"great job."
A tiny screamer, MPS-03, has arrived. The guy who crawled up to the head spit out the terminal he was holding in his mouth.
"Mission complete! complete!"
"Are your legs okay?"
In response to my question, the guy moved his soldered leg and took a saluting stance. At first glance, it didn't seem like there was any particular problem with movement.
'PS-111 will be able to fix it later.'
I lightly stroked him with the back of my finger. It was jumping around on the nest as if No. 26 and Aadhai were happy.
Every time it ran, the black cysts on the floor burst and released cloudy gas.
At first glance, it looks similar to the toxic vapor that automatically spreads over the nest, but its ingredients and effects are completely different.
That's because those black cysts and gas are a phenomenon caused by characteristics.
'It's been a while since I acquired the ghost nest, but now I'm finally using it properly.'
The nest-related fusion trait 'Ghost Nest' was previously obtained from Cult Star, Berzan 02. I haven't had a chance to use it so far, so I just kept it.
'Well, it's not a good characteristic to use alone.'
The reason is because of the working mechanism of the ghost nest. When this trait is applied, black cysts are created in the nest like now.
The white gas emitted by the cysts contains psychic power that promotes various abnormal phenomena. Once you inhale this, you experience all kinds of bizarre things. Hallucinations, auditory hallucinations, cognitive decline, sensory distortion, etc. come as a comprehensive gift.
As time passes, it becomes difficult to distinguish what is reality and what is not.
As the name suggests, it means being possessed by a ghost.
That is why the soldier who attacked MPS-03 suddenly began acting strangely. The one that lost its helmet due to the 'destructive sound wave' inhaled the gas flowing out of the nest. So even after seeing the hiveformer, it did not attack.
He probably thought it was his colleague. The one poisoned by the gas followed him to the underground nest without knowing anything, and became the hiveformer's new hideout.
'There is good compatibility between the two characteristics.'
The Hiveformer alone is not easy to deceive the enemy due to its unique appearance and movement. However, if there is a ghost nest, that weakness is offset.
The characteristic of Ghost Nest is that it shows its true value when combined with other characteristics.
'The problem is that it has many shortcomings when used alone.'
For example, if the target entering the nest has resistance to psychic power or does not inhale the gas properly, the effect is very low.
And psychic gas only has the effect of distorting the opponent's senses, but cannot cause physical damage. You can tell just by looking at the dead soldiers. It wandered around the nest like nothing happened before taking off its helmet. It was only after his helmet was damaged that he began to be affected.
The man possessed by the ghost was eliminated not by gas but by the hiveformer's attack.
In this way, a ghost nest can only function if there is a means to physically destroy the enemy.
'Now that I've obtained the Hiveformer, I need to gather more nest-related characteristics.'
After becoming an adult, the nest was rarely used in battle. This is because in most cases, rather than attracting the enemy, they infiltrated the enemy camp and fought, or conversely, fought after being ambushed.
There was no condition to utilize the nest.
'I used a lot of nests in the game.'
There was also a notoriety attached to it. Although it is not as famous as Moffak, it is a nickname that is occasionally thrown around by those who enter the nest.
'Well, that's enough.'
I finally had the opportunity to get a sample. I picked up the terminal brought by MPS-03. The list of samples stored in the complex and various other information about what is happening on this planet are contained in this terminal.
'Let me check.'
I lay down and connected the auxiliary organ to the nest. A hiveformer that had received my will slowly crawled over. He took the terminal and connected it to the hologram playback device in the nest.
'Being big is also a problem.'
It was difficult to operate a small computer or terminal with this body, so a hiveformer wearing a human shell was used.
After a while, numerous letters appeared on the hologram device. It was a list of genetic samples and Hulk mutant specimens.
Not only the names of the creatures, but also the planets where they were captured, the names of the people who captured them, and their storage conditions were all organized in detail.
However, many of the samples and test subjects listed were checked in red. These were secretly stolen by the managers protecting AG-01. Of course, the number of samples remaining was not small.
There was so much left that it was similar to the space fortress that had been robbed before.
'If you do this well, you will get a new unique characteristic.'
Currently, there are a total of 3 unique attribute synthesis formulas that I have unlocked. Among them, there are synthetic formulas that require garbage traits such as 'hunger' or 'dwarfism'.
｢'Transcendence' ingredient list: Dwarfism (not acquired), Hunger, Sensory Degeneration (not acquired), Slow Life (not acquired), Hermit Orientation (not acquired)｣
'Dwarfism, slow life, and sensory deterioration won't be difficult to obtain. 'The reclusive orientation is difficult.'
Among the four characteristics, 'Seclusion Orientation', like hunger, can only be acquired from certain creatures. You need some luck to get it.
'Still, if there are this many samples, it's worth a try.'
I briefly skimmed through the long list and moved on. This was followed by records of stellar activity observed in AG-01.
The majority were regular reports sent by terraforming machines that react sensitively to changes in the planet's environment, and observation records sent by ships traveling in and out of the star system were mixed in a bit.
'I'll have to leave this to PS-111.'
"report. report."
While I was looking at the hologram, MPS-03 came running towards me.
"Variables occurred during mission performance."
'variable?'
"Need to be confirmed. necessary!"
It manipulated terminals and holographic devices with its pointed metal legs. The stellar records were passed over and new data was displayed on the hologram.
What was new was a large map. Looking at the structure, it was clear that it was a map of the research complex where MPS-03 had entered.
Above each building on the map were codes that were a complex mixture of numbers and letters.
"intruder."
"Computers, Communications, and Use."
Listening to what he said, it seemed like communication data sent by the soldier who attacked MPS-03.
'The internal map is quite important information.'
Megacorp's research facilities usually have tight security. This place, where battles occur frequently, is filled with land mines and drones everywhere.
In such a situation, would you send a map with such detailed information to the outside world?
And that in a situation where communication and electricity were cut off? It must have been a corrupt soldier trying to sell off important information.
'The important thing here is the buyer of the map.'
The reason why you want a map containing all the information about the research complex is simple. He's probably trying to attack this complex.
Of course, the value of a map cannot be compared to an ordinary genetic sample or test subject. And to steal it, you will have to take a considerable risk.
'It would be difficult to bribe a soldier with a decent amount of compensation.'
The opponent was strong enough to physically attack the complex and had enough wealth to bribe soldiers who knew confidential information. As far as I know, there is only one being with that level of power here.
'Separatist forces.'
I heard this from Jeff, who caught me in the commercial city. In AG-01, a terrorist separatist organization is colluding with pirates and is targeting genetic samples.
'You said the pirate cartel supporting them belongs to the Shino Group, right?'
The Shino Group, created by a union of several cartels, is a group of pirates believed to be led by Space Dog Ranker. I have also met cartels belonging to the Sino Group. Jeff said the name of the cartel that contacted the separatists was Sinoni.
They are pirates belonging to the same group as the ones I encountered, only with different names. If the pirates were managed by a ranker, they would be able to take down the research center without difficulty.
'But it's strange. Is there any reason for the player to target here?'
AG-01 is not an attractive location for Space Dog players to aim for. If you're looking for genetic samples, there are many good places besides here.
In my case, I came to AG-01 in search of traces of the Arcane Orca, not with the thought of genetic samples.
'Or maybe it was the arbitrary action of his subordinates.'
Jeff said the Sinoni Cartel's main source of income is hunting dangerous creatures and smuggling rare creatures. In games, pirates hunting dangerous creatures often used Hulk mutants as combat assistants. It doesn't really make sense if the Sinoni Cartel wants to acquire Hulk mutants for the same purpose.
