Chapter 19
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Gift
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Ehilaatoom's Diary
Chiltoom is heading down the wrong path.
Before we became Chiltoom, the Galactic Republic was a nation formed from a union of diverse organic species.
Our republic respected diversity and brimmed with vibrant dynamism.
However, under the pretext of eliminating interspecies conflicts, the council decreed the mechanization of the entire nation.
We shed our flesh and uploaded our consciousnesses into mechanical bodies.
In doing so, we were reborn as pure intellectual lifeforms—transcendent beings granted immortal lives.
From that moment, we began to be called Chiltoom.
True to the name—Steel (Chil) - Intellect (Toom)—we became thinking machines.
We no longer desired anything.
We neither loved nor hated anyone.
Our sole purpose was the pursuit of pure reason.
Everything else was seen as a source of conflict and thus eradicated.
By evolving into a single species, interspecies strife vanished.
We attained peace by castrating ourselves.
But what meaning does such peace hold?
Unlike most Chiltoom, who are content with their tranquil existence...
A few harbored dissatisfaction with the mechanization.
I was one of them.
People say: "Why can't you be satisfied with immortality?"
I want to ask them in return.
We can no longer desire anything.
We can no longer love anyone.
The warmth of a touch, the gentle rays of morning sun, the breath of a loved one...
Our bodies can feel none of it now.
And precisely because of that, we no longer hate.
Is this the true peace we have gained?
What meaning does such a life hold?
I declare firmly: It is self-mutilation, nothing more than spiritual suicide.
Life as Chiltoom brings us no happiness.
It breeds only endless misery.
Thus, for tens of thousands of years, I have researched ways to reverse my mechanization surgery.
The results were utterly despairing.
Even if we could recreate a body, the lost fragments of consciousness could not be restored.
At some point, I realized the truth.
Science alone cannot undo the surgery.
From then on, I turned to studying anomalies.
After millennia of archival research and archaeological digs, I learned of a mysterious dream seed I named Mriya.
It is a device meant to summon the entity known as the King of Illusions into reality.
The King of Illusions is a transcendent being referenced across ancient texts.
He is a god dwelling in the Vortex, beyond the physical universe.
He yearns to enter our physical cosmos and spares no effort to manifest his will.
Learning of the King of Illusions piqued my interest.
Fitting for a Vortex dweller, he wields immense power.
Ancient texts describe his ability as defying physical laws to render illusions real.
This sparked a hopeful hypothesis in me.
With such power, could he not reverse my mechanization?
Of course, negotiation would demand a price.
If I contributed greatly to ushering the King of Illusions into this world...
Would he not honor my merits and grant my plea?
I must make contact with the King of Illusions.
Record End
Title: So it all went down like that because of one mentally broken bitch.
Author: SF Worldview Fanboy
The reason she snapped totally tracks.
But the other Chiltoom are all living satisfied, and here she is sacrificing everyone else just to get her body back? What kinda mindset is that?
I've seen every type of xeno out there, but this is next-level selfish bitch lmao.
I'm more shocked that even the Ancients have mentally ill ones lmao.
Me too lmao. Aren't the Ancients supposed to be a perfect utopia 'cause their civ is so advanced everything's flawless?
I thought the same till now, but guess not.
Title: How the hell did this newbie survive and come back alive?
Author: Ragna Rothburg
King of Illusions ← Cosmic horror entity that gains power just from intelligent beings perceiving it.
A god-level monster he indirectly faced and endured.
Fine, surviving the King of Illusions encounter, whatever.
But how the fuck did he smash Mriya?
Title: Let me sort out the situation.
Author: Ragna Rothburg
So there's this thing called Mriya.
It's a hardcore recognition hazard anomaly that can infect even 1-Tier civ Ancients.
But the newbie already knew something stronger called "Marine Literature."
Every time Mriya tried mental erosion, newbie borrowed the power of that Marine Literature to resist.
Seeing it worked, he straight-up shoved Marine Literature into Mriya's head, driving it insane.
And get this—that terrifying recognition hazard is basically just a meme gag code internet slackers on newbie's Earth use for laughs?
That how I got it right?
Yeah, spot on.
Earth uses recognition hazards that rank as humor...? What kinda world you from, human?
Starting to get creeped out by this newbie.
Title: This newbie really from Earth?
Author: Space Engineer
Not from some hellhole named Earth?
Newbie, fess up. Your Earth doesn't have magma flowing instead of water or something, right?
Not at all. Our Earth is so advanced we even issued a Declaration of Human Rights Equality.
????? You issued a Declaration of Human Rights Equality?
After slaughtering each other nonstop, how'd they pull off a human rights declaration? Gets more wild the more I learn lmao.
