Chapter 348
Chapter 348
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 348
Chapter Title: Isabel's Resolve
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The creature had taken on a form far more chaotic than Isabel's. Having been born through a convoluted process, it was a mishmash of multiple egos intertwined.
'That's why this is our chance.'
Among the jumbled images of egos manifesting on its body was the latent consciousness of Penelope. With those egos influencing its thoughts, it would be easy to convey emotions to Isabel.
"Besides, I'm a fusion of machine and organic matter. Most of my thought processes are led by AI. Emotions are the same."
"Well, we'll find out if we try."
"It's a meaningless act."
"It doesn't take much time anyway, so no reason not to."
"That may be true, but..."
Since I wouldn't budge, PS-111 finally nodded.
"How should we proceed?"
"Try it like we did outside. Touch foreheads."
PS-111 approached her sibling and brought their heads close. Even though Penelope's afterimage faintly appeared, no emotion crossed Isabel's face.
As their foreheads touched, the image overlaid on the body rippled like the surface of water struck by a raindrop.
"......"
Isabel still showed no reaction.
Instead, the burrow walls responded. Noise crept into the memories repeatedly projected on the walls, slowly shifting into something else.
The razor-sharp past memories blurred like mist. Beams of multicolored light filled the empty space.
Reflecting the creature's mental state, the pitch-black burrow quickly took on beautiful hues. The creature's gaze slowly followed the radiant lights.
The light filling the walls wasn't static; it constantly shifted. Nothing looked straight like fog or a mosaic, but curiously, the intended message came through clearly.
It was 'gratitude'.
Thanks for not giving up and staying alive.
Tribute for striving to protect the legacy her sister left behind.
And praise for believing in and waiting for the family that would one day return.
The countless mosaics on the walls conveyed a single message. It stood in perfect opposition to the pasts that had tormented the creature until now.
And it was exactly what Isabel needed most.
"......"
A single tear rolled down the creature's doll-like expressionless face. Connecting emotions with PS-111 had worked as expected.
"I... I... everything..."
The creature, quietly shedding tears, opened its mouth.
"If only I'd noticed sooner... if only I'd been stronger..."
As the words continued, the space twisted again. Shadows crept into the beautiful dance of lights. The mosaic-like forms sharpened, trying to revert to the dark past.
The creature's guilt was clashing with PS-111's emotions.
"I could have spared my sister from suffering..."
No, the guilt was actually swallowing PS-111's message.
Judging by her reaction now, if things went wrong, the memory of PS-111 becoming a mutant screamer might get added to the bad ones the creature had endured.
'What a pain.'
If this continued, Isabel would be completely submerged in a mental prison riddled with guilt.
The problem was that PS-111 had no more means to press Isabel.
'I need to convince her now.'
While PS-111 bought time, I had to shatter her prison.
I approached the twins with their foreheads pressed together.
"Isabel."
"It was always me. Because I could never measure up to my sister..."
"You're right."
Affirming her self-deprecation made the memories replaying on the walls sharpen further. PS-111 flinched in panic.
'No turning back now.'
"If you'd prepared more, you wouldn't have lost PS—no, Penelope."
"!"
"But you can't change the past now. Your sister became a machine creature, and you've ended up in a similar state. Cynthia, who deceived you, is already dead."
As Isabel shut her mouth, the burrow's atmosphere plunged rapidly. Pure black darkness engulfed her mental world.
"But you know, the ones who turned Penelope into a screamer are still alive and well. They're thrilled with their successful research results. How happy must they be to have such a fine specimen?"
"......"
I had no idea what the Star Union's Grand Leader or Mega Corp's Garmelda Patriarch—who were involved in PS-111's creation—were actually thinking.
But that didn't matter here.
"While you're holed up here, they'll try to recover PS-111 somehow. I don't want to lose her, but you never know with the ways of the world. What if they take your sister? What then?"
"...Stop."
"Out there, the culprits who pushed you sisters into hell are still around. You gonna stay here? Regret it even if they dissect and torture your sister?"
"Stop it!"
Unable to bear it anymore, Isabel screamed. With each echo of her shout in the burrow, cracks formed in the darkness-cloaked memories.
"Why give up here? Because PS-111 isn't the sister you wanted? If not, why aren't you protecting your family?"
"Damn Morph bastard! What do you know...!"
"The one thing I know is that you deserve happiness, Isabel."
"What?"
"Erase everyone blocking you and your sister's happiness. All who torment your sister, all who insulted you. Revel in happiness atop their corpses."
"Me... happy...?"
"You've fought this far. Don't give up now."
The moment I finished speaking, the wall memories shattered like breaking glass. At the same time, the entire burrow we stood in shook violently.
"...The Aimorph is right. I have things to do."
"Little sister?"
"Sister, in reality, in this world, and even here..."
Isabel, light returning to her eyes, looked at us.
"Thank you for loving me."
With those words, the nightmare prison collapsed.