'I guess I'll have to ask this directly to be sure.'
Are you really here to save the Hulk mutant, or is there some other purpose? To confirm this, we need to catch a member of the Shinoni Cartel.
'It's hard to avoid fighting with them anyway.'
They secured a map of the lab. At best, the airstrikes will begin within two or three days. And the owner of the research center they are targeting is me.
The humans guarding the complex have all been wiped out by hiveformers, and the nest is devouring the tall buildings from the inside. Is that not all? PS-111, who is not here, is also working hard to conceal my presence.
'Do you think we'll let pirates take it?'
I issued an order to all hiveformers in the research complex. Bring me genetic samples of the creatures I mentioned.
'I thought I should try using the nest, and it worked out well.'
In the game, many people visited my nest and praised it. The Sinoni Cartel will feel the same way.
-x-X-x-
A large warehouse located in a port.
Many intelligent beings are moving around busily. Although the races were different, including humans, cyborgs, rock walkers, and insect men, they had one thing in common. Everyone is wearing reinforced clothing with camouflage paint.
Armed with better equipment than the regular army protecting the planet, their true identity was surprisingly pirates. They are not ordinary pirates, but the Sinoni Cartel, a notorious pirate group.
On the second floor of the warehouse, Ventress, the vice leader of the Sinoni Cartel, was looking down on the gang members. At that time, an executive approached him.
"Boss. "The hacking team will be ready in 5 minutes."
While watching the gang members through the window, he turned his head when he heard the executive's words.
"What is the arrangement?" "The assault team and support team have all been deployed. The separatist side is also ready."
While reporting, the executive operated a mechanical device and created a hologram.
A hologram of a large city model appeared in front of the two. Small circles were displayed on the outskirts of the city.
The hologram is the result of realizing a research complex attached to a commercial city. Those circles are Ventress's subordinates.
These were all prepared to attack the research complex.
"good. Once the hacking is over, the separatists and the assault team go in together. "The rest wait." "All right." "Assault team should not act as usual, but move accordingly while considering the situation."
The location of the troops, the state of their armament, everything is according to plan. Ventress checked the hologram and nodded, satisfied.
"Oh, me and the assistant pastor? Is it really okay for us to do as we please?"
But at that time, the executive put a candle to the good mood.
"The boss told me to be quiet…" "You have to speak clearly. "I told you to prepare first and wait to avoid any problems."
Currently, the head of Sino Group is pursuing a plan. The details were secret, so Ventress found out thanks to hearing it from the boss.
'I said I needed to take control of a few planets for the plan to succeed.'
AG-01, a planet in the Jer-11 star system, is one of those targets.
Ventress' mission is to take control of the planet before the Shino Group's core forces arrive. To do that, we need to get rid of the anxiety factors here in advance.
"And aren't you being careful to get caught as late as possible? "Do you think I'm such a brat that I'm giving credit to the National Guard?" "That's…" "Anyway, we have to get rid of those fucking terrorists. "How great would it be if we could make each other feel weak like we do now?" "That is certainly true, but what is stimulating Noble Capital is…" "Anyway. "I'm considering everything, so don't ask any more questions."
Ventress was annoyed by her subordinate's continued pouting, but decided to hold back this time. He was quite capable among the executives, so it would have been a shame to throw him away like this.
The executives also knew that it would be dangerous to point out any more information, so they kept quiet.
At that time, the lights inside the warehouse suddenly blinked. The light of the hologram also dimmed for a moment and then returned to its original state.
"what?" "It looks like lightning struck." "Did the kids you sent to fix the terraforming machine fall asleep after playing? Why is it still like this?" "Well, they say it's in worse condition than expected. I checked earlier and it seems it will take a few more days…" "Tsk, you idiots."
Ventress clicked her tongue as the thunder continued to pound outside.
"What about communications? "It's not like something gets cut off during the operation, right?" "yes. "It's been pre-maintained, so there's no problem."
Just then, a message was displayed on the hologram saying that the hacking team's preparations were complete.
"Ready. "You can rush in." "Ah, that's good. "Go ahead right away." "All right. Assault team, enter."
As soon as the command was given, the circles on the holographic city began to move.
–
Black visitors enter the research complex filled with rain, mud, and fog.
Wearing heavy reinforced clothing, they moved nimbly like hunting dogs stalking their prey. There was no shaking at all even when passing through a field filled with landmines and combat drones. After passing through the most dangerous area, they stopped behind a building.
｢Did everyone come in okay?｣ ｢Yep.｣ ｢No problem.｣
The leader of the assault team sent by Ventress quickly checked the subordinates who followed. The number of subordinates is 20. It was exactly the same as when it came in.
The Sinoni Cartel's main enemies are wild animals, but that doesn't mean they can't catch people. Everyone was familiar with this type of intrusion operation as they had conducted it several times.
"This is Josh. We have entered the eastern sector." "The separatists said they took over the watchtower first, so join us immediately." "Understood."
After completing communication with the warehouse headquarters, they ran to a nearby long building.
｢I'll enter the code, so beware of the rest.｣ ｢Yep!｣
The leader standing in front of the door entered the security code he received two days ago. The security at the main gate of the guard tower was lifted and the solid metal door was opened. Twenty pirates quickly entered the tower.
"what? "Why is the light off?"
The inside of the building was completely dark. Even the emergency lights didn't come on. Even though there were people who came in before them. Josh, the leader of the pirates, immediately contacted headquarters.
"The power went out inside the guard tower. "Is it true that they have taken over?" "I just received a call from there. They said they fired an EMP at the building." "Yes? Why all of a sudden…" "We'll discuss that later." They say they are waiting upstairs, so go up and join them."
Despite the sudden change, the executives at headquarters showed no signs of disturbance.
'This person didn't have this kind of personality to begin with?'
It was strange that the separatists used EMP, but the overly calm appearance of the executives was also strange.
｢What should we do?｣ ｢… Everyone moves with utmost caution. If you see anything, shoot it right away."
I didn't even understand what the situation was, but I had no choice. Josh and the pirates began walking down the hallway, each carrying their own weapons.
Even if the electricity to the building was cut off, the interior was clearly visible thanks to the helmet's heat-detecting vision function. They walked in line and soon reached the stairs.
"Be careful because you don't know what will come out…."
While Josh was talking to his subordinates, he realized something strange.
There were a total of 20 people here, including him. But right now, there were only 14 people he could see.
"hey! Where did the kids behind you go?" "Yes? "Huh, huh?"
The pirates turned around and realized that their comrade had disappeared.
"We were definitely together just now!" "Me too!"
There is a single hallway between the building entrance and the stairs. The length of the hallway itself is not long. It is impossible to disappear without a sound in less than a few seconds.
The pirates hastily manipulated the terminal and checked the detector.
"What is this?" "How did this happen?"
There were a total of twenty signals of gang members displayed on the detector. The problem is that 5 of them are on floors other than the first floor. The only way to go upstairs in this building is to use the stairs in front of them.
"Damn it! "Get out of here right now!" "Yep!"
Because the situation was unusual, Josh abandoned the missing people. The pirates hurried back the way they came.
But this time too, reality betrayed their expectations.
A tree had grown in the hallway, which was empty when I entered. Withered branches touched the ceiling and walls, and in the middle, a bony body covered with withered bark could be seen.
｢….｣
The pirates said nothing. It was because I was overwhelmed by the absurd reality.
'illusion? Or poison gas? How did they get through the helmet? Is it really psychic power?'
