I Killed the Hero and Took His Achievements-Chapter 44: The Foreign Fleet Panic

[Location: Low Earth Orbit]

[Status: Playing Possum.]

"Cut the ship’s life support," I ordered.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Sparky shrieked while his metal hand that was still hovering over the master switch. "If I cut the thermal regulators, the ship will freeze in ten seconds! We’ll be popsicles!"

"Do it," I said flatly. "Corpses don’t generate heat signatures."

Sparky whimpered, but he pulled the lever.

WHIRRR... click. The hum of the ship died, the lights went out, and the artificial gravity disengaged. We floated off the floor. The temperature plummeted immediately. Frost began to creep across the viewscreen.

"Everyone, hold your breath, or breathe shallowly. Don’t fog up the windows," I muttered. I floated to the main viewport.

Far out in the black void, a shape was approaching closer. It was the Scout Corvette. It was sleek, silver, and saucer-shaped. It moved with a silent predatory grace. It checked the remains of the Star-Whales that we had just obliterated, then it turned its sensors toward us.

[Target: Hegemony Scout Vessel.]

[Class: Corvette.]

[Crew: 50.]

[Threat: Moderate.]

A blue scanning beam swept over our ship hull. It focused on the Profit Margin. To them, we looked like a piece of space debris. A primitive, bone-clad ship drifting aimlessly with no power nor heat.

"They are signaling us," Sol’s voice echoed in my ears via ear comm. "They are demanding identification. Should i respond with a cat video?"

"No," I replied to the ear comm. "Stay silent. Let them think we’re a wrecked ship."

The Corvette moved closer to the ship, then it extended a docking tube to attach the whole ship. They weren’t just going to destroy us, they also wanted to salvage us. "Greedy Foreigns," I grinned in the dark. "They see a primitive ship and think of ’Free Museum Piece Exhibition’."

"Boss," Sylvia whispered while floating upside down near the ceiling. "They are docking the ship."

"That’s perfect." I activated my Void Ring. A purple bubble formed around my body.

[Skill: Void Walk (Space Variant).]

"I’m going for a walk." I didn’t use the airlock. That would trigger the sensors. Instead, I used [Shadow Step]. I aimed the shadow cast by their docking tube on our hull. WHOOSH. I vanished from the ship.

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[Location: Outer Hull - Mesosphere]

Silence. An absolute crushing silence.

I stood on the hull of my ship. The stars were bright and cold. The Foreign Corvette was hovering fifty meters away.

A long mechanical arm was latching onto our airlock. I looked at the Foreign ship. It had shields. It was a gleaming grid of lights. If I touched it, I would be instantly vaporized. "System," I said internally. "Analyze Shield Frequency."

[Analyzing...]

[Frequency: 44.5 Gigahertz.]

[Encryption: Hegemony Military Standard.]

"Sol. Crack it."

"Calculating... done. Applying frequency modulation to the void ring."

My surrounding bubble flickered. It changed frequency to match the shield. I bent my knees, then I jumped. I soared through the vacuum, then I hit the shield. I didn’t melt, I passed right through it like a ghost walking through a wall.

I finally landed on the silver ship hull of the Corvette. Magnetic boots were engaged on. I walked to the emergency maintenance hatch. "Liquidate," I muttered while placing my hand on the lock.

FLASH.

The lock mechanism transformed into a small pile of silver coins. The door hatch floated wide open. I dropped inside.

————————————————————

[Location: Inside the Corvette - Engineering Deck]

Gravity restored. I landed in a pristine white corridor. It smelled like sterilized air and some chemicals. It was quiet. I drew the Soul-Eater’s Fang. "Time to clean house."

Two Foreigns walked around the corner. They were Greys. Gray skin, large black eyes, and slender bodies who were wearing tight silver jumpsuits.

[Enemy: Hegemony Trooper.]

[Level: 45.]

[Weapon: Plasma Rifle.]

They saw me. Their eyes widened. They then raised their rifles. "Intruder! Primitive lifeform det—"

SLASH.

I closed the distance before they could pull the trigger. I decapitated the first one. Black blood sprayed on the white wall. The second one tried to radio for help. I grabbed his throat.

[Trait: The Usurper.]

"Shh," I whispered. "No talking in the library." I crushed his trachea.

[Soul Harvested.]

[Talent Stolen: Plasma Proficiency (C-Rank).]

I dropped the body. "Sol. Where is the bridge?"

"THREE DECKS UP. TAKE THE ELEVATOR. OR... YOU COULD JUST TAKE THE ROOF."

"Ceiling it is." I looked up. [Skill: Liquidate.] The ceiling turned into gold dust. I jumped up to the next floor, I finally landed in the mess hall.

Twenty Foreigns were eating a grey nutrient paste. They stopped eating, then looked at me and the hole on the floor.

"Hello," I said while waving my blood-stained dagger. "I’m here about your ship’s extended warranty."

Chaos ensued.

Plasma bolts filled the air. Pew. Pew. Pew. I danced through the bullet.

[Skill: Shadow Step.]

I appeared behind a gunner, then stabbed him.

