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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 375
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A massive star burned like a brazier, casting its glow upon the vast darkness.
The ancient celestial body, designated as the red giant Olga, radiated its own light as a spaceship emerged, bathed in a soft blue glow.
“Faster-than-light travel complete. Red giant Olga confirmed. We have safely arrived in the Dorane System.”
A command center with a pristine, marble-like white interior.
Before the holographic star map floating in the center, uniformed humans operated computers. Their attire and demeanor were so disciplined and orderly that they resembled soldiers.
But they were not soldiers.
“Hey. Now that we’ve arrived, try contacting the client again.”
“Yes, Captain.”
The man addressed as captain was Sean Hamilton, a spacedog from Megacorp.
He had once served in crisis response teams aboard warships and as part of security forces in orbital cities. But after retiring from his position, he became a pirate.
Piracy was a severe crime under Megacorp’s law, yet many former military personnel collaborated with pirate cartels, engaging in corruption. Most of them were eventually caught and met miserable ends, but a fortunate few managed to escape Megacorp’s grasp and retire without consequence. Sean and his crew were among those lucky ones.
Sean’s group, the Hamilton Cartel, consisted entirely of retired soldiers. Perhaps because of this, they operated differently from typical pirates, preferring more legitimate engagements.
Instead of heavy crimes like smuggling or human trafficking, they earned credits through security work escorting high-profile individuals or transporting valuable goods.
Of course, if their business had been entirely legal, they wouldn’t be labeled as pirates. More often than not, their clients were criminals, or their shipments included weapons meant for terrorism. The illicit jobs were the real money-makers, and ignoring them was never an option.
Regardless, Sean was good at his job. The Hamilton Cartel had never drawn the attention of Megacorp or any other major faction. They also maintained relatively amicable relations with other pirate groups.
This was thanks to Sean’s exceptional networking skills.
Maintaining favorable ties with former military comrades and wealthy clients ensured a steady stream of business. Anyone he deemed valuable, he managed with precision.
As a result, the Hamilton Cartel could continue its operations while avoiding major faction scrutiny.
One of Sean’s key clients was based on Asuka-44, a planet in the Dorane System.
The client’s demands were simple: deliver a steady supply of slaves, luxury goods, and essential supplies. The request itself was straightforward, and the payment was exceedingly generous.
Even better, this lucrative contract had been in place for years. From Sean’s perspective, there was no better client. That’s why, for every transaction, he made it a point to visit the planet personally.
That had been his plan this time as well until a problem arose.
Normally, when he sent a message three days before arrival, he would receive a response. But this time, there was none.
Even yesterday, after repeated attempts, there was still no reply.
“Captain, we still can’t reach them.”
“What? Keep trying.”
“Aye, sir.”
Sean frowned as he gave the order.
‘What the hell is going on?’
The deal had already been settled seven days ago, and part of the payment had been sent in advance. Under these circumstances, there was no reason for the client to suddenly cancel the transaction.
‘Did they make a deal with someone else?’
Recently, rumors had spread about a new pirate group lurking near the Dorane System.
They called themselves the Shino Union, and their influence was said to be formidable.
‘…No. If that were the case, they wouldn’t have sent the credits in the first place.’
Besides, the client known only as ‘S’ was exceptionally cautious and distrustful. It was unlikely that he would suddenly befriend some unknown pirates who had only recently appeared in the area.
‘Then something must’ve happened.’
“Still no response?”
“No, sir. There’s no signal at all. It seems there’s an issue with their satellite.”
“Any traces of faster than light travel nearby?”
“None detected.”
The Dorane System was unclaimed space. The inhabitants of Asuka-44 were practically the only intelligent beings in the region.
Given that, the chances of them being attacked by an outside force were almost nonexistent.
‘If the satellite is just down for repairs, that would be the best-case scenario.’
But something about this situation felt off.
If it were any other client, Sean would have already turned back. But the problem was that the client in question was 'S'. If this deal fell apart, it would be nearly impossible to find another client as profitable.
“What are your orders, Captain?”
“Hmm.”
The vice-captain standing beside the captain’s chair asked.
Sean remained silent, staring at the hologram, before finally making a decision.
“Move closer to Asuka-44 and send another transmission. Even if the satellite is down, we should be able to establish contact once we’re near the planet.”
“Understood.”
With the destination set, the ship’s thrusters flared to life, igniting along the sides and rear of the vessel.
As the ship moved, the holographic star map updated in real time. The triangular icon representing the ship steadily approached Asuka-44. No other structures appeared on the display.
