[Zuzuzu Zuzu (is this guy?)] ｢Grung?｣
A pangolin the size of a hill blinks its four eyes. The griffon beastman next to him let out a wave of thought.
"A person brought by a bad owner. "Can you check if the smell is similar to that of him? "
The giant beast slowly shook its head in response to a wave of thoughts filled with soft emotions. And then he put his head closer to the human who was much smaller than him.
"…."
The human body trembled when an animal much larger than him was right in front of him. This is because he knows very well that the reinforced clothing he is wearing cannot protect him.
Soon, the giant mountain crawler snorted violently.
｢Grrrrrng｣ ｢Tack. The author supplied supplies to Salman." [Z (yes)]
I deliberately didn't plant any parasites because I was worried that he might get confused when he smelled it.
I stretched out my wing arms and picked it up. Now I have to figure out what's in this little pirate's head.
"Now, wait a minute! "I'll tell you whatever you want!" "Are you going to tell me everything?" "okay! All transactions with customer S! "I'll tell you everything, including everything that bastard told me to do, so please save me!"
Se-chan, the pirate held tightly in my hand, was desperate. I guess they think they can escape if they just get out of here.
'But what can I do?'
Isabel went to deal with the pirate ship floating in space, and Adhai went to deal with the transport ship that landed on the ground. Even if he is lucky enough to escape me, there is no way for him to escape from this planet.
It would be safe to say that his fate was decided when he first decided to come here.
'It's something to be grateful for from my perspective.'
Today is the third day since Salman died.
The ancient mountain crawler he brought with him said that there were people who visited Asuka 44 regularly. They said they always smelled food and blood whenever they came.
My Heavenly Mother and I assumed that they were the ones in charge of supply and transportation. Asuka 44 is a planet that has not been terraformed. Of course, everything has to be procured from outside. There will also be a supply manager outside the planet who will be in charge of this.
Of course, since Mountain Crawler is not human, he did not know where the supply manager was or when he would arrive.
Fortunately, the problem was solved thanks to Salman's remnants remaining on the planet. The defense fleet responsible for the battle was destroyed, but the ships that left the base for reconnaissance still remained.
I scoured the planet to find survivors and get the information I needed from them.
They said a supply representative would arrive about three days after Salman's death. This is because the base and the other party already made an agreement four days ago to meet in a week.
Anyway, so we waited at Asuka 44 for three days.
If he hadn't come by today, I was thinking of leaving this planet.
'I did, and it worked out well.' "This plan is the final one. restaurant? "Why is the baby crying here?"
At that time, an unfamiliar voice suddenly rang out in the nest.
"…This?"
Se-chan's face brightened in an instant. It must have been because I heard a person's voice, that of a colleague.
'That's it.'
Unfortunately, what he expects doesn't happen.
"Fuck, it's all gone!"
The being that appeared with harsh swear words was a creature that was far from human. Se-chan's complexion suddenly worsened when he saw the jellyfish glowing pink in the dark.
"Don't you know the captain's personality? Fuck! Oh my, really?"
It was probably because a familiar voice he recognized was coming from the creature's tentacles.
Every time the small protrusions covering the surface of the tentacle moved, male and female voices continued to flow out. It's like playing back a recorded voice.
"Big, big baby. Ha ha ha ha ha. "Fuck!" [Zuzuz, zuzu, zuzu (don't use that word)]
Pink jellyfish No. 26 recognized my wavelength and stopped moving.
"no? Why?｣ [zuzu zuzuzu (that's a bad word)] ｢I'm calling you a big baby, but isn't it okay?｣ [zu zuzu zuzu zuzu (not that part, but after)] "Fuck?" [Zuzu (that)]
As if studying 'speaking with sounds' had paid off, No. 26's vocabulary has reached a significant level. I think it's probably older than kindergarten.
"okay. "I won't do it." [Zuzuzu (you're so kind)] "Yes!" "Uh, that voice… Are you sure all of your colleagues?"
Ordinary humans cannot understand the conversation between me and No. 26. The same goes for Se-chan, who appears to have undergone genetic modification surgery.
However, I am not an idiot who cannot understand how things work in this atmosphere.
I focused my attention on my fighting arms. A very small object slowly crawled out of an organ in his arm.
A parasite with an elongated body like an eel moves towards its target on its fighting arms. Se-chan, who was being held in my hand, began to tremble when he saw the approaching parasite.
"Unlike your subordinates, you will not die." "Now, wait a minute…Ugh?!" "Until you tell me everything that's on your mind."
The guy struggled to avoid being infected by the parasite, but his resistance was pointless.
A few seconds later, the pirate went limp, losing control of his body to the parasite. The Mother of Sky, the Gryphon Beast who had been watching this from the beginning, was fed up.
"I always feel bad when I see parasites. Physiologically, I feel repulsed.」 [Zuzuzuzuzuzu(Really? Isn't it cute?)] ｢It's not my place to say this now, but I think your tastes are a bit strange.｣ [Zuzzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzuzu(It's not your place to say it) I think so)] 'What's wrong with him? It's cute like a retriever." "Geuwoo."
She patted the mountain crawler with a wave of thought in her eyes. The boy gently closed his eyes, as if his master's touch felt good.
No matter how many times I look at it, there is nothing in its appearance that resembles a retriever. Whether in reality or in this world, dogs with four eyes and six legs do not exist.
Plus, he's about the same size as me. Although its body is clearly shorter than mine, it feels bigger than me thanks to the huge armor that protects its body. This is true even though it has been bulked up by obtaining the Destroyer Carapace.
｢Grung?｣
The mountain crawler sensed my gaze and came striding towards me. This guy is as big as a small mountain. Every time I moved, my nest shook violently.
The guy who closed the distance between me craned his head and rubbed his head against my body. As she said, it was a look that reminded her of her pet dog.
Mountain crawlers lead independent lives throughout their lives except when giving birth. When the baby is old enough to walk on its own, the entire family disperses and lives their own lives.
I had no idea that they were such an independent breed, but that they could be so cute.
｢Look.｣ [zu zuzuzu zuzu (how cute)] ｢Ddandan is cute!｣ ｢guuuuu｣
I scratched the back of his neck moderately and looked down at Se-chan, who was infected with parasites.
He was waiting for my order with bleary eyes.
"First, explain your job." "yes."
I asked everything I could possibly find out from him, such as where the items had been airlifted from and where Salman had moved the items, if any.
The interrogation ended after about two hours. He told me everything he knew.
Most of it was useless information, but there was one interesting piece of information.
'I'll have to go out and find out.'
We need that damn ship to check that information. For some reason, I entrusted the pirate ship to Isabel because I thought it would be like this, and I'm glad I did.
[Zuz, zuzuzu, zuzu (I'll go out for a moment)] ｢I'm going with you, too.｣
I left the infected Sechan to Heavenly Mother and got up. Then, while I was extracting information, No. 26, who was playing with Mountain Crawler, climbed on top of my head.
The guy and I climbed to the ground using a burrow dug by a mountain crawler.
As I crawled out onto the black ground, I saw a ship I had never seen before, other than the three cult-style ships.
'Is that a boat?'
It was a ship that looked similar to the Edgerton family's warship that I had seen before at the T&C Special Trade Center.
It seemed to be about 500m long, so it was much smaller than what I had seen before. Although it was small in size, it had the same impressive golden decorations and a smooth, streamlined fuselage design.
That gorgeous-looking large destroyer was now half-laid on the ground.
Isabel and PS-111 were in front of the ship that appeared to have crash-landed. Next to them, Adhai, who had returned from destroying the transport ship, was curled up and enjoying a nap.
"It's amazing that everyone, including Seo-ah, is good at driving spaceships." "By implanting the flight simulation module, you can demonstrate the flying skills of an ace pilot." "Aren't you going to put that on your head?" "We also need to modify our sensory responses and ability to analyze information, so we need to do some manipulation of the brain." "…."
PS-111, which was previously damaged during a fight with Salman.
As you can see, the guy was fine. In fact, thanks to a few modifications made over the course of three days, it has become slightly more upgraded than before.
The only thing that changed was his arm. Two of the eight were replaced with new type arms.
Looking at the two arms attached to the back of the body, there were short cylinder-like things in place of hands. There were three appendages at the end of the cylinder, which were used to support the body when moving.
