"How far has weapon development progressed?"
｢Currently at 71%.｣
"Hmm? Faster than expected."
｢The sample we secured four days ago was a great help.｣
Jacob, sipping from his glass, smiled as he listened to the report.
"Not long ago, you were barely past 20%. Impressive. I assume dissecting an actual Outspacer was what made the difference?"
｢Correct. Even if it was just a corpse, it greatly improved the precision of our simulations.｣
"How much longer until it's completed?"
｢At the current pace, about one more month.｣
"A month, huh..."
Jacob took a sip of his drink. The sweet aroma filled his mouth as he spoke again.
"You've likely heard about the unique specimen that showed up recently. As it stands, our current defense capabilities aren't enough to stop them. If they strike again, the damage will be severe."
｢Yes. We're aware of that, which is why｣
"Good. Then you understand. One week. No later. It must be completed within that time frame."
｢One week?! That's absolutely impossible! The only reason progress has accelerated is because we analyzed a new sample!｣
"So you're saying… if you had another sample, it could be possible?"
｢...Excuse me?｣
"We've secured a living Outspacer parasite and an infected subject. Far superior to any corpse, don't you think?"
｢I-I see. If that's the case, it would definitely help speed things up.｣
"Good. When the sample is delivered, I'll also assign additional personnel. Finish it within the week. Understood?"
｢…Understood.｣
With a sigh from the researcher, the transmission ended.
"Things are going well."
A satisfied smile spread across Jacob's face as he lifted his glass.
Development of the new anti-Outspacer weapon was progressing ahead of schedule. Soon, he'd seize the lead in the arms race.
Conveniently, the head of House Saint-Kai was scheduled to arrive at NEO-3 in five days. If he secured a weapon deal with Walter, he'd be raking in an astronomical amount of credits.
The only real threat left is another Outspacer incursion...
The swarm that invaded the system four days ago was currently gathering near the outer perimeter, not yet advancing. Presumably waiting for reinforcements which had bought them some time. If Jacob could hold out until Walter arrived, victory would be his.
"Huhu. Everything's going exactly as planned."
He chuckled quietly, envisioning a bright future.
Just then, his terminal lit up. A message from one of the system's gate cities Neo First Gate City.
"This is Jacob. What is it?"
｢Lord Jacob! It's an emergency!｣
A panicked male voice echoed through the air the moment the transmission connected.
｢T-The base is under attack!｣
"What?! Don't tell me it's an Outspacer strike?"
｢No! T-The attackers... it's a Star Union destroyer!｣
"...What?"
The word Star Union burst out of the terminal a name Jacob had never expected to hear.
｢It suddenly appeared inside the fortress and is indiscriminately bombarding everything! We need reinforcements immediately!｣
An unthinkable event was unfolding in Neo First Gate City.
***
'It's been a while since I consumed a ship.'
Ever since I gained faster-than-light travel, I hadn't really needed to use the Nightmare Horizon anymore.
Even though the Monster's Reinforced Wings had recently been sealed, thanks to its fusion with Prometheus and PS-111, the need for FTL travel had essentially vanished.
Instead, it had been making greater use of the Corrosive Tentacles, an ability that came packaged with the trait itself. Whether as auxiliary limbs or as close-combat weapons, they had proven useful.
Maybe that's why using the tentacles as intended felt oddly refreshing.
The sensations are similar to when I'm linked to the nest, though.
I focused my awareness through the tentacles fused with the ship.
My consciousness traveled down the tentacles, transferring into a new body. Made from a blend of alloy and organic material, this new form currently resembled a warship.
A 250-meter-long, narrow, rectangular hull. Gun turrets lined the outer walls in dense clusters. Unlike the curvy, elegant aesthetics typical of Megacorp vessels, this one looked crude, focused solely on firepower projection.
Naturally because after the Corrosion was complete, I reshaped the exterior to look like a Star Union destroyer.
Any ship corroded by the Nightmare Horizon could be remodeled both internally and externally at will. That's how an old cargo freighter had transformed into what now looked like a Star Union warship.
Of course, the gun barrels bristling like quills on a porcupine were purely cosmetic. Unless the original ship came equipped with real weaponry, there was no way to fire plasma beams or torpedoes from those dummy cannons.
As long as it looks like a Star Union ship, that's all that matters.
There were two reasons I went through the trouble of altering the ship's form before wreaking havoc.
First, to deceive those infected by Outspacer parasites.
Currently, the Outspacer ranked 4th has its eyes on the NEO-3 system. Given the number of infected wandering the area, the invasion preparations were likely complete.
'But what if… a Star Union ship appeared and attacked?'
The 4th-ranked Outspacer, who was monitoring the situation through its infected hosts, would be thrown into confusion.
That entity knew very well that both Megacorp and Star Union were under the control of the dominant faction. And yet, out of nowhere, the Star Union was attacking a Megacorp fortress? It would have to assume it was a trap.
Even if it didn't think it was a trap, it wouldn't launch an immediate attack.
'After all, cyborgs are a tough match for Outspacers.'
The Outspacers depended on genetic essence and organic matter. The Star Union, with its machine armies, was practically their hard counter. Even if they won a fight, they'd gain little from it.
A cautious figure like the 4th-ranked wouldn't jump into combat recklessly. It would delay the invasion until it understood what was going on.
Which gave me all the time I needed to carry out my business in the NEO-3 system.
That was reason number one for my destructive antics.
The second reason… was to draw attention to where it currently was Neo First Gate City.
'Just in time.'
New prey entered my perceptual field.
The fortress's internal defense forces had finally reacted to the sudden appearance of the Star Union warship and were now heading straight toward it.
I adjusted the launcher disguised as a turret and prepared to fire.
A regular ship might've loaded torpedoes here, but this case was different.
I had previously acquired the trait Heated Spine Spikes on a volcanic planet, a trait that allowed me to launch spines burning hot enough to melt through ship hulls.
'It's one of the traits sealed due to the Warped Abomination effect…'
But now that I have a brand-new body, things have changed.
Inside the vessel, a thermal spine the size of a grown man formed and loaded itself into the launcher. The spine's surface rapidly turned the color of molten metal, glowing a fierce red. Once it reached the optimal temperature for destruction, the spine launched outward.
Hundreds of spines sprayed across the sky in every direction. Enemy fighters and ships closing in were struck mid-approach and fell from the sky in flames.
A few lucky fighters survived and clung to its hull.
They likely intended to attack at close range but that was a mistake.
I generated pincers and a massive mouth along the surface of my ship-body and snatched the nearest enemies. Then I consumed them whole.
The alloys comprising the fighters were absorbed into the ship, becoming nutrients and raw material for more thermal spines. The pilots inside were no exception.
Then, energy signatures flared from above the fortress's inner dome turrets had begun firing.
But I wasn't worried.
The Warped Abomination, my latest unique trait, reduced my physical capabilities in exchange for granting me exceptional energy manipulation. Even while integrated with the ship, my core body continued projecting a formless energy field and my control over that energy remained intact.
I could sense where the plasma beams were being fired from, and where they were aiming. I could interfere.
That confidence quickly became controlled.
The plasma beams that entered my field twisted off course in unison. Under its influence, the captured energy scattered mid-air, exploding or fracturing into multiple streams that rained down harmlessly onto the city.
｢Wow! That was amazing!｣
Number 26, stationed to protect my main body, patted my head with a tentacle and praised me. Given how proficient Number 26 was at energy manipulation even more so than me, the compliment was genuine.
'As expected… I still can't reflect beams like it can.'
I had greater total energy capacity, but in terms of fine control and sustained manipulation, Number 26 held the edge. Twisting beams or dragging them around wasn't within my skillset.
But I didn't mind. There were things I could do that Number 26 couldn't.
I focused my awareness downward on the burning city beneath the ship.
The heat of flames engulfing streets and buildings reached my senses. The drifting formless energy latched onto the fire and bent it to my will. At the same time, the energy transformed into bio-plasma, injecting life into the flames.
Pillars of fire, guided by my will, surged into the sky all at once.
Tornadoes of plasma invisible, but surely a breathtaking sight. The turret operators and approaching enemy ships stood frozen, stunned by the overwhelming display.
