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[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 456
Above the blackness of space thick as tar a single blue-tinged sphere drifted.
It shone as beautifully as a polished lapis lazuli; the object was a planet, its surface entirely covered by ocean.
The humans of Megacorp called this planet NOX-02.
Near NOX-02, as it slowly orbited its star, blue flames flared into existence. Accompanied by dazzling flashes of light, a warship of strikingly streamlined design materialized.
“Superluminal transit complete. Commencing engine stabilization procedures.”
“No error in the jump coordinates.”
On the ship’s bridge.
White marble tiled the floors; walls and ceiling were fitted with display panels. The main screen, linked to external cameras, projected a real-time feed of the void outside, making it seem as if the bridge itself floated in deep space.
The crew’s attire was as exotic as the mythic atmosphere: everyone on the bridge wore heavy power armor reminiscent of something from an epic film.
Within Megacorp, there was only one group that dressed like this on duty, the Silver Lion Knights of Prime Capital Edgerton.
“We’ve arrived, Lord Jacob.”
“Hm.”
Jacob, dressed in ornate armor, sat in the captain’s chair, gazing at the blue world on the screen.
“Are the landing teams ready?”
“All knights and researchers are standing by, sir.”
“Good. Vice-Commander, you have the bridge.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Having transferred command to his vice-commander, Jacob left the bridge.
When he reached the hangar, some 200 fully armed knights and power-armored researchers stood at attention, awaiting orders.
“Let’s move.”
Jacob led the waiting detachment to a prepped multipurpose transport craft.
Soon the transport launch was underway and the vessel rapidly descended toward the planet.
Not long after atmospheric entry, Jacob’s craft started to shake. A deep droning echoed from outside the hull.
‘A storm.’
This planet was covered in water naturally, its weather was violent and unpredictable. Jacob thought little of it.
A few minutes later, the transport reached NOX-02’s main sea base, Aqua State.
As they disembarked, howling rain and wind lashed at them. The harbor’s city managers scurried out to meet them, getting drenched in the torrential downpour.
“Ehem, welcome! Welcome to Aqua State!”
“Welcome!”
Perhaps it was the deafening wind, but the greetings came at a shout.
｢My apologies for visiting in such weather.｣
“No, no! This strange weather cropped up suddenly we’re investigating! Please don’t worry about anything!”
｢Is that so…｣
While talking to the chief administrator, Jacob looked around. One person, who should have been there, was missing.
｢Where’s Joel?｣
“Joel… Oh, do you mean the rescue ship’s captain?”
｢Yes. I told him to come out and meet us before our arrival.｣
One manager raised a hand.
“I saw him at the repair dock about ninety minutes ago!”
｢Repair dock?｣
“Yes! Said he had something to do on the ship under maintenance—boarded it, and we haven’t seen him since!”
Jacob frowned.
‘What’s going on?’
He’d messaged Joel before arrival, instructing him to prep the parasite sample for immediate transfer to the research base as soon as the Knights landed.
And Joel had replied all preparations were complete.
‘Why lie… Wait, could it be?’
An ominous thought struck him.
‘If something happened to the parasite Joel brought…?’
If it was just a problem, that was one thing. But there was a real risk the parasite could’ve died during handling.
There was no need to explain the value of a live Outspacer parasite to anyone. Joel knew that too hence, maybe, the lie.
Jacob called a subordinate right away.
｢Get in touch with Joel immediately.｣
｢Underst...｣
But the subordinate trailed off, his body going rigid.
He wasn’t alone. The knights and researchers behind him, the city staff as well—all stared, mouths agape, over Jacob’s shoulder.
Their gazes pointed directly behind Jacob.
‘What…?’
He turned to follow their line of sight and beyond the city, far outside, something rose.
Between the gray clouds and the indigo sea, a mountain range towered skyward.
‘Mountains?’
NOX-02’s surface was uniformly ocean. There shouldn’t be land—let alone mountains.
Especially not mountains that were still visibly growing, right before their eyes.
Unless… it wasn’t a mountain at all, but a wave towering as high as a mountain range.
