Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Ambush at the Port District
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Monument's underground VIP shelter.
The team leaders and androids were scrambling to assess the situation.
"Monument under attack? What the hell is the Defense Fleet doing?! Where did these enemies even come from?!"
"Unknown."
"You worthless hunk of junk android!"
Shouts echoed from all directions, and everyone scurried about with bloodshot eyes.
Laila stared at the chaos in a daze.
'Is this a dream?'
The board meeting inside Monument had been thrown into utter disarray by the unexpected airstrike.
The moment an explosion rocked the 50th floor, guards from each family burst into the conference room and dragged away their patriarchs and retainers.
Laila had tried to explain herself to the fleeing nobles, but the situation had spiraled beyond control.
The board meeting was a total failure.
Even if they somehow salvaged it, her downfall was now a foregone conclusion.
'I have to fix this somehow...'
Was it the shock? Or had her recent poor health caught up with her?
Her usually sharp mind felt sluggish today, moving at an unnaturally slow pace.
And it wasn't just her head. Her senses were detaching from reality.
The noise she'd found deafening faded into a distant hum.
"Chief Administrator. We need your orders on how to proceed."
"......"
"Chief Administrator?"
Someone—team leader, guard, or secretary, she couldn't tell—touched her shoulder.
That slight contact turned her stomach inside out.
"Urk... Blegh!"
"Oh God! Chief Administrator!"
Laila wanted to believe this was all a dream.
But the thick metallic tang at her lips and the tearing pain inside proved it was real.
'What the—?'
By the time she realized she'd vomited blood, she was already collapsing to the floor.
The people around her shouted something, but it sounded like an angry swarm of bees—indecipherable.
Soon, even that faded away.
"...How's the Chief Administrator's condition?"
"Scans show bleeding in her lungs and other organs. We can't treat her here."
"Bleeding in her organs? Why?!"
"Judged to be infection from an unknown virus."
Laila's sudden collapse and bloody vomit darkened the shelter's atmosphere instantly.
Laila wasn't just the city's administrator.
She was Laila Chemberlin, a woman of the T&C family—one of Mega Corp's seven heads.
If she died, everyone here would face a horrific fate beyond imagination.
"W-We can't just sit here! The central hospital is right upstairs!"
"R-Right! We need to move her now!"
"Ridiculous! We don't know when the enemy airstrikes will resume."
"Screw the airstrikes! If the Chief Administrator dies, we're all finished!"
Even with her life hanging in the balance, the team leaders hesitated for that very reason.
What if something went wrong during transport to the hospital? Whoever suggested it would bear full responsibility if Laila died.
Mega Corp's rigid hierarchy, Noble Capital's brutal retaliation—various factors left Monument's leadership paralyzed.
As they dithered, the Crisis Management Team Leader finished communicating with Defense Fleet HQ and approached.
"I've arranged a medical frigate from Defense Fleet HQ. We'll move her there."
"Wouldn't it be better to head to the Administrative District's hospital instead?"
"...Defense Fleet reports the Administrative District is under attack by unidentified enemies killing people."
"My God!"
The city's dire state—far worse than imagined—made the leaders swallow hard.
"Patrol ships are deployed, but safety isn't secured. Defense Fleet HQ is safer than here for treatment."
"Valid point, but how do you plan to transport her?"
"A transport ship is prepped at Monument's front plaza. One patrol ship is on standby overhead for escort. We board the transport."
In the end, they agreed to the Crisis Management Team Leader's plan and sent Laila to the medical frigate.
Combat androids carried her out of the shelter toward the plaza where the transport waited.
Just after the androids passed through the first-floor lobby, a skinhead Black man emerged from the emergency stairs.
"Your Highness, it's Jacob. No sign of the target's body here. Yes. Yes. The culprit behind this mess is probably..."
He was Jacob, speaking on a call.
Denver's newly appointed deputy commander of the Silver Lion Knights.
｢Little one, you okay?｣
｢Me｣｢Fine｣｢Perfect｣
Emerging beside the wreckage of a crashed, burning patrol ship, we shared a brief reunion.
#26, worried about blood-soaked Adhai, kept prodding him with tentacles to check.
Watching Adhai twitch like it tickled, I thought to myself.
'Who knew super acceleration had side effects like that.'
Adhai's scales were embedded with human blood, glass shards, rebar fragments from the building, and other debris.
Not just scales—his wings were torn, and one stylishly grown horn was cracked.
All injuries from ramming the enemy in super acceleration mode.
'Normal Green Gallerons can smash into things at super speed without issue, but...'
Adhai's small, fragile body had caused this mishap.
'It'll improve as he grows, but I can't count on that.'
He was already much smaller than other Green Gallerons. Even with future growth, overcoming the drawbacks seemed unlikely.
'Gotta seal super acceleration until we find a fix.'
If used, only for evasion—not charges like this.
｢Me｣｢Adult｣｢Gift｣
As I pondered, Adhai called out to me.
He trotted over lightly and spat out an object from his mouth tentacles.
It was someone's hand.
｢Spoils｣｢Adult｣｢Gift｣
'Impressive.'
Probably Code Red's hand.
