Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: T&C Special Trade Center
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"Lord Akira. We will soon arrive at the T&C Special Trade Center."
Akira Yujin, who had been resting in a special capsule adjusting his body, opened his eyes at the voice of his subordinate.
As the capsule opened and he rose, a young woman approached him closely.
She was astonishingly beautiful, yet her eyes held no emotion whatsoever.
She was one of Akira's closest aides, granted the status of Code Black among the Yujin Family's shadows.
Black handed Akira a towel and a black beverage.
"How much time has passed?"
"It's been a week since we began the voyage."
"A day later than scheduled, then."
He didn't ask what had happened midway or why they were delayed.
The shadows would have handled it perfectly anyway.
This ship they were on, the Yujin Family's flagship Heavenly Sword, had three shadows aboard to escort Akira.
Besides the Code Black at his side, Code Red and Code Blue were somewhere on the ship, performing surveillance duties.
Akira tossed the towel he had used to wipe his mouth aside carelessly and exited the room with the capsule.
Black, leaving the cleanup to the other attendants, followed behind him.
As he walked toward the bridge with Black, he suddenly spoke up.
"The T&C Special Trade Center. Even before I became patriarch, it was booming."
"Is that so?"
"As the saying goes, no flower blooms for ten days straight. The full moon must wane."
Before Akira Yujin had been reelected CEO three times in a row, the families that had held the Mega Corp throne the longest were two.
The Veda Family, famous for androids and AI development, and the Carmelda Family, renowned for powered exosuits.
In Mega Corp's early days, the Veda Family monopolized the CEO position, but they rapidly declined after the rise of the Star Union.
The current Veda Family was barely clinging to the lowest rung of Noble Capital status.
On the other hand, Carmelda had maintained its prosperity for a long time thanks to the support of the Ezerton Family elders.
The next most powerful family after Carmelda was T&C.
As the family with the greatest influence in space development, T&C had never lost its top-tier position among Noble Capitals.
"Back then, the Yujin Family didn't have much influence. Some even dismissed us as just a family feeding scraps to the lower classes."
It was a bit exaggerated, but not entirely wrong.
The impact of the cheap genetically modified foods sold by the Yujin Family on the livelihoods of lower Capitals was far from insignificant.
In fact, the Yujin Family held nearly half the market share in Mega Corp's food supply.
However, apart from importance within Mega Corp, the Yujin Family lacked influence over other Noble Capitals.
The higher the Capital rank, the less they consumed genetically modified food.
As a result, the Yujin Family was repeatedly shut out in board meetings electing the CEO.
The point when the Yujin Family surged ahead of the others was when they began deploying Hulk mutants to the front lines.
The previous patriarchs had focused on the potential of genetically engineered soldiers, tirelessly working to utilize them effectively in war.
And in the generation just before Akira, they finally bore fruit.
In that situation, the newly ascended patriarch Akira proposed selling Hulk mutants to other families and secured the CEO position.
Of course, there was considerable backlash within the family against Akira's decision to sell what was essentially a secret weapon, but he wasn't worried.
The Yujin Family's genetic engineering technology was unparalleled.
Other families had tried developing Hulk mutants independently but all failed due to technological shortcomings.
"Lately, it seems the Ezerton cowards are up to some mischief, but no chance."
Akira was already aware of what the Ezerton patriarch was planning, thanks to using shadows to scout various families within Mega Corp.
"You mean the Silver Lion Knight Order?"
"Exactly. Mixing just two or three genes and calling it the pinnacle of genetic tech? It's laughable."
Denver would be outraged if he heard, but Akira had the right to say it.
For starters, the Code Black standing before him now was proof.
All shadows were ultimate bio-weapons synthesized from dozens of genes.
"That snake from T&C seems to think he'll skim the real prize through Ezerton, but he's buttoned the first one wrong. He would've been better off backing our Yujin Family."
Of course, Saddam, who coveted the CEO seat more than anyone, was unlikely to ally with Akira.
And even if he asked, Akira wouldn't comply anyway.
Continuing their one-sided conversation, the two arrived at the bridge.
The soldiers focused on their duties there quietly bowed their heads upon seeing Akira.
"Heh heh heh. This board meeting will be quite entertaining."
Akira sat on the bridge throne, chuckling in anticipation.
'Cryogenic storage. It's been a while here too.'
Under the blue lighting, dissected corpses of creatures were visible everywhere.
Some were piled on stainless steel tables, while others that looked human-like were vacuum-sealed in plastic and hung from ceiling hooks.
The unique chill of the lighting and the eerie scene were just like in the game, but there were two differences.
The cold wind from the air conditioners on the walls, and the smell emanating from the corpses.
These were sensations impossible to feel in the game.
'So this is what it feels like for real.'
He had once hidden in a corpse here and ambushed players. Back then, they complained.
Why he always popped out from scary places.
He had thought it was a ridiculous complaint, but seeing it now, it was certainly an atmosphere worth protesting.
"H-here is the gene list you requested."
Lost in reminiscence, the dissection team leader under parasite control handed me a terminal pad.
I had asked him for it before coming here to check what was in the gene storage.
