Chapter 309
Chapter 309
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 309
Chapter Title: Traces (4)
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Up until now, I'd lost parasites several times, but most of them were intentional on my part.
Parasites were disposable tools for deceiving or controlling enemies. Once the objective was achieved, it didn't matter if they died.
But there had been exactly one time when a parasite had put me in real danger.
William, the detective I controlled in T&C's space city. He'd harmed himself to reveal my existence. That had thrown my plans badly off course.
And now, something similar had happened here.
No, this is actually worse.
Today, Alcadi had gone to an important meeting. Word was, he was meeting with high-ranking figures like the captain of an imperial mothership or the Surveillance Bureau chief. On a day like this, it was as safe as it got on this planet.
So I'd let my guard down, and then he'd suddenly died.
That wasn't the only problem.
I have no idea why he died.
Parasites send me a signal if their host is in grave danger or acts against my will. In William's case back then, the parasite had sent a signal, which let me know he'd self-harmed.
But this time, there hadn't been any warning at all.
That meant the parasite inside Alcadi had been killed in an instant, in a completely unforeseen situation.
The safest location, an unexpected situation, and a parasite dead before it could even send a signal. What did all that add up to?
...A Ranker.
Finding parasites created by my 'Parasite Swarm' wasn't that hard. Any scanner or technique that checked the body's interior would detect them immediately.
In other words, parasites only truly worked when no one knew they were there. The more people who knew about them, the harder it became to use them for espionage or deception.
That's why I'd gone to such lengths to keep their existence secret from others. Even going to the hospital after learning about William's self-harm had been part of that effort.
Looking back at Alcadi's case, he hadn't undergone any scans at the meeting that might detect a parasite. He'd also avoided any behavior that could arouse suspicion.
Yet he'd still been caught. That meant whoever killed him had the ability or means to detect parasites—and they knew just how dangerous they were, since they'd killed the host right away.
Only someone who knew about parasites, someone who'd suffered from them many times before, could act like that. My opponent was most likely a Ranker.
I knew they'd be here, but I didn't expect to run into one this soon.
Even before infiltrating, I'd fully anticipated Cult Rankers being present.
Verzan-02 was a key stronghold for the Cult, even in the game. No reason it'd be any different here. They knew exactly which traits were useful for an Aimorph like me and which creatures to hunt—just like I did for them.
That's why I'd snuck onto the planet to avoid the Cult Rankers.
But despite all that, I'd been caught in an unexpected situation.
...What's done is done.
Right now, panicking was less important than figuring out what to do next.
It's only a matter of time before they find my hideout.
Once they investigated the movements of someone infected with a parasite, they'd trace it back to where I was hiding. A few days at most, a week at the latest, and they'd come for me.
"Are you okay? What happened?"
I'd frozen up suddenly, so the Mother of the Sky jumped down from my back, worried.
[Zz zz zz Zz zz (Alcadi's dead)]
"What? When?"
[Zz zz Zz zz zz zz zz Zz zz zz Zz zz Zz zz zz Zz zz (Just now. It happened so fast the parasite couldn't even send proper info)]
"Didn't he say he was going to that gathering at the Water Fortress today? And he's dead?"
[Zz (Yeah)]
She stiffened too, grasping the severity of the situation.
"Don't tell me there's a Ranker."
[Zz zz Zz zz zz Zz zz (High chance)]
"...This is a headache. What're you gonna do?"
[Zz zz Zz zz zz zz (Thinking about it)]
With the parasites compromised, I only had one option now.
Infiltrate the 'Water Fortress' where the Coldblood Ranker was hiding, as fast as possible before the pursuit began.
But dodging enemy eyes in my Adult body was incredibly tough. That wasn't why I'd waited 30 days to transform back into the 'Clever Weakling' for nothing.
What if I just fight the bastard instead?
The reason I'd come hunting for the #22 Coldblood Ranker was to gather info on the Phantoms. They'd been in this world almost as long as the Mother of the Sky and were one of the few who might treat us amicably.
But now I'd detected a new Ranker. Taking out a Cult Ranker before meeting #22 was another viable path.
Change of target.
The Ranker who'd killed my parasite. From the looks of it, someone who'd been active in this world for quite a while. Invited formally to a gathering of Verzan-02's power players, no less. A perfect interrogation subject.
...No.
I mulled it over, but all-out war was still a bad idea.
