Corman, the leader of the Shinoroku Cartel, has been having trouble sleeping for several months.
Cyborgs are insomniacs. It was a dull joke, but it was true.
It all started the day his ship was replaced by a Megacorp mining ship.
A few months ago now. As usual, while taking the designated route, I happened to spot a passing mining ship.
I was happy to earn some credit for a while, but then a monster appeared and ruined everything. The monster destroyed the pirate ship, planted something on the heads of the survivors, including him, and then left.
At the time, I thought I was lucky to be alive, but I was wrong. 'Something' that entered my head began to cause me pain periodically. Daily life was almost impossible because of the pain that came at any time.
Moreover, when I tried to get rid of 'something' or tried to talk about it with others, it caused even more pain. It's like telling yourself not to even dream.
After the day he encountered the monster, Corman's life quickly deteriorated. I was just forced to live in a prison created inside my body.
Fortunately, he was able to survive because he was a cyborg, but the others were not. Except for him, everyone else went crazy and ran out of space to end their lives.
Is it because every day feels like hell? Even though I received a summons from the head of the Shino Group, I was not particularly happy.
Until now, operations planned directly by the commander-in-chief have always brought great profits. It would happen again this time, but Corman couldn't be happier. Because credit doesn't cure the pain.
Of course, it is nonsense to disobey the leader's call. Immediately after receiving the call, the Shinoroku Cartel took immediate action.
And today marks one week since Corman joined the Shino Group's fleet.
"Boss, we will arrive in 10 minutes." "…." "Boss?"
Corman, who had his eyes closed, came to his senses when he heard a voice calling him.
"They say there are 10 minutes left to arrive at the destination." "destination?"
Corman opened his eyes and looked around. Pirates wearing reinforced suits were seen sitting in a row inside a large transport ship.
Only then did he realize what he had been doing.
"Are you okay?" "Uh, uhh. "I have something to think about for a moment." "yes?" "I understand first. Everyone, be ready to move as soon as we land." "yep."
Tens of minutes ago, the leader of the Shinoichi Cartel gave him an order. There's a problem with the terraforming facility that manages standby conditions in AG-01. Go and fix it.
So, while I was traveling on a transport ship with my subordinates, I fell asleep.
'I took a nap?'
Before coming here, he had never slept comfortably. It was because of the damn intruder inside my head.
But after landing on this planet, the headache completely disappeared.
It's not that 'something' is dead or missing. For some reason, it became inactive after landing on AG-01. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to fall into such a deep sleep.
'Fuck, I don't mind the reason.'
Now is an opportunity when 'something' is quietly present. Once this is over, we have to get rid of him right away.
I heard that this planet was once a Hulk mutant testing ground. If so, there would also be high-performance surgical equipment. If you ask the vice-minister of the Shinoni side who came here first, you will get the answer you want.
｢What should I do?｣ 'Huh?'
The subordinate's voice mixed with mechanical sounds woke him up again.
'uh?'
When he came to his senses, there were pirates wearing helmets in front of him. The space he was standing in was not a transport ship either.
A lot of water on the floor, a dark space where the only light was the headlights on the pirates' helmets, and the sound of the fierce wind outside.
Where they were was inside a broken terraforming facility.
'When did you get here…?'
As I asked myself, what happened just a moment ago slowly came to mind.
Despite the rough weather, the transport ship landed safely in front of the terraforming facility. As soon as Shinoroku's members got off, they quickly ran inside the facility.
On the way, one of his subordinates was unluckily struck by lightning and oxidized, but the rest entered the first floor of the facility safely.
These are all powerful memories that cannot be easily forgotten. It wasn't even a long time ago, it just happened.
It's absolutely not normal to forget that.
｢Where should I start repairing?｣ ｢….｣ ｢Boss?｣ ｢Are you okay?｣
But I couldn't give up here.
It was obvious that if things continued like this, rather than extracting the entity inside his head, he would be reprimanded by the Shinoichi leader. If he even relays this to the head of Shino Group, the situation will get worse. If you're unlucky, the Shinoroku Cartel may be kicked out of the group.
'That's just not possible!'
In order to extract 'something', repairs must be completed.
｢…You guys, go down to the basement and check if the reactor and facilities are okay.｣ ｢Yep!｣ ｢The rest go to the situation room above.｣
The pirates who received the order moved quickly. The lights attached to the helmet quickly moved away. He ran up the stairs with the remaining men, including Corman.
The stairs were so dark that I couldn't see anything in front of me. Even with the headlights on, everything looked black, so it was difficult to tell what the stairs were.
Is it because of the added wind noise coming from outside the building? The atmosphere was very gloomy.
Even if you are a vicious criminal without a conscience, that doesn't mean you can't feel fear. This dark space stimulated the primal fear of living things. The backs of the pirates climbing the stairs instantly became damp with cold sweat.
'…Damn it.'
Corman was equally anxious. This was especially true because of the memory loss I experienced one after another.
It seemed like the pitch-black darkness beyond the stairs, where he didn't know when they would end, would devour his memories.
｢Boss.｣ ｢!｣
He was startled by his subordinate's voice inside his helmet.
"Boss, it looks like a bomb exploded." "…I see."
I wondered if I had lost my mind again, but fortunately not this time.
When I looked in the direction my subordinate pointed, I saw that part of the stairs leading to the upper floor and the exterior wall of the building had collapsed. Looking at the traces, it looked like it had been forcibly torn off by some powerful force.
"hey. "What's on this floor?" "Uh, there's only the administrator's lounge here and above and below."
I heard that the reason the problem arose here was because of a surprise attack by separatists. If you are going to carry out a terrorist attack with a bomb, it is reasonable to aim directly at the floor where important facilities are located or the terraforming facility. There is no reason to aim for a place like this.
'It probably has nothing to do with us.'
It is his job to keep this facility functioning properly. Just as he was about to let it go, someone whispered in Corman's ear.
'Come here'.
'!'
Startled, he looked back.
｢Who were you just now?｣ ｢Why are you doing that?｣ ｢Who spoke to you?｣ ｢Yes?｣ ｢We didn't say anything?｣
The only people he brought with him were in the middle of the stairs. Even when I looked down, I couldn't see the owner of the voice.
｢What is this….｣ 'This way'
A voice is heard again. Corman tilted his head and looked upward.
"It's over there! There's someone up there! ｣ ｢Yes?｣ ｢Boss?｣ ｢You stupid bastards! Go up quickly!"
Although the pirates were confused, they followed orders. With my enhanced physical ability, I jumped over the collapsed stairs and went upstairs. Corman also followed his men into the upstairs hallway.
"Why are you doing this all of a sudden?" "There is an intruder other than us."
Everyone tensed up at the mention of an intruder.
This building has been empty ever since the separatist terror attack. There is only one person who can sneak into this dangerous place.
｢…Didn't all those idiots get kicked out?' ｢You damn bastards. "Are you going to make us clean up after it?"
The pirates cursed and searched the rooms connected to the hallway.
This building is filled with facilities and machines for climate and environmental control. The space that facility managers can use privately is extremely limited. When it comes to rest facilities, there are only a few of them.
But there was no trace of the intruder.
"There's no place here?" "No, there's still one place left." "Yes?"
Corman pointed to the end of the hallway. There was a large elevator door that was tightly closed.
"It could be hiding in there." "No matter what, it's a little bit over there…" "Or it could be lying down." "No."
Seeing the leader aiming a plasma rifle at them, the pirates immediately walked towards the elevator.
"open it."
The personnel who brought the plasma cutter came to the front and began to open the closed elevator door. A green light illuminated the dark hallway for a moment before the thick metal door opened making a noise.
The pirate in the lead checked the inside of the empty elevator shaft.
