Became an Evolving Space Monster - Chapter 300
Only Noblemtl
Episode 300 – Infiltration (3)
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In a cult society, knowledge manager is a position of considerable status.
The role of the knowledge manager is to assist the captain and help the ship complete its mission safely.
To perform their given roles, they have acquired knowledge across a wide range of fields, as well as psychic skills that allow them to exchange that knowledge with other knowledge managers.
Although they are a cult with strong psychic powers, becoming a knowledge manager is by no means an easy task. It takes a long time of hard work to earn the honor of performing the sacred task.
Because of this, the knowledge manager is a very honorable position, regardless of its importance. The rank itself is lower than that of a captain or a squadron commander, but it is not inferior to them in terms of status.
Charath, a knowledge manager from the Aur Constellation Watch, also earned the respect of the ship’s crew, as she had saved the ship from danger more than once.
However, contrary to the perception of the crew, Charas did not attach much significance to her job. For her, being a knowledge manager was just one of the gateways to her long life.
Her ultimate goal is to become a member of the Imperial Diet.
Without any factional support and only an ordinary goat’s horn, that was the only way for her to become a member of the National Assembly.
‘There’s not much left now.’
Since boarding a ship belonging to the elite fleet of the Watchtower, she has made several achievements. Perhaps because of this, a few months ago, she received an offer from one of the prominent factions of Berzan02, the Providence Faction.
If you care about the future of the empire, why not join us?
‘If it’s Providence, it’s not a bad start.’
After Jason, the leader of the Providence faction, was ousted from office for taking responsibility for the ‘Cygil 08 Disaster’, the Providence faction suffered a significant blow. However, recently, the Council began talking about a major invasion by Outspacers, and the Providence faction gained strength again.
The core ideology of the Providence faction is that strong military force must be actively exercised to serve Providence and protect the security of the empire. They are in opposition to the reformists who advocate disarmament, and they gain power as the empire becomes more unstable.
The future of the Providence faction seemed quite promising to Charas. In fact, judging from the information he had gathered while performing his duties as a knowledge manager, not only the Imperium but the entire universe was in a state of calm before the storm.
The destruction of the Megacorp space city, the Star Union’s military provocation, and even the recent crash of the ‘Kesha Arma’. Unprecedented events have been occurring in a short period of time.
The point is that when the universe becomes chaotic, the Providence faction, which advocates the realization of providence through force, gains power. It is highly likely that the Providence faction will continue to dominate for a while.
‘It’s a plus for me as a newcomer who needs meaningful political experience.’
She was briefly intoxicated by the rosy future, then went back to work.
The ship she was currently on was waiting at the point where the unidentified magnetic field was occurring, in order to immediately check if the abnormal phenomenon occurred again.
Aside from the mission she had been given, the surveillance office had given her another mission. They were reviewing the information she had sent regarding her connection to the ‘three-headed demon’, and were to continue to organize and transmit information.
After working nonstop for several hours, her work was finally over. She reported the organized information to the surveillance office using a transmission technique that only a knowledge manager could learn.
‘Let’s go out and have something to drink.’
My head was throbbing, perhaps due to excessive use of psychic power. In times like this, the Berzan 02 cocktail is perfect.
Charas left the room, imagining the sweet taste of a cocktail. He had no regrets about this ship, except for one thing: the delicious cocktails served at the ship’s bar.
She walked through the hallway decorated with geometric shapes and arrived at the unmanned bar, where she ordered her favorite Berzan 02 cocktail.
Was it because she was tired from the heavy workload? Or was it because of the headache? She had drunk more cocktails than usual. Thanks to that, she was able to leave the bar feeling tipsy instead of having a headache.
Now that my headache is gone, all that’s left to do is go back to my room and get some sleep.
‘ah.’
Except for one thing.
‘You said you were hit by a meteor earlier, right?’
I heard from the situation room in the afternoon that a meteorite had hit the outer wall of the 15th gun, causing the protective wall to malfunction. I had forgotten about it because the gunner in question had not reported it to me.
‘It’s annoying, but….’
By now, it’s likely that the onboard technicians have already taken care of it, but it’s still a good idea to check. There shouldn’t be any noise before entering the Providence Wave.
She turned and headed to the ‘Shield Management Office’, which managed the ship’s protective walls and shields. If the Warriors are the organizations that engage in close combat with the enemies on board, the Shield Management Office is the organization that protects the ship itself.
She walked down the hallway leading to the shield management office with a slightly disheveled gait.
As in the bar, there were no flight attendants in the hallway. Many of them were asleep.
“… … .”
The hallway was no different than when she had gone to the bar earlier. It was the same hallway she usually walked through, except for the geometric patterns.
But she felt a creeping feeling of unease creeping up her spine.
As a knowledge manager, she knows every nook and cranny of this ship. There are cameras installed inside the unique patterns on the corridor walls.
She knew that she was being monitored in real time from the situation room. But an unknown ominous feeling was stabbing her head like an awl.
Beyond the brightly lit hallway, something terrible lurks.
As I thought about it, I sobered up as if I had been doused with cold water.
‘Something’s wrong.’
Charas is a cultist who has mastered various psychic techniques. He knows full well that this feeling cannot arise without reason.
She immediately felt for the pattern decoration on the wall. With a click, the pattern changed shape and a small communicator popped out. It was a communicator that had a direct line to the ‘In-Ship Surveillance Team’ that controlled the cameras in the hallway.
“This is the middle of the hallway leading to the Shield Management Office. Is anyone in this hallway?”
