The Mastermind

Beauty, they say, is a woman's most potent weapon, and damn, they were right. I've turned into a complete airhead because of it! Honestly, being a run-of-the-mill NPC sounds way better than being a brain-dead protagonist falling for looks.

ARGH! This is the worst, I messed up everything! 

I let out an exasperated groan, slamming my helmet in frustration. I've spent the last five minutes scouring the spaceship for Aoki, even pulled out my "Enhanced Perception" skill, but no dice. 

It must be because she used her assassin skill or already teleported to another spaceship. 

This is bad news. Garcia's still sprawled out on the floor, eyes closed in some kind of beauty-induced nap, and any second now, she could wake up to me being the world's worst teammate.

She would definitely kill me, or worse make me crippled for life. Should I run? I mean, Garcia's a tank even with that battered armor; she'd probably be fine solo

Shit, why would I care that much about her in the first place? The cube was the real deal here. Even if Garcia bit the dust, Gideon would never know it was because I left her with an enemy. 

Stupid feelings, probably some Niel's memory messing with my brain. I feel really close to Gideon, like a friend even when we rarely talk. Because of that, my mind must think that I must protect Garcia because she was Gideon's lover. 

Fuck! 

'Can't you just tweak this memory, Tiamat? It's not even important!'

{The memories I send are tied to skills and expertise. Impossible to filter. Just roll with it as a side effect of your overpowered skills.}

I rolled my eyes. Overpowered?! It couldn't even level up my skill or attribute. 

{Oh, by the way, can I munch on that guy? His sword skills could come in handy down the road.}

'Really? What if he's some long-lost family member of my party?'

{Quit being such a worrywart. Grow a pair and see it as a workout for your feeble mind.}

'Ugh... Fine, do your thing.'

Just praying it won't mess with my head or give me some bizarre memories, I sighed, eyeing Tiamat chowing down on the dude in front of me.

{The Architect has been activated.}

{Appraisal skill started}

{Result from the appraisal skill will be done in 3 hours}

I let out another sigh, contemplating the inevitable doom that awaited me. Lost in my thoughts, I failed to notice someone grabbing my shoulder until they shook it vigorously.

It was Garcia, wearing an expression that could curdle milk and anger that could melt steel.

Shit...

"Look, I'm sorry. Please spare my face and my balls," I blurted out, my mind working faster than my filter.

"Where's the Galactica Cube?" Garcia demanded, her grip on my shoulder tightening to the point where I could hear armor breaking and clattering to the floor.

I gulped, realizing I was in deep trouble. "I lost it... She's the enemy."

Garcia's face turned a furious shade of red. No helmet to conceal it; she looked like the devil incarnate. I should've booked it when I had the chance. Now, all I could do was brace for impact.

"I TOLD YOU SO, YOU STUPID ASS!" Garcia's fist was primed for a world-class punch, and I braced for the inevitable pain.

But nothing happened. Someone's familiar voice interrupted the impending doom. Jayden.

"What are you two doing?" he asked, seemingly oblivious to the brewing storm.

I opened my eyes to find Jayden behind Garcia, preventing her fist from reaching its intended target. She turned around, spotting Jayden with a red Galactica Cube in hand.

A Galactica Cube!

"Jayden! You saved me!" I cheered, quickly adding, "I mean, our team."

Jayden inspected the cube, commenting, "Ah, yes... I successfully snatched it from the enemy team..."

I felt a surge of gratitude toward the child. With this, Garcia surely wouldn't be too mad at me, right? I glanced at her, and she seemed genuinely excited about the cube. 

But when she turned her gaze back to me, her eyes morphed into a look of sheer disgust.

In the blink of an eye, she delivered a swift kick to my crotch. I crumpled, clutching my wounded pride, realizing that my future children might just have to wait a bit longer. 

Fuck, it hurts as hell.

"Damn, kiddo, you really are an amazing child, aren't you?" Garcia complimented Jayden as she approached, snatching the cube and adding, "I'll be the one to protect this cube. Mess up, and I'll make sure you regret it." Her gaze, burning with anger, shifted to me.

"Yes... Ma'am," I muttered, nursing my now-numb nether regions.

"Now, let's continue to the next spaceship to deal with Aoki and her team. I swear to God, I'll unleash hell upon them and tear them apart," she declared, her eyes darkening.

Her determination was no joke, and at this point, I wasn't going to argue. Survival took precedence over complaints. I just nodded in agreement, silently hoping for a less painful journey ahead.

Continuing our journey to the Control Room, we used a teleport gate to switch to another spaceship. As the last one to pass through, I was greeted by a sudden explosion, a burst of granite blowing up right in front of my face.

Quick reflexes kicked in as I activated my shield, though it crumbled upon impact. Ears ringing and visibility reduced to nothing by smoke, I wondered who had ambushed us so unexpectedly.

When the smoke cleared, familiar faces emerged—Matthias, holding two Galactica Cubes, accompanied by Gideon, Aoki, and Arnold. Team green? Seriously?

Matthias throws his grand entrance, "Welcome to my spaceship! Thanks for these Galactica Cubes. Your stupidity led them right into my hands," he boasted with pride.

The urge to punch Matthias surged within me. His next words only fueled my embarrassment and annoyance.

"Especially you, Seth. How did you become that dumb? Because of a beautiful girl?! What a joke! That's why you're a beta, and I am the alpha."

What the hell was he saying? I felt a mix of frustration and irritation, particularly about the "beautiful girl" comment.

Matthias, you're a dead man walking.

"You piece of shit! I'm going to snatch that cube and ram it so far up your ass!" Garcia declared, ready to attack Matthias, but his team formed a protective barrier around him.

"Hah! Try it if you can defeat my underlings!" Matthias taunted, backing up and making a run for the exit gate.

"That asshole!" Garcia cursed.

"No worries. We're gonna off him," I vowed, my pride wounded by both a woman and Matthias.