Planet Master

Hatten woke up and then went out to the canteen to get some food and beverages. Of course, when it mentioned beverages, it meant juices.

When he came to the canteen, he could find a usual queue. But as he got closer, he found out that the situation was not that simple. He frowned as he took a look at the direction where the people pointed out.

There, several people grabbed their heads while there were doctors and nurses already attending to them.

“Excuse me, what is going on here!?” Hatten patted someone and asked.

The person he interacted with turned his neck and saw Hatten and realized that the face was that of the pilot of the Silpheed. He showed a respectful expression and tone while replying.

“Some people have a severe headache suddenly. Currently, the entire spaceship is under quarantine under the captain’s order.”

Hatten realized that the alarm sound he had heard was actually a signal for quarantine.

He also realized that something was wrong but could not pinpoint what exactly that was. Anyway, he then finally had a look on those who had a severe headache.

One of them was the Birdman. He kept screeching due to the intense pain he had suffered. Hatten felt that the headache was a strange symptom and he decided to look at the people carefully.

Hatten looked at the eyes of those who had a headache and realized that their eyes slowly turned red; they were bloodshot!

“Get away!” Hatten suddenly had a bad feeling and shouted out loud. The crowd heard that and felt that what Hatten said was his concern for them, and they obeyed. They distanced themselves from the people who suffered from headaches.

As for the people who suffered headaches, they kept grabbing their heads while wailing. All of a sudden, blood started to flow from the top of their head, starting to make the rest wary and keeping their distance even more.

Hatten, who had reminded them, prepared to hold his weapon since he had a strong feeling that whatever happened in the cafeteria was going to be messy and rough.

‘Let’s just hope that this is unfounded fear and nothing else.’ He thought as he felt the pistol hidden in his pouch. He grabbed it tightly as he kept watching the people who had a headache and now their heads were bleeding.

Then they started to stand up but the way they did it was unnatural in the movement. Hatten’s heart was beating faster as adrenaline started to kick in. He felt everything slowed down and the people around him had given him some space.

Of course, those people also grabbed their weapons and even alerted the guards since this condition happened right in the middle of the Star Battle. So they had assumed that this was the work of the enemy and prepared just in case.

Now, their preparation proved to be right as the people whose heads were bleeding now had a feral expression and their eyes let out a malicious light.

“Warn them! If they do not comply, shoot.” The guards who saw this then gave an order, realizing the situation was becoming out of control. They also aimed their assault rifle at the bleeding people whose movements were unnatural.

“This is a warning, do not move and raise your hands.”

Hatten had heard what the guards who had come said, and he felt that those people did not care about what was said.

That was why…

Gunshots echoed out in the cafeteria. Although the shot was to incapacitate the people rather than being lethal. Those people stumbled and fell, and blood mist appeared for a moment when their bodies were hit by the bullet.

“Give way, give way. Important people are coming in.” from near the entrance to the cafeteria, some of the people shouted so that the rest could give way.

But then the closest people and the guards realized that the people who was shot suddenly bizarrely moved its limbs, trying to stand up. Their mouths opened as they screamed in a strange sound that felt creepy.

Then the rest wanted to aim their weapon at those strange people before a fear so much more exponential appeared in their hearts.

Hatten was one of them. He felt that his deepest fear was almost manifested and his body trembled a little. He also noticed that the other soldiers, guards and crew were also trembling greatly.

They realized that there was a source of fear near them. Even the screaming, bloodied people were also silenced, whimpering as if meeting their natural predator.

Then Hatten turned his head to behind him and saw that Tatsumi was walking toward those people. The crowd parted ways as if he were some kind of terrifying being and they were not wrong.

Tatsumi’s eyes were filled with killing intent, and he unleashed Primal Fear on the infected. While he did that, Ame formed a sword finger with her index and middle fingers extended while the other fingers curled up, a jade-colored light ball on the tips of her fingers.

Tatsumi did not need to make any other move while the others aimed their weapons, whether it was pistols or assault rifles, at the strangely acting people.

Ame then thrusted her fingers at the glabella of each of the affected people. When her transcendent energy pierced through their skull, something inside their head was screeching.

Then Tatsumi used his mind power to pulverize and extract something from their head. Ame grabbed a white porcelain bottle before directing whatever came out to the inside of the bottle, and then closing the bottle.

“It is done. At least, this spacecraft carrier is now free from the infestation.” Ame announced to Tatsumi while the latter nodded thoughtfully.

As for the affected people, they fell unconscious but their lives were saved. The rest then felt that the situation was returning to normal so they put aside their weapons and some of the friends of the affected people then dared to bring them to their dormitory to let them rest.

“Please bring them to the medical ward instead.” Tatsumi said to them.

