Chapter 2398 - ESM 67

[Predation effect activated! Successfully acquired the 'Illusion of Hell' gene essence.｣ ｢Taken away 'Illusion of Hell' among the creature characteristics of 'Dradsong'.｣ ｢Would you like to apply 'Illusion of Hell'?｣ 'It was close.'

Shortly after the text box opened, all strength left my body. This is because the 'symbol of hunting' has ended. The gigantic body was reduced by half, and the parts that had changed here and there returned to their original appearance.

"how is it? Did you succeed this time? "Do you want to move on to the next object?" [Zuzuz, zuzuzu, zuzuzu (It's okay. This is enough)]

Since I have secured the characteristics and obtained the necessary materials from the Heavenly Mother, there is no need to go and catch more.

'Plus, I just happened to gain some good traits.'

A text box is waiting for my selection. When I chose to accept the trait, the text box disappeared, and the digested genetic essence was evenly distributed throughout my body.

It was through the biological pipe that the flow of essence that would fundamentally change my body arrived.

When an Amorph grows into an adult, long and short pipes appear here and there on its body. These biological pipes are used to secrete special chemicals, such as 'Dark Shroud', a fusion trait related to psychic abilities.

When Dradsong's genetic essence was applied, the pipe began to change. What was once black turned dark red, and on top of its unique bio-mechanical form, it became rough, like hardened lava.

Not only that, but the area where the pipe sprouted, that is, the outer skin covering my entire body, also had a dark red streak pattern. It's like lava that flows out of a volcano and begins to solidify.

Meanwhile, except for the wings and head carapace, all parts were black, so it felt a bit boring. However, adding accents to various parts of the body definitely made it look more impressive.

｢Big Adult｣｢Color of Stars｣｢Similar｣｢You Look Strong｣

Aadhai tapped his ankle with his front paw. And he pointed at his red wings with the bundle of tentacles attached to his snout. I guess he likes me because I'm similar to him.

'Shall I show you what effects it has?'

Now that the mutations of the biological pipe have been completed, it is time to experiment.

This characteristic can be viewed as operating through two mechanisms.

'First things first.'

Chemicals produced within the body are expelled through biological pipes.

All the pipes sprayed gray liquid into the air. Like water sprayed with a spray gun, the liquid on the floor and my outer skin quickly evaporated. Soon, a gray gas reminiscent of the sulfuric acid fog that hung over the Dradsong habitat enveloped my body.

Since the substances that make up the gas are strongly acidic, I can cause damage to other equipment or buildings just by approaching it. You can think of it as spreading characteristics like 'acidic blood' or 'acidic fungal glands' in the form of a gas.

But if it ended here, it wouldn't have been called 'Illusion of Hell'.

[Zuz zuzuzu (everyone step back)]

So far, step 1. I distanced myself from the kids. This is because children can also be harmed from this point on.

'Now step 2.'

I covered my body with gas and opened my mouth, teeth chattering lightly. Then a spark flew out and attached to the gas. In an instant, my entire body was covered in huge flames, and the temperature inside my body rose rapidly.

This strongly acidic substance that makes up the gray gas has a very low flash point, so it catches fire easily. The temperature of the flame also rises so high that even a small bullet can be destroyed before it reaches my body.

As the name of the illusion of hell suggests, I myself become a monster burning in endless flames.

'It's a characteristic that is very different from the power of the original.'

In the case of Dradsong, it causes a strong explosion by inhaling naturally formed gases and explosive substances. On the other hand, the illusion of hell can be seen as a form in which its destructive power and aggressive aspects are weakened, instead of producing toxic gases on its own.

'It's not that bad right now.'

Since it is a trait that surrounds the body with fire, it is useful when fighting enemies who specialize in hand-to-hand combat.

Not to mention small and weak enemies, it is also useful when fighting enemies that are heavily armored or have high defense. This is because it can continuously inflict damage to nearby enemies, just as the saying goes that you don't notice your clothes getting wet in a light rain.

No matter how strong an enemy's defenses are, if they are continuously exposed to acid gas and high-temperature flames, the damage will inevitably increase.

'The high level of heat dissipation is a bonus.'

As the illusion of hell was applied, the heat dissipation effect of my outer shell increased significantly. There is no fear of the fire cooking my intestines and flesh. It is also useful when fighting monsters that inhabit volcanic planets, such as Magmasaur.

｢Big baby, it's burning hot.｣ ｢Big star｣｢Power｣｢Slightly｣｢Feeling｣ "After analyzing the composition of the gas, it was confirmed that it was a mixture of acidic and flammable substances. Please be careful as there is a risk of ignition upon contact with the material."

They are intrigued by my burning body.

"Seeing that reminds me of something that happened before." "What happened before? Ah, ah!」 "It looks like Seo-ah knows it too. 'Space Bomber'." "It's so famous that there's no one who doesn't know about it. Because of that, the kids who have it these days get angry whenever they see Amorph."

Heavenly Mother and Isabel looked at me and whispered among themselves, as if they were remembering something from the past.

'Don't be a space bomb.'

I was called that for a while when I was passionate about gaming.

Here, this trait is acquired after becoming an adult, but in the game, it is acquired during the sub-adult period. At that time, when I somehow infiltrated the space fortress, I immediately ran to the oxygen supply facility.

'And it became light.'

Enclosed spaces, large amounts of oxygen, and even gases made of flammable substances. This is a very good environment for self-destruction. If you blow up the fortress, you won't be able to get the genetic essence, but at the time, I was focused on instilling fear in my enemies, so I didn't pay much attention to it.

'Looking back, it was a bit too much.'

There have been more than one time that I lost the essence of my good genes because I found the bombing fun. After obtaining the unique trait, I refrained from self-destructing, but until then, many players blew up their forts and quit the game because of me.

'Now that I think about it, there was a unique attribute synthesis formula that was unlocked before, right?'

Other than the synthesis formula unlocked by killing Vortex One, there is only one synthesis formula that was unlocked a long time ago. The illusion of hell trait acquired this time was one of the ingredients for the synthesis formula.

'I'll have to move my seat first and check it out.'

When I decided to unlock the trait, the pipes in my body became locked. The flames that were burning wildly gradually died down.

[Zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu (Let's go to a safe place)] ｢Where are you going?｣ "On the way, we found a huge pit. "Due to the structure of the entrance, it is highly likely that it leads underground."

I picked up the kids and followed the directions of PS-111 to the place where the pit was.

As I flew back the way I had flown over the barren black land, I saw a very large hole. It was wide enough to easily fit a destroyer. Also, when I looked down while flying, I couldn't see the bottom, so it seemed like it was quite deep.

'It looks like there's no lava inside.'

There is no steam or gas rising, and only the sound of a strong wind is heard.

I jumped down and entered the pit.

When I saw the entrance, I thought it was spacious, but it was as expected. Inside, there were small tunnel-like things opening here and there, and the shape was quite complicated.

When I looked at it, it looked like a space created naturally by lava and gas. As time passed, the contents moved to another place or spewed out, leaving behind such a huge feature.

When I got to the bottom, I saw a passage through which the lava had escaped. The entrance was large enough for me to go in and hide.

'I need to hide there.'

I crawled into a natural tunnel created by flowing lava. Inside were the corpses of several animals that had died because they could not find a way out.

'There's some decent food right now.'

The kids got off my back and each took their own food without me having to say anything.

"Will my friend get better if I have this?" "It's an organic material that looks useful for tail repair." "I'll help you too. What do you need?" "Food" "It's soggy" "Shall I bake it for you?" ｢Rejection｣｢That Method｣｢Meal｣｢Inconvenient｣

I told the kids that I had something to check, went inside and took a seat.

'Where then…'

I lay down comfortably and checked the semi-transparent text box.

｢'Transcendence' material list: Inorganic Digestion, Harvester's Maw, Bone Beast, Infernal Vision, Ultra Control (not obtained)｣

｢'Transcendence' Material List (New!): Demon Machine, Tyrantroid, Unconfirmed, Unconfirmed, Unconfirmed｣

'I originally came here for the second fusion ceremony.'

I came here because I thought hunting Apex creatures would be a clue after seeing the incomplete trait, 'Demon Machine', that emerged after preying on 'Ring of Anguish'.

'Originally, I was planning to target Magmasaur and other high-level Apex creatures.'

Until I came here, I never thought I'd catch a dragoon, but things have changed a bit. Now that you have obtained the vision of hell, all that is left is the trait you can get from the Antler Cult, 'Ultra Control'.

'There's just a problem.'

It's been quite a while since I unlocked the first fusion ceremony. This is because the key trait was 'Inorganic Digestion', which was obtained when hunting down the powerful Apex creature 'Gorgon Swarm'.

