Asuka 44, a planet full of fire and magma.
Not long ago, this was where the secret villa of the cult empire was located, but now there was no trace of it at all.
This is because of mysterious monsters that suddenly appeared one day.
The villa was completely destroyed by monsters that flew from space. The troops guarding it were all destroyed. Only the crashed spaceship and its wreckage proved that Asuka 44 was once a place touched by civilization.
Then, where are the beings who destroyed the planetary intelligences and what are they doing?
Some of them went out to hunt. Some beings are caring for their new comrades below the ground.
And some of them were into high-level activities.
A ship that made an emergency landing on the black earth. In the silence of the ship, only the dining car was noisy.
Under the flickering light of the electric lights, skinned animal corpses and various items are strewn about. A space that would be more appropriate to call a slaughterhouse rather than a kitchen. Inside, there were people who had made a mess of the restaurant car.
"People sprinkle something called 'seasoning' on their food and eat it!" "Seasoning?" "Food" "It's the same" "No. "The seasoning is different because it is softer and stickier than the food."
The pink Seed Demon, number 26, plunged its tentacle into the metal pot in front of him. When I stirred the inside of the pot once and took it out, a liquid with a pungent smell appeared on the outside.
"look."
Aadhai, who was lounging around on the metal floor, took a peek at the liquid with his paw. Finally, little Gallagon nodded his head.
｢Young kin｣｢Prey｣｢Similar｣｢Sticky｣｢Soft｣ ｢Right?｣
Even while confirming the 'little baby', the other tentacles of No. 26 moved without stopping. Once one smashed the Lavalaptor's carcass, another tentacle scooped up the meat and threw it into the pot.
Adhai, who was examining the liquid on his toenails, soon seemed to have lost interest and shook his foot to shake it off.
"But" "Food" "Seasoning" "Meal" "It's the same" "If you eat it" "The end" "Wrong! It's much more delicious if you 'cook' it by mixing it with food and seasoning!" "Cooking?"
PS-111, who had been observing the two from earlier, joined the conversation.
"Higher intelligences have a habit of processing organic matter to safely and effectively consume nutrients. The actions of the main controller can also be referred to as cooking." "huh. It's cooking!" ｢Cooking｣｢It's a hassle.｣
After PS-111's explanation was finished, number 26 brightened up and expressed satisfaction. On the other hand, Aadhai tapped the floor with his back foot as if he was not interested.
The red camera lens of the screamer that saw this blinked and recorded the situation.
'Registration of records. The main controller's response was positive. This appears to be due to their high academic zeal. Code name Little Baby, negative. I understand the explanation but am not interested. It's an interesting difference.'
Little information is known about the Sea Demon and Gallagon. The same holds true when looking through the data left behind by Mechanical Committee member Pyrrha Eleven. So PS-111 has consistently recorded whenever the two controllers show unusual behavior.
Of course, it is not for reporting to anyone in particular. It's just that I want to know the ecology of those strong creatures. According to human expression, it would be safe to say that it is a kind of hobby.
'Plus, it's interesting because it has a different aspect from the information I know.'
Although it is difficult to generalize due to lack of information, Sea Demons are known to be much more dangerous and violent than Gallagons.
Among primitive civilizations on ocean-type planets, cases of worshiping the Sea Demon as a god are often found. If you look at the records, they are all described as ruthless and terrifying beings. Even the tribes that serve the Sea Demon call the pink monster by nicknames such as 'Sea Shadow' or 'Demon of the Deep'.
Such a vicious being cooks like this? This cannot happen.
｢Because older babies like delicious food, they will also like cooking.｣ ｢For sure｣｢That is｣｢True｣
Adhai, who was watching No. 26 with a disinterested attitude, nodded his head in agreement.
"Big adult" "Food" "Taste" "A lot" "I know" "Often" "Pay attention" "That's right. "I like delicious food more than tasteless food."
Hearing those words, Little Gallagon stood up. Then he went into the freezer inside the restaurant and took out something.
"Then" "Put this" "Put it in" "What is that?"
What Adhai brought was a bottle of high-quality wine that the ship's owners used to drink.
｢Red Star｣｢When I went｣｢What I ate｣｢Similar｣ ｢Me! I know! That's called alcohol!" "It was confirmed to be wine made from cactus from Berzan 02. "It is confirmed to be the same brand as the wine drunk at Slave Lovetz's mansion in the Water Fortress." ｢Alcohol?｣｢Wine?｣ "When I drink alcohol, I feel full and feel better!" "The ingredients contained in the wine act on the brain and are effective in relieving stress. "Sapient beings drink primarily to satisfy their reproductive needs rather than their appetite." "Desire to reproduce?" "Really?" "Yes. According to a comprehensive analysis of various data…."
PS-111 explained all the knowledge related to alcohol, but 'Little Baby' was not there. The two amethyst-like eyes were fixed exactly on the wine bottle.
｢This｣｢If there is a lot of it｣｢Big Adult｣｢Will it work?｣ "At Megacorp, you can mix and drink various alcohol… Yes?" "Big adult" "Adult" "Me" "Adult" "Mating" "Possible"
PS-111 stopped talking at the unexpected remark.
｢Ham Ort｣｢I said｣｢Chief｣｢Quickly｣｢Al｣｢Necessary｣ "Is this to prevent problems from occurring in the group?" ｢Yes｣｢That'｣｢Head｣｢Responsibility｣
It wasn't wrong.
Gallagons have a habit of serving the most outstanding member of the group as their leader. However, the group of Adhaj is ruled by Ham Oort, the second strongest. He acts as a leader on behalf of his daughter, who is active outside.
The reason this is possible is because Aadhai is a female gallagon.
There is no individual in the group strong enough to become the queen's companion. So, I will go out and get the eggs of the superior male. This was Aadhai's cause.
There was no Gallagon who did not know who that 'superior male' was referring to. How strong is the being courted by the queen? So Gallagon was also able to understand.
However, it was not good to keep taking time. This is because young individuals that have just hatched from eggs will be confused as to who their leader is.
"So" "I need to know"
At that time, a short, loud burst echoed in the restaurant car. It was the sound made when No. 26 crushed a metal chair with its tentacles.
｢No!｣ ｢Why?｣｢Me｣｢Enough｣｢Growth｣｢Eggs｣｢Giving｣｢Possible｣ ｢I told you not to talk about eggs! Why do you break your promise?｣ ｢Flock｣｢Know｣｢Need｣｢Chief｣｢Duty｣｢Compatriots｣｢Expecting｣ ｢You promised me first, so you have to keep your promise!｣ ｢Then｣｣｢Compatriot｣｢Not good｣｢ "I" "big adult" "little adult" "I learned" "the group" "protection" "it comes first"
Aadhai expresses himself more logically than before.
Number 26 was very annoyed, but he couldn't get angry. Because the little baby's claim was not wrong.
But apart from that, it wasn't that there was nothing to say.
Number 26 was the one who spent the longest time with the older group. In that case, wouldn't it be better to at least make a big baby first rather than a small baby? I don't know anything else, but I could never compromise on this.
