if it's just a small contract that prohibits lying. The energy that can be blocked with an energy blocking device is extremely limited, but in this case, it is helpful enough. Even with that small tool, you can prevent energy leakage.
'There's one more thing I've learned now.'
He doesn't get along with the cult ranker in Berzan 02. There may be some kind of relationship that I don't know about, but at least it's not a relationship where we can maintain an overtly friendly relationship. That's probably why he carries an energy blocking device.
While he was thinking that, he turned on the energy blocking device and made a contract with the Mother of Heaven. A black light flashed slightly inside the barrier, but no energy leaked out.
"it's over."
After completing the contract in less than a minute, Isabel lifted the barrier. Heaven's mother was fine except that her fur had receded and she looked listless.
"Now tell me what you want." "okay. Follow me."
Isabelle said as she picked up the grocery basket she had left in the corner.
"Follow you?" "It's a safe place. "Now that we have signed a contract, I have no intention of harming you."
He can't lie until the deal is over. When I looked at Heavenly Mother to see if she would be okay, she nodded.
We followed Isabelle out of the alley.
The guy only moved to areas that were within the watchtower's blind spot. Seeing as there was no hesitation, it seemed like he had walked around like this several times.
Then the place he stopped was an old warehouse. Isabel manipulated the old terminal to disarm the barrier blocking the entrance.
The first thing I saw when I went inside was the miscellaneous trash strewn everywhere. Beneath the mess of miscellaneous items there was a floor covered in dust.
'huh?'
On the outside, it seemed like it had been untouched by outsiders for a long time, but Eimov's auxiliary organs could not be fooled. It feels like someone deliberately sprinkled fine sand to hide their footprints.
And some of the floors were just the same on the outside, but the materials were completely different. You can hear the sound of the wind moving between floors made of different materials.
'There's an empty space under the warehouse.'
As expected, Isabel traced a specific pattern with her foot on the floor made of different materials. The floor disappeared with a clatter, revealing the stairs leading to the basement.
"Isabel, what on earth did you do?" "I did something my sister didn't do."
The guy who said something incomprehensible went down the stairs.
[Zuzzuzu (let's follow)]
We also followed Isabel down to the basement. There was not even a common light on the way down to the basement. The stairs themselves were so crude that it could not be said that they were made by a cult.
Only after going down the long stairs and reaching the basement did I understand why the stairs were shaped like that.
And what Isabel meant when she spoke to her heavenly mother.
Numerous signs can be felt in the darkness of the basement. Dozens of Coldbloods were kneeling and praying.
Isabel said as she looked at them praying to an unknown person.
｢Isabel, you….｣ "Help me move them to a safe planet. "That is my request."
Coldblood wanders in search of a lost paradise and salvation.
Isabel was the underground messiah who guided them.
-x-X-x-
The place in the basement of the warehouse was as crude as the long staircase. So much so that it is difficult to say that it was created in an era where the planetary environment was changed and people could travel between star systems at will.
The ceilings were of different heights, and the passageways, barely tall enough for one person to fit through, looked dangerous as if they could collapse at any moment. Although it accommodated dozens of people, there was not a single high-tech device that consumed energy. There weren't even small lights, so candles were the only light illuminating the basement.
It is a place so bad that it is safe to call it a crypt rather than a structure.
The condition of the cold bloods praying there was not that good.
Coldbloods are slightly taller than humans. On average, males are 2m tall and females are 180cm tall. They are also much heavier than humans due to their muscle mass and scales. Isabel, who is less than 150cm tall and has a slender body, is an unusual case.
However, the Coldbloods here had no more flesh than Isabel. The condition of the scales was a mess, and the arms, legs, waist, etc. were distorted and malformed. Since none of them were wearing clothes, their miserable bodies were exposed.
I was able to immediately understand why they were in this state thanks to Isabel's actions. He put down fruits and groceries from the store in front of them.
"This is today's food."
The Coldbloods who heard his words immediately stopped praying. They crawled on the floor and began to eat food hungrily.
Even though we were unfamiliar people, they showed no reaction. To be precise, I felt like I was so preoccupied with food that I couldn't pay attention to anything else.
'At this level, the condition is worse than that of a slave or employee.'
Unless you're a space dog, no one manages slaves like that. Judging by his clothing and physical condition, there is a high possibility that he is a runaway slave.
'If you see him living here, he must be an escaped slave.'
There was an unpleasant smell mixed in the air, and the bodies of the cold bloods inhaling the food also smelled bad. This is proof that all accommodation and meals are provided in this basement.
'You asked me to move them to a safe planet, right?'
According to what I checked through the auxiliary agency, the number of Coldbloods in this basement is 40, excluding Isabel. This is a burdensome number to secretly load on an airship. Moreover, it was difficult to say that my health was good, even with empty words.
'It won't be easy.'
At that time, one of the Coldbloods who had been eating the food stood up and bowed to Isabel.
"Thank you for the grace of our Savior." "Thank you, my savior, for your grace." "Savior, grace, thank you."
Starting with him, the other Coldbloods also stopped eating and expressed their gratitude to Isabel.
"I am the savior…" '?'
He mumbled something very softly, but I couldn't hear it properly because of the voices echoing off the walls of the crypt. The guy nodded his head with his mouth closed, greeted us, and approached us.
"I'll talk about the details above."
Isabelle knew that this was not the right place to explain the situation. He led us back to the ground.
The Coldbloods kept their heads down until Isabelle was out of sight.
We walked down a long flight of stairs and returned to the old warehouse.
｢….｣
The Heavenly Mother said nothing as Isabelle began to erase the marks on the floor. After seeing the Coldbloods, she was quite shaken.
'Now that I think about it, he did that.'
My sister did something she didn't do.
'Are you blaming me for leaving you behind?'
He said that while going down the stairs. Perhaps it refers to her actions in leaving him behind.
While I was lost in thought, Isabelle, who had finished organizing, looked back at us.
"If there's anything you want to ask, just ask."
Right now, Heavenly Mother was in no mood to talk. So I have to ask.
"Which planet are you going to send it to?" "It's classified as a forest-type planet. "It hasn't been discovered yet, so it doesn't have a specific name."
It seemed like it would be so.
In order to send escaped slaves to a safe place, it would have to be a planet that is not registered on the route. It's probably an ice planet where Aadhai's compatriots reside.
"There are 40 people underground. Are you going to send them all to another planet?" "okay." "There are too many numbers." "No need to worry about that."
