Chapter 330
–
“Has Sihyeon Eugene left?”
“yes. “I left in the morning.”
Kisos nodded at what Alshas said.
In the mansion’s office, he was talking to Alshas, who was embodied as a translucent hologram.
“He was a very useful person. “It’s unfortunate, but I can’t help it.”
“I heard that the funds you provided were significant.”
When the topic of money came up, Kissos snorted softly.
“It’s a small cost. If you replace the emperor of Megacorp with that, there’s nothing left for burial. Even if it fails, it is not a bad outcome if infighting occurs among the empire’s rivals.”
“That is correct.”
“It is unfortunate that we lost a warrior skilled in fighting monsters. “It’s a situation where one person is missing.”
“…You’re talking about the Temple Guardians.”
Kisos clicked his tongue and brought the glass in his hand to his lips. A strong drink with a sweet, fruity scent filled my mouth and throat.
“When Jason of the Providence faction went missing, many of the temple guardians disappeared along with him. I can’t believe something like that happens when the security of the empire is at stake. Because of that, each and every warrior is in a disappointing situation.”
“you’re right. “ There are more than one warrior who has recently witnessed Outspacer’s bio-ship in the borderlands.”
“I investigated a human named Sihyeon Eugene. I found out that he has a reputation for eliminating the emperor’s political enemies or hunting monsters.”
“Is that so?”
Kissos’ connections are not limited to within the empire. They have informants from various quarters, including upper class people like Noble Capital and pirates like Space Dog.
Thanks to this, it was not difficult to see how infamous Shihyeon, Akira’s shadow, was.
“I thought it was just a rumor. As expected, Alshas, you have eyes to see.”
“thank you. Actually, I also learned about it because Senior Nern introduced it to me.”
“He’s Captain Nern.” I was hoping he would stay, but I never thought we would leave together. “It’s such a shame.”
“He said he wanted to watch more of Sihyeon Eugene’s journey. He said he would return to the empire when it was over. “
He seems like he would be a good source of information, so keep in touch.”
Kisos had a few more brief words with Alshas and then ended the communication.
‘The universe will become chaotic again.’
The last major offensive by Outspacers occurred just 30 years ago. Alshas and Nern, who had just contacted him, were active as mere warriors at the time.
Usually, an outspacer’s offensive is carried out with a break of 200 years or more. Originally, the next offensive should have taken place after 170 years.
Of course, in previous records, we can often see cases where outspacers appear during breaks. However, in this case, since it was an attack by a small number of entities, it is insufficient to call it a major offensive.
‘They say this queen is a unique individual. It’s a big deal.’
This is something that the Temple Guardians and the Priests of the Eye of Revelation commonly pointed out. The new leader who appeared after the death of the Great King 30 years ago is said to be a mutant with extremely high intelligence. It has already been reported to Congress several times that it is capable of strategic thinking, unlike other entities.
‘If the great offensive happens again, the empire will suffer great damage.’
Considering the current power of the empire, it will not be easy to endure if a large-scale war breaks out. I may not lose, but it is a foregone conclusion that there will be a major downfall.
‘Until other powers become a shield.’
That’s why he supports Sihyeon to replace the emperor of Megacorp, that is, the CEO. The intention was to reduce the burden caused by the security crisis by forming a federation with those friendly to the empire.
‘I hope it works out well.’
In the quiet office, he drank the alcohol in his glass. As the strong liquor flowed into the cult’s uniquely fragile body, the fever suddenly rose.
Kissos went out to the balcony outside his office to get some air.
A panoramic view of the city under the night sun caught his eye. Thanks to the dreamy light created by nature, some people call Berzan 02 a red gem.
A landscape that can truly be called a gem. The only way to protect this would be for his plan to come true. Kisos looked at the night view and reflected on his resolve.
“huh?”
While looking at the red sky, as dark as the color of wine, something strange caught his eye.
In the sky, which should have been spotless, there was a small dot that looked like a star. At first I thought it was an airship, but it wasn’t. If it can be seen from here, it means that its size is comparable to a small to medium-sized destroyer.