"I'm the first one to make a baby with my eldest baby!" I'm closest to the older one!" "Negative" "Me" "Big adult" "Friendly" "Little adult" "Same" "No! The older one likes me the most!" "Negative!"
The air in the restaurant car quickly froze because of the two angry dangerous creatures.
Numerous eyeballs appeared on No. 26's body and tentacles. On the other side, Aadhai's scales turned red like a burning flame.
It was truly an imminent situation. Just before the two clashed, PS-111 intervened.
"Please calm down. "Fighting here is meaningless." "Don't stop me. "Friend." "Sick Child" "Perhaps" "Old Adult" "Al" "What do you want?" "Aimov's descendants are an interesting research topic, but there is a problem before that." ｢Problem?｣ ｢Explanation｣｢Need｣ "The existence and method of Amorph's reproductive ability has not been confirmed. Until we confirm this, it is impossible to create offspring."
Upon hearing that mating was currently impossible, the two relaxed their fighting stance.
｢I don't understand｣｢I don't｣｢Big adult｣｢Female｣｢Interest｣｢A lot｣｢Tail｣｢Sometimes｣｢Look｣
Aadhai waggled his tail.
'Viewing old records. The shape and size of the horns for male gallagons and the tail for females are important. The little baby's tail is effective in attracting the sexual favor of gallagons.'
Despite the handicap of being small, Aadhai's tail was famous even among the Gallagons. The males were fascinated by its fascinating shape and movement, and the females were also impressed by the smoothly trimmed tail scales. So much so that even PS-111 knows about it.
But soon the enchanting queen's wings drooped.
｢But｣｢That far｣｢Pretty｣｢Just words｣ ｢Could it be that the older one can't have a baby?｣
No. 26 carefully spread the wave. As if reflecting the owner's mood, its pink body shrunk like a deflated balloon.
"Of course not. From my observation, it is impossible to artificially remove the reproductive capacity of an Aimorph. 'Middle Baby' also stated that Amorph's reproductive ability exists." "Then why isn't your eldest child interested in us?"
PS-111 has analyzed data from various organisms. By comparing and observing this with Aimov's body, the following conclusions can be drawn.
"It is assumed that the reproductive activity of Aimorphs is influenced by specific conditions and specific environments."
Among organisms that live in harsh environments, such as extreme cold regions, there are species that normally keep their reproductive organs inside their bodies. This is to prevent damage to delicate parts. And these types of organisms reproduce only when conditions such as appropriate temperature and safe environment are met.
It is highly likely that Aimorph similarly had a structure to protect the genitals.
'It can change its body shape depending on the enemy it is hunting, so this should be quite possible.'
However, because of their ability to adapt quickly to any environment, it has become difficult to create situations in which their desire for reproduction can be expressed. I've been observing Aimorphs for a long time, but I've never seen any genitalia.
｢I don't know what that means.｣ ｢Explanation｣｢Easy｣ "The probability of Amorph feeling sexual intimacy with the two is calculated to be 87%. However, in order to lead to direct reproductive activities, various factors such as surrounding environment, temperature, and time must be taken into consideration." ｢Time?｣｢Temperature?｣ ｢Me! I know! 'Atmosphere' is important!"
Suddenly, No. 26's body lit up like a light bulb.
｢Atmosphere?｣｢What does it mean?｣ ｢They say atmosphere is when people eat delicious food and build a pretty nest! It was said in the movie that you need to be in a good mood to make a baby!" "For sure" "Nel Germa" "Mate" "Before" "Good food" "A lot" "A lot" "I ate" "Then give the older baby a lot of delicious food, If you make the nest pretty, will they make babies?" "One" "Question" "Big adult" "Food" "Very" "A lot" "Eat" "But" "Mating" "Interested" "Nothing" "Aimorph is a human. Therefore, the conditions that can promote reproductive activity are also different. "You need to know the terms."
To PS-111, who has the ability to manipulate genes, Amorph is literally like a treasure chest containing God's mysteries. I was very curious about whether I would be able to leave descendants and how the genes would be combined to create those descendants.
'Actually, I wish I could try it myself.'
According to the simulation, the probability that subcontroller 1 would respond to the proposal was 21%. Although it was a possibility worth trying, the risk of failure was too great. And the main controller won't like this either.
｢Alcohol｣｢Mating｣｢Induction｣｢Conditions｣｢Included｣ ｢But the big baby is the same even if he drinks. It is different from people.｣ ｢More｣｢More｣｢More｣｢Quickly｣｢Feed｣ ｢Will it make a difference if I eat a lot at once?｣ ｢Maybe.｣
After being lost in thought for a moment, PS-111 woke up and was able to see No. 26 coming out of the storage room. Dozens of tentacles were each holding many different liquor bottles and metal cans.
"Why did you bring that up?" "I'm going to put all of this in." "Yes?"
Number 26 poured all the liquid from the bottle and can into the pot.
"Even older children will like this. Right?" 'Megacorp synthetic alcohol, Lavalaptor flesh, stones, psychotropic drugs, Mars-made mega soda, rats, energy bars, defecation inducers, cyborg oil, human toes and eyes, cult-style sand chocolate…..'
It's too late to stop now. Just a moment ago, it was barely enough to eat, but now it has gone far beyond that limit. This is because it has become industrial waste that can only be found at Star Union's factories.
"It's done!"
Number 26 lifted the pot. It was filled with bright purple liquid. Every time the pot was shaken, green lumps floated to the surface.
｢If you eat this, your older child will feel better too!｣ ｢Adult｣｢Reaction｣｢I'm curious｣
Even though PS-111's body was mostly mechanical, he was sure that there was no way that 'mixture' would have a positive taste. If a naked human or cultist were to come into contact with the chemical gases coming from that pot, they would most likely die on the spot.
However, I couldn't bear to say no to the happy appearance of the main controller.
｢Friend, when will the big one come?｣ "He should be returning from hunting by now." "Great!"
Anyway, an Amorph, a living fighting machine, can digest at least that mixture. It is his choice whether to eat or not. There is no need to stop PS-111.
With that, the conversation between the two monsters and the fusion of machine and creature on the crashed spaceship came to an end.
Unfortunately, the love dish prepared by No. 26 and Adhai was not delivered to the lovers. This is because the 'middle baby' who was taking care of the giant mountain crawler came into the ship and saw the 'mixture'.
"Oh, there weren't that many fresh ingredients left, so what is this!"
The Heavenly Mother was extremely angry and as soon as she saw the pot containing the food, she pierced it with a spear.
｢We worked hard to make it!｣ ｢Ugly friend｣｢Shape｣｢Personality｣｢Everything｣｢Bad!｣ ｢…You guys haven't tried this, right? "Try it yourself and then decide."
The two, who tasted it for themselves as Heavenly Mother said, had no choice but to agree with her actions.
"It tastes strange. I put something delicious in it, but why is this happening?" ｢Guweeeek｣
Number 26 expressed doubt by changing the color of his body, and Aadhai just vomited up.
"Starting from today, cooking is prohibited when it's just the two of us. Got it?」 「Yes.」 「Geueuehek」
The Mother of Heaven made a firm threat and went back down to the basement where the Mountain Crawler was.