'When finesse fails…Overwhelm them with firepower.'
I swung the massive fire pillars wildly.
The superheated plasma consumed enemies and turrets alike, an inferno, unstoppable and merciless.
The panels that had been simulating the artificial sky shattered under the flames.
These panels, affixed to the inner walls of the dome, served as vital light sources for the entire city. The more damage they took, the deeper the chaos would run.
｢This is fun! Boom boom!｣
Sensing the turmoil outside, Number 26 bounced around in excitement.
'That should be enough.'
With no more enemies approaching, I released control over the fire pillars.
The hovering masses of flame collapsed into a downpour of fire, raining destruction over the city. I didn't need to look to know exactly what kind of hell awaited below.
'Did the city's residents know that I had been deliberately holding back the pace of destruction?'
Since consuming the ship, I had already burned down nearly one-sixth of the fortress. But I had purposely avoided touching the central district and the port where the key facilities were located.
That was because PS-111 and Adhai were in the central district… and Isabel was at the port.
'They should be deep into data extraction by now.'
PS-111 and Adhai had gone to investigate the docking logs of ships that had entered Neo First Gate City.
To access the NEO-3 system, a vessel had to pass through one of three gate cities including this one. There was a chance that the shipment sent by Pyra Eleven had passed through here, which was why they were checking.
'There's a higher chance nothing's there'
I might have come through a different gate city… or the records could have been erased. Originally, the plan had been to investigate the system's capital planet.
'Well, that can wait.'
There was still a chance something useful could be found here.
And since I had already chosen to go on a rampage in this location, I agreed to let PS-111 do as it pleased.
'Looks like they'll need more time to finish.'
I turned my attention away from the central district and focused my senses outside the dome.
Just about time, I thought and sure enough, movement erupted beyond the thick walls of the dome. A swarm of signatures reinforcements, summoned by the fortress's administrators.
'New guests, huh? Let's give them a proper welcome.'
At my command, the ship accelerated and shot toward the port.
The enemy fleet began to enter through a massive gateway located on the port side of the dome.
I unleashed a barrage of thermal spines in their direction. The lead ships were struck and crashed spectacularly.
As explosions rippled through the front ranks, the ships in the rear scrambled to retreat.
But they had tightened their formation to enter the dome now boxed in, with little room to maneuver.
I surged forward, rapidly accelerating and rammed straight into the fleeing ships.
The enemy vessels, shoved by the momentum of my impact, collided with one another and were destroyed in the ensuing chaos.
The fleet stationed outside the dome appeared caught off guard, clearly not expecting a ramming assault.
But their surprise had only just begun.
The fire-drenched chaos was just getting started.
——————
"What? They need more reinforcements?"
｢Y-Yes, sir! The enemy is too powerful…｣
"Goddamn it! It's just one ship! And they can't beat that?!"
｢Eek?! I-I'm sorry!｣
At Jacob's furious shout, the man displayed in the hologram shrank back instinctively.
"A single ship is threatening the collapse of the entire gateway city?"
Even with superweapons, it's rare for one to single handedly destroy a space fortress. No matter how powerful or tactically dominant it might be, without fleet support, it's just a big target.
And yet, the entity currently annihilating both the fortress and its fleet… was only one. Not even a superweapon.
Jacob glared at the footage being projected on the left side of the hologram.
The video, taken from one of their own ships, showed a black vessel. Judging by its shape, it looked like a Star Union destroyer but its performance far exceeded that of any standard destroyer.
The enemy had just breached the friendly formation and rammed another vessel head-on. The impacted ship exploded instantly, shattering into pieces.
The black destroyer, on the other hand, emerged completely unscathed. It pulled back without a scratch and launched red torpedoes in every direction.
Star Union ships were known for their heavily armored prows, which is why they sometimes employed ramming tactics during combat. But even so, there were limits. After two or three collisions, the front of the ship would usually suffer serious damage.
Yet this destroyer defied that logic. It had already destroyed hundreds of vessels, and not a single sign of damage.
It was as if its outer hull could regenerate on its own.
"Can't we just shoot it down from a distance?"
｢We already tried. But our attacks don't land. It seems to have some sort of unidentified force field…｣
Unfortunately, that was true.
Multiple warships had fired on it from long range, but not a single shot had hit. Whenever a beam neared the destroyer, it would twist off course unnaturally.
Instead, the ships closest to the target ended up taking collateral damage.
"So those lunatic androids really did develop drones that can manipulate plasma energy…"
Not long ago, spies reported that the Star Union had begun developing anti-plasma weapons.
It appeared those reports were accurate. This enemy destroyer was undoubtedly one of their new experimental weapons.
"Disgusting tin cans… I knew something was off when they agreed to that peace treaty so easily."
Jacob had suspected this would happen from the moment the MegaCorp CEO began pushing for a treaty with the Star Union. Those damned machines were always going to betray them. And now, his prediction had come true.
"That destroyer… it must be a prototype."
They had probably deployed it here—where Outspacer resistance was strongest—to test its capabilities. Surely, somewhere beyond the system, a Star Union fleet was observing it.
"…This won't end with just that one ship."
Jacob felt a migraine coming on, but he didn't have time to waste.
After quickly organizing his thoughts, he broke the silence.
"Refit the reinforcements with old-model missile launchers. Maybe they'll bypass whatever energy field is warping plasma."
｢Understood! I'll make the preparations immediately!｣
"And dispatch Giga-Crackers with the support fleet as well."
｢What?｣
At the mention of Giga-Crackers, a hint of panic appeared on the subordinate's face.
｢B-but sir! The ion cannons on Giga-Crackers are far too powerful! The city could be damaged!｣
"That won't be an issue. They're only there to keep it in check."
Jacob had no intention of actually firing the Giga-Crackers. One of his most valuable assets was still inside the gateway city.
A subordinate who had secured a living Outspacer parasite hadn't yet left the city. And a live parasite was absolutely vital for developing anti-Outspacer weaponry. It had to be protected at all costs.
"They started this just to test their new weapons anyway."
Surely, once they saw two Giga-Crackers arrive, they'd pull back. Losing a precious prototype wouldn't be worth the risk.
｢Ahem, I'll contact the Giga-Crackers right away.｣
"Good."
Following Jacob's orders, the subordinate requested support from the Giga-Cracker units. Meanwhile, other ships continued stalling the black destroyer.
About twenty minutes later, two superweapon markers appeared on the holographic tactical map.
Once the Giga-Crackers arrived, the black destroyer reacted immediately. The enemy, which had been engaged in fierce combat with friendly forces, began a rapid retreat.
｢It's pulling back!｣
"Just as expected."
Gone was the relentless, slaughtering monster—replaced by a ship fleeing in panic.
Jacob and his subordinate exchanged a satisfied smile.
But the smile didn't last.
｢Shall we send a pursuit fleet—huh?｣
Just as they prepared to pursue, the destroyer abruptly changed course—heading straight for the gateway city. Then, without hesitation, it entered.
"You insect-brained bucket of bolts! You're really doing this?!"
Its objective was clear. It couldn't face the Giga-Crackers head-on, so it intended to take the city—and its people—hostage.
｢W-what should we do?｣
"..."
Instead of answering, Jacob tapped on his terminal.
A short message was sent to his most important asset—Blair—urging immediate evacuation from the city.
The Giga-Crackers would soon open fire.
***
'Was that overkill?'
After unleashing Horizon of Nightmares, I must have destroyed around forty to fifty vessels at the destroyer class or above. On top of that, I reduced an entire orbital fortress to ashes.
I figured they'd be furious after suffering such heavy losses, but I didn't expect them to bring out a superweapon.
Far behind the fleet locked in combat with me, I sensed a tremendous surge of energy. A Giga Cracker—the ultimate weapon equipped with an ion cannon powerful enough to split asteroids in two. And not just one, but two of them, stationed here by Megacorp Saint-K.
'Two Giga Crackers? So this really is one of Megacorp's core star systems.'
If I were in my base form, maybe. But in my current state, I couldn't handle one of those things. I could manipulate energy to some extent, but it was doubtful I could withstand the firepower of a massive ion cannon.
'Time to retreat.'
PS-111's job should be done by now. There's no need to clash with a superweapon.
