Ch.425Feint (1)

I immediately sent a signal to the parasite in Ventris’s head, asking it to tell me where Prometheus was stored.

A moment later, Tane respectfully handed a communicator to the Sky Mother. The Sky Mother, now in her beast form, checked Ventris’s message.

“It says it’s being kept at the harbor.”

[Good]

I need to go up there and check right away. I carried the Sky Mother and the Sinoni boss on my back.

“Tane, would you wait at the hideout? The, um, teacher will be there too.”

“Yes, my god. I’ll receive the teachings.”

“Good. Well done.”

Leaving Tane bowing behind us, I headed toward the harbor.

[Teacher?]

“PS-111. He’s using mini screamers to educate the Volfs.”

[PS-111 is teaching them?]

“Actually, I asked him to. Seeing how he taught No. 26, his skills don’t seem bad.”

PS-111 is certainly a good educator. Watching him teach No. 26 and Adhigh Orr, he’s passionately unlike a machine. Probably half of what No. 26 knows was learned from PS-111.

Of course, the other half was learned from me.

[So that’s why he’s called teacher]

“…I’m a bit worried about his loose screws, but Tane will filter that out well enough.”

The young Volfs aren’t much help to me at this point. But learning how to handle weapons or operate computers wouldn’t be bad.

‘Originally I was planning to release them after this was over.’

Volfs are naturally physically superior to humans. If I leave them on a reasonably safe planet, they’ll adapt and survive on their own.

However, the Sky Mother seems unwilling to do that. She appears to want to take the children to Gallergorn’s Nest.

‘It would be difficult for them to adapt.’

In that place filled with ice and cold, the only habitable zone has prior residents—the Coldblood group that serves Isabelle.

Volfs and Coldbloods have completely different cultures. I’m not sure if these young ones can get along well with another species.

And if the two groups were to oppose each other, it would become a headache. The Volfs would ask the Sky Mother for help, and the Coldbloods would ask Isabelle.

From my perspective, they’re like family. It’s not good for them to be at odds due to external factors.

‘…Well, no need to think negatively.’

The Sky Mother must have had the same concerns as me. If problems arise, she’ll handle them well.

After chatting about various things, we soon approached the harbor. When we reached the surface, I saw Ventris.

“This way.”

We followed him in his power armor through the harbor where rain and hail were pouring down. The guidance wasn’t long. Soon he stopped in front of a warehouse.

‘Huh?’

“Prometheus is here?”

Prometheus is as large as a small battleship. Yet the warehouse before us was too small to fit even a destroyer, let alone a battleship.

Inside the warehouse, Prometheus was nowhere to be seen. Instead, various neatly arranged parts greeted us.

“Did they bring it disassembled?”

[I wonder]

Prometheus’s function is to perfectly control faster-than-light travel within a certain range.

It not only perfectly predicts the enemy’s jump point but can also manipulate the destination, sending them to random locations.

The manipulated destinations are random, and depending on luck, ships can be transported into stars or planets. I’ve experienced being thrown into a star and burning to death because of this before.

Therefore, enemies fighting against fleets with Prometheus might as well consider their FTL travel sealed.

In exchange, Prometheus itself cannot perform FTL travel due to the warp particles constantly emitted from its reactor.

These particles also affect ships that come in contact with Prometheus, making it difficult to move by connecting it to other vessels.

‘That’s why it’s usually operated similar to a space fortress.’

It’s either installed at strategic points for defense or placed in unexpected locations as a trap.

‘Come to think of it, I think some players tried this approach in the game too.’

The strategy of collecting manufacturing parts and assembling them before important battles. However, it took too long to build and carried high risks, so it was quickly abandoned.

‘Why would they attempt a method that failed even in the game?’

Though I had such doubts, I decided to check first. The Sky Mother and I began examining the interior of the warehouse.

Many of the parts in the warehouse were coated with Crystalwing secretions. The materials were made of rare minerals like Starpulse.

Such large-scale use of precious materials only happens when creating superweapons.

