Chapter 2342 - ESM 11

"Cough!"

The sniper, who had fallen from the container, spurted blood. His heart was pierced, and he crashed onto the ground, but the expression on his face wasn't one of pain; it was confusion.

He couldn't comprehend why he ended up like this. He had no idea where the attack came from or who shot him.

The troublesome sniper, who had annoyed me, died without solving the mystery.

[What happened?]

[Dwayne's link got severed.]

Confirming the sniper's demise, I approached Jade. Currently, Jade found it challenging to move his eyes due to my neurotoxin. Consequently, he had to watch his teammate die without any filter.

How would he process the fact that a teammate died because of him? Would it be more agonizing than having limbs broken? Would he ignite with a vengeful desire against his teammates, or would he resign, anticipating his own demise?

'To die, there's still a long way to go.'

His suffering wasn't over. I planned to hunt down all his teammates he brought here before killing him.

I grabbed Jade's body, turned his gaze in a different direction, and went towards the sniper's corpse.

The advanced reinforced suit that the sniper wore reverted to its original state. Although it might seem that there's not much difference between advanced and intermediate reinforced suits based on their names, in reality, there's a significant gap.

For example, while the intermediate suit looks like regular clothing, the advanced suit is closer to a kind of powered exoskeleton. The equipment the sniper wore was a high-tech armor.

'It seems he sacrificed defense for multiple options.'

I wanted to examine it further, but it was a battlefield. I lost interest in the reinforced suit and focused on the corpse.

'Let's go with the right hand.'

With my combat arm, I grabbed the right hand of the corpse and pulled it straight. Perhaps due to Amorph's transcendent strength, not only the hand but also the wrist tore apart.

Holding the bleeding wrist with one hand, I picked up a sniper coil gun lying next to the corpse with the other hand.

'Fingerprint recognition device… ah, here it is.'

The sniper coil gun didn't have a separate trigger. Instead, it had a fingerprint recognition device on the right side, allowing only registered users to operate it.

'They designed it this way for security.'

I pressed the sniper's finger against the sensor on the coil gun. After a moment, an electronic sound echoed, and the coil gun lit up.

'Let's check the bullets first.'

Touching the terminal attached to the coil gun with my finger, a list of ammunition appeared on the screen. Among the list, only the AP rounds were shining in yellow.

'Great.'

AP rounds are special ammunition created by MegaCorp and StarUnion for psychic warfare. These rounds contain a special substance that blocks the flow of psychic power, rendering the target unable to use psychic abilities for a certain period. Even if the bullets miss, the destruction of the rounds releases the special substance into the surrounding area, making it difficult to use psychic power within that range.

'Number 26 and Adhai must have had a hard time.'

With the coil gun in hand, I focused on the sensation on my back. As the armor split on my back, giant wings resembling insect wings extended outward. The wings flapped vigorously, propelling my body rapidly upward.

'The second target is Cultist.'

From the sky, I aimed the coil gun at the distant location where the enemies were.

Cultist, wearing a tiara, appeared behind the enemies.

Pressing the sensor on the coil gun with the sniper's finger, perhaps due to the power of psychic abilities, Cultist sensed an ominous feeling and turned her head towards my flying position.

As she opened her mouth to shout something upon discovering me, the coil gun was fired.

***

Recently, she often recalled past memories. In reality, these were not the memories she wanted to recall. It wasn't because they were pleasant memories; on the contrary, they were unpleasant. Whenever she reminisced about her childhood, the deaths of her family also came to mind. In that foul-smelling place, she had to watch her beloved family die.

The memory of her family's demise became a dagger that stabbed her, made from their final moments. The pain seemed eternal, but at some point, she started feeling it less. Though she still occasionally had nightmares, they had improved compared to before.

She knew what healed her wounds— a new family. The family she failed to protect in the past now comforted her pain.

Of course, she was aware that the current kid by her side and those who had passed away were different beings. However, recently, for some unknown reason, she began to feel a growing desire.

A desire to become stronger to protect her family. Terms like 'desire' or 'longing' were higher-level thought processes that were unfamiliar to her. While she had always been conscious of the need to protect her group, that feeling was more like an instinct, akin to eating when hungry or sleeping when tired.

Appetites are satisfied when fulfilled, but desires are insatiable. What remains unfilled often leads to something better.

She could feel that something unknown was causing her to change. It was more than just change; it was a transformation.

Her recent obsession, anxiety, affection, and longing to somehow protect the newly formed family transcended the limits of her species. She embraced this remarkable change with both fear and active acceptance.

She instinctively felt that emotions were making her stronger.

"Freaking Mountain Crawler is all taken care of!"

"Hurry up and finish this; let's go save Jade!"

[Grrr!]

A young beast howled before her. She eyed those attacking the poor creature.

While their appearances were entirely different, they all emitted a common scent. The same smell that mercilessly killed her kin. The smell made her more uncomfortable.

Painful memories pushed her, and anger stimulated her power.

"Alright! I'll deliver the finishing blow… Huh?!"

"Frost!"

As the battle began, for the second time, she successfully grabbed the smelly thing. Throughout the fight, her power hadn't been working correctly. The frequency she used to communicate with the kid she cherished interfered with her power.

The fact that those bastards were using the means that provided her with pleasant memories upset her. With six tentacles, she targeted the smelly thing. The six violet tendrils grabbed its appendage and forcefully pulled.

"Ugh!"

"Damn! Jeanette, what the hell are you doing?! You look like a damn tin can!"

[Son of a b*tch! Just wait!]

Holding onto the smelly thing, she called the little one. While the little one was much less potent than the big one, it was a good-natured child, striving to grow.

｢Adult!! Support｣

The little one didn't disappoint her expectations. The child released a violet power similar to hers from its mouth. The violet power aimed at the smelly thing sliced off one of its appendages.

"Aaargh!"

The entity, with a severed appendage, sprayed a vile-smelling liquid. Though the smell resembled the meat she had eaten several times, it was different. She absolutely did not want to eat such a repulsive-smelling food.

"Frost!"

[Grrrr]

"You f*cking Mountain crawler! Jeanette!"

The smelly thing was attacked by the remaining young beast, using the last of their strength to tear at it.

[…We're all going to die like this. Hope, survival is more important than the plan.]

"What?"

[Whether Gallagon lives or dies, let's deal with these bastards first.]

"Wait! Since we're heading to the captain, stay calm…"

"Dwayne, I just got my arm cut off! I need you to stay calm and do something!"

The bad guys were muttering something. It had been happening since earlier, but such muttering wasn't a good sign.

"Oh, for f*ck's sake, I don't know."

[After checking up on the captain, provide support immediately.]

They pulled out something like a blunt stick with little hair on it. It was the first time she had seen it, but instinctively, she could tell that the object was dangerous.

She tried to respond, but the guys were one step ahead. The sparsely-haired, blunt stick was inserted into a thick cylinder and used to attack her. The stick protruding from the end of the cylinder rushed towards her at a great speed.

She spread the violet tendrils like a net to defend herself, but it was ineffective against the object the guy shot. The violet tendrils disappeared like smoke, and the stick tore through her tentacles and passed through.

"Adult!"

She almost fainted from the intense pain, but she managed to hold onto consciousness when she heard the little kid's cry.

She tried to emit the violet tendrils again to defend herself, but maybe due to the pain, she couldn't concentrate. The mysterious power she possessed didn't obey her owner's command.

She recalled.

What happened when the violet power didn't help her in a life-or-death situation.

She couldn't afford to lose her family again.

The nightmare she wanted to forget came to life. The fact pressed down on her, creating a sense of urgency.

[Wait? It's trying to do something!]

Driven by the emotion of 'desperation,' she was once again ascending. Desperation spread throughout her body, and subtle changes occurred in her tendrils and outer skin.

But the bad guy didn't leave her alone to transform.

"Frost!"

"A monster subject to the theme!"

The smelly thing that had taken down the baby animal rushed towards her, swiping away her appendage with an attachment. Dizzying pain struck her, and the transformation happening in her body came to a halt.

"You damn monster, strip its skin while it's alive."

"I'll skin you alive, you fucking monster."

"Hope! Now! Capture Gallagon!"

"Got it!"

The smelly thing roared and pulled out a pointed stick. As it approached her, the hairless one targeted the little kid.

She urgently sent a wavelength to the little one, urging it to escape. However, the little one seemed reluctant to run away alone and didn't move at all.

｢Run away!｣

｢I｣ ｢Adult｣ ｢won't｣ ｢run.｣ ｢Rejected｣

｢Hurry!｣

With all her strength, she shouted out a wavelength, and finally, the little one moved. Unlike her, the little one could fly above the ground, so it shouldn't be too difficult for it to escape.

However, the bad guys trampled her expectations.

"Where do you think you're going!"

The less hairy one shot a net-like thing, capturing the little one. The little one tried to emit violet power, but it was futile. The strange wavelength from the net suppressed the little one's power.

