Ep. 254
Faster-than-light voyages have taken place several times, but there has never been a follow-up. All that was visible was black silk decorated with five-colored stars.
I returned to the ship through the open hangar.
In the hangar, Gryphon Wolff, the Mother of Sky, was inspecting the aircraft. She was examining the storm gun mounted under the wing and spoke to me when I entered.
「What about tracking?」
[Zuzu (no)]
「The ‘wavelength’ at the end. Is that why we can’t chase after you?”
[Zuzu (Well)]
Thanks to the sudden abnormality, we were able to safely escape from Star Union.
An intangible wave that flew from somewhere destroyed the enemy fleet. Since I was facing the enemy directly, I knew immediately what was happening.
‘All the captains are dead.’
When looking at ships that move and then stop or repeat actions, there was only one answer. The cyborg captains in control of the ship were killed.
After the wave swept around me once, the ships did not return to their original state. A Star Union ship can be commanded by a cyborg that can connect directly to the ship’s computer via cable, as PS-111 does.
In other words, the fact that the ships did not recover normally despite the fire I spewed out means that all the cyborgs on board were killed.
「There was no event like that in the game, right?」
[Zuzuzuzuzuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (I’ve never heard of a wave that only kills cyborgs)]
「…I don’t know the cause, but I was lucky.’
She’s right.
What if that wavelength harmed all living things, not just cyborgs? Or what if it happened after we lost to Star Union?
If that were the case, everyone wouldn’t have been as safe as they are now.
‘But it wasn’t 100% luck.’
The abnormal phenomenon that occurred at the right time did not only benefit us.
A ship led by the Sihyeon Eugene faction. Because they were also engaged in battle with the Star Union fleet.
‘I said this before.’
It is said that the remnants of Sihyeon Eugene visited the frozen planet in search of relics. Perhaps the wave that wiped out the cyborgs may also be related to the artifact they found.
‘I am not totally sure.’
The likelihood of encountering them in the future is low. The place this ship is heading now is a place that is not under the control of any of the Megacorp Star Union Cult Empires.
‘It’s an easy place to get information, so let’s take a look.’
「Anyway, since you came, I should also get some rest.」
[Zuzuzuzu (I had a hard time)]
「What trouble?」
I left the hangar with Heavenly Mother. She tried to go in the opposite direction from me, perhaps thinking of going to a place other than the storage area to rest.
[Zuzuzu Zuzuzu (wait a moment)]
“Huh?”
I called her over and entered the storage room.
When I entered, number 26, who had grown in size, was sleeping in front of the wall. It was taking out all of its fins, which were usually hidden, and wrapping them around something.
‘What are you doing?’
Gallagon eggs were visible between the fins. Like a hen incubating eggs, she was using her body and fins to hold the eggs.
There is no problem with Green Gallagon or higher, but in the case of Blue Gallagon or Egg, psychic power is essential for survival. That’s why No. 26, which creates its own psychic power, manages the eggs so they don’t die.
‘I have to figure out how to solve that too.’
I entered the storage room carefully so as not to wake him. Among the refrigerated containers located inside, several green gallagons were sleeping face down.
And between them was a backpack containing the items and equipment I had brought from the dragon’s nest.
I stretched out my long fighting arms like spider legs and picked up one of the mineral fragments.
When she came out of the storage room, she yawned but quickly closed her mouth. I held out the mineral to her.
[Zuzu (take it)]
「That?」
[Zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzuzu (It is necessary for deification)]
She looked at the gemstone in my hand and opened her eyes round.
The name of this mineral, which has white grains scattered on a black background, is star pearl. It is used to make tools necessary to increase Wolff’s deification.
‘Processing is impossible right now, though.’
Star Pearl gemstone is very hard, so it cannot be processed with ordinary equipment. But it doesn’t matter. There will be equipment and technicians who can process this at the location we are going to.
As the name suggests, she received a beautiful lump of mineral that looked like a star pearl and looked at it with subtle eyes.
「Oh, I took this before.」
[Zuzuzuzu(I took it?)]
「You said that you and I would tour the nest with PS-111 on the day Ort returned to the nest. I got it then. “I put it in my backpack, but you haven’t seen it.”
Thinking about it, it’s been a while since I haven’t carried a backpack recently. The last time I searched through my backpack was when I was trying to prey on the Blood River.
From then on, Adhaina Sky Mother continued to pack the backpack.
[Zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzuzu (I have it just in case)]
「Okay. “It wouldn’t hurt to have one more.”
I had nothing more to say, so I was about to go back into the storage room when she called me. She said, scratching her beak with her fingernails.
“thank you. “I’ll write it well.”
She left the place with a wave of gratitude.
‘Because it can be used for other purposes besides deification.’
Star Pearl is also used as a material for high-end equipment used by Cult Wolf. If it could be processed somehow, it would be of sufficient help to her.
After letting her go, I went back into the storage room.
‘I should check my backpack.’
After returning to the spot where I had just taken out the Star Pearl, I knelt down on the floor and picked up my backpack. Then, the diamond-shaped tombstone that was standing at an angle next to the backpack fell down.
