｢That's the ability you gained by capturing Alshas.｣ [Z(Yes)] ｢Grrr｣
The Mother of Heaven looked with strange eyes at the 'left head' that had taken over the new body. When I tried to answer her question, a sound came out of my main body's mouth and the mouth of the 'left head' at the same time.
"Do you think your body is in sync? Does it feel like an artificial assistive body?" [Zuzuzu zzu zzu zzuzuzu zuz (That expensive item, I don't know because I've never used it)] "It looks like it can move independently when it's not under your control."
Aside from feeling bad about being drenched in saliva, she seemed quite intrigued by the sight of me moving two bodies at the same time.
'I have a vague sense of movement.'
Does it feel like the sensations felt when linking to the nest and commanding the parasite are combined into one?
If I were to explain it in terms of human senses, it was similar to the feeling you get when you move your body right before waking up from a dream. Even though my body is still asleep, in my dream I wake up to go to school, go to the bathroom, and eat.
I tried lifting the wing arm of the 'left head' and moving the tail of the main body at the same time. It was awkward at first, but I quickly got used to it.
'I think I would have lost my mind if I had been in this situation when I was human.'
It looks like things will get more complicated here if there are two duplicates, but I'll have to experiment with that later. This is because there is a limit to the energy stored in the body.
'But how do you use the characteristics as a duplicate?'
Clones can use a total of four types of characteristics: body, special defense, internal organs, and environmental adaptation. I don't have to worry about traits like regenerative power as they will be activated automatically, but I'm not sure how complex traits like mimicry will work.
'It just worked out.'
Aimorph is not affected by pheromones, so it is impossible to see what I look like. You can only tell what kind of object it has turned into by imitating its voice, which is a side effect of the mimicry organ.
However, the Mother of Heaven is influenced by the pheromones emitted by the mimicry organ.
[Zuzuz (just a moment)]
I asked her to wait a moment and concentrated on letting the 'left head' use its mimicry organ. I can feel the tiny pores all over the clone's body writhing.
And the auxiliary organs of the main body detected the familiar lingering scent of pheromones. In that state, I opened the clone's mouth.
"how is it?" "how is it?" ｢….｣
The same voice comes out of the main body and the mouth of the 'left head'. It is the voice of Alshas, the last being I ate.
"How do I look?" "How do I look?" "…It's creepy, so can you tell me just one person?"
I guess I really hate it because I see the tangled hair standing up again due to the sticky saliva.
Instead of making a voice, I sent waves to the monster's tentacles attached to its main body.
[Zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu zu zuzuzu zuzu (I can't control it yet. How do I look now?)] ｢They both look like Alshas.｣ [Zu (really?)]
Her amber eyes look far below my head. This is because their senses are disturbed by the mimicry organ and they perceive me as a human being.
"That's half the success." "Now all that's left is…" "It takes on a different form." "Using genetic essence." "…If you want to experiment, I hope you do it with other kids instead of me."
There are a few more things left to check, but since they hate it so much, I'll have to do it later. I left the mimicked 'left head' intact and deactivated the mimicry organ of the main body.
[Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzu (I have some things left to check, so please ask later)] ｢Phew….｣
She sighed and shook her head at the reaction I made.
"We'll talk about that later. Doesn't the separated part hurt? The neck is empty." [Zuzuz, zuzu, zuzu, zuzuzu, zuzuzu, zuzuzu, zuzuzu (It's okay. The awkwardness I felt after splitting went away quickly)] "I see."
As she was looking at the neatly separated marks near her neck, she snapped her fingers as if an idea occurred to her.
"Now I remember why I came here. I have something to tell you." [Zuzu (What?)] "PS-111 says Isabel's tuning will take about 30 hours."
30 hours. It takes longer than expected.
Although there is nothing that urgently needs to be resolved right now, I am not happy that Isabelle remains incapacitated for a long period of time. Because another guy has to stay by his side to protect him.
Heavenly Mother, who read my thoughts, continued.
｢They say it's because it's difficult to fine-tune it with Giga Cracker's facilities.｣ [Zuzuz zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (That means if the facilities are good, it will be finished faster, right?)] ｢Yes. maybe."
When I hear that, something comes to mind.
40 Cold Bloods aboard the Giga Cracker. I thought about sending them to an ice planet ruled by Aadhai's hordes.
'And there's a Screamer support ship.'
With the help of screamer production facilities, PS-111's work efficiency could be further improved.
[Zuz, zuzu, zuzu, zuzuzu (there is one thing that comes to mind)] ｢Huh?｣
On my way to the ice planet, I brought up the idea of letting the Coldblood slaves live with Gallagon.
｢This would never have happened in a game, but it seems possible here.｣ [Zuzuzu (right?)] ｢The part to consider here is not Gallagon, but the environment. Last time I was there, it was confirmed that oxygen was present. Although there are concerns about bacterial infection, cold blood is resistant to various viruses…"
She smoothed the tip of her beak with her finger, wondering if the ice planet was suitable for coldbloods to inhabit.
"The problem is temperature. Cold blood is vulnerable to low temperatures. They won't be able to withstand the cold underground." [Zuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzuzuzu (The area around the nest will be warm thanks to the river of sulfur, right?)] "If they are healthy, they will endure as you say, but their current physical condition is It's not so good. It's hard to hold on until you recover your stamina." [Zuzuzuz, zuzuzu, zuzuzu, zuzuzu (trying to solve that problem by wearing reinforced clothing)] "Reinforced clothing? Ah, that's the reinforced suit from Giga Cracker."
Gigacracker is equipped with reinforced suits specialized for activities in outer space. If you wear it, you can avoid their temperature problems and bacterial infection problems.
'Of course, I can't wear it for the rest of my life, so I need to recover as quickly as possible.'
From there, it's up to them. My role ended with moving the coldbloods to a safe place.
｢I'll talk to them.｣ [zuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzu (I'll go to PS-111)]
After sending off the Heavenly Mother, I pointed the tip of the crown of the 'left head' towards the main body.
'Should we try this while we're practicing?'
I'll have to go to PS-111 with the 'left head' to see what happens when the distance between me and the clone increases.
While the main body rested face down in the hangar, I crawled up the hallway while connected to the 'left head'. Even as the distance grew, the feeling of foreignness did not change much.
While slowly crawling toward the manufacturing plant, I tried a few experiments. What happens if you lose touch with the original while connected to a duplicate, and can you reconnect without contact?
First, in the former case, consciousness returned to the main body as soon as the connection was disconnected. It was impossible to focus my consciousness only on the 'left head' instead of the main body. This seemed to be because even though it had its own identity, it was only a part of my body.
In that state, as soon as I thought I wanted to control the 'left side of my head', my senses reconnected. The sensation was shared with the 'left head' along with a numb feeling as if the arm had been held tightly to prevent blood flow and then released again.
'Plus, there's one unexpected advantage.'
What's interesting is that even at the point when consciousness was separated, the 'left head' voluntarily tried to carry out what I had tried to do. During the brief period of loss of consciousness, he continued to crawl up the hallway and try to get to the manufacturing plant.
'Maybe you two brains are smarter than you think.'
Although they show behavior that is close to instinct, they are beings that were born based on me, no matter what. Even when they are not under my control, they are likely to imitate my fighting style and strategies. Even if a situation arises that I cannot care about, I can inject orders in advance so that I can fight strategically.
'I'll have to do more experiments to be sure.'
In addition, how long the connection is maintained no matter how far away from the main body, how to use complex characteristics such as mimicry organs and human worm hosts, etc. There are many things to check.
While moving through this simple experiment, we arrived at the manufacturing plant.
