Became an Evolving Space Monster - Chapter 276
Only Noblemtl
Episode 276 – Collapse (1)
–
Where did it go wrong?
It’s not that they neglected security in preparation for a big project, nor is it that they were on bad terms with other cartels.
Montana, who has a foothold in both the legal and illegal sectors, has worked tirelessly to avoid making unnecessary enemies. He runs his cartel like a businessman, not like a pirate.
As a result, he built a cartel so large that it was one of the top three in Spacedog. His methods were quite successful.
At least until today.
Montana, who had just stepped into the private elevator of the Second Command, could barely suppress the urge to scream and run wild.
Even the beautiful music flowing from the speakers installed in the elevator could not calm him down. The sound of gunshots mixed in with the smooth piano melody brought him back to reality.
His fortress is falling apart.
“…Fuck.”
In this situation, there was no way he could avoid swearing. As he muttered curses in a low voice, the bodyguards standing behind him flinched.
It’s not just the 2nd Command that’s under attack right now. Contact with the 3rd Command has been completely cut off, and the 1st Command’s reinforcements are isolated because of the bizarre monsters that are everywhere.
‘Now all that’s left is….’
There is no way out of this fortress.
On the 110th floor of each command center, there is an escape vehicle that can be used to escape the fortress. It is a personal transporter that was built by the command center officials to inspect the planet when the fortress was managed by the Empire long ago.
It is a type of rocket that is launched directly to a specific point on a planet, so it can reach the planet at a very high speed. Also, the transporter itself is protected by a reinforced shield like that used on battleships, so it is safe.
However, there is a problem that it cannot be controlled and can only land at a designated location. After landing, there is no other way but to wait for another rescue team.
‘It’s impossible to ask other cartels for help.’
The decisive reason he left the General Control Office was because he heard reports that the enemy had breached the underground bunker. There was no way that those ruthless monsters would have left the VIPs there alone.
The fortress is crumbling, the VIPs who back him are gone, and the other cartels will never help him.
‘… No, wait.’
Everyone in the banquet hall was finished, but those staying upstairs were not.
Especially the female cult he held most dear.
She didn’t go down to the banquet hall for personal reasons. The reason is unknown, but if she’s reluctant to meet others, she’ll still be up there.
The female cult is a being that the head of Carmelda personally mentioned to be treated well. If you hide on the planet with her, Carmelda will surely send a helping hand.
When the numbers on the display were just entering the 90s, he pressed the number 100. That’s where his last insurance policy is staying.
–
“Bbaengnyeonghwang!”
“Get back! Get back… Aaaah!”
Screams and curses interspersed with the sound of gunfire.
The vibrations created by the familiar sound are detected by the accessory organ under the jaw. And a sweet scent is added to it.
The eroding tentacles plucked out the pirates hiding behind the forks in the corridor. Before they could resist, the six appendages at the tip of the tentacles dismembered the meat they had caught.
Warm blood, pieces of flesh and internal organs that should not normally be outside. If we were to compare that fragrance to music, it would be like an elegant melody created by the harmony of unique string instruments.
‘If I were human, I would get goosebumps.’
In fact, the pirates who had been covered in the blood of their comrades seemed to have a hard time maintaining their sanity. They were blankly watching their comrades who had been reduced to pieces, and they were torn to pieces by the hands of the mutants that emerged from between my legs.
“That’s so funny”
A roaring mutant holding a tentacle pulled out along with its head. The other guys rushed at the enemies to get their own trophies.
‘Come to think of it, I wonder what happened to that guy.’
It’s been quite some time since PS-111 started hacking into the Third Command. It underwent several modifications before arriving at the fortress. It should have already breached the Third Command’s system defenses by now.
‘It’ll take 10 minutes to finish… .’
The moment I thought that, I heard a huge noise outside.
The sound, similar to a ship’s horn, was loud enough for anyone in the fortress to hear. Then, the blood and flesh that had been soaking the floor rose into the air and poured down again on the floor.
‘It worked!’
What I’m seeing right now is a sign that something is wrong with the gravity that’s been maintaining the fortress. That means that PS-111 has taken over all of the fortress’ life support systems.
And then there’s the loud noise that resonates throughout the fortress. That’s also a good sign to me.
‘It’s releasing oxygen.’
I know this because I’ve done similar things in games.
Not only is the guy blocking the oxygen supply to the entire fortress, he’s also leaking it out. Even if the 1st and 2nd Commands somehow try to block it by supplying too much oxygen, it won’t be easy since the amount going out is greater than the amount coming in.
In an hour or so, every living thing in this fortress will collapse from lack of oxygen.
‘There is no point in fighting the pirate force any longer.’
I’ll leave the rest to the mutants and the mercenaries who diligently spread the madness bomb, and I’ll do other things.
‘Summary of escape routes.’
The military port where the large ships are currently anchored has been reduced to ashes. In this situation, there is only one way for them to escape.
‘A transport ship at the command center.’
Kesha Arma is a space facility that moves periodically along the orbit of the mining planet. The command center is equipped with a high-speed transporter that goes directly to the mining planet. It is a type of space rocket used by the fortress officials to inspect the planets under their jurisdiction to ensure that there are no problems.
Launched from atop a long silo that extends from the top of a cylindrical command center to the reinforced glass covering the fortress, the transport itself cannot be piloted, but can be used to travel to a mining planet in less than a minute.