Hearing that the strongest transcendent ordered it, they obeyed.

Hatten felt like the situation had been defused under control and he felt weak in his legs. After the effect of the adrenaline wore off, he felt slightly tired. The rush should affect him greatly since he had a premonition that, without the interference of the two, he believed that the situation would turn out to be worse.

“Thank you for intervening. I know that without you, the situation would turn out worse.” Hatten was the first one to speak to Tatsumi.

Tatsumi had retracted his Primal Fear and killing intent at this moment so he could reply without problem.

“Hahaha, no need for that. Looks like everyone has a sense of danger themselves. Remember, do not spread this to anyone. This is the direct order from your captain.” Tatsumi said seriously.

‘How is it?’ Tatsumi then used his mind power to communicate with Ame.

‘They are secured. These Neurax Worms truly are a problem. Fortunately, we know that they can be treated without hurting the host.' She replied.

But their gazes were on the group of people still in the cafeteria.

“Everyone, you can continue with what you were doing before.” Ame smiled and said, making everyone else relax and even relieved.

Even the staff members and the chefs returned to their stations. This was unfortunately not only happening in the spacecraft carrier but also in other places.

‘There is one similarity between the infected. They have contact with the outside.’ Ame communicated to Tatsumi.

Tatsumi nodded.

One more difference was that their mind power was not developed fully yet. If that were the case, then the Neurax Worm threat would actually be lessened with the increase in mind power.

‘We should send this intelligence to HQ, just in case.’ Tatsumi added.

Of course, if he could notice such a thing, how could Ame and Charlene not?

“This is HQ, all of the units on the frontline are to be temporarily quarantined. I repeat, all the units on the frontline are to be temporarily quarantined.”

A broadcast was heard not only on the spacecraft carrier but also on the other spaceships.

This made all of them realize that something was going on and they all obeyed without question. After they satiate themselves and relieve themselves, they went to their room not to wander around.

Then the inspection for the infected, as well as looking for the source of the infection, began.

One thing was for sure: the infected people had contact with the outside world. Specifically, they had been to the enemy spaceships. Although the Federation was still researching the relationship between the Neurax Worm and the Rodents.

But they also knew that the Neurax Worm was a race under the Rodents so it was one more enemy detected, and now they tried to neutralize this threat.

The supply spaceships had to stop right before they could deliver their cargo, while another scientific spaceship was coming, specifically to extract the Neurax Worm and see whether it could affect the fauna species of the Cerulean Planet.

Of course, a preliminary result showed that the Neurax Worm drilled into the host’s brain and then stayed there. Apparently, they had some kind of appendages which functioned just like brain cells, they could even send a signal to the brain to accomplish a certain movement or simple action.

Of course, the effect of the Neurax Worm the Federation had found was minimal due to the strengthened minds of the people under them. Making everyone a transcendent was not a wrong move, but it cost so many resources that only the best could fully climb up the transcendent hierarchy.

But on one spaceship, the situation turned for the worse.

“Argh!”

A crew was injured by the infected. Although the captain said that the reinforcement and the related personnel would come to the rescue but the condition for that was the time needed for them to arrive.

And the time for the infected to act was limited but the infected then was slowly transformed into something bizarre.

One of the infected then could extend the limbs of its host, causing flesh to overgrow and its end to turn sharp like a blade, injuring one person while the guards shot them repeatedly with the assault rifle.

“Shoot them! Looks like they are the infected that the HQ wanted to quarantine.” One guard said while pressing the trigger of his assault rifle.

The infected, as they could see, had been transformed into something else, something not quite dead but also deadly.

Even another guard threw out a fragmentation grenade to injure the infected.

An explosion could be heard and felt in the corridor, which was already closed off.

“Keep shooting, don’t cease. Throw your grenade if necessary.” The guard leader ordered.

Some of the infected were down but some of them started to get used to the attack and grew flesh that could block some of the shots.

Not only that, the infected’s movements started to get faster as the Neurax Worms were getting used to the host’s bodies.

Another guard was unfortunately a bit slow and was bisected at the waist, blood splattered on the floor as the guard leader moved back while keeping shooting.

“Tactical retreat. Don’t let them run rampant.” The guard leader was scared but he kept his voice cool as he made a decision.

He, along with the other surviving guards, would make a last stand at the edge of the corridor. Some of the guards had their legs shaking while the others turned into a melee battle against the infected. They used iron pipes, axes and blades to fight in the melee.

Blunt weapon was used to crush the bones of the infected while axes and blades were used to sever the flesh that was extending from the host’s body.

A bloodied battle happened on this particular spaceship. Cries of pain and desperation echoed out of the quarantined areas while the guards and the personnel in the spaceship were trying to survive the event.

