Chapter 356
Chapter 356
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 356
Chapter Title: Pirates of the Shinrokku Cartel
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However, that's just a story from inside the game. If I were one of Mega Corp's higher-ups, I'd do everything in my power to stop plasma rifles from being smuggled out.
[Zuzuzu zuzu zuzu zuzuzuzu (Did these bastards raid the solar system?)]
"No way. Unless they had thousands of warships, it's impossible at their level."
[Zuzuzu zuzu zuzu zuzuzuzuzu (But they don't look like they're from Earth either)]
"They might be pirates connected to players somehow."
Just as she surmised, in the current situation, it would actually be more unnatural to assume these pirates had no ties to players.
That said, there were a few ambiguous points.
'For guys carrying such valuable weapons, they're way too weak.'
None of the rankers I'd fought so far had equipped their underlings with plasma rifles. That suggested the rifles weren't as easy to use outside the game as they were in it.
The fact that pirates of this shabby caliber were wielding weapons even rankers couldn't easily obtain was blatantly suspicious.
'And this isn't exactly an important star system.'
There were no rare resources here, nor any major military value. We'd only stopped while en route via FTL navigation to grab a snack. Since we hadn't encountered any other ships on the way, it was hard to call this a pirate-controlled system either.
'Guess I should ask the kids.'
While I was attacking the pirate ship, a few pirates had boarded the mining vessel. One of them might have a plasma rifle.
I bit into the outer hull of the mining ship with three of my mouths, ripping off the tough exterior and shoving my heads inside.
The moment I jammed my head into the corridor and was about to scatter ultrasonic waves with my monster tentacles—
A figure with a long body appeared from the far end of the corridor bathed in red emergency lights. It was a serpentine body with dozens of arms—Isabel.
She had a pirate in her mouth, on the verge of swallowing it, when our eyes met. One of her many hands clutched a plasma rifle.
[Zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (Looks like they had plasma rifles here too)]
Hearing me, she spat out the cyborg pirate she'd been holding. Even in reinforced armor, the guy was a battered mess all over. She picked up the regurgitated meal and approached me.
"Figured it might come in handy, so I grabbed it. Guess the pirate ship had one too."
[Zuzu zuzuzu (You okay?)]
"Got hit once or twice, but I'm fine."
She elegantly twisted her floating body in midair. There were scorch marks on her chrome scales, but nothing serious.
'Is it because she used Ring of Agony as material? Pretty tough.'
Taking a direct hit from a plasma rifle and coming out with just that much damage meant no need to worry.
[Zuzu zuzu zuzuzu (Anything else besides that?)]
She shook her head at my question, then lifted the pirate in her hand.
"This guy's the one who had the rifle. Seems like he's the boss."
[Zuzu (Yeah?)]
That was good news.
I pulled my head out and shoved a combat arm into the hole I'd made in the mining ship. Enhanced parasites poured out from the openings in my arm, heading toward their new hosts. Moments later, the relocated parasites sent me signals.
[Zuzuzuzu zuzu zuzu zuzuzuzu (Sorry, but can you interrogate him for me?)]
Being so huge made it tricky to interrogate pirates in open space. I left it to Heaven's Mother and scanned the drifting pirate ship wreckage again.
'Anything unusual?'
I'd already confirmed before the attack that their armament was pathetic. Nothing out of the ordinary turned up.
'Wait, nothing at all?'
That's when I recalled a trait of Space Dogs. Pirates usually mark their ships with their cartel insignia. It's how they avoid infighting.
But this ship had no cartel mark whatsoever.
'Did I destroy it when I wrecked the ship?'
I checked even the small debris, but there were no traces of painted markings on the hull.
'They have plasma rifles, but no pirate marks.'
I didn't know what they were up to, but it seemed best to get out of here fast.
Just then, the parasite on the pirate boss's head signaled me. Heaven's Mother, Isabel, and PS-111 emerged from the hole after finishing the interrogation.
[Zuzuzu zuzu (How'd it go?)]
"...Looks like they are connected to players."
[Zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu zuzuzu zuzu zuzuzuzu (Hopefully not related to where we're headed?)]
"He said no Space Dog rankers in the Return Faction, so probably not. Oh, check this out."
She nodded toward Isabel, who floated up to my head and held out a small scrap of cloth. It looked like a badge, emblazoned with the pirate cartel mark I'd been seeking.
But the mark looked odd. It wasn't a picture—it was letters.
[Zuzu zuzu zuzu (Isn't this Japanese?)]
"Yep. Japanese on the front, kanji on the back. The boss said he's the head of the Shinrokku Cartel."
Japanese brought one player to mind: the arrogant, brutal Mega Corp ranker, Akira Yujin.
'Connected to number 3, huh.'
"Their cartel setup is unusual. Unlike regular pirates, they formed a coalition. He said there are six cartels united in total."
[Zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzuzuzu (That's why 'Roku' for six is in the name?)]
"Yeah. The boss got his weapons from Cartel 1."
According to info from Jason before, number 3 was the patriarch of the Yujin Family. He might be using his family power to organize pirates and supply them weapons.
'The one who organized the cartel is probably a ranker too.'
Controlling backstabbing pirates like them would require a ranker. Some Space Dog ranker collaborating with Akira was likely commanding them.
[Zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu (What's their goal?)]
"Asked him, but no special purpose. Just plunder designated areas steadily using the weapons. That's it."
[Zuzu zuzuzuzu (Other cartels?)]
"They operate independently, so he doesn't know what they do normally. Barely any contact beyond regular check-ins."