Inside, PS-111 was using his long claws to touch Isabelle, who was lying down.
When fighting an enemy, the threatening claws that cut the opponent's body into pieces have now become delicate surgical tools. The boy's sharp fingers moved fluidly, as if a pianist was playing, and operated various mechanical devices. Around them, the MPS series were moving diligently, using their short metal legs to help their creator.
The guy who was engrossed in work senses my presence and raises his head. The red camera lens that replaced the visual organ is pointed at me.
"82% similar to the sub-controller 'Amorph'. who are you?" "It's Amov. "I gained new strength after feasting on Alshas." "New strength?"
The guy tilted his head as if he didn't understand.
"It's similar to what you control by synchronizing with the MPS." "It is very interesting to have created a terminal similar to the original in such a short period of time. "If you allow us to collect skin samples, we can confirm that great progress will be made in MPS design."
Jane is interesting in her own way, but I have things to do first.
"I have something to ask you more than that." "What is?" "Heavenly Mother said it would take 30 hours for the attunement to be completed? "Wouldn't it be possible to reduce the time further with equipment on the Screamer support ship?"
I briefly explained the conversation I had with Heavenly Mother. PS-111 listened to my story until the end and nodded.
"With the facilities of the Screamer support ship, coordination can be completed in less than 10 hours." "okay?" "yes. "We will stop coordinating for a while and start operating the Giga Cracker." "please." "In the meantime, please check the condition of 'younger brother'."
As a guy who is half machine, he acts quickly once he decides on something. He left the manufacturing plant to start the ship with the mini screamers.
'Then here…' "Aimov."
The moment I thought I needed to experiment with human face bugs, I heard a voice from below.
Isabelle, who had wires and cables connected to her head, was looking up at me with her eyes open.
'Are you awake?'
I thought PS-111 would naturally be in a dormant state because it was busy tuning, but that wasn't the case.
Thanks to the transplant of Coldblood's eyeballs, his eyes glowed the same blue as the sea. Perhaps by coincidence, she was the complete opposite of her twin sister, who had bright red mechanical eyes.
The guy looked at me with his blue eyes and opened his mouth.
"You ate that body, Alshas." "okay."
Looking at the reaction, my body changed, but I did not lose my ability to read the other person's information. I thought it might have something to do with the eyes, so I told PS-111 that at least the eyes should be transplanted, and fortunately, the answer was correct.
"This is the privilege I received when I came to this world, 'the heavenly eye of all beings.' As the name suggests, you can only use it if you have eyes." "As expected, it was a perk." "It's funny to say this now, but I thought you would take it from me, even if it meant killing me."
To be honest, I still have very little desire to do that. The perk of reading someone else's information is that attractive. However, I decided that it would be more beneficial for me if he stayed alive, so I made a different choice.
Of course, you don't have to say exactly what you think.
"Your sister, PS-111 asked for it. Please save me. "I just listened to his request." "I knew it, but it's still different."
He said to himself that he was impressed that I behaved differently in the game and in this world.
'Looking at it, it doesn't seem like there's much of a problem with conversation.'
Part of its long body was disassembled and its head was full of wires, but its mind seemed to be intact.
Since there is still time left before arriving at the ice planet, it would be okay to ask the questions you wanted to ask here.
"You have the ability to read information, so you probably know more than others, right?" "huh. "If I can answer, I will."
I asked Isabelle, who nodded obediently, directly.
"The players I've met so far, and even myself. As we all got closer to the ending, we all saw unusual visions. "Do you know what this means?"
A fantasy secret that I kept wondering about because there were no clues. Among the rankers I've met so far, not a single one has given me a clear answer about fantasy.
Is that why? The guy didn't answer my question right away. He just stared at me silently with his sapphire-like eyes.
After a while, the small mouth of the silent guy opened and the answer to my question flowed out.
'what?'
And the answer was something I didn't expect.
-x-X-x-
"Illusion brainwashes rankers?" "huh. "All the players I've seen have experienced a change in their way of thinking due to 'memory.'"
When I heard about the vision from Alshas, I had a vague guess.
What does it mean to kill the 'real self' or 'self in this world' that appears in fantasy?
I thought that perhaps fantasy was like a leash for strangers who came to this world. However, because there was no clear evidence, it remained only a hypothesis.
The more I listen to Isabel, the closer I become to being sure of that.
"It looks like you didn't just see Cynthia and Alshas." "that's right. When I was with Penelope and when I was under Cynthia's control, I met many rankers. And I also saw them change because of 'memory.'"
I have also collected information about fantasy through various rankers. However, I don't know how things changed before and after seeing the vision. In the case of the Heavenly Mother, the level of deification rose once, but did not show any significant changes. My case is also an exceptional case.
'Still, it's surprising.'
Isabelle knew something that I didn't know either. Even if you have the privilege of reading information, recognizing changes in yourself is a different matter.
Recognizing that I was curious, the guy added an explanation.
"It was thanks to Penelope that I realized something was wrong with my 'memory.'" "You found out thanks to 18th place? how?" "My sister and I had a good relationship. Until my sister became independent, we did everything together. Thanks to you, I was able to find out right away. "The 'memory' changes my sister's thoughts."
Space Survival is a game in which players from many countries participate. As a result, I understand that there are not many cases where players meet in real life and continue their relationship. At most, people from the same clan or country see each other once in a while.
'But Penelope and Isabel are exceptions.'
The two were twins in real life. If you are family and get along well, you will quickly notice changes in the other person.
"It was definitely something we experienced together, but she remembered it completely differently." "Your memories have changed?" "huh. After seeing the fantasy, my sister perceived life in the real world in a distorted form. "I didn't do that before."
After hearing those words, I could understand why she said 'memory' rather than 'fantasy'. Why is it called brainwashing?
'For us whose bodies have completely changed, memory is the only means of sustaining our ego.'
The scars I suffered from falling when I was young, the relationships I formed with various people, including family and friends. There are absolutely no elements in this world that prove that I am 'me'. Only the memory of living in 'reality' defines 'my' existence.
'What if memories are manipulated in that situation?'
In this world, elements of reality and memory cannot be contrasted. Therefore, it is impossible to prove that I am changing into another being.
"How much has Penelope changed?" "It is true that my sister originally liked this world, but every time she saw a fantasy, her obsession became more intense." "Is that why you tried to save the Coldblood slaves even at the cost of your life?"
I know that Penelope, ranked 18th, is a ranker who has a particular love for space survival. Just like I was called Moffak, she was called Gallagon Mania. Since she was like that, it was not strange for her to care about the safety of her people.
'It's just that the level is excessive.'
If you look at it that way, the goal of fantasy is not to completely change your personality and make you into a different person. Rather, it should be seen as closer to leading to a specific goal and a specific direction. As Isabel expressed it, it would be safe to call it brainwashing.
'But why?'
The problem is this part.
What does it mean that the ego is semi-forcibly reversed as we get closer to the ending?
"Someone wants to change us." "maybe." "What is the purpose? "What do you want?" "I don't know either. "But I think I know who did it." "He must have been the one who dragged us into this world."
Isabel nodded instead of answering.
I don't think any of the players who joined Space Survival did so voluntarily. At least not among the players I've met.
I also agreed to the email asking if I would participate in the beta service and woke up here. I don't remember anything about what happened in between.
"I understand that an unknown entity is trying to change us. But why do we see different visions? Some people become the 'me' of this world, while others become the 'me' of the real world and seem to be seeing illusions." "Just based on the information I've collected, it seems like it affects life in the real world." "Life in the real world."
When I asked Jason, who became a human being, in reality he grew up in a bad family. In the case of the Mother of Heaven, we did not hear much about her, but it was clear that she had a very difficult life.
