VA-04 star system.
This star system, located relatively close to the Cult Empire in Megacorp’s sphere of influence, is one of the important locations for Megacorp. This is because the star system contains many planets with valuable and high-grade minerals.
The Prime Capital Edgerton family, the current owners of the star system, build high-performance ships using minerals mined there. So, I was quite concerned about the defense of the star system.
After the death of matriarch Denver Edgerton, the entire family fell into chaos, but VA-04 remained stable.
Until exactly one month ago.
“Temporary food management team leader. “What is the situation there?”
A conference room where the lights flicker imperfectly.
People with emaciated looks are sitting in front of a long table.
A woman with a haggard complexion slowly opened her mouth in response to a question from the man sitting at the head of the table.
“Based on the current trend, there are 15 days left until all the food is consumed.”
“…There are only two weeks left. “Why not reduce the rations?”
“Even if that were the case, I think it would be difficult to extend the time. Because someone sitting over there will continue to receive refugees.”
Then, the man sitting opposite the temporary food management team leader hit the desk hard.
“hey! Be careful what you say! There are hundreds of thousands of refugees from the mineral planet! “Let’s abandon them all?”
“Ha, when did you have such a keen sense of ethics? “You all know that I got into trouble while trying to secretly receive servants from the family, right?”
“Keu, keuhm!”
“Hey, ‘temporary’ team leader. “Why don’t you say that right now in front of the refugees?”
“what? temporary?! you! “You are disparaging a position recognized by Prime Capital!”
As if they had been waiting, people divided into right and left groups and started fighting. The quiet conference room suddenly became noisy with shouting and swearing.
The man at the head of the table, Xavier, the temporary general manager of Edgerton Resource Center, vigorously rubbed his face with one hand.
A month ago, a huge number of Outspacers suddenly appeared and swept the entire star system.
As a result, all space fortresses and ground settlements in the star system were destroyed, and only 20% of the National Guard remained.
The only remaining place is the center of the star system, Edgerton Resource Management Center.
Edgerton Resource Center was designed to supply and accommodate large fleets, benchmarking cult-style space fortresses. Although the residential area is small, it can accommodate a lot more defensive facilities. Otherwise, it would have been hit by an outspacer like in other places.
However, the resource management center has also reached its limits.
Due to the constant influx of outspacers, the number of defensive facilities has been greatly reduced.
Xavier was originally the head of the crisis management team at Resource Management Center. He took over temporarily due to the death of the previous general manager. Since there was a shortage of not only weapons but also people to fight, middle capitals were forcibly conscripted.
Moreover, as mentioned earlier, the food stored in the city has also run out.
If reinforcements do not arrive within two weeks, they will all starve to death or be eaten by outspacers.
The good news is that there have been no attacks over the past two days. Thanks to this, we were able to gather managers to discuss the matter.
‘And yet those idiots are splitting sides and fighting!’
Xavier glared at the fighting people.
The reason why they fight and make pointless arguments is simple. This is because they each belong to different factions.
Due to the sudden death of Denver Edgerton, the position of current head of the family is vacant. Although the family is led by a temporarily appointed deputy head of the family due to the civil war with the T&C, there are quite a few people who oppose this.
Those in the conference room are also divided into those who support the provisional state and the old faction that supports Denver. That’s why they disparage each other whenever they get the chance.
Of course, if you die here, you are of no use to the faction or anything. Xavier, unable to bear it any longer, hit the desk hard.
“Everyone be quiet!”
“!”
“We only have two weeks’ worth of food left, so we have to find a way to live, isn’t this a useless fight?”
“Hmm.”
“For those who cannot fight, reduce rations to 20% regardless of capital. Then I might be able to hold out a little longer.”
“yes?”
“If you do that, there will be quite a bit of backlash!”
“What is the backlash! Everyone wants to starve to death here…!”
Before the words were finished, the entire conference room trembled slightly. Xavier, who knew what that trembling meant, jumped up from his seat.
“It’s them! Everyone to location!”
“Yes, yep!”
The invaders who devastated the star system have returned.
–
As everyone in the know knows, Outspacer is not just a monster. Despite their barbaric appearance, they operate according to a very sophisticated ruling system.
Simply put, you can think of the organs in your body as moving as independent entities.
Some individuals become brains and control other individuals, while others digest collected food and use it as an energy source for the colony. In this way, one body, one group is formed.
It doesn’t end there.
Stronger groups absorb weaker groups to form larger colonies. At this time, of course, detailed division of roles takes place for each group within the colony.
And the person who runs the largest colony in this universe is the queen called ‘Empress’.
Because the scale of the Empress’s colony is so large, there are many subordinate queens and entities that act as middle managers.
‘Auge’, who appeared in the VA-04 star system, is one of those low-ranking queens.