The guy took out a pad-type terminal from his pocket.
"It contains information about the transport ship. "I set the destination in advance, so all you have to do is move it to the transport ship."
After receiving the pad, I checked the stored information with the small arm near my chest.
The transport ship he was talking about was an old cult-style corvette that had been converted for civilian use. In addition to information on means of transportation, food, fuel, and personnel related to ships were also recorded in detail.
"There is a separate owner of the boat? "Who is this person?" "It's another slaver. "You can easily control it."
Isabelle thought that I would definitely be able to use my parasite abilities. In fact, the 'mimetic organ' and 'parasitic colony' were the same characteristics as my symbols in the game, so his reaction was not strange.
The problem is that I can't use the parasite colony right now.
Due to the relic used by Sihyeon Eugene, the Outspacer gene has been lost from my body. You cannot use Parasitic Colony until you acquire a new genetic essence.
So I have to fly the spaceship myself.
"This ship is scheduled to leave in three days. Even if you can't do it, deal with the slave dealer at least two days in advance. "Only then will we be able to get them on the boat." "Are you going with me too?"
Once you leave Berzan 02, which is heavily guarded, it is not easy to re-enter. If Isabel is going with us, there is no need to come back here.
But the guy shook his head.
"I can't leave because I have work to do." "A thing to do?"
At that time, a message appeared on the terminal I was holding. The recipient's name is 'Manager'. It was a call from the hotel that hired him.
"That's it for today. "It's work time, so I have to go back soon." "How can I contact you?" "Tomorrow, at this time, come to the alley we saw earlier."
The guy who got the pad terminal back took us out of the warehouse and restored the shielding wall to its original state. And then he left without even saying goodbye.
"Work has become a nuisance." ｢….｣ "I think we need to re-plan what to do." ｢….｣
Heavenly Mother did not respond to my words. I just stare blankly in the direction where Isabel disappeared.
I nudged her shoulder with the left side of my head. She blinked a few times and quickly apologized to me.
"…I'm sorry." "Let's go to the airship and talk about the details."
I went back to the airfield with her. The Mother of Heaven must have felt sorry that things had turned out this way, so she didn't say anything on the way to the airfield.
The reason she took the risk to come here was because she was Isabelle's old friend. Therefore, she may also feel responsible for this situation.
'Actually, there's no need for that.'
I already knew before I came that things wouldn't turn out the way I wanted. Either Isabel was in cahoots with a cult ranker, or she was hunted by rankers before we arrived. If that were the case, we would have been in a much worse situation than we are now.
The only thing I didn't expect was Isabelle's behavior.
'Save your people.'
As far as I know, he is being chased by the ruling faction rankers. Protecting runaway slaves like that while being pursued by rankers is no easy task.
'And that's because I lived as a slave.'
It is impossible to act like that unless you have a very strong sense of purpose.
'Are you aiming for the ending?'
The ultimate goal of those reptilian humans is to lead their compatriots to paradise. This does not end with simply evacuating to a safe place.
In order for Coldblood to reach the ending, he must kill the biggest threat to paradise, namely Vortex One.
'To be precise, it involves sacrificing another Vortex One to destroy the curse on the entire race.'
What is needed in this process is a special place to perform the ritual, an altar made of extremely rare materials, and ritual tools. Once everything is ready, the Vortex One must then be killed and sacrificed.
'It's impossible to prepare for this while also caring about escaped slaves.'
Of course, achieving these conditions requires great power and enormous wealth. There is no choice with the dozens of compatriots in the underground crypt. It should be seen that he acts like that for other reasons rather than for the sake of the ending.
While I was wondering what Isabel's motivation was, we arrived at the airfield.
"illusion. Day. "It's over."
When we opened the door of the airship, MPS-05 waiting inside greeted us.
"Nothing's going on, right?" "'Little baby'. headache. headache." "It's because of a hangover. "Give me plenty of water." "Main controller, water. In supply!"
MPS-05, which specializes in communication connection and machine control, is currently synchronized with the main body, PS-111. As it is now, as long as there is a communication distance, we can communicate with each other at any time.
"Oh, and I think I'll have to stay here a little longer and then go." "check."
After contacting the mansion using MPS-05, I lay down on the floor of the airship. In that state, I faced Heavenly Mother, who was sitting in the guest seat.
"I expected things to go wrong, so you don't have to feel sorry for me." ｢….｣ "On the contrary, I was the one who put you in danger. "I'm really sorry about that." "…There's nothing to apologize for. Because that's what I chose." "That's literally the same for me."
Understanding what I meant, she stared at me with her amber eyes for a moment and then nodded slightly.
"I understand, so let's skip that." "Yes." "You know Isabel's request because you heard it. "It is difficult to solve the problem easily when parasites cannot be used."
She looked at my arm that wasn't moving properly and opened her mouth.
"How about I take the lead instead?" "It's not that I didn't think about it, but it's not a good idea. Because here you can only be seen as a slave. Unless you forge your identity, someone will be suspicious." "Then how about using starlight coordinates? "If you plant symbiotic spores, you can transmit Coldblood." "It's a trump card, so I want to use it as a last resort." "That's… that's definitely true."
She also knew the potential that starlight coordinates had, so she agreed right away.
"The method I am thinking of is to secretly bring slaves aboard another civilian ship." "On another ship? "You mean let's do what the smugglers do?" "Okay. "Once we leave this star system, the slaves will take over the ship so we can go directly to our destination." "Would that be easy? "The ones Isabel was with were in really bad shape." "You can use the symbiotic spores and nest to restore them. "If you give them additional weapons, they will be able to take the ship without difficulty." "How are you going to steer the boat?" "No need to worry. "I'm thinking of sending MPS-05 along with it." "business trip? business trip!"
In terms of ship control capabilities, the MPS-05 is comparable to the main body and can easily take control of the ship. The problem lies not in steering the ship but in the process of getting there.
Even if you restore the Coldbloods and give them weapons, they are not combatants. Even if they can use the power of Vortex One, they must be trained to use it well. Otherwise, you may misuse your power and harm yourself or your colleagues.
Without help, you are likely to see a lot of blood during the process of robbing a ship.
"…It's a very dangerous method. Even if we don't make it, half of us will die before we even get there."
Heavenly Mother also pointed out the dangers of my thoughts.
"Isabel will never allow it. Because they must be precious to that child." "Precious?" "huh. Those eyes, those emotions. "It's the same as the things my husband showed me."