Adhai, who had been showing off his food for a while by throwing up a bundle of tentacles, also left the ship at a tired pace. Only No. 26 and PS-111 remained in the dilapidated dining car.
"I followed what people did, but why did it taste weird? Do people like this?" "I suspect there is a problem with the combination." ｢Combination?｣ "When food is mixed together, it has a special effect. "Not only does it taste better, it also creates new effects." "really? "I need to study cooking hard too!"
Number 26, who was worried about the failed results, soon regained his energy. PS-111, watching this, thought.
'Registration of records. Some modifications to the main controller's characteristics. 'I never give up on anything related to my eldest child.' "I will help you study." ｢Yes! Friend!｣
And so another line was added to the report inside the Mutant Screamer's head.
-x-X-x-
After evolving into a fluid, I set one goal.
Entering the final stage and ending of Aimorph, Ascension.
When you reach Ascension, you will know why you came to this cruel dystopian world and how to get out.
My goals have changed several times during my survival, but this goal has never changed.
But now, a being who knew the secrets of this world appeared in front of me.
But what I felt was questionable.
'Why did you show yourself now?'
This is not the first time I have been in a cocoon. The fact that it has now appeared clearly means that there is intention. And I don't know yet whether that intention will help me or harm me.
'Is it because of the illusion I saw last time?'
Rankers who fell into this world see powerful hallucinations every time they get one step closer to the ending. This is also related to the division into the ruling faction and the returning faction. Fantasy limits thinking and induces certain actions.
But there I chose the third option rather than either one. As far as I know, no other player has made the same choice as me. Only I have escaped the intention of beings who show illusions.
And that being introduced itself as a being that adjusts the recipient's thought system. There is no way they would be happy with me for making an unusual choice.
'Did you come directly to brainwash me again?' "no." 'No?' "I have currently lost the authority to control the inmate's thought system. Therefore, we can only intervene in limited situations and times, such as now."
Simply put, it means that brainwashing cannot be done right now.
It is an entity that tried to turn players who enjoyed the game into puppets. If I want to escape from control, all I have to do is show the illusion of that intention. There is no need to act like you do now.
'Then why did you come to see me?' "As I said, I'm here to give you the information you need." 'What information do I need?' "yes. "This is information about the changed ending mission."
When I heard that, I remembered a story I heard from Heavenly Mother before. This is the story of rankers who challenged the ending a long time ago.
'But I failed.'
I don't know exactly what process went through to make that happen. I just assumed that it happened because a problem arose while trying to reach the ending. If the ending mission was changed to be much more difficult than the game, it would not be unreasonable for rankers to fail.
Also, from my perspective, who is aiming for ascension, that is not good news.
'The question is, is it okay to believe that?'
The information functional body is a being well-versed in human memory and thinking. Even if he lost the authority to brainwash, his experience and knowledge would not have disappeared. We cannot rule out the possibility of him manipulating me by deceiving me with his words.
"Your doubts are reasonable. However, I am not authorized to transmit unauthorized information. Therefore, it is impossible to convince you." 'And yet you want me to believe you?' "You always thought and judged for yourself whenever you were exposed to new information. "It's the same this time too."
With those words, the information function quietly waited for my decision.
'…It pays to listen now.'
It is impossible to confirm the intention of the other side. There is no point in continuing to doubt in this state. In that case, it would be better to at least listen to what that being says and then believe it and then judge Malchus.
After thinking for a while, I decided to listen to the information parasite.
'good. 'Tell me what that information is.' "I don't have time, so I'll just show you in person."
When the information function raised its hand up, the space where the two of them were alone began to change.
New things fill the empty space. Large glass pillars rose from the floor, and a curved, grid-patterned ceiling covered the space. The grid pattern on the ceiling contains numerous galaxies, and between the pillars, an endless sea of stars can be seen.
It resembles the Pantheon, an ancient Roman temple, but its scale is incomparably gigantic. This is the ending mission that marks the finale of Space Survival.
A fierce battle was taking place there, under the watchful eyes of the universe.
Above, several ships and humans wearing jetpacks moved around the battlefield at high speed. Below, heavily armed walkers and cultists using psychic powers advanced in line.
Floating in front of them was something that looked like a black molecular model toy, tens of meters in size. The boss that greets those who challenge the ending is 'Observing Shadow'.
Some time had passed since the battle began, and the shadow observed was severely damaged. The guy who resembles a molecular model currently has only a few eyes left.
As its name suggests, its eyes play a very important role. When the eye position changes, the attack method also changes completely. When arranged in a straight line, they form a defensive force field, and when arranged in a diamond, they fire energy cannons.
That's why it's important to destroy the eye quickly, but it's not easy. This is because the eyes multiply automatically. The observed shadow becomes stronger as the number of eyes increases. Because of this, the longer the battle, the more difficult the attack becomes.
An entity that can only be attacked with overwhelming firepower and an understanding of the enemy's attack type. That is the shadow you observe.
However, the ranker alliance here was overwhelming that difficult boss.
A human wearing a jetpack kept enemies in check by frequently switching body parts while flying. The ships used faster-than-light navigation without restrictions and avoided energy heat rays.
On the ground, Walker, whose design I had never seen before, and Wolf, who transformed into a huge monster, ran all over the place and put pressure on the opponent.
This is not simply because they are familiar with the strategy. The ships, equipment, and abilities they use. These are all things that did not exist in the game.
'It's a perk.'
A power that transcends the limits of race and shakes the structure of this world. Even the observing shadow was powerless in front of him.
The battle ended without any major incidents. The cyan beam fired by Walker pierced the enemy's last eye. The rankers cheered as the observing shadow fell onto the square.
After the battle, the ships in flight landed on the square. The pilot also got off the walker that delivered the final blow to the boss.
'1st?'
As soon as I saw his face, I immediately knew who he was. A red-haired cyborg with the same appearance as in the game. The person who stood at the pinnacle of space survival was number one.
The rankers, who were intoxicated with the joy of victory, ran to the first place to shake hands or embrace. Looking at the atmosphere, it seemed like he was leading and directing the ending strategy.
'It seemed like we got along well with each other…huh?'
While I was watching it, I suddenly had a strange feeling.
A cult boy with goat horns standing at the back of the crowd gathered in the square. Even though he was someone I had never seen before, he looked familiar.
No, beyond familiarity, I felt an unknown familiarity. It felt like I was being forced into a sense of familiarity.
"The changed ending mission will begin soon."
As I was about to take a closer look at the Goat Horn Cult, the information function spoke up.
As he spoke, an altar-shaped terminal protruded from the square. The players' eyes were focused on the altar.
I know what that altar is like. When the core of the observed shadow is absorbed into a kind of material conversion device, the appearance and properties of the altar change.
"The final protocol for the previous projection system is as you know. "The final protocol was carried out using that terminal."
In the case of human players, it is a transcendent communication device that mediates the integration of intelligent beings spread across the universe, and if the race that placed the core is an Outspacer, it becomes an absolute weapon that can destroy Vortex One, which has taken control of their hometown.
And when you use the changed tool, you immediately enter the ending of Space Survival.
"But 'they' were not happy about the system being shut down so easily." 'them?' ｢Grrr｣
Suddenly the heads on both sides growled. The left and right heads without eyes pointed the end of their snouts into the air.