"Cut off those damn tentacles first."

She thought she had failed again.

She failed again. She and the little one would probably die here. The only difference from before was that the big baby had escaped safely from this place.

If it were the big baby, he would surely survive even if she died.

Thinking like that, she felt an inexplicable sense of regret.

She wished she could be by the side of the big baby, who was growing so magnificently.

Unfortunately, that wouldn't happen.

The smelly thing approached, raising the pointed stick.

"Die… Huh? What's this?"

[Dwayne? Dwayne's link got cut off!]

At the moment of impending death, a miracle happened.

"What?"

[Could it be… huh? Ack!]

"Jeanette?!"

"Damn it! The link has been disconnected!"

While the bad guys were muttering to each other, the atmosphere was different from before. It felt urgent, as if something was wrong.

"Check on Jeanette… Tin Can! Evade!"

"Huh?"

And then, 'It' fell from the sky.

After 'It' had neutralized the smelly thing, it stood up.

The monster with eight appendages and a long tail was a familiar presence to her.

The fantastic baby who had grown so quickly from a little baby, just like her.

The big baby she cherished the most in the world.

[ZZZZ ZZZZZZ ZZ (Am I too late?)]

It, whom she called the big baby, spoke to her.

The wavelength emitted by the big baby seemed somewhat embarrassed and shy.

If only she had known what emotions were, she might have recognized the nature of the feeling rising within her right now.

It was a sense of 'satisfaction.'

-x-X-x-

"Ugh! This insane…"

The cyborg pinned under my foot didn't die. Its lower body was completely destroyed, and its upper body was halfway smashed, but it still resisted me.

"You're going down with me!"

"Tin can! No!"

What it pulled out was a detonator. It closed its eyes tightly and pressed the switch on the device.

But nothing happened.

"What…what's going on?"

With a bewildered expression, he pressed the switch again. He repeated it several times, but the bomb didn't detonate.

I pulled out the partially broken bomb from the torn abdomen of the cyborg.

'As I thought.'

The reason I came to deal with the cyborg directly, without sniping, was because of this bomb.

Among cyborg soldiers or mercenaries, there are occasionally those who carry bombs. There are two reasons for this: one is to inflict damage on the enemy even after death, and the other is for the thrill.

The former is when players pragmatically plant bombs for practical purposes, knowing that they'll die and want to cause harm to the opponent as a parting gift. On the other hand, the latter is for the thrill of seeking extreme pleasure.

'As the replaced parts with machines increase, the sense of being alive diminishes.'

The homeland of cyborgs, StarUnion, is a society that suppresses individual desires and emotions unlike MegaCorp. Therefore, there are quite a few cyborgs who betray StarUnion to pursue extreme pleasures.

'The majority go to Space Dogs, but there are also some in MegaCorp.'

Space Dogs have daily battles for life, and they don't strictly prohibit satisfying twisted desires, making it a popular choice for insane cyborgs. So, cyborgs belonging to Space Dogs often don't implant bombs in their bodies for the sake of seeking thrills.

'Especially cyborgs from Space Dogs, who are passionate about life, wouldn't implant bombs into their bodies.'

Even if they can forcibly implant it in someone else's body for fun, they cherish their own bodies.

On the other hand, MegaCorp is better than StarUnion, but the methods for relieving desires are limited. Therefore, there have been occasional cases of cyborgs like the one in front of me implanting bombs into their bodies for the thrill.

'In the game, cyborg suicide bombers affiliated with MegaCorp had such a setting.'

Normally, I would have treated it as just a setting and moved on.

But I had already fought against a Hulk mutant with a bomb connected to its heart on the research ship.

It wasn't just a story confined to settings; the existence of lunatics who walk around with bombs implanted in their bodies could be real, so naturally, I had to be cautious.

If, by chance, I kill the cyborg with a sniper and the bomb explodes, Number 26 and Adhai could be fatally injured.

'In that case, it's better to play safely.'

"Damn it! Why isn't it exploding?"

And my concern wasn't in vain. The cyborg screamed when it saw the bomb in my hand. I stepped on the chest of the noisy one while holding its head tightly with my combat hand.

When I exerted force in my hand, the cyborg groaned like a scream.

"Grrrrrrrr!"

I thought about killing the one who tormented Number 26 slowly, but there were still enemies. I pulled the head up with the combat arm and exerted force upwards, tearing it off.

"Aghh!"

"Tin can!"

When I pulled out the cyborg's head, a mechanized spine came out with it. The cyborg, whose breath was cut off, was gnawing on its tongue, and black oil mixed with blood flowed from the partially broken spine.

"Darn it!"

The grenadier, who had been blankly watching me kill my comrades, finally snapped out of it and turned the muzzle of his multipurpose grenade launcher towards me.

There's no way in hell I'm going to let the enemy hit me with grenades when I have kids next to me. I threw the cyborg head I had in my hand at him.

Even though his skull was coated with steel, it was like a blunt weapon in itself. I threw it with Amorph's powerful strength, so there was no way he could avoid it.

"Kkwaak!"

The cyborg's head struck his shoulder. He screamed and dropped his weapon.

"You son of a…!"

With a broken shoulder, he spat out curses full of anger and ran away.

Instead of tracking him, I checked the condition of Number 26 and Adhai. Number 26 didn't seem to have any serious trauma.

[ZZZZZ ZZZ ZZ (Are you okay?)]

｢Yes. Check on the little one, not me.｣

As Number 26 said, Adhai was lying on the ground in an uncomfortable position after being hit by the enemy's net. I used my nails to cut the nets.

｢Great Young One｣｢Thank you｣

[ZZZ ZZZ ZZ (Any injuries?)]

｢Mine｣ ｢Injury｣ ｢Minor｣｢Okay｣

On Adhai's blue scales, there were thin wounds in the shape of a net all over, and since Adhai didn't have recovery-related traits, it would take some time for it to fully recover.

'… I should give the grenadier to Adhai.'

If it devours the grenadier, Adhai might feel a bit better. After confirming their condition, I checked on William. He looked at us with a subtle expression, unsure whether to be happy or not.

'Either he dies from the enemy or lives as my slave, there's only one choice.'

In any case, Adhai was slightly injured, but there were no fatal injuries. I called Number 26.

[ZZZZ ZZZZZZ Z ZZZ ZZ(If you go over there, there's another prey.)]

｢Another prey?｣

[ZZZZZ ZZZZZ ZZZZZ Z (One is alive, and one is dead)]

｢I should just eat the dead one, right?｣

Having been with me for a long time, it quickly understood. I petted it to convey the meaning, and then chased after the fleeing enemy.

The end of the hunt is approaching.

***

"Haak, haak, haak…"

Hope held onto his broken shoulder as he ran. In a different mission, the container covers that would have provided a sense of security seemed different today.

"Huh?!"

Feeling someone looking down at him, Hope turned his head in alarm. Despite frantically looking around like a madman, there was nothing on top of the container.

Then, a sound of wind came from behind. The sound resembled the rotation of a fan, but it also seemed like the flapping of a giant animal.

Hastily turning around, the spot was empty.

"…."

Trembling, Hope released the weapon he had on his back and grasped it in his hand. It was a Gauss rifle he had purchased for his own safety to protect himself.

'I need to change the ammo!'

Even if hit by a grenade, that monster wouldn't die. Hope thought that without armor-piercing rounds, there was no way to win.

"Kk, you bastard!"

Because his right shoulder was broken, he had to change the ammunition with his left arm only. Hope, who barely loaded armor-piercing rounds, held the Gauss rifle with his left arm.

Hope thought.

The numerous obstacles here were unfavorable to him. This guy could fly. He might be watching him from a high place.

'I need to get out of the harbor zone!'

The car Jeanette set up at the Harbor's boundary. Escaping with that car was the best option.

Having set his goal, Hope ran away again. He heard the ominous flapping sound in his ears again, but he ignored it.

In a normal situation, he should report to Si-hyun Yujin right away, but Hope was not in his right mind at the moment.

Though he had experienced various battlefields, he had never seen a monster that pulled out the neck of a living comrade and threw it as a weapon. The people who could have helped him recover mentally by having a comrade were all dead.

'Is this the right way?'

He kept running, but there was no sign of the fence at the border. Only similar-looking containers were visible.

Due to pain and fear, Hope found it difficult to confirm if he was on the right path.

'No! It will be right! It will definitely be…Huh?'

Encouraging himself like that, something other than a container finally caught his eye for the first time.

It was not a container, but Jeanette, whose entire head was covered in blood, leaning against a container.

Her once proud goat horns were completely broken, and her white hair, originally red, was now dyed a deep red with blood.

"Jeanette?"

"Ugh, ugh… Hope?"

Hope hurriedly ran over and hugged her, who was leaning against the container. Up close, her injuries were more severe than he thought. A significant portion of her scalp was damaged, revealing white bones.

"A-are you okay?"