Another minor difference was the addition of four metal pipes to the back.
"If you want, we will renovate it right away." "My sense of taste has already become strange, and I don't want to change it further." "Is that so? "It's a shame." "Besides, sister, your legs are okay…oh, Aimov?"
Isabelle, who was talking to her sister, noticed me and stopped talking.
[Zuzuzu(Is that a boat?)] "Yes. "It looks a bit weird." [Zuzuzu zzu zuzuzzu zzu zuzzuzu (It's okay. As long as the ship's computer is alive)]
The ship itself isn't particularly important anyway. I plan to organize the rest after acquiring the ship data.
"If you want information, I can help." [Zuzuzuz (I'll ask you a favor)] "What information do you need?"
I explained to him what to look for.
"I will secure the saved route records and the captain's personal records." [Jazzzizzzzzzzizeszizzizzizzz (yes. If you see anything that seems useful, take it too)] "I understand." "I want to go with my friend too. "I'm going to find my study stuff." "I'll check that too."
PS-111 nodded and approached the ship. Then he raised his new arm at the back of his body and aimed at the outer wall.
The appendages attached to the cylinder folded outward, and the entire arm became red.
Soon, white flames poured out of the cylinder and began to burn the outer walls of the ship. At the same time, hot heat emanated from the metal pipe on its back.
It is a flamethrower made based on the Pyromancer's attack method that Isabel heard about.
Just as the Pyromancer attacks by heating his arms to high temperatures, he can also emit high-temperature flames with those two arms.
Of course, he cannot perfectly control heat energy like the Pyromancer. The cylindrical gun barrel is also made from the corpse of a magmasaur, so at least it doesn't melt.
Even that is not easy, so much so that the heat can be controlled using a pipe on the back.
After a while, the outer wall of the ship, which had been subjected to intense heat, began to melt.
In a matter of seconds, the guy who had blown a large hole in the outer wall of the ship stopped working with his flamethrower. Perhaps thanks to the pipe circulating the heat inside his body, his arm quickly regained its original color.
"Damage was minimized for future use." [Zuzuzu (thank you)] ｢Wow! Count your friends! Cool!」 "Thank you for the positive reviews of the main controller."
PS-111 looked over his work with satisfaction and then went inside. Number 26 also bounced and disappeared into the ship, following him.
'I guess he wanted to show off his new weapon.'
This guy can open any door and enter through hacking. Seeing that he was behaving inefficiently and for some reason, I guess he wanted to show me. So I didn't bother to tell him.
"Are you bragging that you just got new legs?" [Zuzuzu zuzu (I think so)] "You're still a child now."
Of course, Isabel pointed that out loud.
In any case, it will take some time for PS-111 to extract computer records.
'In the meantime, let's rethink our future plans.'
There is nothing more to see on this planet.
Before moving to the next location, I need to check my physical condition and future plans one last time.
With that in mind, I popped up a semi-transparent text box that was different from before.
-x-X-x-
During the three days I waited for the cold weather, I did many things.
In addition to treating mountain crawlers, I created my own nests all over the planet. This is to prepare for the possibility of another enemy infiltrating.
Additionally, in the process of preparing to prevent an attack by external enemies, they preyed on several additional creatures. Thanks to this, I was able to acquire one more useful trait after 'Destroyer Carapace'.
｢Destroyer Carapace: Protects the body by creating leather made of bio-metallic material. "Every time you digest refined metal, your carapace and body grow."
｢Heat-heating spine: Thorns that generate high heat grow on the back. The thorns can be fired toward a specific target."
Both are general characteristics related to the body, and they are characteristics that greatly transform the body. So, my appearance now is quite different from when I arrived on the planet.
As the destruction water upper was applied, various body parts such as arms, legs, and torso became thicker overall. And red patterns that looked like lava flowing appeared all over the body. It had a carapace reminiscent of a fiery furnace, giving it a similar feel to its previous owner, Magmasaur.
'It was a trait I liked in games as well.'
Destroyer Carapace is an attribute that must be obtained at some point even if it is not a transcendence system. This is because it is so effective that it can be said to be at the top among general characteristics.
'The more you fight, the stronger you become.'
As written in the tooltip, the effect of Destroyer Carapace is simple.
The body continues to grow every time it eats and digests artificially created alloys, such as ships or buildings.
Since the growth effect is applied as soon as it is digested, its body grows a little each time it devours an enemy ship during battle.
The growth range is equivalent to about 0.1 cm of growth if a large battleship were eaten as a whole. You might think it's low, but by the time you get this trait, you'll most likely be fighting hundreds or thousands of ships. Therefore, each time a battle ends, its body grows to the point where it can be seen.
As the body grows, the thickness of the carapace also increases, increasing survivability. The increased hand-to-hand combat ability is a bonus.
Moreover, in theory, there is no limit to the size that a destroyer carapace can grow to. Unless you have acquired a characteristic that limits your body's growth, such as 'dwarfing', you can grow infinitely.
'Actually, this is both an advantage and a disadvantage.'
Although this trait is powerful, it is not completely without weaknesses.
If you pick up a lump of alloy without thinking and eat it, its size will grow uncontrollably.
If the body becomes too large, the area hit increases, so it cannot be said to be a good thing. There are many fearsome weapons in the world of space survival.
Therefore, from the time you acquire this characteristic, you must also consider eating alloys. Or maybe they intentionally acquired characteristics like dwarfing and forcibly shrunk their bodies.
'Well, I've experienced trial and error in the game, so I need to be careful about this part.'
The next thing to look at is 'heated thorn armor'. This is a trait obtained by catching an elemental porcupine.
Currently, there is a row of thorns with a complex structure growing on my back. These thorns are made to imitate the elemental porcupine's defense mechanism.
Of course, it is not completely identical to the original and there are some differences.
Aimorph's spines have a simpler structure than those of the elemental porcupine. The original thorn had the power to freely control temperature. On the other hand, Aimorph's spines only have the function of emitting high heat using internal heat rays.
'It doesn't have the ability to control temperature, but there is one good thing about it.'
Unlike the original, Aimorph can fire these spikes. The thorn itself is large and sharp, and contains high heat, so its killing power is very high. As soon as a human is hit, it immediately melts, and if a ship is hit, a hole is created.
'I needed an attack method with moderate destructive power, and it worked out well.'
Psychic Breath and 'Black Devourer Cannon' are so powerful that the situations in which they can be used are limited. The heated thorn armor does not have that burden, so it can be used at any time.
Of the newly acquired characteristics, this is all that is useful.
In fact, other than this, I also gained one trait that is not useful, and that must be seen in conjunction with the newly updated transcendence system.
｢'Transcendence' material list: Inorganic Digestion, Harvester's Maw, Bone Beast, Infernal Vision, Ultra Control (not obtained)｣
｢'Transcendence' material list: Demon Machine, Tyrantroid, Destroyer Carapace, Ether Core (not obtained), Hiveformer (not obtained)｣
｢'Transcendence' ingredient list (new!): Dwarfism (not acquired), Starvation, Sensory Deprivation (not acquired), Slow Life (not acquired), Hermit Orientation (not acquired).
The thing that has changed the most since coming to this planet is not the body, but the unique characteristic synthesis formula. This is because not only have previously unlocked synthesis formulas been updated, but new synthesis formulas have also been secured.
'First, let's look at the synthesis formula that requires the characteristics of the Apexes.'
As expected, the Destroyer Carapace was the key, and all the remaining materials used for synthesis were revealed. The two newly identified materials also had properties that had to be obtained from Apex creatures.
'furthermore….'
The ingredients of this synthetic formula have one more thing in common other than where they are obtained.
It is a characteristic that changes my entire body.
A demonic machine that modifies the body to use Vortex One's abilities, a Tyrantroid that grows larger each time it is injured, and a Destroyer Carapace that grows each time it consumes refined alloy.
'Ether Core' and 'Hiveformer' are also properties that change the components and shape of the entire body.
So far, the only properties I've created with the transcendental system have all been influenced by the nature of the material. I think the result of this synthesis is also a characteristic that has a semi-permanent effect on my body.
'It may be similar to a complete organism.'
This is a characteristic created using the characteristics of Apex as a material. This might be the strongest trait of all the weapons I have.
'I'll know for sure only when the results come out.'
The next thing to look at is the newly unlocked synthesis formula in Asuka 44.