I immediately withdrew from the battlefield and headed toward the gate city. No matter how much they hated me, they wouldn't dare fire a Giga Cracker here—not when the orbital fortress had already been blown up.
Accelerating swiftly, I dove into the wreckage of the shattered fortress.
The aftermath of my rampage had left the interior of the dome in complete chaos. Panels that once projected an artificial sky were destroyed, plunging large sections into darkness. Below, the city burned in flames.
Above the blazing buildings, ships of every shape and color zipped through the air—visitors who had entered the system and been caught up in the chaos.
'The others should be... that way.'
Just as I was about to fly toward the center of the burning city, a dull impact struck the rear of my infested vessel.
'A torpedo?'
Pursuing warships had begun launching torpedoes from a distance.
Normally, Megacorp favored plasma weaponry, while the Star Union preferred drone-based torpedoes. Still, since both factions stemmed from a common origin, they sometimes borrowed each other's weapons depending on the situation.
The torpedoes they fired lacked guidance systems, likely stripped of their control computers—essentially, massive unguided shells. I suppose they switched to them after realizing energy weapons were ineffective.
'Too late for that to matter now.'
I didn't bother counterattacking. I focused solely on flight. Hundreds of torpedoes slammed into the hull, but it didn't matter. I was planning to abandon this vessel before leaving anyway.
Reaching the central zone, where the administration facilities were concentrated, I spread wave pulses from my tentacles—calling out to ask where they were.
Almost immediately, a familiar energy signature responded from beneath a nearby massive building. Upon sensing my signal, Adhai released a bit of her 'dragon power' to mark her location.
'There you are.'
Without hesitation, I rammed the building's lower floors.
No matter how advanced its construction, a building can't survive a direct hit from a creature several hundred meters long. The massive structure didn't hold for even a second—it collapsed instantly, rubble piling onto my back.
Outside the wreckage, I sensed the enemy ships that had been tailing me drawing closer. They'd stopped firing, now hovering silently above the ruins.
'Bet they're confused.'
The monster that had just been slaughtering them suddenly crashed into a building and vanished. Of course they wouldn't understand.
Worried that I might go berserk again, they didn't dare approach, merely circling the area cautiously.
'Now's the time.'
I deactivated Horizon of Nightmares. The tentacles connecting me to the vessel withdrew, and my body began to levitate, held aloft by the energy field. At the same time, my wide-reaching sensory network spread throughout the hull was cut off.
With the infestation reversed, the ship was now just trash shaped like a warship.
Not that the enemies outside would realize that.
Let's begin, then.
All three of my heads pointed downward, jaws opening wide. Time for Acidic Mycotic Gland to shine again.
The organ deep in my throat generated green spheres that poured down below.
The trait Warped Abomination had modified the effects of Great Infector, nullifying the added enhancements I'd given to traits like the Acidic Mycotic Gland. That's why I wasn't spewing breath now, but fungal masses instead.
Still, melting the floor should be simple enough.
The acid blobs fired from my three mouths burned gaping holes into the ground. Beneath them, I saw the rubble of the collapsed building.
A few more volleys of fungus carved out a deep, wide pit leading underground.
[ZZZ ZZ (Shall we go?)]
｢Yeah.｣
Number 26, who had been watching the floor melt with delight, hopped onto my head. Lifting myself with the energy field, I descended into the pit with it riding along.
We passed through multiple layers before reaching the lowest point—where broken rails and a partially collapsed tunnel stretched out before us. It was a subway line running beneath the building.
And there, familiar faces greeted us.
｢Big One｣｢Welcome back｣
"You've done well."
"Did you get what you needed?"
In response to my question, PS-111, now mutated into a winged Screamer-type, pointed to its own head.
"I've copied all the data into my secondary brain. I also confirmed where we need to go next."
"Good. So we head out immediately?"
"Yes."
｢Waiting｣ ｢Boring｣ ｢Hurry｣ ｢Let's go｣
Then Adhai approached and lightly pressed her head against mine. I'd asked her to escort PS-111 just in case, but judging by her behavior, it must have been a boring task.
"They should've arrived by now, right?"
"Of course."
[ZZZ ZZ ZZZ (Good. Then let's move.)]
We started making our way through the tunnel.
A few minutes later, we stopped in the middle of it.
This was the destination. Unlike before, now it was time to punch a hole in the ceiling.
A few blasts from my acidic spheres brought the ceiling crashing down.
｢I'll help too!｣
｢Rocks｣ ｢Clear｣ ｢Easy｣
Seeing me at work, Number 26 and Adhai joined in, using their own abilities to clear the collapsed debris.
It didn't take long before the opening was large enough for me to pass through. I ascended straight up through it.
As soon as I emerged onto the surface, I was greeted by the rubble of collapsed buildings and thick black smoke filling the air. In the distance, I could faintly hear human screams and the sound of burning structures crumbling apart.
I ignored it all and looked upward to check what was in the sky.
Hovering right above me was a warship refitted as a rescue vessel. It belonged to Edgerton, controlled by Isabel, the MPS, and a parasite-infected crew.
Just as we had planned, Isabel waited for us at the designated location, the hangar bay already open.
We quietly flew up and entered the open hangar. A few people on the street caught sight of me, but I wasn't worried. My energy field would drive them insane before they could think twice.
Once everyone was aboard, the rescue ship immediately took off. It accelerated rapidly, blending in with other ships fleeing the city and slipping out.
'Looks like it ended without a hitch.'
Just as I thought that, lying low inside the cramped hangar, one of my auxiliary organs detected two massive energy signatures.
｢Oh no! Everyone, get ready!｣
Suddenly, Isabel's voice rang out from the internal speakers. At the same time, the two enormous energy readings surged past the rescue ship.
An instant later, a cataclysmic wave of energy erupted from where we had just escaped. It was so intense that even the organ below my jaw tingled from the resonance. The resulting shockwave slammed into the ship, shaking it violently.
'No way…'
Two massive energy spikes… then a huge explosion. Prime Capital Edgerton had fired its Giga Cracker at its own city—just to kill me.
'I thought maybe I went a little too far this time…looks like I was right.'
｢Big Baby, over there it went KWA-WAAM! KWA-WAAM!｣
｢That thing｣ ｢I too｣ ｢Easily｣ ｢Can do it｣
"A loss-heavy and irrational decision. Most likely driven by stress accumulated from prolonged war."
The others, too, commented on the blast after feeling its tremors.
Well, at least now there's no trace of me left behind.
They overreacted more than expected, but this works out nicely.
Soon, the Fourth—who I implanted with a parasite—will hear that the orbital city has been annihilated. They'll delay any strikes until they figure out what happened. That gives me free reign to roam the system without interference.
More importantly, I've now learned what kind of person rules this star system: arrogant and vengeful, unwilling to forget even the slightest humiliation. A textbook example of Megacorp's elite. I'll have to remember that for the upcoming war against the Outspacers.
"This wasn't exactly how I planned it, but it turned out well enough. So, where do we go next?"
"NOX-02."
That planet—I knew the name.
"There's a research base there?"
"Yes. All of Pyra Eleven's cargo was transferred to that location."
The place I knew had unique environmental conditions—unlike a standard colony, it resembled an orbital city more than anything. It didn't seem like the kind of place to conduct Mutant Screamer research.
Or maybe that's exactly why they chose it—because no one would suspect it.
Rankers like me wouldn't think there was anything of importance there. That made it the perfect site for a secret project.
"This is getting interesting. Let's head there."
"Yes. I'll inform Little Brother."
And just like that, our next destination was set.
We were going to the planet that held the secret of the Mutant Screamers: NOX-02.
——————
NOX-02. Codename: Nox.
This planet held the most crucial yet least valued resource in the NEO-3 system:
Water.
Nox was a water world, its surface entirely covered in ocean. It was the primary source of water for the system's inhabitants.
According to the lore uncovered by Megacorp players, space colonization used to be severely limited due to a lack of technology. During the early colonization phases, whether a planet had water like NEO-3 was a top priority.
But that changed. With the advent of terraforming systems and other advanced methods to generate water, the value of natural water sources had drastically declined.