There was a dark spot on the extremely high ceiling that had never been seen before. No one noticed the presence of the sunspot because of the altar.
"'They' arbitrarily decided to change the protocol and impose a stronger ordeal."
And something popped out from there.
Something more than twice as large as the observed shadow falls onto the square. Soon, an intense roar and shock wave shook the entire space.
The rankers turned their heads in surprise. At the end of that gaze, there was 'it' slowly standing up, covered in debris. A deep look of confusion appeared on everyone's faces when they saw him.
The moment 'it' roared and rushed at the rankers, the space began to collapse.
"Your body reconstruction is complete. "This is the end of the information transfer." 'Wait a minute!'
As the information body said, I myself, who was in a cocoon, is waking up. But I couldn't afford to worry about that.
It's because of the 'thing' I saw last.
As soon as I encountered it, I instinctively knew what it was.
Although the appearance was very different from what I was used to, it was certain. Because in Space Survival, no one knew more about its existence than me.
'It' was clearly an 'unidentified hostile space creature', Amorph.
'The last boss that came out was definitely Aimorph! Why did Amorph come out of there? And who are they?' "We cannot answer these questions in detail due to security reasons." 'shit!'
The body breaks like a sand castle swept away by the waves. No matter how hard I tried to hold on, it was no use.
"There is someone on Earth who can answer your questions. I hope you meet him." 'earth?' "And this is the last piece of information, or rather, advice."
In the collapsing space, the information body with only the head remaining spoke.
"It is not illusions or memories that define you. Only the choices we make at each moment define our existence. "Don't forget the choices you made."
With those words, the other being that looked like me disappeared. I too was buried in the collapsing black space.
Soon, I feel a different sensation in my body. A warm liquid that surrounds the whole body and a piece of hard shell that can be felt inside. These are the familiar sensations I encounter every time I wake up from my cocoon.
I returned to reality.
-x-X-x-
'….'
My head is complicated. A changed ending mission, Amorph suddenly appearing, and even beings called 'them'. These are all things that cannot be treated lightly.
That guy called the Information Agency didn't provide any explanation that was really necessary for a topic that was chock-full of important information.
The information itself is very small and fragmentary. It was difficult to infer anything based on this.
The only thing I could guarantee for sure was that the boss in charge of the ending trials had turned into a being similar to Amorph.
'I'd like to catch you and ask you…'
To meet him, I have to go into a situation where my body is reorganized, that is, into a cocoon. And the only way to enter the cocoon is to fuse the unique characteristics.
'I can't create unique characteristics right now.'
Currently, the only attribute synthesis formulas I have unlocked are two. One of these requires the characteristics of Arcane Orca, so it cannot be synthesized yet.
The other one has gathered all the ingredients, but among them is 'Harvester's Maw'.
Thanks to the harvester's maw, I was able to enjoy the predation effect just by eating the enemy's head.
One of the reasons I came here is to bring Arcane Orca's body to Adhai. If you hunt Arcane Orca without Harvester's Maw, you must give up one of the two.
Either I don't feast to save Aadhai, or I eat. If you choose the latter, there is a very high possibility that the lives of Aadhai and the Gallagon group will be in danger. Finding a new Arcane Orca will take quite a bit of time.
The ideal scenario would be for the unique characteristic to inherit the effect of the material, but this cannot be expected. Because I have no idea what the result will be.
'The only way left is….'
Going to Earth as the information body said. He said there was a being on Earth who could answer my questions.
'He's probably a ranker who survived the strategy battle.'
There is one being that I can guess at the moment. A human ranker who fought against the former boss, 'Observant Shadow'. He fought his enemies by changing his body at will. Among the rankers I fought, there is one with the same ability.
'Akira Eugene, CEO of Megacorp.'
Although they look completely different, the other person has the ability to transform. The appearance can be changed at any time.
'…Damn, I should have caught it then.'
I felt fortunate to have obtained the Hiveformer, but I was wrong. Even if it was overkill, I should have eaten his real head. If so, it would have been a big help this time.
'Whew.'
I shook my head to shake off my worries. Dried mucus and cocoon shells fell from my head.
It has already passed. There is no point in regretting it now.
'Once this hunt is over, I'll have to get ready to take him out.'
Entering the solar system directly is not a good idea. The solar system, Megacorp's core territory, has a very strong security level. The level of armament is so high that even a single crisis management team member uses plasma weapons and reinforced suits as standard equipment.
Space fortresses are spread throughout the star system, and each fortress has a large fleet deployed.
'If I lead the entire Gallagon group, I may be able to break through…'
Instead, it is clear that Gallagon will also suffer damage close to annihilation.
In that case, it would be better to lure Akira somewhere other than the solar system.
'The problem is how to entice them.'
He was defeated by me several times in the game, and was defeated once in real life. If you try to use a foolish inducement, it will only increase your vigilance.
It would be better to gather information related to Akira and then make a plan to bring it out.
'Come to think of it, Shino Group's ranker might know something.'
Cartels named Sino are supported by the great powers. If you are a ranker who leads a group, there is a high possibility that you are also acquainted with the CEO of Megacorp.
'There are more reasons to eat pirates.'
Their heads became necessary to collect information. Anyway, I decided to think about what I saw in the fantasy and what to do next. Whatever it is, it's something that can be resolved after hunting Arcane Orca.
'How then…'
It is time to check out the newly acquired unique characteristics and changes in the body. I wiped the mucus from around my eyes with my arm and then opened my eyes. As soon as you open your eyes, you see white wing arms instead of a reddish black carapace.
All tentacles created by the hiveformer effect were colored a dull white. The same was true for the carapace inside the tentacles.
'what?'
It's not just the color that has changed. The eye level is much lower than before entering the cocoon.
The overall size of the body has decreased significantly. The length from the tip of the middle head to the tip of the tail decreased to approximately 30 m.
In addition, its two tails and three necks took up a large proportion, so its body length was less than 10 meters.
'This is my first time being this small.'
To take a closer look, I stretched my arms and slightly raised my body. When I stretched out my folded arms, I saw that they were much longer than I expected. It seems like each arm has an additional joint.
Thanks to this, the length of the originally long wing arms exceeded 10 meters.
The part that functioned as a leg before entering the cocoon also changed into the same shape as a fighting arm. In contrast to the thin and long arms, the torso is short and thick.
The back and carapace were abnormally swollen in order to store body organs related to such characteristics as tentacles and limbs.
Longer arms, still long and large neck and tail, and a relatively short and thick body compared to that. It has a body shape similar to that of a snow crab or a tarantula.
'It seems similar to an octopus.'
The sight of tentacles similar to the color of fog fluttering all over the body was reminiscent of marine monsters that appear in horror novels.
｢Grrrr?｣ ｢Grrrrr｣
Belatedly, both heads also woke up.
'what?'
The moment the two heads raised their necks with a low growl, something strange caught my eye. Only the areas submerged in black mucus were stained black.
The tentacles covered in black light continued to shake even if they were not conscious of it. As if trying to imitate the appearance of liquid accumulating in a nest.
'Is this the effect of this trait?'