"Qu-quickly, re-report to Miss…"

Upon hearing her stuttering words, Hope recalled what he needed to do. He quickly took out his communication device.

"Hey! You can't die too! Snap out of it!"

"Hah… to see you as the last person in my life, damn my life…."

With a disappointed voice, Jeanette mumbled. Despite the situation, Hope was about to respond to her usual reaction.

"Are you crazy even in a situation like this?"

"Kk, damn it, if you were…!"

Before she could finish her sentence, something black descended from above the container and grabbed her head. A shadow-like hand pulled Jeanette upwards.

Following that, along with the sound of grinding flesh, blood splattered from the container. Jeanette's trembling legs relaxed, and her pants were soaked with blood.

"Hi, hiiik!"

Hope, without even thinking about counterattacking with the Gauss rifle he held, ran away. His accumulated training, expertise as a specialist in chemical weapons, and numerous experiences in killing had no meaning in this abnormal situation. All he could do was run away like a child.

In this desperate situation, perhaps the heavens bestowed a miracle upon him. The boundary of the harbor zone came into view before his eyes.

He discarded the Gauss rifle he had been holding to run away as fast as possible.

"Huff, huff, huff…."

While running, his broken shoulder shook violently, but overwhelming fear dominated his mind, so he couldn't feel the pain.

Running with all his might like a track and field athlete, he quickly got into the car. Fortunately, Jeanette had already inserted the key into the car. Who could have known that the operation would turn out like this?

He started the car. As the engine of the mid-sized sedan roared to life, he firmly pressed the accelerator pedal.

Jeanette's car rushed forward like a launched missile. The stacks of containers in the harbor zone visible in the rearview mirror quickly shrank.

Hope sighed with relief. Finally, he had escaped from the hellish harbor zone.

"Now, let's contact…."

He should have contacted her earlier when his comrades were dying. Even though it was late, he picked up the communication device to inform Si-hyun Yujin of the situation.

With his left hand holding the steering wheel, he reluctantly used his right hand to input the message. Perhaps due to the broken shoulder, his hand and arm didn't move well.

Barely managing to send a message to the designated number, Hope glanced once again through the rearview mirror to confirm if anyone was chasing him.

"Huh?"

Beyond the mirror, a small object near the Harbor's boundary caught his eye. A small light flashed from the object, and soon the car shook violently. The car with a flat tire lost control and moved uncontrollably.

"Uh, uh!"

Hope urgently grabbed the steering wheel with both hands, but it was already too late. A utility pole was waiting in front of the mid-sized sedan.

A loud crash echoed, and Hope flew forward through the car's windshield like a missile, describing a trajectory in the air. Then, the utility pole that collided with the car fell onto the car.

Sparks flew from the camera mounted on the utility pole, and flames erupted from the damaged car body.

"Uh, uh, uh…."

Desperate to escape from this place somehow, Hope's body refused to cooperate. From behind him, the sound of glass being stepped on could be heard.

It was "it."

The monster had followed him.

The one who had followed Hope threw a long object in front of him. It was a sniper coil gun that Hope's comrade, Dwayne, used.

"True mercy is not seeking revenge even if you can."

A voice of a woman, unfamiliar to him, came from behind Hope, who was lying on the ground. The voice sounded peaceful, as if devoid of any highs and lows. But it was undoubtedly the sound emitted by the monster that slaughtered his comrades.

"I am not merciful."

"It" grabbed him ruthlessly.

"I, I, nooooo…."

'Don't do this! Spare me! Spare me, please! I was wrong!'

Hope pleaded, but only the sound of the wind escaping his broken jaw echoed from his mouth.

Ignoring his plea, the monster grabbed his leg and walked towards the harbor zone.

Behind Hope, who was being dragged to hell, only a burning car remained.

-x-X-x-

After the battle in the apartment complex, I couldn't feast on the flesh of the intelligent beings for a while. The last human flesh I consumed was from a woman I ate last night.

Perhaps it was a recoil effect. Jade, now paralyzed, the Heavy Grenadier with most of its bones broken, and even the corpse of the Cultist—all lay before me. There was plenty of new prey today.

'Once I take care of these, the hunt will be over.'

The place I'm at is where Jade's group fought with the Mountain Crawler. In front of me lies a young Mountain Crawler, breathing heavily and in pain.

The creature, dominated by my parasite, suffered severe injuries inflicted by the enemies. Three out of its six legs were severed, and two were broken. Its vulnerable belly, compared to its armored back, was torn apart by sniper and grenade attacks, exposing its entrails.

Mountain Crawlers have no healing abilities. All that's left for it is death.

'I don't harbor any ill feelings.'

I injected poison into the critically injured Mountain Crawler to alleviate its suffering. As the paralysis spread throughout its body, its expression improved as if it no longer felt pain.

Its breathing gradually slowed and eventually stopped. The parasite crawled out of its ear.

When I extended my arm, the parasite returned to where it first emerged.

'If the parasite is visible every time an incident occurs, someone might become suspicious.'

I couldn't retrieve the parasite from Sanders because it was challenging to approach the hospital morgue. However, it was different now. With the safely collected parasite, I left the corpse of the Mountain Crawler and moved on.

Normally, I would have eaten the corpse to dispose of it, but the situation was not so relaxed. The Heavy Grenadier on my shoulder is the reason; the police and androids might have arrived here sooner than expected.

No matter how fast I eat, I won't be able to dispose of the six-meter prey before the police arrive. If I don't finish it, the predation effect won't trigger, so I might as well use it for something else.

'Let's make it look as if the smugglers tried to extract the Mountain Crawler but failed and fled should suffice.'

The corpse of the severely injured creature, traces of battle scattered around—it will serve as evidence. That's why I didn't eat the cyborg.

Its role is that of a smuggler who, unlike his colleagues, failed to make it out alive. I popped the severed cyborg head into the mouth of the Mountain Crawler corpse.

'This should be enough, right?'

Of course, the police will eventually notice something strange during their investigation. However, the likelihood that they would think there was another monster at the crime scene, even unaware of my existence, is slim. The already deceased smugglers will likely be the ones they try to locate.

'Alright, let's gather everything and leave quickly.'

The auxiliary system warned me that footsteps can be heard outside the harbor zone. I lifted the paralyzed Heavy Grenadier again. The next thing to gather is the corpse of the Cultist.

Avoiding the direction where the police and androids are moving, I collected the Cultist's corpse first and then returned to where the kids were.

During my absence, Number 26 and Adhai had finished their meal. I remove the reinforced suit from the headless sniper's corpse.

'I should take a closer look at this.'

Checking the enemy's equipment is crucial. Especially if it's information I'm unfamiliar with, I need to confirm it quickly.

'If it's not an artifact-grade reinforced suit, we need to be prepared for mass production.'

With the reinforced suit in hand, I picked up Jade, who was still paralyzed.

'Having four combat-ready arms really comes in handy at times like this.'

I can carry a person on each arm. However, it seems different in the eyes of others. Seeing me, carrying three people and reinforced suits, Number 26 called me out.

｢Do you need help?｣

I was about to say I'm fine, but looking at the size of the creature, I changed my mind.

'It should be able to carry the reinforced suit.'

When I handed it to Number 26, it extended its tentacles and wrapped the reinforced suit around itself. The creature, which had tucked its tentacles away, also pulled out fins hidden in its body.

The creature moved its fins a few times, walking back and forth to test, and then emitted light as if to indicate that everything was fine.

｢Alright, let's go.｣

Honestly, I was expecting growth in combat capabilities, but it seems like it has also grown impressively in utility.

'A remarkable fellow.'

I wanted to pat it, but I refrained, fearing it might drop the reinforced suit. It seemed to understand my intention and emitted light as if accepting my feelings.

After finishing the arrangements and before returning to the nest, I instructed William for cleanup. With the Mountain Crawler's corpse and traces of smugglers, manipulating the situation shouldn't be too difficult for William. Besides, as far as I know, William has been chasing smugglers in the harbor zone from the beginning. The police won't find it strange for someone like him to be here in the early morning.

"…Understood."

After giving instructions to William, I, along with the kids, headed back to the nest.

And so, the dawn hunt came to an end.

On the way back home, we didn't encounter any enemies. The police's attention was concentrated around the central area of the harbor zone, so the outskirts were less guarded than usual. Thanks to that, we could easily enter the underground.

Upon arriving at the nest, I set Jade and the Heavy Grenadier down. It didn't matter if we stayed a bit longer due to the neurotoxin gas; they would die before suffocating us anyway.

[ZZ ZZZZZZ ZZZZZZ (This prey is yours.)]

｢Adult｣, ｢Thank you｣

I handed the Heavy Grenadier over to Adhai. Although the paralyzed one looked at Jade with a pitiful gaze, he couldn't do anything. He could only watch his comrade's fate with sad eyes.

"Ugh, ugh! Ugh!"