She gave up her relationship with the players and chose to hang out with the inhabitants of this world. Part of this was forming a bond with the 'Earthfather', a powerful creature that the Wolfs serve. It is thanks to her that she was called 'Mother of Heaven.'
Although he failed to see his children, he instead cared for and cared for the native Wolff people. If Muriel hadn't killed all the Wolf natives, she would never have followed me. He probably tried to dedicate himself to the remaining Wolfs.
'Is that also the case with Isabel?'
Heavenly Mother seemed to think that Isabel was similar to herself. Of course, unlike her, who chose revenge, Isabel seems to have chosen to protect her family.
"Can you give me one more chance tomorrow?" "Chance?" "I'll try to convince you. If she leaves with the Coldbloods, there's no need to take any risks. "It's okay if we all get on the boat together."
If Isabel is persuaded as she said, there is no need to worry about anything else.
'If I can convince you.'
Although there is no evidence, I think Isabel's motivation for her actions may be something more than saving her family. Would you say that you feel a similar sense of madness and obsession as when the Mother of Heaven took revenge on Muriel?
Of course, this may be a thought that comes to mind since one has never experienced losing a precious being. If No. 26 and Aadhai get hurt or die, I won't be able to maintain my sanity.
"I still don't know why she stays here. It's definitely important. Still, I want to help you think again. "Is it worth it to be separated from your family?"
She hopes her old friend won't go through the same grief she went through.
'I'll leave it to you one more time.'
It was hard to say that her suggestion was reasonable, but it didn't really harm me. From my perspective, it would be beneficial if this went well and I could receive help from Isabel on a regular basis.
Even if her persuasion fails, the situation will not change much. It's enough to think of other ways to transport Coldblood.
"good. Of all of us, you are the one who knows Isabelle best. "Let's talk properly tomorrow." ｢Thank you for trusting me.｣ "And tomorrow I will also bring MPS-05. "If you're going to use a strategy to rob other ships, you're going to need this guy." "Need.Need."
That was the end of the meeting about Isabel.
-x-X-x-
The time when the night sun covered Berzan 02.
Isabel returned home after finishing her hard work.
She sat down on the old bed and began to unwrap the bandages on her feet. When I took off the bandage I had been wearing all day for work, my toe that was regenerating inside the hardened crust was revealed.
Coldbloods possess various types of internal organ characteristics as a unique feature of their race. Thanks to this, they can adapt well even in harsh environments and survive for long periods of time even if they are starving for a long time. Even if you lose a part of your body like you do now, recovery is possible if you consume enough nutrition over a long period of time.
"…."
Even though she had superior physical abilities compared to humans, she was not happy. No matter how great the crisis was, she survived because of this cursed body. It was always her job to watch the deaths of her precious people.
'But it's not long now.'
She rewrapped the bandage on her recovering toe and sat in front of the table in the corner of the room. Then he took out a tombstone from a drawer.
It was a tombstone shaped like a diamond on a playing card.
She pulled out the wires that stretched under the table and connected them to the tombstone. Then the tombstone radiated light and floated in the air.
"You're late." The voice coming from the tombstone had been altered, so it was difficult to determine whether it was a man or a woman. Of course, Isabelle knows who the owner of that voice is.
"I'm late because I have a lot of work to do. sorry." "What is the status of the 'tool'?" "The suitability has increased to 65%." ｢65%? "Why did it suddenly become so slow?" "I can't confirm that. However, if you look at the body's response, it is slowly rising."
At the end of the day, it was her job to report any details related to the 'plan' to the person behind the tombstone. Today was the same as usual.
But the other person didn't seem to think that way.
"There shouldn't be any setbacks in the plan. Plans are already being shaken due to unexpected variables. If there is one more error here, there will be people who leave." "…." "The reason we saved you is because of your 'eyes.' "If you're blind, there's no reason to be together anymore."
Isabel fell silent at the cold warning coming from the tombstone.
It was thanks to the person she was currently contacting that she was able to hide in Berzan 02 while being chased by the ruling faction's rankers.
The reason the opponent didn't kill her was because of the abilities she had.
｢Name: Telepathy Communication Seat Status: Operating …(Other information available)｣
The world seen by Isabel, the 22nd Cold Blood ranker, was different from others.
The world she perceives is information itself. An object that appears to others as just a tombstone floating in the air looks different in her eyes.
What is its name, what is its condition, what is its purpose, who is it contacting, etc. All information related to the tombstone is transmitted to the brain through the eyes.
'Cheonan of all things'.
The privilege she received is the ability to read hidden information in objects. You can find out whether the opponent is a ranker, what abilities she has, and whether she approached her with hostility.
However, it was not completely omnipotent because information could only be seen with the naked eye.
In fact, the reason she became chased by rankers was because she was unable to resolve that weakness. The ruling faction's rankers attacked her colleagues who were moving with her with overwhelming force. She was the only one who managed to escape thanks to her special privilege.
The problem was the family she was taking with her. It was not easy to move secretly with dozens of people. She could have hidden safely if she had abandoned them, but she didn't.
Because it was enough to let someone precious disappear before my eyes.
Thanks to her abilities, she was able to run away for quite a long time even with 40 of her compatriots. But in the end, he was caught by a cult ranker.
Just when she thought everything was wrong, the person who introduced herself as Cynthia made her an offer she couldn't refuse.
To serve their plans. If you do that, I will give you what you want.
"We are mobilizing all available resources to make the plan happen. "If you fall out, I will have no choice but to reconsider getting your twin sister back."
When the other person brought up details about the contract, Isabel got up from her chair. And then he knelt down in front of the tombstone floating in the air.
"…I will keep in mind that something like this will never happen again."
That monument doesn't have a function to check the appearance of the person you're contacting, but it doesn't matter. Her every move will be monitored through a hidden surveillance device in the dorm.
As expected, when she took an attitude of submission, a small sigh was heard from beyond the tombstone.
"Well, okay. There is no way the 'tool' can deviate from the planned route. There's no need to do something stupid. Just report to me what your condition is." "I understand." "Oh, and the last one. "My toe hurt. Why is that?"
Isabel paused at the other person's question. Her fingertips trembled so slightly that it was hard to notice unless you looked closely.
Finally, she opened her mouth.
"I was pricked by a cactus thorn while preparing food at the hotel." "Cactus? "Can you send me some medicine?" "It's okay because the necrotic part has already been removed. "With this body, you will get better soon." "Tsk, be careful."
