Chapter 196
Translator: uly
Chapter: 196
Chapter Title: Bridge Tensions and Rift Escape
At the same time.
The bridge of the Golden Fleet's flagship was stained with shouts.
"Drive in right now and follow them! The captain's in there!"
Runshin's voice boomed as he returned to the ship after cleaning up on the surface.
Giz, who usually treated everyone with a dopey face, wore a similarly fierce expression.
With the captain, Roze, and Merdi gone, Logri was the senior-most, but even he was absent, leaving no one with the stature to rein in the superhumans.
Yet Frederick's expression didn't change in the face of these outlaw-like superhumans.
"The Astral Dimension has limited visibility, and communications don't work properly. Attempting a blind Drive-in would only invite unnecessary risks."
"Unnecessary risks? The missing person is Leonard, our captain. The captain of this ship."
"I've broadcast the situation to the entire fleet and requested close support. As acting captain, I'll do everything in my power."
"Hah, this is frustrating!"
Giz stepped forward, pushing aside the aggressively advancing Runshin.
Then he spoke heavily.
"We don't need your best. Save him, no matter what. Promise me."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a threat surpassing Runshin's.
Still, Frederick didn't budge.
Instead, he nodded and issued an eviction order.
"Fine. Now, if you would kindly leave? You're just interfering at this point."
Giz led Runshin and the other superhumans out.
Tana, who had been watching the scene, muttered.
"For a superhuman unit formed less than a year ago, their cohesion is impressive."
"The captain is a capable leader. He doesn't neglect his duties, even if he's a bit inexperienced."
"But you're not worried at all?"
Tana's smile deepened as she asked.
Frederick replied nonchalantly.
"There's no need to assume the captain won't return. My role is to act as captain until then. More importantly, your attitude is strange. Didn't you and the Central Superhuman Unit hold the captain in high regard?"
"Why? You think I'm not sad or something?"
"......"
"You don't believe me. It's true. Those kids are ones even Darmosa favors. If Darmosa gets sad, I might feel sad too."
Tana let out a genuine-sounding sigh of worry.
"Is that all?"
"Of course not. Their exploits have been so outstanding that I'm worried about who to put in their spots."
Frederick felt nauseous.
He knew well that war always demanded someone's sacrifice.
Even so, he couldn't stomach that cold, icy gaze.
Wasn't that why he, rising as an elite commander with a bright future and pleas from those around him, had chosen discharge?
He had gotten involved again for the academy's survival and the graduates' futures, but if it weren't for Leonard, he wouldn't have returned to the front lines.
Frederick said firmly.
"That won't happen. The captain will return."
"In truth, I hope so too. There's no one in the Union who can do what Leonard does right now. With all the expectations and bets on him, if he dies pointlessly like this, Darmosa's plans will be delayed by five years at least."
Five years.
Was that all Leonard's value amounted to?
It didn't match the Leonard in his eyes, at least.
Frederick repeated himself.
"The captain will definitely return."
His words carried his own resolve.
*
"Here it comes again. On the left!"
"I know, so shut up and stay quiet!"
-Beep! I'll handle it.
Mumbling reached him.
It felt like voices from outside filtering through water.
They were saying something, but he couldn't make it out clearly.
The trait assimilation was nearly complete.
He could feel his horns growing further as the price for absorbing the powerful Rift Creation trait, but since they were already conspicuous, what did it matter?
'How much time has passed?'
Rift Creation was a ability-type trait that didn't require biological changes.
Thanks to that, it didn't need application procedures beyond imprinting, but even imprinting had devoured time mercilessly.
If he'd taken it easy, it would've taken over a day.
Pushing it at least three times faster was a blessing that no anomalies occurred.
'My ability has gotten stronger too.'
Such changes wouldn't happen for nothing.
He surmised his ability had grown stronger upon reaching this realm.
The increased internal energy directly boosted his ability more than anything.
Until now, he'd thought his ability was one of the hardest to strengthen.
It had grown to a certain level, but after that, it felt less like the ability itself powering up and more like he'd just gotten better at using it.
But this change definitely made him feel the ability itself had strengthened.
"Oxygen's running low!"
"Don't move. You'll deplete it faster if you do."
"Merdi, you've already pushed too hard. You'll overload again."
"Me? At this level? I can go another day no problem."
The mumbling came again.
Still unintelligible, but the urgency was clear.
Realizing the outside situation wasn't good, he threw himself fully into the assimilation.
"What the hell is in that egg for Space Crawlers to charge so desperately to claim it?"
-Beep! I can only say it's an alien relic. I can reveal details only with master's permission.
"Relic?"
"Either way, it's a good thing we have it. Without it, the Space Crawlers would've attacked us directly."
It was almost done.
He felt his consciousness rising rapidly.
The connection had been severed long ago.
"......If I'm this useless, maybe I'd be better off in suspended animation."
"Suspended animation?"