Josh also tried to analyze the situation, but it wasn't easy. Even if they were hallucinating, it was undoubtedly true that several gang members had moved to another floor in an instant.
｢Hee, hee?! Oh, a colleague has disappeared again!"
And as if reading his thoughts, the five people in the back row disappeared again. This time too, there were no sounds or signs.
It was as if the hallway had swallowed the pirates whole.
'We have to get out of here quickly!'
This is not the time to worry. It's just outside after passing that tree. Josh tried to keep his composure and gave orders.
"…cut down the tree."
One of his subordinates slowly approached the tree. He activated the 'Blade Claw' mounted on his arm with trembling hands.
The ultra-vibrating saw blade protruding from the back of the hand vibrates and makes a familiar noise. The owner of the saw blade slowly raised his arm.
Now all that remains is to cut the branches, but the subordinate hesitates.
｢Did you hear?｣ ｢What just happened?｣
Other gang members are also embarrassed. The pirate stopped cutting down the tree and put his face close to the branch.
The sound is heard again. This time Josh heard clearly.
｢Sound of laughter?｣
A little girl's laughter is heard from within the trees. It was a voice so refreshing that it reminded me of clear spring water. As soon as I heard how beautiful it was, I felt like my tension was completely relieved.
Otherwise, he would have immediately noticed that the bare branch was pointing towards the back of the pirate's head.
｢Careful!｣ ｢Yes?｣
The moment Josh belatedly shouted, a tree branch pierced his subordinate's head.
–
｢Gasp, gasp, gasp….'
A pirate wearing a reinforced suit runs through a foggy street.
His right arm was missing, and there was a deep wound on his back. Even though he was a cyborg with physical abilities stronger than those of humans, his injuries were very serious.
｢Gasp, gasp, gasp….'
While running frantically, he hid behind a nearby building. The mechanical eyes behind the cracked helmet moved constantly.
'Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!'
As the cyborg pirate continued to look around to see who was coming, he recalled what had happened a while ago.
The assault team he belonged to was headed to the genetic center in the southern sector, guided by an executive. Although we did not encounter any enemies while moving, no one thought it was anything strange. Because I saw people walking around inside the building.
The problem arose in a park near the center.
While passing through a park filled with abandoned, dead trees, they heard singing. The innocent humming of little girls echoed in the gloomy park.
The pirates stopped running for a moment after hearing the music, and from then on, a terrible nightmare began. The trees that had been standing quietly moved and attacked the assault team.
'Damn it! 'I've never seen a tree that seduces with song!'
Additionally, the trees drank the blood of living creatures. Every time a dying branch stuck into the body of a fellow tree, the street tree seemed to come back to life. The shell came to life, and the singing voice became more and more beautiful.
The cyborg pirate's companions tried to resist somehow, but ultimately failed. The evil tree monster wasn't the only enemy there.
Spores that spray acidic liquid everywhere, bizarre plants that spread a strange smell that causes colleagues to harm themselves, giant flying insects with human faces, threadworms covered in human skin, etc. The beings I feared seeing in my dreams slaughtered the pirates.
While his colleagues were being attacked, the cyborg pirate secretly escaped the scene.
'We have to get back to headquarters quickly!'
Joining another team is not a good idea. If those monsters exist in each area, they too will not be able to avoid annihilation.
After resting for a while, he ran again.
Because of the pain coming from the wound, the module embedded in the head continues to send out danger signals. I desperately wanted to rest right away, but if I stopped here, it would be over.
He ran without stopping until he was out of the complex. Fortunately, despite the misfortune, there were no monsters in sight.
｢Phew, Joe, good.｣
His eyes see a black field created by mud and cloud shadows. There are mines and combat drones scattered throughout the field. You can only get out of this place by following the same path you came in.
The cyborg pirate crossed the field, careful not to deviate from the safe route. When I got about halfway, a light started flashing inside the visor of my helmet.
It was a communication from headquarters. It seemed like it was only now that he was leaving the complex.
"…Why are you contacting me now?" "I'm sorry. "We were late because we were preparing a rescue boat."
It's a lie. To his knowledge, the Sinoni Cartel has never sent reinforcements to rescue its members.
"shit! All of my colleagues who entered the southern section were hit." "All of them were hit?" "Yes! Everyone died and I was the only one left!" "I understand. "If you tell me the location, I will send a rescue boat there." "…Are you sure?"
The cyborg pirate hesitated and then recited the coordinates of his location.
｢Outskirts of the southern district.｣ ｢Yes. Where is the rescue boat landing site? I'll go there." "There's no need to do that." "Okay?"
I asked back because I didn't know the English sentence, but the answer came from somewhere other than the communicator.
With an eerie mechanical sound, the mines buried in the ground all jumped into the air.
"Thank you for your cooperation in the experiment."
The flash of light from the forcibly activated mine surrounded him.
-x-X-x-
The house I built after a long time was quite nice.
Most of the pirates who entered the research complex were caught in the trap I had set and were destroyed. Except for a few who escaped, all of them became the new home of cute 'hiveformers'.
It was a bland ending for a cartel connected to a player.
'Well, I expected it to some extent.'
Actually, it's not that I don't understand. Who would dare imagine that everything surrounding them is a living organism?
I linked to the nest and focused my senses on the damaged building while fighting the enemy. The black liquid covering the structure moved and replaced the broken parts. Soon all traces of the battle in the complex disappeared.
Those buildings were created using the newly acquired Nest series general trait, 'Biological Garden'. With this trait, you can build structures in your nest as you imagine. The guard towers and research labs visited by pirates are all my creations.
'Actually, it only changes the shape and has no special effect.'
For example, even if you imitate a plasma battery, you cannot actually fire plasma bullets.
Also, although it looks solid, its durability is the same as that of a regular nest. It breaks easily and is very weak to fire. Other characteristics are needed to compensate for this weakness, and I supplemented this with the characteristic 'Fortification'.
Fortification is a fusion characteristic belonging to the special defense series and has the effect of making Aimorph's slime cohere much more tightly.
When possessing this trait, the durability of cocoons and nests created during growth increases significantly.
'If the two share the nest, it's easy to disguise it as a city.'
In the game, after wiping out a small city on a planet, it was decorated into a city like it is now. When observed from outside the planet, it appears to be a city, making it good for luring enemies.
'If only I could change the color, it would be perfect.'
Unfortunately, the color of the slime cannot be changed with any attribute. The color of the nest is always black.
'The climate here is terrible, so you don't have to worry about that.'
Wherever you go, it rains frequently and the floors are muddy. Because of the heavy dark clouds, it is very dark even during the day. Even the white building looks black, making it difficult to tell whether it is a nest or not.
Additionally, the details of the structure were much better than when it was created in the game. Thanks to Aimov's unique sense of style, he was able to decorate even the smallest details like a real building.
'Even as a player, it would be difficult to tell whether this is a nest or not.'
What would happen to the guests who came in without knowing anything? They were completely caught in the trap I made.
There are two main characteristics prepared this time. These are 'Devil Tree' and 'Clown Grass'.
I unlinked and opened my eyes. Bright red trees stand out throughout the nest located deep underground. Black threadworms are moving around diligently under a tree with bright red branches like a tree with autumn leaves.
When you gain the Demon Tree trait, a carnivorous plant that looks like a haunted tree from a horror movie will spawn in your nest.
Normally, it stands as a bare, old tree, but when a living creature approaches, it immediately changes. It stabs its enemies using sharp branches that extend here and there and drinks their blood. The eggplant contains bacteria that prevents blood from clotting, causing more blood to pour out once pricked.
