Ch.163Those Who Gather (1)

The data stored on the drone consisted of information analyzed and organized by the Star Union ship’s computer, along with footage recorded inside the vessel.

However, some of the stored data had been lost, apparently due to collisions with fine particles in the asteroid cloud.

Though the materials were incomplete and encrypted, this posed no particular obstacle for Siheyon and Lila.

Siheyon, who had mastered espionage techniques while serving as House Yugin’s shadow, and Lila, a promising talent from her house who had received special education and wore an advanced suit—both were extraordinary individuals who could easily decipher the data contents.

“Four unidentified creatures annihilating soldiers aboard an X2-class destroyer? How is this possible?”

“This information was recorded by a Star Union ship computer, so the likelihood of distortion is low.”

“I suppose it must be true, since there’s video evidence too.”

The AI performance of Star Union far surpasses that of Megacorp. While there isn’t much difference between the two in ship operations like route calculations or energy output calculations, the Star Union’s AI is superior in analyzing information, as in this case.

No wonder even Siheyon Yugin’s flagship uses Star Union AI.

Lila knew this fact as well, but she brought it up because the reality was so difficult to believe.

Currently, the two were watching the video recordings stored on the drone.

Cyborgs and androids were dying helplessly, completely unable to respond to the attacks from four types of monsters.

“That D-type creature, could it be a Bubble Amoeba? It looks similar, though much larger.”

“I don’t know. I’ve never heard of Bubble Amoebas wielding such powerful psychic powers.”

“Perhaps it’s an experimental subject created by House Egerton or House Zhao. They’ve shown great interest in Bubble Amoeba research.”

Hearing Lila’s casual remark, Siheyon suddenly recalled something.

‘Bubble Amoeba, psychic power, experiment…’

The first thing Siheyon remembered after waking up in the cloning facility was her memory just before death. She had been planning to eliminate Kisaragi Yujin, Akira Yujin’s granddaughter.

Kisaragi Yujin was someone who had shown remarkable results in Psyonium and Hulk Mutant research. As she was important to Akira Yujin, who held power through the Hulk Mutant business, she was a target that needed to be eliminated.

Siheyon Yugin had planned to make Kisaragi’s death look like it was caused by conspiracies from other houses.

According to her plan, Kisaragi Yujin died. All that remained was for her to fabricate the circumstances of Kisaragi’s death.

Things took a decisive turn from that point.

A monster on the spaceship where Kisaragi died had interfered with her.

She realized that this monster was far superior to the Shadow, which could be considered the pinnacle of genetic manipulation technology.

She tried to capture it alive, but the monster was much stronger than she had anticipated. After an intense battle, she was ultimately defeated by an unexpected variable.

‘The Bubble Amoeba on the research ship.’

She had dismissed it as a powerless being, but that supposedly powerless creature had interfered with her at a critical moment.

Using psychic powers, just like what she had seen in the video.

‘Kisaragi’s final research subject was the psychic potential from Bubble Amoebas.’

Having gathered information to kill her, Siheyon also remembered what she had been researching.

‘What are the chances of a Bubble Amoeba using psychic powers being on that spaceship?’

Leaving Lila to watch the video, Siheyon checked the information on the drone again.

Among the four creatures, information about A-type and B-type was the most incomplete. Both seemed to possess stealth abilities, as they weren’t recorded on video.

Among them, Siheyon was particularly interested in the A-type creature. She accessed the information about the A-type left by the computer.

To summarize the recorded content briefly, the creature had excellent physical abilities and could produce acidic body fluids capable of melting the ship. It also possessed very high intelligence and seemed to prefer ambush tactics.

Reading this, Siheyon recalled the monster that had killed her. A monster that carried Bubble Amoebas, shed acidic blood, and had very high intelligence.

Thinking about it, it had many similarities to the A-type creature that had annihilated the Star Union soldiers.

Though it seemed to have grown considerably since their encounter.

‘Monster! So you were alive after all!’

She had sensed its presence at the T&C Special Trade Center. At the time, she was transporting a bomb and couldn’t directly confront it.

Although the city collapsed afterward, she was convinced the monster hadn’t died.

With its high intelligence, it would have somehow escaped the city and hidden somewhere in space.

In fact, it was a judgment with some basis.

After the city’s collapse, Siheyon rescued Lila’s medical ship drifting in space and heard details about the monster from her.

Everything about what happened in the city and Lila’s ambition to develop a new type of Hulk Mutant by researching the creature.

Siheyon glanced at Lila.

‘No need to tell her right away.’

The reason Lila, a Noble Capital, followed Siheyon’s words was because of revenge and ambition.

Revenge against the monster that had ruined her, and using its corpse to become the head of T&C.

These two goals allowed her to stay alive even in a half-dead state.

‘…In that sense, she might be similar to me.’

After briefly thinking this, Siheyon checked the date of the recorded data. The recording date was exactly 10 days ago.

Quite some time had passed, so it would be difficult to find the ship that launched this drone.

‘For now, I’ll study this information first.’

She might encounter the creature again at any time. Before then, she needed to acquire sufficient information about it.

‘If I can just get that weapon…!’

