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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 353
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"Empress?"
｢Calling an Outspacer here? Akira, are you out of your mind?｣
｢Wow, what’s this? I’ve never seen the 4th-ranked before. By the way, I’m sorry about the queen I killed last time. I needed money, you see?｣
The 4th-ranked Outspacer, commonly known as ‘Empress’.
It was an arrogant nickname, but Chloe didn’t think so at all. The Empress was known to control about 80% of all Outspacers. If she wanted, it would be easy for her to bring down the Cult Empire.
Despite this, she and Jubaka would try to stop the Empress, though honestly, it would be tough. Even if they won by some miracle, immense damage was to be expected.
The reason the Empress didn’t go to war was because there was a powerful figure in the ruling faction.
｢Hmmm, I called for Beom-Ho too, but it seems he won’t respond.｣
｢Would you respond if your enemy called for you?｣
｢True, I see your point.｣
While everyone was surprised, the leader of the Ruling Faction, Akira Yujin, calmly continued talking with the Empress.
｢Akira, you're calling not just us, but even the Return Faction members. What’s your game?｣
｢Don’t tell me you’re thinking of uniting the factions? I have no intention of returning to that hellish reality.｣
Of course, Akira was the only one in this conversation who was reacting so calmly.
‘Why suddenly call the Empress… Could it be?’
Suddenly, Chloe remembered that there had been chaos in the Cult Empire not long ago. One of the pillars of the Empire’s economy, Verzan-02, had been completely destroyed. Though the Empire controlled the flow of information due to the fear of chaos, none of the ranking members in the ruling faction were unaware of this.
However, what others knew and what Chloe knew were slightly different.
｢Ha, that’s a ridiculous idea. The tide has already shifted our way, so why would we do that?｣
｢Were you calling to condemn the recent bombing? I heard Verzan-02 got wiped out.｣
｢Ha, there were some good routes there too. Ah, just thinking about it gives me a headache.｣
The Garmelda family had many connections within the Cult Empire. Among them were the Reformist Faction, one of the two major factions in the Imperial Council.
The leader of the Reformist Faction, Kisos, had died in Verzan-02. And he wasn’t killed by some Outspacer.
The spies who barely survived the catastrophic disaster all said the same thing: A giant creature with three heads destroyed his mansion.
The one who brought down Verzan-02 was the 5th-ranked player, Amorph.
｢You called me just for this? Are you going to condemn me?｣
｢No. Anyway, it’s not like you did it yourself.｣
｢What?｣
｢What does that mean?｣
｢Tch, everyone is so slow with their information. The true culprit behind this incident is Amorph.｣
“…Tch.”
At Akira’s words, Chloe clicked her tongue softly. The faction that had taken control of Verzan-02 was the reformists. As the one closest to them, Chloe had the advantage in information gathering.
Yet, the fact that Akira knew meant there was a gap somewhere in her intelligence network.
‘Damn old fool.’
｢Hmm? Wasn’t Amorph extinct? You’re not talking about ‘that Kusomorph’, are you?｣
｢Hmmm, it seems Shino didn’t attend back then, so he doesn’t know. Amorph is also in this world now. Someone did something unnecessary, and that’s how it happened.｣
｢Don’t insult Beom-Ho. Everything was calculated and decided.｣
｢…I think I understand why you called us now.｣
Knowing it was Amorph’s doing, Akira’s reason for calling them became clear to both Chloe and Jubaka. They had seen similar things happen in the game.
“Are you planning to issue a hunt for Amorph?”
｢Correct, Chloe.｣
The 5th-ranked player was the most notorious in Space Survival. Anyone who had played the game for a while would have at least one memory of being defeated by Amorph.
Because of this, it was not uncommon for multiple ranking players and clans to join forces in hunting Amorph. The players currently talking had also participated in many Amorph hunting expeditions.
｢I can't let this garden be ruined by weeds. I’ve used tools before, but the results were less than ideal. So this time, I plan to clean it up myself.｣
｢Whether you fight Amorph or not, it’s none of my concern. I don’t even know if you’ll be able to do it.｣
｢Good point. The 4th rank. If it were just me, I might fail. But...｣
Akira paused for a moment before continuing.
