Chapter 353
–
“Empress?”
“You’re calling an outspacer here. Akira, are you out of your mind?”
“Wow, what?” This is my first time seeing 4th place. Look, I’m sorry I killed a queen last time. “I did it because I needed money, right?”
4th Outspacer Ranker, commonly known as ‘Empress’.
It was an extremely arrogant nickname, but Chloe didn’t think of it that way at all. The Empress is known to control approximately 80% of all Outspacers. If he puts his mind to it, it won’t be difficult to bring down the cult empire.
She and Zubaka, who profit enormously from trade with the empire, will stop the Empress, but honestly, it will be difficult. Even if they are lucky and win, huge damage is expected.
However, the reason the Empress does not go to war is because there are powerful beings in the ruling faction.
“Hmm, I called Beomho too, but he didn’t respond either.”
“If I were you, would you respond when my enemy calls me?”
“Well, he’s like that too.”
While everyone was surprised, Akira Yujin, the leader of the ruling faction, chatted calmly with the Empress.
“Akira, you’re calling a member of the returning faction instead of just us. “What kind of trick is this?”
“I’m sure it’s not about merging factions, is it? “I have absolutely no intention of going back to this shitty reality?”
Of course, Akira was the only one who showed a calm reaction here.
‘Why suddenly the Empress… no way?’
Chloe suddenly remembered that there was an uproar in the cult empire not long ago. Berzan 02, one of the pillars of the empire’s economy, was completely destroyed. The empire was controlling information for fear of confusion, but there was no one among the ruling faction’s rankers who did not know that fact.
However, what others knew and what Chloe knew were slightly different.
“Hehe, that’s absurd. “Why are you doing this when the situation has already tilted in this direction?”
“Did you call me to criticize the air raid issue that happened not long ago? They say Berzan 02 flew away.”
“Ha, there were a lot of good routes there. ah. “My head hurts thinking about that.”
The Carmelda family has several connections to the cult empire. Among them is the Revolutionary faction, one of the two major factions in the Imperial Diet.
Kisos, the leader of the innovation faction, died in Berzan 02. He wasn’t killed by Outspacer or something.
The spies who barely survived the catastrophic disaster all said the same thing. A giant three-headed creature destroyed his mansion.
The person who destroyed Berzan 02 was the 5th ranker ‘Aimov’.
“Did you just call me for something like that? “Are you trying to condemn me?”
“No. It’s not something you did anyway.”
“What?”
“What do you mean?”
“Tsk, tsk, it’s because everyone’s information is so slow. The culprit of this incident is Amorph.”
“…Tch.”
Chloe clicked her tongue slightly at Akira’s words. The force that dominates Berzan 02 is the innovation faction. Chloe, who is closest to them, is bound to have an advantage in gathering information.
However, the fact that Akira knows means that there is a hole somewhere in her spy network.
‘You look like a damn old man.’
“what? Aren’t Amorphs extinct? Are you sure you’re not talking about ‘that Kusomov’?” ”
Hmm, I guess Shino-kun didn’t know because he wasn’t present at the time. Aimorph also came to this world. “It’s because someone did something useless.”
“Don’t insult Beomho. “Everything has been calculated and decided.”
“…I think I understand why you called us.”
Chloe and Zubaka were able to guess why Akira had called them, knowing that it was Aimov’s doing. Because something similar happened in the game.
“You’re trying to issue an order to subdue Eimov.”
“Yes. Chloe.”
Number 5 was the most infamous player in space survival. People who have been playing the game for a while remember being hit by him at least once.
As a result, there were often cases where several rankers and clans joined forces to hunt Amorph. The rankers I am currently talking to have also participated in the Aimov subjugation team several times.
“I can’t stand seeing the garden being ruined by weeds. I’ve used tools in the meantime, but the results aren’t very good. So, I plan to take this opportunity to sort things out with my own hands.”
“I have nothing to do with whether you fight Aimorph or not. “I don’t know if that’s possible in the first place.”
“That’s a good point. 4th place. If I were alone, I might fail. But that’s it.”
Akira paused for a moment and then continued.
“What if you help me?”
“Young man?”
