Chapter 2336 - ESM 5

Crunch!

I yanked the throat of one of the pirates with a swift motion. His head, still partly attached to the spine, dangled, brownish blood oozing profusely.

This guy belonged to a species called Rockwalkers. They were an intelligent species that lived on a planet filled with rocks and metals, sustaining themselves by consuming minerals. While their initial appearance in the settings might have sparked curiosity among science fiction enthusiasts, in the actual game, they didn't differ much from regular humanoids.

Except for their skin, which was as rough and hard as stone, everything inside them, including the flowing blood, was just like any other biological being.

Using the Rockwalker's head, from which blood was dripping, I vigorously struck the head of a nearby cyborg. The cyborg's head became as unrecognizable as a watermelon smashed to bits.

'That makes it two teams.'

This time, our target was the group heading to the laboratory. Just like the group that went to the armory, they entered the laboratory in a state of complacency. When I arrived, only three of them remained.

The other three had already dissolved into the acidic slime.

'Sigh, lost two of them.'

I munched on the remaining lower halves of the cyborgs. Just to be sure, I detached one of their legs and tried eating it, but it didn't count towards the evolution condition. It seemed that the text box only recognized those I had killed.

Similarly, the predation effect didn't trigger either. The chance of the predation effect occurring on corpses I hadn't killed was quite low. It was almost like sampling, and it didn't seem to count for much.

I spat out the steel I had been chewing on. In the game, even Amorph could chew on machines, but it was challenging to adapt to it in reality. It felt like chewing chicken bones down to the marrow.

"Cough, hack, guh…"

Next to me, 26 was killing one of the cyborgs. It seemed to have caught on, as it hunted skillfully without my help. Although the cyborg struggled desperately to tear 26 apart to escape, 26 held onto its neck, choking it without moving an inch.

Even as a cyborg, at its core, it was still human. If it couldn't breathe, it would die.

Before the cyborg's breath was cut off, I destroyed its heart with my tail. As I killed the prey, 26 retreated from the throat and sent a pulse in my direction.

｢Baby, are you hungry?｣

[ZZZ ZZZ (I have to kill creatures like this)]

｢Yeah.｣

[ZZZ ZZZZZ (Then eat that)]

｢Alright, enjoy your meal.｣

I felt sorry for 26, but I had to kill and eat the cyborg for it to count. I gave 26 the Rockwalker and picked up the cyborg's corpse.

Just as I was about to take a bite, the communication device on my combat arm, which I had been carrying, rang.

[Alive and kicking, you guys. Report.]

[I-I'm in the command center. Ah, still in the middle of work!]

[In the cargo container, these guys seem incredibly wealthy. There's so much stuff to take; it's like a gold mine.]

[Boss, the dining area is in complete chaos. There's not a single edible thing left.]

"We're searching the armory."

[Why aren't the guys who went to the lab answering?]

After mimicking the voice of the guy from the armory, I answered quickly and then swiftly bit into the cyborg's body. The small organ structure in my throat mutated quickly to produce a new voice.

In a short amount of time, after finishing the mutation, I looked at the communication device that had been lying next to the corpse and replied.

"No issues in the lab."

[Huh? You're not the communication officer, right? Why are you holding the communication device?]

"Uh, well, the communication officer is currently preparing for the demolition."

[…Is that so? Alright then, click.]

The boss ended the communication with a suspicious tone. Whoever the boss was, they seemed quite intelligent. It was unusual for pirates to maintain such a systematic hierarchy.

Normally, Hulk mutants had reduced intelligence due to the side effects of genetic modification, but this boss appeared to be different.

'Maybe they've been modified with some technology I don't know about.'

These smart Hulk mutants were a creature I hadn't encountered in the game.

'I doubt the original is around anyway. Let's be cautious just in case.'

'Predator Senses' followed by an intelligent Hulk Mutant. The differences from the game keep piling up. It's making me nervous but also piquing my interest.

'Come to think of it, there's 26 too.'

That pink bubble amoeba busily munching on Rockwalker's internals is quite different from its game counterpart. It might be the mascot, but it certainly wasn't as intelligent in the game.

'I've been wandering around with a Bubble Amoeba. The community would've been surprised.'

While Amorph were specialized for solo play, I, too, wasn't particularly sociable, whether in reality or in games.

Lost in thought, I continued to dispose of the cyborg corpses.

The flesh of the newly killed cyborgs had a lemony flavor.

***

'Something's off.'

Elchen raised an eyebrow as he held the communication device.

Before becoming a Hulk mutant, he had been a soldier. To be precise, a defeated soldier. He had received the punishment of becoming a Hulk mutant for losing in combat. If the Eden family hadn't taken him in, he would have roamed the battlefield as an intelligence-deprived monster.

In any case, being a former soldier, he paid attention to reporting procedures. Some subordinates occasionally disobeyed his orders, but they all became dust in the universe. After a few incidents, the reporting system remained stable.

Of course, mistakes were always a possibility, but Elchen couldn't shake his unease. Perhaps it was the influence of the wild animals mixed into his genetics. The instincts that had helped him survive dozens of times on brutal battlefields were warning him now.

The recent communication wasn't a mistake but a trap.

Elchen made up his mind and picked up the communication device again. Aside from the team currently conducting the search in the armory, he sent a message to the team that had gone to the dining area and cargo hold.

"This is the boss. Something seems suspicious with the ones who went to the lab. Get ready, everyone, and head to the lab."

[Understood.]

[Yes, boss.]

After ending the communication, Elchen summoned the medical officer.

"Medical officer, where are the escape pods and the engine room on this ship?"

"Just follow me."

Elchen was a cautious man. His subordinates wouldn't lose to creatures like monsters, but this was an unknown situation. Just as on the battlefield, he sought out a way to retreat first.

'I can't just leave the ones who dared to touch my flagship alone', he thought.

Securing an escape route wasn't the end of it. Elchen was planning to plant bombs in the engine room to ensure that whoever had tampered with his ship would be dealt with. Most ships were powered by fusion engines, and even a small bomb could create a massive explosion.

Once Elchen safely escaped, he could remotely detonate the bomb, and the monsters would be wiped out without a chance to react. Of course, any remaining crew members on the ship would also perish, but pirates always had plenty of recruits. They could easily replace their losses with new crew members.

'Garlic and medical officer should be enough'

The subordinate who hadn't even considered that their boss might be thinking of abandoning ship was now closely monitoring the medical officer.

As the three of them made their way to where the escape pods were located, Elchen called the medical officer.

"Medical officer."

"Yes?"

"You've fought against the monster, right? Is there anything that could be its weakness?"

"No, there isn't."

Elchen furrowed his eyebrows, and he could tell that his subordinate's response didn't sit well with him. The medical officer seemed uncertain about how to handle Elchen's reaction, but he had already spoken his mind.

'He's reacting like this, even though he's scared of me?' Elchen thought. He knew that the medical officer was afraid of him, yet he didn't hesitate to give an answer that Elchen disliked.

From the medical officer's perspective, it seemed that this creature was even more terrifying than Elchen. Elchen's mind sank like ice, and he decided to change his line of questioning.

"Then what are its strengths or traits?" Elchen asked. When Elchen didn't show any signs of anger, the medical medical officer cautiously revealed his thoughts.

"Well, it's like the creature is a ghost."

"A ghost?" Elchen questioned.

"Yes, it can capture and consume people even in bright light, leaving no corpses behind. We only realized someone was missing later," the medical officer explained.

"Where is this 'ghost' on the spaceship? Are you suggesting your people are so incompetent that they can't deal with it?" Elchen inquired.

"Well, this ship has various security measures in place. Even we find it challenging to navigate at times, yet this 'ghost' managed to move around undetected, killing people. If that's not a ghost, what is it?"

The medical officer's words left Elchen in silence. Judging by the atmosphere created by the medical medical officer's words, it seemed he was telling the truth.

'A ghost, really? What nonsense.'

Did that mean this ship had become some sort of ghost ship? A ghost ship in the age of space travel. It was no joking matter.

After a moment of contemplation, Elchen took out his communication device again. It hurt his pride, but it seemed like he needed to gather his subordinates and take action.

But when he was about to change his mission through the communication device.

It was already too late.

The Unidentified enemy had already launched an assault.

***

***

'A clever one.'

Even high-ranking humans fell for the imitation, but Elchen wasn't fooled. Perhaps the Hulk mutant was more like a clever beast than an intelligent being. It seemed he had noticed the trap through his wild instincts.

'It's too late anyway.'

We had just left the laboratory and returned to the nest in the cooling room. Currently, my auxiliary system is monitoring my designated area on the ship. The pirates' movement towards the laboratory is clearly visible.

This time, I plan to attack the enemy in a new way. I laid down on the ship in the nest and closed my eyes. As my auxiliary system reached my designated area on the ship, my sensory perception, which had been limited to my physical body, gradually expanded.

My consciousness flowed through the ship, starting from the cooling room, through the corridors and into other rooms. The sensory flow that began in the cooling room spread like ripples through the ship's passageways and chambers.

People who have used drugs often describe feeling something transcendent beyond the boundaries of their physical bodies. Could what I'm experiencing now be something similar?

Every time I breathed, the tendrils trembled, seemingly breathing along with me. The chill I felt from the metal plates that the tendrils enveloped made me shiver involuntarily.

Finally, the auxiliary system completed the connection. The enemies were no different from creatures crawling within me. I issued a command to the spores with neurotoxic abilities along the path to the laboratory.

'Activate.'