"Think of it as forcibly lowering body temperature for cryogenic sleep. Your vital rhythms slow drastically, so oxygen use drops to less than half."
His eyes opened.
Merdi's ability enveloping the surroundings made everything blindingly bright.
Merdi was the only one standing; Roze held him, while Merdi blocked front and back, fending off diving flyers and parasitic aliens.
She hadn't noticed he was awake yet, and her voice rang out.
"......No. You might not wake up again."
"But......"
"Merdi's right."
"Lemon?!"
"No need for cryogenic sleep."
He checked his watch immediately.
About five hours had passed since he connected.
But oxygen reserves were only enough for one hour.
'Because of those bastards?'
They must have grown impatient even with the brief wait.
Merdi had handled most of the fighting standing still with her ability, but oxygen consumption rose inevitably.
Merdi turned to him and asked.
"The trait?"
"Success."
-I'm relieved, master! Beep-beep!
Roze's arms around him tightened.
"So we can survive?"
"We can get out of this shitty space, at least."
Many romanticized AD Drive travel for its rainbow lights, but he couldn't agree anymore.
"Rift Creation takes massive energy. Even with my power now, it'll only last a few seconds. The size will be barely big enough for one person too."
He'd have to drain the horn and core's power to the bottom, combining their different energies without clash.
Then delicately manipulate that immense force to interfere with space and open a rift.
He'd said it simply to them, but that was only if everything went perfectly.
This was the first try.
Would it succeed?
He didn't mention there'd be no second chance.
"I believe in you."
Roze met his eyes and said.
She must be more nervous, yet she was bolstering his courage.
"Starting now. Merdi, minimize energy flows around us as much as possible."
"Got it."
"Leave the attackers to me!"
"Three minutes. That's all I need."
Power surged through his body.
With internal energy brimming, he could handle more external energy too.
But now, he'd use the core and horn's power, drawable from outside.
The suddenly extracted power was so vast he flinched involuntarily.
He wasn't used to it.
Still, handling it posed no issue regardless of familiarity.
Pondering combination, he sent the power to his right arm.
The absorption trait arm served as both conduit and storage.
Power from the core weapon's core and horn piled up steadily.
One stable, the other wild.
Mixing them wasn't oil and water, but it was definitely tough.
'I never intentionally mixed them before.'
Yet trying it, it wasn't as hard as expected.
Maybe because both originated from him. Or because he'd transcended the realm.
Either way, the unified energy kept building in his right arm.
With fuel ready, all that remained was ignition.
He moved the energy along the imprinted flow.
An utterly alien sensation of groping space.
Something intangible hooked his fingertips.
'I have the coordinates.'
Coordinates or rift center point.
Through the wedge there, their universe's existence was felt.
"Get ready."
Roze, darting around busily, rushed over, grabbing R3D3 in her right hand and Merdi's waist in her left.
Good call.
He nodded and slammed all prepared energy into the wedge.
"It's open!"
The rift appeared in an instant.
Far larger than the person-sized he'd expected—big enough to shove a 5-ton truck through.
Beyond it, their original universe: dark backdrop twinkling with starlight.
Graaaaaah!!
By the time the Space Crawlers realized and roared, they were already out.
He felt the rift close and turned back.
They had all safely escaped the Astral Dimension.
"We survived!"
Roze suddenly hugged his neck with both arms.
R3D3, sandwiched between them, wriggled free.
-Careful! Be careful! You nearly crushed the egg twice.
"You did good too. How's your status?"
-No major issues. More importantly, you overcame the space orphan ending, master!
"Not completely overcome yet."
-I've sent the distress signal. Current position is about 8 million kilometers from Arkstar. Rescue ship ETA up to 1 hour.
Oxygen left matched that exactly.
But with R3D3's preserved toxic gas, they could last double.
In short, even if slightly late, rescue was guaranteed.
Only then did he relax.
"No aliens around, right?"
"I can zap a few if there are, so don't worry. More like, how long are you two sticking together?"
At Merdi's agitated voice, Roze laughed and loosened her arms around his neck.
But since they had to stay until rescue, they didn't fully separate.
Merdi's eyes narrowed sharply.
"Don't get mad. Calm down. Save oxygen."
-Verified mental training method available. Follow along. Inner peace... Inner peace...
"Right. Excitement wastes more oxygen."
He, R3D3, and Roze took turns saying it.
Suddenly, Merdi burst out laughing.
"Whoa, she laughed! ...But we said no laughing either."
-Oxygen consumption rising. Maybe anger is better?
"You guys really......"
Merdi muttered, covering her face with both hands.
When she lowered them, she was calm.
"I'll stay still, so shut up."
Her face somehow looked incredibly relieved.
Merdi closed her eyes, holding his left hand and Roze's right.
Roze smiled at Merdi and closed her eyes too.
-Beep! As expected, it works...
"Shh!"
He closed his eyes as well.
An hour later, before the rescue ship arrived, they slept peacefully in silence.