The Serijoel Star System

After the reconnaissance ship Gyogaru dropped out of the battle, the enormous monster began fighting the orc fleet. Upon witnessing the battle, Sario said he had identified the giant monster.

“This is a Threat Level 8 Armored Bombardment Anemone.”

“What does Threat Level 8 mean?”

“It’s a measure of how dangerous a monster is.”

“That’s how the threat levels are classified.”

“Does that mean there aren’t any monsters above Threat Level 8?”

“No. Monsters of Threat Level 9 and above are extremely rare, and they say you can only encounter them in certain unusual places. They’re beings that people like us would never have anything to do with.”

The Armored Bombardment Anemone was a monster whose immense size was apparent even from a great distance. Its armored outer shell resembled a gigantic turtle shell, with numerous openings of varying sizes called bombardment ports. From these openings, it extended cannon-like appendages known as Bombardment Tentacles to aim at its enemies.

These Bombardment Tentacles writhed and twisted like the tentacles of a sea anemone, firing plasma projectiles from their tips. During its battle against the orc fleet, dozens of Bombardment Tentacles slithered out of the armored shell and began attacking the orc warships.

The Armored Bombardment Anemone’s plasma projectiles glowed orange, and the sight of those lights streaking toward the orc fleet was as beautiful as it was terrifying. They flew like a meteor shower, raining down upon the orc warships.

Several vessels were struck by plasma projectiles and exploded. Although no sound could be heard in the vacuum of space, I could see the explosions tearing holes through their hulls. The destructive power was enough to send chills down my spine. The orc fleet fought back desperately, with its cruisers and Space Gunships firing their main Charged Particle Cannons at the Armored Bombardment Anemone.

Most of the shots struck its armored shell and bounced harmlessly away. However, some hit the writhing Bombardment Tentacles and destroyed them. Unfortunately, the orc fleet consisted primarily of Space Gunships, which lacked the firepower needed to inflict a fatal wound on the Armored Bombardment Anemone.

The orc fleet was overwhelmingly outmatched. Abandoning their counterattack, the orcs concentrated entirely on escaping. Eventually, they managed to break free of the star’s gravitational influence. Each ship activated its Trans-Spacetime Jump Field Generator, created a Trans-Spacetime Jump Field, and plunged into it.

When the Armored Bombardment Anemone saw the orc fleet enter Trans-Spacetime Space, it generated an enormous Trans-Spacetime Jump Field of its own and jumped in after them.

“Now! Fly into that field!”

I accelerated our Small Spacecraft. The enormous Trans-Spacetime Jump Field had already begun shrinking. Our speed increased from Varch 3 to Varch 4, then accelerated further to Varch 5.

Would we make it? No, we had to! I pushed the Small Spacecraft to its absolute limit. The Trans-Spacetime Jump Field continued shrinking rapidly.

“Faster! Faster!”

Sario’s voice came through the communicator. He sounded just as desperate as I felt. Our Small Spacecraft plunged into the Trans-Spacetime Jump Field a split second before it disappeared.

At that instant, I felt as though space itself had warped and twisted around me, making me nauseous. My head grew hazy, and I could barely think straight. I staggered back into the cockpit.

“I feel sick. What’s happening?”

I asked Sario.

“We successfully transitioned into Trans-Spacetime Space. This is what being inside Trans-Spacetime Space feels like. You’ll get used to it after experiencing it a few times. More importantly, I’m going to activate the Luon Drive.”

Once again, I experienced the sensation of my internal organs being twisted. I looked at the monitor displaying the view outside, but it showed nothing but darkness. Trans-Spacetime Space could not be perceived by human eyesight or ordinary cameras, so it appeared completely black. However, Sario said that if I looked outside from the Combat Room, my awakened Bosol Sensitivity would allow me to see something resembling stars twinkling in the darkness.

After two days had passed, I had grown considerably more accustomed to the sensation. The reason I had never experienced it aboard the goblin spacecraft was that they had forcibly put us to sleep whenever we transitioned into Trans-Spacetime Space.

“By the way, which star system are we heading to?”

“The Serijoel Star System, about 3.4 light-years away from the Gorgona Star System.”

“Even traveling at the speed of light, that would take about three and a half years. That’s pretty far.”

“Traveling through Trans-Spacetime Space, we’ll reach the Serijoel Star System in two days. But the journey after that will take a long time.”