'Me too.' "How were you and your sister?"
When asked about how he lived in real life, he hesitated slightly before answering.
"You may have noticed when I talked about my sister earlier, but our lives were not that peaceful. "It wouldn't have been easy for my sister and I to get through it without each other." "is it."
When I entered her mental world, I already confirmed that the sisters had a good relationship. Their friendship seems to have become even stronger due to their special relationship as twins, plus their disadvantaged family environment.
"So, did you both see a vision in the form of Coldblood?" "My sister said that. "I would have done the same if I had continued to grow." "What does that mean?" "After discussing with my sister, I decided to avoid getting too close to the ending. "In order to reveal the secret of 'memory', one of the two must be in a healthy state." "huh? "Then how did you summon the 'Ring of Agony'?"
Just because you're Coldblood doesn't mean you can summon Vortex One at any time. You must continue to make contracts and repay the price, so that you can borrow stronger power.
The act of calling Vortex One directly is a contract equivalent to a higher level, if not the highest level. It is impossible to skip the previous step and summon it right away.
Except for one way.
"Did Penelope make a tool to call Vortex One?" "that's right. The curved sword I used to summon was made by my sister. Of course, I have to prepare the price myself for using it."
If you become friendly with Vortex One through frequent contracts, you can imbue the tool with the power of the devil. Of course, it is very difficult to make, so it is not easy to make, and some tools break right away after being used a few times. The curved sword that summoned Vortex One will no longer be usable.
Anyway, the sisters chose to avoid the fantasy brainwashing by having one of them give up on the ending. It is true that the twins' strength has weakened because of that, but it can't be helped. If I hadn't done that, I wouldn't have been clear about the dangers of fantasy.
"What proves the danger of fantasy is income. "I wouldn't have been sure if it weren't for you guys." "huh." "To summarize, there is someone who called the player. He wants us to move along a certain route." "that's right." "Then I guess the players' factions are going according to his intentions." "At least the ruling faction and the returning faction share the same type of 'memory.'" "good. The problem is how to solve this…"
The story returned to the beginning again.
The reason I aimed to ascend to heaven in the first place was to find out the secrets of the being who called me and this world.
'Even if I'm not a typical case, I don't know what will happen next.'
I did not kill my 'real self' in fantasy. But I don't know what will happen when I see the illusion again later. Like other players, I can be consumed by illusions and become something I am not.
'But you can't just avoid it.'
In my case, I also see illusions when combining unique characteristics with a transcendental system. This means that if you try to avoid illusions, you will inevitably have to give up some part of evolution.
'But you can't.'
There are a lot of people targeting me right now. Those who aim for the ending will want to kill me, the only adult Amorph, and those who seek to rule the universe will see me as a serious threat.
'You need strength to face your enemies.'
I think I should tell him the truth. If you are a guy who has encountered more rankers than me, he might be able to tell you something helpful.
"I told you when we first met. "I only glimpsed memories of the past and didn't make any choices." "I remember it like that." "Actually, that was a lie. "I did not kill 'the real me' nor did I kill the 'me in this world.'"
The guy who heard me didn't seem to understand at first. After a while my eyes widened as I realized I had made a choice not to kill my ego.
"Does that mean you avoided the brainwashing of 'memory'?" "Well, I don't know that much. "All I can say is that I made an unusual choice." "…." "Among the people you saw, is there anyone who made the same choice as me?"
The guy thought for a moment and shook his head.
"no. "I've seen people who put their choice on hold, but I've never seen anyone decide 'I won't kill' like Eimoff." "Has any of those who withheld their choice experienced something like this? "If the fantasy continues to appear in order to change the ego." "I…think it'll be okay."
This is a question I asked the guy because I couldn't decide for myself. I thought it would be difficult to answer, but surprisingly, he answered quickly.
"As you may have guessed, beings who manipulate 'memories' are not omnipotent. "There is no way an omnipotent being would manipulate us in such a cumbersome way." "yes." "We are using this method because there are limitations. So, I don't think Amov will be under as much pressure as before." "You've made a choice, so don't put pressure on yourself and move on to the next step." "huh. "It's very likely."
Come to think of it, Alshas also said something similar.
Beom-ho, the leader of the returning faction, and No. 4 said that they saw a fantasy about returning to reality and adapting. As the goal is to return, it can be seen that the fantasy stage has progressed.
'In the end, I'll find out for sure when I see the next vision.'
At this point, there is only one way for me to see the illusion.
It's about raising the level of the space monster type.
If you collect material properties to create 4 unique properties, you will advance to level 3. I had a vision when I went up to level 1 and 2, so level 3 should be the same.
Anyway, even if it wasn't because of fantasy, I had to upgrade the type at some point. This is because I need to become strong to survive in a situation where both the ruling faction and the return faction are hostile to me.
'First, I have to create a unique characteristic that uses demon machines as materials.'
With this, the next goal has been decided.
-x-X-x-
There are countless creatures in the world of space survival. There are thousands of species of animals discovered and organized by players, and if you include things like plants and mushrooms, the number increases more than double.
Outspacer is one of the few creatures among the numerous NPCs that turns out to be from another universe.
The fact that the entire colony is under the command of a queen and that they prey on other creatures and apply their characteristics to the colony have different mechanisms from regular creatures because they are from a different universe.
But if they were just foreign, they would never have fit in in this universe.
Outspacers, like regular creatures, prefer planets with abundant resources. This is because a colony can grow quickly only if it has a variety of organisms and the organic matter needed to create energy.
Of course, most planets full of life have been conquered or are scheduled to be conquered by intelligent entities such as humans, cyborgs, or cults. If a nest is built in such a place, the colony is likely to be attacked by a punitive force and destroyed before it can grow.
In that respect, the Outspacer Queen, who nested on the barren planet OW-33 in the Z-10 star system, can be said to be both lucky and unlucky.
The planet he was born on is a place that escapes the gaze of the great powers, but that does not mean it has the conditions for growth.
When an outspacer devours all of a planet's resources, it migrates to another habitat. If the planet cannot accumulate the energy needed for migration before it dies, the colony will collapse. The queen of OW-33 was also one of the individuals that died due to lack of resources.
This would probably have been the case if she had not had superior intelligence than the other queens.
Now, 40 years after his birth, he has become the Great King, leading the largest colony among Outspacers.
The being called 'Empress' by the individuals and colony queens under her command is now in her hometown where she was born. What was once just an old planet on the outskirts is now polluted not only on the crust but also on the inside of the planet.
The person responsible for polluting the planet was staying in the depths of the planet and having a conversation with an old colleague.
"How long on earth should I wait? How long must we watch our compatriots die?"
A large computer looted from Star Union is embedded in the sticky membrane. Thin, long tentacles were sticking out from the surrounding mucous membrane, connecting the computer and the diamond-shaped tombstone.
As the owner of the nest typed a message into the computer with his tentacle, the tombstone glowed red.
｢Message arrived.｣
Eventually, the other person's intention was delivered to him on a tombstone.
"Not much time left? That's what I said about the death of my compatriot last time. But look at the results. "Didn't Olivia, who dedicated herself to your plan, also lose her life?"
The computer and the tombstone convey the Empress's anger to the opponent. The tombstone sparkled and then fell silent.
After a while, the tombstone containing the other person's answer began to emit light again. The Empress became irritated after checking the message sent by the other person.
"Be patient? Patience? I have lived in this heterogeneous female body for a whopping 40 years. How much longer do we have to endure here?" "Message arrived." "This guy is far beyond our expectations. The more his compatriots lose their lives, the stronger he will become, but do you still believe he can control it? I don't understand." "Message arrived." "Okay. You'll have to do your best. My patience has now reached its limit." "Message arrived." "Communication ended."
