"What we need to do is steer the world as far from its original fate as possible."
"There are several ways to change a world's fate."
"For instance, in a world full of hope and beauty, our mission is to destroy it."
"And in a world full of despair and deathly silence, our mission is to save it."
"At the same time, none of us are entirely united in purpose. The more people who participate in the same path to changing a world, the less spacetime source energy each person ultimately receives."
Albert spoke with a serious expression.
"The guy hiding among the Precursors most likely aims to have them conquer humanity's lands and wipe out every living thing on Earth. That's the approach that would earn him the most spacetime source energy."
Natsuki listened and gave a slight nod.
"What about you?"
"You said you're one of them too. What were you originally planning to do?"
Natsuki needed to know his full motives before he could judge whether his words were trustworthy.
There were no absolutely good or evil people in this world.
Nor were there villains who were completely brainless.
This guy claimed to be laying all his cards on the table, but he was undoubtedly doing so to achieve some purpose.
He was competing with the other outsiders and most likely wanted to use Natsuki to eliminate his rivals.
Of course, that was only one possibility Natsuki had considered.
Albert had a deeper purpose in mind.
"My original plan was actually quite simple." Albert made no attempt to hide this and answered honestly. "There's more than one way to change a world's fate, and each approach has a different level of difficulty."
"In different worlds, there are certain people closely tied to the world's fate-the so-called [chosen ones] or [main cast]. Changing their fates is the most convenient approach."
"I'll just tell you straight."
"According to this world's original fate, Stacker will die, and so will Raleigh. Dr. Newton... Chuck Hansen... Mako Mori... the three brothers piloting the Crimson Typhoon... the couple piloting the Cherno Alpha... a lot of people will die in all kinds of accidents."
"What I need to do is find a way to keep them alive and steer their predetermined deaths away from their destined course."
"That's why I'm here."
"Incidentally, the Jaeger I repaired was also meant for that purpose. To increase my involvement, I tampered with its operating system so no one else could pilot it. I didn't expect you to take it."
That had been Albert's goal from the beginning.
Every transmigrator received a different identity upon entering a mission world, determined by their performance in the previous world. Albert's identity here was a doctor versed in physics, mechanics, and biology, and he had chosen to join the Shatterdome.
But Natsuki's arrival had disrupted his plans.
With Natsuki here, these people were certain not to die in accidents. He had effectively done all the work Albert was supposed to do. At this rate, Albert would receive very little spacetime source energy.
So when he first met Natsuki, he wondered whether he could use him to carry out the mission in other ways and earn spacetime source energy. After all, Natsuki was a top-tier combatant.
Once he realized Natsuki wasn't someone he could easily manipulate, he could only lay everything out and try to secure a small share through cooperation.
If he didn't make his position clear now, he feared that once Natsuki discovered he was a transmigrator, he would kill him without even giving him a chance to explain.
He had already figured it out: despite his laid-back, casual exterior, Natsuki was no naive do-gooder.
"What do you want from me?" Natsuki asked bluntly.
He knew Albert wouldn't share this information for no reason. Having served in the Space Garrison for over ten thousand years, he had met more people than he could count.
"Let me participate more in the operations that follow, so I can earn more spacetime source energy when the mission time limit ends."
"And... most importantly, don't rush to deal with me." Albert stated his greatest need. "I can provide you with intelligence in this world and help you complete your mission. I can do the same in the worlds that follow."
Albert made his position very clear.
Natsuki was the hunter, and he was the prey.
The hunter was destined to devour the prey. Albert couldn't claim his hands were clean, but he could guarantee that he would be useful to Natsuki.
He intended to trade his usefulness for his life.
"We cooperate, and each of us gets what we need." Albert pushed up his glasses and spoke with resolve.
"If you don't believe me, you can compare what I've said with another outsider when you find one."
Albert had explained his motives, objectives, and interests to Natsuki.
Most importantly, by revealing his identity, he had placed his life in Natsuki's hands ahead of time.
Natsuki looked at him and thought for a while.
Finally, he nodded.
"If you want to keep those people alive, I certainly won't stop you. My main mission is still to drag out whoever is behind your organization."
"If you want to be my spy, that's fine."
With an insider like this, his mission would undoubtedly go much more smoothly.
As for whether Albert would stab him in the back?
If he were capable of that, he wouldn't be here exposing his own identity.
Judging by his vital signs, there were no signs of deception in what he had said. Natsuki could trust him for now.
Hearing Natsuki agree, Albert let out a small sigh of relief.
"How many outsiders like you are here?" Natsuki continued.
"Four, including me," Albert replied. "But we don't know one another's locations or identities."
Natsuki nodded.
That meant there were three others he needed to deal with besides Albert.
"By the way... with you revealing all this information, won't the organization behind you try to eliminate you?"
Albert had revealed quite a lot already. Natsuki even felt some of it could be considered classified.
"No."
"It's more like a program. We don't know who the real mastermind is either."
"As long as I don't say certain trigger words it monitors, it's fine," Albert answered.
He knew he was merely a pawn.
No one cared whether they lived or died, as long as they collected spacetime source energy.
"Although we're only the ones carrying out the missions, by the Land of Light's standards, we still count as vicious criminals. Almost everyone has countless innocent lives on their hands."
"When you strike, you don't need to think too much about it."
Hearing him say that,
Natsuki couldn't help raising an eyebrow. "You've certainly thought this through. You even considered that."
His will to survive was truly strong.
When Albert came over tonight, Natsuki had thought he intended to ambush him in his sleep. Instead, he had come straight in and thrown himself at Natsuki's mercy.
Natsuki decided there was no need to eliminate Albert on the spot for now. He could wait until the whole incident was over, then throw him into the Space Prison and let the Captain pass judgment.
Next, he needed to resolve the situation on this Earth quickly, then establish contact with the Land of Light.
With a spy, this prey... would be even easier to catch.
By the time the two finished talking, dawn was approaching.
There were less than two hours until their scheduled departure.
And just then,
"Bzz-bzz-"
A piercing alarm rang throughout the base.
That sound meant only one thing-a Kaiju had appeared.
"Shit... they've moved ahead of schedule too." Albert immediately realized that the transmigrator on the other side of the Breach had begun to act.
In this world, a transmigrator who received a Precursor identity undoubtedly held an enormous advantage.
But there was something they wouldn't have anticipated either.
"Still... we have an ace up our sleeve." Albert looked at Natsuki, who was warming up, and smiled.
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