Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: First Treatment and Sudden Assault
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# 80
After that, preparations for the treatment were quickly made.
A man who appeared to be the attending physician approached and asked if there was anything he could assist with.
"There will be pain during the treatment. Put the patient to sleep."
"Does the composition of the anesthetic matter?"
"Don't you have a forced sleep device? That would be better."
"We'll prepare that."
"Once it's ready, everyone clear out. No observers allowed. Video recording is off-limits too."
They wouldn't be able to replicate it even if they watched, but there was no need to show it anyway.
Soon, only Tana and I remained in the space prepared for the treatment.
'Her condition is pretty severe...?'
Among the patients I'd treated before, it was on par with Ul Karma, who had the worst contamination progression.
Since this girl was a civilian, it was actually worse than that case.
'If left alone, it would've gotten progressively worse until she died. She must be in serious pain even now.'
It was understandable why she'd choose death.
It looked utterly foolish to me since I could save her, though.
I removed the girl's top completely.
Her bare skin was exposed as a result, but the contamination had ruined her skin so badly that no other thoughts crossed my mind.
Using a syringe, I administered the treatment solution via IV.
'Do I have to cure her in one go?'
The thought suddenly occurred to me.
The answer was no.
Even though I'd agreed to treat her for free, finishing it all at once offered me no benefits.
'I'll split it up.'
I needed to create points of contact.
Deciding to hide my treatment abilities appropriately by dividing it into at least three sessions, I placed my hand on the mutated area.
*
After the first treatment, I met with the Lachesis family head again.
He had already heard about the changes in his daughter's condition and wore an excited expression.
"Please, sit here."
The seat he personally offered was now right next to him, unlike before.
As I sat down slowly, the family head posed a silent question.
"A full cure is possible."
"Really?"
"Yes. But her condition is poor, so we'll need at least two more sessions spaced out. And one more check afterward to ensure no abnormalities."
"......Haa."
The family head covered his face with his palm and let out a long sigh.
Relief was palpable.
"......Thank goodness. Really, thank goodness."
I watched him for a moment before speaking.
"I'll take full responsibility until she's cured. I can't say exactly when since I'm tied up, though."
"......Why? I clearly told you there was nothing more I could do."
His expression showed utter incomprehension.
I knew that.
With no alternatives, this was an incredibly valuable treatment offered for free.
Yet I didn't want my relationship with the Lachesis family head to end as a mere transaction.
'It's too early to say I've fully gauged the man, but...'
So far, he seemed decent.
He was also the most influential figure in what would be my main area of activity for the time being.
Plus, if I earned his gratitude, he didn't strike me as the type to coldly turn his back empty-handed.
"I know that too."
"......Hoo, you're impossible to read."
The family head shook his head slightly.
Then he turned to Tana and asked,
"Even so, we can't just let a favor like this slide. I'll do my utmost. The others might be tricky, but I can probably sway at least four to cooperate."
"My thanks for your kindness."
Tana replied politely.
The four he mentioned were likely the heads from the same star cluster.
The three star systems of the Moirae—represented by Lachesis, Clotho, and Atropos—were named after their stars and main planets.
Among them, the habitable planets with terraforming and infrastructure numbered five, three, and two respectively, so swaying him alone meant pulling in half of the heads.
"...That's our line. When you and your mother went out and only one returned, I thought the sky had fallen. And now even that last daughter was doomed to die—what more is there to say? It's all my fault for being immoral."
"It's not your fault, family head. It's all because of those damned aliens."
Tana countered in a firm tone.
"......Superhuman Tana. You really hate aliens, don't you?"
"Aliens are humanity's archenemy."
Tana didn't hide her loathing for aliens.
'Influenced by Darmosa, I suppose...?'
Tana's tendencies were deeply shaped by Darmosa.
She probably resented aliens now, but later she'd hate the humans causing internal problems even more.
Darmosa had been the same way.
"Having superhumans like you two working together for humanity is truly reassuring. Honestly, your people always seemed like thieves to me until now......"
"If you saw the soldiers dying on the front lines fighting aliens right now, you wouldn't say that."
"Hm, my words were hasty."
The family head said no more in response to Tana's rebuttal.
I promised to return whenever time allowed and headed out.
The Lachesis family head saw our transport ship off until it departed.
*
Having wrapped up in New Eden, we entered the AD Drive toward the Triple Link region.
It would take about seven hours to arrive.
The Triple Link region had a relatively high number of Drive Gates.
This made the beacon signals strong, lowering the difficulty of natural coordinate calculations, which shortened travel time relative to distance.
Even if errors occurred, you'd likely end up nearby, making Drive navigation accidents extremely rare.
Its geographical conditions were top-notch, really.
'If only there were no aliens...'
The heads' dream of making it a trade mecca might have come true.
It was regrettable in many ways.
"Prepare for Drive Out."
"Continuance values checked. All normal."
"Initiating dimensional portal opening sequence. Countdown. 5...4...3...2...1...Open!"
We left the shining Drive world and returned to our dark, gloomy one.
Scattered starlight at least lit the way ahead.
"Drive Out!"
"0.5 hours to Drive Gate."
"Systems all green."
The most dangerous part of AD Drive travel—the Drive Out—went off without a hitch.
But our destination didn't look safe.
"Anomaly in observation range! Alien assault!"
Far off.
Numerous rifts tore across space.
The dark blotches spraying out like spilled ink were all aliens.
"Hah, work greets us the moment we arrive."
"What are your orders, Chief Officer?"
Chief Officer was Tana's position in the Central Knight Order.
It oversaw administrative duties, usually with dedicated staff.
But watching Tana handle things, she seemed to do it all herself.
