Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Fox Hunt
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[Kids, wake up and eat.]
｢Whoa!｣
｢Food!｣
After taking a quick look around, I woke the kids up.
The food I brought for them: six corpse catfish carcasses.
I'd mobilized my combat arms, the small arms on my chest, and even my mouth to carry them all.
[Zzzt zzzt zzt (Finish up, then we're moving somewhere else).]
｢Building a nest?｣
[Zzzt (Yeah).]
As always, Number 26 got it right away.
It grabbed a catfish with its tentacles and shoved it into its body. Thanks to its translucent form, I could clearly see the catfish melting away whole.
｢Tasty.｣
True to form, Number 26 didn't fuss over picky eating and polished off one catfish in no time.
Adhai, on the other hand, sucked the blood from a corpse catfish corpse with its oral tentacles and immediately grimaced.
｢Food｣ ｢Tastes bad｣
It was the first time I'd seen a Galleron kid make a face like that. Compared to an Aimorph, which barely had anything beyond mouth movements for expressions, it was far more emotive.
｢Taste｣ ｢Awful｣
Evidently it was really bad, because it shook itself off and spat repeatedly.
'Yeah, it's kinda gross.'
Among the things I'd eaten since becoming an Aimorph, the absolute worst had been those calorie bars.
Until I tried corpse catfish, that is.
I'd brought them myself, but no denying they tasted like crap. I had no intention of arguing with Adhai's complaints.
But Number 26 saw it differently.
It whipped out a tentacle and smacked Adhai right on the head.
｢Ow!｣
｢Big kids grow big by eating a lot. If you wanna be big like them, finish it all.｣
｢Me｣ ｢Grow｣ ｢Want｣
｢Good.｣
｢Me｣ ｢Grow｣ ｢Big｣ ｢Adult｣ ｢Lay eggs｣ ｢Possible｣
｢...｣
｢Pain!｣
Whatever. They seemed to get along fine, so I'd leave them be.
I waited until they'd finished the corpse catfish, then led the kids to the next spot.
This sewer had small wastewater treatment facilities placed at intervals along the passages.
Here, the corpse catfish and these small facilities filtered out bulky debris first. Then the polluted water got sent deeper underground to a massive central plant for final purification.
'Scanned it out—no detectors except around those small treatment facilities.'
The detectors only seemed to ping for objects too big for the small facilities to handle.
From a distance, they hadn't reacted to the catfish moving around.
'My size would trip them for sure.'
Even Adhai, the smallest of us, would barely squeak by the thresholds.
'Even if I somehow didn't trigger one, nesting near a detector's too risky.'
With a small treatment facility so close, city managers would inspect regularly.
Worst case, people could show up today. No way I'd nest there.
'This should do.'
The spot I'd picked for the new nest was equidistant from the nearest manhole and treatment facility.
Water was shallower here, and protrusions on the walls offered footing. Fine for me and Number 26, but Adhai wasn't aquatic—it needed a comfy rest spot.
[Zzzt zzzt zzt (I'll make the nest, so wait here).]
｢Okay.｣
I told the kids that, then climbed the wall to the ceiling.
The old nest I'd laid down before? Completely trashed while I slept.
'As expected.'
The enemies had found the secret passage fast. They'd cleared it out and trashed my nest along the way.
That's why I planned to set up a new one here in this sewer.
'Normally I'd do it on the floor.'
Usually, I'd wait for the mucus from my body to harden into a nest. Not this time. I'd have to spread it manually.
'Can't set it up in the water.'
Water diluted the mucus and kept it from hardening. Finished nests were fine submerged, though—stalks and all.
'Water's still a great medium, though.'
Nests sensed their surroundings through vibrations, mapping nearby objects and the environment.
Touching water let them pick up vibes from an even wider area, easy as pie.
In this pinch, where I couldn't wait for natural expansion, water would supercharge the nest's functions.
'Alright, let's get started.'
I used my arms to slather the mucus now oozing from my body across the ceiling.
The sticky goo dripped down before hardening like stalactites. It spread along the curved walls like tree trunks, just brushing the water's surface.
An hour after starting, the basic frame was done.
The new nest on the walls and ceiling would grow on its own now, without me touching it.
'Perfect.'
Confirming it slowly expanding, I pressed tight against the ceiling. Gripped hard with hands and feet so I wouldn't slip, then linked my jaw's auxiliary organ to the nest.
The nest seized my mind and yanked it in. Instead of my little Aimorph body, this massive artificial structure felt like me.
Info flooded my brain: liquids coursing through the city's veins, impurities within.
In pitch-black darkness, nameless corpses rotted away, corpse catfish swarming them.
Beneath the bright, glittering city lay endless dank filth.
I tuned out the catfish ripping into carcasses like piranhas and scanned the sewers.
That's when something unexpected pinged my senses.
'People?'
Suddenly, human presences popped up all over the sewers.
At first I thought dumped bodies, but they moved against the current—definitely alive.
'People actually came down here?'
And so many at once?
'Gotta check it out.'
I severed the link and dove into the water.
｢Where you going?｣
[Zzzt zzzt (Something to check).]
｢Got it. I'll wait.｣
Told Number 26 I'd be back, then headed toward the human movements.
Submerged, I felt the current shift. I poked just my auxiliary organ above water for air—and heard distant voices.
'Not just one or two.'
I was at a junction now.
Left passage: 10 people. Right: 3. Their clumsy movements and shaky voices screamed civilians.
'What're regular folks doing down here?'
I submerged again and took the quieter right passage.
The sewer was dead silent except for water sounds.
Then the racket from those three echoed through.
"Fuck, if we get out alive, they will call our debts paid, right?"
"That's what I heard."