So why have you been paying attention until now? The reason was that it was very difficult to obtain one of the many materials, 'Harvester's Maw'.

The body-related fusion characteristic, Harvester's Maw, is created by synthesizing the 'Essence Harvester's Jaw', which only Aimorph semi-adults or special Outspacers have. If you use the harvester's maw as a material, you will lose the ability to obtain genetic essence by consuming only the head.

'At the time the fusion ceremony was held, it was a semi-adult body, so there was no room to consider it.'

The other ingredients, 'Digest Minerals' and 'Bone Beast', are not easy to obtain. When collecting a large amount of genetic essence from the space fortress 'Kesha Arma', I had the same concerns and gave up.

'But now the conditions are different.'

When I became an adult, my body became so large that it was difficult to deliberately aim for the heads of other creatures. There aren't many creatures bigger than me right now. Quite a few creatures can be swallowed in one bite or eaten in a short period of time.

Therefore, it can be said that the risk of having to eat the enemy whole has been reduced.

'If you think about it this way, it might not seem that important, but…'

If you change your mind slightly, it won't be like that again.

'Even when fighting people like Vortex One, it's a hassle to have to eat their entire body.'

Without the Harvester's Maw, it becomes difficult to acquire traits through predation during battle. Even if it is an enemy that can be swallowed in one bite, even if it is a slightly large creature, the meat must be consumed one by one.

'Besides, it will be difficult to experiment on other people.'

I looked at No. 26 and Aadhai sharing Osundosun food. They feasted on food they would never eat if it were a game. Thanks to that, we both gained new strength.

Not only those guys, but also the twin sisters and Heavenly Mother. They also need the bodies of Apex creatures to become stronger.

If I eat it all, I will be robbing everyone of their opportunity.

'In the past, I wouldn't have thought about this at all.'

Whether in the game or in reality outside of the game, I lived only thinking about myself.

In space survival, all beings are seen as prey. In reality, I did not interact deeply with anyone.

When I see that I feel affection for those little monsters and am willing to give in, I feel like I have changed a lot.

'…Well, because this method is more advantageous for survival.'

First of all, the first fusion ceremony must be sealed as before. It won't be easy to get Ultra Control on this planet anyway.

Let's focus on the second fusion ceremony, just like we decided to come to Asuka 44.

'There has never been a case of overlap among the fusion ingredients so far.'

Among the unconfirmed ingredients for the second fusion formula, I have to exclude the illusion of hell. It will take more time as researchers infected with parasites are diligently looking for Magmasaur.

'The next enemy worth targeting….'

A few types of creatures worth eating come to mind.

I closed my eyes and kept thinking about what to do next.

–

"what? "Dreadsong habitat was destroyed by an earthquake?"

Salman tilted his head at the communication sent from the exploration team.

Earthquakes are not a particularly special natural phenomenon in Asuka 44, where volcanic activity is active. The building where he stays is equipped with a gravity control device to minimize damage from earthquakes.

Salman knew that too, but there was something he couldn't understand.

'This is a dread song that is notorious for being cunning. 'They never make their home in places where earthquakes occur.'

Even if you lose the battle for territory and are forced to live in a place where earthquakes occur frequently, it is a problem. Because they live underground, they can predict earthquakes faster than anyone else. If an earthquake is expected to occur, evacuate to a safe area in advance.

'But there was no such sign.'

If Dradsong had moved territory, there was no way his eyes all over the planet would not have seen it.

'…Vulkarox, that's what he said. There was an unknown giant creature near Dradsong territory.'

As I thought about that, one thing came to mind.

A being that preys on all kinds of vicious beasts and takes their power. If 'that guy' came here, he would most likely be looking for Dradsong first.

'no way?'

Salman suppressed his ominous thoughts and gave an order.

"Check all of the areas of Dradsong that have been confirmed so far. If you encounter a suspicious creature, report it immediately." "All right."

After ending the communication, he immediately opened the drawer.

'If he's here….'

It hasn't been revealed yet whether he's really here, but you never know. Considering his notoriety, it is impossible for Salman to deal with it alone. He has no intention of dying here.

Inside the open drawer was a diamond-shaped tombstone.

-x-X-x-

We stayed in our new shelter for 24 hours without going out.

'I originally planned to stay for a while.'

Surprisingly, the structure of the pit was complex, so it seemed like it could be used as a base. So I rested and made a nest.

The huge tunnel formed naturally as lava passed through and was covered with black slime. The walls and ceiling were covered in hardened mucus that resembled veins, and the floor was filled with liquid. The tunnel was thick with steam, making it reminiscent of an old swamp.

Although the steam was thick, the temperature was not that high. This is thanks to the 'master of the environment' characteristic, which can control the temperature and environment inside the nest. The air throughout the nest was cool, so everyone was able to rest comfortably.

After everyone took a break together, I started talking about what to do next.

｢Hunt advanced Apex, eliminate 'Salman', the equipment manager of the Returned faction, and create my own equipment. "I think there are three main goals you mentioned."

Heavenly Mother summarized what I said in three simple words.

"The point is, you want to talk about what to do first?" [Zu (yes)]

She thought for a moment and spoke.

｢I think it would be better for me and PS-111 to move separately.｣ [Zuzu (separately?)] ｢I need tools to make my equipment.｣ [Zuzuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzuzu (that part is PS-111 I can help you)] "If there is any equipment you want, I will make it for you."

PS-111 flicked his claws, showing confidence. But Heavenly Mother shook her head.

｢The material processing itself can be done by PS-111 as you said, but assembly and manufacturing require equipment that operates precisely.' [Zuzu (Really?)] ｢Salman is in charge of managing the returning wave's equipment, so it is necessary for maintenance. It will also have facilities. So me and PS-111 can sneak in and use it."

After hearing it, it wasn't a bad idea.

They still don't know that we snuck in here. The current situation where the enemy is not on guard may actually be advantageous for infiltration.

Moreover, she is Wolff's ranker who freely moves between phantom beasts and beasts. You must have tried infiltrating enemy territory and carrying out operations several times.

She wouldn't have much trouble carrying out operations with PS-111.

[Zuzuzuzu(Are you going to be okay?)] "Don't worry, I once infiltrated a patrol ship with a heavy walker."

So, Heavenly Mother and PS-111 were chosen as the infiltration team.

[Zuzuzuzu Zuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzu (The rest will hunt with me)] ｢I like hunting with my big baby.｣ ｢Bird food｣｢Taste｣｢I don't know｣｢I'm curious｣

Number 26, floating above the swamp, expressed joy by shining its body like a lamp.

As Aadhai had a curious personality, he seemed more interested in eating creatures he had never seen in an unfamiliar place rather than in the hunting itself.

Isabelle, who was curled up next to me and listening, asked me a question.

"Are you going to aim for Magmasaur right away?" [Zuz, zuzu, zuzuzu, zuzuzu (no, I'm going to catch another creature)] "It's a different creature. "Are you planning on targeting 'Elemental Porcupine' and 'Pyromancer'?" [Z (right)]

As she said, I planned to target those two creatures before catching the Magmasaur. Both are dangerous Apex creatures and have useful traits.

I was a little surprised that he knew this well even though he wasn't an Amorph player.

Isabel saw my reaction and slightly frowned her blue eyes.

"I've been to volcanic planets several times because of my sister."

When I heard that, I immediately understood.

'Because Gallagons also live on volcanic planets.'

His twin sister, Penelope, is a self-proclaimed Gallagon enthusiast. As far as I know, he studied the ecology of gallagons and also analyzed their prey and natural enemies. Much of what is known about Gallagon in the game was revealed by Penelope.

'You must have had a hard time.'

Even though I don't particularly like Gallagon, I must have traveled to all kinds of dangerous planets because of my sister.

As if my guess was correct, Isabel glanced at PS-111 with beautiful sapphire-like eyes. Since the eyes were transplanted from Coldblood, not from a machine, I could feel complex and subtle emotions in those eyes.

The guy looked at the sisters, who were now in a completely different form, then turned his gaze back to me.

"What are you going to catch first?" [Zuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzu (to target the Pyromancer first)] "It's the Pyromancer. When do you plan to hit ranker?" [Zuz zuzu zuzu (the guy is last)]

Salman thinks he should organize it together when he hits Magmasaur. Isabel said, placing her head on top of the coiled body.

"You're planning to invade in the middle of the fight. Just like we did in the game."

Currently, he is aiming for the same goal as me, so it is a good situation to aim for. Let it attack the Magmasaur first, and then surprise attack at the right time.

'Besides, it's even better because you can observe the perks in advance.'

Anyway, I figured out how to move with this.

I got out of the nest with the kids. The sweltering heat and hot volcanic ash welcomed us.

"You said that's the direction the base is located, right?" "That's right."