Adhai spread out a mass of tentacles that covered his face. The small, pointed teeth attached to the ends of the long and thin tentacles mercilessly dug into various parts of the Heavy Grenadier's head.

As the tentacles moved like sucking up a drink with a straw, they forcefully drew blood. Perhaps because it's a Gallagon hatchling, even after eating one person, it seemed like its stomach wasn't completely full yet.

Number 26 seemed uninterested in Adhai's meal; It appeared to be already full. The creature leaned against a corner of the nest, peacefully resting.

While the kids were occupied with their tasks, I picked up the Cultist's corpse. Since I killed her by tearing her abdomen with my claws, her internal organs were exposed.

'I usually start from the head, but…'

There's no need to stick to the same eating habits all the time.

I tore apart the Cultist's internal organs and put them in my mouth.

'It is…okay?'

Unlike the strong taste of meat from humans, the Cult member's flesh had a complex and unique flavor.

'It's like jelly, and there's a bit of a chewy feeling, too. It's an unusual texture.'

It didn't have the intense taste of the fruit-like bitterness of a cyborg; instead, it resembled the sweetness of sugar. The texture was softer than that of humans but not entirely mushy.

'Good thing. I was worried because I have to eat a lot of cultists from now on.'

She might be peculiar, but if other cultists have a similar taste, I would gladly eat them.

As I was eating the cultist, the translucent text box reported that some of the evolutionary conditions had been satisfied.

'Finally, one cultist is filled.'

The predation effect didn't activate.

It would have been great to have her Soul Link technology; it would have diversified our tactical options. It's a shame.

While I was eating the Cultist, Adhai had already finished its meal and was sleeping. Until yesterday, it used to be the one hugging Number 26, but now, it has reversed. With Number 26 growing bigger, it cradled Adhai, who slept peacefully.

'Good job.'

Looking at the sleeping creatures, I stood before the last meal. Jade, whose paralysis had slightly worn off, lay on the floor, his body turned over.

"No need to paralyze him again, right?"

I grabbed him and lifted him high. Nasty smells emanated from his body; maybe he urinated when he saw his comrades being eaten.

Of course, I didn't engage in picky eating, so I opened my mouth wide to bite into his head.

"W-Wait!"

Just as I was about to bite his head, he shouted loudly.

"Do… Do you know how to s-speak? I can help you! If you spare me, I'll serve you!!"

Jade desperately yelled.

'Hmm.'

This was an interesting turn of events.

Until now, the responses from those I intended to eat were almost similar. They either begged for mercy or screamed. However, this was the first time someone proposed negotiation like this.

'How should I proceed?'

In the state of holding Jade, I thought about what benefits I could gain by making him a slave.

'He can probably provide information about Si-hyun Yujin….'

She had been dead for a long time, providing nutrients to me. If Si-hyun were still alive, I could have gained valuable information from Jade. However, in the current situation, the information he has is useless.

'What merit is there in using him as a slave?'

Judging by his clothes, he didn't seem to hold a high position in the city. It was unlikely that he would find a decent job after escaping and hiding in the city.

'Unless he's a police officer like William or engaged in a professional field. Jade's occupation won't be useful to me.'

Moreover, Jade is a risky individual to dominate as a parasite. If he was under Si-hyun Yujin, he would have observed various genes and their effects. He might know about genes related to parasites, methods to resist parasite domination, and more.

After reevaluating, I made a decision.

'Not needed.'

Jade is not useful to me. His only value lies in his flesh.

"Wait…!"

Ignoring his last plea, I bit into his head. My reinforced jaw crunched his head swiftly, and debris flowed out, passing through my throat.

'Hmm.'

It had an interesting taste, different from the Cultist. It was as if someone had put a lot of chemical seasoning.

'It's not tasteless, but…'

It was like a dish made by an inexperienced chef who used various expensive ingredients but ruined it with excessive seasoning. Still, it was edible.

'The cultist felt a bit lacking due to the scarcity of meat. Jade's meat was quite satisfying, thanks to my moderate hunger.'

After finishing my meal:

['Pre-saint > Quasi-saint' evolution conditions partly have been met].

[ Transformable Intelligent species 2/20 (Incomplete), Humanoid Intelligent species 14/20 (Incomplete), Psychic Power-Using Intelligent species 1/20 (Incomplete).]

[Predation effect activated! Successfully obtained 'Metal Absorption' genetic essence.]

[Extracted the 'Metal Absorption' from the biological characteristics of 'Metallic Gremlin.]

[Do you want to apply 'Metal Absorption?]

A translucent text box appeared.

'Metallic Gremlin?'

The creature I had just eaten was a human. The 'Metallic Gremlin' looked grotesque compared to humans and was smaller in size.

'He had undergone genetic modification like Si-hyun Yujin, judging by the count of Humanoid Intelligent Beings. That explains the odd taste of Jade compared to Si-hyun's perfect taste. Perhaps it was due to inappropriate genetic modification.'

'If Jade had the genes of a 'Metallic Gremlin,' it would be extreme.'

Metallic Gremlins have the ability to consume metal, cause electronic device malfunctions, and block equipment effects. While advantageous against cyborgs, androids, and gadget-dependent classes like the Deus Ex Terminator, it is disadvantageous against individuals like Amorphs or Outsphaser who don't use electronic devices.

'Jade was unlucky.'

His ability could have been useful if he targeted terrorism, but unfortunately for him, I was his opponent.

"Metal Absorption."

Metal Absorption allows me to reflect some properties and effects of the consumed target on my surface for a limited time when I ingest metal or equipment. For example, if I consume Black Silver, which has psychic power resistance, I temporarily gain high psychic resistance on my surface.

It seems like a great ability, but unfortunately, it has two drawbacks. First, the duration of the effects is short, 10 minutes by default, and it increases to 20 minutes with the Physical Enhancement type effect. Second, once the effect expires, it automatically disappears. To reuse the effect, I need to activate the trait, consume the same metal again, and start the process anew.

Due to these drawbacks, it is a trait that should be used cautiously and not randomly.

'The drawbacks are significant, but it's a necessary trait for me now.'

I lack defense against long-range weapons, and this trait can help increase my defense. There are many ways to utilize it, such as raising defense by using Metal Absorption when being bombarded by concentrated firepower from enemies.

'Metal Absorption is categorized as a Physical Enhancement trait.'

Currently, I have a total of 12 Physical Enhancement traits. Obtaining Metal Absorption will make it 13.

In other words, it's time to try out the Transcendence System.

With an excited heart, I accepted the application of the new trait.

I applied 'Metal Absorption,' but there wasn't any apparent change in appearance. This time, the transformation occurred within my body. The internal organs seemed to heat up, but it quickly settled down.

Now, activating Metal Absorption and consuming metal would allow me to apply the inherent properties of that metal to my exterior.

'Should I give it a try?'

My nest is located in a secret underground passage, constructed entirely of sturdy alloys. With the trait activated, I used my nails to scrape the wall.

As I ingested the metal fragment that fell from the wall, an immediate transformation occurred. The chitinous texture of my skin changed to the tough and rugged feel of the metal's material.

Poking my skin with my nails, it felt exactly like the wall.

'The strength seems similar.'

Even if it's a metal so hard that I can't chew it, once it enters my body, the effect is applied. For example, if I activate Metal Absorption and swallow tungsten bullets from a Gauss rifle, my skin's strength would increase to the level of tungsten, and my weight would also increase.

'Metal Absorption seems to work well.'

With no issues in the trait, the next step is the transcendence system.

A system not present in the game.

'Now that I think about it, if the purpose was to address the problem of having too many traits, they could have just revamped the fusion system, right?'

Fused traits could only be created by combining two non-fused traits. If they released the fusion conditions, the problem of having too many traits could be easily solved.

However, the introduction of this new system implied something else.

'It might be related to the conditions for future evolutions.'

Until reaching the Pre-saint stage, there haven't been any changes in the evolution conditions. The conditions for evolving to the Pre-saint stage were the same as in the game.

'No clear answers, no matter how much I ponder. Let's try it first and then think.'

[The 'Transcendence' system allows you to combine three or more of your existing traits to create a completely new and unique trait, referred to as a 'Unique' trait.

Available trait list: Chitinous Exoskeleton, Reinforced Exoskeleton, Enhanced Reflexes

Note: It's important to be aware that not all combinations will result in advantages, and there may be potential drawbacks.]

'Let's use the Transcend system.'

I replied affirmatively to the last text box asking for my intention. As soon as I responded, slimes flowed out of my body, just like when I evolved.

'What's this?'

The slimes solidified instantly, enveloping my entire body. Once again, a semi-transparent text box appeared.

[Transcend system activated! Acquired the unique trait 'Perfect Organism'!]

[Applying the trait]

This kind of event was completely new and somewhat bewildering. Typically, when acquiring a new trait, the entire body doesn't undergo such a transformation, except when advancing to the next stage of evolution.

'Is this a trait surpassing evolution?'

