Became an Evolving Space Monster - Chapter 408



Only Noblemtl

As the thermal imaging camera attached to the helmet started working, things that had been obscured by rain and shadows began to come into view. When they checked the field through the camera, they were shocked.

“Huh? Where did they all go?”

“It was definitely there?”

When the cameras turned on, the thousands of people standing motionless in the fields were nowhere to be seen.

Where they had been, only black moisture that looked like shadows remained.

–

At that moment, the security team members of the research complex’s guard tower were confused by an unfamiliar visitor.

In the room of Team Leader Ahn, a secret deal was in full swing.

“You want me to disable the lab’s security system?”

Empty bottles of liquor and trash rolling around on the floor, weapons and armor that had been left unattended for a long time and were covered in dust, and even incongruously luxurious mahogany desks and furniture.

In an ironic space where messiness and luxury coexist, a middle-aged man was talking on the phone with his feet up on the desk.

“Huh? Oh, I’m not saying I’m rejecting you or anything. There are a few things I have to consider.”

The man’s name is Alex. He is the head of the security team, one of the pillars protecting the research complex.

“I don’t have full control of the lab. My authority is limited. Yes. Yes. As you said, it will take some time.”

Since TNC lost interest in the conflict zone, most of the soldiers on AG-01 have become corrupt. Drugs and swindlers are common, and there are many cases of them secretly selling off the remaining equipment on the planet to line their own pockets.

In reality, they became nothing more than pirates, and Alex, the security team leader, was particularly bad at it. He smuggled high-value items such as genetic samples and confidential information left behind by the TNC manager. This was possible because he was able to freely enter and exit the closed research lab thanks to his position as the team leader.

Even now, he is trying to sell important information from his workplace.

“And then, my position will become awkward again… Ah! I’m glad you understand. Haha. Then I’ll send you the map and security code in advance. Hahaha, of course. Yes. Yes. I’ll see you in two days.”

Alex had a gentle smile on his face until the end of the call. However, when he put the phone down, the smile on his face completely disappeared.

“You crazy bastards. You want me to disable the security system? You pirates have no fear.”

He clicked his tongue as he looked at the switched off communicator.

The person who had just contacted him was a senior member of the infamous Sino Group. He had contacted the security team leader to raid the laboratory.

He had committed more than one or two illegal acts, but handing over the entire research lab was a whole other level of business. No matter how indifferent TNC was to this place, it was unlikely that they would allow the research lab to be destroyed.

If they knew that this base had been raided, they would never let the pirates off easy. No matter how powerful the Sino Group is as a cartel, they are Noble Capital, which wields absolute influence in the universe. If TNC starts taking bloody revenge, the Sino Group will collapse in an instant.

“Well, it has nothing to do with me.”

Alex chuckled and turned on the computer on his desk.

The pirates offered a huge amount of credits to buy the lab’s security information. The reward for handing over the map and security code of the research complex alone was more than he had ever earned in his entire life.

With that level of credit, you could immigrate to a cult empire and live off of it for the rest of your life.

“It’s better. I can’t do this forever.”

It is an open secret that the separatists carry out terrorist activities with the support of the Star Union. However, there has been a recent atmosphere of reconciliation between the Star Union and Megacorp. If a peace treaty is signed between the two forces, there is a high probability that Jer-11 will stabilize.

‘Then I’m screwed.’

When TNC returns, all the security officers here will be reduced to employees. The security team leaders who have eaten up a lot of things will receive much more severe punishments.

So it would be to his advantage to get away now. The pirates would take care of any traces he leaves behind.

If there was one thing I regretted, it was my connections.

“It’s a bit of a shame to lose my connection with Dailymas.”

He recalled a prominent journalist with whom he had maintained a good relationship until recently. He had been dealing with a client for about two years, mainly purchasing data left behind by TNC administrators.

It is never a bad thing to be friendly with reporters wherever you go, especially if they are sponsored by Prime Capital. Alex knows this, so he pays a lot of attention to his relationships with them.

