Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Hospital Hunt
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Suddenly, William woke from his sleep.
It wasn't that someone had deliberately roused him.
He had felt vibrations from whatever was enveloping his body.
‘Where am I?’
When he opened his eyes, a lukewarm liquid tickled them. After blinking a few times, his vision slowly adjusted.
He was currently submerged in treatment fluid inside a recovery capsule, a breathing apparatus fitted over his face.
‘I didn't die.’
During his suicide attempt, William had steeled himself for death. He had ruined the event where the Noble Capital welcomed the Prime Capital.
This city's master, Laila Chemberlin, was a rational woman, but she wasn't endlessly merciful.
Normally, he should have had his brain extracted while still alive instead of waking up in a recovery capsule like this.
Yet here he was, safe in a hospital bed, thanks to Denver's protection.
That meant his plan had succeeded halfway.
‘As expected, Your Highness understood my intentions... Hm?’
Thud.
The treatment fluid around him churned again. The entire healing capsule containing him shook from some external force.
‘What is this?’
It couldn't be an earthquake. Tectonic activity didn't exist in an artificial structure floating in zero-gravity space.
Thud.
This vibration was coming from inside the hospital. Something heavy was shaking the building.
‘No way?’
Thud.
William felt his blood turn ice-cold. Only one thing could shake a hospital this badly in the dead of night with such massive footsteps.
｢It｣ had come for him.
Thud.
The vibrations grew stronger. It was drawing closer.
At that moment, the ICU door burst open, and a figure in silver armor rushed inside.
His face was hidden by the helmet, but the frantic way he scanned the room betrayed his panic.
Spotting William awake in the healing capsule, the knight hurried over. He operated the terminal, and the treatment fluid drained through an outlet inside the capsule.
“Are you conscious?”
William nodded as he emerged from the capsule. The knight handed a patient gown to the naked man.
“I don't know what happened here, but some unidentified creature is attacking us.”
“……”
William knew exactly who that monster was hunting, but he couldn't speak.
Parasites still lingered in his brain. They inflicted pain for any irreverent actions or thoughts toward ｢It｣. The greater the irreverence, the worse the agony.
If he revealed the parasites to the knight now, the pain would dwarf anything he'd endured so far. Fainting from it in this situation would only make things worse.
Regrettably, silence was his only option.
“...What about the others in the hospital?”
“My comrades were all slaughtered by it. Everyone else here probably...”
He trailed off, but William got the message.
“The central AI detected the crisis and called the police. I've requested backup too. We just have to hold out until they get here.”
“...Understood.”
William experienced déjà vu. He'd been in a similar spot before.
The apartment fight. Back then, he figured he and the android could handle it easily.
What happened? He lost all his allies, left with just one puppet cop.
Thud.
A massive crash echoed from beyond the door.
It was right outside.
The silver knight positioned himself in front of William and drew his weapons. Plasma bolter in one hand, blade claws on the other.
William, a former soldier, knew blade claws well.
They were upgraded sonic blades: two ultrasonic saws mounted on the back of the hand. Heavier than sonic blades but far superior in durability and cutting power—favored by powered-armor troops or hulk mutants.
Against any other foe, William wouldn't worry. But the opponent was ｢It｣.
‘Close combat with that thing is suicide.’
Having fought the monster before, William was certain the knight stood no chance.
‘Better to head outside. It won't rampage wildly. It minds the public eye.’
Having served as the monster's slave for a time, he knew its fears.
The cunning beast knew it couldn't win a full-scale war with the city, so it operated in secret. It fed only on the prey William offered, killing only those who attacked or pursued it occasionally.
Those horrific hunts happened solely at dawn, when streets were empty.
So William meant to urge the knight to jump out the window.
Civilians would suffer, but his death would cause far greater casualties.
But he didn't know one crucial fact.
The monster's current condition.
With a deafening boom, the steel door flew off like wind-tossed paper. The wall half-collapsed, dust erupting from the breach.
“It's here!”
William squinted through the dust. Atop the rubble stood another in identical silver armor.
‘What?’
No—he merely appeared to stand. He dangled midair, gripped by something unseen.
“Charlie!”
“R-run... Aaaargh!”
Charlie tried to speak but failed. His body twisted grotesquely, armor bursting with a wet pop.
Screaming in agony, his corpse split into three shreds. Blood, guts, and bone fragments splattered down.
‘My God...’
Some blood traced an invisible path through the air to the floor. Now William understood why the knight hadn't fled outside.
Whatever ploy ｢It｣ used, it was invisible.
At a level requiring cutting-edge tech.
Even William's keen eyes barely spotted it via the blood trail. Civilians outside wouldn't notice a thing.
“Damn it! Get down!”
“!”
The knight seized William's head and shoved. William ducked just in time—something whistled overhead by inches.
Whatever it wielded was enormous. It sheared not just the ICU capsules but the entire wall.
Patients in other capsules were bisected. The floor pooled with pink, blood-mixed fluid.
“Shit! I'll hold it back—survive till backup! His Highness must know!”
“I-I...!”
“Please!”
Ignoring William's response, the knight charged the unseen monster.
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‘Not bad.’