The ancient artifact they were currently heading to find.

If she could get her hands on that too, she could hunt down even a monster with a good brain.

Her gaze toward the creature in the video grew even sharper.

“Ship No. 98, found!”

Sanadaev, the acting fleet commander of the Nemea Fleet, shouted loudly in a state of extreme tension.

Usually dressed in shabby clothes while piloting the flagship, he was now wearing a black military uniform. A red emblem was attached to his chest.

This emblem, depicting a fist in the center surrounded by 12 stars, is the symbol of Star Union.

“Search complete! Captain confirmed alive inside!”

The reason he was wearing a military uniform with an emblem, which he didn’t even wear in combat, was because of the two beings watching him.

“Question. Sanadaev. Are there other cyborgs present?”

“Y-yes! Ahem! Nine others confirmed alive!”

The one questioning him was Nemea Five, one of only twelve high commissioners of Star Union and Sanadaev’s direct superior, an ultra-high-performance android.

While Nemea Five was a difficult superior for Sanadaev, it wasn’t this android that truly made him nervous.

“Nemea Five reporting. Chairman. Shall we commence the operation?”

“Proceed.”

Jubaka, the chairman of the Mechanical Committee and the Grand Sovereign of Star Union, was watching Sanadaev from the capital, Jax-01.

Just hearing the voice of this mythical figure and supreme dignity of Star Union was enough to make Sanadaev feel faint.

“Order confirmed! Initiating docking! Combat units standby for entry!”

“Command. Prepare. Other ships.”

“Arrow Fleet Deputy! Ship orders confirmed! Target locked!”

“Redtail Fleet Deputy! Ship orders confirmed! Target locked!”

He issued orders while barely holding back tears. The captains of other ships, seemingly in a similar state of mind as Sanadaev, shouted their responses into the communicator.

They were currently carrying out a search mission for Ship No. 98, which had lost contact 10 days ago.

After arriving at the AD-100 system to repair its FTL engine, Ship No. 98 began exhibiting erratic behavior after communications were cut off. It was even observed using its supposedly broken FTL engine to make consecutive FTL jumps to other systems.

Normally, this would have been an issue resolved at the level of Nemea Five, the commander-in-chief of the Nemea Fleet, but this time was different.

Because Grand Sovereign Jubaka had begun to take an interest in Ship No. 98, three elite fleets were dispatched to track it down.

And after 10 days, they found Ship No. 98 in a system located in neutral territory. The ship was floating alone in the middle of a system frequented by numerous trade vessels.

Ship No. 98, reportedly infected by a bio-ship, looked identical to a standard X2-class destroyer except for its color. Its pitch-black coloration, similar to the surrounding space, clearly indicated a serious state of contamination.

“Docking complete! Proceeding to enter!”

“Command. Authorized.”

Sanadaev’s flagship was attached next to Ship No. 98. As punishment for failing to properly manage his subordinate ship, Sanadaev’s vessel was tasked with directly searching the interior of No. 98.

The rest of the fleet maintained distance while targeting Ship No. 98. If anything unusual occurred, their ship cannons would fire immediately.

“All signals detected from the situation room. All life signs normal. No special changes noted.”

“Search thoroughly. We don’t know what might be found.”

“G-Grand… Ahem, understood! Sir!”

The footage recorded by androids and walkers aboard No. 98 was transmitted in real-time to each ship and the Grand Sovereign. Sanadaev also monitored his subordinates’ movements through a cable connected to his neck.

Inside the ship, a toxic chemical gas had spread like fog. When his subordinates adjusted their cameras, pulsating bio-tissues could be seen throughout the ship.

Seeing this, Jubaka muttered.

“…Nemea Five. Save everything without exception.”

“Nemea Five responding. Currently saving. Do not worry. Chairman.”

While the subordinates on site couldn’t hear their conversation, they quickly searched the ship’s interior. Soon, they arrived at the situation room.

“Th-that is?!”

Sanadaev was horrified by what his subordinate’s camera showed inside the situation room.

The hard, rugged design of the ship’s situation room was gone. In its place were tentacles resembling blood vessels, spores that endlessly swelled and burst, and disgusting bio-pipes emitting toxic fog.

It was more of a nest than a situation room. A terrible, disgusting creature’s nest.

In this unholy being’s lair were Captain Kainzqu of Ship No. 98 and eight cyborgs they had been looking for. They were all bound by hardened tentacles, hanging from the walls and ceiling.

“C-Captain Kainzqu and eight crew members! All found! No casualties so far!”

“Command. Confirm.”

A walker approached Kainzqu, who was attached to the wall, to try to detach him. However, as the walker got closer, Kainzqu began to struggle.

“Wh-what? Why suddenly…?”

“What’s happening?”

“T-the heart rate of Ship No. 98’s captain is rising.”

With his face wrapped in tentacles, he somehow managed to open his mouth and shouted loudly.

“Everyone get out of here now! This ship has… *cough*!”

He coughed up a large amount of blood mid-sentence and then hung his head. Simultaneously, Kainzqu’s life signs that Sanadaev was monitoring turned black.

“Ship No. 98’s captain has died!”