Unlocking this synthesis formula was completely accidental.
Among the creatures that were hunted while waiting for Sechan, there was also a Pyromancer.
Unfortunately, he did not acquire the trait of wrapping his arms with heat, and what he got instead was 'hunger'. Instead of increasing the maximum limit at which energy can be stored, the stored energy in the body continues to decrease.
The reason it gained characteristics close to a trap card is very simple. This was to prepare for an air attack from the returning faction's rankers.
Among the characteristics I currently have, the one with the highest destructive power is 'Black Devourer Cannon'.
The effect of this characteristic is to fire a super powerful projectile by consuming 50% of the energy that can be stored in the body. If so, the power will become much stronger when the energy storage capacity is increased.
In case of risk, it can be offset with the dragon's heart. It may be difficult to fire psychic breath or use faster-than-light sailing like before.
The original plan was to use Hunger and the Black Devourer Cannon in conjunction with this. I never imagined that new synthetic information would be unlocked.
Not only that, but the ingredients used in this synthetic formula were very unique.
'You only require materials that have properties that are notorious for being trash.'
The remaining three ingredients, including dwarfism and hunger, are all defective characteristics. The only good thing among these is hunger. You must collect as many as five characteristics that will cause major problems in survival even if only one is obtained.
'You have to use a different strategy than the usual method.'
Just like when creating other unique characteristics, if you prey on the characteristics one by one and apply them to your body, you will be in big trouble. You must use a method that can be used as a unique characteristic material without receiving characteristic effects.
'It must be collected and synthesized in an incomplete state of characteristics.'
The 'Demon Machine' obtained by catching the half-summoned 'Ring of Anguish' can be used as a synthesis material even though it is in an incomplete characteristic state.
The same goes for this synthetic formula. All you have to do is gather all the lame characteristics in an incomplete state and synthesize them.
'To do that, we need to centrally collect genetic samples.'
There are two main areas where a large number of genetic samples are collected.
Outspacer's nest and Megacorp's research facility.
By interrogating Se-chan, I was able to obtain useful information about two places.
While Salman was stuck on this planet, he entrusted Sechan with various tasks. One of them was to periodically recruit personnel and spacecraft.
He thought Salman was requesting this in order to provide a carrier for interstellar trade.
However, there are no large-scale mining facilities or factories on this planet. There are also no traces of terraforming.
'What he was doing was not trade.'
Salman's ability is to control wild animals. He must have used that ability to deliver Asuka 44's rare creature to his colleague, Number 4. For this, a large ship and many crew members were needed.
And the pirate Se-chan had the ability to carry out this task. With his connections within Megacorp, he has been siphoning off employees and ships to supply to his customers.
As the transaction continued for a long time, Se-chan learned where the ships he had procured were going. I was also vaguely aware that it wasn't for trade.
Of course, I didn't know that it was an outspacer's nest.
Anyway, there is no doubt that the ship Salman sent was an important place for the 4th place.
So what should we do here?
'At this point, Outspacer's nest is dangerous.'
After Salman died, his colleagues stopped coming here.
Because I destroyed the base so quickly that I missed the opportunity to contact them? it could be.
'But what if not?'
Maybe the enemies didn't come here on purpose.
Let's say I killed and ate Salman like I did other times.
Number 4, a colleague from the same faction, must have realized that the information Salman knew was leaked when he could not be contacted. Things like the 4th-ranked ability, the location of the planet where rare creatures are delivered, etc.
So what action can he take there?
'It's not about hitting Asuka 44, but on the contrary, it's about pulling me into its territory.'
Because of Salman, his weaknesses have been exposed. He's planning to take advantage of that and make me jump into the trap on my own.
'By now, all areas it controls will be completely fortified.'
In the game, I fought a lot with 4th place as well. Just as I read his thoughts, so does he. It is clear that Amorph has prepared all possible means and methods of infiltration in mind.
'There is no need to crawl into the enemy's trap.'
The fight against 4th place requires a lot of preparation. I want to fight after securing at least two more unique characteristics.
Therefore, what I am aiming for here is the latter.
'Megacorp colony's research facility.'
Se-chan did not only deal with Salman. Among his clients was a research facility responsible for improving the colony's human resources.
It is not easy to infiltrate a research facility located in the solar system, but it is a different story if it is a research facility attached to a colony. Even if I am alone, it is not difficult to overcome.
'First, let's solve the synthesis equation using imperfect properties as a material.'
The materials required are of non-mainstream nature, but obtaining them is easy. It can be completed quickly by robbing the colony research facility.
Next, I would like to create a unique trait that uses the Apex trait as a material. This is because ether core and hiveformer are not easy to obtain.
As I was checking the changes and plans in the text box, an hour had already passed.
PS-111, which collected important data stored on the ship, and No. 26 carrying a bag-sized kit came out.
"We collected all the data that seemed useful." ｢Me too!｣ [Zuzu zuzuzu (good job, both of you)] "Do you want to check right now?" [Z (yes)]
Over the next few hours, I talked about the data PS-111 had culled.
As a result, it was decided where to go once we left this planet.
-x-X-x-
"Megacorp officially designated colony LV-06. Are you thinking of going here?" [Zuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzu (Yes, to go to the genetic research center attached to the colony)] "A genetic research center. "It gets me interested."
PS-111 blinked its eyes made of camera lenses in front of a hologram device made from ship materials. I seemed to like where I was going next.
'It's worth it.'
Megacorp constantly improves the inhabitants of each colony according to their purposes.
For example, the inhabitants of human resource production planets are conditioned to be more sexually active. In the case of humans used as material for Hulk mutants, they are produced with high violence and low intelligence.
The genetic research facility is responsible for designing the genes of the residents to suit the colony's purposes. As a result, genetic samples from various species are stored.
From PS-111's perspective, this is the first time they have encountered a large number of genetic samples since the Screamer support ship of Pyrrha Eleven, the highest member of the Star Union.
You can't help but like it because it's a golden opportunity to upgrade your body.
'Because it's not the solar system, there won't be genetic samples that are difficult to obtain.'
If you go to the Megacorp database on the moon, you may be able to obtain samples of Apex organisms, but it is unreasonable to expect that from an ordinary colony research base. The focus should be on quantity and diversity rather than quality.
"If it's a Colonial Studies Center, can we get additional 'Revenant Institutes'?"
The Heavenly Mother who came up from underground asked me.
Thanks to the 'Double Helix Monolith' obtained as a space monster type level 2 reward, I was able to transplant up to 2 traits to her and the kids.
The characteristics she wants are 'Revenant Agency' and 'Superior Homeostasis'. The latter of these was able to be transplanted safely thanks to catching a few more Pyromancers before the pirates arrived.
Thanks to the 'Fountain of Life' characteristic of the phantom beast 'Thunderbird' as well as superior homeostasis, her survival ability has increased dramatically. Unless your head and heart are destroyed like mine, you won't die instantly.
'Getting the Revenant Organization here will be the icing on the cake.'
Of course, it is unclear whether it will be possible to secure the Revenant Organization by going to LV-06.
[Zuzu zuzuzu zuzu zuzu zuzuzu zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (I guess I'll have to go there to find out. This is a place I've never been to)] 「Well, I don't think I've ever seen that planet in a game either.」
She nodded, looking at the holographic map.
'The destination has been decided. Then how should I go?'
It would be nice to fly at faster than light speed like we always do, but this time things are a little different.
Because of the new friend at my feet.
'It's difficult to move with a mountain crawler.'
Its body size is similar to mine, but it weighs more than me. It is impossible to sail at faster than light speed while carrying it bare-handed.
'It's difficult to move to starlight coordinates.'
For starlight coordinates, the time it takes to stop moving after moving increases depending on the size of the target. If you were to move a creature similar to me, it would be unable to move for at least a few days. If an unexpected problem arises in the meantime, it becomes very difficult.
'I guess that's the only way here.'
I approached the pirate ship that Se-chan was pulling.
The ship, with its impressive streamlined design unique to Megacorp, was 500 meters long. Compared to my body length, it is approximately 6 to 7 times the size.
'Then, shall we go in?'
I held onto both sides of the hole made by PS-111 with my wing arms. He used his arms to widen the hole and put the three heads in first.
"Why is Amorph doing that?" "It looks like they are trying to use that technology for the first time in a long time." "They are trying to erode the ship and take control." "corrosion?"
