Chapter 308

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[Translator – Seraph]

[Proofreader – Draxx]

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Chapter 308

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"...Alshas, I didn't think you'd go this far."

Nern, dressed in his cult-like purple military uniform, glared at his junior standing beside him.

"I understand how you feel, Senior."

"Do you? And yet, you dragged me here?"

"Dragged you? Senior, you know how important this event is. How can you say that?"

Currently, they were at the mansion of Kisos, the leader of the Reformist faction.

Four days ago, Alshas had arranged a meeting between Nern and Si-Hyun Yujin, mediated by Kisos at Nern's request. To Nern’s surprise, Kisos took a liking to Si-Hyun and promised to provide her with a stable supply chain for her equipment.

Nern had been pleased with the successful negotiations. The stronger Si-Hyun’s power grew, the higher the chance Nern could take revenge on the "three-headed demon."

But the betrayal he now felt was entirely unexpected.

"I clearly told you I wouldn't return until my revenge was complete."

"I'm not asking you to return, Senior."

"That person over there is the Deputy Chief of the Eye of Revelation priesthood, and that other one is the Director of the Aur Monitoring Agency. You've brought me to a gathering of the planet's most powerful figures and claim you're not forcing me?"

Kisos's party wasn’t limited to those two.

Other guests mingled in the banquet hall. Though they appeared ordinary, their positions were anything but. They were individuals of such high rank that even as a captain of an Imperial dreadnought, Nern rarely had opportunities to meet them.

"You know as well as I do, Senior, that Si-Hyun Yujin's enemies aren't few. Even with her relics, the road ahead will be fraught with peril. There's no harm in being prepared."

"If the Assembly learns that I survived, do you think they'll leave me alone? They'll find a way to exploit me."

"Kisos has promised to handle that. Until Si-Hyun’s role is fulfilled, you’ll remain officially dead. There’s no need to worry."

"Hmph."

Everything had been decided without his knowledge. Nern glared at Alshas.

He never held much regard for such political maneuvering. Perhaps it was his nature as a soldier, but he had seen countless comrades die on the battlefield because of the petty squabbles between factions.

In the past, he might have been furious. But this time, he couldn't bring himself to lash out.

Because he knew Alshas had acted for his sake. If the roles were reversed, Nern might have done the same to ensure his junior’s return.

In the end, Nern sighed quietly instead of arguing further.

"...When should I make my introduction?"

"After Si-Hyun and her brother have their turn, you can greet them separately."

At that moment, Kisos, the host of the party, was busy introducing Si-Hyun to the other guests. Although human, she carried herself with the grace and poise characteristic of Noble Capital. She handled the guests with ease.

‘Speaking of which...’

Nern's gaze drifted from Si-Hyun to a silver-haired cultist in the corner of the hall.

It wasn’t just the hair his entire demeanor bore a striking resemblance to Alshas. This was Alcardi, a man renowned for being the brother of a former Imperial dreadnought captain.

"Alcardi’s here too."

"You mentioned before that he'd make an excellent governor's aide. Apparently, Kisos thought so too and found him a suitable position."

"Well, well. Who would've guessed both siblings would be this capable?"

Nern clicked his tongue while watching Alcardi. The man seemed tense, repeatedly bringing his drink to his lips.

"He looks nervous. Will he be alright?"

"If I interact with him too much, rumors might start spreading..."

"True."

"Honestly, I’m a little worried, but he’ll manage."

The reason?

「...I didn’t think you’d evade their surveillance this way.」

Perched on my back, the Mother of the Sky shook her head, her keen eyes fixed on a creature ahead even amidst the darkness of the underground.

I wasn’t alone in this passage. Along with me and her, another massive creature occupied the space a crimson worm as large as Ice Horror.

This was an adult Redworm.

「Imitating a Redworm... how clever.」

The adult Redworm, a predator just shy of Apex-level strength, is viewed differently depending on the group.

To Megacorps, it’s a dangerous predator that mimics voices to lure in prey, worthy only of extermination. To the Cult, however, Redworms are creatures to be protected.

The reason? Redworms play a pivotal role in the desert ecosystem.

To be precise, it’s not the Redworms themselves but the symbiotic organisms living with them.

The immense carnivorous worm’s body is covered in beetle-like insects the size of children. These insects, called Water Beetles, excrete substances that purify water and enrich the soil, helping to sustain the planet's fragile environment.

Water Beetles exclusively feed on the hardened outer layers of adult Redworms. If the Redworm population dwindles, so does the Water Beetle population, leading to environmental decline. For the Cult, reliant on desert ecosystems, protecting adult Redworms is a necessity.

[ZZZ ZZ (Not bad, huh?)]

「No wonder players didn’t know about this.」

My current adult form resembles a young Redworm in size and structure. To the facility's detection systems, I’d appear as nothing more than a newly arrived Redworm.

As long as I avoided damaging the water systems or infrastructure, the chances of them targeting me were slim.

The Mother of the Sky let out a soft chuckle, fully aware of this fact.

「Well, at least someone’s got a good head on their shoulders.」

[ZZZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZZZ (If I don’t do this, I’ll never make it to number five)]

「...Good for you」

The Mother of the Sky, perched on my back, scratched her beak with a hand. As her fingers touched her beak, the energy field surrounding her body shimmered faintly.

「I even prepared a reinforced suit just in case, but it seems I won't need it.」

She was currently wearing an advanced reinforced suit, a piece of equipment salvaged from the attackers sent by Arkadi during their last assault. I’d had the suit customized to her physical specifications, enhancing its stealth capabilities. Now, in addition to optical camouflage, it had a mild stealth effect layered over it.

While I was busy tunneling, she had been scouring the Water Fortress for viable entry routes. Unlike me, she had the freedom to move in public spaces and visited far more locations. The route she discovered bore similarities to one of the infiltration methods I had used in the game.

However, under the current circumstances, the underground route was far safer. Unless something completely unexpected occurred, there would be no need to use her route.

‘Not that things ever go perfectly to plan.’

Judging by the city's lack of response thus far, the infiltration seemed to be proceeding smoothly. She likely recognized this as well, which was why she made such a comment.

[즈즈 즈즈 즈즈즈 즈즈즈즈즈(Still, the suit might come in handy post-infiltration)]

「If it comes to that, I'd rather not have to use it at all.」

Among the intel she had gathered during her investigation, there were several discrepancies from the game's version of the fortress. Some of these could have been quite problematic had we remained unaware of them. Her knowledge would undoubtedly prove invaluable, especially if we had to escape the city later or if I ended up launching a full-scale assault on the planet.

‘Anyway, that’s enough for today.’

Digging further was impractical for now, with the Redworms constantly moving about nearby.

Not that I feared them quite the opposite. I was worried I might accidentally kill one. Redworms played a crucial role in maintaining the planet’s ecosystem, and their death would immediately provoke a response from the Cult. If that happened, the entire tunneling operation would be for naught.

As I paused my work and prepared to head back to the hover bus terminal, a sudden, intense signal jolted through my mind. It was brief but piercing, like a desperate cry. My body froze instinctively.

「What’s wrong?」

The Mother of the Sky's voice reached me, but I couldn’t respond.

That signal it was the final transmission sent by one of the parasites I’d implanted.

‘Arkadi... is dead?’

Something entirely unforeseen had occurred.

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[Translator – Seraph]

[Proofreader – Draxx]

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