The pirate boss, strong in weapons but weak otherwise, didn't know much. Their true purpose remained hidden.
'Still, good we found them first before they got us.'
Learning the Domination Faction was plotting something was harvest enough.
[Zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu (They can't find out we met them)]
"Ship's already destroyed. How??"
[Zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzu (We have a spare ship. Just say we transferred over)]
The key figure, the boss, was still alive, and both plasma rifles intact.
Plus, crew remained inside the mining ship. I'd called PS-111 and Isabel back mid-cleanup.
Implant parasites in the mining ship's crew to disguise as pirates, and we could evade pursuit.
Decision made, time for action.
We teamed up to hunt down the mining ship's surviving crew and infect them with parasites. I left a few uninfected—no big deal. Numbers were low, escape pods all wrecked.
With cleanup done, I ordered the parasites to patrol the designated route as before. Even from afar, they'd obey.
"Humans go far."
Leaving Number 26 cheerfully waving its tentacles, the pirate ship shrank into the distance.
'Perfect.'
Next pirate encounter, I'd ask about the cartel coalition. Coalitions weren't common; someone would know.
Sending the pirates off, I loaded up everyone and jumped to FTL.
My body, wrapped in blue energy, transcended light and leaped through space. Stars and darkness smeared like mixed paints in my vision.
A breathtakingly beautiful sight, but zoning out meant disaster. Every second, my flesh crossed stars. Constant route checks were key to safe arrival.
How much time passed?
The stellar whirlpool faded, replaced by crimson glow. An aging star spewed its final light into cosmic dark.
A red giant dwarfing the Sun in size, named 'Olga'.
One planet under that dying sun's light hid a Return Faction weapons manager ranker.
'Made it to the Dorane Star System.'
Before coming, PS-111 told me: the planet fourth closest to red giant Olga was Aska 44.
"If we're here, let me out already?"
About to scout, my monster tentacles picked up a telepathic wave. Heaven's Mother, in my central mouth, spoke up.
The kids were inside my three divided mouths' various jaws for group travel. Even FTL-capable Adhai and Heaven's Mother were in my elongated maws.
[Zuzuzu zuzuzu (Once we hit the planet)]
"...Haa, fine."
She'd been slimed head to toe by my left head's clone before. Her reluctance stemmed from stamina drain.
Since unlocking agate wings, she could FTL in griffon form, but it guzzled stamina. Crossing dozens or hundreds of systems meant frequent food stops.
This was her first time trapped in my mouth so long, even if we'd done it before. No wonder she hated it more.
'She said she'd transform into another familiar before leaving.'
Using her unique perk 'Skin of the Hunting God's Disguise,' she could shift into four familiar types excluding griffon.
She'd unlocked three so far.
The top combat familiar 'Chimera' came via her late husband 'Father of the Earth' before meeting me.
Wendigo and the last one during our time together. The newest specialized in flight and travel, enabling long FTL on low energy.
'But weak in combat.'
Plus, using the skin locked her out of non-griffon forms for 30 days.
We were heading to meet a ranker. Couldn't waste the perk now. Knowing that, she quietly entered my mouth.
"Middle kid hate here?"
"Ugly friend""Wet stuff""Hate"
"Dry you off?"
"No. Fine. Just tentacles."
I felt them wriggling on my gums and tongue. Contrast to PS-111 and Isabel in my right and left heads—they barely fit without moving.
'Then let's hurry.'
I activated my psychic fusion trait 'Dark Veil.' Thick black mist spewed from biopic pipes on my back, arms, and legs.
This mist neutralized detection systems. Protected by it, I could evade surveillance. No one showed despite arrival, but better safe.
From the darker-than-space veil, I poked out just my head and sought my target.
The colossal ancient celestial body burned eternally, asserting its presence. The mythic blaze illuminating all creation surely referred to stars like that old sun.
Even life-stars burning near-eternally neared exhaustion, their satellites facing end. Some fed the dying star; others lingered till last.
Birth, life, death—same for creatures and stars. Scale differed vastly, of course.
'Never thought I'd witness such a magnificent vista.'
Savoring nature's wonders impossible in human form, I pressed on. Wingbeats crossing space revealed planets orbiting Olga.
'That one?'
Tiny specks against the star, like dust. Among them, a dark red planet faintly glowing.
I checked for ships or satellites while approaching.
'Just FTL comm sats, no surveillance sats.'
Accelerating gradually, I neared the presumed Aska 44. Closer now, Cult warships appeared, orbiting as planetary defense fleet.
Veil-protected, I bypassed the fleet and entered the atmosphere.
Upon hitting air, my sub-organs under the jaw tingled sharply.
Not a crisis alert. Sulfur dioxide toxicity and volcanic ash from endless eruptions irritated them.
Intense heat and pressure soon hit. Volcano erupted at my landing zone.
'Works in my favor.'
Hiding in the ejecta to reach surface undetected.
I dropped the Dark Veil and plunged into atmosphere-choking ash. Massive volcanic bombs over 50m smashed against me, splintering. Some carapace damage, but minor—no pain reduction trigger.
"What's the thumping outside?"
"Scales""Hot"
"Wait. That smell—you're inside an erupting volcano??"
[Zuzuzu zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzuzuzu (This way, enemies won't know)]
"...Jeez."
The passengers in my maw muttered at the external shifts.
Bursting through black ash and bomb barrages, the surface neared.
Like any volcanic planet, Aska 44 was hellish beyond words. Boiling lava everywhere, land black with ash and cooled rock.