Chapter 2335 - ESM 4

"Ugh, w-what the hell!"

The soldiers who arrived late were shocked when they saw the bloodbath that had become of the situation room. Soldiers with little combat experience vomited on the spot, and the officers looked dismayed at the sight of Arnold's lifeless body.

"You damn bastards! Why are you here now?"

"S-Sorry, sir!"

Samuel berated them angrily. There was no trace of the trembling figure that had been hiding in the corner just moments ago. Samuel, who had a duty to protect the crew, was shamelessly acting as if nothing had happened.

"Clean up this mess immediately!"

"…Understood."

Although the soldiers wore discontent on their faces, their superior was the captain, and furthermore, he was the captain of the ship. They got to work without any military formality, recovering the bodies lying in the room.

"Darn it, how many of them died?"

Of all the times to be attacked, it had to be when the essential crew members were gathered for navigation. And to make matters worse, the creature had intentionally targeted the most important individuals among them.

'Research officer,Technology officer, Chef officer, Navigation officer, Crisis Management officer… They're all dead!'

The deaths of the Technology officer and the Crisis Management officer were particularly painful. Technology officer was responsible for the ship's maintenance and repair, while the Crisis Management officer handled combat situations. Both were essential talents when dealing with pirates.

He would die and never know that the monster had deliberately taken them out first.

'In this state, there's no way I can survive encountering pirates.'

Samuel was completely inexperienced in combat. Although this research vessel had been converted into a warship, he was not a soldier. He was just a wealthy man who had purchased a second-hand spaceship. The chances of him effectively commanding the battle-hardened pirates against him were close to zero.

In that case, it would be better to appoint a new Crisis Management officer to oversee the soldiers.

"…Who among the soldiers has the highest rank?"

"Over here, Captain."

"From now on, you're the Crisis Management officer. I hope you'll command the soldiers and protect the ship."

Though he had risen through the ranks to become a few steps higher in officer ranking, his expression was far from bright. He knew that the battle with the pirates was not far off.

However, making someone an officer was not a fundamental solution. The creature was still roaming somewhere within the ship, and the encounter with the pirates was scheduled in two days.

Should he just break the agreement and flee? He pondered this but realized that the Navigation officer, who would calculate the course, had also died.

Although Samuel was the captain and could set the course himself, he was not proficient in making detailed adjustments. Moreover, the enemy was well aware of their position. Regardless of how poorly they attempted to escape, the pirates would quickly pursue them.

'Damn it, should I just abandon everything and run away?'

In reality, fleeing on an escape pod would lead to a predetermined fate for Samuel – becoming a debt slave or being pursued by Noble Capital. Neither outcome was pleasant, but being alive was better than being dead.

As he contemplated this escape, the conversation among the soldiers reached his ears.

"This looks different from a regular pistol, doesn't it?"

"It looks like a weapon, Team Leader."

Seeing what they were holding, Samuel's eyes widened.

"Hey, you there!"

"Yes?"

"Bring what you're holding over here."

The items the soldiers were carrying turned out to be plasma pistols. Samuel, who had received one, checked the remaining energy.

'60%. Good.'

With more than half of its energy intact, it was sufficient for personal defense. There was some wear and tear on the weapon, but Samuel, not being a soldier, didn't understand the significance of that.

Samuel sent the soldiers away and stared blankly at the chaotic bridge.

At that moment, the medical officer approached him. His hands were covered in blood from helping the soldiers with the bodies.

"Is there anyone left alive?"

"Except for the temporary Research officer, who was attacked first, everyone else has died."

"What? Senior Researcher Wei isn't dead?"

"We put him in the recovery room. Luckily, he seems to have immunity to the creature's neurotoxin. But he has suffered permanent damage to his vision, smell, and taste organs. Even if he survives, he'll have to live with tubes for the rest of his life."

"…!"

Despite the mention of luck, Wei's condition was so gruesome that death might have been preferable.

The mere description was horrifying enough to make Samuel shake his head.

"Medical officer, is there really no way?"

"What do you mean?"

"We not only have the creature to deal with but also the pirates."

The medical officer was someone with experience in treating others, not someone who would kill. Samuel knew this, but he was feeling too frustrated, so he asked anyway.

"…What about surrendering to the Space Dogs?"

"What? Haha, you have a good sense of humor. Will MegaCorp just leave us alone?"

Samuel chuckled dryly at the joke, which was far from funny, but the medical officer had a serious expression.

The Space Dogs were a pirate group known for their looting, and they had few sympathizers. With their constant warring against various races, the lives of Space Dog members were worth less than fleas.

Consequently, they were always short on highly educated professionals, especially those essential for navigation and combat, such as doctors. And the medical officer was the most exceptional doctor on this ship.

"These rich guys only care about saving themselves."

The Space Dogs had a reputation for skinning the heads of any cartel they captured. Samuel, the richest man on the ship, did not want to become another mask in the cartel leader's collection.

"Put aside the pointless chatter and take care of the lower-ranked crew members. Got it?"

"Ahem."

Samuel gave the medical officer a cold look as he cleared his throat.

With an imminent crisis at hand, there was no one reliable left. The soldiers were busy tidying up the control room, the officers were pondering countermeasures, and the medical officer seemed lost in thought.

The only person he had somewhat trusted was now being carried out as a headless corpse.

"What should I do from here on…?"

With a sigh, Samuel left the command center.

They were all enduring a tough day, but they didn't yet know that hell had just begun.

***

'I've eliminated most of the important figures.'

Samuel had left a formidable adversary behind, even though he was still far from being my rival.

When Arnold, the sharpest mind among them, died, the future of the crew was sealed.

Furthermore, the ship's top technician had also fallen into my hands. In other words, even if there were issues with the ship's operation machinery, it would become difficult to repair. Even if the AI reported a problem, it would take time to resolve.

In the meantime, I had something to do.

'Expanding the hive.'

It was time to start infiltrating not only the ventilation ducts but also the key facilities inside the ship. I needed to disable the high-level security AI-equipped places, such as the armory and the laboratory, before the enemies got organized.

I didn't plan to destroy these facilities personally. Instead, I would create new nests to contaminate them.

'The mucus from the spores is toxic to humans.'

I affectionately stroked a cute spore. It responded by releasing a sticky liquid. When the mucus solidified, it became difficult to break with conventional tools. Moreover, even if only a part was destroyed, it would regenerate instantly. It could only be completely eliminated if the roots were destroyed with a weapon like a flamethrower.

I had kept only one nest for so long because there was a limit to how many I could create. In the hatchling state, I could have only one nest, and in the metamorph state, I could add two more.

That meant I could have a total of three nests right now. Since a nest was already in the cold storage, I could choose two more locations.

'Where should I put them?'

First and foremost, the dining hall was a priority. Eating was the most crucial element for human survival. Placing a nest in the dining hall would contaminate the stored food and disrupt the enemy's supplies.

The problem was where to put the other nest.

'Should it be in the armory or the laboratory?'

The armory contained plasma launchers. It was the right move to remove them immediately, considering it was a weapon that could end me. If I were a regular Amorph, I would have acted that way.

'But I'm going to steal the launcher.'

The plasma launcher was incredibly heavy, making it impossible for an ordinary human to lift alone. However, I was an Amorph with four strong arms, and carrying it wouldn't be a problem.

Due to my body structure, I couldn't use it as skillfully as a human, but I knew how to operate it, so there wouldn't be any major issues.

'I didn't plan to do this, but…'

Arnold's words stuck with me.

The one he served, Si-hyun Yujin, was a mystery. I don't know what kind of person they are, but it's clear they had some connection with the pirates. Perhaps they had infiltrated this place among the pirates.

There was nothing scarier than an unknown enemy. I needed to gather as many useful cards on my side as possible.

'I'll acquire only the launcher in the armory and place the nest in the laboratory.'

The reason for targeting the laboratory was simple. It stored a large number of genetic samples.

Several races, including MegaCorp, possessed the technology to refine genes. Gathering only the essence of organisms and extracting it, even if I ate it, the predation effect would still be triggered.

From this perspective, it might seem more convenient to target only genetic samples. However, there was a significant drawback to this method.

'The probability is much lower.'

Compared to the probability of gaining traits by eating regular organisms, it was less than 10%. Even the probability of the predation effect being triggered by eating a corpse was not high, and it would be even lower in this case. It was safe to say that it would be difficult to gain traits this way.

'Even if I eat all the samples in the lab, it's not like I'll get more than five, right?'

Still, if I could secure just two physical-related traits, I could become a physically enhanced type.

To become a psychic-enhanced type, I need only one more trait related to psychic powers, but the chances of obtaining one on this ship are slim.

'Plus, psyonium there too.'

Having psyonium would be essential for fighting the pirates as it will allow me to harness the abilities of the Ascendant.

