Chapter 322
Chapter 322
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 322
Chapter Title: The Coldblood Ranker
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The mansion would be guarded by Number 26 and PS-111. Like me, Number 26 could mimic voices, and with PS-111's knowledge of Cult society, they should handle any problems just fine.
"Let's check the large warehouse first."
We flew to the warehouse district aboard the airship that Charas had brought, courtesy of Heavenly Mother.
It was still daytime, with the sun hanging high, and the fortress buzzed with crowds. The waterfall, which had looked like flowing wine before, now shimmered in its true blue hue. Colorful hover buses churned the surface of the canal connected to the falls.
Passing gleaming skyscrapers that reflected the sunlight, we spotted a massive pyramid-shaped structure. Up close, each block making up the pyramid was a separate warehouse.
｢There sure are a lot.｣
"Even if someone searched, they wouldn't find it."
The warehouse we'd reserved in advance was near the base of the pyramid, likely due to its size.
Using Charas's terminal pad to enter, we found it spacious enough to fit Roberts's entire mansion inside.
'But the ceiling isn't that high.'
It was even lower than the underground tunnel where we'd fought the Cults before entering the fortress. If I returned to my original size, I'd have to crouch down tight.
Then again, unless they were storing something enormous like a Seed Demon or Gigantarium, there was no need for high ceilings.
｢We need to find that kid as fast as possible.｣
"Small! Ceiling! Small!"
"Yeah."
Hoping the slave we were checking today really was number 22, we left the warehouse.
'Warehouse is good. Next up...'
I entered the new destination using one of my smaller arms near my chest.
｢The hotel with the Coldblood slave is in the northern district?｣
"Going straight to the hotel is too risky. Better to head to the slave dorms and wait."
Once the input was done, the airship shot off in the opposite direction from the central hub.
The warehouse pyramid was for visitors and merchants to store goods. It wasn't far from the street lined with luxury hotels.
Leaving the open area around the massive pyramid behind, buildings very different from the central skyscrapers came into view.
A vast lake that seemed to be the water source. Floating above it were structures in various geometric shapes. These were high-end buildings using magnetic levitation tech typically seen on large ships. The hotels hovering over the lake resembled lotuses blooming on the water.
'Looks just like the ones from the game.'
On older planets like the capital world among the Cult planets, you could see aerial levitation facilities. Cult culture favored living underground less and above ground or in the air more, combined with their species-wide psychic powers, leading to many such floating buildings on the surface.
'Though players hated them.'
If the levitation devices failed, the buildings were done for. Unless it was for concept play, hardly any players lived in them.
Anyway, our destination wasn't those fancy hotels. The airship quietly crossed the lake.
According to Roberts, the hotel where the Coldblood slave worked ran its own slave dorms, not far from the hotel itself.
The airship headed to an area clustered with buildings that were beautiful yet somehow rundown. This zone housed facilities for slaves working at the hotels.
After landing at a nearby airstrip, Heavenly Mother and I headed to the dorm Roberts had mentioned.
｢Everyone looks like they live as well as middle capital folks in Mega Corp.｣
"They're slaves at luxury hotels, so they get treated differently."
Berzan02 was the city where wealth concentrated the most on the planet, so even the Cult slaves had a pretty high standard of living.
The slaves walking the streets didn't look happy—not even close—but their attire was too neat to pass for slaves. The buildings seemed well-maintained too, aside from being worn.
'And there are watchtowers.'
The zone was mostly low-rise buildings, but tall watchtowers like those in the center dotted the area. Their main purpose was monitoring slaves, but they also maintained public order. If a fight broke out here, they'd respond immediately.
'If we have to fight, avoid the watchtowers...｣
｢!｣
As I pondered how to fight while eyeing the watchtowers, Heavenly Mother suddenly nudged me.
"What's up?"
｢Found her.｣
"What? Where?"
She pointed to a fruit stand. A familiar figure stood in front.
A species that looked like a mix of reptile, human, and stag beetle insect features: a Coldblood. It matched the photo from Roberts's file exactly.
｢That's her.｣
"You sure?"
She nodded confidently at my question.
Heavenly Mother was at least convinced this was number 22. Her pumpkin-colored eyes were locked on the pint-sized Coldblood.
'What to do.'
The original plan for today was to confirm if Roberts's slave was really number 22 by checking her face. Given Heavenly Mother's reaction, we could call the objective achieved.
"No rush. Let's watch a bit longer."
Just in case, we decided to keep observing the presumed number 22 Coldblood. Heavenly Mother and I followed at a distance.
She bought a few fruits, then moved elsewhere. After picking up a couple more items from the next shop, she just started browsing the displays.
'Heard she was small, but damn, she's tiny.'
Maybe born with a dwarfism trait like Adhai; she was unusually short. So small she could pass for a costumed kid instead of a Coldblood.
'Huh?'
A few minutes into tailing her, something felt off. She stopped buying anything and just kept moving. At first, it looked like window-shopping, but now not even that.
'Not heading to the dorms either.'
The moment I sensed trouble, she slipped into a sparsely populated alley between rundown buildings.
'No way?'
｢...I think the kid noticed the tail.｣
We'd kept hundreds of meters back, and she still spotted us?
