Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: Ep. 95
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Jaesung Samuel, who held the position of Armed Police Team Leader in the Earth General Security Team, barely managed to board the evacuation ship.
The space city had become a complete inferno, and security was in chaos across every Earth district, but he saw it as none of his concern.
'I'm just a civil servant! What the hell do they expect me to do?'
He'd even reached out to his superiors at Monument for guidance on what to do.
But all he got back was orders to focus on restoring public order.
Sure, as Armed Police Team Leader, maintaining the city's security was his job, but he saw it differently.
The higher-ups had abandoned him.
'If they're just going to ditch me, better to get the hell out of here.'
Jaesung could tolerate betraying others, but he couldn't stand being betrayed himself.
Interestingly, he wasn't the only one thinking that way.
A fair number of passengers on the evacuation ship shared his mindset.
'Everyone here's a familiar face.'
The Entertainment District's Human Resources Team Leader, Monument Central Hospital's Medical Team Leader, and others—all familiar to Jaesung.
They exchanged awkward glances and quickly looked away.
Fleeing a city in ruins wasn't exactly something to brag about, even for them.
"Hey, why haven't we taken off yet?"
"Sorry about that. I'll check right away."
Unable to bear the awkward atmosphere any longer, the Medical Team Leader snapped at a crew member for no reason.
With most passengers being upper Capital class, the crew member bowed deeply at once.
'Tch, pathetic.'
Jaesung clicked his tongue at the sight. They were all in the same boat, fleeing together, but he considered himself above the rest.
And he had a justification for leaving the city.
Just recently, he'd received word of his brother Yuseong Samuel's death.
That gave him the perfect excuse to leave for his brother's funeral back on his homeworld.
'Useless guy ends up being helpful for once.'
As a scion of the Samuel Family—Third Capital of the Titan satellite—he'd never gotten along with Yuseong.
It was inevitable; the two had been rivals competing for the family inheritance.
But that was an internal family matter no one outside knew about.
No one at the T&C Special Trade Center knew how he really felt about his brother.
'Now that he's dead, the family fortune's mine.'
Feeling a weight lift from his chest, he closed his eyes.
"The passengers are asking why we haven't departed yet."
"We're taking off now. The announcement will play shortly."
"Got it."
"Oh, cargo hold alert says it's open. Could you check that for me?"
"Yes, ma'am."
The female crew member emerging from the cockpit headed to the cargo hold.
It was packed with passengers' valuables and small containers slated for transport elsewhere.
Beyond the stacked cargo, she spotted a half-open door.
She operated the terminal beside it, sealing the door completely.
As the red light on the terminal switched to green, the announcement began.
｢Thank you for choosing T&C affiliate Trade Airline. We always appreciate our valued customers...｣
True to its VIP evacuation ship status, takeoff was smooth with barely any turbulence inside.
"Huh?"
She whipped around at the sound of someone's voice.
But all she saw were the motionless containers and cargo.
"Must've been my imagination."
Sensing nothing amiss, the crew member left the cargo hold.
"Vice Captain Jacob!"
"What the hell happened here?!"
"W-Well..."
Jacob, arriving late at the harbor district warehouse due to suiting up in his reinforced armor, questioned his knights about the situation.
"His Highness has been taken hostage?"
"Yes. That's why we're searching the area..."
"Found something!"
At the shout from afar, Jacob and his men entered the warehouse.
But what awaited them wasn't Denver—it was the wreckage of a mangled reinforced suit.
"No bloodstains. His Highness is still alive."
"Then we need to—"
"Quiet."
The knights fell silent at Jacob's firm command.
He glared coldly at the suit remnants.
Jacob was a veteran among the knights, rich in experience.
He was certain clues hid within the thoroughly wrecked debris.
Examining the armor meticulously, he quickly spotted something suspicious.
'The suit was precisely sliced open. The culprit knows machines inside out. And...'
The communicator was missing. What did that imply?
Jacob's mind raced to a horrifying, ominous conclusion.
"...Give me a communicator linked to the public channel."
"Here you go."
Taking the device from a knight, he pressed the button.
From the connected comm came the voice of the lord he served.
｢It... cap...tured... me... and... hid... me... come...｣
It sounded off somehow, but it was unmistakably Denver's voice.
Yet the instant Jacob heard it, his blood ran cold.
His impious suspicion was becoming reality.
"...Your Highness. You said it's a Hulk Mutant made by T&C?"