｢What if you help?｣
“Old man?”
｢...Akira. The Return faction is the reason this happened, but do you think that guy will follow along?｣
｢Jubaka. Be precise with your words. It wasn’t the Return faction, it was Beom-Ho acting unilaterally. Isn’t that right, Empress?｣
At Akira’s question, the Empress’s stone statue remained silent. It was likely because what he said was true.
｢We all have different desires and are competing, but this situation is different. If we leave that guy unchecked, we have no idea how much damage he’ll cause later.｣
｢That guy is under Beom-Ho’s control.｣
｢Do you really think Beom-Ho intended the destruction of Verzan-02? I don’t think so. He’s human, Empress. A weak, fragile human.｣
｢That’s...｣
｢If Beom-Ho is involved, maybe we should consider leaving him alive for now. What do you think of my suggestion?｣
It was rare for Akira to make such a polite suggestion. If she was known as the Empress, Akira was known for being a tyrant.
As everyone held their breath, the statue of the Return faction’s ranker quietly glowed.
---
“The Dorane Galaxy, where Asuka-44 is located, is presumed to be the star system of the red giant 'Olga’.”
“Y-Yes! The sun from that planet looks just like that!”
The Humanoid Insect nodded urgently at the image of a large star projected on the frozen wall. PS-111 looked back at me as Alshas, now as the Humanoid Insect, gave me the answer I wanted.
“Considering ‘Amorph’s speed, it is estimated it will take 3 to 7 days to travel from here to the Dorane Star System.”
[ZZZ (Good)]
As PS-111 turned off the holographic projection device in the control room, I gestured to Alshas.
[Z ZZZ ZZZZZ (Your role ends here)]
“W-Wait! I don’t want to go back there! Please! Please don’t send me back!”
Alshas, who had only recently become a Humanoid Insect, was panicking. It wasn’t really a panic, though more like frantic words while its body moved closer to me, which was rather meaningless.
‘Jason did the same, and now this one’s acting up too.’
Parasites prefer living inside my body, and the Humanoid Insect are no exception. Jason also freaked out the first time but calmed down recently.
‘Not that I’m planning to abandon them though.’
Just like Jason, I was planning to keep Alshas around. There was still useful information left in its head.
“Nooooooo!”
With a final cry, the Humanoid Insect retreated into the nest near my back and tail. Then, a mucous membrane formed over it, covering its entire body. It would stay there until I called for it again.
[ZZZZ (What about Isabel?)]
“‘Sister’ is outside with the main controller, testing out a new body. I’ll call her now.”
[ZZZ ZZ ZZ ZZZZZ (It’s fine. I’ll go get her)]
“Then I’ll check the Screamer support lines one last time before leaving.”
“Last. Check!”
“Last. Check!”
As PS-111 rose its large body, the smaller screamers beneath it repeated the same words.
I walked away from the busy PS-111 and exited the Screamer support lines.
Looking at the support lines embedded in the ground like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, I saw various signs of repairs on the front of the ship that was lodged in the ice. The Coldbloods had used minerals from the Gigacracker to patch up the ship, creating living spaces for themselves. They would stay there until their health recovered enough to adapt to the planet’s environment.
Near the support lines, there were aircraft PS-111 had repaired. These were used by the Coldbloods to commute to Gallagon’s nests or to gather food and supplies.
As if returning from somewhere, the Mother of the Sky and some Coldbloods descended from the aircraft. She waved her hand at me, while the Coldbloods beside her bowed deeply.
‘They’ll be fine.’
I gestured to them with my eyes, then focused on the Auxiliary Organ beneath my jaw. From a point quite far from here, I faintly detected a familiar smell.
It was the scent of metal and blood.
‘As expected, they’re hunting.’
I kicked off the ground and spread my wings. The ice beneath my feet cracked, and the ice particles above scattered in all directions.
As I flew, moving my wing-arms, the temperature gradually became warmer. Below, I began to see mushroom-like plants scattered across the desolate plains.