When the devil tree drinks blood, its bark hardens and its thorns become sharp. The more times it gets pricked by thorns, the stronger it becomes.
Also, some of the energy secured by the trees is transferred to me through the nest. One of the ingredients of the Devil Tree is 'human sacrifice', and its effect is inherited.
'Next is Clown Tongpul.'
At the bottom of the nest are brightly colored whole plants. Nearby, fine particles from the whole grass float.
By default, those particles cause extreme itchiness in those they touch. The itching doesn't stop until you tear off the affected area. The name Tongpul the Clown is said to drive the victim crazy.
Of course, since the particles must directly contact the flesh to be effective, it does not work on enemies who do not expose their bare bodies. It is equally powerless against enemies that cannot sense itchiness, such as androids.
There is nothing to worry about. Because the former problem can be solved with demon trees and hiveformers.
Anyway, the invaders were destroyed. The remaining enemy is the Sinoni Cartel's command center, which sent its subordinates here.
I had the hiveformer activate the communicator.
"How did you prepare?" "It's done. "The communication networks of the planet's major cities are all under my management."
Upon arriving at AG-01, PS-111 set out alone to take control of the planet's communications network. Thanks to taking control of the satellite in the process, the entire communication network on this planet is currently under its control. Not only can communications within the planet be blocked, but communications sent outside the planet can also be restricted.
'It would be nice if I could just block it.'
The guy who received the 'disruption needle' from me can directly intervene in the other person's communications. I put it to good use this time too.
The pirates may have thought they were receiving orders from a commanding officer, but that was a mistake.
All communications they received since entering the nest were false orders manipulated by a third party. PS-111 acted as a subordinate to the commanding staff and as an executive to the members of the field, deceiving both parties.
'I expected it would be used well, but I never thought I would use it this skillfully.'
The members of the organization who ran out of the nest to avoid the trap were also deceived by him and jumped into the minefield and died. On the other hand, the pirates in the port believe that the troops in the research complex are carrying out their mission without incident.
"Anyway, it's amazing." "I was able to carry out the disruption mission because I had a useful textbook." "Useful textbook?" "yes. We created a conversation algorithm based on Aimorph's behavior and victim reaction data."
Simply put, it means that they followed me.
'Wow, I have a new student.'
This is the first time since Aadhai that someone has offered to learn my strategy.
"Please provide more data in the future." "I will try my best. Anyway, you said you took over the entire communication network, right?" "yes. I can restrict and modify communications as I wish." "Can communications sent to the outside world also be manipulated? Things like messages or signals sent to other planets." "It is possible because we have secured a communication satellite."
Simply put, no matter what happens here, it won't leak to the outside world.
"Are you planning to attack the port?" "I won't go there myself." ｢?｣
To be precise, 'parts of me' will go.
The heads on both sides read my will and began to move.
–
"This is Josh. We have secured the northeastern region management center." "Shepherd." "This area has also been taken over by the southwestern area management center."
Ventress smiled at the succession of good news.
"What happened to the separatists?" "We fought with the guards and were killed together. "There are very few survivors." "Hehe, it went as planned."
The main goal of this plan is to pit the Planetary Defense Forces and the Separatist forces against each other. This is because it hinders the Sinoni Cartel from taking over the planet.
"Look. "Is that what I said?" "…."
The executive next to me did not respond. He had been concentrating on the hologram with an anxious face from earlier.
"Things are going well, so why are you so dissatisfied?" "…No matter how you look at it, it's suspicious." "So what's suspicious?"
The executive pointed to moving circle marks on the holographic map. There were three or four red marks indicating death, but most of them were alive and moving.
"Is it because the kids' locations are displayed strangely?" "They say the separatists used drones for disruption, but as far as I know, there are no weapons that only disrupt biological signals. And the range…" "No, fuck. The kids confirmed that it was a new weapon received from Star Union. "What more do you need me to explain?" "but…."
Ventress frowned at the executive's reaction of not being able to understand anything.
"From what I saw earlier, it seemed like you didn't like the fact that the kids weren't doing much." "yes?" "I thought the operation was going to fail, but it worked out well, so it's crazy, right? right?" "Oh, no!"
Only then did the executive realize that he had gone too far. He quickly lowered his head.
"You said I was considering a lot of things? "You didn't?" "Well, I'm just for the assistant pastor's comfort…" "My comfort is Ami. "Do you think it's easy because I keep watching over you?"
Ventress glared at the executive with a cold gaze and waved her arms. An eerie metallic sound comes from the armored suit he is wearing.
It is easy to forget that the Sinoni Cartel acts like an orderly army, but at its core, it is a pirate group. The same goes for Ventress. Because of their important duties, they only pretend to listen to what the executives say.
"Wrong… ugh?!"
The executive's words did not last until the end. This is because the deputy head hit him in the stomach with his fist.
The executive flew straight into the wall on the other side.
"I left him alone because he was a bit of a brainiac. "Insolent."
Currently, Ventress is wearing a high-grade reinforced suit that has undergone various modifications. Even a light punch can turn an opponent into a blood clot.
After destroying the offending executive, he called the gang members downstairs. Pirates wearing reinforced suits quickly disappeared, carrying the corpse pinned to the wall.
"What's wrong?" "It's nothing. "Has the anti-aircraft gun control of the complex been completed?" "yes. "As long as a transport ship comes, we can move the goods at any time." "Good. Then right away…"
Just as I was about to say I would send a transport ship, a hologram blinked. Not only that, but the lights in the warehouse also blinked uneasily.
And soon the fire went out completely.
"Holy shit!"
It wasn't just the warehouse that was immersed in darkness. The holographic devices and communication devices were all working.
Ventress cursed harshly and put on the helmet attached to her reinforced suit. He immediately contacted his subordinates at the research complex using the communication device attached to his reinforced suit.
"The electricity in the warehouse went out. "It will likely take some time before we can send a transport." ｢That's right, it's necessary, it's necessary, it's not there, it's necessary｣ "What did you say? I can not hear well." ｢Unnecessary, unnecessary, unnecessary, hahahahahajijijijik｣ "Fuck, why is this so fucking bad!"
The other person's voice became eerily distorted and soon cut off. Even if I tapped the communicator, I could only hear loud noise, and there was no connection.
At that time, the subordinates on the first floor came running up.
"Boss, there's a power outage!" "I know! "If any of you have a communicator, give it to me."
I received the items from my subordinates and checked them, but the same was true.
'There's a problem with communication?'
I can understand the power outage. However, the messed up communication status is a completely different problem. This means that an error occurred in the network management facility.
"What happened to the guys you sent to manage the communication network?" "Well, I couldn't contact you, so I couldn't check…." "You idiots! Then you can go and find out for yourself…"
Ventress's shout was drowned out by the sudden roar. At the same time, the floor they were standing on vibrated loudly.
"W-Is it an earthquake?!" "no. This…."
Ventress, who has experience hunting various dangerous creatures, sensed that this was not just an earthquake.
Especially that sound and vibration that shakes the entire warehouse. This phenomenon occurs when a very large creature moves and roars.
The sound that sent shivers down my spine quickly subsided. Instead, the silence was broken by small gunshots and screams coming from outside the warehouse.
"You guys, gather the scattered kids and bring them to the first floor."
After giving orders to his subordinates, he took his weapons and came down to the first floor. Pirates armed with reinforced suits gathered by his side.
"Are you all gathered?" "yes. "That's all we have here."
The number of members gathered was approximately 50. With this number of people, they can even kill the 'Green Gallagon', a monster called the dragon of space.