This being, with numerous visual organs, moves around and collects information needed for the colony.
Currently, she is working as the eye of the ‘Great Queen’ who invaded Megacorp under the Empress’ orders.
“The food’s resistance is weak. It’s not dangerous.”
「It won’t disturb the ‘Great Queen.’」
「Need to clean up the remaining food.」
「It won’t take long.」
The queen species, Auge, designed with special care by the Empress, has a special consciousness transmission system. Thanks to this, long-distance contact with other higher-level entities is possible.
VA-04’s Augedo ability was being used to exchange information.
「Nest’s offensive has weakened.」
「Auplado. Destroys the shell.”
Auflado, a higher-level entity created by modifying the Queen’s Guard, approached the target.
Attacks pour in from targets and resource management centers. However, none of them hit him.
Auflado has a stealth ability that confuses detection systems. It is not easy to hit unless a person directly controls the fort’s battery and fires it.
He skillfully avoided the attack using the abilities he received from the Empress and landed on the outer wall of his target. Then it struck the outer wall with its four arms equipped with white blades.
Auflado’s blade emits high-temperature plasma from holes on both sides. Even the strongest defenses can be easily neutralized.
In fact, the outer wall, which other entities found difficult to destroy, was damaged very easily. Every time the blade moved, the solid alloy wall fell off in chunks.
When Auflado succeeded in making a hole in the wall, the lower-level entities in the rear moved.
Many individuals were burned to death by the heavy fire, but the army did not stop. When they reached their target, they crawled into the hole made by Auflado.
Similar structures have already been breached several times. It knows exactly where to break to get the food hidden inside the metal shell.
An entity with a biological pipe on its frontal carapace stepped forward. They can squirt strongly acidic digestive juices outward. The alloy here is less strong than the outer wall, so it can be pierced with fire extinguishing fluid.
Acidic solutions shot from thousands of pipes hit the walls. The second barrier collapsed easily.
The outspacers move inward with fearsome momentum. Soon, an open space welcomed them. It is a waiting area for ships entering and leaving the city.
“Break through the outer wall of the first quarantine line! Everyone protect the first quarantine line!”
“Bah, repeat! Number one…!”
A sound that the outspacer cannot understand echoes from all directions. Anchored aircraft carriers and ships move quickly.
The entities with thorns on their backs fired their thorns at the ship that was just starting to float. You’re right, it’s the size of a child, so it’s practically a spear. Many spaceships crashed after being hit by a rain of thorns.
Small lizard-like entities swarmed around and attacked the survivors.
“Fuck! “Enemies everywhere!”
“We need support now! “Quarantine 1… ugh!”
Resistance was meaningless in the face of intruders climbing the walls and ceilings and raiding. The humans guarding the city were eaten before they could even fire a few shots.
The army destroyed the defense line, devouring humans and ships.
Soon they reached the city’s settlement.
Just as the yolk hidden inside the hard shell was soft, so were the humans there. Nutrients that were good to eat were spread out in a non-resistant state.
「A large number of prey were identified.」
「Is it worth collecting?」
Auflado, who came in with the army, looked down at the human trembling at his feet.
“Boo, I heard that if you use this device, you can control the outspacer…?”
Unpleasant waves were detected from the small tool held by the human. Of course, it only made me feel a slight sense of crisis.
Auflado stepped on him without hesitation.
「There is no value other than nourishment.」
「Exterminate.」
“Aaagh!”
“Please help me!”
The hordes that received instructions rushed towards their prey. Auflado, who was not particularly hungry, came out, leaving the crying victims behind.
“The last nest has been destroyed.”
“Return to the Great Queen.”
While flying towards Auge, who would transport him, Auflado suddenly felt a strange feeling.
A feeling I felt for the first time in my life. The sensation that instantly engulfed my entire head was on a different level from the discomfort that a certain human had given me earlier.
And he wasn’t the only one who felt that unfamiliar sensation.
「Something unknown approaches.」
「Check who it is.」
「The ‘queen’ observed has died.」
「Cannot confirm when she died.」
「The queen is important to the colony. “Go away.”
“It’s impossible.” “You can’t back down.”
“The queen is important to the colony. “Go away now.”
This is an unusual situation.
Auplado again demanded that he step down, but there was no response. Not only that, the consciousness transmission system that had been connected up until now was disconnected.
“All individuals, stop predating and come here.”
Auflado summoned all entities mobilized to infiltrate the city. At the same time, he focused all his sense organs on the space where Auge was.
A black universe where nothing can be seen. Something darker than the universe is stirring.
The moment he saw what looked like a dark cloud, Auflado realized the identity of this unpleasant feeling ringing in his mind.
It was a warning.
The instinctive sense of crisis felt when a prey encounters a predator.
The death that swallowed Auge approaches them.
“Watch next episode”