Chapter 292
Chapter 292
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 292
Chapter Title: Target (1)
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House SaintK's patriarch, Walter, one of the Noble Capitals, had the nickname "The Eccentric."
Even Akira Yujin, the current Mega Corp CEO, was treated like a mutant, but the context behind Walter's "eccentric" label was slightly different.
There were two main reasons he was seen that way.
First, Walter hadn't undergone any genetic modifications despite being a Noble Capital patriarch. Sure, he relied on advanced weaponry and precision machinery, but his body remained purely human.
Just as the Yujin Family believed in their bloodline, he believed in the inherent purity of the "human form." The SaintK House was conservative by nature, but few avoided body mods as stubbornly as Walter.
That alone was odd enough, but there was another factor that made him even stranger.
He hunted monsters—extremely dangerous ones—as a hobby.
Most Noble Capital patriarchs treated hunting as a sport or pastime, but none prowled around chasing monsters like Walter. A patriarch's death could devastate a house. Take House Ezerton: they fell behind T&C precisely because they lost their leader.
Yet Walter knowingly hunted the deadliest beasts barehanded, without genetic enhancements. If he weren't a seasoned hunter, he'd have died dozens of times over. To other Noble Capitals, he was nothing short of a madman—an eccentric.
Amusingly, his hobby improved his relations with the other Noble Capitals.
He hunted for the thrill, not the genes. So the rare, powerful creatures he caught were sold off to other houses.
In a way, he was like a bounty hunter. Paradoxically, this kept him free from the other patriarchs' scrutiny. The houses—excluding SaintK—had no reason to dislike their steady supplier of rare specimens.
His good ties with the others, despite his quirks, was the second reason he was called eccentric.
Now, that Noble Capital outlier was meeting another oddball.
In the reception room aboard Akira's flagship, Heavenly Sword.
A black-haired middle-aged man and a white-haired old man sat across a dining table from each other.
Unlike the lean middle-aged man, the old man's build was massive—towering. He was at least twice as tall, his limbs thick with muscle like a grown man's thighs.
It was hard to call him "old" with a body so impeccably maintained. This was the eccentric Walter SaintK.
"T&C's patriarch asked me this: With Noble Capital gene tech, we could make perfect meat. So why do people obsess over meat from live animals?"
He speared a piece of steak with his fork.
"He said taste is information. When we eat meat, it's not just for the tongue—it's about consuming the 'information' embedded in it."
With that, he popped the steak into his mouth.
"Factory-fresh beef from an hour ago tastes the same as ranch-raised over a decade, but we don't perceive it that way. The ranch meat's diet, experiences, and intangible value can't be replicated."
"That pup said that, huh?"
Walter nodded as he chewed in response to the middle-aged man's question.
"Experience defines an object's essence. Very Saddam-like, wouldn't you say?"
"Indeed. The kind of talk he'd love. From a business angle, anyway."
Walter snorted lightly at Akira's cynical reply and swallowed the meat.
"Preparations are complete, as discussed."
"Fast work. Excellent."
"The 'ultimate prey.' Hope it's worth ten Gigacrackers."
During their last meeting at the dispute resolution team's headquarters, Walter had struck a deal with Akira. Afterward, he'd moved ten Gigacrackers to a specific star system.
No matter how eccentric or powerful Walter was as patriarch, diverting ten of his house's cash cows for personal reasons was a heavy burden. Without Akira covering the losses with his vast personal fortune, Walter never would have done it.
"Why there? Is it tied to Vortex One?"
"No. This thing's scarier than Vortex One."
"...You serious?"
Walter furrowed his brow at the unbelievable claim, finishing his steak.
Vortex Ones couldn't be hunted conventionally. They demanded the full might of at least two Noble or Prime Capital houses. Walter knew this firsthand—he'd barely escaped one long ago.
Something scarier than those? He couldn't imagine it.
"Dead serious. The one I know is the second most dangerous thing in the universe."
Second most dangerous.
The subtle phrasing made Akira's words ring true. Walter licked his lips, intrigued, and crossed his arms.
"Hmm."
"This'll pique your interest even more."
Akira snapped his fingers. A woman in black appeared from nowhere, handing Walter a small chip and a computer pad. He slotted the chip in, activating a hologram flood of data.
"A lot here. How's something this big stayed under wraps?"
"I locked it down in Mega Corp's database. Other houses and patriarchs don't know."
Blatant info hoarding, but Walter let it slide. Everyone did it.
"It'll come to that spot for sure. Won't be long—get ready."
"What's your certainty based on?"
"I know it well. In its current state, it'll go after Vortex One."
"Hmm. I see."
The deal was done; how Akira knew didn't matter. Walter focused on the hologram.
The data alone justified "second most dangerous." Securing the Gigacrackers wasn't the end—far more prep was needed.
And he had to account for Akira being wrong.
