Ch.389Offensive (1)

Green flashes pour down like a shower.

I forcibly spread my recovering wing-arms and took flight. The plasma heat rays fired by over a hundred battleships completely pulverized the meteorite below me.

While the battleships prepared for another volley, countless patrol ships and carrier-based aircraft pursued me. Innumerable plasma shots hammered my outer skin.

Attacks from patrol-class vessels can’t cause me serious damage, but I can’t afford to let my guard down. In what promises to be a prolonged battle, accumulated damage would be problematic.

I dispersed enhanced “Gremlin Moss.” A cloud that destroys advanced equipment spewed from the organic pipes on my body, enveloping nearby vessels.

Some of the closely pursuing enemies stopped functioning due to the Gremlin Moss. The aircraft and patrol ships that avoided the attack quickly scattered.

Between the dispersed aircraft, massive flying monsters squeezed through. Outspacers with organic cannons as large as their bodies mounted on their backs fired something at me.

Projectiles shaped like nails covered with spore-like substances embedded themselves in my tail and hind legs. Soon the spores swelled like foam and then hardened.

‘Damn!’

Their attack wasn’t meant to inflict a fatal wound. It was to slow my movements and gain an advantage in battle.

Following this, Outspacer monsters responsible for attacks began targeting me. A massive 40m beast approached me at incredible speed.

‘What’s that?’

The enemy with four arms, two legs, an elongated head, and a long tail was an Outspacer type I’d never seen before. I extended my corrosive tentacles with activated “Medusa Organ” to keep it at bay.

Surprisingly, just before the tentacle appendages made contact, it twisted its body and narrowly avoided them. While dodging, the blades at the ends of its arms sliced through my tentacle appendages. The appendages, which boasted considerable durability though not quite carapace-level, were cut like paper.

‘It’s using Hellside Hornet genes!’

Moreover, I don’t know how they modified it, but the sharpness of those arm blades exceeds the original. I struck the creature’s body with another corrosive tentacle to prevent further attacks.

The impact made the enemy’s body stagger and slightly slowed its movements. To finish it off, I tried to grab it with my right tail equipped with pincers.

Just as the pincers were about to clamp down, my tail stopped as if caught in a restraint. It wasn’t just a feeling. A net of extremely powerful psychic power was entangling my tail. Meanwhile, the Outspacer escaped the pincer attack with ease.

Wondering if Cult members were also hiding, I turned my head and saw a strange-looking aircraft in the distance. I thought it might be an anti-ship drone, but it wasn’t.

‘A Screamer?’

The entity interfering with me using psychic power was one of Star Union’s Screamers.

‘A Screamer using psychic power?’

It’s easy to be confused because of PS-111 and Isabelle, but originally Screamers cannot use psychic power. That’s because Cult members with psychic potential cannot be used as Screamer material.

Even the mutant Screamers I encountered before could only use psychic power in a limited way through supervisor models for control purposes.

‘But how?’

The new Screamer’s appearance was as alien as its abilities.

Its head was developed to the point of deformity, and it lacked the metal legs typically used for movement. Various mechanical devices were attached all over its oversized head. Its face, covered in stitches, was extremely hideous but somehow familiar.

‘I’ve seen this somewhere… wait, could it be?’

The entity emitting psychic power resembled a human-faced insect more than a Screamer. A faint purple net flew toward me, trying to capture me.

I accelerated at once, escaping beyond the range of the psychic power.

‘That face resembles Jason.’

Jason, a Cult player belonging to the Innovatives. He tried to escape using a Perk while fighting me before, but died when his neck was cut. At that time, I couldn’t secure his body except for the head because it flew away during FTL travel.

‘So they used his body as material.’

I don’t know how they found it, but it seems his comrades discovered Jason’s headless corpse. And just like they created PS-111, they made him into a mutant Screamer. That’s why it can skillfully use psychic power despite being a Screamer.

While I was avoiding attacks from the Screamers made from Jason, green light flashed in front of me. Megacorp and Star Union battleships poured plasma heat rays along my movement path.

Among the numerous battleships were six Jax Alpha-class battleships, which the highest officials of Star Union board. Near these massive battleships that stood out even from a distance, Outspacers of various sizes were in formation, escorting the battleships.

It was truly an all-out offensive transcending species—a sight rarely seen even in the game.

‘Were there Outspacer rankers in the Innovatives too?’

Within the top 20, the only Outspacer ranker is ranked 4th. There are a few more down to 40th place, but it’s hard to imagine they would go against the will of the 4th-ranked.

‘And Outspacers have synergy when they unite with their own kind.’

Alshas said there are a total of two Outspacer rankers in the Providences. With two rankers on the same side, it would be easy to pressure fellow rankers with different views.

So it’s fair to assume that all Outspacers follow the Providences.

‘That means the Innovatives and Providences have joined forces to capture me.’

