Chapter 302:

The homeland of the Cultists is vastly different from Earth—a place of high temperatures and scarce water, resembling Earth's deserts. Without their psychic abilities, they could never have built a civilization on such a barren planet.

Berzan 02's environment bears a strong resemblance to their homeland. Endless red sands and rocky terrain, occasionally interrupted by glimmers of blue oases—features commonly seen on the Cultists' homeworld.

Just as their ancestors built an empire upon the sand, their descendants constructed sprawling cities atop the crimson earth.

A forest of buildings stretches across the vast desert. The pale ivory structures reflect the light of the sands, casting a reddish hue.

It has been a day since we arrived here, with the help of a new underling.

The day I infected Knowledge Keeper Charas, I sent the information we had gathered from her and the ship to PS-111. Details like which vessel to stow away on to enter Berzan 02 undetected and where that ship was currently located.

While we spent two days aboard a battleship, they covertly boarded a massive cargo freighter en route to the Aur Star System.

Since Adhai, the fastest among us, carried PS-111 and 26, boarding the freighter was not difficult.

Of course, it wasn’t entirely smooth. PS-111’s size nearly got it caught on radar during boarding, but according to it, 26’s quick thinking saved the day.

Anyway, their freighter arrives today. For now, I’m waiting at the port district with Charas.

“It’s here,” said Charas, seated in the cockpit of her personal spacecraft.

Through the reinforced glass at the ship's front, we watched a massive vessel land. Its gray exterior and long, rectangular design were crude but functional—a cargo ship formerly used by StarUnion for labor supply.

Berzan 02 is one of the largest slave markets in the Cultist Empire. For labor suppliers, there’s no better place to source cyborg materials.

Somewhere within that colossal ship, they’re hiding.

When the ship’s doors opened, cyborgs disembarked. They didn’t seem to be unloading cargo, but when the ship departs, it’ll likely be filled with cryo-containers packed with humans and other species.

“What’s the plan?”

“We wait.”

Though the cyborgs had disembarked, too many eyes were still watching. I waited for the area to clear.

‘This should do.’

After about three hours, the number of Cultists and outsiders in the vicinity dwindled significantly.

“Get ready.”

Following my command, Charas maneuvered her ship close to the freighter’s side, as planned. As we approached, a side hatch on the freighter opened, as if on cue.

In response, the rear hatch of our ship opened swiftly. As the two openings aligned, three familiar silhouettes emerged.

They quickly boarded Charas’ spacecraft, and she wasted no time accelerating out of the port.

[ZZZ ZZZZ (Good job, all three of you.)]

“An error of approximately two seconds occurred but remained within acceptable parameters. No significant issues arose.”

「Little Big One!」

「Big One」「Why」「did you get smaller?」

Reunited after a few days, they were just as lively as ever.

26, having shrunk itself, perched atop my head, while Adhai prodded my thick fur with her forepaws.

“So, where to next?”

Charas, piloting the spacecraft, turned to ask me.

She showed no sign of unease despite sharing her ship with four monsters. Perhaps the surreal nature of her reality had convinced her this was all a vivid nightmare.

At her question, I looked toward PS-111. Its red-lensed eyes flickered as it processed incoming data from the MPS-05 it was synchronized with.

“‘Mid-One’ has secured a hiding spot and is waiting for us there, It said.”

While I waited at the port, the Mother of the Sky and MPS-05 had gone ahead to scout for a place where I could stay hidden.

The effect of ‘Clever Weakling’ lasts seven days, and three days had already passed. In four more days, my body would revert to its larger form.

‘There’s a chance we won’t find 22nd in time.’

Even if we knew the communicator's location, there was no guarantee 22nd would be near it. Searching the entire planet could become necessary.

In anticipation of such delays, I had asked her to prepare a hideout in advance.

[ZZZZ ZZZZZ (Guide Charas.)]

PS-111 responded to my words, crawling toward the cockpit. The sight of a seven-meter-long humanoid-faced spider, excluding its tail, made Charas flinch despite her composure.

“To the old hover-bus center on Glory Street,” it said.

“...Understood.”

Our spacecraft flew past countless buildings, heading toward the destination.

As we progressed, the buildings adorned with reddish hues became sparse, replaced by ominous-looking structures.

