Ch.271Swarm of Rats (2)

“M-move back, everyone! Aaaaargh!”

“The retreat path is blocked!”

A cyborg with five additional arms on its upper body screamed and charged at the mercenary. A Volf with three additional joints on each leg climbed onto a container and pounced from above. A human with another mouth growing inside its mouth launched a surprise attack from behind.

The number of mutants was roughly over 100. That’s about one-third of the troops that had boarded the train.

The rest couldn’t make it here because they had mutated too severely to move, or they died fighting other mutants.

Just as I can’t specifically control changes in my mimicry organs, the same applies to mutations. Infected beings transform completely randomly, so they don’t always change into efficient forms.

‘Nothing can be perfect.’

Even if they transform inefficiently, the mutants’ combat power isn’t bad. Depending on which parts have changed, they can move as fast as wild animals and can tear a human body in half.

Of course, being living organisms, they stop functioning when their heads or hearts are destroyed. The enemies knew this and aimed their shots at heads and hearts.

If I hadn’t been here, they would have won.

“Damn! They’re too fast!”

“Friendly fire! Don’t shoot!”

But most mercenaries were in disarray and couldn’t properly deal with the mutants.

The reason was me.

‘Herald of Chaos.’

Waves emanating from the monster’s tentacles were toying with the mercenaries’ minds and senses. They couldn’t properly distinguish between friend and foe, like inexperienced recruits.

“Ugh, urk?”

A mutant with a vertically split face filled with hundreds of fangs struck a mercenary from behind. The mercenary flailed his arms trying to escape, but it was useless. The sharp teeth crushed and tore off his head and spine.

“What the hell?!”

“Fuuuuck!”

The mercenaries were shocked by the tremendous power. While everyone was focused on the mutants, I quietly approached the mercenaries.

There was a mercenary busy dealing with monsters at close range. A Volf mercenary with a rat’s head was preoccupied with shooting at a monster jumping around on top of a container. I launched my tentacle at him.

“Oof?!”

A tentacle resembling an octopus leg wrapped around his neck. Before he could scream, the tip of the tentacle was shoved into his mouth.

“…!”

As the tentacle, split into three parts, blocked his throat, the mercenary trembled all over and gagged. Meanwhile, the mutation virus produced in my body moved to find a new host.

“Kwaaaaaaargh!”

The tentacle wasn’t attached for long. As soon as it detached, the mercenary fell face-down and retched. A black tar-like substance poured from his mouth.

“Ugh, urgh! Waaak! A-ah, eh, g-gi, gi…”

“Hey! Are you okay?”

Another comrade saw this and ran over. He supported his colleague who was continuously vomiting black liquid.

He’s a kind-hearted friend, but that’s not exactly a good move in this situation.

“We need to administer the antidote right now…”

“Gigigigigi”

“Huh? What?”

The body of the supporting mercenary twisted grotesquely. The mutation had begun. His spine grew rapidly, breaking through flesh and reinforced clothing to expose itself. Then, like a cobra raising its body, the spine and head stood erect above the tattered upper body.

The mercenary who had been staring blankly at this sight was struck by his comrade’s spine and sent flying. The mercenary crashed into a container, unable to resist. I helped him join his friend.

“Gigigigigi”

The newly mutated mercenary growls. I tried to use disruptive waves to guide him to target other mercenaries.

“Gigigi”

But he detected me first. A mutant moving like a spider with four arms growing from its waist area roared at me and bared its teeth.

“Gik?!”

At that moment, its neck twisted violently as if hit by an air gun. With a chilling sound, its neck bent 180 degrees and it collapsed.

It was No. 26 riding on my back who had broken the mutant’s body with psychic power. It used “Restraint” to forcibly turn the mutant’s body toward where the other mercenaries were.

“Baby shouldn’t play here. Go play over there.”

“Gigigi”

Seeing a new target, the mutant ran in that direction. The mercenaries fighting other mutants screamed at the enemy appearing from behind.

“Aaaaargh! There’s another one here!”

“I did good, right?”

[Zz zzzz (Yes. You did well)]

“Mm-hmm!”

After a few minutes, there were no more gunshots or screams in the storage area. Only the breathing of beasts wanting to satisfy their bloodlust remained.

With their senses distorted, they were gnawing on dead bodies or containers. They were compliant for now since there were still things to attack nearby, but once those ran out, they would go berserk, ignoring their senses.

‘Then I should give them new prey.’

Like locusts that maintain their swarm as long as there’s food, these creatures are the same. If they can wet their nails and teeth with blood, they’ll rampage endlessly until they’ve used up all their stored energy.

