Chapter 154
Chapter 154
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 154
Chapter Title: Deception in Cult Territory
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‘Hm.’
I thoroughly reviewed the recent logs stored in the computer embedded in my Walker.
Brief reports on massive unidentified creatures not registered in the database, collection of nest debris scattered throughout the ship followed by data registration, and so on.
The cyborg I’d captured had sent out quite a few transmissions in that short time.
‘They probably didn’t reach the outside, though...’
Even now, psychic power periodically emanated from Specimen 026’s body, disrupting communications. It was nearly impossible for the data from the Walker to reach Star Union’s capital planet, Wax-01. And even if it did, it would arrive so garbled that no one could make sense of it.
That wasn’t the problem, though.
‘The manpower supply ship.’
The issue was that the ship might have registered info about me in Starlink before encountering me. In fact, the supply ship had detected my presence first and approached. They’d likely reported it to Star Union ahead of time.
‘This is a headache.’
The situation had gotten messy.
Even if I left this place, Star Union pursuit forces would be on my tail.
Running via FTL navigation was off the table.
Elite fleets from major powers like Star Union, the Cult, or Mega Corp had systems to track FTL jumps. It depended on how much of a threat they saw me as, but if an elite fleet came after me, escape would be impossible.
‘Even changing the ship’s appearance wouldn’t help me hide.’
The ship under Nightmare Horizon’s control was a hybrid of organism and metal. If the supply ship had reported my features as a “bio-ship,” they’d spot me no matter how I altered its shape.
“Kekeke, to dare touch a Star Union vessel. You won’t die peacefully... Urk?!”
“Quiet.”
I silenced him by tightening the erosion tentacles around his body and took stock of my available cards.
‘It’s been a month since I left the holy site. I can use pretty much everything at my disposal.’
Nightmare Horizon for seizing spaceships, Organic Evolution to make myself gigantic or shrink down, God’s Lash as a ranged attack from the Plunderer’s amorphous form, Emblem of the Hunt to reshape my body for combat. My current state was perfectly equipped to face a formidable foe.
But I shook my head.
‘Full-on war is still too risky.’
This was different from the imperial carrier battle. The key factor had been that the planet I was on was the politically complex “holy site.”
If it hadn’t been the holy site, I couldn’t have escaped as smoothly as I did. I’d have ended up hunted by the Cult no matter how I fled.
Star Union had no such constraints.
In Star Union, ruled dictatorially by the Machine Committee—their supreme authority—concepts like “politics,” “rivalry,” or “conflict” didn’t exist.
Formally, they coordinated opinions between the committee and departments, but it held little real weight. When the committee commanded, every cyborg obeyed.
The Machine Committee members—all high-intelligence androids except for the supreme dignity, Great Leader Jubaka—would pull out all the stops to kill me if they saw me as an enemy.
‘Androids are annoying because they don’t let their guard down.’
They’d surely dispatch an elite fleet with overwhelming firepower to eliminate me in one go.
‘Space combat is still beyond me.’
With many body-related traits sealed, it was like fighting with a handicap. I’d unlocked new type-related traits by devouring the supply ship, but they weren’t useful in my current synced state with the ship.
I had multiple attacks that could pulverize enemy vessels outright, but they had time limits or usage caps. And I wasn’t superior in defense or evasion maneuvers either.
I could overwhelm a few ships, but taking on a fleet of hundreds wouldn’t be easy.
The silver lining was that this ship I controlled had been upgraded. I’d grafted weapons from disassembled Cult ships onto it, so I wouldn’t be defenseless against multiple foes like last time.
‘The downside is that I don’t have infinite time.’
This was Cult territory. If I fought here and got caught by them? I’d be hammered by enemies on both sides. To the Cult, I was a bio-ship—no different from an outspacer flying monster.
‘Wait... the Cult?’
The thought of the Cult made me pause.
The JP-99 system was in Cult domain.
It was a backwater with no valuable resources—a chicken rib of a place—but they wouldn’t tolerate foreigners crossing their borders. If they spotted Star Union’s elite fleet invading the system, the two sides would surely clash.
‘I can slip away in the chaos.’
The key was how to summon the Cult, and conveniently, I had a way to call them.
‘This is getting interesting.’
With my thoughts sorted, I devised a plan to escape this predicament. There were a few precarious elements, but I decided to push forward.
It was a deception operation targeting the Cult and cyborgs—right up my alley.
‘That’s the plan sorted. Now...’
Before explaining to the crew aboard the ship, there was something I needed to handle. I turned my gaze to the captured cyborg.
“W-What?”
Sensing something ominous from my stare, the cyborg began trembling.
He was set to play a key role on the stage I’d prepared. Not just as fodder for energy replenishment.
‘It’s your turn after a long while.’
At my will, the tiny things dormant in my body awoke.
A small hole opened in the ceiling of the ship integrated with me, and something dropped onto the tentacles with a plop. The thin, elongated rubber-band-like things scurried busily along the tentacles constricting the cyborg.