This is a tombstone picked up from Od Grad’s residence. Along with the ring that hides one’s emotions, I deliberately took it with me to investigate because it was an item that had been touched by civilization.
‘Check it later… huh?’
I picked up the tombstone with my fingers to put it back up, but its condition was different from what I had seen before. Light was emanating from unknown characters engraved on the surface.
‘This?’
I touched the light-emitting text with my finger, but there was no reaction. It only emits light intermittently, as if it had always been like that.
‘hmm.’
I took out the auxiliary organs under the monster’s tentacle jaw and even touched the tentacles, but there was no change. Meanwhile, the light became increasingly faint.
‘if?’
Suddenly, I remembered the ring Od Grad was wearing. I picked up the ring lying around my backpack and put it on my small arm near my chest.
Immediately, a change occurred in the monument.
“Temporary user ‘Od Grad’ has been confirmed. ‘Communication with Akira Eugene is connected.’
‘Huh?’
A text box with a familiar appearance appeared before my eyes, and at the same time, the tombstone slipped out of my hands.
An unfamiliar voice began to flow from the tombstone floating in the air.
“grow. What took you so long? There was no answer for a while, so I tried to contact you later.
“What is it?”
“Tsk, since I received it, I’ll ask. “What happened to what I said before?”
The owner of the voice was a man whose age was difficult to estimate. The voice itself seemed like a young person’s, but the tone and atmosphere were similar to those of an old person.
My attention is focused on the message printed in the text box. There it is recorded who the owner of the voice is.
‘Akira Eugene.’
I heard this from Jason before. There is someone in Megacorp who insists on using a Japanese name and acts like an old man with a chubby disease.
‘There’s only one weird guy like that.’
He is the 3rd ranked player and a fierce Aimorph hunter who is one step ahead of Jason. Thanks to you, he is a Megacorp ranker who fought with me tirelessly.
‘I never thought he and the black dragon were related.’
Only then did I understand.
The person who gave Odd Grad the ring is Akira Eugene.
Because of its power to read the future, Odd Grad was afraid of the challenges of young Gallagons or beings born with the power of Red Gallagons, such as Aadhai. The person who solved this problem was Akira Eugene.
‘I wondered who made this.’
He gave him a ring to hide his emotions, allowing Od Grad to oppress and rule over the Gallagons.
What I received from the black dragon in return was probably…
‘Gallagon.’
Ham Ort said Od Grad regularly kills hatchlings or throws their eggs out of the nest. The reason is to reduce the burden on the herd by reducing weak individuals.
When I heard the story at the time, I thought he had taken such action for his own safety, but my guess was only half correct.
He must have been regularly handing over eggs and gallagons to Akira Eugene’s forces.
This explains why the members of the Eugene family that I have fought so far, including Sihyeon Eugene and the Shadows, have Gallagon’s genes. This was all possible because Akira Eugene was receiving Gallagon from Odd Grad.
“Why is there no answer? Have you not dealt with Eimoff yet?”
And looking at what he’s saying now, it seems like he was talking about me before I came. It was probably an order to capture and kill me.
‘The black dragon that can read the future is definitely a tough opponent.’
If it weren’t for Yuil and the kids created through the transcendence system, things would have gone according to his plan.
I looked at the tombstone for a moment and then opened my mouth. Jason’s voice came out of my throat.
“long time no see. 3rd place.”
「!」
Maybe it was because I heard a completely unexpected voice. I could hear him swallowing his breath through the tombstone.
“I guess I didn’t expect this.”
「…この糞野郎が。(…this bastard.)」
“Your pet is dead.”
Even without seeing his face, I could tell how angry he was. Because the plan to kill me failed and the route to supply Gallagon was lost.
I sentenced him in a dry voice.
“The day when I will meet you is not far away.”
“Tch!”
With a brief click of the tongue, the light on the tombstone went out. Then the tombstone cracked and broke in half.
Looking at that, it seems like he knows what I’m talking about.
‘Well, not right away, but after becoming an adult.’
I plan to fulfill the conditions to become an adult in the places this ship is headed. In the realm where the outlaws of the universe roam.
After becoming a saint, you will be able to meet him and talk to him in person, rather than through a tombstone like you do now.
At that point, there are only two options he can choose from.
Either fight me and die.
Or run away from me and die.
Thoughts about what to do next were constantly running through my mind.
Regardless of me, the Cradle of Steel carrying monsters steadily moved toward its destination.
–
In the luxurious office, Akira Yujin glared at the mahogany table with a cold expression. There was a diamond-shaped tombstone with letters engraved on it.
“….”
The monument lent to Od Grad was immediately destroyed, but that did not make things any better.
The conversation wasn’t long, but that damned Aimorph would have taken a lot of information out of it. Even in games, he was always like that.
Knowing that fact, his insides were burning like an active volcano.
‘くそ! (Fuck!) くそ! (Fuck!) くそ! (Fuck!)’
Moreover, the last provocation he left behind. The bastard dared to kill him.
