Fated to Die to the Player, I'll Live Freely with My SSS-Class Ship!-Chapter 124: Seeds of Extinction

While being taught the art of skimming important details buried inside long paragraphs of pleasantries, I continued working nonstop, grinding through the endless paperwork. The only time I paused my hands was during mealtimes.

The adorable maids who arrived to deliver my food pampered me to the extreme, even going so far as to feed me directly. All I needed to do was sit there, open my mouth occasionally, and chew.

Being fed by pretty girls certainly didn't feel bad... In fact, it was revitalizing. But for some strange reason, I couldn't seem to taste the food I was eating.

'Stress...? Has paperwork given me PTSD from my former life as an office slave...?' I wondered silently, but I wasn't too sure.

After finishing my meals, I jumped right back into thrashing through—I mean, diligently checking reports and signing petitions. As I was doing so...

"Hnn? What's this...?"

I noticed something odd among the stack.

Recalling a similar report I had just seen moments ago, I quickly fished the previous one from the top of the pile for comparison. "Yeah, I'm not imagining it. The quantity and quality of food production is definitely falling."

It wasn't a small margin of error, either. It was a full-blown defect, with at least a 20% drop in both yield and quality.

I looked around the room, trying to spot someone to consult with, but realized that no one else was present. In moments like these, there's that classic trope where you call someone's name and they magically appear, right? Half-joking, I gave it a shot.

"Herman, come check this for me. What do you think?"

"Yes, Duke."

"WHATAFKDSH!"

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My poor heart...! God above! Seeing an old man's face suddenly pop up right before your own is pure horror material!!!

While I was still recovering from a blend of shock and awe, Herman began his explanation with practiced calm.

"It has been troubling the agricultural sector for a while now—starting around three months ago. Crop quality appears to be declining despite all efforts to maintain it." He said. "It's not only in our planet either, but was also observed in the nearby planets around various systems."

The problem wasn't manpower or technique—it seemed far more fundamental.

The crops simply didn't grow as well as before, even though the farmers were following centuries-honed methods without deviation.

This wasn't a medieval world where my basic knowledge of farming could somehow help. This was a world where hydroponics and aeroponics were considered basic knowledge, with per-square-meter yields far beyond anything back on Earth.

But... This was still a world I was deeply familiar with.

"I think I know the cause..." I muttered, puzzled yet strangely confident.

In one of the minor side quests, there was one called the "Earth Demon Invasion." Of course, it wasn't an actual "Demon" you fought—it was a space fantasy setting, after all. Rather, it referred to an alien species that burrowed beneath the planetary crust, somewhere deep in the mantle, siphoning off minerals and nutrients from the surrounding soil.

The symptoms matched almost perfectly, making me about 90% certain it was the same underlying trouble.

But if that was true, then there was an even bigger problem to consider.

"If Earth Demons are already on the move... does that mean the chapter 18 plot is getting pushed forward?!" I frowned, my mind spinning.

Chapters 1 to 5 covered the introduction phase, where the story centered on unraveling the mystery of the "egg" and its cosmic significance. Chapters 6 to 9 detailed the battle against the Astoria Conglomerate, their brutal retaliation for the MC killing Gerard.

Chapters 10 to 12 chronicled the intense Alien Invasion Arc, while chapters 13 to 15 followed the saga of Princess—no, Queen—Cassandra. Finally, chapters 16 to 18 comprised the apocalyptic Extinction Arc.

This section was a major turning point not only in the story, but also for the player's future choices. Their decisions in this part would significantly affect future plots, making it an incredibly important section in the grand scheme of the story.

But honestly, without the "Egg," there's simply nothing we could do against the looming threat.

In short, there's not much time left. We have to resume the progression of the story quickly!

"Still, what the hell is going on?"

Events that shouldn't occur for several more years were already beginning to show their initial signs. Then, there were the minor inconsistencies between the actual plot and the events of this universe. Could it all have been triggered by my intervention...?

No.

Definitely not.

Gerard Astoria was just a minor character within the broader story. Although his death was necessary to initiate the Astoria battle arc, since we still obtained the Warp Nexus from Anderson in the end, there shouldn't be any more major disturbances.

