Chapter 136
Chapter 136
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: Information Only I Know
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"We're heading out, Commander."
"Mm."
With a heavy vibration, the Mercury Haul began to move.
I crossed my legs inside the rattling vehicle and checked the holographic profile floating in the air once more.
The figure on the screen was Jester.
A vulgar clown mask, a shady black-and-white robe draped over her, grinning sleazily like a wanted criminal.
But I already knew what her bare face looked like once that mask was removed and the makeup wiped away.
It was ECHO, the one you met right after the tutorial ended in the mobile game Humanity's Echo - ECHO, starting from the first scenario.
[What's this? A newbie?]
[Hng~ Where's that fresh scent coming from? Uncontaminated smell... Nice.]
[Oh, you survived today too? Good for you?]
[This is high-concentration nutrient solution... Want one? Of course, it's not free.]
She was different.
Dahlia, the friend who popped up every time you progressed the main story, throwing quests your way and handing over juicy items or info as rewards.
Always money-obsessed and calculating, but with that oddly transcendent, enlightened vibe, players speculated wildly that "ECHO must've been a big deal in the past."
'Too bad her performance sucked.'
I rested my chin on my hand and smiled bitterly.
Her in-game tier was harshly C or D-rank, the kind you picked out of affection.
She was a "dealporter," doubling as support, but her damage was meh, buffs were weak, and versatility was crap.
Sure, she got niche use breaking specific mechanics on astral named bosses, but even that ended once better characters dropped, relegating her to the warehouse.
'Still, I figured she had a shady past... Turns out she really was a bottom-feeder wanderer.'
Thinking back, the game dropped plenty of hints.
A merchant weirdly skilled in combat, super knowledgeable on ground ops and survival rules, shown multiple times in the story.
Plus lines dodging past questions with "I rolled hard back then."
And her affinity info was uniquely inconsistent.
[Favorite Hobby: Machine Operation & Hacking]
[Favorite Gift: Worn Stuffed Doll]
Totally mismatched hobbies and gifts.
Funny thing: she'd calculate shop purchases with her fingers, not a calculator, and the bear dolls you gifted? She displayed them and forgot about them more than played with them.
'That's why folks called it a setting error at first...'
Seeing the others' profiles made it click.
Gizmo, the machine whiz; Raven, hugging her doll.
These two comrades, absent from the mobile game, clearly changed her big time.
So Dahlia's hobbies and tastes from the game were traces of the comrades she'd shared life-and-death with 30 years ago.
"Mm..."
"Something wrong, Commander?"
"Nah, nothing."
I shook my head lightly at Helena's question from the driver's seat.
'So... that famous smell fetish still intact?'
I smirked again at Dahlia—no, Jester's hologram.
[Commander, hold still. Sniff sniff.]
[Hng... Fresh scent.]
[Uncontaminated fresh human smell. You gotta be nice to ECHOs, unlike other humans, got it?]
[Zombies? Anomalies? The worst are astrals. Never trust'em. Got it?]
Not official lore, but her lines and actions cemented the smell fetish in the shadows.
Led to tons of 19+ doujins.
Most with her face buried in the male protag's crotch.
Anyway, seeing a familiar in-game ECHO wandering as a scavenger, now captured by my crew? Felt weird.
The most familiar ECHO I'd met since dropping into this world was Cordelia from Sacred Front...
The rest only showed in story, not as pickup characters.
Screeech!
Lost in thoughts, the vehicle arrived at Hongwei 7 Sector's outpost base.
Stepping out, Arva—who'd come to greet us—saluted crisply, posture perfect.
"You've arrived, Commander?"
"Yeah, good work. The prisoners?"
"Safely secured in the inner security zone."
"Safely?"
Arva's smile as she spoke felt oddly chilling.
Wait, did Hongwei 7 Sector even have a security zone for prisoners?
Question lingering, I followed her to the basement of a half-collapsed ruined building inside the base.
An old vault, sealed by massive thick iron doors.
"How'd you find this place?"
"Luck."
Rumble rumble!
Rusty gears ground noisily as the doors opened, revealing the interior.
"......"
I froze mid-step.
"...Damn, you've basically mummified them."
Arva's "safely" meant they'd been utterly neutralized—not a finger twitch possible.
Dimly lit detention room.
There, the three ECHO—Jester, Gizmo, and Raven—were bound utterly immobile.
'What the hell is that? Where'd they get it?'
Not simple ropes.
Special restraints twisting joints into grotesque poses.
Legs anchored to the floor, forced wide into an M-shape.
Gagged huge to silence screams, drool dripping down chins from unswallowable saliva.
"Mmph! Mmph! Mrrrgh!"
Jester spotted me, eyes bulging, trying to scream—but only beastly groans escaped the gag.
"Just to check, Pomen and Noah's handiwork?"
"Yes."
Figures.