She lied casually.
The wild cactus growing in Berzan 02 contains a terrible paralyzing poison. Since it is used as an ingredient in high-quality alcohol, accidents like the one she mentioned often occur. Therefore, the other person did not seem to be particularly suspicious.
"Then that's it for today." "Thank you." "Oh, and what I said earlier, I said it loudly on purpose because I felt like I was shaking. "Don't worry too much." "It's okay." "okay. Just remember that we are the only humans in this world. The plan is for all of us too. "Okay?" "Yes."
With those words, the light on the tombstone went out. She got up and cleaned up the headstone.
"Ugh."
Because of the dormitory's surveillance system, even anger cannot be expressed carelessly. All she could do was grind her teeth as carefully as she did now.
'Let's hold on just a little longer.'
If her secret plan goes well, she has one less thing to worry about. If that happens, the scope of movement will be much wider than it is now.
'It was unexpected that Seo-ah and Moff Park came.'
I thought that if I was alive, it would come someday. This is because the communication device that Seo-ah Choi had received still remained.
But I didn't expect the timing to be this good. In addition, Moff Park, who was almost like an enemy in the game, came with him.
'The orbital bombing that happened a while ago. It's definitely because of him.'
She also saw improved Thunder Gods bombarding other cities. It is not uncommon for orbital weapons to bombard the most prosperous planet in an empire. Perhaps the cult took action to kill Moffak.
'Over there, they think Moffak is dead.'
It stayed alive thanks to its camouflage properties. But instead of reporting the fact, Isabel chose to remain silent. Because it was to her advantage.
'It would be nice to ask for help, but it would be difficult.'
Seo-ah wouldn't know, but Mop Park will never help her.
I have seen many cases where players who came to this world became corrupted. If it's the infamous Morph Park, then it's more, it's unlikely to be less. It should be considered fortunate that they did not ask you to give up your genetic essence and special benefits.
'It's the same this time too. I have to finish it alone.'
She put the tombstone back in the drawer and lay down on the bed.
'wait. This time I must…'
Isabel fell asleep remembering her twin sisters, the people of her past who became her life and goals.
–
After spending the night on the airship, Mother Sky and I moved earlier than the time we had promised with Isabelle.
This is to get food to give to the cold blood slaves he is hiding.
'No matter what, I need to restore my health to some extent.'
Coldbloods can survive without food and water for long periods of time. However, this literally means that only survival is possible. If you get injured or get sick while starving, you can easily lose your life.
It doesn't matter whether we go with a ship-robbing operation like I thought, or a completely different operation. With a body like that, it would be difficult to borrow and use the power of Vortex One.
"This, this, and that. "Let's buy here and go to the next store."
As a wealthy water fortress, the quality of food was not particularly poor even though it was an area mainly frequented by slaves. From planetary products such as edible cacti and desert-dwelling beast meat to fruits and vegetables imported from other planets. I ate a variety of foods.
'It reminds me of the old days.'
Before my accident, my father took me out every time he went shopping.
Because he enjoyed cooking, he always asked me what I wanted to eat before going into the grocery store. I learned this from a side view and once prepared a clumsy meal for my mother, who always came home late.
'It was fun back then.'
And after my accident, everything changed completely. My parents' relationship became extremely strained, and the only time I went out with my father was to go to the hospital.
Even after my body got better, my father occasionally cooked for me, but I couldn't be as pure in joy as before.
"You know a lot about groceries, right?"
As I was thinking about the past that suddenly occurred to me, Heavenly Mother spoke to me.
"is it?" "huh. "If you're an Amorph, you'll never have to cook food, so it's surprising." "They're both edible, so it's good to know." "…." "I'm kidding."
I said it was a joke, but the amber eyes full of doubt were still looking at me. I glanced away and put a piece of meat into the backpack she was carrying.
"It's sandraptor meat." "thanks."
As MPS-05 began to eat, the backpack shook slightly.
As I walked around looking for food for the slaves, it was already time for the appointment. I headed to the alley where I met Isabelle yesterday.
When we arrived at the alley, a short Coldblood was waiting for us.
"You must have asked me to come when we met yesterday, right?" "As you can see."
I gently shook my hand holding the bulging basket full of food.
"I'm late because I had to buy food for the slaves." "I'm grateful, but…"
Isabel, who was about to say something to her heavenly mother, suddenly stopped. The boy's eyes fell on the backpack that Mother of Heaven was wearing and then widened rapidly.
｢Isabel?｣
Instead of answering, the guy raised his finger and pointed at the backpack. Wide-open eyes, trembling fingers. It was a reaction as if I had witnessed a ghost.
"That, that, de, back…." ｢This?｣
Heavenly Mother asked with her eyes if it would be okay to show it to me now.
'I was planning on showing it to you later, but I guess it'll be okay.'
I nodded and she put her backpack on the floor. Then, a being with a woman's face and metal skeletal legs similar to those of a spider crawled out from inside.
"Liberation. comfort." "I brought it here on purpose because I needed to revise my plan. This is the Mutant Screamer's…" "Uh, sister…!" "huh?"
As the Heavenly Mother was about to explain, Isabel suddenly rushed in. At that sight, she quickly took a step back.
But what Isabel was targeting was neither her nor me. He grabbed MPS-05 that had just come out of his backpack.
"Ah ah ah ah ah–"
Isabel was crying.
Coldblood cannot shed tears, but he was expressing sadness and screams with his whole body. The scales that covered its body turned white, and strange cries that no human could make came out of its mouth.
'Why are you doing that?'
Even though I've been through all sorts of things, I couldn't understand the current situation.
｢MPS-05, you said you were my sister? no way?"
At first, Heavenly Mother was just as perplexed as I was, but after seeing her reaction, she seemed to realize something.
"Do you know why you're doing that?" "…I heard it from a clan member before. "There are twin sisters among famous rankers." "Twins?"
After listening to her, something comes to mind.
Jason said before. He said he missed 22nd place and only caught his colleague.
And PS-111's race is not human, but cold blood.
To be exact, a 'clone' of a certain Coldblood.
The being that Isabel is embracing is a sub-terminal of the Mutant Screamer created using the clone.
What does this mean?
'Isabel is closely related to the original PS-111.' "warning. Detection of physical attacks by other creatures."
While I was lost in thought, MPS-05 continued to struggle.
But Isabel never let go.
The sight of them hugging each other without noticing that the scales on their arms have turned white.
I felt like a child who had recovered a precious treasure.