Mother of Heaven about to leave with PS-111.

Just as I was about to tell him to be careful, something suddenly occurred to me.

[Zuzuzu (wait a minute)] ｢?｣

I called her over and held out my fighting arms. A strengthened parasite escaped from a hole in my arm and crawled up my finger.

When she saw that, her amber eyes widened.

"helminth? Why is this happening all of a sudden?" [Zuzuzu (for communication)]

It is difficult to communicate smoothly when you are far away from others. Even if a problem arises with her, there is no way for me to fully know.

'But if you have parasites, you don't have to worry about that.'

If you carry around a strengthened parasite and need to deliver news, you can plant it on a human at the base. When she tells an infected human her business, this is how the parasite relays the signal to me.

Or what if the situation is so dangerous that it is impossible? At that time, you just have to kill the parasite.

[Zuzuzuzu zuzuzu (Not a bad idea, right?)] ｢…That's exactly what you think.｣

When I explained my idea to her, she sighed heavily. And I received the parasite in a hesitant manner.

[Zuzuzu zuzuzuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu (He's delicate, so handle him with care)] ｢….｣

The parasite on the arm of the griffon beast wriggles.

A black bug that looked like an eel moved around and gently touched the hair near my collarbone. Her hair stood on end at his charming gesture.

"If you find it uncomfortable, I will keep it." "I think that would be good."

I hoped that Heavenly Mother would take care of it, but as soon as she heard PS-111's words, she immediately handed over the parasite.

"Please don't worry. "I would be much safer inside my body."

PS-111 gently grasped the parasite with its claws and guided it down its body. A metallic sound was heard, and the plate under the body opened, revealing a storage space about 70 cm long.

Inside was Vortex One's flesh and Dradsong's skin. Between the objects, I could see the guy's digestive system writhing.

[Zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (I already have a lot of things, so wouldn't it be inconvenient?)] "It is possible to store parasitic organisms."

The guy calmly put the parasite in the stomach and closed the metal plate.

'I guess it'll be okay.'

Unless the creature's body is cut in half, the parasite is unlikely to die.

With that, Heavenly Mother and PS-111 left for Salman's base.

I moved with the remaining kids to a place where the Pyromancer might be.

'Let's start by looking for the lava lake.'

In fact, Pyromancers are wandering predators. They do not stay in one place for long and constantly move around to hunt.

However, the reason you want to go to the lava lake is because its food roams around there.

Vulkarox, which hardens its body by rolling over lava and rocks, and Lavalaptor, which hides in the lava for that purpose. These are all creatures that he enjoys eating.

There's no way he would just pass by a place that's almost like a buffet, so I think I'll wait there and catch him.

I flew low along the path of lava on the black earth. Isabel, who was flying next to me at that time, asked me.

"I was going to ask you earlier, but isn't the elemental porcupine easier to find?" [Zuzu zuzuzuzu (Because they are territorial animals?)] "Yes. "Those hedgehogs usually live in volcanic craters." [Zuz, zuzu, zuzu (that's why)] "?" [Zuzzu zuzuzuzu zuzu zuzuzu zuzu zuzuzu (Because Salman's men are searching for Magmasaur)] "Aha."

Isabel, who understood what I meant, nodded in agreement.

If you wander around a volcano and get caught, it becomes a hassle.

｢Big baby, what is a hedgehog?｣ [Zuz zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzuzu (It's a small creature with thorns on its body)] ｢Thorns?｣ [Zuzuz zuzuzu zuzu zu zuzuzuzu (It's similar to this one, but thinner and smaller))]

When he pointed to the horns on his head, No. 26 brightened as if he understood.

"It's got sharp appendages! "It's similar to a human!"

There are many other things, but they are complicated to explain, so I decided to stay silent.

"This" "Appendix" "No" "Horn" "Appendix" "Different" "Horn? What are horns?" "Horn" "Male" "Symbol" "Horn" "Size" "Important" "Is it good if the appendages are big?"

Aadhai, who was flying with me, came close to my head in the middle. Then he gently stroked my horn with the tip of his tail and let go.

｢Very｣｢Very｣｢Important｣ "…."

I feel Isabel looking at me with strange eyes. This time too, I didn't have anything to say.

While chatting like that, we continued following the lava. What at first was as thin as a prominent vein on the skin, soon became so wide that it could be called a river.

And at the end of the river, there was a vast lake of fire.

The lake was constantly boiling due to heat and gas rising from below. I saw a group of Lavalaptors hiding at the edge, with only their two-pronged tail sticking out.

Outside the boiling lava, the Vulkarox they were targeting was wandering around.

Vulkarox do not form groups except when mating. So the large bronze bulls moved at a sparse distance from each other.

And around the bull, there were rats that were about 60 to 70 cm in size and had their entire bodies covered in scales. They circled around the bronze bull, climbed on top of it, and gnawed at the sharp protruding rock.

The name of that little monster is Stoner. It mainly feeds on rare minerals and rocks. Thanks to its habits, it has a symbiotic relationship with creatures that surround themselves with lava and stones.

For example, if lava and rocks accumulate excessively on Vulkarox's body, it becomes an obstacle to movement, and Stoner removes this on a regular basis. Vulkaroxes also know this, so they don't react much even when Stoner bothers them.

'It looks like there are no pyromancers.'

If he were here, the area around the lake wouldn't be this peaceful.

'It looks like there's plenty of food. 'Let's wait here.'

I put them in each head's mouth just like I did in Asuka 44. And then he jumped right into the middle of the lava.

The lake was deep enough to submerge my body while lying face down. I lifted my head slightly above the lake, feeling the heat engulf my whole body. If there were a crocodile living in fire and magma, it would look similar to me now.

'good. then….'

There is only one thing to do now.

Waiting for 'new food' to arrive.

-x-X-x-

A word from the author (author's review) In the previous episode, Burning Star (5), we have strengthened and revised the explanation of the fusion formula using 'Harvester's Maw' as an ingredient.

Previously, it was stated that it was unlocked at the Space Fortress. I corrected this by saying that I obtained 'Inorganic Digestion' and unlocked the fusion formula when I was hunting Gorgon Swarm before going to the Space Fortress, but forgot about it because I could not solve the material problem.

There are no major changes in the development.

-x-X-x-

"Dad, I'm so sick…" "Really? Should I ask for some painkillers?" "no. Just release this. "It hurts and I can't breathe." "■■ Hey, isn't there a teacher to take off the bandages right now? Let's solve it tomorrow. huh?" "Yes…." "He's nice. We ■■. Oh, by the way, Dad brought a fun movie? Let's see together." "huh!"

"Nurse teacher. "What about Dad?" "They said they couldn't come today. So, let's play with my sister." "today?" "As you know, ■■ is a very busy person." "huh."

"mom?" "I brought our cutie's favorite pizza, right? Shall we eat together?" "huh." "Oh, don't worry about the camera. Because it's no big deal. Oh my, this looks delicious. right?" "huh."

"When on earth was that broadcast filmed?" "What does it matter to you?" "Are you crazy? "What on earth are you doing with a child?" "And you? "I was only interested at first and didn't even come to visit." "Huh, I'm busy too. "I can't be in and out of the hospital every day." "Well, I guess you would say that with the amount of money you earn." "her. "I don't think that's what a woman who sells her child because she can't even make that little money would say." "what? Who would say something like that for selling out their child? "What kind of heart do I have…"

If I hadn't been sick, this wouldn't have happened.

If I hadn't gotten in the car with my dad that day, none of this would have happened.

I….

–

An auxiliary organ under the chin caught something foreign. The body that had been in a light sleep gradually woke up. As my senses returned to my body, I felt the scorching heat of the lava again.

Is it because I was immersed in boiling magma for a long time? While I was asleep for a moment, I had a dream.

'It's a boring memory.'

When I was young, I had an accident and was hospitalized for a long time. This is because more than half of his body was burned and he had to receive multiple treatments.

'I never thought I would fall asleep in a lava lake.'

It got better after I became an adult, but before that, I had a hard time because of the trauma of the accident. It's so bad that when watching a movie, just seeing the scene of lighting a fire with a lighter was enough to make my body stiffen.

'If becoming an Amorph makes you feel better, it's definitely an advantage.'

A strong body also heals my mental pain.

As I was thinking that, a wave flew out of my mouth.

｢Big baby, are you okay?｣ [Zuzu (Huh?)] ｢Are you not feeling well?｣

It was a wave sent by No. 26 inside the mouth of the central head. I guess he felt my emotions while I was dreaming.

[Zuzzu zuzuzuzu (I'm better now)] ｢Really?｣ ｢Fever｣｢I feel｣｢Not good｣ [Zuzuz zu zuzu zuzuzu (Don't worry. I'll be out soon)]

After reassuring the worried kids, I opened my eyes.