When contact with the other person was lost, the tentacles connected to the tombstone and the computer separated.
'…a tiger.'
The person I contacted just now was Beomho, the leader of the returnee faction.
All the plans of the Returning Party came from his head. If everything goes according to plan, he can return to his hometown as he had hoped.
'The problem is that things aren't going as planned.'
Two major mistakes have already occurred in recent years. Because of this, two precious compatriots lost their lives.
Nevertheless, Beom-ho insisted that he did not deviate from the general framework of the plan. The death of a compatriot is unfortunate, but recovery is possible if the plan is completed.
In fact, within the Returning Sect, there is no one who wishes to return to their hometown more than the Empress.
Among the outspacers, the only entity the player can select is the queen. The Empress was the only ranker who changed not only her race but also her gender.
With the identity of a 34-year-old German man, he lived in this world as a monster queen for an additional 40 years. It is a bonus that we have produced so many objects so far. No matter how much a new body was created, the basic concept of the Queen as the mother of the Legion could not be removed.
He had no intention of living like this until he died, so he put in a lot of effort to see the ending alone. If it weren't for Beom-ho who came to him 30 years ago, he would have attempted the ending a long time ago.
'shit. But I never thought it would take this long.'
The Empress also knows that Beom-ho is right about having to be patient and wait. We also know that it will take a long time to achieve our plans.
But before I knew it, the time I spent as the mother of a monster became longer than the time I spent in reality. His ego was strong, but no one knows how long that will last.
'You have to prepare for the ending now….'
Just as I was thinking about it, a red light came on again on the tombstone.
I checked to see if it was a tiger, but it wasn't. Someone sent a message to everyone who had a communication stone.
'Who is it?'
Jason from the ruling faction has sent messages like that before. Of course, I didn't respond because I wasn't interested in receiving messages from a lowly 10th place person.
But this time it couldn't be done. This is because the person who sent the message was so powerful that he could not be compared to the 10th place.
'Third place?'
CEO of Megacorp, one of the powers that dominate the universe.
The head of a ruling faction that has built up a force as powerful as the Empress.
Akira Eugene calls the rankers.
–
"Li Zhao. "What are the experimental results of the JS prototype?"
The Mercury weapons research base of the Carmelda family, one of the seven families of Megacorp.
At the family residence there, Chloe Carmelda was receiving a report from a researcher from another family.
"It's quite interesting. It has excellent combat power, flexibility, and adaptability to psychic power. "Even in its shipped state, it is expected to demonstrate strategic utility beyond Green Gallagon."
The new Screamer, made with new 'materials', is nearing completion.
Chief researcher Li Zhao, who led the Screamer development project with Chloe, is currently conducting the final experiment at the Zhao family colony.
"It's not bad. Still, it may not be completely omnipotent. "What about the disadvantages?" ｢Combat intelligence is lower than that of the PS model. "Because they lack learning ability, they are vulnerable to unexpected situations." "To put it simply, they are dumber than the previous model, right?" "That's right." "Hmm."
Chloe tapped the handle of the levitating chair with her index finger. She quickly gathered her thoughts and spoke to Li Zhao, who was created as a hologram.
"It worked out better. They also cited high autonomy as an imperfection. "I'm glad I don't have to do anything to lower my intelligence." "All right. Then, we will continue the experiment as is." "Take care. Please send me the relevant files. "Let's check it with Carmelda's simulation program." "I already sent it." "Okay. Oh, please tell Gaju Zao thank you for lending him the testing room." "Of course. Then, I will contact you again next time."
The handsome yellow man lowered his head, and the hologram ended.
"When I heard that Cynthia had died, I wondered what I would do, but things turned out well."
She hummed and pressed the buttons on the levitating chair. The files Li Zhao sent were linked to the computer in her room and played as holograms.
Just as I was about to check the various graphs and data floating in the air, a red light flashed on the floor. When I turned my gaze, I saw a diamond-shaped tombstone with wires connected to it, with a light on.
"huh? Is it Zubaka?"
She frowned when she checked the tombstone, wondering why he had contacted her when he always said he was busy.
"Keck, you are the old man, right?"
The person who called was Megacorp's CEO, Akira Eugene.
There has been no contact with Akira since Jason's death. As she debated whether to ignore it or not, she activated the tombstone.
"Sir, it's been a while. "I heard you're busy these days. What's going on?" "Oh, it's Chloe. "Are you in a good mood?" "Why am I so busy playing with toys in Mercury… huh?"
While she was speaking to Akira's tombstone in a fake voice, the other tombstones were activated one by one.
"Akira, I am busy. "Please refrain from saying unnecessary things." "Are you sure this tombstone is working properly? Ah, are you there? Can you hear me?"
A dignified male voice and a frivolous young man's voice were heard from the two newly activated monuments. They were both people she knew.
"what? You're a kid with Zubaka, right? "Who called you?" "I called Jubaka and Shino-kun. "Chloe." "Oh, Chloe. Long time no see. How many years has it been since this? 2 years? 3 years? In space, the sense of time becomes very blurred. Now that I think about it, I stopped by a certain planet a while ago…"" …Hey, kid. Shut up. Akira. "Why did you suddenly call the members?" "Don't be hasty. There are still more people to come in."
As soon as those words were finished, a tombstone covered in dust rose into the air.
Chloe was surprised when the tombstone, which had never lit up before, became active.
'What about that tombstone?' "How dare you call me? You have good guts too. 3rd place." "Huh, it's been a while. 4th place."
The last participant was the 4th outspacer ranker, the highest power of the returning faction that is hostile to the ruling faction.
–
Thanks to my conversation with Isabel, I have a new goal.
However, there is still work to be done, so we are currently on the planet where Aadhai's group resides.
This planet, nicknamed 'White Stone' by the Gallagons, is covered with a thick layer of ice that extends between tens and hundreds of kilometers. It looks like there is no life at all, but if you go down through the ice, a unique ecosystem unfolds.
Under the frozen sky, there were plants that looked like mushrooms or rainbow grass enlarged to gigantic size. Animals that have adapted to life underground roam around near the plants.
After passing through a wide community of underground plants, a long, split canyon appears. There are gallagons there, hidden by steam due to the acidic river that flows in the center of the canyon.
Near the canyon, in a community of plants resembling oyster mushrooms.
There, Adhai introduced the newcomers to his compatriots.
｢Cute Dwarfs｣｢Eggs｣｢Protection｣｢I Will Help You｣
Recognizing Adhaj's ideology, 40 Coldbloods bowed to Ham Oort.
The Coldbloods were all wearing reinforced Megacorpan suits, so they were quite tall, but to Gallagon, who was tens of meters tall, they still looked like dwarves. Ham Ort, a female with beautiful obsidian scales, looked down at the new visitors with cool eyes.
｢Dwarf｣｢Plunder｣｢Everyone｣｢Must be killed｣ ｢Rejection｣｢Cute Dwarf｣｢Good｣ ｢Dwarf｣｢Lie｣｢Capable｣｢Kingdom｣｢Dangerous｣ ｢Negative｣ ｢Cute Dwarf｣ ｢Family｣｢ "I swore to protect you" "Family?"
Ham Ort's eyes turn to me. In response, I nodded to the purple eyes that shined like jewels.
｢Dwarf｣｢Adhai's Companion｣｢Baby?｣ ｢No!｣｢Absolutely｣｢No!｣ [Zuzuzuz Zuzuzuz (It's my new friend's family)]
Ham Oort tilted his head and looked at me and Adhai in turn. And he nodded as if he understood something.