After a while, the entire body changed to resemble the discolored area. It was such a perfect camouflage that I couldn't recognize it even though it was my own body.
That's not all. I lifted my arm and waved it around. The tentacles delicately swayed in sync with the movement, maintaining camouflage.
'It's not just about hiding.'
There are many types of characteristics that change the color of the body and camouflage it as an object.
However, this is the first time I have seen a case where it is maintained even when moving the body as it is now. The hiding effect was so excellent that it even mimicked the shaking of the water surface.
'It's definitely a unique trait.'
The effect of maintaining camouflage while moving is a pretty good feature. It can be much more useful if combined with an attribute like 'Dark Shroud'.
'but….'
I felt a little disappointed. The unique characteristics created using the transcendence system all showed unprecedented power. This camouflage ability is impressive enough, but compared to the characteristics previously obtained, it is boring.
'There are pros and cons to the reduced size, so I'll skip it. Isn't there anything else besides this?'
I haven't checked the text box yet. I was trying to check if there were any additional effects that I didn't know about, when I suddenly heard the sound of water. MPS-03 is approaching.
"Eventually, he stopped in front of my arm. "cocoon. doesn't exist? doesn't exist?"
Even the mini screamer, which had replaced its eyes with a camera, did not recognize me right in front of it.
"search. necessary."
It looked around for a moment and then started climbing my arm with its metal legs. It seems like they want to go up high and check it out.
'How do I unlock this?'
Like the 'protective color' trait, it is not a trait that can be released by moving. I focused my senses on the moving bundle of tentacles.
Consciousness unfolds in an instant like a net thrown over the surface of the water. The moment the tip of the mentally woven spider web touched the tentacle, it turned white again and my stomach relaxed.
"Aimoff! discovery! discovery!"
MPS-03, which was climbing above me, was startled. I caught the mini screamer that was about to fall and placed it on the nest.
"End of growth? size. Reduced."
"Yes, but I gained new powers instead."
"Camouflage, interesting. The principle is unknown."
It nudged the tentacle with its metal leg. Some of the tentacles reacted, turning chrome and then returning to their original state.
"Are you here to check if the cocoon has awakened?"
"Positive. Middle baby, port. Waiting."
It seems that the Mother of Heaven has already arrived here.
'You came earlier than I thought.'
Before entering the cocoon, I told PS-111 to call Heavenly Mother here. Still, I didn't expect it to come so quickly.
"I need to check something for a moment. I'll be there in a bit."
"check."
I sent him first and checked the text box.
｢Scary Mimic: A wise predator knows how to take advantage of its prey. Gains an always-on camouflage effect. You can use the 'metamorphosis organ' to transform your body by taking advantage of powerful prey.
*'Metamorphosis organ': Create a new part or organ by reanalyzing the marks left behind by powerful prey. Up to two tokens can be targeted. You must wait 30 days to change the applied certificate to another certificate.
*Caution: Once a certificate has been reanalyzed, it cannot be reanalyzed. *PS: Selection and adaptation.｣
"It's another name for evolution."
A text box that instantly caught my attention. After reading what was written there, I could only nod my head.
'…It can't end so boringly.'
The unique characteristics created using the transcendence system always surprised me with their unconventional effects.
This time too, there was no exception.
-x-X-x-
A 'ghastly imitator' created by combining characteristics that only have negative effects.
Looking at the text box, this trait has two main abilities.
One is camouflage ability.
The tentacles that grow throughout the body can change their position, shape, and coloring to mimic the shapes of surrounding objects. The level of camouflage is quite high. Even the Mini Screamer MPS-03 doesn't know I'm in front of it.
'It's also a big advantage that the transformation is maintained when moving.'
It can be useful when surprising an enemy or luring them into a trap. If the same holds true in outer space, it would be possible to disguise yourself as a block of rock or stick to a rock and hit the enemy from behind.
'I'll check this later.'
First of all, the camouflage ability using tentacles is a kind of side effect. Like 'Nightmare Horizon', which provides eroding tentacles that can be used as weapons.
The true power of the eerie imitator lies elsewhere.
It is the 'transformation organ.'
The explanation says that you can create new body parts or organs by taking advantage of powerful prey. In my entire text box, there is only one case where the expression 'mighty prey' is included.
A badge of a powerful enemy created by robbing the player of his perks. The macabre mimicry is related to this.
'How will it be applied?'
Either create an organization that has effects similar to those of a powerful enemy, or create an organization with new abilities. It would be good to do it the former way, but in the latter case, the story is slightly different.
An organization that is more powerful than the privilege may emerge, or conversely, unhelpful results may emerge.
According to the text box, the token characteristics applied to the metamorphosis institution cannot be replaced for 30 days. This means that even if you get useless results, you should use it for at least a month.
'No matter what it is, you'll have to experiment to know for sure.'
Currently, I have a total of 5 strong enemy badge characteristics.
These are 'Plunder's Irregular Polyhedron', 'Color of the Abyss', 'Shape Ruler', 'Starlight Coordinates', and 'Hydra Split'.
'For now, let's try the color of the abyss later.'
Since it is high risk and high return, I don't think it would be appropriate for the first attempt. I looked at the remaining four, excluding the color of the abyss.
'Shall we use the Shape Ruler for experimentation?'
The Shape Master has the effect of reinforcing traits that affect the thinking of sapient races. Since it is a feature that is always applied even if it is not activated separately, its presence is relatively weak.
'Instead, it seems to have fewer side effects, so let's take this.' ｢The 'form ruler' was set as the target of the 'transformation organ'. After completing the reanalysis, we move on to transformation and application."
When I chose the characteristics to apply to the metamorphosis organization, a short message came to mind. Perhaps because it was the reanalysis stage, I did not feel any changes in my body.
But after a while, the center's head felt slightly itchy. Even if I scratched it with a sharp fingernail, the itching did not go away. Transformation by the metamorphosis organ has begun.
'It happens in the head?'
Specifically, itching was felt in the two larger horns on the head. It seemed like something was about to change in the horn.
As expected, the existing horn split and a new horn grew inside.
When I detected it with an auxiliary organ under the chin, the structure was quite unique. It was a structure in which several horns were intertwined in a spiral shape to form a single body.
｢Grrr?｣ ｢Grrr?｣
Subsequently, similar mutations occurred on the left and right sides of the head. The object was the horns that sprouted where the eyes should have been.
When the transformation was completed, a new text box appeared.
｢*Transformed part: Scent of the shape (shape ruler), unspecified｣ 'Scent of the shape?'
There was only the name of the newly born, or rather improved, horn written there, and no other explanation at all.
'Looking at its complex structure, it seems like it has special abilities…'
There may be a reaction if you use a trait that receives the shape master's buff effect. I used a mimicry machine that I usually like to use.
Chemical substances that disturb the senses of sapient beings are released from microscopic holes in the outer shell. When the mimicry organ was activated, the scent of the image also responded immediately.
'hmm?'
The entangled and twisted horns were unraveled and spread upward. The appearance of the multi-branched horns reminded me of the branches of an old tree.
And an invisible chemical substance was secreted from the small holes in the spread horn. It felt like an auxiliary organ, similar to but slightly different from the material made by the mimicry organ.
