Chapter 156
Chapter 156
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 156
Chapter Title: Commander's Invitation
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"Purely out of curiosity, huh."
Rebel Commander flashed a reassuring smile, perhaps sensing my delayed response.
"There's no special trick to it. It's just a kind of intuition I've developed from observing aliens for so long."
"Intuition?"
"Sorry if that's disappointing."
"No. What's there to be disappointed about."
I'd already checked up on Rebel Commander from every angle.
I knew he had a particular interest in aliens as an extraterrestrial species.
He researched them like a scholar and even published papers.
That was why I thought that, if he'd investigated me, we might be able to form a friendly relationship. "That intuition of yours, surpassing even AI calculations in predictive power, is incredibly valuable. But that's not what disappoints me."
"......Pardon?"
His expression suddenly turned regretful.
What was he getting at.
"You used to write tactical reports regularly while at the academy, right? I've read them."
"Ah......"
"Every single one."
He was talking about Real Time Alien Tactics.
I'd known that some commanders were interested in my tactical reports and had even leveraged that on purpose.
But I hadn't realized Rebel Commander was one of the main readers.
"They must have been sorely lacking."
"Of course they were lacking. But your reports gave me a fresh perspective on aliens. I learned a lot from them."
"......"
"But tell me, why have you stopped doing it now?"
Rebel Commander's gaze turned reproachful, the atmosphere shifting abruptly.
"You mean writing tactical plans?"
"Yes. You've gained so much experience on the front lines firsthand. If you wrote them now, they'd be even better than before. I'd learn more too. That's what's truly regrettable."
"......"
"And do you know that some response protocols were revised based on your reports? Judging by your face, you didn't."
Old memories resurfaced.
What had set my tactical reports apart back then was my ability.
To compensate for my limited tactical insight, I'd delved deeply into every entity from which I'd acquired information.
As a result, my reports weren't so much model answers as they were clever operations tailored to facing specific entities in particular situations.
'They probably weren't practical for general scenarios, of course.'
Yet if they'd revised actual protocols based on them, it didn't seem like they'd used them as-is.
The commanders must have studied and adapted them.
'Either way, it's not a bad thing.' It meant my alien knowledge could be put to innovative use.
I realized Rebel Commander's reproach wasn't coming from nowhere.
"I'll grant you access to command conferences from now on. Whenever you like. You don't even have to say a word if you don't want to—just attend when you have time."
"Really?"
"You'll be able to do it in two years anyway, right? No issue if it's a bit sooner."
"That's......"
He was referring to the 'supreme' command conferences.
Participants included the commander plus fleet leaders and generals—all top brass.
Superhumans were naturally excluded.
Even superhuman unit leaders could attend, but that was just formal authority tied to their position.
Superhumans typically had no interest in them, and commanders didn't push their own domain onto others.
Serious joint strategy sessions were limited to high-grade hatchery assaults or special situations requiring superhumans.
Everything else ended more as requests and coordination than full operations.
'This isn't just about letting me sit in.'
It naturally included learning for the time being, but I wondered if the other commanders would accept it.
'Hope they don't time it poorly.'
Either way, it was unprecedented.
Superhumans and military commanders operated in different realms, yet he was offering me a seat. "What do you say?"
"......I'll do it."
You take opportunities like this when they're offered.
Having speaking rights in supreme command conferences meant bolstering my authority.
I'd probably gain recognition just by matching half of what others did.
"Good decision."
Rebel Commander nodded approvingly.
"To exterminate those aliens who deserve to be devoured, we need people like you to put in a little more effort."
"Aliens are scum I want dead too."
"As members of the Union, that's only natural!"
He clenched his fist, showing fervent agreement.
Then, as if revealing his true intentions, he continued in a forceful tone. "I have no intention of just maintaining the front lines like this. Holding steady means one-sided attrition, which spells defeat for humanity. We need the next step."
"......The next step? You mean an advance?"
"Exactly! But we can't do it right away. To make it happen, we need to stabilize the Styx front as quickly as possible. And minimize casualties at the same time."
I hadn't expected him to be thinking this way already.
It fit for someone of Rebel Commander's stature.
But its gamble made it hard to voice lightly.
"I hope you'll join me when the time comes."
I held my tongue.
Rebel Commander didn't press for an answer, just gazing at me steadily.
*
It was a meeting that sparked all sorts of thoughts.
I'd even gleaned his objectives.
'An advance can't be done recklessly.'
Deciding whether to join him was premature.
Humanity hadn't even grasped the true nature of the 'Breeder.'
Just hypotheses abounded—no clues whatsoever toward eradicating aliens at the root.
'That's why he can be so bold about it.'
If Rebel Commander truly knew, he wouldn't speak of advancing so casually.
Provoking the Breeder rashly could be worse than leaving it alone.
'Not happening anytime soon anyway.'