"Enter via safe route. Contact HQ and request one superhuman's participation."
"...Just one?"
"You'll have to tough it out. Leonard."
Tana patted my shoulder.
"Haha......"
I glanced outside.
The assault's scale looked formidable.
*
Boom! Crash!!
Deafening noise and vibrations spread endlessly.
Aliens that pierced the concentrated defensive fleet's firepower reached the surface, seeking blood-red lifeforms to spread contamination.
"A-Aliens!!"
"Eek!"
"Hide! Hide anywhere!"
The Human Union exerted effort, but not everyone could be protected.
This place, peaceful until half a year ago, was no exception.
Too small to qualify for Union military protection, it only received supplies enough to form a militia.
There hadn't been major issues until now.
This was Lachesis Planet in the Lachesis System.
As the Triple Link region's core, it had the heaviest fleet presence guarding space, so most aliens oxidized in orbit without reaching the surface.
"Damn it. What's got those big ones crawling all the way to this backwater? How hungry are they?"
"Will our guns even work on them?"
"......We do what we can."
But luck doesn't last forever.
Tunie Omba, the militia leader and a retired soldier, suppressed his urge to collapse and replied.
'We're all dead anyway.'
Though he'd lasted only three years on the front lines before retiring due to injury, he knew makeshift barriers of scrap metal wouldn't hold those things for even a minute.
'Should've left when others suggested it...'
The city was hell now.
So he'd returned to the village to wait for transport seats, even if later. That had been foolhardy.
"How the hell are we supposed to stop that big bastard with this junk...?!"
The accompanying Claws and other low-threat individuals could be managed somehow.
But not a Mammoth.
It was tough enough to charge through tank fire.
To this ragtag militia, it was like a natural disaster.
"Hey, Tunie! Any word on reinforcements?"
"They said they're sending some, but don't get your hopes up."
It'd take thirty minutes.
By then, the village would be ravaged three times over.
So Tunie abandoned hope in reinforcements.
Better to draw the monsters' attention with their lives while evacuating families.
"Pour everything into it! Don't let them get close!!"
The militiamen unleashed a barrage.
Explosions rang out, dropping aliens in heaps.
"Fire! Fire!"
"Uwaaaaaah!"
But more survived and charged the village than fell.
Some couldn't bear it and trembled.
None lowered their guns, though.
Behind them were their families and neighbors.
"Now! Blow 'em all!"
Ruuuumble!!
As aliens closed in, the buried mines detonated in unison.
The clustered aliens were wiped out in one go.
"D-Did it work......?"
"No! Look at the big one!"
"No way. It's fine?"
But even that intense blast wasn't enough to fell the Mammoth.
The 10-meter-tall behemoth merely tumbled from the shock, unscathed.
"Knock it down again! Keep it from getting up!"
"Aim for the legs, the legs!"
Too late for that now.
Tunie grimaced.
'No way out...!'
He'd aimed for a killing blow with the mines, but failed to take down the Mammoth.
Unused weapons remained, but most were energy-based, useless against it.
Then.
A familiar voice came from behind.
"Daddy?"
"J-Jenny? How are you...?!"
It was his daughter, Jenny Omba.
Even at ten, she clutched her beloved rabbit doll.
"I snuck out. I missed you, Daddy."
"Get back inside now. You can't be out here!"
"Ugh, but..."
"Now!"
She flinched at his shout.
Worried since he'd never yelled at her before, Tunie steeled himself and yelled again.
"Go!"
"Okay......"
"Hurry! Go to Mommy, lock the door tight, and don't look outside. Got it!?"
Could hiding even work now?
Worry clouded his mind.
Watching his teary-eyed daughter run off, Tunie raised his gun again.
'At least the small ones...!'
The Mammoth was hopeless.
The barrier would fall anyway; the village would be ravaged.
So eliminate the small ones that'd hunt hidden people to buy time until reinforcements.
"Forget the big one! Take out the rest!"
"B-But it's charging!"
"I'll handle it somehow! Listen to me!"
Tunie barked orders to forcibly pull the militiamen away from the Mammoth.
Not everyone obeyed.
The massive charging beast was too intimidating.
Boom!!
The Mammoth finally rammed the barrier headfirst.
"Ugh......!"
"Th-The barrier's collapsing!"
The barrier, built by every able-bodied man, crumbled in one hit.
The Mammoth shook off tangled debris as it broke through.
"Grooooar."
The shock sent Tunie tumbling from his perch atop the barrier. He shook his head.
His senses reeled.
But he couldn't stay down.
The Mammoth thrashed, widening the breach.
More aliens poured in behind it.
"No!"
Even dazed, Tunie charged, spraying bullets.
The hit aliens, bodies shredded, crawled toward the village if they could move.
"Urk!"
Offended by his resistance, the Mammoth charged Tunie.
He dodged desperately, but a horn gored his side. He spat blood and flew back.
'J-Just a bit more...!'
Refusing to drop his gun, Tunie shoved the barrel at the Mammoth.
An energy round struck its nose.
But it couldn't pierce the skin and fizzled harmlessly.
Tunie's hand hit the ground.
'......This is it?'
He lacked strength to even hold the gun.
As he resigned, something rained from the sky.
Powerful beams, somehow perfectly aimed, struck only the aliens infiltrating the militiamen.
No time to marvel.
The area beyond the barrier erupted in flames instantly.
The wind-carried heat scorched flesh.
Two volleys eliminated every alien except the Mammoth.
'Just that one left...!'
Tunie prayed to his unknown savior.
The prayer was answered.
Through blurring vision, he glimpsed a human descending from the sky.
'......A superhuman?'
Before blacking out, his retina burned with the image of a tiny figure crushing the Mammoth.