Chapter 347
Chapter 347
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 347
Chapter Title: Isabel's Guilty Memories
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'And I can guess what Penelope's perk is, too.'
When he fought me, Jason summoned a golden figure to battle. That ability was a perk he'd stolen from a Coldblood ranker he'd killed. It's the original version of my own "Abyssal Hues."
The ranker he'd murdered and taken the perk from was none other than Penelope.
'Even with a perk similar to Abyssal Hues, she doesn't seem like she'd lose easily.'
In my case, Abyssal Hues only affects organic matter, but her perk might not have that limitation. If that's true, then all those Cult battleships filling the sky above are meaningless.
'Plus, to steal a perk, you have to take their life directly.'
If the imperial motherships up there unleashed Cosmic Bolts, Jason would win easily—but then he couldn't claim the perk. Going in personally, though, the twin Coldbloods are no pushovers.
'But he still won...'
That means there's something I don't know yet.
In the meantime, Penelope—who'd been clashing with Jason in close combat—activated her own perk.
Her snake-like eyes shifted from red to gold, and a molten-gold liquid seeped from her body. It dissolved the clothes she was wearing in an instant, leaving her stark naked.
Cynthia, seeing that, zipped over using her levitation tech and positioned herself in front of Jason.
The liquid pouring from Penelope's body gathered in midair like it had a mind of its own, forming massive bubbles. They swelled to their limit and burst over the enemies' heads.
Jason survived unscathed thanks to deploying his shield at just the right moment.
"Tch."
Penelope clicked her tongue in frustration at the failed ambush. In response, Jason—inside the shield—spread his palm. A prismatic beam shot out from it.
Seeing that, Penelope quickly raised her hand. The scattered golden bubbles rushed back, enveloping her bare form. The enhanced color night was blocked by the golden liquid protecting its owner.
Isabel, behind Penelope, drew her pistol infused with Vortex energy. She aimed at the ground where Jason and Cynthia stood. The floor, which had turned to mud before, now became quicksand.
Cynthia grabbed Jason and levitated upward. Penelope's golden bubbles chased after them but were all stopped by the hemispherical shield.
From there, Jason extended his hand toward Penelope's head. Using gravity control, the ground around her cracked open wide.
Penelope seemed fine, protected by the golden liquid, but Isabel wasn't. She hurriedly put distance between herself and her sister.
Even though the attack hadn't landed, Jason smiled—as if this was exactly the situation he wanted.
"Isabel!"
Seeing Jason's lips curl, Penelope cried out urgently. At that moment, a small projectile streaked down from the sky.
It was so fast even my senses barely caught it, piercing straight for Isabel's abdomen. If Penelope hadn't shoved her aside in time, it would have.
"Guh?!"
"Sis!"
Penelope, pierced in the gut by the projectile, vomited blood and collapsed.
Isabel quickly pulled a cylindrical device from her belt and tossed it onto the sand. It hissed, releasing a thick red mist.
"Fuck! That's Red Mist hallucinogenic pheromones!"
"Chloe! Shoot it now!"
"Damn it! It's mine—don't shoot!"
Right after Cynthia shouted, another small projectile from afar grazed Isabel's throat amid the fog.
'What the...?'
The projectile that tore through the sky-blue scales and hit the ground was a bullet. The warhead was made of obsidian-like metal, the rest of gold-hued alloy.
'...Made of Starfall and Nova Metal.'
Nova Metal is a rare alloy used in strategic weapons like thunder gods or imperial motherships. Starfall is far rarer.
Only a ranker would waste such metals on bullets.
'It was 3 against 2.'
An unknown enemy outside the battlefield was targeting the twins.
"Sis! Pull yourself together!"
"...Cough."
As the red mist spread, Isabel supported the fallen Penelope. With their escape, the scene faded like mist.
Suddenly, I was inside a dark building. Judging by the crumbled walls and hole-riddled ceiling, it wasn't far from the fight.
Inside the ruins, Isabel was checking Penelope's wound. Her hands and clothes were stained with golden liquid and blood.
All from Penelope's abdominal gash.
"Th-this is because of me, sis..."
In full panic, she desperately tried to staunch the bleeding. But Penelope's condition only worsened.
"God, please—not sis! Anyone but sis...!"
"Isabel."
"Th-the contract! Even if we make a contract...!"
"Isabel!"
"!"
As the dying Penelope raised her voice, Isabel froze. With blood-soaked hands, she stroked her little sister's blue-scaled face.
"There are still people we have to protect. If we both go down, they won't survive."
"Sis! You're more important to me than anyone! I'd rather...!"
"You don't really think that. I know."
Even as blood poured from her gut, her voice didn't waver. It sounded perfectly fine—just her voice. But it wasn't.
Right now, she was delivering her final words to her only family.
"Protect them."
"......"