“…Akira. It ended up like this because of the trickery of the returning faction. Do you think that guy will follow?”
“Zubaka. You have to say things accurately. This was not done by the Returning Party, but by Beom-ho on his own. Isn’t it? “Empress.”
The Empress’s monument was silent in response to Akira’s question. Probably because what he said is true.
“We are competing because we each have different desires, but isn’t this case different? “If we keep leaving him alone, I don’t know how much damage it will cause.”
“He is in Beomho’s plans.”
“Do you really think that the destruction of Berzan 02 was also his intention? I don’t think so. He’s human too. Empress. A weak and fragile human being.”
“That’s it.”
“If Jeong Beom-ho gets caught, I’ll consider keeping him alive for a reasonable amount of time. What is it like? “What is my suggestion?”
It was rare for Akira to politely suggest something to someone. If the other side’s nickname is Empress, this side has a temperament that can be safely called a tyrant.
At that time when everyone was holding their breath.
“What do you need?”
The monument of the returned ranker glowed quietly.
–
“The Dorane star system to which Asuka 44 belongs is presumed to refer to the star system where the red giant star ‘Olga’ is located.”
“Yes, that’s right! “That’s what the sun looks like from that planet!”
Looking at the large star image printed on the frozen wall, Inmyeonchung quickly nodded. When the desired answer came from Alshas, who had become a human being, PS-111 turned to me.
“Considering the speed of ‘Aimorph’, it is expected to take about 3 to 7 days to travel from here to the Dorane star system.”
[Zuzuz (Good)]
While PS-111 turned off the hologram projection device in the situation room, I gestured to Alshas.
[Zuzuzuzuzuzuzuzu (Your role ends here)]
“Si, I hate it! I don’t want to go back there! please! Please don’t send me away!”
Is it because they called me in after only a short period of time? Alshas glowed. In fact, if you say it’s glowing, you’re just talking about it, and it doesn’t mean anything because your body is getting closer to me.
‘Jason was like this too, and he’s like this too.’
Parasites like to stay in my body, and all of them react like this. Jason also made a fuss when it was first brought up, but has quieted down recently.
‘But I have no intention of throwing it away.’
As with Jason, we plan to continue to have Alshas as well. There is still a lot of useful information left in his head.
“Si, I hate it!”
Finally, the insect went into the nest near my back and tail. And a mucous membrane formed on top of it, covering its entire body. He’ll stay there until I call him.
[Zuzuzuz (What about Isabel?)]
“‘Little Sister’ is going out with the main controller and experimenting with her new body. “I’ll call you now.”
[Zuzuzu zuz zzu zzuzuzuzu (It’s okay. I’ll go and get him)]
“Then I will check the Screamer support ship one last time before I leave.”
“last. inspection!”
“last. inspection!”
As PS-111 raised its large body, the small screamers below it repeated the same words.
I left the Screamer support ship, leaving the guy doing his job.
If you look at the support ship stuck in the ground like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, you can see traces of repairs here and there at the bottom, that is, the front part of the ship stuck in the ice. To create a space for the Coldbloods to live, they tinkered with the minerals loaded on the giga cracker. I plan to stay there until my health recovers enough to adapt to the planet’s environment.
Near the support ship were aircraft repaired by PS-111. It is used by Coldbloods staying inside the support ship to commute to Gallagon’s nest or to obtain food and materials.
The Mother of Heaven and the Cold Bloods disembarked from the aircraft carrier, as if they had just gone somewhere. She took on the form of a beast and waved her hand slightly when she saw me, while the Coldbloods next to her bowed their heads deeply.
‘I’ll take care of it.’
I acknowledged them with a glance and focused on the auxiliary organ under the chin. The right side of my head detected a faint, familiar smell coming from some distance away.
It was the smell of metal and blood.
‘Are you still hunting?’
I kicked the ground and spread my wings at the same time. The ice beneath my feet cracked, and the ice powder on it flew out.
As it flies by moving its wings, the temperature gradually becomes warmer. Looking down, mushroom-like plants begin to appear scattered across the barren field.