｢I... see... it... right... now... it's... grabbed... me... come...｣
"His Highness told me T&C researched it to develop a Hulk Mutant."
As Jacob spoke, the knights felt chills down their spines.
They understood the vice captain's intent.
"Which means it's not a monster made by T&C."
｢...｣
"Your Highness—or rather, whatever's receiving this comm, are you really him?"
｢Static... crackle...｣
No answer came to Jacob's question—just static filling the silent warehouse.
The moment Jacob moved to shut it off, assuming nothing more...
｢Your... lord... is... dead... grrr... drip｣
The last sound was Denver's voice—no, a chilling wail from it.
'Tch, didn't work this time.'
I crushed the communicator in my combat arm. I'd only taken it to buy time for escape anyway—no further use.
'Might track it if I leave the chip.'
I smashed it down, pulverizing even the tiniest fragments to dust.
Detouring around the mystery foe had been a hassle, but fortunately, my crew and I boarded the evacuation ship.
'Almost got caught closing the door—someone showed up.'
The crew would all become our rations, but we'd eat them after distancing from the city.
Attacking too soon risked the pilot turning the ship or causing trouble.
We hid behind containers; the crew woman closed the door oblivious and left.
Denver had thrashed to alert her, but it was futile.
Thus, we departed the T&C Special Trade Center—pinnacle of human tech.
Through the cargo hold's small window, the massive hemispherical space city under its metal dome came into view.
Before the knight's comm, it had loomed endlessly; now, its full shape was visible, shrinking.
'Stayed longer than expected.'
I'd planned to fulfill evolution conditions there but failed. Three types short, Cult and Wolf hunts incomplete.
'No regrets. But after this... Huh?'
Gazing at the cityscape through the window, it suddenly shuddered violently.
From the center of the alloy plate forming its base, an explosion spewed black dust clouds.
The clouds surged into space before clinging to the city like they had a mind of their own.
Hundreds of meters thick, holes punctured the alloy plate everywhere, ejecting contents into the void.
'Gremlin torpedo... but that range?'
Gremlin torpedoes, as named, carried nanomachines that devoured metal—Star Union weapons for striking enemy flagships.
I'd wondered if it was the threat Predator Sense warned of at the dock, but no—that seemed from the city reactor.
'Dodged a bullet there.'
Everything poured from the torpedo-chewed gaps. A slight delay, and we'd have been flung into space's darkness.
'Actually worked out.'
Unknown perpetrator, but my traces littered the city. That damage made normal operations impossible.
If it became a tomb, my tracks would vanish naturally.
I kept watching the crumbling space city.
Invisible, inaudible from here, countless humans plummeted into the bottomless abyss.
'Fitting end for a city of sin.'
Small comfort: those who fled would face horrors no less than those left behind.
Only after the city faded from sight did I look away.
No sign of the Ezerton warships I'd been wary of.
Swept by the torpedo? Or escaped opposite? Unclear now.
'If Ezerton ships don't pursue...'
I glanced at the paralyzed Denver.
'No more need for this one.'
They might scan with bio-scanners using patriarch genes—troublesome.
I opened wide to devour him, but felt stares from behind.
26 and Adhai watched me.
'Hmm.'
They'd shone until departure. I'd praised verbally but given no rewards.
'Call it investment for the future.'
This ordeal confirmed their potential. Their growth aids my survival.
'No telling what crises lie ahead.'
Without them, beating Code Black would've been tough.
'Plus that unknown enemy before leaving.'
Unknown foes or unimaginable powerhouses possible.
Until fully evolved with traits, I'd need their help.
'...Personal attachment can't be ignored either.'
No friends as human, real life or games.
Family ties strained at best.
So perhaps that's why.
I couldn't deny growing fond of them.
Anyway—future investment and sentiment decided me to share this once.
[Zuz zu (Eat this)]
｢Not eating the big one?｣
｢Adult｣ ｢Meal｣ ｢Together｣
[Zu zuz (I'm fine)]
｢If big one no eat, I no eat.｣
｢Agree｣
They refused prime prey I'd offered. Like with Code Red's hand, they wanted to share.
'Tch. Not quite.'
[Zu zu zuz (Then eat together)]
｢Yes!｣
｢Joy｣
Agreed, we eyed the fallen Denver.
He guessed our intent, eyes pleading no.
"Mmph!"
Paralyzed mutters unintelligible—nothing important anyway.
Denver might know.
The only thing he could provide now.
Fresh meat.