——————
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
——————
Chapter 316
-
Two enormous bolts of lightning, visible from hundreds of kilometers away, strike the ground.
The lightning, racing across the sky, heads toward the depths of an ancient city’s underground.
The golden electric light mingles with the crimson rays of the sun, casting an eerie, otherworldly glow. The sand-covered land blazes fiercely, and the buildings constructed upon it begin to melt away.
The sight resembles a divine punishment, inflicted upon those who defy the laws of nature.
In some ways, that might be an apt description.
The force carrying out this astonishing act of destruction was a weapon designed to imitate the authority of the gods.
The lightning that had been raging for several minutes finally dies down.
As the embers continue to scorch the sand beneath them, two stars that had been hanging in the red sky plummet toward the earth.
The stars, each hundreds of meters in diameter, shrink as they descend, eventually transforming into flying objects about 10 meters across. A spherical object, encased in layers of mandalas, slowly lands outside the burning land.
"Haah."
Nern, watching the orbital weapon land while scattering sand, barely resisted the temptation to collapse onto the sand. The enormous psychic energy expenditure had left him struggling to remain upright.
"Target impact confirmed."
"We've received a report from above. They’re asking what exactly that ‘Thunder God’ was. How should we respond?"
"Say it was a fire support and a test of the new ‘Thunder God’."
Meanwhile, Alshas, who had controlled another orbital weapon, was issuing orders to her subordinates with a calm expression, as though this was nothing.
"...You used even more energy than I did, yet you’re still standing."
"Thanks to your efforts in stabilizing the system, we were able to adjust the firepower without issue."
"No need to mention that. What I did was just a minor part. But still, impressive."
Nern looked up at the massive sphere before him.
The Thunder God he knew didn’t look like this.
Originally, the Thunder God took the shape of a geometric, intricate plate, formed by interwoven complex shapes. It was made of a rare metal called nova metal, which allowed it to grow larger when infused with psychic power.
The weapon in front of him also grew when infused with psychic power, but its appearance was vastly different. Instead of a thin plate, intricate shapes were twisted together into a spherical form.
"Is this the new model of the Thunder God?"
"It’s still a prototype. Compared to the previous Thunder God, its firepower and precision have been greatly improved, and it can strike at much greater distances."
"I heard it was developed to deal with enemies infiltrating planetary interiors. I suppose that’s true."
"Yes, that’s correct. The development goal was to strike at the strongholds of cults or bio-portals in the outspaces."
While the Cult Empire possessed many weapons capable of destroying planets, few could adjust their power levels as precisely as this one. As a result, dealing with enemies that infiltrated planets had been difficult.
For that reason, the orbital weapon, Thunder God, had long been used to incinerate invaders within planets.
The spherical weapon before them was an upgraded version of the Thunder God, specifically designed with this purpose in mind.
"...Still, using the Thunder God on Verzan 02 isn’t without risk."
"That’s true, but don’t worry. The weapon test will be conducted under the supervision of the Temple Guardians, so it will be made public."
"Temple Guardians?"
Nern was startled by the sudden mention of this term.
"Actually, that’s why the Thunder God’s deployment was delayed. The Temple Guardians had to go over the paperwork first..."
"Wait. You’re telling me the Temple Guardians entrusted you with operating the new Thunder God?"
"Yes. I had previously assisted them in weapon improvements. It’s been over half a year since I was removed from the advisory position, though."
"...Hah."
"Not to mention, Kisos also helped out."
While the junior spoke casually, Nern knew it wasn’t as simple as it sounded.
The Temple Guardians were as proud and conservative as the Priesthood of the Eye of Revelation.
For them to appoint an imperial battleship captain as a weapons improvement advisor was an unimaginable act. Entrusting the operation of a new weapon was even more unthinkable.
Even with the support of Kisos, the leader of the reformists, it wasn’t easy to move the Temple Guardians. They supported the Providence faction, whose political views were completely different.
In other words, using the new Thunder God to deal with the monster was entirely the result of Alshas’s personal efforts.
‘So now she’s involved in weapon development too, even though she has ties with the leader of the reformists. What exactly is she doing?’
Nern never imagined his junior would be involved in so many things.
"Confirming the impact point with the camera."
"Good. Once confirmed, synchronize it and output the image."
"Impact point confirmed. Outputting the transmitted image."
Alshas, seemingly oblivious to her senior’s gaze, focused on commanding the subordinates she had brought to operate the Thunder God.
As the communications officer manipulated the equipment, a small translucent image appeared above the sand.
In the image, there was an enormous crater, as if a volcano had erupted, with smoke billowing up.
At the edge of the crater, two small figures were seen barely escaping.
One was wearing a body suit covered in dust and blood, and the other wore a black, uniquely designed exoskeleton. No other figures were visible.
"Senior, we need to confirm whether the monster is dead. Please contact them."
"...Right."
Nern temporarily set aside his thoughts about Alshas and contacted the survivor on the screen, Si-Hyun Yujin, using his communicator.
"It looks like they're safe."
｢Yes.｣
"What about the creature? I can’t verify it here. Is it really dead?"