When I was halfway inside the ship, I pulled the tentacle out. In the process, many of the ship's facilities were ruined, but it didn't matter. After all, every element of this ship will be reorganized according to my will.
As the tentacle protruding from the back touched the inner wall of the ship, a familiar text box appeared before my eyes.
｢Check that it is a suitable size for erosion. Erosion is expected to take 5 minutes to complete. The controllable time after erosion is currently 60 days. ｣ ｢*Erosion completion time is proportional to the size of the object being eroded.｣ ｢*The controllable time is proportional to the energy the user has stored up. When the control time runs out, the control target is automatically discarded. " Do you want to start erosion?"
'It's been a while since I received this message.'
It's the only trait I acquired for the second time, and it's a trait I haven't used much since I became able to travel at faster than light speeds with my bare body.
A trait that made more use of tentacles, which are body parts created as a side effect, rather than the trait itself.
It's time to bring out the characteristic 'Nightmare Horizon' that erodes and dominates the spaceship.
'Then let's get started.'
Six long tentacles point towards the heart of the ship. The tentacle that reaches the engine room first starts spewing out mucus.
A wave of black slime instantly engulfed the superlight engine. As if that wasn't enough, it flowed out and engulfed the entire ship. Perhaps because of its size, erosion proceeded very quickly.
"What is that? "A ship…is it turning into a nest?"
I could hear surprise in Isabelle's voice outside.
He's never been seen taking control of a ship with Nightmare Horizon. It is surprising that only an outspacer can take control of a ship in a similar way in the game.
"It's a trait that takes control of a ship and turns it into a biological ship. "It seemed like it was made as a special privilege he had." "Can you take control of the hidden Giga Cracker as well?" "It seems like control depends on the size, but it's probably possible. However, there is a time limit when it becomes a biological ship. At the end of that time, the boat was completely damaged and could not be used." "Hmm. indeed."
The Mother of Heaven, who had seen him rule the ship several times, explained it to him.
"I have to bring my child with me, I have to take care of his study materials, and I have to take care of his food. Again, again…" "I will help. "I will bring you 'Ddanttani' first." "huh!"
Unit 26 and PS-111 were in full swing preparing to leave. Even as they take control of the ship, I can feel them moving around busily.
"…."
Se-chan, the former owner of the ship, was speechless as he watched his ship transform into a bizarre shape.
It may be because of the parasite in my head, but even if it wasn't, I would have reacted the same way as I did now. It was completely outside of common sense for a ship made of metal to turn into a living thing.
Amid the noisy atmosphere, Adhaiman was enjoying a nap alone in a comfortable position. It seemed like it was having a pleasant dream as the tip of its tail moved gently while it was sleeping.
Five minutes have passed since the erosion began.
The pirate ships that surrounded me no longer exist. The ship became something animated by the black slime expelled by the eroding tentacles.
'done.'
The biological ship connected to the main body moves entirely under my control. All useless facilities and compartments were removed, and space was created for mountain crawlers to board.
[Zu Zzu (It's done)] "Okay?" "If you look at it from the outside, it's completely different on the inside." "If you look at the outside, there's not much of a difference."
The exterior of the ship I currently control has only changed color to black, but everything else remains the same. Isabel raised her body slightly and began to look around me.
The ship taken over by Nightmare Horizon can reflect some of my characteristics. I made a large mouth, the 'harvester's maw', on the front of the boat and showed it to him.
"Like you said, it's my second body." [Z(Yes)] "The inside of the boat is practically the same as Aimorph's stomach." [Zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (slightly different but similar)] "It's fascinating."
Just because something comes into the boat doesn't mean it becomes my food. If you want to feast on food while in control of the stomach, you must eat through the harvester's mouth. Only then can the genetic essence be obtained.
After disarming the harvester's jaw, I created a new entrance in the side of the boat. Isabelle looked around as if she was interested and then entered through the entrance.
"I want to go in too!" "There is a lot to move. "Please make the door bigger."
PS-111 and 26 went in and out of the ship, transporting food and various mechanical devices obtained from this planet. I also helped them by creating tentacles on the outer wall of the ship.
'Now I have to wake up Aadhai too.'
I pulled out one of the tentacles and tapped its plump tail. Then the guy was startled and jumped up from his spot.
｢What is it?｣｢Just now｣｢What is it?｣ [zuzuzu zuzuzuzu (time to wake up)] ｢Adult?｣ [zuzuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzu (I'm leaving here, get ready)]
The guy nodded, rubbing his eyes with his paw.
'Now all that's left is…' ｢Grumbling｣ ｢Don't worry.｣
It is a mountain crawler that has come to the ground. It fixed its four eyes on me and sniffed.
｢Geuwoo｣
The appearance may have changed, but the smell will remain the same. After a while, the mountain crawler let down its guard and approached me. I opened a large door at the rear of the ship and brought him and Heavenly Mother into it.
The boat swayed slightly when he got on, but soon regained stability.
"are you okay? Can you move?」 [Zuzuzuzu zuzuzu (this is okay)] 「…The problem is that your body is too big.」
That giant mountain crawler survived the explosion of an antimatter bomb. That level of defense would be of great help only in ground battles, but there is a problem.
'It's so big that it's not easy to carry around.'
Now, thanks to Nightmare Horizon, you can easily take him with you, but if the attribute goes on cooldown, that becomes impossible. After attacking the Colony Research Center, you will have to wait a long time to move that giant creature.
'Or mobilize Giga Cracker.'
A Giga Cracker that can easily transport large quantities of minerals can be easily moved even with a Mountain Crawler.
[Zuz zuuu zuzu zuzu zuzuzu zuzu zuzu (let's go to Aadhai's house first and leave him there)] ｢What should I feed him?｣ [Zuz zuuu zuzu zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (let's go to Aadhai's house first and leave him there)] ｢What should I feed him?｣ [Zuzzuzuu zuzu zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu (let's go to Aadhai's house first and leave him there)] ｢What should I feed him?｣ [Zuzzuzuu zuzu zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu (let's go to Aadhai's house first and leave him behind)] ｢What should I feed him?)] "I'm thinking of asking the Coldbloods for a favor."
There are also Coldbloods who live on the ice planet along with the Gallagons. If you ask them to take care of the mountain crawler for a while, it will be able to last for a while.
After everyone boarded, I looked at Se-chan, who was left alone.
'Should I take that guy too?'
His connections can be quite useful when entering LV-06. That would be better than eating it here. I ordered a parasite and brought him on board the boat as well.
'good.'
All preparations to leave have been completed.
I focused my attention on controlling the ship I had taken over. Plasma made from my biological energy is spewing out from the thruster.
The hull rose upward with a strange feeling of floating, different from when flying with wings. Then, like a bullet leaving the barrel of a gun, my body pierced the cloud of volcanic ash that filled the sky.
Behind me I see a star full of fire and ash. After finishing everything at Asuka 44, I ran towards the dark space.
–
After the black spaceship left Asuka 44, the rocks floating in space began to move.
｢The 'predator' asked for the 'second bait.' ｣
Its identity is the Queen of Outspacers.
A queen, whose size was much smaller than that of an ordinary queen, was observing the outside while hiding her body in the rock fragments.
｢The aircraft presumed to be a 'predator' has escaped.｣ ｢His seed, still not confirmed.｣ ｢There is no hindrance to the plans of the Empress and the 'Great Enemy.' ｣
The Queen approached the halo of light left behind by the black spaceship in a very cautious manner. Several thin tentacles emerged from the queen's body and touched the residual energy generated by the faster-than-light voyage.
"'Predators' are dangerous. So, be careful and track it down." "It has improved since the last encounter, so there is no problem." "The 'predator' is dangerous. "Move carefully."
Just before the remaining energy disappeared, the queen's body glowed blue.
Soon after, the queen also disappeared, leaving behind only blue light and stone fragments.
-x-X-x-
A word from the author (author review)
｢Nightmare Horizon: Your hunting ground is not limited to one planet. Increases the effectiveness of unique traits you possess. You can use 'Erosion Tentacles', which allow you to control your spaceship by eroding it.