The atmosphere that had been peaceful until I jumped into the lake was now completely disrupted.

The Vulkaroxes were torn to shreds and scattered around, and the Stoners seemed to have all run away. The Lavalaptors that were diving at the edge of the lake with only their tails out were in the same situation as Vulkarox.

And the person who turned the lake into a scene of massacre is there.

The monster was about 11 meters tall, and its body was covered in red scales. There is a row of sharp bone plates on the back, and two additional elongated arms are attached to the shoulder blades. Although it had four arms, its body shape itself was like that of a human or ape, with its back straightened and walking on two legs.

That monster that looks like a burning giant is the Pyromancer, a vicious predator.

The one with his back to the center of the lake was holding a Lavalaptor with four arms.

"Ki, kiik!"

The Lavalaptor resisted by swinging its tail, but it didn't back down at all.

Instead of retreating, its four arms swelled up. Then, blood poured out of the Lavalaptor's body and it split in half.

"Tsueuu, Tsuaaaa."

The Pyromancer, who tore a monster half of his body to death, let out a strange cry. Intoxicated with victory, he started devouring the loot.

'It's an opportunity.'

I slowly approached the creature, crawling through the lava lake.

Like most creatures living on volcanic planets, Pyromancers also have very hard scales. It cannot be injured by normal attacks.

'Besides, he has some annoying abilities.'

As the name suggests, Pyromancers have two special abilities reminiscent of fire.

One of them is a very strong recovery ability.

Its resilience is such that it can heal wounds large enough to cause death in an instant.

'Even if only the hair remains, it can be regenerated within minutes.'

In return, a huge amount of energy is consumed, but if you look at it another way, it means that you don't have to worry about death as long as you have energy. Because they know this, they keep eating food to store energy in their bodies. It's like trying to keep a fire going by adding firewood.

If you don't kill it in one go, it will constantly come back to life, so the strategy for attacking it is rather standardized.

Either use very strong firepower and kill him in one hit, or…

'Either stop him from recovering.'

I submerged my entire body into the magma and pulled out the erosion tentacles from my back. Long, thick tentacles hidden inside the thick armor came out and approached the creature.

The guy was so caught up in eating that he didn't notice what was behind him.

Just as the pointed appendage at the end of the tentacle was about to grab the back of the guy's head, the guy stopped moving.

"Tsu, tsk tsk?" 'I got caught!'

The one who was sniffing fell forward and jumped out. Almost at the same time, an appendage of an erosion tentacle lightly grazed the back of its neck. Some of its scales were torn off and its blood splattered into the air.

"Tsuaaaaak!"

When faced from the front, its face looks like a lion with scales instead of fur. The organ responsible for hearing has degenerated and disappeared, and instead, objects are sensed with highly developed eyes, nose, and tongue.

'It is a pouched lion that has no ears and its body is covered with scales.'

A hideous-looking monster roars at me, baring its sharp fangs.

[Zuz zuzu (everyone comes out)]

When the three mouths were opened, the children inside jumped out. As if they had planned a plan in advance, No. 26's psychic power caught him first. Next, Adhai, wearing 'Red Armor', attacked the frozen Pyromancer.

"Tsuaaaa!"

The guy whose upper body and lower body were separated from Adhai's charge fell to the floor screaming.

Finally, Isabel moved like a snake and wrapped around the enemy's torso, which had been cut in half. Dozens of hands held his arms tightly to prevent him from resisting. And then he tried to stab the guy in the head with Gallagon's clawed tail.

"Tsutsutsu."

However, the Pyromancer's regenerative power was much faster than his movements. The bone plates on its back were stained white. Isabelle, who knew what that signal was, quickly relaxed.

'I can't leave it like that.'

When I saw the tip of the guy's arm attached to my shoulder blade pointing towards Isabel, I hit him with my head in the middle.

The guy's body floats in the air. At the same time, the white light coloring the bone plate can be seen moving to the two arms attached to the shoulder blades.

Just before it flew away due to the impact of colliding with me, it swung its white arm widely.

The distance is so close that it cannot be avoided. The right horn that the guy's fingertips touched was cut in half.

｢Pain relief activated!｣ ｢Big adult!｣

The guy who broke my horn flew backwards and landed on the ground covered in volcanic ash.

Looking at that alone, it seems like he did more damage, but that's not true. This one has a damaged horn, but the other one has no injuries.

I threw a tentacle towards the place where he was stuck. The appendage at the end of the tentacle got stuck in the guy's shoulder.

"Tsutsutsu."

It cried out in frustration and hit the tentacle with its white arm.

｢Pain reduction activated!｣

A pain relief message pops up again. The current blow almost completely cut off the tip of the tentacle with its appendages. I quickly pulled the tentacle back.

'It's annoying.'

If the amazing regenerative power symbolizes an endlessly burning fire, those white arms symbolize the heat of the fire.

Pyromancers can convert the energy stored in their bodies into heat using the bone plates on their backs. When the bone plate turns white, it means it is ready to transfer stored heat to the arm of the scapula.

And the arm filled with heat becomes a famous sword that can cut through anything. Its power is enough to easily destroy the skull and thoracic carapace, which are the hardest parts of my body.

A predator with ideal means of attack and defense. That is the characteristic of a pyromancer.

'Thanks to the illusion of hell, it ended without being cut.'

Normally, it should have lost both its horns and its tentacles. It was barely cut thanks to the 'Illusion of Hell' which provides a heat dissipation effect.

｢Big Adult｣｢Are you okay?｣ ｢Bad Human! "Bad human being!" "Those shitty traits are still the same."

The kids also stayed back and worried about me. Because they know that the enemy has terrible attack methods, they do not rush in.

"Tsutsutsu."

The guy is wagging his tongue. It looked as if it was laughing at me.

This one suffered damage to one tentacle and one horn, but it looks fine with no injuries. Even if I were in his shoes, I would definitely react that way.

'but….'

This one is not stupid either.

My erosion tentacles have a secret that Isabel and the Pyromancer don't know. The only trait I have is one that interacts with the appendages at the end of the tentacles.

It takes some time for the trait effect to take effect.

'It will take about 3 minutes, at most 5 minutes.'

Considering its size, it might be shorter than that. If you receive additional attacks from erosion tentacles here, it will become shorter.

I retrieved the badly injured tentacle and pulled the other tentacle out. The kids also started taking action in response to my movements.

Just like the first time, this time too, No. 26 launched the attack first. As the intangible psychic power fluctuated, the Pyromancer responded immediately. Even if you can't see it with your eyes, you have a wild sense that something is approaching.

The guy moved nimbly and escaped the scope of No. 26's restraints. One guy didn't panic and continued with his next attack.

A purple protective shield connected to the tentacles of the creature hiding under the black ash protruded from beneath its feet. The lower part of his calf that touched the shield was instantly destroyed.

While the guy lost his leg and was floating in the air for a moment, Isabel flew towards him. Just like before, Isabel wrapped him around him. The difference is that the guy's arms are holding onto the Pyromancer's bone plates.

A metallic sound came from Isabelle's arm, the bone plate cracked, and intense steam came out. The organ that converts energy into heat was damaged, and the white color immediately drained from its arms.

And finally, Aadhai flew into the guy wearing red armor. The target of its blood-red paws is the enemy's head.

Sensing that he could not escape because he was tied to Isabel, he took drastic measures. Just tearing off the head and part of the upper body.

｢What is it?｣ "Tsuaaak!"

It tore off part of its torso and threw it at Aadhai. During the short time it was flying, the guy who had regenerated part of his body got on top of it.

｢You｣｢Disgusting!｣

While Aadhai was twisting his body to throw the guy off, the guy's arm turned white.

At that time, his body was pushed by something invisible and fell to the ground.

｢You can't bully a little baby!｣ "Tsuak!"

After briefly expressing his anger, the Pyromancer immediately turned his back and started running in the opposite direction. They are not running away, but trying to replenish their energy with other food.

'Where.'

I strengthened my legs and kicked the ground. Even without spreading my wings, my body rose high.

"Tsuaaaaak!"

The guy running is startled when he sees a shadow falling over his head. I tried to crush him like this, but he rolled to the side and avoided it.

As soon as I landed, I swung my tail at the guy. The guy who was hastily stuffing a nearby corpse into his mouth saw the two-pronged tail coming towards him and immediately responded.

The white arm collides with my clawed tail. He's been the guy who's been cutting off my carapace like a radish, but not this time.

Considering my size, the size of the tongs is enormous. No matter how big of a guy's arm it is, it's impossible to cut it off all at once.

While the pincer was sacrificially squeezing the creature, the erosion tentacle was targeting the creature. The sharp appendage stuck into the guy's shoulder, just like the other tentacle did earlier.