Thanks to this, I realized an important point. Unlike other traits, those obtained through the transcend system seemed to be created first in the form of a gooey state before being applied. If I had accepted the transcend system in a place other than my nest, I could have faced significant danger.

'I need to be cautious from now on.'

Since my current location is the nest, there aren't any dangerous elements. I decided to wait patiently.

***

"Jade lost contact?" Minseok Yujin, the butler of Si-hyun Yujin, questioned with an incredulous expression. The secretary nodded as he relayed the message from Jade's subordinate Hope, who stated that all the team members who infiltrated the T&C Special Trade Center were wiped out. The message included details about the appearance and general specs of the creature that attacked them.

"All the members perished against an unidentified creature…"

No matter how many times Minseok checked, the recorded message wouldn't change. This sudden turn of events left Minseok sighing.

"Miss's condition hasn't been good lately."

Originally, Si-hyun was like a machine with worn-out emotions due to the emotion-dulling modification during the shadow-making procedure. Moreover, most of the emotional displays she showed were acts, given her long history of working as a spy and assassin under the command of Akira Yujin.

"However…."

The cloned Si-hyun, born after her resurrection, was different. Their owner had been haunted by nightmares ever since her resurrection. Although Si-hyun had never directly mentioned the dreams, Minseok speculated that they were related to the entity that killed her.

'Miss is afraid of death.'

A replacement clone for her doesn't currently exist. Cloning is not an easy task, and the cult's technique of transferring souls is a time-consuming process. If she dies this time, it would truly be the end, making it a situation frightening enough even for Si-hyun, who possesses formidable power.

However, Minseok shook his head.

'We can't delay the execution of justice for trivial emotions.'

Si-hyun is the rightful heir of the Yujin family and the irreplaceable ruler. Even thinking about the followers she leads, she must follow the will of Jungwoo Yujin.

In fact, Si-hyun hadn't completely ruled out the possibility that her clone might behave differently from her expectations. Minseok had already received instructions on how to handle the situation when the clone was created.

If the clone reacts negatively to Jade's death, for example, if she refuses to go to the Space City, Minseok would have no choice but to use force.

'I hope I won't have to resort to such methods…'

Minseok glanced briefly at the safe in the secretary's office. After a moment of contemplation, he decided not to touch it.

"I'll handle the report."

"Understood.", the secretary nodded.

Leaving the secretary's office, Minseok headed to the laboratory. When he arrived, the researchers silently lowered their heads as he gestured. They quietly left the laboratory upon his signal.

Only he and his owner, Si-hyun, remained in the laboratory. Si-hyun, in her newly genetically modified state, was floating inside an experimental tube.

Her appearance had become much more bizarre than before. Her originally flawless, pure-white skin now looked rough and tough, akin to an animal's hide. Additionally, a sharp horn had grown on her left forehead.

Minseok called to his owner, who had closed her eyes.

"Miss, I have something to report."

"What is it?"

She opened her eyes. Her left eye had been replaced with an animal eye, giving an eerie feeling.

"I received an urgent message that the communication with the individuals who infiltrated the T&C Special Trade Center, led by Jade, has been lost."

"Communication lost with Jade?"

She frowned, seemingly surprised by Jade's unexpected death.

"He's an individual who underwent genetic modification with Metallic Gremlin genes. It should be difficult for ordinary police or androids to eliminate him. According to the emergency message from Jade's subordinate Hope, the entity that wiped them out was not a human."

"Could it be that Gallagon has already taken action?"

"Checking through our information channels, it doesn't seem to be the case. Jade's team seems to have been attacked by an entity completely unrelated to our plans."

"An unrelated entity…."

The complete annihilation of Jade's team in the operation was a setback, but the fact that the enemy was not related to Noble Capital was somewhat fortunate.

"What do you plan to do now?"

"Um…"

Si-hyun fell silent in response to Minseok's question. If the council meeting was canceled, obtaining new information about the next meeting would not be easy for her. Being reported as deceased limited her ability to gather information actively. While she could instruct her subordinates to gather information, the gap between the information she obtained while with Akira and what her subordinates could gather would be significant.

Therefore, missing this Council meeting would make it nearly impossible for her to seize the opportunity to collectively eliminate Noble Capital in the future.

"But forcing the plan here also comes with significant risks."

If, by any chance, someone from Jade's team is captured without being killed, all information about the operation could be leaked. Interrogation by Noble Capital is beyond imagination, and even agents trained with high intensity would not withstand it. If the Noble Capital knows her plan, they might set a trap to catch her.

'I need to know who the enemy is.'

Minseok mentioned that the one who annihilated Jade's team was not human, but both she or he knew it, the one who annihilated Jade's team was a formidable existence. Although Jade's team was a dispatched team preparing for a terrorist operation and had relatively low combat power, their annihilation was not an easy feat.

Therefore, if the enemy who annihilated them was related to Noble Capital, that possibility of her plans getting leaked was highly likely. To confirm, she asked Minseok, "Who is the one who annihilated Jade's team?"

"He's an unidentified creature that has not been discovered until now. I'll display the last message Hope sent."

Minseok inserted a data chip into the terminal next to the experimental tube. After a moment, a holographic message window appeared on the surface of the experimental tube.

The moment she read the message, her pupils dilated. As if being electrocuted, her body trembled violently. Devices inside the laboratory started shaking, and the experimental tube she was in began to crack. The psychic power she possessed and the owner's disturbance were affecting the surroundings. Eventually, the experimental tube couldn't hold, and it shattered. Simultaneously, surrounding devices were swept away, and Minseok was thrown backward.

"Ugh!"

"It's him! That guy is in the city!"

After breaking the experimental tube, Si-hyun shouted. Her expression seemed to be tinged with fear, yet she also looked pleased.

"Miss?"

Seeing her react more violently than expected, Minseok was also bewildered. Si-hyun, who sent her subordinates, even the butler flying, didn't know, but she couldn't overcome the unfamiliarity felt from the clone's body.

What Si-hyun didn't know was that even though she maintained Si-hyun Yujin's thoughts and habits, her inner self was gradually changing from the original.

One of the factors making her different from the original was the nightmares. The memory of being killed by an unknown monster on the research ship. That memory haunted her every day in nightmares.

She knew. Until she confirmed his death, she would never be stable.

But in this vast universe, searching for a monster whose identity was unknown, and whether he was alive or dead, was nearly impossible. Even if she ordered her subordinates to find him, it was uncertain how long it would take.

So, her nightmares were destined to become an incurable disease that she would have to live with for the rest of her life.

If it weren't for the message she saw today, it would have been like that for sure.

'This time, I will definitely kill him.'

Having finally seized the opportunity she longed for, she smiled with exhilaration.

***

[Complete integration of the 'Perfect Organism' trait has been accomplished.]

The application time for the transcendence trait was not as long as evolution, taking approximately between 2 to 3 hours. I tore through the cold, torn cocoon and stepped outside. The slime that was inside the cocoon poured out like water bursting from a burst water balloon.

I brushed off the slime and the cocoon shell from my body and stretched.

'Huh'

The ceiling of the secret passage, which was about 5 meters high, felt closer than before. I lowered my combat arms and checked. The external appearance of the combat arms had changed significantly from before.

In general, all four arms now had a structure similar to human arm bones with attached muscles. Compared to before, they had become about 1.5 to 2 times thicker.

The shape of the hands had also changed. The fingers at the ends of the combat arms attached to the upper shoulder were so gigantic that they could be considered pincers.

The left arm, which was responsible for the Spine Projectile Organ, had thickened and become more monstrous, resembling a cannon. The size of the small fingers at the end had also increased in proportion to the changes in other parts.

Perhaps due to the increased size, the small arm that was on the chest had now grown to the size of a 7- to 8-year-old child's arm. With this size, it would be possible to hold and shoot pistols comfortably.

The outer covering that enveloped the chest, back, and head had also thickened significantly, reminiscent of the armor of a tank. I wondered if it had gained enough weight to fly with wings in the future.

'Too much change?'

While the overall shape itself did not change much from the appearance of an entity influenced by the physical enhancement type, there were considerable changes in detail. I opened the text box to confirm the explanation for the changes.

[Race: Unidentified Aggressive Space Morph.

Status: Pre-Saint

Objective: Survive (2nd Evolution Successful).

Possessed Traits –

1)Physical-Related (Applied Type): Wings, Chitinous Exoskeleton, Regeneration (Fusion), Neurotoxin Glands (Fusion), Reinforced Exoskeleton, Acidic Blood, Enhanced Reflexes, Mimicry, Serrated Tentacles, Contamination Organ, Spine Projectile Organ, Predator's Claw. Metal Absorption, Perfect Organism (Unique).

2)Psychic-Related: Predator Sense (fusion), Human Nature, Monster's Tentacles, and Clairvoyance, Psychic Resistance.