When returning from Trans-Spacetime Space, where faster-than-light travel was possible, to normal space, most interstellar governments had laws requiring spacecraft to emerge a considerable distance from inhabited planets. Violating these regulations resulted in hefty fines, so spacecraft generally returned to normal space near the outer edge of a planetary system. From there, the planets were still far away, and traveling through normal space took a considerable amount of time.

Two days later, Sario began operating the Luon Drive.

“We’re about to return to normal space, so take your seat.”

“Got it.”

I sat down in the cockpit. When Sario operated the controls, a vibration ran through the Small Spacecraft as we returned to normal space.

Sario examined the star and looked relieved.

“There’s no mistake. It’s the Serijoel Star System.”

Sario had already told me about the Serijoel Star System. Apparently, the dominant inhabitants of this system were intelligent lifeforms resembling dwarves. They were short, and the males had barrel-shaped bodies and wore beards.

“First goblins, and now dwarves. Just what kind of universe is this?”

When I muttered that to myself, Sario tilted his head.

“Huh? Is there something wrong with the dwarf race?”

“It’s nothing.”

“I’ll set our course for the fourth planet of the Serijoel Star System.”

Sario selected the destination coordinates through the navigation system. The Small Spacecraft fired its thrusters and made a major course adjustment.

Once the fine adjustments were complete and our direction had been established, it was my turn. I moved to the Combat Room, opened the Control Gate of my Power Conduit to Release Level 1, and drew in Bosol particles and Heavenquake Force. Using that power, I accelerated the Small Spacecraft. When we reached our target speed, I stopped accelerating and returned from the Combat Room to the cockpit.

“Even so, Zen, your Heavenquake Force Drive is incredible. I don’t think even a first-rate Magus could do what you just did.”

That demonstrated just how efficient the Heavenquake Force Drive taught to me by Zorofienne of the Celestial Gods truly was. With almost no energy loss, it seemed capable of converting nearly all the Heavenquake Force into propulsion.

Incidentally, I had heard that when ordinary Magi used a Heavenquake Force Drive, they could not convert even ten percent of the Heavenquake Force they absorbed into propulsion. The Celestial Gods’ method was extraordinarily efficient.

“Come to think of it, I never asked why you chose the Serijoel Star System as our destination.”

“I want to sell the equipment we salvaged in the Gorgona Star System and raise some money.”

I reached behind my neck.

“Before we worry about making money, can’t we get this Conditioning Implant removed?”

“We need Crebits to do anything. Raising funds has to be our first priority.”

Crebits were the unit of currency used by the Space Alliance. From what I had heard, they seemed to have purchasing power roughly equivalent to Japanese yen, although I still lacked enough information to determine whether that impression was accurate.

I supposed it couldn’t be helped. Without money, we apparently couldn’t even get my Conditioning Implant removed.

We flew the Small Spacecraft toward the fourth planet. Once again, I used Heavenquake Force to accelerate us.

It took four days for our Small Spacecraft, which had returned to normal space at the outer edge of the Serijoel Star System, to reach the vicinity of the fourth planet.

Several space stations orbited the fourth planet, Joel, and we docked our Small Spacecraft at one of them.

Since Sario had originally been a citizen of the Space Alliance, his personal identification data, including his genetic information and iris patterns, remained on record on his home planet.

By comparing those records against Sario’s current genetic information and other identifying characteristics, the authorities could verify his citizenship. Sario entered the space station alone and applied to have his identification reissued.

Most citizens of the Space Alliance carried their identification in the form of a card. There was also the option of having an identification device implanted into one’s body, but many people disliked that method.

It took three days for Sario’s identification card to be reissued. Verifying his personal identification records had taken considerable time.

After obtaining his identification card, Sario registered with the Dragon-Slayer Rangers Guild and became a Dragon-Slayer Ranger. Apparently, the organization operated much like an adventurers’ guild, with a system for purchasing various materials and goods.

Sario had registered with the Dragon-Slayer Rangers Guild specifically so he could sell our equipment. We could have sold it to other companies, but some businesses took advantage of inexperienced sellers and offered unfairly low prices. They were not as trustworthy as the Dragon-Slayer Rangers Guild.

We sold the Eight-Light-Diameter Charged Particle Cannon and obtained forty-five million Crebits. Under ordinary circumstances, that would have been enough for the two of us to live on for several years, but operating a Small Spacecraft was expensive.

Forty-five million Crebits would probably disappear in no time. In fact, simply keeping our Small Spacecraft docked at the space station cost approximately fifty thousand Crebits per day. If the station had not allowed us to pay afterward, we would not even have been able to dock there.