"Tsu, tsuaa!"

Since I wasn't the only one here, he gave up his weapon. The guy who cut off his own arm quickly widened the distance.

"Tsuaaaaak!"

Although he had been fatally wounded several times in less than a few minutes, he was no different from when we first encountered him. It was truly a wonderful recovery.

That guy probably knows that too, so he roars proudly.

'Well, I wonder what it will be like.'

This is the third time. The number of times the eroding tentacle's appendages injected 'something' into its body.

"Tsuaa, evil?"

The thing stops moving. The guy who sensed an abnormality occurring in his body tilts his head.

However, it is too late to realize this now.

"Tsu, Tsutsu?!"

The guy looks at his crystallized shoulder and becomes embarrassed. I swung my other arm and broke the scales on my shoulder, but it was no use.

Because the silicon-based microorganisms I injected have already spread throughout his body.

"Is that by any chance?" [Zuz zuzu zuzu zuzu zuzu (what you think is right)]

A trait named after a mythical monster that turns anyone who looks at it into stone.

The 'Medusa organ', the only characteristic of the environmental adaptation series, was turning the Pyromancer into a piece of quartz.

"Twaaagh?! Tsuaaaaak!"

The guy struggled, breaking the parts of his body that were turning into a crystal-like substance.

If the back of the neck was first attacked and then the shoulder was stabbed, if those areas had been cut out, this wouldn't have happened. It is useless to remove the contaminated area before the microorganisms in Medusa's organ spread.

One guy didn't know that, and even left that part behind to regenerate the rest of his body. Thanks to this, microorganisms were able to quickly spread throughout the body.

Now, its transcendental regenerative power is practically neutralized. In a situation where its regenerative power and the Medusa organ are walking a tightrope, it will not be able to regenerate its body hastily.

[Zuzu zuzuzu zuzu zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu (Do you think I came to catch you without thinking?)]

A pyromancer with the body of an ideal hunter.

The Apex creature that had once been so confident was no longer there. The thing in front of me was just scared prey.

As always, it was never difficult to kill prey that had lost its will to fight.

-x-X-x-

｢Medusa Organ: Silicon-based microorganisms are injected into the target to mutate their genes. Beings with mutated genes crystallize in stages over time. *Caution: It can only be used when in contact with the other person. ]

-x-X-x-

"Did you get what you wanted this time?"

I nodded to Isabel's question.

Unlike during Drad Song, I was lucky this time. Because I got exactly the characteristics I wanted.

'Because the Pyromancer has a trap card.'

Metallic Gremlin's 'Dwarfing' and Sky Whale's 'Energy Absorption' have greater losses than gains from acquiring the characteristics. Pyromancers also have negative characteristics in that way.

Among the characteristics that a Pyromancer has, there is one characteristic called 'hunger'. Those who possess this trait have their maximum energy storage capacity greatly increased. This can be said to be an essential trait for someone who has to expend a lot of energy.

'However, the disadvantages are also significant.'

If you have the hunger trait, the energy stored in your body will continuously decrease. And when energy falls below a certain level, control becomes impossible.

As the name suggests, you go crazy with hunger and run wild. The reason he didn't run away until the end was because of that hunger.

Fortunately, the trait I gained was not hunger.

｢Superior homeostasis: Consumes a large amount of energy to dramatically improve natural healing power. After using the attribute, the effect of the energy generation attribute is weakened for a certain period of time."

The Pyromancer's near-magical recovery, 'superior homeostasis', is currently being applied to my body.

'The performance is a bit inferior to the original, though.'

Some of the characteristics that Aimorph can acquire may be less effective than the original characteristics, or the effects may change. Superior homeostasis is also a characteristic that is applied in a weakened manner compared to the original.

Even if you have this trait, it is impossible to restore your body in a matter of seconds like a Pyromancer. If it were the same as the original, Amorph would have become the strongest race.

Of course, there is nothing to regret. Superior Homeostasis is one of the secondary traits useful to Aimorphs.

Classified as an internal organ, this property, as explained, restores the body's healing ability to a tremendous level. Unlike other recovery characteristics, it must be activated randomly to be applied, but once activated, it shows regenerative power comparable to the original.

For example, even if only the head is left, the entire body can be restored within 10 minutes by activating the characteristic. You may think it takes a long time, but considering the size of my body, it is incredibly fast.

'If you have this trait, you can freely use Revenant Organization and Tyrantroid.'

A Revenant organ that activates only in situations where one is about to die, and a Tyrantroid whose effects are amplified as the injury becomes more severe. Both are good traits, but there is a limitation in that their activation depends on how severe the injury is.

However, with superior homeostasis, many of these shortcomings are eliminated.

Of course, that doesn't mean there aren't any drawbacks.

When superior homeostasis is used, characteristics that pump energy, such as 'Dragon's Heart', are sealed. The sealing time varies depending on the characteristic, but can be as short as one or two hours, and as long as a day or more. At this time, the only way to replenish energy is in a primitive way, that is, by eating and digesting the enemy.

'There are regenerative characteristics that don't have these drawbacks, but you can't get that here.'

There is a unique feature that allows for complete upward compatibility, but it is very difficult to obtain. The most effective regenerative trait I can obtain at this point is superior homeostasis.

"I think I got what I wanted. "What are you going to do next?" [Zuzu (well)]

I intentionally made a generous plan in case the characteristics I wanted didn't come out. This is because I expected to hunt at least three Pyromancers.

However, since it came out earlier than expected, there was no longer any reason to catch the Pyromancer.

No, to be precise, there is no need to catch it 'right now'.

'I have to catch it later when Heavenly Mother is there.'

When other kids received a trait or two from me, she told me what traits she wanted too.

There are two main characteristics she wanted to implant. It was revenant agency and superior homeostasis.

Her perk, 'Hunting God's Transformation Shell', allows her to transform into various types of phantom beasts. In return, a cooldown of 30 days is required each time you transform into a beast other than the Gryphon.

Although it is a powerful perk, tactical versatility is significantly reduced due to this cooldown. So she always wanted to somehow resolve that shortcoming.

'A combination of Revenant Agency and Superior Homeostasis would be good when using perks.'

However, all I can offer here is the latter, superior homeostasis. This is because the Revenant Agency cannot be obtained here.

'There is one thing that can replace it.'

In Berzan 02, thanks to gorging on Sihyeon Eugene's crystal equipment, he gained abilities similar to Revenant Engine.

The name of the ability obtained through the effect of 'Plunderer's Irregular Polyhedron' is 'Void Dice'. Using this ability resets the cooldown of all attributes. Thanks to this, the Revenant Agency became usable again.

'It seems there are other effects, but I haven't confirmed them yet.'

After using it as soon as I got it in Berzan 02, there was a cooldown of 66 days. Because the cooldown was still remaining, I couldn't test what effect it had.

'…I can't get over this situation.'

I thought about it again, but it still wouldn't work. I know it helps her. However, I can't give you the Revenant Agency now that I can't use the Void Dice.

'Because we face big enemies called Magmasaur and Wolf Ranker.'

I'll have to hold off on Revenant Agency and hand over Superior Homeostasis later. After all danger is gone and I can acquire the same characteristics again.

[Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzuzuzu Zuzuzuzuzu (Let's check the places where Pyromancers are likely to live)] "What about Elemental Porcupines?" [Zuzzuzu zuzuzuzu zuzu zuzu zuzuzuzu (I guess we should search for volcanoes that researchers are not investigating first)]

Isabel, who heard me, did not reply. The guy who raised one arm and scratched under his chin pointed behind me.

"How about me and Adhai go looking for it?" [Zuzuz (two of us?)]

The guy stretched out his finger and pointed to Aadhai and No. 26.

｢I like this one.｣ ｢Negative｣｢This｣｢More｣｢Delicious｣ ｢That is delicious, but this is even more delicious!｣ ｢Parts to eat｣｢Write down｣｢Not good｣

The two were feasting on the creatures slaughtered by the Pyromancer.

"He and I are small, so it won't be easy to catch them with radar." [Zuzuz (right)]

In particular, in the case of Aadhai, it can fly so fast that it is difficult for radar to properly detect it. Although Isabel is slow, she knows the ecology of elemental porcupines well.

I thought it was a pretty good combination, but I shook my head.

'It's not good to split up any further than this.'

Unlike the group that infiltrated Salman's base, Adhai and Isabel cannot use parasites as a means of communication. If they, or I, have a problem and we can't contact them, it will be very difficult.

[Zuzuzuzuzu zu zuzu zuzu (You can't do this because you might get destroyed individually)] "What about maintaining an appropriate distance?" [Zuzzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu (if that's the case, there's no reason to share)]

At least it's better to stay together until Heavenly Mother and PS-111 return. Isabel also understood and agreed to what I meant.