*Affected by: Embodiment of the Hunt (duration increased to 20 minutes), Organic Evolution (unlocks special condition 'Clever Weak'), Great Infector (increased limit of enhancements), Dragon's Heart (trait that consumes psychic power) Increased power), Herald of Chaos (increased application range and power), Complex Spectral Body (cooldown reduced to 30 minutes), Medusa Organ (can control enemy genetic mutation rate), variable biological weapon (can also transform erosive tentacles), black Devourer Cannon (Reduced energy consumption)
*'Erosion Tentacle': Erosions the spaceship, turning it into a composite creature controlled by the user's consciousness. While connected to a spaceship, you can 'use some of the physical attributes'. When the user runs out of stored energy, the attribute effect is automatically canceled. Erosion Tentacles can only be used once per 7 days and once per spaceship.
*Available Flesh-related Traits: Regeneration, Mimicry, Claws, Reaper's Maw, Complex Prism, Destroyer Carapace, Exothermic Spiked Armor
*Note: Cannot be canceled until the ship's erosion has been completed. *PS: 'Nightmare' is just a word. In reality, it's much more terrifying. ]
-x-X-x-
It was completely by chance that Frank joined the Shinomitsu (しの三) cartel.
Originally, he was a low-level executive of the Marcio Cartel, a large pirate company that ran a space fortress.
His job is to catch creditors who have taken the cartel's money and run away. For this purpose, he would periodically leave the fortress with a pirate ship.
The problem occurred a few months ago, when he returned from work. As usual, I caught the debtor and returned, but the fortress was nowhere to be seen.
Like a ghost story spreading among sailors, the cartel he belonged to and its headquarters disappeared overnight.
All that was left to him was a pirate ship converted from a patrol ship, and about a dozen subordinates.
Frank, who had lost most of what he had, had two options left.
Either create a new cartel and engage in piracy, or join another cartel.
Frank was a villain, but he was not a moron. It was all thanks to his backing that he was able to catch debtors without difficulty.
The Marcio Cartel, which is large enough to be ranked among the top five space dogs, possesses enormous information power. If it weren't for their intelligence network, the fugitives would never have been caught so easily.
Therefore, it was the latter that Frank chose.
He requested to join the 'Sino Alliance', a pirate group that has recently grown rapidly in power. Coincidentally, Shinomitsu, a pirate affiliated with the alliance, was recruiting members, so Frank and his subordinates joined the Shinomitsu Cartel.
Since owning a ship was an advantage in itself, he rose to the position of assistant chief as soon as he joined the new organization.
Starting from a low-level executive, he became the deputy head of a famous cartel. I thought it was ruined when the fortress was blown up, but that was actually a turning point.
Now, hundreds of men and two ships follow him. And even fascinating women.
"Boss, are you there?"
Frank in the captain's office ignored his subordinate's communication. I was in the middle of having a good time with my cyborg slave and I didn't want to be disturbed.
｢Vice-boss?｣ "…Fuck you."
But the successive voices of subordinates ruined everything. He pushed the slave between his crotches and received the communication.
"Hey you idiot, I thought you told me not to contact you because I was busy?" "Well, it's urgent."
Currently, the ships under Frank's command were carrying out reconnaissance missions in an unclaimed star system. This is because I received information that a very rare creature would appear here.
Not only Frank, but also other cartels belonging to the Shino Alliance are waiting at locations where rare creatures are expected to appear.
Although it was a boring mission for the pirates, it didn't really matter. Because I was worried about this, I deliberately brought a sex slave.
"What the hell is so urgent about our work?" "Please take a look at this."
With the subordinate's words, a small holographic map appeared on the desk.
"Suddenly a map…huh?"
I saw something I had never seen before in a hologram that simulated a star system.
Numerous grains were clumped together in one place. Seeing as they were all moving in the same direction, it was not simply a depiction of a rocky area. Frank looked at it closely, wondering if it was a rare creature.
And after a while.
"Oh my god Nimmi?!"
Frank, whose complexion turned white, jumped up from his seat. He shouted as he adjusted his ripped pants.
"Wake up all the kids and prepare the drone! right now!"
Frank knows what the strange entity shown on the map is.
That's something that anyone aboard the spaceship can't help but be afraid of. Even if he is a notorious pirate.
'Fuck, fuck! 'Why are there a bunch of metallic gremlins here?'
Tens of thousands of marauders are now approaching where Frank's ship is.
–
Of course, this world is very different from the game.
In games, there are often cases where features that were not that special become reality and show unexpected performance.
The same applies to the auxiliary organs under the chin.
In the game, the surrounding environment is implemented in the form of a mini map, which only provides an advantage in visibility. In this world, it is used for various purposes, such as detecting and avoiding enemy attacks, detecting invisible enemies, etc.
In addition, many characteristics have changed from what I remember from the game.
However, is it because these differences have generally worked to my advantage? I made a mistake without realizing it.
While flying towards the ice star where Aadhai's family was staying, I felt that my body was different from usual.
It was hunger. A feeling of hunger that I did not normally feel when sailing at faster than light speed began to bother me.
I quickly figured out what the cause was. This is because of the trash trait 'Hunger' acquired by killing the Pyromancer.
When I was on the planet, I had no time to feel hungry because I was fed frequently. This is the first time I have experienced the risk of starvation.
'First of all, it's not that I lack energy itself.'
In the main body, the dragon's heart is operating and pumping energy. The ship also has a lot of remaining energy.
'Rather, should this be seen as a mental problem?'
What I feel now is similar to when I was hungry and nervous.
'It's more annoying than I thought.'
In the case of the game, when you gain hunger and run out of energy, you lose control of your body. So I thought there would be no problem as long as I didn't run out of energy.
I had no idea that there would be such an irritating side effect as it is now.
'I need to eat something in between.'
As long as I have the heart of a dragon, there is little chance of me losing my mind. Still, it is not good for the current state of nerves to continue for a long time. It even made me feel nervous, like someone was chasing me.
I think I should stop and rest for a while on the way.
'While I'm at it, I also feed the mountain crawler.'
Although there is a small amount of meat stored in the stomach, there is no separate food for mountain crawlers. Although it is possible to survive without eating minerals for a long period of time, it does not like to starve.
'All you have to do is give him a meteorite floating in space.'
I'll have to look for any pirate ships or merchant ships wandering nearby.
When I stopped traveling at faster than light speeds, the pressure that was weighing me down instantly decreased.
"Amorph? The engine seems to have stopped. What's going on?" "We haven't arrived at the 'White Stone', but we've confirmed that the faster-than-light voyage has been halted. Is there a problem?" "Is it difficult to be a big baby? If you're tired, you should sleep. "It gets better when you sleep!" "There's no way that monster is having a hard time with something like this." ｢Rest?｣｢Me｣｢Outside｣｢Can I go out?｣
When I stopped, the kids who were spending their personal time all over the ship said something.
[Zuz, zuzuzu, zuzuzu, zuzuzu, zuzuzu, zuzu (I'm going to rest for a while. If you want to go out, you can go out.)] ｢I｣｢Pretty boy｣｢Together｣｣｢Flight｣｢Training｣｢" "Huh? Wait, do you want me to do the same?" "Pretty child" "Weak" "Training" "You need to do more" "Much"
After informing the kids that they would take a break, I called PS-111 and Se-chan over here.
[Zuzuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzu (Are there pirates active around here?)] "There is no owner in that star system. Studies have shown that 1.2% of merchant ships registered with Megacorp have transited through that system. There is an 82% chance that criminals are active."
From what I've heard, there are boats that go by, but it doesn't seem like they go there very often.
In fact, a place where too many ships come and go is not good for Space Dog.
'Because if we are pursued by the great powers, it will be the end.'
I turned my gaze to Se-chan.
"There are no cartels based here, but I have heard of smaller cartels doing looting here."
The guy who had half his brain taken away by parasites looked at my body with blank eyes and answered.
'It looks like pirates are active.'
It just worked out well.
Now I am taking control by eroding the ship. Thanks to this, it appears as a regular ship in the detection system. It looks exactly like Megacorp's warship, except that it is black in appearance.
In the eyes of pirates, it would seem like tasty food. If there are pirates here, they will definitely come after me.
[Zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu (Is there anything else I should be careful about?)] "After analyzing the ship data, it was confirmed that there are no other dangerous factors other than pirates." [Zuzu (really?)]
If that's the case, there won't be a big problem if you walk around a bit.