'Now that I have a goal, should I start moving?'

Now was the time when the crew would be having their meals. I decided to place a nest in the laboratory first.

I made my way straight to the laboratory.

The laboratory was much more chaotic than before. All the soldiers were deployed for the search, and there was not a single person guarding the place. The strict security measures were still in place, but the technical team, like the soldiers, was too preoccupied to pay attention to this area.

I found a spot a little away from the laboratory.

｢Hello!｣

'Huh?'

I was about to excrete mucus from my mouth when someone called me. It was Bubble Amoeba Experiment Subject 26 in the laboratory.

'You seem to be in a good mood.'

There was a lively energy emanating from its vibrations. I responded to it through the psychic organ at the back of my head.

[ZZZZ ZZZZZZ (Seems to be in a good mood)]

｢Yeah! Not hurt!｣

'Was there no experiment today?'

Come to think of it, with the ship in this state, the researchers were unlikely to come and go freely. They were probably all holed up in their rooms.

'In that case, shall I venture out a bit more boldly?'

I gradually moved higher within the laboratory. The internal AI installed here detected the vibration and emitted a red light. By now, the ship's AI would have detected something abnormal and would have communicated with the technical and security teams.

｢What's up?｣

[ZZZ (Wait)]

｢?｣

I waited for about 30 minutes, but I didn't see a single person. I checked all the surrounding areas with the auxiliary sensors, but there was no approaching human.

It was clear.

The ship's security system had not been restored yet. There was no need to move stealthily anymore. I smashed the ventilation duct and set my foot on the laboratory floor.

[ZZZZZZ (It's been a while)]

｢Yeah.｣

Subject 26, whom I hadn't seen in a while, looked healthy. I had only seen it pale white before, but today, the distinct pink hue of the Bubble Amoeba was vivid.

Seeing the creature happily frolic made me suddenly wonder.

'Should I take it with me?'

Subject 26 is the only living being on this ship with which I've established a friendly relationship.

If it had possessed valuable genes, I would have captured it without hesitation, but it's a Bubble Amoeba. Unless it's in a situation where it needs to eat anything due to extreme nutrient deficiency, there's no reason to kill it.

'If it stays here, it will starve to death.'

We don't know when the researchers will return. Since Bubble Amoebas are immune to toxicity like space jellyfish, I could either leave it in a nest or take it with me. If it's food, I can give it some calorie bars or even human flesh.

[ZZZZZZZZ (Want to go out?)]

｢Go out? Where?｣

[ZZZ ZZZZZZZ (Outside the lab.)]

｢Yeah! Want to go out.｣

That was a straightforward response. That settled Subject 26's fate.

I signaled to be careful, then shattered the glass container. I reached out and grabbed the creature, which was about to be washed away along with the liquid inside.

Having been immersed in a liquid for a long time, it seemed awkward for the creature to suddenly breathe fresh air. It shrank and swelled repeatedly before finally returning to its normal state.

｢Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!｣

It seemed to quite enjoy the taste of freedom. It happily stuck to my arm. I gently stroked it with my smaller arms and then placed it on the floor for a moment.

[ZZZZZZZZ (Wait.)]

｢What are you doing?｣

[ZZ ZZZZZZZ (Going to make a nest.)]

While the creature watched me, I scattered mucus all around the laboratory.

Subject 26 followed me curiously, and, out of curiosity, it swallowed some of the mucus.

However, it was immune to toxicity and seemed unaffected.

The laboratory, once spotlessly clean, had transformed into the most contaminated space on this ship in just a few hours. The translucent mucus solidified into grotesque brown streaks, and disgusting fluids oozed from the numerous spores scattered everywhere. It no longer looked like a laboratory but more like a cursed and decaying swamp.

'The laboratory is finished with this.'

Thanks to there being no one around, I was able to expand it quickly. I created nests much larger than the ventilation duct nests. However, I was suddenly famished. I smashed the test tubes and pulled out the brains and organs inside.

'It's not exactly delicious.'

Compared to humans, it didn't taste good. Rather than savoring the taste, I needed to focus on the nutritional supply.

I thought of it as eating a tasteless hamburger as I bit into the brain. While I was munching away, Subject 26 climbed up onto my shoulder. It seemed hungry too, so I tore off a small piece and offered it. The creature happily accepted and devoured it.

After filling my stomach roughly, I checked the freezer. Inside were large quantities of genetic samples.

I swept them up and put them directly into my mouth. The security alarm on the wall was blaring like crazy, but I ignored it.

A semi-transparent text box popped up in front of me a few times, but I continued to ignore it and focused on eating. When I was about halfway done, my auxiliary sensors detected a person's approach.

'They're finally here.'

There were two approaching figures. One had a steady stride, likely a soldier, while the other was a civilian, probably a researcher. Even if a whole platoon came, there would still be insufficient numbers. I wanted to snicker, but unfortunately, Amorph doesn't have a nose.

I ceased what I was eating and left the freezer.

"Whoa?!"

"What's… what's this?!"

The two standing at the entrance were gaping at the contaminated lab. They stood there in shock, even though they were calling for backup.

The price of their foolishness was death.

I hid among the brown tendrils and lunged at the soldier first. He was startled and aimed his laser rifle at me, but I could tell. My auxiliary system calculated his movements and the direction of the muzzle in an instant.

As expected, the laser missed and hit an unintended spot. Meanwhile, my tail did not miss. The toxin-filled sting crushed his ribcage and tore his lungs apart.

"Ugh!"

The soldier coughed up blood once and bent his head down. He had yellow fluid flowing from his lower body, and the pungent smell of ammonia detected by my auxiliary system.

I approached the researcher, who was now on the ground with no strength left in his legs.

"Heek, heeek heeeek! Spare me!"

He was writhing on the ground. Yellow liquid oozed from his lower body, and the foul stench of ammonia reached my auxiliary sensors.

I was about to finish him off when I felt Subject 26's excitement on my shoulder.

[ZZ (Why are you doing this?)]

｢It hurts! It hurts!｣

'Ah, he's in pain?'

Subject 26's vocabulary was limited, so I was momentarily confused. This person seemed to be one of the participants in the Bubble Amoeba experiment. He was likely experiencing anger because the person who tormented him was right in front of him.

'Bubble Amoebas can kill humans too.'

Subject 26 was about the size of a basketball, which meant it could easily melt down a human head.

I lightly pricked the researcher with the tip of my tail. The toxin spread through his body, rendering him practically immobile. I placed Subject 26 on his head.

"!"

Understanding my intent, Subject 26 spread itself wide, covering the researcher's head.

Would the pitiful soldier who was instantly killed feel worse, or would the researcher who suffered the agony of his melting head before dying feel worse? In the end, what does it matter which process leads to death?

While Subject 26 enjoyed its meal, I also feasted on the soldier's corpse. After that, there were no more visitors. I completed my first act of revenge, carrying Subject 26, and returned to the nest in the lab.

Behind us, the only thing left was the skeletal remains of a researcher's head.

After finishing all the chores in the lab, a new translucent text box appeared before me.

[Currently, there is one potential specialized Type.]

[Do you want to unlock the 'Physical Enhancement Type'?]

Having achieved my goal, I smiled.

'Lucky me.'

I acquired a total of three traits in the lab. Despite consuming over 500 samples, the predation effect only triggered three times. It was an unlucky outcome by any measure, but I was still satisfied.

'I met the conditions for type acquisition, and besides…'

Since I also secured useful traits. It's not just about filling up the numbers but also having traits that can be actively used in combat.

The new traits I've gained are 'Natural Regeneration', 'Serrated Tentacles', and 'Contamination Organ', totaling three.

Among them, the 'Natural Regeneration' trait had merged with my robust vitality to become 'Regeneration (Fusion).'

'I was aiming for psychic-related traits next, and this worked out well.'

Amorph can't protect their body by wearing armor, so healing-related traits were more valuable than anything else. With them, he could quickly recover from significant injuries.

As long as I have the 'Regeneration' trait, I wouldn't die unless my brain is destroyed. It might take some time depending on the extent of the injury, but I would eventually recover.

The only exceptions were attacks using psychic powers or special weapons.

'Serrated Tentacles and the Contamination Organ are good traits too.'

I focused my strength on the upper arms of my combat limbs. Thin, long tentacles with saw-like protrusions emerged from my palms. These tentacles, with serrated edges, could easily tear through a person as if they were slicing through butter.

'Normally, it's a trait I don't use much because of its fragility.'

But things would be different once I acquired the type. When upgraded by the Physical Enhancement Type, these serrated edges would become sturdy enough to pierce through the hull of a spaceship. Normal soldiers wouldn't stand a chance against them.

I retracted the tentacles that had extended from my hands.

'Lastly, the Contamination Organ.'

This time, it was the lower arms' turn, not the upper ones.

