Ch.276Collapse (1)

Where did it all go wrong?

It wasn’t due to lax security, nor was it because of bad relations with other cartels.

Montana, who had one foot in both legal and illegal operations, had worked tirelessly to avoid making unnecessary enemies. He ran his cartel like a businessman, not like a pirate.

Thanks to that, he was able to build a cartel large enough to be counted among the top three in Space Dog. Montana’s methods could certainly be called successful.

At least until today.

Having just entered the private elevator of the Second Command Center, Montana was barely suppressing the urge to scream and rampage.

Even the beautiful music flowing from the speakers installed in the elevator couldn’t calm him. The gunshots mixed between the smooth piano melodies made him acutely aware of reality.

His fortress was collapsing.

“…fuck.”

It wasn’t just the Second Command Center under attack. Contact with the Third Command Center had been completely cut off, and reinforcements from the First Command Center were isolated due to monsters spread everywhere.

‘All that’s left is…’

Only the escape route from Kesha Arma.

On the 110th floor of each command center, there was a means of escape from the fortress. It was a personal transport vehicle created long ago when the Empire managed the fortress, for officials to inspect the planet.

It was a type of rocket that could reach the planet very quickly by being ejected to specific points. The transport itself was also protected by a battleship-grade reinforced shield, making it safe.

However, it had the disadvantage of being impossible to control and could only land at predetermined locations. Afterward, one had no choice but to wait for rescue to arrive.

The problem was that there was no one to help him.

The fortress was collapsing, and the VIPs who had his back were gone. Other cartels would absolutely not help him.

‘…wait a minute.’

While everyone in the banquet hall was finished, those staying on the upper floors were not.

Especially the female Cult he had treated with the utmost respect.

She had not gone down to the banquet hall, citing personal reasons.

The female Cult was someone the head of House Garmelda had personally mentioned should be well treated. If he hid on the planet with her, House Garmelda would surely send help.

Just as the numbers on the display entered the 90s, he pressed the number 100. His final insurance was staying there.

–

“Die!!!”

“Fall back! Fall ba—AAAGH!”

Curses and screams occasionally mixed among the sounds of pouring gunfire.

The auxiliary organ under my jaw detects the vibrations made by these familiar sounds. And to that, a sweet fragrance is added.

Corrosive tentacles dragged out a pirate hiding behind a corridor intersection. The six appendages at the end of the tentacles finely dismembered the captured meat.

Warm blood, internal organs and flesh fragments that shouldn’t be exposed. If that scent were compared to music, it would be like the elegant melody created by the harmony of distinctive string instruments.

‘If I were human, I’d be disgusted.’

Indeed, the pirates covered in their comrades’ blood seemed to be struggling to maintain their sanity. Those who were blankly watching their comrades turned to pieces were finely shredded by the hands of mutants that sprang out from between my legs.

“Graaaah!”

A mutant roars while holding up a spine pulled out with the head. Other creatures rushed at the enemies to secure their own trophies.

‘I wonder what happened to him.’

It’s been quite a while since PS-111 began hacking against the Third Command Center. By now, he should be breaking through the system defenses of the Third Command Center.

‘It’ll take at least 10 more minutes to finish…’

Just as I thought that, an incredibly loud sound came from outside.

The sound, similar to a ship’s horn, was loud enough to be heard by anyone in this fortress. And the blood and flesh pieces soaking the floor floated up into the air before pouring back down.

‘He succeeded!’

The phenomenon happening before me is a signal that something is wrong with the gravity maintained in the fortress. That means PS-111 has taken complete control of the fortress’s life support systems.

Plus that thunderous sound echoing throughout the fortress. That’s also a signal.

‘He’s expelling the oxygen.’

I know this well because I’ve done similar things in games.

He’s not only cutting off the oxygen supplied to the entire fortress but also leaking it outside. Even if they try to stop it from the First and Second Command Centers, it won’t be easy.

In about an hour, every living thing in this fortress will collapse from oxygen deprivation.

‘There’s no point in fighting the pirate forces any further.’

I’ll leave the rest to the mutants and mercenaries who are busily spreading madness bombs, and I need to do something else.

‘Clearing escape routes.’

The harbor where large ships were docked has been completely destroyed. In this situation, there’s only one way for them to escape.

‘The transport ships in the command centers.’

Kesha Arma is a space facility that periodically moves along the orbit of a mining planet. The command centers have high-speed transports that go directly to the mining planet. It’s a kind of space rocket used by fortress officials when inspecting the planet.

It launches from a long silo extending from the top of the cylindrical command center to the reinforced glass covering the fortress. It’s impossible to control the transport itself. Instead, using it allows one to move to the mining planet in less than a minute.

‘If survivors from the command centers use it, it’ll be troublesome.’