They didn't know me, but I didn't know them either. I could guess they were a Cult bigwig, but that was it—I had zero other info. If the Ranker hunting me here turned out to be #7, I'd be in deep trouble.
#7 from the Cult, Panther, favored unpredictable strategies just like me. The moment they sensed my presence, they'd start setting traps.
Even if the enemy Ranker wasn't Panther, it was still a problem. No guarantee there was only one. With a high chance of allied Rankers, charging in blindly was too risky.
And if #22 sides with them by mistake, I'm screwed.
Every other player who'd seen me fight a Ranker had helped the Rankers instead of me. Mostly because I had grudges, big and small, with nearly all of them.
Factoring that in, #22 might act the same way as in the game. Even if the Mother of the Sky stepped in late to mediate, it wouldn't easily sway their judgment. They'd probably think she was under parasite control.
Not that I can talk, since it's happened before.
Either way, to prevent the Coldblood Ranker's 'misunderstanding,' our first encounter had to be peaceful, at minimum.
In the end, it's all about how we fight.
All-out war was off the table, and luring them in wasn't easy either.
This was enemy territory. Luring them underground to capture would cost more than it gained. Even if I wiped them out, reinforcements would pour in endlessly. Totally different from when I'd caught Jason.
"How much time until you can transform?"
The Mother of the Sky spoke up while I pondered silently.
I checked the cooldown on 'Organic Evolution.' Less than 7 days left—plenty of time for the Cult to find me.
[Zz zz Zz zz (Less than 7 days)]
"They'll find our hideout first, right?"
[Zz (Yeah)]
"What if I infiltrate the Water Fortress before that?"
[Zz zz zz (Alone?)]
"Yeah. It'll take them a few days to find the hideout, so I'll scout for him as fast as I can. If I find him quick, we grab him and bail."
Her going solo to meet #22.
Not a bad plan, but problems remained. What if #22 refused to follow her? We were already short on time; resistance would make it a nightmare.
Resistance would be the best-case scenario.
If they turned hostile and attacked her, it'd be a real mess.
I didn't think she'd lose, but they were a Ranker too. Unless one side totally overwhelmed the other, the fight wouldn't stay quiet.
And if a Cult Ranker catches them mid-fight, we're done.
Not just for the Coldblood side—hers would be in jeopardy too.
Her pumpkin-colored eyes gleamed clearly even in the dark, fixed on me. She knew the risks to herself. With the situation dire, she'd suggested it to shoulder the danger.
I can't abandon her here.
The Mother of the Sky was key to my survival. Too valuable a card to waste now.
[Zz zz zz Zz zz Zz zz zz Zz zz zz zz zz Zz zz zz Zz zz Zz zz zz Zz zz (No guarantee you'd find #22 before pursuit hits)]
"Fighting them is risky too. If you clash with the Cult, he'll side with them? Your reputation isn't great, honestly."
[Zz zz Zz zz (I know)]
I knew, but hearing her point out my image still felt oddly sour. Especially since she said it with dead-serious eyes, not joking.
Is my rep really that trashed...? Wait. Image?
An idea suddenly hit me.
Just as I didn't know much about the enemy, they knew little about me too. They'd guess my abilities like I did theirs, but perfect prediction was impossible.
For example, sending the Mother of the Sky into the Water Fortress alone was something I never would've tried in the game.
Game me versus current me.
That gap might be the key to breaking through.
[Zz zz Zz zz zz zz zz Zz zz zz (Just thought of this—what do you think?)]
"Huh?"
I started explaining the idea that had popped into my head. At first, she tilted her head in confusion, but by the end, she stared at me with a look of utter disbelief.
[Zz zz (What do you think?)]
"...Honestly, it sounds insane, but it might actually work."
[Zz zz Zz zz zz zz Zz zz zz Zz zz zz zz (Something game-me would never do)]
"True. You'd never pull something like that."
She nodded, fully agreeing.
"Still, there are too many parts relying on luck. We need to iron those out."
[Zz zz zz zz (Obviously)]
Prep time was tight before they arrived. I had her climb on my back again and hurried toward the center.
In the game, I'd overcome obstacles everyone said were impossible, multiple times. Back when I wasn't a Ranker, I'd hunted Rankers. Even when I was barely a Near-Adult, I'd devoured multiple clans.
Coming to this world, I'd faced death countless times—but I'd survived.
This time would be no different.