｢Adhai's Companion｣｢Friend｣｢Kingdom｣｢Friend｣ [Zu (yes)]
Once the leader's representative, Ham Ort, accepted, there was no longer any concern that the Gallagons would attack the Coldbloods carelessly.
The Coldbloods lying on the ground rose carefully. The Mother of Heaven, transformed into a griffon beast, approached them and handed them a mechanical device the size of a shoulder bag.
"PS-111 is a translator created by analyzing Adhai's school of thought. "I taught you how to use it before, but if you don't remember, ask now." "Friend of the Savior. "We remember it perfectly." "If there is a problem…"
The Heavenly Mother taught the Coldbloods what to do to survive in Gallagon's lair.
For four days after arriving here, we prepared for the Coldbloods to migrate safely.
'Strictly speaking, PS-111 did almost everything.'
While its main body took over Isabel's control, MPS-01, which remained to manage the planet, created equipment for Coldblood to use. Unlike the MPS-05, which specializes in communications and hacking, the MPS-01 is a mini screamer specialized in facility repair and modification.
MPS-01, synchronized with the main body, repaired the damaged aircraft remaining on the Screamer support ship and created a Gallagon thinker translator. Thanks to the diligent help of #26 and I, it didn't take long and was over quickly.
'Isabelle's tuning was also roughly finished.' "Everyone is so motivated, so I think you can rest assured."
As I was thinking about setting off again for a new destination, Heavenly Mother approached me.
｢There is a communication problem, but Ham Ort said he would help with that, so I put it to rest.｣ [Zuz zuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzu (I wish I had more of your necklaces)] ｢This?｣
After hearing what I said, she pointed to the sapphire necklace around her neck.
The necklace that Muriel attacked and forcibly put on her in the past is a necklace that does not exist in the game. Thanks to this, she was able to communicate in a thought-like manner like Gallagon even when transformed into a divine beast.
"As you know, this is something that Soobin…no, Muriel brought. If it's made by a player, it's probably difficult to mass-produce." [Zuzuzu (that's a pity)] "Maybe the guy who manages the equipment for that returning faction might have more." [Zuzuzu zuzuzuzu (I hope so)]
The next destination in my head is planet Asuka 44, where the equipment manager of the Returned Sect is said to be hiding.
'You said it was a volcanic planet, right?'
Coincidentally, there are some Apex creatures that can be encountered on volcanic planets. It would be perfect to collect the characteristics while going to catch the returning faction's ranker.
[Zuzuzuzuzu(Then shall we go back)] ｢Big adult｣｢I｣｢Nest｣｢I'll stop by｣ [Zuzuzu (Okay)]
Adhaj left for the canyon with Ham Ort, perhaps intending to check on the nest's compatriots. After burning the Coldbloods, I spread my wings wide.
My huge body rises into the air. I could feel the strength coming from the hands of the Coldbloods holding the scales on my back. The oldest, Coldblood, thanked me even though he was afraid.
"Great three-headed dragon. Thank you for giving us sanctuary." [Zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (Yes. But can't you change that nickname?)] "If you order, I will change it." [Zuzuzuzu zzu (just call me Eimoff)] "I will follow your orders. "Great Aimov."
The embarrassing nickname whetted my appetite. The two heads on either side seemed to like the new nickname and stiffened their necks even as I was flying.
"why? That sounds like a good nickname. Don't you like 'The Great Three-Headed Dragon' a lot better than Morph Park?" [Zuzu Zuzu (No, not at all])
The gryphon flying next to me with its wings wide open clicks its beak as if it is so excited to see me confused.
'Tsk. I have to quickly clean up and leave.'
With that in mind, I headed to the Screamer support ship with Heavenly Mother.
-x-X-x-
"Empress?" "You're calling an outspacer here. Akira, are you out of your mind?" "Wow, what?" This is my first time seeing 4th place. Look, I'm sorry I killed a queen last time. "I did it because I needed money, right?"
4th Outspacer Ranker, commonly known as 'Empress'.
It was an extremely arrogant nickname, but Chloe didn't think of it that way at all. The Empress is known to control approximately 80% of all Outspacers. If he puts his mind to it, it won't be difficult to bring down the cult empire.
She and Zubaka, who profit enormously from trade with the empire, will stop the Empress, but honestly, it will be difficult. Even if they are lucky and win, huge damage is expected.
However, the reason the Empress does not go to war is because there are powerful beings in the ruling faction.
"Hmm, I called Beomho too, but he didn't respond either." "If I were you, would you respond when my enemy calls me?" "Well, he's like that too."
While everyone was surprised, Akira Yujin, the leader of the ruling faction, chatted calmly with the Empress.
"Akira, you're calling a member of the returning faction instead of just us. "What kind of trick is this?" "I'm sure it's not about merging factions, is it? "I have absolutely no intention of going back to this shitty reality?"
Of course, Akira was the only one who showed a calm reaction here.
'Why suddenly the Empress… no way?'
Chloe suddenly remembered that there was an uproar in the cult empire not long ago. Berzan 02, one of the pillars of the empire's economy, was completely destroyed. The empire was controlling information for fear of confusion, but there was no one among the ruling faction's rankers who did not know that fact.
However, what others knew and what Chloe knew were slightly different.
"Hehe, that's absurd. "Why are you doing this when the situation has already tilted in this direction?" "Did you call me to criticize the air raid issue that happened not long ago? They say Berzan 02 flew away." "Ha, there were a lot of good routes there. ah. "My head hurts thinking about that."
The Carmelda family has several connections to the cult empire. Among them is the Revolutionary faction, one of the two major factions in the Imperial Diet.
Kisos, the leader of the innovation faction, died in Berzan 02. He wasn't killed by Outspacer or something.
The spies who barely survived the catastrophic disaster all said the same thing. A giant three-headed creature destroyed his mansion.
The person who destroyed Berzan 02 was the 5th ranker 'Aimov'.
"Did you just call me for something like that? "Are you trying to condemn me?" "No. It's not something you did anyway." "What?" "What do you mean?" "Tsk, tsk, it's because everyone's information is so slow. The culprit of this incident is Amorph." "…Tch."
Chloe clicked her tongue slightly at Akira's words. The force that dominates Berzan 02 is the innovation faction. Chloe, who is closest to them, is bound to have an advantage in gathering information.
However, the fact that Akira knows means that there is a hole somewhere in her spy network.
'You look like a damn old man.' "what? Aren't Amorphs extinct? Are you sure you're not talking about 'that Kusomov'?"" Hmm, I guess Shino-kun didn't know because he wasn't present at the time. Aimorph also came to this world. "It's because someone did something useless." "Don't insult Beomho. "Everything has been calculated and decided." "…I think I understand why you called us."
Chloe and Zubaka were able to guess why Akira had called them, knowing that it was Aimov's doing. Because something similar happened in the game.
"You're trying to issue an order to subdue Eimov." "Yes. Chloe."
Number 5 was the most infamous player in space survival. People who have been playing the game for a while remember being hit by him at least once.
As a result, there were often cases where several rankers and clans joined forces to hunt Amorph. The rankers I am currently talking to have also participated in the Aimov subjugation team several times.
"I can't stand seeing the garden being ruined by weeds. I've used tools in the meantime, but the results aren't very good. So, I plan to take this opportunity to sort things out with my own hands." "I have nothing to do with whether you fight Aimorph or not. "I don't know if that's possible in the first place." "That's a good point. 4th place. If I were alone, I might fail. But that's it."
Akira paused for a moment and then continued.
