Ch.309Traces (4)

I’ve lost parasites several times before, but most of those were intentional.

Parasites are consumables used to deceive or control enemies. Once they’ve served their purpose, it doesn’t matter if they die.

But there was exactly one time when a parasite put me in danger.

William, the detective I controlled in the T&C Special Trade Center. He harmed himself to reveal my existence. That disrupted my plans.

Something similar happened here.

‘No, this is actually worse.’

Today Alqadi attended an important meeting. I heard he was meeting high-ranking officials like the Imperial Mothership captain and the surveillance director. You could say he was in the safest place on this planet today.

So I was feeling secure, but then he suddenly died.

‘Why did he die?’

Parasites send me signals when their hosts face great danger or when they act against my will. In William’s case, the parasite sent me waves, so I knew he was harming himself.

But this time, there was no warning at all.

That means the parasite in Alqadi’s body was killed instantly.

The safest location, an unexpected situation, a parasite killed before it could send signals. What does this mean?

‘…a ranker.’

Actually, finding parasites isn’t difficult. Any scanner or technology that examines the body’s interior will detect them immediately.

However, Alqadi hadn’t undergone any examinations that would detect parasites. He also avoided any behavior that might arouse suspicion.

The fact that he was caught anyway means whoever killed him had the ability or means to detect parasites. And judging by how quickly they killed the host, they knew exactly how dangerous parasites are.

This is something only possible for someone who knows about parasites or has suffered from them many times.

Therefore, the opponent is likely a ranker.

‘I didn’t expect to meet one so soon.’

I had anticipated the presence of Cult rankers before infiltrating.

Beryan02 is a strategic stronghold for the Cult. Just as I, an AMorph, know which traits are useful and which creatures to capture, the Cult knows the same. They would naturally have established their bases and forces on Beryan02.

That’s why I sneaked onto the planet secretly, but I’ve been discovered too quickly.

‘…what’s done is done.’

Right now, I need to focus on what to do next rather than panicking.

‘It’s only a matter of time before they find my hideout.’

If they investigate the movements of someone infected with a parasite, they’ll eventually find where I’m hiding. They’ll find me within days, a week at most.

“Are you okay? What happened?”

When I suddenly stopped moving, Sky Mother jumped off my back.

[Zzzzzz zzzzz (Alqadi is dead)]

“What? When?”

[Zzzz zzzz zzzzzzzz zzzzzz zzzzz zzzzz zzzzz (Just now. It happened so suddenly that the parasite couldn’t even send proper information)]

“Didn’t he say he was going to a meeting at the Water Fortress? And he died?”

[Zz (Yes)]

She also recognized the seriousness of the situation and froze.

“Could there be a ranker?”

[Zzzz zzzzz zzzz (That’s highly likely)]

“…This is troublesome. What are you going to do?”

[Zzzz zzzz zzzzz (I’m thinking about it)]

With the parasite discovered, there’s only one thing I can do.

Enter the “Water Fortress” where the Coldblood ranker is hiding before the pursuit begins.

However, avoiding enemy detection in my adult form is extremely difficult. There’s a reason I waited 30 days to transform back into a “clever weakling.”

‘Should I just fight the Cult instead?’

The reason I came looking for the 22nd-ranked Coldblood ranker was to gather information about phantoms. The target has been in this world for quite some time and has a friendly relationship with Sky Mother.

But now I’ve become aware of a new ranker. Taking out the Cult ranker before meeting the 22nd-ranked one is also an option.

‘A change of objective, huh.’

The ranker who killed my parasite. I’m guessing they’ve been active in this world for quite a long time. They must be important enough to be formally invited to a gathering of Beryan02’s power players. They would make a suitable interrogation subject.

‘…No. An all-out battle isn’t good.’

I rejected my previous thoughts.

There’s not enough information. I can only guess that the Cult ranker is a person of power, but I know nothing else. If the ranker targeting me is the 7th-ranked one, that would be quite troublesome.

The 7th-ranked Cult ranker, Bumho, uses unpredictable strategies similar to mine. He would have prepared traps from the moment he detected my presence.

