Chapter 154 frđđČđ°ebnovđđ„.đođș
âHmm.â
I meticulously reviewed the recent records stored in the computer embedded in my walker. Brief reports on unidentified giant creatures, collection of nest debris within the spaceship, and registration of information after communication â the list goes on. The cyborg I detained managed to send quite a bit of communication in a short time.
âEven if the signals didnât reach the outsideâŠâ
Currently, psychic powers causing intermittent communication disruptions emanate from the body of Number 26. Itâs nearly impossible for the information sent by the walker to reach the capital city Jax-01 of the StarUnion. Even if it somehow arrives, it would likely be severely damaged, rendering it unrecognizable.
âThe issue is not that.â
âSupply line.â
Before that ship encountered me, it might have already registered information about me in the Starlink. The supply line, in fact, might have sensed my presence before arriving. Thereâs a high possibility that it reported to the StarUnion that it encountered me even before the ship arrived.
âThis complicates things.â
The situation became troublesome. Even if I leave this place, the StarUnionâs tracking devices will pursue me. Escaping through faster-than-light travel is on hold. Elite fleets of powerful factions like the StarUnion, Cult, or MegaCorp possess systems to track faster-than-light travel. Depending on how much they consider me a threat, fleeing is impossible if an elite fleet is after me.
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âChanging the appearance of the ship wonât hide us.â
The ship dominating the horizon of nightmares exists between the realms of biology and metal. If the supply line identified my features as a âbiological ship,â changing its appearance wonât help â they would quickly recognize it.
âHehehe, daring to touch a StarUnion ship. Youâll never escape peacefuâŠlly?!â
âQuiet.â
Using corrosive tentacles, I silenced him and checked the cards I held.
âItâs been a month since leaving the sanctuary. Most of the means at my disposal are usable.â
From controlling the nightmare horizon in space, organic evolution that can enlarge or shrink my body, long-range attack ability obtained as the irregular form of a marauder â the âDivine Scepter of God,â and the ability to transform my physique into a combat-ready form, âSymbol of Hunt.â Currently, I am in a perfect state, lacking nothing to fight formidable enemies.
âBut a direct confrontation is still risky.â
The situation is different from when I fought the Imperial Battleship. The fact that the planet I was on was the politically complex âsanctuaryâ played a crucial role.
If it werenât for the sanctuary, escaping smoothly like this would have been impossible. Even if I managed to escape, I would have been chased by cultists.
However, the StarUnion faces no such constraints. In the StarUnion, ruled by the autocratic Machine Council, concepts like âpolitics,â âcompetition,â or âconflictâ do not exist. Formally, there may be opinions coordinated between the Council and various departments, but in reality, they hold little meaning. If the Council commands, all cyborgs must obey.
Except for the supreme dignity, the members of the Machine Council are all highly intelligent androids. If they perceive me as an enemy, they would spare no expense to kill me.
âAndroids donât let their guard down, annoyingly.â
Surely, they would dispatch an elite fleet with high firepower to kill me at once.
âSpace warfare is still challenging.â
The majority of my physical characteristics are currently sealed, making it almost like fighting with a handicap. While there are ânewly unlocked type-related traitsâ obtained by consuming the Supply Line, these traits are not useful in the current synchronized state with the ship.
I possess several attack abilities that can crush enemy ships, but they are also limited by time constraints and usage limits. Itâs not as if I have an advantage in defense and evasion maneuvers.
When facing a small number of ships, I can overpower them, but itâs not easy to fight against a fleet consisting of hundreds of ships. The relatively better aspect is that this ship under my control has been modified. I attached weapons obtained by disassembling cult ships, so I wonât be helpless against a large number of enemies like last time.
âThe downside is not that I have infinite time.â
This is the cultâs territory. If I fight here and get caught by the cult, Iâll undoubtedly be caught in a crossfire between both sides. In the eyes of the cult, Iâm no different from a biotic ship, an Outsiderâs flying monster.
âWait? The Cult?â
As soon as the thought of the cult crossed my mind, I paused. This JP-99 star system is the cultâs territory. Despite being a backwater with no significant resources, itâs a place they wonât tolerate others trespassing through their territory. If the elite fleet of the StarUnion, who invaded the star system, is discovered by the cult, a conflict between the two sides is inevitable.
âI can escape during that time.â
The crucial point here is how to refer to the cult, and, coincidentally, I have a means to address them.
âThis is getting interesting.â
After organizing my thoughts, I planned how to escape this predicament. There are a few risky elements, but I decided to push through. This operation of deceiving the cult and cyborgs is something I excel at.
âLetâs wrap up the plan here.â
Before explaining to the individuals on board the ship, there are things I need to take care of. I looked at the captured cyborg.
âWell, what is it?â
The cyborg meeting my gaze seemed to feel an uneasy premonition and trembled.
He is expected to play an important role on the stage I have set, not just as prey to replenish energy.
âItâs your turn after a long time.â
According to my will, small entities dormant in my body woke up. Small holes appeared in the ceiling of the fully integrated ship, and from them, something like thin and elongated rubbery tendrils fell onto the cyborg being held by the tentacles.
âWait, what is this again⊠Stop it!â
Only then did the cyborg realize what he was about to experience and started glowing.
In order to assist the parasitic tendrils climbing up to fulfill their mission, the cyborg firmly held onto them.
âHieekkâŠhiekkk!â
The cyborg resisted fiercely. No matter how much the body has been modified into a machine, there are limits. It is impossible to break free from the binding of the powerful corrosive tentacles that can warp the entire ship.
In the end, he will have to accept it once everything is over.
The harsh reality of becoming a minion of monsters.
The Nemea Fleet stationed in the ESS-22 star system received an urgent order. The order came from the head of the Nemea Fleet, Nemea Five, who also served as a senior member of the StarUnionâs Machine Council.