"You guys, go open the door."
After receiving instructions, the three subordinates slowly walked towards the large gate of the warehouse. The other pirates prepared their weapons so they could fire at any time.
The three pirates manipulated the terminal on the wall and forced the gate to open. As the alloy door opened with a loud metallic sound, Ventress and the pirates looked nervously outside.
The screams and roars heard earlier were not lies. The condition outside the warehouse was a complete mess.
There was a large hole in the runway in front of the gate. The area near the hole was full of unrecognizable corpses.
"…You three, go out." "yes?" "What are examples? "I'll add more kids, so hurry up."
Ventress selected about 10 more pirates and ordered them to scout.
Everyone knew that it was very dangerous outside, so they didn't want to go out, but there was nothing they could do. This is because the remaining personnel, including Ventress, were aiming their weapons at themselves.
The temporarily selected scout team moved slowly, little by little.
Pirates moving forward one step at a time. The figure gets smaller and smaller. It moved away until it appeared to be the size of a palm, but the entity that attacked the warehouse still did not appear.
Shinoni's gang members remained vigilant and kept an eye on the darkness. When hunting wild animals, confrontations like this often occur. I was used to waiting to bring out the hiding guy.
However, there is something they did not expect.
The monster that attacked the warehouse was not behind the black fog.
He was already close enough to them.
Everyone was looking beyond the wide open gate, but suddenly the wall on the other side collapsed. The pirates in the back looked back in surprise.
A huge hand came out through the dust that came up as the wall collapsed and attacked them.
-x-X-x-
"Enemy raids…ugh?!"
I expected it to be a roar, but the size of 'it' was bigger than I expected.
Judging by the appearance of its upper body alone, it appeared to be almost the size of a small destroyer. Ventress had never seen a creature as large as this before.
Its long neck can be seen behind its pillar-like, thick legs. At the end is 'it"s head.
A long, protruding snout, and large horns rising above it. It was similar in appearance to the carnivorous reptile 'Horned Gigante', but had many differences. Not only was it much larger, but it had no sensing organs such as eyes, nose, or ears.
The hand holding the pirate goes up. Its maw opens wide, revealing its vicious teeth. Even though it had no eyes, 'it' naturally swallowed its food.
｢Grrrrrrr｣ "Crazy! What is that!" "Everyone attack!"
The pirates who saw this began their attack, screaming with profanity.
The first thing that flew was a flash bomb. Bright light, as if condensed from the sun, exploded and illuminated the warehouse. Ventress saw that and screamed.
"You idiots! "What kind of flashbang can you throw at a guy with no eyes!"
It is the first ammunition used when hunting wild animals, but it was not appropriate in the current situation. In fact, 'it' moved fine even in the blinding light.
The monster that crawled into the warehouse stretched out its long arms and grabbed a handful of pirates. Contrary to its appearance, its movements were surprisingly fast and quiet.
"Aaaah! Shibaaal!" "If you don't want to get kicked, shoot!"
Although the captured people struggled hard, there were not even small scratches on their bodies.
'It' put all the food into its mouth and chewed it. Human blood poured like a waterfall, soaking the floor. The sight was so gruesome that it made even veterans of the battle flinch.
"Everyone, come to your senses! Replace all flash bombs with trapping bombs, and the bastards at the front use containers as cover!"
Ventress continued to give instructions to her subordinates so that they would not be agitated. The frozen members of the organization hurriedly moved when they heard their superior's voice.
Pirates armed with heavy weapons fired bombs at their target. What they were targeting was not a monster, but containers stored in a warehouse. The container tower collapsed and hit 'it'.
｢Grrr｣
The guy growls briefly. Even though each container was crushed by a huge weight, it showed no signs of pain.
But even Ventress expected that much.
"now!"
The pirates, who had replaced it with confinement bombs, fired one after another at the 'thing' lying on the container.
When the fired bullet hit the target, the particles contained within spread out in all directions. The gaseous particles instantly solidified in the air and turned into a pumpkin-like shape.
Binding bullets are items created by Star Union to subdue Megacorp's Hulk Mutants. It is effective in taking away the mobility of large enemies.
Chunks from hundreds of confinement bombs caught 'it'. The guy fell forward with a heavy lump on his head and neck.
｢Grrr?｣ "Crazy!" "It's still moving?"
A single bullet is enough to incapacitate a Hulk mutant. But that monster still moved even after being hit with hundreds of times. The guy waved his arms wildly, trying to remove the lumps from his body.
"Damn it! "Aim for his arm with the launcher!"
Still, it is a clear fact that the enemy has slowed down. One of the pirates took out a plasma launcher and aimed at 'it"s arm. While those holding the confinement bombs were taking their time, the launcher's energy quickly filled up.
Then, suddenly, the ceiling above the head of the person holding the launcher collapsed.
"What?!"
Between the fragments, large claws measuring several meters can be seen. The claw struck down those holding the launcher.
Heavy drinking followed by strong shock. Ventress realized that she was floating in the air. The launcher that was charging exploded on impact, sending him flying. His body flew across the warehouse and landed against the wall.
"Ugh!"
I felt pain all over my body, but fortunately there were no major injuries. It was thanks to wearing good reinforced clothing. He quickly came to his senses and got up.
"Oh, it hurts! help me!" "Kwaaaaaaaa! "It's hot!" "Someone help me!"
Unlike him, who only suffered bruises, the condition of his subordinates was not that good. Those who were close to the gang member holding the launcher were oxidized, and many of those who were far away were seriously injured. There were only a handful of pirates in good standing.
And the culprit of this tragedy was floating in the middle of the corpses. Even though it was caught in the explosion, the tongs were intact, only slightly scorched on the outside.
The large pillar-like part attached to the back of the pincer moves slowly. The tongs passed over the corpse and approached 'it'. And I hit hard on the stuck lumps of bullets and broke them apart.
Only then did Ventress realize that the pincer was part of the monster. The man's lower body, which had been hidden from view due to the wall of the warehouse, moved.
'Do, you have to run away!'
I didn't know if that was its appendage or its tail, but it didn't matter.
It would be foolish to continue fighting now that most of my subordinates have suffered. We need to get out of here quickly.
Ventress hit the wall behind her hard. He knocked down the wall with his strengthened fist and quickly escaped from the warehouse.
"Boss?" "shit! They abandoned us…Ahh!"
My subordinates called from behind, but I ignored them all. Using the gang members as shields, he bought time and ran down the messed up runway.
'I've never heard of a monster like that here!'
There were two risk factors that he assumed before coming to AG-01. Separatists and T&C's National Guard. I never thought that a monster would suddenly appear and annihilate the gang members.
'Could it be the work of those crazy terrorists?'
This is a planet that was terraformed before he was even born. Most of the species that live there have been revealed. Among them, there are no dangerous creatures the size of a destroyer.
It was clear that someone had brought it from outside the planet. And the only people who have the motivation to do that are separatists.
Of course, it is unlikely that they captured it themselves with their crude level of force. It was probably supported by Star Union.
'You damn bastards, how dare you stab me in the back like this?'
If you escape from here, I will definitely take revenge. With that promise, I continued to run on the quiet runway.
The screams and gunshots from behind had completely stopped. The sound of his footsteps was the only thing that broke the silence of the large space.
This means that the probability that 'it' will follow him has also increased. But the good news is that there is a boat out there for him to escape on.
Among the anchored ships, you can see a warship that resembles the Star Shark, which is said to be tamed and ridden by cultists. This is a ship commanded by the cartel's vice leader, Ventress. There are crew members stationed there for management, so you can depart whenever necessary.