"I can't see anything?" "Did you check properly?" "Yes. Looking at it again…huh? "I see something!"
The subordinate, who was forced to look down the elevator shaft, bent down inside as if he had noticed something.
｢What is that….｣
Then suddenly something big came out from inside.
Those were pathologically white hands. The hand, which was larger than the elevator, grabbed the pirate and disappeared down the shaft.
"Huh?" "What was that just now?"
The other pirates who were watching blankly also slowly realized the reality. The fact that a non-human being snatched away my companion.
｢Monster, monster!｣ ｢Fuck! I can't contact you!" "Boss! How do I do this!"
Screams of fear coming through the speakers inside the helmet. Corman also tried to give orders quickly.
'You're here'
If it weren't for the command I heard in my head.
｢Why again…Ugh?!｣
When he came to his senses, he unconsciously dropped the plasma rifle he was holding on the floor.
The hallway that had been fine until just now suddenly became a ruin. There were traces of melting from plasma on the walls and ceiling, and corpses with their limbs torn off were lined up on the floor.
"Oh, no! What I did….' 'Come here'
Before he knew it, he was in the elevator. The numbers displayed on the location indicator were seen changing rapidly.
｢Stop it!｣ ｢Ding. 4th floor underground. The door opens."
The elevator door opens with a cheerful alarm. Regardless of his will, his body moved outside on its own.
'this way'
A hand lost control and removed the helmet from his head. It was hard to believe that it was inside a terraforming facility, so thick moisture and a foul smell covered my face.
There, the owner of the White Hand was waiting for Corman.
"Fuck, fuck! This is my body! "No one can control me!"
The elevator door is about to close. The light also fades out.
It wasn't hard to guess what would happen when that light went out. Corman muttered frantically.
"This is my body! This is my body! This is my body! "This is my body!" "It's been a while."
The pale being in front whispers to him.
No, to be exact, he is whispering to 'something' inside his head.
"This is my body. This is my body…"
The door closed. Cyborg's voice also went out.
-x-X-x-
"It's been a while since I set foot on the ground and I was happy…Nimi."
A building where the light flickers uneasily. A pirate with a scar on his face looked out the window and cursed.
Through the window, several transport ships are seen staggering and barely landing. The city they are currently in is in the middle of a huge storm.
"Those guys who went to fix the terraforming machine, when did it end?" "If we deal with it quickly, it will be finished by tomorrow." "Whew. "It sucked to be in space for two weeks, but it sucks here too."
It is very dangerous to ride a walker or go out without wearing a reinforced suit in this weather. Until all of the terraforming machines are repaired, it is safe to remain inside the building.
Of course, the pirates who had come down to earth after a long time did not like this situation. Their anger was rising as quickly as the amount of synthetic drugs they had been diligently inhaling.
"The executives say they will prepare for hunting as soon as the repairs are completed." "preparation? no way?" "uh. I'm here to catch the fucking monster. "Fuck." "Damn it. I was wondering why they were moving so much. Hehe!"
The pirate, who was looking at the raindrop-filled window, spat on the floor. The other pirates who saw this clicked their tongues.
"Ac, it's really dirty." "I gave that bastard an expensive one, and he spit it out and sat down."
They shook their heads and puffed on electronic cigarettes filled with drugs. The sense organs were being destroyed in real time by the poisonous hallucinogenic substance, but no one cared.
"But it's a little strange." "Why are you being such a dick again?" "No, take a look. We suffered like dogs in space two weeks ago. "We haven't even sold the body yet." "I guess it's because I have something to use." "Are you going to have sex with a corpse?" "Ugh, that dead body bastard."
"Why are these crazy bastards doing this from earlier?"
At a time when the drugged pirates were talking and throwing random words, the door opened. A pirate wearing a very wet reinforced suit came inside.
The new visitor was from a different cartel than them. So everyone was ignoring him, but one person spoke to him.
"for a moment. "You work at Shinoni, right?" "yes. "Why are you doing that?" "Is there anywhere we can go to have fun around here?" "Of course there is. Shall I take you there?"
It was a question that suddenly occurred to me, and I received an unexpected answer.
"Is there somewhere I can go in this weather?" "If you tell me you're going on a walker, you'll get kicked." "You don't have to worry. "It's an underground facility." "Underground?" "yep. It is an underground gambling hall connected to a sewer system. "You can not only gamble, but also have fun with slaves."
Everyone's faces brightened at those words.
"Guide me right away." "Please follow me."
Shinoni's gang members guided the pirates into the building. I followed him and saw a pitch black iron gate.
When the gang member opened the door, a dark underground passage appeared.
"Was there a basement in this building?" "I don't think I saw you when I came in earlier." "This way."
The pirates walked over the damp passageway, followed by gang members equipped with headlights.
"Fuck you! "What does this smell like?" "It's because it's an abandoned sewer. "I heard that it was mainly used by the soldiers who worked here." "Soldiers? "Did you do some kind of operation?" "Is that possible? "I did it so I could sneak out and go to the gambling house." "Anyway, you idiots from Megacorp."
Perhaps it was true that it was an abandoned sewer, but there was a foul smell everywhere. The stench was as if it were hundreds of decomposing corpses, so it was difficult to bear even while under the influence of drugs.
Additionally, there was a lot of sticky mud on the floor. Everyone walked carefully because if they accidentally fell, it could lead to bad results.
"Hey, this is really abandoned, right? "There's no spillage or anything along the way, right?" "We've been here a few times, but nothing like that has happened." "Ugh, if I fall…"
The pirate, who was about to say it was a big deal, kept his mouth shut.
Someone was standing in the dark passage.
"Mr….?!" "it's okay. "These are my friends."
Where the headlights were pointed, two pirates wearing reinforced suits were seen. They approached in silence and stood next to the gang member.
"We decided to meet here. "We were planning to go to the gambling house together."
The organization member in the lead said as if nothing had happened and set off again.
"…."
However, the pirates following him could not ignore them.
I was waiting in this sewer with no lights and no fire. This means you can use the headlight attached to the helmet.
Even for those who were under the influence of drugs, the situation was clearly suspicious.
The pirates following behind cautiously brought their hands close to their weapons.
"hey. "It's really quiet for friends who decided to meet in a place like this." "Everyone doesn't say much." "Well, I think a little differently. "It's not that you don't speak, it's that you can't speak, right?" "yes?"
The organization member in the lead slowly turned back after hearing those words.
"Are you suspicious of us?" "I heard that there are still remnants of the separatist movement. "Do you have any guarantees that you are not terrorists?" "If I were a terrorist, I would have attacked long ago. "Did you stay still all the way here?" "I don't know. "Maybe they did it to lure us in." "that's right. "There are a lot more people here, so you're not trying to bring them to a place like this and stab them."
Pirates aiming their weapons while talking. Shinoni's gang members just looked at them in silence.
"Let's go out and talk about the details. "Raise your hands." ｢….｣ "You look at us like thugs…what are you talking about?"
At that time, the gang member suddenly began to tremble.
"You crazy bastard. "Are you smiling now?"
Soon the pirates realized that their opponents were laughing. The guy was laughing so hard that he was having fun. From the first time they met, his two colleagues didn't say a word and just stood still.
"Fuck, put your hands up!" "I will kill you!"
The pirates' shouts echoed in the thick darkness. There was fear mixed in the cry. Although they were the ones holding the weapons, they were overwhelmed by this bizarre atmosphere.
As the pirate shouted, the trembling member of the organization stopped laughing. The guy slowly moved his hands towards his head.
"Ooh, don't move!" "I'm trying to take off my helmet." "Don't move!"
Contrary to what they said, they did not shoot. Because I had a bad feeling. It seemed like something scary would happen if we started shooting.
He must have expected this as well and took off his helmet without hesitation.