3)Infection-Related: Parasitic Colony (Fusion)

Type: Physical Enhancement Type]

['Perfect Organism: Your physical body is optimized for slaughter and evolution. It enhances the effects of the possessed type. It instills intimidation in all sentient beings. You can evolve once a day into the 'Symbol of Hunt.']

[Symbol of Hunt: Increases the probability of predation effects significantly during application. Enhances the effects of all possessed traits. Gains resistance to all types of attacks. The duration is 10 minutes.

*Caution: In the state of the Perfect Organic Being, the traits of concealment and flight cannot be used.

*Note: Evolution has no end.]

[A new message has arrived.]

'What is this?'

As soon as I activated the text box, numerous characters greeted me.

'This feels unusual….' None of the traits I'm familiar with undergo such long and complex changes.

'Especially at times like this when it's reality instead of a game, I need to check it thoroughly.' I meticulously examined the changes in the text box as if checking a contract.

'As I expected, the Transcendence System is related to evolution.' It was written as Transcendence Level 1 in the parentheses* next to the Pre-saint. The details would probably be known after evolving into a Quasi-saint, but it was speculated that the conditions for further evolution were related to Transcendence.

'The problem is…'

Two of my most important traits got sealed. As I had suspected right after the change, the heaviness felt throughout my body made it difficult for me to use wings. It was regrettable that the first trait I obtained and the trait that played a crucial role in many important battles was sealed.

'Moreover, not being able to use the Mimicry Organ is painful.' I activated the Mimicry Organ, but there was no reaction from the small holes in my body. Upon closer inspection, most of the holes were sealed by the thickened outer layer. Some holes remained, but their shapes had changed slightly.

'Come to think of it, there was an expression in the system message saying that the perfect organism trait instills intimidation in all sentient beings.' The effect of 'perfect organism' includes instilling fear into sentient beings. Perhaps the pheromone that gives off that aura of fear works by covering the pheromone produced by the Mimicry Organ.

[PR/N- a chemical substance (as a scent) that is produced by an animal and serves as a signal to other individuals of the same species to engage in some kind of behavior (as mating)]

In Space Survival, there are various types of traits, equipment, and skills, but among them, there are things that can restrict other abilities. In line with the game's emphasis on reality, restrictions operate with logic that is realistic and understandable, rather than outright prohibition.

For example, AP bullets contain substances that block the flow of psychic power, preventing the use of the opponent's psychic power in a certain area for a certain period.

Getting the Perfect organism trait and having some of the existing traits sealed should be seen in a similar context. The reason the wings are unusable is that the weight of the body has increased significantly, and the reason the Mimicry Organ is unusable is that the organ has changed to generate a new pheromone.

'Then, how about imitating voices?' Just in case, I tried producing a voice with my mouth.

"Ah, ah, good,…*gurgling*…, I can, gurgle." A voice came out, but it wasn't as perfect as before. It sounded strange, like a voice from a broken recorder, and the distinctive growling sound of the Amorph was mixed in.

Trying to deceive others with this kind of trick wouldn't be forgivable, as if to say that the perfect organism was in a state where it was perfectly applied even inside the body.

'It seems impossible to deceive others with this kind of voice.' Unless the goal is to instill fear in the enemy, it doesn't seem usable for deceptive purposes.

'Usually, when such restrictions arise, there's a separate method provided to lift the restrictions.'

Come to think of it, there was a new message notification. I proceeded to read the message.

['Transcend' system information related to level 2 has been unlocked.

Unlocking 'Unique Trait Synthesis.' You can fuse 'Unique' traits at any time.

Unlocking information on 'Transcend (Level 2) Breakthrough.' Do you want to read the information?]

'Transcend Breakthrough, huh.' I checked the Transcend (Level 2) Breakthrough.

['Transcend (Level 2)': Combine 5 fused traits to unlock a new type-related trait. The traits used as materials must all be related to different types. Information about the new type will be unlocked.

Available trait list: Regeneration (Fused), Predator Senses (Fused), Parasitic Colony (Fused),? (Fused),? (Fused)

Additional reward: The golden restriction from Transcend Stage 1 will be lifted.

*Note: The traits used as materials for the breakthrough can be replaced with other traits. Please keep this in mind.]

[PR/N- Golden restriction is caused by him evolving to transcend level 1 where he cannot use some of his traits which has already been mentioned above]

'Hmm.' The unlocking method was provided, but it wasn't easy. Making fused traits isn't difficult, but the problem was that each fused trait had to be related to a different type.

'Currently, I've unlocked the type acquisition conditions for 3 types.' To proceed, I needed to obtain two more fused traits related to types I hadn't acquired yet. At this point, the difficulty level was almost comparable to evolution conditions.

The only fortunate thing was that it needs fused traits related to a type, it didn't matter which one I used as material. If it demanded only 'specific' traits like in Level 1, it would take me ages to reach Level 2.

'Not easy.' It was regrettable that the traits I frequently used were sealed, but what had happened had happened. When the environment changes, you have to adapt your strategy accordingly.

'Ambushing one by one while hiding has become difficult now.' However, confronting this city head-on was still beyond my current strength. I lack traits and have only one type.

'The key is how strong this newly acquired trait is.' I approached the wall to test it.

'Before, I used to weaken the ground with acidic blood and pierce holes in walls in order to break them… but now.' As it was metal responsible for the city's foundation, it was naturally sturdy. How much has the physique, which is now reinforced in the same way as it reinforces itself during evolution through the effect of a perfect organism, strengthened?

I applied a bit of force to the combat arm and swung it towards the wall. Following the eerie sound of cutting through the air, the thunderous noise vibrated the entire passage.

'Indeed.' The wall, covered in dust but with no significant scratches, showed four wounds.

All were uniformly over 20 cm deep. My enlarged fingernails exactly matched them.

Despite creating cracks in the tough metal wall, my fingernails remained intact.

'Next is durability.' I pierced the newly reinforced outer layer with those nails. It didn't go in at all with a gentle stab. I had to pierce with force before any signs of penetration showed.

'Strength, speed, outer shell toughness, sharpness of the nails. Everything has become significantly stronger.'

With this level of defense, I can even withstand the firepower of plasma weapons to some extent. In other words, the armed police and androids without plasma weapons cannot kill me.

'As long as the defense fleet doesn't bombard me from above, the chances of me dying are low.'

This was certainly a rare piece of good news, but the problem lies with the cult with psychic powers.

While my physical defense is very high, my resistance to psychic powers is significantly lower. Although I possess psychic resistance traits, since I don't receive the type enhancement effect, I fall outside the scope of application for a complete organism.

'Evolving to Symbol of the Hunt will grant resistance to all attacks. If I use this, I can also somewhat block psychic powers… Wait?'

I read the Symbol of the Hunt entry again.

'The Symbol of the Hunt. Usable once a day with a 10-minute limit, but increases predation probability.'

The conditions are quite tight, but in return, the effects gained are highly favorable.

'If I use the Symbol of the Hunt and kill the cult members, I can easily obtain traits related to psychic abilities.'

'The remaining number of traits until I get the psychic enhancement type is 1. Once I acquire that, my defense against psychic abilities will greatly increase since it becomes applicable to 'perfect organism'.'

Moreover, as long as I can quickly secure numerous traits, it won't take long for me to lift the golden restrictions caused by evolving to transcendence level 1.

The key element to breakthrough Transcend Level 2 is quantity rather than quality of traits. It is to quickly secure multiple traits, fuse them, and use them as materials for the breakthrough.

'In any case, the core of the strategy now is the Commercial District.'

The timing of the board meeting is approaching soon.

When the board meeting takes place, various extraterrestrial races will come for tourism. Since they'll come for tourism, they will only concentrate in the center of consumption and entertainment.

'I need to seize the opportunity when new visitors come and the place is crowded.'

It's a situation where new genetic essences gather in one place. If I target them at the right time, it won't be difficult to secure genetic essences.

Moreover, when there are many spectators, all sorts of criminals will also follow suit. The surveillance will become strict accordingly, but let's think of it the other way around. Since there will be many targets to monitor, they won't be able to focus all their manpower on me alone.

If I go around killing people, I'll certainly be pursued, but concentrating all resources on me is not an easy task. Eventually, they will perceive my existence as a significant threat, but by then, I would have gathered enough traits to transcend.

'I should finish the nest construction that I've been postponing until the board meeting.'

Places in the Entertainment District and Commercial District. Let's build a new nest there.

I'm planning how to proceed in the future, but Number 26 wakes up and sends out waves.

｢What was that noise just now?｣

[ZZ ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZ (It's nothing important.)]

｢Huh?｣

As I convinced it that I'm okay, it tries to go back to sleep but wakes up abruptly after seeing me.

It seemed puzzled that the image it saw before going to sleep and my current appearance were different. Light flickered from its body.

｢I've shrunk again.｣

Currently, my size, when standing on two legs, was over 3 meters. Compared to before, when it didn't even reach 2 meters, it can be considered to have grown by about 1.5 to 2 times. The tail is slightly shorter compared to the height, but it still exceeds 4 meters.

