Chapter 104 – Exposed Secrets
Shurka read her race description in awe and astonished. This was a legendary race of extinct mutants that mankind destroyed two thousand years ago.
Now, she was one of them, and she could use their mysterious power in-game.
'Wow! Psionic Link? Link my mind with others and temporary control of their bodies!? That's crazy!'
Subconsciously, she glanced at Mia and licked her lips, fantasizing about mind-controlling Mia, making him do anything.
Shurka shook her head in a panic, trying to forget her silly dream.
'Idiot! He's trying to help me here, and what was I thinking? Why am I keep thinking about pervert things when I see his face!?'
After slamming her forehead with the back of the pilot seat for a few times, Shurka's mind became clear.
'Okay! I'm not a pervert. It was because of the environment influence and Mia's seduction. Yup, it was Mia's fault for getting an erection. I'm not a pervert, he is.'
The vivid memory image of Mia's naked chest and his pole flashed in her mind while she was reciting her self-consolation.
*BANG*
Shurka head-butted against the pilot seat again.
'I swear I'll never seduce a random guy in-game again! I passed out for a few minutes, then I woke up naked, infected, and evolved! What have I done with my life!? Am I a main character in the next Hangover movie?'
.
"An infected friend?"
Thorn looked at Kai, not understanding the situation.
Mia made up another story, "She was also captured by the military and was experimented along with Brim. I helped her out of there."
Hearing that Mia's friend was also a victim, Thorn laughed.
"Oh, I get it, Misha! Keep her in your mech until we return to base. I'll tell Crystal to prepare a woman's clothes!"
"Thank you, senior!"
Thorn raised his thumbs and returned to his mech, reporting the situation to Crystal.
"I'm with Misha right now. She's bringing her friend home with us."
[Chacha, did you ask if she's also an otherworlder?]
"… I forgot."
[Ask them! Also, tell Misha to be frank as we knew that she's an otherworlder. Tell her that I promise to keep their secret if they tell us where we can find those revival medicines.]
"What if they are with the government?"
[Simply run away from Misha. We'll tell the others about her status. Well, if she cooperates, we'll keep it a secret.]
"The Tautog guys already knew about it. Won't they spread the news?"
[I can shut their mouth as long as I have one or more medicine.]
"Okay, chief!"
Thorn got out of Zeris One again, "Crystal asked, are you an otherworlder? Be honest this time, Misha! We saw you used your power many times. Those are not dragonewt's power!"
Hearing the direct question, Mia closed his eyes and sighed.
'They have the surveillance technology and their satellites. Obviously, they knew.'
Local mutants and humans in this world did not have strong psychic powers like MGW soldiers. Even if banana Mia's physical strength was weaker than a full-time MWG marine, his psychic abilities were still many times stronger than most mutants and humans here.
Steeling his heart, Mia confessed, "I am an otherworlder!"
Thorn did not flinch as he expected this answer. Instead, he was relieved that Mia was honest since this opened more negotiation options for both sides.
"Are you friend an otherworlder, too?"
Hesitated, but Mia told the truth, "Yes, she is!"
"Good! What are your purposes for joining us?"
Mia paused to think. As he planned to quit the game, he did not need to join them. Still, Maou Mia forcefully evolved Shurka without her consent, which he had to clean up after the alter personality's mess.
"Trading! I wish to buy a cure for her."
Thorn smiled. More options appeared as he had expected.
'If Crystal and others expel Misha, we can still be a trade partner. Well, she's different from the rest of otherworlders, so we should be able to bargain for those medicines, right?'
"Do you still have the medicine that you gave Brim?"
"Yes, I do."
"I believe you! For now, leave that robot and come with me unarmed."
Although Thorn had faith in Mia, he could not afford to let down his guard. Deep down inside, he still suspected in Mia's words and his identity.
However, Mia shook his head, "We can't! The government will retrieve this machine if we leave it here!"
The cautious demi-hydra frowned. Thorn got back to his cockpit, consulting it with Crystal again.
[Let them bring the mech here. Go and pilot it. Use the giant robot to carry your Zeris home.]
"Right! We can use that thing as our carrier!"
With a solution, Thorn went back to Mia.
"We can take that thing back home, but I can't let you pilot it. I'll operate it while you have to stay put."
"Impossible. This mech can only be operated by my friend or me. Ordinary humans or mutants can't pilot it."
"Mind if I test it?"
"Be my guess. Come here and test it yourself."
Since Mia gave Thorn an unsounded excuse, the suspicion on Mia grew. Thorn took a deep breath and took a combat knife with him, preparing for any melee combat if this were a trap.
He jumped onto Prometheus, getting to the cockpit.
Upon getting inside, Thorn found Mia, who was standing at the side, and a shoulder-naked girl hiding behind the pilot seat.
Looking around, the operating system, consoles, and switches were similar to other mechs that Thorn knew.
"Well, this doesn't look any different than my console. Are you sure you're not lying?"
"This mech is customized for me. What can I say?"
"If you say so. Well, can you two move out of the cockpit, so I can try?"
Mia did not move nor speak. He stared into the eyes of Thorn with hesitation. As Shurka was still naked, he did not want her to walk out of the cover.
Shurka also looked at both of them, not wanting to move from this spot. She took her wet panty and her skirt, putting them back on even though they had not dried yet.
During the awkward moment, Mia recalled that there was a secondary cockpit in the head of Prometheus.
"Senior Thorn, how about this? This mech has a secondary console within the head part. I'll activate the engine, and you'll control the mech from there."
Thorn glanced at Shurka and Mia. He recalled something and grinned.
"I see … Well, I need to confirm something. Misha, are you into women?"
The corner of Mia's mouth twitched. Thorn might have the wrong idea about his true gender, but Mia replied anyway.
"Yes, I'm into girls."
"That explains a lot. Very well, you two can continue what you left off. I'll inspect the other cockpit."
"…"
After Thorn left the cockpit, Shurka stared at Mia in doubt.
"Did he just call you Misha?"
Mia looked back with an apological smile, "Yes. My character in-game is Misha. I'm sorry I lied to you."
.
Meanwhile, Thorn climbed to the top of Prometheus. As Mia had told them, there was a cockpit entrance at the back of the mech's head.
Mia and Shurka did not notice. Thorn had goosebumps when he got close to Mia.
*Ong* (Did you feel it?)
"Yeah, it's so freaking scary! I thought I might have been killed!"
Demi-hydras had unique skills, just like dragonewts and overminds. Their instinct and sixth sense were the strongest among the mutants, so Thorn managed to detect Mia's hidden strength a moment ago.
The feeling was different when he was with Misha a few days back inside the shelter. It was as if they were different persons.
*Ong* (I also feel it from the girl behind the seat.)
"Yeah, I also sense that."
There was something that Thorn never forgot. It was a familiar threatening feeling of an overmind like Carlos, and it came from both Mia and Shurka.
"Something is not right about those two. Are they overminds!?"