[Zuzuzu zuz zuzzu (I'm moving so everyone come back)]
I called the kids outside and started moving slowly.
This place had a very different feel from the star system where Asuka 44 was located.
The scenery of the Dorane star system was very colorful thanks to the red giant star Olga. A blazing red star and pitch black spaces contrasting with it. The atmosphere was reminiscent of space photos and illustrations we saw in our human days.
On the other hand, the atmosphere here is very static. There are no impressive stars or beautiful nebulae. There is only endless darkness that continues.
'Actually, most of outer space is like this.'
While I was moving around with that in mind, I sensed something in the black slime covering the surface of the ship. Some movement occurred in a space quite far away.
'Is it a pirate ship?'
The movement feels increasingly bigger. It's flying towards here.
'I thought it would take more time… huh?'
Just when I was thinking everything was fine, I felt a strange feeling. This is because the movement of the pirate ship approaching me was different from other ships.
I focused my senses on the outer wall of the ship. Just like when linked to the nest, the sensory area expands, and even parts that cannot be sensed with auxiliary organs alone are transmitted to the brain. The movement of a being approaching from afar can also be felt more clearly than before.
'Three big ones, and…'
There are so many small objects that it is difficult to count them even with developed senses. There were lots of things like grains of sand around the big thing.
The big thing must be a ship. The problem here is the identity of the small object surrounding the ship.
'Metallic Gremlin?'
Tens of thousands of silver monsters were gathered in one place and were attacking ships.
All three ships were flying this way at high speed, so I thought they were trying to make a surprise attack, but that wasn't the case. It wasn't an attack, it was a request for help.
'Why are they here?'
For intelligent beings who have entered space, a group of metallic gremlins is no different from a living disaster. That's why Megacorp and Star Union make sure to record the places where space raiders appear.
There are two reasons why PS-111 did not find any special records.
Either they came here from another star system, or there were no survivors from the ship that was attacked by them.
'No matter what happens, it's better.'
I was just really hungry.
3 ships and a metallic gremlin.
This amount of food will be enough to appease hunger.
-x-X-x-
"All right naval guns 3 to 12 are inoperable! Numbers 1 and 11 on the left side also don't work!" "What a mess! A warship! "How did you sell the naval aircraft?" "yes? Send your aircraft to fight the metallic gremlins?" "Fuck you, do you want to just lie down here? "Get it out quickly!" "Oh, I understand!"
The interior of the pirate ship's situation room was extremely noisy.
Many people are afraid of space dogs, but there are many things in space that are scarier than pirates.
The metallic gremlin that suddenly appeared was one of those beings.
Those little demons with metal skin are a scourge to those who travel through space.
The sharp teeth can easily grind even the hardest alloy armor, and the unique wavelengths emitted from the skin can easily neutralize the detection function of drones or torpedoes. A horde of hundreds of metallic gremlins is an opponent that even the latest battleships have to be nervous about.
But now there are at least tens of thousands of enemies attacking the pirates. Frank, the vice leader of the Shinomitsu pirates, had never heard of a group this large.
"Communication manager! "What happened?" "Bah, communication is not working because of the jammer! "We can't even contact other ships!" "You idiot! Then you just have to get out of the radio range right away!" "Rear thruster damage exceeds 65%! "The speed decreases drastically!"
Metallic Gremlins are very fond of refined metals. The reason they attack ships is not to eat people, but to eat alloy.
Although they have a much smaller body than humans, they have a fearsome appetite. The moment they attach to the ship, this ship, which is over 100 meters long, will quickly disappear into their stomach.
And Frank, who lost his pirate ship, will die wandering in outer space.
'Damn it, it was definitely a safe star system!'
The reason he came here was because he heard that this was an opportunity for a rare creature to seize. It is true that I came because I thought it was an opportunity to make money.
However, before coming, I checked in advance to see what risk factors there were. This is an area where trade ships and mining ships come very rarely. There is no reason for Metallic Gremlin to come here.
'But why are those bastards coming out here?!'
If I had known this would be the case, I would never have come here.
"Boss! "Their movements are strange!"
At a time when I was regretting it later, my subordinate shouted in an embarrassed voice.
"No, they are moving away!" "what?"
Frank quickly checked the hologram map. The dots that were about to attack the pirate ship were moving somewhere else.
'Is that…?'
An unidentified ship sign was floating where the space marauders were heading. Perhaps due to radio interference, it was only clear that it was a ship, but other details were not confirmed.
"I don't know what the fuck was, but it worked. "We have to run away from this gap…."
The moment I decided to escape while they were fighting, the boat suddenly shook violently.
–
'Are you coming this way?'
The group that was about to devour three ships is flying towards me. As if I was more important than them.
Currently, the vessel surrounding my body is a fusion of biological tissue and alloy. From the Metallic Gremlin's point of view, I am not particularly appetizing food.
'Well, I'm thankful that you came from over there.'
When I got 'Nightmare Horizon', I fought metallic gremlins for the first time in this world. I remember narrowly winning even though it was a medium-sized group.
'But not anymore.'
I modified the ship and made 'heated thorn armor'. Contrary to its name, thorns similar in appearance to long spears were created on the front.
And when the temperature of the spike reached its limit, it was fired at three ships. Red thorns flew one after another and hit the target.
'Because you can't run away.'
The thrusters have been completely disabled, so there is no escape from here.
After preventing the ships from escaping, I prepared to fight the approaching horde.
Since you have to fill your stomach by eating enemies, you cannot use powerful attacks. Instead of exploiting the guns mounted on ships, hand-to-hand combat should be fought.
'There are good traits for that.'
I applied the powerful defensive characteristic 'Destroyer Carapace' to the ship. In the case of the main body, it is always applied regardless of my will, but I needed to activate the eroded ship at my discretion.
The shape of the black slime covering the hull changes rapidly. The surface, which was smooth as obsidian, swelled to a bumpy shape and changed to resemble the outer shell of a magmasaur. When the feature of feverish thorny armor was added, large thorns sprouted all over the belly.
I reflected the characteristics that can be used one after another on the ship. The front of the ship split and transformed into an elongated snout with tusks, and a tail with huge pincers emerged from the back.
Now no one will look at me and think I'm a pear. My appearance now is closer to that of a giant monster wandering in outer space.
｢■■■?｣
Those who were closing the distance wince when they see the ship transformed into a monster.
｢■■!｣
I wondered if he was trying to run away, but he wasn't. The bodies of those who stopped for a moment glowed blue. 'Warp Boy', who is mixed in the group, used 'Warguide', a large-scale faster-than-light navigation technology.
Soon, hundreds of metallic gremlins burst out of space around me. The swirling mouth that fills my face opens wide and tries to bite me.
'Where!'
I opened the 'harvester's maw' on the front wide. The mouth of a 500m-sized ship is tens of meters wide. It lunged at its enemies with its mouth open, like a whale eating a school of fish.
｢■■■■?!｣
The enemies that were accelerating to cling to me were unable to avoid them and entered my mouth. I closed my jaw and swallowed whatever was in my mouth.
"Predation effect activated!"
Is it because I swallowed dozens of them in one go? While the message in the text window came to mind, I felt a little hungry.
Meanwhile, metallic-colored marauders were clinging to me. They struggled to sink their uniquely sharp teeth into the carapace of the Destroyer.
｢■■?｣
Unfortunately for them, the outer shell surrounding the bio-ship was very thick. It is easy to damage the surface, but penetrating inside is another story. It takes quite some time for them to get inside.
'I won't wait until then.'
I swung my long tail and swept it across the carapace. Only six pieces remained where the tail passed.
｢■■■!｣ ｢■■■!｣
Even though their compatriots were being massacred one after another, they seemed to have no intention of stopping. They were just biting my skin with their teeth as if this was the only way.
'Where is the leader?'
If there is a large group or more, there is always a commander entity, 'Tittabos'. There are no uninvited guests on the ship, so they are probably hiding somewhere in the group where the warp boy is.
I cleared out the surrounding enemies with my mouth and tail and moved toward the group where Taitabos was hiding.
｢■■■■■!｣
From the group, individuals several times larger than the Metallic Gremlin came forward. Those beings with both arms dyed black are 'Wolfram Goblins'. They are a higher species of metallic gremlins and are specialized for long-distance control.
A horde of Wolfram goblins aim their arms at me. Thousands of rock chunks fired from my fingertips rain down on me.
