Chapter 140
Chapter 140
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: Ep. 140
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A powerful stench jolted me awake.
The moment I opened my eyes, the acrid smell of chemicals assaulted me. It was so overpowering that my auxiliary organs beneath my jaw throbbed in pain.
'Where...?'
What I saw first were countless tubes. In the dim cavern, green glass tubes resembling coffins lined up by the hundreds—no, thousands.
They evoked ancient catacombs more than any research facility.
'Why am I here?'
When I evolved from Juvenile to Subadult, and then from Subadult to Near-Adult, I experienced visions. The first was an encounter with an Aimorph; the second, memories from my childhood.
Though different in nature, both drew from elements I'd seen before or held in my memory. But this place was utterly unfamiliar—somewhere I'd never been, in reality or any game.
'And nothing like this has ever happened during transcendence before.'
Was Transcendence Stage 2 different from Stage 1 somehow? Did it show hallucinations like evolutions to signify the growth it granted?
'...Even if it's not in my memories, it might be an important clue.'
Transcendence wouldn't complete for a while yet anyway. I approached the nearest glass tube.
The tube was filled with a thick green chemical solution. The liquid was so murky I couldn't see inside at all, but my auxiliary organs told a different story.
Something was submerged in that liquid.
I brought my face close to the test tube.
The instant my slender auxiliary organ nearly touched the tube's surface...
The cavern I stood in transformed into a blinding white void in a heartbeat. The glass tube ahead shattered and vanished in an instant.
The stark white space, devoid of color, shifted in the blink of an eye into the interior of a hospital. The harsh chemical stench gave way to the familiar scent of disinfectant, accompanied by the rhythmic beeps of life-support machines weighing a patient's fate.
I knew this place. But what I'd glimpsed moments ago gnawed at me more.
'What was that just now?'
Right before the tube disappeared, its contents had been briefly exposed.
It was the offspring of some creature. A hatchling that felt strangely familiar.
"If you hadn't taken him away that day, none of this would have happened!"
A sudden shout shattered my thoughts, as if to drown them out.
In the hallway outside the hospital room, two adults—faces obscured—argued fiercely.
"Is that what you want to say to me? Do you know who's footing the bill for his treatment?"
"Hah. Treatment? You don't even care about the kid."
"What?"
"You only play the doting dad in front of the cameras. Have you ever even held him at home?"
Their words were the same tired script I'd heard endlessly as a child. They always fought with the exact same repertoire.
But right now, something far more pressing demanded my attention.
That specimen from moments ago—it closely resembled an Aimorph hatchling.
'Not exactly the same, though.'
The number of arms, the presence of auxiliary organs—it differed greatly from the Aimorphs I knew. Its arms were even less developed than a hatchling's, and there were no auxiliary organs under its jaw.
As I pondered the creature, the door to the room ahead cracked open halfway. Beyond it sat a child.
A kid whose face was wrapped head to toe in bandages. The sight triggered a sudden realization.
'Ah. So this is that moment.'
The vision before me was one of the turning points in my life.
Recalling that pulled my focus entirely away from the tube's occupant.
This was the day I went from being a cherished gift in one family to a burdensome lump.
Spotting a nurse approaching in the hallway, the child shut the door.
Unconsciously, I reached for the doorknob. The instant my fingers touched it, my mind plunged back into darkness.
A forest somewhere on the continent of Saintopia02.
This place, packed with redwoods towering like skyscrapers, was dim even in broad daylight. Dense branches and leaves blocked out the sun.
In the heart of that shadowed woods stood a group of ten.
All wore full-body reinforced suits overlaid with ponchos bearing a distinctive emblem: an ivory inverted triangle enclosing a purple diamond—the symbol of the Cult species' military, the Warrior Corps.
True to their name, they carried an arsenal. Cold weapons like axes, swords, flails, and spears; ranged arms such as bows, rifles, and net guns; and support gear including alloy shields, shield activators, and medical kits.
The Cult Warrior Corps was always prepared for any foe. That was why they armed themselves to the teeth, ready to tackle any challenge.
"This is Warrior Captain Race. Status on your end?"
｢This is Edrin. The village is completely burned down. No survivors.｣
"Again? What the hell is going on? Other villages?"
｢This is Ollai. Checked the memory site—nothing came up.｣
This Warrior Corps belonged to the imperial mothership Judger of Damus08. They'd descended to Saigil08 on the captain's secret orders ahead of the purge operation: capture Wolf natives before it began.
Yet hours after arriving on this continent where Wolfs dwelled, not a single one had turned up.
｢Did they sense us coming?｣
"Impossible. Primitive species can't detect an imperial mothership's superluminal travel."
｢What about those monkey structures floating outside Saigil08? Could that be it?｣
"No confirmed intel on Mega Corp coordinating with this planet's Wolfs. Cause unknown for now—don't jump to conclusions."
｢Yes, sir!｣
"Time's on our side, so keep searching, Edrin, Ollai."
｢Understood, Warrior Captain.｣
｢Roger.｣
"Fleet bombardment starts in six hours. Report back two hours prior—if nothing, return to the ship."