-x-X-x-
Isabel pours out all her sorrowful emotions.
While watching the little Coldblood sobbing pitifully, a question suddenly occurred to me.
'How did you find out?'
It is true that the original PS-111 is Cold Blood, but if you look at its appearance, it looks completely different. Except for part of the brain, there is not a single element that is reminiscent of the original.
In addition, MPS-05 is a sub-terminal created by PS-111 modeled after its own face. It is impossible to tell who the original is by looking at it.
'Even if you had the ability to see, you wouldn't be able to recognize it.'
I also saw PS-111, but I couldn't figure out who Coldblood was. Only the product's serial number and individual name were displayed, but no other information was displayed.
'Do they have detection technology that I don't know about?'
Thinking back, the circumstances already existed.
When I first met Isabelle, she immediately knew that I was an Aimov Ranker. At the time, I didn't notice anything strange. Because I am the only Amorph who hides himself with the 'mimetic organ'.
But it's strange to see it again.
There are many possibilities, such as a cult hiding itself with psychic technology, humans in disguise, etc., so is there any reason to single me out as Amorph? Unless they somehow know that I am an Amorph.
"help. help."
MPS-05's voice woke me from my thoughts.
The one being held by Isabel struggles. No combat-related characteristics were implanted into him. It scratched Isabel's scales with its metal claws, but it only made small scratches.
"…."
But whether it worked, Isabel's reaction changed as she cried. The white scales gradually returned to their original blue color. The movement of the heart and muscles also stabilized.
After calming herself down, Isabel put down MPS-05. The little Screamer jumped on my back, its metal legs busy. And he hid himself under the shaggy fur.
"…that."
Little Coldblood, who was watching this, opened his mouth.
"Where is your original copy?" "original?" "That's a machine made by cloning my sister."
After hearing what he said, I became confident.
Isabelle has detection methods that are far superior to common detection techniques such as clairvoyance characteristics. Thanks to that, we were able to detect what the MPS model is.
"…I think the story will be long."
At that time, Heavenly Mother joined the conversation.
"Let's go to the warehouse and talk."
As she said, this place is not suitable for long conversations.
Isabel's eyes rested on the basket in my hand. After a while, the guy nodded.
"good."
We moved to the warehouse where the Coldblood slaves were hiding, just like we did yesterday.
After arriving in the basement of the warehouse, food was handed out to the slaves who were praying.
"Thank you, Savior, for your grace."
Just like yesterday, the slaves bowed to him. As was the case yesterday, Isabelle looked somewhat awkward even though she must have only heard thank you once or twice.
We handed the food to the slaves and went back up to the warehouse. After quickly cleaning up after herself, Isabel looked at me, or rather, at the MPS-05 hiding in my fur, and opened her mouth.
"Now tell me."
Isabel and the Mother of Heaven, both of their eyes are focused on me.
'how will we do it?'
There's no doubt that PS-111 is important to him. If you take advantage of this, you will be able to get more information out of him. Even the ranker he knows and things about this world that I don't know.
Also, if you build a friendly relationship with him, it will help you later. This is because you are attracting rankers with the ability to read information as allies.
'I wish I had that ability, but…'
If Isabel's abilities come from a special privilege, then eating her is an option worth considering. Of course, his relationship with Heavenly Mother would be completely ruined, but even taking that into account, the ability to read information is very attractive.
The problem is when it is not a perk but comes from a trait or other ability. If Isabel's abilities come from characteristics or skills that I don't know about, it would be a headache.
If you eat it while wearing 'Symbol of the Hunt', you will almost certainly gain one trait, but there is no guarantee that it will be the trait you want. If you eat it and get the wrong characteristics, the loss will be severe.
'In that case, it is more beneficial to be friendly right now.'
After taking a short time to gather my thoughts, I explained things about PS-111 to Isabel.
When did you meet him, what kind of being is he, and who is the culprit who turned him into a mutant screamer, etc. I gave Isabel a brief summary of what I knew.
Isabel just listened without saying anything from beginning to end.
"…I thought it was strange."
After the long story was over, Isabel said without thinking.
"There was a strange code number next to my sister's name." ｢Strange numbers?｣ "PS-111 and MPS-05. "I think the P here is the first letter of my sister's name." "That means they are twin rankers…" "That's right. Me, ranked 22nd, and Penelope, ranked 18th. "We are the twins."
As soon as the story about his identity came out, MPS-05, who had been hiding, carefully crawled out. The main body in the mansion must also be listening to our conversation.
"Sister, are you listening to PS-111 too?" "okay. "It's in a different place." "I see. "Do you even know what happened to the real… real sister who is not a clone?"
Instead of answering, I pulled out someone's genes latent in my body. A small cocoon on its back was torn, and a human-faced insect with the face of a male cult crawled out of it.
"Did you call me?"
Jason's human face, summoned for the first time in a long time, appeared much more obedient than before. The belligerent appearance he had when fighting me was nowhere to be seen.
"That… really?" "#10 cult ranker Jason. "He's one of the guys that was chasing you." "under."
Isabelle laughed. Of course, I only made laughing sounds with my mouth and my eyes didn't do that at all.
"I can't believe Jason, who is so fucking good-looking, is like this. "I really don't know what's going on in the world." ｢Isabel?｣
Isabel cursed in a calm tone.
The resentment must have been so deep that a swear word came straight out of the mouth of the guy who had only called me by a derogatory name. Heaven's mother also seemed taken aback, perhaps because Isabel's strong reaction was unexpected.
"I guess there were others besides this guy?" "Other than Jason, the only one dead is Cynthia. "I haven't met the rest yet." "You killed Cynthia?" "okay."
The guy's antennae twitched when he heard what I said. He seemed as shocked by Cynthia's death as he was by Jason's death. It's worth it. From my experience of having fought both of them once, Cynthia was a more difficult opponent than Jason.
'Well, strictly speaking, I didn't catch it.'
There was no need to talk about No. 26 and Aadhai.
"…Is that why it is like that?"
The guy muttered quietly to himself and turned his eyes to me. He seemed to guess why I had called Jason.
The reason for bringing out Inmyeonchung at this point is no different.
Jason has hunted other players in the past. In the process, I also fought with Isabelle's colleagues.
I would like to check here again what happened to the players I hunted back then.
"You know about Isabel, right?" "yes. "I remember seeing your face." "What did you do to her colleague?" "I killed him and took away his privilege."
