Where should I start? I can guess that the catalyst for all this was clearly the event that happened yesterday. While I was wasting time at home, I received an email.
[Announcement!!!]
[Space Survival development team is currently recruiting closed beta testers for the sequel. If you wish to participate, please click the accept button below.]
Space Survival.
It's a survival RPG game where you choose one of the various races existing in the vast space, and you survive, explore, and evolve. What caught my attention here was the 'various races'. Ever since I was young, I've been fond of aliens, monsters, and different species. Space Survival was a game that brought my fantasies to life.
Sometimes I became a metallic gremlin, tearing apart human ships, and other times, I transformed into a mutant monster, slaughtering enemies on the ground.
At times, I even led a hive-minded organization to conquer planets. I've played as all sorts of space creatures that could come out of nightmares, but there was one race that I enjoyed the most: the Unidentified Aggressive Space Morph, or UASM for short.
I combined the 'A' from Aggressive with 'Morph' and called them Amorphs. Amorphs were space monsters inspired by creatures from the classic film 'The Thing', capable of acquiring genetic information from their victims to enhance themselves.
They had no limits to how strong they could become, which might make them seem like overpowered beings at first glance. However, due to their incredibly challenging survival difficulty and the inherent risks of their race, they had a notorious reputation.
In essence, they got stronger over time, but they were extremely weak in the beginning, making it nearly impossible to accomplish anything.
Survival games are all about accumulating resources and skills over time, but Amorphs had a mechanism that went against this flow. Dying repeatedly in the early stages reduced the opportunity to get stronger, and if you couldn't get stronger, you'd keep dying in a vicious cycle.
Nevertheless, one could argue that you could overcome this through effort and skill. But Amorphs had a fatal flaw that made it difficult – they couldn't communicate or cooperate with other races. According to the game's lore, Amorphs viewed other races as living prey or genetic material to be collected.
The game developers actually implemented this in the game.
It goes without saying that not being able to communicate or play cooperatively in a multiplayer game with tons of players is a huge risk.
In the beginning, Amorphs are weak, and they can't cooperate with other players either. These two drawbacks combined to make Amorphs the worst of the non-mainstream races in Space Survival. To the extent that a rumor circulated in the community suggesting that the 'SM' at the end of UASM stood for Sadist (referring to the game developers) and Masochist (referring to the players), it could even be considered an accepted fact.
So, why did such a trash race become my favorite?
The reason is simple. It's because they were a race that could evolve and grow stronger freely based on choice and will.
'Well, besides that, I also have a liking for aliens.'
Just as they say, those who enjoy it the most tend to excel at it, and I was one of the hardcore players who achieved the most challenging achievement in the game – Galactic Conqueror as an Amorph. In the community, they even called me the 'Honorable Amorph', 'The Xeno-lover', or the 'Morph Enthusiast'.
But, of course, there's no eternal king.
'I totally forgot that people have to go to school these days….'
And that's for two years in a row.
Since I never left the house and just played the game, the outcome was only natural. I had to graduate, so I temporarily left the game to focus on my studies. Because of that, I didn't even know that a sequel was in development.
Anyway, Space Survival is my most beloved game. What gamer wouldn't be excited about the sequel to a game that's practically a life pick?
Naturally, I clicked 'accept.'
'The result is this, huh.'
I raised my 'second' right leg to scratch my 'forehead', covered with a shell. As I scratched, my back started itching again, so this time, I decided to use my 'fourth' left leg. As I scratched my back, a translucent scale came off the tip of my toenail.
If someone were to ask how a human could have four pairs of legs, I could respond like this: "Because I'm not a human."
I sighed as I looked at my first front leg in my hand, and in response, the sensory aid device hanging from my chin wiggled as if in harmony with my sigh.
The shape of my hands was far from that of a human or a mammal. My long, slender limbs were divided into three segments, reminiscent of the legs of a spider or an arthropod. At the tips of my legs, two claws served as fingers, looking quite cute.
I hoped these weren't my hands, but the claws seemed to move in response to my will, as if urging me not to ignore them.
Shifting my gaze along my legs, my body had a sleek, elongated form like that of a snake or a lizard. My back and belly were covered in a tough shell, which gave them a hard, unyielding feel. In contrast, my sides were made up of soft flesh, unlike the rigid carapace. I had three pairs of legs, similar in shape to my front limbs, sprouting from my sides.
Finally, at the rear, a thick, flexible tail extended. At the tip of the tail was a sharp stinger, my only weapon.
I knew the identity of this small and bizarre creature.
The favorite race in Space Survival – The Amorph.
Beings with boundless potential who made me the ruler of the galaxy
…As a Hatchling.
｢Race: Unidentified Aggressive Space Morph
Status: Hatchling
Objective: Survive
Special Trait: Super-sense｣
In the vast expanse of space, in a universe where all sorts of monsters and transcendent beings were at play, I had possessed the weakest creature of all.
'I guess it won't help to think about it.'
I decided to stop feeling discouraged at this point. It's not because I'm more optimistic than others that I take things lightly. Amorph is a combat species with strong vitality, but not during hatchling times. All I have are possibilities and potential.
Right now, I'm just a fragile being that will die if I don't eat something within an hour. So I need to move diligently before my remaining energy runs out.
Where I am now is inside a massive metal structure. I'm well aware that it's a spaceship made of alloy, swimming in the sea called space.
'Looks like something out of MegaCorp or StarUnion.'
Either way, they are not friendly forces to me. Looking around, I saw a stack of containers about three times the height of a person. Plastic boxes were visible between the stacked containers.
As my chin-mounted auxiliary apparatus twitched, various pieces of information were implanted in my mind.
'A fascinating sensation.'
Experiencing the 'Super-sense' that used to be implemented in the form of a minimap in the game was completely different when felt directly through my body.
Smells were heard like sounds, and sounds were seen, mixing the senses together to convey information. It was a sense that allowed me to perceive everything within its range simultaneously.
At the tips of my claws, I could feel the vibrations generated by the fusion engine. The faint smells of various elements like oxygen, carbon, and more mixed in the air stimulated my auxiliary apparatus at its tip. The auxiliary apparatus extracted the fact that there was something edible among the various smells and transmitted it to my brain.
My top priority now was nutrition. The fact that food was not far away was reassuring. My three pairs of legs moved towards the prey as they stepped on the cold metal plates. Each time my claws touched the grating-style floor, it made a squeaky sound.
I passed through the forest of containers and reached the plastic boxes. Using my claws, I climbed up on top of one. Upon reaching the top, I noticed that the box had a lock that required a password to open.
'It's a password. Let's see.'
I leaned close to the number plate, and as my auxiliary apparatus twitched, fingerprints on the surface flowed into my mind.
'1234, really?'
Even in the space age, the security level was this low. I pressed the button firmly with my front legs.
A sound from inside the box indicated that the lock had been released. When I opened the lid, there were vacuum-sealed calorie bars stacked inside. I pulled out one from the top.
With a simple tear using my claws, I took a bite. The texture was like chewing on a rubber eraser, but the game's tooltip had mentioned that it was designed exclusively for nutrition, and it seemed to be true.
'Well, at least I succeeded in replenishing my nutrition.'
It didn't taste good, but the high calorie content made me feel energetic all the way to the tip of my tail.
As I was about to take another bite, something caught my senses. My tail moved like an arrow and quickly pierced through the unknown object.
'A cockroach?'
The sharp fangs were lodged in the cockroach. It struggled to escape but eventually fell limp. I devoured the cockroach as if possessed. Its exoskeleton broke as it was crushed between my teeth, and its juices sprayed. It was a juicy creature, seemingly well-fed and grown. After I finished eating it, a different message appeared in the text box from before.
[Predation effect activated! Successfully obtained 'Wings' genetic essence from 'Cockroach.']
[Extracted the 'Wings' from the biological characteristics of 'Cockroach.']
[Do you want to apply the 'Wings'?]
'Oh?'
Getting a genetic essence this quickly is quite lucky. Genetic essences can be considered the alpha and omega of Amorph operations, as it's a crucial element. The more genetic essences you acquire, the stronger you can evolve as a creature.
'Wings.'
In a game set in space, wings themselves are unlikely to have any special significance. But this is not a game; it's reality.