And besides, Space Survival was a game. Many survival mechanics were streamlined. Water consumption included. That made Nox a rather unappealing planet in the eyes of players.
But what if this wasn't a game? What if this was reality?
Then everything changes.
Humans who haven't undergone genetic enhancements require much more water to survive. Living off minimal game-style hydration would definitely lead to problems.
And no matter how advanced your tech is, creating water from scratch is costly. If a system already has a water source, it saves a lot of resources.
Taking that into account, the real-world value of Nox is probably far greater than I ever considered.
'Still, that doesn't mean it's a good place for a research facility.'
Nox has no real landmasses; its entire foundation is submerged. The average ocean depth spans dozens of kilometers. In the game, there were only floating resort platforms and water extraction stations to transport the liquid offworld.
That's not to say you can't build a research base here. It's just not practical. You'd have to build deep-sea underwater facilities, like constructing an orbital fortress beneath the waves. Sure, it's doable but expensive and inefficient, especially when there are better locations available.
'Unless, of course, they chose this place precisely to stay out of sight.'
Why they built a research facility on Nox and what's inside was something I intended to find out now.
Lying inside the hangar, I activated the comms using the secondary organ beneath my jaw.
"What happened with the thing we discussed?"
｢Following the Amorph's suggestion, we quickly received planetary entry clearance.｣
｢Honestly, I didn't expect it to go this smoothly. You really are a master manipulator.｣
PS-111 replied in its usual flat tone, and Isabel, who was on the bridge with it, offered a dry remark that could've been admiration or disgust.
'Just as I expected.'
It had been two days since we left the wreckage of the orbital city. Now, we were arriving near Nox.
Since the rescue ship we were on had been authorized by the Edgerton family, moving freely through the system wasn't a problem.
But just because we had a travel permit didn't mean we could walk into a secret facility without restrictions. Entering Nox would involve far stricter inspections.
And obviously, I had no patience for such tedious procedures.
That's why I chose the easier path. The method I was best at.
Deceiving someone above the gatekeepers.
This ship might look like a rescue vessel, but its real mission was different. Its objective was to secure survivors infected with the Outsapcer parasite.
And the one who issued that mission was Jacob, the ruler of NEO-3.
He was the same man who had ordered Blair, the ship's former captain, to transport the infected back to NEO-3.
'That guy definitely pulled strings to get us through the gateway quarantine with such ease.'
Judging by Blair's recorded logs, Jacob had been doing all this for profit. He planned to research the new species of parasite embedded in the infected and use it to develop new weapons.
To Jacob, the Outsapcer parasite was everything. And like any true Prime Capital elitist, he wouldn't care what happened to the subordinates carrying out his orders. All he wanted was the infected, safely delivered to him; anything else was expendable.
And now, just two days ago, he had lost an entire orbital city. He'd be desperate to recoup that loss making him easier to fool.
'So, I had Joel contact Jacob on Blair's behalf.'
We told him Blair had died during the escape from the gate city and that Joel had taken over as captain. Our request was simple: stop by Nox for ship repairs and to restock on supplies.
As you can see, it went exactly as planned.
Jacob, suspecting nothing, gave us full clearance to enter the planet.
｢Then I'll begin preparations for planetary entry.｣
"Thanks. I'm counting on you."
Right after ending the transmission, I felt a faint tremor ripple through the hangar wall. The ship was accelerating approaching Nox.
｢Big One, it's moving.｣
Sensing the vibration, Number 26 sent out a pulse laced with curiosity. It tucked the cultist-style psychic terminal it had been playing with back into its body and came closer to me.
｢Where are we going?｣
[ZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ (We're going to a water-filled ocean planet.)]
｢Ocean?｣
At the mention of the word, its body shimmered with excitement.
｢I know oceans really well! They're comfortable, cozy, easy to move in, and full of nice friends! Some bad friends bother the nice ones, but I can punish them!｣
[ZZZ (Right.)]
Number 26 eagerly waved its pink tentacles as it spoke, visibly thrilled to hear something it recognized.
｢Ocean｣ ｢Not great｣
Adhai, on the other hand, responded dryly.
｢Water｣ ｢Too much｣ ｢No ground｣ ｢Hard to rest｣ ｢Mid-flight｣ ｢Impossible｣
｢No, no! Just float and it's easy.｣
｢Water｣ ｢Landing｣ ｢Sink｣ ｢Not good｣
｢I'll teach the Little One. She just needs to study.｣
Adhai, who had been grooming her wings nearby, gave her head a small shake as if the idea alone was unpleasant.
Can't blame her.
Gallagons typically lived in volcanic or frozen worlds harsh environments, sure, but ones they were familiar with. Worlds full of liquid water weren't part of that.
Adhai had at least encountered the ocean before while traveling with us. But even then, it hadn't been a good experience.
'That was during our trip to the Cult's holy site, wasn't it?'
Back then, due to unfortunate circumstances, we had been separated. Adhai had to cross the ocean while badly injured. No wonder she hated it.
｢There's lots of tasty food in the ocean. Both little ones and big ones love it.｣
｢Food?｣
｢Yep! The hard ones are fun to break open and eat. And the small ones that swarm together are yummy if you swallow a bunch at once!｣
｢Food｣ ｢Hunting｣ ｢Good｣
Though she'd seemed uninterested at first, Adhai's expression shifted at the mention of unfamiliar prey.
｢Strong prey｣ ｢Hunt｣ ｢For Big One｣
[ZZ (For me?)]
｢A gift.｣
She said it while brushing the tip of her tail lightly along my carapace.
She's always enjoyed hunting. Clearly, she was looking forward to facing new prey in a new environment.
｢I'll give Big One a gift too!｣
Number 26 let out an excited pulse and leapt onto my head.
｢I'll bring you the tastiest food!｣
[ZZZ (Thanks.)]
｢Yay!｣
｢Me｣ ｢Biggest prey｣ ｢Gift｣ ｢Big prey｣ ｢Tasty｣
[ZZZ Z (Thanks, Adhai, too.)]
｢Little One doesn't like the ocean, so she doesn't have to.｣
｢Little Adult｣ ｢Promised｣ ｢To teach｣
｢Little One is smart. She'll figure it out.｣
｢Actually｣ ｢Studying｣ ｢Unnecessary｣ ｢I've gotten stronger｣ ｢I can hunt alone now｣
[ZZZHuh?)]
｢Prey run away well. No matter how strong you are, you can't find them.｣
｢Me｣ ｢Fast｣ ｢They can't escape｣
｢Speed isn't enough. If they hide, it doesn't matter. Ocean prey hide really well.｣
｢Wrong｣ ｢Me｣ ｢Search｣ ｢Hunt｣ ｢All｣ ｢Good at it｣
[ZZZ (Wait a second?)]
The flow of conversation was… off. The content was oddly aggressive, even though their pulses and thoughts weren't carrying any strong emotions.
'Are they just bored?'
That would make sense. Ever since we met up, we'd all been cooped up in this ship no real meals, no hunting, nothing but travel. They were restless.
Sea Demons and Red Gallagons can go months without food, but even so, hunger-induced stress was hard to avoid.
'I'll have to find something edible once we're down there.'
That should help lighten the mood.
[ZZZ ZZZZ ZZ ZZZZZ (We'll be landing soon. I know it's boring, but just hang in there a little longer.)]
｢Okay.｣
｢Got it.｣
I calmed the two down with gentle strokes. Almost instantly, they softened, as if nothing had happened.
"…By the way, are you sure that body can handle the water?"
Then came Isabel's voice from outside.
"Not the body, but those wings look awfully thin."
"It's fine. With continuous improvements, the wings now have 71% of the outer shell's durability. There will be no issue operating in the deep sea."
"Good to hear."
The Screamer sisters entered the hangar together, chatting as usual.
"Amorph. The ship is scheduled to arrive at the designated destination in ten minutes."
PS-111 had left the bridge after switching the ship into auto-navigation mode. Until we reached the floating station on Nox, the crew under my control would assist the ship's systems.
'But by then, we wouldn't be on the ship anymore.'
"How long until we enter the atmosphere?"
"Seven minutes remaining."
Just as it said, exactly seven minutes later, the ship breached Nox's atmosphere.
