Ch.152152. Order of Humanity

If you were to check up until the last chapter, it might seem like a hastily created new faction that the author suddenly went crazy and forced into the story—perhaps something like another group of monsters from beyond the galaxy… but that’s not the case at all.

From the beginning, the origin of the monsters was none other than monster cells that emerged during experiments with human DNA at a certain research facility in Germany. That’s why when converting humans into monsters, there’s no need to change the structure—just changing the material composition is enough to solve the problem.

Anyway, considering all this, it becomes clear that these monsters were also created by the Hive Mind, along with the purpose of distorting public perception that the monsters’ origins lie beyond space rather than on Earth…

Their true purpose was to serve as special custom-made monsters designed to slightly weaken the dominant monster faction that was overwhelming external forces.

The Hive Mind spared no expense, using nanomachines (which they had meticulously ensured were lost technology throughout the Human Federation) for the outer armor, and engines and main cannons powered by dark matter and dark energy that had only recently been successfully extracted.

These prototypes of the black hole core battleships—currently being manufactured to eventually sweep away the entire galaxy—naturally crossed through human territory before attacking other monsters, following their primary objective.

Of course, humanity is doing everything possible to stop this immense monster fleet, but the problem is that this fleet truly contains the Hive Mind’s sincere effort.

Unlike the monsters that were merely playthings for developing divine beings until now, this fleet consists of monsters and invincible battleships that are inherently powerful and mighty enough to never be defeated no matter what current humanity attempts.

The nanomachines—which have somehow become lost technology—are just the beginning. The bio-battleships’ shells generously incorporate mythril and orichalcon in their composition, and each section has its own separate core generating force fields, solving the chronic weakness of monster ships that previously depended on a central core.

Furthermore, these massive ships, measuring over 80 kilometers in length, extract dark energy (which greatly influences the expansion of the universe) and dark matter (which has significant gravitational effects) to use as both power sources for their engines and propulsion systems. Thanks to this, despite their enormous size, they can accelerate to near-light speed.

The ship cannons and torpedo-missiles they use also employ dark energy and dark matter as propellants. These weapons literally travel at light speed, with projectiles moving at similar velocities while delivering firepower that vastly exceeds conventional weapons by hundreds of times.

There are hundreds of thousands of these ships—each one alone would be considered protagonist-level in any setting—and most of the monsters aboard them are extraordinary beings.

The leadership consists mostly of veterans who have maintained their souls since Earth times, and the supreme commander is actually a Hive Spider specimen produced when the Hive Mind was still a lower-level monster.

Though it would normally be unlikely, just in case, the monsters created for combat are all equipped with armor made of the same material as the ship hulls. All of them are mid-level monsters—entities that would be nightmarish to other factions.

They primarily use weapons that fire psychic rays that break down targets into particles upon impact, along with grenades and rifle grenades operating on the same principle, and supplementary laser weapons and plasma armaments.

Additionally, close-combat monsters—previously used merely as meat shields to buy time—are employed as a main combat class in this fleet. They specialize in forming phalanx-like formations with shields containing powerful protective force fields to withstand enemy fire.

Some veterans—specimens over 5,000 years old who particularly prefer close combat—fight with speed-type powered suits with built-in time accelerators and particle-disintegrating bladed weapons, making them look like they belong in a completely different genre.

So, to summarize, as this fleet was constructed with the Hive Mind’s sincere effort, they simply passed through Human Federation territory, annihilating everything in sight, while simultaneously doing something humanity never expected.

Despite their clean appearance, they were unmistakably a monster fleet. Mocking expert opinions that they would undoubtedly drive humanity to extinction, the fleet, which had only been advancing forward, attacked the monster faction that had vaguely been assumed to be on the same side.

According to the Hive Mind’s pre-arranged plan, planets populated primarily with monsters scheduled for disposal due to age or other reasons were dramatically destroyed, naturally throwing the human side into confusion.

Not only were two monster groups—previously thought to be the same faction—engaged in all-out war, but the original target of these monsters was other monsters.

In an instant, all the data on monster behavioral patterns that humans had accumulated evaporated, and countless in-progress research papers turned to dust—

Meanwhile, the newly appeared monster faction continued steadfastly eliminating other monsters, unconcerned with human confusion.

They smashed the opposing fleet head-on and completely devastated monster planets using various advanced technological weapons.

Chemical substances that dissolved monsters on contact, nanomachine viruses that selectively broke down only monsters, technologies that caused monsters to break free from the Hive Mind’s control and fight each other…

Seeing these movements that resembled a purge of monsters, the intelligent beings of the galaxy reached a conclusion:

The origin of monsters began in another galaxy outside this universe, and the monsters existing in our galaxy had deviated from that origin for some reason. Therefore, these new monsters had appeared to purge the deviant ones.

This conclusion was obviously completely off the mark, but objectively speaking, no better conclusion was possible.

Information had been distorted due to the Hive Mind’s various manipulations, and most major monster research facilities had Nano-Tech or Hive Mind puppets lurking behind them.

Therefore, humanity reached what seemed like the most rational conclusion possible: while the monsters currently in the galaxy were dangerous, those invading from outside were even more dangerous, so they needed to find a way to deal with them.

And when humans discovered that the solution might lie in the weapons these invaders used to slaughter monsters, they dispatched the galaxy’s most elite agents to obtain samples.

The story I’m about to tell is about a Human Federation agent assigned to this mission.

※ ※ ※

Order 777.

This division, the 777th department of the Human Federation intelligence organization known as the Order, outwardly appears to be a typical solar system division consisting of about 20 field agents and 5,000 support staff, like other divisions numbered below 1000.

However, its true nature, like other Triple Single Number divisions (those with three-digit numbers composed of the same digit), is that of a special Order staffed with agents of particularly high capability within the Order—equivalent to Federation military generals or high-ranking mercenaries.

These elite agents have a reputation for succeeding at any mission, and according to what’s known within the Order, they are one of the divisions that provide the only route to becoming part of the veiled leadership of the Order, known as Order 0 (Zero).

…A mission with difficulty level “Impossible.”

This highest difficulty level, which had reportedly only been assigned five times before this case, had been given to this division like other Triple Single Number departments.

‘Acquire weapon samples from the new species of monsters that appeared from outer space… Duration: until successful.’

Whether it was the personal weapons that disintegrated matter into particles, strategic weapons that swept away monsters, or even the bodies of the monsters themselves—

It didn’t matter what they obtained, but the strong determination of the Order and Federation leadership to acquire something by any means necessary was clearly felt in this directive. As he briefly looked at the order—

“Sigh, if they say do it, I’ll do it.”

The man currently assigned the code 777-1—the number 1 designating the leader of the 20 field agents in each Order division and the leader of the other field agents—accepted the mission, though he really had no choice in the matter.

It was truly an unwelcome mission, and while Order agents in Triple Single Number divisions nominally had the right to refuse missions… well, what could he do?

If this mission wasn’t carried out, humanity might truly be annihilated without even leaving bones behind when those monsters eventually came for them.