As if issuing commands from my brain to the nerves within my body, the auxiliary system conveyed my orders to the tendrils. The spores responded by expelling their venom in unison.

From the ceiling, walls, rooms, corridors, floors – it didn't matter where – a highly toxic substance that paralyzed living organisms rained down throughout the ship.

I could sense the confusion of the pirates as they grappled with this completely unexpected attack. Desperately trying to destroy the spores and cut down the tendrils to escape, they didn't last long. Their bodies, in defiance of their owners' will, turned into lifeless husks. Some who quickly realized that the spores were the problem managed to escape, but the majority made foolish choices.

'Success.'

I had expected to fail, but attempting to control through the link to the nest was only possible after becoming an apex organism.

'In the game, that is.'

I tried it in the real world, wondering if it might work, and it succeeded. Of course, it wasn't a reckless gamble. There were enough factors for success: the nest was still small, I was familiar with the areas I had already visited, and there weren't many spores. My expectations had turned out to be spot on.

'The ones who got away are just five.'

More than half had fallen victim to the spore assault. The seven who couldn't escape lay motionless on the ground, waiting for death to claim them.

I rose from the nest. The thin tentacles below my chin dropped from the nest, and for a moment, I felt a sense of inertia. It was like the soul that freely roamed the infinite space was once again imprisoned in a body called the flesh.

The sense of inertia didn't last long, but the energy expended in controlling the nest didn't return. I felt a strong hunger, a sensation I hadn't experienced in a while.

[ZZZZZZZ ZZZ (I'm hungry, let's go get some food)]

｢Yeah.｣

I carried 26 on my shoulder and headed for the laboratory. On the way, I saw fallen pirates. It was typical pirate behavior to mercilessly abandon colleagues who seemed hopeless. It's good for me that I didn't have to fight while hungry.

I gnawed on the fallen pirates unceremoniously. With each bite of my teeth, I could feel their bodies twitching. Their movements were as lively as a freshly caught fish flipping about.

Did they know? The more they resisted, the more saliva flowed into my mouth. My teeth tore into the enemy's flesh without restraint, and my four arms crushed their bones and plucked out their organs.

I was so hungry that even machine parts passing through my throat didn't feel repulsive. The silent feast in the corridor had come to a triumphant conclusion.

'Now, there are only two left.'

Out of seven, five were cyborgs. I had already devoured eight cyborgs, so I needed only two more to complete my evolution into an apex organism.

I followed the traces of the pirates who had escaped, using one of the cyborg's finger bones as a toothpick.

They were hiding somewhere other than the laboratory. It turned out to be the crew's workout room.

'Of all places, they had to run here.'

The workout room was a spacious area, so it was probably chosen because it offered a good shooting angle.

The problem was that the dead crew members had also acted the same way. The place where camaraderie was fostered among comrades had long become a slaughterhouse at my hands.

From behind the broken door, the fearful people inside emitted pheromones and breath. It was clear they were startled as soon as I entered. The sight of walls and floors covered in blood as soon as I walked in must have been quite shocking.

More than 20 people had died inside. Adding five more wouldn't make much of a difference.

I handed the finger bone I had been holding to 26, who was on my shoulder, and stepped inside the workout room.

***

***

As soon as I entered the workout room, lasers started flying. Lasers couldn't harm me. I walked calmly through the beams, and the pirate cursed at me in frustration.

"Why the hell isn't this working?"

Unfortunately, this swearer wasn't a cyborg. He seemed like a regular human from the MegaCorp, with no mechanical enhancements whatsoever. He tossed aside his useless laser rifle and pulled out a thick rod from his waist. He pressed a switch, and a blade sprung out from the rod, turning it into a short sword.

I stopped in my tracks when I saw it.

'A Sonic Blade.'

The Sonic Blade was a weapon that incorporated ultrasonic vibration technology. It was easy to carry and had exceptional cutting power, making it a favorite among MegaCorp officers.

When I didn't move, he must have thought he had the upper hand and yelled energetically.

"I'm the fucking vice captain of the Dvara Cartel!"

His previous fear seemed to have vanished. Typical pirate behavior, I guess. It was evident that he lacked both forethought and strategy.

The Sonic Blade could potentially pierce my outer shell, but that only mattered if it could actually hit me. If it couldn't touch me, it was useless.

If he were someone skilled in martial arts, it might have been different, but unfortunately, he wasn't. My auxiliary systems confirmed that. He was just an ordinary guy in his early thirties, starting to suffer from adult-onset diseases. His body was filled with blood and fat extracted from the victims he had looted.

I lunged at the vice captain. Startled, he tried to stab me with the Sonic Blade, but his movements were unskilled.

'The Sonic Blade isn't durable enough for stabbing.'

I had no intention of accommodating his foolish attack. I deftly evaded him and kicked him in the abdomen. He coughed up blood and fell to the ground.

"Damn it!"

With his internal organs likely ruptured, he didn't release his grip on the weapon. He glared at me with venomous eyes.

'What a surprise.'

I had thought he was just showing off, but he was surprisingly tenacious. Regardless of his species, most beings tended to beg for mercy when faced with a fatal wound. This was the first time someone had shown this level of determination since Arnold.

'Should I end his suffering without pain?'

I flicked my tail, striking the vice captain's hand. Startled, he let go of the Sonic Blade, which clattered to the ground. My tail, still curved, pierced through his eye. As his brain was destroyed by the thorn on the tip of my tail, he became a lifeless body, incapable of feeling any pain.

One out of five had died. Now, there were four pirates left. The remaining ones didn't seem scared; perhaps they were hiding in the locker room.

I leisurely began to dissect the human corpse.

Once I had finished consuming everything and was left with the ankles, a translucent text box appeared in front of me.

[Predation effect activated! Successfully obtained 'Human Nature' genetic essence]

[Extracted 'Human Nature' from the biological traits of 'human'.]

[Do you wish to apply 'Human Nature'?]

'Human Nature?'

I was perplexed by a trait I had never seen before.

'What could 'Human Nature' be?'

Based on the name alone, it seemed overly encompassing. Was it referring to human emotions, rationality, or perhaps unique human qualities? It was difficult to discern its meaning from the name alone.

'Do I need to accept it?'

In space survival games, there were thousands of different traits, but not all of them benefited the host. For example, the Hulk Mutant's 'Berserk' trait enhanced physical abilities but made the player uncontrollable. There were traits where the disadvantages outweighed the advantages.

In my experience, traits with vague and ambiguous names were usually traps.

'It's a bit disappointing to have just one trait…'

To deduce the nature of this trait, I recalled the pirate I had killed. He undoubtedly had some unique aspects compared to other prey.

'A never-give-up spirit.'

Could "human nature" refer to an indomitable spirit that got back up even when knocked down?

No, I shook my head. It was too early to make a judgment.

The world of Space Survival was far from a place where human values thrived. It was more like a dystopian realm where all sorts of ruthless creatures roamed. The StarUnion enslaved people and turned them into machines, while Megacorp genetically modified genes without hesitation, creating monsters. In such a world, there couldn't possibly be a trait that extolled human potential.

'What should I do?'

I decided to narrow down my thinking. If the Predation Effect had been triggered, then this trait would directly affect me.

'Let's first look at the advantages it offers.'

Perhaps 'human nature' was a trait that influenced the mind. In that case, it likely fell into the category of enhancing psychic abilities since most traits related to psychic powers had a strong connection with the mind or telekinesis. These types of traits were not easy to acquire, so having one was an advantage.

'Now, the drawbacks…'

This was a new trait, so I had no idea what effects it would have. If it enhanced human emotions, such as ethics or compassion, it would be a negative trait for me.

I was an Amorph, a species that could only evolve by consuming other beings. If I suddenly couldn't eat human flesh, it would be a significant problem. It wouldn't just halt my growth; it would pose a considerable threat to my survival.

'The risk is too great. Let's reject it.'

As I considered canceling the trait acquisition, a faint tingling sensation ran along my jawline.

My auxiliary systems were warning me to reconsider my choice.

'Predator's sense?'

Since this was an unprecedented occurrence, I suspected that my Predator sense had been triggered. However, even after waiting, the future foresight effect did not activate.

So, this warning was entirely based on my auxiliary systems or an instinct inherent to Amorphs. It was ironic that, as a human, I considered 'human nature' unimportant, while my Amorph side emphasized its significance.

Nevertheless, I couldn't ignore the warning from my auxiliary systems. In the game, I might be an expert, but in reality, I was still inexperienced. If my Amorph body hadn't assisted me, survival would have been impossible.

"Is this really that important?"

I asked silently, but my auxiliary systems remained silent, the tendrils under my jaw offering no response.

'Should I accept it or not…'

I would have preferred to delay my decision, but unfortunately, that wasn't possible. If I didn't accept it, the acquisition would be canceled after ten minutes. While reality might differ from the game, I had no desire to test it.

'…Let's accept it.'

After much contemplation, I decided to accept the 'human nature' trait.

I intended to fill the psychic abilities category, but since the auxiliary systems granted this trait specifically to me, I couldn't easily dismiss it. My trust in these tiny tendrils that had never forced a risky choice on me before made me choose to believe in them once more.

Upon accepting it, the semi-transparent text box emitted a glow and disappeared.

And within my body…

'Everything seems normal.'

There was no sudden rush of strange thoughts, overwhelming guilt, or any other unusual sensations. My body and mind felt the same as usual.

I reactivated the text box.

