Ch.273The Great Chaos (1)

–

The guest of the 100th floor of the Second Command Center, Cynthia, did not go to the banquet hall.

She is in seclusion at Kesha Arma for certain reasons. If she went to the banquet hall, someone might recognize her.

Montana Martio knows this fact and promised to serve her separately.

Soon, gourmet dishes would arrive to fill the dining table in her room. Before the meal arrived, she was listening to music in the audio room as usual.

Beautiful melodies flowed from the vintage speaker designed like a phonograph. What woke her from her immersion in the world of music with her eyes closed was a subtle vibration.

It wasn’t because of the music. The floor she was on—no, the entire building—resonated as if it had received some strong impact.

‘What is that?’

This had never happened before. She left the audio room.

A familiar noise faintly echoed from the direction of the balcony. A sound she had once heard so often that she grew sick of it.

It was the explosion of energy shells colliding.

‘Could it be Akira?’

Had he discovered that she was hiding here? She rushed to the balcony.

And what Cynthia saw was slightly different from what she expected.

There were no massive warships invading the fortress, no swarms of carrier-based aircraft, no Hulk mutants or soldiers descending from the sky.

Instead, there was a meteor shower.

Numerous fires were burning the fortress.

–

‘I guess it’s fortunate that it’s a Cult fortress.’

I looked up at the transparent tray floating in the air, protecting me and No. 26.

This object, which resembles a mirror or circular prism containing various types of light, is generated whenever “Complex Spectral Body” is activated.

Its main ability is to reflect energy-based attacks.

It’s a unique trait created by combining defensive characteristics like “Mimicry Scales” or “Psychic Reflection Armor.”

‘Defensive traits rarely come in active forms.’

Most defensive traits I’ve acquired so far either activate when certain conditions are met or automatically remain active. Even in games, traits that allow you to activate defensive abilities at will were rare.

Active defensive traits are powerful but come with risks. They either have strict usage conditions or are extremely difficult to obtain.

Naturally, Complex Spectral Body isn’t a trait I can use anytime.

Protected by the transparent mirror reflecting energy, I opened a text box.

「Complex Spectral Body: In nature, waves are power. Forms a medium that reflects energy-based attacks you have been hit with multiple times before. Reduces damage from non-reflectable energy attacks by at least half.

*Reflection targets: Lasers, plasma, psychic power, crystallized wavelengths

*Duration: 5 minutes (Cooldown: 30 minutes)

*P.S.: A strategist should know how to turn an enemy’s strength against them.」

The effect of Complex Spectral Body combines the defensive traits I’ve had before with the Cult’s defensive technique “Reflection.”

It’s similar to Mimicry Scales in that it only affects energy attacks I’ve been hit with multiple times before, and similar to Psychic Reflection Armor and Reflection in that it reflects these attacks.

‘Plus it has the added effect of reducing damage from non-reflectable attacks.’

It can be useful when fighting enemies like Red Gallergorn or Voltex One who use unique energy systems.

Their attacks can neutralize defensive traits, causing massive damage even to AMorphs in adult form. Even if I can’t reflect the damage from them, reducing it is definitely a merit.

‘Even the drawbacks are relatively acceptable.’

The reflective medium lasts for 5 minutes, with a cooldown of 30 minutes.

Though I can’t use it anytime, it’s better than other traits that require 24-hour waits.

‘Anyway…’

With this, they should know I have reflection abilities. Instead of firing fortress cannons, they’ll probably try other means.

Just as I thought that, light flashed again from the distant Second Command Center. Two fortress cannons fired simultaneously.

‘Did they think they were mistaken?’

The enemies seem unable to believe that their most powerful weapons are useless—no, worse, being reflected back to attack their own fortress.

‘Such lack of faith.’

Purple heat rays with firepower exceeding that of ordinary warships collide with the giant transparent mirror.

The mirror performs its function without the slightest movement. The heat rays, thicker than my body, split into hundreds or thousands of thin beams and fly in the opposite direction.

A rain of highly condensed psychic power covered the fortress. This rain of death did not discriminate between facilities built by the Cult and buildings constructed by new settlers.

Some of the psychic beams flew toward the command center of the fortress. Small sparks flew from around the middle of the tall, cylindrical command center.

They stopped firing only after paying the price for their disbelief. The other First and Third Command Centers also remained quiet, not using their fortress cannons.

‘Kadun mentioned that the fortress has other types of weapons.’

Complex Spectral Body is only effective against energy-based attacks. It’s useless against weapons that inflict physical damage. It can’t even block tungsten bullets that barely harm my body.

If the enemy tries other anti-ship weapons and finds them effective, things could get complicated.

‘So I need to move quickly.’

The Complex Spectral Body only lasts for 5 minutes, but they don’t know that. Now is the time to attack the command center.

[Zzzzz zzzzz zz zzzzzz (Can you gather the fallen people?)]

「Will baby make people?」

[Zz (Yes)]

No. 26, attached to my side, flashed its body to indicate understanding. It enlarged its body again, then used its tentacles and psychic power to collect fallen people.

Those poisoned by toxic gas and crushed by heavy gravity had no chance to resist No. 26. They became mutants without being able to put up any fight.

‘Good.’

We’ve secured over a thousand mutants.

Some of them have “Madness Bombs” implanted in their heads, spreading the “Herald of Chaos” effect. The more the command center responds, the greater the confusion will be.