Considering that I'm a gliding caterpillar, this trait is closer to being useful rather than bad. It allows me to establish dominance when hunting and provides an advantage in escaping.
'Accept.'
[Trait application in progress.]
It felt like something was squirming on my back, and wings with the smooth and elastic texture characteristic of chitin grew.
[Application of 'Wings' trait complete.]
'Good.'
I decided to test my wings.
'How should I move them?'
Unlike legs, wings are not a familiar part of the human body. Still, since they grew on my back, I tried exerting force around the dorsal area, feeling as if I was moving the area around the pectoral muscles.
It was the right approach, as the wings flapped slowly.
'Energy consumption is more severe than I thought.'
After trying a few times, I quickly understood. Flight consumes a considerable amount of energy. I stopped moving my wings and cracked open the calorie bar.
'To fully utilize the wings, I need something more.'
Having acquired wings was a welcome development, but there were other crucial abilities I needed to obtain from the cockroach. These abilities were essential for smooth and comfortable survival.
'First goal is set.'
I thought as I chewed on the calorie bar.
'I needed to become a cockroach killer'.
In my younger days, I read a story like this. A man named Jonah tried to escape God's command and was swallowed by a whale in the sea. If he were an ordinary person, he would have died, but Jonah, being under God's protection, did not die. He stayed inside the whale's belly for three days and then escaped. After that, Jonah faithfully followed God's words.
The reason I brought up this old story out of the blue is that my situation is somewhat similar to Jonah inside the whale's belly.
I'm also wandering inside the belly of a steel whale, floating in zero gravity, searching for cockroaches. Stuck to the wall, I waited, and a cockroach passed beneath me. My tail became a fishing hook, and I caught it.
Gently but forcefully, my tail rose, like a fisherman pulling up a net. The cockroach, hanging at the end, sensed its fate and struggled to escape in any way it could.
'It doesn't work like that.'
Sharp fangs pierced the cockroach's head. My small but sharp teeth moved continuously to prepare the tough outer shell and thick flesh for digestion. Only after the remains of the cockroach were reduced to a state resembling juice in a blender could they pass through the throat. In terms of nutrition, the calorie bar was overwhelmingly superior, but in terms of taste, the cockroach was much better. Thanks to it, I could do things I couldn't even imagine in my human days.
'It's funny to say this, but it tastes like silkworm pupa.'
Literally, it tastes like a soju snack.
'This makes it the 20th. Still no results, I guess.'
Just like my habit from my human days, I clenched my teeth with my front legs and summoned the text box. The text box appeared in front of my head at my will.
[Race: Unidentified Aggressive Space Morph
Status: Hatchling
Objective: Survive
Special Trait: Super-sense, Wings, Chitinous Exoskeleton]
Getting my first set of wings seemed like a beginner's luck. Since then, I had devoured 19 more cockroaches, but I had obtained only one genetic essence.
'The chitinous exoskeleton isn't bad, but…'
The chitinous exoskeleton was a powerful trait that greatly increased defense as you grew. It became more useful in the later stages, but it was unnecessary in my current situation.
Increasing defense slightly in my near-zero defense Hatchling state wouldn't make much difference. Other abilities were more critical.
'I really need to secure the robust vitality trait.'
Robust vitality was a common trait found in most insectoid or plant-based creatures. Of course, its effects were quite simple.
'It reduces energy consumption to delay aging.'
In a game where there was no concept of lifespan, it was a trait that concept-focused players or those who wanted to extend their gameplay focused on. However, in the situation where the game had become reality, its significance was entirely different.
'With robust vitality, there's less need to fuss over food.'
I couldn't survive in this cargo hold indefinitely. Vibrations from beyond the walls and faint footsteps echoing were reminders that time was running out.
The ship's owner, humanity, was my enemy. Even without considering the background story of the game, it was hard to believe they would take kindly to me.
'They'll try to find me once they realize that the cargo is dwindling. And then? Death or experimentation.'
To avoid a bleak future, I had to meet the conditions for evolution as quickly as possible, surpassing the Hatchling stage. To do that, I needed to expand my activity range beyond this cargo hold.
'That was a lot of rambling. In short, I have to catch cockroaches diligently if I want to survive.'
'Let's change locations.'
Cockroaches were sensitive and intelligent insects, so they never ventured into areas where their comrades had died. They knew that danger lurked in places where their fellow cockroaches had met their end. At first, I didn't know this fact and wasted 30 minutes sitting in the same spot, accomplishing nothing.
'Let's go!'
I bent my eight legs to the wall, then suddenly exerted all my strength, propelling myself upwards. My body rebounded elastically and soared into the air.
While floating in mid-air, my wings spread wide from my back. In human terms, it was like the muscles around the dorsal area, equivalent to the latissimus dorsi muscles, were tightly engaged with power.
[PR/N: The latissimus dorsi muscle is a broad, flat muscle that occupies the majority of the lower posterior thorax.]
As I began to flutter, my body, which had been falling, slowly rose into the air. A creature resembling a desert spider, fluttering its wings as it flew. If someone with a weak heart saw this, they might faint.
Even while flying, my visual and auxiliary apparatus never stopped searching for cockroaches.
'At this point, I'm truly an honorable Amorph.'
Lost in frivolous thoughts, I suddenly detected two cockroaches. There was one on the wall, and another was diligently crawling on top of a plastic box.
I decided to catch the one closer to me, the one on the wall. I adjusted the angle of my wings, and my body turned in the direction of the cockroach.
The cockroach seemed to be lost in thought or distracted, completely unaware of my approach. I grabbed it with my front legs, like an eagle snatching a fish.
Before the little one could escape between my claws, I swiftly grabbed it and popped it into my mouth. Its seemingly pristine exoskeleton shattered, and juices along with bits of innards spewed out from its side.
With one more left, I held it in my mouth, eyeing the next target.
'Oh no.'
The one near the floor noticed me. It scurried down beneath a box.
With its small body and its legs pointed towards the floor gap, once it slipped through the crevice in the alloy sheet, my hunt would be over.
'I can't let it escape!'
I pushed the wall with my four pairs of legs to secure thrust and shot towards it like an arrow. The creature was already probing the crevice with its antennae and head.
As soon as its lower half was visible, I landed like a missile, smashing into the unforgiving iron that offered no semblance of softness. Pain surged through my entire body due to the impact, but my focus was on the creature's rear end.
My tail shot out like a mantis hunting its prey. It sliced through the air, and the tip, equipped with a sharp stinger, entered the hole in the metal sheet.
The creature, which had just breathed a sigh of relief, panicked. Its brain, which had considered an immediate escape, was now split in two by the sharp sting.
'Phew.'
By a hair's breadth, I succeeded in hunting them both. My tail returned triumphantly to its place, bearing the proud spoils of victory.
After finishing processing the carcass I had in my mouth, I started eating the creature attached to my tail. Just as I was about to finish devouring it, the long-awaited message appeared.
[Predation effect activated! Successfully obtained 'Robust Vitality' genetic essence from 'Cockroach.']
[Extracted the 'Robust Vitality' from the biological characteristics of 'Cockroach.']
[Do you want to apply the 'Robust Vitality'?]
'Of course, accept.'
A qualitatively different vitality coursed through my entire body. Muscles had thickened around the once long and slender legs, and the sheen on the chitinous exoskeleton covering my back and belly had improved.
Now, it begins. In comparison to my body, it was an incredibly vast and expansive cargo hold within the ship.
The time had come for me to break free from the world where I first set foot.
Where should I go next? In fact, I've already decided where to go.
'Let's go to the cooling room next to the reactor.'
Even in the space age, the way humans handle heat hasn't changed much from before. Next to the ship's heart, the nuclear fusion engine, there was a cooling room responsible for temperature control.
'The cooling room is an important facility, so not many people visit it.'
Despite being under strict security as a highly critical facility, the flip side is that there are fewer visitors. It's like they say, where it's darkest under the lamp. As long as I don't physically interfere with the cooling room, the area around it is a good place to grow while avoiding the gaze of the surveillance.
Another advantage is that the cooling room is right next to the reactor. If, for some reason, I'm exposed to people, the cooling room is an easy place to use as a last line of defense.
'If things go south, I can always destroy the reactor and the cooling room and make my escape.'