If he leaves here, that good relationship will disappear completely.

“Tsk, can’t be helped.”

I’ve invested a lot in my relationships with reporters, but it’s hard to sustain them any longer.

Alex, who had given up cleanly, decided to take care of what needed to be done right away. He activated the communicator and contacted his subordinates in the security team.

“Has the safe route been updated?”

“The update has already been completed and is being verified before being passed on to the system management team.”

“Then you haven’t sent it to the management team yet? Send it to me before you hand it over. I have something to review.”

“All right.”

After a while, a file came flying in from his subordinate. The security team leader checked it on his computer and immediately copied the safe route to his personal computer.

“Oh, and what happened to my security code renewal?”

“It will be processed within today.”

“Put that aside a little longer. After three days.”

“Yes? Then I need to get approval from the management team….”

“Changing your security code too frequently can be a security issue. So it might be a good idea to increase the refresh cycle.”

“Oh, well, still… .”

“Hey. What if terrorists attack while you’re renewing your security code? You’ll take responsibility?”

“Oh, no! I’ll update in 3 days!”

Alex instructed that the security code be re-done and ended the communication.

‘Okay. Maps and codes, all taken care of.’

Management might find this strange, but don’t worry. They’re so corrupt that they bring women to work and throw parties. They don’t care if the code changes or not.

All that remained was to send the pirate the safe route map and security code needed to access the complex. Alex used his computer to transfer the files.

Just then the potato light blinked.

“hmm?”

AG-01 has been experiencing erratic weather for years due to a malfunctioning terraforming machine. Occasionally, strong storms cause power outages.

So I didn’t think much of it, but then the light started flashing again. The light that had been blinking anxiously soon went out completely. At the same time, the computer that was transferring the file also stopped working.

“Hey, wait a minute… What the heck!”

The transmission was cut off at a critical moment. Alex, who saw it with his own two eyes, slammed his fist on the desk.

After a while, the emergency power came back on and the computer came back on. I tried to transfer the file again, but this time there was a problem. It was just that my communication network was having trouble, and the file was not transferred. I tried to contact my subordinate through the communication device, but it was also dead.

‘This is like a nimble terraforming machine!’

I need to send it to the pirates quickly, but the communication status is like this. If he keeps delaying sending it, they will find another route other than Alex.

If that happens, the compensation he receives will also go down the drain.

‘… How much is that credit?’

Alex got up from his seat and grabbed his weapon and computer.

If you go to the management team, there will be a way to send the file outside. He left the room, wearing a reinforced suit.

–

The sound of water and metal clashing echoes throughout the dark complex.

Alex, who had just left the security team building, headed towards the management office where the system management team was staying.

“Damn it. How did you manage it so that the whole place looks like this?”

Inside the building, there were emergency lights on, but outside, there were none. The building and metal structures that would normally be brightly lit were all engulfed in darkness.

‘Why is there so much fog again?’

I’ve been working at the research complex for a long time, but today was the first time I’ve seen such thick fog. It was so thick that it was hard to see anything passing a few meters ahead.

The buildings were dark, the rain was pouring down endlessly, and the fog was thick. It was as if the entire complex had fallen into a gigantic swamp. The only source of light he had gotten here was the light from his suit.

“I can’t even see these little bastards.”

There are thousands of humans in this complex, including his subordinates. Alex turned on the heat-sensing camera built into his helmet and looked up at the tall guard tower.

Inside, people are seen moving. They sway violently as if dancing, and then soon stop.

‘You idiots.’

How much medicine must he have taken to have such a reaction when the entire tower was engulfed in darkness? He clicked his tongue as he looked at the guard tower, then moved again.

With every step I took, the heavy mechanical noise and the sound of water splashing on the floor tickled my ears.

The enhanced suit he is currently wearing is a high-level enhanced suit provided to team leader level personnel. Thanks to its high-performance detection function, it can sensitively detect sounds and movements in the surrounding area.