I bent down, placing my palm on the floor. Brown slime and clusters of spores flowed out from holes in my palm.

The 'Contamination Organ', in simple terms, was a trait that turned me into a walking nest. Whenever I wanted, spores identical to those in the nest could be ejected.

The difference was that with the Contamination Organ, I could apply some of my traits to the spores I created.

In other words, I could create spores that emitted neurotoxic substances, produced acidic fluids, or enhanced the regenerative effects of my body. With this ability alone, it would be possible to turn the entire spaceship into my fortress. It was a perfect ability for dealing with powerful enemies.

From tentacles to spores, any one of these abilities would terrify a sane human who witnessed them. However, I was extremely satisfied. After checking the new traits one by one, I temporarily set down 26 on my shoulder.

A translucent text box was waiting for my response. I had only one response to give.

'Accept.'

As soon as I accepted, changes began in my body. Bones twisted, breaking through the chitinous exoskeleton. The outer layer swelled up like it had absorbed water.

Since it was all a natural change, there was no blood or pain involved. It felt like the surface skin and muscles were adjusting to the transformation, similar to stretching.

Unlike when I evolved into a fluid, the transformation due to the type didn't take long. After the mutation was complete, the translucent text box appeared before me again.

[Race: Unidentified Aggressive Space Morph

Status: Metamorph

Objective: Survive (1st Evolution Successful)

Possessed Traits – Physical Related (Applied Type): Wings, Chitinous Exoskeleton, Regeneration (Fusion), Neurotoxin Glands (Fusion), Reinforced Exoskeleton, Acidic Blood, Enhanced Reflexes, Mimicry, Serrated Tentacles, Contamination Organ.

– Psychic Related: Predator Sense (Fusion), Psychic Organ.

Type: Physical Enhancement Type]

[Currently, there is only one type available for specialization]

[Psychic Enhancement Type (2/6)]

Upon acquiring the first type, the traits were reclassified according to the type requirements.

Thanks to obtaining the Physical Enhancement Type, there was a message next to the physical-related traits stating, 'Type Applied'.

Furthermore, looking below, I noticed that the number of required traits to secure the Psychic Enhancement Type had increased from 3 to 6.

'Tsk. Type penalty.'

I knew it, but seeing it now made me slightly disappointed. Amorph could acquire types without any restrictions, but with each increase in the number of types held, there was a penalty.

The required number of traits to obtain a new type doubled. For example, if I had obtained the Psychic Enhancement Type first, the required number of traits for the Physical Enhancement Type would increase from 10 to 20.

Alternatively, if I unlocked a different type from my current situation before the Psychic Enhancement Type, it would require 12 traits for the Psychic Enhancement Type.

'So, there are cases where you deliberately delay unlocking types.'

It's because haphazardly unlocking less efficient types could lead to a situation where you can't acquire the important ones.

If this were a game, I would have put more thought into the timing of type acquisition. The increase in the restriction for obtaining difficult-to-acquire psychic-related traits to 6 was burdensome.

But here, it was reality, and a battle with pirates awaited me. There was imminent danger, and procrastinating to get stronger and then dying would be pointless.

'Okay, enough of that. Let's see what has changed.'

For a while, I would have to rely on the Physical Enhancement Type, so I needed to check how much I had improved.

The first sensation I felt was heaviness.

Previously, I felt agile and flexible, but now it was different. My entire body felt heavy and solid. How should I describe it? It felt like going from a leopard to a rhinoceros.

'Well, it's inevitable. Given the additions I've got.'

Currently, my head was covered with thick armor similar to the exoskeleton of the chest. My arms and legs, apart from the joints, were wrapped in thick, sturdy biological armor.

Perhaps to support the increased weight of my body, I had grown a bit taller. My height, which used to be around 1 meter, was now over 1 meter 50 centimeters. Legs with the Enhanced Reflexes trait had become much thicker compared to other parts.

I tried placing my hand on the wall, and I could still climb the wall or crawl on the ceiling. However, there was no way to avoid the thudding sound. The strategy of killing the sound and ambushing the enemy became impossible.

Finally, one of my main weapons, the tail, had also grown under the influence of the type.

The length of the tail was just shy of 2 meters. It has almost doubled in size now.

'It's a medium-range attack method. That's great.'

There had been several occasions when I was in danger because of the distance when ambushing the enemy.

To me, both the tentacles and the tail were like a godsend.

｢It's big! Big!｣

While examining my body, 26, who was beside me, showed signs of astonishment. From its perspective, it must have seemed like I had suddenly grown.

[ZZZZ (It's grown)]

｢Grown? What do you mean?｣

[ZZZZZZZ ZZZZZ (The offspring has become an adult)]"

｢Offspring? It's a baby. A big baby! Baby!｣

26 repeated the word 'baby' while looking at me.

'It called me a baby.'

Well, it wasn't entirely wrong. Biologically speaking, as a metamorph, I could be considered an immature organism, so the definition of 'baby' was quite fitting.

Of course, the parents raising an Amorph baby would probably want to die.

I'd like to explain more about my changes, but it seems impossible to match it with its limited vocabulary. I'll teach it when it learns to speak properly someday.

I lifted 26, who was hopping around energetically, back onto my shoulder to head to our next destination.

｢Baby, where are we going?｣

Thunking footsteps echoed through the corridor. If there had been crew members here, I wonder how they would have reacted to the sight. Would they burst into tears at the sight of a monster they couldn't handle? Or would they rush to the escape pods?

'Well, let's find out now.'

Regardless of what happens, one thing is certain.

They will regret and lament ever getting on this ship and wonder why they thought of boarding it.

***

***

A day had passed since the disaster in the bridge's command center

.

At any other time, the crew members would have mourned for those who had met a tragic end, but right now, they couldn't afford to.

The rumors were gradually spreading, and the Metallic Gremlin, or rather, something even more terrifying, was swiftly devouring the life forms inside the ship.

Humans are resilient creatures, but when faced with something unbearable, they lose their minds.

Less than a day after the disaster, another attack by the monsters occurred. This time, It invaded the cafeteria, slaughtering over fifty unarmed soldiers.

With more than half of the defending forces onboard the research vessel dead, Captain Samuel locked himself in his quarters with the remaining soldiers.

Officially, it was stated as concentrating defense in one location, but in reality, it was abandoning the remaining personnel. The number of abandoned individuals was rapidly decreasing.

Inside the research ship, shrouded in an unknown and monstrous presence from outside the cosmos or born from experiments, it was hell.

The medical room's recovery chamber.

Dr. Wei, the Temporary officer of the research team, was inside.

Thanks to MegaCorp's advanced medical technology, he could quickly regain consciousness. However, it also meant that he had to face the situation he did not want to confront.

Permanent loss of vision and sense of smell, half of his facial skin damaged, loss of taste due to residual effects of neurotoxin, and severe speech impairment.

Wei wanted to believe that he was having a nightmare. Why did he have to suffer such agony? He was just a kind human who had lived a life similar to others at MegaCorp. Of course, not without being responsible for the deaths of quite a few who had worked under him to reach the position of senior researcher, but that's how they all lived.

In competition, losing meant dying.

Wei wanted to end his own life, but the life support devices in the recovery chamber wouldn't let him. The only action permitted to him was to look down at his pitiful state.

In this manner, suffering every second and every hour, he belatedly noticed the changes around him. The sounds of doctors that had tormented his ears until a moment ago had completely disappeared. Apart from the signal sound produced by the vital check machine, there was absolute silence.

'What's going on? What happened?'

In a medical room with critical patients, this kind of silence was never a good sign.

The endless, eerie silence was shattered by the sound of something moving. Wei initially thought it was the sound of combat boots. But it wasn't. The footsteps were much heavier than those of a human, causing the entire medical room to vibrate with each thud.

Thump, thump, thump, echoing throughout the medical room.

With each vibration, Wei's body trembled violently. An unfriendly presence was approaching, and he wanted to flee, but he couldn't. The painkillers automatically administered by the life support devices rendered his body unresponsive.

Then, the footsteps finally ceased.

Wei, unable to see, could still sense that it was nearby. Its breath, its growling. He had an intuition that the thing beside him was the same monster that had attacked him in the command center.

It had come all the way here to end his life.

Initially terrified by the strange sensation of something crawling on his head, Wei had expected it to kill him. However, his expectations were way off.

The entity now atop his head was squishy and soft. It flowed down his entire head like chocolate syrup drizzled over a round bun. The sensation was utterly out of place, and for a moment, Wei was perplexed.

But then, he felt excruciating pain throughout his face. It was as if someone was branding his face with fire. In the sensation of his head melting away, he silently screamed.

'Ugh, agh! Someone, please! Someone, end me!'

If it weren't for the oxygen respirator attached to his mouth, Wei would have suffocated in less than five minutes. Or if the painkillers and healing agents being injected into his body weren't there, he would have gone into shock immediately.