The problem is that this place is a water fortress.
It is impossible for a destroyer to move around inside a biodome.
“!”
Kisos lowered his head without realizing it at the sudden loud noise.
The defensive guns installed inside the dome fired fire all at once.
Thousands and tens of thousands of shooting stars decorating the red night sky.
They flew towards the suspicious aircraft.
–
According to the records left by Isabel, Kissos was the head of a faction with great power in the Imperial Diet. There was also a brief explanation about the faction he belonged to, and it was said that there was a strong tendency to emphasize trade and diplomacy.
Although the cult has a strong tendency to be exclusive, it does not mean that there are factions with internationalist tendencies. In the game, factions that unconditionally value diplomacy were randomly generated in the council.
The characteristic of these types of factions is that they have a lot of money. This is especially true if you are the leader of that faction. He has so much money that he can invite the governor, the most powerful person on the planet, to a banquet. If I had to pick the person with the most money in Berzan 02, it would probably be Kissos.
So where would the richest person live?
The water fortress is a structure where the entire city is covered with a hemispherical dome, similar to an orbital structure.
In the center is the old headquarters. In the past, it served as a defense headquarters, but now it has become an official residence where the governor and high-ranking officials stay.
There is an artificial waterfall flowing on the side of the tower, which is high enough to be visible from anywhere in the city. Water located deep underground was brought in and made to flow along the outside of the tower. It is a miracle created thanks to the gravity control device.
A luxurious floating mansion is floating in the sky above the old command tower, which is wrapped in a stream of water. A structure located in a position overlooking the water fortress. That is the residence of Chisos.
Like the luxury hotel on the lake, Kissos’ mansion can only be accessed by airship.
Of course, not just any airship can enter. Only invited powerful figures and their servants can enter.
In other times, we would have taken a careful approach using ‘mimetic organs’ and ‘parasitic colonies’, but that is not possible now.
Since you can’t use parasites, you’ll have to spend a lot more time sneaking in. If you get caught midway, the same situation will happen as when you got caught by Alkadi before.
So this time we decided to take the lead here.
「Are you going to scold bad people?」
「Together」「Hunting」「Long time no see」
“I have to save my little brother.”
After taking the kids out of the mansion, I immediately removed my ‘clever weakling’ status. The energy densely stored within the body was released and spread outward.
My body, which was only a few meters long, reverted to a gigantic monster measuring 40 meters in height and 60 meters in length. I returned from a centaur-like body to a bipedal body and stood tall on the ground with two legs.
The mansion that seemed infinitely large now looks like a miniature. None of the buildings in this area are higher than my eye level.
「Grrrrrrrr’
「Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
The free heads on both sides shake their necks and take in the panoramic view of the city. The right tail with pincers and the left tail with biocannons pass over the mansion.
‘Good.’
The fighting arms were ruined due to the parasitic colony being sealed away, but fortunately there was no problem with the wing arms.
I lowered my head so that No. 26 and PS-111 could climb on.
“and! big! “High!”
“I will do my best to help.”
After picking up the kids, I spread my wings wide. The air vibrated as if millions of wild beasts were roaring.
[Zuzuz (Hold on tight)]
As I waved my wings in that state, my body soared upward with tremendous force. The outer wall of the dome, which transmits light, quickly got closer enough to be visible.
When I looked beneath my feet, I saw a mansion that had been destroyed without a trace. Due to the aftereffects of the flapping wings, not only Lovetz’s mansion but also other nearby houses were destroyed.
“It’s amazing!”
The excited waves of No. 26 tickled the monster’s tentacles. It spread its tentacles like a net and held on tightly to my horn.
Adhai and the Heavenly Mother followed behind me as I was floating in the air.
“As expected” “A grown man” “That look” “I like it”
A gallagon with harmonious white and red colors flies gracefully, flapping its four wings. It seems quite happy to fly freely in the wide sky.
“It’s been a while since you and I flew.”
