Ch.75Disguise (2)

“What’s going on here? Please explain.”

The Crisis Management Department Head asked Vickers.

While the words themselves were simply inquiring about the situation, his tone suggested otherwise.

A clear interrogation.

The atmosphere among the 1st Team’s mixed search party suddenly turned frigid.

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

Vickers evaded the question with a composed face.

Despite his calm expression, his mind was in turmoil.

‘What’s happening here? Could Yanek be behind this?’

The knights present, especially the 4th squad led by Yanek, had received secret orders from Lord Danver.

Capture the monster.

If they encountered the defense forces during the process, eliminate them.

‘Damn, not being able to contact them directly is incredibly inconvenient.’

Currently, Yanek was registered as part of Jacob’s reserve unit in the 2nd squad. If he wanted to issue orders to Yanek, he would have to go through Jacob, Yanek’s direct superior.

This complicated command structure wasn’t established because the knights were stupid.

It was designed so that if something went wrong, they could cut off the middle management to protect their masters from harm.

For example, in situations like the one he was facing now.

‘No. I still don’t know exactly what’s happening.’

There was no need to back down when it wasn’t even confirmed that Yanek had attacked.

Vickers continued feigning ignorance.

“What exactly are you implying with that question?”

“Implying?”

“Isn’t it strange? They might have fled in fear of the monster and then filed a false report.”

The department head’s face contorted at those words.

Understandably so, as Vickers’ statement was an outright dismissal of the defense fleet’s soldiers.

“I cannot let that comment slide. Our defense forces are not so low in caliber as to be disparaged in such a manner.”

“As I said, the same applies to our knights. We are trained to value our comrades’ lives above our own. Would people like us attack the defense forces?”

The department head fell silent at Vickers’ words.

He tried to press his advantage and intimidate the department head.

Had the fleeing soldier not interrupted their conversation, his intention might have succeeded.

“N-no! Department Head! The knights attacked us with plasma launchers!”

As he spoke, the soldier showed the cleanly cut shoulder guard of his reinforced suit and the cross-section of his Gauss rifle.

There aren’t many means capable of precisely destroying an alloy-made standard rifle like this. Especially not in these sewers.

The department head sneered and glared at Vickers.

“Ha, I suppose the monster carries launchers too?”

“…”

“From the beginning, launchers are assisted by built-in AI for firing. They have soldier information registered, so they’re designed to minimize damage to allies when firing.”

His statement was true.

Among the standard weapons possessed by Megacorps, plasma launchers rank high in terms of destructive power.

Because of the significant damage that could occur from misfires or if captured by enemies, several restrictions were placed on them.

One of these is the firing assistance system regulated by AI.

Personal information of soldiers can be registered in the launcher’s AI.

This data is stored in an encrypted state to prevent the launcher from firing at allies.

To override this, a specific code known only to commanders must be entered to force a firing command. Otherwise, one would need to use a launcher without registered ally information.

If a launcher has the personal information of defense fleet soldiers stored, attacking allies is nearly impossible.

In other words, the launcher that attacked the soldiers wasn’t a weapon owned by the defense fleet, but one brought by others.

And in these underground areas, the only “others” are the Egerton knights.

“Of course, the vice-captain of House Egerton would be well aware of this.”

“Ahem.”

Finding himself at a loss for words, Vickers cleared his throat.

Originally, plasma launchers were modified versions of ship-mounted cannons.

There’s no way Vickers, from House Egerton, known for ship development, wouldn’t know this.

‘Yanek! What on earth have you done?!’

The reason launchers were issued to the 4th squad was to break through the monster’s tough exterior, not to shoot at the defense forces.

From the beginning, the disparity in armament between the two sides was stark enough that they could massacre with just plasma bolters. Vickers couldn’t understand why Yanek would do such a thing.

‘…Should I clean this up here?’

He wanted to call Jacob for confirmation, but communications were currently not working properly in the sewers.

Even if he could send a communication from here, it would be problematic.

The department head would obviously be watching them talk.

‘What should I do?’

It was a matter that required careful assessment, but there was neither time nor the right situation for it.

As Vickers pondered, his deliberation was ended by a green beam that flew from the darkness.

“Ambush…!”

The soldier who tried to alert them couldn’t finish his words before turning to dust. Not just him, but his comrades beside him also burned in the high-temperature energy mass.

All those who just died were soldiers from the defense fleet.

When it became clear that the enemy was targeting only the soldiers, flames rose in the department head’s eyes.

“Vice-Captain Vickers!”

“Tsk, everyone prepare for battle.”

At Vickers’ command, the knights simultaneously drew their bolters.

There was no turning back now.