Ironically, all these factors were working against Wei's desire for a quick death. Fate didn't allow him a peaceful end.

It took an hour before Wei was granted release.

***

[Are you done eating?]

｢Yeah.｣

I lifted 26, who had finished its meal and revenge, onto my hand. Over the course of a day, it has gained quite a bit of weight.

[How does it feel to have taken revenge?]

｢Revenge? What's revenge?｣

[You ate the one who tormented you.]

｢Food. Tasty.｣

It seemed like 26 didn't possess higher-level emotions like revenge. Either it hadn't learned it yet or it was inherently impossible for it to think that way.

'But this is reality, so who knows.'

Originally, a creature that couldn't even speak was now conversing casually. Moreover, considering how researchers were particularly interested in it, there must be something unique about it.

'It's not evolving into a Seed Demon or anything, right?'

Seed Demons were creatures that, like Bubble Amoebas, existed only on the Ocean Planet. They resembled Bubble Amoebas in appearance, but were over 30 meters in size and had numerous tentacles hidden inside their bodies.

Because of their similar appearance, there were often discussions in the community about whether Bubble Amoebas and Seed Demons were related. Of course, in this game, there was more than one creature that looked similar, so such claims were meaningless.

Number 26, who had no idea what I was thinking, emitted a signal towards me.

｢Hey, I'm full｣

A faint light emanated from its body. To the best of my knowledge, that expression meant it was tired.

Now, with it looking more chubby than chubby, I lifted it onto my shoulder and left the medical room.

Outside the medical room, in the corridor, there was no sign of the cleanliness and futuristic appearance that had been there before.

The corridor was filled with dirty, mold-like brown stems. From the ceiling and walls, spores were being spread like watering a cursed garden teeming with life. It looked more like the interior of a decaying, insect-infested tree trunk than a metallic conduit.

Having taken control of half the ship, I set out to find my next prey.

-x-X-x-

The age where the endless expanse of space above our heads has become a reality.

In space, humanity was divided into two major factions: MegaCorp and StarUnion. Both were powerful enough to control dozens or even hundreds of star systems, but in the vast and expansive universe, they were mere specks of dust.

Infinite space, filled with countless galaxies and celestial bodies, extended beyond their reach. For example, C-08 was one such place.

In this uncharted territory untouched by MegaCorp, StarUnion, or any other sentient beings, hostile entities lurked in groups.

C-08 was an area managed by the Space Dogs, a particularly ruthless cartel among them.

The Dvara Cartel.

Notorious raiders were currently ravaging the newcomers who had entered their territory.

"Help, please!"

"Gahhh!"

The agonized cries filled the luxurious interior of the passenger ship. Inside the vessel, armed guards lay lifeless alongside innocent victims.

"Take everything they have!"

"Kill the men and violate the women!"

The ruthless raiders were anything but ordinary. Some had ant-like heads, while others had half-machine bodies. Some carried loot, while others dragged noblewomen away with sinister grins, disappearing into the unknown.

Although the raiders' appearances and actions were diverse, they all shared one common trait.

A crimson clover tattooed near their shoulders, signifying allegiance to Elchen Dvara, the leader of the Dvara Cartel.

The members of the Dvara Cartel were all former soldiers, mercenaries, or criminals, making them a burly bunch.

They all boasted above-average, muscular bodies, but one among them stood out.

Standing at a towering 3 meters tall, his entire body was covered in muscles. His head resembled a lion with red mane-like hair and bestial ears. His right eye and arm were cybernetic.

A hybrid of human, beast, and machine, he was none other than Elchen Dvara, the head of a large family of 50 people.

Seated diagonally in the captain's chair, he watched disinterestedly as his subordinates plundered. Next to his chair, heaps of spoils collected by his subordinates were piled up, but he showed no interest whatsoever.

'These measly riches. What a waste of effort.'

As Elchen was sticking out his tongue, he locked eyes with one of the captives who had been led away by his subordinates. The captive, or rather, the ship's captain, shouted upon seeing Elchen.

"Look here, Captain! How can you do this to us?"

Elchen replied, "What are you talking about?"

"We hired your mercenary group for protection! Is this how you protect us?"

Elchen, a hulking mutant from MegaCorp, stood out even among the other cartel leaders. Those unfamiliar with him might be surprised by his genetically altered appearance, but Elchen's true weapon was not his physique.

Elchen's true weapon was his cunningness.

He was a member of the Space Dogs cartel but had brazenly registered as a mercenary under MegaCorp. His preferred tactic was to turn against his employers when he deemed them gullible.

"You foolish idiot. Who hires mercenaries for protection anyway?"

"What?!"

"Do you think we're friends? It's absurd to expect that a complete stranger you've paid a few bucks to will solve all your problems."

"You shameless…!"

"Why are you acting this way? You're just trying to save money, too. MegaCorp swine always act like this."

"You son of a…"

There was no obligation to respond to the losers' barking. Elchen responded to the captain's curses by merely turning a deaf ear.

"By now, the MegaCorp Defense Force must have received the distress signal and mobilized! When they arrive, all of you will face execution!"

"Oh, how terrifying. Go ahead, take them away."

"Profit! It's not worth killing all of you. I'll tell the defense force myself to turn all of you into hulk mutants!"

"Wait."

Elchen's eyebrows twitched. The tuft of fur between his beast-like ears quivered, as if expressing his discomfort. He despised the idea of turning them into Hulk mutants because he had been forcibly subjected to genetic modification by MegaCorp.

The foolish captain had touched a nerve.

Elchen rose from his seat and approached the captain. When his subordinate, who had been holding the captain, extended his hand, he pulled a machete from his belt and handed it to Elchen.

The machete, commonly known as a jungle sword, looked like a mere dagger in his hands, given his towering height of over 3 meters. His appearance was quite, if not extremely, intimidating, causing the captain to swallow hard.

"W-what is it?"

"Hey there, Captain. It seems you're not well-versed in MegaCorp mercenary laws, so let me educate you."

"Huh?"

"If mercenaries betray their employers during a mission, it's a grave offense. But it's invalid if there are no witnesses to prove it, you know?"

"What are you saying?"

"You called in the Defense Force, didn't you? What a waste of effort. There's no one here to explain your side of the story."

The captain's face turned pale as he understood the implications.

"A-are you planning to exterminate us?"

"I don't know about such noble phrasing. But there's one thing for sure…"

Elchen grabbed the captain's hair ruthlessly. Despite the captain's screams of pain and futile kicks, they were no match for the monstrous muscles before him.

"My hobby involves stripping the skins off MegaCorp swine."

The machete in Elchen's hand gleamed ominously.

By the time his hobby was over, there were no living humans left inside the passenger ship. As always, after the looting was done, there was nothing but an unpleasant silence.

While his subordinates cleaned up, Elchen returned to his training room. The pirates who had been guarding the ship all came out to welcome him.

"Have you returned?"

"Yeah. Handle things as usual."

"Understood."

The deputy captain disappeared somewhere with the face skin Elchen had thrown. After undergoing some proper treatment, that face skin was intended to adorn Elchen's throne.

"Come to think of it, don't we have more to do today?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're off the hook. Bring Garlic."

A little later, a petite woman with black hair and glasses was brought in by the subordinate. She was the Cartel's ace known as Garlic, owing to her exceptional intelligence. Her colleagues nicknamed her that because she was rumored to always smell like garlic.

With her long hair flowing and shoulders hunched, Garlic, who appeared timid to anyone, greeted Elchen with a trembling voice.

"Oh, hello? Boss, You…you called?"

"Yeah. There's some work around here, right? What happened?"

"Well, I was supposed to meet someone around here today, but they suddenly lost contact, so…"

"What?"

"Ah!"

As Elchen frowned, Garlic visibly shrank. If it had been another subordinate, they would have been swiftly dealt with, but Garlic was the smartest person in the cartel. She was a woman of unknown origin, but her intelligence and obedience had earned her Elchen's favor.

Elchen calmed his anger and asked her to explain.

"Explain properly."

"Uh, I have an acquaintance on the research ship led by Captain Samuel. They asked me to help with the disposal of a body that came from there."

"Samuel's family? What brings them all the way here? Well, fine. So, who's the body?"

"Um, it's a Noble Capital body. A woman from the Yujin family…"

Titan's Third Capital asking for the disposal of a corpse from Earth's Noble Capital, that was quite an imbalance considering their status difference.

"Those crazy bastards. How much are they offering?"

"Well, during the last communication, they said they could give one million credits."

"A million?" Elchen chuckled.

He knew well how meticulous the Noble Capitals were in handling bodies. Even if they offered 10 million or 100 million credits, it was an unacceptable condition.

"There's a conspiracy here."