In the distance, I could make out a giant pink creature floating in the air. Its body was shaped like a reclining ring with a hemisphere covering it, and beneath it, numerous tentacles and fins hung. It was Number 26. It drifted through the atmosphere like it was swimming in the ocean, the underground world filled with air.
Nearby, a new form of mutated Screamer was floating. It was Isabel, who had once been a Coldblood but had now become an artificial lifeform.
While Number 26 resembled a jellyfish, Isabel's appearance was closer to a snake or millipede. With a long body and several arms, she hovered in the air, twisting her body into a coil.
Among them, a creature that seemed like a mix of a bat and an ape, a Cave Gargoyle, lay dead with its tongue sticking out.
｢If you do it harder, it'll snap.｣
“Are you telling me to loosen up?”
Isabel, having heard Number 26's resonance, loosened up her body. As the Cave Gargoyle’s bones shattered and leaked out like liquid, Isabel quickly grabbed it with her multiple arms. Number 26, shaking its tentacles, lit up its body in approval.
｢Good job! Now you can eat!｣
“Thanks.”
Like I would, Number 26 patted Isabel’s head with its tentacle-shaped hand. Isabel seemed a bit awkward receiving praise from a pink jellyfish and tried to move her head away slightly. Then, she made eye contact with me.
[ZZZZZ ZZZZ ZZZ (I was worried, but it looks like you're doing fine)]
｢Wow! Big baby!｣
It was only then that Number 26 recognized me and swam over to me, waving its fins in the air. It changed its body back into the usual pink balloon-like shape and perched on top of my head.
[ZZ Z ZZZZZ (Are you getting used to the body?)]
Instead of answering my question, it opened its mouth wide. Just like a snake when it eats its prey, its jawbone separated, and its mouth opened far wider than its body size. Inside, two hook-like teeth, similar to a spider's pincers, protruded from the inside.
With that, Number 26 swallowed the entire Cave Goyle it had been holding with its many arms. Its hands and the hook-like teeth in its mouth quickly shoved the prey inside.
In an instant, Isabel calmly spoke after swallowing the 3-meter large prey.
“As you can see.”
[ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZZZ Z ZZZZ ZZZZ (The Mother of the Sky thought it would take quite a while to adapt)]
“…Huh. It’s the body sis worked so hard to make. How could I complain?”
No, it wasn’t that she was calm, it was closer to resignation. Seeing her speak with a small sigh, it seemed like she wasn’t too fond of her current body.
‘If I tell PS-111, it could fix it.’
She’d probably be a bit upset, but if it’s her, it wouldn’t be impossible to make her body a bit more human-like here.
‘But I don’t really need to tell her.’
I didn’t want to waste time re-adjusting her here. After all, this body was far better suited for combat and survival than a human one.
‘Plus, I like this appearance.’
Her current form was actually quite appealing to me. It had a mesmerizing, uniform beauty like a snake with beautiful scales, and it felt distinctively different from her sister’s look. While Isabel didn’t seem to like her body, I found it perfectly fine.
Isabel used one of the arms near her head to push the hook-like teeth that had stuck out back inside her mouth. Most of her body was covered in metal, giving her a colder impression than PS-111, but it was ironic to see her looking so awkward.
What could I say? It felt similar to a girl trying to act like an adult to hide her lack of experience.
‘If I say it out loud, she’ll get mad, so I’ll keep quiet.’
“Thanks to sis adjusting the taste, eating isn’t a problem.”
[ZZ ZZZ (Seems like it)]
“Ah, flying like this is pretty comfortable too.”
Isabel swam through the air, her body twisting like a sea snake. Despite lacking any obvious means of propulsion or flight mechanisms, her movement was remarkably natural.
‘I didn’t know the Vortex One body had such effects.’
Since Isabel’s form was primarily made from the body of the ‘Ring of Agony’, she was capable of flight, much like Number 26, who gained the ability after consuming certain creatures.
While not as fast as the Mother of the Sky or Adhai, who could fly at incredible speeds, Isabel was still faster than a Green Gallagon. In combat, this would be more than sufficient.
“Seeing as Amorph is here, it looks like it’s time to leave.”
