Chapter 129: A New Category (7)
“Is that really true? They made the offer so easily… Well, I guess I expected that.”
“Y-yes, Colonel. But what about the conditions they presented…?”
“What’s difficult about it? Collaboration with the Guardian Alliance isn’t just a short-term deal; it’s a long-term commitment. They’ll work with us, but for the time being, they will continue fighting under the Guardian Alliance to save Earth. It’s not such a hard condition. They are still just kids, after all.”
Colonel Remolo, Pyles’ superior, chuckled.
And right now, we could eavesdrop entirely on their conversation from our distant barracks.
That was because the body of Pyles, the person in question, was already in our hands.
If he even attempted to act out of line, Eve, who was on high alert, would forcibly move his body in advance.
He seemed resigned and was responding well to the commands given.
‘It was a purer offer than I thought. They only wanted to recruit hunters like us.’
‘But their intentions aren’t pure.’
Eve, who viewed war as a natural means, thought little of their intentions even after learning about them; however, I felt a momentary revulsion at the thoughts Pyles had revealed.
As already known, they were incredibly interested in Earth’s hunters—specifically, those superhumans they couldn’t approach.
However, that interest did not end with superficial academic research or cultural exchanges.
They coveted that power for themselves and simultaneously wanted to utilize it.
And the application for that usage was, of course, the power struggle within the Alliance. Ultimately, it meant that they intended to hire people who claimed they would fight to protect others as mercenaries and make them fight against people.
Of course, Eve didn’t care at all, but I couldn’t face Eve. The characteristics of the human race seemed to be the same everywhere.
“Train them well and make them our loyal dogs for the remaining period. I’ll provide all the necessary support for that. Also, look for other potential recruits worth securing. The more, the better.”
“Understood… Colonel.”
Pyles saluted, forcing a reassuring smile. When his psyche faltered, Eve forced him to move.
‘I’ll let you know what you need to do moving forward.’
At the same time, Eve commanded him, who was holding his head in agony, through the collective consciousness.
“Don’t worry about him. He’ll be under my control 24/7. For now, I need to keep his ego alive, so it’s just like controlling an additional avatar, but for a single spy, I should put in this much effort. Additionally, I’ll extract all the internal information from the Alliance that I can currently obtain through Pyles. That will aid in creating our Legion’s fleet.”
“What comes next?”
“I have reference material, so now I just need to acquire the materials needed to produce it.”
Eve smirked. I felt a twinge of pity for the youthful researcher Pyles, who was filled with ambition, but I ignored it. All the conditions we devised had already been met.
Thanks to this battle, we gained the major and notable achievements we needed. Quite a bit, actually.
“I’ll inform Jason about this, so you just stay put.”
“Well, that’s fine. You can handle the humans.”
Eve nodded cheerfully at my suggestion, seeming pleased that her plan, which she had pushed forward, was coming together.
There was no particular reason I said I would step in. I knew how desperate Eve’s communication with humans could be.
She naturally spoke informally and felt there was no need for etiquette. So, I tried to prevent Eve from coming off as an unpleasant and rude person, even if she seemed a bit cold and stiff.
“Do you see? A planet, REDRIUM, which we inadvertently began consuming first. We can fully devour it soon enough. The energy produced is equivalent to one planet. The number of troops we can mass-produce at once is over a billion based on the largest species. But it’s still insufficient.”
“I know, Eve.”
“And tonight, you’ll be dating me. From that place.”
Eve’s eyes sparkled. The place she mentioned was not our Nest on REDRIUM.
It was the place we needed to recover, possibly Eve’s hometown.
Right now, Kang Do-yeon was leading a small force and continuously conducting guerrilla warfare, provoking the enemy.
“I’ve developed a strong body that won’t affect the ego by upgrading the existing Tier 1, Type 6 upper species.”
Seeing that my mood wasn’t bad, she smiled brightly.
After taking the initiative, Eve intended to make effective use of me as well.
Of course, for Eve, it was merely an extremely efficient “date” that allowed her to eliminate the annoying enemies working alongside her.
[For now, we must endure.]
Enduring, indeed. That was the right thing to do.
“You’re going to change the battlefield?! We were just supposed to stabilize and defend this place…”
“I’m not sure how you’ll hear this, but we want to fight.”
“Heh. You should take a rest.”
The day after infecting and controlling Pyles.
Jason, who faced me early in the morning, greeted by the sunlight shining outside the barracks, sighed deeply with disbelief at my words.
Seeing that perplexing look, it seemed he had a deep misunderstanding. After all, we definitely had a different purpose. Of course, I didn’t have any immediate intention to correct that misunderstanding.
“I believe I’m quite qualified.”
“Indeed, based on the performance you two have shown so far, it’s certainly possible.”
He did not deny it. After all, he was someone who fought alongside us.
“Is there a place you hope for? You’ve volunteered to come here as well.”
“In this situation, the most dangerous place. This time, I’ll head to North America.”
I immediately provided the answer to the awaited question. His eyes widened, then he nodded, realizing it.
“I’ll contact headquarters and let them know. In the meantime, please take it easy. While fighting to save others is good, make sure to take care of yourself too.”
“Thank you.”
“Director Ji Chang-hyun truly has a keen eye for people.”
Before leaving, he brought up Ji Chang-hyun. I chuckled slightly at that, feeling a bit pricked in my heart.
“That ended more easily than I thought? Why does that Jason have such a degree of affection for us?”
“He thinks of us as heroes.”
“What?”
I approached Eve, who had been waiting, and upon hearing my words, she furrowed her brow, sharing my confusion regarding Jason’s attitude.
“That can’t be true. Our actions aren’t meant to help the humans.”
She then grumbled. Of course, this was natural. Her carefully orchestrated plan appeared differently to others.
But this was reality. To Jason and others, our actions definitely looked foreign.
“I can’t deny it, Eve. How do you think people interpret your actions? You don’t understand human psychology, but when you got angry and blocked the troll’s staff out of frustration, actively fought to build your achievements, and volunteered to be sent again into dangerous territory—people consider those sacrifices or missions.”
“That can’t be the case.”
“To put it more directly, think about how Max treated you, and they perceive that you would do those things for others.”
At the mention of Max, Eve’s eyes flickered with uncertainty for a brief moment, shaking along with the collective consciousness.
I didn’t see this as a bad thing.
“I don’t know how you feel, but this isn’t bad for our plans. It can help prevent unnecessary conflicts.”
“…I acknowledge it.”
And I had a rationale behind me. Although Eve appeared somewhat dissatisfied, ultimately, she didn’t voice what felt like mere sulking sparked by her emotions.
“Let’s get ready to leave. If we head to North America like this, we will surely encounter them—the residents of the world where the giant creature, the giant sky sailfish, that possesses the abilities we aim for resides. I received this classified information directly from Ji Chang-hyun, but in our current state…”
I took Eve and began packing in the barracks.
Based on the achievements we had gained here, we were set to head to the desired location, and once we obtained what we aimed for there, we would finally be able to realize one wish.
The wish to create a troop capable of confronting the space fleet.