The only option was to kill all the defense forces present before the communication network was restored.

–

‘Good. They’re fighting fiercely.’

When the atmosphere seemed ambiguous, I fired the launcher once more, and the enemies began fighting like madmen.

As if they had been waiting for me to fire the beam.

While the knights had overwhelming armament, the soldiers were far more numerous.

The knights massacred soldiers with bolters, while soldiers took cover and fired tungsten bullets.

‘Regular bullets won’t do much.’

The high-grade reinforced suits worn by the Egerton knights sacrificed weight for enhanced defense.

They’d need to switch to armor-piercing rounds to stand a chance.

‘The problem is that the knights also have countermeasures.’

“Even-numbered squads, switch to armor-piercing rounds! Odd-numbered squads, provide cover!”

“Not a chance. All members, deploy shields.”

As soon as the defense forces’ commander shouted, the knights’ side immediately responded.

A faint purple wave emanated from the knights’ right wrists, materializing into rectangular forms.

Those purple shield-like forms are the real psychic shields provided as standard options on high-grade reinforced suits.

‘The psychic shields on high-grade reinforced suits aren’t bad.’

The nickname Megacorp users call them is “clippers.”

Despite the amusing nickname, psychic shields provide strong protection against both physical and psychic attacks.

They’re on a completely different level from the fake ones that the armed police brought during the apartment fight.

Unless the soldiers bring AP rounds, armor-piercing rounds won’t penetrate psychic shields.

“Argh!”

“Medic!”

As I expected, the scene of a few knights massacring numerous defense forces didn’t change much.

Apart from the knights slightly faltering to block armor-piercing rounds, the soldiers had no chance of winning.

As the unfavorable situation for the soldiers continued, the defense forces’ commander shouted.

“Fire the prepared launchers!”

“Oh no! Everyone scatter!”

Launcher firepower can tear through shields like paper.

High-grade reinforced suit defense? In front of a launcher beam that can pulverize a warship’s outer wall, it’s as good as wearing nothing.

Multiple launchers spewed beams before the knights could disperse.

Most dodged, but some couldn’t. Some knights lost half their bodies to the beams, while others lost arms or legs.

“Argh!”

“Get the wounded to the back!”

Several knights are coming this way with their injured comrades.

‘Should I step in now?’

I have two objectives.

To sow discord among the enemies and to fake my death.

‘For that, I need to intervene at the right moment.’

The enemy isn’t stupid.

If they see me getting hit by their attack and dying, not only those present but also those above will be deceived.

For that, it’s best if as many people as possible witness my death.

While I was waiting for the right timing, a beam targeting the knights flew in this direction.

‘This should do.’

I jumped out from the darkness and threw the corpse of an already dead knight in front of the beam.

The corpse was hit by the beam and immediately oxidized.

The fact that he was already dead, his neck broken by my tentacle, is now known only to me.

A knight who was retreating with his injured comrade shouted.

“Our ally has been hit!”

He seemed to have seen only his comrade being oxidized by the beam, not me.

‘If he didn’t see me, I should let him know.’

I charged forward and headbutted him.

No matter how sturdy the armor, it couldn’t withstand my full-force charge and the sharp horns protruding from my head.

The two horns penetrated his side.

“Ugh?!”

The knight let out a brief, blood-filled scream. I lifted my head and shook it with the knight still impaled.

The wound in his penetrated abdomen widened, and my horns were soaked in bright red blood.

Another knight, seeing me, shouted.

“It’s appeared!”

I threw away the skewered knight and swung my tail at the knight who shouted.

Barbed hairs rained down randomly and stuck to the knights’ reinforced suits. Some even flew to the soldiers, embedding in the cover they were hiding behind.

“M-monster?!”

“Don’t panic! It’s the target we’ve been searching for! Concentrate fire on it!”

The soldiers, initially startled, quickly regained composure under their commander’s experienced leadership.

The armor-piercing rounds they fired showered my body, but my current form is doubly reinforced, both as a physical enhancement type and as a complete organism.

My outer skin was pierced a bit, but there were no fatal injuries.

While the soldiers’ target had been adjusted to me, the knights’ hadn’t.

A knight who appeared to be a commander shouted.

“Those in the rear, contain it. The rest, clean up the defense forces.”

“Vice-Captain Vickers! Are you insane?”

“We can’t hand it over to them. We must capture it alive somehow.”

The defense forces’ commander shouted incredulously at the knight commander, referred to as Vice-Captain Vickers.

‘Huh?’

Hearing those words, I momentarily hesitated.

Can’t hand me over?

It certainly doesn’t mean they’re helping me.

Judging by the knights firing bolters at me, they weren’t friendly at all.

‘Let me think.’