The light from the headlights illuminates his face. The scars and dirty beards here and there are no different from the pirates here.
"I am neither a separatist nor a Sinoni pirate. "I just…"
His colleagues next to him also took off their helmets. The moment they saw the exposed faces, the pirates froze.
The face illuminated by the light was by no means human. There were countless things writhing beneath the pale skin.
"It's just a messenger."
The headlights turned off, and those covered in leather rushed at the pirates.
The light of the energy bullet flashed in the pitch black darkness and then quickly faded away.
After that, a sound like a school of fish digging into a piece of meat filled the sewer.
–
"Boss. "We transported everything we brought." "okay."
Two pirates were having a conversation in a room littered with expensive items. He was the leader of Ventress and her superior, Shinoni.
"Maybe there was a problem during unloading?" "The quantity was a bit large, but I monitored it closely, so there were no problems." "Thanks to the person who was so thorough, it took a long time to unload the cargo." "Hmm, that's…."
Ventress bowed her head at the leader's poignant words.
The boss, who was sitting on an antique mahogany chair and glaring at his subordinate, waved his hand after a moment.
"it's okay. "There are more important things than your treatment right now, so let's move on." "thank you." "The item I brought this time, according to Sutherland, was something that the commander-in-chief had difficulty obtaining. There shouldn't be any mistakes in preparation." "What do you mean, Commander?"
Ventress looked slightly surprised at those words.
"What on earth is this? "I took a quick look at it while unloading, and it looked like some kind of spaceship part." "You have nothing to know. "Make sure you keep an eye on them so that no problems arise." "Well, if you know what it is, you can be careful to avoid problems. If you could tell me a little bit…" "Hmm."
Sutherland, the leader of the Shinoichi, emphasized several times that it was an extremely valuable item. It means you have to protect your things no matter what.
In that case, as Ventress said, it will be easier to manage it if you at least know what the item is. After thinking about it for a while, he decided to tell us at least a little bit.
"I'm not sure because I didn't hear it correctly, but they say it's a type of warp finder." "Warp finder? "You mean the equipment used to track ships?"
Ventress looked at the leader with a puzzled expression.
Warp Finder is a device that analyzes the flow of energy generated by faster-than-light navigation. Although it is expensive, it is not at a level that makes it extremely rare.
The leader, reading his subordinate's thoughts, added a word.
"That's no ordinary warpfinder." "yes?" "It's a prototype model secretly developed by Star Union. "There are less than 10 people in this universe who know the existence of that thing." "Is that so? "I had no idea it was such a valuable item." "They said they deliberately disassembled it into parts and brought it in for fear of information being leaked. "Only the owner knows how to assemble and operate." "indeed." "Anyway, if you know, be careful. Do you understand?" "yep. "I will keep that in mind."
The conversation ended with that.
Ventress left and the leader leaned back comfortably in his chair.
All miscellaneous work for preparations for the operation was left to the deputy chief. All he has to do now is wait.
"How then…"
The leader stood up and took out a bottle of alcohol placed in the liquor cabinet.
"It's Olympus 12 year old. "It's not a drink that a security team leader could ask for."
The previous owner of this room was the person in charge of the research complex's security system. It was thanks to his help that Ventress and her men were able to easily occupy this place.
He left AG-01 immediately after dealing with the pirates. Leaving all these good things behind.
"Let me have a taste… huh?"
As he was about to pour an unclaimed drink, he looked at his palm and frowned. This is because the hand holding the liquor bottle was covered in sticky black mucus.
"Tsk, is it mold?"
I roughly wiped the stain on my pants and took the lid off. Looking at the fragrant smell rising, the contents seemed to be fine.
"The contents seem to be okay."
I took a sip and it tasted just fine. This enchanting and strong scent spread into my mouth so much that my legs lost their strength.
"…That's awesome."
From that point on, he started drinking the precious liquor in abundance.
The leader underwent expensive genetic modification surgery with credits provided by the CEO. So, even if you drink strong alcohol, you will not get drunk easily.
At that time, I was drinking alcohol for a long time like drinking water.
I heard a sound outside the door.
"Hehe…who is it?"
I called, but the only answer I got was silence.
Thinking that I had heard wrong, I was about to drink again, but I heard the sound again.
"!"
I heard it clearly this time.
The sound heard outside was clearly the sound of a child laughing.
The leader opened the door with a weapon in his hand instead of a bottle of alcohol.
A hallway stretching out under the light of electric lights. At the end, there was the person who made the sound.
"uh? What are you?"
The jackal-headed young Wolf disappeared around the corner without answering.
This entire building is closely guarded by Shinoni pirates. It is not a place where something like Wolff can come and go without permission.
Moreover, the Wolf who had just disappeared looked somewhat familiar. I'm sure I've seen it recently, but I can't remember.
'Rather than that, we have to chase after it first….'
Whatever it is, just catch it and ask. The leader chased after the intruder with nimble steps.
As he passed the corner, he saw Wolf going down the stairs. He immediately followed him down to the basement.
He must have turned off the light, but the downstairs was completely dark compared to the above. However, he was transplanted with useful genes. Objects could be distinguished even in spaces with little light.
He skillfully navigated the darkness and quickly caught up with his opponent.
"stop."
At the leader's words, the little fugitive stopped in place.
"Where did you come from?"
Instead of answering, the guy slowly turned around.
'huh?'
When I looked at the other person's face, I remembered something.
A few weeks ago, the leader went to a planet with another cartel. There, the female he killed while playing looked similar to that Wolff.
"You know me, right?" "…."
Instead of answering, Wolff was glaring at him. It was clear when I saw those resentful eyes.
"under. "I don't know how I got here, but…huh?!"
Just as he was about to say that this was his grave, a strong shock hit him. The body floating in the air hit a nearby wall.
"Quaaaah!"
The leader could not bear the overwhelming pain and screamed. A golden skewer pierced his right shoulder and hung him from the wall.
"How about experiencing the pain you caused the children yourself? "
The leader tried to counterattack by holding the weapon with his left hand, but this time he also failed. This is because the front paw of the beast sticking out from the darkness crushed my left arm.
Even though he tried to escape using his enhanced strength, the beast's front paws did not budge. Instead, it crushed his arm and sternum with much more overwhelming force.
Two amber lights bloomed in front of him as he struggled in pain.
"Uuuuugh!" "Some children were killed by cutting off their arms and legs, while others were killed by skewering them and burning them. "I enjoyed listening to those children's screams."
What I thought was light was actually snow. The eyes of a beast several times larger than that of an adult male.
"I want to kill you right away, but…"
The sharp beak sticking out between the eyes stopped just before stabbing the leader's neck. The beast put its beak and paws away and slowly retreated back.
"Kuheook!" 'Are you alive?'
The beast spoke in front of him, who was breathing heavily.
"For a evil person like you, death would actually be salvation."
Just as I was relieved that I had survived, the wall behind me suddenly moved. A black vine-like thing came out, wrapped around my body, and started pulling me towards the wall.
｢You guys must suffer more.｣ "Wait… kuhuu!"
Tied up to his mouth, he was unable to resist and was sucked into the liquefied wall.
-x-X-x-
When playing Aimorph, it is rare for me to completely dominate my opponent.
Due to the nature of the race that does not allow cooperation, one must be that strong to subdue the opponent. To become stronger, you have to prey on enemies stronger than you.
The same applies when targeting genetic samples. The location where useful samples are stored is usually guarded by multiple players.
Of course, there is no need to worry about that. Because Amorph has many ways to defeat powerful enemies.
Using a nest is one such method.
An underground kingdom made of black slime. As I crouched there, reports came in from various places.
Hiveformers, pirates implanted with parasites, and everything else in the nest moves according to my commands.
The command I gave is simple.
