Chapter 131
Chapter 131
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: Central Zone Ambush
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I'd wanted to see who was behind this.
On the way here, someone had sealed every bulkhead door lining the corridors. When I pressed my face up against the reinforced glass to figure out who'd pulled off this tiresome stunt, the survivors lost their minds completely.
The ones in the quarantine zone had scrambled out the moment that far door swung open.
I pulled my head back from the glass, having watched their fleeing backs.
｢Eek!｣
As I turned my head, my gaze locked with one of the survivors I'd grabbed. He let out a strangled squawk, like a chicken with its neck wrung.
I couldn't see his expression through the helmet he wore, but his terror was obvious enough.
Seemed like I needed to put him out of his misery quick.
I tightened my grip on his body with my combat arm, pouring strength into it.
｢Aghakakak!｣
His reinforced suit crumpled with a crunch, and an indecipherable screech echoed from inside his helmet. With his death rattle, the human went limp in my grasp.
I peeled off his suit with my claws and tore chunks of flesh straight into my maw.
'I could just chew him up suit and all.'
These reinforced suits were designed purely for the wearer's survival, which meant sky-high durability.
Put simply, they were tough as hell. Not that I couldn't eat them—just annoying how they kept getting stuck in my teeth.
I munched through the humans I'd caught while casually smashing open the door to the quarantine zone. The seawater flooding my area poured out into the C-section corridor.
'Time to check out another zone.'
Drifting in lazily with the current, I veered away from where the survivors had bolted and headed for the next section instead—D-zone.
'Their every move is right in my palm anyway.'
I already knew what the survivors were thinking. They might believe their speed meant I couldn't catch them, but they'd be wrong.
Did they really think I was slow, or that smashing bulkheads wore me out?
No.
I'd only taken my time to let despair sink into the ones who'd tormented Specimen 026 and Adhai.
'Hope can fuel life...'
But it could also turn to agony.
What waited where they'd fled wasn't salvation.
A 'bad human' eager for revenge on them lurked there instead.
'I'd love to watch him hunt them down.'
But too many living souls remained in this base. I needed intel from them, so no dawdling.
As the corridor filled enough to barely cover my prone body, I sensed something off.
'Hm?'
A metallic tang wafted from the moving mass—fundamentally different from the briny sea air.
Five massive metal hulks, each roughly 4 meters tall.
I puzzled it over only briefly before realizing what they were.
Like the Star Union's walkers, but these were Mega Corp construction machines—MCAE, Multipurpose Construction Auxiliary Equipment.
MCAEs drew inspiration from humanity's resource mining bots in old space-themed strategy sims.
Think space loader with added construction tools and flight capabilities. Easy enough.
'Why the hell are MCAEs down here?'
I hadn't clocked them right away because it made zero sense.
These were big-project gear for stuff like space colonies—miles from relevant in the deep sea.
I swam toward the scent to investigate.
The narrow hall opened into a vast warehouse-like space. There sat five activated MCAEs—and three Fishrians.
"...Father saaaays. The devil's smell is heeeere."
｢Damn it, it really escaped.｣
｢We gotta get out of this base fast.｣
"Must flee before Father rages."
｢Straight this way—elevator ahead.｣
With flight offline indoors, the MCAEs rolled on hidden wheels. Their cockpits sported arms packing massive torches for sealing doors and metal injectors for repairs.
Unlike the ones I'd seen before, these Fishrians clutched harpoons. Pilum-shaped overall, but with a signature spiraling blade.
The weapon that'd hurt Adhai—the Fishrians' traditional gear.
Normally crudely forged from basic metal, these were black as obsidian. Had to be laced with Black Silver.
'Did these bastards attack Adhai?'
Black Silver harpoons weren't common. These three had to be the culprits.
'Can't let them slip away.'
I crept closer submerged. Then a spiny fish-man's gaze flicked my way—from his head and back.
He cocked his head, sensed me, and bellowed.
"Smell! I smell iiiit!"
The other two Fishrians screeched in unison.
"Blood smell!"
"The one who killed our kin iiiis here!"
No point hiding anymore. I rose up. Their eyes bulged at my emergency-light-red glow.
｢What the hell is that?!｣
"Monster! The monster who killed our kin!"
I charged through the water. Erosion tentacles lashed from my back like cobras striking prey, slamming toward the Fishrians.
"Grk! Dieee!"
"Sacrifice yourself!"
Unlike the young ones before, these three were seasoned. They dodged my tentacles nimbly and clambered onto my back.
"Grk? So haaard!"
They gnawed my hide with venomous claws and teeth—to no avail. No cracking a plasma-proof carapace with their frail bodies.
Switching to harpoons, they stabbed wildly. Black Silver would've wounded Adhai or 026, but wrong target.
Six erosion tentacles whipped out from my back, swatting them. Two dodged; one ate a full hit and flew off.
｢Take this!｣
An MCAE sprayed liquified metal from its injector at me.
The half-submerged metal hardened instantly on my body. My combat arm sagged heavy with the globs.
'Slowing my mobility, huh?'
Thinking me sluggish, an MCAE thrust its industrial torch at my eyes.
Couldn't hurt me, but the glare stung.
I swung my chilled-metal-laden combat arm wide.
Aimed for the cockpit. The human-sized pod crumpled on impact.
｢Guh!｣
Unless the pilot was a third human size, no survival. The MCAE's arms drooped; it powered down.
One machine silenced, I batted a diving Fishrian with my combat arm. Its skull exploded like a nut under a hammer.
Meanwhile, another leaped opposite, mounting my tail. It jammed its harpoon between plates, prying like a lever.
