下載應用程式
13.04% Reincarnated as a Grunt No. 703 / Chapter 11: Maddening Starstruck

章節 11: Maddening Starstruck

White-coated scientists had gathered on the bona fide stage made from the raised platform of the flooring. They all lined up in an orderly fashion but still stayed obscure even when some of them were illuminated by the spotlights that had gathered on the stage. However, one particular individual among these scientists stepped forward to the center of the stage.

Her advance created a clacking sound from her heels with each step she took. The white long lab coat she wore openly fluttered lightly with each sway of her hips. This female scientist was none other than Victoria. She was the one I had met quite "personally" inside her dimly lit laboratory.

I remembered quite vividly how she had called me an 'enigma,' which was still a mystery to me... or maybe not. Maybe it had something to do with how my body turned out this way compared to the other grunts here. Was this the 'enigma' she was referring to?

I didn't have much time to think about it further, as Victoria finally presented herself at the center of the stage, capturing everyone's attention.

"Good morning, grunts," Victoria greeted us with the same mischievous smile I was quite familiar with. She and her fellow scientists' appearance stirred everyone into clamoring.

"Wait, who are these people?"

"Where did they come from?"

"They suddenly came out of nowhere!"

"Hold on... Is she who I think she is?"

"It is... She's the infamous super scientist—"

"Mad Star!?!"

Suddenly, a few of the grunts here gasped when they realized the identity of this female scientist.

The reaction of my fellow grunts here to her appearance was vastly different from Max Brain's grand reception. Some didn't quite know who she was, but others did. Some welcomed her appearance on the stage, whether it was because of her reputation or because she was quite a beautiful woman. But some, for reasons unknown to me... fell into dread instead.

"Mad Star...?" I muttered, repeating the name my fellow grunts were clamoring about. Hold on... wasn't her name 'Victoria'? Was this one of those 'superhero identity' bits? In this context, it would be a 'supervillain identity' instead.

Nevertheless... I really didn't know who she was, neither as Victoria or this 'Mad Star' villain persona of hers. I knew Max Brain because of his mainstream popularity, but her? Not much. I wasn't well-versed in the comic book fandom, nor was I an avid consumer of the media in the first place.

I did see a few superhero movies sometimes with friends and family, but those were limited to mainstream superhero characters such as Ultra Guy or Caped Detective.

If only I knew I would be reincarnated into this superhero world, I would have jumped into the superhero fandom long before... but then again, no one could predict how they would die. Death is inevitable, whether you die of old age, sickness, or an accident like me. Nobody could predict that, even for me, who died from being run over by a speeding truck...

Wait... no. That was partly my fault that I died there. I "accidentally" crossed a busy highway without looking and got run over. I was being an idiot back there...

Moving on...

As if he noticed my muttering, Grunt No. 704 looked back towards me. "Oh yeah, man. This is the so-called 'assistant' of Max Brain, Mad Star," he confirmed her identity to me.

"Really? Is she well known here?" I inquired, motioning to all the grunts who had mixed reactions to her arrival.

No. 704 averted his eyes a bit and scratched his head. "Well... yeah, she is pretty infamous around here," he answered.

"Infamous...?" I asked again, concerned about the worrying word he had just used.

"Haha, yeah. Well, she's—"

"The Mad Star?! The Infamous Mad Star!!"

Grunt No. 704 was about to answer my question but got interrupted midway by a sudden familiar voice to both of us, screaming out her name. We looked in the direction of the screaming and found our local supervillain expert and fanboy, Grunt No. 702.

"Mad Star...! One of the most brilliant minds in the world..." No. 702 began with a low muttering that could still be heard by those around him. "...the one and only scientist who discovered how to harness the power of a star...!"

He looked down while clenching his fists tightly as if he was trembling from excitement. He involuntarily revealed more info to those around him, as both of us listened to his informative rambling.

'Harnessing the power of a star...?' That sounded... overpowered. I at least knew what a 'star' was. It's basically a giant ball of plasma held together by gravity, isn't it? Our own sun is one. So, the thought of this malicious woman holding on to that power... was quite concerning.