｢…….｣
Si-Hyun didn’t immediately respond to that question.
Everyone waited tensely, eyes fixed on Nern’s communicator.
Then...
｢…The creature is dead. I saw the beam from the sky turn its body to dust with my own eyes.｣
"!"
Upon hearing those words, everyone at the scene let out a silent gasp of awe.
The "Three-Headed Demon" was dead. At last, their enemy had been avenged, and Nern nearly collapsed from the overwhelming relief.
As everyone rejoiced, Alshas, who had remained silent, suddenly asked her.
"This is Alshas. What happened to the body? Is there anything left, like the head or heart?"
｢Nothing at all. It was completely turned to ash.｣
"...I see. That’s a relief."
Alshas, reassured by Si-Hyun’s confirmation, withdrew with a calm expression.
However, Nern saw it just for a brief moment, a strange hint of regret flashed across her face.
"Even though the creature is dead, there may still be risks. Tell the extermination squad to conduct a thorough search."
"Yes!"
She too had lost her family to the demon’s hands. It was hard for anyone else to understand, but Alshas would not have felt regret.
‘It must have been a mistake.’
Perhaps it was due to the excessive use of psychic power.
Convinced it was just an illusion, Nern dismissed the thought and helped the soldiers with their clean-up.
---
｢It’s a complete mess! Is Big Baby alright?｣
｢Shorty｣ ｢Strange｣ ｢Big Adult｣ ｢Wrong｣ ｢Are you okay?｣
“Based on the disturbance with the parasitic creature controlling Charras, we can infer that something’s gone wrong with the ‘Amorph.’”
｢…….｣
A parking lot on the outskirts of Radiant Street.
Among the numerous airships parked there, Charas’s personal airship stood in between. None of the cult members outside paid any attention to this common personal spacecraft.
This was because all the cult members in the parking lot were distracted by a flash of light that had appeared far in the distance. The bombardment of the orbital weapon from Verzan 02 was an event that should never have happened.
Like the cult members outside, the monsters inside Charas’s airship were also staring at the golden lightning in the sky.
‘…Amorph. What’s happening?’
The agreed-upon time had passed, yet the Amorph had not shown up. It had never broken a promise before.
The golden lightning that was burning up all of Glory Street was probably one of the reasons the Amorph couldn’t come.
The Mother of the Sky knew what that light meant. The cult had brought out the Thunder God.
Given the immense destructive power, it was certain that at least five Thunder Gods were being used.
‘As a fully grown entity, it should be able to endure. The problem is…’
Her gaze shifted to the cockpit.
Normally, Charas would have been sitting there. But the reason she wasn’t was because the owner of the seat had already passed away.
Before the golden lightning struck the ground, Charas had suddenly collapsed. A parasite that had been replacing parts of her brain and spine had died, and soon after, she too lost her life.
The Amorph also understood how important Charas was to this operation. But what did it mean if the parasite controlling Charas had died?
‘Either a new parasite has been implanted, or control over the parasite has been lost.’
The former would be the better case, but if it was the latter, the situation would become much more serious. It would mean that the Amorph had weakened to the point where it could no longer control the parasite.
｢It said it has a new plan. So you don’t have to worry.｣
｢Really? Big Baby isn’t hurt, right?｣
｢Big Adult｣ ｢We｣ ｢Didn’t｣ ｢Say｣
｢It’s just trying to surprise us as usual. It does that all the time.｣
｢Is that so?｣
｢Agree｣ ｢Big Adult｣ ｢Joke｣ ｢Likes｣
｢I like jokes too! They’re fun!｣
Hearing this, Number 26 and Adhai were reassured. With their spirits lifted, they happily watched the colorful fireworks outside the window.
“……”
PS-111, who was about to voice a contrary opinion, fell silent when the Mother of the Sky gave a subtle gesture. She had also concluded that revealing the truth wouldn’t help improve the situation.
‘It’s too late to change the plan now.’
Her original plan had been to disguise herself as a rare creature vendor. The registration had been completed a few days ago under Charas’s name, and the sales permit had been obtained.
The registered products included Bubble Amoeba, Albino Gallagon, and the mutant Mountaincrawler each corresponding to Number 26, Adhai, and PS-111. To fit this plan, PS-111 had even detached metal from the hover bus center and attached it to its body.
Before entering the fortress, the creatures were supposed to be placed inside the iron cage in the airship.
‘The problem is, we have to do all of this without Charas.’
The body of the dead Charas was buried in a sand pile outside the parking lot. Without a way to bring her back to life, the situation required entering the fortress without her. The risks were much greater than originally anticipated.
‘It’s becoming harder to deal with unexpected situations.’
On top of that, the enemy had even deployed the Thunder God. They had launched orbital bombardment on their city. The defenses around the Water Fortress would have been significantly strengthened.
‘I registered as a personal attendant just in case...’
Currently, the Mother of the Sky is officially registered as Charas’s personal attendant, essentially her secretary. She had done this deliberately to avoid suspicion, but now it had become meaningless.