I'd swung my tail to finish William, but the knight interfered. His powered suit's sensors tracked my movements precisely.
“Run! Anywhere!”
“Ugh! Damn it!”
At the knight's shout, William bolted through the breached wall. No letting him escape. I lashed my tail at his legs.
“Not on my watch!”
The knight's plasma shot foiled my plan to rip him apart.
Synced to my tail swing, the bolter fire veered it off-course.
The tail stinger slammed into the corridor wall instead of William's side. He yelped, clutched his head, and fled.
“Haaah!”
Tail missed, so bone spikes next—but blocked again. The knight shouldered into me with a roar.
Hundreds of kilos of powered suit, propelled by small-ship-level thrust.
The impact was devastating, toppling my body—twice the suit's mass.
His charge demolished the corridor, shoving me into the opposite patient room.
Wall crumbled; hidden patients and on-duty doctors panicked out.
“Kyaaak!”
“Help!”
Invisible to them, but no escapes. Bone spikes from my lower-left arm impaled their backs.
“Guhk!”
“Agh!”
Regrettably, max three per volley.
One survivor bolted at impossible patient speed.
‘Where's William?’
While skewering them, he'd slipped away. Spotted him vanish into emergency stairs; I turned to the knight.
He ignored the patients, kicking obstructing corpses aside.
“Shedding innocent blood, you vile beast!”
Actions belied words, but not odd.
Ezerton Knights: elite Mega Corp upper-crust squad, knights in name only.
Their "honor" built PR images, irrelevant to reality.
Knowing patients were low-class, he treated them roughly.
‘Still, prime food.’
Eying the ill-mannered knight, I tallied time left.
‘8 minutes till effect wears off.’
Planned William first, but knight persistent. Sensing my gaze, he activated arm-mounted blade claws.
‘Blade claws.’
Plasma bolter superior normally, but here? Blade claws viable. Like sonic blades, they shredded high-defense armor.
To scar my exoskeleton: plasma launcher firepower or such cutting power only options.
“Die!”
Bolter suppression fire as he charged.
Plasma bolts targeted jaw-under tentacles.
Aimed? Auxiliaries unreinforced. Crossed upper combat arms to block.
He closed in, slashing upward with blade claws.
Not head—combat arms. Twin saws screamed through air.
Stepped back, arms as shield against blades.
Ultrasonic teeth met alloy-tough hide; sparks erupted.
Composed, he leveled bolter point-blank.
Poise admirable, intent doomed. More weapons left.
Tail pierced gloom and dust at his waist.
“Ngh?!”
Dodged by twisting—forewent shot.
Grabbed his bolter hand with combat arm before retreat.
“Insolent!”
Assuming tug-of-war, he powered up. Suit-boosted strength equaled mine.
Over a ton combined crushed floor unmoving.
Concrete cracked amid struggle; his free hand seized my arm. To shove?
Misread. No contest intended.
Back arms speared his shoulders.
“Grk!”
Bone blades pierced deep.
Over 50cm long, fully buried—insides ragdoll.
Wrenched to widen wounds, yanked free. He collapsed, strength gone.
“H-His Highness won't f-for...”
No time for farewells. Booted his bowed head.
Suits armored thick, but necks/joints exposed. Burst-ball pop; he tumbled.
Corpse's neck stretched double.
‘Devour everything here.’
Max Predation Effect demands all gene essences.
‘Parasite ensures William can't flee.’
Parasite confirmed: still in-hospital.
Tracked him, gulped corpses busily. Tasty, nasty—time short, no savoring.
Text boxes popped on ingest; ignored. Later.
‘No urgent trait need.’
10-min auto-cancel. Plenty time.
Luckily, gown-clad civilians slid down easy. Feast quicker than expected.
‘Just 2 minutes?’
Metal Absorption: ~10 min left. Eat William, ample return time.
‘Onward.’
Signal from above. Massive frame sought the traitor.
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“Huff... huff... huff...”
William slumped against the cabinet, nearly crashing. Cleaning tools spilled.
Snatched an android high-pressure washer. Laughable weapon, but options nil.
Doubtful he'd swing it anyway. Parasite thriving in skull.
“Damn...”
Self-mockery.
Loyal to Mega Corp all along.
Less villain, more villain-catcher.
Mega Corp: corrupt, pain-inflicting, justice-distant.
Loyalist just? Debatable. But his beliefs felt worthwhile.
Yet powerless before individual-crushing calamity.
Death-defying soldier—but monster aside. Terror strangled, rousing primal dread.
Fear.
“……”
Steadied quaking thighs.
Android clamor outside earlier; silence now.
Ear to door. Patient murmurs in hall.
Door-muffled: choppy, broken-radio static.
Survivors mean it moved floors. No heavy steps.
‘Chance now.’
Eased door open.
Ruined corridor greeted. Ceiling lights smashed, some sparking fitfully.
Beds mangled, shattered from blows.
No hospital pristine; just him.
｢Foun·d·you….｣
Voice returned.
Owner dawned. Not door muffling— inherent glitch, warped radio.
｢It｣ awaited at threshold.
William clamped eyes shut.
Instantly, unseen force halved his body.