Chapter 129
Chapter 129
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: Life is Unpredictable
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Life is unpredictable.
That was the motto of Lunan, the research team leader at the PH-101 research base.
A Third Capital native from Ganymede, he had become a Prime Capital through the sheer luck of marrying well.
Even if his wife was only a branch member of the Zhao Family, she was still a Prime Capital. Marrying her had secured him one of the lowest seats in the Zhao Family. Without that, he never would have landed a position leading a major research base like this.
Truly, life was unpredictable.
Up until he arrived at PH-101, everything had been going swimmingly for him. But ever since getting stranded in the deep sea, he'd been on a steady path straight to ruin.
Then he captured the mutant Seed Demon, and his spirits soared to new heights. Sure, most of his team had died in the process, but that was hardly worth worrying about.
The dead were all Middle or Low Capitals—dime-a-dozen cheap labor. Catching a Seed Demon with trash like that? It was a clear win, no matter how you sliced it.
That had been his mindset just a few hours ago.
Now, not only was a rosy future out of the picture—he wasn't even sure he'd survive until sunrise.
"What the hell is going on? Wasn't it just an earthquake?"
Zone A, home to the first situation room.
Team members who had rushed here straight from bed were scrambling to assess the situation, just like Lunan.
"Central computer's reporting it as an external impact!"
"The Seed Demon? But it shouldn't have the strength for that."
"Maybe the Dread Hydra or Pale Mask."
"No way. This isn't their territory."
The Dread Hydra was a colossal sea cucumber stretching fifty meters long, while the Pale Mask was the massive predator that fed on them. Both were weaker than the Seed Demon but still terrifyingly vicious deep-sea creatures.
Their habitat lay in the ocean trench below the base's nearby seabed canyon. Since the research base was built outside their domain, the odds of one attacking were low.
"Zones E and F are fully flooded, and water's still pouring into C and D!"
"Flooding's bad enough, but water pressure is the real killer."
"Agreed. The strain on our internal environment controls means they could fail any second."
The PH-101 research base sat tens of kilometers down in the abyss. Designed to withstand the harshest conditions, it handled the immense deep-sea pressure with ease.
But the people inside were another story. If the atmospheric stabilizers glitched, everyone here was as good as dead.
Tch. Have to cut our losses.
Lunan, who had been silently listening to his team's chatter, finally spoke up.
"To stabilize pressure, we sever E and F from the ring. Force-separate them now, and we'll decide on C and D based on their status."
"T-Team Leader?!"
The team's faces darkened at the order.
Zones F and G housed the barracks. With the incident hitting in the dead of night, dozens were likely still holed up in F.
And yet the team leader was choosing to abandon them all.
"What are you waiting for? Didn't you hear me?"
"N-No, sir!"
As the team hesitated at the thought of dooming their colleagues—who might still be waiting for rescue—Lunan snapped at them.
The team moved to carry out the order, but then the base shook violently. The sudden jolt sent everyone in the first situation room staggering.
"What now?! Another attack?"
"No! This one's from inside!"
"Water pressure?"
"Quit guessing and check the damn status!"
"Yes, sir!"
At Lunan's command, the team hurried to the situation room consoles and began pulling up data.
Moments later, one of them grimaced.
"Uh, Team Leader?"
"What?"
"I-I think we've found the cause."
Lunan approached the pale-faced researcher and peered at the monitor. His own expression soon matched the man's.
"Unknown entity breached the E Zone outer wall and is heading into G?"
The base had eight zones total, from A to H, arranged in a circular ring. After G and H came A again.
An unidentified monster storming the first situation room would be bad enough, but the real problem was elsewhere.
Zone H held the bio-lab—where their hard-won Seed Demon was caged.
"Sever G right n—!"
Kuoooong!
His shout was cut short as an unprecedented shockwave slammed the situation room.
-
They still haven't noticed me intruding.