[zu zuzu zu zuzu zuzuzu (Once we've finished eating, shall we move slowly?)] ｢Where are we going this time?｣ ｢Bird food｣｢Are you looking for it?｣ [Zu (yes)]

I loaded the kids up and jumped into the sky.

Looking down, I see the little stoners coming back to eat the corpse. They will clean up the remains of corpses scattered around the lake.

The last time I saw the lava lake, it was just as it was when I found it.

–

From behind a large rock, Heavenly Mother and PS-111 were looking at Salman's base.

Several buildings floated on the lava thanks to gravity control devices. Each building was connected by a long passageway and was protected by a shield.

The base, with several buildings intertwined like a model of molecular structure, was much larger than expected. There was even an air port that could comfortably accommodate large battleships. In fact, it would be enough to call it a space fortress above the surface.

'I can't believe there is a facility of that scale in the outskirts.'

Such facilities can only be found on rich planets like Berzan 02. No matter how ranker you are, building such a huge levitation base on an unknown planet is not an easy task.

'I don't know why…'

What is important now is not why that base was built. I need to figure out how to infiltrate that base.

As she looked at the base, her amber eyes focused on a certain building.

Some of the buildings floating on the lava had facilities resembling chimneys installed at the bottom.

The equipment, located close to the burning surface, performs the job of sucking up heat and gases. The accumulated heat and gas are converted into energy by other facilities in the building.

'I have to go there or enter the port.'

There are so many eyes watching the port that it is impossible to sneak in.

There is only one way to sneak in without being interrupted by the shield.

"how is it? Do you think it's possible?" "Confirmed with a 62% chance of success. The size of the passage is estimated to be large enough for me and the 'middle baby' to barely pass through. "Precision flying skills are required to break through."

It was a screamer-like answer with half of the brain made up of machines.

The odds of success were not high, but she was confident.

'I've penetrated passages much narrower than that. That much is possible.'

I don't know about PS-111, but the Heavenly Mother's flying skills were at a considerable level.

Her fighter jet piloting skills in the game were within the top five. It was not for nothing that Amov entrusted her with teaching Aadhai the art of flying.

Since he only gained his wings for a short time, he is more familiar with ground combat, but can use his past skills whenever necessary.

"I'm going to aim for the timing when the gas is erupting from below. By using the rising airflow generated by the gas, you can sneak in without being detected by the shield." "It's not easy even with the skills of a 'little baby,' but is it possible?" "I taught him? Well, it's only when it's Green Gallagon." "I understand. "Based on the gas eruption cycle, the next eruption will occur in 6 minutes." "good."

She nodded and checked the plan in her mind once again.

While we were reviewing various risk factors related to the operation, PS-111 spoke.

"I have a question about the sub-controller 'Aimorph'." "huh? "What is it?" "Is Amorph's gender male? Are you a woman?"

For a moment, I thought the screamer was joking. As she remained silent, PS-111 asked again.

"Is Aimov's gender male? Are you a woman?" ｢…Do I really have to ask that in this situation?｣ "The middle child is confirmed as a subject who can nimbly accept Amorph's thoughts. Since we are carrying out an operation with such a being, we decided that it would be easy to collect information."

I looked at the opponent with astonished eyes, but PS-111 did not back down. The guy, who had no facial expression thanks to his metal skin, seemed to keep asking until he answered.

She sighed and answered.

"As far as I know, he is male. "I said so myself." "Is there biological evidence to confirm this?" ｢….｣

She knows what PS-111 means by biological basis. I also know how to check that. In the past, when I was in the real world, I couldn't help but find out about it after seeing another Amorph's photo of 'there' posted on the community.

'But why are you asking only me?!'

Previously, No. 26 and Aadhai asked her, and now Screamer is asking the same question. As if she thought she knew everything.

"Don't ask me, ask me directly." "I asked before, but I was rejected." "I definitely don't have any tolerance for that kind of thing… No, wait a minute. "Why am I saying this?"

It certainly wasn't like this just a few minutes ago. We're in a situation where we need to infiltrate a base where an enemy ranker is hiding, but we're just talking about pointless things. Even in real life, she was not used to this type of topic, so she felt quite strange.

'I have to change the topic somehow…'

At that moment, as if her wishes had been heard, a change occurred at the base. Ships large and small floated above the quiet port facilities.

"behind!"

She and PS-111 quickly lowered themselves. The destroyers and patrol ships quickly took off and formed a line and flew in one direction.

'Why are you doing this all of a sudden?'

He had been quiet so far, but now he seemed quite urgent. It looked as if they had been rushed to the scene because something was wrong.

'no way?' "The ships that took off are all models with the advantage of high speed." ｢…Could they have gone looking for Amov?｣ "Given the state of their armament, I presume their intention is to carry out a reconnaissance operation."

No matter what, it's not a good sign when enemies make unexpected moves.

'I have to tell Amov.' "There are 30 seconds left until the gas erupts."

To do so, you must quickly infiltrate the base.

Watching a plume of gas and fire rise from the lava lake, she began her operation.

-x-X-x-

The search for a place where the Pyromancer might hang out was surprisingly early. This is because after leaving the lava lake, we discovered several places where many creatures were gathered.

'I'm surprised you found it so quickly?'

Like ice-type planets, volcanic planets have extremely harsh environments. Except for a few cases, most living things wander endlessly in search of food.

Areas like lava lakes are a place for many wanderers to rest for a while. The reason Pyromancers often visit the lake is to hunt animals that come to rest.

Except in such spaces, it is very rare for living things to gather together. So I thought it would take a long time, but my expectations were wrong.

"It's not a place where many people can gather, so what happened?" [Zuzu (well)]

Various types of animals can be seen gathered together on an empty field.

The Vulkaroxes were maintaining a minimum distance, and a group of Lavalaptors were nearby, waiting for an opportunity. And small and medium-sized omnivores like stoners were also mixed in among them.

It is quite an exceptional situation for creatures from different habitats to gather in a place that is not a resting place.

'Did they leave their habitat because of volcanic activity?'

Among the creatures that inhabit this planet, there are not many that can survive without an erupting volcano nearby. There is a possibility that they came together like that by chance while running away.

'Since I discovered it so early, should I eat the creatures over there?'

When predating earlier, it is transformed into a symbol of hunting, so the benefit of increased predation probability cannot be enjoyed. Still, since there are a lot of creatures gathered together, I think I can acquire about three or four characteristics even if I hunt them in this state.

'Anyway, there are more places a Pyromancer would visit besides that place…'

As my thoughts turned to catching and eating the gathered monsters, I felt a familiar wave.

The wave that came from quite a distance was a signal sent by a parasite.

'Why a parasite all of a sudden?'

I quickly checked the signal sent by the parasite, wondering if Heavenly Mother and PS-111 were in danger.

'What sent me a signal was…'

The three parasites sent the same signal.

If three signals were sent at the same time, there is only one answer.

The members of the expedition team that took over not long after I arrived on this planet.

It was a signal sent by the parasite controlling them.

'You found traces of him?'

When I took control of them, they were already investigating five volcanoes. In one of them, traces of the Magmasaur's movement were found and it is said to be on the move.

'We haven't started subjugation yet.'

The researchers being controlled were on the same airship as when I met them.

Magmasaur, nicknamed the volcano devil, is, as its nickname suggests, a living volcano-like being. He is an enemy that even rankers find difficult to deal with. It is unlikely that a single research airship will be mobilized for combat, so it must be assumed that it is moving for reconnaissance.

"what's the matter?"

Isabelle asked as I stopped moving and only waved my wing arms.

[Zuzuzuzuzu zzuzu zzuzu (I think the Magmasaur has been discovered)] "What? "It's faster than I thought." [Zuz, zuzu, zuzuzu, zuzuzu (since they said they were already investigating)] "That's right. "Then what are you going to do?"

My plan was to hit Salman in the back while he was fighting the Magmasaur. When dealing with a difficult enemy, it is best to aim for the right position.

'Let's go first and take a look at the location and terrain.' [Zuzuz zuzuzu (let's just check the location)]

I and the kids turned in the direction the parasite was leading.

We moved at a lower altitude, and when we came to a place where volcanic ash was widely spread, we hid ourselves in the black clouds. This is because, unlike other times, enemies are moving around, so you have to move carefully.

'Even if I fight, I have to fight when and where I want.'

As I moved around with that in mind, I soon got closer to the location of the three parasites. Having neutralized the enemy's detection system with 'Dark Curtain', I slowly lowered my altitude.

As I looked down from the clouds covering the sky, a new signal came to me.

The parasite guiding me and another guy are sending signals.