While chasing, I'd continuously scanned with auxiliary organs for any detection tech nearby. It wasn't psychic powers spotting us.
'Maybe she has detection gear?'
"Plan change. We talk today."
I didn't know what method she used, but if they'd already clocked us, we couldn't just leave. Time to hash it out here.
Heavenly Mother tensed up, understanding my intent.
We followed her into the alley where she'd vanished.
As expected, the tiny Coldblood stood between the dilapidated buildings, waiting for us.
"Seo-ah unnie."
The Coldblood recited the real name of my companion beside me. Her reptilian eyes lingered briefly on Heavenly Mother before turning to me.
"...Morph bastard. Your doing, huh."
This was nothing like when she'd called her old comrade's name. Dark shadows filled number 22's eyes as she spat the slur at me like it tasted foul.
｢Huh? Wait! Isabel!｣
"......"
Heavenly Mother tried to intervene in panic, but it was futile. Number 22—no, Isabel the Coldblood ranker—had already drawn what looked like a weapon.
'Damn.'
Judging by the vibe, this wasn't ending peacefully.
As if no more words were needed, Isabel charged at me.
An alley nestled between rundown buildings.
Isabel closes in with a single leap. The curved sword in her hand slices toward my head like a predator on the hunt.
I kicked off the ground with my four legs, pulling my upper body back while swinging my two tails. The right tail's claw aimed for the sword, while the left—lacking the 'Black Devourer Cannon'—targeted her wrist.
In 'Clever Weakling' state, the claw was smaller, but still far larger than Isabel's curved sword.
'Don't know its cutting power, but size difference can't be ignored.'
The sword's blade was barely two finger-widths across. If they clashed, hers would take damage too.
She seemed to think the same, yanking her sword hand in a sharp pivot. The keen edge scraped my rough claw surface with a chilling screech.
Meanwhile, my left tail coiled like a striking python toward her arms. Just as the tip neared her wrist, Isabel's waist bent in an unnatural arc. Her ankle shot up to wrist level mid-air, kicking my tail tip away.
Both tail strikes failed. She used the recoil to retreat.
But I'd predicted meaningful hits would be tough with tails anyway. I slammed my four legs into the ground.
"Tch!"
A tongue-click from the enemy as she landed. She rolled sideways to dodge my bull-like charge. I kicked rearward like a horse at her tumbling form, but she evaded with agile moves.
Not only that—she climbed onto my back like an insect or lizard sticking to a wall.
'Where you going.'
My furry back hid nests of facehuggers. They prepared paralyzing sonic waves inside the fur upon my command.
As the five carnivorous bugs readied their lethal waves, Isabel pulled another tool. She tossed a hexagonal plate-like device into my fur, then leaped off.
A scream-like cacophony erupted from the facehuggers, echoing through the air. But it didn't reach her.
Because the hexagonal plate she'd thrown generated a shield enveloping my entire body. The sonic waves hit the intangible barrier and fizzled out uselessly.
The tool was a psychic shield generator, tossed to block sonic attacks.
I smashed the shield with my right claw. Through the paper-thin tear, the curved sword flew in.
'Knew it.'
I didn't dodge.
As expected, the sword lodged into the horn on my head. The thin blade piercing it created a split-second opening for her.
With her pressed so close, it was time for my side heads to shine. My left head, nearest her, gaped wide.
"!"
She hadn't anticipated the side heads moving; her eyes widened. In the end, she ditched the sword. My teeth barely grazed her scale-covered arm.
While the left head moved, the waiting right head spewed a moldy mass inducing decay at her. It'd hurt if it hit, but her fault.
She rolled desperately to evade the flying mold clump. She couldn't fully escape; a bit stuck to her toe.
"Kuh!"
Without hesitation, she sliced off her toe with her nails. The blackened digit tumbled to the ground.
'Not bad.'
Her self-amputation and retreat stalled the fight momentarily.
I lowered my central head, yanking the sword from my horn with a smaller chest arm.
'New weapon?'
I'd thought it was some ultrasonic vibroblade like a sonic blade, but no. Just a plain curved sword, no buttons or mechanisms.
'Insane sharpness and durability, though.'
Whatever metal it was, its toughness was nuts. My horns and claws are hard, yet it clashed without a scratch.
'Got unknowns, so stay cautious.'
I tossed the sword behind me and stared down rank 22, Isabel.
The horn damage was minor; it'd regenerate soon anyway.
The issue was she wasn't showing her true power yet.
'Which Vortex Entity's power is she borrowing?'
If Aimorphs' core is acquiring and using traits, Coldblood players' revolves around their Vortex Entity bonds.
Coldbloods, whose entire species is indebted to Vortex Entities, fight differently based on whose power they borrow.
Some amp physical combat to extremes, others grant mighty psychic abilities. Pay the contract price, and you can wield top Apex-tier beings' powers freely.
But this was Cult turf. Like me, she couldn't use power recklessly.
By lore, Cults despise Vortex Entities. That's why Coldbloods are scorned.
Using one here would draw all of Berzan02's military on her.
'Or some other motive I don't know.'
Knowing my infamy, she might be hiding it on purpose. No Vortex power, no unique perks either. Just like me holding cards back, so was she.
'Let's spar more...｣
｢Wait! Both of you, stop!｣