276

Episode 276 – Collapse (1)

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Where did it all go wrong?

It's not like he neglected security ahead of a big project, nor was he on bad terms with other cartels.

Montana, which is both illegal and legal, has worked hard to avoid making unnecessary enemies. He ran the cartel not like a pirate, but like a businessman.

As a result, he built a cartel so large that it was ranked among the top three in Space Dog. It would be safe to say that his method was sufficiently successful.

At least until today.

Montana, who had just entered the private elevator of the 2nd Command Center, could barely resist the urge to scream and run wild.

Even the beautiful music flowing from the speakers installed in the elevator could not calm him down. This is because the sound of gunfire mixed with the smooth piano melody made me aware of reality.

His fortress is falling.

"…Fuck."

In the current situation, I couldn't resist without cursing. As he muttered a low curse, the security guards behind him flinched.

It is not just the 2nd Command that is under attack now. Contact with the 3rd Command was completely lost, and the 1st Command's reinforcements were isolated by strange monsters everywhere.

'Now all that's left is…'

The only way is to escape this fortress.

On the 110th floor of each headquarters, there is an escape means to escape from the fortress. It is a personal transport aircraft created by the headquarters' officials a long time ago when they were managing a fortress in the Empire to inspect the planet.

It is a type of rocket that is launched directly at a specific point on the planet, so it can reach the planet at a very high speed. Additionally, the transport aircraft itself is protected by a reinforced shield similar to that used on battleships, making it safe.

However, there is a problem that it is impossible to control and can only land at designated points. After landing, the only way is to wait for another rescue team.

'It is unreasonable to ask other cartels for help.'

The decisive reason why he left the general management office was because he heard a report that the enemy had penetrated where the underground bunker was located. There was no way that ruthless monster would have left the VIPs there alone.

The fortress is collapsing and the VIPs who would look after him have disappeared. Other cartels will never help him.

'…no wait.'

Everyone in the banquet room was finished, but those staying upstairs were not.

Especially the female cult he held most dear.

She did not go down to the banquet hall due to personal reasons. The reason is unknown, but if she is reluctant to encounter others, she is probably still up there.

The female cult is something that the head of the Carmelda family directly mentioned to treat well. If you hide on the planet with her, Carmelda will surely send a rescue help.

When the number on the display had just entered the 90s, he pressed the number 100. That's where his last insurance policy rests.

–

"Duuuuuu!"

"Get back! Step back…Aaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Cursing and screaming interspersed with the sound of bullets raining down.

An auxiliary organ under the chin detects the vibrations produced by familiar sounds. And one more sweet scent is added to it.

The eroding tentacles pulled out the pirates who were taking cover behind a fork in the hallway. Before they could resist, the six appendages at the end of the tentacle dismembered the captured meat into small pieces.

Warm blood Internal organs and pieces of flesh that should not be exposed. If you were to compare that scent to music, it was like an elegant melody created by unique string instruments coming together.

'If I were human, I would be disgusted.'

In fact, the pirates who were covered in the blood of their comrades seemed to have difficulty maintaining their sanity. As I watched my comrades in a daze, they were torn to pieces by the hands of the mutants that protruded from between my legs.

"Gegigigigi"

A mutant roaring with its head and tentacles pulled out. The other guys rushed at the enemies to get their own trophies.

'Now that I think about it, what happened to him?'

Some time has passed since PS-111 began hacking against the Third Command. This guy went through several modifications before coming to the fortress. By now, they should have breached the 3rd Command's system defense wall.

'It will take 10 minutes to finish…'

The moment I thought that, I heard a very loud noise outside.

The sound, similar to a ship horn, was loud enough that anyone in this fortress could hear it anywhere. And the blood and flesh that had soaked the floor rose into the air and then poured down on the floor again.

'You succeeded!'

What is happening right now in front of me is a signal that something has gone wrong with the gravity maintained in the fortress. That means PS-111 has taken control of all of the fortress' life support systems.

Moreover, there was a loud noise that echoed throughout the fortress. That too is a signal to me.

'It's releasing oxygen.'

I know this because I did something similar in the game.

It's not just blocking the oxygen supply to the entire fortress, it's also leaking it to the outside. Even if the 1st and 2nd Commands try to prevent it by supplying excess oxygen, it will not be easy as the amount going out is greater than the amount coming in.

In about an hour, all living things in this fortress will collapse from lack of oxygen.

'There is no point in fighting pirate forces anymore.'

I'll leave the rest to the mutants and the mercenaries who diligently spread madness bombs, and I'll go on to other things.

'Arrangement of means of escape.'

The military port where large-scale ships are currently docked has been devastated. There is only one way for them to escape from this situation.

'Transport ship at headquarters.'

Kesha Arma is a space facility that moves periodically along the orbit of a mining planet. The command center is equipped with a high-speed transport plane that goes directly to the mining planet. It is a type of space rocket used by fortress officials to inspect the planets under their jurisdiction to see if there are any problems.

It is impossible to control the transport ship itself as it is launched from a long silo extending from the top of the cylindrical headquarters to the reinforced glass covering the fortress. Instead, if you use this, you can travel to the mining planet in less than a minute.