"Go. Hurry. They'll be here soon."
With that, she stood. Her red eyes turned gold again, her scales covered in golden liquid.
"Sis...!"
"Go!"
At her sister's roaring plea, Isabel had no choice but to obey.
Explosions and shouts from Jason and Penelope echoed behind her as she fled the building. The scene shifted.
In a ruined alley, battered Isabel knelt. A deer-horned Cult loomed over her arrogantly.
"Your pointless resistance has been a nuisance."
"...Shut your crap and kill me."
With an annoyed look, she holstered her Vortex-powered pistol.
"Kill you? Abandoning your sister just to die?"
"...What do you mean?"
At Isabel's question, Cynthia spoke as if granting a favor.
"Your sister—the 18th ranker Penelope—is subdued, not dead."
"!"
"Though that depends on what you do."
Cynthia leaned down, whispering like a tempting serpent.
"Join me—no, the Returners. Then your sister lives."
"......"
Isabel stared blankly at Cynthia before finally dropping her head.
That was the end of Isabel's memories.
I opened my eyes to the familiar burrow greeting me.
It resembled the one on Versan-02 where Isabel had hidden the Coldblood slaves.
Except where the dirt walls should be, her memories took their place. Like a projector, tragic events from her life played repeatedly on the surfaces.
In the center of this memory theater, Isabel sat alone.
Seated in the burrow, watching the images with hollow eyes.
Her form differed slightly from my memory.
She looked exactly like the diminutive Coldblood, but overlaid with some woman's image.
"Aimorph."
The hybrid of Coldblood and human woman turned toward me.
Her bizarre appearance, recognizing me—this space was unlike any memory world I'd seen before.
'Maybe a world she made to trap herself.'
Fighting enemies, Penelope hurt because of her. Fleeing and abandoning her sister. Falling for Cynthia's trick and cooperating. Every fragment on the walls was pure misery.
In short, this was a nightmare realm injecting guilt and demanding atonement.
Her gaze shifted past me.
"...And sis."
Turning, I saw the bizarre entity. Unlike my shrunken self, PS-111 had changed a lot. Mutant Screamer form overlaid with Penelope's human image.
A being that was neither human, Coldblood, nor Mutant Screamer spoke.
"'Little sis.' It's all over. Alshas is defeated, and everything that could harm you has been eliminated."
"......"
"You can come out now."
At PS-111's words, Isabel shook her head.
"Why didn't I realize sooner? That sis was already dead."
"I am not dead."
"Maybe I just didn't want to accept it. That sis died because of me, and I was dodging responsibility."
"According to verified memory data, it was force majeure."
"Yet I lied to myself just to survive alone."
"No. You did your best."
PS-111 kept trying to persuade her, but it fell on deaf ears.
'From the memories shown, Isabel's drowning in guilt.'
Out of countless pasts, only the extremes that torment her repeat. The space's master wants self-punishment, so PS-111's words don't reach.
No real conversation means she won't hear us no matter what we say.
'I need to dispel her guilt.'
We could peek into her mind, so the reverse should work. Using PS-111's original—Penelope's memories—would hugely help erase her guilt.
'Problem is, PS-111's memories are mostly gone.'
She was badly damaged fighting the Ice Horror. Specimen 026 barely restored her brain, but most memories vanished, replaced by a new personality. With so little of Penelope's memories left, not sure if it'll convince Isabel.
'But...'
I watched PS-111 earnestly persuading Isabel.
She wouldn't give up, trying to convey what she felt from the memories. As if it was the only way to share her heart.
'Heart.'
An old memory surfaced.
My mother was very cold. Even before my accident, she'd never once said she loved me.
As a kid, I asked Dad about it. He said some things transmit without words. Mom was just bad at expressing it, but she loved me inside.
I believe Dad—Mom did care, paying those huge hospital bills. But understanding her heart took time.
'Come to think of it, Adhai and Ham Ort were like that too.'
Ham Ort chose to abandon Adhai to save it from the wicked black dragon. Adhai resented its kin for ages because of that.
Even after learning the truth, the grudge lingered. Even knowing Gallerons can't lie, it wasn't easy to accept.
Specimen 026 solved that long-festering issue by sharing memories and emotions.
'What she needs might not be words, but her sister's feelings.'
Directly linking PS-111's emotions would greatly aid Isabel's recovery.
I called out to PS-111.
"Isabel won't listen to anyone. Let's change approaches."
"I can't abandon little sis. I don't want her suffering. To wake her, we must keep talking."
Always coldly mechanical, PS-111 was anxious now.
I calmly admonished her.
"I never said give up. Just switch methods."
"What method?"
"Like 26 did—directly transmit your feelings to her."
"I'm a Mutant Screamer. My emotions are mere products of complex factors and chemical reactions. They won't meet little sis's expectations."
I know without her saying it.