Green Gallerons in super acceleration create sonic booms with every move.
Without Black-level defenses, blocking Adhai's charge would've been impossible.
His body was likely pulverized—lucky a hand remained.
I patted Adhai's head and handed the hand back.
[Zuzuzu zuzuzu (It's your spoils)]
｢Gift｣
Adhai seemed ready to discard it if I didn't eat it.
[Zuzuzu zuzuzu (Then let's share)]
A single hand wouldn't trigger Predation Effect anyway. Better for the injured Adhai and #26.
I nibbled one finger, passing the rest to them.
Adhai eyed me before slurping up the remaining blood; #26 handled the scraps.
Gazing at the kids, I planned our next move.
'Three patrol ships down, no contact. They won't underestimate us now.'
Combat in Monument and Administrative District, plus three patrol ships destroyed.
The space city wouldn't see us as mere intruders anymore.
Invasion.
To them, we were board-meeting assassins. Warships would hunt us directly now.
We handled three patrol ships together, but dozens or a destroyer? Even I couldn't win.
'Hiding in the city isn't viable anymore.'
They'd tear it apart until finding me.
'If spotted, it's over.'
Defense Fleet would obliterate my hideout rather than send troops.
They'd learned ground forces couldn't catch me.
'Time to leave.'
Near-Adult evolution incomplete, but survival first.
'Silver lining: the situation shifted in my favor.'
'They're too tangled up to focus on me properly.'
Only a few small patrol ships for an attack on the city's head? Internal issues crippling Defense Fleet manpower.
All thanks to my space bacteria spread.
'Doesn't mean we have forever, though.'
Board meeting distracted command from the disease, but now? No expecting that.
Vaccines and quarantine would end the bacteria's window soon.
'Perfect escape route appeared—time to use it.'
War in the city with VIP guests present.
Where would those VIPs go?
'Out of the city.'
I looked up at the sky above the city.
Countless transports flew toward the Port District.
Sneak aboard when they board their ships there.
Normally, inspections even outbound due to board meeting—but in this chaos? Against Mega Corp VIP ships?
'Just stay hidden.'
Decision made, I called the kids.
[Zuzuzu zuzuzu (Kids, let's go)]
｢Where?｣
[Zuzuzu zuzuzu (Where we came from)]
｢Me｣｢Understand impossible｣
#26 got it immediately, but Adhai tilted his head. Makes sense—he entered differently.
｢Where little one and I first met.｣
｢Me｣｢Understand｣
As Adhai nodded at #26's simple explanation, I gathered corpses from nearby ruins.
'Too damaged for gene essence.'
Many missing lower halves or just limbs—Predation Effect unlikely.
'Still useful, though.'
Arms, tail from Black fight not fully regenerated. Need nutrition fast.
'Kids hurt too.'
Unknown threats en route to Port District—better refuel piecemeal.
I swallowed small bits like lone arms/legs, collected less-damaged bodies.
Back to the kids, handed over two corpses.
[Zuzuzu zuzuzu (Eat on the way)]
｢Okay!｣
#26, with Adhai atop his head, extended a tentacle to snag them.
Adhai draped over #26, wings wrapped—looked natural.
'Guess that's how they got around without me.'
Fuel secured, we left patrol wreckage for the pit where #26 first emerged.
Ground route faster, but higher warship risk.
Better detour safely underground.
At the pit, I used auxiliary organs to scan inside.
'Clear.'
Only corpse-munchers detected below.
I descended first; #26 with Adhai followed.
#26 retracted tentacles/fins into balloon form from our first meeting.
Shrunk enough for sewer navigation.
'How'd that bulk move? Clever trick.'
Adhai looked like riding a pink rubber tube—comical but efficient. Impressive.
We entered the sewers, heading to Port District.
As expected, no enemies.
En route, asked how #26 and Adhai grew.
Surprising answer.
[Zuzuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzu (Targeted corpses and new arrivals?)]
｢Yeah. People without metal smell? Weak prey. Ate only them.｣
They hadn't just eaten dead employees.
Ambushed new inflows like vagrants.
'Distinguishing soldiers from vagrants—smart.'
No homeless normally in this city, but exception now.
Commercial District collapse spawned unemployed.
Day laborers couldn't pay rent, hid in sewers/ruins.
Kids targeted them mainly.
'Impressive.'
Hunting easy, traceless prey—my style.
Adhai grew, but #26 might be my true protégé.
Chatting, we neared Port District.
Corpses devoured—my body nearly healed.
'Here.'
Had kids wait, positioned under manhole near port docks.
Checked for enemies before opening.
Auxiliary senses focused: footsteps clattering busily above, distant engine roars from ships, familiar metal scent wafting to sensory tips.
'Familiar metal smell?'
Instinct screamed anomaly—auxiliary detected fast approach.
No smell or sound.
'Danger!'
I dodged; green energy blob obliterated the manhole.
Alloy lid vaporized, massive hole punched in sewer ceiling.
"Knew you'd come this way, you monster bastard!"
Voice from above.
Plasma volleys from a bolter poured into my spot.
'Ezerton Knights!'
Waiting in Port District's outskirts: Mars' Prime Capital, House Ezerton.