Not all women are the same; not all ECHO are the same.
Pomen and Noah? Total perverts, confirmed.
"...Something wrong?"
"No, nothing."
In that sense, Arva grew up straight as an arrow.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Mmph! Mmmph! Mmph!"
As I approached, Jester glared, writhing fiercely despite bound limbs.
"Arva, remove the gag."
"Yes, Commander."
Arva yanked out the red ball gag roughly.
Free, Jester gasped, spat pooled saliva, and glared.
"Hah... hah... You're their commander?"
"Yeah."
"This ain't polite. Rough guys got no charm with ladies."
Prisoner acting unfazed, taunting leisurely. But it just made her cuter to me.
'Brings back memories.'
Matched the shopkeeper Dahlia bullying newbie protag.
"Our caravan deals useful stuff. Trade with your ark? Win-win. So loosen these, talk business as partners..."
"Trade... Sounds good, but I'd rather scout you all to our ark."
Her eyes narrowed at my offer.
She paused, then snorted and turned away.
"Hah. Why? Originals tempt you? Don't kid yourself. I ain't serving under humans. They're all backstabbing trash. Bet you'd cannon-fodder us on risky ops, then dismantle for cores when done. Obvious."
'In 30 years, you'll run the biggest department store in a human ark.' Would she believe it?
Her firm refusal dripped deep human distrust.
Acting sly with deals, but she'd bolt at first chance.
'Talk won't cut it? But letting her go's a waste.'
Original ECHO, future ally to protag.
Plus merchant skills. Couldn't lose that talent.
Pondering persuasion, Arva interjected coldly from the side.
"Commander."
"Yeah?"
"Execute these ECHOs here. Or dismantle for parts."
Killing intent dripped from her eyes unusually.
"Serpha says they leaked info on Hongwei 7 anomalies. And traded our sector intel to astrals too."
"Really?"
"Yes. Sell info to machines if it pays. Trash."
"Hah. We're merchants. Trade anything for cash. Merchant essence."
Jester yelled desperately.
Brazen, but to her.
"Mm..."
Scrap 'em now? Fair.
But their skills, "original ECHO" value... And Dahlia's future memories. Too precious.
'Destroying's wasteful; she won't follow nicely...'
An idea flashed: their weakness, my ace—info on them.
"Arva."
"Yes, Commander."
"Those two? Gizmo and Raven. Isolate in separate cells."
"...Understood."
Arva nodded; mass-produced ECHO dragged them out.
Now, just bound Jester, me, and Arva in the empty room.
"Well, just us two now?"
"What're you planning..."
"Nothing big. One more offer. Selling info's shitty, but help me under me? I can forgive that slip. Deal?"
"......"
Jester's eyes darted frantically, wheels turning loud.
I turned to Arva.
"Got the blindfold and mask used on them?"
"Yes, Commander."
"Give 'em here. Check Gizmo and Raven's status. Keep 'em honest."
"...You'd be alone."
"Mass-pro squad outside, I'll be fine. What can this bundled-up one do?"
"Understood."
Arva bowed and left.
Just us, Jester more anxious. I grinned slyly, approached, blindfolded her with the eyepatch.
"Wh-what're you doing?"
"Nothing much, Jester. You're super sensitive to smells, right?"
"...!"
Her body stiffened. Bullseye.
Shoved the ball gag back, covered with gas-mask leather mask, strapped tight behind head.
Her lower face sealed perfectly.
"Mmph?! Mmmph!"
"Can't disable the scent sensor... Leather smell's nothing, right?"
I patted her cheeks twice, slowly undid my belt buckle.
Pulled out my hardening cock. Blindfolded, she couldn't guess.
'Whew. Wanna fuck her raw.'
M-legged, blind and gagged, trembling body—could swallow whole, no issue.
But needed deeper conquest now.
I pressed my glans to the mask's breathing hole—her nose and mouth spot.
"---!!! --!"
Vibrating male scent.
Chains rattled as she jolted.
I furiously jerked off, her panicked masked face as side dish. Then unloaded hot cum fully into the filter hole.
"Nghhh!"
Half-day buildup?
Thick fluid flooded the tight mask space over nose/mouth, filling it. Massive load.
"Glllrggg!!! Grgggrr!!!"
She thrashed wildly.
Every inhale sucked my cum into nose/mouth.
Nostrils drowned in sloshing male musk.
No escape. Just marinating in my scent forever.
I secured the cover, caressed her cheek lightly.
"Your future commander's scent. Memorize it good."
Smell fetish? Days like this, attitude might shift.
Imagining her addicted, panting and clinging—thrilling already.
'Meanwhile, work on new pals Gizmo and Raven.'
I fixed my clothes, exited. Told the mass-pro ECHO at the door:
"Lock it. Don't open till I say."
"Yes, Commander."
"Got it!"
A day or three stewing? Should yield delicious results.