"BUT!" He suddenly flared up, surprising those around him. "She then used that power to annihilate the whole armies and armadas of the former Veridia Republic's Armed Forces!" He excitedly exclaimed another horrifying piece of information.

"She what?!" I exclaimed, horrified. I didn't expect to hear that this woman was even more dangerous than I had initially thought. I knew she was somewhat not normal, borderline crazy even, but not to that extent. Was that why some grunts here had dreadful expressions upon hearing her name?

I then slowly turned my head towards Grunt No. 704, my expression one of disbelief. "Are those things he just said true?" I asked again, hoping for confirmation from him about what No. 702 had been rambling.

No. 704 laughed nervously as if he was unsure himself. "Haha, well... I think it was somewhat half the truth," he began, scratching his head as if trying to remember. "I heard that while she did make the infamous 'Star Bombs', the one who actually used them was Max Brain instead." He corrected what No. 702 had been rambling.

"I... see..."

I was slightly relieved to hear that she was not that insane. At the very least, I still thought she had a few screws loose if she was now working with Max Brain. So, she made the so-called 'Star Bombs' that were powerful enough to annihilate a fully armed force, but the one who dropped these bombs on them was Max Brain instead. Talk about getting the credit and infamy at the same time...

But still that Max Brain... annihilating the whole armed forces of a nation with what I could imagine as an alternative nuclear bomb... I should be careful with any of these people.

And also... 'former Veridia Republic'? Was that the name of a nation? I had never heard of it, so most likely it was one of those fictional nations that comic book authors made up for the story, wasn't it?

I then directed my attention back towards the stage where 'Mad Star' Victoria and her scientists had been standing... and found that she had been staring at me intensely all this time. I was startled, taken aback by the intense stare she had been giving me while I had been oblivious to it until now.

Even though there was a fair amount of distance between my position in the middle of the crowd and hers on the stage, AND this place was quite dark with no other illumination than the stage's spotlights, she actually managed to track me down and look right at me.

Seemingly aware that her staring shocked me, she then showed me the same mischievous smile I was starting to get familiarized with... You know what, maybe she was insane after all.

Luckily, she then averted her eyes to direct her attention back towards all of the newbie grunts. She clapped her hands again to gain our attention, and eventually, all of the grunts here stopped their clamoring. Satisfied that everyone had finally settled down, she began to speak.

"Once again, welcome to Lord Max Brain's army, loyal grunts," she started with a welcoming greeting. "I know that you all here are quite nervous about your new environment." She continued; her tone was sympathetic toward us, but... I had a feeling it was just sweet talk coming from her.

"Nevertheless! You are here, braving yourselves to become the pillars, shields, and most importantly... the swords of Lord Max Brain's Empire!" She continued with her speech, reminding us grunts of what Max Brain had just said before.

"And for that! I and my scientist squadron will help you all become the best grunts that Lord Max Brain can rely on!" She added, her tone high as if she was rallying us grunts.

All of the grunts erupted into cheers, seemingly at the prospect of getting help from these scientists, but... I wasn't exactly convinced by it, as I had seen the way these scientists acted during my first awakening in the test tube. ESPECIALLY, of course, with this Victoria woman, a.k.a. Mad Star.

My sentiment towards them wasn't the only one here, as I saw that Grunt No. 704 and No. 711 were also among those who weren't really hyped about the prospect of their help.

She clapped again as a sign for everyone to pipe down. As soon as everyone quieted down, she continued with her speech, "Well then, everyone... We will all begin by familiarizing you with the 'enhancements' we have given you for your transformation as grunts of Max Brain's army."

As soon as she finished, suddenly, the loud sound of a familiar hydraulic hiss could be heard, but it came from a different location than where we had entered this room. The sound came from our left as if another heavy metallic door had opened, and indeed there was.

A bright light seeped through the small opening of the large metallic door that was slowly opening, allowing more light to come in. The lights were so bright that I couldn't even see what was out there anymore, but... I could feel a strong gust of wind coming through the opened metallic door as if this door was leading us to the outside world.