But a lot of time remained before it became reality.
What drew me more was the tactical reports.
Until now, I'd used my knowledge through the lab, but it suddenly felt like too limited an approach.
'It wasn't like this at first.'
Come to think of it, this was even worse than my academy days.
The info I'd absorbed via my ability wasn't confined to technical aspects.
Alien habits and traits, weaknesses and behaviors, and more.
There were plenty of things I could explain better than what humanity had amassed through combat and research.
'This needs to be shared.'
I remembered why I hadn't spread it widely back then.
I'd been desperate to hide my ability's existence.
My footing was unstable, and I could face danger anytime, so I'd kept myself concealed.
I still hadn't revealed I was Salmon Lab's head.
But there was no need to hide anymore.
I was Golden Fleet's master, next superhuman unit leader, and key Monarch lineage.
My ties with Darmosa and others were public knowledge, and my personal prestige was high.
No one could touch me on a whim now.
As long as I didn't flaunt it outright.
'Might as well publish a book.'
Rebel Commander had shared his alien research via papers.
But I didn't have to follow suit.
Bundling them by standardized species into books seemed fine.
Anyone interested would read them.
Best to start now, while things were relatively quiet.
"Fleet Master!"
I'd just resolved to do it when Frederick called me.
His face was grim as he continued.
"Urgent report!"
"Details?"
"Continuous assaults on Uranus. An entity estimated at danger level 8 has appeared. Defense fleet half-destroyed. On the verge of occupation!"
"Damn it......"
I clutched my head.
The Styx front was facing the exact situation I'd least wanted.
*
The Uranus system lay right next to the Okeanos system.
Only one civilized planet: Uranus itself, named after its star.
It had held off assaults well until now.
Superhuman support had been needed just once for a grade-4 hatchery, and fortification progressed fastest there.
But continuous assaults plus a level 8 entity had shattered everything.
'It was bound to happen eventually.'
The Styx front had been too peaceful.
Even as the early phase, no named entities or atypical assaults had appeared.
Truthfully, we'd been lucky.
A few planets falling and the front pushed back wouldn't have been surprising.
We were heading to Uranus with every ounce of force stationed on Acheron.
This support included half the fleets guarding Acheron system.
Per Rebel Commander, half from Phlegethon and Lethe too—totaling 1.5 regular fleets.
'Travel time: about 7 hours.'
Our first priority was securing the Drive Gate.
Then, clearing hive nests and flyers, and reclaiming the planet.
"Too comfortable lately, and now karma hits?"
"Even so, level 8 feels overkill."
I'd entered astral space, left the bridge to Frederick, and gathered the superhumans.
Tension already hung thick inside, the level 8 entity's existence known.
"Level 8—same as that guy back then, right?"
Faint unease showed on the squad members' faces.
'Still hung up on that incident.'
Everyone except Rodrigo and Shefin had experienced Crimson with me as peers.
That thing's strength—slaughtering mockingly against a fleet, defenses, and numerous superhumans—had instilled fear.
Without Miracle Generation trapping it, far more cadets would have died.
And it'd be solid trauma now, not just faint dread. "Wonder what it looks like."
Roze asked with an eager face.
Not tense at all, even now.
'Level 8 is same grade as Crimson.'
Nothing topped level 8.
Anything exceeding benchmarks got slapped with it.
But I doubted it'd surpass Crimson.
"We have footage."
"Squad Leader, show us too."
"Hold on. Projecting centrally."
Moments later, the hologram played.
"What the hell is that?" The level 8 alien looked grotesque.
Around 10 meters tall, its torso bristled with spines like a star system, lower body writhing with dozens of tentacles.
Then its upper body split sideways, revealing a massive maw.
Disgust incarnate.
"Not a normal one in the bunch."
Merdi voiced her impression first.
"Its abilities are far from normal too."
Then, what seemed secondary battery fire engulfed multiple aliens.
"Whoa! It hit...?"
No barrier rebound visible, so Roze blurted before clamping her mouth shut.
As the blast light faded, the unscathed alien emerged.
"......Did it absorb that?" The alien extended tentacles toward the battery fire's origin.
Energy of the same nature fired back.
"Info's scarce. From what we've gathered, pure energy weapons do nothing. It absorbs and repurposes them."
"What about physical attacks? Doesn't look squishy."
"This should give you an idea."
I advanced the footage.
Now the alien clung to a destroyer.
Murdoch-class by looks—it pierced the deployed barrier in seconds and assaulted the ship. "Eek......!"
Even the sturdy hull plating gave way instantly.
Corrosive saliva from its maw plus tentacle force.
The ship soon became a hive for invading flyers via the breach.
"That's why it's estimated at level 8."
"A destroyer taken that easily......" No engine overload either.
It had simply 'passed through' the barrier.
Likely the same ability as absorbing batteries—nightmarish for the targeted ship's crew.