If there's a problem with the cooling room, it means there's also a problem with the reactor, and a ship with a malfunctioning heart has no choice but to stop operating. Once the ship stops operating, all the life support systems that maintain the ship's environment will also cease to function.
Initially, they might try to recover the ship, such as by running the auxiliary engines, but that won't last long either. Just as a creature with a damaged heart cannot escape death, the same goes for the ship. Unless there's a nearby planet to crash-land on, the people on board the ship have only one fate: to kill and be killed in the dwindling oxygen.
Of course, if the ship were to stop, I would have nowhere to go, so I should leave attacking the reactor as a last resort.
'Well then, shall we go?'
Before departing, I ate two more calorie bars. With my belly filled, I jumped up to the ceiling. Tiny suckers between my claws firmly anchored my body to the ceiling, allowing me to move easily even while hanging upside down. The reason insects can move along walls is thanks to structures called pulvilli.
These structures secrete a highly adhesive substance that helps them easily traverse smooth walls. Thanks to the substance secreted from between my claws, I could move just as smoothly while hanging from the ceiling.
While walking upside down on the ceiling, I noticed an entrance leading to an air duct. Its external appearance resembled an enlarged window-type ventilation fan, with iron bars screwed on the outside.
On the inside, a giant blade rotated incessantly, emitting a fierce sound as it carried out its work.
'Breaking through the bars is still impossible.'
It would be nice to break everything impressively and enter, but it was impossible in my current Hatchling state. Even if I tried to strike the bars with my claws, there was doubt as to whether I could damage the tough alloy material. And even if I did manage to damage it, it would be a problem.
If there were any additional security measures, the AI overseeing the ship would immediately report any newly occurring errors to humans. In that case, my future would be nothing but tracking and death.
'In this case, I'll have to rely on my intellectual abilities.'
I raised my claws and turned the screws that secured the bars. If the ship's humans had paid more attention to security, they might have welded this place shut. Fortunately, they were a tribe that liked to use 1234 as their cargo password.
The first barrier that blocked the air duct was easily disabled by my claws. The next obstacle was the blade of the ventilation fan on the inside.
'This is the critical moment.'
I had two ways to pass through here. One was to time it and avoid the blade while entering, and the other was to bring something and damage the ventilation fan blade. It goes without saying, but the latter method was impossible.
Even if I threw an object at the thin fan blade, it was doubtful whether it would be enough to break it. Moreover, even if I succeeded in breaking it, there would be a problem. If there were any issues with the ventilation fan, the super AI controlling the ship would definitely not overlook it.
The AI would immediately report any newly occurring errors to humans. In that case, my remaining future would be nothing but tracking and death.
'I have to go through here.'
From now on, it was time to rely on Amorph's abilities. I just stood there, waiting, as I couldn't risk entering and having the blade tear me to pieces.
While waiting, the auxiliary system began to collect various pieces of information, such as the flow of air, the flow of energy generated at the junction of the blades, and more.
It wasn't just the auxiliary system working diligently. A highly developed sense of vision focused on the precise movements of the rotating blades to find weaknesses in the intricate machinery.
'How much time had passed?'
The auxiliary system detected traces of iron oxide mixed in the air and fine metal particles carried by the wind. Additionally, it discovered that the junction of the rotating blades slowed down briefly at certain points due to wear and tear.
My brain, after reviewing all the information from my eyes and the auxiliary system, was saying, 'Jump in right now'.
'It's now or never.'
I trusted my heightened senses and leaped into the ventilation duct. The merciless machine god struck me with its air pressure as the blade sliced through the air.
If I were still human, I might have shouted with joy, but my oral structure was not suited for laughter. All I could produce was a dry, hissing sound.
After briefly savoring the moment of survival, I continued my journey.
The ventilation duct had a complex, maze-like structure, but it posed no obstacle before my heightened senses. Normally, the ship's interior, which was like blood vessels, would have been quiet, but today, it was even noisier due to the presence of an unfamiliar visitor.
The sounds of the wind passing through the various ventilation fans scattered throughout, combined with the noise of my claws colliding with the metal plates.
'There are spiders here.'
The spiders and beatles I encountered on my way turned out to be good snacks during the journey. Both the Beatles and the spiders, like me, had been living well, thanks to the abundance of food and energy sources on the spaceship.
This ensured that I didn't have to worry about hunger or energy shortages on my way.
Chewing on the spider's legs as I walked, I sensed the residual heat remaining in the duct diminish faintly. It was evidence that I was getting closer to the cooling room.
I wanted to hurry, but the auxiliary system applied the brakes ahead. There was something important ahead, and it needed confirmation.
'Hmm?'
I still couldn't see it, but I detected wavelengths of light not far away. After walking tirelessly for about ten minutes on my four pairs of legs, I reached a section of the duct with an iron grating on the floor.
I stood on the grating, looking down. People in white coats were seen moving between large test tubes and incubators.
'A laboratory? Wasn't this supposed to be a regular spaceship?'
I had assumed it was a supply or cargo ship because of the amount of food and weapons in the cargo hold, but now, it turned out to be a laboratory.
If this ship was indeed a research vessel, it wouldn't be a bad condition for me.
"Hey, how are the results for Experiment Subject 026?"
"It's another failure."
"Tsk, the Research officer is going to lose it again."
"She's an Earthling, after all. The captain can't help but spoil her."
"Sigh, let's call it a day."
After confirming that the two men left the laboratory, I unscrewed the grating and descended below.
'They look like MegaCorp types.'
MegaCorp was a human faction that had thrived around the solar system, a race loosely inspired by Earthlings. According to the lore, they were governed by massive corporations instead of governments, and most of their members were extreme materialists.
While most human factions in the space survival game tended to be neutral, MegaCorp leaned more towards a villainous alignment, perhaps due to their lore.
'There's no place other than MegaCorp where they'd modify healthy individuals into slaves.'
MegaCorp captured and modified people who were either poor or members of other alien races through a process known as 'Employment.' It was one of the unique racial traits of MegaCorp, and in the game, players often found themselves actively using it because of the significant advantages it offered.
In the game, of course. In real life, why would anyone do such a thing? The air in the laboratory was thick with the scent of blood.
'What should I do?'
The auxiliary system had provided me with the location of the refrigerator where the genetic samples were stored, but I couldn't make a hasty decision.
'When I eat is the crucial factor.'
For Amorph, collecting genetic essence wasn't just about gathering genetic samples; it was about when to consume them.
To move beyond the hatchling stage, there was one essential condition: consuming a living sentient being. In other words, to evolve from a hatchling, one had to kill a person.
'Killing a person…'
In the game, killing people was no problem, but could it be done in reality? Even if you thought you could easily do it now, when faced with it in reality, hesitation could be the end. My body was in such a fragile state that it had to be done with a single blow.
'I should also refrain from causing a commotion here until I'm prepared.'
As much as I desired the genetic sample, eating and clearing it here would leave me unable to evade pursuit. Conquering the laboratory would only happen after I had killed and consumed a person.
'Let's see what's here today.'
My path would greatly change depending on the purpose of this research ship. If it specialized in terrestrial combat mutant soldiers or studied Hulk mutants, I could secure a robust body and combat abilities.
On the other hand, if it was a place experimenting with space elves or cultists' psychic abilities, I might gain powerful psychic powers.
'Personally, I'd prefer the cultists, but it might be unrealistic to get psychic powers from the beginning.'
I began using all my sensory organs to examine what was in the laboratory.
Unlike the dark and dingy cargo hold, the laboratory was surrounded by clean white walls. It looked remarkably good on the surface, but paradoxically, it was filled with death and suffering behind the bright façade.
In the test tubes, living human brains and forcibly brought biological specimens were submerged in chemical solutions. AI in the incubators checked the status of embryos while sending electronic signals.
Various pieces of information poured into my head, such as the smell of chemical compounds, busy electromagnetic waves in the air, the scent of blood and decaying skin tissue, and pheromones unconsciously emitted by organisms in pain. Amidst the flood of information from the auxiliary system, I caught one unusual piece of information.
'Help? Someone's asking for help?'
Using special wavelengths that humans couldn't perceive, some life form was requesting assistance from me.
Intrigued, I followed the wavelengths, which led me to a test chamber labeled [026]. Inside the chamber floated a pink, bubble-like organism.