Elchen had been aware of the uneasy atmosphere within MegaCorp recently. Rumors had been circulating that the old king of Earth's Yujin family was being challenged by the young blood of Mars' Eden family.

Although it had nothing to do with Elchen, he still smelled money.

The primary business of the Eden family was ship development, but secretly, they were focusing a lot of effort on genetic modification. What Elchen knew was that he was secretly developing a prototype of a new Hulk mutant, directly from the Eden family.

'Wait a minute. What if I intercept the body and hand it over to Eden?'

He didn't know the identity of the body, but if it was from the Yujin family, it was obvious they had undergone some extreme genetic modification. Being practically a living relic from the Earth's Noble Capital, they would certainly pay a fortune.

Of course, Elchen despised the Eden family, but personal grudges and credits were separate matters.

'Actually, if I do this, it might lead to a showdown between Eden and Yujin, and both of them will be screwed.'

Determined to loot the body, Elchen asked Garlic again.

"Communication went down, you say? Was it an attack?"

"That…that I'm not sure about…"

'Whoever they are, they must be pretty audacious to cause such a commotion in our territory, right?'

Garlic, having sensed that her boss was lost in thought, quietly withdrew. After the cleanup was finished and his subordinates returned, Elchen gave the order.

"As soon as the cleanup is done, we'll depart. Our destination is Samuel's ship. Prepare for communication tracking."

"Yes!"

As his subordinates moved efficiently, Elchen pondered his next steps.

Once the cleanup was complete, and the returning subordinates were aboard, the Dvara Assault Ship disappeared from the spot at superluminal speed.

The remaining passenger ship soon exploded and turned into cosmic dust, leaving no trace of the unfortunate souls that had been here.

***

***

'Hmm?'

I woke up from my rest, and there was a slight impact outside the ship. I thought it might be a collision with space debris, but it seemed too artificial, as if someone were knocking on the ship's door.

"It's them."

I focused my senses linked to the nest on the location of the impact. I could feel the ship's hull like my own body, and the outline of the one causing the impact became clear.

Unlike the round and oval research ships, this one had a long, sleek design that reminded me of black. The surface of the ship was painted with red clovers.

'No one would graffiti a ship like this except the Space Dogs.'

The battleship was attempting a forced docking with the research ship, pushing against the damaged outer wall. Through the breach, a few individuals entered the research ship.

'They're fast.'

Their actions were impeccable, typical of professional military personnel. Once they entered the research ship, their destination was clear: the bridge.

'Whether they're smart or just plain foolish…'

Any typical sentient being would hesitate in a situation where it was evident that the ship was in an abnormal state. But they acted without hesitation.

The current state of the Samuel's research ship was so distorted that it would be difficult to recognize its original form. Even this pinnacle of advanced engineering designed to withstand the harsh conditions of space had become useless in the face of Amorph's presence.

The smoothly polished alloy corridors had deteriorated to the point where the brownish stems jutted out like veins. The ceiling and floor relentlessly dripped a mixture of neurotoxins and corrosive substances. The melted alloy sections were now filled with the nest's secretions.

Without someone to tell them that this place was a ship, no one would think it was anything other than a naturally formed structure.

In a way, this place could be considered a kind of garden, specially created for a specific entity.

The owner of this garden was me, The Amorph.

Like tomb raiders seeking treasure, they were blinded by greed. They didn't even know where they had set foot.

I am currently lying in the second nest installed in the laboratory, monitoring the intruders. The unsuspecting intruders were manipulating the communication system on the bridge. Through the nest, the enhanced psychic device read the flow of their radio waves.

[Bridge secured. But something's strange.]

[What is it?]

"There's no one on the ship, and strange trees are growing."

[Trees? Where would there be plants in space?]

[It's real, boss.]

[That little shit. I'll go check it myself. Or else, get ready to have your head smashed.]

[…Yes.]

The one speaking with a punk-like attitude must be the leader. The leader had an unmistakable presence that set him apart from the others.

'A Hulk Mutant'

The sound of two high-powered hearts beating could be heard from his body. Seeing faint radio waves flowing over his skin, it seemed like he had implanted multiple mechanical devices.

Following the leader, others also infiltrated the research ship one by one. I checked each of them as they crossed over.

'A pheromone is coming from his body; he's an Insectman. Instead of a heartbeat, this one makes machine noises. A StarUnion cyborg. A multispecies cartel. That's convenient.'

The conditions for evolving into an ascendant entity required killing ten individuals of two different species each, whose genetic material I would consume. Currently, I had filled half of them as humans, so the rest needed to be filled with ten individuals from a different species.

'So far, the Star Union has the most with twelve, but what will happen now?'

In the game, it didn't matter how they were treated as different races, but in reality, who knows. According to the settings, they were still considered humans, so whether to treat them as humans or an independent race would have to be determined by trying it out.

Continuing to wait, the number of individuals who entered the research ship was a total of twenty-nine. I thought that was the end, but one more human crossed over at the end.

'Huh?'

The individual seemed extremely ordinary. So, I initially didn't pay much attention, but upon a second look, I felt something strange.

'Can a person be this ordinary?'

So far, I've devoured over a hundred humans, but among them, there hasn't been a single one with a normal or average body condition. Every human had unique movements and sounds, like fingerprints.

However, the newcomer is different. Their body is anything but ordinary, almost as if someone calculated the average for all humans and produced this person like a machine-made copy of 'normal'.

In summary, the individual's body was arbitrary. Instead of a brain, there was a computer in their head, so they were meticulously 'pretending' to be average.

'…A noteworthy character. Let's remember that.'

With the arrival of this suspicious individual, no one else entered the ship. Now, it's my turn.

I disengaged from the nest and got up. Number 26, who had been resting nearby, reacted to my movements.

｢Hey, where are you going, baby?｣

[ZZZZ (Going out)]

｢I'll go with you.｣

[ZZZZ ZZZZ ZZZZ ZZZZ (It's dangerous, so stay here)]

It puffed up its body as if it disliked the idea, but I couldn't accommodate it. From now on, I was going to the enemy battleship.

[ZZZZ ZZZZ ZZZZ (Instead, protect that thing)]

｢That thing?｣

I pointed to the plasma launcher placed in the corner. Ironically, this weapon made by humans for slaughtering humans was resting after completing its mission.

[Zoom Zoom Zoom (Important)]

｢Yeah! Trust me, baby!｣

Trust, huh? I wonder if Number 26 knows what that means. Anyway, it seemed to like the idea of being given an important mission and hopped around happily.

With its farewell, I left the cooling room. The enemy's guard was weakened, and this was the only opportunity to disable the battleship. By destroying the battleship's power source, I could make retreat impossible for the enemy.

Afterward, the enemy had two choices. They could split their forces to guard both the research ship and the battleship, or they could concentrate their manpower on one of the ships.

Because they are greedy, they wouldn't want to miss out on either option. They'd likely divide into a raiding party and a defense party. When their forces were dispersed, that's when my hunt would begin.

It's always been like that.

-x-X-x-

Infiltrating the flagship wasn't too challenging. While they had some security measures in place, they were rather rudimentary, especially when compared to the research ship.

'Well, they are pirates.'

These individuals were accustomed to pillaging, so they probably didn't consider the possibility of being looted themselves. My subdermal implant, located beneath my chin, started tracking the vibrations. The heart of the metallic flagship wasn't too far away.

Having confirmed the location of the reactor, I sprinted down the corridor. The flagship's corridor was surprisingly messy for what was supposed to be a military vessel. It seemed like they had patched it together using parts from other ships, resulting in walls of different colors and boxes of plunder scattered about haphazardly.

It was like running through a garbage dump, and I sensed movement from the enemy. Two of them, to be exact—one human and one insectoid.

'Let's take care of this right here.'

I crouched behind some nearby boxes. As their footsteps drew closer, my tail took precise aim at the human's throat.

"Keh!"

"!"

A fountain of blood erupted from the severed neck, leaving the insectoid in shock at the sight of his fallen comrade.

While a regular person might have gone into shock, this individual was clearly a pirate, and he reached for his communication device.

I extended my palm, and the blade-tipped tentacles shot out, coiling around his wrist. The sharp blades on the tentacles mercilessly tore into his flesh.

"Kyaah!"

His forearm became a gruesome sight, ground into pulp by the tentacles. The communication device he had pulled out fell to the floor, unutilized.

Upon retracting the tentacles, now coated in the insectoid's green blood, the items stuck to their surface were absorbed into my body. The taste was different from that of human blood.

"It's like grape flavor."

While human blood had a stimulating taste, the insectoid's blood had a refreshing fruity flavor. I wished I had more time to savor it, but the circumstances didn't allow for it. I focused my strength and lunged at him. It was a short charge, but with my enhanced physique, it packed a substantial punch. The insectoid was slammed against the corridor wall.

"Kek!"

