Report
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 318
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Space Dogs, the Raiders of the Harsh Universe.
Orphans, runaway slaves, war criminals, mercenaries this pirate group has no family, no property, and no place to call home. They live day by day, surviving only on the plundered goods of the day.
However, some factions within the group began to think about the "future." The pirates who had survived for a long time used the wealth they had amassed from raiding to establish long-term plans to maintain their cartel.
The path they chose was to integrate into the order created by the three great powers: Megacorp, the Star Union, and the Cult Empire.
At this point, where the great powers' spheres of influence had become entrenched, pirates who captured slaves or rare creatures were no more than a tool for scratching an itch. The gray area between legality and illegality became the new stage for the Space Dogs.
For example, human trafficking selling captured prisoners from plundered ships as slaves or experimental subjects was one of the cartel's main sources of income.
The most notorious groups engaged in human trafficking were two in particular: the Humanity Cartel and the Satoa Cartel.
These groups did not limit themselves to simple pillaging and kidnapping; they occupied entire planets and sold the native inhabitants into slavery. This was possible because both were under the protection of the Cult Empire.
Of the two, the more evil and terrifying was the Satoa Cartel. The Humanity Cartel, being a relatively new group, was not as well-known for its wickedness.
In contrast, the Satoa Cartel had been active for over 40 years and had become a powerful, historic cartel. Their influence was so vast that they could be considered warlords of the outer regions of space. Their fleet and personnel overwhelmed all other cartels.
Moreover, they even trafficked their fellow pirates as slaves. Because of this, the Satoa Cartel was universally reviled within the Space Dogs' ranks.
Of course, there were few cartels capable of challenging Satoa, and even if such groups existed, the major cartels had already established close ties with them.
The Satoa Cartel was preparing for the future, with the protection of the great powers and the support of the major cartels. Nothing in this universe seemed capable of threatening them.
That is, unless "they" appeared on the planet where Satoa's headquarters was located.
"Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit!"
The deputy leader of the Satoa Cartel, hidden in the mud, constantly cursed under his breath.
He had no idea when or where this disaster had begun.
The ships that were supposed to arrive for the slave market had gone silent, the communications from the forest camps had been cut off, the comrades sent to restore the communications had been delayed in returning, and the sudden outbreak of an unknown plague... which of these could be the cause?
No, perhaps all of them were to blame.
But none of that mattered.
What mattered was the undeniable fact that the Satoa Cartel, with its long history, was being brought to ruin.
"Ki-ki-ki-ki-ki!"
"Ahhhhh!"
"Kwa-ya-ya-ya-ya!"
Screams from afar, the roar of an unknown entity, and the sound of gunfire mixed together in confusion, swirling above his head.
These were sounds that should never have been heard just yesterday. They came from the cartel's main camp, where his comrades were being mercilessly slaughtered by the mysterious beings.
"What the hell did we do wrong to deserve this?"
The deputy leader had committed countless raids and crimes. He had grown tired of hearing the screams of the victims.
Yet, he had never once thought he was in the wrong.
After all, isn't that how the world works? The strong devour the weak. He, his subordinates, and his comrades had simply followed that natural law.
While he cursed the cause of this catastrophe, the noise from afar slowly began to die down.
"..."
After a long while, once the surroundings became quiet, he cautiously lifted his head from the mud.
The forest, which had been bathed in sunlight when he fled, was now growing increasingly dark.
From a distance, there was a thudding sound followed by an animal's cry. The deputy leader moved very slowly, just as if he were about to make a sniper shot.
Thud, thud. The beast's screech was mixed with the sound of wings flapping. Ignoring the sound that dug into his ears, he crawled diligently on the ground. There was a fighter jet deeper in the forest. Getting to it and escaping from this place was the most urgent task.
Thud, thud. The cry, which had started off faint, grew louder. Was it because he moved without making a sound? That particular noise started to grate on his nerves.
‘What kind of damn bastard...’
As he cursed inwardly, he suddenly had a feeling that the sound was familiar.
Was it an animal that lived in this forest? No, he had heard that sound recently.
More specifically, he had heard it just before the camp turned to ashes.