The Mother of Heaven, who had returned to Gryphon mode after a long time, let out a wave of thought. The hidden agate-colored wings regained freedom and cut through the red darkness.
‘Everyone seems fine.’
After checking on the kids’ condition, I looked towards the center of the city. A small mansion is floating above the waterfall that flows backwards along the old command tower.
‘Let’s finish it as quickly as possible.’
Now that his true face has been revealed, he must move as quickly as possible. As each minute and second passes, the probability that the enemy ranker will respond perfectly also increases. When the enemies are not yet aware of my survival, I need to inflict as much damage as possible.
I decided on a direction and waved my wings. Every time my wings struck the air, my body shot forward like lightning. A black mist-like substance continued to spew out from biological pipes located throughout the body.
If someone were to see me surrounded by a ‘curtain of darkness’, it would look like dark clouds were moving.
As soon as my body was sucked into the black cloud, I heard a loud noise coming from the ground. As sirens rang out throughout the city, tens of thousands of energy balls could be felt flying from afar.
‘The defense system activated.’
The reaction speed is exactly as expected. The cult in charge of defending the city recognized my presence and began firing in response.
A heat ray made of psychic power tears the dark clouds apart. Each one is comparable to the psychic breath fired by Green Gallagon, but it is only useful if it hits the target properly. No heat rays could reach my body due to the veil of darkness that disabled the detection system.
Aadhai and I, the Heavenly Mother, deftly walked through the pouring rain of psychic power.
「Flapping fun!」
「This」「Easy」
「If there wasn’t a curtain of darkness, it would have been annoying.」
“The enemies are getting closer. “Everyone please be careful.”
As PS-111 warned, I can feel defense fighter jets and patrol ships approaching.
‘You can remove the gremlin moss by spraying it, but there’s no need to do that.’
I extended my eroding tentacles towards the approaching patrol ships ahead. Six tentacles that were much longer than my body were shot out like arrows that had left the protest.
Enemies flying through the dark clouds are startled when they see tentacles suddenly sticking out. I tried to urgently change direction, but it was too late. The pointed appendages at the end of the tentacles tightly grasped the target.
After feeling the sensation at the tip of the tentacle, I threw the corvettes down. Ships with damaged wings or engines fell onto the skyscrapers without even a single attempt to resist.
An explosion is heard in the distance, followed by the sound of something collapsing. The earth is probably in a state of complete chaos by now.
Fighters that could move much more nimbly than patrol ships avoided my tentacles. Some of them were stupid enough to try to avoid the tentacles and got caught on either side of my head. The left and right heads, which were closer to beasts than me, bit the fighters mercilessly.
“Kwaaah…!”
A small scream was heard, but it was drowned out by the heavy drinking.
The other ships, seeing their comrades dying miserably, began to form a line with their distance widened. It was a fairly skilled move for soldiers living in an era of peace, but there was something they overlooked.
That means I’m not the only monster in the clouds.
Adhai, who was faster than any of us, jumped among the enemies wearing ‘Red Armor’, an absolute defense technique. Since it is not fully skilled yet, it can only protect the wings, head, and upper body, but that is enough to block enemy attacks.
It used the wings on its back like a shield to block the incoming heat rays. Then, he straightened his head and neck, made it look like a spear, and rushed towards other ships. The sight of it blowing holes in the ship and moving around in that state was like an indestructible missile.
The Mother of the Sky, in Gryphon form, could not move as fast as him, but she eliminated the enemies step by step. The front paws, which are three or four times larger than the head of an adult male, are threatening enough on their own.
Moreover, it had a long spear in its beak. The ship’s defensive walls have no meaning in front of the ‘Priest’s Golden Spear’, which becomes sharper as it gets covered in blood. The fighter jets were destroyed as soon as they caught up with the Mother of Heaven, and the patrol ship could not survive for more than a few minutes.
No. 26 and PS-111 riding on my back also actively participated in the battle. No. 26 controlled the incoming energy bullets and heat rays to deflect them, and PS-111 intercepted the enemy ship with the Demolisher implanted in its body.