‘Go.’

Right after sending the mutant army, a familiar thought wave tickled my monster’s tentacles.

「Great One」

[Zzzzzz (Adhigh?)]

The owner of the thought wave was Adhigh, who was guarding the Sky Mother on the ship we came in.

「Outside」「Noisy」

[Zz zzzz (I’m hunting)]

「Jealous」「I」「Bored」

[Zzzzz zzzzzz zzzz zzzzzz (Is the Sky Mother not finished yet?)]

「Yes」「Egg」「Same」

Just as AMorphs enter cocoons when they evolve, Volfs also change their body state when ascending to higher divine stages.

‘They transform into egg-shaped gem statues.’

The type of gem composing the statue varies depending on the mythical beast chosen when first reaching the divine stage. The Sky Mother is a griffon, so she should be in the form of an egg made of agate.

[Zz zzzzzz zzzzz zz zzzzzz (It will end soon. Please wait a little longer)]

「Understand」「I」「Ugly friend」「Promise」「Keep」

Adhigh answers admirably.

Once the fortress is completely cleared, I should look for something to give him as a gift.

After ending the conversation with him, I left the naval port with No. 26. The areas around the port had long been reduced to ruins.

Buildings had all collapsed due to the aftermath of reflecting the fortress cannon attacks. Those who escaped from inside were attacked by mutants.

Since monsters mutated by the virus had already swept through the area around the naval port, no survivors were visible.

‘Seems like I don’t need to maintain the transformation.’

The “Viral Host” form has short, stubby legs and a thick torso, making it not particularly fast. Maintaining the Herald of Chaos on top of that would slow movement even more.

Since we’ve gathered enough mutants and I plan to directly attack the fortress command center next, it would be better to return to my original form.

Having made my decision, I released “Organic Evolution” which was maintaining my transformed state. My body rapidly changed, returning to its original form.

My torso, which had been as plump as a beetle larva, thinned out, and my short legs stretched long like spider legs. The black tentacles writhing all over my body also disappeared.

「Big baby changed again.」

As my appearance returned to a spider-like form, No. 26, who had been following me, flashed its light as if disappointed. Then it hopped onto my head.

「But big baby is always cool! Like!」

[Zzzzz (Thank you)]

I raised one of my wing-arms, now returned to normal, and gently stroked it. It also extended its tentacles, wrapping around the fingers at the end of my wing-arm like a handshake.

‘Now that I’m back to normal, let’s move.’

Currently, PS-111 is working covertly to neutralize the Third Command Center, which oversees life support facilities. Starting with taking control of the subordinate Environmental Management Office, it’s preparing to hack into the Third Command Center’s systems.

So No. 26 and I will target another objective, either the First or Second Command Center.

‘The Second Command Center responded the fastest.’

There’s a high possibility that the leadership is gathered there.

Having decided on my target, I stretched my wing-arms out to both sides. The membrane covered by the carapace spread wide open.

Having brought out my wings after a long time, I flapped the two wings that were almost as long as my body several times. The membrane fluttered, pushing away not only air but also nearby debris.

‘Good.’

After a quick check, I flapped my wings hard. The tremendous air pressure collapsed nearby buildings and lifted my heavy body into the sky above the fortress.

I adjusted my wings to lower my altitude. As I flapped my wings and looked down, my shadow fell heavily on the streets below.

“Giiiiiii”

“Giiii”

“Giiiiiiiiiik”

“Gugiiiiiii”

The mutants filling the streets and rushing toward the fortress howl at the sight of me.

The pirates resisting them also felt the shadow falling on their heads and looked up. Their eyes widened and jaws dropped.

“Wh-what is that?”

“We weren’t told about something like that!”

To describe their emotion simply, it was “shock.”

The natural response when witnessing an overwhelming presence. I decided to give them a gift.

The Herald of Chaos descends within a 500-meter radius around me. Powerful psychic power that distorts human senses and drives them mad penetrates the minds of the resisting pirates.

“Ugh, uwaaaaah! Run! Run!”

“Savemesavemesavemesaveme….”

“Mom! Mom! I’m scared! Mom!”

Mutant hordes in front, a flying monster tens of meters long above, and mind-corrupting psychic power on top of that—the pirates’ ranks rapidly collapsed.

“Don’t run! Stand and fig—guhk?!”

“Hee, heehee! I won! I won! Heeheeheehee!”

“Kee, keeheeheeheehee, diediediediediedie!”

That’s not all. Pirates whose minds had completely broken began firing their guns at their comrades.

Mercenaries who had been working with the pirates to fend off mutants were now busy using their honed killing techniques on their allies.

Madness spread through the streets like a malignant tumor.

Meanwhile, the mutant hordes I created continued to sprint across streets and buildings, advancing toward the command center.

‘This should be enough.’

I modified the targets of the madmen created by the Herald of Chaos. Instead of stabbing their comrades in the stomach, I directed them toward a bigger goal—to make those responsible for their misfortune pay.

“I’ll, I’ll kill them. I’ll kill them. I’ll kill them.”

“I want to kill! Quickly! Blood quickly!”

From above, I adjusted the position of the carrot they craved.

Crazed pirates and murderous mercenaries followed behind the mutants. Those who had been tearing at each other and shooting each other just moments ago were now moving amicably toward a new target.

A wave of frenzy began flowing toward the Second Command Center.