'A Bubble Amoeba.'
Bubble amoebas were non-player creatures that inhabited aquatic planets. They usually floated in water like droplets but would engulf and digest their prey in an instant when it came close.
Unless they were exceptionally large, they posed no significant threat to players, and they were harmless and cute-looking. Many players seeking solace in the harsh space survival world often favored them.
I had never expected them to possess intelligence. However, this one had approached me and sent another wave.
⌈Pain. Help.⌋
While an exact translation was impossible, thanks to Amorph's unique senses, I could roughly grasp the meaning. This creature was in pain for some reason and was asking for my help.
'What should I do?'
I could consider eating it, but based on my memory, the Bubble Amoeba had the most useless trait for Amorph.
Its trait was called "Oxygen Storage," allowing it to provide a certain amount of oxygen in oxygen-deprived environments. While this might have been useful for other races, Amorph could survive for extended periods without oxygen, so this trait was entirely unnecessary.
'Eating is out of the question. But I want to help, and I don't know how.'
I focused my senses on the test chamber, searching for clues. I detected the flow of the mixture circulating within the thick hose connected at the bottom, the movements of measuring instruments inside the machine checking the liquid's state, and a faint flow of electricity above the liquid's surface.
'Electricity?'
Come to think of it, the little guy had a small sensor attached to its body. Connected by a wire, the sensor periodically sent electricity through its body.
Understanding what the creature was requesting, I climbed up to the terminal next to the test chamber. On the terminal screen, there were periodic appearances of the creature's bio-rhythm graph and the experiment results of the AI.
'Was this what those two researchers were talking about earlier?'
Seems like they muttered about a failure and left without turning off the machine.
I pressed the terminal button to stop the experiment. The faint electrical signals from the sensor were cut off, and the creature regained its vitality. It blinked its pink bubble-like body as if expressing gratitude.
⌈Thanks.⌋
'It's okay'
I didn't consider it a favor. If the creature had been necessary to me, I would have used it as a source for absorbing essence without hesitation. I just indulged in a whim momentarily, judging it as a harmless and incompetent creature.
'Survive on your own.'
In MegaCorp's lab, there was no avoiding destruction. Nevertheless, I hoped to spend what remained of my life as comfortably as possible and left the laboratory.
After about 30 minutes of walking through the corridor, the temperature suddenly dropped. Water droplets clung to the walls, and a thin frost covered the corridor floor.
I had finally reached the cooling chamber.
'All right. Let's make a nest now.'
I gathered water droplets stuck to the walls and swallowed them in one go. Then, I held water in my mouth for a while, as if gargling, and spat it out again.
It was no longer pure water. The water that entered my body had transformed into a substance with a peculiar composition harmful to creatures other than Amorph.
This filthy mucus, resembling gum chewed and spit out, had the effect of extending the lifespan of nearby Amorph, enhancing the effects of their heightened senses.
Once the coating of the corridor above the cooling chamber was complete, I settled down here. I stretched my body in the center of this sticky, toxic, and contaminated space. I felt cozy, like I was inside my mother's womb, and closed my eyes.
'I can feel it. The ship feels like a part of me.'
What's the most important thing to win in a war?
It's information.
The humans of MegaCorp and me, Amorph.
They didn't know me, but I knew them. I knew where they were, what they were doing, where they were going, who they were talking to, and every piece of information flowed to me through the liquid that coated the corridor.
They wouldn't know the war had already begun, and they were already in the midst of losing.
In the darkness of the nest, I smiled silently.
-x-X-x-
Four days after becoming an Amorph, there had been significant changes. Firstly, my nest was complete. The once sterile corridors had blossomed with unholy vitality. The mucus I had expelled had solidified, some of it forming spores. From the holes in these spores, mucus periodically flowed, slowly expanding the nest.
'Now I can monitor the entire ship'
I received real-time updates from the 200-meter elliptical research vessel. I couldn't monitor creatures as small as insects, but for humans, I could sense most of their activities.
And secondly, as I moved back and forth between the cargo hold and the nest, I succeeded in acquiring a new ability by consuming roaches and spiders.
[Race: Unidentified Aggressive Space Morph
Status: Hatchling
Objective: Survive
Special Traits: Super-sense, Wings, Chitinous Exoskeleton, Robust Vitality, Paralyzing Stinger.]
The 'Paralyzing Stinger' was a new ability I gained from the spiders. Although it became less useful later on in the game as we encountered creatures made of energy or metallic entities, it was quite effective in the early stages.
'It's a perfect ability for me, who needs to hunt the strong with a weak body'
I concentrated my consciousness on my tail, and a drop of yellow liquid fell from its end. With this, I could easily subdue a single adult human. It only lasted for about five minutes, but that was enough time to kill someone without any trouble.
I expressed my gratitude to the spider, not only for providing me with sustenance but also for this valuable gift. Then, I contemplated my next steps.
Most of the ship's crew currently on board consisted of 222 people. Among them, 96 were soldiers and officers responsible for ship defense, while 21 were high-ranking personnel in the command section. The rest were civilians, including researchers, technicians, and cooks.
'The problem is, who to target?', I pondered.
Initially, I considered targeting the captain to disrupt the chain of command. However, upon further consideration, that didn't seem like a great idea. There were officers who could step in for the captain, making it challenging to inflict significant damage.
'The most important person who's irreplaceable on this ship…'
There were only two individuals who met both criteria.
'The Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Research Officer.'
Of these, I prioritized the Chief Research Officer. The reason was simple.
'She's crucial to my survival.'
After observing the lab for several days, I came to a conclusion.
The Chief Research Officer's name was Keisaragi Yujin. When I killed someone earlier, she was the only person who could create a tracking device immediately.
Two days ago, one of the subjects escaped, but she managed to create a tracking device within two hours, successfully capturing the escapee.
'That creature almost got me because of her.'
If it had used the ventilation shafts, I would have been in danger. But thanks to its fleeing elsewhere, I could overcome the crisis safely.
Since the incident with the escaped subject, Keisaragi Yujin has moved up in my list of potential threats.
'And she has an oddly good sense for a human', I noted.
Once, she nearly caught me by staring at the ventilation shaft I was in. Afterward, I had to relocate frequently whenever she appeared to sense my presence.
'I wonder if she has psychic powers?'
Psychic powers.
A concept similar to commonly known telekinesis, telepathy, mind control, and other psychic abilities.
Having psychic powers allowed for an endless array of abilities, from simple telekinesis that could move objects without touching them to performing feats like distorting light to render the ship invisible, akin to magic.
'Even during the game, psychic powers were a game-changer'
When aiming to obtain psychic powers, cults were often targeted. Cult species possessed psychic powers as an innate genetic trait, making it easier to target their genetic essence.
Occasionally, rare individuals among humans also exhibited latent psychic power potential. Whether Keisaragi Yujin fell into this rare category was uncertain, but from the perspective of a hunter, clever and sensitive prey posed a significant challenge.
'Even if she doesn't know my true identity, she'll surely create some tracking device to chase me down', I speculated.
'If I'm going to use hit-and-run tactics, I need to avoid being tracked as much as possible.'
As an Amorph evolved into a fluid state, I would become immensely more powerful than Hatchlings. However, I couldn't engage the ship's soldiers in direct combat until I had secured enough genetic essence. Until then, guerrilla warfare would be the strategy.
Therefore, Keisaragi Yujin needed to be eliminated, not only for my evolution but also to ensure my survival.
'Now, how should I hunt her down?'
Scratching my head with my front legs, I pondered. Given that she was a civilian and a female, it wouldn't be too difficult to kill her in a one-on-one situation. Except for one major obstacle.
'The bodyguards.'
Wherever she went, armed guards followed. Even when she slept in her bedroom at night, security personnel took shifts, constantly guarding her. She might be physically weak, but the presence of many protectors around her posed a significant challenge in targeting Keisaragi Yujin.
'Merely thinking about it won't solve the problem', I realized.
It seemed I would have to keep monitoring her and seize any opportunities that arose.
As I continued to watch for openings, hunger gnawed at me. Leaving the comfortable nest behind, I made my way to the mundane cargo hold.
I checked the corridor ventilation grille for any signs of people before opening the wire mesh and hopping down. Landing silently on the floor, I climbed up to the terminal next to the door.