Or the Outspacer rankers independently formed a temporary alliance with the Innovatives.

Based on the enemy composition, the latter seems more likely. The leader of the Providences isn’t the 4th-ranked but the 7th-ranked, Bumho, and there are no Cult ships here.

There could be Cult members aboard Megacorp ships, but that’s unlikely. If that were the case, they wouldn’t openly utilize Screamers made from Jason, a former Cult shaman.

‘…It doesn’t matter.’

It’s too early to feel relieved just because the Cult is absent. The alliance of Outspacers and Innovatives alone is already a significant threat. They’ve prepared thoroughly to capture me.

On the other hand, my preparations are minimal. Due to being caught in the PMB, my condition isn’t perfect, and some of my traits are on cooldown.

‘And I don’t have Metallic Gremlins or Gigacrackers.’

The current area is sealed against FTL travel for unknown reasons. It would take considerable time for the Metallic Gremlin swarm to reach here.

Even if they arrived safely, their mobility would be greatly reduced in a situation where FTL travel is sealed. Metallic Gremlins without their means of transportation are merely slow-moving targets, useless in combat.

‘First, I need to make FTL travel possible again.’

Only then can I retreat to regroup, call for reinforcements, or take other actions.

‘It’s fortunate that Voltex One isn’t among the enemies.’

I initially wondered if they had somehow dominated Voltex One and brought it here, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. They must have blocked FTL travel through some method I’m unaware of.

To turn the unfavorable situation around, I need to eliminate that one first.

While avoiding heat rays, I used “Variable Bio-weapon” and simultaneously twisted my body sharply.

An Outspacer pursuing from behind, seeing this as an opportunity, tried to stab my body with four sharp weapons.

Whether it knows or not, I also possess the genetic essence of the Hellside Hornet. The large bone scythe protruding from the end of my combat arm collided with its blades.

And the result was my victory.

Two of the blades attached to its arms shattered completely.

‘Sharpness isn’t everything.’

I’m almost twice its size. Naturally, the blades I created on my combat arms are much larger.

But it seems the creature hadn’t anticipated this situation. Judging by its gaping elongated snout, it was clearly shocked.

Not missing that opening, all my corrosive tentacles extended toward it. The tentacle appendages slashed at the enemy’s legs and tail.

I was about to kill it with the Medusa Organ while holding it tight, but there was interference. A massive heat ray fired by a Jax Alpha-class battleship hit me directly in the back. One tentacle was torn off and my back plate was dented. Because of this, I lost my grip on the Outspacer.

It cut off the parts touched by the appendages without hesitation using its blades, then quickly retreated. Being a special specimen, it likely has means of recovery. It will probably heal quickly and return.

Yet knowing this, I didn’t pursue it.

Instead, I returned my transformed arms to their original state and spread a “Dark Veil” around my body.

The organic pipes that had been spraying gaseous Gremlin Moss now sprayed pitch-black fog. The enemy fleet’s main guns fired again, but none hit me hidden behind the veil.

In that state, I opened my three heads. Those inside eagerly jumped out.

[Zzzzz zz zzzzzz(Sorry, but I’ll need your help)]

“Hunt” “Begin?”

“Many bad humans!”

“…So it’s come to this. How can I help?”

Despite the situation, what they need to do hasn’t changed much.

No. 26 will mark enemies using psychic power, while Sky Mother and Adhigh Orr will deal with the fleet. PS-111 will provide covering fire from above me.

What has changed is Isabelle’s role.

‘With All-Seeing Eye, she should be able to catch the enemy’s trump card.’

Isabelle’s Perk that reads information about opponents should easily identify who is interfering with FTL travel. And if the enemies have other hidden cards, Isabelle will discover and inform us.

[Zz zzz zzzzzz(Alright. Everyone understands?)]

“Yes! I understand!”

“Strong enemy” “Hunt” “Difficult” “But” “I’ll try”

“Sigh, it won’t be easy, but we must do it.”

Members who can express themselves through thought waves and frequencies sent reassuring messages.

“Space, communication, difficult, but, I try.”

“I’ll, help, too.”

PS-111, who learned to communicate via psychic power from No. 26 when being reconstructed, and Isabelle, who was directly implanted with that technique, also responded, albeit awkwardly.

[Zzzzz zzzzz zzzzzz zzzzz(Be careful not to get hurt)]

“Yes! Big baby shouldn’t get hurt either!”

“Agree”

Honestly, it’s hard to say the current situation is good. I’ve never experienced a battle against a large fleet commanded by rankers from three species in this world. I hope the kids don’t get hurt, but that’s probably wishful thinking.

‘However…’

Since coming to this world, my life has been a series of crises.

Numerous dangers and powerful enemies have relentlessly threatened my survival.

But in the end, I’ve always been the one standing.

This time will be no different.

I—no, we—will survive.