Warrior Captain Race pressed the button on his helmet, ending the telepathy link. His helmet differed greatly from those used by primitive species' reinforced suits.
Both protected the full face, but Cults had horns, leaving gaps at the temples.
His included built-in shield and telepathy functions. Internal devices allowed communication with allies over distances without external gear.
The downside: heavy mental strain, so it couldn't stay active constantly.
As comms cut, Vice Captain Isabel approached.
"Warrior Captain, still no sign?"
"Inexplicable. It's like someone swept up every last Wolf. Why?"
He'd briefly suspected pirates, but dismissed it. Wolf slaves weren't valuable enough for them. On decent Cult planets, they were cheap and plentiful.
Unless these Wolfs were special, capturing other beasts would net far more credits.
Like gel armas in the swamps or horned king manuk armas in volcanic zones—rare predators.
For reference, those manuk armas—what humans called "Hond Giants"—were thriving. Race's squad had checked a Wolf village near their habitat en route.
"Captain hates slavery, yet orders us to grab Wolfs? Wants to wipe out the natives? These must be prime stock."
Her crude joke drew chuckles leaking from nearby helmets.
Race scowled.
"Vice Captain Isabel, that's an insult to the captain and a denial of the Cult's 'Providence.' Watch yourself."
"Ah, s-sorry!"
Isabel bowed hastily at his icy tone. The others silenced instantly.
Race clicked his tongue.
"Chatting nonsense means you're all rested. Move out."
"Yes, sir!"
Sensing his foul mood, the squad grabbed gear and rose swiftly. Their disciplined movements screamed elite warriors.
Yet it didn't lift Race's spirits.
He knew why the mothership captain—staunch slavery opponent—sent them here, bending his principles. A gift for Cult higher-ups, securing his men's futures.
These green youths jested, oblivious to such nobility. Race sighed inwardly.
'When we return, retrain from scratch.'
As he mulled punishments, the corps delved deeper into the forest.
Wood devils and night stalkers ambushed occasionally, but the squad stayed cool.
Combat professionals and proper military, they feared no predator short of a manuk arma on this continent.
Their soul-linked psychic sight-sharing foiled ambushes anyway.
Thus, Race's Warrior Corps scoured the woods for hidden Wolfs.
About thirty minutes in, Race—who led—scanned every rock crevice and branch for the slightest trace.
Then something odd caught his eye.
A pink balloon amid thick trunks. He activated his psychic x-ray vision, but by the time it readied, the balloon was gone.
"Warrior Captain?"
All ten shared vision via soul link. Race was about to ask if they'd seen it.
That instant—
"Gah?!"
"Urgh!"
Sudden noise gripped their helmets. Brief but deafening and eerie, it dazed minds instantly. Some warriors dropped to knees from vertigo.
Race barked orders.
"Kits authorized! Unknown mental effects—inject treatments and psychic suppressants!"
Squad members yanked open chest kits, drawing syringes. Race jabbed his thigh too.
"What was that?!"
"...Unknown. Vice Captain Isabel, check for anomalies."
"Yes, sir."
They held position five minutes. Some bled from eyes and ears, but no major injuries.
"Enemy could strike anytime. Stay vigilant—miss nothing."
"Understood!"
Weapons gripped tight, they advanced in max alert, far tenser now, steps cautious.
Five minutes post-departure, Race sensed wrongness.
'...Too quiet.'
Before the noise, wood devils chirped or birds called sporadically.
Now, silence. Like the forest was dead.
Only their footsteps and breaths sounded.
Race wasn't alone; others' breathing grew uneasy.
Unseen anxiety crept in when one warrior opened fire with his purple spray gun.
Soul link showed the target: a tree dozens of meters away.
Empty tree.
"Cease fire!"
Race's shout halted the frantic psychic flame barrage. The warrior snapped to.
"What were you shooting at?! Nothing's there!"
"Uh, uh, th-that..."
He stammered under pressure. Spotting odd behavior, Race yanked off his helmet.
A terrified, childlike Cult face stared back.
"M-monster! Countless eyes staring at me!"
"Eyes? What eyes?"
"Pink ones... still watching... eek?!"
He babbled "eyes" and "pink." Race force-injected a tranquilizer from his kit.
Cult-developed, it calmed panicked soldiers mid-battle. Vision blurred, tremors stopped.
Yet shadows lingered on his face despite the potency.
"Calm?"
"...Yes."
"What did you see?"
He shuddered but held composure, struggling to report.
"H-hard to believe, but a balloon-shaped monster."
"Balloon?"
"Thought I mis-saw at first, then countless eyes sprouted from its body, glaring at me."
Balloon-like monster.
Race recalled the pre-noise glimpse.
'No way?'
"Checking visions! Others, hold alert... Huh?"
Reviewing soul-linked sights, one was missing.
Ten present including him—only eight views.
"Koshey? Where's Koshey?"
"He was behind me... Wait, he was just—?!"
The rearguard panicked at his vanished comrade.
While fixated on the rattled warrior, another had slipped away.
"...Isabel. Contact the mothership."
"Pardon?"
"Race Warrior Corps under attack."
"Y-yes, sir!"
It was as Race said.
Unknown beasts lurked in the woods.
Their assault had begun.