Weakening the enemies that came to AG-01.
'So far so good.'
When parasite-controlled pirates lure their former comrades underground, hiveformers and nests descend on them. It's only been a day since they arrived, but our ranks are growing rapidly.
Once I think I've seasoned it appropriately, I plan on ranking it then.
'Thanks to unexpected variables, I gained some leeway.'
In the past, while I was on my way to capture a returned ranker, I fought with a cartel named Shinoroku. At the time, it seemed like it was somehow related to the ranker, so I planted parasites on the leader and sent him back alive.
'I completely forgot about it after that.'
Is it because the ranker called the pirates in the group? The leader of Shinoroku also came to this planet. Thanks to this, I was able to contact Parasite for the first time in a long time.
Since he happened to be in charge of repairing the terraforming facility, I think we can take another day. In the meantime, it would be a good idea to recruit other bosses and high-ranking executives to obtain information about the ranker.
'The more information you know, the better.'
At that time, changes were detected from the auxiliary organs in contact with the nest. Something was caught in a distant nest.
'what?'
I focused my consciousness. The senses that were loosely spread quickly gather to one point. Waves of sensation and consciousness head to the place where the abnormality was detected.
Soon, an unconscious pirate was found trapped in the pulsating walls of the living wall. And there were beings familiar to me nearby. These are the Heavenly Mother and the Wolfs who receive her care.
'Looks like you caught someone important?'
If you're at the level of a boss, you have to put in parasites, so I'll have to go and see for myself. I untied the link and stood up.
"If you get a call from the group, tell them that the repairs are not finished." "All right."
I left behind the leader of Shinoroku, who had come to serve me again, and crawled to the underground pit.
For the past two weeks, I have been diligently traveling around the planet and building a path. So that we can respond to pirates if they land in any city on this planet.
And the opened path was filled with liquefied mucus. Except for the part close to the ground or the manned area, everything else is submerged in slime.
There are two advantages to doing this.
One is that the detection range expands when linked to a nest. Even if the nest is out of reach, it can be observed by leaking mucus.
Nests are planted only in strategically important locations, and the rest are monitored using organically flowing mucus. In the game, planets have been taken over in this way several times.
Another advantage is that the flowing mucus can be used as a kind of water channel. If you want to move to avoid the enemy's gaze, you can swim.
'It's good to use when you can't fly like now.'
Because of this, they also deliberately acquired swimming-related traits.
If you look at its fighting arms and forked tail now, you can see long fins growing here and there. Thanks to the membranes and fins on the wing arms, swimming speed was as fast as flying.
Thanks to this, we quickly reached the area where the signal was sent. It folded its fins and wings and climbed onto the solid nest.
Not long after I started walking on the hard floor, a familiar quadrupedal beast and a Wolff caught my eye.
"You're here."
The Mother of Heaven, who had transformed into a gryphon, saw me and pretended to know me.
[Zuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzu (I think I caught an important pirate?)] "Yes. The leader of the Shinoni Cartel." [Zuzuzu (Shinoni?)] "Ventrice told me the location of the leader. After hearing that, Tane lured me here."
I looked at Tane, the jackal-headed Wolff girl next to her. The child, feeling my gaze, bowed his head politely.
"Looking at the leader's reaction, he seemed to know Tane. I think I was with you when we attacked the Wolf natives." [Z (Really?)]
According to the surviving Wolffs, it is presumed that Ranker also directly participated in the massacre of indigenous people. If the leader was there, he would know something about the ranker.
I briefly linked with the nest and pulled the leader out of the wall.
[Zuzuzuz (are you human?)]
I thought he was a cyborg because I heard he was riding a walker when he killed the Wolfs, but I was surprised.
"He's not just a human. It seemed like I had undergone genetic modification surgery." [Zuzuzu (yes)]
This nest continuously emits air that is toxic to living things. The general public cannot walk around without protective gear.
'A pirate and a genetically modified human.'
From what I heard from Ventress, Shinoni's leader is quite influential within the group. In fact, he also participated in the Wolf massacre operation led by Ranker.
In that case, there may be a safety device planted by the ranker in that head. At least that's what I would have done. It's not unusual to secretly insert an obedience device during surgery.
Of course, you don't necessarily need to worry about that. There are many ways to extract what you need from its head. Among them, I prefer parasites because they are the most useful, but other methods can also be used.
'I'll wake him up first and check.'
I lightly pressed my wing arm against the pirate's leg.
"Kwaaaaaak!"
The guy woke up with the sound of bones crunching.
"Oh my god…ugh?!" "Are you the leader of Shinoni?"
The pirate, who was about to swear, looked at me and held his breath.
"Ask again. "Are you the leader of Shinoni?" "Yes, yep!" "Have you ever been to a planet where Wolffs live? "Who commanded you there?" "yes? Why…ugh! Come on, Sutherland! The leader of the Shinoichi was the commander!"
Since I didn't seem to understand the situation yet, I made the arms the same as the legs. The guy gritted his teeth and answered.
"Is it true that the pirate named Sutherland rode a walker and used a sword-type weapon?" "A sword-type weapon? I know what you mean…" "A weapon like a sword with a blade wrapped in special energy or a rotating saw blade. "Other weapons that can be used at close range."
After hearing my explanation, the pirate rolled his eyes and shook his head vigorously.
"Uh, as I recall, Sutherland's walker was armed with a pair of plasma launchers." "And among the other pirates?" "There was none."
The leaders of Tane and Shinoni have slightly different stories.
I looked at Tane. The little Wolff girl was glaring at the pirate with eyes full of anger. Then he felt my gaze and lowered his head again.
'It is unlikely that Tane will lie.'
Since they are a primitive tribe that has not interacted with other civilizations, the explanation may be insufficient. However, there is no reason to deliberately lie and deceive us.
'Then this guy is the problem.'
Pirate crushed under wing arms. Looking at the way he rolled his eyes, it was clear that he was thinking about something other than being scared.
"You lied." "yes? It's a lie… ugh?! Now, wait!"
If you are a reinforced human, you will not die easily even if you receive a serious injury. So I was trying to rip off one of the legs, but the guy shouted urgently.
"Well, I have a signal chip implanted in my body that I received from the commander-in-chief! "If I am killed or critically injured, he will be signaled."
I thought he didn't know about chips, but I was surprised.
'There's a monitoring device in your head, so it probably means you shouldn't have any other thoughts.'
I think I intentionally let you know because Betrayal is a daily occurrence for Space Dog.
"So you can't kill me?" "If you spare my life, I will tell you the truth!" "Are you suggesting we make a deal?" "I know a lot! If you want information, you won't be disappointed!"
Then it's a different story.
I relaxed my wing arms. Freed from the pressure pressing down on his entire body, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hehe, if you're going to save my life, first treat my injuries…" "I think you're misunderstanding something." "yes?"
I had no intention of killing him from the beginning. Then wouldn't it be such a waste?
"Even if you want to die, you can't."
Until I reveal everything I know.
I previously used the psychic-related trait 'Ultra Control' that I obtained from fighting Akira Yujin. My carapace changed from white to purple. As when using psychic breath or the color of the abyss, an enormous amount of energy gathers into the head.
Eventually, the energies turned into small threads and slowly moved toward the target.
"what? What did you do?!"
The leader's face, which had been forcing a smile, hardened. Since it's not a cult, it can't detect psychic powers. It's just that I realized through my intuition that things were going wrong.
As if responding to the bastard, the intertwined horns unfolded and took on a shape similar to the branches of a tree. This is because the 'Sense of Shape', which strengthens the characteristics related to mental disturbance, responded to Ultra Control.
"S-Stop it! Stop, keuiik!"
Threads of energy penetrated mercilessly into every pore of the leader's face. The guy screamed and his whole body trembled. The veins all over his body became extremely prominent, and red blood flowed from his eyes, nose, and ears.