'I can't keep avoiding the ventilation shaft forever.'
I'm not a cat, and I don't have nine lives. Risking my life every time I needed to eat wasn't a sustainable strategy.
Unlike other key facilities, the cargo hold had no security system for monitoring visitors.
Using my enhanced senses from the nest, I confirmed that, aside from the designated personnel, there were no other individuals entering the cargo hold. The designated personnel only visited for routine inspections once a day, so as long as I avoided that time, I could enter and exit without being detected.
'Open.'
As I entered the numbers into the terminal, a sturdy metal door hissed and swung open, revealing a dimly lit cargo hold. I headed straight for the familiar plastic containers.
The sudden intrusion of a predator stirred the residents of the cargo hold. The scent of corrosion, the pheromones released by the approaching threat, and the sound of tiny insects skittering on the alloy floor to warn of the predator's presence all mixed together.
Enjoying stimuli from the hidden world that only I could sense, I climbed onto the boxes. Just as I usually did, I retrieved two Calorie Bars from the box.
I consumed one on the spot, tearing open the wrapper of the other with my front legs and holding it in readiness.
'Shall we go?'
I stored the remaining wrappers neatly in the box and left the cargo hold, retracing my steps through the corridor. I headed back towards the laboratory.
Upon reaching the laboratory, I went straight to Experiment Subject 26.
The collapsed Bubble Amoeba greeted me with ripples when it saw me. Not only through greetings but also through its glowing body, it expressed happiness, which made me feel good as well.
'I brought food again today'
｢Food｣, it replied.
As it quivered and shone even brighter this time, I mentally chuckled and prepared to give it its meal.
While monitoring Keisaragi Yujin for two days, I had learned one thing: an experiment was underway in the laboratory to awaken unknown traits latent in Bubble Amoebas. I didn't know what abilities this seemingly harmless mascot possessed, but the researchers seemed quite confident.
'During the game, there weren't any special abilities. Is this one different, or is it because the species has changed?'
For some reason, Experiment Subject 26 received special treatment, and I believed it was essential to establish a positive relationship with it.
Not immediately, but perhaps it could prove helpful in the future when I conquered the ship.
'It's a bit of a hobby, I suppose.'
I went to the experiment chamber, where I opened the lid and revealed the container with a minimal amount of nutrients meant for basic sustenance.
I carefully cut it into pieces since putting the entire thing in would undoubtedly clog the feeding system. The fragments passed through the hose connecting the two chambers and were delivered in front of the creature.
The Bubble Amoeba enveloped the Calorie Bar pieces with its entire body, and once it seemed to have digested everything, I repeated the process.
When the creature finished eating one Calorie Bar, it emitted a slow twinkle of light, indicating it was full.
'I guess you like it'
I never knew during the game why people searched for Bubble Amoebas, but now I felt like I understood. Seeing the creature emit light in rhythm with a certain pattern underwater, I couldn't help but find myself entranced.
'Who?'
At that moment, someone intruded within my range of perception. They were research personnel attempting to enter the laboratory.
I quickly climbed into the ventilation duct to hide, and a short while later, they entered the laboratory.
-x-X-x-
Due to the wretched situation he found himself in, Wei, a Ganymede Colony native, felt like he was on the brink of death. When he first joined the project, he couldn't have been happier upon learning that his superior was not just any Earthling but a Noble Capital, essentially royalty within MegaCorp's ruling class.
If he could establish a connection with them, his dream of immigrating to Mars, something he had only fantasized about, could become a reality.
With such anticipation, he boarded the ship, but Wei's dream was shattered sooner than he expected.
"That crazy woman again. She says today is a day off."
Wei wiped away the beads of sweat dripping from his half-bald head and stole a glance at his young and capable superior standing beside him.
Her name was Keisaragi Yujin, Wei's superior and a Noble Capital belonging to the Yujin family, one of the five noble houses that ruled Earth.
Today, as it was a non-working day, she was dressed in casual attire, holding a cat in her arms.
"Damn it. Why the hell does a cat need a walk?"
Wei briefly cursed himself for thinking of going to the garden for some fresh air. Keisaragi brought up the question that he had heard hundreds of times before entering the lab.
"When will Experiment 26 show results? If we don't achieve significant results that we can report to the company before we reach our destination, they might reconsider your'employment' over there."
"Ugh! Please, not that…"
As soon as the word'employment' came out of her mouth, cold sweat poured out of Wei's forehead like a waterfall. As a senior researcher at Megacorp, he knew all too well what'employment' meant.
His gaze briefly shifted to the brain inside the test tube, almost as if his predecessor was beckoning him to join.
"Senior Researcher, I mean, Mr. Wei."
"Yes, yes?"
Keisaragi, who had been giving him a cold look, suddenly changed her expression and began to comfort him with a gentle tone.
"I don't wish for such results either. I have expectations from Senior Researcher Wei as well. If we can extract that 'aptitude' from Experiment 26, a promotion to Chief Researcher is not out of the question."
"R-really?"
"Yes. At the very least, Chief Researcher, and if things go well, we might establish connections with Mars. They have a keen interest in this project, after all."
Upon hearing her words, Wei's eyes lit up. He decided to tell her about a method he had only contemplated but never attempted.
"Well, there is one remaining method…"
"What is it?"
"I want to try administering psyonium."
"Psyonium? Are you talking about the drug made by Star Union?"
"Yes."
Keisaragi Yujin stroked the cat's head silently. The cat purred in response to its owner's affectionate touch.
"Psyonium has awakening effects…"
"I know what it does. We used it to secure the project before. Psyonium,It's a drug we haven't tried."
"Actually, there are a few other substances, but…"
"We've tried all the ones with similar ingredients. Psyonium is the only one left."
Kisa's gaze shifted toward Experiment 26. Her look wasn't as gentle as when she petted the cat.
Observing the test subject, she resembled a machine sorting goods in a factory.
"Fine. Administer it right away."
"But… If we don't neutralize it, it could be life-threatening."
"If we wait for that, we'll have to wait until tomorrow. We don't have much time left."
The phrase "we don't have much time" wasn't exclusive to Wei. She, as the project leader, would also be responsible if the experiment failed. She belonged to a higher echelon than Wei. The impact of any blemish on her career would be significant.
Moreover, she had never experienced failure in her entire life. The looming possibility of her first failure made her even more anxious.
"As you know, we should have had research results by now."
"Well, that's true, but…"
"Normally, it's time to finalize the report. But we haven't elicited any meaningful response from the test subject yet. I believe you understand how serious this situation is."
Wei couldn't refute her words because they were true.
"…Alright, I'll administer it right away."
Wei retrieved a purple test tube from the refrigerator.
"I'll start with 0.01 milligrams."
As Wei connected the test tube to the terminal and operated the console, a small amount of the substance within the test tube was injected.
The bubble amoeba remained unresponsive. There were no notable changes in the graph on the terminal screen.
Wei wiped the sweat that flowed like raindrops and pressed the button on the terminal again.
"I'll administer 0.05 milligrams."
This time, there was a response. The bubble amoeba convulsed in apparent agony.
Wei couldn't hide his joy at the anticipated reaction. He watched the test subject with excitement. Keisaragi's face also showed a hint of interest as she observed the experiment.
"Next is 0.07 milligrams…"
"Wait. Since there's a response, you can increase the dosage."
"Really?"
"Administer all of it."
"Well, that's a bit…"
"Just do it."
When Wei hesitated, Keisaragi pushed him aside and pressed the administer button herself.
The liquid from the test tube drained completely into the experiment tube.
Eventually, the bubble amoeba's body expanded as if someone had blown air into it. Lights flashed madly from its body, and its skin couldn't withstand the expansion, tearing apart. It was clear to anyone that the bubble amoeba was enduring extreme pain, but among the people present, no one cared about that issue.
"Please! Just a little more!"
Wei clenched his fist tightly while watching the graph on the terminal screen skyrocket to the ceiling.
About five minutes had passed. The graph took a sharp dive and crashed to the floor. Wei felt a sense of resemblance between the plummeting graph and his own future.
Inside the test chamber, Experiment 26 was no longer glowing pink. It remained white, as if forcibly bleached, and showed no signs of movement.
"Awaken it."
"Yes."