'If the survivors of the command center use it, it will be a nuisance.'

Because we have to follow them down to the planet and catch them. It's not difficult, but I'm currently on the verge of evolution. I want to avoid troublesome things happening for no reason.

'Was the location of the transport ship at the top?'

The top of the headquarters is the 110th floor. Where I am now is on the 3rd floor.

'I guess I'll have to climb up by breaking it down.'

[Zuzuzuzu (come this way)]

"Yes."

I moved the position of No. 26, who was sitting on top of my head. I gently held him in my chest and activated the bio-cannon that was reaching the ceiling.

As soon as the spores containing the explosive liquid left the gun barrel, they hit the ceiling and exploded. A third of the ceiling on the floor I was on collapsed. I felt a slight warm sensation on the carapace on my back and on my head, but there was no significant damage.

'I don't think there will be any problem.'

I started climbing up the inside of the building at high speed.

"What the fuck?!"

"Damage…ugh!"

The pirates who had set up a lot of cover in the hallway above and were fighting the mutants were destroyed by me, who burst out from the floor. Some fell down the hole, others struggled under the rubble and were torn to death by the mutants.

"Isn't it painful, big baby?"

Number 26 was worried when he saw the debris piled up on his head and back.

[Zuzuzzu zuzuzu (It's strong so it doesn't hurt)]

｢It's strong! "Sturdy!"

As I easily shake off the accumulated debris, he shines brightly and loves it.

After that, I climbed up, destroying the ceiling with explosive spores or striking it hard with my wing arms.

Sometimes it's a hallway occupied by pirates, sometimes it's a huge room decorated with extravagant decorations, sometimes it's a swimming pool with floating water. Holes exceeding 10 meters were created on each floor of the building, but the headquarters did not collapse. This is probably due to the shielding wall surrounding the exterior wall of the building.

As I climbed up, destroying the interior of the headquarters, I soon got closer to the top.

'Is it arriving soon?'

At the end of the luxuriously decorated 100th floor, there was no longer a space that smelled of people. Instead, the wall dividing the floors became more than twice as thick as other areas. This is because it is close to the floor where the transport ship is located.

'Well, it's meaningless in the face of acidic breath.'

Even though it is thick, it is not as hard as a shield wall. I opened my mouth and spewed out highly acidic fungal breath.

There was a large hole in the ceiling, like in a classic sci-fi horror movie when the creatures escape the laboratory with acid blood. It was not simply limited to one floor. There were traces of melting by the breath on the upper floor as well.

I continued upward through the molten wall and eventually reached the top.

A silo extending beyond the height of the headquarters greets me. It is not visible now due to the shielding wall, but originally, from here, you could see the entire view of the fortress and even the planet visible behind the tempered glass.

A small-sized transport ship can be seen beneath a silo surrounded by several layers of metal walls. Next to them, a few people who were just preparing to board were looking at me with surprised faces.

A pirate with a fairly fat body, three bodyguards protecting him, and a female cultist with deer antlers on her head.

'Antlers?'

I've fought the Staghorn Cult a few times, so it might seem common, but it's not like that at all. The Antler Cult is the most powerful psychic power user in the cult society and is also the highest noble class. Not only are their numbers small, but they do not engage in external activities often in the first place.

Among the people I dealt with, the cultists with deer antlers were Muriel and Jason. They were both players, so it can't be considered a typical cult.

'Are you a player by any chance?'

When you think about it, Kadun said. It is said that among Marcio Cartel's customers, there is a person with considerable power.

'Let's deal with the transport ships first.'

Whether the opponent is a player or not, blocking them from being eliminated is a priority. I immediately prepared my psychic breath.

The purple tentacles of the monster emit powerful energy. A purple heat ray imitating the enormous power granted only to dragons flies toward the transport ship.

It is a transport ship equipped with a powerful shield, but the shield is currently disabled. Of course, it is impossible to block my attack.

But what happened next was beyond my expectations.

As the Antler Cult raised its right arm upward, a circular mandala made of purple thread unfolded and blocked the psychic breath. No, the expression "blocked" was not appropriate.

As soon as the supernatural flame touched the mandala, it disappeared as if it had never existed in the first place.

The mandala curved into a dome shape, covering the transport and the group around her.

'What technology is it?'

Among the defensive techniques I know, there are few techniques that nullify an opponent's attack as smoothly as the current one.

Red Armor used by Red Gallagon or Vortex One's defense technology would be sufficient, but the enemy is only a cult. Among common psychic power techniques, there are techniques that can block psychic breath, but it is impossible to block it so easily.

'Besides, I didn't feel any semi-elasticity.'

In the case of Aadhai, apart from defending against attacks with red armor, it is inevitable that the body will be pushed back due to impact.

On the other hand, the opponent seemed to be manipulating and nullifying the nature of my breath. Just like when I wrote 'complex spectral body'.

'no way?'

A staghorn cult roaming the fortress of technological pirates I don't know about.

Considering these two factors, there is only one answer.

'Cult ranker.'

"…5th place."

A cultist with a cold expression looked at me and chanted in a cold voice.

The enemy I encountered in an unexpected place and unexpected situation was a ranker like me.

Intense psychic power came towards me from her wide open left hand.