That projectile is Wolfram Goblin's excrement, mixed with microorganisms that corrode metal. It can be said to be truly fatal to an ordinary ship, but not this one.
I continued to move forward, fending off enemy attacks with my body. And when the distance got closer to a certain extent, the heating spikes attached to the entire ship were activated.
The black thorns turned red as if soaked in blood. The metallic gremlins near the thorns were melted by the high heat.
I rained down hot thorns on my enemies. Some could sense the danger and escape on their own, but most could not. The silver cloud created by tens of thousands of birds was filled with holes pierced by thorns.
'I'll probably try to avoid it next time.'
As expected, the warp boys demonstrated their abilities, and the silver clouds turned blue.
While they're back, I'll have to harvest the corpses of my enemies.
With that thought in mind, I was about to step forward, but something strange happened.
'what?'
Suddenly, I felt a powerful flow of energy coming from all directions. This energy, felt nearby, is the trace emitted when attempting faster-than-light navigation.
'Aren't you trying to retreat?'
The warp boys in the group are attempting to teleport close to me.
Enemies, one-third of the entire group, appeared right in front of us. The remaining two-thirds moved to the rear as if to block my escape route.
'Why are you so belligerent?'
Even though they have different ecological mechanisms from ordinary living things, they are still living things. When they are hungry, they eat, and when their compatriots die, they are afraid.
It is abnormal to be so focused on attacking when so many of our compatriots are dying.
'When I think about it again, it's strange that I even showed up here.'
To feed that many metallic gremlins, you need at least as much alloy as a space city. However, there are no metal structures and not many ships in this star system. Under normal circumstances, there would be no reason for them to show up here.
A large group that suddenly appears for no reason. Different behavior from the typical metallic gremlin.
I've seen something similar to this before.
'Kesha Arma's Metallic Gremlins.'
Cynthia, a player from the Returned Sect, once brought in a large group to fight me. Even then, they showed strange movements.
'Could it have been sent by the player?'
When I thought about that, I felt my blood run cold.
If this is a trap, I am now in great danger. Because you never know when players will come here.
While I paused for a moment, they quickly narrowed the siege. The enemies that appeared from the front focused only on climbing on me and eating away at my outer skin. Even before it came into my mouth and was about to be eaten, it didn't stop biting.
'…We need to get out of here as quickly as possible.' [Zuz zuzuzu (Help everyone)]
Unless I abandon ship, the characteristics I can use are limited. Here, I won't have to clean it up alone, but I'll have to get help from other kids.
"It's a fight!" "Outside" "The smell" "It's strange" "It seems there are more enemies than I thought."
Number 26, Adhai, and Mother of Heaven, who received my wavelength, prepared for battle.
"We will help too." "Sister, wait a moment. "We can't do that." [Zuz zuzu zuzuzu (the two of you stay)]
PS-111 also wanted to apply, but Isabelle and I stopped them.
A significant portion of his and Isabel's bodies are made of metal. If you make a mistake and the part that controls your brain is attacked, it can be a big problem.
So, except for two, the rest came out.
"I thought it was a lot, but what is this…?"
As soon as she came out, Heaven's Mother was surprised to see a swarm of silver monsters. Transforming into griffon form, she immediately sprayed out agate-colored particles that controlled pressure. The enemies around her were instantly crushed.
｢enemy｣｢formerly｣｢eldest adult｣｢bullied｣｢mood｣｢bad｣
Aadhai, who remembered that I had previously been in trouble because of the Metallic Gremlin, donned the 'Red Armor' and began the slaughter. It rammed into its enemies and turned them into pieces of meat.
"The little one is right! These are the kids who bullied my eldest baby! "I will scold all the bad kids!"
The last issue, No. 26, also entered battle mode. The body of the guy floating in space grew rapidly. At the same time, numerous eyes appeared on the pink skin.
Enemies flinched as their eyes, made of psychic power, shone. Sea Demon's unique skill, 'Fear of the Deep', is activated, showing a terrifying illusion to enemies.
'good. We have to get rid of them quickly…'
Suddenly, all the metallic gremlins around started running towards No. 26. Including all the guys who were fighting with Heavenly Mother and Adhai.
｢Wait?!｣ ｢Little Adult｣｢Danger!｣
Not only that, but the group behind me also started traveling at faster than light speeds around No. 26. It was a natural movement, as if this was the goal from the beginning.
'shit!'
There is a wide gap between a semi-raid boss-level creature, the Sea Demon, and a mere metallic gremlin. Even if hundreds or thousands of them attack, it is difficult to injure No. 26.
But there are more than tens of thousands of enemies fighting us now. Even if he can't win against No. 26, there's a good chance he will inflict fatal injuries.
I quickly moved to the front of No. 26 and intercepted the enemies.
I used all the means at my disposal, including the tail, the mouth, and the guns on the ship.
Thousands of them died in an instant, but the number of enemies was much greater than that. As many people as there were dead clung to No. 26.
｢Big baby!｣ 'Abandon ship…!'
Just when I tried to protect it by immediately canceling the erosion, No. 26, covered in metallic gremlins, shined.
'huh?'
A monster with metal skin so close together that it looks like a silver jellyfish. The light flowing through the gap had nothing to do with pain.
The color of that light was the color that appeared when No. 26 was in a good mood.
｢■■■｣ ｢■■■｣ ｢Itchy!｣
They wrapped No. 26's body tightly and did nothing. It looked truly comfortable, like a baby being held in its mother's arms.
Number 26 fluttered its fins as if it was tickled by their actions.
｢What is it?｣｢What is it?｣ ｢…Is Metallic Gremlin acting cute on her now?｣
Aadhai and the Mother of Heaven say a word each time they see this.
'What happened?'
I used to surprise and deceive others, but now it was the opposite.
The unimaginable sight made me, like them, just stare blankly.
-x-X-x-
The Metallic Gremlin's strange behavior was not temporary.
In addition to the guys clinging to No. 26's body, other guys were also circling around him. Among them was the leader of the group, 'Taitabos'.
Regardless of whether they were leaders or subordinates, I did not feel any hostility from any of them.
Who could look at them and think of their notoriety as plunderers of the universe? The guys who were trying their best to bite me just now have become gentle sheep.
'I don't know what happened…'
These guys are crazy. Even if they aren't hostile right away, you never know when they might go crazy.
I approached to get No. 26 out of the guys.
｢■■■!｣ ｢■■■!｣
The reaction of the calm group became violent. It looked like it would attack me if I came any closer. Taitavos also began secreting substances that strengthened the group again.
"Don't hit me!"
Number 26 saw this and hit them with its tentacles. The few gathered together instantly turned into corpses and floated in the weightless space.
Surprisingly, the metallic gremlins did not fight back. Even though they were aware that their compatriots were being destroyed right in front of their noses, they maintained a calm demeanor rather than attacking them.
Moreover, he stopped being wary of me. Even when I got closer, he just stayed still.
It was as if he was listening to orders from No. 26.
In the game, Sea Demons and Metallic Gremlins never encounter each other. This is because the habitat environments are completely different. The two species have nothing in common and are unable to communicate with each other.
'Even if the conversation gets through, there's no reason for them to listen to No. 26.'
If that were the case, I would have known this a long time ago when I was fighting a group of metallic gremlins. The group here is unique.
'Let's start with number 26.' [Zuzuzuz zuzuz (It's dangerous, come here)] ｢Yes.｣
Number 26 heard what I said and moved its fins and approached me. The guys that were attached to him and the other group followed behind him like baby birds following their mother.
No matter how many times I watched it again, it was clear that they were following No. 26.
｢Enemy｣｢Let your guard down｣｢Now｣｢Opportunity｣ [zuzuzu zuzuzu (wait a moment)]
Adhai tried to resume the attack with a vicious wave of thoughts, so I stopped him.
I'm not sure exactly how this happened, but at least one thing is clear.
'It wasn't sent by the rankers.'
There is no reason for the returning faction or the ruling faction to do something like this.
"Aimov, wait a minute."
At that time, Heavenly Mother called me.
[Z(Why?)] ｢That Taitabos, he looks like the guy I saw when we fought at Kesha Arma before.' [Z(What?)] ｢I can tell by looking at the scar on his neck. "It's a sign that I threw the priest's golden spear and hit it."