“This is the cabin surveillance team. The knowledge manager is currently alone in the hallway. No one has been here for the past two hours.”
“Two hours ago?”
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
“No, it’s okay.”
“We will keep an eye on it just in case.”
“Thank you for your consideration. Have a good night.
Only after hearing the confirmation from the cabin surveillance team that there was no one else in the hallway besides her could I feel relieved. Unless the cameras in the entire hallway were broken, their words would be true.
The anxiety that had been squeezing her spine had gone away, but this time a new problem was bothering her.
‘What is that smell?’
A smell like I had never smelled before permeated the air.
It was a strange, indescribable thing. The stench seeped into my nose and mouth, as if invisible insects were trying to burrow into my body.
The closer we got to the shield management office, the stronger the foul smell became.
‘… I have to check quickly and go back.’
With the alcohol almost gone, she headed towards the shield management office, almost running.
Fortunately, there were no other abnormalities besides the smell. She reached her destination safely.
As the door opened, the interior lights glowed brightly, recognizing the presence of a new visitor. As the ship’s surveillance team had said, all the technicians had left work two hours ago, so there was no one inside.
She quickly checked the computer. She quickly checked the shields and the protective barriers, but there was nothing particularly wrong. It seemed like the technicians had taken care of things that Gunner 15 hadn’t reported.
‘I don’t know who it is, but I’ll be questioning them tomorrow….’
She was about to shut down her computer after suffering through the 15th shooter.
At that moment, I heard a sound in my ear.
“!”
Startled, she quickly turned her head. Under the bright lights, there was nothing to see but inactive cult computers.
“Did I hear wrong… Huh?!”
Just as I was about to think I had misheard, I heard the sound again. It sounded like a bunch of small metal skewers hitting the floor.
Charas realized that it was the sound of something with many sturdy legs crawling over the alloy plate.
She saw something bigger than a cult head slipping through the computers, its long legs wagging.
‘Well, I guess I saw something wrong?’
She swallowed hard and focused her psychic powers into her hands. If the bastard showed up again, she was going to shoot him right away.
“… … !”
Then there was a sound. A black shadow with many legs swooped between the computers.
‘Hey, we have to get out now!’
Not all knowledge managers learn excellent combat skills. Knowing this better than anyone else, she quickly ran toward the door.
But then, out of nowhere, the computer near the door fell forward. She immediately fired the psychic technique she was preparing, ‘Psychic Impact’, at the computer.
With a pop, the psychic impact disappeared into thin air. At the same time, someone jumped out from behind the computer with both hands raised.
“Shoot, don’t shoot!”
Charas almost screamed when he saw the cult man appearing in an unexpected place.
“you are?”
“I, I am a gunner in charge of the cannon.”
“Maybe number 15?”
“Yes, yes! I, I came in just now to take care of it before the knowledge manager came. I, I was about to leave after taking care of everything, but the, the manager…”
A cult member who introduces himself as Gunner No. 15. As the name suggests, he was wearing a gunner’s uniform in charge of the cannon.
“You’re trying to handle it like this without even filing a formal report? Are you in your right mind?”
“I think I was immature because I just became a shooter. I apologize.”
“It’s no use apologizing to me. I’ll start disciplinary procedures tomorrow morning… .”
Before she could finish speaking, the sound of a strange creature was heard. Her and the 15th shooter’s heads turned in the direction of the sound at the same time.
“Hey, what was that just now? Did you hear that?”
Was it because there were more colleagues around him? Charas’ thoughts changed slightly.
‘If we handle the problem well here… .’
Instead of contacting the surveillance team, she decided to use this stupid cult to solve the problem.
He had sneaked in here anyway, so he was in no position to claim his achievements. That meant that all the achievements he had made would belong to her. Before joining the Providence Sect, he would make one more achievement.
“There is an unknown creature somewhere around here.”
“yes?”
“Please help me for now. If you handle this well, I will consider lowering the level of punishment.”
“Oh, oh, I understand!”
His appearance in a desperate manner was not at all attractive, but still, as a marksman, he received basic military training. At least in terms of force, he would be superior to Charas.
“The sound came from the tool room.”
As she said, the tool room door was slightly open. The light didn’t seem to react to the monster, so inside there was only pitch-black darkness.
“Can you make a light?”
“Oh, I’m not good at that…”
She didn’t ask any more questions, but instead created a light of her own with her psychic powers, illuminating the inside of the tool room.
The inner floor was filled with tools that had spilled out from the collapsed boxes. There was no sign of the monster that had wreaked havoc on the tool room.
“If you find him inside, kill him immediately.”
“All right.”
“Don’t scream like you stupidly did before….”
“Why are you doing that?”
She kept her mouth shut as she spoke. This was because she realized something was off about the situation through her conversation with the 15th shooter.
“You said you couldn’t start a fire?”
“Huh? Yes.”
“The lights had just come on when I came in here, but before that, how was it…?”
Gunner 15 just said he couldn’t start the fire.
That means he was operating a computer from a place where he couldn’t see even an inch ahead.
Even if he had turned off the lights to secretly manipulate the computer, something strange still remained.
The onboard surveillance team said.
They said that no one had come into the hallway leading to here for two hours.
So what was the 15th shooter doing in the dark, with a monster at that, for two hours?
“Aha. The light.”
“Shooter 15 said, as if he hadn’t thought about that.
no.
“It” said, wearing the shell of the 15th shooter turned inside out.
There wasn’t just one monster in the shield management office.