As he was running toward the only way out, something strange caught his eye.
A ship parked near a pirate ship. A hull similar in size to a small destroyer wriggles.
'no way?'
I thought it was a spaceship, but I was mistaken. What was there was a living creature.
"…Holy shit!"
Ventress quickly stopped running and lowered her posture.
The beast, with a long neck, a large head on top, six arms, two legs, and a forked tail, was chewing on humans and ships.
Seeing that it had a familiar claw attached to one of its tails, it was clear that it was the 'thing' that had attacked the warehouse.
'crazy! 'When did you follow me here?'
I didn't hear any other sounds while running all the way here. Unless it flew in, it was impossible for something that big to move without making a sound.
'…Damn, I guess it doesn't matter.'
Ventress approached the pirate ship, being careful not to make any noise.
Among the corpses it was eating, there were people wearing familiar clothes. They were all subordinates on the pirate ship. It seemed difficult to get out of here by boat.
But there is still a way.
'Let's take the transport ship.'
Inside is a small boat used to transport creatures for smuggling. It can be easily operated with just one pilot, so all you have to do is ride it and run away.
I walked slowly, step by step, and before I knew it, the pirate ship was right in front of me. The sight of 'it' was hidden by the ship, but the eerie sound of chewing bones and flesh continued.
He approached the rear of the ship with his body pressed against the outer wall. The door used to move supplies was wide open. After passing through the metal hatch and entering, he boarded the transport ship. And as soon as take-off preparations were completed, we departed immediately.
｢Grrrrr｣
A ship leaving the pirate ship flies over the harbor. The monster's growling gradually decreased.
"Whoa."
Ventress sighed deeply and leaned back in the cockpit. The tension was relieved because of the relief of getting out of hell.
At that time, the transport ship shook violently with a loud noise. The impact was strong enough to make him fall off his chair.
Sparks flew from the interior facility, and the sound of crushing metal could be heard everywhere. And the radar made a loud beep.
"W-what is it?"
A triangular mark was superimposed on the circled ship, from when it appeared. The moment I confirmed that, the boat started shaking wildly.
"Rain, damn it!"
Ventress barely sat down on the chair and grabbed the control stick. I tried to regain control somehow, but it was no use. No matter how powerful the thrusters fired, the unknown entity never let go of the ship.
As the position of the ship continued to change on the radar, the ship suddenly stopped. And the altitude began to drop rapidly.
"uh? Uh huh? for a moment?!"
Even if he was wearing a high-performance reinforced suit, a fall from this height would result in at least serious injury.
But there's nothing he can do now. I just hope to survive and not die.
"Aaaah!"
The moment he was hit by a shock that even the reinforced suit couldn't handle, he lost consciousness.
And then how much time passed?
A sound woke Ventress from her faint.
"We had a hard time blocking the communication network. "It would have been quite difficult if it weren't for you." 'Shepard?'
It was the voice of a female subordinate who had gone to the research complex. A ringing sound, like a conversation in a cave, rang in his ears.
'Where?'
When I opened my eyes, the whole place was dark. I tried to operate the terminal to adjust my field of vision, but my body did not move. No matter how much strength I put on my arms and legs, I couldn't move.
When I lowered my head, I saw a strange object covering my torso. It seemed like this object was pinning him to the wall.
"You also want to look at the pirate ship's data?"
I hear a voice again. As I watched it get bigger, it seemed like it was walking this way.
Just as I was about to ask her for help, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
At first, I wasn't sure about the voice because it rang out, but when I listened to it again, there was something strange about it.
Currently, he is hanging on the wall. It is natural for sounds to come from the front or bottom. However, the voice of the approaching subordinate was heard far above him.
"No. I'd better check that."
And now, that voice came from above my head.
His head slowly turned upward.
"Anyway, there are people here who can help."
There was 'it' laughing, imitating a woman's voice.
-x-X-x-
The loot obtained from the port command post was quite good.
The material part was as unremarkable as expected, but I did get some interesting information instead.
When my clone attacked the pirates, they used confinement bombs.
This weapon made by Star Union is effective when dealing with medium to large creatures. In fact, it can be said to have an excellent blocking effect as it is capable of holding my alter ego at least for a moment. Therefore, it is a weapon often used by players who enjoy hunting.
'But it's a bit tricky to find.'
According to the setting, the restraint bomb is a classified weapon created by Star Union for use against Hulk mutants, so its distribution is restricted. The official setting is that players from other factions can purchase and use it only with approval from the Machinery Committee.
And manufacturing it requires expensive shape memory particle manufacturing plants and advanced nanotechnology. It is not easy to make unless you are a cyborg player who has reached a certain level.
A pirate uses such high-end consumer goods? It's close to impossible. Unless you receive support from a ranker.
'The amount I brought was considerable.'
Because I brought as many as 5 containers. Even in games, it is rare to see this many bullets being used.
A war between players, or…
'When capturing the upper Apex.'
Apex creatures are difficult to catch simply by pouring out high firepower. It has strong combat power and has many special abilities, so various preparations are required. There is nothing more to say if it is someone like Vortex One, who is at the top of Apex.
And a large amount of binding ammo is a very basic preparation for hunting high-level Apex or raid bosses.
'But there are no Apex creatures here.'
The same goes for other planets in Jer-11. Even if there were stronger creatures living there than I knew, they probably don't exist now. Because they would have been completely wiped out of Megacorp during the terraforming process.
'Except just one.'
A noble being that does not settle on any planet or star system, but constantly wanders.
One of the top Apex creatures, Arcane Orca.
'PS-111 did that. It is highly likely that this area will be included in Arcane Orca's activity area.'
This place has no precious resources, nor is it home to rare creatures. From a pirate's perspective, there is no particular reason to come here.
However, if you have Arcane Orca, the story is different.
'They came for the same purpose as me.'
There were a total of two candidate sites selected by PS-111 and Mother of Heaven. PS-111 and I came to Jer-11, and Heavenly Mother went to investigate another star system.
As was the case in the game, it takes a considerable amount of time to find Arcane Orca. Honestly, I thought AG-01 was most likely a dud. But I never thought I would find traces left by a space wanderer so quickly.
'Of course, there are still problems.'
I looked down at Ventress hanging on the wall. He was consumed by parasites and was staring into space with empty eyes.
'The key is exactly when Arcane Orca gets here.'
Even Shinoni's vice-major knew nothing about that. The only orders he received were to stabilize AG-01 until the other pirates arrived.
'Your colleagues said they would be back in about two weeks, right?'
It is said that the Shinoni leader who gave orders to Ventress is currently carrying out a mission elsewhere. Once that's done, they'll come to AG-01 with cartels that share the name 'Sino'.
That means it will be at least two weeks before Arcane Orca comes here.
Although the exact date is unknown, it is certain that the pirates will arrive earlier than Arcane Orca. You will have to come in advance and prepare for hunting.
And as long as their goal is the same as mine, conflict is inevitable.
'If you are a ranker aiming for the top Apex, this is not an easy opponent.'
Looking at the Sino Group cartels that we have encountered so far, it is assumed that the identity of the leader is Ranker. Whether it's a plasma rifle or a binding bullet, it's not easy to get one unless you're a ranker.
'I don't know which faction it is.'
Anyway, both the ruling faction and the returning faction are hostile to me. It doesn't matter where he belongs.
What is more important than that is the power it possesses. A person trying to hunt a creature as powerful as Vortex One cannot be weak. He might be at the same level as me, or even stronger than me.