“W-Wait! What the hell is... S-Stop!”
Finally realizing his fate, the cyborg freaked out.
I gripped him tighter to assist the parasites climbing diligently to fulfill their mission.
“Mmph! Mmph!”
The cyborg thrashed wildly.
No matter how much his body was mechanized, it had limits. Breaking free from erosion tentacles strong enough to crumple the entire ship was impossible.
He’d accept it eventually, once everything was done.
The reality of becoming a minion of the monster.
The Nemean Fleet stationed in the ESS-22 system received an emergency directive.
It came directly from Nemean Five, a grand member of Star Union’s Machine Committee and commander of the Nemean Fleet.
“Upon confirming this, deploy immediately to exterminate the new organism sighted in JP-99. It’s extremely dangerous—do not approach; engage and incinerate from long range. This order comes from the Gre... Great Leader Jubaka himself?!”
Sanada EF, the acting fleet commander operating under delegated authority from Nemean Five, was stunned.
The Machine Committee rarely issued direct orders to individual cyborgs like this; they only announced major matters publicly. The committee running all of Star Union wasn’t that idle.
And for the supreme dignity, Great Leader Jubaka, to take interest? It was unprecedented. Sanada EF nearly lost his mental composure for the first time since his cybernetic conversion.
“EF, this isn’t fake, right?”
Rubbing his jaw at his ship computer EF’s response, he muttered.
“JP-99’s Cult territory. Does the Machine Committee want war?”
ESS-22 was the closest Star Union sector to JP-99. The elite Nemean Fleet was stationed here precisely for contingencies like this.
‘Surely not...’
Sanada EF double-checked the directive. No matter how many times he read it, there was no order to invade Cult space.
The Machine Committee—all robots except Great Leader Jubaka—never minced words or used metaphors. His fears seemed unfounded.
“What’s the enemy garrison like there now?”
“As expected of a frontier—not much. No space fortresses or imperial carriers either.”
Looking at the data screen EF displayed, he made up his mind. Finish the mission quick and bounce before the Cult swarms in.
“What kind of creature has the Machine Committee this riled up?”
About a month ago, every ship got a notice.
Register any new organism data in Starlink immediately. Implant signal chips made by the Machine Committee in every vessel—two orders.
No one knew the reason back then.
“Is the target that dangerous?”
“Send it to my head.”
Bio data streamed into Sanada EF’s brain via ship cables. Wincing at the slight headache, he pressed his temple and reviewed it.
“Hm. A massive monster capable of disguising as a ship.”
“Jama-class? The new escort type? Hmm.”
His first thought was a Cult secret weapon, but he dismissed it. Creating and controlling artificial lifeforms was Mega Corp’s schtick.
‘Or maybe an outspacer.’
Outspacer swarms didn’t operate beasts like that, from what he knew.
Theirs were grotesque monsters bristling with biochemical ordnance. Anyone calling that a Cult escort must have degraded optics or warped aesthetics.
Still, a ship made of biometal screamed outspacer. Maybe a new space assault beast they’d evolved.
Sanada EF scrutinized the Machine Committee’s intel. The raw data was sparse; committee annotations and hypotheses dominated.
No approach due to infection risk, no boarding, prepare anti-psi defenses since it uses psychic attacks, etc.
That alone showed how wary the committee was.
‘Tough customer.’
After reviewing everything, Sanada EF contacted every ship in the Nemean Fleet. Prep per Machine Committee instructions.
Two hours later, the full 101-ship Nemean Fleet readied FTL navigation.
A massive blue glow enveloped them—visible from planetary surfaces—and they departed ESS-22.
Effortlessly surpassing light speed, Sanada EF’s Nemean Fleet arrived at JP-99 in a flash.
“Good. Finish before the Cult notices. Launch scout drones and fighters.”
Drones and fighters poured from Star Union warships—rectangular hulls covered in needle-like spinal cannons. The drone swarm looked like sand spilling from a burst sack.
“Search methodically from the surroundings. Report anything suspicious immediately.”
Under ship computer control, drones and android-piloted fighters combed space debris, rock piles—everything.
Several fighters found artificially synthesized metal fragments and relayed them to Sanada EF on the flagship.
He instantly recognized their origin. And the source of the committee’s data.
“EF, FTL trace check done?”
“Good. It’s nearby, so everyone stay alert...”
“What?”
Before he finished, ship cameras captured the front. In empty void, blue energies gathered, rapidly forming a massive structure.
“...Damn.”
As blue flashes pulsed, Cult warships of all sizes materialized before the Nemean Fleet. Sanada EF muttered under his breath.
“Ah, fuck. We’re screwed.”
Standard Cult warships weren’t a big issue. The Nemean Fleet, equipped with anti-psi measures, could handle them.
The problem was the enormous structure staunchly guarding their rear.
An ivory diamond-shaped behemoth adorned with golden filigree—not a structure, a ship.
The colossal vessel blocking the Nemean Fleet was the Cult’s pride: an imperial carrier.