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

[Psychic Enhancement Type (3/6)]

As expected, 'human nature' was classified as a Psychic-related trait. Now, I had three psychic-related traits: Predator's Intuition, Psychic Organ, and Human Nature. To obtain a type, I needed to collect three more psychic-related traits.

I examined the details of the 'human nature' trait.

[Human Nature: Assists in making the right judgment at critical moments.

*Note: May your choices hold value.]

'…Vague.'

Even after reading the description, I couldn't grasp its effect. I decided that further contemplation would be futile and closed the text box.

'Let's focus on the fact that we've fulfilled the type condition.'

Regaining my composure, I looked ahead, and there was Number 26, waiting for me. Its color seemed off, indicating it might be feeling uneasy.

｢Hey Baby, are you okay?｣

[ZZZ (Why wouldn't I be?)]

｢You weren't moving, so I got worried.｣

Seemingly concerned about me just standing there, I gently stroked Number 26. It returned to its usual pink hue, evidently relieved.

'Who's worrying about whom?'

After picking up the Sonic Blade the pirate had been carrying, I hoisted Number 26 onto my shoulder.

Throughout the workout room, there were traces of the pirates' scavenging, left in the wake of their fear. Of course, I had no intention of letting them escape.

***

***

The pirate was cowering inside one of the lockers in the changing room.

At first, there were several bursts of laser gunshots followed by silence. Thinking that the chief engineer had eliminated the threat, he felt relieved. But that wasn't the case; the chief engineer had failed, and the intruder was still alive.

A while ago, screams from his colleagues hiding in the shower room had reached his ears. Their cries for mercy didn't last long.

The pirate gulped down his saliva and tightly gripped the laser rifle. He couldn't understand why he had to endure such pain.

Even though he was a pirate, he hadn't engaged in more heinous or malicious acts than others. Stripping the scalps of the rich or committing crimes against women and killing were common deeds among pirates. He had merely lived as a pirate should.

"Lord Subcommander, please have mercy…"

Since becoming a pirate, he had never uttered the name of the StarUnion's Lord Subcommander. He was no longer a cyborg of the StarUnion; he was now a member of the Dvara Cartel. But as he faced imminent death, he unconsciously acted as he had in his youth.

At that moment, the sound of a door opening reached his ears. It seemed like someone was moving something heavy, breaking the stillness of the changing room.

The door closed, leaving an unpleasant silence to linger in the changing room. An invisible terror crept into the pirate's chest, making it feel as if cold sweat were pouring down his back.

He's inside the changing room. Is the pirate waiting to spring a trap on me? Despite likely being a biological entity, he didn't make a single sound. His inhuman appearance only deepened the cyborg's fear.

As He waited for the pirate to emerge, he finally moved when the pirate didn't show up. Thud, thud followed his footsteps a few times, and then he began opening the lockers one by one.

Creak!

Slam!

The pirate felt like his heart was about to explode. The sound was getting closer. Finally, the man reached the locker adjacent to his hiding place.

Through the bars of the locker, he caught a vague glimpse of the man.

Brownish skin, closer to black, a beast with teeth stained by the blood of his comrades. There was a strong scent of blood emanating from the man.

The man lingered briefly in front of him and then disappeared.

As the foul smell of blood drifted away, the cyborg pirate breathed a sigh of relief.

He thought to himself, 'Once this looting is over, I need to sneak away. Boss Elchen won't spare me, but the universe is vast. If I escape into the StarUnion's territory, even the Dvara Cartel won't be able to touch me.'

While contemplating his escape, a sudden thunderous noise echoed, and he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen.

When he lowered his head, he saw a long spear piercing through the locker's door and through his belly. The spear, or rather the man's tail, was pulled out of his abdomen and slipped outside.

Four hands tore the door open. The sight of the man's mouth gaping wide was the last thing the pirate saw before his consciousness faded.

***

'Why were you trying to hide?'

The cyborg who dared to deceive my senses had his limbs severed by my combat arms and died. Eating his flesh brought me closer to completing my evolutionary requirements.

'Now, I just need one more.'

Among the twelve cyborgs who had boarded this ship, only one remained. According to my nest's data, he was in the bridge command center.

'Of course, it had to be the command center.'

The command center was home to someone I'd rather not face—an engineered human likely from the Yujin family.

'Should I start with the Boss?'

Exiting the workout room with Number 26, my auxiliary systems urgently sent me a danger signal. I quickly propelled myself to the ceiling.

Almost simultaneously, a massive fist struck the spot where I had been. The impact left a hole in the alloy plate, as if it had been hit by plasma energy.

"Found you! You son of a bitch!"

The perpetrator of this immense display of strength was the pirate boss, a hulk mutant.

I knew he'd be big, but seeing him in person, his imposing presence was truly remarkable.

Standing over three meters tall, all muscle with no hint of fat, and even red fur around his neck, reminiscent of a wild animal. His appearance was terrifying, like one of the Four Heavenly Kings guarding a Buddha.

"That damn bastard killed my subordinates?"

Behind the roaring leader were his subordinates and the medical team. I knew they had survived, but I never expected them to join the pirates' side.

'Well, this works out nicely.'

I had planned to devour the boss first anyway, and he had come to me instead.

If he was a hulk mutant, he likely possessed valuable genes. It wouldn't hurt to replenish my genetic essence before dealing with the formidable opponent.

I leaped down from the ceiling.

[ZZZZ (Stay hidden for a moment)]

｢Danger! Be careful!｣

[ZZZZ ZZZZ ZZZZ (Don't worry)]

｢Baby, stay safe!｣

After reassuring Number 26, I sent it away. It remained motionless, blending into the wall with its camouflage ability. However, I still sensed its underlying unease.

Seeing the worried 26 in its shrunken state made me want to laugh, but unfortunately, my Amorph physiology didn't allow for it.

Confirming that 26 had hidden itself, I turned to face the Boss.

At just over five feet tall, I estimated the boss to be roughly twice my height. To an onlooker, I must have appeared significantly disadvantaged.

'A genetically enhanced Hulk mutant, huh? Let's see what you've got.'

I savored the sight of the hulk mutant, who was like a treasure trove of genetic essence.

***

***

"Hey, shouldn't we go too?"

"The boss asked to protect garlic, remember?"

"Damn, I was happy because he said he'd reward us for it, but damn it…"

Bridge command center.

The pirates were debating whether or not to go help the boss. In the eyes of the grumbling cyborg pirates, they saw Garlic working diligently.

She was tinkering with the main computer equipped with central AI.

"Hey, Garlic, how much longer?"

"It's, it's almost done."

"Why's it taking so long for that pile of junk to do something?"

It was a humorous situation, but cyborg pirates, despite being half-machine, were total novices when it came to computers and advanced machinery.

Like most of the lower-class citizens in the StarUnion, he too had focused more on worldly matters than on high-tech fields like robotics, nano-computing, and the like.

"Even though it's next-gen tech, it's the AI of the MegaCorp Battleship. It's practically the essence of space engineering and computer science. It's not going to be that easy…"

"Ah, I don't know those fancy words. Let's just wrap this up and go help the boss."

The cyborg interrupted Garlic's attempt to provide a detailed explanation with a wave of his hand. Disinterested, the pirates returned to their idle chit-chat.

To them, Garlic smiled awkwardly and then refocused on her work. Well, at least she pretended to.

In her face, which she had turned, you couldn't find the inexperienced look she had shown earlier. The pupils behind her round glasses were colder than the inorganic masses surrounding them.

'Arnold did a great job.'

Thanks to the sacrifice of the minion, she could see that he was evolving.

He had appeared in the command center twice. Both times, he had deployed smoke to conceal himself, but she easily read his transformation.

Her eyes and spatial perception were far superior, thanks to genetic modifications. Among the genes transplanted into her, there was one called 'Terror Devil'.

The Terror Devil was a type of desert-dwelling dragon. Due to the extremely harsh living conditions, this dragon's sensory abilities had evolved in a unique direction.

The Terror Devil could comprehensively analyze various factors, such as changes in the surrounding terrain, subtle vibrations on the sand's surface, and more, to determine the presence of hidden prey. Its accuracy was nearly 100%, which is why the indigenous people of the planet referred to it as 'clairvoyance.'

Of course, it wasn't actually 'seeing' what was hidden behind obstacles but rather mentally 'reconstructing' what was behind them based on the gathered information.

MegaCorp's scientists concluded that this 'clairvoyance' ability was possible due to innate psychic powers inherent in the Terror Devil's genes.

Anyway, she used the Terror Devil's ability to discern that the creature in the video was evolving.

When the guy reappeared for the second time in the command center, he had a much thicker outer shell.

Her estimate was that he could withstand up to two hits.

'The guy raided the lab midway through the experiment.'

She was currently reviewing the lab data through the ship's main computer. The computer-illiterate pirates were oblivious to the fact that she had already completed all the checks a long time ago.

'He's not just smart…'

Based on the sample loss report sent by the lab's control AI, she could tell that he had wiped out every last trace without leaving anything behind.

He had specifically targeted genetic samples, leaving all other chemicals and materials untouched.

That meant he knew exactly what abilities he possessed and how to utilize them effectively.

'A creature that absorbs genes and evolves… Is that it?'

She knew of a similar entity, one that shared her kind.

'Like my own kind.'

That was her conclusion.

The creature, who plundered and utilized the genes of other organisms, was similar to her in that respect.

'Elchen won't be able to handle this.'

He was merely a monstrous entity enhanced by the will of others. A paltry being who had no idea what was inside his own body.

He could never defeat the mastermind of life who manipulated the origins of living beings at will.

