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

Chapter 245

Chapter 245

While crushing elite small-type creatures trying to steal the small asteroid with psychic power, he advanced deeper into the space eel's body.

Communications from Terapolapaneshio finally stopped. Apparently, Emotion, having lost patience, explained the situation. As far as Kait was concerned, as long as things didn't get complicated, that was fine.

After proceeding for a while, he emerged into a wide-open space.

Moving the small asteroid to the floor and looking around, he understood the situation.

"I see. So this is where they were parasitizing."

At the center of the space was a massive tube-like structure. It was probably an ovipositor of some kind. Along the walls were honeycomb-like small chambers and a fair number of Lufate Gainun.

The small asteroid was suddenly yanked. When he let go, he saw a small creature of a different shape from before grabbing it.

The small asteroid shook a few times, then stopped. After watching for a while, it shook again and stopped. Repeating that. Observing the bottom, he saw that a caretaker Lufate Gainun was gradually destroying and carrying off pieces of the small asteroid.

The caretaker that had gone to the wall chamber offered a fragment of the small asteroid. A creature deeper inside grabbed it and pulled it in. As expected, it seemed they were sending out successors from here.

"Well now, those elites from earlier. They were actually quite helpful."

'Why is that?'

"They were slacking off. Which means the food supply needed by the creatures here was delayed. For Lufate Gainun, that's aiding the enemy. For us, it was indirect assistance."

'Well, that's true.'

The caretakers were too busy feeding the large small asteroid to the creatures to pay attention to Queen Bee. Kait decided to proceed deeper with Queen Bee as is.

"......Well, of course they're here. It's an important place."

On the way deeper, there were no guard-like creatures. Nor were there caretakers trying to carry out matured individuals, or mother-types trying to leave on their own. In other words, the teleportation function was in the deepest part.

And naturally, there was a massive Lufate Gainun there, likely to protect the teleportation function. For the Lufate Gainun species, it was the most important thing. With intruders like Kait and Queen Bee around, that response was not wrong.

"Now then, what to do?"

'Are you not going to force your way through?'

"If it comes to that, I'll consider it. But if possible, I'd like to at least confirm the shape of the part that holds the teleportation function deeper inside."

'I agree.'

In the past, the Federation had dissected defeated space eels for research. While they had data on discovered organs, the space eel itself was an unknown lifeform. They had no information on which organ performed which function.

There had been talk of asking Tuna, but it was naturally shut down with the objection: wouldn't Tuna not even know how their own internals worked?

'According to past data, the organs located around here are these and these, but......'

"Well, it's definitely one of those two."

The internal structure probably didn't vary much between space eels.

While confirming the predicted size and shape of the organs Emotion had indicated, he searched for a spot they could possibly slip through.

"No good. It looks like they're not watching, but they've been watching the whole time."

'Shall we wait for a matured mother-type to pass through here? If so, a path will surely open.'

"Hmm, yeah......"

Waiting was an option. Normally he would go with it, but right now Kait was keeping Terapolapaneshio waiting. If Emotion's response had calmed them down, that was fine.

"Emotion. Based on your sense, how much longer can Terapolapaneshio wait?"

'Hmm, let's see......'

Kait's hopeful question was, unfortunately, mercilessly betrayed.

'They might be reaching their limit. It wouldn't be surprising if they showed up in this region of space with their fleet at any moment.'

"Alright, we're breaking through."

It couldn't be helped.

He didn't mind if an all-out war broke out above, but if that happened, this place would undoubtedly become noisy. Whether to fight everyone or just the big one in front of them—there was only one option.

"Emotion."

'Understood.'

She deployed four arms and equipped the launched Psionic Launcher.

The moment Kait stepped onto Queen Bee's pedestal, the big one flinched and looked at them in shock.

"Alright then, let's blow it away just enough not to affect the rear."

'If that line hadn't come from the Captain, I'd be asking if I was still sane.'

***

No matter how massive it was, Lufate Gainun was still just Lufate Gainun. It lacked the firepower to penetrate Queen Bee's barrier, and didn't have the defense to withstand attacks either.

To avoid blowing away the rear, Kait moved above the big one's head and fired the Psionic Launcher in a salvo. That alone ended its life functions, and it collapsed.

"Now then, it's a race against time."

'Do you think the Lufate Gainun behind us have noticed?'

"Not just the ones behind, but those above too. It's safer to assume so."

'Agreed.'

He slipped into the back through the gap left by the fallen big one.

Strangely, only that area was writhing all over. As if it were alive. That said, the movements were very sluggish and gradually weakening.

At the center of the writhing wall was a green glowing part. It was much smaller than the predicted size. And there were bite marks all over it.

"I see...... Defeating it quickly was the right move."

'Captain?'

"For now, this part is the one that controls the space eel's teleportation ability. And it probably doesn't function unless the space eel is alive."

'Huh? But this space eel is clearly dead...... Don't tell me!'

Kait's gaze turned to the bottom. Piercing into it as if connecting were countless tail-like tubes extending from behind—from the big one earlier.

"That big one had connected itself to this part and was forcibly activating just this area. As if it were alive."

'A textbook case of a parasite, huh?'

"Most of that fully grown body was originally made from space eel, so maybe it wasn't impossible."

And now, the function of the part was visibly beginning to decline. Meaning, just by defeating that big one, they could suppress the teleportation function.

Perhaps the big one had been able to teleport approaching creatures over long distances. If it had seized control of the function and the part through connection, it wouldn't be impossible.

'Captain. The Lufate Gainun are gathering around the defeated creature.'

"Emotion, you've recorded the footage, right?"

'Of course.'

Without panic or fuss, Kait aimed the Psionic Launcher at the teleportation function part.

The bite marks were likely remnants of the past actions of Lufate Gainun trying somehow to activate the function.

Struggling without regard for means to survive and ensure the continuation of their species. Indeed, Lufate Gainun were undeniably living beings.

"I won't say you were wrong. You all actually did quite well."

The pulsation seemed to grow slightly stronger. Without hesitation, Kait fired the Psionic Launcher.