｢Impossible!｣
“R-Run awaaay!”
“Screeeam!”
｢Everyone evacuate to the transports!｣
Shortly after Jacob's shout, a tsunami of overwhelming height hit the Aqua State.
***
“The transport lost all signals!”
“What?”
The vice-commander jolted at the sudden report.
“Is it a network issue?”
“No sir! We checked with the detection system there’s no signal at all!”
“That’s impossible! Are you saying the whole ship just vanished?”
Unless there was a war breaking out on the planet, a transport disappearing this quickly was unthinkable.
The panicked vice-commander immediately tried to contact Jacob, but there was no response. Comms to any of the team members who had gone down with him were also dead.
“What about Aqua State?”
“…No response there either.”
Even stranger, there was no contact from the base where the survey ship had landed.
‘Just what is happening down there?’
The vice-commander glared at the panel on the front of the bridge.
A white-clouded planet was displayed. A massive typhoon now raged across its entire surface.
When they had arrived, there hadn’t been a single cloud in sight. Now, not even an hour later, it was like this.
“…This is bad. Prepare for planetary descent immediately.”
“Yes, sir!”
The ship’s highest-ranking officer barked out the order, and the crew moved with practiced precision. Their battlecruiser, which had been idling, accelerated toward the planet.
“Any detection hits?”
“Still nothing… Wait unidentified signal detected!”
“What?”
Just as they entered the atmosphere, the detection systems picked up something.
“Is it the commander?”
“I’ll check!”
A subordinate traced the new signal. Moments later, the results appeared on the main hologram.
“…What? Is this certain?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
Staring at the projected readout, the vice-commander frowned. The newly detected signal was extremely strange.
‘An energy signature?’
Signals like this only showed up during superluminal jumps or when the plasma cannons fired. Either way, it shouldn’t appear here.
Worse, the signal was moving—fast enough that the detection systems could barely track it.
Beep.
“S-Sir, the signal is approaching us!”
“Damn! I don’t know what it is, but prepare for combat!”
Everyone on the bridge powered up their armor and donned their helmets.
The warship halted and shifted into battle mode, main plasma cannons and hundreds of secondary turrets coming online.
｢Fire as soon as the signal enters effective range.｣
All eyes on the bridge locked onto the hologram.
Beep.
The mysterious signal closed in at breakneck speed. The waiting batteries opened fire.
A lance of heat carved through the planet's upper atmosphere, closing on the target.
｢Target hit!｣
｢Status of the signal?｣
｢Confirming now.｣
A direct hit from the main cannons. Any normal vessel would have been vaporized many times over. No one present considered survival possible.
Beep.
“Wha…?”
But the telltale beep persisted in the detection system.
｢Signal remains! Still inbound toward the ship!｣
｢Impossible! Keep firing!｣
Even before the vice-commander’s order, a torrent of plasma erupted from every gun, but nothing seemed able to stop that unidentified signal.
Beep.
Soon, the approaching signal was close enough to see.
The vice-commander’s eyes drifted to the main screen on the bridge.
The external cams showed a sky dark with storm clouds. Through the flashing lightning, an otherworldly luminous object moved.
Like a small star streaking through the night, it flared with vivid red light—a comet, wreathed in color.
The warship’s plasma beam slammed into it, the explosion blotting the cameras with searing light.
Beep-beep!
Through the burning black flames, a streak of red gleamed. Even surrounded by fire and light, the figure remained, undeterred.
As the smoke cleared, the entity on the far side revealed itself.
It was a being with four wings fanned out like the tail of a comet.
At that instant, the vice-commander was reminded of a creature he’d seen once in the lab.
｢A…Gallagon?｣
In truth, it had little in common with the specimen he remembered—the color of its scales, the number of its wings, everything was different. Only one feature matched: those amethyst-violet eyes.
He couldn’t say why it made him think of a Gallagon.
｢Energy spike from the signal! D-danger imminent!｣
Not that it mattered anymore.
The last thing the vice-commander saw was the flash of crimson light unleashed by the red Gallagon, swallowing the entire ship and everyone on board.
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[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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