And in the distance, a huge pink creature can be seen floating in the air. The being with a body in the form of a hemisphere covered with a lying ring and numerous tentacles and fins hanging down underneath was number 26. It floated through the atmosphere-filled underground world as if swimming in the sea.
Next to the one swimming peacefully in the air was a new type of mutant screamer. Isabel was once a coldblood, but is now an artificial life form.
If No. 26 resembled a jellyfish, Isabel’s appearance was closer to that of a snake or centipede. The guy with a long body and multiple arms was floating in the air, bending over and wrapping himself in a coil.
In the middle, I saw Cavegoyle, a monster that looked like a combination of a bat and an ape, dead with its tongue sticking out.
“If you push harder, it will become stiff.”
“You mean to relax your body?”
Isabelle relaxed after hearing the waves from No. 26. Cavegoyle’s bones were all crushed and it started to flow out like liquid, so he quickly caught it with his many arms. Number 26, seeing this, waved its tentacles and made its body shine.
“Good job! “You can eat now!”
“Thank you.”
Number 26 stroked Isabelle’s head with a hand-shaped tentacle, just as I did. Isabelle tried to slightly dodge her head as if it felt awkward to be praised by a pink jellyfish. Then he made eye contact with me.
[Zuzuzuzzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzu (I was worried, but you seem to be doing well)]
「Wow! “It’s a big baby!”
Only then did number 26 recognize me and approach me with its fins fluttering in the air. It changed its body into its usual pink balloon form and climbed on my head.
[Zuz zu zuzu zuzu (Has your body gotten used to it?)]
The guy opened his mouth wide without answering my question. Like when a snake eats food, the jawbones separate and the mouth opens beyond the thickness of the body. From inside the mouth, two hooked teeth, similar to the chelicerae of a spider, protruded outward.
In that state, it swallowed Cavegoyle whole, which it was holding on to with its many arms. Multiple hands and hooked teeth protruding from the mouth quickly pushed the prey inside.
Isabel, who quickly stuffed a 3m-sized piece of food into her stomach, spoke calmly.
“As you can see.”
[Zuzuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzuzuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzuzu (Heavenly Mother expected it would take a while to get used to it)]
“…Phew. It’s a body that my sister worked hard to create. “How can you say that?”
No, rather than being calm, I should say it’s closer to giving up. Looking at the way she speaks with a small sigh, I don’t think she particularly likes her current body.
‘If you talk to PS-111, he’ll fix it.’
It may be a bit disappointing, but it’s not impossible to make him a little more humane.
‘Well, there’s no need to tell me.’
I don’t want to spend time reorganizing here again. Anyway, the current body is much more advantageous in combat and survival than the human body.
‘I like the look, too.’
Even the current appearance was attractive in its own way by my standards. It felt completely different from my sister, as I felt an alluring and homogeneous beauty, like looking at a snake with beautiful scales.
The guy didn’t seem to like his body, but it was good enough for my standards.
Isabel used the arm near her head to push the hooked teeth sticking out of her mouth inside.
Since most of its body is covered with metal, it has a cooler appearance than PS-111, but it was quite ironic to see it look so awkward.
How should I express it? It was similar to the feeling of a girl pretending to be an adult to hide her immaturity.
‘If you say that, I’ll get angry, so I’ll have to stay quiet.’
“Thanks to my sister’s ability to adjust her sense of taste, I have no trouble eating.”
[Zuzu zuzuzu (I think so)]
“Ah, it’s quite convenient to be able to fly like this.”
It flew around, shaking its body like a sea snake swimming. Flight was very natural as there were no special propellants or parts for flight.
‘I didn’t know there was such an effect on Vortex One’s body.’
Isabel, whose main material is the body of the ‘Ring of Agony’, was able to fly while ignoring the laws of physics. Like No. 26, who gained the ability to fly by eating meat.
Although it is impossible to fly at incredible speeds like Adhaya or the Heavenly Mother, it is still only slightly faster than the Green Gallagon. It is quite helpful during battle.
“Seeing as Eimoff is here, I guess it’s time to leave.”
「Little friend, where are we going?」
[Zuzuzuz zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (This time we’re going to a warm place)]
「A warm place? Is it fun?」
[Z(Yes)]
I don’t know if it’s actually fun or not, but it looks like a pretty interesting place. Planet Asuka 44 is a planet I have never been to. Just like the ice planet where Gallagon’s nest was before.