Isabelle closed her eyes tightly at Jason's confirmation. The guy's eyelids fluttered.
Heavenly Mother, who was watching, placed her hand on Isabel's shoulder. While she was comforting him, I retrieved Jason's face bug.
"In the end, all that remains is my sister's shadow."
Isabelle spoke softly in a trembling voice. The guy barely composed himself and slightly pushed her hand away. Then he let out a sigh full of meaning.
"There must be a reason why Moffak behaved so kindly. what do you want?"
I glanced sideways at Heavenly Mother to tell her to start slowly.
"The plan to transport cold blood underground. "I think I need to revise it." "Amend it?" "For some reason, it is difficult to increase the number of parasites here."
The fact that parasites cannot be used could act as a weakness, so we decided to hide this part. As I said before, she delivered the truth with a slight twist.
"So we have to allow the cold bloods to move and leave on their own. Or you should go together." "Like I said before, that's impossible…." "I want you to lead them, my family, to the end." "Family…?"
Isabel's eyes widened at those words.
"I don't know what you're staying here for. But is that more important than being with your family? They need you. No, you need them too. "Not just for living here, but for continuing to live in the future."
Her advice was something she could only say because she lost her family right before her eyes.
Perhaps because Isabel had just heard of her sister's death from her enemy, she was unable to refute it right away. His antennae were shaking and his eyes were wandering, so he seemed to be quite worried. Heavenly Mother, who knew that he was in conflict, quietly waited for his choice.
After a long time had passed, the guy nodded slightly.
"I'll do as Seo-ah says."
After much thought, the option he chose was to follow us.
"Really?" "Yes. But I need time to follow your opinion." "That doesn't matter. "I need to prepare this too." "And Moffak." 'huh?'
Isabel called me.
"Your sister's clone, PS-111, is also on this planet?" "okay." "Can we meet before we escape?"
I could not readily answer Isabel's request. The reason I only brought MPS-05 is because PS-111 is difficult to move around the streets. It takes quite a bit of preparation to allow two people to meet.
'I think he knows that too.'
Looking at his slightly shaking eyes, he seemed to have guessed that it was a difficult task. I know it's not easy, but I still want to see it even more.
'But that doesn't mean it's impossible.'
Now that he has decided to join us, there is no reason to spend a long time in the fortress. It might be okay to use a warehouse that has been rented in advance.
"I think it's possible in a certain place."
I told him where we could meet. When a familiar place came out of my mouth, he immediately nodded.
"We can meet there." "good. "I'll see you there tomorrow at this time."
It was a more satisfying result than expected. I was thinking about threatening him if things didn't go well, but I didn't have to.
Even before Isabelle left, she bowed her head to me and the Mother of Heaven. It was a completely different attitude from yesterday, when he left without saying anything.
"I'm glad things worked out well." "There is still a long way to go. "We too, that child." "Yes."
The Mother of Heaven looked back every now and then to see if she was worried about Isabel, who was devastated.
I checked MPS-05 back in my backpack.
"are you okay?" "No problem."
It was the same reaction as usual, but I sensed that he was interested in this situation. This is a guy who always wanted to confirm his original existence. Isn't the main body in the mansion contemplating what kind of conversation to have with Isabelle?
'I'll have to think about what to ask too.'
Something about fantasy, something about cult rankers on this planet, etc.
Actually, you can ask after leaving Berzan 02, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to ask and check whenever the opportunity arises.
With that in mind, we boarded the airship and returned to the mansion.
–
"Nothing special happened today?" "Yes. "There are headache medications that 'Tool' takes, but it won't be a big factor." "It's medicine. Well, it's not something that can be prevented with medicine. "Leave it alone." "And it has also been confirmed that there is an increase in brain activity during sleep and an increase in fitness levels." "Really?" "Yes." "That's interesting information. "I will deliver this to 'the other side.'"
As usual, Isabel reported today's events to the being beyond the tombstone.
"I'm doing well. "Keep an eye on it and report any problems." "Yes." "Then that's it for today…" "Do you mind if I ask you one question?" "huh?"
Usually she just reported and finished, but today was different. Today, she heard something that could be a big turning point in her life.
Now that I heard that, I had to check it out even if my life was in danger.
"I would like to ask you about Cynthia, who guided me through the plan. "Is he well?" "Cynthia? "Why are you curious about that?"
A reaction that seemed to ask why I was asking that. Isabel continued speaking naturally.
"Thanks to him, I was able to avoid becoming addicted to this world. "It is thanks to him that I am able to serve the plan." ｢Hmm.｣ "You left for somewhere else in the meantime to carry out a great plan, but I was still worried about how you were doing. So I asked a question."
After saying that, she knelt down in front of the tombstone.
A modulated voice came out again from the tombstone that had been floating quietly without any sound.
"Cynthia is working hard to carry out the plan. "No need to worry." "Is that so?" "Nothing like cancer. I deliberately went to another place to find your sister. Of course it should be like that." "…." "I will convey your feelings to her. then."
The person who said that immediately turned off the tombstone. A deactivated tombstone landed in front of her head.
Even though the tombstone was turned off, Isabel did not get up and continued to lie down. It was so as not to reveal his feelings.
Now she was consumed with anger she had never felt in her life.
They told her a blatant lie.
Even though it had been a while since her older sister, Penelope, died, he had been lying to her. Even when their colleagues die, they hide the fact.
With this, the direction she needs to go becomes clear.
By destroying what they call the 'great plan'.
-x-X-x-
The next morning I left the mansion with PS-111.
Today, Heavenly Mother decided to stay with the children.
Although the owner of the mansion pretended to have gone away, it is still strange that no one is there. When someone visits the mansion in person, it is much more natural for the managing slave to show his/her face. Actually, the house itself is in a remote place, so there is a good chance that someone will come, but you never know.
"I'm looking forward to meeting people who know me." "Did you see it yesterday?" "This is my first time seeing it with my own eyes."
The guy pointed at his eyes with his claw. The red camera lens that replaces the eyeball repeatedly expanded and contracted.
It has been like this since yesterday until now. Even though most of the body was made up of machines, the anticipation and excitement inside was clearly visible.
'This is my first time meeting someone who knows about the original.'
After watching a video of the Mutant Screamer being made on Pyrrha Eleven's ship, PS-111 began to wonder what her original was. Since I have never been to Star Union territory, I was unable to answer that question.
The dead 18th ranker Penelope and her twin sister, Isabel, would be able to grant his wish.