I'd been ripping heads off humans and wandering freely since entering, but aside from sealing the zones, they hadn't mounted any real response.
Thanks to their sluggish reaction, I'd had free rein to hunt for Number 26.
Every time I crawled forward, the seawater filling half the corridor height sloshed wildly. Sealing the zone had halted the inflow, so the halls weren't flooding completely.
Which meant I had to navigate these cramped passages in an awkward hunch. Straightening up even a bit scraped my head carapace against the ceiling.
If the ceilings were any lower, I wouldn't have been able to carry food at all.
My six erosion tentacles were coiled around the corpses like snakes with prey.
Not the prettiest sight—like strung-up dried fish—and a hassle to maneuver, but no helping it.
Even back on Yuseong's research ship when we first met, the researchers had barely fed Number 26. Just enough nutrients to keep it alive.
It's gotta be starving.
My discomfort was nothing compared to letting Number 26 go hungry.
Is this it?
Passing a corridor marked H, a thick metal bulkhead loomed ahead. I'd already smashed one, but this looked even beefier.
Makes sense for a place researching dangerous sea beasts like the Seed Demon—security was ramped up here.
Won't make a difference.
I pressed the auxiliary organ under my jaw to the bulkhead. Double-door setup with another inside, but irrelevant.
No scrap of metal would deter me.
[Zuz zuzuzuzu (Hang on, I'll get you out soon)]
｢Okay!｣
Reassuring Number 26, I backed off.
Acidic fungi lose half effectiveness in water, so time for brute force.
I lowered my head to aim my horn, then charged. My six combat arms hammered the floor and walls, propelling me forward. Claws on my waterlogged tail and lower body thrashed, shoving water aside for speed.
I'd punched through the base's deep-sea-proof outer wall already.
My horn shattered the thick bulkhead into fragments. Momentum crumpled the inner one like paper and sent it flying.
Seawater from the corridor behind surged through the wreckage.
Hm?
"Kuluk?"
"Enemyyy. Kuluk."
No humans inside—just other beings waiting. Fishrians in work overalls stared at me.
Fishrians?
I'd seen humans trading with them in seaside stilt houses, but didn't expect them in a research base.
Their gear suggested they handled security here.
"Kululuk. That one's wrecked the human nest good."
"Kuluk. Looks strong—offer it as sacrifice!"
"Sacrifiiiice!"
They hissed weirdly, sharpening claws. Eyes glinting in the dark vanished underwater.
A human would've bolted, but these fanatics charged without hesitation.
Didn't expect them here.
In the game, Fishrians served as minions to mighty sea beasts. Fitting their lore of worshiping deep-sea predators, they aided horrors like Seed Demons and Pale Masks in battle.
To players fighting quasi-bosses like Seed Demons, Fishrians were mere annoyances—but not to be ignored.
Male Fishrians have venom in claws and spines.
Those colorful spines on their backs and heads weren't decorative, like lionfish barbs. Real-world sea creature venom was potent, and Fishrian toxin was no exception.
They could even control the venom's strength—superior to my neurotoxin.
Too bad for them I had the "Complete Immunity" trait. A Near-Adult perk granting near-perfect resistance to poisons and diseases. Few could harm me with toxin unless specialized in it.
And...
"Kuluk!"
The submerged ones lunged from the water, slashing my exoskeleton with claws.
"Kuluk?!"
"So haaard!"
Claws didn't penetrate, so venom was useless. Unless they dosed the water via spine glands.
I lashed out with combat arms, snaring their waists. Their eyes widened in shock. Squeezing snapped their spines with cracks.
"Monster! Monsteer!"
"Kuluk! Sacrifice too hard!"
The unscathed ones finally clocked the danger and fled. I hurled dead Fishrians as projectiles, then pounced.
Adding Fishrians to my tentacle-tethered menu, I eyed the rest.
Too bulky to haul—maybe a taste test?