Since I grew like this while sleeping, it's not unreasonable for number 26 to be mistaken.

[ZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZZZZ (You've not shrunken. I've grown.)]

｢Already? You didn't eat much, did you?｣

The now smarter number 26 asked. I gave it a brief answer.

[ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZZ ZZZZZ (Not a baby anymore, that's why.)]

｢Big kids grow up quickly. It's fascinating.｣

Seemingly satisfied, number 26 didn't ask any more questions. Meanwhile, Adhai also woke up.

Seeing me, it jumped up from its place as if surprised.

｢Surprise!｣ ｢Surprise!｣

[ZZZ ZZZZZZ (What happened?)]

｢Adult!｣ ｢ Cool!｣

[ZZZZZ (Thanks.)]

Adhai seemed to really like my changed appearance. It behaved like a puppy that wanted to play, looking at me, then turning in place and looking at me again. At the same time, the wings on its back swayed gently, showing a strange movement.

｢Adult!｣ ｢ Know!｣ ｢Unnecessary?｣

'Huh?'

｢I!｣ ｢Adult!｣ ｢Know!｣ ｢Needed!｣ ｢Know!｣ ｢Know!｣ ｢Know!｣

It seems Adhai really likes me.

While I was silent, number 26, who was beside me, extended its tentacles and hit Adhai's head.

｢Pain!｣

｢Big kids can't lay eggs.｣

｢I!｣ ｢Grow!｣ ｢Egg!｣ ｢Possible!｣

｢Even small ones can't lay eggs.｣

｢Pain!｣

With those words, number 26 hit Adhai once more. After being hit twice, it finally came to its senses and stopped turning around, becoming quiet.

'… There is no information available about Gallagon's mating.'

The movement Adhai just showed seems like gestures related to courtship. If Gallagon's fans were present, wouldn't they have fainted?

Honestly, I'm quite interested in how Gallagons reproduce. To evolve, I need to kill a lot of Gallagons. Understanding how they reproduce and grow would be a great help in evolving.

'Well, that's something to think about later.'

Dealing with Gallagons is a story for much later. Right now, building the nest is the priority.

[ZZZ ZZZZ (Going out for a bit.)]

｢Building the nest?｣

[ZZZ (Yes.)]

｢I'll come with you.｣

[ZZZZ ZZZZZ ZZ (It might be boring.)]

｢I'm okay.｣

｢I｣ ｢come｣ ｢too｣

It seems both Number 26 and Adhai want to come along.

'I don't really need to leave them behind, do I?'

I took them with me to work on building the nest.

When I had just completed building two new nests in two places in the Entertainment District, I sensed a familiar wavelength.

The parasite I implanted in William sent a signal.

"What's this?"

There are still a few hours until I can change the parasite. He shouldn't be dead by now.

As I suspected, the signal from the parasite wasn't about William's death.

'Suicide attempt?'

To be precise, he wasn't dead yet. According to the parasite's signal, he was currently moving rapidly towards a location in the Commercial District while in a state of unconsciousness.

'Hospital? Could it be?'

Only then I understood what William was up to.

He is trying to reveal the presence of the parasite through a thorough examination at the hospital.

The fact that the parasite came out of Sander's body is known to a considerable number of police officers in the detective team. I instructed William to interfere and prevent the police from connecting the parasite and Sander's death.

Thanks to that, the police were no longer interested in the parasite and were just keeping it in storage.

But what if the same parasite is found in William's body at this point?

"They definitely won't stay quiet."

"There's tracking technology among the psychic powers of the cult."

The parasites have an organ that generates signals for communication with me. If they understand that organ, they might use the cult's tracking technology in the Administrative District to trace me.

William Couldn't have known all this. However, it was clear that he did something to resist me.

"I should go check out the hospital."

It seems that I might need to advance my plan to conquer the Commercial District.

-x-X-x-

6pm, the port district of the T&C Special Trade Center. Normally, this would be the time when workers in their uniforms diligently moved around, but today was different. Instead, soldiers from the naval fleet and police from the security team were out in force, waiting in the port district.

"The head of the Eden family is visiting earlier than originally planned. There must be no mistakes."

"Of course, Administrator!"

Laila Chemblin, the de facto ruler of the city, nodded silently in response to the crisis management team leader's answer. While the head of the Eden family was known to the public as the Black Lion, displaying his bravery, within the upper echelons of MegaCorp, he was treated slightly differently. Laila defined Denver Eden, the noble of Mars, in this way.

[TL/N- Chamberlain changed to Chemblin]

'Eccentric.'

Generally, humans from The Noble Capital and The Prime Capital were not kind to those below them. They either treated them as slaves or as possessions, like Akira Yujin or in a business-like way like Laila.

Among the elites who enjoyed popularity among the public, the head of the Eden family was the only one who could be considered different.

'Thanks to him, we're the ones suffering.'

Laila maintained a poker face outwardly, but inside, irritation and anger were building up.

Originally, Denver was scheduled to come two days from now, the day before the council meeting. However, Laila had received intelligence that Denver was coming to the city earlier than planned.

'Enjoying a surprise show, isn't he?'

It was clear that he had orchestrated such a move to showcase his uniqueness to the public.

But she couldn't just leave it for him to come anytime. If she treated a popular guest like him poorly, the citizens would start pointing fingers at Laila, and if that happened, her father, Samdam Chemblin, would be greatly disappointed in her way of handling of the situation.

'…cunning bastard.'

While Laila suppressed her frustration and anger, on the other side, police officers from the security team gathered for a meeting.

"Security team at the port district, is everything cleared?"

"Damn, it was a mess with the smugglers, and then this. We really went through a lot."

"Thank you for your hard work. Oh, and William, who played a significant role in tracking the smugglers this time, well done. If it weren't for you, we could have embarrassed ourselves in front of an important guest. Haha."

"…Thank you."

"Well, as the head of the port district's detective team, you're still here for now, but soon you'll hear good news. Look forward to it."

While William received congratulations from everyone, his inner discomfort was unmatched.

They didn't know anything. They had no idea about the grave danger the city was currently facing.

'…Eden.'

In the past, William was a soldier. He had served not in a regular crisis management team but in Denver Eden's direct secret unit, where they experimented with new Hulk mutants.

'It was where they demonstrated the improved Hulk mutants.'

The idea of improving the Hulk mutants was essentially a declaration of competition with the Yujin family. Therefore, Denver had devoted great effort to maintain the confidentiality of the project.

As a result, everyone in that unit was given a disguised background. William, on paper, was recorded as working in the crisis management team under the Eden family.

However, in Williams' opinion, Denver wasn't a bad person. Rather, he was surprisingly decent, close to humane, unlike the other ruling class of The MegaCorp. Officially, Denver denied the existence of the secret unit, but he secretly took care of the people in the unit, providing them with assistance or support.

If it weren't for that incident, William and his colleagues would still be working under Denver.

'If that damn bastard hadn't experimented and fooled around with the specimens…'

One of his comrades from the secret unit betrayed Denver. He escaped along with the prototype of the new Hulk mutant and disappeared.

Fortunately for Denver and William, this information was not relayed to the Yujin family. However, due to the need of maintaining confidentiality, the unit was disbanded, and William and his colleagues each went on to live their new lives.

'Only If his Highness still remembers me…'

If he could convey the situation he was in to Denver, perhaps he could resolve and fight against the existence threatening this city. While William was lost in thought, suddenly alarms echoed from speakers installed all over the Earth.

It was a signal that a ship was entering.

In response to the signal, the dark sky above the port district momentarily flickered. The hologram was affected as the double-layered shutters at the port district operated.

Subsequently, a crack over 200m in the sky appeared. A colossal warship emerged as the massive shutters opened, showcasing its grandeur.

The state-of-the-art warship was adorned with a golden trim on a white base, reaching an astonishing size of 700m in length and 100m in height, visible even from the Earth's borders.

Thanks to the light pouring from the dome-shaped ceiling lights, the warship resembled a hero's ship from ancient myths.

"Finally, a new model after five years."

Muttered Laila as she saw the warship for the first time. The warship descended at a slow pace and landed on Earth.

Following that, the ship's doors opened, and individuals clad in silver armor reminiscent of medieval European knights walked out. They were Eden's Archangels, a well-known unit within MegaCorp.

In reality, what they wore were not actual armor but advanced reinforced suits colored silver. Despite being far from medieval or traditional, Denver intentionally styled them like that due to his emphasis on image.

'So ceremonial.'

Laila clicked her tongue, but at least from a civilian perspective, Denver's decision seemed to receive considerable approval. This was because all the soldiers and police officers on Earth were looking at the Archangels with longing eyes.

The knights who disembarked from the ship stood in a row, leaving only the middle one. The knight in the middle and also the one wearing the thickest and largest armor was holding a flag with a lion depicted on it, he raised it high and shouted.