She shut down the computer. Somehow, a smile crept onto her lips.

She would never admit it, but her expression bore a resemblance to the enigmatic smile that her unidentified enemies often displayed.

It was the smirk of a predator circling its prey when it spotted it.

'That old man in the basement was annoying, but surprisingly, he's been quite productive.'

When she had her conversation with her faithful servant, Arnold, she had never dreamed of such an exciting turn of events.

The death of Noble Capital and Akira Yujin's orders to her, the arrival of the Dvara Cartel on this research vessel—everything had gone according to her plan. But the presence of this creature had been unexpected.

"Garlic, are you finished?"

"If you're done, let's go."

The pirates called out to her, but she didn't respond. She had no further business with these pirates. When the mission was over, she had to infiltrate another organization that was part of C-08.

'I should reduce the number of genes he can acquire as well.'

She, too, was an entity that consumed the origins of life, so she understood.

She didn't know the exact method he used to plunder genes, but she knew that even if she wanted to obtain genes, she couldn't if there were no traces left behind.

She got up from her seat.

The timidity that had haunted her until now was nowhere to be found. The woman standing there was entirely different. In place of timidity and gloom, there was now the fierceness and allure that one could feel from a giant feline or a predator.

"Hmm?"

Her former 'colleagues' seemed to sense their impending fate as they hesitated. She slowly removed her inconspicuous glasses.

In the Dvara Cartel, she was known as Garlic. She had many other names.

Her enemies in the MegaCorp referred to her as the 'Spiral Witch'. In her family, they called her the Shadow and revered her.

The head of the family, Akira Yujin, referred to her as 'Code White'.

Once upon a time, her father used to call her Si-hyun. The essence of genetic engineering from the Yujin family, the sole heir of an obscure lineage within the family.

Sling…

Drawing a white blade from the back of her hand, Si-hyun Yujin smiled as she gazed at the 'sheep.'

***

***

I silently observed the beast in front of me. The boss, too, opted to assess my movements from his position rather than rush in recklessly.

It was a battle of beasts. Before revealing our fangs and claws, we were in the midst of a reconnaissance phase. Much like human combat, the outcome hinged on whose strategy was superior and whose weapon posed a greater threat.

Was it due to nervousness or the anticipation of the fight? The acidic blood coursing through my veins seemed to boil, and my skin grew hot.

'So, this is what this sensation feels like.'

It was a sensation I couldn't experience while playing games. If I were in a human body, I might have licked my dry lips.

The opponent's muscles tensed. With just one stomp on the ground, the creature surged towards me, charging as if its prey were right under its nose. A creature of substantial size didn't necessarily mean it was slow.

The floor shattered under the force of the creature's punch, and metal fragments scattered into the air. The sight of white shards soaring through the air resembled a flock of startled birds in the wind.

Twisting my body to evade the attack, I dove inside the creature.

Had my movements felt more agile than expected? Retrieving the fist that had smashed the floor seemed sluggish.

I had no intention of showing mercy to the creature. I aimed straight for its belly with my combat arm.

"Ha!"

It seemed I wasn't the only one who had predicted the opponent's attack. The creature, too, lifted its knee to neutralize my strike.

My tail clung to the creature's shoulder, but it chose evasion over blocking.

With enough force to leave footprints behind, the creature slammed into an alloy panel. The three-meter giant was pushed back quite a distance into the air.

But the creature hadn't merely retreated. During the exchange of blows, it had secretly planted pulse grenades.

When the first attack had missed, I assumed it had stiffened in surprise, but in reality, it was a feint to set up the bomb throw.

As soon as I realized this, the grenades exploded, generating a powerful electromagnetic field that swept over my body.

'Ugh.'

There was nothing wrong with my body, but the psychic device attached to the back of my head tingled as if I had just eaten something spicy.

A pulse grenade was thrown assuming I was a combat android, although it turned out to be incorrect. Not a bad sense. With this level of skill, finding an adversary might prove difficult.

"Tsk. It's not one of StarUnion's new weapons."

The boss clicked his tongue as if he weren't pleased. It seemed that through our brief exchange, he had come to realize that I was not an easy opponent.

"…Damn. Where did this monster come from?"

The boss cursed under his breath as he reached for the laser pistol at his waist. It was an enhanced laser pistol, but due to his massive build, it looked like he was carrying a slightly longer handgun.

After a moment of contemplation, he released his grip on the pistol.

It was a wise decision. While it had more destructive power compared to conventional firearms, it was still just a laser weapon.

All of his subordinates had laser pistols and had just failed. Since I had confirmed that I was unharmed in the recent exchange, it was reasonable for him to assume that laser weapons wouldn't be effective against me.

He roughly swiped his hand through his mane, revealing a switch on the right side of his neck.

"The berserk switch."

It seemed he chose to trust his own fists rather than rely on weapons. With fingers almost the size of a beer can, he halted just before pressing the switch.

"Hey. Do you understand me?"

It was unexpected. Until now, none of the beings I had encountered had tried to communicate with me, except for 26. They had only left messages like not wanting to die or begging for their lives. I wasn't sure what his intentions were, but he had piqued my interest. I lowered my threatening tail slightly, and in response, he raised the corners of his mouth in what looked like a grin.

"I planted a bomb in the reactor. The control device is synced with my heart. If you kill me, this ship will explode, and everyone will die."

'A bomb?'

I glanced at the medical officer behind the boss. His pale complexion and the way he wiped sweat from his forehead with his sleeve indicated that the boss's words were not a lie. While the bomb's installation was a fact, what mattered was whether the boss would detonate it.

'He seems quite attached to life.'

With high intelligence, superhuman physique, and arrogance, there were no elements to lower his will to survive.

"…!"

Without explaining the topic he brought up, he pressed the switch in silence.

It signaled the beginning of the transformation unique to Hulk mutants.

The arrangement of genes within cells shifted, and the body contorted. Bones that should have been inside burst through the flesh and spilled outward, while blood that should have circulated within veins poured out. The surface of the skin emitted vapor due to the inner energy's agitation. Muscles swelled, tearing apart the clothing they covered.

'This sensation… I've never felt it in a game.'

Even in his normal state, he looked far from human, but completing the transformation into the berserk state turned him into an outright monster. Compared to before, his arms had grown much longer. Not only that, but bones protruded from inside and transformed into armor-like shapes that wrapped around his arms, resembling small shields.

This bone armor extended to other parts of his body, such as his head and legs. After the transformation, he resembled a gorilla wearing armor more than a human. Near his chest, an exoskeleton, similar to mine, had developed, providing protection to his vital areas.

The difference was that the material covering his chest appeared to be alloy. The exoskeleton that emerged from his back and enveloped his entire chest gave the impression of steel spiders encasing his torso.

With bone bursting from the skin, blood pouring out due to the outburst, the abnormally long arms, and more, it wouldn't be wrong to say that he looked like a creation playing tricks on its creator.

'He's not just randomly messing with genes.'

Looking at this guy, who was in fact a backward compatible version of Amorph, I guessed the genes that went into his body.

First, the bone exterior covering his arms, which would likely become his main weapon. I had a suspicion about the origin of this biological feature.

'It's probably from a Mountain Crawler.'

Mountain Crawlers were predators that shared their habitat with RockWalkers. They looked like a blown-up version of an armored skunk, about 10 meters in size. Their tough exterior earned them the nickname "Rock's Dragon," and they were notorious even in the game.

The boss seemed to have selected only the best genes from these Rock's Dragons for himself. He tore off the ragged clothing that had become rags during his transformation.

The Hulk mutant, standing at the boundary between savagery and rationality, pounded his chest and roared.

"Gwaaaah!"

Rumble! rumble!

A pure, destruction-driven scream echoed, mingling with Amorph's resonance. My body, too, shivered as I felt the approaching bloodshed and violence under my skin.

'Come.'

In the darkness of space, monsters roared, announcing the beginning of the battle.

***

***

The medical officer couldn't blink his eyes.

So this is what a beast fighting arena operated by the StarUnion looks like.

Two monsters are now facing each other under the watchful gaze of the stars.

His new owner, Elchen Dvara, seemed like a machine from hell cast by a demon. Abnormally long and massive arms, aggressively flailing red fur, alloy gloves adorned with dried blood and flesh. There was not a single element that wasn't ominous.

A monster daring to confront the machine of hell. His gaze turned to the opposite side.

There, a ghost was present.

With a color close to black-brown, an exoskeleton covering the head and chest, a mass of tentacles resembling hair, four arms giving the impression of human bones clad in armor, and a tail almost twice the size of the body.

The medical officer knew very well how many souls that black ghost had devoured. The dying cries of soldiers before his eyes still echoed in his ears.

The machine of hell and the ghostly butcher.

The massive and sturdy monster and the agile and tough one rushed towards each other.

***

Every time the creature took a step, the corridor of the ship vibrated. The approaching boss swiftly raised his arms.

The bone shield covering his arms flew towards my head to break it. I leaned my head down to avoid the blow, and I shot my tail toward him.

Just as my flexible tail was about to pierce his chest, I hesitated.

'Bomb!'

Hesitation during battle is strictly forbidden. The boss did not miss my weakness. The shockwave from his rock-hard fist turned the corridor into a battlefield, shattering the lights hanging from the ceiling one by one.

"What?!"

The boss seemed equally confused as I was. Since the toughest parts of my body are my chest and head, targeting them would have been an effective attack.

I had already withdrawn my body.