「Is there no way to substitute Charas?」
“The voice and some physical traits are replaceable, but if a check is performed, it cannot be fooled.”
「I thought so.」
“There is a 57% chance of a high-intensity check occurring. If Charas is absent, the probability rises to 99%.”
「...I know, so there’s no need to tell me.」
About 30 minutes had passed since the agreed-upon time.
The flashing lightning from the Thunder God had long since disappeared, leaving only black smoke filling the red sky.
Both Number 26 and Adhai, who had been waiting patiently as the Mother of the Sky had instructed, were growing bored and began tapping on the airship’s interior facilities.
‘I can’t wait any longer. I need to go...’
What if The Amorph couldn’t make it here? If the feared enemy ranker was nearby, her help would be indispensable.
Just as she was about to make up her mind and rise, two cult members appeared from the front of the airship, beyond the reinforced glass.
Dressed in warrior faction uniforms, they gave her a small hand signal.
「This is bad! Everyone, get into the containers!」
The feared situation had occurred.
She motioned for them to wait for a moment and then placed the others into the prison cells. Once she confirmed the children were safely inside, she exited the airship.
“Good day. Due to the recent disturbances in Glory Street, a security check is being conducted. We ask for your cooperation.”
「Understood.」
“Hmmm, may I have your name?”
「I am Ha... ahem, Seo-Ah.」
“Seo-Ah, registered as Charas's personal attendant and knowledge manager. Is this airship Charas’s?”
「Yes, it is.」
“Could you tell us the purpose and schedule of your trip?”
「I plan to visit the Water Fortress to sell rare creatures. There has been a delay due to the poor health of the goods, and we have exceeded the planned waiting time.」
“I see. You’ve definitely gone over the 30-minute mark. Could you provide the list of goods for sale?”
Fortunately, the cult warriors didn’t seem to doubt her much. This was thanks to the Mother of the Sky’s smooth and direct responses to their questions.
“Looks like there’s no major issue here.”
“What about an interior inspection?”
“We compared the registered documents and don’t think it’s necessary. So, we’ll end the inspection here.”
「Thank you.」
She barely managed to suppress the sigh of relief and bowed politely.
Just as the two cult warriors turned to inspect the next ship, one suddenly stopped.
“What’s wrong?”
“Here, it says that Charas is accompanying you.”
“Huh?”
“Hey, where is Charas?”
The Mother of the Sky tensed at the strict warrior’s question. Of course, she kept her composure on the outside and answered calmly.
「She went to take care of something.」
“Well, if she says so, let’s move on. We have other ships to inspect.”
“If she went to take care of something, she should be back soon. You know I’m interested in the Knowledge Manager exam. I have a few things I want to ask.”
“Tch, always like this.”
Listening to their idle chatter, the Mother of the Sky did her best to keep her hair from standing on end.
From their conversation, it seemed that they weren’t planning to leave until Charas arrived.
The problem was, Charas was buried in the sands of the desolate desert.
‘Do I need to handle this now?’
Eliminating the warriors in this place wouldn't be difficult. The problem lay in what came next.
But remaining here and doing nothing wouldn't improve her situation. If that was the case, it would be more advantageous to act now, while the enemy wasn’t yet wary of her.
Just as claws began to peek out from her fur-covered hands, resembling the front paws of a dead creature, a familiar voice came from behind her.
“Sorry. I got delayed with something.”
「!」
The woman with goat horns, a cult member, had approached and gave a slight nod toward the other cult members.
“No problem. Are you Charas?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for confirming.”
“Uh, um, I’d like to ask something.”
“The Knowledge Manager exam is a position to test the sacred wisdom blessed by Providence. It’s not something I can answer just by asking.”
“Ah, ahem, I’m sorry!”
“Tch, I knew this would happen.”
“Well then, I’ll be going.”
“May Providence guide you.”
Only after the warrior left could the Mother of the Sky relax.
She glared at Charas no, at "the thing pretending to be Charas" with eyes full of frustration.
「Providence, my ass. Why did you take so long?」
[ZZ ZZ ZZZZ (Sorry. Something came up.)]
This was the problem with her companions. They communicated through thoughts and feelings, so they knew exactly what was going on in each other’s minds.
Sensing The Amorph’s apology, she almost lashed out with an angry outburst but held herself back. After calming the hairs standing on end, she let out a short sigh.
「It was because of the Thunder God, wasn’t it?」
In the end, that was all she could bring herself to say. There was no anger in her words.
[Z ZZ ZZZ ZZZZ (Yeah. That and more happened, though.)]
「I heard five Thunder Gods fired their beams at you. How did you escape?」
The Amorph responded nonchalantly to her question.
[ZZZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZZZZ ZZ (I took a close-range, ultra-fast maneuver while taking hits.)]
「…Is that even possible?」
[ZZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZ (I got lucky and gained some useful power. Plus, there was ‘an audience to engrave my death.’)]
「?」
The female cult member was saying something incomprehensible.
Her face showed no expression, but somehow, the Mother of the Sky could sense it.
The Amorph, hidden behind the cult member, was smiling.
——————
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
——————