'Is this a substance that enhances the mimicry effect?'
I myself am not affected by the mimicry system, so I don't know how it applies. I got up and walked over to the pirate I captured before entering the cocoon.
"Get up." "Hee, hee?!"
Ventress, the pirate captain who had been unconscious while being caught in the slime, looked up in surprise. As soon as he saw where I was standing, he started shaking like crazy.
"You guys, what?!" "you?"
I understand that they are scared when they see me, but their expression is a bit strange. I lowered my posture and brought my head closer to him.
"Please help me, I don't want to die, please…" "Quiet." "…." "How old do I look?"
Its eyes move frantically between its three heads.
"Three, it looks like three…" "Three?" "Yes, yes. "My three dead subordinates are moving in the same way."
Regardless of my size or appearance, the camouflage effect of the mimicry organ is limited to only one intelligent body. This is because when the mimicry organ produces chemicals that disrupt the senses, it uses the genetic information of an intelligent body as the material.
It may be possible to replace the genetic information, but it is impossible to imitate all three at the same time.
'But the shape's angle of orientation eliminates that shortcoming.'
The substances secreted by the scent glands of the shape produce the same effect as the mimicry organs. This is probably why Ventress looked at me and said there were three humans.
'It's a mimicry of the majority. Are you okay?'
It is not without weaknesses, but they can be overcome by using other characteristics together.
'The first attempt is a success.'
Up to two token characteristics can be designated as a metamorphosis organ. There is still one more thing left to specify.
'I'll think about the remaining one a little more before deciding.'
Now that I've seen how it's applied, I think I'll have to think more about the rest before deciding. Or, it might be a good idea to leave it behind in case you need it.
After finishing the experiment, I immediately left the nest.
In a city where rain is pouring down, Hiveformers wearing human skin can be seen walking around.
'You said it was a port, right?'
Heavenly Mother, who came earlier than scheduled, is waiting for me at the port.
I stretched out my wing arms. The skin folded inside my arm stretched out stiffly, and my body soared upward in an instant.
Even though the body structure changed, there were no problems with flight. I flapped my big wings and flew towards the harbor.
We arrived at the port in an instant through the rain clouds. I landed on the runway that my clones had destroyed.
'Where do you want to be?'
While walking along Halju-ro, immersed in the sound of rain, I felt the movement of a small object in the distance. It was clearly the Mother of Heaven, as she was quickly approaching this way.
'huh?'
But her reaction was strange. He was wearing 'Obsidian Arms', a reinforced suit exclusively for Wolff, and was holding the priest's golden spear. It was a clear battle stance.
'Could it be that there are still remnants of pirates left?'
The moment she thought that, she threw the spear. The spear became a ray of light and flew down to the right side of my head.
｢Die!｣ ｢Grrr?｣ "Wait!"
Griffon Wolf, who was about to continue his follow-up attack, stops when he hears my voice.
｢That voice…is it Amorph?｣
Vivid amber eyes wander confusedly through my head. Only then did I realize that she was under the influence of the sense of form and the organ of mimicry.
'this.'
I immediately stopped looking at the image. The horns that had stretched out like branches returned to their original spiral horn shape.
The Heavenly Mother, free from the influence of the disturbing substance, opened her eyes wide when she saw me.
"What was that just now?" "That's what I'm saying. "Why did you attack me?" "Pirates wearing reinforced suits are running this way. So, stay still?"
It wasn't really wrong. Since they saw me without knowing the mimicry organ strengthened by the scent of the shape, it was easy to misunderstand.
However, even so, it was strange that they immediately launched an attack. The same goes for my current harsh attitude. It was not like her who usually shows a calm demeanor.
She seemed to know that her attitude was different from usual, and she sighed softly.
"…sorry. I guess I acted too hastily. "Is your head okay?"
I used my wing arm to pull out the golden javelin stuck in the right side of my head.
'Is it because it contains a lot of blood? It got stuck pretty deep.'
Still, thanks to the thick carapace, the injury itself was not serious. It is a wound that can be fully recovered through regenerative abilities.
"I'm fine, but why did you just do that? What's going on?" "That's it… please follow me for a moment."
Heavenly Mother took the spear from me, took it away, and ran off to somewhere.
We followed them and arrived at a small warehouse located on the outskirts of the port. Despite its ordinary appearance, the closer I got, the more a strange smell stimulated my auxiliary organs.
As soon as I went inside, I knew why it smelled like that.
Ten young Wolfs are lying on medical beds on the warehouse floor. They were all skinny and their entire bodies were covered in scars. The condition was so bad that it could be said that he was just breathing.
There were medical equipment next to the beds. The identity of the strange smell was the treatment solution being injected into Wolff.
"Who are these?" "Survivor of the Wolf tribe in U-08." "Survivor?"
It has the nuance that someone suddenly attacked.
Now that I think about it, MPS-03 did that to me. The Mother of Heaven came here earlier than expected.
She read my thoughts and nodded.
"Before I arrived, the Shino Group cartel came and went to U-08." "There too?" "huh. "He seems like someone who knows how to track down Arcane Orca, the ranker who leads those damn pirates."
It was not the Heavenly Mother who first came up with the method to track the Arcane Orca. It was something she learned while working as a mercenary in a tracking group where she first tried this method.
"Didn't you say last time that the Arcane Orca tracking party was quickly destroyed?" "that's right. "It went bankrupt not long after it was created, and all the clan members quit." "Then there is a high possibility that the guy who joined as a mercenary like you is a ranker of the Shino Group." "…There are a few people who have an idea about that, but I'm not sure."
I looked down at the Wolfs lying on the bed.
I think I know why she brought the survivors.
'Because I was the one who was attacked. 'I might have some useful information.'
I have the means to restore the dying Wolfs. I think we should save them first and then listen to the details.
-x-X-x-
Wolf Thane, the jackal of the Salt Forest tribe, loved the mythology of the old gods.
The story of a heavenly horse running across the Milky Way, the legend of an eagle who became the sun in place of the lost light, etc.
My heart always beats every time I hear the stories of our ancestors who traveled between the stars and commanded the universe. Every time I heard legends and myths, I felt closer to my ancestors.
So, he was interested in the myths handed down not only from his own tribe but also from other tribes. We collected all the stories floating around in the land where she was born and raised.
Is it because of that passion? Despite his young age, Tane became the wisest Wolff in the tribe, next to the chieftain. The tribe members called her Little Sage.
If Tane were older, he would have become the leader of the tribe.
But the day they came down from the sky, everything changed.
The village where I was born and have lived until now is burning. There were charred corpses scattered on the floor.
Fire, blood, and screams engulfed young Wolf's hometown.
They were in a place full of death. Steel demons that came down from the sky.
The moment he remembered their laughter, Tane woke up.
The first thing I saw after opening my eyes was darkness.
"This place…?"
A small murmur resonates loudly. It felt like I was in a cave-like space. The air was full of moisture and had a strangely unpleasant smell.
At that time, the sound of rushing water was heard from afar. Surprised, Tane looked at the dark curtain.
She couldn't see anything, but she could feel it. That there is a very large and scary being here.
