Ch.302Berjan 02 (1)

The Cult’s homeland is very different from Earth. It’s hot with little water, similar to Earth’s deserts. Without their psychic power abilities, they would never have developed civilization on such a barren planet.

The environment of Beryan02 is quite similar to the Cult’s homeland. Endless red sand and rocks. Scattered blue oases. These are elements commonly seen in the Cult’s homeland.

Just as their ancestors carved an empire from the sand, their descendants built massive cities on the red earth.

A forest of buildings spread across the vast desert. The pale ivory buildings reflected the sand’s light, tinting them red.

It’s been a day since I arrived here with the help of my new minion.

On the day I infected Knowledge Manager Charas, I sent the acquired information to PS-111.

Information about which ship to infiltrate to safely enter Beryan02 without restrictions, and where that ship was currently located.

While we spent two days on the battleship, they secretly boarded a large cargo ship heading to the Aur system.

Adhigh Orr, who could move fastest among our group, carried PS-111 and No. 26, making stowaway relatively easy.

Of course, it wasn’t entirely smooth. They almost got caught on radar during boarding because of PS-111’s size. Fortunately, they got through thanks to No. 26’s quick thinking.

Anyway, their cargo ship arrives today. I’m currently waiting in the port area with Charas.

“We’ve arrived.”

Charas, sitting in the cockpit of the personal spacecraft, said.

Through the reinforced glass, I can see a large ship landing. A gray, rectangular, rugged cargo ship. It’s a Star Union labor supply ship.

Beryan02 is one of the largest slave markets in the Cult Empire. For labor supply ships, there’s no easier place to obtain cyborg materials.

As the ship’s door opened, cyborgs disembarked. When it returns, it will be loaded with frozen containers full of humans and various species, the opposite of now.

“What should we do?”

“We wait.”

There are still many watching eyes around. I waited until there were fewer observers.

‘This should be good enough.’

After about three hours, the number of Cults and outsiders passing by decreased significantly.

“Get ready.”

She brought the spacecraft close to the side of the labor supply ship.

As if on cue, a door on the side opened, and our back door opened to match. When the open doors faced each other, three familiar shadows appeared.

They boarded Charas’s spacecraft. Having achieved her goal, Charas quickly increased speed and left the port.

[Zzz zzzzz (You all did well)]

“There was a 2-second error but within acceptable range. No major issues.”

「Hello, little big one!」

「Big」「adult」「why」「so small?」

The group I met again after several days hadn’t changed.

No. 26, who had shrunk himself, climbed onto my head, and Adhigh Orr poked my shaggy fur with his front paws.

“Where to now?”

Charas, piloting the spacecraft, asked me.

She showed no sign of being disturbed despite having four monsters aboard her ship. The reality was so surreal that she probably thought it was all a terrible nightmare.

I turned to PS-111.

“‘Middle one’ has secured a hideout and is waiting. We should head there.”

He answered, having received information from MPS-05.

While I was waiting at the port, Sky Mother and the mini screamer went to find a hideout.

The duration of ‘Clever Weakling’ is 7 days. When the effect ends, my body will become huge again.

‘It’s already been 3 days since I transformed.’

There’s a possibility we won’t find No. 22 in the remaining 4 days. Even if we know the communicator’s location, if No. 22 isn’t nearby, we’ll have to search the entire planet.

Anticipating a prolonged search, I asked her to prepare a base in advance.

[Zzzzz zzzz (Guide Charas)]

Hearing my words, PS-111 crawled to the cockpit. Charas flinched as the human-faced spider, still 7 meters long even without its tail, approached.

“Go to the old hover bus center on Glory Street.”

“…Yes.”

The spacecraft flew toward our destination, passing between numerous buildings.

As we continued moving, the red-decorated buildings gradually decreased, and more ominous-looking structures began to appear.

‘So that’s why they chose Glory Street…’

I know Glory Street. Located on the outskirts of our city, it’s one of the places where many Cults roam due to a large slave market nearby.

But the scene beyond the reinforced glass was far from its glorious name.

‘It’s fallen.’

The famous slave market was nowhere to be seen. The place, with buildings half-buried in sand, was the very image of a fallen city.

Charas landed the spacecraft in front of a large building shaped like a horizontal triangle. Sky Mother, in her therianthrope form, walked out from inside the abandoned building.

[Zzz zzzz zzzz zzzz (You managed to find quite a building)]

「Isn’t it cheap precisely because it’s ‘quite a building’?」

[Zzz (True)]

「It was originally a hover bus center built to target the slave market. When another large market developed in a different street, this street declined and the center was closed.」

As she said, we didn’t see any other ships or Cults on our way here.

「And the broker told me something interesting.」

[Zzzz zzz (Interesting story?)]

「I think it’s better if you see it for yourself inside.」

Her amber eyes, appearing darker than usual due to the red reflection, curved into crescent moons. Answering with a smile, she guided us inside.

The interior of the hover bus center was the epitome of a haunted building. Parts of the walls were cracked, exposing the steel frame inside, and sand had accumulated on the floor.

‘At least it’s spacious.’

Large enough to accommodate an adult. Sky Mother continued deeper inside, suggesting there was more to see.

‘Underground?’

A staircase leading underground appeared in what was supposed to be a hover bus center.

Following her down, we entered a large underground space containing incomplete rails.