“Died? Why suddenly… Wait. Could it be?”

Jubaka, having witnessed Kainzqu’s death, urgently shouted as if recalling something.

“Everyone retreat! Move away from No. 98…”

Before Jubaka could finish speaking, a massive light erupted from the engine room of Ship No. 98.

Sanadaev would never know that it was due to a bomb installed in the engine room.

“Hmm?”

“Big one, what’s wrong?”

When I suddenly moved my head, No. 26 on top of my head asked me.

[It’s nothing. Don’t worry]

“Okay.”

[It’s cramped, isn’t it uncomfortable?]

“No! I’m so happy to be together with Big one, Middle one, and Little one!”

[That’s good]

As No. 26 said, Adhigh Orr and Sky Mother were pressed tightly against my massive body.

‘It is definitely cramped.’

It was an unavoidable choice to escape the pursuit of Star Union.

Three days ago, I abandoned Star Union’s Ship No. 98 and transferred to a new vessel.

The reason was that after infecting the ship and searching through the computer records, I discovered that Captain Kainzqu had launched a rescue drone.

‘Thanks to his unnecessary action, things have become troublesome.’

To avoid Star Union’s pursuit, I had to change ships as soon as the “Nightmare Horizon” cooldown ended.

Since finding a ship in the middle of this vast space was no easy task, I had to change my plan. I decided to go to a system frequented by trade ships to acquire a new vessel.

‘Because of this, it’s taking longer than originally planned.’

It was essentially a waste of a week, and I wanted to kill Kainzqu, but I barely restrained myself. Instead, I thought about how to spread rumors about giving him a fitting punishment.

A booby trap operation using parasites.

I had the cyborgs manufacture bombs and implanted sensors in their bodies. If their hearts stopped, the bombs would automatically explode.

Then, on the day I abandoned the ship, I tied all nine cyborgs in the situation room and installed bombs in the engine room.

‘If Star Union comes looking for me…’

The parasitized cyborgs would shout for them to escape. However, that action would be against my will. The enhanced parasites would immediately punish them.

‘And if a cyborg dies? Then, boom.’

Thanks to the infection enhancement type, the parasites could survive for about 5 to 6 days without me replacing them. Replacing the parasites itself wasn’t an issue, but I also attached symbiotic spores in case they might starve to death.

Only after completing all these tasks could I leave No. 98 with peace of mind.

And today, three days later, I felt the parasites regenerating inside my body. The simultaneous death of nine parasites meant the bomb had exploded.

My plan must have succeeded.

‘They found it later than I expected. If I had known, I would have acquired a better ship.’

The ship I’m currently infecting is a cargo ship purchased in a neutral system not occupied by any faction.

Sky Mother, transformed into a Volf, went out and purchased the ship. The funds were raised by selling drones and androids from the ship.

I could have just captured and infected a passing ship, but the reason I didn’t is simple.

‘They think of me as a bio-ship. They wouldn’t expect such a being to purchase a ship and move around.’

Even if players were involved in tracking me, it wouldn’t matter. In fact, players would have an even harder time finding me.

‘Because they know me as an AMorph.’

AMorphs are a species incapable of dialogue or negotiation. They wouldn’t dream that I travel with three friends.

‘Things have gone according to plan, but the ship is a bit disappointing.’

At the time, I hurriedly acquired a ship because I didn’t know when pursuers might arrive. As a result, the ship we boarded was barely over 60 meters in size, which is quite small.

‘With my body size exceeding 25 meters, 60 meters is…’

Moreover, we needed food for the journey, so we packed it full with cyborg combat rations and energy drinks acquired from the neutral system.

With all that, there was hardly any space left, forcing the four of us to stick closely together as we traveled.

‘It’s fortunate that No. 26 can reduce its size.’

Having reduced its body size to about 50cm, it was dozing off on top of my head.

“Big elder” “I” “hungry”

[Wait a moment]

Adhigh Orr, the Gallergorn navigator of this ship, was curled up and lying on my tail. I generated infection tentacles to grab a handful of energy drinks and handed them to him.

“Thanks”

After a brief thanks, he inserted his tentacles into the energy drinks and sucked them up. Unlike calorie bars or cyborg combat rations, energy drinks tasted like apple cider, making them quite palatable.

“We should have acquired a larger ship.”

Finally, Sky Mother. Having returned to her Volf form, she was pressed tightly against my side. She kept shifting her body, seemingly uncomfortable with the claws and spikes on my carapace.

‘I should help her a bit.’

I slightly altered the ship’s structure to create a space where she could lie comfortably.

[How’s that?]

“I appreciate it, but won’t this make you uncomfortable?”

[I’m integrated with the ship, so I don’t feel much discomfort]

“That’s a bit enviable.”

[It’s uncomfortable, but please bear with it for a month and a half]

She sighed softly at my words. That ended our conversation.

As I was about to focus on FTL travel again, she spoke quietly.

“Thank you for being considerate.”

[Sure]

Having expressed her gratitude, she closed her eyes, perhaps feeling awkward. Shortly after, I could hear her steady breathing.

I continued the FTL journey, leaving the sleeping Sky Mother be.