‘It’ll be annoying if the survivors of the command center use it.’
I have to follow them down to the planet and catch them. It’s not difficult, but I’m currently on the verge of evolution. I want to avoid any unnecessary trouble.
‘Was the transport ship at the top?’
The top of the command center is the 110th floor. I am currently on the 3rd floor.
‘I guess I’ll have to break it and go up.’
[Zuzuzuzuzu zu (come this way)]
“huh.”
I moved the position of No. 26, who was sitting on my head. I held him gently with my arms to my chest, then activated the bio-cannon that was reaching the ceiling.
The spores containing explosive liquid exploded as soon as they left the barrel, hitting the ceiling. A third of the ceiling on my floor collapsed. I felt a slight burning sensation on my back and head, but there was no major damage.
‘I don’t think there will be a problem.’
I started climbing up the building at a rapid pace, crashing through the interior.
“What the heck?!”
“Damage… ugh!”
The pirates who had been fighting the mutants while laying down a lot of cover in the hallway above were destroyed by me as I burst out through the floor. Some fell down the hole, and some were crushed by the debris and struggled until they were torn to pieces by the mutants.
“Isn’t it painful, big baby?”
No. 26 was worried as he saw the debris piled up on his head and back.
[Zuz …
“It’s strong! It’s strong!”
The guy is so happy that he starts to shine brightly as I lightly brush away the accumulated debris.
After that, I continued to climb by destroying the ceiling by either using explosive spores to break it or by hitting it hard with my wing arms.
Sometimes it was a corridor occupied by pirates, sometimes it was a huge room decorated with luxurious decorations, sometimes it was a swimming pool with floating water. The command center did not collapse even though there was a hole more than 10 meters deep in each floor of the building. This was probably because of the shielding wall surrounding the building’s exterior.
As I was climbing up, making a mess of the inside of the command center, I soon reached the top.
‘Are we almost there?’
After the splendidly decorated 100th floor, there was no longer any space that smelled like people. Instead, the walls dividing the floors were twice as thick as the other areas. This was because they were closer to the floor where the transport ships were located.
‘Even so, it’s meaningless in the face of acid breath.’
Even though it was thick, it wasn’t as strong as a shield. I opened my mouth and spit out a highly acidic fungal breath.
A huge hole appeared in the ceiling, like in a classic sci-fi horror movie when the creatures escaped the acid-blooded laboratory. And it wasn’t just one floor. The floor above it showed signs of being melted by the breath.
I continued to climb upwards, breaking through the melted walls, until I finally reached the top.
A silo extending over the height of the command center greets me. It is currently invisible due to the shielding, but originally, it provided a panoramic view of the fortress and the planet beyond the reinforced glass.
Below the silo, surrounded by several layers of metal walls, I see a small transport ship. A small group of people who were just getting ready to board it are looking at me with surprised faces.
A pirate with a rather fat body, three bodyguards protecting him, and a cult of women with antlers on their heads.
‘Deer antlers?’
Having fought the Staghorn Cult several times, it seems like they would be common, but that is not the case at all. The Staghorn Cult is the most powerful user of psychic powers in the cult society, and at the same time the highest level of nobility. Not only are their numbers small, but they do not often engage in external activities in the first place.
Of the cultists I’ve dealt with, the only ones with deer horns are Muriel and Jason. They’re both players, so they can’t be considered normal cultists.
‘Are you a player?’
By the way, Kadoon said that among the Marcio Cartel’s clients, there is a person with considerable power.
‘Let’s deal with the transport ship first.’
Whether the opponent is a player or not, blocking them from retreat is a priority. I immediately prepared Psychic Breath.
The purple-tinted monster’s tentacles release powerful energy. A purple heat ray that mimics the immense power granted only to dragons flies towards the transport ship.
The transport ship has a powerful shield, but the shield is currently disabled. Naturally, it cannot block my attacks.
But what happened next was beyond my expectations.
As the Staghorn Cult raised its right arm, a circular mandala of purple threads unfolded, blocking the psychic breath. No, blocking was not the right word.
The flames of supernatural power disappeared as soon as they touched the mandala, as if they had never existed in the first place.
The mandala curved into a dome shape, covering the transport and those around her.
‘What kind of technology is it?’
Of all the defensive techniques I know, there are few that nullify an opponent’s attack as smoothly as this one.
It would be possible with the Red Armor used by Red Gallagon or the defensive techniques of Vortex One, but the enemy is only a cult. It is not that there are no techniques among the general psychic power techniques that can block psychic breath, but it is impossible to block it this easily.
‘Besides, I didn’t feel any elasticity.’
In Adhai’s case, apart from defending against attacks with red armor, it is unavoidable that the body is pushed back due to impact.
On the other hand, it seemed as if the opponent was manipulating and nullifying the nature of my breath, just like when I used ‘Complex Spectroscopy’.
‘no way?’
A technology I don’t know about, a staghorn cult roaming around the pirate stronghold.
Considering these two factors, there is only one answer.
‘Cult Ranker.’
“…5th place.”
The cold-looking cultist looked at me and recited in a cold voice.
The enemy I encountered in an unexpected place and in an unexpected situation was a ranker like me.
From her spread open left hand, a powerful psychic power rushed toward me.