Chapter 258
Chapter 258
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 258
Chapter Title: Unnatural Smiles
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Recently, Gid Q had been in a great mood.
His terminal was securely loaded with the credits he'd won betting against the humans at the gladiator arena—an unexpected windfall.
Was it the rare taste of hope in his hands? Even heading to work felt effortless.
To be precise, he was commuting in an environment where feeling tired was simply impossible.
The announcement blared from the hover bus carrying him through the sky. Normally, he'd take the underground military train into the fortress, squeezed among the swarming crowds, his mood completely soured.
The hover bus wasn't empty either, but the smell was different.
No stench of booze, sweat, and vomit here. Instead, the air was filled with expensive air fresheners and the perfumes of wealthy passengers.
Crowds were crowds, whether on a train or bus, but different scents made for a different vibe.
Truth be told, the hover bus was an extravagant luxury for someone on Gid Q's salary, but he didn't care. Sometimes you've got to splurge your credits, he thought, peering out the window amid the passengers.
The maglev bus had just escaped the chaotic urban districts and was approaching the Naval Port. As it landed out front, passengers poured out in a rush.
The hover bus's main customers were outsiders visiting the fortress. Having finished their business, they were heading to ships docked at the port to depart.
With the crowd thinning, space opened up. Gid Q stretched his stiff body lightly.
Just before the doors closed, as he glanced outside, he spotted a familiar face.
A Naval Port guard he'd shared drinks with once. The guard was grinning ear to ear, clearly delighted by something.
Anyone would call it a smile, but Gid Q sensed something off about it.
It was the eyes.
The guard's pupils showed no flicker amid the grin. Standing ramrod straight, mouth smiling wide, his gaze was locked on the bus.
Seeing it jogged a memory from Gid Q's Star Union days: screamers. Unfortunates denied even the freedom to breathe under machine control.
As the unwanted recollection surfaced, Gid Q averted his eyes from the guard.
But there were more like him. Amid the bustling crowds hurrying through the port, odd figures stood here and there with eerie expressions.
Some were drifters, others cartel pirates. Unrelated types, all frozen in the same rigid pose.
Guess they got high on something fierce this morning.
Kessha Arma, the fortress where crime paid the bills. Drug-addled folks were a dime a dozen anywhere. Everyone knew it, so they just ignored the weirdos.
Lucky bastards.
Gid Q lost interest in the junkies. The doors sealed, and the bus lifted off again. Next stop: the Second Command Post, where he worked security.
Even after the bus departed with Gid Q aboard, the junkies remained rooted. Moments later, they turned and headed off.
Returning to the master who controlled their minds.
It had been three days since arriving at Kessha Arma, the Cult's abandoned fortress.
I'd spent the time gathering intel, assessing how much it had changed from my memories.
‘Minerals depleted, huh.’
According to my new catches, the fortress had been abandoned when the minerals on the planets it guarded ran dry.
‘Makes sense. Infinite in the game, not so in reality.’
Whether resources or lifeforms, regrowth took time.
Anyway, resources exhausted, and it wasn't a strategic military stronghold. No reason for the Empire to maintain costly orbital habitats.
‘Administratively still Imperial property, but...’
Seemed the Space Dogs cartel had lobbied for management rights.
Not unusual. The first player I devoured, Muriel, had infiltrated a holy planet with Jason's backing.
‘Details from the next target.’
Perfect timing—my minions had spotted members of the fortress rulers, the Marsio Cartel. Not lowly grunts, but one working at the Second Command Post, a key facility.
‘Hope he's smart.’
My crew and I came here for two reasons.
First: rumors of a massive auction starting at the pirate fortress.
Lots had happened since leaving the dragon's nest.
Hunting the rare apex "Gorgon Swarm," our Screamer support ship took heavy damage. Made traveling with the Galleron pack tough.
‘Lucky there was a suitable planet nearby for a new nest.’
The Gorgon Swarm's system had a habitable world for Gallerons. The pack settled there.
Downside: lost the ship, so separated from the pack for now.
Adhai chose to follow me, stepping down temporarily as leader. Ham Ort took over as interim head.
Wishing to reunite when needed, we parted.
Leaving the system for new goals, we switched to a fresh ship. Luck struck: intel on a slave market.
‘Went wild there.’
Devoured various lifeforms on the slave planet. Plus, chain of tips from smugglers led to crucial info.
A huge auction for smuggled animals and slaves at Kessha Arma.