A short scream and the sound of bones snapping echoed through the corridor. If he had been human, he would probably have gone into shock, but this insectoid displayed tenacious resilience. He was still alive and struggling to escape.

Using my lower tentacles, I pinned down his arms, while the upper ones gripped both sides of his head.

"Kyaah! Spare… keh."

I was growing tired of hearing pleas for mercy. I applied force to my gripping tentacles, tearing his head apart. The corridor was now painted in green blood.

I didn't bother with the human corpse and quickly devoured the insectoid's body.

'As expected, NPC species don't count.'

In the game, the insectoids were classified as sentient beings, but they were an unplayable alien race. As such, they didn't count toward my evolutionary progress.

'Let's just have this and move on.'

I would have savored the moment under different circumstances, but there was still much to be done. I swiftly chewed and swallowed the insectoid's meat.

After licking up the blood on the floor, I neatly stashed the human corpse inside one of the boxes.

[Patrol team, what's going on? Why no response?]

"It's nothing."

[Then answer quickly, you brat. Get out of there.]

"Sorry."

I gave a brief response to the communicator that insectoid had dropped before dying. Thanks to my mimicry ability, the other side had no idea that the owner of the communicator was already inside me.

After concluding the short battle, I resumed my journey towards the reactor. Along the way, I didn't encounter any new enemies.

It would have been nice if the security around the reactor had been equally lax, but my wish remained unfulfilled. Android security guards were patrolling the area around the reactor. These guys, who seemed to spare no expense on security, had suddenly deployed expensive androids here. It appeared they had placed the spoils of their raids here.

'Androids can be quite troublesome.'

Destroying them isn't a problem in itself, but what comes afterward is. The moment I attack, the android will send a signal to the central AI of the ship. Unless I'm prepared for a full-scale battle, I should avoid confronting the androids.

'How should I deal with this?'

The auxiliary organ under my chin squirmed as it searched for a weak point in their defenses. Unlike humans, androids had no significant vulnerabilities due to their mechanical nature. Moving around on the ceiling or walls as I had done on the research vessel was not an option since androids had heat tracking devices.

'I don't necessarily have to face them head-on.'

I turned back and headed upstairs towards the reactor. Passing through rusty metal stairs and chaotic corridors, I arrived at someone's bedroom.

The bedroom had a nauseating and foul odor. The mattress used as a bed was discolored, and empty bottles were scattered on the floor.

Using my four hands, I lifted the mattress. The insects hiding beneath it were taken by surprise and scurried away.

'This should do.'

I stood in the spot where the mattress had been and used my lower hands to extract spores from below. The acidic secretions from the spores began to dissolve the floor. A pungent smoke rose, and the dirty metal quickly developed holes.

Beneath the holes, I could see the upper part of the reactor. If it had been a human, they would have noticed the reactor's upper level melting away, but my opponent was an android. It was vulnerable to unexpected situations because it operated according to predefined programs.

'I'll clear the engine with this.'

I poured the spores upwards toward the reactor.

***

It had been ten years since Elchen Davara started pirating.

A Hulk Mutant involved in piracy, no one could have expected Elchen to continue her activities for so long.

Originally, Hulk mutants had short lifespans; their genes were manipulated to ensure they died within two years.

If he hadn't been an improved Hulk Mutant by Eden, he would have surely died not long after. Even if he had survived, if his intelligence hadn't been up to par, he wouldn't have lasted this long.

Elchen has surpassed both of these adverse conditions. He has become a respected figure among the space-dogs, even an elder statesman.

Seeing what is happening in front of him right now is quite shocking, even for Elchen, who has been through all sorts of trials and tribulations.

[Request for assistance! This is the command center! The intruder is attempting to break down the door!]

[Damn it! We don't have any personnel to send!]

[No, I don't want to die!]

[Where's the captain? Where's the officer!?]

[The officer died earlier! Get yourself together!]

[Hehe. We're all dead. Hehehe.]

[Anyone with remaining ammunition!]

[It's breaking into the room! Prepare for combat!]

[Damn it! It's a smoke grenade!]

[It's inside… Aaah!]

[Aaaah!]

[Save us… Ugh!]

With screams as the final notes, the recorded video on the command center computer came to an end. The hologram turned off, but no one in the room dared to speak.

'What in the world is happening?'

When Elchen first boarded the ship, he found it strange. Apart from the odd vegetation growing everywhere, the most glaring issue was the complete absence of any people.

Even if they had all died due to an attack, there should have been traces on the walls or the floor. Bloodstains, shell casings, something. However, there was none of that on this ship. It was as if the research ship had been a ghost ship from the very beginning, with no human traces whatsoever.

Elchen realized he needed to learn more about the attackers. So, he gave orders to his subordinates to dig through the recorded footage and gather information about the situation.

The result was the video he had just watched.

The individuals who had been holed up in the command center, facing an unknown adversary, appeared to be in dire straits, even to the ruthless pirate Elchen.

Even before coming here, they had experienced several battles, and few among them were unscathed. Some were missing limbs, while others had lost their minds.

The video ended with the command center's door being breached, and it wasn't hard to imagine what had happened to them.

"Play the footage from before this."

Elchen instructed one of his subordinates, who then played the previously recorded video.

[This is the command center. B3. Join us as soon as maintenance is complete.]

[The path is complex. Everyone, move cautiously.]

On the screen, a muscular soldier with short hair was giving orders via a communication device. Several individuals in fancy attire stood beside the soldier.

The playback showed the process of their first encounter with the unidentified creature and their subsequent search.

'The soldier is likely responsible for the ship's defense. And the one in the delicate attire in the back, is that Captain Samuel?'

It started off calmly, but the atmosphere quickly changed. Screams of soldiers echoed through the communication device, and the leaders in the command center began to panic.

'The dispatched troops have been wiped out.'

Elchen had thought that, but the situation was not over yet. What happened next left him truly astonished.

While the leaders were in turmoil, the unknown creature suddenly burst forth.

'Is it going to attack here?'

Elchen wondered where it had come from, but the creature seemed to attack indiscriminately, killing people as it moved. The white temple floating above the black sea of stars was stained with blood.

The person who managed to momentarily stop the creature was the soldier who had been leading the troops. He drew a plasma pistol from his holster and fired at the creature.

Unlike before, the creature reacted differently to the soldier's weapon. It seemed to recognize the soldier's weapon as a threat and retreated, deploying a smoke screen from a hidden source before launching an attack on the soldier.

'It's intelligent.'

Not just intelligent, but highly intelligent, a high-risk organism. Elchen, who had been exposed to various life forms through genetic modification procedures, had an intuition that this creature was the first of its kind discovered in this universe.

If MegaCorp had known of such a dangerous creature's existence, they would have captured it and extracted its genetic material long ago.

Nevertheless, the battle between the creature and the soldier ended with the creature's victory. It was more the soldier's misfortune than his mistake. A stray shot from one of the soldiers had caused significant damage to the soldier, ultimately leading to his defeat.

The creature, seemingly aware that reinforcements were on the way, retreated immediately after killing the soldier.

***

***

'Damn it.'

When Elchen had decided to take on this task, his main concern had been the Noble Capital, particularly how to deal with retaliation from the Yujin family. However, after watching the video, it seemed they should be more concerned about safely retrieving the bodies from the ship.

"Hey, Garlic."

"Yes, sir?"

Elchen called for Garlic, who had been lost in thought while staring at the hologram. She returned to her usual timid demeanor upon being addressed.

"They lost contact only yesterday, right?"

"Yes, that's correct. The original plan was for us to meet them yesterday. However, since the ship didn't arrive, we spent a day searching."

During the journey, Elchen had already obtained the personnel records of the research ship.

There were a total of 222 people on board, with 96 of them being soldiers. If Elchen ordered it, his subordinates could eliminate them all within half a day.

'The problem is that we don't know the creature's identity.'

After watching the video, Elchen quickly realized the creature's strengths. It was the type that compensated for its lack of physical power with intelligence and various abilities. Attacking the creature without any information would be akin to ordering his subordinates to commit suicide.

Of course, Elchen was not one to care whether his subordinates lived or died. However, he didn't enjoy wasting resources unnecessarily. Even if his subordinates died, he wanted to extract as much information as possible from the creature before they did.

"Nevertheless, we're fortunate."

"Sir?"

"The creature doesn't know we're here."

Since all the individuals in their group were hardened pirates, they had infiltrated the research ship as quietly as possible. Unless the creature had cameras placed throughout the entire ship, detecting their movements would be nearly impossible.

"Let's find the creature first and corner it. We'll deal with the bodies afterward."

As Elchen was about to issue orders to his subordinates, one of them rushed in from outside, holding a communication device. His face was pale, as if he had seen a ghost.

"Boss, something big has happened!"

"What is it?"

"The ship's engine is completely fried!"

"What!"