"Fuckin' better than dying in the pleasure district. You know what happened to the guys I came with? Got turned into sashimi alive."
"Ugh, fuckin' chills. Those psychos. What's down here they had to send us for?"
"Dunno what, but they keep promises. We survive, we're all free."
"Ugh, that retard's happy. Head full of flowers."
Three guys, chatting as they approached.
No hazmat suits in this filth—just oxygen masks covering their faces, their only shield.
"Spun like crazy in the pleasure district, now spinning in shitwater."
"Quit bitching. Water's getting deeper—watch it."
"Fuck, I got aquaphobia, you mom-fucker..."
This passage was deep for humans.
The sewage had been waist-high; now it surged to chest-level. They cursed up a storm.
"Mega Corp mom-fuck! Least give us hazmats!"
"Keep the pistols dry! That's all our credits!"
"Debt my ass, I'm freezing my nuts off."
They held flashlights and laser pistols high, out of the muck.
I dove to the bottom, dodging the beams, and thought:
'Not managers.'
City infrastructure crews were elite admins. No way they'd slum it with crap gear.
Plus, that "debt repayment" line nagged me.
'Repayment?'
Mega Corp used "repayment" two ways: literal, or the crap "hired" workers did.
Hired hands fell into three buckets:
Individuals drowning in insane debt, hardcore criminals, or humans bred on farm planets for labor.
To Mega Corp, they were livestock. Resources.
Term lasted until the corp milked enough profit. No choice but to obey orders till then.
'Community jokes they're "company cattle'.'
In the game, player mercs were all ex-hired hands. Most got used as scouts or meat shields and died before repaying.
'Debts pass to family and friends.'
Overkill setting IMO, but dystopia fans ate it up.
'Anyway, these guys are hired hands.'
Lower than slaves—they couldn't just wander off. Someone ordered them here.
'Let's watch.'
No real threat from their gear, so no rush to attack.
I crept closer, submerged. Ripples matched my slow pace.
"Gasp!"
"What?"
"Something moved in the water just now."
"Fuck off with that!"
"Ain't nobody else here—what bullshit?"
"No, for real! Something moved over there!"
｢Static, Squad 15. What's up? Why'd you stop?｣
"Uh, nothing, sir."
｢Other squads are moving. Squad 15 seems unenthusiastic about debt service.｣
"N-no, sir! Moving now!"
The leader bowed frantically to the comms on his chest.
Comms cut; he turned his rage on the guy next to him, smashing his flashlight into the poor bastard's head. Blood poured from the scalp.
"You whore-spawn! Wanna be sushi alone, don't drag us down!"
"S-sorry!"
"Quit fighting, you lunatics!"
Bait confirmed.
Who tossed it? Obvious.
'Ezerton Knights.'
Had to be them, fresh off facing the board.
'Didn't expect 'em this quick, though.'
They were tracking me faster than I'd figured.
Knights in the sewers meant city brass shared the op. They could've sent heavy knights and troops right away—but hadn't.
'Not worried about casualties. Got some scheme brewing.'
Whatever. Hold off killing these three.
Plan unclear, and no dummies would send bait without backup.
I stayed put, still.
Shaking with nerves and fear, they passed me by.
"See, dumbass? Nothing."
"Did... did I imagine it?"
"Cough—already feeling sick. Let's wrap this up."
I tailed them quietly.
One shone his light back—missed me completely.
Water too filthy to see squat inside.
Following led to a chamber where passages converged. About 60 more in similar getups waited.
A knight in silver medium armor stood among them.
Too close risked detection. I hung back in the wall shadows, auxiliary organ only peeking out.
"All here, looks like."
The knight, oblivious to me, grabbed his comms.
"Squad 3 Tennessee. All 60 accounted for, no issues."
｢Static, Squad 1 Vickers. 80 all good.｣
｢S-squad 2 Jacob. 5 still missing, s-static, holding.｣
"Squad 3 Tennessee. Jacob, check your signal."
｢Static, roger, s-static.｣
I eavesdropped while scanning with my auxiliary organ.
Footsteps overhead—marching in sync. Soldiers up top.
'Manhole nearby—they're basing here.'
From chatter: three bases total.
Nest link hadn't picked up the other two—spread out far.
Wide search, narrowing in. Encirclement.
'Luring me to chomp bait, herding to a kill zone.'
Like fox hunting.
Except dogs swapped for mass bait.
Every bite, knights and military tighten the noose.
Once complete: extermination time.
"Squad 3 Tennessee. Standing by."
｢Squad 2 Jacob. All in.｣
｢Squad 1 Vickers. Roger. Launching Evil Spirit Hunt. Deploy bait, everyone.｣
"You heard. Move out."
"Yes, sir!"
Tennessee cut comms and ordered them.
No resistance despite obvious bait status.
'Head bombs, duh.'
Technically microchips blasting EMPs on signal. Brain-fry same as boom. Disobey? Toast.
Bait trudged back the way they'd come, glum-faced.
The three who'd led me here turned too—until Tennessee called.
"You."
"Yes?"
"Blood on your head. Attacked?"
"N-no. He tripped..."
"Tch. Pathetic."
Tennessee tsked and waved; they bowed and shuffled off.
'Hmm.'
Base pings bait halting instantly. Saw it tailing them.
High odds they had motion-tracker chips implanted.
Orders: patrol fixed routes nonstop.
'Dispatch knights/troops when one dies or stalls.'
But that scene...
Bases blind to minor injuries.
'This could get fun.'
Spotty comms in sewers. Limited intel sharing. Dark, cluttered battlefield.
All my jam.
'Hunt me?'
Funny. I dig hunting too.
Who plays the fox? We'll see at hunt's end.