The trembling of the body stopped only after all the threads had gone through. The guy whose entire eyeball turned purple looked up at me.
"I serve Eimov."
The mind control was successfully accomplished.
Amorph's Ultra Control is a deteriorated version of the original, so it has many shortcomings. Still, it can be useful when you can't use parasites like now.
[Zuzuzuzu zzuzuzu zzuzu zzuzu (Take out the most important information you know first)]
The pirate leader opened his mouth after receiving my order.
"The most important thing for me is to store what the commander brought in." [Zuzuz zu zuzu zuzu zuzu (What the gunman brought? Is that a weapon?)] "No. It is a special warp finder secretly developed by Star Union. The Sinoni Cartel must protect it."
Secret warp finder made by Star Union.
When I heard those words, something suddenly occurred to me.
"That warp finder. "Is this what I think?"
Heavenly Mother must have thought the same thing as me and sent a thought wave.
Star Union has very powerful equipment. When you ask rankers what the best war weapon is, a weapon so powerful that it always ranks in the top three.
[Zuzuzuzuzu zzu zzuzu (Prometheus is here?)] "I don't know the name because the commander didn't tell me."
A giant warp particle manipulator, 'Prometheus'.
It is a super weapon with detection and control capabilities for faster-than-light navigation.
"…Was that something that could be moved?"
However, as she said, it was impossible to transport Prometheus in the game after completion.
Of course, this is not a game, but reality. The Star Union's cyborgs may have devised a way to move the weapon. Or maybe it's a new type of warpfinder that I don't know about.
'I need to check right away.' [Zuzu Zuzu Zuzu (Where are they now?)] "Vice President Ventress is in charge. Should I contact him?" [Zuzu(no)]
Ventress is already under my control, so there is no need for that.
'If Prometheus is really here….'
You must obtain that weapon that demonstrates absolute power in space warfare.
-x-X-x-
I immediately sent a signal to the parasite on Ventress' head. Please tell me where Prometheus is stored. After a while, Tane politely handed the communication device to Mother of Heaven.
Heaven's Mother, transformed into a beast-man form, confirmed Ventress' message.
"They say it's being stored at the port."
[Zu (okay)]
I have to go up right away and check it out. I carried the Mother of Heaven and the leader of Shinoni on my back.
"Tane, can you wait at the hideout? Well, the teacher will be there too."
"Yes. God. I will be receiving instruction."
"okay. That's great."
Leaving behind Tane, who nodded hello, I set off for the port.
[Zuzuzuz Zuzu Zuzuzu (What do you mean, teacher?)]
｢PS-111 is training the Wolfs using a mini screamer.｣
[Zuzuzuz(PS-111?)]
｢Actually, I asked for it. Looking at what I taught No. 26, it seems like my skills aren't bad.｣
Clearly, PS-111 is passionate about teaching No. 26 and Aadhai. Even though Adhai doesn't like studying, No. 26 has so much knowledge that it's hard to call him a C-Demon. Probably half of No. 26's knowledge was learned from PS-111.
Of course, he learned the other half from me.
[Zuzuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzu (I guess that's why he's a teacher)]
｢…I'm a bit worried about your off-kilter personality, but I'm sure Tane will sort that out.｣
The Wolfs she brought aren't of much help to me at this point. It wouldn't be a bad idea to learn how to use weapons or operate a computer.
'Originally, I was planning on releasing him once this was over.'
Although those Wolffs are young, their physical capabilities are far superior to humans. If you put it on a reasonably safe planet, it will adapt and live well.
However, Heaven's Mother doesn't seem to want to do that. It seems like he wants to take the children to Gallagon's nest.
'It must be difficult to adapt.'
In a place full of ice and cold, there are passengers in the only areas where they can survive. A group of coldbloods who serve Isabel. Wolff and Coldblood have very different cultures.
They are outnumbered and young, so I don't know if they can get along well with other races. Moreover, if the two groups come into conflict with each other, it becomes a headache. The Wolfs will ask Heavenly Mother, and the Coldbloods will ask Isabel.
From my perspective, they are like family. It is not good to be at odds due to external factors.
'…Well, there's no need to think negatively.'
There is no way Heavenly Mother didn't have the same concerns as me. Even if a problem arises, she will be able to solve it well. After that, as we chatted about various things, we got closer to the port. When I came out to the ground, I saw Ventress.
"This way."
We followed him in his reinforced suit and walked through the harbor where rain and hail were pouring down. The guidance wasn't long. Soon he stopped in front of a warehouse.
'huh?'
"Prometheus is here?"
Prometheus is the size of a small battleship. However, this warehouse in front of us was so small that even a destroyer, let alone a battleship, could fit. Even after entering the warehouse, Prometheus was not visible. Instead, we were greeted by a variety of neatly arranged parts.
"Did you take it apart and bring it back?"
[Zuzu (I don't know)]
The function of Prometheus is to perfectly control faster-than-light navigation within a certain range. Not only can you perfectly predict your opponent's jumping point, but you can also manipulate their destination and make them fly to the wrong place.
The manipulated destination is random, and depending on luck, it may be sent to a star or inside a planet. I, too, once had the experience of being thrown into a star and burning to death because of this.
Therefore, it is safe to say that faster-than-light navigation is sealed for enemies fighting a fleet that possesses Prometheus. Instead, as a reaction, Prometheus himself cannot travel faster than the speed of light.
This is due to warp particles constantly emitted from the reactor. These particles also affect ships that come into contact with Prometheus. Because of this, it is difficult to connect and move it with other ships.
'So it's usually operated in a similar way to a space fortress.'
They can be installed at strategic points and used for defense, or placed in unexpected places and used as traps.
'Now that I think about it, it seems like there were people who tried something like this in games as well.'
This is a strategy of gathering production parts and assembling them before an important battle occurs. However, the time it took to create a super weapon was not short, and the risk was high, so it was quickly buried.
'Why are we trying here a method that failed in the game?'
Although I had that question, I decided to check it first. Heavenly Mother and I began looking inside the warehouse. Many of the parts in the warehouse were coated with Crystal Wing secretions.
The material of the parts was made of rare minerals such as star pearl. There is no other case where precious materials are used on such a large scale except when making super weapons.
"The things here look similar to the ingredients from Prometheus."
We've both encountered Prometheus several times. We know very well what the ingredients for superweapons look like. The Mother of Heaven picked up a flat octagon-shaped module. It is quite similar to the parts used to build an engine.
[Zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu zuzu zuzuzu (except the size is small)]
The same goes for other parts. It's only similar in shape, but it's about a tenth of the size of what I used to know.
"Is there really a need to downsize it? Reducing the size doesn't mean the disadvantages disappear."
[Zuzuz zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzuzuzu (maybe new features were added that we don't know about)]
I called the leader of the ruling Shinoni.
[Zuzuzu Zuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzu (Do you know what function this Warp Finder has?)]
"You cannot travel faster than the speed of light within the area affected by the Warp Finder."
[Zuzu Zuzuzu (Anything else?)]
"I don't know much about it other than it accelerates the fleet's faster-than-light travel."
[Zuzu(Huh? Acceleration?)]
"Yep. So, with this, mobile warfare using faster-than-light navigation is possible."
Moreover, looking at the nuances of their speech, it seemed like they could travel at faster than light speeds together. I looked at my heavenly mother.
[Zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (did he have that kind of ability?)]
｢…No way. If that were the case, there would have been only Star Union Cyborg in the rankings.｣
I think it's upgraded beyond what I knew.
｢But why haven't I used something this useful all these years?｣
[Zuzuz zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (I think there's some limitation)]
It may not be easy to make because it costs more to produce than the original, or it may not be easy to use because rare materials are consumed each time it is used. Otherwise, you would have used it a long time ago when fighting me.