‘So that’s why they chose Glory Street...’

I was familiar with Glory Street—a district on the outskirts of the city, notorious for its proximity to a major slave market and its frequent Cultist visitors.

In the sterile, white chamber, a woman with black hair sat on a chair, her head bowed low.

Behind her stood two indistinct figures, their faces obscured by a haze of black mist, as if they had been deliberately pixelated.

The faceless figures leaned close to her ears, whispering incessantly. Their murmurs were so persistent that their expressions were almost palpable, despite the lack of visible features.

The room reverberated with a cacophony of whispers, no longer subtle or gentle. It filled the space completely, yet the woman remained still, as if oblivious to the oppressive noise.

Suddenly, she lifted her head.

Her black eyes, mirroring the hue of her hair, stared straight ahead.

The woman spoke.

「You must ■■ t

“Gah!”

Si-Hyun Yujin gasped, jolting awake. Her face reflected faintly on the transparent biocapsule wall in front of her.

Sweat-soaked strands of black hair clung to her skin, her visage eerily resembling the woman she had seen in her dream.

‘That dream again.’

Since her resurrection in a cloned body, her dreams had always been the same. She would relive the moment when the unidentified monstrosity that killed "Si-Hyun Yujin" struck her down once more.

PR/N:- The author referred Si-Hyun as ‘it’ because this is a clone version of Si-Hyun, so we will also be using ‘it’ from here onwards.

No matter what she tried, the nightmares never left her.

That was, until the day she obtained the artifact on the Gallagon’s planet. Since that day, the dreams of being attacked by the unidentified creature had vanished.

But in their place came this dream.

The dream of two beings whispering endlessly to her.

At first, their voices were sweet and comforting. They seemed to guide her as if she were lost, leading her onto the correct path.

But at some point, her perception shifted. She began to feel an unease, a revulsion. It wasn’t guidance they offered; it was control.

Once that thought took root, the pleasant dream turned into a nightmare. Now, she couldn’t sleep unless she was inside the biocapsule.

"They said there was a mountain beyond the mountain."

With a brief, self-deprecating murmur, Si-hyun rose from the capsule.

As the glass walls opened, a cool breeze enveloped its bare body. The cold air from the air conditioning swept away the beads of sweat on its skin.

When it stepped out of the capsule, the lights gradually activated, casting a natural light across the room.

The soft glow illuminated a room that exuded both elegance and an exotic atmosphere. The geometric patterns on the walls and ceiling were unlike anything found in Megacorp’s facilities.

Even in such an unfamiliar space, Si-Hyun walked out of the capsule with ease.

Though the discomfort from the nightmare had eased, it didn’t feel like sleeping again anytime soon.

It picked up the gown and pad left beside the capsule. As always, it decided to start the day earlier than the others.

‘It will be hard to recruit more personnel now. Quality must be considered as much as quantity...’

While focusing on its tasks, time passed by. But the sound of a knock suddenly broke its concentration.

"Come in."

The door, with a vintage design, opened to reveal a creature that resembled a reptilian human base mixed with insect features.

This was a species not commonly seen in Megacorp, a Coldblood. The creature, smaller than usual Coldbloods, wore a silver necklace around its neck.

"Did you cough, Si-hyun Yujin?"

"It seems the meeting time has already come."

"Yes. Min-seok Yujin is waiting in the reception room on the first floor."

"I’ll be there soon. Wait for me. I’ll dress myself."

"Understood."

Despite the words, the Coldblood brought Si-Hyun its clothing and offered it. Si-Hyun narrowed its eyes slightly but said nothing.

It knew why the Coldblood acted like this. The excessive politeness, as though addressing royalty, was because this creature was a slave.

And such scenes were common on this place, Berzan 02.

After dressing, just before leaving the room, Si-Hyun spoke.

"Always, thank you."

The Coldblood only bowed its head in response, offering no verbal reply. It wasn’t expecting one in return, either.

Once the room’s occupant had left, the Coldblood quietly raised its head.

Its vertical pupils, characteristic of reptiles, reflected Si-Hyun’s retreating figure. Only the creature knew what thoughts ran through its mind.

After watching Si-Hyun for a moment, the Coldblood resumed cleaning the room, as usual.