I chomped a Fishrian head. Fishy tang, sharp venom zing from the glands, then a unique texture tickled pleasantly.
Tasty.
Not heavenly like gene-modded humans or the Swamp King, but distinct flavor.
Lean, not greasy—clean and mild. Firm muscles gave good chew. Venom from brain-spine glands added wasabi-like thrill to raw meat.
These go to Number 26.
I ditched some human corpses from my tentacles, swapping in Fishrians. As a Seed Demon, Number 26 had stronger venom resistance than me—should savor them.
For Adhi, skip the gland parts.
Deeper in, a sturdy prison loomed.
And inside, a welcome face.
｢...Big Baby?｣
[Zuzuzuzu (Long time no see)]
｢Big Baby!｣
Number 26 spotted me and bounced joyfully.
Long time no see, and it had shrunk—a lot. From five meters to two or three. Its pink, cat-pad-like body looked dull and listless.
Stress, probably.
The ordeal it endured hit me viscerally, making me flinch.
Unlike my gloom, Number 26 lit up—literally—firing off pulses of light in excitement.
｢Big Baby got huge! Way bigger than me!｣
[Zuz zuzuzuzu (All that good eating)]
｢Good eater—good job, Big Baby!｣
[Zuz zuzuzuzu (I'll get you out now)]
｢Yay!｣
[Zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzuzu zuz zuzuz (Brought tasty stuff—eat up when you're out)]
｢Wow!｣
Leaving the thrilled creature, I inspected the cage.
Yep. Star Union special prison.
Explained Number 26's wilted state.
The bars were pure black silver—pitch-black. Sprinkler-like devices dotted bars, floor, and ceiling.
Like Blood Rivers, they drained other creatures' energy for power. Even mighty beasts couldn't last long.
Water everywhere—no Gremlin Moss.
I approached the control computer. Probed with a small chest arm, but water had fried it.
Manual override it is.
Waiting for the absorbers to fail wasn't an option.
I gripped the bars with all six combat arms.
Energy drained instantly, but I ignored it—bending them took more.
Bars twisted like taffy, snapping with pops. A few yanks opened a Number 26-sized gap.
Smashed the nearby absorbers too, ensuring safe exit.
[Zuz zuzuzuzu (Come on out)]
｢Yay! Big Baby so strong!｣
Free at last, Number 26 leaped into my embrace. Back when we left the space city, we were similar-sized; now it was tiny.
Takes me back.
Hugging the shrunken form stirred old memories.
Our first meeting on Yuseong's ship, early space city days—I carried it atop my head.
Can't do that now.
Til "Colossal Being" trait, back-carrying at best.
[Zuzuzuzu (You suffered)]
｢I'm fine. Big Baby?｣
[Zuzuzuzu (As you see)]
After petting Number 26 a few times, I released the hug. Handed over the prepped food to the still-cheerful one.
｢Thanks! Love it!｣
Starving, it extruded tentacles and devoured them. I kept stroking, a gesture of sympathy.
Rescue success. Next...
Number 26 polished off the haul quick. Not enough to sate it fully.
｢Big Baby! Got something to say!｣
[Zuz zuzuzuzu (Still hungry?)]
｢Yeah. But more important...｣
[Zu (Huh?)]
｢These fin-appendage creatures here. Real meanies.｣
[Zuzuzuzu zuz zuzuzuzu (Fin-appendages—you mean humans?)]
｢Yeah! Humans bad!｣
Number 26's body swelled, lights flashing wildly. First time I'd seen it this mad.
[Zuzuzuzu zuz zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzu (Don't worry. Gonna punish the humans)]
｢Yeah! Punish 'em!｣
[Zu (Good)]
Number 26 waved fins and tentacles threateningly.
Seeing that cute display hardened my resolve.
Those who enraged Number 26 would pay in blood.
Was planning that anyway...
But simple deaths won't cut it.
Everyone in this deep-sea base would writhe in agony and despair before the end.