Because I’d have to follow them down to the planet to catch them.

‘Was the transport located at the top?’

The top of the command center is the 110th floor. I’m currently on the 3rd floor.

‘I’ll have to break my way up.’

[Zzzzzz zz (Come this way)]

“Okay.”

I moved No. 26 who was sitting on my head. I slightly held him with my chest arm and activated the bio-cannon.

The spore containing explosive liquid hit the ceiling and exploded as soon as it left the barrel. One-third of the ceiling of the floor I was on collapsed. I felt a slight warmth from the carapace on my back and head, but there was no significant damage.

‘Seems like there won’t be any problems.’

I started to quickly break through the building interior and climb up.

“Avoid… ARGH!”

The pirates who were fighting mutants with barricades in the corridor above were shattered by me breaking through the floor. Some fell through the hole, while others struggled under debris before being torn apart by mutants.

“Is big one hurt?”

No. 26 worried, seeing the debris piled on my head and back.

[Zzzzzz zzzzzz (I’m sturdy so it doesn’t hurt)]

“Sturdy! Sturdy!”

He was delighted as I easily shook off the debris.

Afterward, I continued to break through ceilings by either using explosive spores or striking strongly with my wing arms.

Sometimes through corridors occupied by pirates, sometimes through huge rooms decorated with luxurious ornaments, sometimes through swimming pools with water floating around. Although holes exceeding 10m were punctured on each floor of the building, the command center didn’t collapse. Probably because of the barrier wall surrounding the building’s exterior.

As I climbed up, turning the command center into a wasteland, I soon approached the top.

‘Almost there.’

After the lavishly decorated 100th floor, there were no more spaces that smelled of people. Instead, the walls dividing the floors became twice as thick as elsewhere. That’s because we’re getting closer to the floor where the transport ship is located.

‘But that means nothing in front of acidic breath.’

Even if it’s thick, it’s not as solid as a barrier wall. I opened my mouth and spewed fungal breath with strong acidity.

Like creatures in classic SF horror movies escaping laboratories with acidic blood, a large hole was created in the ceiling. It wasn’t limited to just one floor. Signs of melting from the breath were visible on the floor above as well.

I went straight up through the melted hole.

A silo extending beyond the height of the command center greeted me. Though invisible now due to the barrier wall, originally one could see the fortress landscape and the planet visible beyond the reinforced glass from here.

Below the silo, surrounded by several layers of metal walls, a small transport ship is visible. A few people who were just preparing to board look at me with surprised faces.

A pirate with a plump figure, three bodyguards protecting him, and a female Cult with deer antlers on her head.

‘Deer antlers?’

Although I’ve fought deer-antlered Cults before, they’re not at all common. Deer-antlered Cults are the most powerful psychic power users in Cult society and simultaneously the highest nobility. Not only are they few in number, but they also rarely engage in external activities.

Among those I’ve faced, Cults with deer antlers were Muriel and Jason. Both were players, so they can’t be considered ordinary Cults.

‘Could she be a player?’

Come to think of it, Kadun mentioned it. That among Martio Cartel’s clients, there was a powerful expert.

‘Let’s deal with the transport ship first.’

Whether the opponent is a player or not, cutting off the retreat route is the priority. I immediately prepared a psychic breath.

Monster tentacles dyed purple emit powerful energy. A purple heat ray, mimicking the immense power granted only to dragons, flies toward the transport ship.

The transport ship has powerful shields, but currently, they’re deactivated. Naturally, it’s impossible to block my attack.

But what happened next was beyond my expectations.

As the deer-antlered Cult raised her right arm, a circular mandala made of purple threads unfolded and blocked the psychic breath. No, “blocked” isn’t the right expression.

The flames of psychic power disappeared as if they never existed the moment they touched the mandala.

The mandala curved into a dome shape, covering the transport ship and her party around her.

‘What technique is this?’

There aren’t many techniques that can perfectly nullify an opponent’s attack like this.

Red armor used by Red Gallergorn or Voltex One’s defensive techniques would be sufficient, but the enemy is just a Cult. There are techniques that can block psychic breath, but it’s impossible to block it this easily.

‘Plus, I didn’t feel any recoil.’

In Adhigh’s case, despite defending attacks with red armor, he can’t avoid his body being pushed back due to the impact.

In contrast, the opponent seemed to manipulate and nullify the properties of my breath. Just like when I used “Complex Spectral Body.”

‘Could it be?’

An unknown technique, a deer-antlered Cult wandering in a pirate fortress.

Considering these two factors, there’s only one answer.

‘A Cult ranker.’

“…5th place.”

The Cult with a cold impression muttered in a chilling voice while looking at me.

The enemy I encountered in an unexpected place, in an unexpected situation, was a ranker like me.

Intense psychic power rushed toward me from her widely spread left hand.