She was on the ship, watching Taitavos with her amber eyes.
'That's the group that fought back then?'
The group of metallic gremlins summoned by the returning faction's ranker Cynthia with an unknown tool retreated during the fight. This is because Aadhai and No. 26 killed the person who called them out.
At the time, I assumed that the enemy had retreated because the tool that had summoned them was broken. Of course, I thought the tool would have broken into pieces.
'It was said that the two of them killed and ate the enemy together.'
Due to the structure of Aadhai's body, it is not suitable for swallowing bulky objects. He probably sucked the blood or body fluids first, and then No. 26 ate the remains.
In the process, there may have been some interaction with the tool that summoned the metallic gremlin.
'Let's check.'
I moved the clawed tail and caught Taitabos. Unlike when I tore the enemy apart, I held it weakly. It didn't resist at all, and the group it controlled didn't react either.
[Zuz zuzu zu (everyone come in)]
I called all the kids outside. Taitabos too. The rest of the group slowly rotated around me like a ring orbiting a planet.
"After comparing with the saved biological data, it was confirmed to be a metallic gremlin subspecies 'Taitabos'." "You brought Taitabos?"
Isabel expressed surprise when she saw Taitabos enter the ship. PS-111 also blinked its red camera lens and observed a being that was its polar opposite.
"Did you capture it with the power of 'Middle Baby'?" "no. "I didn't do this." "Did Seo-ah or Amorph do it?" [Zuz zuzu zu zuzu zuzu (trying to find out who did it)]
Isabelle, who was blinking, soon understood what I meant and nodded.
"You're trying to confirm it with my perks." [Z (yes)]
Isabel's special privilege, 'The Heavenly Eye of All Things', allows her to read the other person's information in detail.
"Then can we check on Taitabos?" [Zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (Yes. Next, please give me number 26 as well)] "No. 26?" [Zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuuu (if there is no singularity, aadhai)] "It doesn't matter. okay."
Actually, I think Aadhai has nothing to do with this situation, but you never know.
After hearing the request, Isabel turned her head to face number 26.
His current body is an artificial body newly created by PS-111. However, the brain and eyes were transplanted from the original, that is, Coldblood's. Thanks to PS-111's hard work, his eyes functioned properly without any problems.
Blue eyes reminiscent of the sky shine brightly. The eyes that collect secrets and knowledge begin to move.
After scanning No. 26, Taitabos, and Aadhai in that order, my eyes returned to normal.
"I checked everything. "First of all, what is certain is that Taitabos's condition is not normal." [Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzu Zuzu (It looks like something is controlling it)] "Yes. "I am dependent on something called the 'Barbarian Orb.'" [Zuzuzu Zuzu (Barbaric Orb?)] ｢This is your first time hearing such an item?｣
I am also like Heavenly Mother. I have never seen an item called the Orb of Savagery.
It must be a tool made in this world, like an improved Psionium or a Mutant Screamer.
"The interesting one is number 26." [Zuzuzu zu (Why No. 26?)] "According to the Heavenly Eye of the Universe, No. 26 has activated the Orb of Savagery." "Wait a minute, are you saying the Sea Demon is using the item right now?"
My main body and Heavenly Mother looked at No. 26 at the same time.
The guy seemed to be annoyed by Taitabos, who kept pretending to be friendly, and was pushing it away with his tentacles.
Isabel shook her head at the questions we had.
"well. Because he is very different from us. "I don't think they equipped and used equipment like players do." [Zuzu (hain)]
Every time No. 26 sees or learns something new, he runs up to me and tells me everything. There's no way a guy like that would sit still even after obtaining something called the Orb of Savagery.
I called out the guy who was bickering with Taitabos.
[Zuzuz, zuzu, zuzuzu (Would you like to come here for a moment?)] ｢Yes.｣
The guy bounced his body and came in front of my body.
If you look at it from the outside, it looks like a pink balloon with a round body. There are no tools or equipment of any kind on its body.
'Do you want to be inside the body?'
When No. 26 preys on prey, it uses its tentacles to insert it into its body and then slowly dissolves it. The tools Cynthia had may have entered the body through that method.
[Zuzu zuzuuu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (Remember when you fought the scary human before?)] ｢Scary human?｣ [Zuz zuuuu zuzuzu zuzu (the human you and Adhai hunted)] ｢Yes! I remember! A bad guy with appendages on his head! "I beat up the bad guy and scolded him!" "I" "I remember"
Aadhai, who was listening next to him, seemed to remember him and joined in the conversation.
｢Horned Dwarf｣｢Little Adult｣｢Me｣｢Together｣｢Killed｣ ｢That's right! I scolded him like a little baby!」 ｢Agree｣ [zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (Was there anything special when you two ate that guy?)] ｢Something special｣｢There was something｣｢Taste｣｢Stable｣｢Great." "huh! It was delicious!｣ [Zuzuzuz (Other than the taste?)]
Other than that, there seemed to be nothing particularly impressive about it, and Adhai did not shed any thought. No. 26 also stayed still without sending any waves.
I thought it was too much for the two of them to remember, but suddenly No. 26 started to glow.
"I remembered! At that time, I ate something hard and round!" [Zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzu (something hard and round?)] "Yes. "I felt full after eating, so I left it alone."
When I hear that, I remember it.
When Cynthia called Metallic Gremlin, what was he holding in his hand?
'It was a silver orb.'
I think I know what the barbaric orb that rules Taitabos is talking about.
[Zuzuzu zuzu zuzu (Is it still in your body?)] ｢It's hard and round?｣ [Zuzuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu (If it's still there, can you take it out?)]
If it remains in the body without being digested yet, it can be taken out.
"I'll try!"
The guy grunted and gave strength. A silver light is faintly visible from inside the trembling pink body.
Soon, a silver tentacle protruded from its body.
'huh?' "What was there before has changed so much!"
Tentacles colored in vivid silver, like the skin of a metallic gremlin. The ends were lumped together in the shape of a sphere. It looked as if the silver orb Cynthia was holding earlier had fused with the guy's tentacles.
'As it is digested, is it applied to the body as a characteristic?' "Aimov, wait a minute."
Then Isabel spoke to me.
"That tentacle is a barbaric orb. However, next to the name it says 'transforming.'" [Zuzu (mutation?)]
The guy continued speaking with blue light shining in his eyes.
"huh. "It seems that the properties of the equipment changed during the process of No. 26 digesting it."
If you see that the orb-shaped object has turned into a tentacle, you can say that it has actually become a different object, or rather a different being, as he said.
[Zuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzu (Can you check your abilities?)]
In response to my question, Isabel looked at the sphere again and frowned slightly.
"Maybe because it is not in a normal state, the tools are not working properly." [Zuzu Zuzuzu (as expected)] "One thing is certain: as long as I have those tentacles, I can control a group of metallic gremlins."
That has already been confirmed. Because the entire group regarded No. 26 as the leader.
Now I understand why he gnawed at me like crazy even though he knew he couldn't win. This may have been because they mistakenly believed that No. 26 was trapped inside the ship.
[Zuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzuzu (Is there a possibility that they will change?)] "We need to check the entities outside as well, but I think the possibility of that happening is low. "He probably won't resist even if I kill Taitabos." [Zuzuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzu (That thing isn't dangerous, right?)] "It's integrated with the body, so there shouldn't be any problem."
While Isabelle and I were talking, Number 26 put the tentacle that had been pulled out back into its body.
I had a sneaking desire to see what would happen if I cut off the sphere at the end of the tentacle, but I didn't act on it.
Isabel said that the tool was not normal. If you separate it for no reason and a problem occurs in its function, you will be wasting a valuable weapon.
And there is no big difference whether I control those silver monsters through him or if I steal the item and control them myself.
'An army of metallic gremlins.'
In any case, the band of space marauders has become mine. If you use it well, it will be a great help when invading the territory of Megacorp or Star Union.
'good.'
Now that I've confirmed that they're not dangerous, I've decided to leave this matter to rest.
Now there are two things left to do in this star system.
Checking the properties obtained by eating the Metallic Gremlin, and taking rocks floating in outer space and feeding them to the Mountain Crawler.
'Oh, now that I think about it….'
I had forgotten because we were busy fighting, but we are not the only ones here.
Three drifting ships with broken propellers are waiting outside.
-x-X-x-