'What else this time…huh?'

The signal received this time was sent by the parasite given to PS-111.

'A number of scout ships left the base?'

It was about 30 minutes ago that those controlled by the parasite received a signal to move. They must have just infiltrated the base as they were late notifying them that the ships had left.

News of the exploration team's sudden movement, and even the scout fleet that left the base. It certainly seems right to focus on exploration rather than combat.

'They say there are a lot of ships dispatched, so I'll have to be more careful.'

I'm currently wearing a veil of darkness, so the enemy fleet won't be able to detect me, but you never know. Because aircraft carriers flying around could spot me with the naked eye.

I was still hiding in the clouds dyed black from the volcanic ash, and only put my head down in the center.

There was a very large volcano on the horizon where the earth and clouds met. It was as large as the black mountain in Adhaj's former hometown.

The difference is that the black mountain I saw was a dormant volcano, but not the one here. A huge volcano in the distance was spewing out enormous amounts of smoke and ash.

After becoming an adult Amorph, I became something that could safely be called a giant monster. But I still felt small in the face of this amazing natural phenomenon.

'Is it that place?'

A mountain that creates an atmosphere similar to the Doomsday. Hundreds of ships are floating around.

It was the scout fleet that the Mother of Heaven had spoken of. It seemed like a search was in full swing as I saw a small airship gliding between the mountainside and the fleet.

'Let's narrow the distance a little further.'

I flapped my wings with my eyes fixed on the fleet.

They didn't think I was hiding in the clouds and only paid attention to the volcano. They didn't pay any attention to what was moving above their heads.

The airship and walkers that landed on the mountainside were so close that they seemed very small.

I hid my head in the clouds again. My head alone is as big as its entire body, so if I get any closer, the chance of getting caught increases.

So I asked Isabel instead. Please check what those who landed on the mountain are planning to do.

It gently swayed like a swimming snake and disappeared beneath the clouds. The purpose is to monitor the enemy's movements within the range of the dark curtain.

Thanks to the coordination she received from her twin sister during the process of moving her body, her eyesight is quite excellent. It's not as bad as the Mother of Heaven, but at that distance, you should be able to roughly see what the enemies are doing.

And after a while, he came back.

"There's a problem." [Zuzu (Problem?)]

Just like PS-111, its expression barely changes because it is covered in metal skin. But that's not the case with the voice.

"They brought a Star Union bomb. "It's so huge that it blows up the entire volcano." [Z(What?)]

The guy's voice clearly showed embarrassment.

I, too, could not help but be taken aback by this completely unexpected situation.

–

"Has a message arrived for Amov?" "huh. "Because they planted parasites, that alone would have sent a signal."

A room full of rare items.

There was a Screamer and two Wolfs with large bodies.

The Mother of Heaven, a beast with the head of a bird of prey, looked at Wolf in front of her. The opponent was a male Wolff with the head of a fox, but he did not look normal as he was bleeding from his snout.

He ended up like that because PS-111 forcibly injected him with parasites.

'I've used all kinds of parasites in my life.'

Controlling NPCs with parasites and pretending to be players. These two were the culprits behind Amov's infamy. She too has suffered from parasites dozens of times. There was a time when I team-killed a clan member because of that.

But I never thought I would come here and use parasites.

"Your position is engineer?" "Well, uh, I'm not at the level of an engineer…" "If the information you can get from the answer is judged to be insufficient, it can cause pain." "Now, wait a minute! "I am the technician who maintains the lights inside this base!" "Thank you for your useful reply. Next question."

While she was thinking about a past she didn't want to remember, PS-111 was skillfully interrogating her.

"Where is the computer that manages the light circuits here?" "yes? That's not why…! "I can access remotely from my personal computer!" "Thanks for your cooperation."

PS-111 nodded as if satisfied with the answer. The Mutant Screamer turned his beautiful face towards the Heavenly Mother.

"You can enter Area Q by remotely hacking this person's computer." "…great job."

She suddenly realized that there were two Amorphs around her, but she didn't bother to say it.

After that, PS-111 started working by connecting his wires to the computer Wolf Wolf brought with him. Within minutes, he gained access to several facilities.

"Area Q is equipped with facilities to maintain and repair equipment. "We have modified the security system along the way, so you can take the route I am telling you." ｢Is that possible?｣ "It's possible if you're special." "Then, can you access the equipment storage from here?" "Some places are protected by a cult-style security system. The system is closed, so remote hacking is not possible. They must be physically accessed or released through the General Manager's Office." "Then it must be difficult."

The reason they came here secretly was to make her equipment. It is sufficient to come and attack the enemy's equipment storage later with Aimov.

'It's a little disappointing, but there's nothing I can do about it.'

Anyway, I found a way to easily achieve my goal. The two left the warehouse with Wolf the fox and headed to Area Q.

While going to the repair facility, I didn't encounter a single person. Also, while moving, PS-111 kept adjusting the angle of the camera in the hallway using the computer, so their appearance was not captured. Compared to entering the base, it was surprisingly easy.

After passing through several corridors, they finally arrived at Area Q.

Upon opening the solid alloy door and entering inside, unfamiliar guests were greeted by a scene similar to the inside of a factory.

"Let's get started right away." "huh. Please."

With those words, PS-111 removed Dreadsong's hide and Vortex One's body fragments from his body and began modifying the district computer's settings for material processing and assembly.

If the flames of this great metal furnace were extinguished.

At that time, the Mother of Heaven will obtain the only high-quality armor exclusively for Wolff.

-x-X-x-

'Why is this a bomb all of a sudden?'

That's a bomb made by Star Union.

All of the spaceships currently stationed around the volcano are cult-style warships. Outside of Space Dog, it is quite rare for a cult to use cyborg weapons.

The core of the Cult Empire's weapon system is an energy-based weapon based on psychic power. There is no reason to be interested in Star Union's drone weapons.

'Of course, that's a general view.'

Salman, the ruler of Asuka 44, is a player. Since they will not be subject to the common sense of the cult, it is not strange to use Star Union weapons.

Among the three major powers, Star Union possesses the most powerful conventional weapons. In addition to nanomachine bombs, there are also a large number of conventional bomb weapons, such as traditional style bombs, such as nuclear weapons. And its power is so powerful that it cannot be compared to a real nuclear bomb.

[Zuzuzzu zuzuz zu (How many bombs are there?)] "I don't know exactly how much. "I just saw them carrying a gamma-class antimatter bomb."

The Gamma-class antimatter bomb that Isabel mentioned is the third most powerful weapon among Star Union's deployable bomb weapons. Its power is strong enough to destroy a city protected by a biodome.

'The question is, why are you bringing that out here?'

When dealing with other enemies, Magmasaur cannot be killed with anti-matter bombs. This is because, like Sky Whale, which absorbs energy, it can absorb heat energy.

Wouldn't the ranker who plans to fight Magmasaur know that fact? Trying to explode something like Gamma here will only fill the enemy's stomach.

Therefore, that bomb was installed with a different intention.

'I'm not trying to kill you, I'm trying to put you to sleep.'

Magmasaur's diet is the energy and by-products generated when volcanoes erupt. It absorbs energy through the bone plates attached to its body, and inorganic substances such as lava and rocks are sucked in at once through its large mouth.

When the digestion limit is exceeded, the magmasaur stops eating and falls asleep on its own. When in a dormant state, the body is rapidly transformed and reborn as a new volcano.

'It won't be much different in this world.'

In the game, Magmasaur, whose body was transformed, was treated as terrain rather than a living creature. Of course, the genetic essence could not be obtained.

Unless you are lucky and consume it before the head deforms, it will be difficult to consume the essence.

The same goes for Salman. It is unclear how the perk will work, but it will not be able to dominate a gigantic creature whose body is changing on a genetic basis.

"It seems like a trap."

Isabel said to me as I was thinking about the situation.

It's a trap set by Salman. Given the circumstances, I think that is highly likely.

At the time of taking control of the researcher, Salman was actively searching for Magmasaur. The purpose is, of course, to dominate stronger creatures, not to put them to sleep.

The fact that he comes out like this can only be seen as a change in goal. It's not about controlling it, but organizing it in advance so that it doesn't get taken over by others.

And that other person refers to me.

'I know I came to this planet.'

Otherwise, the actions of the scout fleet planting bombs on the supervolcano are unexplained.

Anyone who knows me well will know what I'm aiming for here. They will somehow try to prevent him from acquiring the genetic essence.

If my judgment is true, I must say that I am currently in serious danger. If Salman had recognized my intrusion, he would have already called for reinforcements.

Perhaps all of the returning faction's rankers are already in Asuka 44.

"Big baby, are you okay?"

At that time, No. 26, who was overhead in the center, cautiously called out to me. He sensed my intensifying emotions and became worried.