‘Now I understand why she wanted me to see it myself.’

It seems this hover bus center was also meant to serve as a subway facility.

「There was strong opposition from the beginning of construction. They eventually gave up during the rail work.」

Cults instinctively dislike building things underground.

‘Besides, no one would use this in a failed street.’

I looked around the half-built subway station.

‘This works well.’

This place is perfect as a hideout. It’s advantageous that the rails don’t connect to other cities or streets. I can extend them myself if needed.

「And there’s still more.」

[Zz (Hm?)]

“I’ll explain from here.”

“I. Will. Explain.”

PS-111, who had reunited with MPS-05 upon entering, stepped forward.

He operated a terminal in the corner. Sparks flew from the ceiling of the underground cavity, and creaking mechanical sounds echoed. Soon, an image of a several-meter sphere was projected from an old camera on the wall.

‘This is… Beryan02, isn’t it?’

Colorful marks floated sporadically above the image of Beryan02.

“This is a map of the hover bus centers that were planned to be installed in Beryan02 and the surrounding slave markets.”

「Considering No. 22’s species, they’re likely disguised as a slave in one of the slave markets.」

[Zzzz zzzz zzz zzzz zzzz zzzzzz (So that means they’re at one of these marked locations)]

「Yes. I think we should start looking from here.」

No. 22’s species is Coldblood, persecuted in the Empire. To operate on this planet with the largest branch of the Prophet Society, disguising oneself as a slave would be most effective.

‘Not a bad start.’

I moved my face closer to the map of Beryan02.

‘They sell creatures at slave markets too.’

While slave trading is the main business, places as large as Beryan02 occasionally trade rare creatures as well.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to collect genetic essence while searching for the hidden one.

–

A white room.

A woman with black hair sits in a chair.

Behind her, with her head bowed low, stood two beings. Their faces were covered with black fog, as if pixelated.

These faceless ones were whispering something persistently into the ear of the woman with bowed head. They were so insistent that their expressions could almost be felt despite their invisible faces.

Whispers filling the room. It could no longer be called whispering. The woman remained motionless, as if deaf to the echoing noise in the room.

At some point, the woman raised her head.

Black eyes, identical to her black hair, stared straight ahead.

The woman spoke.

「You ■■ ■■■.」

“Gasp!”

Siheyon Yujin woke up with a rough breath. Her face was reflected in the transparent glass wall of the biocapsule.

That face, with sweat-soaked hair hanging down, bore a striking resemblance to the woman in her dream.

‘That dream again.’

Since her resurrection in a clone body, her dreams had been consistent. They were nightmares of the unidentified monster that killed “Siheyon Yujin” killing her again.

Nightmares that wouldn’t disappear no matter what she did. Now they were completely gone.

To be precise, since acquiring the artifact on Gallergorn’s planet, she no longer dreamed of being attacked by the unidentified monster.

Instead, she now had this dream.

A dream where two beings whispered to her endlessly.

At first, their voices were very sweet. It felt like they were guiding her, lost, to the right path.

But at some point, she began to find their voices unpleasant. She felt they weren’t guiding her but controlling her.

Once that thought took hold, the sweet dream turned into a nightmare. Now she couldn’t sleep unless she entered a biocapsule like this.

“Mountains beyond mountains, they say.”

After this brief self-deprecation, Siheyon rose from the capsule.

As the glass wall opened, cool air enveloped her naked body. The cold air from the air conditioning blew away the beads of sweat on her body.

As she exited the capsule, the lights gradually activated, spreading natural-feeling light throughout the room.

The room, illuminated by soft light, had an elegant yet exotic atmosphere. The geometric patterns drawn on the walls and ceiling were unlike anything seen in Megacorp facilities.

Yet Siheyon walked out of the capsule as if completely at ease in this alien space.

The unpleasantness of the nightmare had subsided, but she didn’t feel like going back to sleep.

She picked up the gown and pad she had placed beside the capsule. As usual, she decided to start her day earlier than others.

‘It would be difficult to procure more personnel than this. Quality must be calculated as much as quantity…’

She spent time focusing on work while wearing the thin gown. What broke her concentration was a knock at the door.

“Enter.”

The door with an antique design opened, and a creature resembling a reptilian human with insect-like features entered.

A Coldblood, a species rarely seen in Megacorp. This being, smaller than typical Coldbloods, wore a silver necklace around its neck.

“Did you call, Siheyon Yujin?”

“It must be meeting time already.”

“Yes. Minseok Yujin is waiting in the reception room on the first floor.”

“I’ll be there soon. Wait for me. I’ll dress myself.”

“Understood.”

Despite her words, the Coldblood brought her clothes and presented them to her. Siheyon frowned slightly but said nothing.

She knew why this Coldblood behaved this way. The reason for treating her with extreme deference, as if addressing royalty, was because this being was a slave.

And in Beryan02, where she was staying, such scenes were very common.

After dressing completely, Siheyon spoke just before leaving the room.

“Thank you as always.”

Despite Siheyon’s praise, the Coldblood only bowed its head. She hadn’t expected a response with her praise either.

After the room’s owner left, the Coldblood who had been bowing quietly raised its head.

The vertical pupils characteristic of reptiles captured her retreating figure. Only the owner of those eyes knew what thoughts lay behind them.

After briefly watching Siheyon, the Coldblood began cleaning the room as usual.