Chapter 89
Chapter 89
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Port District Shadows
-----------------------------------------------------------------
T&C Special Trade Center's port district.
The shield gate slid open, and a sleek spaceship smoothly entered the planet's atmosphere.
The ship landed steadily at the dock, its hull emblazoned with the Yujin Family's signature Möbius strip emblem.
As the hatch opened, crew members clutching metal hard cases disembarked at a brisk pace.
"Time's short. Get everything prepped, fast."
"Yes, sir! Minseok-nim!"
The bronze-skinned man directing the subordinates was Minseok Yujin.
He had once served Jeongwoo Yujin and now acted as Sihyun Yujin's butler.
The underlings loyal to Sihyun moved with machine-like precision at Minseok's command.
They cracked open the hard cases and began pulling out components, assembling them on the spot.
"Miss."
While the crew got to work, Minseok bowed his head to the last passenger to step out.
She wore a pristine white bodysuit—their leader, Sihyun Yujin.
"We'll be ready to roll out in under five minutes."
"……."
Sihyun didn't reply. Instead, she scanned the surroundings.
'Something's off.'
The port district teemed with warships and vessels that had come for the board meeting, yet there were scarcely any people in sight.
Even the occasional androids weren't your run-of-the-mill models.
Three arms screamed combat drone, but they were handling grunt work meant for regular laborers.
'Some massive incident I don't know about.'
Considering the rampant android phobia in Mega Corp territory, having machines pull this much weight instead of humans was anything but normal.
'If they're this shorthanded, it's one of two things. Catastrophic accident with massive casualties... or...'
An outbreak of some unidentified contagion.
Before arriving, she'd caught wind via the news that the Ezerton Knights had stirred up trouble.
'Low chance it's the Silver Lion Knights going on a rampage.'
As a former shadow operative herself, she knew full well the Silver Lion Knights were gene-modded superhumans.
Powerful, sure—but not enough to slash the city's population this drastically.
They'd lose to the planetary defense force's ground troops from sheer numbers.
Plus, the media hadn't breathed a word about mass civilian slaughter.
The Zhao Family, bitter rivals to Ezerton, would've screamed it from the rooftops if Ezerton knights had massacred civilians.
That left just one answer.
"Relay to everyone: activate reinforced suits and masks, now."
"Pardon?"
"Contagion's spreading."
Her White Maiden suit showed no alerts, so it wasn't airborne.
But they had unavoidable contact ahead with specific targets for the mission. Better safe than sorry—prep here.
At Minseok's order, the working crew activated their suits and donned masks in unison.
'Did some other faction pull a bio-terror op?'
A few suspects came to mind, but none were the type to dabble in bioweapons.
'Akira Yujin is still in the city.'
The Yujin Family were masters of gene manipulation and biotech, well-versed in viral bioweapons too.
If their patriarch was oblivious to a citywide plague, this virus was no ordinary threat.
'Or maybe he knows and is staying mum.'
That sly old fox? Totally his style.
Pressure the Total Manager mentally through the board meeting, keep eyes off the city.
Of course, he'd prioritize his own neck—some countermeasure for sure.
"All set."
Minseok's voice snapped her from her thoughts.
A complex mechanical device now sat assembled before her, courtesy of her crew.
A Gremlin torpedo from Star Union, retooled into a timed bomb by Sihyun's minions.
Standard Gremlins crippled enemy ships by unleashing nanites that devoured all nearby metal on detonation.
Her team had modded it for way more nanites over a vastly wider radius.
"Good work. Let's move."
Next stop: plant this bomb in the city's heart—the underground reactor.
'Hm?'
Mid-stride with her crew, Sihyun picked up a faint psychic ripple.
'Cult? No... that's...'
A profoundly alien psychic pulse flickered from deep in the city, then vanished.
'No way.'
"Miss?"
Minseok called as she halted.
Her gaze flicked between the bomb and the city center.
One side: her lifelong vendetta.
Eliminate Akira Yujin and wipe out the Yujin Family's foes in one stroke—prime opportunity.
The other...
"Miss, we need to move now."
"……."
She shouldn't waver. Not as Sihyun Yujin.
Silence hung as she weighed it. Finally:
"...Just had something on my mind. Let's go."
As they pressed on, she stole one last glance toward the center.
'Unclear if it's him. Even if it is, no surviving a collapsing space city.'
The thing that killed her would be buried with it.
'...But if it does pull through.'
Then she'd shatter the chains binding her herself.
Having fired off two Psychic Breaths back-to-back in short order, I barely reined in my fading consciousness.
Even a blast rivaling White Galleron's Breath, and Necrofector still wouldn't drop.
"I... I am the greatest...!"
Its outer flesh shredded clean off, leaving nothing but bone and muscle exposed, it staggered a few steps before collapsing.
Its heartbeat slowed... then flatlined.
The Black Shroud enveloping it reverted to its funeral-shroud form.
'Whew.'