"What if you help me?" "Young man?" "…Akira. It ended up like this because of the trickery of the returning faction. Do you think that guy will follow?" "Zubaka. You have to say things accurately. This was not done by the Returning Party, but by Beom-ho on his own. Isn't it? "Empress."
The Empress's monument was silent in response to Akira's question. Probably because what he said is true.
"We are competing because we each have different desires, but isn't this case different? "If we keep leaving him alone, I don't know how much damage it will cause." "He is in Beomho's plans." "Do you really think that the destruction of Berzan 02 was also his intention? I don't think so. He's human too. Empress. A weak and fragile human being." "That's it." "If Jeong Beom-ho gets caught, I'll consider keeping him alive for a reasonable amount of time. What is it like? "What is my suggestion?"
It was rare for Akira to politely suggest something to someone. If the other side's nickname is Empress, this side has a temperament that can be safely called a tyrant.
At that time when everyone was holding their breath.
"What do you need?"
The monument of the returned ranker glowed quietly.
–
"The Dorane star system to which Asuka 44 belongs is presumed to refer to the star system where the red giant star 'Olga' is located." "Yes, that's right! "That's what the sun looks like from that planet!"
Looking at the large star image printed on the frozen wall, Inmyeonchung quickly nodded. When the desired answer came from Alshas, who had become a human being, PS-111 turned to me.
"Considering the speed of 'Aimorph', it is expected to take about 3 to 7 days to travel from here to the Dorane star system." [Zuzuz (Good)]
While PS-111 turned off the hologram projection device in the situation room, I gestured to Alshas.
[Zuzuzuzuzuzuzuzu (Your role ends here)] "Si, I hate it! I don't want to go back there! please! Please don't send me away!"
Is it because they called me in after only a short period of time? Alshas glowed. In fact, if you say it's glowing, you're just talking about it, and it doesn't mean anything because your body is getting closer to me.
'Jason was like this too, and he's like this too.'
Parasites like to stay in my body, and all of them react like this. Jason also made a fuss when it was first brought up, but has quieted down recently.
'But I have no intention of throwing it away.'
As with Jason, we plan to continue to have Alshas as well. There is still a lot of useful information left in his head.
"Si, I hate it!"
Finally, the insect went into the nest near my back and tail. And a mucous membrane formed on top of it, covering its entire body. He'll stay there until I call him.
[Zuzuzuz (What about Isabel?)] "'Little Sister' is going out with the main controller and experimenting with her new body. "I'll call you now." [Zuzuzu zuz zzu zzuzuzuzu (It's okay. I'll go and get him)] "Then I will check the Screamer support ship one last time before I leave." "last. inspection!" "last. inspection!"
As PS-111 raised its large body, the small screamers below it repeated the same words.
I left the Screamer support ship, leaving the guy doing his job.
If you look at the support ship stuck in the ground like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, you can see traces of repairs here and there at the bottom, that is, the front part of the ship stuck in the ice. To create a space for the Coldbloods to live, they tinkered with the minerals loaded on the giga cracker. I plan to stay there until my health recovers enough to adapt to the planet's environment.
Near the support ship were aircraft repaired by PS-111. It is used by Coldbloods staying inside the support ship to commute to Gallagon's nest or to obtain food and materials.
The Mother of Heaven and the Cold Bloods disembarked from the aircraft carrier, as if they had just gone somewhere. She took on the form of a beast and waved her hand slightly when she saw me, while the Coldbloods next to her bowed their heads deeply.
'I'll take care of it.'
I acknowledged them with a glance and focused on the auxiliary organ under the chin. The right side of my head detected a faint, familiar smell coming from some distance away.
It was the smell of metal and blood.
'Are you still hunting?'
I kicked the ground and spread my wings at the same time. The ice beneath my feet cracked, and the ice powder on it flew out.
As it flies by moving its wings, the temperature gradually becomes warmer. Looking down, mushroom-like plants begin to appear scattered across the barren field.
And in the distance, a huge pink creature can be seen floating in the air. The being with a body in the form of a hemisphere covered with a lying ring and numerous tentacles and fins hanging down underneath was number 26. It floated through the atmosphere-filled underground world as if swimming in the sea.
Next to the one swimming peacefully in the air was a new type of mutant screamer. Isabel was once a coldblood, but is now an artificial life form.
If No. 26 resembled a jellyfish, Isabel's appearance was closer to that of a snake or centipede. The guy with a long body and multiple arms was floating in the air, bending over and wrapping himself in a coil.
In the middle, I saw Cavegoyle, a monster that looked like a combination of a bat and an ape, dead with its tongue sticking out.
"If you push harder, it will become stiff." "You mean to relax your body?"
Isabelle relaxed after hearing the waves from No. 26. Cavegoyle's bones were all crushed and it started to flow out like liquid, so he quickly caught it with his many arms. Number 26, seeing this, waved its tentacles and made its body shine.
"Good job! "You can eat now!" "Thank you."
Number 26 stroked Isabelle's head with a hand-shaped tentacle, just as I did. Isabelle tried to slightly dodge her head as if it felt awkward to be praised by a pink jellyfish. Then he made eye contact with me.
[Zuzuzuzzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzu (I was worried, but you seem to be doing well)] ｢Wow! "It's a big baby!"
Only then did number 26 recognize me and approach me with its fins fluttering in the air. It changed its body into its usual pink balloon form and climbed on my head.
[Zuz zu zuzu zuzu (Has your body gotten used to it?)]
The guy opened his mouth wide without answering my question. Like when a snake eats food, the jawbones separate and the mouth opens beyond the thickness of the body. From inside the mouth, two hooked teeth, similar to the chelicerae of a spider, protruded outward.
In that state, it swallowed Cavegoyle whole, which it was holding on to with its many arms. Multiple hands and hooked teeth protruding from the mouth quickly pushed the prey inside.
Isabel, who quickly stuffed a 3m-sized piece of food into her stomach, spoke calmly.
"As you can see." [Zuzuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzuzuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzuzu (Heavenly Mother expected it would take a while to get used to it)] "…Phew. It's a body that my sister worked hard to create. "How can you say that?"
No, rather than being calm, I should say it's closer to giving up. Looking at the way she speaks with a small sigh, I don't think she particularly likes her current body.
'If you talk to PS-111, he'll fix it.'
It may be a bit disappointing, but it's not impossible to make him a little more humane.
'Well, there's no need to tell me.'
I don't want to spend time reorganizing here again. Anyway, the current body is much more advantageous in combat and survival than the human body.
'I like the look, too.'
Even the current appearance was attractive in its own way by my standards. It felt completely different from my sister, as I felt an alluring and homogeneous beauty, like looking at a snake with beautiful scales.
The guy didn't seem to like his body, but it was good enough for my standards.
Isabel used the arm near her head to push the hooked teeth sticking out of her mouth inside.
Since most of its body is covered with metal, it has a cooler appearance than PS-111, but it was quite ironic to see it look so awkward.
How should I express it? It was similar to the feeling of a girl pretending to be an adult to hide her immaturity.
'If you say that, I'll get angry, so I'll have to stay quiet.' "Thanks to my sister's ability to adjust her sense of taste, I have no trouble eating." [Zuzu zuzuzu (I think so)] "Ah, it's quite convenient to be able to fly like this."
It flew around, shaking its body like a sea snake swimming. Flight was very natural as there were no special propellants or parts for flight.
'I didn't know there was such an effect on Vortex One's body.'
Isabel, whose main material is the body of the 'Ring of Agony', was able to fly while ignoring the laws of physics. Like No. 26, who gained the ability to fly by eating meat.
Although it is impossible to fly at incredible speeds like Adhaya or the Heavenly Mother, it is still only slightly faster than the Green Gallagon. It is quite helpful during battle.