'I think I'll find out more details after assembling it.'
There are so many parts in front of me right now that it's hard to count them. Neither I nor the Heavenly Mother can assemble this with the abilities we have.
'I'll have to call PS-111.'
Anyone with advanced technology capable of making a screamer would be able to complete this. I contacted PS-111 using the communicator my Heavenly Mother brought with me.
"Did you call me?"
"We are now at the port. Can we track where we are?"
I asked, imitating a human voice. Then, one of the cameras in the warehouse flashed a red light and moved. It was controlled remotely by PS-111.
"I have found out that you are in warehouse number 16. Are you contacting me because of the parts stored there?"
"Did you know?"
"We have already been paying attention to warehouse number 16 since the goods were moved to it."
"Do you know what the things here are used for?"
"When I first encountered the part, I scanned it and conducted a simulation. It is presumed that the mechanical device can interfere with the energy generated during faster-than-light travel."
"That's right. Can you possibly assemble it?"
"You mean assembly?"
The guy didn't answer right away and stayed silent. After a while, a voice came from the communicator.
"Currently, the warehouse is missing the modules needed to stabilize the reactor. That is absolutely necessary to complete it."
"What if I assemble it without modules?"
"The reactor runs away and explodes. Its scale is estimated to be enough to destroy AG-01. Is this a trap prepared for just such an emergency?"
It must have been designed to prevent Ranker's enemies from using the items in the warehouse if they steal them. If I hadn't asked PS-111, I would have fallen into the same trap.
"…It's a trivial trick."
Heavenly Mother, who was listening to our conversation, let out a wave of thought.
"A module for stabilizing the reactor. The ranker probably has it, right?"
"Yes."
It was probably stored somewhere that the ranker deemed safe. However, he also brought a super weapon with the intention of using it. It must have been hidden somewhere close to here.
I called out to Ventress and the leaders of Shinoni with a wave of my hand.
"PS-111. How many of the ships that did not land on the planet belong to Shinoichi?"
"There are five ships."
"Which one is the strongest among them?"
"It is a Star Union XAX02 class battleship."
"I heard that the ship was something Sutherland received from the Commander-in-Chief."
"okay?"
Although it is not as good as the XAX Alpha, a ship exclusively for the highest members of the Mechanical Committee, the XAX02 class, or Beta class battleship, is also a ship that is not easily seen. It is not a ship that pirates or the like can easily operate.
'The true commander of the Beta-class battleship is Ranker.'
The leader of Shinoichi is a puppet. There is a high probability that all important parts of Ranker and Prometheus are inside it.
"What are you going to do?"
Originally, I was planning to use more moxibustion, but things changed. If you want to take the Improved Prometheus and Ranker at the same time, you need to be more active than you are now.
'So…'
"I have to do what I'm good at." It's hunting time.
-x-X-x-
Star Union's highest governing body, the Machinery Committee.
This organization is run by 12 high-performance androids named Supreme Commissioners.
The reason for the existence of the Supreme Council is to rule over a vast territory and people and to assist the Supreme Leader. To this end, they are designed to effectively perform their respective tasks.
The area in charge of the 12th member, Fiskes Twelve, is 'exploration'. His role is to analyze and organize various resources that exist in the vast universe.
Of course, it was rare for Fisces to leave the capital city of Sachs-01. Most of the information was collected by drones or androids under his control. He oversees data sent from lower-level terminals based on his overwhelming information processing ability.
But recently things have changed. Jaxx-01 There is more work to do outside.
Currently, the Mechanical Committee and the Great Leader are secretly working on a project. It is so important that it is directly related to the future of Star Union.
Fiskes, the top member, is working with Space Dog to ensure the success of the project. There were no complaints because he knew very well how valuable his work was.
No, except for one thing.
"Hey, tin can. "How is the situation on the ground?"
A voice with a frivolous tone woke her up. While synchronizing with the ship's computer, he activated the camera responsible for collecting visual information.
The owner of the voice was standing in front.
The other person was a young human man with scales on his face and neck. His name is Shinobu. He is the head of Sino Group and a partner collaborating with Fiskes.
"hey? Tin can? "You ask what happened?" "…Facility maintenance has been completed. "One hour and 45 minutes from now, the entire planet's atmosphere will enter a stable zone." "what? So that means it will take two hours? If it were a game, it would have been over in 10 minutes, but it took two hours. Things like item specifications are the same as the game, so why is this part…" "…However, I can shorten the time by remotely accessing the terraforming machine and tuning it. So be quiet."
Shinobu closed her mouth at those words.
After silencing his opponent, Fiskes synchronized with the ship's computer using a cable connected to the back of his neck.
But the silence she hoped for did not last long.
"Now that I think about it, I remember the time when I learned how to hunt Arcane Orca. "It felt like shit because people who didn't matter kept trying to teach me…"
A few minutes later, Shinobu started talking again.
I wish I could just ignore it, but I couldn't. This is because the reason why the author's value is highly evaluated lies in that chatter.
Shinobu, whom the great leader brought in two years ago, was knowledgeable about rare creatures. Among the things he knew, there were many facts that the Mechanical Committee did not know.
A continuous hunting operation for dangerous creatures currently underway. This too was actually promoted based on information from his head. That's why I couldn't just ignore Shinobu's chatter.
Fiskes, who was trying to do two things at the same time, stopped when he suddenly sensed something unusual.
"Those idiots, they say nonsense about me ruining the atmosphere…" "Fiskes Twelve." Detected a problem. "Be quiet." "huh? problem?"
While remotely accessing the terraforming machine, suspicious traces were detected.
"Someone attempted remote control." "Who was it? Wasn't it done by a guy called Korman or Conan? "I guess I touched it while repairing it." "denial. If that were the case, there should be traces of an intrusion."
Spacedog mainly uses cheap hacking modules obtained from the black market. The downside of this module is that it leaves a lot of traces when hacked. However, there was no trace of it in Terraforming's security program.
No, to be exact, it just looked like there were no traces of an intrusion that had been elaborately covered. If it weren't for Fiskes, who had excellent analytical skills, I wouldn't have recognized it.
The unidentified intruder is a being with such high skills that he can be considered a machine. Could such a person have just breached the terraforming machine's security program?
"So what is it? Why don't you stop talking? What I hate the most is stopping to talk…" "Checking." wait."
Fiskes, whose thoughts had reached that point, quickly checked the warehouse where the 'important assets' were stored. Various data related to the warehouse, including stored records from the internal cameras, were transmitted to her head.
She processed an enormous amount of information in an instant and confirmed that a highly skilled hacker had also broken into the warehouse.
Unlike in the case of the terraforming machine, this time there were no traces of remote control. It was so clean that if we hadn't discovered the terraforming machine intrusion, we wouldn't have even suspected it.
"There is someone who broke into the warehouse." "what?"
Traces of the intrusion were discovered while checking the internal camera's storage records.
There were some manipulated parts in the recorded video. It was clear that the hacker had entered the warehouse and manipulated the video.
"An hour ago now, an unauthorized person was in the warehouse for 20 minutes."
Shinobu's expression hardened at those words.
"What about our stuff?" "No parts were lost." "…I'll come down and check right away, so get ready. Find which a fucked cub was while I was going down." "Search personnel and equipment have already been prepared."
The conversation ended there.
Shinobu, with a completely expressionless face without any sign of mischief, went out, leaving Fiskes alone in the room.
She scraped and combed through the data produced by AG-01 to obtain information about the intruder.
The essence of Star Union is what the top committee members do. Finding the intruder won't take long.
–
Five large transport ships descend through the dark clouds. The transport ship, which was larger than most patrol ships, landed as if crashing into the harbor.