I boarded the airship with PS-111 on board and moved to where the warehouses were located.
A warehouse area where each warehouse becomes one block and is stacked like a huge pyramid. At the bottom of the pyramid, there is a large warehouse rented in the name of Charas.
After landing in front of the warehouse, I got off first. When I authenticated with Charas' terminal pad in a warehouse operated by an automated system, the shielded door opened immediately.
PS-111, who was holding the control stick, entered the warehouse along with the airship.
"There are no cameras here. "It's okay to get off."
The biological machine heard my words and crawled out of the airship, moving its eight long legs.
"When can I see 'Little Brother'?" "It will take a few more hours." "They said they were twins, so they would be genetically identical to me." "Well, maybe." "I can't believe I'm facing another 'me' that hasn't been duplicated. "It's an impressive experience."
In fact, it is unlikely that it will be the same as he thought. The fact that Isabel and Penelope are twins is a story in the real world.
Looking at the current trend, players who fall into space survival are born with bodies that are completely different from those in reality. There are many cases where not only the body has changed, but the person is no longer human.
So the two sisters probably don't have much in common other than being of the same race. The time when you came to this world in the first place will be very different.
But talking about this would make it too complicated, so I decided to just keep quiet.
Time continued to pass like that, and it soon became time for him to come. As I continued to wait, I heard someone knocking on the door outside.
'You're here.'
I operated the warehouse terminal and opened the door. Isabel is seen wearing cloth clothing that covers her entire body and a gray mask. Since there were cameras there, I disguised myself to sneak in.
The guy greeted me with a slight nod and quickly walked towards PS-111.
"nice to see you. "This is PS-111." "…."
Isabel silently took off her gray mask and stretched out her hand. PS-111 leaned down to make it easier for him to touch her face.
The thin and delicate hand moved slowly and touched PS-111's face.
Isabel's hands trembled as they touched the cold metal skin. I can feel his emotions fluctuating.
"…As expected of you, my sister. "It's almost exactly like I remember."
The guy threw away his mask and stroked PS-111's face with both hands.
"Do you know my face?" "Of course I know. "I've been looking at my sister's face for years, but wouldn't you know it?" "I am Coldblood. "My face now is very different from the original."
Isabel shook her head at PS-111's words.
"Have you ever wondered why your once broken sister became like this?" "That's thanks to the energy of the main controller that makes up my body and the organic matter provided by Amorph." "Then why did it look like this? "It could be more efficient."
PS-111, whose body is made up of more than 80% of machinery, always speaks without hesitation. But this time, even he didn't dare deny it.
'Now that you think about it, does that mean so?'
This was something I didn't really question until Isabelle pointed it out.
'Current PS-111' was created by absorbing No. 26's psychic power and the organic matter I provided after it was destroyed while fighting Ice Horror. Compared to the Mutant Screamer produced by Star Union, the difference in appearance is very significant.
Even looking at the Mutant Screamer designed by Pyrrha Eleven, it was closer to a hybrid with its genes randomly added, and was not a stereotyped form like this one.
'It was as if there was an intangible framework.'
This is especially true for the face area. Its face is getting closer and closer to that of a human woman. Other than the red eyes and pale chrome skin, there is no significant difference from the human face.
Isabel lifted her heel and further narrowed the distance between herself and PS-111. The cold blood's distinctive protruding snout got close enough to touch the light chrome skin.
"This is my real sister's face."
The guy spoke in a firm voice.
"Real face?" "huh. My sister is like that, and so am I. "This is my face before my body became what it is now." "Does that mean my brother and I's bodies changed?" "I don't know exactly, but I think it's similar." "They were both test subjects. "I have learned important information, so I will record it."
Isabelle laughed at PS-111's strange reaction.
"There are many things I want to ask my brother." "Please call me Isabel, not sister." "Unable to confirm. There is insufficient authority to reclassify the code name to 'Isabel'. sorry." "Well. I can't. "What do you want to ask?"
Isabelle asked in a soft voice. His attitude was so finite that I could never imagine what it was like when he fought with me.
PS-111 was excited like a child receiving a gift, and Isabelle turned into a completely different person. It was a sight that neither of them had ever seen before.
I watched the guys chatting happily from afar.
Surprisingly, Isabel didn't ask too many questions. Perhaps because he knew the other person's memory was incomplete, he spent time answering PS-111's questions.
After about an hour, Isabelle, who was sitting next to PS-111, stood up. He put his gray mask back on and approached me.
"Go already?" "huh. "I'm busy today, so I have to go early." "Right." "Thank you for providing this opportunity."
The hostile attitude from when we first met was nowhere to be seen.
"I'll see you more often in the future, so there's no need to thank me anymore." "…I see." "There are a lot of things I want to ask."
The guy who heard me made a sound similar to laughter. The guy who first smiled at me left the warehouse right after that.
"how is it? Was it a satisfying time?" "If I could feel regret, it would be that I couldn't be with my younger brother anymore." "I'm glad you like it."
After Isabelle left, PS-111 approached me.
"In particular, gathering unexpected information gave me a new purpose." "New purpose?" "yes."
As I was fiddling with the terminal to leave the warehouse, the guy next to me started chatting.
"My brother said I had many family members in the past." "family? Ah, you mean the underground cold blood." "yes. Although they are biologically unrelated entities, they say that my original copy was obtained by making an irrational decision." "okay?"
I thought it was Isabelle who saved me, but I guess that wasn't the case.
'Did he take over what 18th place saved?' "My younger sister judged them to be her older sister's legacy and provided them with continuous material resources."
As if reading my thoughts, he immediately answered my questions.
'That's why you looked awkward.'
Whenever the slaves called her the savior, Isabel had a strange reaction. I assumed it was because he was hot, but it wasn't.
The real savior is not her, but her older sister.
As PS-111 puts it, the 40 Coldbloods were the legacy left behind by her twin sister.
'Is it a sense of responsibility or a sense of debt?'
The sense of responsibility to protect those left behind by my sister, and the sense of debt that comes from being the only survivor every time I see them. These two things are probably the factors that bind Isabel.
"But my brother, even though he was a slave, he maintained irrational judgment. "If it were Amorph, he would have eaten everything to minimize his weaknesses."
I wanted to deny that it wasn't so, but I couldn't. In fact, if it were me, there is a high possibility that it would happen.
"It's not for me to say, but 'irrational judgment' is not necessarily a bad thing." "Is that so?" "If I had just stuck to my rational judgment like you said, there would be no one left around me."
