What Do You Mean I'm The Captain Of A Yandere Mercenary Company? Chapter 828: Stay Away From The Mouth

Initially, I figured I was seeing things, mistaking the creature before me for a mere decoration until it blinked its eyes, proving it was truly alive and not some lifeless exhibit.

Now certain it was real, it hit me that this might be the very beast the smuggler captain had mentioned, leaving me completely speechless on how to handle the situation.

Yumiko materialized next to me, swords drawn and poised, eyeing the creature that simply lay there, gazing at us with its tiny, shiny eyes.

"Mistress? What is that thing?"

I paused, unsure if the creature matched what I suspected, particularly given its massive size.

Maybe it only resembled what I had in mind but was actually some extraterrestrial beast... Yet I recalled that animals from my original universe existed here too, making it highly likely this was indeed what I thought.

I pointed toward the creature, "That’s... If I’m not mistaken, that’s... an Alligator Snapping Turtle..."

Yes... Exactly... This had to be the invincible creature the smuggler captain described...

Just to confirm...

I drew my pistol, aimed at the top of its shell, and fired off a single shot.

The bullet ricocheted harmlessly off the shell without a scratch, and the turtle showed zero reaction.

Definitely... This was it...

Yumiko glanced at me, "Is that an animal from Earth?"

I nodded, "Yes, it’s a species originating from Earth... But I’m unsure if this is merely an alien lookalike or the real deal from Earth. Were they genetically engineered and shipped into space too, Amber?"

Amber hesitated briefly before shrugging, "Sorry, Tera... I’ve never heard of this creature before... What kind is it?"

"Well... As the name implies, it’s a turtle... But... It’s enormously larger than usual..."

Like... Enormously larger... This monster was car-sized...

Yumiko remained guardedly positioned in front of me, shielding me from the turtle, "Is it dangerous, Mistress? What do we do?"

"Ah, no need to fret..." I reassured her, drifting closer to the turtle.

Yumiko clearly stayed anxious, hurrying after me, so I issued a caution first.

"No matter what... Keep clear of its mouth," I warned.

She nodded yet trailed behind me.

I circled behind the turtle, which barely reacted beyond parting its jaws slightly.

Then I darted back and forth in front of it, prepared to leap away if it lunged, but it stayed put.

To probe further, I extended my hand and lightly tapped its head.

Given its bulk, it felt like patting a car hood.

Its jaws parted wider, and even half-open, that maw could swallow a watermelon whole.

I backed away, returning to Yumiko who had observed tensely from afar.

"Was that meant to accomplish anything, Mistress?" Yumiko inquired.

"Not particularly," I confessed, eyes fixed on the turtle. "I just wanted to see if it acted as expected."

"So... Is it dangerous?"

"Sort of, I suppose? It probably won’t attack unless we get too close."

She shot me a sharp glance, "But... Didn’t you just approach it?"

"I mean, don’t get specifically near its mouth and within snapping distance of those jaws."

"Is its mouth that hazardous?" She asked, staring at the jaws.

I scanned the area and used telekinesis to drag one of the slain rat-mantis corpses toward the snapping turtle.

The remains dropped into its mouth, and the turtle clamped down with a resounding crack.

The body shattered, one chunk in its jaws and the other two tumbling aside.

I faced Yumiko again, "Dangerous enough?"

She nodded deliberately.

Mara’s voice crackled over the comms, "What do we do with it, Captain?"

I pondered briefly, "Truthfully... It’s not very threatening... I’m just curious who ordered this turtle shipped... Maybe we can return it to its enclosure?"

"If the enclosure’s still whole..." Yumiko noted.

I surveyed the surroundings... Most containers lay wrecked beyond salvage, and since the turtle had escaped, its own was surely shattered too—I doubted we could cram it back in.

"I guess... We’ve got an issue, huh?" I reflected.

"Can you lift it, Tera?" Amber questioned.

Hmm... Worth a shot...

I extended my hand, palm toward the turtle, attempting to hoist it airborne.

A heavy pressure bore on my arm momentarily before the car-sized turtle rose into the air.

Curiously, it didn’t resist at all, hanging motionless as if still grounded.

I lowered it back down and nodded, "Well... I can manage lifting it. But now what?"

"Maybe ask the smuggler handling it?" Yumiko proposed.

Good point.

I activated my Codex to reconnect with the captain, the line picking up after one more ring.

The screen displayed the captain even more disheveled, like he’d been pulling out his hair since our last call.

The smuggler shoved his face to the display, "So? Coming yet? Please extract us now!"

I cleared my throat, "Well... It depends... We’ve wiped the swarm, and sadly had to eliminate the broodmother. Only the turtle remains—I’m unsure your plans for it."

He recoiled a bit, "Wait... What? You... Killed them all?"

"Yeah. The broodmother kept spawning more, and its container was irreparably damaged, so no risks taken. Once dead, the rest swarmed from everywhere, so the ship should be clear now."

"Oh! So all monsters are in the cargo bay, letting us sneak out?"

"Uh... Yeah. Their corpses, anyway," I clarified, pivoting to reveal the cargo bay strewn with dead creatures.

The captain’s jaw dropped at the piles of bodies filling the feed.

I coughed, "Ahem... Yeah... They’re all gone for sure. You’ll need to hire cleanup though—we’re not touching this mess. Now, about the turtle—what’s your call?"

He took moments to regain composure, "Tur... Turtle?"

I approached the snapping turtle and displayed it lying calmly, "Yeah, this guy. I figure this is the one that—"

"That’s the monster!! Flee!! It’s unkillable!! It demolished everything!! Nothing halted it!!"

I grinned involuntarily and patted the turtle’s head, "Relax, it’s harmless if you avoid its bite. Watch?"

The turtle parted its jaws a tad, swiveled toward me, then snapped shut. I stayed safely distant, naturally.

The smuggler yanked his hair, "Are you insane?!! Insane!! Get away before it slays you!!"

I waved dismissively, "It’s okay, it’s okay~ See~"

I circled to its side and hoisted it with telekinesis, mimicking a physical lift.

I elevated the turtle overhead for the stunned smuggler, "See? Perfectly tame. So, what’s the plan? Its enclosure’s totaled, and I’d rather not kill an innocent. Though I wonder how you’ll manage it anyway."

The smuggler gawked for a full minute before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed out of view.

Uh... Didn’t see that coming...