“These things look similar to Prometheus materials.”

Both of us have encountered Prometheus several times. We know well what the superweapon’s materials look like.

The Sky Mother picked up a flat octagonal module. It resembled a part used in engine construction.

[Except for the size being small]

The other parts were the same. They only resembled what I knew, but were dozens of times smaller.

“Is there any need to miniaturize it? It’s not like the drawbacks disappear just because the size is reduced.”

[Maybe new functions have been added that we don’t know about]

I called the Sinoni boss under my control.

[This Warpfinder, do you know what functions it has?]

“Within areas affected by the Warpfinder, faster-than-light travel is impossible.”

[Anything else?]

“Besides accelerating the fleet’s faster-than-light travel, I don’t know much.”

[Huh? Acceleration?]

“Yes. That’s why with this, maneuvering warfare using FTL travel is possible.”

Moreover, judging by his tone, it seemed possible to travel FTL together. I looked at the Sky Mother.

[Did it have such an ability?]

“…No way. If it did, the rankings would only have Star Union cyborgs.”

It seems they’ve upgraded it beyond what I knew.

“But why haven’t they used something so useful until now?”

[There seems to be some limitation]

It might cost more to produce than the original, or perhaps rare materials are consumed each time it’s operated, making it difficult to use casually. Otherwise, they would have used it when fighting me.

‘I guess we’ll have to assemble it to know the details.’

Currently before me are countless parts, too many to count. Neither I nor the Sky Mother have the ability to assemble them.

‘I’ll have to call PS-111.’

With his outstanding technical skills that allow him to create screamers, he should be able to complete this.

I contacted PS-111 using the communicator the Sky Mother had brought.

“Did you call for me?”

“We’re at the harbor now. Can you track our location?”

I asked, mimicking a human voice.

One of the cameras in the warehouse lit up red and moved. PS-111 was controlling it remotely.

“I’ve confirmed you’re in warehouse 16. Did you contact me about the parts stored there?”

“You knew?”

“I’ve been monitoring that warehouse since items were moved there.”

“Do you know what these are used for?”

“When I first encountered the parts, I scanned and ran simulations. The device is estimated to be able to interfere with energy generated during FTL travel.”

“That’s right. Can you assemble it?”

“Assemble it?”

He didn’t answer immediately and remained silent. After a moment, his voice came through the communicator.

“The warehouse is missing a module needed for reactor stabilization. That’s absolutely necessary to complete it.”

“What if we assemble it without the module?”

“The reactor would go critical and explode. The scale is estimated to be enough to destroy AG-01.”

‘A trap in case of emergency.’

It’s probably a measure to prevent a ranker’s enemies from using the items if they steal them. If I hadn’t asked PS-111, I would have fallen into the trap.

“…What a petty trick.”

The Sky Mother, who had been listening to our conversation, projected her thought waves.

“The reactor stabilization module. The ranker must have it, right?”

“Yes.”

The ranker probably stored it somewhere he deemed safe.

However, he also brought it with the intention of using the superweapon. It must be hidden somewhere not far from here.

I gestured for Ventris and the Sinoni boss to come over.

“PS-111. How many ships belonging to Sinoichi haven’t landed on the planet?”

“Five ships.”

“Which is the sturdiest?”

“The Star Union-made XAX02-class battleship.”

“I heard that ship was given to the boss by Sutherland.”

“Really?”

While not as impressive as the Jax Alpha, the flagship of the Mechanical Committee’s highest commissioner, the XAX02-class or Beta-class battleship is still rare. It’s not a ship that mere pirates can easily operate.

‘The true commander of the Beta-class battleship is the ranker.’

The Sinoni boss is just a puppet. Both the ranker and the crucial parts of Prometheus are likely on that ship.

“What are you going to do?”

I originally planned to wait longer, but the situation has changed. To capture both the modified Prometheus and the ranker simultaneously, I need to move more aggressively than before.

‘So…’

“I need to do what I do best.”

It’s hunting time.