"Seeing as Eimoff is here, I guess it's time to leave." ｢Little friend, where are we going?｣ [Zuzuzuz zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (This time we're going to a warm place)] ｢A warm place? Is it fun?」 [Z(Yes)]
I don't know if it's actually fun or not, but it looks like a pretty interesting place. Planet Asuka 44 is a planet I have never been to. Just like the ice planet where Gallagon's nest was before.
'I've been to many volcanic planets themselves.'
It may not be much different from what I expected, but you have to see it for yourself to know.
I went back to the support ship with the guys.
A few hours later, Adhai and Heavenly Mother also returned. After completing all preparations, we departed for the Dorane star system where the red giant star is located.
–
A point of light passes through outer space deeper than the deep sea.
The identity of the light was a Megacorp Mountain medium-sized mining ship.
The ship, which had an elongated oval hull, had a large capture crane at the rear. The crane was firmly holding a huge rock mass as large as the ship.
The core of mineral procurement in Megacorp is the St. Kay family, but that does not mean that there are no private mining ships. Recently, for unknown reasons, the St. K family stopped operating Gigacracker, and demand for private mining ships has increased significantly.
The owner of the mining ship in question, Jin Chen, a middle capital from Hwaseong, was also someone who jumped into the mining storm that had been blowing some time ago.
Currently he was pounding on a small pad in the ship's old captain's cabin.
"Let's see." How much is this compared to the district's publicly announced price? "0 is one, two…."
He calculated the price of the minerals he mined and widened his eyes when he saw the amount displayed on the pad.
"F, eight, nine? Ha, hahahaha, hehehehehehe! I'm rich! "You're rich!"
If you are a middle capital, you are a high tier in a megacorp, but that also depends on the planet. Jin Chen, who spent his entire life working in the back office of Prime Capital in Hwaseong, always dreamed of a better life.
And not long ago, an opportunity came to him. When the civil war ended and a recession hit Megacorp, a colleague told him a secret. Mineral prices are unusual these days, so buy a mining ship in advance.
As soon as Jin Chen finished work, he ran to Hamseon Market, as if he was possessed by something that day. And in addition to all the credit I had earned, I took out debt and bought a used mining boat.
"what? Are you calling me crazy? well. "Who is really crazy?"
Prophets are inherently lonely. Everyone said I was crazy, but look at this number written on the pad. There was an amount stamped on it that was more than twice the amount of credit he had earned in his entire life. If you round-trip the same route two more times, your debt will be completely eliminated.
"With this, we can raise initial funds, and invest the rest again…keke."
While I was grinning from my happy dream, a light came on at the top of the pad.
"what?"
It was a communication from the situation room. Jin Chen pressed the light on the pad with his finger.
"Captain. "There's a ship in the same star system?" "Ship? "Where do you belong?" "I do not know. "I think you should come and see it."
He was startled when he heard that it was an unknown ship.
In the vast ocean-like universe, there is nothing more fearsome than an unknown ship.
After answering that he understood, he quickly ran to the situation room.
When I arrived at the situation room, the atmosphere was quite chaotic. The sailors who were tapping on their computers saluted in an awkward pose when he came in.
He asked the navigation team leader, a balding middle-aged man.
"Sailing team leader, where is the ship?" "It's quite a distance away from here and isn't moving." "Is that a boat?" "Once we see the radio signal detected, it looks like the ship is right." "Or are you mining another planet?" "There are no planets nearby that are worth mining…."
Jin Chen sighed a little when he saw the sailing team leader speaking in a hesitant and timid manner.
Since I used up all my credit to buy a mining ship, I had no choice but to hire crew members at a low price. Most of the crew members had less than a year of experience on board, or, like Jin Chen, jumped in to grab a share.
Fortunately, the navigation team leader was selected as someone with some experience, and there was a reason why the hiring cost was low.
"Keep an eye on it and when it comes this way…" "Uh, Captain? "Is that thing moving?" "what?"
As the sailor operated the computer, a star system map appeared as a hologram in the center of the situation room. Jin Chen's mining ship was in the center of the hologram, and a small triangle-shaped marker flashed in the distance.
The mark was approaching the central mining ship.
Upon seeing this, Jin Chen felt his blood turn cold.
The pirates who had been hiding for hunting discovered their prey and revealed themselves.
-x-X-x-
In Megacorp, piracy is treated as a very low-quality crime. It is inevitable that Space Dogs are a group of people who commit crimes such as human trafficking, murder, and smuggling. The damage they inflict on Megacorp is by no means small.
As a result, not only piracy but even cooperation with pirates was rarely forgiven. While working for Prime Capital, Jin Chen had seen colleagues who had been caught dealing with pirates and were reduced to'employees' several times.
"Fuck it! Everyone prepare for battle!" "That captain? "This ship only has laser weapons." "Shit! So you're going to give the pirates some ass? "No matter what happens, you have to fight!" "Hmm, it's difficult for our armed forces to last even an hour. If you resist for no reason, you may become even more miserable…."
Jin Chen could barely suppress the urge to hit the sailing team leader's shiny head.
As he said, there aren't that many weapons on this ship. The only personal firearm he had was a laser rifle, and the only protective equipment he used was a mid-level reinforced suit.
However, it was not easy to escape. If it were a newer model, it would be possible to sail at faster than light speed while holding minerals with a capture crane, but this ship does not have such a function.
'Fuck you bastard! 'I heard there are no pirates in this star system!'
I took a safe route that a colleague told me about, but I had no idea something like this would happen. I felt a rush of regret later, but it was already too late.
The sign of a pirate ship getting closer. I had a chance to become rich, but I couldn't die here.
"Can you communicate with that ship?" "it's possible."
Jin Chen recalled the stories of his friend who was active in the black market. He said non-rare minerals were unpopular items on the black market. This is because transportation is difficult, but the price is not that expensive.
If what my friend said is true, those pirates wouldn't attack this mining ship carelessly. Unless you're a fool, you wouldn't risk losing money to take minerals that aren't that expensive.
Of course, this ship's armament is poor, but the pirates don't know that. If you do well, you will be able to get over it with minimal damage.
"Communication established."
At that time, a square screen was displayed in the center of the star map hologram. Inside was a grim-looking man with a mechanical device embedded in his face.
"Huh, how dare you send a message to our Shinoroku Cartel first?" "…are you the leader?" "okay. "I am the leader of the Shinoroku Cartel."
Jin Chen swallowed his saliva at the scary-looking cyborg pirate. The pirate asked him while holding an electronic cigarette containing synthetic drugs in his mouth.
"Ai, if there is a word going, there must be a word coming. "What's your name?" "Ji, keum, I'm Jin Chen. "The owner of this ship…" "That's it." "If you don't want to lose, give everything you have." "This ship is a mining ship. All there is is minerals. "There is nothing to take from the Shinoroku Cartel." "All of these Amicorp bastards have to see blood to come to their senses. Hey, everyone, get ready for docking."
Behind the leader, pirates with equally scary looks can be seen holding weapons and moving around. Jin Chen saw that and hurriedly continued speaking.
"Wait! "This ship has many skilled fighters on board." "so? "If it's a little late, the sword won't go into the belt?" "…combatants wearing reinforced suits are waiting. Even if we lose, our losses will be significant."
Instead of responding to Jin Chen's bravado, the pirate leader took a deep breath of his cigarette. he asked, blowing smoke out of his mouth.