Elchen exclaimed in disbelief. The engine was working fine, and the sudden malfunction was incomprehensible.

Though facing an enraged boss was never a good idea, the subordinate had no choice but to explain the unfortunate situation. After all, if they concealed it and were caught later, the consequences would be far worse.

"After checking from that side, it appears that the engine is completely corroded, and recovery is impossible!"

"Damn it! Give it to me!"

Elchen snatched the communication device from his subordinate, his frustration evident in his actions.

"Damn it, Garlic!"

"Yes?"

"Can this ship still function?"

"Well, we'll need to check…"

"Damn it!"

"No, wait. Yes, it can still function!"

"You, and you. Help Garlic. The rest of you, come with me. We're going after that damn creature. Follow me."

"Yes!"

Elchen led his subordinates out of the command center. He made a vow to himself that capturing the creature wouldn't be the end of it.

***

'Oh, he's angry. He's really pissed.'

Back at the nest, I was aware of their movements. The boss, with his heart racing twice as fast, was storming through the ship, and his subordinates were following him closely.

'Should I wait until they scatter?'

The research ship had a more complex layout and more facilities than the battleship. Moreover, the intruders had just arrived. To efficiently search this unfamiliar place, they had to divide their personnel.

They probably didn't know, but there were survivors on this ship. There were about 20 individuals scattered throughout, including the captain and some of the command staff. Naturally, they weren't left alive out of kindness.

'MegaCorp really despises pirates.'

There might be some defectors, but most of them would attack the pirates. While they fought among themselves, I could pick the fruits that fell from the tree.

'But that guy's a problem.'

The human who remained in the command center. Disguised as ordinary, she was moving around the room, seemingly performing some tasks.

Only three individuals were with her. It would have been a good time to attack, but I had an uneasy feeling.

Amorph's unique intuition was warning me. That individual was a dangerous presence, and I needed to be cautious.

'Could she be the person Arnold mentioned?'

Si-hyun Yujin.

She was someone Arnold had mentioned as being similar to me. What had Arnold seen to make that comparison?

'Perhaps she's a genetically modified human like me.'

In a society where MegaCorp valued competition as the highest virtue, the obsession with extending life was incredibly strong. Especially at the top of the pyramid, the Noble Capital, they would commit heinous acts without hesitation as long as it allowed them to live longer.

The advancement of genetic modification technology in MegaCorp was a result of this societal atmosphere. Hulk mutants were nothing more than byproducts of that.

'Even MegaCorp players are ultimately into genetic modification.'

In the game, there were users who went beyond simply modifying their appearance to the point of becoming inhuman. Some used artifacts that allowed them to use cult-like abilities, while others flew through space on their own without a spaceship. There were all sorts of people.

Given that, it was entirely possible that the Yujin family's scion had been modified to an extraordinary degree.

'Keisaragi was nothing special, but what about that woman?'

As expected, if she is a genetically modified human, she would be a formidable opponent for me now. Just as my enemies don't know my abilities, I don't know what abilities she might possess.

If they had modified her to the level of players, defeating her wouldn't be easy.

'A genetically modified human, huh? It's been a while since I've had a fight like this.'

I didn't say it was difficult; I didn't say I would lose.

I had devoured countless MegaCorp players. Facing a formidable opponent not only aroused a sense of danger but also piqued my interest.

'For now, let's hold off on the one who appears to be Si-hyun Yujin. Let's clean up the pirates first.'

There was no point in fighting recklessly and then dealing with trouble if reinforcements arrived.

I turned my attention back to the pirates.

Coincidentally, they were approaching the captain's quarters, where survivors were hiding.

*

"..."

Normally, this would be a time for jubilant celebration, reveling in the spoils of plunder. But there was not a soul among them who dared to speak up. It was all because of Elchen, who was seething with anger like a raging bull.

Due to the sudden loss of their precious battleship, Elchen was doing everything in his power to quell his rage and regain his composure. It was under these circumstances that a subordinate approached him, hesitating.

"Boss…"

"What is it?"

"We've detected life signs on the bioscanner. They seem to be in the captain's quarters."

"And?"

"Well, the door seems to be sealed, so we'll have to breach it."

"Damn it, do you need my permission to take a piss too?"

"Oh, no, sir!"

It was a signal to proceed. The subordinate prepared to breach the door with his comrades.

The one responsible for demolition shouldered the plasma cutter and began assembling it. He affixed the assembled plasma cutter in front of the door and operated the terminal connected to the machine.

As the cutter started working, it emitted a green beam that began cutting through the heavy door, which was over 50cm thick. By the time the thick smoke filled the corridor, the door to the captain's quarters had been breached. One of the pirates leaned in to take a look from the outside when bullets flew at him from within.

"Damn it!"

"Hide, everyone!"

Starting with the pirate with a hole in his head, a hail of bullets poured out from inside the captain's quarters. The pirates took cover behind the walls and retrieved their weapons, preparing to counterattack. However, Elchen stepped forward.

"Move aside, you bastards."

Thanks to his genetic enhancements, Elchen's skin had become so tough that unless hit directly by a plasma launcher, he wouldn't even get a scratch. Amidst the hail of bullets, Elchen strolled forward as if he were taking a leisurely walk.

He gripped the hole in the melted door and exerted his strength, causing the 50 cm-thick steel door to twist like dough. Displaying his terrifying strength, he entered the captain's quarters and began a massacre.

"Aaargh!"

"Monster!"

With every punch from Elchen, crew members turned into chunks of meat. While their boss went on a rampage, the pirates retaliated with suppressive fire from behind cover.

The crew members in the captain's quarters had turned into corpses in the blink of an eye, leaving only one survivor. As Elchen was about to finish the job, the survivor shouted.

"W-wait! I surrender!"

"Surrender? The Dvara Cartel doesn't accept that kind of thing."

"No, I… I'm the ship's medical officer! I'll definitely be of help!"

Elchen relaxed his grip, his fist no longer threatening.

"A medical officer?"

"Yes, yes."

"The captain's not here, and the medical officer is in the captain's quarters?"

Now that he thought about it, among the people he had dispatched, there was no captain.

"That damn… Well, fine. Where did the captain go, and why is the medical officer in the captain's quarters?"

The medical officer, despite trembling with a sense of betrayal, didn't hide anything. As things got more complicated, Elchen's annoyance grew.

The battleship was wrecked, and the person who knew the whereabouts of the bodies had gone off to escape on the lifeboat. Elchen contemplated killing the medical officer but decided against it.

"Hey, smart one."

"Yes?"

"You're a medical officer, right? So you must know where the bodies are."

"Um, well, yes."

"That noble capital body, they said it was here. Where is it?"

"..."

The medical officer had no idea where Keisaragi Yujin's body was. But to be honest, he lied because he didn't think he'd see the next day if he told the truth.

"I-it's with the… monster!"

"That bastard again? Why the hell is the monster carrying corpses?"

"He eats people."

That statement meant that Elchen didn't have much time left. Elchen sighed and gathered his subordinates.

"Listen up. The medical officer here says the monster has a body. We don't have time to search every nook and cranny, so spread out and find it. Got it?"

"Yes!"

"Since that bastard is no pushover, go in groups of at least six. If any issues arise, report immediately through the communication device. Anyone slacking off, I'll personally smash their heads in."

"Yes, boss!"

"You, there. You're coming with me."

"Yes."

The subordinates responded energetically and scattered. The medical officer watched them run off and thought about whether he should speak up now, but he was too afraid of Elchen to do so.

"Hey, medical officer."

"Yes?"

"You said you wanted to be a pirate, good for you. We've been short on medical officers."

"Oh, um, yes."

"By any chance, do you have any expertise in genetic modification?"

"Yes? Um, yes, of course! Just leave it to me!"

Elchen continued talking, and the medical officer missed his chance to speak. Thanks to that, the information that the monster could imitate human voices remained buried.

***

'Too bad.'

The crew members didn't last as long as I thought they would, but considering that the boss is a Hulk mutant, it's probably the expected outcome.

Hulk mutants are deployed in ground battles to destroy tanks and bipedal armored units. If a regular crew member even gets a scratch from such a monster, they should consider themselves lucky.

The boss left only one person among the crew members alive. Although I couldn't see who had survived, I could guess.

'It must be the medical officer.'

Space dogs are a group with a high mortality rate. Criminals, war orphans, the impoverished, retired soldiers, mercenaries, and all sorts of people are constantly coming and going. It's a high-turnover group, so someone like a medical officer receives special treatment.

Anyway, whether the medical officer becomes a pirate or not doesn't matter to me. After all, I have no intention of leaving any survivors on this ship.

The confrontation in the captain's quarters ended faster than expected, but luckily, the enemies moved as I had anticipated.

'They're scattering, just as I thought.'

Except for the boss and one subordinate, the rest formed groups of six to search.