Unlike Wei's despairing tone, Keisaragi's voice showed no emotion. Wei pressed the electric shock button with a heavy heart.
Bubbles rose inside the test chamber, and the bubble amoeba jumped. It wriggled slightly but remained predominantly in a white, almost lifeless state.
"Fascinating results. Try it again on Experiment 26."
"Are you sure?"
"If you achieve significant results with another attempt, report to me."
Wei's face brightened as if he had been given a reprieve from a death sentence. Keisaragi, who had turned one person's life into heaven and hell with a single word, suddenly felt a gaze and glanced towards the ventilation fan.
"I sense a gaze again."
There was nothing visible beyond the ventilation fan.
***
The experiment I saw earlier had meaning for me too. The psyonium they injected into Experiment 26 is a substance I'm familiar with.
'Psyonium: A temporary awakening agent that unlocks dormant racial traits.'
In the game, when you consume psyonium, your maximum health decreases, but locked racial traits are unlocked for a limited time. For example, if I were to consume psyonium, I could use abilities that are normally unavailable during the human stage for a short time, such as the acidic blood trait gained during the fluid stage or the enhanced exoskeleton trait. Of course, the duration of the effects decreases with each use, making it more of a mid-game item than a late-game one.
'Does Experiment 26 possess hidden traits that I don't know about?'
Despite having hunted thousands of them before, I hadn't seen any concealed traits. There had never been discussions of this in the community either, so it's possible that Experiment 26 was a unique specimen or that differences had emerged in the transition from the game to reality.
'In any case, learning about the existence of psyonium is an achievement.'
When I engage in full-scale combat against the humans on board the spaceship, it might come in handy.
Back at the nest, I relaxed once more. As I did, thoughts I had intentionally avoided began to resurface.
'It asked me for help.'
Experiment 26, who had received a massive injection of psyonium, had pleaded for salvation. The screams still echoed vividly in my mind. Experiment 26 had begged for mercy, even though the researchers hadn't understood the implications of those waves. Even if they had known, they probably wouldn't have stopped.
The unfortunate fact was that this gruesome experimentation wouldn't end here. The MegaCorp researchers would likely repeat the psyonium experiment until Experiment 26 couldn't endure any longer and dies.
I knew that there was nothing but darkness in its future. The only reason I had spared Experiment 26's life was because I had deemed its genetic essence useless; otherwise, it would have been a candidate for my meal.
But why, even knowing that, did a feeling of discomfort creep up from the depths of my heart? Why did Experiment 26's cries still echo in my mind?
'I don't like this. Not at all.'
Given all of this, I didn't seem to be a complete 'Honored Amorph' yet. I was consumed by anger, but at the same time, I remained in a thoroughly rational state of mind.
My judgment was based on the belief that I had enough evidence to target her. Among the achievements I had obtained today, there was information that could be useful concerning Keisaragi Yujin.
'She's raising a cat.'
Using my heightened senses, I could deduce how much she cherished the cat. She seemed like a woman whose veins ran with cold blood, but when she stroked the cat, human emotions were palpable.
When her beloved cat dies, it wasn't difficult to imagine how Keisaragi Yujin would react.
'There are many vulnerabilities.'
Obviously, the cat didn't receive any special protection. Besides when her owner called, it was mostly alone. People on the spaceship hadn't even thought about how Keisaragi Yujin would react when her cat dies.
In other words, using the cat as bait to lure in prey was the core of my plan.
'Keisaragi Yujin, you'll die within a few days.'
Fueled by burning anger and icy calculation, I pronounced her death sentence.
-x-X-x-
Once the decision was made, all that remained was action. I had spent two days observing and investigating the cat's daily routine.
After thorough analysis, I came to one conclusion: 'Truly an emperor.'
I'd wager that even the captain of this ship wasn't as comfortable as this cat.
For six days, I had been observing the crew, and most of them had a below-average standard of living. For example, the meal menu consisted mainly of low-cost foods, such as synthetic meat and genetically modified grains, with no other advantages.
'On the other hand, this cat eats only meat every day, thanks to its excellent owner.'
And not just any meat, but freshly butchered, high-quality meat.
This ship had an agricultural area responsible for farming and livestock. It was a place designed to provide gourmet cuisine to the ship's elite and visiting dignitaries, and they were sparingly offering such precious meat to a mere cat.
'Seeing this, Keisaragi Yujin is definitely not an ordinary person.'
She might be a Martian aristocrat, a Prime Capital of the MegaCorp, or perhaps both. Both were powerful factions within the MegaCorp, each exerting dominance over a planetary region.
'Troublesome social classes.'
Both classes had extremely high levels of pride and never forgot any grudges. Even the smallest grievances would be remembered, and they would later seek ruthless revenge, often many times over. This had made playing the game quite challenging.
Even if I were to kill someone other than Keisaragi Yujin and escape from the ship, she wouldn't forget me. She would somehow find me and try to kill me.
'Another reason to kill her.'
In any case, her status as an owner was one thing, but the crucial question was how to kill that cat.
"Meow."
The cat yawned as if bored. Looking at it lounging on the top-grade cushion, there was no other like it.
This was Keisaragi Yujin's bedroom. I was currently in the ventilation duct connected to the wall near the bedroom floor. I had been watching that lazy creature through the mesh for a while, and the sight of it being so sluggish made me sigh involuntarily.
'It looks dull, so killing it shouldn't be too difficult.'
Unlike dogs, cats had retained their wild instincts even after becoming domesticated livestock. They were also naturally excellent hunters.
So, I expected it to be a formidable opponent for someone like me, who was merely in the Hatchling stage. Of course, It wouldn't win in a fight, but significant bleeding was inevitable.
However, seeing it in person made me realize that I was worrying unnecessarily. Looking at its chubby belly, I couldn't help but think it would be delicious, more than anything else.
'The problem is that it's too lazy.'
Most of its time was spent rolling around on that cushion. Except when eating or going for a walk in the garden with its owner, it didn't move at all.
'Still, I can't kill it right here.'
The amusing fact was that this place had better security than the cargo hold. To the naked eye, the ventilation duct I was in appeared no different from other areas.
However, with my heightened senses, I could tell that the bedroom's owner paid extra attention to security, to the extent that it might seem obsessive-compulsive. Laser signal transmitters installed throughout the area were monitoring for illegal intruders.
What if I were to enter the room? The AI would immediately inform the guards outside about the presence of an unknown intruder.
'Then, I'd be finished.'
They wouldn't even need to use a gun. The guards would kick me, and my insides would explode, killing me instantly.
'So, I'm stuck here.'
The cat itself seemed easy to deal with, but the process of approaching it unexpectedly proved to be quite tricky. In irritation, I carelessly shook my tail.
'Uh-oh!'
When my tail hit the wall of the ventilation duct, making a noise, the cat's ears perked up.
"Meow?"
The cat sprang up, rushing towards exactly where I was. Despite being overweight, its movements were quite agile.
As the cat's body collided with the mesh, the laser signal transmitters activated. I could feel the guards outside the door stiffening in response. I couldn't stay here any longer.
I gave the scratching cat a brief glance and then retreated from my position. Immediately after I left, the guards stormed into the room.
"What's going on? What came in?"
"Ugh, the cat's causing trouble again."
"Again?"
"Ugh, just leave it!"
Ignoring the grumbling voices of the guards, I returned to my nest.
'I can't believe I made such a mistake.'
I had come close to putting my life in danger. I couldn't believe I had been so careless.
Could it be that this comfortable nest had gotten into my head? Has my body become numb to stimuli because of the comfort?
'Tempting the cat with my tail… I must be out of my mind. Wait a minute.'
While I was berating myself, something popped into my head.
Fragments of ideas began to emerge randomly, like puzzle pieces falling into place. I methodically organized the thoughts that were coming to me like a jigsaw puzzle.
'The cat looked bored, provocation, the reaction of the guards.'
These were the three key elements.
Finally, I had a clue about how to approach and conquer that cat.
***
Cat Caesar was once again spending its time on top of the cushion.
When it first left its homeland for this metal monstrosity that reeked of hostility, Caesar couldn't believe it. It scolded its owner, Keisaragi Yujin, with solemn eyes, but she just ignored its complaints, wearing a somewhat apologetic expression.