He laughed confidently. He seemed to believe that my attacks were useless and that there were no weaknesses in his body.

Considering the current situation, he wasn't entirely wrong. There weren't many places I could target when a chest attack was impossible. The bone armor surrounding his arms and legs was tougher than my enhanced body. Unless I used a plasma weapon, I couldn't penetrate it. Even if I aimed for the parts not covered by bones, he would do whatever it took to defend himself.

'But…'

Currently, there were two things he didn't know.

One was that I had the 'Neurotoxin Glands' trait. If I succeeded in stabbing him anywhere on his body, the fight would be over.

'He already seems to have guessed it, though.'

The boss is particularly focused on my tail. Even before going berserk, when I aimed for him with my tail, he chose to dodge rather than block it. I'm not sure if it's an instinct from the wild or if he obtained information in the situation room, but he seems to be aware that my tail is dangerous.

'But what to do with this?'

He might not know, but I can extract poison from my teeth and claws. If I break through his exterior and attack, I'll win.

So, how can I penetrate the tough exterior that the boss relies on so firmly?

While the boss is concentrating on my four arms and tail, there is actually one more weapon in my arsenal.

The small arms near my chest are holding a thin rod, the Sonic Blade. I picked it up just in case from the gym, but I didn't expect to use it so soon.

The Sonic Blade excels in cutting power alone. It might break when I strike the bone exterior, but that doesn't matter. Once I make a wound on the armor, the rest will be no problem. No matter how thick and huge a dam is, it will collapse with a small crack.

The moment when fortune smiles upon me is when a crack appears in his iron fortress.

"That's it!"

The boss leaped. Thanks to his enhanced reflexes, he jumped at an unbelievable height and lunged at me.

I used all six of my arms and legs to quickly get out of the way. The place where I was standing was destroyed, and the corridor shook.

'Fast and strong.'

He's fast because he has mixed various genes, but his movements are incredibly fast. Even though he's using all limbs except for his small arms to evade, it's still quite close. Usually, fast movements come at the expense of strength, but he doesn't compromise on either.

'Of course, there's no such thing as perfection.'

Hulk mutants have a persistent weakness. I have to endure until that weakness comes to the surface.

As we rushed through the ship's hull, we entered a massive space. The rusted smell of damp metal permeated the cargo containers. This is the world I first faced when I opened my eyes – a cargo container.

All six legs strained, and my body soared in height. As I roamed above the containers, shouts from below reached my ears.

"Arrogant!"

As if to say that such things can't stop him, he plowed straight into the containers. Rectangular metal blocks weighing several tons each tumbled in a chaotic manner. Grating steel plates on the floor danced in the air in response.

Bugs hidden everywhere suddenly appeared in response to the impending catastrophe. After catching a cockroach fleeing, I hid my body behind a container.

Facing such overwhelming power, direct confrontation is difficult. The only option I have here is to wait.

'I'm waiting.'

I've done more than just run away so far. Hulk mutants consume a lot of energy and have a short 'rest period' in the middle of exertion. If I keep pushing him to use his strength recklessly, even if he doesn't want to, his body will be forced to stop the attack.

'There's not much time left.'

The auxiliary unit tells me that the chemical reactions and energy regulation mechanisms occurring inside his body, which are in close proximity, are revealing the optimal timing for my attack.

The auxiliary unit tells me that there are two hearts in his body, and they regulate their output appropriately.

'Speaking of which, he has two hearts.'

Where is the detonation device connected? Hulk mutants' main hearts are usually on the left, so it's likely on the left, but he's a wicked monster. I'm not sure which side it's on.

While I was briefly distracted by thoughts of the heart, he spotted me and charged.

"Aaaagggghhhh!"

'This is bad.'

A fist filled with unimaginable power, capable of throwing containers weighing over ten tons like toys, grazed my shoulder.

The throbbing pain surged, but it wasn't unbearable, so I immediately retaliated.

My tail struck between his joints, like a spear thrust by a master of spear fighting, into the part of his body not protected by bones.

"Bastard!"

He quickly bent his arm, causing my attack to fail. Before he could charge at me again, I quickly moved backward, and a container crashed down where I had been standing.

"Damn it! Running away, you cowardly bug!"

'That was a mistake. Let's not fixate on the heart.'

I shouldn't fall into his trap. I moved out of his line of sight and focused all my senses on the auxiliary unit.

He was breathing heavily, like an angry bear. At first glance, he appeared to be operating normally with no issues. But I could tell. The components that make up his body are demanding rest due to overload.

Carefully crawling up onto the container, I saw him smashing everything in sight.

"Grr, grr…"

Steam rose between the exposed muscle fibers on his skin. It was a result of the heat generated while cooling his body down.

Normally, he should have stopped and taken a break during his activity, but he didn't. Compared to before, he had slowed down, but that tremendous strength remained unchanged.

'An improved Hulk Mutant with reduced weaknesses.'

Nevertheless, he hadn't eliminated the rest period. I seized the opportunity and pushed with all my strength against the container.

My body became an arrow tearing through the air. In the dimly lit cargo container, with my skin blending in, it seemed like he noticed me a moment too late.

"Die!"

He stood there, tearing away the grating floor with both hands.

Massive projectiles, heavier than ten tons each, flew towards me. With the acute senses typical of an Amorph and the assistance of my auxiliary unit, I calculated the trajectory of these menacing obstacles.

My foot stepped on crushed and torn alloy plates. Leaping from mid-air, I nimbly navigated the metallic staircase that had been created. I quickly closed the distance between us.

"What?! How dare you!"

While he was momentarily taken aback by my incredible reflexes, he didn't lose his momentum. As I landed in front of him, he raised both hands high, intending to smash me down like a sledgehammer.

The auxiliary unit warned me that the enemy's strength was formidable. I was well aware. He's the kind of guy who can throw containers weighing over 10 tons as if they were toys. The power in both his hands was beyond ordinary.

In the blink of an eye, I made a decision.

'Full-speed charge.'

If I avoid it now, I don't know when the next opportunity will come. He's a cunning adversary.

Once he exposes a weakness, he'll do whatever it takes to conceal it next time. Therefore, the opportunity is now. Trusting in my head, which can withstand the plasma weapon twice, I have to go all out.

His two fists collided with my head. In that brief moment, a tremendous energy mixture of mass, velocity, and power pressed down on my body. Because of the energy that my head hadn't managed to release, my foot pierced the floor, and part of the skin on my leg tore apart.

'Ugh.'

I managed to block it with the thickest part of my body, but it was still an incredible force.

Dizzying pain and shock shook me.

'…But still, it's not unbearable.'

He had lost his current position while swinging both hands to strike my head. Taking advantage of the opportunity I had been waiting for, my small arm activated the Sonic Blade. The thin, triangular blade protruded from the rod.

What I needed to sever was right in front of me.

My small arm swung the blade, cutting through the space between his joints, much like cutting paper. The weapon created a thin diagonal line on his arm, signifying the completion of its mission.

As my small arm finished its task, it wasn't playing around as a supplementary limb. Four of my arms firmly held onto his wrists.

"What?! What are you doing?!" he shouted.

I should answer his question with my mouth.

"Argh!"

My sharp teeth, like those of a shark, pierced the wound on his arm. The bones surrounding his arm were too strong, so my teeth only scratched the surface, but that didn't matter. The saliva from my mouth seeped into the shallow wound.

"Gyah!"

He violently shook his arm, tossing me aside. My body lost control, and I was wedged into a pile of containers.

"How dare you bite me? You… What?"

His voice trailed off, and he sounded somewhat drunk. His gaze shifted to the wound on his arm and then quickly to my face.

He seemed startled by the drool running down the corner of my mouth.

"H-How much…?"

He tried to use his other arm to forcefully tear at another injured area. Perhaps he was trying to cut off his arm, but the bone armor covering his body was too sturdy.

The protective wall that had shielded him was now his prison. The guy who failed to destroy the armor screamed in agony.

"M-My… Help me…"

He was a Hulk Mutant, and his complexion had turned deathly pale. Quite a sight.

He tried to retreat, but he couldn't get far. The neurotoxin was rapidly spreading through his body.

Thanks to the transformation, he was relatively resistant to paralysis. By this time, the poison should have spread throughout his entire body.

I approached him and stabbed him a few more times with my tail's poisonous stinger. After he was barely able to breathe, I removed the metal covering his chest. There, above his right chest, was a detonation device. It turned out to be a timer device that would activate upon receiving a strong impact, rather than a synchronized mechanism.

'That makes sense.'

He was a cunning one, so it felt like something he would do. If you know a thing or two about the Hulk Mutant, you would target the right heart first. That's because the Hulk Mutant

becomes significantly weaker when its auxiliary heart is destroyed. It's the part that controls the side effects caused by genetic manipulation, and losing the auxiliary heart can lead to the complete collapse of the body.

'If you've lost the auxiliary heart, it's already game over.'

Perhaps it was a matter of either choosing to die together or causing hesitation by indicating that a time limit had been set. Since he planted the bomb himself, he could simply end the fight quickly and go deactivate it in person.

Well, his plans were no longer important. It might take some time to disable the detonation device, but I could do it with my small hands. After that, all that was left was to savor the genetic essences contained within the Hulk Mutant's body.

｢Hey, Baby!｣

Someone called out, and when I turned around, it was Number 26.

[ZZZ (Stay hidden)]

｢Baby, something big is happening!｣

[ZZ (What?)]

Number 26's response seemed strange, like they were at a loss or terrified. I was about to ask why when suddenly my predator sense activated.