Thud, thud.
The moment he thought that, the sound grew closer. The deputy leader quickly rose from his position.
He was now less than 10 meters from "it". He tried to rush to where the fighter jet was.
“!”
He felt a sharp pain in his ankle, and his body lurched forward. As soon as he got up, he fell forward again, staring at his ankle.
“Hii, hiii?!”
A pink tentacle had emerged from the bushes and tightly coiled around his leg. The creature that owned the tentacle bounced forward with a thudding sound and appeared before him.
“J-just...!”
His words were cut off before he could finish.
The creature, resembling a pink ball, expanded greatly and pounced on him.
---
｢I｣ ｢The one I was going to catch｣ ｢Little one｣ ｢It’s mine now｣
｢No! I targeted it first!｣
｢I｣ ｢Ugly dwarf｣ ｢Running away｣ ｢I saw it｣
｢You didn’t know where it went, did you? I knew. That’s why I caught it first!｣
Number 26’s observation was correct.
Adhai had lost track of the ugly dwarf because she had looked away at another fleeing individual. Meanwhile, the Little One, 26, continued to pursue its original target without faltering.
Thanks to that, the fleeing pirate deputy leader had been completely destroyed to the point that it was hard to recognize his original form.
｢Adult｣ ｢Yielding｣ ｢Important｣ ｢Little One｣ ｢Greedy｣
｢The Big Baby said that what it catches, it gets to eat｣
｢That’s｣ ｢Acknowledged｣
Finally, when the conversation turned to the Big Baby, Adhai gave up.
The male she loved was safe, drifting into a long sleep. As he had done many times before, he had entered a deep sleep to allow his body to grow.
The Big One always searched for food after completing its growth. Adhai's actions were driven by the desire to ensure her loved one would not starve.
And it was the same for Number 26.
｢Big One｣ ｢Once it’s finished｣ ｢Food｣ ｢I want to offer it｣
｢If you catch other food, bring it.｣
｢Really?｣
｢Eat this first, and then let’s go find more.｣
｢Agreed.｣
For the first time in a while, the two were in agreement and decided to chase after another fugitive. Number 26 extended its tentacles, ready to devour the prey it had caught in one gulp.
｢Huh?｣
While sweeping the meat fragments into its body, 26 felt a strange sensation. There was something unfamiliar inside the corpse.
"What is this?"
"Little One, once you’re done eating, let’s go."
"Yeah."
Not knowing exactly what it was, but finding it interesting, Number 26 grabbed the object.
After that, several short screams echoed through the forest. The culprits of the screams, the Gallagon and Sea Demon, returned to the burning camp only when night fell.
“Are you here?”
PS-111, who had been stacking bodies in the center of the camp and collecting necessary genetic and biological data, greeted them.
｢Where do I put this?｣
“Please place it inside that building over there.”
｢Where's the Middle One?｣
“Inside, guarding the Amorph. Why do you ask?”
｢I have something to ask.｣
｢Little One｣ ｢Found something strange｣
“Something strange?”
Number 26 pulled out the object it had been holding with its tentacles. PS-111 extended its hook-clawed legs carefully to take the object.
｢Do you know what this is?｣
“It’s a type of Cult-style pad terminal. However, it differs from the usual models in appearance, and traces of psychic power have been detected, suggesting it has been specially modified for a particular purpose.”
｢So you don’t know?｣
“I didn’t say I don’t know. I said it differs from the stored information.”
｢You all worked hard.｣
｢It’s the Middle One!｣
While everyone was talking about the object Number 26 had brought, a Griffon from the inside of the large warehouse emerged.
｢Hmm? What’s that?｣
“It’s a pad terminal that the main controller gets.”
｢It was taken from a human.｣
｢Little One｣ ｢Ugly dwarf｣ ｢Hunting｣ ｢Success｣ ｢Trophy｣ ｢Got it｣
｢By 'ugly dwarf', you mean the Wolf Deputy, right? Looks like it’s an item stolen from him. Want to give it to me for a second?｣
The Mother of the Sky’s amber eyes gleamed as she took the terminal. Like PS-111, she was slightly taken aback by the appearance of the terminal.