'Let's calm down.'

My thoughts are jumping to only one side.

Losing your cool in a dangerous situation is not helpful at all. You must judge rationally.

'If you look closely at the situation…'

First of all, one thing is certain: he doesn't know where I am. If I had known, the returning faction's rankers would have attacked me a long time ago.

Nevertheless, the reason they placed a bomb in Apex's habitat was probably because they thought I might be in Asuka 44.

So what is the basis for that judgment?

'A creature ruled by him.'

They must have used the unique perk 'Beast God's Lasso' to place living surveillance cameras all over the planet. While I was roaming the planet, spies reported the truth about me to their masters.

In the meantime, I focused on avoiding the enemy ship's surveillance network and did not pay much attention to the gaze of wild animals. Looking at the timing of the enemy's actions, I think they may have been caught while on their way to capture Dradsong and Pyromancer.

'But that's not what's important here.'

It is unclear whether Salman did not properly understand what the dominated animal saw, or whether it was a limitation of the privilege itself.

The point is that he is acting based on uncertain information.

If my guess is true, that bomb is some kind of insurance that works through a decoy called Magmasaur.

If I remove the bomb to capture the Magmasaur, my invasion is confirmed.

The same is true even if my existence is recognized through other channels. At that time, all you have to do is detonate the bomb to put the Magmasaur to sleep. Although I will lose the opportunity to rule Apex, it will prevent me from becoming stronger.

'After that, they'll call other colleagues to deal with me.'

So why did he take such a cumbersome method?

The answer is simple. This is because there are no colleagues in Asuka 44.

Alshas had previously said that each member of the Returned Sect was responsible for important work. Unless there is something very important to do, they do not abandon their duties and move.

However, as soon as it becomes clear that I have infiltrated Asuka 44, they will come here immediately. No, maybe they are already here requesting support.

'This is all I can figure out right now.'

I explained my inferences to Isabel. The guy who listened to my story to the end in silence nodded.

"So what are you going to do now?"

There is one thing that is most needed in the current situation.

Quickly take out the guy before Salman's colleagues arrive.

'The other person, however, is quite a cautious person.'

Regardless of whether I had called my colleagues in advance or not yet, I would not have ruled out the possibility that I would hit myself first. They've probably laid all sorts of traps in preparation for my intrusion.

Heavenly Mother and PS-111 succeeded in infiltrating the base, but the situation is different from mine. In fact, if they had just one of the two, they probably would have failed to infiltrate. The Mother of Heaven cannot hack machines, and PS-111 has a body that is not suitable for infiltration.

However, I am not very reluctant to compete head-on. That, too, is no different from being dragged along by a plan prepared by him.

｢Big baby doesn't seem to be in a good mood.｣ ｢Dwarf｣｢When I meet him｣｣Always｣｢Mood｣｢Bad｣ ｢It's because humans have bad things.｣ ｢Dwarf｣｢Body｣｢Weak｣｢Stick｣｢Strong｣ ｢Bad "Humans need to be hit with bad objects!"

While I'm working hard on my brain, the kids chat about whether they're bored or not.

'for a moment.'

The moment I heard about their competition, an idea suddenly crossed my mind.

'If I use this well, it won't be bad, right?'

A way to achieve everything I was aiming for while at the same time inflicting a fatal wound on Salman.

There is only one method that is almost like magic.

[Zuzuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzu (Equipment that the Mother of Heaven is trying to make)] "Huh?" [Zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu zuzuzu (It takes about two hours to complete that, right?)] "It depends on what equipment you use, but I remember it took about that long." [Z (like)]

Four hours, including the time for the infiltrated guys to escape.

After that time, Salman will be finished.

–

"What happened to the person in charge of the bomb?"

A huge space with a dome-shaped gate on the ceiling.

In front of the rocky mountain in the middle of it, Salman asked the chamberlain.

"Four hours have passed since installation, but they say no one else has accessed it." "He will definitely appear there. "Detonate the bomb as soon as you confirm access." "I have a remote control switch over here, so you don't have to worry."

When the chamberlain took out a black terminal, Salman nodded slightly.

'First of all, I did everything the Empress told me to do.'

Among the members of the Returning Sect, the ones who fought Aimorph the most were the Empress and the Tiger. Salman contacted the Empress via communication monument and asked for advice on how to deal with it.

She, or he said, if he really arrived on that planet, there was a high probability that he would have done so for two main purposes.

One is the ranker's life. They must have heard of Salman's existence from the already dead Alshas, so they came looking for him.

So the Empress said to focus on surviving as much as possible.

Immediately after receiving the call, he increased his load as much as possible by catching wild animals wherever he could. The ecosystem was in shambles because of that, but that wasn't something to worry about now.

At the same time as increasing the load, I wore all the equipment available in the equipment storage room. For the remaining equipment, the storage's security system was changed to closed so that no one else could access it.

And the second reason why he will target Asuka 44. That is Magmasaur, the best genetic essence that can be obtained from volcanoes.

Magmasaur, which belongs to the top Apex, is also something Salman covets. So, we have been using exploration teams to search the inside of the volcano.

The Empress, who knew this fact, also left this advice. If he really came to Asuka 44, Magmasaur should give up. And among the base's subordinates, even those who came in from outside should be suspected.

'Because it may be infected with parasites.'

There's no way that crazy bastard would search every volcano. Even in games, he enjoyed taking advantage of his opponent's plans. It is highly likely that he will secretly use his subordinates.

Since the words were all persuasive, he obediently followed them. Those in charge of external activities and volcano searches were all assigned to the bomb fleet. If any of them are infected, it will be a good way to attract Morphbagi.

"Are there any separate reported problems inside the base?" "yes. Salman. "Nothing has happened so far."

The chamberlain answered confidently. As he said, I hope no problems arise.

Thinking like that, Salman left the chamberlain behind and approached the rocky mountain, stretched out his hand and stroked it.

'I guess I should check outside.'

I stroked the rocky mountain and closed my eyes. He was connected to one of the animals that dominated his senses.

When he opened his eyes again, what he saw in front of him was not a rocky mountain. All I could see was boiling lava everywhere.

Currently, beasts under his control are hiding in the sky outside the base and in the lava below the base. The beasts were instructed to report immediately if they saw a black cloud or a giant monster.

Among them, he synchronized with Vulkarox, who was hiding in the lava lake, and raised his head to look at the edge of the lake. There was no one to be seen where the black earth met the gray sky.

'It would be nice if it was just a worry, but….'

I looked around while synchronized, but there was no one approaching.

As I was about to take a final look at the base floating overhead, a pillar of fire rose from the lava. It was a phenomenon caused by gas erupting upward from underneath the ground. In a split second, the base's energy absorption device opened to absorb the gas, exposing its interior.

'huh?'

Salman was shocked when he saw that. Although it was an extremely brief moment, it is true that the base was exposed to external threats. Who knows, maybe that part of the fight with Eimoff will be a weak point?

After disconnecting the link, he tried to tell the chamberlain about this.

"Facility to absorb gas…" "Salman!"

At that time, the chamberlain was the first to open his mouth. He called Salman and was holding the communicator with a very surprised face.

"This is a call from the bomb fleet!" "what?"

When the chamberlain turned on the communicator, a scream came out from inside the small device.

"We're being attacked by a monster! Ha, it has been confirmed that more than 60% of the fleet's strength has been lost!" "No contact with the bomb manager on the ground!" "Damn it!" Bar, there's a guy outside trying to come in!" "I need help right away!" Apply now…Ugh, ugh! "Suddenly."

The frantic voices soon stopped. All that remained after that was cold silence.

"Explode the bomb! right now!" "Yes, yep!"

When Salman shouted firmly, the chamberlain quickly activated the remote control switch. The number 20 appeared on the screen of the black terminal. When that number reaches 0, a gamma-class antimatter bomb explodes.

If that happens, Aimorph will not be able to obtain the Magmasaur's genetic essence.

Numbers rapidly decreasing.

When the remaining number reached 10, Salman suddenly had a strange feeling.

I wonder if things are going too well against the infamous Aimov.

"Chief Chamberlain. "Can you confirm the location of that bomb?" "yes? "I will check."

When the number pointed to 5, the chamberlain touched the terminal screen with his finger.

The chamberlain's eyes widened as if they were torn apart as he saw the changing screen.

"Sir, Salman?" "Why are you doing that?" "Up, the location is…."

The map he showed me had a familiar place on it. The place where the bomb was, that was their base. The remaining number next to the screen is now 2.

"Such a sweetheart…!Marid(مارد)!"

As Salman shouted, the huge rock mountain behind him moved and covered him.

Immediately after that, light emanating from inside the base enveloped them.

-x-X-x-