‘good.’
Everyone is fighting very well.
We moved forward, cutting down the mountain of enemies.
As it became clear where I was aiming, the enemy’s counterattack also intensified. The anti-aircraft battery on the ground was activated and fired heat rays, but it was of little significance.
The distance to the target is short. It’s time to take out my useful weapon.
The monster’s three-headed tentacles begin to suck up power. The power of a dragon, or even more power, vibrates behind my head. Tentacles that have absorbed enormous power move to aim for their respective targets.
When everything was ready, I let out all my strength.
Psychic breath fired in three directions flew towards the target I designated. At the end is a gravity control device that maintains the large-scale waterfall.
As always, my psychic breath never went astray.
The explosion that occurred when the device was destroyed was not that large. This is because the sound that followed swallowed up the binge.
We have entered an era where everyone is entering space, but we cannot surpass natural phenomena. Water flowing along buildings several kilometers high now follows the laws of physics.
Like the Biblical Flood, massive amounts of water poured down on the cult’s city. The waterfall that used to be a wonder to visitors to the city has now become a huge disaster. Buildings, cults, hover boats, and even anti-aircraft guns. None of them could survive the sudden flood.
Having disabled the enemy’s defense system, I landed safely on top of the floating mansion.
As soon as it landed, the defense facilities in the mansion activated and fired a barrage of fire. I defended myself with my wings, just like Aadhai did.
In that state, my auxiliary organs were busy checking the movement inside the mansion.
‘It’s not moving yet.’
To be precise, it was moving, but it was different from what I expected. If the enemy were a ranker, they would have already come out and prepared to intercept me.
‘Are you preparing some kind of weapon?’
If so, you should never leave it alone.
I immediately prepared my psychic breath. And as soon as preparations were completed, they fired straight towards the mansion.
The power of the breath fired by three heads at the same time was truly amazing. The mansion melted without a trace, and the ground that was floating in the air thanks to the gravity control device fell down.
I landed on top of where the floating mansion crashed. As soon as it landed on the ground, the current split significantly due to the wind pressure of the wings. It was an added bonus that the old headquarters building next to it, barely holding on, collapsed.
‘Is this not happening?’
I put my head in the water, but I couldn’t feel the presence that was supposed to be Ranker. Among those in the mansion, the one with the strongest psychic power completely disappeared.
What it means is clear.
‘No way.’
I guess Kissos is not a ranker.
[Zuzzu Zuzuzu (Not here)]
「Then?」
[Zuzzu Zuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzu (Let’s go to Alshas you mentioned)]
The moment I was about to fly again, numerous life forms were detected from above.
When I looked up, I saw small shining particles.
‘this.’
I know what those tiny particles, or rather living things, are. And what was on top of it.
「King of the Sky」「Similar」
Adhai, who was flying next to me, gave off a thought wave.
‘It looks similar, but it’s very different.’
「…That’s Star Shark. It’s a subspecies of Skywhale.”
“What’s a subspecies?”
“Starshark. It grows up to 5m in size and can move quickly by absorbing energy. “It is believed to follow Sky Whale and eat its remaining energy.”
「King of the Sky」「Subordinate」「Dangerous」
「Bad flutter!」
In the Cult Empire, there is only one legion that tames and rides Starshark.
[Zuzuzu Zuzuzu (Eye of Revelation Priests)]
The ‘Slayer’ has stronger firepower than the Demolisher but is very heavy, and the ‘Inquisition Suit’ is equally heavy but has excellent defense. For these two to be effective, excellent mobility is essential.
The means to effectively provide this is their vehicle, the ‘Star Shark’, a subspecies of Sky Whale.
“Priests!”
The man at the head of the group shouts in a loud voice. The priest’s cries, amplified by mechanical devices, ring out over the submerged city.
Soon after, the cavalry riding on space sharks began its descent.
A word from the author (author review) Sorry for being so late. See the next episode.”