The sound of water splitting is heard as if a large animal is crossing the lake. Tane quickly tried to hide himself.
"urg!"
But no matter how hard I tried, my body wouldn't move. This was because something like heavy mud was tightly binding her arms and legs.
Even as she struggled, the being got closer and closer.
At that time, I was overwhelmed with fear that felt like my heart would stop.
In the middle of the black curtain, two amber-colored lanterns lit up.
"wait for a sec."
Along with that, a refreshing voice seeped into Tane's head.
"Is it okay if I ask?"
Surprisingly, as soon as the mysterious voice was heard, the overwhelming presence slowly dissipated. The thing in the dark had retreated.
As the terrifying presence disappears, the flames slowly get closer.
When the size of the flame grew larger than Tane's palm, a bright light burst out from below. As light drove out the darkness, the true nature of the amber flame was revealed.
What was there was a huge beast with a noble appearance. The beast with a white hawk's head and warm amber eyes was looking down at her.
At that moment, Tane remembered.
The one who saved her from dying after being crushed by a collapsed house.
｢You were the first to wake up.｣ "…." ｢I have something to ask, is it okay?｣
A being who seems to embody the image of an ancestor from myth asks her.
"yes. "God."
Of course, Tane's answer was predetermined.
–
"I see." "Do you need further explanation?"
I shook my head as I heard PS-111's words coming from the communicator.
"No, this is enough." "All right. Then I will keep watch in case an intruder comes in."
While Heavenly Mother was talking to the Wolfs, I was listening to PS-111. What happened where she went to investigate.
'The Wolf tribes of U-08 are annihilated, and the tribal leader and old Wolf are kidnapped.'
When Heavenly Mother arrived, the whole situation had already ended. The entire village she knew was reduced to ashes. The only survivors are the 10 Wolfs she brought with her.
In addition, all stone tablets and relics recording the tribe's history were lost. In particular, it is said that the ruins were so thoroughly destroyed that no one could recognize them.
'Are they getting rid of all the things necessary for tracking?'
The fact that Shino Group is preparing to hunt Arcane Orca is an established fact. However, even so, there is no need to erase various traces that help with tracking.
'And yet it comes out like this….'
Perhaps it was intended to keep Heaven's Mother, or more accurately, me, in check.
There are very few players who were active in the Arcane Orca tracking group. There were even fewer people who participated as mercenaries.
When the Mother of Heaven learned that Shino's leader had been working as a mercenary, she vaguely guessed his identity. This will be the same for your opponent as well.
The fact that I and Heavenly Mother are together was already exposed when I fought Akira Yujin last time. The ranker who leads the Shino Group must have also heard about this.
In that case, it would be natural to think that I would have figured out a tracking method by force.
'Well, there's nothing wrong with it except for coercion.'
In fact, I came this far thanks to her help.
'If it had been a little later, tracking it would have been much more difficult.'
Should I call this a phone call? While I was thinking like that, Heavenly Mother approached me.
"Not everyone woke up, so I asked the children who came to their senses first. Still, I think I heard everything I needed to say." "Really?" "I know who did it. "Do you know the Space Dog player who only sticks to melee weapons?"
In space survival, melee weapons don't get a very good reputation. This is bound to happen in a world where laser and plasma weapons are rampant, and where thousands of spaceships are mobilized in a single war.
'Still, there are quite a few enthusiasts.'
In other media dealing with science fiction, you can often see characters using melee weapons.
The same goes for space survival. There are players who favor weapons such as the Sonic Blade or the Cult's psychic sword.
"A pirate who mainly uses melee weapons."
As I listen to the story, a few people come to mind. Among them, if you are a ranker…
"Was it 25th? A ranker who is a pirate and mainly uses melee weapons and bombs." "that's right. "Have you ever fought?" "We fought twice right before we folded."
Despite only using unusual weapons, his combat skills were surprisingly poor. Instead, I don't know if it was to complement this, but I remember that the equipment used was very excellent.
"The surviving child said he saw a steel giant holding very large dual swords. "I heard he commanded other giants." "If it were a set of very large dual swords, it would be 'Colossus Shot' or 'Sacred Fang'. "If you're a steel giant, do you mean a reinforced suit?" "no. "They said it's as tall as a tree, so it's probably a walker."
You might be wondering if it's a reinforced suit, but a walker and a melee weapon are not a good combination. However, considering that they insisted on using melee weapons, it is highly likely that the opponent is ranked 25th.
"The 25th person has experience participating in the Arcane Orca tracking team. "I was kicked out not long after I entered." "Kicked out?" "He was notorious for only being friendly with powerful people. Ignore those who are weaker than you. So the clan leader kicked him out."
I thought it was somehow strange. I think I understand how he acquired good equipment with mediocre skills. He probably got it by taking advantage of his friendship with top rankers.
Also, the fact that pirates possess many advanced weapons from Megacorp and Star Union may have something to do with it. It makes perfect sense if you consider that it was achieved by taking advantage of a good relationship in the game.
"good. Who are the other rankers besides him? "What did the Wolfs say?" "I asked, but there was no one other than 25th who was presumed to be a ranker. "Even those kids don't know who is outside the planet."
I raised my head and looked at where the Wolfs were.
"I think it would be a good idea to plant parasites and check."
Since the 'Scent of Shape' was obtained, the parasite must have been strengthened in some way. It wouldn't be a bad idea to gain information and experiment with newly enhanced parasites.
'Or how many people are called Inmyeonchung… Wait, Inmyeonchung?'
Now that I think about it, I have people from the ruling faction and the returning faction. I'll have to call Jason and Alshas and ask them again.
'come out.'
The companions within the body respond to my call.
A monster with a body that looked like a combination of a praying mantis and a wasp and the face of a cult tore through the mucous membrane and jumped out.
Sky's mother frowned slightly when she saw that.
｢In-myeonchung? "To ask about number 25?" "Yes."
Immediately after, Jason and Alshas's face fell down in front of us and bowed their heads.
"Did you call me?" "Did you call me?" "Do any of you know anything about number 25? "Not in games, but in this world."
Alshas answered my question first.
"I don't know because I've never seen it." "You've never seen it?" "We, the returning faction, failed to secure influence in Megacorp and Star Union. That's why I used Spy." "You mean Cynthia? "It's definitely not wrong."
As he said, the return faction has a history of forcibly recruiting weak rankers through Cynthia. He probably carried out espionage activities against the ruling faction, which was a hostile force, on several occasions.
"Cynthia? Why all of a sudden…?" "That bitch was a spy. "You stupid bastard." "Yes?"
Heavenly Mother, who still did not like Jason, let out a wave of thoughts filled with evil emotions. The guy with a puzzled look on his face soon understood what I meant and opened his eyes wide.
"Fuck! Alshas, how dare you whore!" "The perverted bastard saw someone and called her a prostitute. "On the subject of fucking anyone." "I will definitely tear you to death!" "Damn. This is the one…." "You two, shut up."
At my command, the human beings all fell silent. I didn't bring these two out to hear useless chatter.
"I understand that you are not a member of the returnee faction. Jason, don't you have anything to say?" "I don't know. sorry." "Number 25 is a pirate and possesses a lot of high-end equipment from Megacorp and Star Union. It's obvious that they are closely connected to the rankers, but you don't know?"
