Two-Person Galactic Journey: Earth Was Destroyed While Imprisoned in Space Prison

Chapter 242

Chapter 242

That space eel was clearly no longer alive.

Whether it died because it was eaten through from the middle of its body, or was eaten after it died—what was certain was that its massive form was far larger than the Tuna in Kait's memories.

It was even larger than the giant eel they had defeated together with Tuna. In other words, as far as Kait knew, there was no doubt that it had come closer to being the 'one and only perfect individual' than any space eel before.

At the end of an endless journey, the Lufate Gainun that had nested inside devoured its host relentlessly. This individual lost its life in this region of space within the Federation.

In the first place, there are hardly any planetary systems around here. And even if there are, they're lifeless. Considering this was a region difficult for the Federation to investigate, it must have been an extremely favorable environment for Lufate Gainun to reproduce.

The Federation prioritized the defeat of emerging individuals over proactive ecological research on Lufate Gainun. As a result, they failed to notice the space eel's corpse and Lufate Gainun's nesting activity.

Its death in this region was misfortune for the space eel, misfortune for the Federation, and fortune for Lufate Gainun—until this very moment.

"It might have been fortunate for us too."

'......What do you mean?'

"Even if we go all out, we won't be bothering anyone around here."

'True.'

The supermassive Lufate Gainun, which likely devoured its host, had grown to roughly the same size as the original space eel. Perhaps because of that, even when Queen Bee approached fairly closely, it didn't seem to notice.

Then, sensing a gaze, Kait turned his eyes in that direction. A small creature was observing them intently. It was peering out from the countless holes dotting the surface of the supermassive Lufate Gainun.

"Whoa."

'This is a Lufate Gainun we've never observed before. There are individuals of at least Queen Bee's size, and just by reaction count, there are billions.'

"I see. So this is not just a supermassive creature, but also a fortress."

Perhaps we should name it a fortress-type lifeform: supermassive Lufate Gainun.

In any case, although it was being watched, there was no sign it would attack immediately. As long as Kait remained aboard the Queen Bee, he had absolute confidence in their defense. Unless attacked first, he would not strike. Until then, they would focus on observation.

'Captain. Shall we call Terapolapaneshio?'

"Let's hold off on that for now."

'Oh? Why is that?'

"The Federation folks are hot-blooded. If they saw this, they'd go straight for extermination without a second thought."

'Is that a problem?'

Emotion seemed to have also been influenced by the Federation's method of solving problems. That approach had led to failure, allowing Lufate Gainun to spread. They needed to gather as much information as possible.

No, perhaps Emotion herself found the scene before them revolting. And since she had no way to resolve those feelings, she might just want to get it over with quickly.

"It'd be fine if defeating them ended everything. But these things might send their offspring into Federation territory before dying if we don't wipe them out in one blow."

'......That is a valid concern. Then, let's focus on data collection for now.'

"I'm counting on you."

The space eel was originally large enough to devour planets. The supermassive Lufate Gainun that emerged from it was also about the size of a planet. Was it this big when it burst out, or did it grow even larger afterward?

I don't believe the space jellyfish couldn't obliterate a planet-sized creature in one strike... At the very least, it's a fact that it once blew away a space eel solo. Even so, Kait couldn't shake his unease.

It's a species whose biology is entirely optimized for the preservation and prosperity of its kind. The moment it faces an unbeatable enemy, it will undoubtedly sacrifice all living individuals to ensure the survival of its successors.

So, is the Federation's answer to such tactics really just 'space jellyfish'? Of course not. Because—

"At the very least, I want to figure out how to disable their long-distance teleportation before we call Terapolapaneshio."

'Why is that?'

"It's obvious, but I don't think these are the first and last supermassive Lufate Gainun."

The universe is vast, and its history stretches far beyond Kait's comprehension. They still don't know where or when the space eel originated. There's no way the ones the Federation has repelled so far were the oldest.

And he didn't believe the Lufate Gainun before them was the oldest either.

"How many more of these fortress-class Lufate Gainun are out there in the universe? There's probably only this one in Federation territory, but there must be a fair number outside of it."

'Yes, I understand. And your point?'

"If we don't prepare proper countermeasures, the Federation will end up borrowing Terapolapaneshio every time they need to deal with Lufate Gainun."

'Ah.'

For every intelligent lifeform, Lufate Gainun is a natural enemy. In other words, countermeasures against them should be a shared asset for all intelligent life across the universe.

The Federation is already ahead of neighboring organizations in deciphering Lufate Gainun's biology. Likewise, countermeasures against the supermassive Lufate Gainun will likely be standardized and provided in manual form.

However, the enemy is simply too large. Terapolapaneshio might be able to handle it easily, but that wouldn't qualify as a countermeasure. Unlike with the space tuna, this time the solution will inevitably involve some degree of violence.

"As long as we can find a way to block long-distance teleportation, the rest isn't too much of a problem. Just encircle them and crush them with sheer force. We won't have to treat Terapolapaneshio like a weapon anymore."

'I see. I believe your thinking is correct, Captain.'

Terapolapaneshio possesses tremendous power, but (as long as jellyfish aren't involved) is a fair and impartial intelligence. The Federation treats it as a convenient tool, but that doesn't seem like a healthy relationship.

At the very least, I don't want to treat that delightful intelligence—who keeps calling me an eternal friend—as just a handy neighbor.

And that's not the only reason.

"Also—"

'Yes?'

"If Terapolapaneshio can do it, they might say, 'Then Kait, Third-Rank Citizen (Enec Lagif), can too,' and drag me into Lufate Gainun countermeasures."

'......Ah.'

Emotion let out a soft whimper. She must have thought it was a real possibility.

If Kait got dragged in, Emotion naturally would too. And their enemy was the bane of intelligent life. Hard to refuse.

"So, let's come up with a way to block long-distance teleportation without relying on psychic power. Sound good?"

'Of course, Captain. I'll give it my all!'

It was good to see her motivated.

Kait and Emotion flew around the eerily silent supermassive Lufate Gainun, carefully recording each and every response it gave.