｢It’s rather unusual in design, isn’t it?｣
“It seems to be a model modified for a special purpose.”
｢A special purpose, huh.｣
Carefully inspecting the pad, she called over Number 26.
｢Give it a little power here. Not too much, just a tiny bit.｣
｢Yeah. I’ll try.｣
As 26’s tentacle touched the pad the Mother of the Sky was holding, the tentacle’s color subtly shifted to a faint violet. At that moment, the pad activated.
｢Just as I thought.｣
The Griffon Wolf, seeing the pad come to life, uttered a short exclamation.
“What is that?”
｢It’s a tool used to teach psychic powers to species outside of the Cult. If I had to compare it to something, it’s like a braille book read with psychic abilities.｣
“Does something like that exist?”
｢I’ve heard of something like it… well, I didn’t think it was real.｣
The Mother of the Sky almost mentioned something from a game before clearing her throat and manipulating the pad.
At that moment, everyone present reacted. Suddenly, large images began to form in front of their eyes through psychic power.
｢What is this?｣ ｢What’s going on?｣ ｢This is weird!｣
"Trace amounts of psychic power are distorting my sensory organs."
｢What’s going on? Why does everything feel so overwhelming? This is amazing!｣
The strongest users of psychic power, Number 26 and Adhai, had the most intense reactions. Meanwhile, the Mother of the Sky and PS-111, who had relatively weaker psychic abilities, only felt a slight tremor in their bodies.
｢When activated, psychic power projects images based on predetermined themes. Right now… hmm, it looks like a Cult-style fairy tale?｣
As she had said, those with potential for psychic abilities could sense the images created by the pad. The more sensitive they were to psychic power, the more they could perceive, feeling even the finer details beyond just the visible.
At that moment, they were no longer in the center of the ruined pirate camp but inside a luxuriously decorated palace.
"After comparing it with stored information, I’ve confirmed that it’s 55% similar to the structure of the Imperial Cult Emperor’s private palace."
｢Private palace?｣
“The data stored on this pad appears to relate to the 'Legend of the Pirate King Who Assassinated the Tyrant.' It’s a story where brave pirate kings and heroes punish the emperor who was driven mad by his own tyranny.”
｢Hmm, so there was a fairy tale like that... I’ve never heard of it… huh?｣
While the Mother of the Sky was appreciating the illusion, listening to PS-111’s explanation, she suddenly froze at the sight of a new group of characters appearing.
The newcomers were a mix of humans, wolves, cult members, cyborgs, and various other species. That was fine, but the issue was their genders and clothing.
｢W-what is this?!｣
｢Wow! New humans!｣
｢Dwarves｣ ｢So many types｣
"The species are diverse, but I believe all their genders are the same."
｢I know!｣
The women who appeared wore outfits that were far from fitting the palace background. They wore incredibly revealing clothing, far more suggestive than anything even found in the basements of pleasure districts.
‘M-Madness! This is porn!’
The women, barely covered by what could be called clothes, climbed onto beds, and it was at that moment that the Mother of the Sky realized what was contained within the pad.
It was an adult-themed story set against the backdrop of the tyrant legend. Essentially, a virtual reality adult film powered by psychic abilities.
Given her strict upbringing regarding sexual elements in her homeland, she quickly understood what this was. After all, the virtual reality game she had enjoyed was once rejected due to similar reasons.
｢Wow! The humans are exchanging food with tentacles!｣
｢Food?｣ ｢I can’t see it.｣
｢They’re inserting something into their bodies with tentacles. They’re feeding each other with them!｣
｢Those aren’t tentacles.｣
"Those are specialized body parts with a specific purpose. However, placing them there is inefficient."
Hearing the conversation among the three monsters, the Mother of the Sky snapped out of her daze.
For someone like her, with weak psychic abilities, the images on the screen were just visual, but to the others, it wasn’t the same. The psychic creatures, Gallagon and Sea Demon, weren’t just seeing things; they were likely feeling like they were actually in that space.
So, she immediately turned off the pad.