Since the pirates' armament is not uniform, I don't know what they're carrying. However, it's clear that their movements are unusual.

'They're almost like regular soldiers.'

Even when I captured the insectoid on the ship, he resisted to the end. Assuming they are not below average, they might be on par with regular soldiers.

'Looks like they've spread out enough. Time to make my move.'

As I was about to leave the nest, No. 26 followed me.

｢Hey, baby, Let me come with you.｣

[ZZZZ (Inside)]

｢I don't want to.｣

[ZZZZ (Why?)]

｢I want to help too.｣

Number 26 was like a child wanting to help their father. I lifted the little one and placed it on the nest, but they refused to give up and followed me.

Seeing the determination in Number 26, I recalculated the enemy's strength once more.

'Excluding the boss and that suspicious human, it shouldn't be too difficult.'

I've fought with pirates countless times before. While I didn't know the exact state of their armament, I was confident I could handle whatever they brought.

Moreover, if 26 was going to accompany me, the little one needed combat experience. There might be moments when I couldn't protect it.

'26 needs to experience combat too. Even if it doesn't provide direct assistance, it can't be a hindrance.'

With my decision made, I allowed 26 to accompany me.

[ZZZZ ZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZ (Be careful because the enemies are scary)]

｢Yeah! Baby, be careful!｣

The little one hopped onto my shoulder. Whether I liked it or not, I couldn't stay mad at it.

'Now, where to start?'

There are a total of four groups: Armory, Mess Hall, Cargo container, and Laboratory. As people who survive by plundering, their objectives are quite evident at each location.

'Let's start with the Armory.'

While most weapons in the Armory had likely been damaged during the stem escape, there might still be some in working condition. If the pirates got their hands on them, it would be troublesome.

I headed towards the Armory with 26 in tow.

***

***

As we approached the Armory, the pirates entered my sensory range. Six pirates were moving clumsily towards the Armory's entrance.

"What kind of plant grows all the way up to the door?"

"Yeah, we need to get rid of them to install the plasma cutter."

Except for the one responsible for dismantling, the others drew their machetes. If it were a normal plant, their decision wouldn't be unreasonable.

'The problem is, it's not a normal plant.'

Without knowing the enemy's true identity, I needed to be more cautious in my thinking and judgment. Unfortunately, they were walking straight into their own doom.

"Charge!"

A member of the group swung his machete, cutting through the pods. As the pods burst, the viscous contents inside sprayed outward.

"What the hell is this?"

"Heh, looks like jizz."

"You're damn gross, man."

One of the pirates, whose face was splattered with acidic goo, watched as his skin and muscles melted away, his jawbone falling off. His comrade, whose fingers were coated with neurotoxic secretion, collapsed, paralyzed from head to toe.

I appreciated the opportunity they had given me, so I accepted their fate with gratitude.

I rushed towards them with my bulked-up body.

"It's him!"

"The monster appeared!"

"What the hell? He looks different from what we saw!"

Of course, I would. The footage they saw in the command center was taken before I acquired the physical enhancement type.

While I did have to go back to the command center while devouring the protesters, I had used smoke to conceal my appearance.

In other words, they don't know anything about me. Fighting without sufficient information was a massive risk.

I picked up a pirate nearby.

"Cough!"

He spat out blood mixed with organ fragments from his mouth. Even without examining the inside, it was clear that his insides were a mess. I finished off the half-dead man with my tail.

In the meantime, the pirates regained their composure and pulled out their weapons, responding swiftly as experienced fighters. If they had been the research ship's soldiers, they would have been dazed and unable to react to the sudden attack.

Red energy masses formed a fiery web as they collided with my chitinous exoskeleton.

'If I hadn't obtained the type, it would have been dangerous.'

My current exoskeleton was significantly tougher and thicker than before. My dark brown, almost black, exoskeleton protected not only my head and chest but also my limbs.

I truly resembled a knight in full plate armor from the space age, that's what I looked like.

I ignored their attacks and charged ahead. With a gruesome sound, the pirates who stood before me turned into bloody messes.

I didn't stop there; I extended my tentacles from my upper arms. The saw-blade tentacles, resembling venomous fangs, reached out and wrapped around the pirates' waists.

"Argh!"

"Ah, my waist!"

Their waists were torn apart as if they had been sawed, and their innards spilled out.

"Die!"

Seeing their comrades dying in agony, one pirate lost his composure and rushed towards me.

The pirate belonged to the Insect Men species, and he must have thought that, with their superior physical abilities compared to humans, he could handle close combat. However, as things often go, what he expected didn't happen.

The machete he swung was easily thwarted by my tail. I intended to finish him off, but 26, who was on my shoulder, jumped onto him.

"Grrrr!"

Suddenly, a pinkish, translucent, soap bubble-like substance stuck to the pirate's face, causing him to panic. However, the intense pain that followed left him writhing helplessly.

It was because 26 had melted the substance with its unique appendage.

The insectoid, in his panic, tried to use his sharp, pointed fingernails to tear 26 apart.

'I can't let that happen.'

Even though 26 was hunting for a change, I couldn't just leave it to get hurt. I lightly pricked the insectoid with my tail, injecting neurotoxin. The insectoid froze stiff, unable to move or react.

I entrusted 26 to deal with the insectoid and focused on handling the remaining pirate. The one responsible for dismantling was not attacking me but requesting support through his communicator.

"Hey, there's a monster here!"

I approached from behind and firmly grabbed his four arms.

"Hyaaak?! C-come quick… Argh!"

Before the pirate could finish speaking, I opened my mouth wide and bit off his head. The terrifying bite force of the Amorph easily crushed his hardened skull and turned its contents into a gruesome pulp.

[What? Where are you?}

I quickly swallowed the brain of the pirate in charge of dismantling and activated the special device inside my throat.

"Uh, cough, it's nothing."

[What?!]

"It was just my mistake. There's nothing here."

[What the hell is wrong with you crazy bastard? Are you using the communicator to play around or something?]

"Sorry."

I replied half-heartedly and turned off the communicator. The group in the Armory was now dealt with.

'Should I keep the communicators?'

They might come in handy for electronic warfare. I doubted pirates would demand identification like the StarUnion.

With the communicators in hand, I approached 26, who was still having its meal. Its robust vitality, typical of Insectoid, seemed to be more of a disadvantage than an advantage. Seeing it writhing and trembling, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pity.

'But that doesn't mean I'll spare it.'

I couldn't afford to let 26 get hurt when it was finally hunting. I lightly pricked it with my tail, injecting neurotoxin. The insectoid stiffened up like someone who had suddenly frozen in time.

I left 26 to deal with the insectoid and proceeded to handle the other corpses one by one. Among them was someone from the StarUnion. He was one of those I had sliced through the waist with my tentacles.

"Pl-please… spare me."

In a cyborg-like manner, he was still alive despite having his upper and lower body separated. He desperately begged for mercy.

The StarUnion believed in the ideology that the frail human body should be replaced with machinery. They had a mindset opposite to the MegaCorp, which sought to improve genes to become better beings in their human state.

'They're both bad guys, no doubt about it.'

The StarUnion, aside from themselves, are the kind of folks who want to share their 'blessing' with other species. What I mean is, they modify other species they capture as prisoners into machines, regardless of the prisoner's will.

The pirate in front of me appeared to be a modified human, as I could see mechanical components mixed among his internal organs.

He pleaded for mercy, his voice quivering, but I crushed his head beneath my foot. Artificial brain matter crumpled as sparks flew.

'Mechanical, but can I eat it?'

Nevertheless, just to be safe, I separated the visible components and only put the flesh in my mouth. I tasted a strange mix of metallic sparks and the greasy texture, as if the taste had a hint of sizzling electricity.

'…It's kind of unique in flavor.'

Considering its appearance, it was surprisingly palatable. I finished eating the cyborg's corpse.

I wiped my hands, which were smeared with oil, and a translucent text box appeared.

['Metamorph->Pre-Saint' evolution conditions partially met.]

[First Intellectual Entity 10/10 (Achieved), Second Intellectual Entity 1/10 (Incomplete).]

'Oh?'

I didn't expect this, but it was good news. Just as I suspected, cyborgs were treated as a separate species in the game, just like in reality.

'There were twelve of them on this ship, right?'

Once I devour all the cyborgs on the research vessel, I can immediately progress to the next stage of evolution.

Evolving into an Intellectual Entity so quickly by consuming the cyborgs within the research vessel was unexpected. It's like a gift I hadn't anticipated.

｢ Baby, what's got you so excited?｣

[ZZZ ZZZ (Something like that)]

26, who had finished its meal, approached me. I gently stroked it and placed it on my shoulder.

It seemed like 26 was starting to look like Santa Claus, bringing me a bunch of gifts, despite being considered a cosmic disaster by some, known as the Space Dog.

***

***