[The Galestorm strikes 26th.]

[The Galestorm came at me with unstoppable speed.]

[I died.]

'Crazy!'

I quickly rushed towards Number 26, grabbing it and rolling to the ground. At the same time, a lightning-like beam cut through the spot where Number 26 had been.

"Huh? you dodged it?"

If it weren't for the predator sense, both Number 26 and I would have died.

I raised my head, and I saw a person standing at the entrance to the cargo container. With a slender figure and long black hair, it was clear that the person was a woman.

'That's a woman?'

My auxiliary systems and Amoph's unique senses were blaring alarms like crazy.

'Do not confront that 'monster'.'

'…Si-hyun Yujin.'

The mysterious presence who had come aboard the ship with the pirates. The adversary I had been thinking about facing last had come looking for me.

"Future Vision, huh? Which gene is it? I'd like to hear it."

She casually chatted as she entered the cargo container. Despite her seemingly casual tone, she was prepared to strike at any moment.

In her hand, or rather the back of her hand, a white blade protruded.

It had a similar appearance to the boss's bone armor, but I knew exactly which gene had given rise to that blade.

'She mixed the genes of a White Gallagon with those of other high-level organisms.'

Obtaining such a gene was so difficult that I had contemplated whether it was worth acquiring as a genetic essence. Besides that, even the visible genetic traits alone were numerous, and all of them were rare and valuable features. In the game, players who modified themselves to this extent were only a step away from becoming rankers.

'I can't beat her in my current state.'

I need to retreat immediately, regroup, and prepare a strategy. However, she didn't give me the time to do so.

"You… Gar…?"

"Good job until now."

Kuk!

She approached the incapacitated boss and pierced the detonation device with her blade. The boss, who was also stabbed through the heart, spat out a large amount of blood before collapsing.

'Darn it.'

"We can't just let you run away, can we?"

The bomb timer had already started. I didn't know how much time was left, but it couldn't be much.

My intention to withdraw and prepare for an attack was thwarted.

'What should I do?'

However, engaging in combat without any information about the enemy would be suicidal. Fighting without knowing the opponent's combat sense and strategy would only result in defeat.

I cautiously observed the enemy, and she smiled broadly.

"I have a proposal."

'A proposal?'

With a relaxed attitude, Si-hyun smirked. It was an attitude I didn't particularly like, but my current situation was one of absolute disadvantage. For now, I needed to focus on how to strategize against her, rather than getting annoyed.

'What are those eyes? Are they Outspacer's observers? No, it's more likely to be a Terror Devil's possibility…'

"You seem somewhat similar to me, so I'll spare you."

'What?'

"If you serve me, in simple terms, you'll become my pet."

It sounded like an absurdity, but her expression was different from before. Even by observing her body's reactions through my auxiliary systems, I didn't get the sense that she was lying.

'…There's no need for her to lie.'

Just as I felt her strength, she knew that I was weaker than herself. That's why she was coming out with such a relaxed attitude.

"You also manipulate genes, don't you? I could be a suitable master for you."

'…'

"So, come with me."

Overwhelmingly strong, Si-hyun Yujin was telling me to serve her, to become her slave.

｢Baby…｣

Honestly, following Si-hyun's words would be a rational choice. The blade on her wrist was Gallgon's claw, with destructive power surpassing plasma weapons, and even my reinforced exterior couldn't withstand it.

Besides that, there are various weapons on her body that could easily kill me.

I approached her, using all six arms and legs, like a well-trained pet before its owner.

"That's right. It's the right decision."

'Don't be scared. I'm here.'

However, Si-hyun was overlooking one thing about me.

Why I liked Amorph and why I was immersed in this cheesy, useless character, earning me the nickname 'Amorph lover' in the community. She didn't know.

The reason I liked Amorph was simple: 'Freedom of choice'. I loved Amorph because it was a being that could become infinitely stronger through my 'choices'.

Therefore, my choice was already predetermined.

[ZZZ (It's okay)]

｢Baby.｣

When Si-hyun's face came close enough that I could clearly see her satisfied expression, I narrowed the distance further. I kicked my leg towards her face, using all six limbs for balance.

"!"

She quickly evaded my foot, but that wasn't my intention. I had been waiting for a brief opening. Acidic blood that had been flowing from my torn exterior splashed into her eyes.

"Huh?!"

A momentary gap was all I needed. I couldn't hurt her with acidic blood; it couldn't even harm a strand of her hair.

[ZZ (Hold tight)]

｢Yes!｣

While she was momentarily disoriented, I jumped with 26's support, using all six limbs to run away. I heard the sound of the cargo hold breaking apart from behind.

"Alright, let's have some fun! Hahaha!"

With her eyes closed, Si-hyun laughed like a maniac. She pulled out Gallagon's claws from both hands and slashed the containers as if they were tofu.

"Let's have some fun?"

Si-hyun Yujin was much stronger than me. Indeed, she was my first true enemy since I became Amorph. But I would show her that the outcome of a battle wasn't solely determined by strength.

-x-X-x-

'Fucking bastards…!'

The wreckage of the cargo container lay in ruins, and within it was Elchen. His auxiliary heart had been destroyed by the attack from Garlic, but he still had one more heart, which kept him from dying.

The problem was that his current state was barely hanging on, to say the least. The auxiliary heart played a role in stabilizing mutated Hulks injected with various genes. A Hulk mutant without an auxiliary heart would die shortly.

He was an improved being, so that saved him; otherwise, his body would have been collapsing.

'How dare you betray me? You damn bitch, I'll make you beg for death.'

In reality, what made him angrier than the threat of death was the presence of the traitor. He wanted to capture and tear apart that traitor's limbs right away, but there was something else to do first.

'Damn it. Of all times for the device to malfunction.'

Even a clever person like Garlic knew that it was a shock-trigger detonator, yet she didn't hesitate to break it. As a result, the timer attached to the nuclear reactor had already started. In exactly ten minutes, everyone on this ship would turn to dust.

'Do you think I'll die here? Don't make me laugh! Do you know who I am? I'm Elchen Dvara.'

Even in his paralyzed state, he struggled with all his might. It was his unwavering determination to survive by any means necessary.

***

｢Baby, are you alright?｣ 26 asked as we ran. I could feel the little guy trembling in his small hand.

[ZZZZ (I'm already healed)]

｢Really?｣

I had the 'Regeneration' trait, so I could quickly restore my damaged exterior, which had been torn slightly. There were still injuries on my legs, but the bleeding had stopped.

While gently stroking Number 26 with my small hand, I contemplated how to attack Si-hyun.

'A surprise attack will probably be difficult.'

Her eyes, the Terrors' eyes, had the ability to see through things. Even if I tried to hide, she would probably see through it quickly. Moreover, from what I could tell, Si-hyun seemed to have an ability beyond just seeing through things.

'I can feel her presence.'

Si-hyun had pushed me into a corner where I had to follow her. In that case, I had no choice but to go along with it for now.

'Let's start by eliminating the negatives.'

There were three disadvantages working against me: the time limit, weaker attack and defense compared to the enemy, and lack of information.

'I can't do much about the time limit right now. I have to focus on killing her.'

'Information scarcity can only be solved by confronting her directly.'

If I had been a player who favored other races, I might have been defeated by her, but I was an Amorph player. The only people who knew more about the genetic traits than I did were the developers.

'So, what's left is my attack and defense…'

I considered going back to the control room to devour the cyborg, but that had its own problems. When I evolved to the next stage, my body would be completely immobilized for a minimum of several hours. If the bomb went off or I was discovered during that time, it would be over.

'I'll have to put my evolution on hold… Oh.'

Thinking about evolution reminded me of something.

'The Psyonium!'

If I consumed Psyonium, I could use the abilities of Pre-saint for a short period of time. Si-hyun possessed Gallagon's Claw, which allowed her to release a plasma-like energy called Windstorm, commonly known as 'Sword Qi' in the game. I had no resistance to Psychic Powers right now, so I couldn't counter Gallagon's Claw.

However, what if I become a Pre-saint here? If I become an ascendant, I gain the Psychic Power Resistance trait as an evolution bonus. If she's really Gallagon, I'm not sure, but if she only transplanted Gallagon's claw, I should be able to withstand it with my exterior.

'Plus, I'll gain a long-range attack method.'

While I have the Serrated Tentacles, they could only be used for mid-range deterrence at best. Facing off against Si-hyun's Gallagon Claw with my tentacles would be inadequate. Moreover, our senses were linked, so if I extended my tentacles recklessly, she could easily counterattack.

'Pre-saint's long-range attacks don't have such a drawback.'

If we were to nitpick, perhaps it consumed more energy? Anyway, I had to fight before the Psyonium's effect wore off. There was no need to pay attention to energy.

I arrived at the lab nest and set 26 down.

[ZZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZZZZZ (Just wait a moment).]

｢Where are you going?｣

[ZZZZ ZZ ZZZZ ZZZZZZ (I'll keep an eye on it, don't worry).]

｢Little one, it's not okay.｣

[Zoom, zoom, zoom (Don't worry about it).]

Despite my words, the little one didn't move. It seemed like it had something to say but couldn't bring himself to say it. Normally, I would have waited until it was ready to speak, but I didn't have time for that now.

I left it behind and approached the lab refrigerator. Inside was a violet liquid. I pulled it out and swallowed it in one gulp.

'Ugh!'

The searing pain coursing through my body felt as though I was being consumed by flames. Even during the times when they had forcibly administered medication to Number 26, the pain seemed far more intense than anything I had experienced before.