As a master hunter, he knew prey never followed the hunter's script. This time was no different; contingencies for surprises were essential.
Business concluded, no reason to linger. He scanned the hologram once more and shut off the pad.
"Contact me if anything's off or you have questions."
With that, Walter left the reception room.
Akira stayed seated even after the guest departed.
Morph bastard. You won't escape this time.
He knew evolution from Adult to Ascension required hunting a Vortex One.
So he'd set a trap for the Aimorph: ten Gigacrackers near a Vortex One habitat.
With insurance on top...
Last time, relying solely on his pet Black Galleron had been humiliating. No repeats.
"Code Black."
"Yes, sir, Akira."
"Tell the butler to shadow Walter and provide support."
"Understood."
Even sending his shadow via the butler, Akira mused.
Walter can't kill the Morph, but he can hurt it bad.
Walter SaintK was one of the NPCs he trusted. Genetic purism aside.
At 120, he looked far older than other patriarchs, who stayed wrinkle-free at that age.
Healthy for a mod-rejecter, but unenhanced humans had limits. Without his purity obsession, he'd have bagged far more big game.
That's why I'm sending him too.
Walter and his hunters were all unmodified. Killing them gave the Aimorph no gains.
Even if Walter fails to kill it, no loss.
Given Walter's skill and temperament, he'd inflict serious damage regardless.
The moment it weakened, Akira would descend personally. The signal chip in the butler's heart made tracking easy.
Just like the thing had done to him in the game—he'd repay it in kind.
In the opulent reception room, Akira smiled silently.
"No new energy signatures in this star system. No pursuers."
[Good.]
"Where to next?"
In the Gigacracker's command center.
PS-111, wired into hundreds or thousands of cables, asked me.
Now that I'm Adult-stage, a few spots come to mind...
Normally, I'd have a clear destination: the most efficient for my evolution conditions.
But the vision from evolving stalled that.
Need more time.
With Gigacrackers in hand, rankers couldn't threaten me easily. Unless they dug a proper trap en masse.
As I pondered, I spotted Adhai curled up in the back of the command center.
Its red wings neatly folded, it was grooming its horns. Sensing my gaze, it wagged its tail and polished its wings harder.
[Adhai.]
「Big Lord」「Why?」
It looked up with amethyst-like eyes sparkling.
[Wanna visit the nest after so long?]
「Nest」「Nest?」「Really?」
It seemed utterly surprised, jumping to its feet.
「Really?」「Really?」
[Yeah.]
「Me」「Little kin」「Miss them!」
With pursuit cut off, swinging by Adhai's migrated flock planet seemed fine.
PH-101, where 26's friends are, would be nice, but tricky.
The planet where it'd gained Seed Demon power and communed with Bubble Amoebas. Cults had claimed it holy; bringing a Gigacracker would rile them up.
「Wanna see the flap-flap babies too!」
Fortunately, 26 didn't mind visiting Adhai's flock. It even seemed excited about the little Blue Gallerons.
Sky Mother's shrug settled it.
Decided.
[To Adhai's kin.]
"Understood."
With that curt reply, it bowed its head. The light faded from its red eyes.
PS-111's multiple mods let it move freely on normal ships, but piloting the vastly larger, more complex Gigacracker the same way was impossible.
「Preparing FTL jump.」
[Please.]
Its voice echoed from the command center computer, layered with multiples—synced ship AI acting as auxiliary brain.
[Wait.]
「Yes?」
[Got something to say.]
I withdrew my heads from the command center to the corridor, calling Sky Mother. Back in griffon-kin form, she followed across the rubble I'd made.
「Body too big is problem too.」
[Tell me about it.]
Lucky the Gigacracker was huge and sturdy. I led her to the cargo bay.
「So, what's this about?」
[Need to revise our immediate goal.]
「Goal? Weren't we aiming for Ascension?」
[Was before, but putting it on hold now.]
She tilted her head, confused.
[Saw a vision evolving to Adult too.]
「Those past-life memories again? This time too?」
[Not past memories. Another 'me' tried to kill me.]
「What?」
I explained the vision in detail.
The space that felt like my true reality, the pains indistinguishable from real.
The 'me' demanding I choose: kill it or be killed.
She listened silently, eyes serious, from start to finish. After a thoughtful pause, she spoke.
「...How'll you verify it? I haven't reached that stage.」
[Ask other players.]
「Other players? Gonna hunt them?」
[No. Starting with this one first.]
「This one?」
I extracted the longest-stored gene essence from my body.
My second player kill, who'd already slain two rankers.
Muriel's sponsor. Sky Mother's enemy. A Cult ranker.
The pod in my carapace and leg joints burst, dropping it to the floor.
"Ugh... A-Aimorph, sir. You called?"
The Cult player Jason, reborn from genes into a humanoid worm, bowed to me.