"Well, I'll listen to your suggestion. "How much can I give you?" "I will give you 10% of the minerals I have." "Guys, the captain wants to fight. "Prepare to attack." "2, no, 30%!" "Everyone stop. Hey, did you say Jin Chen? "Is it really okay for you to be so small-minded as the owner of the boat?" "…Then how much do you want?" ｢70%. "If it's 70%, I'll just send it to you."
When the pirate asked for more than half, Jin Chen almost swore.
'That Nimirl pirate bastard is real!'
However, I could only curse a lot on the inside and remain calm on the outside. Even if they ask us to give up all the minerals in the first place, we have to accept it. If you get out after passing 70%, you should consider yourself fortunate.
"Joe, that's good. I'll hand over the minerals…" "Captain, a new signal has been discovered." "what?" "what is this?"
It seems that not only they, but also others, discovered something. The pirate leader's eyes turned elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Jin Chen also checked the newly appeared mark on the star map.
A square-shaped marker was approaching them at a faster speed than a pirate ship.
"This is under the jurisdiction of the Shinoroku Cartel. What is this guy?"
I thought it was another pirate, but seeing the pirate leader's confused look made me think it wasn't the case.
"Are you guys trying to catch us?" "Oh, no! "That ship is one we don't even know about!" "You bastards! Everyone fights…."
Just as the enraged pirate leader was about to launch his attack, the communication ended. Not only that, the lights in the situation room suddenly blinked and the hologram shook uneasily.
"Why are you doing this?" "An unexpected radio interference phenomenon has occurred!" "Why all of a sudden?" "We are also good at that…."
I forced myself to sigh at the crew's incompetent response. Jin Chen suppressed his rising irritation and stared at the shaking hologram.
And I discovered something strange. The square marker that was there just a moment ago has disappeared from the map.
"Where did the square mark go?"
As soon as I spoke, the lights in the situation room suddenly turned off. Eventually, the emergency power was activated and a red light came on in the situation room.
"What happened?" "Well, we don't know either." "Damn it! "If you don't know, you have to find it!" "Yes, yep!"
Jin Chen shouted and urged, and only then did the crew move.
"Sailing team leader, please take command for a moment." "yes?"
Ignoring the astonished looks pouring in from around him, he came out of the situation room. The situation is unusual. I felt like I could calm down only if I wore the mid-level reinforced suit in the captain's office.
He quickly returned to the captain's office and put on his reinforced suit. The metallic sound that came out whenever the reinforced exoskeleton moved and the electronic sound that the activated mechanical pad made gave him a sense of stability.
As I was about to leave the captain's office with even the laser rifle, the entire ship suddenly shook violently. It was a shock I had never experienced since boarding a mining ship.
And that wasn't the only problem. As the ship rocked, loud noises were heard. The mining ship must have hit something.
"Situation room! Is there anything wrong there? Situation room!"
I tried to contact the situation room, but the communication machine was completely dead.
'Is this the work of pirates?'
It was clear that they had attacked the mining ship. He injected the strengthening agent built into the strengthening suit into his body. I knew there were side effects when injecting the strengthening fluid, but it was better than dying.
After completing all preparations, Jin Chen headed to the situation room.
The hallway lit with red emergency lights was very gloomy. It felt like a lie to say that I was used to running until a little while ago.
'Why is it so quiet?'
If pirates entered the ship, it would be normal to make loud noises, but the hallways were quiet. Even as a Hulk mutant, it would be impossible to annihilate the crew in such a short period of time.
'What's going on?'
After communication with the pirates was lost, the whole situation eluded his understanding. The more he walked, the more beads of sweat flowed down his neck.
Fortunately, nothing happened until we arrived in front of the situation room. He saw the situation room door closed in front of him.
As Jin Chen approached the door to open it, he suddenly felt something strange.
How could there be no one coming and going from the situation room when the ship was so shocked? Plus this silence. It was absolutely not normal.
He cautiously put his ear to the door. This is to check what sounds are coming from inside.
"!"
The moment he put his ear to the door, he was startled.
I wasn't panicking because of the cold coming from the alloy wall. This is because I heard sounds that should not have been heard inside the situation room.
That very small sound was clearly a scream.
"Fuck, fuck!"
Something unknown has entered the situation room and is doing terrible things. When he realized this, he immediately turned his back and ran to the other side of the situation room.
As I ran wearing heavy reinforced clothing, the hallway rang loudly. The sound of the door opening and air escaping was heard in his ear. Something in the situation room must have heard his footsteps and came out.
A strange sound was heard from behind, as if several sharp objects were clawing at the alloy wall. And the sticky, wet smell of iron stung his nose.
'Oh, don't come!'
He chose to run away instead of using the laser rifle in his hand. Thanks to the strengthening medication he was given, he was able to run very fast. The eerie metallic sound mixed with the thumping footsteps gradually quieted down.
'We must escape on an escape ship!'
There was a high chance of being captured by pirates if he escaped on an escape ship, but he didn't care. It is much better to be captured by a pirate you can understand than to face an incomprehensible entity.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…."
Jin Chen mechanically cursed and continued running toward the escape ship.
When there was only a short distance left to the escape line, a group of people appeared in front of him.
"…shit."
The face of the one standing at the forefront among them looked familiar. It was the pirate leader who had been talking via video communication just a moment ago. There was no doubt that Jin Chen had infiltrated the mining ship while wearing a reinforced suit.
The pirates were saying something while holding the crew of the mining ship.
It was a given that he would have to fight if he encountered them, so he quickly hid behind the wall at the crossroads.
'huh?'
While I was hiding and watching, there was something strange about the atmosphere. It was hard to see because it was far away and dark, but the crew didn't seem too afraid. Rather, the pirates holding them seemed more urgent.
At that time, Jin Chen's eyes caught a strange object. Behind the pirate at the back of the group was a pair of arms that I had not seen before. Those slender arms, stained red by the light of the emergency lights, grabbed the pirate like a lover hugging him.
And very quietly, they dragged him into the darkness. It was so quick and quiet that the other pirates didn't even notice that their comrade was gone.
It was a scene similar to the ghost stories the flight attendants sometimes tell. I couldn't believe it even when I saw it with my own eyes.
When the thin, smooth arm of the woman shot out again and snatched up one more pirate. Jin Chen realized that what he was seeing was not a ghost story, but reality.
Also, he was not the only one who witnessed his subordinate disappear under suspicious hands. The pirates also realized that their comrades had disappeared and began to be wary of their surroundings.
When the third victim came out in the same way, the weapons the pirates were holding burst into flames. Thanks to the flashing green light, Jin Chen was able to see what was in the darkness.
A 'snake' with dozens of arms was attached to the ceiling, floating in the air.
The guy did not avoid the attacks coming at him, but instead took the hit and easily caught the pirates. As the arm dragged the pirates, the head of the 'snake' hidden in the darkness was revealed for a moment.
It was the face of an incredibly beautiful woman. The pirates who were struggling while being held by his arms stopped resisting as soon as they saw his face.
However, the moment the beauty opened her mouth, the pirates woke up from their fantasy. This is because the mouth stretched out like a snake and swallowed the pirate whole.
"Ugh, wow!" "Fuck?! "I followed you here!" "Everyone run away!"
Even pirates who have experienced countless hardships would have never seen a scene like that. A snake with the face and arms of a woman swallowing its companion alive.
Jin Chen thought he should run away, but his legs wouldn't move. My body froze in extreme fear.
and.
"I'm glad that my 'little brother' has adapted better than expected."
A woman's voice coming from behind.
There were no women on board Jinchen's mining ship.
So it was easy to imagine who that voice belonged to.
"The part about choosing food is disappointing."
The smell he smelled in the situation room lingers on the back of his neck.
Jin Chen stopped thinking.
-x-X-x-