I adjusted the “Herald of Chaos.” The monster’s tentacles covering the back of its head and neck like a mane swayed, modulating the distortion waves.

“Gigigi”

“Gigik”

The mutants who had been burying their heads in corpses and tearing out intestines all responded at once. Their hazy eyes turned toward the passage leading outside.

Their desired prey was there.

“Gigigigigi”

“Gigigigi”

“Gigigi”

The hungry rat pack roared. Following the guidance of the herald bringing chaos, the mutants ran outside.

‘The numbers are still a bit lacking.’

To collapse the fortress’s order, more chaos and more fear are needed. I need to increase the number of mutants using the humans outside.

[Zz zz (Shall we go?)]

“Yes.”

I followed the mutants with No. 26 riding on me. PS-111 wasn’t here. It had gone elsewhere along the tracks to handle more important matters.

As I passed through the blood-soaked corridor, sporadic loud noises could be heard. The screams from outside echoed all the way here.

‘If they had sealed the entrance, they could have bought more time.’

Unless they were Players, it would be unreasonable to expect such nimble responses from ordinary pirates. Those accustomed to killing and stealing from others probably never thought they would be attacked like this.

‘If it’s too late, I won’t be able to get mutant materials… huh?’

I sensed presences behind the torn underground storage door. Three men who appeared to be pirates were trembling while hiding in the shadows.

“Save me save me save me save me…”

“Sh-shut up! They’ll hear us!”

“Damn damn damn! I shouldn’t have joined the Montana Martio cartel!”

The three were babbling like madmen. Their eyes were fixed on the massacre happening outside. Because of that, they didn’t notice me crawling out.

‘Perfect. I’ll turn these three into mutants too.’

Three strands of tentacles moved through the shadows.

One of the cowardly pirates sensed something strange and turned his head. His eyes widened to the point of tearing when he discovered me.

At the same time, the black tentacle split into three parts swallowed his face.

–

“Yaaawn, I’m going to grab a drink.”

“Sure.”

The 8th Environmental Management Office, responsible for security of the naval port’s oxygen supply facilities, gravity maintenance devices, and more. The atmosphere inside the uniquely shaped building, formed by two overlapping rhombuses, was peaceful as always.

“Want me to get you guys something?”

“That stuff tastes like piss, so I’ll pass.”

“…How would you know that, senior?”

“Do pirate work for over a year and you’ll learn all sorts of unpleasant things.”

The pot-bellied pirate left the control room.

He walked down the clean corridor to the refrigerator at the end. After taking out a palm-sized energy drink can, he looked around briefly and also took out some synthetic alcohol.

He immediately went to the bathroom and gulped down the contents of the bottle.

“Phew!”

A burning sensation from his tongue down to his throat and esophagus. He quickly opened the drink can and took a sip.

“Urgh, that’s good.”

The Environmental Management Office is crucial for maintaining the lives of fortress residents. If this place were compromised, the safety of the naval port and subordinate areas could not be guaranteed.

The pot-bellied pirate knew this well. If deputy leader Kadun found out, he would surely tear him to pieces.

But as a serious alcoholic, satisfying his immediate desires was more important to him than future dangers.

After emptying both the drink can and synthetic alcohol, he left the bathroom with a slightly flushed face.

“Huh?”

On his way back to the control room, he noticed something strange. The emergency exit door at the end of the corridor was open.

‘Did someone go out for a smoke?’

Major facilities in Kesha Arma have bunkers installed for emergencies. That emergency exit leads to a bunker where personnel from the subway station and Environmental Management Office can evacuate.

“I’ll just ask them about it.”

After confirming there was no one inside the emergency exit, he locked the door.

Then he walked toward the control room, whistling.

“These idiots. Who was at the emergency…”

He was about to scold his colleagues as he opened the control room door.

If what was inside hadn’t been his colleagues, he certainly would have.

Instead of the familiar backs of his colleagues, a completely different being was sitting there. It was so large that even while hunched over, its back touched the control room ceiling.

‘It’ was sitting on the remains of colleagues who had been alive just minutes ago. ‘It’ was manipulating the computers with large hook-like fingers, and slowly turned its head.

“I didn’t expect one person to remain. This is a mistake due to lack of information.”

The monster with the head of a beautiful woman said, twisting its neck grotesquely.

“Y-you, wh-what are you?”

“Body type analysis indicates abundant nutrients.”

The monster pressed the blood-soaked keyboard with its hook-like nails.

“I will take your energy.”

The door behind the pirate quietly closed.