｢Little friend, where are we going?｣
[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZZ (We’re going to a warm place this time.)]
｢A warm place? Is it fun?｣
[ZZZ (Yes)]
It might not be all that fun, but it certainly seemed interesting. The planet Asuka-44 was one I had never visited before. Much like the icy planet where Gallogon’s nest used to be.
‘I’ve been to volcanic planets many times.’
It might not be drastically different from what I expected, but that was something I could only confirm by seeing it for myself.
I returned to the support ship with Isabel and the others.
A few hours later, Adhai and the Mother of the Sky also returned. After finishing all preparations, we set off toward the Dorane Star System, where the red giant lives.
---
A beam of light cut through space, deeper than the ocean’s abyss.
The light’s source was a Megacorp medium-sized mining ship.
With a long elliptical hull, the ship’s rear was equipped with a massive capture crane, which firmly secured a large chunk of asteroid.
While mineral procurement was mainly handled by the Saint-K family, it wasn’t as if private mining ships were nonexistent. Recently, for reasons unknown, the Saint-K family had halted operations of their Gigacracker, causing a significant increase in demand for private mining ships.
The owner of the ship, and a recent entrant to the mining rush, was Jin Chen from Middle Capital on Mars.
He was sitting in the worn captain’s office, tapping away on a small pad.
“Let’s see. Compared to the Earth market prices... How much is this? One, two…”
After calculating the value of the minerals he had mined, Jin Chen’s eyes widened as he saw the figure on the pad.
“Eight, nine? Hahaha, ha, ha! I’m rich! I’m rich!”
Though Middle Capital was considered a relatively high rank within Megacorp, it was still just one planet’s worth of status. Jin Chen had spent his life cleaning up after the Prime Capital's orders on Mars, always dreaming of a better life.
Then, recently, an opportunity had come his way. After the civil war had ended, and a recession hit Megacorp, a colleague told him a secret. The price of minerals was on the rise, and he should buy a mining ship in advance.
Driven by some sort of frenzy, Jin Chen rushed to the ship market after finishing work that day. He used all his credits, even borrowing more, to buy a second-hand mining ship.
“What? You think I’m crazy? Well, let’s see who’s the real crazy one!”
Prophets were often solitary. Everyone called him mad, but look at these numbers on the pad. It was more than double the credits he had earned in his entire life. With just a few more trips along the same route, he’d be able to pay off his debt.
“With this, I can raise my initial capital, and the rest I’ll reinvest…”
Laughing happily at the thought, he suddenly noticed a light on the top of the pad.
“What’s this?”
It was a communication from the situation room. Jin Chen pressed the blinking light on the pad.
"Captain, there's a ship in the same star system?"
“A ship? What’s their affiliation?”
“We’re not sure. We’ll need to see it for ourselves.”
The fact that it was an unknown ship made Jin Chen pause.
In the vast emptiness of space, few things were more terrifying than an unidentified ship.
He replied that he understood and rushed to the situation room.
The room was bustling when he arrived. Crew members typing on computers awkwardly saluted him as he entered.
Jin Chen turned to the balding middle-aged navigation chief and asked, “Where is the ship?”
“It’s still quite far but not moving.”
“Are you sure it’s a ship?”
“Well, the signals we’re getting suggest it is.”
“Could it be mining a nearby planet?”
“There aren’t any planets here suitable for mining…”
The hesitant tone of the navigation chief caused Jin Chen to sigh quietly.
Due to the need to use every credit to buy the mining ship, he had to hire a crew at a cheap price. Most of the crew had less than a year of experience, or like Jin Chen, they were just in it for the quick fortune.
At least the navigation chief had some experience, but even that didn’t come without its drawbacks.
“Keep an eye on it. If it moves closer, let me know…”
“Uh, Captain? It’s moving now.”
“What?”
A crew member fiddled with the computer, and a holographic map of the star system appeared in the center of the room. Jin Chen’s mining ship was at the center, and a small triangular marker blinked at a distance.
That marker was getting closer to the mining ship.
Seeing this, Jin Chen felt his blood run cold.
It was the pirates, who had been lying in wait for their prey, now revealing themselves.
——————
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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