Caesar was greatly disappointed, but its suffering didn't end there. Its sleeping arrangements were far from comfortable, and the food it received was pitiful.
For someone who had lived its entire life eating the finest beef and freshly caught fish, the meals on the ship were unbearable.
In fact, Caesar might have fasted for the day.
Because its owner had knelt down and pleaded desperately, Caesar had no choice but to eat the miserable meat.
Before long, Caesar had perfectly adapted to the new environment, making its initial resistance seem trivial. Life on the ship, where there was almost no change, suited its lazy personality well.
Caesar stretched in boredom. It was too lazy to move around much, but it wasn't lacking in feline curiosity.
'Is there anything interesting happening today?'
Just as it thought so, it heard a rustling sound from beyond the ventilation duct. Raising its head to investigate, Caesar realized the sound was coming from the passage where the wind was blowing.
Come to think of it, not long ago, something strange had appeared there and caught its attention.
Caesar slowly got up. Last time, it had rushed over hastily and missed whatever unknown presence there was.
This time, it promised itself it wouldn't miss it. It cautiously approached. As it got closer to the entrance of the passage, it saw a small object.
It was a cockroach, partially severed in half. Despite having no chance of survival, the bug was wriggling and trying to escape.
Seeing this, Caesar felt its long-dormant predator instincts awakening. Almost involuntarily, it pounced on the cockroach.
With its front paws, Caesar toyed with the cockroach until it stopped moving. As Caesar watched the lifeless insect, it felt an unfamiliar emotion.
It was an emotion that could be described as fascinating. Caesar's small brain was filled with thoughts like it wished there were more toys around.
Through Caesar's eyes, another bug was visible beyond the mesh. It felt disappointed because last time it had touched the mesh, nothing had happened.
In frustration, it lightly tapped the mesh, and surprisingly, this time it produced a different result.
The mesh fell forward.
It hesitated for a moment, then crawled into the passage to catch the bug.
"Hey, what's making that noise again?"
"It's probably the cat. Let's check it out later; it's annoying."
"After all, where would a cat go? We're guarding it like this."
Because it was a cat, Caesar couldn't understand what the guards were talking about outside.
Even if it could understand, it was too preoccupied with the bugs to care.
Following the scattered bugs in the passage, a bright light entered his field of view. Following the light, it found itself in an open corridor.
"Meow?"
After entering the corridor and looking around, Caesar realized that it had never been to this place before.
It thought about turning back now, but once again, the sight of a bug mesmerized it.
Behind the bug's body was a dark space in sharp contrast to the light in the corridor. Without fear, Caesar jumped into that space.
It was a cargo hold.
***
"It's coming."
I was hiding on top of a container, watching the cat below. The stupid cat was following the bugs without any suspicion.
Instinct in animals is absolute.
Even if they are tamed by human hands, the genes of a hunter and a predator still exist within them. It's the genes of a hunter and a predator.
"Meow."
The cat approached the container. I was ready to pounce.
My blood flowed faster due to tension. My thick and flexible tail, which was in my rear end, was ready to strike at any moment.
The four pairs of muscles making up my legs contracted, and my body's posture lowered sharply, signaling that I was ready for combat.
While my body was getting ready, my loyal subordinate, my super-sense, calculated the best time to attack under the owner's command.
The transcendent vision unique to Amorph pierced through the darkness of the cargo hold beyond the cat and aimed accurately at the cat. Observing the cat's muscles, bone movements, and habits, I concluded that its right eye had lower eyesight than its left eye.
"Meow?"
The cat turned its head to the left. With its diminishing eyesight, it couldn't spot me lurking in the darkness.
Now was the chance.
I used my legs, which were bent almost entirely, as propulsion to lift my body into the air.
I didn't use my wings because they made noise. Approaching the cat quickly was enough with the power of gravity.
The distance between me and the cat rapidly closed.
The cat's ears perked up at the sound of the wind. Its head turned towards me, and its pupils dilated. It sensed danger and tensed up but it was too late.
My tail became the assassin's dart, and it stabbed the cat's side. The venom, which would paralyze even an adult, spread throughout the cat's body through its veins. Despite having a much smaller body than a human, the cat had no chance of withstanding the paralysis poison.
After being stung, within seconds, the cat's heart stopped.
The hunt was successful.
I fell to the ground, stepping on the motionless prey, and let out a triumphant roar.
The triumphant cry of a predator echoed through the cargo hold, and the inhabitants shivered in fear and awe.
'Good. Shall we eat now?'
The ceremony was successfully completed, so it was time to check the reward. I took a bite of the cat's corpse.
'Hmm?'
The sensation in my mouth was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Before I even had a chance to savor the sweet taste of blood, the chewy muscles and the flavorful fat overwhelmed my senses.
The feeling was so shocking that it sent shivers down my spine. I had thought that cockroaches, spiders, and calorie bars were edible, but I was completely wrong.
The sensation of 'delicious' is exactly what I felt.
I gripped my trembling legs and took another bite of the cat.
'Insane.'
It wasn't an illusion. The taste of cat meat was so good that it could be the only thing I ate until I died. With my limited vocabulary, it was hard to describe just how delicious a cat was.
I didn't think about anything else; I focused on eating the meat.
It took less than five minutes for the larger cat's corpse to disappear.
'Sigh.'
After chewing the bones and licking up every drop of blood that had spilled onto the floor, I was satisfied.
Having completed my frenzy of a meal and regained my composure, I could understand why Amorph's were so obsessed with meat.
'It's insanely delicious.'
I couldn't help but swear, it was such an amazing taste. Even excluding the goal of collecting genetic essence, if meat tasted this good, I would have sought it out intentionally.
As I licked the flesh and blood that had stuck to my front paws in regret, a text box suddenly appeared.
[Predation effect activated! Successfully obtained 'Wild Instinct' genetic essence from 'Cat.']
[Extracted the 'Wild Instinct' from the biological characteristics of 'Cat'.]
[Do you want to apply the 'Wild Instinct'?]
'Oh?'
I was feeling good after eating the meat, and then there was talk of genetic essence acquisition. Moreover, I had no idea that I could obtain genetic essence by eating something for the first time.
'Wild Instinct, huh? A characteristic I've never seen before.'
Since this was the first time I had eaten a cat, I didn't even know it had a characteristic. I had no idea what effect it would have, but since it wouldn't hurt to have it, I pressed accept.
[The 'Wild Instinct' characteristic has been applied.]
[It's possible to fuse it the existing trait 'Super-sense']
[Fusion of 'Wild Instinct' and 'Super-sense' traits. Evolving into 'Predator Sense' trait!]
[Predator Sense: The 'Super-sense' characteristic is enhanced. It allows you to pre-detect threats in the near future based on available information.
*Note: Exceptional hunters have a knack for reading the future.]
'Huh?'
I stared at the text box, at a loss for words.
'Predator Sense?'
I double-checked the characteristics recorded in the text box.
[Race: Unidentified Aggressive Space Morph
Status: Hatchling
Objective: Survive
Special Traits: Predator Sense (Fusion), Wings, Chitinous Exoskeleton, Robust Vitality, Paralyzing Stinger]
I knew that there was a Trait fusion system in the Space Survival game. It was a system that combined two or more related traits into one enhanced trait. There were cases where even seemingly useless traits transformed into powerful ones through fusion. So, I actively used it.
I had used it so often that I had memorized all the combinations for fusion in the game.
'Could there be a trait that I don't know about?'
I had never seen this trait before, no matter how many times I read it.
"Pre-detect threats…"
Traits related to future prediction existed in the game, but they were usually implemented to increase evasion rates. To put it plainly, they were mostly good for show and not very useful.
'But this is reality. How will it work here?'
I concentrated my senses on the auxiliary organ, similar to when I used Super-sense.
The slender tentacle-like appendage attached to my jaw wriggled and read the information floating in the air more effectively than before. It was capable of collecting a significantly larger amount of information now, far beyond what it could previously gather.
I could even identify what kind of insects were in the cargo hold and the shapes of the weapons inside the containers.
However, the future-seeing effect I had expected didn't activate. It seemed like there was no immediate threat to me.
'Perhaps it's passive?'
It being an automatically activated passive ability didn't necessarily mean it was a bad thing.
