Chapter 3
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Shocked and Horrified Newbie (3)
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The plan is as follows.
According to the briefing, the monster boss is on the 5th floor bridge.
With all elevators out of commission, head to the 5th floor via the emergency stairs.
Avoid combat as much as possible, make it to the bridge, then unload all ammo for a headshot takedown.
That's my plan.
Since the monster boss is the one jamming the ship's systems, taking it out should normalize everything.
After that, the ship's internal defenses activate and handle the remaining trash mobs automatically.
'Map says this is the way.'
I relied on the map attached to the briefing and moved forward.
Clang! Clang clang!
"Kieeeek!"
I occasionally ran into trash mobs, but they weren't much of an issue.
Having fought these floor's monsters to death already, I had their attack patterns memorized.
I avoided fights as much as possible to conserve ammo.
About an hour passed like that.
Finally, I found the stairs leading up.
'Having a map makes this easy.'
I'd found the path quicker than expected.
I cracked open the stairwell door and peeked inside.
'Closed structure might be risky.'
The stairs were longer than anticipated, and with only forward or backward movement possible, getting attacked could block retreat.
Still, this was the only way, so no other choices.
"Fuck it, whatever."
Click!
I aimed straight ahead and ascended cautiously.
Slowly, quietly, carefully stepping.
Step step step.
Tense as hell, I climbed the stairs.
Before I knew it, I'd reached the 4th floor.
The unexpected quiet eased my tension a bit.
'Not as bad as I thought.'
If anything was there, it would've shown up already.
Nothing meant the stairs were a safe zone.
'Maybe the 5th floor isn't much different from the 1st.'
Clinging to that hopeful thought, I started moving again.
"This vibe is seriously fucked."
Finally arriving on the 5th floor.
The starkly different atmosphere overwhelmed me.
Title: Made it to the 5th floor for now
Author: Auto-Nickname 1582
But is this floor always this murder-y vibe?
Can't even take a single step, fuck.
And the disgusting smell is fucking everywhere.
Seeing that after so long kinda nostalgic lololol
You're doing well. How many bullets left?
600+
Stock up more then. Farming shouldn't be too hard.
How many should I gather?
1000 should be plenty. 5th floor has lots of ammo, not too hard to farm.
But 5th floor monsters are strong, so watch out. Way different from lower floors.
So 600 was too few, huh.
I took Galum's advice and decided to farm more ammo.
'Guess I should check this area first.'
The moment I took my first step, a gross sticky sensation hit.
Horribly unpleasant, but no alternative.
The floor and ceiling were entirely covered in this nasty membrane.
'Gonna puke for real.'
At least no monsters. Small mercy.
I pushed on, using that as comfort.
Right then.
"Huh?"
Turning a corner into a room, I spotted what looked like a human shape.
"Hey!"
I called out to "it" on instinct.
"Kredek?"
It turned at my voice.
Our eyes met—mine and the monster's.
Human-like, but definitely not human.
Like a monster that barely knew humans trying to ape our form.
It had eyes, nose, mouth, but all in the wrong places.
Especially the mouth, packed with hundreds of needle teeth—utterly grotesque.
The freakishness wasn't just facial.
Four or five arms and legs sprouted from odd spots on its body. It scuttled like an insect using them.
"Ugh, fuck, what the hell is this?!"
Bang! Ratatata-bang!
I screamed in horror and pulled the trigger.
Too hyped, I went full auto without control.
"Haa... haa..."
Muzzle flame died down, gunsmoke settled, silence fell.
The bullet-riddled monster was shredded rags.
Flesh torn, guts spilled across the floor.
"Urk...!"
The vile sight wrinkled my nose involuntarily.
But some morbid curiosity drew my gaze.
Examining the corpse, I noticed something off.
"This thing's insides are a mess?"
Shot to hell, hard to make out, but.
Its anatomy was all wrong too.
Heart on the belly side, stomach near the anus—stuff like that.
Seemed human at first glance.
But the more I looked, the less human it was.
Staring made me miss the 1st floor jellyfish types.
Well, those exposed their brains too, not cute, but.
Compared to this, they were fairies.
"Fuck, panicked and wasted ammo again."
Already short on bullets, now more waste.
Searched the room just in case—nothing useful.
I snapped a pic to update the Galums on the situation.
Title: Are all 5th floor guys this brutally ugly?
Author: Auto-Nickname 1582
(Rough pic of the alien monster corpse I just killed)
1st floor ones grew on me to cute levels, but 5th floor? Can't adapt at all.
Is this one special, or are all 5th floor monsters like this?
All 5th floor monsters look like that. They're twisting themselves trying to mimic humans.
Mimic humans by force? Why?
Complicated to explain, but short version: they mimic humans to hijack ship control.
Reading the comments, my eyes went wide.
Mimic human form to seize ship control?
What the hell does that mean.
What? How's mimicking humans related to taking ship control?
It is. Human ship main computers only obey humans. They're not human, so AI rejects commands, hence the shitty mimicry to fool the computer.
Does that even work?
Nope, doesn't work. Computer ain't dumb? Looks nothing like human, no way it fools it.
I'd felt that half-assed mimicry vibe too.
So that's why.
But if you die, they can use your genetic info to fool the computer.
A new comment grabbed my attention.
Use my genetic info?
Yeah, wear your corpse and impersonate you. Then gene scan can't tell. Submits your genome from the corpse, computer can't distinguish.
What happens if they take the ship?
Heads to nearest inhabited planet and attacks. Whole planet infected, sector exposed. Billions dead minimum.
Billions of casualties.
Chills ran down my spine.
'Fuck, if I fuck up here, billions die?'
Sudden massive pressure crushed me.
'But these guys talk about it like no big deal?'
Perplexed, I asked the Galums.
Why so chill? Isn't this super dangerous?
Not really
Meh?
Casual dismissals.
As I puzzled over it, another Galum commented.
See it so much, no thrill anymore.
It hit me like a truck.
After learning shit I wish I hadn't.
I closed the community and resumed scouting.
'If I die, an innocent planet gets massacred.'
Would've been better not knowing.
But Pandora's box was open; no closing it now.
Click!
I shoved the pressure aside and focused on scouting.
Darting around paid off—I'd farmed nearly 900 rounds, close to target.
Just head to the bridge, lop off the boss's head, done.
"Kieeeek!"
Bang! Bang!
Ran into a few more en route, handled easy.
Visuals startled me first time, but physical specs same as 1st floor jellies.
'What to call these? Ghouls?'
Such idle thoughts as I walked on.
After a long trek.
Vrrr!
A door screamed "important."
Anyone could tell the bridge was beyond.
I took a deep breath.
Then charged straight for the bridge.