"Well then... Let's begin with our orientation, grunts," Victoria said to all of us grunts, but unlike everyone else, only I saw the wicked grin on her face.


HIATUS

HIATUS. Not much to say here other than it's not working out.

章節 12: The Resolve of A Grunt

I looked at the second metallic heavy gate that had opened. Bright light came from outside into the room where the other grunts and I were currently standing. The light was so bright that I couldn't even see what the other side looked like, as if it was a "gate of light" that would lead you to another world. One thing I could feel from it was the rush of wind that burst into the room, as if the outside wind was blowing inside.

This... felt like déjà vu...

Everyone was focused on this newly opened gate that seemed to lead outside the secret lair of Max Brain, but I directed my attention back towards the mad scientist villain, Mad Star... or rather, her real name, Victoria. She noticed that I was staring at her. I then turned my stare into a glare, knowing deep down this so-called "orientation" was more than just that. Seeing my intense glare, she responded with the same mischievous smile that had been ingrained in my memory. That smile of hers confirmed my suspicion, and my glare became even more intense.

The mad scientist Victoria only giggled at my glare. Then, she began to announce to all the grunts who were still fixated on the light coming from the opened gate, "Well then... Let's begin our orientation, grunts," she started, a malicious grin appearing on her face, and then she simply ordered, "Go."

As if on cue, many of the grunts immediately dashed towards the opened gate... "What...?" I muttered in shock and awe at how fast they were running. They were running so fast, as if they were professional Olympic track-and-field runners. Hell, they might even be faster than those athletes. Was this one of her so-called 'enhancements'?

A few other grunts were as shocked as I was from witnessing their fellow grunts' speed, as if they also weren't aware of the enhancements that had been done to them. But many of them immediately joined in as well, running towards the light coming from the opened gate, following the other grunts that had made a head start. Slowly but surely, everyone started to run as well, and many of those who had started running entered and vanished into the "gate of light" to what I assumed was the outside world, leaving only a few of us grunts behind. Some of those notable few that I knew were Grunt No. 704 and No. 711.

Surprisingly, the fanboy grunt, Grunt No. 702, had already joined the others who had started running. Honestly, I could imagine that he was one of those people who rejoiced at the fact that they got a superpower, even if they were just going to be an expendable grunt for the villains.

We were all still staring at the backs of the leaving grunts, an awkward silence lingering...

Grunt No. 711 then looked at both me and No. 704, "Well, I better get going," she began, slowly starting to run while waving to us both, "see you on the other side~." She then promptly left towards the opened gate. We both watched as her back became smaller and smaller until she eventually vanished into the "gate of light." An awkward silence still lingered...

Grunt No. 704 and I both looked at each other, and then he turned toward the "gate of light" as well. "Well... catch you later, big guy," he said without looking back and then started running. He was also running quite fast like everyone else, quickly vanishing into the "gate of light." Eventually, one by one, all of the grunts had finally left the room, leaving me as the only person remaining... or so I thought.

I turned my head and found those white-coated scientists still on the raised platform stage, along with their squadron leader, the villainous scientist Victoria "Mad Star." She was still standing quite arrogantly on top of the stage, looking at me with an amused expression.

"You..." I muttered loudly, referring to her with a bit of venom in my tone as I threw another glare toward her. Again, she was not fazed by my snarling but instead giggled at it. Hearing her giggle only irked me more.

"What's the matter, Grunt No. 703?" Victoria asked with a fake tone of concern. She walked forward, closer to the edge of the stage. "Don't you want to join in with your fellow grunts?" she asked me, as she promptly and casually sat on the edge of the stage. I saw that some of her fellow underling scientists left the stage, presumably to monitor the other grunts who had gone ahead of me.

I ignored her fake concern. "What are you planning, woman?" I shot back. I was wary, of course, because I had been in almost this exact situation before, with a 'Witch' of a woman who had branded me with her so-called "token." Of course, it didn't end well for me, and here I was now with an entirely new and unfamiliar body in a world where superheroes and supervillains exist... while being just one of the expendable grunts of those supervillains.