“The fact that we can’t detect any communication satellites… doesn’t that suggest something happened?”
“We’ll find out soon enough.”
“…We should proceed with caution.”
At the vice-captain’s advice, Sean gave a slight nod.
Roughly an hour later, Sean’s ship reached Asuka-44.
“Alright. Try again.”
“Aye, sir.”
Following Sean’s command, a crew member attempted communication. Whether it was a ship or a structure, any functioning communication system on the planet should be able to receive their signal.
Everyone in the room fell silent, watching the holographic display that read: Attempting to establish communication…
Moments later, the message changed.
“Connection established with ground communications.”
“Phew. That’s a relief. Where’s the signal coming from?”
The crew member operating the terminal frowned in confusion.
“Uh… it’s not coming from the base, sir. We’re connected to a ship’s communication network.”
“A ship’s network? Why the hell are they answering from a ship instead of the base? More importantly, why haven’t they activated video transmission?”
“I’ll check now.”
The crew member sent a request to enable video. A moment later, a new message appeared at the bottom of the holographic display.
"Due to abnormal hyper volcanic activity, the base has collapsed. Volcanic ash is disrupting the atmosphere, causing signal interference. We appreciate your understanding—"
“What kind of bullshit is this?”
“It is true that Asuka-44 has intense volcanic activity, but…”
“No, I’ve been to that base before. There’s no way it would collapse because of something like that.”
Sean had visited Asuka-44’s base multiple times for past transactions. He knew firsthand how sturdy the facility was. Unless there had been an explosion from inside, there was no way it would have crumbled.
Another message arrived, and the crew member read it aloud.
"The remaining personnel from the base are currently evacuating with available ships to a safe location."
“Evacuating? Activate the detection system and verify that claim.”
“Yes, sir.”
This ship was a modified version of an Edgerton-class heavy destroyer. Unlike the rust-bucket ships most pirates used, this was a vessel built for frontline combat. Naturally, its detection systems were far superior.
The ship’s external cameras activated, capturing footage of the area where the transmission had originated. The feed was then displayed as a holographic projection.
On the blackened ground, several ivory-colored ships were docked. Their outer hulls were scorched black in places, and some had visible damage to their turrets and propulsion systems.
In front of the ships, there were several small structures, seemingly set up as temporary facilities.
“What’s their condition? Was it really caused by the volcanic eruption?”
“There are signs of metal structures being warped due to extreme heat.”
“This part appears to be impact damage.”
“Lifeform readings?”
“Confirmed biological signatures within a 10-kilometer radius of the ship that responded to our transmission. The interference likely caused errors in previous scans.”
Despite running multiple detection systems, the only reliable data they had was from the cameras capturing the ships and makeshift structures. Everything else was unreliable. The hyper volcano eruption had clearly caused significant disruptions, just as the other side had claimed.
‘Still, something doesn’t add up.’
Sean couldn't wrap his head around it.
These people had deliberately settled on this remote volcanic planet. It didn’t make sense for them to be completely wiped out just because a few volcanoes erupted.
As he remained skeptical, another message arrived.
“Captain, given the situation, they say they’ll come here directly to receive the goods.”
“They’re coming to my ship?”
“What should we do?”
“……”
The moment he heard that, he was certain.
‘These bastards are up to something.’
Client 'S' had never, not even once, sent people to his ship. Every single transaction had always taken place at their base.
And now, all of a sudden, they wanted to trade aboard his ship? Anyone could see something was off.
After a brief silence, he narrowed his eyes and stared at the holographic display.
“Tell them we’ll come to them instead. Vice-captain, select the landing crew and prepare the gear I’ll need.”
“That’s too dangerous!”
The vice-captain had clearly sensed something was wrong as well and tried to stop him.
But Sean had already made up his mind. His gaze shifted to the ships displayed on the camera feed.
‘I don’t know what they’re trying to pull…’
As a former soldier, he could immediately recognize the value of those ships, even if they looked scattered and damaged.
‘Their base is destroyed, and their fleet is diminished. There probably aren’t many survivors left.’
At this rate, continuing business with them seemed unlikely. In that case, severing ties now might not be a bad idea.
“From this moment on, you’ll act as interim captain until I return.”
“Captain!”
Ignoring his vice-captain’s protest, Sean left the command room.
Client 'S' had been a lucrative business partner. He was grateful for that.
But Sean was a pirate.
If there was still more to take, he had no intention of leaving empty-handed.
‘I’ll consider those ships my parting gift for this deal.’
Ten minutes later, a transport shuttle descended from Sean’s warship, piercing through the planet’s atmosphere.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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