Pretending to be dead is on hold.

I dodged the barrage of fire and thought.

‘They must know I’m not an easy opponent. Why are they so intent on capturing me alive?’

“Die… ugh?!”

I dodged the Blade Claw swung by a knight by twisting my body sideways and grabbed him with my combat arms.

Then I threw him in front of an incoming green beam.

The knight made an “uh” sound before being hit by the beam, losing the right half of his upper body.

‘What can be gained from my body.’

After dealing with one knight, I dived into the water and crawled along the bottom.

I could faintly hear the defense force soldiers shouting, asking where I went.

Then I saw a corpse submerged in the water.

The face of a man who had lost half of his upper body. It was the knight I had thrown in front of the plasma beam earlier.

Despite only half of his face remaining due to his shattered helmet, he was unbelievably handsome.

Of course, he would be, being a genetically modified human created by mixing only superior genes.

‘Genetically enhanced knights… genes. Oh?’

“It’s here!”

The knights discovered me and fired their bolters into the water. I quickly moved away.

‘Could they be after my genes?’

Why did I only think of this possibility now?

All this time, I’ve been thinking only about the Megacorp settings in the game, assuming House Egerton wouldn’t be interested in genetic modification.

That genetic modification and Hulk Mutants were solely the domain of House Yugin.

‘But this is reality.’

There’s no system here to enforce that only House Yugin handles genetics and only Egerton handles ships.

Just as I evolve beyond the game’s specifications.

The enemies also adapt and evolve to reality.

The foreshadowing was there all along.

The Egerton knights I had devoured were all genetically modified humans.

In the game, they were just randomly determined NPC mercenaries.

Occasionally, non-human races like Volf or Cult would be included, but the basic base was human.

‘In the game, you might reroll until you get a beautiful NPC, but this is reality.’

The knights are humans appropriately processed by the order of the head of House Egerton.

So-called Hulk Mutants, humans made suitable for combat by incorporating genes from various organisms.

‘The head of House Egerton is encroaching on House Yugin’s domain.’

In the eyes of the head of House Egerton, I must be a delicious genetic mass capable of using a wide variety of abilities.

“Krak!”

After pouncing on another knight and breaking his neck, I reached a conclusion.

The knights and defense forces who descended into the sewers.

Their objectives are subtly different.

While they share the common goal of eliminating me as a threat to the city’s security, they differ in the specific methods to achieve that goal.

The knights’ objective is to capture me alive. Or at least to preserve my corpse intact.

Only then can they research my body.

‘They’re probably attacking the defense forces because they don’t want to hand over the corpse.’

If T&C learns that Egerton covets me as good research material, they will surely try to negotiate.

While the two houses are currently cooperating, they will eventually compete again. If necessary, they’ll try to exploit whatever they can from each other.

‘I thought they were fighting too fiercely from the beginning…’

I had no idea there was such a backstory.

‘This actually works out well.’

Originally, I planned to fake my death in front of the enemies and secretly escape from here.

But now, I have options.

‘Should I escape by the hands of House Egerton, or should I go to House T&C?’

If I annihilate one of the two factions present here, the other side will naturally have the opportunity to collect my “corpse.”

‘If I go to House Egerton, I’ll likely end up in a laboratory on their ship.’

Then I could hijack the ship and escape this city.

‘The problem is that I don’t know the extent of the security facilities on the ship.’

Warships have much tighter security than research vessels.

Moreover, since they’ve even planned to capture me secretly, they’ll likely take my corpse to a laboratory on the head’s flagship.

‘If it’s the flagship, security will be even more thorough.’

The fight so far hasn’t been easy, but a warship would be much more difficult.

‘Then what about T&C?’

From the situation, it seems the defense forces present here don’t know much about me.

‘But once the battle ends and they calm down, they’ll understand roughly.’

That there’s something important about me that Egerton is after.

Something so important that they would even massacre their allies.

Since they’re soldiers, they’ll report to their superiors once communication is normalized. After that, the higher-ups will handle it.

‘In that case, I’ll likely end up in the administrative district.’

In the game, there’s an ultra-high-rise building called the Monument in the administrative district.

There’s a T&C Special Trade Center science research institute inside the building, and they’ll undoubtedly research me there.

‘There are many Cult in the administrative district.’

That’s the reason I came to this T&C Special Trade Center in the first place.

Because species that meet the evolution conditions are gathered there.

‘But since it’s the council, elite forces from all houses will be in the administrative district.’

Each option has its advantages and disadvantages.

‘What should I do?’

Time is running out.

If I delay any longer, the defense forces will be annihilated before I can make a decision.

Amidst the barrage of bullets and plasma beams, I finally made my decision.