The hangar doors opened. Thick, humid air rushed inside.
A stunning panorama spread before us brilliant white clouds and an endless stretch of blue sea. There wasn't a speck of brown or green. No land.
[ZZZ (Let's go.)]
And so, toward this planet even bluer than Earth itself, I leapt with all of them following me.
***
Beep.
'Hmm?'
The man, just about to reach into a snack bag, paused at the unfamiliar sound. He dusted off the crumbs and fiddled with the terminal connected to his computer.
'A meteorite?'
His submersible had detected an unidentified shockwave from the ocean surface.
As he reviewed the scan logs, his coworker approached with a cup of coffee.
"What's up?"
"A minor shockwave just registered from this coordinate. There wasn't any meteor forecast for today, right?"
"Could it be lightning?"
"Tch. No, the wave pattern's totally different."
Both men stared at the screen. There was no further movement from the point of origin.
"We'll have to check it out directly."
"Figures."
Their surveillance sub belonged to a deep-sea base located far beneath the surface. Their job was to report any arrivals, human or otherwise.
"Alright. Let's move."
The submersible swiftly navigated toward the location.
About ten minutes later, they arrived at the coordinates where the anomaly had occurred.
"Seeing anything?"
"Nothing. Checked for life signatures, micro-energy waves, vibrations, temperature you name it. Not a trace."
Their sub was equipped with high-end sensors. Even after several scans, nothing registered.
"That's weird. Why does this part show up as blank?"
"Blank?"
"Look. This whole area's just... wiped clean."
"Huh. So it is."
"Screw it. We're checking with our own eyes."
"Got it."
The coworker adjusted the controls and launched a search flare.
A small artificial sun bloomed outside the reinforced glass. The flare drifted downward, casting immense light into the dark depths.
And with that light, the blank spot on their sensors finally came into view.
"Is that it?"
"Looks like a small hill."
A low mound of solid ice stood at the seafloor, roughly 20 meters tall. Possibly near a hydrothermal vent black steam-like mist veiled the entire formation.
"Doesn't look weird to me. Maybe a sensor glitch?"
"When was our last maintenance again?"
"Guess it is about time. Let's head back."
They circled the area multiple times but found nothing out of the ordinary. The sub turned to return to base.
And so, they didn't see it.
The mound, shrouded in dark mist, moved. Very slowly. Very quietly.
——————
'As expected, they're leaving without a clue.'
In the distance, a thin beam of light shimmered faintly in the darkness.
A submersible, roughly the size of a small patrol ship, was cutting through the deep-sea currents, completely unaware of what was silently tailing them from below.
'Well, normal humans wouldn't be able to see me anyway.'
Right now, I was using two traits simultaneously to conceal myself.
First, the Dark Shroud, which spread like smoke to mask me and the others.
This special substance expelled through biological pipes nullified detection systems. Ideally, it would cover a much wider area, but the intense water pressure limited it to just my immediate surroundings.
What made up for that shortcoming was my unique trait, Sinister Mimic.
Besides enhancing the Symbol of Hunt trait, Sinister Mimic granted me an exceptional camouflage ability. Thanks to it, my body hidden within the shroud had morphed to resemble the surrounding terrain.
The outer shell now mimicked the texture of the icy sea floor. The massive cephalothorax and back-tendrils had been shaped into ridges, making me look like just another hill on the seabed.
Many creatures had traits for mimicking their surroundings, but nothing came close to Sinister Mimic. Its disguise was so flawless, even PS-111 with cameras embedded in its eyes would struggle to detect me.
'There's no way ordinary biological eyes could see through this.'
The effect even adapted to environmental shifts in real time replicating the shifting seabed and flowing currents perfectly. Despite several close passes, the submersible had detected nothing.
Which meant tailing the enemy was no problem at all.
'Except for one thing.'
The only hassle was that everyone had to cling tightly to me as we moved.
None of my companions had reliable stealth capabilities. To evade Megacorp's detection systems, they had to remain within the radius of my Dark Shroud.
So PS-111, Isabel, and Adhai were all pressed close against me.
PS-111 had folded its wings like a beetle and clung to my tail. Isabel, with her long and slender body, hugged the seafloor and used my bulk as cover.
Adhai had a similarly slim build, but her large wings made things trickier. She was also using her Red Armor to withstand deep-sea pressure, making her stand out even more.
So I wrapped my arms around her, keeping her completely hidden from view.
[ZZZ (You okay?)]
｢Can't move. Feels tight. Armor… focus… uncomfortable. Still…｣
She had been grumbling through her thought-waves, but suddenly paused. Then, she rested her head against my inner chest.
｢…Sometimes, it's not so bad.｣
I had been worried, but judging from her thoughts, her mood seemed fine after all.
[ZZZ (What about you two?)]
｢No problem.｣
｢Condition nominal. Adaptations optimized for extreme environments.｣
The Screamer sisters replied just as they had in space projecting psychic waveforms instead of speech.
Unlike her still-learning sister, PS-111's signals were clear and precise, likely a result of having a High Councilor's brain transplanted into her systems.
With everyone accounted for, I tilted my head up and looked overhead.
Near the edge of the Dark Shroud, a small pink jellyfish floated leisurely.
It was Number 26, our only companion born and raised in the ocean.
Being back in a familiar environment seemed to suit it far better than dry land ever had.
'Can't blame it.'
Sea Demons can function on land, but their true habitat is the deep sea. Just from looking at their physiology, it's obvious they're not built for land travel.
If anything, Number 26's ability to move about on land is the strange part.
'Glad it's enjoying itself.'
There was a strange warmth in watching it swim so happily.
Number 26 had done so much for me, yet there wasn't much I could do in return. The best I could offer was to find some prey it might enjoy.
'If only there were oceans near Adhai's home…'
Unfortunately, there are no oceans near the Gallagons' habitat.
There's a hot spring fed by geothermal rivers and acid rain, but that's hardly the same thing.
'Could I maybe make one myself using a trait?'
I was still thinking over whether one of my abilities might allow that, when Number 26 swam over.
｢Big One, there's no food here. Not a single bite.｣
Its thought-wave carried clear confusion.
'True.'
As far as I know, there are no Sea Demons native to NOX. But there are other deep-sea predators. Things like the Pale Mask, which I've encountered before.
There should be plenty of marine life forms in the deep sea. If we've come down this far, it'd be normal to see at least a few creatures swimming around.
But so far, the only living thing we've seen is that submersible up ahead.
'It's got to be one of two things.'
Either that sub is deliberately following safe routes or Megacorp has already wiped out everything dangerous in these waters.
Neither option is far-fetched.
The first thing Megacorp players usually do when building a base is cleanse the surrounding ecosystem. It's all about eliminating risk and collecting genetic samples along the way.
This research facility may have gone through the same process.
｢I wanted to give Big One a present.｣
[ZZZZ ZZZ (It's fine. Let's keep looking.)]
｢Okay.｣
If the base owners already cleaned out the wilds, we're not likely to find anything out here. But inside the facility that sub is heading to there might still be something edible.
'Though we probably won't be able to hunt it.'
A shame, but I'll have to look forward to the coming battle with the Outspacers instead.
So we quietly continued trailing the sub.
A few hours later, a faint glimmer appeared in the pitch-black sea ahead no bigger than a grain of sand.
'That must be it.'
As we got closer, the submerged research facility slowly came into view.
Several dozen kilometers beneath the ocean, a massive man-made structure sat anchored to the seafloor. That was the deep-sea base.
Its design was striking an enormous toroidal structure wrapped around a central dome. Like someone had cut Saturn in half and dropped it underwater.
'That's huge.'
Not quite the size of a planet, but the facility was well beyond standard specs. Just the outer ring alone looked to be twice the diameter of a typical orbital city.
｢Never seen… a base that big.｣
｢Scale exceeds Megacorp's standard research complexes.｣
Isabel and PS-111 each voiced their thoughts. I agreed. Even in the game, I'd never seen an undersea city that large.
'And the layout's odd, too.'
Typical underwater bases include massive elevator towers and communication arrays to connect with surface facilities.
But this one had none of that.
Being a secret base, they must've deliberately removed entry points to control traffic.
'Let's get closer and take a look.'