Threats could strike unexpectedly, so having an advantage like this wasn't a disadvantage.
'By the way, eating mammals sure gives you a lot more energy.'
My energy level felt remarkably higher after eating the mammal. Besides the energy boost, I also felt significantly fuller. The skin covering my back and stomach seemed slightly tighter.
I returned to my nest with a satisfying sense of fullness.
***
According to historians, the origin of MegaCorp dates back to when seven corporations on Earth and Mars conspired to maximize their profits. The government couldn't overlook the merchant guilds overstepping their bounds, so they declared war on the seven major corporations. Countless people were sacrificed to the extent that blood formed seas. In the end, the final victors were the seven major corporations.
It marked the era when the entire solar system came under the dominion of a single massive corporate consortium, MegaCorp.
Subsequently, among the seven corporations that formed the foundation of MegaCorp, five companies headquartered on Earth became the five noble houses of Noble Capital, while the two companies on Mars became the aristocratic Prime Capital of Mars.
Among the five noble houses ruling over Earth, the Yujin Family had a rather unexpected beginning as a small agricultural company. Yujin's ancestors had recognized the potential of genetically modified food early on and invested heavily in genetic engineering. Even in the space age, this tradition continued, ensuring that the Yujin Family possessed outstanding genetic engineering technology that was renowned throughout the galaxy.
The fact that Keisaragi Yujin could become such an exceptional geneticist was largely due to her family's background. From a young age, she displayed exceptional genius, prompting her family to invest heavily in her upbringing. With such a privileged background, she had never experienced any sense of deficiency in her life. Whatever she desired, she obtained without fail, even if she had to wait a little.
So why was it so difficult for her to accept the fact that she had lost something, something she owned for the very first time in her life?
"When can I see Caesar?"
"The soldiers are searching for him, so if you wait just a bit longer…"
"It's already been two hours! Caesar always strictly observes mealtime, so something must have happened!"
Anyone who knew Keisaragi would be surprised by her current state; she looked nothing like her usual self. Her well-kept black hair was disheveled, and her usually icy expression was nowhere to be found. Presently, she appeared nothing short of unhinged.
Captain Samuel, seeing her in this state, let out a sigh.
"This is a spaceship. Unless a cat is piloting a rescue ship, he must be somewhere on board."
"That's why I'm telling you to find him right away!"
"What I mean is that waiting might yield favorable results."
Samuel was from Third Capital, originally hailing from Saturn's moon, Titan. He wasn't from the lower class by any means, but compared to the noble houses, he was nowhere near their league. If she asked him to step down from his captaincy, he would have to relinquish his position without question. She held her birthright firmly in her grasp, and he felt as if he were about to lose his mind dealing with her.
"What's the situation with the guards?"
"They are all detained. Legal procedures can only be carried out upon reaching the destination…"
"Execute them immediately."
"Yes?" Samuel thought he must have misheard.
"As the captain, you have the authority for immediate executions, correct? Exercise that authority."
"Are you suggesting executing someone without due process? Other soldiers might revolt."
"Executing someone…?"
Samuel coughed nervously as he met her intense gaze.
"Well, what I meant was, isn't it better to discuss the punishment after the search has made some progress? I don't mean anything else by it."
"Have you forgotten that all of this happened because the soldiers didn't do their job properly?"
Samuel knew it well, the fact that the ship's crew was far from friendly to cats. Honestly, even the captain himself had a diet consisting of fresh meat only once a week; the rest of his meals were filled with cultured meat.
'On the other hand, that damn furball gets to eat beef every meal.'
He couldn't stand that cat himself, but he knew there were soldiers who liked them. Seeing the misfortune that had befallen the cat, it wouldn't be surprising if some of them were pleased.
However, if he mentioned this fact, Keisaragi's anger would undoubtedly be directed at him, so Samuel kept his mouth shut.
"I am well aware of The Chief Research Officer's concerns. I will make sure to discipline the soldiers thoroughly in light of this incident."
"…I'll come back in two hours. If there's no progress by then, you might want to consider taking off that hat."
After warning Samuel, Keisaragi left the captain's quarters.
"Where on Earth could he be?"
She hadn't just idly waited while the soldiers conducted their search. She had created a tracker that could determine Caesar's whereabouts through the fur he left on the cushion.
The device had worked successfully, but upon seeing the results it produced, she became perplexed. It was because Caesar had gone to a place he could never have reached by conventional means.
Caesar had undone the screws of the grille installed in the ventilation duct, made his way to the cargo hold, and then disappeared.
It was a situation that clearly involved human intervention, so Keisaragi called the cargo hold supervisor.
The supervisor had a solid alibi; he had been drinking with colleagues in the cafeteria all day. However, it was true that he had neglected his duties, so Keisaragi had considered killing him.
If the captain hadn't stopped her, the supervisor would have been left to wander the dark expanse of space for eternity.
She reluctantly suppressed her anger and meticulously searched the cargo hold, taking the trembling supervisor along with her.
Caesar's trail had ended near the containers, and in its place were traces left by an unidentified creature. She collected the traces and analyzed them using a scanner, but all it returned was a message saying 'No information'.
"Genetic information not found, even in MegaCorp's data archives."
Even for her, creating a machine to track an entity with absolutely no information was no easy task. It wasn't impossible, but it would take more time than usual.
Even if Caesar went without food for that long, he wouldn't die. But Keisaragi couldn't shake the feeling of unease.
Something was definitely wrong.
Her intuition told her that something terrible had happened in the cargo hold. That's why she had pressed the innocent captain to find Caesar as quickly as possible.
'Whoever you are, if you've touched what's mine, I'll kill you.'
She found herself unconsciously biting her nails. The droplets of blood from her nail's edge vividly displayed the owner's emotions.
***
'Hmm?'
While lying in the nest, lazily digesting my meal, I sensed a change on the ship.
The movements of the humans were more agitated than usual. They must have realized that the cat was missing.
Thanks to my upgraded auxiliary system, I could roughly perceive the appearance of moving humans. From their solid forms and vigorous movements, it was evident that the search team consisted entirely of soldiers.
Soldiers, busy searching for a pet they didn't even like, were rolling on the floor with hunger. It seemed that even in the space age, the absurdity of military life had remained the same.
'It's all going as expected.'
There were two main benefits to killing that cat.
First, it would cloud Yujin's judgment. Considering her actions and the cat's nutritional status, it was clear that Yujin lavished affection on her pet. While she was a demon to her test subjects and researchers, she was nothing short of an angel to the animals she raised.
People who treated only what they cherished with humanity were not uncommon. They had one other common trait.
'She loses her mind when something's taken from her.'
It's not that she's worried about her pet dying or being in danger. She simply gets angry at the fact that someone she doesn't know has taken what she possesses. Even if it's the most insignificant thing she owns, she'll react similarly. This emotion can be concluded as irrational possessiveness or, in simpler terms, an obsession.
And those who become obsessed find it hard to stay sane.
Secondly, it would sow discord between Keisaragi Yujin and the soldiers.
The biggest obstacle to my assault on her was the guards. Due to the soldiers following her everywhere, surprise attacks were almost impossible. Even if I managed to eliminate her somehow, if the soldiers spotted me, the losses would outweigh the gains.
So, I created an opportunity to distance her from the soldiers.
'The guards didn't like the cat.'
They were naturally upset. After all, they were forced to eat cat food, which was barely edible, as their rations. In reality, the cat was merely a pretext, and their anger was more directed at the absurdity of their social hierarchy. While being labeled as 'Noble Capital', they were being subjected to unreasonable demands. However, they feared the consequences of directly confronting Keisaragi Yujin.
'Owners may be terrifying, but pets aren't.'
In simple terms, her cat served as a kind of shield. In that situation, if the sacrificial lamb were to disappear and they were forced to expend unnecessary effort to find the disliked entity…
Would the soldiers be willing to protect her as before?
Not only that, Keisaragi Yujin would no longer trust the soldiers.
The biggest reason for the disappearance of something she cherished was the negligence of the guards.
'Heh heh, thank you very much, cat.'
They probably never imagined that such a useless lump of flesh would bring about this butterfly effect.
I got up from my spot.
Once you've sown the seeds, harvesting is simply a matter of course. The time had come to extract Keisaragi Yujin's genetic essence.