It felt too much like a coincidence. I had a feeling if I had been one of those early runner grunts that had rushed to the "gate of light," I would have instead gotten myself killed yet again.

The mad scientist woman only giggled again at my question. "What are you talking about, Grunt No. 703? This is just a normal orientation for all of you newcomer loyal grunts~." She deflected my question by playing oblivious, while also provocatively showing off her sensual figure as she crossed her legs. Her evasive and taunting attitude really irked me to no end.

I looked back toward the "gate of light" that led to the world outside of the secret lair, contemplating its existence and what it meant for me. My choices were honestly quite limited, almost nonexistent even. I couldn't see myself escaping out of this secret lair of Max Brain unscathed. I didn't even know where this secret lair of his was located, and if that fictional (former) nation was any indication, then there was a possibility that this new world of superheroes vs. supervillains had an entirely different geography than Earth.

Trying to fight this scientist woman head-on was also an option... or not. She didn't show any sign of concern when I showed aggression toward her but instead found it amusing as she kept toying with me. Hearing about her reputation previously from the ramblings of Grunt No. 702 was even more concerning... if she could make an alternative nuclear bomb that had annihilated a whole nation's army, she might have other things in her arsenal that could evaporate me in an instant.

I didn't know what I was capable of in this new body of mine. Whatever that "token" the 'Witch' had given me was still a mystery. I could imagine that a bit of adrenaline might allow me to manifest whatever the hell this "token" was... or it might just be a literal nothing, and that 'Witch' had just been playing a cruel prank on me. Nothing was guaranteed here.

Even if I did manage to beat this mad scientist of a woman, Grunt No. 704 had said that Max Brain had other supervillains working for him, not to mention fighting THE Max Brain himself. Fighting unknown foes who were more than willing to NOT play by the book was not something I looked forward to.

So... trying to fight my way out of this Supervillain Empire/Company was not only the most complicated choice, but also, basically... a death flag all the way.

Then there was the last possible choice: being a good little grunt for these supervillains. The final option, and probably the safest choice among the previous two. I would have to follow all of their whims and orders while trying to survive as what I imagined being an expendable grunt. Hell, I might even try to win their favor. As long as I can survive long enough for another, safer option to pop up.

I just hoped that I wouldn't get assigned any dangerous, life-threatening tasks or have to do something that really disturbed my morals.

I hung my head low and inhaled the fresh air of the outside wind that came from the "gate of lights." Then... I exhaled loudly, creating a booming sound that echoed throughout this vast, dark, empty room.

"Oh my~," the mad scientist Victoria casually exclaimed in surprise. "Did you finally find your resolve, Grunt No. 703~?" she teasingly asked. I didn't bother looking at her expression, but I imagined she was showing the same-old, same-old mischievous smile of hers that would have irked me to no end.

"Yeah... I did," I simply answered her question. Then I readied myself to run and approach the "gate of lights" that had been beckoning me. My resolve was solid, and I had only one goal in mind right now...

"And I'm going to survive...!"

 


HIATUS

HIATUS. Not much to say here other than it's not working out.

Load failed, please RETRY

禮物

禮品 -- 收到的禮物

    每周推薦票狀態

    批量訂閱

    目錄

    顯示選項

    背景

    EoMt的

    大小

    章評

    寫檢討 閱讀狀態: C11
    無法發佈。請再試一次
    • 寫作品質
    • 更新的穩定性
    • 故事發展
    • 人物形象設計
    • 世界背景

    總分 0.0

    評論發佈成功! 閱讀更多評論
    用推薦票投票
    Rank 200+ 推薦票榜
    Stone 0 推薦票
    舉報不當內容
    錯誤提示

    舉報暴力內容

    段落註釋

    登錄

    tip 段落評論

    段落註釋功能現已上線!將滑鼠移到任何段落上,然後按下圖示以添加您的評論。

    此外,您可以隨時在「設置」 中將其關閉/ 打開。

    明白了