‘I’ve been to many volcanic planets themselves.’
It may not be much different from what I expected, but you have to see it for yourself to know.
I went back to the support ship with the guys.
A few hours later, Adhai and Heavenly Mother also returned. After completing all preparations, we departed for the Dorane star system where the red giant star is located.
–
A point of light passes through outer space deeper than the deep sea.
The identity of the light was a Megacorp Mountain medium-sized mining ship.
The ship, which had an elongated oval hull, had a large capture crane at the rear. The crane was firmly holding a huge rock mass as large as the ship.
The core of mineral procurement in Megacorp is the St. Kay family, but that does not mean that there are no private mining ships. Recently, for unknown reasons, the St. K family stopped operating Gigacracker, and demand for private mining ships has increased significantly.
The owner of the mining ship in question, Jin Chen, a middle capital from Hwaseong, was also someone who jumped into the mining storm that had been blowing some time ago.
Currently he was pounding on a small pad in the ship’s old captain’s cabin.
“Let’s see.” How much is this compared to the district’s publicly announced price? “0 is one, two….”
He calculated the price of the minerals he mined and widened his eyes when he saw the amount displayed on the pad.
“F, eight, nine? Ha, hahahaha, hehehehehehe! I’m rich! “You’re rich!”
If you are a middle capital, you are a high tier in a megacorp, but that also depends on the planet. Jin Chen, who spent his entire life working in the back office of Prime Capital in Hwaseong, always dreamed of a better life.
And not long ago, an opportunity came to him. When the civil war ended and a recession hit Megacorp, a colleague told him a secret. Mineral prices are unusual these days, so buy a mining ship in advance.
As soon as Jin Chen finished work, he ran to Hamseon Market, as if he was possessed by something that day. And in addition to all the credit I had earned, I took out debt and bought a used mining boat.
“what? Are you calling me crazy? well. “Who is really crazy?”
Prophets are inherently lonely. Everyone said I was crazy, but look at this number written on the pad. There was an amount stamped on it that was more than twice the amount of credit he had earned in his entire life. If you round-trip the same route two more times, your debt will be completely eliminated.
“With this, we can raise initial funds, and invest the rest again…keke.”
While I was grinning from my happy dream, a light came on at the top of the pad.
“what?”
It was a communication from the situation room. Jin Chen pressed the light on the pad with his finger.
“Captain. “There’s a ship in the same star system?”
“Ship? “Where do you belong?”
“I do not know. “I think you should come and see it.”
He was startled when he heard that it was an unknown ship.
In the vast ocean-like universe, there is nothing more fearsome than an unknown ship.
After answering that he understood, he quickly ran to the situation room.
When I arrived at the situation room, the atmosphere was quite chaotic. The sailors who were tapping on their computers saluted in an awkward pose when he came in.
He asked the navigation team leader, a balding middle-aged man.
“Sailing team leader, where is the ship?”
“It’s quite a distance away from here and isn’t moving.”
“Is that a boat?”
“Once we see the radio signal detected, it looks like the ship is right.”
“Or are you mining another planet?”
“There are no planets nearby that are worth mining….”
Jin Chen sighed a little when he saw the sailing team leader speaking in a hesitant and timid manner.
Since I used up all my credit to buy a mining ship, I had no choice but to hire crew members at a low price. Most of the crew members had less than a year of experience on board, or, like Jin Chen, jumped in to grab a share.
Fortunately, the navigation team leader was selected as someone with some experience, and there was a reason why the hiring cost was low.
“Keep an eye on it and when it comes this way…”
“Uh, Captain? “Is that thing moving?”
“what?”
As the sailor operated the computer, a star system map appeared as a hologram in the center of the situation room. Jin Chen’s mining ship was in the center of the hologram, and a small triangle-shaped marker flashed in the distance.
The mark was approaching the central mining ship.
Upon seeing this, Jin Chen felt his blood turn cold.
The pirates who had been hiding for hunting discovered their prey and revealed themselves.
“Watch next episode”