｢What? The feeling is gone all of a sudden.｣
｢Middle One｣ ｢Destroyed｣
｢…It’s not broken, but it’s too soon for you.｣
｢?｣ ｢Me｣ ｢Group｣ ｢Leader｣ ｢Enough｣ ｢Adult｣
｢I’m an adult too. I want to see more.｣
Though she had said it with no real thought, it was ineffective. As Number 26 and Adhai protested, the Mother of the Sky hid the pad behind her back.
｢W-wait… even if you’re an adult, you shouldn’t look at this.｣
｢It’s my property. Since it’s mine, I’ll do whatever I want with it!｣
｢Agreed｣ ｢Property｣ ｢Little One｣ ｢It｣
“I agree. It’s biologically fascinating material. I request that you reactivate the pad.”
｢…….｣
PS-111 couldn’t say anything when it joined the conversation.
In reality, since they are from completely different species, there’s little chance that there would be a problem just by knowing the contents of the pad. She is aware of this fact.
However, the reason she behaves this way is because the creatures in front of her are far from ordinary wild animals. Beings with intelligence surpassing that of humans would quickly realize what kind of knowledge the pad holds.
Moreover, they would also understand what they could do with this 'knowledge.'
‘...It’s none of my business, though.’
It’s clear who these beings want to bond with. They wish to form a deeper connection with the Amorph, who is preparing for a new stage of evolution.
It is up to the Amorph to decide how to handle its relationship with Number 26 and Adhai. As a third party, she has no reason to interfere. In fact, she had thought the same way when something similar happened in the past.
But now, as she acts this way, is it because she sees them as children? Or is it because of some other emotion she doesn’t fully understand?
‘Whatever the case, distorted images like this aren’t good!’
Even though she couldn’t pinpoint a clear reason, she couldn’t back down now. She had to stop it somehow, since no one knew what effect such "hardcore adult content" might have on these intelligent creatures.
In the end, she came up with the perfect solution.
｢Oh, the big one wouldn’t like this either.｣
｢Big one?｣ ｢Why?｣
｢Why? It’s fun.｣
｢The big one doesn’t like things like this. So, PS-111.｣
Before the others could ask more questions, she handed the terminal to PS-111.
｢Remove all the important data and dispose of the rest. Do you remember what the Amorph is supposed to be looking for?｣
“The information about the pirates’ auction. Understood.”
For once, the Mother of the Sky took a firm stance, causing the issue with the pad to be buried.
Adhai, who had been quite interested in the contents earlier, seemed to lose interest quickly and went to the building where the food was stored. The Mother of the Sky also seemed embarrassed to stay there and soon left.
PS-111, who had been tasked by both the Amorph and the Mother of the Sky, began analyzing the contents of the pad. As it connected the cable to check, Number 26 approached.
｢Friend.｣
“Yes.”
｢I want to see what’s inside that.｣
“The 'middle one' said that the 'Amorph' doesn’t like it. Is it okay if you receive the Amorph's resentment?”
｢I don’t want the big one to be angry! What I want is something else.｣
“Something else?”
｢Yeah. If I study what the big one doesn’t like, won't it help later?｣
PS-111 hesitated at Number 26’s words.
｢The big one is the leader, so they are the strongest, but if even stronger bad ones show up, I’ll have to help.｣
“That is indeed a reasonable point.”
｢So, I have to study. Even the things the big one doesn’t like.｣
PS-111 nodded in agreement, observing the pink jellyfish speak so logically.
“Main controller’s suggestion received. I will make a copy so we can check the contents of the terminal.”
｢I don’t understand what you’re saying.｣
“It means I will fulfill your request.”
｢Wow! Thank you!｣
“I’m also interested in the contents. I will study it together with you.”
｢That sounds fun!｣
It was a conclusion very different from what the Mother of the Sky had expected, but that was something she would never know.
However, the outcome she feared would never happen.
Until arriving on this planet, Number 26’s dream had never changed.
Number 26’s dream was to guide its kind and family to greater happiness and prosperity.
And that family includes all those who Number 26 loves.
To share happiness with its family, Number 26 would learn anything.
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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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