The ship's hatch opened and what appeared were steel giants. Star Union's elite walker, monster walker.
Monster Walker, a reinforced version of Heavy Walker, boasts monster-like specifications as its name suggests. It is equipped with three walker engines to increase output, and its armament, defense, and mobility are much superior. However, as powerful as it is, its production cost is high, making it a walker that is not commonly seen even in Star Union.
There are dozens of those expensive monsters here now. And everyone on board the walker was a space dog.
"Hmm, it's really strange that we didn't see a single person when we arrived." "I know someone at the port, so I contacted them and they said nothing happened?" "I don't see a rat, are you okay?" "It doesn't sound like anything."
The pirates' voices come and go through the communicator built into the walker's cockpit.
Shinobu, who was among the walkers, just listened in silence. This is because the agent will convey his will on his behalf anyway.
"Searching the warehouse takes priority over everything else. While on the way, if you see anyone suspicious, kill them immediately. Don't care if it's a pirate, just kill it." "Yep!"
Sutherland, Shinobu's puppet, relayed his master's wishes. The pilots, unaware that their leader was a scarecrow, responded vigorously.
Then dozens of metal giants began to move. Shinobu also walked among them.
Every time the 8 to 9 meter tall monster walker took a step, the floor broke and a dull cracking sound rang out.
Even though it was quite noisy, no one showed up. The buildings also had lights on, but there was no sense of vitality at all. Perhaps because of that, I almost felt like I was walking on a grave.
｢….｣
Is it because of the strange atmosphere? The pilots' voices heard through the communicator gradually quieted down.
Shinobu thought about the identity of the intruder in the silence.
Although he always has a mischievous attitude, he is not a flower garden even in his head. It's a kind of survival tactic.
In reality, he was a low-level member of a vicious criminal group. In order to survive for a long time among evil people, the best way was to act as a harmless and pleasant human being. In reality, he had a cautious and cool-headed personality.
'What kind of guy broke in?'
While controlling the walker, he came up with several candidates.
It's probably not the work of a traitorous subordinate or the separatists here. If that were the case, Fiskes would have noticed a long time ago.
'Could it be that another ranker came?'
The other party sneaked in, avoiding the gaze of the top committee member who watched every hour. There are not many beings with such outstanding infiltration abilities.
At most, he is a shadow raised by Akira Yujin, or a ranker who can clone himself from the Returned Sect.
'It's definitely not a shadow.'
Shinobu and Akira are on the same side. Just tell them to give you a super weapon without using a shadow, and that's it.
However, it was a bit ambiguous to even consider him a ranker of the returning faction. This is because even before he woke up in an unfamiliar world, the ruling faction and the returning faction had been in a state of truce.
Even though they had even killed the Outspacer Queen and destroyed the colony before, the 4th Empress did not respond at all.
With the maximum strength of the Returning Sect standing still, it is unlikely that other members will come here to steal the super weapon.
'Or…' ｢Arrived at the warehouse.｣
A voice coming from the communicator woke him from his thoughts. A black warehouse is visible on the screen synchronized with the external camera.
Is it because I am lost in thought? Arrived earlier than expected.
"Who is in charge here?" "The Shinoni Cartel is in charge. Shall I call you?" "I'm going to move everything inside anyway, so there's no need to do that. Open the door with a walker." "Yep."
Walker received Sutherland's orders and approached the warehouse. Walker attempted to melt the door using the plasma cutter mounted on his arm.
As I was watching it from behind, the communicator in my pocket suddenly activated. It was a dedicated communication device used to communicate with Fiskes.
"What about the intruder? "Did you find out who did it?" ｢Crackling, intruder, crackling, satellite… crackling｣ "What are you saying?" ｢Communication stabilization completed. It is currently confirmed that the communication satellite has been taken over by an intruder. "What?" "What's in front of you now is a trap. "Be careful."
As soon as Fiskes warned, the door to the warehouse opened of its own accord.
No, to be precise, 'something that took the form of a warehouse' has returned to its original form.
It had white scales like a ghost and wrapped its long, three-pronged neck around the walker. The mysterious monster grabbed the walker and disappeared down a large pit behind it.
｢What is this, crackle, crackle, crackle, crackle, crackle?'
After a short scream of embarrassment, Walker's communication was cut off.
And after a while, a strange sound came out of the pit.
It reminded me of the sound made when a strong shower of rain hits the ground, or the noise made when mudflow caused by a landslide flows.
I immediately found out why such a sound was coming from under the ground and who made it.
What appeared at the edge of the abyss was a being that resembled a human, but was by no means human.
"What is that?!" "Crazy! Everyone, prepare for battle!"
Starting with the pilots' shouts, strange things covered in black mud poured out of the pit.
-x-X-x-
The appearances of the beings that crawled out of the pit were diverse.
Some were of dirty homeless people, while others were of common citizens.
They all have different clothes and body types, but if there is one thing they have in common, it is that they take on the shape of an ordinary human being.
But no one here thought it was a person.
"Holy shit! "Get these bastards away!"
Dozens of 'things' covered Monster Walker.
Walker tried his best to dislodge his enemies. The plasma cutter mounted on the arm cut off the torso of 'them', and the heavy legs kicked away the remains. The alloy armor was dirty with shattered pieces of meat.
If it were a normal human being, that would have neutralized it, but not 'those'. Each time the body was split and crushed, a group of black worms popped out from within. Large numbers of worms burrowed into crevices throughout the walker's body.
Monster Walkers are protected by thick armor, but their entire bodies are not completely protected. Since it is a moving weapon, there are bound to be gaps in areas such as joints. As countless worms stuck to his joints, Walker's movements became increasingly sluggish.
"You bastards! Get out!" "There are enemies everywhere!"
The movement of the walkers gradually became slower, but the number of enemies did not decrease. Rather, the number of 'things' emitted by the pit increased.
"Damn it! "When will it end?!"
Even 'those' weren't the only enemies the walkers faced.
｢I'm going to burn these damn bastards… Ugh!｣ ｢Crazy! "Everyone be careful!"
A green heat ray suddenly flew in and struck the walker who was tied up by 'them'. The giant, hit by a heat ray in the location where the cockpit was located, stumbled and fell. The enemy who shot down Walker fled into the building.
Other pilots who saw this were embarrassed. This is because the person who fired the launcher was wearing a reinforced suit provided by Shino Group.
"Isn't that a launcher?" "That bastard is on our side?!" Why are you attacking us?" "Commander, what should we do!" If we keep going like this…" "…."
Amid the chaos of communications, Sutherland's message came to Shinobu.
The situation has already gone beyond what Sutherland can do. Nothing can be done until the head gives permission.
However, Shinobu did not respond and turned off Sutherland's communication.
He is currently discussing with the Fisces Twelve, something more important than the Scarecrow.
"…It's Amov's doing." ｢Fiskes Twelve. I ask. Are you referring to the entity that the Megacorp/Star Union mixed fleet tried to subdue last time?" "Yes. "There is only one person who would do something like this." "question. It was observed that 'Aimorph' does not possess such advanced hacking skills." "I heard there is a Screamer among those baby pets? "You must have ordered it from him." "Even improved Screamers don't have that kind of ability…" "Chikushio! (Damn it!) I guess that's fine! "Since Amorph is here, we must run away now!"
Shinobu knows her limitations well.
Even Akira Yujin, who was supported by a large fleet, could not compete with him, and there was no way he would win.
Moreover, this place has been Eimorph's nest for a long time. You can tell by looking at the 'hiveformers', those monsters that attack walkers.
If we fight like this, defeat is a foregone conclusion. The best course of action in this situation is to run away.
"Prepare for orbital bombing right now. "In the meantime, I'll get out of here." ｢What should we do with Prometheus V2?｣ "…Tch, it's a shame, but I have to give up now."