"The great lord of Mars and the Black Lion of Eden, Lord Denver Eden, has arrived!"

In line with his introduction, Denver descended last. In contrast to other knights, he wore black-based armor with gold decorations. He was the man who, unlike the others, had a sense of authority. Denver removed the helmet upon descent, revealing a man with black skin and white teeth. He smiled, waving his hand.

As Laila had hurriedly prepared soldiers and police officers to match their protocol, she nodded to the crisis management team leader beside her.

When he promptly applauded, the soldiers and police officers at the port district cheered in unison.

Denver responded to the cheers, shaking hands lightly and enjoying the applause as he leisurely passed through the well-organized ranks of the knights.

Finally, those at the pinnacle within MegaCorp faced each other.

The person to break the short silence was Laila.

"I, Laila Chemblin, daughter of Samdam Chemblin, greet Prime Capital Denver Eden, the lord of Mars and the Black Lion of Eden."

"It's been a while. Who would have thought that the little girl from not long ago would become such an impressive lady."

"Thank you. However, for now, please address me as the General Manager, Lord Denver."

Denver chuckled while looking at her smiling face but scowling eyes. He scanned the surroundings again and muttered in admiration, as if saying, "This is it. I also paid attention to security, you know. Samdam will be pleased."

[PR/N- Here Denver is appreciating the security arrangement organised by Laila]

"I appreciate the compliment."

"Give the reporters some time. That's why I brought the prototype battleship."

"The reporters are already waiting outside Earth harbor."

"Oh, really? Impressive!"

Denver nodded with an impressed expression. While Laila inwardly criticized his nonchalant demeanor, she didn't show it.

'Someday, for sure…!'

Although the seven Noble Capitals and Prime Capitals within MegaCorp were collectively known as the Seven Great Houses and Seven Aristocrats, the gap between the two classes was quite significant.

CEO candidacy was exclusively allowed for Noble Capitals, and Prime Capitals only had voting rights among the elders and the head of the family. However, the Prime Capitals still actively utilized their authority, as the King Makers also held considerable influence.

Denver, with his extravagant smile and flamboyant laughter, was an example of such behavior.

Despite his rude promotion of his new warship, it was merely an external show. His real intention was to test Laila, who was in charge of preparing for the board meeting.

Laila, her family, T&C, were they qualified for the next CEO, and did they have enough influence to bet on within the Eden family? That's what he wanted to find out.

"Haha, you're still flawless."

Seeing no significant reaction from her, Denver laughed heartily. It was a signal that the first test was over.

Laila sighed inwardly and spoke again.

"Leave the rest to others and accompany me to the Administrative Zone. I have some questions about the new battleship."

"It would be a shame to just go like this after coming all this way. I'd like to chat with the people here."

"…I'll wait."

Since it was evident that he would do what he wanted anyway, Laila didn't object. Denver, smiling, approached the soldiers and police officers.

As Denver was recognized as a star among MegaCorp's public, there were many individuals among the soldiers and police officers requesting for his autograph. Despite this somewhat uncomfortable atmosphere, Denver responded to all of them, while he was greeting everyone, a familiar face caught his eyes.

"No, you? Will… No, NH01, isn't it?"

"Long time no see, Your Highness."

When Denver mentioned his past code name, pretending to recognize, William nodded and respectfully acknowledged. Denver, initially pleased to see him, patted his shoulder, but a strange expression crossed his face.

"Was your body always like this? I don't remember seeing you this thin"

"...."

Seeing Denver's concerned attitude, it was clear that he still had a favorable opinion of William, his former subordinate.

'If he's addressing me like this, he should understand the significance of my actions.'

William made up his mind.

"Huh?"

With those words, William pulled out a laser pistol and aimed it at his own abdomen.

***

'Hospital.' As far as I remember, there are three large hospitals in the space city that can treat serious injuries. One is in the Administrative Zone, while the rest are in the Commercial Zone.

'The hospital in the Administrative Zone is only accessible to Third Capitals and above, so William can't go there.'

The signal sent by the parasite is coming from the Commercial Zone. Since the hospital and the station are close, it would be best to go through the subway line.

'Route is set, but the problem is that it's early evening now.'

Since it's the commercial zone, there would still be many people shopping at this hour. Being close to the hospital and station is good news, but it also means there will be a lot of people around the station, especially nearing the end of working hours.

'I have an active plan, but I don't intend to engage in a full-frontal confrontation with the city. Moreover, killing people in the station would risk exposing the nest.'

'But I still have some time.'

According to the signal sent by the parasite, William is currently in a serious condition due to self-harm. In that case, the medical staff would most likely try to prioritize saving him right now instead of trying to find the cause of why he tried to harm himself and since that is the case then the likelihood of extracting the parasite first will be low.

'But avoiding detection by the parasite may be difficult.'

Being hospitalized with severe injuries, there is no room for luck for him.

'Since the parasite keeps reporting, let's wait until nightfall.'

While waiting, I should think about how to infiltrate the hospital. The hospital William went to is the one where he was admitted after the battle in the former apartment complex.

'Back then, I didn't approach the hospital directly. Instead, I sent an infected armed police officer to bring him out.'

'There are many androids in the MegaCorp hospital.'

In MegaCorp, doctors specializing in patients with serious injuries, require genetic modifications, or those above Prime Capitals are handled by genetic modified specialists. Other than that, doctors deal with normal patients only when they board the ship.

Since most patients are treated with medical capsules, androids take care of them instead of advanced personnel like doctors.

'It won't be difficult to fight since they're not combat models, but…'

Medical androids pose a headache in a different sense.

'Everyone should carry a call bell.'

When a medical call bell rings, it is immediately relayed to the central AI of the hospital, and appropriate measures are taken according to the AI's judgment. If I attack and the android rings the bell, the police and military will immediately be dispatched to capture me.

Because of these difficulties, even in the game, hospitals are one of the difficult places to infiltrate. Even for me, who is adept at infiltration, hospitals are not places I particularly want to attack.

'Unless I have EMP features or concealment features, entering is… ah.'

As I think about concealment, a suitable method came to my mind.

The high-grade reinforced suit obtained from the sniper in the harbor area.

This suit is equipped with a concealment function.

'If I activate the suit and consume it, wouldn't the concealment effect occur?'

Although it is made of synthetic fibers as a base for easy modification, I mixed in a special metal to implement the concealment effect, making it applicable to my characteristics.

'The duration of metal absorption is more than 20 minutes.'

Originally, it should be 20 minutes, but as my body has further strengthened due to the state of 'perfect organism', It should have a duration of about 20 to 30 minutes.

However, though 30 minutes is not a short period, the more I delay, the more disadvantageous it becomes as the surveillance network inside the hospital becomes tighter.

'If I want to deal with William quickly, I need to know the structure of the hospital first.'

Fortunately, I have a way to know the structure in advance without directly going to the hospital.

I returned to the nest in the Commercial Zone with the kids.

[ZZZZZ ZZZ ZZ (Don't touch me)]

｢Going to the nest?｣

[ZZZ (Yes)]

｢Be quiet. Don't disturb.｣

｢?｣

Number 26, who had seen what I was doing in the spaceship before, understood and took Adhai with him, moving away from me.

'I don't need to spread the distance too much.'

It's just being considerate, so there's no need to point it out.

I comfortably lay on the nest and rested my chin on the sticky surface. My auxiliary devices also touched the gooey surface of the nest.

As always, I felt the sensation of floating in the air, and suddenly, like being sucked into a hole, I shot downward.

It's a familiar sensation from the time of the link, as I've done this many times.

'Find the hospital.'

My auxiliary devices received my command to locate the hospital among the things on the ground. The first sensations that come to me are the sounds created by the city—footsteps of people walking, the sounds of people doing business in shops, and the chatter on the streets. The most noticeable sensations were the sounds produced by the city.

The sensations that followed closely behind, like pursuing me, were related to the sense of smell. The smell of food from a restaurant, the smell of sweaty clothes from office workers, and the smell of still unpurified polluted air, and more.

In a way, the commercial zone might be called the essence of this city.

In the flood of sensations, I picked up the distinctive smell of the hospital, commonly associated with preservatives or disinfectants.

'An 8-story hospital close to the station.'

Among them, William's location was in the surgery room on the 3rd floor.

The whole 3rd floor had a strong smell of disinfectant mixed with the pungent smell of blood and the smell of humans. It was clear that the surgery room and the intensive care unit were located together on the 3rd floor. After surgery, patients would enter the nearby intensive care unit for recovery.

'Everything can be resolved on the 3rd floor.'

Besides, I thoroughly searched for places within the hospital where the server room and central AI computer might be located. The place where the most electrical signals were detected was the basement on the 2nd floor.

'Alright. This should be enough.'

Having finally understood the overall structure of the hospital, I disconnected the link.

Now that the preparations to enter the hospital were complete, all that remains is to wait until nightfall.

Before the day is over, William will die in my hands.

-x-X-x-