SOS CH 23: WELL TIME TO DIE I GUESS (Patreon)

Just a few moments ago, Noah alongside the others had been listening and watching and watching the careful advance of the team led by Omid.

Noah had not been worried even when they asked him where the place of the battle was. Obviously, he had sure to bring the Beast that was chasing him around to mess up the surroundings really well when he started his plan.

This was why, after giving a few instructions, he decided to do what he should do best to get information.

“How are those big things able to fly?”

He asked like the ignorant that he was, causing Phaeia and the others to frown slightly. One of them even had their fingers twitch slightly as it reached for their weapons but they stopped when one of the pirates shook his head.

Sigh~

It was easy to see that she was reaching the limit of her patience but Noah's smile never wavered even as he noticed this.

“Someone like you may not understand but there is matter in this world. Something that is normally invisible to our naked eye but when handled a certain way it can be condensed and used to power ship and the like. I do not want to go into details as it’s unnecessary. Now keep quiet please and relay the direction.”

Noah shrugged and nodded. Though he was not able to hear exactly what he wanted it didn’t matter in the end. He would find it either way.

“Sorry.”

He looked back at the screen and waited. They all waited. Up until Omid finally found it.

Rumble~!

The rumbling that shocked the earth even seemed to spread through the air, this was something incomprehensible as even the ships were not spared but thankfully none of them dropped.

When it finally stopped, all of them watched as the gigantic gate lit up with a splendid white light.

“This is…This is impossible!”

Phaeia was literally glued to the screen when this appeared. As a scientist whose goal had always been to explore the unknown, this new discovery would be enough for her to even be remembered for as long as the empire existed and perhaps even beyond to all nearby galaxies.

A white gate had never appeared or at the very least, had never been recorded.

“We need to go in.”

Phaeia had much less hang-up than Omid. At this moment she could not think about how secure any of this was. She could even die if this was for science.

Noah also observed the gate. But more than the actual white light, what interested him were the symbols engraved on the borders.

𒅆𒍝𒆠𒆤𒆠𒊏 𒋼𒊏𒆤 𒄿𒈾𒈾𒄿𒄿𒈝𒂗𒁇𒄿 𒆜𒀀𒄿𒈾𒀀𒄿𒄿𒊑𒄿𒋆𒋆𒆕

“What are those?”

“Ancient and yet-to-be-deciphered language. We do not know what they mean. But we are slowly finding the way.”

Phaeia was so entranced that she did not mind answering this question. Noah meanwhile was confused. Those symbols jogged his memories and he was sure of one thing.

He knew those symbols. He in fact even learned some of the symbols once upon a time when he was still in the facility. It was necessary as those were engraved in the mecha they piloted.

What was it again?

‘Sumerian?’

How was it possible? Why was a dead language from Earth somehow used by some super civilization?

If Adam in the past had only been mildly curious. Now he was starting to feel like something was afoot. His desire to explore the gate increased greatly.

It was then —

[Paheia. Kill Noah. He is useless to us. As for you guys. Let’s go. We are entering the ruins]

Omid’s voice came from the speaker, sending his deadly order upon Noah with no pity.

“....Ah.”

Noah sighed quietly in the silence that followed and he could feel all eyes on him. Some were looking at him with pity, others with a faint gloating in their eyes, there were even a few lecherous eyes that made Noah laugh.

‘See? I am so handsome, my beauty transcends even the concept of race. Even aliens want me.’

—Is it really the moment for a joke?

‘It’s always the moment for a joke.’

Smiling even in the midst of the deepest despair was the only one to stand strong. Though of course, the current situation was not anywhere close to despairing.

“Are you going to kill me?”

Phaeia squinted as she observed the smile on the young man's face. She quietly started to move away as she gave the order.

“Sorry boy, nothing personal.”

The ones who had clearly intended to do more than simply kill him seemed disappointed but they did not object. One of them took out a sword and approached Noah before putting the blade just a few inches away from his neck.

It was not a Vibroblade. Obviously, those who stayed were the weakest and had the less powerful equipment. Even so, the blade was sharp enough to cut simple flesh with no problem.

“So this was all a lie?”

“You should have…”

“Stop talking and kill him now.”

“Aye boss. You are taking away all the pleasure.”

The man, in his power armor, did not fear any kind of retaliations, lifting his blade he grinned, waiting for the moment when fear and despair would appear in the boy’s eyes.

Sadly, there was nothing but a sardonic laugh and deep disdain.

“Tsk! How boring. You fail even as an entertainment.”

He decided that it was a waste of time to continue his blade.

Or at least he tried to.

Whoosh!

‘Huh…’

Something was flying and it was not Noah’s head. Slowly glancing down, the man looked at the stump of his arm, before witnessing the missing arms in Noah’s own.

“Wha…”

He was not able to finish speaking or even properly proceed with the information as his head was sent flying this time. This too by his own blade.

Truly a pitiful end.

Bluish blood splashed and splattered all around covering both Noah and a few of the crew members who were all stricken by fear as they watched the young boy half their size smile eerily as he licked the blue blood on his face.

Had it been for the elites specially trained by Omid they might have immediately reacted but those were nothing but low-class pirates who never had to fight someone who could actually retaliate.

—-You are wasting food!

‘Don’t worry. They are honestly so weak. One more or one less.’

He laughed to himself,

“Well…Time to die I guess? Or should I say, time to dig in?”

All hell broke loose.

[1]: I used actual Sumerian by the way and not just some random symbol. Obviously, I know nothing of Sumerian. But this is the wonder of the internet.