Of course, I have no intention of giving up. Because here, the characteristics and Aadhai's life are at stake.
'He doesn't have much time left.'
Even at this moment, Aadhai is trapped inside the red crystal and is rapidly consuming energy. If you don't get Arcane Orca's body quickly, your life is in danger.
To get what I want, I have to kill my rival.
'They don't know I'm here yet.'
If I use Vicemaster Ventress well, I can keep my presence hidden. In addition, it would be possible to induce specific actions by providing incorrect information to the enemy.
So, while they don't know anything and focus on Arcane Orca, we can create a game that is advantageous to our side. No matter how strong you are, you will be shaken if you receive an unexpected attack.
'Then I'll have to get ready right away.'
I contacted PS-111 and told them what Ventress had said and my thoughts.
｢AG-01 is the activity area of the dangerous organism 'Arcane Orca', and is estimated to be observable after at least two weeks. Shino, a pirate association tracking the creature, is also scheduled to visit in two weeks. "Is that right?" "Yes."
PS-111, who heard my story, summarized the situation briefly.
"So, tell Heavenly Mother to come here too." "All right. Still, we will continue to collate Zer-11's stellar activity data to prepare for emergencies." "Yes. please. Oh, and I probably won't be able to hear from you for a few days starting today." "Why is that so?"
There was something that had to be postponed due to pirates targeting the research complex.
Predation of materials for unique trait synthesis.
Here, I plan to create a unique feature that uses the trash feature as a material.
"Are you preparing for physical growth?" "That's right. So, if anything happens, consult with Heavenly Mother. "She would know what to do." "Has confirmed. "I hope you complete your growth safely."
After completing communication with PS-111, I activated the holographic device using the hiveformer. A list of genetic samples previously brought by MPS-03 floated in the air.
There are a total of 4 characteristics that I need to acquire from numerous samples. It is overlooked because its performance is not very good, but it is not particularly difficult to obtain it.
Except for one thing.
'Let's get the reclusiveness first.'
This trait can only be obtained from three types of creatures. One of these is an Apex creature, so it won't be here. Instead, I'll have to check to see if there are samples of the other two creatures.
'How many scrap metal crabs and mushroom snails are there?'
The Hiveformer operated the device and searched for the names of creatures with characteristics. After a while, detailed information about the sample appeared as a hologram.
'Let me see.'
I first checked the genetic sample of the scrap crab.
'You can often see scrap metal crabs at Megacorp, so there will be quite a few samples.'
Scrap crabs are large crustacean creatures measuring about 2 meters in length. It looks like a mix between a hermit crab and a palm claw, but its habits are close to those of a hermit crab.
Instead of conch shells, they make buildings or spacecraft alloy materials their home. When moving to a new house, you spend the rest of your time inside the house except when eating. However, if there is no food nearby, they will chew up their own home, so they move frequently.
'Because of this habit, they are often raised to dispose of metal waste.'
According to the setting, the Cult Empire and Megacorp operate a garbage disposal site using the habits of scrap metal crabs. This was possible because it did not attack humans thanks to its gentle nature. It was popular among players as an ornamental along with the bubble amoeba.
'what? The number of samples currently in storage is 4, and all the rest will be discarded?'
However, there were fewer scrap crab genetic samples left than expected. It seems that the managers of the research complex secretly sold it.
'If there are this many scrap metal crabs, there may be no mushroom snails at all.'
Mushroom snails are harder to see than scrap crabs due to their unique habitat and habits.
'Because they mainly live in putrid swamps.'
Mushroom snails' main food is rotten bones trapped in contaminated soil and meat containing a lot of bacteria. That's why they like environments like swamps infested with all kinds of germs or tombs full of rotting corpses.
It goes without saying, but these places are not easy to access. Entry is only possible if you are fully equipped with anti-gas equipment, so it is difficult to encounter living things inside.
In addition, mushroom snails are difficult to find once they enter the ground. The bumps on its back look like mushrooms, so if you don't know it, it just looks like a colony of poisonous mushrooms. To catch it, you have to dig through the contaminated soil one by one.
And the number of samples of mushroom snails was only one.
'If you add them all together, you can challenge a total of 5 times.'
Even if you don't have many opportunities, it's worth a try.
'good. Next…'
'Dwarfism', 'sensory deterioration', and 'slow life' are present in many types of living things. It is not as difficult to obtain as the hermit orientation.
In no time, I had checked all the samples I needed. I ordered the hiveformers in the complex to bring genetic samples.
The total number of samples collected in this way was 32. After transforming into a 'hunting symbol', I started by pouring samples of scrap crab and mushroom snail into my mouth.
A sample smaller than my fingernail passed straight down my throat. The purified essence was digested in an instant, and three text boxes appeared in succession.
'Three?'
Perhaps because the samples were stored poorly, predation was successful only three times out of five.
Fortunately, the last of the three was hermit-oriented.
'it's okay.'
If a sample is successfully predated in the hunting representation state, it acquires the incomplete characteristic. In this state, no characteristic effects can be obtained, and it can only be used as a unique characteristic material.
Anyway, I have overcome a big hurdle. I ate all the rest too.
A feast of text boxes announcing successful predation followed. There were some pretty interesting ones among them, but that's not what we're going to worry about now.
｢'Transcendence' Ingredients List: Dwarfism, Hunger, Sensory Degeneration, Slow Life, Hermit Orientation｣ ｢Do you want to use the Transcendence System?｣
The important thing is that you have obtained all the desired characteristics.
'What will be the new unique characteristics?'
And what vision will you see inside the cocoon this time?
'You'll find out soon enough.'
With that curiosity in mind, I accepted the text box's request.
-x-X-x-
An underground cavity filled with toxic pollutants.
There is a huge cocoon that is easily over 100 meters long. As the pitch-black egg-shaped cocoon slowly pulsated, a tar-like liquid flowed continuously.
A small being reminiscent of a spider approached the living black hill. It was MPS-03, a fusion of machine and organism.
"Chachi. "Chaechi."
The Mini Screamer held a glass tube in its mouth and repeatedly uttered the word 'collection' as it tapped the liquid produced in the cocoon with its metal leg. The drop of liquid on the leg was placed in a glass tube and the same action was repeated several times.
After some time, when the glass tube was full, MSP-03 swallowed it and stored it in the back of its throat.
"We have the samples."
PS-111, who was piloting the Mini Screamer a long way away from the underground cavity, muttered softly.
"We need to upgrade our capabilities to protect our controllers."
During a recent battle, PS-111 felt helpless. Up until now, he had never neglected to improve his body, but his enemies were far ahead of him.
If this continues, one day it may be defeated by the enemy and its functions may stop. In that case, it becomes impossible to protect multiple controllers.
Moreover, it is difficult for her younger brother to survive without PS-111. Because she is the only one who can control the body of her 'little brother'.
It must become more useful to prevent unexpected dangers.
"If we imitate 'Aimorph's' ability to evolve, we can improve our function."
In PS-111's view, Amorph was a singularity of genetic engineering itself. It is no exaggeration to say that it is several centuries ahead of the Mutant Screamer, which is an integration of cutting-edge technology.
Even if we analyze the samples collected now, we may not be able to fully understand the mechanism, but that is okay. Even if we succeed in analyzing even just a part of it, it will be of great help in strengthening the function.
"Now that we have completed the sample collection, we will carry out our original mission."
Anyway, the important work is finished.
PS-111 used a communications satellite to send out signals. This is to call 'Middle Baby' who went to another star system to search for the dangerous creature 'Arcane Orca'.
