Chapter 261

Words : 1462 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

—————— [Translator – Seraph] [Proofreader – Draxx] —————— Chapter 261 - Kesha Arma's 1st Command Headquarters. The massive, cylindrical structure stood like a fortress within a fortress, with an imposing level of security. It had to be, as the 1st Command Headquarters was the only gateway to the space fortress's reactor. If the reactor was the heart, then the 1st Command Headquarters could be considered the brain. And it was here that the ruler of the fortress, Montana Marcio, resided. In his office, filled with precious treasures and rare taxidermy animals, two men were engaged in conversation. "How are the preparations coming along?" Montana asked. "The guests bringing items for the auction arrived at the military port an hour ago. All arrangements for their reception were completed 30 hours in advance, so there shouldn't be any issues," the other man replied. "This time, there can't be any mistakes. You understand that, right?" "Of course," the man affirmed. Montana Marcio, an overwhelmingly large figure who could hardly be mistaken for an ordinary person, took out an elegantly designed cigar. He offered a cigar to the male wolf beastkin he had been conversing with. The beastkin, a white tiger with strikingly white fur, was named Kadun. He bore the moniker "Snow Claw", serving as the underboss of the Marcio Cartel. "Thank you", Kadun responded respectfully, accepting the cigar but not lighting it. Montana, knowing Kadun wouldn’t light his cigar, lit his own instead. "The credits we earn this time will be used for a transaction with the Megacorp. With luck, we might be able to buy a suitable planet." "Are you planning to purchase a planet?" Kadun asked. "Yes. There's a noticeable shift in the Imperial Council's mood lately. The topic of strengthening the military for another Outspacer invasion has become a public concern." "You mean there's a chance Kesha Arma could be mobilized," Kadun deduced. Montana didn't reply and instead took another puff of his cigar. Though the Marcio Cartel controlled Kesha Arma, the true owner of this city was the Cult Empire. Montana had managed to seize control through aggressive lobbying within the Imperial Council, but if the Empire's policies changed, they would be forced out. Hence, Montana planned to use this opportunity to acquire a new planet and relocate the cartel's headquarters. "It would be ideal if we could gain recognition from Megacorp Noble Capital, but that might be beyond reach." "The Garmelda family prefers to keep their ties with us hidden", Kadun observed. "Unfortunately, we'll have to settle for what we can this time." The two men then continued discussing the fortress’s operations and the cartel’s businesses for some time. Hours later, Kadun finally left the office. As he stepped outside, his subordinates, who had been waiting, quickly fell in line behind him. "What's the status on the junkies?" he asked. "Uh, well... it seems it’s not drugs but an infectious disease. We’re seeing a rapid increase in patients showing similar symptoms..." "What?" The subordinate fell silent as Kadun furrowed his brow. Although the cartel's boss held the highest rank, Kadun, standing before him, was known as the 'most dangerous man' in the Marcio Cartel. He was notorious for never forgiving subordinates who made mistakes. Kadun glared silently at the subordinate before speaking again. "The boss is fully focused on this operation. We can’t afford any slip-ups." "Y-Yes, sir!" "You have 12 hours to handle it. Use whatever personnel and equipment you need." "Uh, the thing is..." Despite Kadun’s assurance that he’d have the full backing of the underboss, the subordinate hesitated with a nervous expression. "What’s the problem?" "W-Well, we’ve had an increasing number of deserters among our members over the past few days. Probably because they’re afraid of getting infected... Erk!" Once again, the subordinate couldn’t finish his report, as Kadun had grabbed his face. The sickening sound of bones breaking filled the air, and the subordinate’s body went limp. "Growl... And you tell me this now?" Kadun snarled, but the subordinate, his skull crushed, could no longer respond. Kadun’s gaze then swept over the remaining cartel members, who quickly bowed their heads in fear. "Who’s the next highest-ranking among you?" he demanded. "T-That would be me, sir!" Not only the legs, but other parts of its body now had a layer of animal hide and exoskeleton covering the metallic framework. At a glance, it could easily be mistaken for a Hulk mutant or a genetically modified beast instead of a Screamer. The head retained the appearance of a pale woman’s face entwined with thick cables. Although it looked similar to before, a new feature had been added: a psychic power modulation function. Thanks to this, it could now emit waves in a manner similar to how I communicate with monstrous tendrils. Another noticeable change was the addition of four thin cables beneath its chin. It had created this part to address the inconvenience of extracting cables from its back whenever it needed to link with a ship's computer. "In a way, it’s starting to resemble me." 「I see. So, you intend to make this place your nest.」 As I was pondering over PS-111, the Mother of the Sky approached and spoke to me after disembarking from the patrol ship. Initially, the plan was to keep the family hidden inside the container until we attacked the fortress, but circumstances had changed. This place is rarely visited by pirates, making it the perfect hiding spot for them. [ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZZZ (It's an abandoned area, so it should be fine)] 「Hiding in a religious zone... If this were a game, it would have been impossible.」 She let out a dry laugh as she gazed upon the sight of the Empire's three great symbols of power lying in ruins. As she mentioned, the Cult's belief system emphasizes the 'teachings of Providence' above all else. Even during the three invasions of Kesha Arma, I had never once attacked the religious sector first. ‘Everything is always hardest the first time.’ After greeting everyone, I called over one of the pirates from the patrol ship. He knelt before me, wearing a joyful smile. "What’s changed since then?" "Six hours ago, the items to be auctioned arrived, and some have already been transported to the 3rd Command Center." "Is that so?" This was welcome news. What I'm after are the rare genetic essences of the creatures slated to be auctioned at Kesha Arma's large-scale event. "Is the inventory list also kept at the 3rd Command Center?" "The complete list is currently held by the sub-boss of the 2nd Command Center." "The sub-boss... Are you referring to the wolf, Kadun?" "Yes, it's Sub-boss Kadun." I glanced at the Mother of the Sky. She nodded in affirmation. For her to ascend in her deification process, she requires the heart of a shape-shifting wolf. This Kadun fits the bill perfectly as the suitable sacrifice. ‘This is convenient.’ Capturing the sub-boss means achieving two objectives at once. ‘Especially since preparations are complete.’ The seeds I had sown in Kesha Arma were already starting to sprout. ‘The Messenger of Mass Confusion is spreading rapidly.’ A pirate who had contracted the ‘Madness Bomb’ had already checked into a hospital. The authorities seem to be too preoccupied with the auction to respond effectively, allowing the Messenger of Mass Confusion to spread at an alarming rate. In about three or four days, there will be a massive outbreak of deranged crowds rampaging everywhere. If I target the life-support systems then, the damage will be even greater. One of the managers in that sector is already under the control of a parasite, so I can initiate an attack at any moment. ‘But that’s only after I’ve consumed all the rare creatures.’ "Any other reports?" In response to my question, my loyal underling answered. "There’s one more thing. The authorities are currently organizing a large-scale search team to eradicate drug addicts. This area is expected to be included in their search route." A search team, huh. Using my abilities, I can easily hide, so it's not particularly concerning. Alternatively, I could capture a search team member and plant a parasite within them. ‘Wait a minute? Instead of that....’ Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck me. "Is there any chance you could have the sub-boss included in that search team?" "I’m not certain, but it might be possible, depending on the situation." Depending on the situation, huh. In that case, all I need to do is create the 'right' situation. I'll lure the wolf to this abandoned sector myself. —————— [Translator – Seraph] [Proofreader – Draxx] ——————

Chapter 261

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