âAs soon as you confirm the information, deploy to JP-99 to exterminate the new life forms that have appeared. Itâs an extremely dangerous existence, so do not approach, but intercept and incinerate from a distance. This order is issued directly by Grand⊠â
âGrandmaster Jubakka?!â
Acting Fleet Commander Sanadaeff, who had been delegated command authority from Nemea Five, was taken aback.
It is rare for the Machine Council to issue direct orders to individual cyborgs, as they usually only communicate important matters through announcements. Furthermore, the fact that the leader of the Machine Council and the highest dignitary, Grandmaster Jubakka, is interested is unprecedented. Since his transformation into a machine, this was the first time Sanadaeff nearly lost his composure.
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âEff, is this not a lie?â
[Machine Council and Grandmasterâs authentication marks confirmed. Zero percent chance of forgery.]
Sanadaeff scratched his chin, hearing the words from the shipâs computer, Eff.
âJP-99 is cult territory. Does the Machine Council want war?â
ESS-22 is unusually close to JP-99 among the StarUnionâs jurisdictional areas. The Nemea Fleet, the elite fleet of the StarUnion, is stationed here as a precaution.
âSurely not?â
Sanadaeff rechecked the Machine Councilâs order. There was no mention of invading the cult.
The Machine Council, being composed entirely of robots except for the Grandmaster, does not use metaphors or analogies. Perhaps his concerns were unfounded.
âWhat is the current force stationed there?â
â3 Menos-class battleships, 20 Cyan-class patrol ships.â
âItâs not that many, probably due to its remote location. No space fortresses or Imperial Battleship either.â
After looking at the data screen floated by Eff, he made up his mind. The plan was to quickly complete the mission before the cult could gather and then depart.
âBut why is the Machine Council in a frenzy over some life form?â
About a month ago, there was an announcement issued to all ships.
If a new life form is discovered, register the data immediately with Starlink. Also, each ship is to implant a signal chip made by the Machine Council. These were the two directives.
At that time, he didnât know why such an order was given.
âIs this creature so dangerous?â
âConfirmation of the data attached to the message from the council.â
âSend it to my head.â
Subsequently, biological data flowed into Sanadaeffâs mind, connected by the shipâs cables. Feeling a slight headache, he suppressed the pain and examined the information.
âHmm. A giant monster with the ability to disguise itself as a battleship.â
âThe model is estimated to be a Jamah-class escort ship, possibly Jamavil-02 mountain.â
âJamah-class? The latest model escort ship, you mean? Hmm.â
His initial thought was that it could be a secret weapon of the cult, but he quickly dismissed the idea. Creating and controlling artificial life forms is something Megacorp would do.
âOr it might be an Outspacer.â
As far as he knew, the Outspacers didnât look like that.
They are grotesque monsters adorned with numerous organic turrets that shoot biochemical substances. Anyone claiming they resemble Cult escort ships must surely have severely impaired vision or distorted aesthetic senses. However, if described as a spacecraft composed of bio-metal, the Outspacers would come to mind first. Perhaps these creatures are newly evolved space assault monsters created by them.
Sanadaeff carefully examined the information provided by the Machine Council. Surprisingly, the quantity of information was not as much as he thought. Instead, annotations and hypotheses added by the Machine Council occupied a much higher percentage.
âSeems like a formidable opponent.â
Having reviewed all the data, Sanadaeff contacted all the ships in the Nemea Fleet. He instructed them to prepare the directives issued by the Machine Council.
Two hours later, the entire Nemea Fleet of 101 ships entered preparations for faster-than-light travel. The intense blue light enveloped them to the extent that it could be seen even from the surface of a planet in the star system, and soon they left ESS-22 behind.
Thanks to faster-than-light travel, surpassing the speed of light, the Nemea Fleet led by Sanadaeff instantly reached JP-99.
âFaster-than-light travel complete. No lost ships confirmed.â
âGood. Letâs finish it before the cult notices. Release the reconnaissance drones and strike aircraft.â
âConfirmed.â
Drones and strike aircraft poured out from the StarUnion warships with rectangular-shaped hulls covered in spear-like elongated cannons. Because there were so many drones, it looked as if sand was pouring out of a burst sandbag.
âSearch the surroundings carefully. Report immediately if you find anything suspicious.â
âConfirmed.â
Drones under the control of the shipâs computer and strike aircraft piloted by androids meticulously searched the space for floating debris, asteroid piles, and other objects.
Soon, some strike aircraft discovered artificially synthesized metal fragments and reported to Sanadaeff, who was aboard the Battleship.
He quickly recognized where the fragments came from and also the source of the information sent by the Machine Council.
âEff, is the trace of faster-than-light travel confirmed?â
âNone detected in this star system.â
âGood. Since itâs nearby, everyone be on guardâŠ.â
âUrgent report! Energy concentration detected ahead!â
âWhat?â
Before he could finish his sentence, the shipâs camera illuminated the front. In the empty space, blue energies converged, transforming into a massive structure in an instant.
ââŠOh no.â
Every time the blue light flashed, Cult battleships, both large and small, revealed themselves one after another in front of the Nemea Fleet. Seeing this, Sanadaeff muttered softly.
âAh, damn. Weâre screwed.â
Ordinary Cult battleships wouldnât be much of a problem. With the Nemea Fleet equipped with psychic defense measures, they could handle it.
The problem was the colossal structure firmly guarding behind those battleships.
âMessage from the captain of âJudicator of Gormos 03.â Urgently check.â
A diamond-shaped structure adorned in ivory with golden decorations, no, a ship. The colossal ship that appeared before the Nemea Fleet was the Cultâs pride,
The Imperial Battleship.
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