I stopped trailing the sub and slowly changed course toward the base.
Then PS-111 spoke up.
｢Amorph. A problem has occurred.｣
[ZZZZ (What is it?)]
｢Base communications network… The security level is extreme. Cannot intercept or disrupt.｣
[ZZZ ZZZ Z (Not even with your signal disruptors?)]
｢Correct. No effect. Direct connection is only viable method.｣
This is the same system that can hijack battleship comms and even tap into satellites with ease. For PS-111 to say it's impossible the security must be on another level.
'So what now…?'
There was no way to sneak in from here. A facility that monitors the entire ocean wouldn't fail to detect damage to its structure. If something triggered an alert, they'd call for reinforcements immediately.
'Using the infected is off the table.'
The hosts carrying the parasite are currently back at the surface facility, far from here. Bringing them all the way down to infiltrate this place? No way. It's not viable.
In that case, it'd be faster to figure out a way to infect someone inside the base instead.
'Wait a second…'
An idea flashed through my mind.
'Come to think of it, I haven't used that since the Great Infector changed.'
The Unique Trait Great Infector allows me to select infection- and nest-type traits and imbue them with special effects.
Thanks to that trait, I'd once been able to release acidic fungus as a breath weapon or spray machine-corrupting microbes in cloud form.
But after merging with the Twisted Abomination, the effect of the Great Infector changed.
Before, I could strengthen up to six traits: three infection-type and three nest-type.
Now, I could choose up to three traits from either category and grant them a special effect called 'Psychic Contamination Boost'.
This change had reset the traits I'd previously enhanced like Parasitic Hive and Acidic Fungal Glands. I hadn't reassigned them since, simply because I hadn't needed to.
'Looks like now's the time.'
I summoned the text box.
[Great Infector]
You are one, yet many.
｢You may select up to 3 traits from the Infection/Nest Enhancement categories and grant them a special effect.
*Psychic Contamination Boost: Unassigned, Unassigned, Unassigned
*Note: Once all effects are granted, traits cannot be swapped until the enhanced traits are removed.
*PS: Depending on perspective, the individual may become the collective.｣
All slots were marked as 'Unassigned'. But I already knew which trait I wanted to empower.
[ZZZ ZZZ ZZZ (Can you tell where the comms equipment is located?)]
｢Precise estimate unavailable.｣
[ZZZ ZZZ ZZ (Just need the general area and sector.)]
｢That much is possible.｣
I began slowly circling the perimeter of the facility. Along the way, PS-111 pointed out spots that likely contained communication terminals.
Once I had a good idea of the layout, I set the trait I had in mind Gremlin Moss, a fused trait that had proven useful against machines.
'If it still spreads like a cloud, that would be perfect.'
Or maybe, given the new 'Psychic Contamination' modifier, it might behave differently, something linked to psychic influence.
'Either way, I'll find out by using it.'
[ZZZ ZZZ ZZ (You two, back away for a moment.)]
They might get caught in the effect. I distanced myself slightly from the Screamer Sisters and moved toward one of the locations PS-111 had indicated.
Then I activated the newly enhanced Gremlin Moss.
A strange shimmer began to flow from my body light spilling beyond the edge of the Dark Veil.
Tiny glowing motes, like fireflies in the abyss, drifted out into the open waters and slowly descended onto the icy crust.
｢Wow! Sparkle-sparkle! It's so pretty!｣
Number 26's gleeful pulse resonated around me.
And it was beautiful visually. The way those glowing motes glimmered on the ocean floor was mesmerizing.
But what my energy field detected told a different story. The Gremlin Moss had nothing in common with real fireflies or anything innocent.
Ominous sparks drifted slowly outward, then began to creep, inch by inch, over the human-built structure coiling into cracks and seams like living fog.
——————
"Hey, we're out of supplies. Let's grab some and get a bit of fresh air while we're at it."
"No way. We've got to file the report first."
"How long can that possibly take? We'll write it after we get back."
"Don't you remember what happened to the guys before us? Someone always has to stay behind."
"Tch. Then I'll just go by myself, alright?"
Just back from patrol duty, the man named Ben stepped out of the submersible alone.
The docking bay floor he stepped onto was as spotless as the interior of a brand-new warship.
This bay's main function was to disinfect anyone entering the facility. It wasn't until he'd undergone a full-body cleansing and changed into clean clothes that he was allowed inside.
Why such extreme hygiene protocols were in place, even he didn't know. And despite being from one of the Sub-Capitals, Ben had been given next to no classified information.
He only knew two things for sure:
First, the facility's security was obsessively strict.
Second, the pay was ridiculously good.
His job was to pilot a patrol sub and guard the facility. Essentially, he was just security but even so, he earned more credits than team leaders back in the Sub-Capital space cities.
Sure, life under the sea sucked sometimes. But with the kind of pay he was getting, he had no real complaints.
"What's this, Ben? Done for the day already?"
The moment he stepped out of the docking bay, he was greeted by a familiar face near the hover shuttle terminal. One of the shuttle logistics staff called out to him.
"Just grabbing supplies we ran out."
"I see. Fill this out first, and wait over there."
In this base, all inter-zone movement required use of the hover shuttle. It was part of the security protocol's strict control of internal movement.
Ben quickly finished the travel request form and stood by at the boarding platform.
It was relatively quiet. Everyone else was likely still on duty. Aside from the shuttle staff checking paperwork, there was only Ben and a few others who had arrived earlier.
"Haaah…"
He stretched and yawned, glancing around idly.
That's when he noticed them
A woman in a white lab coat, and a group of men in work jumpsuits, all waiting at the terminal.
'Those are comms team uniforms.'
Ben recognized the outfits. The communications team handled all the hardware for the facility's underwater networks. He'd seen them before when they came to fix a problem with his submersible.
The woman with them was unfamiliar. She stood slightly apart, speaking to them in a low voice. The air between them looked tense very clearly, not a casual conversation.
'What are they doing here at this hour…? Uh-oh.'
He must have stared too long. The woman in the lab coat turned and looked directly at him.
Afraid she might come over and start something, Ben quickly averted his gaze and acted busy.
"Hey, you"
Just as she opened her mouth
｢Hover shuttle arriving. Hover shuttle arriving.｣
The automated announcement rang out, cutting her off.
As soon as the shuttle doors slid open, Ben darted inside without hesitation.
He deliberately boarded the rearmost compartment, far from the woman and her team.
｢All passengers aboard. Departing now.｣
With the staff's confirmation, the shuttle doors sealed shut and it lurched into motion.
Outside, the scenery raced past.
Among the flashes through the window, Ben briefly caught sight of the woman again, still standing on the platform.
"Phew… Dodged a bullet."
He muttered under his breath, slumping into the seat. She definitely looked like someone high up getting on her bad side could've gone real bad.
"Tch. Whatever, let's just get this over with."
He reached into his uniform and pulled out his personal terminal, preparing to check off the supplies he needed to collect.
But just as the screen lit up
The shuttle jolted violently.
Still hunched over the device, Ben was thrown clean off his seat and tumbled to the floor.
"Wh-What the hell?!"
Overhead lights sparked and then went out.
The compartment was instantly swallowed in darkness. The only illumination came from the blur of shapes whipping past the windows outside.
The hover shuttle was accelerating fast. Unnaturally fast.
"H-Hiiiik?!"
Ben fumbled desperately into the seat and snapped the safety belt into place. The buckle clicked shut just as his body was violently lifted into the air.
A scream escaped his lips, but it was immediately drowned out by a deafening roar and a massive impact. The compartment's walls and floor tore apart like paper, and the seat he clung to was ripped from its mountings.
In the span of a heartbeat, the storm of destruction passed leaving only darkness and silence in its wake.
"G-Guhk! Kuhk! Cough!"
Choking on dust and debris, Ben coughed raggedly from where he lay buried under wreckage, still partially strapped to his seat.
"W-What the hell… cough happened? Kuhk!"
As the shock wore off and his body adjusted, the horror of the situation came into view.
The hover shuttle had gone haywire and crashed into the terminal at full acceleration. The pristine platform, once clean enough to rival a surgical suite, was now a crumbling ruin.
