Chapter 305
Chapter 305
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 305
Chapter Title: Berzan02(4)
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“No movement detected inside.”
“No movement? There should be at least two of them.”
“Detection is spotty. Could be a jamming device inside.”
“Checked energy detection mode?”
“We’re picking up faint psychic power from underground, but it’s not conclusive.”
In a building overlooking the hover bus center, twelve figures clad in high-grade reinforced suits produced by Mega Corp were holding a suspicious conversation.
“A jamming device, huh. I had my suspicions, and it looks like I was right.”
“Think it could be the Cult?”
“Cult or not, we’ll make them out to be Cultists. That’s the only way we can steal their slaves.”
In the Empire, Vortex One Cultists faced severe punishment regardless of status. Even Deer-horned Cults had all rights stripped, their horns severed, and property confiscated if branded as heretics.
And the leopard-headed Wolf often undertook such illegal activities for his master, Alkadi.
Framing other Cults as heretics was a grave crime worse than actual Cult activities, but he’d never been caught. Alkadi’s influence helped, but his own cunning played a big part.
For one, he never used Cult gear on illegal jobs. He stuck to common equipment from Mega Corp and Star Union, making it look like outsiders were the culprits.
None of the group here carried Cult tools. Their suits and weapons were Mega Corp products; comms and scanners were Star Union-made.
“Everyone, activate stealth mode.”
“Confirmed.”
“Comms check.”
As the leopard-headed Wolf and his subordinates pressed buttons on their suit pads, their bodies began to fade. Nine of the twelve red shadows moved toward the hover bus center. The remaining three stayed in the building for sniping and support.
The nine slaves cautiously scanned the center’s interior before entering.
The inside was filled with sand. Piles on the floor and cracked walls from neglect made it seem uninhabitable.
Without the footprints on the floor, they might’ve thought it was the wrong abandoned building.
“These footprints... Wolf’s definitely here.”
The leopard-headed Wolf, who’d faced the female Wolf directly, quickly spotted the target’s trail.
“Uh, but what are these tracks?”
Besides Cult and Wolf prints, there were odd marks: drag trails from round objects, tiny spider-like footprints—unusual traces everywhere.
“These look like... animal tracks?”
“Could be escapees from the market. Stay together; no telling when one might pop out.”
The slaves clustered at the leopard-headed Wolf’s order. Confirming the group, he realized something was wrong.
‘Eight??’
Nine had entered, including him. But only eight were here now, him included. The others noticed the missing comrade and panicked.
“H-he was right behind us a second ago!”
The leopard-headed Wolf tried comms, but no response. He contacted the rear support pair outside; they hadn’t seen anyone leave.
‘No way he got taken that fast.’
“Where was he last seen?”
“Over there!”
They approached the sand pile in the corner the slave pointed to. A Gauss rifle lay before the indoor dune.
‘No other traces... Huh?’
As his subordinate picked up the dropped gun, the leopard-headed Wolf spotted odd marks: deep sand sweeps.
Then, sand pouring sounded from behind. All eight heads whipped around.
A dragon lurked in the red sand. A massive snake reminiscent of desert carnivorous Redworms raised its head.
A dragon with pale pink skin lighter than a Redworm’s. Meeting its myriad eyes, the leopard-headed Wolf’s instincts screamed.
Run. Now.
As his feet kicked off, countless snake heads erupted from the sand. Slaves too slow to react were seized.
No screams.
Before they could cry out, the snakes dragged them under. Red liquid soaking the sand told their fate plainly.
While five turned to gore, the leopard-headed Wolf and two others fled. The pair ran deeper in; he bolted outside.
“Snipers! Respond!”
No answer over comms. Instead, an ominous wing-flap echoed from the blood-red sky.
Sometimes near, sometimes far. Looking up yielded nothing.
Suddenly, a leather-splitting crack from the sand before the building. Something fell from above.
Recognizing the crashed object, the leopard-headed Wolf froze in shock.
“!”
Now he knew why the snipers hadn’t responded. One lay on the sand—a sniper from the building.
The suit preserved the body’s shape, forcing him to see clearly. The dead sniper was a desiccated mummy, drained of blood and fluids.
“Damn it!”
He knew instantly: the building was a mistake.
Forcing shaky legs, he ran.
He had to reach his master and warn of the dangers lurking here.
His master commanded enough power to summon a Cult legion. Surely capable of purging the monster-infested center.
But he was wrong about one thing.
Once in the monsters’ territory, his life was no longer his own. They never let prey escape.
“!”
One of the ruins’ new masters blocked the intruder.
Under the crimson sky gleamed a golden spear held by a Wolf.
Her white raptor-like head bore black horns like a warrior’s helm. Below, a body forged like molten gold.
He’d met her earlier today. But this Wolf, poised nobly with her spear on the sand, felt utterly different.
The leopard-headed Wolf aimed his Gauss rifle without hesitation.
As his finger squeezed the trigger, she ducked. Tungsten rounds grazed hair’s breadth above her head.
‘She dodged?’
His stealth suit was active. Unless she had special detection, she couldn’t see him.
Combat had begun. While he hesitated, she closed in swiftly.
The second shot targeted her chest. Close range—impossible to dodge.
Her spear hand flashed like lightning, slashing the incoming rounds. Bisected bullets embedded in the sand past her.
“What?!”
Stunned, his mouth agape at the impossible sight. The spear that cleaved bullets now aimed for his throat. He raised his rifle to block, but she was overwhelmingly faster.
“Guh... guh...”
A thin blood trail sprayed the sand. A small hole pierced his suit-protected neck.