When I found out that No. 26 was a Sea Demon, I thought about it, but ended up not eating it.
When I first met the mutant Gallagon Aadhai, I debated whether to eat it or not, but chose to keep it alive.
Heavenly Mother did not take her life to keep it as insurance, but now she has become a reliable ally.
"I was planning on killing you too at first. "Because it was too dangerous." "I agree. "I was a collection of imperfect elements, so it makes sense to get rid of them." "But you didn't." "Did you invest because you thought it would be useful in the future?" "It's not exact, but it's similar."
In my case, I did it because I thought it would be more beneficial for the kids to be with me. The fact that 18th ranked Penelope rescued a slave must be understood in a completely different context.
'It was probably a decision made for moral reasons.'
Although I have never met Penelope in person in this world, I guess that is the case based on the appearance of her twin sister, Isabel.
He took pity on the slaves who lived in misery and tried to help them.
'If you look at it that way, it seems similar.'
The younger sister, who is a slave herself, takes care of other slaves, and the older sister tries to save her fellow countrymen who are leading unhappy lives.
The two looked so similar as if they were standing in front of a mirror. So much so that you could call them savior sisters. However, there is no need for the sisters to face the same end.
'If he leaves here, most of the things that bother him will disappear.'
18th place's legacy is that she will live in a safe place, and PS-111 will relieve the pain that comes from losing her sister to some extent. Even if a heartache remains, no one knows what will happen next.
"I am interested in what consequences irrational judgment will cause. "We will continue to monitor the families left behind by the original." "okay. "Once you leave here, you'll be able to see it again."
Having adjusted the warehouse door to open automatically when the airship approaches, I boarded the airship with PS-111.
"Or have a good talk with Isabelle. "He would know better than you." "I agree. "You will be a great help to my development." "It's a good thing because we are good sisters."
It would be a great benefit to me if the PS-111 were further upgraded.
Also, Isabel would want to be by her sister's side. I was convinced after seeing him today. There is a high possibility that he will move with me to take care of PS-111.
'If Isabel becomes an ally, we can easily respond to threats from other rankers.'
The reason I had moved secretly to avoid the rankers so far was because I lacked information about my enemies. If I had Isabel, I would be able to move much more proactively.
The information and potential he has. It's not a bad harvest.
PS-111 and I returned to the mansion with happy hearts.
And the next day.
Sky Mother and I waited in the dark alley where we met him.
But no matter how long I waited, Isabelle did not appear.
–
When Sihyeon Eugene opened his eyes, he thought for a moment that he had not yet woken up from his dream.
After obtaining the artifact, she always slept in a bio capsule. However, the sensation felt throughout my body was far from the artificial comfort unique to the bio capsule.
A mat that gently massages the back and waist, with a moderate weight that can be felt on the chest. These are all things that cannot be felt in a bio capsule.
Currently, she is lying on a luxurious bed. Only after realizing this did she realize that she had fainted.
"Are you awake?"
At that time, the door opened and a familiar face walked in.
The other person was a maid who took care of her at the hotel. Coldblood, who was unusually short in stature, crossed the large room and placed a tray with a towel and a cup on it next to the bed.
"here is?" "This is the recovery room. "We found him collapsed in his room and moved him here."
After saying that, the Coldblood maid handed Sihyeon a drink.
"It is a juice made from ground wild cactus and various fruits. "It will relieve your headache."
After hearing that it would relieve pain, Sihyeon immediately drank the juice. And I was surprised.
I thought it would be something I usually say, but the effect was amazing. The pain that felt like my entire head was being pressed with a press disappeared.
"…Good." "If you wish, I will check to see if we can supply juice to the ship right now." "That…it couldn't be better. request."
Sihyeon's ship is scheduled to leave Berzan 02 this morning. If you have many of these effective drinks, you won't have to suffer from headaches for a while.
"Is there anything else you need?" "Not now." "Then I will step down."
While Sihyeon leaned on the bed and rested, the maid quietly tried to leave the room. Seeing that, Sihyeon inadvertently called the maid over.
"Are you okay for a moment?" "yes?"
Is it because my body suddenly deteriorated? Since becoming a clone, or even before that, I have never acted as impulsively as I do now.
That's why I was very embarrassed when I called him. Of course, I didn't show it outwardly.
"I'd like to talk." "All right."
The maid followed Sihyeon's call and brought a small chair and sat down next to the bed.
"What's your name?" "My name is Isabel." "Isabel? "It's not a cult name, but it's unique."
As Sihyeon tilted her head, Coldblood maid Isabel bowed her head respectfully.
"It's a name given to me by the people I love the most." "is it. good. Isabel. "Do you ever want to work for me?"
The first time I called Isabel, it was a momentary impulse, but now it was sincere. While in the water fortress, Isabel completely helped Vision to avoid any inconvenience. So Si-hyeon really liked this little coldblood maid.
"For Sihyeon's sake?" "okay. If you are loyal to me, I will rid you of the yoke of slavery. "All those under me are free people."
Isabel remained silent at Sihyeon's suggestion.
After a while, Coldblood waved his pointed snout from side to side.
"You gave me a good offer, but I will decline it." "Are you going to remain a slave?" "I have work to do. "It is much more important than the work of slaves." "…."
Isabel speaks softly. Sihyeon, who made eye contact with Coldblood, was slightly surprised when he realized that the other person was stronger than he thought.
Having worked as an assassin for a long time, she was able to vaguely read what the other person was thinking. Isabel's heart was so strong that she could hardly be considered a slave.
'It's a shame.'
After confirming Isabel's feelings, she had no choice but to give up.
"It is rare to find someone who rejects my proposal so quickly." "sorry." "I'm not criticizing you, so don't worry. And I had a good drink."
Sihyeon briefly expressed her gratitude and got up from the bed. She disappeared just as preparations were being made for departure, so the ship must have been very upset.
"Sihyeon."
Just as she was about to leave the door, Isabel called her.
"No matter what trials you face in the future, please remember who you are. Even if something tries to erase you, don't give up and resist." "…Is that a Cold Blood proverb?" "A little different, but similar." "I hope you too remember yourself without losing yourself."
After a strange greeting, Sihyeon left the recovery room.
Isabel looked at the closed door and muttered softly.
"…It's not a tool."
She too. Me too.
She swallowed the last word without saying it and began organizing the recovery room.
A few hours later, Sihyeon Eugene's ship left Berzan 02 as scheduled.