By sheer luck, Ben had boarded the rearmost compartment. It had only been partially destroyed. The rest of the shuttle, especially the front sections, was completely obliterated. If he'd boarded even a few meters ahead, he would've died on impact.
That wasn't to say he'd escaped unscathed.
Every cough brought up flecks of blood. His abdomen throbbed with pain so sharp it made him nauseous. He didn't need a scan to know he was seriously injured.
"Cough! T-Tch… Is anyone cough! anyone there? Please! Somebody help! Cough!"
His hoarse voice echoed weakly through the rubble-strewn remains of the platform.
But no one answered.
Not the passengers.
Not the staff who had been waiting nearby.
It seemed everyone had been caught in the disaster.
Still, Ben refused to give up hope. He knew the facility was riddled with surveillance cameras; there was no way something like this would go unnoticed for long. They had to know by now. Help would be coming.
All he had to do was stay alive until then.
And maybe, just maybe, his prayers were heard
A distant light appeared through the haze and ruin.
"Over here! Kuhk! I'm still alive! I'm!"
His frantic cries halted as the light drew nearer.
There was something… wrong about it.
It was approaching far too fast, almost unnaturally so. At the same time, a low metallic whine grew steadily louder
A sound Ben recognized instantly.
And in that instant, he froze.
That wasn't the beam of a rescue team's flashlight.
The fast-approaching light was
Another hover shuttle.
"W-Wait NO! AAAAGH!"
Ben's scream of terror was cut short.
***
"Hm?"
Ben's colleague, who had been writing up their report, suddenly looked up. A strange sound had caught his ear.
"Did I hear that right?"
He tried to brush it off but the sound came again. Definitely from outside. He got up and pressed his ear to the wall.
Amid the familiar hum of the submersible's systems, there was something new. Something… wrong.
It was the sound of someone screaming.
"!"
The moment he realized what it was, he froze.
A scream. Not some mechanical error or odd vibration but a human scream. Something that absolutely should not exist in this place.
Panic rising, he rushed to contact the base.
"This is the submersible! Come in! Someone answer! Dammit!"
The signal was going out, but only static came back. Even direct messages to Ben received no reply.
The base's comms were down.
'Should I go out and check?'
He hesitated, weighing his options. That's when he heard a dull banging sound.
Thump. Thump.
It was coming from the submersible's hatch. Someone had entered the docking area and was knocking on the door.
Thinking it might be Ben, he pulled up the external camera feed only to see someone else entirely.
A group of people in white lab coats had gathered in the docking bay, pounding on the sub's hatch, trying to get in.
"What the hell…?"
A woman among them held up a communicator, her voice distorted but urgent.
"Hey! Hurry, krzzk open the door! The base computer krzzk it's gone crazy! It's dangerous!"
Shocked by their sudden appearance, he stared at the monitor. The woman waved frantically, and her companions looked wrecked. Their lab coats were stained with dirt and blood, their faces and limbs battered. They had clearly been through hell.
"O-Okay, hold on just a sec huh?"
He moved to open the hatch only for another problem to hit. The docking bay's decontamination system suddenly activated, locking the hatch.
"W-What? Why now?!"
He tried to override the system, but the console refused to respond. Only an error message blinked back: Command failed to transmit.
Then, the water jets started.
"Aaaaagh!!"
"Kyaaaa! It's KRZZK too hot!!"
Decontamination jets typically sprayed cool water cold enough to jolt someone awake. But what the camera showed was nothing close to normal.
Steam hissed violently as boiling water burst from every direction, drenching the screaming survivors. Their skin turned red, then blistered, then peeled away under the scalding spray.
"Oh god…"
The rising steam quickly obscured the feed. The communicator went silent. All that remained was the thumping on the hatch.
Then even that stopped.
A suffocating silence fell over the submersible.
No screams.
No pounding.
Nothing.
The lock disengaged with a soft click.
But he couldn't bring himself to open the hatch.
Instead, he gripped the controls.
I have to get out of here. Now.
Something was catastrophically wrong. People were dying from what looked like system malfunctions, and communications were completely down. There was no doubt in his mind: the same thing must be happening inside the base.
He initiated departure.
The sub disengaged from the docking port and slowly submerged into the surrounding water, passing through the short tunnel that connected it to the deep ocean beyond.
The facility behind him looked almost the same as it had when he arrived except now, parts of it had gone dark. Large sectors sat in pitch blackness.
He didn't even want to imagine what was happening in those shadows.
Just get out. I have to get out
Suddenly, the sub lurched violently.
"W-What?!"
The vehicle had been accelerating at full speed but now it wasn't moving forward at all.
Had it hit something? He brought up the sonar.
No objects detected just the sub itself.
"…Wait."
He'd just left the facility. At the very least, the base should still show up on sensors. Which meant…
Something is interfering with the detection systems.
He went pale.
His trembling fingers activated the flare launcher.
The flare burst out from the reinforced viewing window, its pale light piercing the darkness.
And then… it stopped.
The flare hit something invisible, directly in front of the sub.
It flickered like a candle in the wind… revealing an immense shadow.
It wasn't an ice ridge, nor another submersible.
The black shroud around it slowly parted.
And there it was.
A pale leviathan, so vast its size couldn't even be estimated, staring directly at him.
Overcome by awe and terror, the man couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. A wordless shriek escaped his mouth.
But in the crushing depths of the sea no one heard it.
——————
'Where do you think you're going?'
I tightened the corrosive tentacles coiled around the submersible.
As the hardened shield shattered, everything inside was instantly crushed by the pressure. I tossed the crumpled wreckage to the right head.
｢Grrr｣
｢Grkk｣
'That makes twenty now.'
The right head chewed on the metal like gum, crunching and grinding it. The left head, which had eaten first, licked its lips while watching. Feeling that satisfaction, I turned to look at the base.
The facility glowed atop the icy depths of the deep sea, but the light had dimmed since earlier.
The sections now cloaked in darkness were all overrun by the 'Gremlin Moss'.
Half of those areas housed communication systems where I had personally seeded the Gremlin Moss.
The rest? That wasn't me. The moss had spread on its own, infecting those zones without my command.
'It's finding targets and acting on its own... That's unusual.'
It seems to be operating under a mechanism similar to a hive mind. I give the target, and it carries out the task in what it deems the most efficient way.
It's almost like a parasite, in a sense.
The difference is, the moss can absorb energy sources other than what I supply it.
That's why the lights went out in the occupied areas. This evolved Gremlin Moss is siphoning off the base's energy as nutrients. Without that, launching an attack on a base of this scale would've been impossible.
'Gremlin Moss with autonomy, huh.'
Whether that turns out to be an advantage or a liability, there's one thing I know for sure
Its potential is considerable.
If I play this right, it could be a valuable tool in the Solar System campaign.
'Looks like that side's cleared out…'
No more submersibles trying to escape. Time to head in. I approached the facility with the others hiding in the dark veil.
As I neared, the Gremlin Moss occupying the zone reacted. The door the submersibles had used to escape slid open.
[ZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ (Adhai. You can let go now.)]
｢Not yet｣ ｢Outside still｣
[ZZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZZ (That narrow spot's too tight for both of us.)]
｢Understood｣ ｢Still...｣ ｢Slightly｣ ｢Regretful｣
Adhai, who had been curled up in my arms, sluggishly slid off like someone reluctantly leaving a warm blanket in winter.
I aligned my head-plate and body into a straight line, throwing my arms and corrosive tentacles backward. I slimmed my form just enough to squeeze through the doorway. It was a tight fit, but I managed.
This was the launch corridor used by submersibles. Once everyone was inside behind me, the door sealed shut and the water drained. Patches of Gremlin Moss clinging to the ceiling lit up, welcoming their master.
'Oh?'
Maybe because I was closer now, I could feel the Gremlin Moss's activity through the energy field.
The detailed report startled me.
'Smarter than I thought.'
It hadn't just disabled the facility.
After taking over, the moss forced malfunctions to attack personnel from within.
It adjusted internal pressure to crush groups of people at once. It sabotaged hoverbuses mid-evacuation to wipe out fleeing survivors. Things like that.
From the survivors' perspective, the machines meant to protect them had suddenly gone berserk.