Akira Eugene, the CEO of Megacorp, one of the most powerful forces in the universe, and the king of Earth. If someone else had said that, I would have torn them limb from limb with laughter.
Star Union’s ranker Zubaka and Megacorp’s ranker Chloe Carmelda. Neither of them dare talk to him like that. Because they know that he will really come and tear their mouths apart.
But now he couldn’t do anything to Eimov. I wanted to curse at the guy, but I couldn’t. It was because I was afraid I might make a mistake and leak more information to him.
As soon as the thoughts reached that point, Akira couldn’t bear it.
“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!”
As he screamed and screamed, his arm became deformed. As the monster’s arm flew wildly, the mahogany table in front of it split into four pieces. Besides that, other luxury goods were shattered by his hands.
“Odd graduu! Jaceuuuuuuuuuuuu! You idiots! dare! How dare you know who I am! Aaaaaaaaaah!”
Akira’s glow continued for a long time in the completely soundproof office.
–
“Have you received the ‘cargo’ I sent? “Chloe.”
“Yes. of course. “Thanks to Cynthia, I think the rate of research progress will increase significantly.”
“Please don’t forget that you are guaranteeing my safety.”
“Don’t worry. “Because it is a place where the old man’s touch cannot reach.”
“Well, after seeing it in person, it seems like that.”
“I told them well, so there won’t be any inconvenience.” “Then let’s talk again next time.”
“All right. “Chloe.”
With those words, the light on the diamond tombstone connected to the electric wire went out.
After ending her communication with Cynthia, Chloe Carmelda left the room on her levitating chair.
“Cynthia hid well and even fed the unlucky old man a good meal. I don’t know because I can’t contact Zubaka oppa, but he’s always busy. “I’m sure it will take care of itself.”
She was happy that things were going smoothly for the first time in a long time.
Last time, the four of them, Akira, Eugene, Cynthia Zubaka, and she, planned a hunting operation for Moffak. Cynthia informed cult ranker Jason of the guy’s location, and Akira Eugene ordered Black Gallagon to kill the guy.
After the discussion was over, Chloe called Cynthia aside. To make one request.
If, by any chance, Jason succeeds or fails in hunting Moffak, I want him to be the first to tell me.
Currently, she was independently conducting research on genetically synthesized organisms, namely Hulk mutants, with Star Union’s Zubaka. What was needed for this was the genes of the rankers.
If Amov was killed, Akira Eugene would no doubt claim his body. Jason, who is more ignorant than he looks, will be satisfied with having obtained the privilege, so he will easily hand over the body to Akira.
That wasn’t possible, so she asked Cynthia, Jason’s personal contact, to do it.
And the result of the battle was Jason’s defeat. He returned to Cynthia with only his head blown off.
She immediately reported Jason’s death to Chloe, and Chloe made a deal with Cynthia.
Don’t tell Akira that Jason is dead because it will ensure her safety.
It was obvious that if Akira found out that Jason was defeated, he would use another tactic to catch Moffak. Not only that, he probably tried to take Jason’s body too.
So she delayed the news of Jason’s death ‘quite a bit’.
‘I didn’t know it would work out this well.’
If it were any other time, there would be no way Akira Yujin would not have noticed this. In the first place, there was also Black Gallagon on the same planet, so just by checking, Jason’s defeat was immediately known.
But this time heaven helped her.
Akira Yujin was busy with negotiations to end the civil war, so he couldn’t really understand how things were going.
Thanks to that, she was able to achieve her goal without difficulty.
‘Jason’s body and several samples. When he leaves, he leaves behind a lot of things.’
The levitation chair she was riding in stopped in front of the lab door. A soft light emanated from the terminal next to the door and scanned her entire body.
“welcome. “Chloe Carmelda.”
A thick iron door opened with a familiar voice.
A pure white, colorless space welcomed her. Everything on the floor, walls, and ceiling was white, as if the entire space had been lifted and bleached.
The only things of color there were researchers bustling around and dozens of test tubes.
One of the researchers walking around lowered his head when he saw Chloe.
“Matriarch. The clone culture progress rate is currently 23%. “It is very stable compared to the previous test subject.”
“That’s good news. When it reaches 50% or more, initiate gene fusion.”
“All right. But, matriarch. Senior researcher Li Zhao also asked where on earth I got something like this.
In response to a question from a researcher who approached the chair, Chloe covered her mouth and made a gesture indicating that she could not speak.
“Please tell me that it is a family secret and I cannot tell you.”
“Hahaha, is that also true? “Ah, since we have a new test subject, how about giving it a name this time?”
At those words, Chloe tapped the chair with her index finger. After thinking for a moment, she opened her mouth.
“This time, let’s go with JS.”
“JS? Last time you said PS, does it have any meaning?”
Instead of answering, Chloe only smiled faintly. As she seemed to have no intention of speaking, the researcher shrugged his shoulders and did not ask any more questions.
‘I wonder how helpful Jason will be.’
With that thought in mind, she looked at the cult clone in the test tube.
She had a beautiful appearance like a girl, and her eyes were colored with quiet madness.