He dropped the rifle, clutching the wound—futile. Life drained like water over a broken dam.
Had long enslavement eroded even his primal instincts?
Facing furious amber eyes, the leopard-headed Wolf recalled a legend from his youth among kin.
The tale of gods’ downfall.
The one before him was no slave.
She was the goddess of the hunt.
—
“Crazy! Why’d you come this way?!”
“Damn it!”
The two slaves planning to cross the center to the opposite exit soon regretted it. Every door was blocked by sand and debris.
The only open path led underground. No choice—they descended the stairs.
Unlike upstairs, lights flickered below.
Erratic bulbs illuminated exposed beams and wires on ceiling and walls. The eerie vibe tensed the slaves.
Thoughts of consecutive bad choices flashed, but too late. Rifles forward, they pressed on.
At the stairs’ end loomed a vast cavern. An unfinished underground chamber with multiple tunnels branching off.
“Lots of paths. What now?”
“Right for now...”
Both fell silent. A sound echoed from the darkness overtaking the cavern.
Clink, clink. Metal striking rhythmically.
“......”
Trembling hands hit wrist pad buttons, switching helmet visors to thermal. Heads turned toward the noise.
Spotting the gray world’s lurker was their third mistake.
A colossal spider crouched at the cavern’s center.
“H-heek!”
The slave’s short shriek roused it. The human woman’s head atop the spider’s body swiveled 180 degrees toward them.
“Two of you?”
Its lens-like cold eyes scanned the intruders mechanically.
“I’ll eliminate one.”
The spider rose.
Screams from the stairs’ base ceased quickly.
—
[Zzzt zzt zzt zzt zzt (Massive mansion at street’s end?)]
“Mansion. Mansion.”
As expected, the slaves sent by the Cult master were swiftly dealt with. PS-111 extracted the master’s location from the sole survivor via MPS-05 and relayed it to me.
From the rooftop, I scooped up MPS-05 and headed for the Cult master’s mansion.
In ‘Clever Weakling’ state, not just size but weight shrank considerably. Add ‘Stealth Maneuver’ from Adhai’s homeworld, and my footsteps were nearly silent.
Even bounding on four legs with a long tail, no one below noticed. If spotted, I’d look like a Cult soldier clutching something atop the building.
Deeper into the slave market, a wall taller than buildings appeared.
‘That must be it.’
Up close, the mansion was half-fortified. Cameras and sensors dotted the walls; Star Union storm guns patrolled above.
‘Useless against me, though.’
I kicked off the rooftop hard with four legs. My body arced like cannon fire, clearing the wall.
Beyond, armed guards below. Reinforced suits under cloaks with inverted triangles and diamonds—Cult Warrior Corps.
On patrol, he missed me vaulting the wall. I landed behind him.
“Hm?”
Reacting to the noise, he turned. My right tail’s claw smashed his head like a melon. As he crumpled, my snake-like left tail coiled his torso.
Three heads dismantled the corpse swiftly. The Cult’s sweet flavor filled my mouths, but no time to savor.
Shoulder heads devoured messily; central tongue cleaned the blood. Mimicry organs absorbed new genes, building a fresh pheromone profile.
Now I was a Warrior Corps gunner from Surveillance, not patrol.
‘Looks the same to me.’
Gripping MPS-05, I walked. Past the broad, bright garden inside the wall, a pyramid-like mansion welcomed me.
Similar-uniformed Cults patrolled. Ignoring their stares, I approached. Some tilted heads, but no alarm.
Entrance guards differed. Two Cults blocked the door.
“What? You’re not mansion detail.”
“Master wants to check the new specimen.”
“Tch. Get in quick.”
They clicked tongues briefly and opened the door—routine for them.
Thus, I entered unhindered.
‘Where’s he at?’
Jaw sub-organs scanned inside. Despite late night, much activity—slaves and guards, likely.
So I sought minimal movement. Arrogant masters didn’t work till dawn.
Sub-organs analyzed air currents, sounds, scents. Soon, pinpointed odd stillness atop the mansion.
‘There.’
Unlike bustling others, pure stasis—sleeping. Target found, I boarded the elevator.
Top floor: ornate doors in Cult style. Two armed Cult guards waited.
“You’re not detail here.”
“Master wants to see the new specimen.”
Same excuse as entrance, but different response.
“Lord Alkadi retired to his chambers an hour ago.”
“No orders about some creature.”
“I see.”
Pity it didn’t go smoothly. Wrong answer.
Right tail whipped one guard; combat arm seized the other signaling for help.
“Kek!”
“Mmf?!”
Claw-struck waist bent him double into the wall. Face-grabbed one flailed in panic.
Warrior Corps vets helpless? Mimicry organs. Pheromones disrupted senses; they couldn’t perceive my true form.
Tails, extra arms/heads invisible—nonexistent on my disguised humanoid frame. Attacks from “unseen” parts felt like invisible strikes to them.
“Wha... you...”
I crushed the Cult’s head in my grip. Horn and skull shattered, contents soiling my palm.
Obstacles cleared, I entered.
The culprit slept oblivious outside. I set down MPS-05 and climbed the ornate bed.
He stirred, eyes opening wide at me.
Combat arm shot out, seizing his head.
“......!”
Confused Cult: why a Warrior here? Why can’t he move?
I dropped mimicry, bringing maws close.
“Weren’t you willing to pay a price beyond imagination?”
“?!”
His body shuddered.
Regret for his deeds? Or terror at a monster in his cozy bed?
His thoughts didn’t matter.
Only how much value he could pay.
He’d surrender everything.
Willing or not.