I'd been laser-focused on my auxiliary organ. Only now, with its death confirmed, did relief wash over me.
'Terrifying bastard.'
Solo? No chance of winning.
'26 was a game-changer.'
Adhai had pulled its weight too, drawing off the Code Red.
I glanced at 26.
It stayed vigilant, wary of the Black's corpse reanimating.
Sensing my gaze, it fired off a concerned pulse.
[Zzzt zz zzt zzt(I'm okay. You?)])
｢I'm fine. This scratch'll heal quick.｣
As always, worrying about me before itself.
I prepped a grateful pulse in return—then felt a shift in my body.
'Emblem of the Hunt's over.'
Grateful it wrapped before killing Black; regret at not devouring the corpse. Mixed bag.
'Still, snag even one gene set and it's profit... Huh?'
My thoughts cut short. An overwhelming instinct hijacked my brain.
'What the—?'
A hunger so ferocious it threatened to drive me insane slammed into my mind.
I'd been through this before—thought I had it handled. This? Next level.
'Psychic Breath fatigue and backlash...?'
Suddenly, nothing mattered.
Just hungry.
｢Big Baby! Eat up, quick!｣
Some voice yammering nearby. Didn't register.
Weird vibe, but it carried a mouthwatering scent.
And right on cue, savory meat appeared before me.
I gulped the chunk down in one go.
'Not enough.'
Text boxes popped up, blabbering nonsense. Who cares.
I'm starving.
Why suffer like this?
'Take what you need.'
Words drilled into me since youth.
Want something? Snatch it. That's the victor's way.
｢■■■, ■■ ■■ ■■■■■!｣
'Perfect—right there.'
Chattering voice. Devour it, end this agony.
Thought it, and fresh food materialized.
Compared to the last? Off-putting stench. Stomach growling, but zero appeal.
'Shut up and chow down.'
Childhood flashed: eat now or never. Must eat.
I force-fed myself the foul stuff.
Belly filling... mind flickering.
Gobble it all. No, what am I—? Still hungry. Hold on. Can't wait!
'Prime cut wafting temptation ahead.'
No, wait.
Dunno why, but that delicacy has barbs.
Don't eat. No, do. Essence I crave. Can't. No time to wait.
I lunged.
Dizzying aroma teased my auxiliary organ.
'Barbs my ass.'
None at all.
｢■■■■, ■■ ■■!｣
Its racket made my nape itch. Nah—prey doesn't yap. Shut it. All illusion.
'Itadakimasu.'
I reared to bite—wait, it's urging me?
'Itadakimasu!'
No.
It's...
｢■■■, it's fine.｣
Its pulse flowed via my rear tentacles. Intangible signal hit my brain, decoded.
'Hurry and chow!'
Mouth clamped shut. One of its sprouting tentacles caressed my jaw.
Auxiliary organ and its tentacle intertwined softly.
Spark at the tip. Text box flared bright before me.
Two glows hammered home a vital truth.
'26?'
Realization hit: who I was pinning. World snapped clear.
Mind-fog lifted, body sense returned.
Gut-wrenching hunger lingered, but no longer mind-shattering.
I loosened my grip on 26.
'What the hell was that?'
Not my will. Not even close.
'Psychic Breath drain plus Emblem backlash synergy?'
Psychic Breath maxes out mental stamina.
Apartment brawl? Passed out after one.
Full organic + Psychic Reinforcement bumped limit to two.
Should've blacked out post-double-tap, but traits kept me lucid.
Yet Breath fatigue + Emblem's reason-loss? Toxic combo.
Mental toll incomparable to usual. Straight-up instinct takeover.
'Goddamn. Never mixing those again.'
Dual side effects? Way worse than imagined.
｢Big Baby?｣
Sensing my clarity, 26 called out.
Almost ate it against my will.
Apology pulse, stat.
｢You okay? Hurt anywhere?｣
[Zzzzt zzt zzzzt(Just lost it. So sorry.)]
｢No need. You're back—that's what matters.｣
It pulsed reassurance, body aglow, but I inspected thoroughly.
Small mercy: hadn't attacked it.
Actual assault? Disaster.
'No healing for 26.'
Unlike me, its wounds drag. Fatal hit? Game over.
Checked twice over: Black fight injuries aside, no fresh damage.
Bloody tentacles spooked me—sniff test: Cult blood, not its.
'Post-Black, scavenged local Cult corpses for me.'
It gave its all to snap me out.
Gratitude swelled, mingled with something indefinable—then I recalled the hovering text boxes.
One shone brightest.
The Humanity trait from devouring that pirate way back.
Useless dead weight till now—steps up clutch. No clue what triggered it, though.
'Definitely fired when our tentacles touched.'
To test, reached for 26's tentacle again.
｢Big Baby, Little Baby's incoming.｣
[Z(Yeah?)]
26 withdrew casually, pointing skyward.
Sure enough, Adhai was winging our way.
'Crap.'
With a few patrol ships hot on its tail.