Ch.299Infiltrate (2)

‘That was close.’

I almost got caught. Thanks to the perfect timing, I managed to board the warship safely.

Even in the game, I’ve infiltrated Beryan02 before, but they’ve never searched this thoroughly.

‘The detection system has been upgraded too.’

The Cult used all kinds of detection equipment and psychic power techniques to try to penetrate the “dark veil.” If I had remained in adult form, I would have been caught.

While the dark veil disrupted the enemy’s detection network, I used the trait “Organic Evolution” to transform my body into a completely different form. I reduced my body to less than 5m and used “Clever Weakling” which provides a stealth effect.

‘Is this the first time I’ve transformed into Clever Weakling after becoming an adult?’

I checked my body condition while clinging to the outer wall of the large warship.

When I transformed into Clever Weakling before, my body shape was similar to a centaur. Even now, after becoming an adult, the general form is similar. Except for the two combat arms and the small arms on the chest, the rest of my arms became legs, and my entire body was covered with shaggy fur.

The difference was in the head and neck. The long extended necks had significantly shortened. Especially the two heads attached to both sides were so close to the shoulders that the necks were barely visible.

The shape of the heads commonly had reduced carapaces at the back. Only the head carapaces disappeared, while the auxiliary organs under the jaw, fangs, and horns remained. The monster’s tentacles attached to the neck and back of the head were mixed with the fur, hanging down like tied hair.

Besides the head, another changed part was the tail.

The bio-cannon attached to the left tail had hidden its appearance and changed into a snake-like tail. The pincer tail on the right maintained its form but shortened in length.

‘Now that I’m inside the shield…’

I returned the horn I used to penetrate the shield to its original form. The horn that had resembled Gallergorn’s horn, standing sharp and pointed, changed to a crooked and rough form. This was the effect of “Variable Bio-weapon” that allows me to change body parts as desired.

Gallergorn’s horn nullifies psychic shields. Thanks to that, I could easily penetrate the shield even with my smaller body.

‘Good thing the horn didn’t disappear.’

The only unique traits I can’t use in Clever Weakling state are “Horizon of Nightmare,” “Complex Spectrum,” “Black Devourer Cannon,” and “Medusa Organ.” Besides these, traits related to FTL navigation are also restricted because parts like wings have disappeared.

The same goes for Variable Bio-weapon. Since the head carapace has greatly reduced and the wings are gone, I can’t change into Ice Horror’s head carapace or Gallergorn’s wings.

‘I may have parts I can’t change, but this is better than nothing.’

While I was checking my horn that had returned to normal, the Sky Mother quietly poked her head out from under my legs.

「Do you know what happens if you get caught between shields when they’re restored?」

[Zzzzz zzzzz (You get cut clean through)]

「You might survive getting your body cut, but that would be the end for me, you know?」

She took the form of a griffon beastkin and hid between my legs to avoid the fleet’s detection system.

[Zzz zzz zzz (We were lucky)]

「Lucky? I thought you said you calculated it perfectly earlier?」

[Zzz zzzzzz zzz zzz zzzzzz (That’s just a figure of speech. Let’s get moving)]

「Sigh.」

So we moved together, staying close to the outer wall.

The perk of Clever Weakling, “Unknown Creature’s Fur,” provides a stealth effect through the long fur covering the entire body.

Since the Sky Mother doesn’t have stealth technology, I need to cover and protect her. I had to move slowly to ensure she didn’t go outside the fur.

[Zzzzzz zzz (Isn’t it stuffy?)]

「It’s fine. How about you?」

[Zzz (Not really)]

She’ll be moving in beastkin form for a while. She brought equipment to supplement her reduced combat power. Her backpack contains the Golden Spear of Shaman and MPS-05.

The folded short spear poked the inside of my forelegs, but not enough to bother me.

We walked together between the black sky and ivory-colored ground.

One of the unique characteristics of Cult vessels is their elaborate decoration and beautiful colors. The ship we boarded fully reflected the typical features of Cult vessels. The hull made of moon silver alloy shone brightly in ivory color, and the surface was covered with geometric patterns.

Those patterns aren’t simply for decoration. If you look inside, you’ll find they’re full of mechanical parts. The decorations on Cult vessels are functional devices installed to amplify the ship’s psychic power abilities, such as shields.

‘Including external cameras.’

I continued searching for a passage to enter the ship, avoiding lenses disguised as complex patterns.

‘It should be around here.’

While walking with my body lowered, I discovered a slightly protruding part with auxiliary organs.

‘Found it.’

I sense an empty space inside. It’s the space where anti-aircraft cannons used against small vessels are placed.

‘Let’s enter through here.’

I transformed my right arm into a Hellside Hornet’s arm. The arm’s joint twisted, and a bone resembling a sickle protruded from the palm.

The terrifyingly sharp Hellside Hornet’s sickle is now in my hand.

I drove the sickle into the cover hiding the anti-aircraft cannon. The panel sparked slightly, showing a gap. I inserted my forelegs and left arm into the gap and pulled it wide open.