'I need to pick the most essential ones to consume first.'
In case something unexpected happens and acquiring gene samples becomes difficult.
Better to prioritize and ingest the necessities first, minimizing losses if disaster strikes later.
'Let's see.'
I checked the list displayed on the pad using my small arms.
'Hm.'
Less variety in species than expected. Just multiples from the same ones.
'Not necessarily a bad thing.'
Even from humans alone, I've gained more than one or two traits.
Same for other creatures.
Fewer species doesn't mean fewer traits; one can yield many.
'Target samples from creatures with good traits.'
I scrolled slowly, examining carefully.
Initially unimpressed, but midway, two species with traits I needed caught my eye.
'Metallic Gremlin? And...'
The sample of that creature was one I'd never get here under normal circumstances.
'Metallic Gremlin makes sense.'
I could guess why they held samples of such a threat to space cities.
Metallic Gremlins have a species-wide negative trait called 'Dwarfism.'
Like Aimorphs' handicap preventing interspecies mingling, Gremlins can't grow beyond 1m tall no matter what.
Even King Gremlins top out around 1.5m.
'Probably planning to inject dwarfism into employees to weaken them.'
Fine for Gremlins, but 'that one's' sample was baffling—how did T&C acquire it?
"It's a sample extracted while dissecting a smuggled animal."
The world is vast, full of oddities.
I never imagined someone would smuggle 'that.'
Considering its size, they'd need a container at least five times larger than a harbor planet's standard.
'Well, with people smuggling Mountain Crawlers and Gallerons...'
I reluctantly accepted and skimmed the rest.
No other species with noteworthy traits besides those two.
'Still, getting that one's genes would be a massive gain.'
It possessed traits unlocking a new type.
Acquiring that type would expand my options immensely.
'Traits enabling space flight.'
I inwardly cheered and selected about 30 samples, instructing the dissection team leader.
As expected, he balked at 'that one's' gene sample.
"T-this creature?"
"Five rare species samples require approval. Perhaps choose something else..."
I'd forgo everything else for 'that' one.
In the end, the team leader left the cryogenic storage with a woeful expression.
"W-what should we do?"
Even told they had nothing to do, the three researchers' faces brimmed with anxiety.
Pity, but their future held only one fate.
Sacrifices to quell the aftereffects of Hunter's Manifestation.
'Now, how to lure out the contacting Cult.'
To maximize benefits, consume during the manifestation's effect duration.
Chance for precious psionic traits.
'Each surveillance team has a roster of three, from memory.'
Ideal to draw all three, but unlikely.
'One always stays on standby in the control room by rule.'
Original plan: Lure via researcher to storage, inject parasite into arriving Cult.
But after seeing the list, plans shifted slightly.
'With Metallic Gremlin traits, I can go more aggressive.'
Gremlins have EMP-like traits disrupting nearby machines.
With that, seizing not just one Cult but the entire control room would be feasible.
Thus, to boost odds of good traits, I requested multiples per species.
Especially all available for Gremlin (8) and 'that' (8), totaling 16 chances.
'Of course, all dwarfism would be a bust.'
Even dwarfism offers strategies.
Like hatchling days: vents, hiding in corpses for ambushes.
This Monument has plenty of small-body navigable spaces, so not bad for assaulting the building.
'Problem is, game mechanic: can't discard acquired traits.'
Without Transcendence System removal, dwarfism locks me under 1m until Ascension.
Ahead lie countless foes, some requiring brute force.
Soloing tiny is no easy feat.
'Not planning to anyway.'
"Got them."
Pondering Cult handling, the team leader returned.
He placed the sample capsules on the stainless steel table.
'Alright. Time to start.'
I activated Hunter's Manifestation.
"Eek?!"
As my body rapidly grew, the researchers in the storage gulped.
Exoskeleton covered my eyes, head horns enlarged.
Body swelled massively, height nearing 5m from 3m.
Tail matched, total length approaching 10m.
Combat arms grew shield-like exoskeleton at wrists, back sprouted two bone-bladed arms.
Transformation complete, I growled lowly at the euphoric surge throughout my body.
Overwhelmed, one researcher groaned on the verge of fainting.
"Ughhh..."
And rising ammonia stench.
But no one blamed him. All wore the same expressions.
Ignoring them, I grabbed a sample capsule with small arms.
The surface bore tiny print: 'Sky Whale'.
'Shall we unlock the new type?'
The most vital—Sky Whale's gene sample—I dumped capsule and all into my maw.
Capsule shattered inside, gene essence seeped into me.
Then, the familiar heat of acquiring new traits.
'Good. Success...'
The semitransparent text box always appearing with Predation Effect now had new text.
'What? No cheats? You mean...'
I hurriedly checked the emergency message.
'Insane.'
Since arriving here, crises abounded.
Unfamiliar body caused panic, early strong foes forced desperate survival struggles.
Unseen systems bewildered, game-divergent situations endangered.
Yet as the only Aimorph ranker player, I leveraged long-play experience to overcome.
Thus, I'd forgotten.
That Space Survival is one hell of a bastard game.