Butterfly Effect? No way.

The events unfolding now are definitely not happening because of my involvement, but because this universe naturally follows its own progression. And this means that although my knowledge of how to "clear" the events could help, I would need to push forward through the story first.

"Herman! I need to go!" I shouted as I stood up with urgency.

"Please go after finishing this pile first, Duke Grail."

"...Alright."

But as expected, I couldn't simply run away from my responsibilities. Damn it, I'm definitely dumping this troublesome title onto someone else in the near future...!

---

In the end, it took until the Warp Nexus Module's completion before I was finally released from the tyranny of my deskwork. Of course, since I couldn't install the module by myself, I asked the workers to handle it for me—naturally with some added convenience and labor fees.

I wanted to test it out immediately, but it was already late into the night, nearing midnight when my remaining required duties were finally wrapped up.

A mountain of paperwork still remained, but the rest could safely be left in Herman's capable hands. Everything that urgently needed my attention was already taken care of. I no longer had the luxury of time to waste on such bothersome work.

I rushed back to the Range Falcon, which was parked stealthily above the rear of the administrative building. Of course, I had to use the space suit's thrusters to reach it first.

"You're back?"

"Welcome back~!"

"Oh... I'm back."

Upon arrival, Cassandra and Eva were already sitting in the ship's cockpit, waiting for me. I wasn't even surprised seeing them here but...

Yep, there's no way I'm asking why they're here, especially not Cassandra. Rather, I couldn't even meet her eyes. I felt like I had wronged her somehow, making my chest ache with guilt.

"Where to?" Eva asked, already assuming her role as the ship's navigator.

Right... We might be rushing, but we should prioritize the most urgent matters first.

"Let's set our first destination as..." I took a deep breath, before announcing our course. "Baltheves-402. The hospital where your mother is."

"...!"

Eva gasped sharply upon hearing my words, but soon after, a sweet, gentle smile graced her lips.

"Roger that. Setting waypoint to Baltheves-402. Warp Destination locked. Warp Drives charging, ETA 40 seconds!"

At last, it was the moment for the first test of the new Warp Nexus Module.

After rising about ten kilometers from ground level, the entire Range Falcon began releasing purple sparks as the space surrounding the ship warped violently. The massive power consumption needed to initiate the warp was effortlessly handled by the Type-3 Eternum Core Perpetual Engine.

Everything booted up smoothly, without a hitch.

"Sensor readings are all green," Cassandra added from the side, doing her part to help however she could. "Engine output steady at 20%. Thrusters operating at 1000% capacity!"

I nodded, acknowledging their reports, before issuing the next command.

"Percy! Activate the Wormhole Protection Modules, just to be safe!"

Since it was our first time using the Warp Nexus Module, there was no such thing as being too cautious. Percy quickly replied.

[Command Received... Extreme Gravitational Shielding activated. Radiation Nullifier operating at 100% efficiency. Chrono Stabilizer engaged. Spacetime Integrity Stabilizer online. Wormhole Protection Modules fully operational.]

With all of this activated, even if we encountered unexpected turbulence, we would remain relatively safe.

The sparks around the ship grew more intense, but thanks to the shielding being at maximum, the visors turned completely pitch black, blocking any outside view.

All we could do was monitor the situation through the radars and system displays.

"Crack in Space formed successfully! Range Falcon, moving through the portal!" Eva announced, her eyes glued to the fluctuating spatial readings.

"Brace for impact!" I raised my voice, gripping the armrests of my seat tightly.

The next instant, the entire ship shook violently. The force was incredibly powerful and disorienting, but thankfully, it was brief.

Moments later, the sensor values stabilized, returning to their normal standby readings.

[Space Travel complete. Scanning for anomalies... Negative. Deactivating Wormhole Protection Modules... Complete.]

And with Percy's mechanical voice echoing in the cockpit, the visors gradually regained their transparency.

Right then, it became clear that we were no longer in the Meyers Star System.

Before us was a colossal planet—one I immediately recognized.

"We really made it here in a single jump..." Eva muttered in awe, unable to believe what had just happened. "No doubt about it, that's Baltheves-402, my home planet!"