Chapter 273:

Chapter 273:

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The VIP on the 100th floor of the Second Command Center, Cynthia, didn’t attend the banquet.

Currently, she is hiding in the pirate territory of Kesha Arma. If she goes to the banquet, someone might recognize her.

Montana Marcio was aware of this and had promised to treat her separately.

Soon, an array of expensive gourmet dishes would be laid out on the dining table in her room. Before the meal arrived, she was, as usual, listening to music in the audio room.

Beautiful music flowed from the antique speaker, designed in the shape of a gramophone. She listened intently to the beautiful string melodies filling the room.

It was a slight vibration that interrupted her immersion in the world of music.

It wasn’t just the sound of the music causing the room to shake. It was as if the entire building, or rather the entire floor she was on, had taken a strong hit.

‘What was that?’

This had never happened before. She rose from her chair and left the room.

From the balcony, a familiar sound echoed faintly. A sound she had once heard so often that she’d grown sick of it.

It was the explosion of energy rounds hitting something.

‘Could it be Akira?’

Did they discover she was hiding here? She hurried out onto the balcony.

But what Cynthia saw was slightly different from what she expected.

There were no massive warships invading the fortress, no swarms of aircraft, no hulking mutants or soldiers descending from the skies.

Instead, there was a meteor shower.

Numerous flames were burning the fortress.

---

‘I guess I should be thankful it’s a cult fortress.’

I floated in the air, glancing up at the transparent disk protecting me and Number 26.

That disk, resembling a mirror or circular prism reflecting various kinds of light, appears whenever the 'Complex Spectral Entity' is activated.

Its main ability is the reflection of energy-based attacks.

This is a unique trait I created by combining several defense traits I previously possessed, such as ‘Mimic Scales’ and the ‘Psychic Power Reflection Armor’.

‘It’s rare to have an active-type defense trait.’

Most of the defense traits I’ve acquired so far either activated automatically under certain conditions or were always passively active. Even in the game, it was rare for Amorph players to have traits that could be activated at will to enhance defense.

Also, active defense traits typically come with risks, despite their effectiveness. They often have difficult usage conditions or are very hard to obtain.

Of course, the 'Complex Spectral Entity' isn’t a trait I can just use anytime either.

Protected by the transparent mirror reflecting energy, I opened my text box.

「Complex Spectral Entity: In nature, waves are power. Forms a medium that reflects energy-based attacks that have been struck multiple times before. Reduces the damage from energy-based attacks that cannot be reflected to less than half.

Reflection Targets: Laser, Plasma, Psychic Power, Crystallized Waves

Duration: 5 minutes (Cooldown: 30 minutes)

Note: A strategist must know how to use the enemy’s strength against them.」

The Complex Spectral Entity’s effect combines the defense traits I’ve collected so far with the cults’ defense technique, ‘Reflection.’

It is similar to Mimic Scales in that it only affects energy-based attacks that have struck multiple times, and it reflects those attacks just like the Psychic Power Reflection Armor or the cults' Reflection technique.

‘It also has the added effect of reducing damage from attacks that can’t be reflected.’

This trait could be useful even when fighting enemies with unique energy systems like Red Gallagons or Vortex One.

Their attacks can bypass regular defense traits and inflict massive damage, even on an adult-stage Amorph. While I won’t be able to reflect their attacks, reducing the damage is definitely an advantage.

‘The drawbacks are manageable.’

The reflective medium lasts for 5 minutes, with a cooldown of 30 minutes.

It’s true that it can't be used just anytime and anywhere, but compared to other abilities that require a 24-hour cooldown, there's almost no risk.

‘Anyway, that aside.’

With this, they would have realized that I possess reflection capabilities. Instead of firing the fortress cannons, they’ll likely try something else.

At that moment, light flashed again from the distant Second Command Post. Two fortress cannons fired simultaneously.

‘Did they think they were mistaken?’

It seems the enemy couldn’t believe that their most powerful weapon was not only useless but reflected back to attack their own fortress.

「Big One changed again.」

When I returned to a form that resembled a spider, Number 26, following behind, blinked in disappointment. Then it leapt onto my head.

「But Big One is always cool! I like it!」

[ZZZ (Thank you.)]

I lifted my winged arms, returning to my original form, and gently brushed against it. It also extended its tentacles, wrapping the tips of its winged fingers around mine in a handshake.

‘My body has returned; shall I test my movements?’

Currently, PS-111 is covertly working to disable the life support systems of the Third Command. It isn’t attacking the command directly. Instead, it plans to seize control of the subordinate facility, the Environmental Management Center, and use that as a foundation to hack into the systems of the Third Command.

Thus, the targets that Number 26 and I are aiming for are other commands—specifically, the First or Second Command.

‘The Second Command has the most responsive reaction.’

Considering that they fired the first shot from their fortified position, it’s highly likely that their leadership is gathered there.

Having determined our target, I spread my winged arms wide. The membrane, which had been covered by my exoskeleton, opened up fully.

After a long time, I took out my wings and flapped them a few times. The membrane fluttered, pushing away not only the air but also the debris around me.

‘Good.’

Having completed a simple check, I shook my wings vigorously. The immense pressure of air caused nearby buildings to crumble, lifting my massive body above the fortress.

I adjusted my wings to lower my altitude. Flapping them while looking down, I saw my shadow, cast by my body, darkly blanket the street below.

“Giiiii!”

“Gii!”

“Giiiiiiiiik!”

“Gikikikiki!”

The mutants, charging toward the fortress, shrieked upon seeing me.

The pirates resisting against them felt their shadows loom overhead and raised their heads. Their eyes widened, and their mouths gaped open.

“What, what is that?”

“I’ve never heard of anything like that!”

To put their feelings simply, it was ‘dismay.’

It was a natural reaction when witnessing an overwhelming presence. I decided to give them one gift.

From me, a messenger of chaos descended over a radius of 500 meters. A powerful psychic force distorted human senses and drove the resisting pirates insane, penetrating their minds.

“Ugh, Aaaah! Run away! Run away!”

“Please help me, help me, help me, help me....”

“Mom! Mom! I’m scared! Mom!”

Before them was a horde of mutants, and above them loomed a flying behemoth. With the added burden of the mind-corrupting psychic power, the pirates’ formation quickly collapsed.

“Don’t run away! Fight back...Kuh?!”

“Hi, hihihihi! I won! I won! Hihihihihih!”

“Ki, kihihihihihih, die die die die die die!”

But that wasn’t all. The pirates, their minds completely shattered and driven insane, began to fire upon their comrades.

The mercenaries, who had just allied with the pirates to fend off the mutants, were now focused on unleashing their trained killing techniques on their own allies.

Madness spread through the streets like a malignant tumor.

Meanwhile, the horde of mutants I had created was charging down the streets and across the rooftops toward the command.

‘This should be enough.’

I adjusted the targets for the crazed individuals created by the messenger of chaos. Instead of stabbing their comrades in the gut, I suggested they aim for something larger.

For example, how about those who had caused them this misfortune? Perhaps it was time for them to pay the price.

“I’m going to kill! I’m going to kill! I’m going to kill!”

“I want to kill! Quickly! I want blood!”

I adjusted the position of the carrot they desired from above.

The insane pirates and bloodthirsty mercenaries followed closely behind the mutants. Just moments ago, they had been tearing each other apart and shooting each other, but now they were united in madness, moving toward a new target.

At the end of this thick concentration of madness stood the Second Command.