Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Nesepala Rampage
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Seeing how deeply Deneb had fallen into the kingdom's grasp, with its intelligence network built through resident Lushakans and rats, really drove home the sense of reversal.
After surveying the entire planet with my own eyes, switching to just the views from Space Whales and Treegalaons felt like going blind.
I need to hurry up and sign relocation treaties with countries outside Deneb, planting Lushakans there too. Information is crucial when situations like this arise.
For now, checking through the Space Whales that could serve as informants in Varisa, things looked far too peaceful to call it pre-war.
The cats working at the station didn't seem tense or grim-faced, nor were their steps hurried. They were casually chatting and strolling around, looking utterly carefree.
The food was obviously for the Treegalaons, and the minerals were bought for ship construction, right?
Varisa's tech wasn't unrivaled, so they weren't building planet-scale structures.
With no demand that would make an exporter turn into an importer, war seemed the obvious conclusion.
But it looks like I need a deeper investigation.
While building an intelligence network inside Varisa and planting more "me"s there, I probed about delegation exchanges.
"We're sorry, but our headquarters is currently focused on a major project with all hands on deck. We'd be happy to discuss it again later."
That was the summary of their response. So they had no intention of hiding what they were doing right now—they just didn't want to tell us?
Of course, they banned entry for all extraterrestrials like delegations that might figure it out.
The relaxed vibe leaking from the diplomatic comms, the soldiers' atmosphere and movements seen through the Space Whales—it all led to the conclusion that this wasn't war.
So why were they gathering resources? What for?
It reeked.
Like a honey pot.
They'd stumbled on something too delicious and were greedily hoarding it all for themselves.
Cat friends, we're allies, aren't we? Can't we at least take a peek?
"We're sorry, but headquarters currently has no intention of allowing extraterrestrial entry."
Playing dirty like that? I swear, just looking?
"Apologies. Entry is impossible at this time."
We sold you the latest Treegalaon-Alpha, cleared out the Bahilila Holy Knights, and you've already forgotten our favors?
"Sorry."
I knew it, you ungrateful cat bastards.
I saw the signs when we instigated the coup in the Deneb Federation.
But as the galaxy's foremost pacifist, I won't show anger here.
No. On second thought, demanding with just words was too much. There needs to be give and take.
The cat friends, as businessfolk, probably expected me to sweeten the pot with something substantial—I was the oblivious one.
But if I throw money in instead of empty words, this becomes a gamble.
I still don't know what those cats are up to. Just a hunch from experience and instinct that there's something to harvest or capture.
And I've always been terrible at gambling, ever since my human days on Earth.
My stock portfolio was a pathetic shade of clear blue.
They've stockpiled food near the Treegalaons, so even if not now, they'll use it eventually.
Better to check through Treegalaon vision then and decide.
A few days of watching countless minerals gathered by Varisa Space Company slice through space via hyperlanes and vanish.
Finally, the cats started piloting the Treegalaon-Alpha.
It had been a while since purchase, and with steady training, they swiftly loaded organic matter and launched it.
This time, their actions looked urgent. Their stiff expressions screamed soldiers heading to battle—anyone could see it.
Definitely not war, though?
The Treegalaon-Alpha entered the hyperlane.
Upon slicing through space and arriving in the target star system, asteroids came swarming.
Grrrraaah—!!
Thankfully, these were small ones, so the Treegalaon-Alpha leisurely swam aside, dodging their path.
Capturing the asteroids whizzing past in its view instantly revealed Varisa Space Company's game.
Instead of rocky surfaces on the asteroids' backs, giant ammonites clung there.
These weren't asteroids—they were space squids using asteroids as homes.
Those squids were enormous. Bigger than the Treegalaon-Alpha?
Even small asteroids were over 1km in diameter, chunks galore, and massive ones exceeded 100km.
None of the moving asteroids visible now were that huge, but the potential mattered.
It meant the system teemed with creatures larger than the 1.2km-long Treegalaon-Alpha.
And the massive asteroid belt orbiting this star system, visible to the eye. Perfect for breeding if they used asteroids as homes.
To a spacefaring civilization, it'd look like a treasure trove of mineral veins.
The mineral purchases were for attaching mining gear to all these asteroids—an initial investment.
I could buy Varisa's actions to an extent, but it still felt insufficient.
New mine discovery warrants initial investment, sure—but enough to flip from exporter to importer?
The giant ammonites explained that.
Fixing and devouring attacking ammonites with wooden vine tentacles, it spotted one not rocky, but clad in alloy.
Varisa Space Company, pushing expansion into new star systems, discovered this peculiar one.
It boasted a far thicker asteroid belt than typical systems.
Ages since finding a habitable planet, no fresh space discoveries, days under finance division scrutiny.
Jubilant at this rare find, they reported to HQ.
Survey and mining teams dispatched from HQ arrived, ready to mine asteroids—but confirmed they moved.
Orbiting by stellar gravity was normal, but these zigzagged up-down-left-right, not circles?
Full investigation launched into the anomaly.
A fearless approaching ship got smashed by a sudden squid leg, announcing new lifeforms.
Survey team panicked at the ambush but soon realized the creatures weren't inherently hostile.
Thus began study of the new lifeform.
Named Nesepala in Varisa tongue, they ate rock and metal, secreting from their rear to form massive asteroids.
This system's thick asteroid belt and countless asteroids housed a Nesepala horde.
Bigger than Treegalaon-Alphas bought from neighbor Lushaka Kingdom—clear game-changer for national power—HQ committed to full investment.
Prepped corporate fleet including Treegalaon-Alpha for contingencies, poured in massive minerals for experiments.
Devouring asteroid-sized rocks meant huge mineral consumption; HQ saw the value and invested without restraint.
Research: Mining minerals from Nesepala heads.
Feeding metals, harvesting and testing secreted metals for construction.
Feeding metals to fluid Nesepala for farming viability.
Attaching machinery to make Treegalaon-like tools.
Full investment underway; Lushaka Kingdom sent nosy delegation smelling profit, but Varisa wouldn't share with rivals.
Then a newbie overfed minerals, somehow agitating a Nesepala—it went berserk, out of control.
Within expected accident range, HQ deployed Treegalaon-Alpha to subdue the rampaging Nesepala.