The infected and the guards had similar strength in the transcendence path so if one side became stronger, the balance would be broken and that was exactly what had happened.

“It’s not too late!” Edward was the one transcendent closest to the spaceship after he dealt with the previous one so he went.

Ame instructed him to take care of the infected in two ways. If they only showed headaches, then treat them like fellow people. If they changed their physical form, mercy kill them.

Because there was no cure for the Neurax Worm yet, the Federation could not come up with a solution in a short time either. If the infected got to the middle or late stage of development, mercy killing became the last resort.

Then Edward entered the spaceship, turning himself into an ethereal form that could bypass the outer hull of the spaceship and arrive at one of the contaminated areas.

The moment he laid his eyes on the location area, he saw corpses and blood around him. Edward raised his eyebrow at the sight as he felt that the infected had changed into something else, a living dead.

Then Edward used his dagger to stab one of the infected he could find, earning him the first kill of the Neurax Worm.

‘According to the intel that Leader gave me, the Neurax Worm moved to the host’s brain and started to affect them in sorts of way. Headache, losing control of the limbs and finally turning into a fleshy monster.’ Edward verified the intel that Ame had given to the reality in front of him.

Looking at it, Edward was forced to believe that the intel had proven true and now he needed to take care of the infected.

‘As for why they got infected…perhaps the battlefield itself is filled with the source of the Neurax Worms and they could even bypass a protective suit. Fortunately, these things only affect low realm transcendent with a weak mind.’

Edward then phased through numerous closed gates in the corridor, rooms and facility while also eliminating the late-stage infected, which could not be helped except by killing them along with the Neurax Worm.

Edward was actually pissed off by the presence of the Neurax Worms and wanted to eliminate them whenever possible. As for communicating with them…in the Star Battle, there was no such thing as trying to empathize with the enemy until it was done.

Instead, they wanted to understand the enemy and even tried to eliminate them whenever possible. After all, it was the main theme of the Star Battle.

Edward was the same; he wanted to understand his enemy more so that he could effectively and efficiently eliminate them.

His transcendent energy circulated inside his body. Edward had just recently become a Revolutionary Realm transcendent and his proto-planet was quite good at concealment, making it more convenient for him to act covertly.

As for the enemies he had met in this particular spaceship, none could withstand a strike to the head from his dagger. His dagger was bloodied with red and green mixed.

‘Turns out that the blood of the Neurax Worms is green. What a strange creature.’ Edward thought as he even found out that the eggs of the Neurax Worms started to appear and entered his body.

Of course, with his strong transcendent energy as well as mind power, the eggs were crushed immediately upon entry.

“Report to the Leader, there seemed to be eggs that the Neurax Worm came from. Please verify.” Edward then pressed the communicator on his ear and said.

“It is true, my Vice Leader. Now, the HQ should be able to see the chaos that ensued in our fleet. But at the same time, the scientific spaceships are also processing the Neurax Worms’ carcasses that we have collected.” Ame replied shortly and even informed Edward about the progress of things for them to make a countermeasure against this enemy.

“Should I also send some of the eggs that I have collected? It might prove useful in experiments.” Edward asked since he had indeed isolated some of the eggs in his spatial ring.

He thought that the HQ and the scientist back at home would love to dissect and let this lifeform be studied.

“Yes. Please give the scientific fleet your haul. It will greatly help us in the future.” Ame agreed and even encouraged him.

“But please also be careful. Make sure that the eggs cannot even enter people’s brains and bodies. Make sure that will not happen.” Ame warned.

“Yes, Ma’am.” Edward said with apprehension. He’d better separate the spatial ring that contained the eggs from other necessities.

Edward continued on his mission to eliminate the middle and late-stage infected ones in the spaceship.

Then he found out that there were survivors, guards mixed with the crew of the spaceship. They were holding their weapons, pistols and assault rifles, even submachine guns. The moment they saw Edward, they became wary before realizing that he was a human transcendent.

“Sir.” Everyone knew that whenever a strong transcendent appeared, they needed to give respect by saluting. Otherwise, they would indirectly offend the transcendent, whether they knew or not.

“Explain to me what happened here. I’ll go eliminate the infected while you give me the information, anything you experience here.” Edward said while going to the place where the infected ones had gathered.

“So confident.” One of the guards murmured.

“Well, he is a strong transcendent. Probably at the Second Rank.” One of the astute crew could tell Edward’s strength and said to remind the rest not to offend Edward.

“I wish I were as strong as him. Then I can help more of our compatriot.” Another said while reloading his weapons.

For the Federation, this would be remembered as the [Infestation Incident] in the history book of the Star Battle and the development of the civilization.