Thanks to that, I was able to see that there was no one else walking down the street in the rain.

Of course, that doesn’t mean there were no people at all. Thanks to the thermal imaging cameras, people could be seen moving around inside the building.

Even now, I can clearly see the people in the windows of the building. Some are running wild like guardsmen, while others are just standing still.

I was trying to brush it off as nothing serious like I had done before, but then a strange thought suddenly occurred to me.

A human standing motionless in a place where no light came on, and another human twisting his body as if dancing in the darkness. It was too strange to simply dismiss it as a reaction to drug addiction.

And it’s hard to explain in words, but every time I saw them, I felt an inexplicable eerieness. It wasn’t the feeling I had when I saw my colleagues or subordinates. They only looked human on the outside, but inside they seemed to be something completely different.

‘… I must be mistaken.’

It is true that the soldiers in the research complex are corrupt, but that does not mean that the security system is in disarray. There are many mines and combat drones around the complex, and there are many powerful anti-aircraft artillery batteries inside the complex. There are also thousands of people armed with reinforced suits inside the building.

It is absolutely impossible for an outsider to infiltrate this place without encountering any resistance. Feelings of insecurity are merely an illusion.

Alex, who had made that decision, moved again. He forced himself to suppress the rising anxiety. However, he couldn’t help but notice that his steps had quickened without him realizing it.

Soon a windowless square building came into view in the distance.

That building is the management office that stores various data from the research complex. It has its own power supply system and communication network to prevent data damage due to terrorism.

Alex approached the door and entered the security code.

“Alex from the security team. Approved.”

A short message flowed out from the terminal next to the door, and the thick alloy door opened.

“Whew.”

Alex let out a short sigh as he entered the management office. Whether it was because of his anxiety or the humid air, the inside of the suit had become uncomfortably damp.

It would be nice to take off the helmet, but the work wasn’t over yet. Alex manipulated the terminal on his wrist to bring up the internal map.

“Beep”

His location was marked with a circle on the map implemented as a hologram. The place he should go is the information processing room on the second floor. He can use the communication equipment there to send files to the pirates.

‘Okay. Then let’s go and see… Yeah?’

As soon as I stepped onto the hallway, I heard the sticky sound of water. When I looked down, I saw that the floor was a sea of ​​water.

‘What is this?’

It wasn’t rainwater, as liquid stuck to the surface of the suit and dripped down whenever he moved. It seemed like sewage had backed up after the power outage.

“…shit!”

It was fortunate that he couldn’t smell anything thanks to the helmet. Alex cursed softly and walked towards the second floor.

‘Is this it?’

Arriving at the information processing room, he entered the security code and went in.

Inside, there were even larger computers in reinforced suits. Even though the lights were off, just like outside, the inside was completely visible thanks to the light from the computers.

The computers all appeared to be functioning properly. Alex went to any nearby computer and checked it out.

“The network is normal.”

He pulled the wires from the computer and connected them to the terminal in the suit, and transferred the data.

‘it’s okay!’

The amount of data being transmitted and the remaining time are displayed inside the visor. The transmission will be completed successfully in one minute.

Sasa Sak

Just as he was about to relax and feel at ease, he heard a sound from inside. Alex quickly got up.

“Who’s there?”

The only answer I got was a mechanical sound made by a computer.

“I misheard….”

Sasa sasa sak

“!”

The second time I heard it, it was clear. It wasn’t a human voice. When I checked the holographic map, I saw a new triangle mark that I hadn’t seen before.

There must be someone in the information processing room other than him.

“… … .”

Alex, who was very nervous, entered the forest of machines. The closer he got to the triangle mark, the faster his heartbeat became.

If you pass the computer in front of you, you will see an unidentified intruder. He tightened his grip on his weapon.

As soon as he cleared the last obstacle, he pointed his gun forward.

But there was nothing there.