In the game, consuming Psyonium only resulted in a buff effect appearing at the top of the screen, but here, it was reality. I had to endure the process of my body being forcibly mutated by the drug.

Pain surged from my joints as if someone was forcibly pulling and stretching my bones, and my muscles felt like they were being inflated like balloons, tearing apart. The exterior covering my body also became significantly heavier.

In the face of excruciating pain, I kneeled down instinctively. I almost screamed, but I bit down on my lips to hold it in.

'…I can't pass out from this.'

How much time had passed? The pain that made me feel like I was undergoing several years' worth of growth pains slowly subsided.

I successfully completed the transformation. I got up.

'Success.'

Some of the changes in my abilities were visible. The reinforced exoskeleton I gained from the metamorph's bonus had upgraded to a 'Monster Skeleton'. My height had increased significantly due to the overlap with the Chitinous Exoskeleton trait. I was now slightly over 2 meters tall. The tail had grown longer, nearly reaching 4 meters.

'And I have horns now.'

On my head, where the exoskeleton covered, magnificent horns resembling those of a yak had grown. Like the exoskeleton, the horns were made of chitinous material and had been reinforced, making them incredibly tough and sharp. Previously, the exoskeleton on my head had served only to protect my body, but now that I had horns, I could actively use them to charge or stab enemies.

When I checked my arms and legs, they appeared much thicker than before. One notable detail was the faint violet shine on the surface of my exoskeleton.

'The Psychic Power Barrier.'

While the ability was in effect, a protective barrier that defended against Psychic Powers enveloped my body. This would shield me against Si-hyun's Gallagon Claw.

'And lastly, the Thorn Bone Launcher.'

My left lower arm had transformed into a different shape than before. Instead of four fingers, there were long, rod-like structures below my wrist. They resembled gun barrels and served as a type of biological gun.

'Instead of bullets, it shoots thorn bones.'

It's a system where thorn bones generated within the body are fired through small holes at the end of the barrel. It may not seem like much at first glance, but the Thorn Bone Launcher has some significant advantages.

'The piercing power of the thorn bones is comparable to a plasma pistol.'

While the damage itself is not high, the piercing capability is immense, making it ideal for fighting heavily armored opponents. If I had faced the boss as an ascendant, she would have turned into a beehive as soon as the fight started.

'Plus, I can apply special effects to the thorn bones.'

Just like the Contamination Organ, I can shoot acidic bones or poison bones. In other words, it's like having a gun that allows me to choose the ammunition I want.

Although the number of Contamination Organs that spit out spores has decreased, unless I specialize in nests, this might actually be an advantage.

With that, the inspection of my new abilities was complete. The last thing I needed to check was the time limit.

'I probably have about 5 minutes left.'

In the game, the Psyonium time limit was 5 minutes.

It's not much time at all. I need to finish the fight as quickly as possible.

Just as I had finished all preparations, I sensed Si-hyun approaching within my detection range.

I linked to the nest and activated all the spores along her path. I needed to drain her as much as possible before fighting. Fortunately, becoming an ascendant seemed to make spore activation much faster and more accurate than my previous attempts.

'She's coming.'

With a loud boom, the entire spaceship trembled. If she encountered the mucus threatening her in the corridor, it should have been destroyed all at once.

I disconnected the link and immediately picked up 26, who had been standing next to me. The little one, who had been lost in some unknown worries until a moment ago, suddenly blinked in amazement as it saw my increased size.

｢Wow! The baby has grown again!｣

[ZZZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZZZ (I'm going to jump, so hold on tight).]

｢Wow!｣

I was headed to the location where the bombs were placed, namely the reactor. It was an extremely sensitive area, and even if she had absorbed a lot of genes, surviving a nuclear explosion was impossible. She would find it difficult to fight properly in the vicinity of the reactor.

I was running with 26 in my arms when she appeared in the corridor ahead.

"Where are you going?"

She had coated herself in acidic mucus, leaving her almost half-naked, but there wasn't a scratch on her. She pulled out Gallagon's claws from both hands as she stared at me.

'Danger!'

I quickly threw 26 behind me. I had no reason to feel sorry for it. Her attack had already begun.

With a loud noise, a white blade cut through the air, and a crescent-shaped energy blade formed in mid-air. The blade struck my body with pinpoint accuracy, like a guided missile. It collided with my shield, causing sparks of violet light to fly, and then there was a sizzle at the point of impact.

'Ugh.'

There was some pain because the shield didn't completely block it, but it wasn't too deep, and I could heal it with my regeneration ability.

"Oh?"

Si-hyun tilted her head in surprise. Apparently, she found it strange that I was unharmed.

I was just as surprised as she was.

'I shouldn't be able to see it normally.'

One of the reasons Gallagon's claws were terrifying was that their attack trajectory couldn't be seen. You had to predict where the attack was coming from just by looking at what the enemy was swinging, making it quite challenging.

I had never imagined that there might be a function like a Psyonium Organ because I had never encountered an enemy with such an ability in the game.

I had gained unexpected information, but now was a fighting situation. I will think about this later. I charged at her.

My enhanced legs slammed into the corridor. The combination of Type, Traits, and Evolution Status made my charge explosive.

Like a missile fired from a silo, my body shot towards Si-hyun. My movements were faster than she expected, and her pupils slightly dilated.

I had intended to pierce her abdomen with my horn, but she was no pushover. As she pulled out Gallagon's claws from her other arm, she deflected my horn.

"Ha-ha-ha! That won't work!"

I knew that too. Her posture had slightly faltered, but there was no sign of pain on her face.

However, my attack wasn't over yet. With my tail wrapped around her, pinning her in place, my left lower arm aimed directly at her head.

"Huh?"

'Fire.'

With the sound of twanging piano strings, a spike shot out from the end of the barrel attached to my wrist. The spike was aimed directly at her head, but she hastily used the Gallagon's claw to block it just before it could pierce through.

"Nice try, but not enough to take me down."

With those words, she struck my tail with Gallagon's claw, anticipating my counterattack. I had already started to retract my tail in preparation.

At that moment, her black hair glowed red.

'Red hair? Wait a minute, could it be?'

I quickly distanced myself from her, but I was slightly too late. For a very brief moment, less than a second, a drowsy sensation washed over my entire body. As I woke up from what felt like a dream, excruciating pain surged from my tail.

I managed to regain my composure and retract my tail, but it had been severed by almost a third of its circumference.

'Wait a minute, that's the ability of the Red Mist!'

The Red Mist was the apex predator that inhabited the jungle-type planets. It resembled a jaguar with red fur and could emit pheromones from its fur that induced hallucinations. On the surface, it might not seem like much, but once you were affected by those pheromones, there was no escaping, making it an extremely threatening ability. The only solution was to keep a distance to minimize the hallucination effect.

The White Gallagon was as rare as it gets, so I had no idea where she had obtained such genetic essence.

"You're keeping your distance. Do you know about the Red Mist? You've piqued my interest."

She smiled as if she liked what she saw.

'She's not an easy opponent, as expected.'

With the Red Mist's hallucination ability in play, I had to find a way to finish the fight before the Psyonium effect wore off. When I turn into Metamorph, my long-range attack abilities will disappear.

'At times like this, I need to stay calm.'

Panicking wouldn't change anything. The only way for me to win was to patiently look for an opportunity.

After confirming that my tail had somewhat healed, I charged at her again.

"Kyahaha! That's the way to come at me!"

She laughed as she kicked my arm. As my arm passed through the air, Gallagon's claw dug into my chest.

Her attack, which was aimed at flipping me over, was thwarted as I twisted my waist. My lower arm hadn't been idle during this time. From the holes between the four fingers, mucous projectiles were launched towards her eyes.

"Ugh!"

No matter how strong she was, it seemed that she couldn't avoid the physiological disgust as she quickly closed her eyes. I didn't let this opportunity slip away.

I had been aiming for her shoulder with my sharp horn, but unfortunately, it was a shallow hit. She quickly moved her shoulder, avoiding a deep wound.

"Do you want to keep playing around?"

Her hair began to glow red again, and I quickly backed away. While retreating, I launched thorn bones at her as a restraining measure.

"Tsk!"

She stopped her transformation, and once again, Gallagon's claws were drawn to deflect the thorn bones.

'Did she just…'

She retaliated by firing a crescent-shaped energy blade at me. I managed to avoid it by pressing my body against the floor and immediately focused on her.

'I wonder…'

There was no visible change. She appeared unfazed, but I could sense an unnaturalness in her expression.

'I guess she can't use two abilities at once?'

I had finally found a clue on how to exploit her weaknesses.

-x-X-x-

She opened her eyes to a world that was cold and oppressive. The pressure weighed down on her fragile flesh, and the temperature felt like knives piercing her body. It was a place known to some sentient beings as the deep sea, and it was her homeland.

Despite the harsh environment, she didn't think her home was all that bad. After all, there were beings there who watched over and protected her.

The pink spherical beings like her were the most fragile creatures in the dark and murky world. Because of this, they had chosen a different way of survival compared to the other creatures in the dark, blue world.

They formed groups and cared for their young, who were weak and vulnerable. They naturally had social structures that could be classified as 'families' by sentient beings.

Of course, with the presence of dangerous creatures that considered her kind as prey lurking in the depths, they always lived under the constant threat to their lives.

But she was different. As she grew, she realized that she was not like the other pink spheres. She was special.

She possessed an intelligence approaching sentience and a slender tentacle that grew from her body. These were things that her fellow beings did not have.