‘Just two more unique traits for Adult stage.’
Through trials, I'd nearly met evolution conditions.
I activated the translucent text box.
I had six unique traits crafted via the Transcendence System, two from apex hunts—total eight. Need more rare predation or mass trait fusion via Transcendence to evolve.
‘Hence targeting the auction.’
Unique-traited creatures unlikely at auction. Plan B: Transcendence for two more.
‘Complete Organism,’ ‘Horizon of Nightmares,’ ‘Organic Evolution,’ ‘Great Infectant,’ ‘Herald of Great Chaos,’ plus one unused unique trait here.
Also ‘Dragon’s Heart’ from the black Galleron, ‘Medusa Organ’ from Gorgon Swarm.
Excluding apex-derived, six classified as space monster type. Two more makes eight, unlocking stage-2 space monster rewards.
‘Score evolution and stage-2 rewards at once.’
That's my reason. Second ties more to Mother of the Sky.
She's in similar state: one sacrifice shy of deification progress.
‘Corrupted Vulf’s Heart.’
Starpul ore from dragon's nest refined at pirate slave market—now she just needs to consume the Vulf heart.
Seems easy, is easy. Extract a transformable Vulf player's heart.
‘If it were the game.’
Unlike game, finding Sky Mother-level powered Vulfs here is hard. Most unaware of deification.
Would've searched longer without slave market tip on transformable Vulf at space fortress.
‘Marsio Cartel’s underboss is a Vulf.’
Capture reported operative, lure the underboss with intel.
That's the big reason we're here.
Our destination, but others didn't object.
‘Good kids.’
Fiercest in battle, cutest to me.
My family now in containers moved to Naval Port.
Previous owners' containers shield various energies. Inside, their psionic power doesn't leak.
Originally Cult fleet fortress. Heard it flipped pirate, but hid them in case military remnants.
‘Confirmed Space Dogs turf—no need now.’
When invading proper, deploy them.
‘Not yet.’
Fruit not ripe. Time for groundwork. Once prepped, war with them.
I rose from prone in the cargo hold.
Leaving dragon's nest, spider-like form: 25m, tail, wings.
Many traits since, but little change. ‘Herald of Great Chaos’ enlarged head carapace, monster tentacles lengthened—main diffs.
“Come here.”
Twenty minions approached at my words.
Parasite-controlled, they thrilled at obeying. Impossible in game, but two trait enhancements enabled it.
Great Infectant buffs three each from Infection, Nest traits. Boosted ‘Parasite Brood’ produces twenty parasites now.
Dominating twenty targets.
Not all. ‘Form Dominator,’ strong foe mark trait, further enhanced brood. Not just numbers—quality up.
Eel-sized parasites devour host brain, replace it. Victims' brain activity now parasite-driven.
Not mere servitude. I'm their life's core, body part. Wholehearted loyalty, not forced.
‘Downside: retrieving parasites.’
Tested once: host didn't die immediately sans parasite. Brain-gone vegetable, though.
Unlike before, implant means permanent.
‘Good I extracted from Mother of the Sky early.’
She avoided me after seeing brain-gunk eel from victim's mouth.
‘No distractions. Focus.’
With twenty lined up, I activated ‘Herald of Great Chaos.’ Head carapace, neck tentacles emerged.
Writhing like octopus in water. Psionic power deadly to flesh/mind spread via tentacles into air.
Sensitive ones might see: thin psionic strands like incense smoke permeating.
Twenty reacted instantly.
“Chup-chup, hee-hee, chup-chup, hee-hee!”
“Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah.”
“Oogh, ugh, aaah, oo-hee-hee-hee!”
“Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sor...”
Uniformed guard sucked fingers like reliving childhood.
One-eyed pirate endlessly apologized to phantom victims.
One drooled in ecstasy, bucking hips wildly; another panted, licking floor.
Sensory slaves flailing in twisted, distorted senses via psionic.
Herald of Great Chaos: unique trait from Screamer ship loot, intel haul. Psionic-heavy materials specialize mental manipulation, crowd control.
‘Range usually wider...’
Affects all sapients in 500m radius, but limited now. Targeting these twenty.
As acts grew feral, pale purple glow flashed over some heads.
‘Done.’
That glow: ‘Madness Bomb.’ Side effect of Herald.
Deactivated Herald. Minions collapsed, exhausted, back to reality.
‘Good opener.’
Madness Bombs will spark chaos.
I ordered those glow-wrapped: Head to crowded spots.