Seeing this, the Sky Mother quickly jumped inside.

After letting her in first, I squeezed my body through. Just before the panel closed, I barely made it inside the ship.

The first thing I saw inside the ship was a cannon about the size of my body. Behind the barrel was the face of a dumbfounded Cult gunner.

He was staring blankly at me and the Sky Mother. Seeing the cup in his hand, he seemed to have just returned from a break.

“Uh…!”

As emotion returned to his widened eyes, his body began to move again.

The cup of drink fell from the Cult member’s hand. His hand rose to grab something else instead of the cup. He was trying to put on the headphone-like communicator hanging on his goat horns.

At that moment, the Sky Mother thrust the Golden Spear of Shaman with lightning speed. The golden short spear pierced his neck.

“…ugh!”

The Cult member made a wheezing sound instead of screaming. I beheaded him with my sickle and picked up his head. I removed the communicator hanging on his horns and swallowed the head whole.

「Cannon 15. What’s happening?」

I answered the communicator that was emitting a small sound.

“Nothing. The protective wall seems to have malfunctioned.”

「Malfunctioned?」

“A meteorite that entered when the shield was damaged hit it.”

「I see. Report to the Knowledge Manager for now.」

“Understood.”

I roughly finished the conversation and turned off the communicator.

The Sky Mother beside me breathed a sigh of relief.

「Who would have thought we’d run into a gunner right when we entered.」

“I know.”

I started eating the remaining corpse to eliminate evidence.

The prey in my hand disappeared in an instant. There was no trace left where the Cult gunner had been.

「That mimicry organ. No matter how many times I see it, I can’t get used to it.」

“It’s incredibly useful though.”

「…As useful as it is creepy. Anyway, now that we’re here, take this.」

“Thanks.”

She took out a mini Screamer about twice the size of a human face from her backpack.

MPS-05, as I named it, has interstellar communication devices separated from the Screamer support line inside its body. That’s why it’s slightly larger.

Of course, even PS-111 couldn’t perfectly implant a communicator into this small body. Sending signals to Gigacracker dozens or hundreds of star systems away is never easy.

‘Then we just need to reduce the distance.’

Currently, the kids are hiding in a star system close to the Aur system. PS-111 calculated that communication with the mini Screamer would be possible at that distance.

I returned my arm to normal and received the mini Screamer.

The little one with eyes closed like a fairy tale princess. The reason there’s no response is because it’s in hibernation mode.

Thanks to the implanted interstellar communication function, MPS-05 can move according to commands from the main body far away. But doing that inside a ship would likely get us caught due to the radio waves it emits.

To prevent this, I implanted two traits into MPS-05.

‘Neural Junction and Wave Mimicry.’

“Wave Mimicry” is an environmental adaptation trait I originally had, and “Neural Junction” is an internal organ trait I regained while ransacking Gallergorn’s underground kingdom.

I followed the method PS-111 had explained in advance.

‘First connect the circuit and supply power.’

When I tore out the chair in front of the anti-aircraft cannon, neatly arranged cables appeared under the panel. I pulled out a cable with my small chest arms and connected it to the port on the back of MPS-05’s head.

‘Next…’

After connecting lots of cables and mechanical devices to the mini Screamer, I put my finger in my mouth.

Unlike humans, I pressed the manual switch inside my dry mouth, and MPS-05 started to tremble.

「Did it work?」

“We need to wait a bit, he said.”

The Sky Mother, who was watching for anyone coming from outside, asked.

PS-111 and I had set MPS-05 to automatically activate Neural Junction when energy is supplied. The reason it’s trembling is because its internal body is being calibrated to match the ship’s facility conditions.

‘Along with that, Wave Mimicry is also being prepared.’

It’s also simultaneously analyzing and mimicking various signals generated by the ship. Once the work is complete, we can contact the outside without getting caught. Unless the Mechanical Committee analyzes it, finding the manipulated signal is nearly impossible.

After waiting about 10 minutes, it opened its eyes. The eyes with red camera lenses blinked a few times and captured images of me and the Sky Mother.

“Synchronization. Confirmed.”

“It worked.”

「Well, I’ll be. This actually works?」

“It’s special, that’s why.”

“Special! Special!”

With this, the preliminary preparations for the Beryan02 infiltration operation are complete.

Now the remaining task is to search through the information stored on the ship to identify a vessel that can safely enter Beryan02.

Two elements are needed for this.

‘Computer hacking, and…’

The Knowledge Manager. We need him.

The Knowledge Manager, a position that exists only in the Cult, is a living computer and repository of knowledge. Especially a Knowledge Manager aboard a ship monitoring the star system would know a lot about Beryan02’s defense system.

‘Plus, I can get information about the internal situation of the planet.’

What are the weaknesses, what enemies or factors should I be concerned about, and are there any differences from the game?

“I’ll leave the computer part to you. I’m counting on you.”

“Leave it to me. Possible.”

The next target is the Knowledge Manager aboard the ship.