They took MPS-05, which specializes in communications and hacking. As long as you send a signal from here, it will respond immediately.
As expected, MPS-05 responded quickly. However, the content of the reply was something she did not expect.
"Already on the move?"
'Middle Baby', who went to meet the Wolf natives in U-08, had already left the planet a few days ago.
"Securing important clues. Did you say you needed support?"
After thinking for a moment, PS-111 sent a communication to Mini Screamer, which was coming to Zer-11.
Please tell me what you need.
–
"Why are you doing this?"
A captivating voice caresses my ears. I opened my eyes involuntarily.
A woman with black hair is standing in front of me. Although I couldn't see her face, I felt that she was somehow beautiful. It also felt familiar, as if I had encountered it before.
A strangely attractive woman reached out and gently stroked my cheek.
"Are you still half asleep? "You look tired."
It's a strange thing.
Even though I was being touched by a faceless person, I didn't feel any awkwardness at all.
"I'm tired. "I was thinking about it for a moment."
A familiar yet unfamiliar voice came out of my mouth.
"What were you thinking that made you stay blank even when I called you?" "I was thinking about the breakfast menu." "oh? really?" "I thought I would show off my skills after a long time."
My body continued to move while having a natural conversation with an unknown person. Now I'm cooking something.
The arm holding the lightly oiled frying pan shows signs of familiarity. The red, wrinkled burn scar was the same as in my memory.
But this arm itself was very different from what I remembered. My body, which was immersed in virtual reality games, was in a state where it was difficult to say that it was good, even with empty words. I can't even imagine my forearms being as muscled as they are now.
"I like the food my brother cooks the best." "okay?" "Well, that's not the only good thing."
She comes over and gently wraps her arms around my waist. With that, the woman's invisible face gets closer to me. 'I' responded to him without any hesitation.
A voice that seems familiar yet subtly mature, burn marks identical to memories, and an unfamiliar body. And a kiss with a woman who gives me a beautiful feeling.
A thought suddenly occurred to me. This is 'me' but it is not me.
Maybe what I hoped and dreamed of….
'Ideal future.'
The moment I thought that, I woke up.
The warmth I felt from my lips and the cozy atmosphere in the kitchen disappeared in an instant. Instead, I was greeted by a glass tube filled with green liquid and a strong chemical smell that paralyzed my sensing organs.
This space is a place I know. I've been here once before when I entered Kochi.
But this is the first time I have seen a vision like the one just before.
'It wasn't the reality I knew.'
All the visions I have seen so far have been related to my memories. Things that happened in childhood, memories just before moving into the world of space survival, etc. I have never seen anything as unrelated to my reality as I do now.
'To be exact, it's close to the future I wanted, but…'
Whether in a game or in real life, I rarely had a proper conversation with another person. Of course, I don't even remember kissing someone of the opposite sex.
Moreover, my appearance in real life was not good to look at. Because there is no human being who would like the burn scars left all over the body and the miserable, sickly body. Honestly, I think Amov's body looks even better.
'Come to think of it, Alshas was like that before.'
As you get closer to the ending, you see a fantasy that embodies your future in reality. The 4th and 7th ranked returners said they had seen this vision.
On the contrary, Jason, a ranking member of the ruling faction, directly killed his 'real self' in his fantasy. Perhaps because he gave up on reaching the ending, he hasn't had any other illusions since.
I also went through a similar situation. When I entered the cocoon to grow into an adult, I had a vision of the 'real me' trying to kill me.
Then I made a different choice. 'The real me' was not killed, nor was 'the Amorph me' killed.
Looking at the cases so far, it seems that the fantasy you see varies depending on the faction, that is, which world you are closer to.
So which side do I belong to? Is what I just saw related to my choice?
'The fantasy is not over yet.'
If you raise your head and look around, you will see countless green coffins. From some point on, every time I entered the cocoon, I ended up in this huge space.
This is a place I can never remember coming to, either in reality or in this world. Still, if you keep coming here, it must mean something.
'Let's check.'
I stood up by strengthening my legs.
As I became an adult, my body grew very large, but now my size was comparable to the test tubes scattered everywhere. I remember it was about this size even when it was a sub-adult. It seems that the size is adjusted to fit the fantasy.
'huh?'
However, the only difference from before was the heads on both sides.
After becoming an adult, my head grew to three. The two heads, which are normally under my control, can move on their own when necessary.
And now both heads were pointing their snout tips upward.
'ceiling?'
This space is so large that it is difficult to estimate its size. The same goes for height. Even when I looked up, all I could see was darkness, not the ceiling.
'It's above.'
Now that I think about it, I've always been crawling on the floor, and I've never looked up above.
'Let me check.'
As I was about to walk towards the wall to climb up, a long, outstretched arm caught my eye. It is a wing arm with the membrane folded.
'Do you think you can fly?'
The folded film was spread wide open and shaken once. My body rose slightly with the pressure of the wind. Although it had shrunk in size, it didn't seem to have any problems with flying.
I lifted myself up using my wings and flew in the direction the heads pointed.
The smell of harsh chemicals and unpleasant moisture became lighter as we went higher. At the same time, a change occurred in the upper landscape, which was filled with thick darkness.
A lot of green grains are visible on the darkness that looks like black paper. Just like on the ground, there were a lot of green test tubes on top.
And beneath it, floating in the air, was a black sphere-shaped structure.
'What about that?'
It is a unique structure that has never been seen before. I walked around and looked at the sphere.
At that time, the heads on the left and right stretched their necks straight toward the sphere.
'huh? 'Go closer?'
The heads bobbed their snouts up and down.
When I got closer, I saw that it was quite large. At first glance, it looked like it could easily be just a few hundred meters in diameter. The surface was smooth and flawless, as if it were carved from obsidian.
It flapped its wings and stretched out its fighting arms to touch the surface. The surface shimmered like a pebble dropped into the water, and the tip of my finger went inside without any resistance.
'I guess I can go in.'
There must be a reason why Aimov's heads led us here. I jumped into the sphere.
The moment my body passed through the surface membrane, the surrounding scenery changed in an instant. I, who had been flying until just now, was now standing in a black space without any light.
'Where?'
Every time you move your body, concentric circles of waves are created on the floor. I remember seeing that.
'…This is the place I went to when I was growing up as a sub-adult.'
The first time I had a vision was when I entered the cocoon to become a subadult. At that time, unlike now, I came with a human body. At that time, I woke up after walking through space for a while and encountering a fluid-level Amorph.
Maybe I should meet someone again this time.
'Let's walk first.'
Just like I did when I first came, I walked on a barren space with nothing in it.
How long did it take to walk like that? As I continued following the swaying waves, something caught my eye.
It was a person. A man with large burn marks on his face.
I was wary of having to fight with 'the real me' again, but 'me' opened her mouth.
"no. "I don't fight." 'what?' "I'm not cheating."
The 'real me' who raises both arms as if there is no hostility. Even though I didn't ask, it seemed like he could read my mind as he spoke so fluently.
"you're right."
'I' nod my head in the affirmative to my question.
"I intervened to rewire your brain, so I can read your thoughts. That is why I took on this form." 'Who are you?' "I am an information functionary in charge of selecting recipients and coordinating thought systems among the projection systems. "I have stepped in to relay important information to you." 'Projection system? Wait…no way?'
System, audience, selection.
When I heard those three words, something suddenly came to mind.
"We cannot answer this question in detail due to security reasons."
I said I couldn't answer, but that was answer enough.
That being who introduced himself as an information entity.
He seems to be the one who brought the rankers to this world.