Even if the enemy ranker isn’t Bumho, it’s still a problem. There’s no guarantee the enemy is alone. It’s dangerous to fight recklessly when there might be other allied rankers.

‘And if the 22nd-ranked one sides with the enemy, that would be problematic.’

Players who saw me fighting with rankers invariably helped the other rankers instead of me. That’s because I have various grudges, big and small, with most rankers.

The 22nd-ranked one might act the same way they did in the game. Even if Sky Mother intervened later to stop them, it wouldn’t be easy to change their mind. They might think she’s being controlled by a parasite.

‘Though I can’t really complain since that’s happened before.’

Anyway, to prevent “misunderstandings” with the Coldblood ranker, at least the first encounter needs to be peaceful.

‘All-out battle is impossible. But a decoy strategy isn’t great either.’

This is enemy territory. Luring enemies underground to capture them would cause more harm than good. Even if I annihilate the enemy, support troops would keep coming endlessly.

“How much time is left until you can transform?”

Sky Mother, who had also been thinking, spoke up.

In response to her question, I checked how much time remained before the cooldown of “Organic Evolution” ended.

[Zzzz zzzz (Less than 7 days)]

“They’ll find our hideout before then, right?”

[Zz (Yes)]

“What if I infiltrate the Water Fortress before that?”

[Zzzzz (Alone?)]

“Yes. It will take them a few days to discover our hideout, so I’ll try to find that child as quickly as possible. If I find them early, we can leave this place with them.”

Her suggestion is for her to meet the 22nd-ranked one alone.

It’s not a bad idea, but there’s still a problem. What if the 22nd-ranked one doesn’t follow her? With time already running short, resistance would be troublesome.

‘Resistance would actually be the better outcome.’

If they change their mind and attack, it would be quite problematic.

I don’t think Sky Mother would lose, but the other side is also a ranker. Unless one side completely overwhelms the other, the battle won’t end quietly.

‘If they get caught by the Cult ranker during the fight, it would be disastrous.’

Not only the Coldblood side but also her life would be in danger.

Her amber eyes shone clearly even in the darkness as she looked at me. She knows she would be in danger too. She must have suggested this because she’s willing to take the risk given our bad situation.

‘I can’t abandon her here.’

Sky Mother is someone who helps me survive. She’s too valuable a card to use up in this situation.

[Zzzzz zzzz zzzzz zzzzz zzzzzzzz zzzzz zzzzz zzzzz (We can’t do that because there’s no guarantee we’ll find the 22nd-ranked one before the pursuit team arrives)]

“Fighting them is dangerous too. If you fight the Cult, that child will side with them, right? Honestly, your image isn’t that good.”

[Zzzz zzzz (I know)]

I already knew this, but hearing her point out my image made me feel strangely uncomfortable. It felt worse because she said it with a serious look rather than as a joke.

‘Is my reputation that terri… Wait. Image?’

Suddenly, an idea occurred to me.

Just as I don’t know much about the enemy, they don’t know much about me either.

For instance, sending Sky Mother into the Water Fortress is something I would never have attempted in the game.

The me in the game versus the me now.

This gap might be the key to breaking through.

[Zzzz zzzzzzzz (I just thought of something)]

“Hmm?”

I began explaining the idea that had just popped into my head. At first, she listened with a tilted head, but by the end of my explanation, she was looking at me with an expression of disbelief.

[Zzzz (What do you think?)]

“…Honestly, it sounds absurd, but it might actually work.”

[Zzzz zzzzzzz zzzzzzzz zzzzzzzz (Because it’s something the me in the game could never do)]

“True. It’s something you would absolutely never do.”

She nodded her head as if in complete agreement with my words.

“But there are still many issues. The parts that rely too much on luck need to be adjusted.”

[Zzzzzzzz (Of course)]

Time is tight if we want to prepare before they arrive. I put her back on my back and hurriedly set off for the center.

Even in the game, I overcame obstacles that everyone said were impossible. When I wasn’t a ranker, I hunted rankers, and even when I was just a subadult, I devoured multiple clans.

In this world too, I’ve faced death crises more than once, but I’ve survived.

This time will be no different.