I took a break reading the forum posts.
'Ugh, I'm beat.'
Right after clearing the anomaly event.
I got nabbed by Chiltoom warriors who'd boarded my ship.
They stripped my weapons and locked me up.
But Suhariltoom soon showed up and laid out the whole story.
The Chiltoom apologized profusely, set me free, and even kindly escorted me back to my ship.
With that, the whole ordeal finally wrapped up.
The moment I hit the ship, I dove straight for the bed and sprawled out.
"Uwaaaah...!!! This is bliss...!"
I'd spent a solid ten days on that Chiltoom battleship.
How I'd missed this plush bed and cozy blanket.
'Crashing on that cold, hard floor for catnaps was brutal.'
Sure enough, there's truth to the saying that leaving home turns life into hell.
I was starting to get why forum folks hated venturing out from their ships so much.
"Captain, the Chiltoom battleship is requesting a comm."
That's when Orca called out to me.
I bolted upright and headed to the situational display.
"Chiltoom battleship, were you looking for me?"
The screen flickered, revealing a steel alien far more imposing than any Chiltoom I'd seen before.
"Human, I am General Rakshyatoom of the Chiltoom Republic. I've heard of your exploits aboard this vessel from Suhariltoom. Most impressive."
One of the galaxy's mightiest races.
Getting props from one of their top brass?
Couldn't complain about that.
"Aw, shucks, no sir. Just did what anyone would've."
Ancients—even forum vets feared them.
If they felt like it, vaporizing my ship would be child's play.
So I was pulling out all the stops to stay polite.
Soon the general spoke up again.
"After conferring with my staff, we've agreed to offer a modest reward in recognition of your deeds."
My eyes nearly bugged out.
Chiltoom giving me a reward?
"Name something you want—within reason, of course."
I started racking my brain hard.
What did I need most right now?
Food? Anomaly quest reward would cover that.
Ship upgrades? Probably snag those as rewards too.
'Perfect time to crowdsource from the pros.'
I tapped the crystal and fired up the forum.
Title: EMERGENCY!!! EMERGENCY!!!
Author: Auto-Nickname 1582
Chiltoom general says I did good and is offering a reward?
What would you guys ask for?
Hand over a battleship, you xeno scum.
lmao
You suicide-by-ship-cannon or what? lmao
Popped off no resistance fml lmao
You decide on that event reward yet?
Nope, polling you guys first before claiming.
You said they took your combat suit and weapons when the Chiltoom grabbed you, right? Ask for 'em back.
Oh yeah, forgot about that. Gonna ask.
Don't get your hopes up tho. Ancients never hand out their tech.
Weapons especially—they're super strict. Ancient gear is straight busted; one slip and you could rampage whole galaxies. They lock it down 'cause they know.
No wonder they hit so hard... Better temper expectations.
I looked up at Rakshyatoom.
"Um, any chance I could get back my combat suit and weapon you guys took earlier?"
"Combat suit and weapon?"
He sounded puzzled, and Suhariltoom chimed in from beside him.
"The human's gear was too weak to fight the infected properly. I lent him a Chiltoom combat suit and weapon as a temporary measure."
"You know exporting our technology is strictly forbidden!"
"Y-yes, of course! But the situation was dire—unavoidable. Forgive me, General."
Just as the forum said.
Vibes were screaming no-go.
'Damn, that suit and gun were legit fire.'
I put on my best disappointed face.
Rakshayatoom noticed.
"Human, regrettable as it is, Republic law bans our tech leaking to inferior species. Your feats merit ample reward, but we must obey the law—no such equipment."
Figured as much.
Gear retrieval looked like a bust.
I was resigning to it when...
"However."
Rakshayatoom continued.
"If the equipment was lost through carelessness, well, nothing to be done. That wouldn't violate Republic law."
"G-General!"
A staffer looked flustered, but the general paid no mind.
– Fwoosh!
A blue glow flared, and there appeared the combat suit and rifle.
Identical to what I'd used.
"Our weapons are exceedingly powerful—handle with utmost care. Should our tech be used to shatter galactic order, we will not stand idle. Do you grasp my meaning?"
"Yes, sir! Crystal clear."
The comm cut off.
The Chiltoom battleship slowly vanished amid the stars.
Chiltoom gear in my hands.
This was bonus beyond expectations.
I snapped a pic and posted it to the forum right away.
Title: Guys, the Ancients just handed over the combat suit and rifle no strings?
Author: Auto-Nickname 1582
(Pic of Chiltoom combat suit and rifle)
You all said no way so I was half-given-up, but they actually gave it?
This stuff's top-tier good, right?
Comments started flooding in.
What the actual fuck, this even possible?