Consciousness returned like slowly waking from deep sleep. It shifted to the Aimorph's body, and my chitin shell gradually came alive. Starting with the auxiliary organs sensing the blood smell from the manufacturing plant, sensations returned in order: massive head, long neck.
'Nest link release was instant before, but not this time.'
Maybe because of the larger size, or because my entire consciousness had entered another being's body, recovery was slow.
Finally able to move the central head, I opened my eyes.
I expected to see No. 26 and Adhai as always, but no. The first sight upon regaining senses was utterly unexpected.
"Pinche puta! Where'd you hide my pistol!"
"K-Kek! I-I don't kn-know..."
A screamer with a human woman's face on a centipede body gripped a limbless Cult. The newly beautified Isabel was strangling Alshas's neck with multiple arms.
"Little sister, your body synchronization isn't complete yet. Please refrain from violent movements."
｢Friend's family strong!｣
｢Hurts?｣ ｢No?｣ ｢Suddenly｣ ｢Got healthy｣
PS-111, who had just awakened like me, wriggled her long body to pull away her rampaging new sibling. Behind them, No. 26 and Adhai watched in fascination.
｢Aimorph, what the hell did you do?｣
The Heavenly Mother gaped her beak at Isabel throwing a tantrum right after waking.
To her question, I gave a short reply.
[Zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzu (I told her not to give up, as requested)]
｢Doesn't look like that's all you said.｣
I hadn't said anything particularly special beyond that.
I just reminded her she still had duties left. She'd stay by our side until fulfilling them.
The duty called vengeance.
Isabel kept strangling until the life-support device on Alshas's body blared danger signals, then passed out. Her brain, freshly transplanted, wasn't fully stable yet.
"Detected excessive amplification in little sister's brain signals. Switching to external support system until self-stabilization possible."
PS-111 connected cables and devices to the fallen Isabel's body to begin tuning.
She'd passed out again shortly after waking, but I wasn't worried. Once tuning succeeded, she'd wake again.
'Good. Now then...'
I pointed my maw at Alshas sprawled on the floor.
The pistol Isabel had hounded him about before fainting.
Probably the weapon she'd used to fight enemies in her past memories. Likely taken by Cynthia after deceiving her.
Jason said Cynthia collected gear from the rankers they hunted. And she'd hunted at least two rankers with him so far.
'She had no weapons during the space fortress fight.'
No way she'd discard gear from Isabel, Penelope, and other rankers. She must have hidden it somewhere.
And someone who might know the location was right in front of me.
The barely-alive bastard sensed my gaze and stiffened. As I brought my head closer, he trembled.
"We have unfinished business, don't we?"
"I-I really don't kn-know anything! Tr-true! Believe me!"
Circumstantially, Cynthia was likely the one who enslaved Isabel. Alshas took over management from her at some point.
Cynthia, playing double agent, wouldn't entrust a ranker to someone she didn't trust, even a faction ally. If they were close, he'd know where she hid the gear.
'Looks mentally fine now.'
Since he could talk, extracting info should be easy.
"Cynthia handed Isabel to you. Tell me everything you know about her."
"C-Cynthia? She's just a colleague, I don't know..."
"If you know nothing, no reason for you to stay alive."
"...Will you spare me if I talk?"
"Yes. You won't die. I promise."
The Heavenly Mother, helping PS-111 with Isabel, glanced at me. Her look said, 'Here we go again.'
"Shall we change venues?"
"Y-Yes... Eek?!"
I picked up Alshas with a combat arm.
｢Big one where go?｣
｢Me｣ ｢Too｣ ｢Go｣
｢Wait. The Coldbloods Isabel brought haven't eaten. Can you two help?｣
｢Appendage humans hungry?｣
｢Cute dwarves｣ ｢Help｣
｢Not what we eat. Go to kitchen, bring leftover food.｣
｢Okay.｣
No. 26 and Adhai, who wanted to follow, headed to the kitchen to feed the 40 Coldbloods.
'Speaking of, need to figure out what to do with those 40.'
Can't keep carrying them on the Gigacrusher forever. Drop them on a safe planet to survive on their own.
'Safe place.'
They know too much about us. If they contact other rankers, info could leak.
So not just any safe spot. Relocate to a planet unknown to other players.
'Send them to the Dragon's Nest?'
The frozen underground kingdom ruled by Ham Ort in Adhai's stead. It's a planet not in the game, and reaching the underworld requires piercing thick ice layers. Even if another ship finds the planet, unlikely they'd check underground.
'Underground beneath ice isn't bad for Coldbloods.'
Plus, protected by Gallerons, safer than anywhere. Random thought, but seems solid.
'Normally impossible.'
Hard to believe looking at Adhai, but Gallerons are vicious. They treat all non-pack creatures as enemies. No wonder they're modeled after Western dragons.
Of course, I'm seen as part of Adhai's pack. If I ask Ham Ort to protect the Coldbloods, he'll agree.
'Assign them to help incubate eggs or raise Blue Gallerons.'
Discuss with Heavenly Mother later.
With thoughts sorted, I took Alshas to the hangar.
"Let's start with Cynthia."