[Skill: Shadow Step.]

I appeared in front of a heavy trooper, I slashed him. It wasn’t a fight, but a harvest. Every time I killed one, the dagger vibrated. My mana refilled instantly, and my strength grew gradually.

[Kill Count: 22.]

[Experience Gained.]

"Warning!" The ship’s AI announced. "An unknown breach in Sector 4. Intruder is... Level Unknown."

I kicked the door to the bridge open. It was locked, but I bought the locking mechanism for 5 gold.

————————————————————

[Location: The Command Center - The Bridge]

The Commander turned around. He was taller than the others. He wore a captain cape. Why do all ships commanders wear capes? Maybe it’s a universal fashion garment.

[Boss: Commander Xylos]

[Level: 60]

[Race: High Grey.]

He held a glowing energy sword. "Primitive," Xylos spat. His telepathic voice echoed in my head. "You dare board a vessel of the Hegemony? We have already conquered some galaxies. The likes of you are dirt."

"I am the dirt that buries you," I replied him.

Xylos lunged toward me. His sword technique was flawless. A computer-calculated execution. He swung for my head, I ducked.

He swung for my legs, I jumped. "Your movements are predictable!" Xylos gloated. "My combat processor analyzes your muscle movement to 99.9% accuracy!"

"Analyze this." I reached into my inventory. I pulled out a Void-Berry. I crushed it in my hand. Blue mist exploded in my face.

[Item Consumed: Void-Berry.]

[Effect: Mana Overload. Perception +200%. Hallucinations: Mild.]

The world’s motion slowed down immensely. I saw the program, and the electrical signals in Xylos’s brain. I saw his next move before he even thought of it.

He lunged toward me. I stepped to the side. I didn’t stab him, but I grabbed his wrist.

[Trait: The Usurper (Touch).]

"Nice sword technique," I muttered.

[Skill Stolen: Hegemony Swordsmanship (A-Rank).]

Xylos staggered momentarily, "What... what did you do?"

"I pirated your skill," I chuckled mockingly. I kicked him in the chest horribly. He flew across the bridge and smashed into the captain’s chair. I walked over to him, then I put the dagger to his large black eye. "Look at me."

Xylos trembled. "Please... I can offer you credits! Technology! Or even a planet!"

"I don’t want your money," I said. "I have infinite money."

"Then what do you want?!"

"I want you to be a delivery boy." I knocked him out with the pommel of my dagger. THUD. "Sol," I said. "Take the wheel."

"ACCESSING THE SHIP CPU... WE ARE IN. FIREWALL DELETED. THIS SECURITY IS LAUGHABLE. IT IS LIKE IT WAS CODED BY AN INTERN."

I opened my inventory. I unloaded 100 crates of Void-Berries. The highly addictive and mana-boosting drug I had mass-produced in the Academy Dungeon. "We’re sending them a care package."

"Is that wise?" Sol asked. "You are giving them buffs."

"I’m giving them an addiction," I corrected him. "First batch is free."

Then, I pulled out something else. A large metallic cylinder.

[Item: Aether Bomb (Tactical).]

[Yield: City-Killer.]

[Timer: Remote Detonation.]

I placed the bomb right under the Captain’s chair. "And just in case they don’t like the berries..." I patted the bomb like a kitten. I dragged the unconscious Commander Xylos to the ship airlock. "Keep the Captain. I need him for interrogation."

I threw Xylos out of the airlock, not into space, but I threw him towards my ship, beamed by a gravity beam. I set the Corvette’s autopilot. "Destination: The Golden Ziggurat (Monarch of Greed’s Flagship). Speed: Casual. Message: ’Tribute from the primitive’." I exited the ship, then jumped.

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[Location: HMS Profit Margin - Bridge]

I landed on the deck. I deactivated the Void Ring. "Sparky! Power up! Let the life support goes online!" The ship went back to life, the lights flickered on, and gravity returned.

Seraphina was blue in the face, and she gasped for air. "I... I almost saw the light..." she gasped.

"You’re fine," I said while patting her back. I walked to the ship window.

We watched the Foreign Corvette which was drifting away. It flew smoothly back towards the fleet while carrying a cargo hold full of drugs and demise.

"What did you do?" Sylvia asked while wiping frost from her eyebrows.

"I sent a Trojan Horse," I said. "If they eat the berries, their discipline collapses. We’ll have high-level junkies flying the warships. We don’t even need to build an elevator to the fleet, maybe for later but this way works way more."

"But what if they found the bomb?"

"Then we detonate it inside with their army formation."

I looked at the unconscious Foreign commander who was lying on the floor, and currently being poked by Ahri.

"Is this thing edible?" Ahri asked.

"No," I said. "He’s a captive. A very Important prisoner." I sat in my gaudy throne. "We bought ourselves some more time now. Let’s go underwater. Phase 2 starts now."

[System Notification]

[Quest Updated: The Star War.]

[Objective: Create Chaos in the Enemy Fleet.]

[Status: Pending...]

I grinned wickedly. The panic hadn’t started as of yet. When that ship docks? It was going to be a joyous party.