Figuring out the cause wouldn't be easy; they'd never suspect that glowing moss.
'At this point, even if they wanted to stop it, they couldn't.'
And reading the moss's movements, I learned something else.
It didn't attack the others who entered with me. Thanks to the symbiotic spores on their bodies, it recognized them as allies.
'So I don't need to worry about PS-111 or Isabel.'
The sisters are mutant screamers, both partially mechanical. I was worried they might be affected by the moss, but thankfully, that's not the case.
Just as I was savoring the effectiveness of this new trait, the barrier door ahead slid open.
After squeezing through a few more tight corridors, we finally arrived at a spacious chamber.
'A hoverbus terminal?'
It had once served as a transit hub for base personnel. Now, it was completely ruined.
Hoverbuses that had veered off course were jammed into the walls and ceiling, half-destroyed. The floor was littered with mangled corpses.
"I'll check where we need to go next."
"I'll assist."
As usual, PS-111 and Isabel located a local terminal and began hacking.
｢Big One, can I eat this?｣
｢Me too｣
[ZZZZ (Go ahead.)]
｢Yay!｣
While the Screamer sisters worked, the two predators gorged themselves on the scattered remains.
By the time every last corpse had vanished into their stomachs, PS-111 returned with an update.
"There's a restricted zone in the central area. All cargo has been moved there."
The central area... I had seen a dome-like structure at the heart of the facility from outside.
That must be it.
[ZZ ZZ Z (Let's move, everyone.)]
Together, we headed toward the central restricted zone.
Following the hoverbus tracks, we walked for about an hour before a massive barrier door blocked our path.
"Looks like a bomb shelter."
"This area uses a closed circuit. Every system is custom-built. External hacking is impossible."
That barrier was absurdly rugged and hard to believe it was part of a high-tech underwater facility. Just like Isabel said, it looked like something straight out of an apocalypse movie like a nuclear bunker.
'There's not even a terminal for access.'
It was the kind of door that could only be opened from the inside.
And then I sensed movement beyond the thick door. Through the energy field, I picked up traces of plasma energy and the faint scent of sweat.
Survivors. Armed. Standing guard inside the restricted zone.
'Let's start by opening the door.'
It was thicker and tougher than a warship's outer hull but that wouldn't be enough to stop me.
Just as I decided to break through, something shifted on the other side.
Dozens of life signs suddenly erupted into frenzied movement. Simultaneously, plasma energy flared across the chamber then blinked out.
"You heard that, right? That noise came from inside."
"It is an 81% match with plasma rifle discharge."
"Amorph?"
The Screamer sisters all turned to look at me.
The commotion within I knew exactly what was causing it. I'd seen it before, back when I entered another space city.
My energy field. It pollutes minds and incites madness.
Those humans inside must've gone berserk and started attacking each other.
'So, if they perceive my presence, the effect intensifies.'
If they see me, hear me, or even sense me while within the range of the field, the descent into insanity accelerates.
Seems like one of the more perceptive soldiers in there must've sensed me.
'If only I could control it better.'
A few minutes later, the door let out a deafening rumble and slowly opened.
"Heh... heehee... light! Heeheehee! S-save me... bleuaagh!"
The chamber beyond was a slaughterhouse.
Most had died from plasma shots, but not all.
About a quarter of the corpses had succumbed to madness and taken their own lives.
The one who'd opened the door wasn't sane either.
Drenched in blood, he muttered something unintelligible before collapsing, dead.
"The energy field Amorph emits has a detrimental effect on sentient minds. Eleven individuals suffered psychotic breaks and initiated a firefight."
"I've seen it before, but this is... this is practically a pseudo-Vortex One."
Hearing that name come from Isabel, once a Coldblood herself, stirred a strange feeling in me.
'Vortex One, huh.'
That thing does exist as a being known for plunging sentient minds into madness and confusion.
But even it doesn't affect both machines and humans alike.
Like Isabel said, to the average sapient, I must seem like some demon of the cosmos.
'And I'm only going to grow stronger.'
｢Big One｣ ｢This one｣ ｢Can we eat it?｣
｢Big One, let's eat together!｣
Adhai and Number 26's telepathic voices brought me out of my thoughts.
Sensing my hunger, Number 26 had handed me a corpse.
'Still a long way to go.'
There are beings out here that can still threaten me.
One of the reasons I came here in the first place was to devour experimental organisms to extract their genetic essence and grow stronger.
I swallowed the charred corpse in a single gulp.
[ZZ ZZZ ZZZ Z (Grab what you can eat and let's go in)]
We passed through the door and entered the heart of the restricted zone.
The interior had the same austere feel as the entrance, nothing like the usual Megacorp facility.
The hallways were rough and bare. Not a single ornament. Not even the standard terminals that litter most places.
Some parts of the infrastructure seemed like they hadn't been touched in ages.
Several doors had been crudely welded shut, rendering them permanently sealed.
Not that the place had been entirely abandoned there were caretakers.
Or there had been. All of them were dead before we even had to face them.
｢So much food｣ ｢Too much｣ ｢I'm full｣
｢Stomach's happy｣
Thanks to that, Adhai and 26 were able to feast to their hearts' content.
Eventually, we arrived at what seemed to be the central data room of this zone.
"This one hasn't been welded shut."
"This system is still active."
"Looks like it. Let's head in."
Once inside, I saw rows of computers, data storage units, and a hologram projector.
"I'll check what kind of work was done here."
The computers powered on, and the hologram projector linked to them lit up. Security protocols immediately began flashing warning messages, but PS-111 disabled them one by one with ease.
｢Big One, I'm sleepy.｣
｢Me too.｣
Having filled their bellies on the way here, the two of them lay down beside the warm data storage units. I gently patted them, then turned my attention to the hologram.
"Anything interesting come up?"
"The security system is quite complex. It's an outdated method, no longer widely used due to inefficiency. However…"
PS-111 gave a subtle nod, and the hologram screen shifted. The room filled with a rigid grid of characters and numerical strings displayed in neat lines.
"With my current capabilities, I can bypass it easily."
"Knew I could count on you."
"You're always reliable."
Isabel and I offered our praise as we examined the data on the hologram.
'There's a lot of it.'
For what felt like an abandoned facility, the data logs stored here were numerous. They all appeared to be project-related documents easily numbering in the thousands.
"These are all separate projects?"
"No. Only two projects have ever been conducted at this facility. What you're seeing is the experimental log entries tied to those two."
According to the timestamps, the records clustered around two periods: one from ten years ago, the other from two years back. Just like PS-111 said, the base only seemed to operate during specific projects. Currently, it has no active projects hence the closure.
"What about the organisms used in those experiments?"
"There are no records indicating they were disposed of or transferred elsewhere."
"Then they probably broke them down into samples and stored them."
"Correct. There is a 91% probability that they were refined and preserved as genetic samples."
I figured as much. The only living beings here had been the humans guarding the facility.
Still, the fact that the samples remain even in that form is a relief.
"Hey sis, was this place used for Hulk Mutant experiments?"
"That was the focus of the first project ten years ago. The second project, two years ago, was different. There were fewer combat trials and more adaptation-based experiments."
"Adaptation? That doesn't seem like something you'd need to keep secret."
"We'll need to check the experiment logs to understand more."
As PS-111 spoke, the holographic entries began scrolling rapidly.
'Project Director: Denver Edgerton? Was he related to the House of Edgerton? That would explain the obsession with Hulk Mutants... huh?'
I was scanning through the logs, wondering if there might be any usable intel, when a familiar name jumped out at me.
"Wait, pause there."
"What is it?"
PS-111 stopped the scrolling. I activated one of my auxiliary organs beneath my jaw to interface directly with the terminal.
｢Experiment Title: Research on Triggering Radical Evolution Through Extraction of Genetic Mutation Potential in Marine Organisms
Project Lead: External Guest Researcher, Kisaragi Yujin.
Note: Project terminated due to disappearance of lead researcher.｣
"Kisaragi Yujin?"
"You know him?"
A long time ago but there's no way I'd forget that name.
The human who led me to Number 26.
The very first prey I ever hunted after becoming the Amorph.
To find traces of the long-dead Kisaragi Yujin in this strange, secret facility
It stirred something deep within me.