I flung the tail above water and spun my whole body. The Fishrian clung to the carapace—but that was its mistake.
｢Wh-what?｣
｢Evade!｣
My tail sliced the current toward two MCAEs. The circling ones recoiled in horror, but I was faster. The massive tail swept the 4m machines.
"Kek!"
The clinging Fishrian pulped on impact. One MCAE lost its whole upper half; the other flew airborne, smashing into the wall.
｢R-run!｣
Two left. Having lost their squad in seconds, the MCAEs retreated fast.
'Might keep both.'
Originally one, but plans changed. I swam leisurely after the construction bots.
Sea Demon killings, Fishrian alliances, MCAEs in a deep-sea base—tons to ask.
｢Hah, hah, hah.｣
｢Hic, hic—it's not following anymore! Hic, hic.｣
｢Hah, hah, idiot! Keep running!｣
C-section corridor linking to the central zone's submersible elevator.
A ragged group slogged through the black water under red emergency lights—survivors led by Team Leader Runan, clad in thick suits like space gear. Sixteen exhausted men, body and mind frayed, pushed against the current.
｢It's in C-zone! Hah, hah—we gotta move before it catches us!｣
They knew what the slow-rising water meant.
That thing was coming, somewhere in the dark depths.
The thought whipped them on like racehorses under the lash.
｢Central zone door in sight!｣
｢Check if it's flooded inside!｣
While a researcher scanned with a working terminal, Runan and the others watched for the monster.
Ghoulish red lights, rippling water, erratic drips.
｢Hah, hah, hah.｣
｢Hic, hic, hic.｣
Team comms crackling with gasps.
Every element gnawed their sanity.
Suddenly, it hit Runan:
What if this was all its design?
All exits sealed by it, survivors toying like mice before a cat—doomed?
'Me, die? Don't make me laugh!'
Runan, from Ganymede colony, had clawed to Prime Capital status on Mars. To win over the Zhao Family governor's aide, he'd done it all.
Married her, claimed Prime Capital rank.
'This status I fought for!'
He hadn't savored Mega Corp elite life yet. Dying here? Too unjust—even his eyes wouldn't close.
｢Some interior damage confirmed—no flooding!｣
The shout snapped him from reverie.
Central zone intact. Relief.
They rushed into the airlock. Once drained, they entered proper.
Five submersibles docked wallside like escape pods; center held a gated cylinder—the sub elevator. Board one, ride up near surface.
｢Internal pressure stable!｣
｢Good.｣
"Kuhk, keh, huuuuh..."
"Urghaaaaack!"
Tension shattered in safety—some vomited helmets off, bent double.
"Recharge O2 here, then sub up."
"When's rescue?"
"Comms sent—shouldn't be long."
"Yes, sir."
Recharging, prepping—then a scream.
"Submersible's wrecked!"
"What?"
Faces froze. Runan rushed to check others.
'No way?!'
Three of five he'd inspected: trashed.
Each held max three. Sixteen survivors. Even perfect twos overflowed.
"This can't be! We're dead!"
"W-wait! We can fix..."
"Bullshit! One slip mid-repair, and we all die in the elevator."
"Fuck, any other ideas?"
"Suit up in the elevator and tank it?"
"Space maybe—not deep sea. Suits can't handle pressure."
"Goddamn it, all you do is say no! Then what?!"
"You bastard!"
Last hope crushed, they broke. Fists flew, some sobbed childlike, others cursed the air.
Amid chaos, Runan clung to calm, scheming.
'Two subs left. This one's next to me—looks fine outside.'
As he reached for the hatch, a finger jabbed him.
"Runan, you fucking prick! Back off now!"
"Bastard was gonna hog it and bail!"
"Ahem, wh-what're you saying?"
Hating glares swung to him.
'That fucker...!'
Runan gripped his Gauss rifle, cursing inwardly.
Fifteen against one. Researcher, not soldier—couldn't suppress them all.
Kill a few, get mobbed. Done.
Plan B.
"Enough!"
His roar echoed the vast zone. Hostile stares flinched.
"Ri Won! Da Jing! You think that little of me? That I'd ditch you?"
"Yeah! As if we don't know you—"
"Shut it! While we bicker, it's closing in! Wasting time like this—are you all insane?!"
"Th-that..."
Eyes wavered. Runan pressed, pleased.
"Sure, life despairs sometimes. Things worsen when you think they can't. Monster outside, crushing sea depths—we know."
He ranted, inching forward.
"But! This hardship's nothing next to Ganymede hell! Temps fail, hundreds freeze—daily! Who survives?"
"......"
He met each gaze, tracking sub distance.
'Perfect.'
Arm's reach to the hatch.
"Those who unite and overcome! Got it? Wanna die crying like babies? Or band together and live?"
"Th-that..."
"Look at your comrades' faces! Escape's right there!"
They glanced around—distraction. Runan seized the handle.
'Now!'
Open, board, launch.
Door swung.
And.
"Huh?"
No consoles—instead, pink, squishy mass. Pink tentacles exploded out, snaring his limbs.
Before he screamed, they yanked him inside.
Crack, crunch, snap.
Sickening sounds from within. No screams, no groans.
Then red blood trickled under the door.
"Wh-what? T-team leader?"
They gaped, stunned. As if replying, tentacle bundles burst from the sub.
"Hiiiik!"
Riiip, crunch.
"Aaaagh! It got me! Aaaaah!"
Crack, grind, smash.
"Run awaaaay!"
Tentacles snatched nearest survivors, dragging them in. Only bone-shatters and flesh-tears followed.
The central zone—their final escape.
Filled now with silent screams.