Shinobu hesitated for a moment before answering Pisces' question.
There are only two of those weapons in Star Union. The other is used only for defense against Jaxx-01, so it can be said that there is only one weapon that can be practically used.
I don't like having to leave such a precious item behind, but I can't help it.
"If it were him, he would definitely use it as bait. "If you get caught up in it, it's over."
This has happened more than once in the game as well. You can't suffer the same thing here.
"And as you know, Aimov cannot use that weapon. "It's not too late to catch him and retrieve him."
Unlike the regular version, Prometheus V2 can only be operated with 'special materials'. And that material can never be obtained by Aimorph.
"It is a reasonable judgment."
Fiskes seemed to have thought the same thing and immediately agreed.
"We will prepare bombing according to your opinion. "Leave the area within 10 minutes." "10 minutes? okay."
With that, communication ended.
'I guess I can buy some time with this.'
There is something to do during that time.
Just use the perk.
Shinobu operated the communication device that had been turned off for a while.
"Listen everyone. "I will lead from now on, so obey." ｢Huh?｣ ｢Who are you just now?｣ ｢Um, that's the commander! "Everyone follow his orders!" "Those who can hear my voice, switch the communication system to a ship line."
Now that Aimorph has taken control of the communication satellite, using the general communication network is dangerous. Shinobu, who took steps to prevent information from being leaked, continued to issue orders.
"The fleet in orbit will bombard this place in 10 minutes, so we need to get out before then." "Hours, 10 minutes?! All right!"
The pirates, who knew how scary orbital bombing was, moved quickly. They slowly retreated, supporting the approaching enemy with plasma throwers.
But something was strange. The number of walkers who fell to the rear was less than half. The other walkers stayed there and fought 'them' as if they had not received any orders.
"They're trying to buy time for us. never mind." ｢Ah, yep!｣
They were bait. A bait to buy time for Shinobu and a small number of walkers to escape. Therefore, no separate communication was sent to them.
The retreating pirates also noticed the intention but said nothing.
However, there is something that the Walker pilots who safely retreated do not know.
'There were 7 walkers who escaped, excluding me. Since we left out only the talented ones, it would be good to use them as a shield.'
Shinobu ran out of the harbor with seven walkers to use as shields.
From the shaking cockpit, he carefully removed a small ampoule.
This ampoule containing golden liquid is of enormous value. It was enough to buy hundreds of planets he was on.
Shinobu, who knew its value better than anyone else, poured the contents into her mouth without hesitation.
As the liquid passed through my throat, I immediately felt my body change. It was a signal that the special privilege had been activated.
'it's okay.'
Although it looked the same as before drinking the ampoule, he could tell.
This means that the entire body has become a kind of biological signal.
In fact, his perks are not suitable for combat. However, it is not helpful for survival, and the conditions for use are very strict.
However, if the conditions are met, it exerts tremendous power. The reason the ruling faction's rankers supported him was because of the potential of the special.
'Aimov. 'I'll pay you back for what you did.'
In the game, when Eimorph fights against multiple enemies, he often forces them to fight against each other.
This time, it's his turn to suffer.
Just as I imagined revenge and smiled wickedly, something appeared in front of the running walker.
At the harbor border, a monster that looked like a white will-o-the-wisp blocked them.
And behind them stood an enormous number of Hiveformers.
｢Choi, Commander!｣ "…Tsk, everyone, get ready."
As Shinobu's walker pulled out the dual swords mounted on his back, the other walkers also took out their own weapons.
｢■■■■■■!｣
The white wisp, or rather Amorph, saw that and roared.
The hiveformer army began to move in accordance with the roar.
–
After terminating communication with Shinobu, Fiskes immediately began preparations for the bombing.
There are a total of 17 ships floating in orbit without landing. Among these, there are five ships with enough firepower to bomb a planet.
These alone cannot eliminate Amorph. According to observations made by the Supreme Council, Amov survived the explosion of a PMB (Particle Manipulation Bomb). It is difficult to cause significant damage through artillery fire from ordinary ships.
Of course, the XAX02 class battleship managed by Fiskes is loaded with various types of bombs, including PMB. These are all brought to hunt Arcane Orca.
But I can't write it here and now. If that happens, Shinobu will turn into dust.
Shinobu on the ground must also be well aware of that fact. Instead of PMB, he requested an orbital bombardment that would not do much damage to Aimov.
That means there is a different intention.
"Orbital bombing is a means to distract Aimov. "It is understood that the intention is to prepare counterattack measures in the meantime."
She doesn't even know what the means of counterattacking are. There was one part that made me guess.
Until now, Shinobu had never once missed a creature she had designated as a hunting target. Hunting targets always went according to his plan. It's as if we're being guided by an unobserved, intangible force.
If he truly has the power to call wild animals, now is his chance. You will be able to summon Arcane Orca and fight Aimorph.
In any case, Shinobu's intentions will be revealed after the orbital bombardment is carried out.
Fisces spread his consciousness through the communications network to take control of the remaining fleet in orbit.
"hmm?"
When I was trying to remotely control the computers of other ships, an unfamiliar signal was picked up. On 4 of the 17 ships, someone was attempting remote access like Fiskes.
The Screamer who came with Aimorph dared to hack in front of her.
"…."
If Fisces were human, he would have laughed.
She is Star Union's technological singularity and the highest council member who represents the wishes of numerous androids and cyborgs.
How dare you attempt such a prank in front of such a being? Fiskes decided to eliminate the screamer immediately.
Her consciousness, trapped in a machine's body, spreads across a wide communication network. The virtual space built with circuits and machine language was gradually being encroached upon by a single will.
A mysterious signal that tried to take control of the four ships resists. The signal was attempted to be defended by creating a security program consisting of encrypted code.
Even Fiskes had no idea that the enemy would create such a high-level program in such a short period of time.
But it doesn't matter. Fiskes is the highest member who specializes in collecting and organizing information. To her, information warfare was as easy as breathing for humans.
She quickly figured out the structure of the opponent's security program, modified it arbitrarily, and took control of it.
The opponent tried to respond by creating a new security program, but she first built a firewall that could nullify the opponent's intrusion.
One ship, two ships, the ships controlled by the opponent quickly returned to Pisces' hands.
There is now only one ship left.
The enemy must have realized that hacking was no match for them, so they revised their strategy. By attacking the XAX02 class battleship on board Fiskes with the last remaining destroyer.
Fiskes remained unfazed and gradually regained control of the destroyer. Eventually, the destroyer, having lost all control of the ship, stopped near the battleship.
Now that the fleet has been recovered, all that remains is to eliminate the means the enemy used to hack.
The communication satellite that manages the system's communication network is currently controlled by Screamer. If we leave that satellite alone, we don't know what variables will arise.
While preparing for an orbital bombardment, Fiskes simultaneously attempted to hack into a communications satellite.
The satellite's firewall was very strong, but it was useless against her. The security system that the opponent seemed to have prepared for a long time was destroyed in a matter of minutes.
And the last trap remained in front of her. It was a code encrypted in a different way than before.
Even encryption codes created in hundreds or thousands of ways cannot stop her. Fiskes quickly cracked the code.
"hmm?"
The decoded code was not a program but a message.
"The best way to king is to use physical force? "What is this…"
At that moment, her body in reality detected some movement. An intruder entered her room where no one was supposed to be.
"?!"
She quickly returns to reality and sees a large blade in front of her. She quickly raised her arms.
When her arm collided with the rush of blades, strong sparks flew out. Beyond the flames, a mechanical weapon was seen combining the head of a human woman and the body of a large spider.
"That's correct."
The red-eyed Screamer, the enemy who had been bothering Fiskes until now, spoke softly.