Her tentacles, usually kept inside her body, had the power to ward off dangerous creatures, and they would retreat when she pointed them. She protected her kin using these mysterious abilities.

As time passed, despite her young age, she became the leader of her group. While everyone considered her the mother figure, her life remained largely unchanged. Eating together with her kin and sleeping together at night brought her the greatest joy.

However, this happiness didn't last long. Creatures descended from above, intending to take her kin away. They were beings with skin tougher and colder than any she had seen before. With claws that seemed like they wouldn't let a single drop of blood flow, they grabbed her kin mercilessly.

When she heard the agonizing screams of her kin, she earnestly hoped. She wanted to fulfill her duty as the leader, to protect her precious ones. Did her tentacles hear her prayers? A massive purple energy erupted from the tips of her tentacles, gripping the unyielding beings and contorting them.

She thought she had succeeded in protecting everyone, but unfortunately, it was not the case. More beings with cold, tough skin continued to descend from above, capturing the pink spheres wherever they could find them.

Once again, she hoped for a miracle, but instead of a miracle, an unbearable sense of powerlessness washed over her. She lost consciousness.

When she opened her eyes, it was in a repulsive-smelling liquid prison. There, she witnessed the pitiful deaths of the offspring she was supposed to protect.

In that strange, furry creature's arms, she was called 'Experiment Subject 26'. When she awoke in her prison, there were no fellow creatures left.

At the bottom of this hell, she prayed. She begged for anyone to help her, promising to dedicate herself to protecting the ones she failed to save if someone would aid her.

She made that solemn vow.

***

I had two enemies I found most annoying in the world of Space Survival.

One was the Amorph race, and the other was a MegaCorp user who had gone through genetic modifications. What they had in common was that I couldn't predict their abilities at all. Since there was no information about the enemy, even a small mistake could lead to fatal consequences.

Therefore, I focused solely on what abilities Si-hyun Yujin possessed, not caring about how she might be specifically different from a player.

'In the game, there are no restrictions on using genetic technology.'

I naturally assumed she would use it as well since she had player-level specs. That was a mistake.

In retrospect, Si-hyun had been fighting with only one ability at a time from the beginning. I had thought it was a Bluff, but it wasn't.

There was a fundamental limitation on her use of genetic abilities that set her apart from players.

"You're really getting on my nerves. To the point where I want to kill you."

Si-hyun's tone was colder than before. Perhaps she was trying to be threatening, but it sounded slightly different to me. She was doing it on purpose to avoid revealing her inexperience.

'I need to find out how long the delay is when she changes traits.'

Even if she changes her traits quickly, there must be a gap between changing them. That's when she becomes a vulnerable civilian.

I needed to change my strategy.

'I'll go all out.'

My Psyonium effect was running out, and at most, I had about two minutes left. To win within that time frame, I needed to avoid any serious injuries and trust in my regeneration trait.

Like the powerful hind legs of a rhinoceros, my strong legs pounded the ground as I sprinted down the corridor. While running, I kept a close eye on her changing hair.

"I'm really getting tired of this."

The tips of her hair turned red. I targeted her while running with my left arm. If I were human, aiming a shot while running would have been challenging, but Amorph's enhanced senses made it possible.

A bone spike reinforced with chitin shot from the end of my arm, slicing through the air towards her abdomen.

[PR/N: Changing 'thorned bone' to 'bone spike'.]

"!"

She gritted her teeth and canceled her illusion trait. Almost simultaneously with her hair returning to black, a white blade sprouted from the back of her hand, cutting through the flesh.

'As I suspected, there's an opening.'

In less than a fraction of a second, thanks to my auxiliary systems, I confirmed that there was an opening in her defense. She had used Gallagon's claws to defend against my bone spike, but I had already reached her.

"Nice try!"

Though she expressed annoyance, I sensed an underlying unease in her eyes. As gracefully as a fencer extending a blade, I deftly thrust my tail toward her. However, contrary to my expectations, her response was still formidable. She calmly redirected my tail with her claws, not stopping there. She continued her counterattack, slicing off the poisonous barb at the tip of my tail.

"Ugh!"

I had anticipated this to some extent, but experiencing it firsthand was excruciating. It was almost like losing a limb, so the pain was expected.

But I couldn't afford to hesitate here. I shook my severed tail vigorously as if I were shaking off dust. The acidic blood and neurotoxin mixed with the injury on my tail, spraying in all directions.

"Damn!"

With her tongue out, Si-hyun switched her trait. Gallagon's claw retracted, and parts of her body turned silver. The alloy skin, tougher than the alloy of the ship's hull, protected her from the acidic blood and neurotoxin.

'I expected her to have a defensive ability, but tungsten alloy skin?'

The 'tungsten alloy skin' was a genetic trait of the advanced subspecies of Metallic Gremlins, the Wolfram Goblins. Acquiring this ability granted exceptional defense, equivalent to the top-tier reinforced armor, but it came at the cost of extreme weight gain.

As I had predicted, her movements slowed down with the transformation. I used my nails to scratch at the parts that hadn't turned silver yet.

"Ouch!"

For the first time, I inflicted a wound on her. Si-hyun, who resembled a monstrous creature, had human-like red blood.

"A disobedient brat needs some discipline!"

She crumpled her face in annoyance and used her heavy foot to kick at my chestplate. Since we had to fight in close quarters, I didn't dodge.

The impact felt like being hit by a siege hammer, spreading a heavy shock throughout my body. If I were human, I might have coughed up blood and bits of organs. Despite the fact that my chestplate was one of the sturdiest parts of my body, the pain was far from insignificant.

'Will this be enough to defeat her?' I thought inwardly as I grabbed her leg embedded in my chest. I poured all my strength into my four arms and lifted her.

"Wha-what!"

'She's incredibly heavy', I muttered unconsciously. It was a weight that could make anyone swear. My intention was clear – with her leg in my grasp, I swung it like a baseball bat.

My target was the corridor wall, or to be more precise, the wall partially corroded by acidic blood. The impact reverberated throughout the corridor, shaking it as though an earthquake had struck. The wall at the point of impact cracked and split, with molten metal oozing from the fractures.

The woman, who had left her mark on the alloyed wall with her face, wore an expression of extreme anger, as if she felt insulted by my actions.

She withdrew Gallagon's claw and crossed her arms, accumulating an enormous amount of psychic energy that made the white blades on her arms gleam with a vivid purple hue.

'This is dangerous; the proximity is too close to dodge.'

'I have to block it!' I urgently thought, using my four arms to shield my head and chest. As she unleashed her crossed arms, an unprecedented gigantic beam swept through my body.

The relatively slender horn on my right shattered, and my arms and legs didn't escape unscathed either. More than half of my right upper arm was severed, and my thigh was severely injured, with bones visible through the torn flesh.

'Just a bit more!' I mustered my last ounce of strength and charged at her once again. Even at such close range, she gracefully evaded my charge with astonishing agility, and my head slammed directly into the wall.

"Where are you looking?" She taunted, mocking my failed attack.

She quickly scanned my injured body and grinned, seemingly confident that my condition would prevent me from continuing.

Well, I wonder if that's really the case.

"Sorry, but I didn't miss", I replied. As I pulled my head from the wall, it finally crumbled. Corroded by acidic blood, it succumbed to the successive powerful impacts. No matter how well-made the alloy was, it couldn't withstand such force.

"My intention was never to hit you in the first place, Si-hyun, not you."

Beyond the shattered wall lay what I had been waiting for.

Countless stars and an unfathomably deep abyss of darkness awaited us.

"Oh, no!"

The pressure throughout the corridor dramatically dropped as the space, black-hole-like in appearance, sucked us in along with the oxygen. The ship's environmental control systems loudly warned of severe internal damage.

Even Si-hyun, who had been smiling confidently in anticipation of victory, seemed taken aback by this unexpected turn of events. Her face was now marked with bewilderment. She had wedged Gallagon's claw into the corridor to hold herself in place, preventing her from being flung out.

I had been waiting for this moment.

I raised my injured left arm towards her, and the muzzle was pointed at her head. The distance between us wasn't great, or more precisely, it was just close enough for the bone spikes to pierce her forehead and destroy her brain before she could encase her head with the alloyed skin.

Her complexion turned pale as she realized my intent.

"Why, in a place like this?" she exclaimed. Perhaps she had pushed herself to the limit in the face of imminent death.

She began to bleed from her eyes and nose, attempting to utilize two traits. From the tips of her black hair, the trait tungsten alloy skin slowly began to encase her head for protection.

I couldn't wait any longer and fired the bone spike.

The ice-like bone spike left the tip of my arm. In an age of lasers, plasma, and all sorts of futuristic weaponry, a primitive form of ammunition hurtled through the air, aiming for her head.

However, by that time, the alloyed skin had already covered more than half of her head.

At that moment, there was barely 5cm left for the bone spike to reach her forehead. Suddenly, she froze in her tracks. The alloyed skin, in the process of encasing her head, came to an abrupt halt.

She looked at me with an expression of disbelief, as if she couldn't fathom what was happening. Her gaze was fixed behind me.

｢Leave the baby alone!｣

'Number 26?'

I didn't even need to turn my head to see it. A violet energy beam was emanating from Number 26's body, tightly wrapping around its head.

"Damn it…"

Number 26's time holding her was very brief, but it was enough time for the bone spike to reach its target. The bone spike pierced through Si-hyun Yujin. Her body, now deprived of its command center, lost strength and slumped down.