When Heaven's Mother sharply pointed out, Jason quickly lowered his head.
"Well, our ruling faction is made up of a few people who know each other, so there are a lot of things we don't know about each other." "okay? "If you don't know, you can't do it." "wait a minute! "There was a space dog ranker working with Akira and Jubaka!"
As I was about to put it back in my body, Jason added quickly.
"This guy received a request from the two and worked to bring them the necessary items. Well, now that I think about it again, I think he was ranked 25th! "I'm sure!"
The bastard who had become a human being tried to squeeze out memories as if he didn't want to enter my body.
"Why didn't you tell me when I asked you before?" "Well, it's been a while since I've had any contact with that guy. I asked Zubaka, and he said he had not heard from him for a long time either. So I guess he's already dead…"
Jason says, trembling. It seemed like he was afraid that he would get angry for saying something important now.
However, I had no intention of punishing him. This is because I know that this is the limitation of Inmyeonchung.
Even if I eat someone and make them human, that person's memories do not become completely mine. Inmyeonchung only remembers what the original considers important or what it experienced before it died. The rest we remember inaccurately or forget altogether.
'Just like now.'
He didn't lie. Even when I was alive, I didn't consider 25th place important, so I couldn't think of it properly.
"Other than the CEO of Megacorp and the leader of Star Union?" "As far as I know, none." "What are his perks?" "Well, I don't know because I've never seen it, but according to Zubaka, he's very good at handling Yuil-class weapons. So, I heard that you have been given several requests to test new weapons."
It is the ability to use a unique weapon. When you just listen, it's a fairly boring skill.
'I think it depends on the weapon's range.'
And depending on how it is applied, it can be a very scary perk.
'I need to be careful about this part.' "What are the other characteristics?" "That's all I know." "good. "If you have anything else to ask, please call me." "yes? Now, wait a minute…." "Si, I hate it! That hell…"
Since I had nothing more to ask, I retrieved the human face bugs.
"what do you think about it?" "…First of all, I don't think the Grand Leader will come here."
I think the same as her.
Everything in Star Union revolves around the Grand Leader and the Machine Committee. It is unlikely that the Great Leader will bring out his troops just to hunt.
"Looking at the mobilization of a lot of Star Union equipment, I think the top committee members were deployed instead of the Grand Leader." "that's right. If you are a member of the Supreme Council, you will be applying from outside the planet, so those children will not know."
The mother of heaven scratching her beak with serious eyes. she asked.
"Then how will Akira get out?" "He won't come here." "why? Is it because of the defeat in the last battle?"
It's not wrong, but the reason I'm convinced is slightly different.
"When I entered the cocoon, I saw a vision. "A fantasy about an ending mission that happened in the past." "What?" "I heard it from someone I met there. "There is a ranker on Earth who knows the secret of the ending, so meet him."
As if the words were completely unexpected, the Mother of Heaven's eyes widened.
"I saw that Akira participated in the ending mission. He must be the one who knows the secret of the ending." "…Tell me more about it."
I was planning to talk to her when I met her, but it just happened to work out.
I began to explain what the illusion and information body had said.
-x-X-x-
There were quite a few players in Space Survival who disliked me.
Not only rankers, but also those belonging to large clans or large alliances targeted me. Even in the community, there were often cases where Aimov punitive forces were recruited to attack me. If I encountered them even once, my information spread instantly.
As a result, it was rare to share information with anyone. Except when spreading false information to confuse enemies.
Is that why?
This situation of trusting others and telling them what I knew felt somehow strange and amazing.
Players who aimed for endings in the past, Aimorph-type creatures that replaced existing ending bosses, and the information function body that showed these things to me as illusions.
I told her everything I had seen.
The conversation itself was not very long, but the information contained within it was quite considerable. That is why Heavenly Mother, who heard the whole story, remained silent.
｢…I'll organize it.｣
She was lost in thought and sent a thought wave.
"Right now, two things are certain. The ending boss has been changed into a monster that looks like Amorph, and Akira, who participated in the strategy battle in third place, knows the secret of the ending, right?" "That's correct." "Can we trust what that information body says?" "I don't think there's any reason to lie. "If you're going to fool me, there are probably easier ways."
There are many ways to do this, such as showing stronger illusions than before, controlling me with abilities I don't know, etc.
She must have thought the same thing as me, so she nodded.
｢In the end, it will only become clear when we go to Earth.｣ "Probably." "Even for you, it won't be easy to break through the solar system." "You don't necessarily have to enter the solar system. "You can take him out." "How…ah. "I'm thinking of using 25th place." "Okay."
The leader of the pirates scheduled to come here is friendly with Akira. If we catch him, we will be able to obtain information that can help lure Akira.
"The pirate main force will arrive in about 12 days. "You can prepare until then and then attack him."
The opponent is a strong player aiming for the top Apex. This is by no means an easy opponent.
That's why I plan to turn this place into a trap and hunt rankers.
PS-111 has completely taken over the planet's communications system, and I have also set up several nests. The conditions for the plan to come to fruition have been met to some extent.
"Anyway, I think I've said all the important things."
Of course, preparations are still lacking.
We need to build more nests and take more genetic samples from the research complex above. And I have to look for useful humans in other cities. There is a lot of work to be done.
At that time, Heavenly Mother asked me.
"What are you going to do with those kids?" "Children?" "…I'm sorry, can I take care of the kids?"
Her eyes were looking inside the nest where the young wolfs were.
In fact, since we have obtained enough information, they are unnecessary.
Because they come from a primitive tribe, they cannot immediately drive a spaceship or operate mechanical devices. It takes quite some time to teach this. However, he is too young and weak to be used as a simple combatant.
It is of no particular use other than for use in experiments on enhanced parasites or for making human face bugs.
Therefore, what Heavenly Mother said was unexpected to me.
"Wolfs, I don't think it would be particularly useful." "You might be so shocked that you don't remember important information even if you know it." "Hmm." "There's no reason to get rid of it right away anyway, so I'll keep it."
The mother of heaven speaks while scratching her beak with her front claws. Her eyes were still fixed on the inside of the nest.
'what?'
It's a different attitude than usual. Even during the conversation, a look of agitation could be seen in the gaze fixed on the children and the slightly shaking eyes.
'Have you been thinking about the past?'
Just before she met me, she lost her family because of the ruling faction's ranker Muriel. Her husband, the 'Earthfather', and the Wolf tribe she cared for were all exterminated.
After Muriel's death, she collected Wolf's abandoned bodies. I remember that there were quite a few young Wolfs among them.
'Now that I think about it, the corpses from then and the survivors here are of similar age.'
When we met earlier, I acted more aggressively than necessary. Maybe it was because I went through a similar situation in the past.
'Still, it's surprising.'
I have encountered slave traders and pirates many times over the years, but I have never been as shaken by slaves as I am now. Of course, this is the first time someone has asked me this.
"okay. "It would be helpful if I had you with me."
I was about to ask in detail, but decided not to.
For people with past pain, questions and words asked without thinking can be hurtful. I know this well because I had a similar experience before.
'I'll tell you when I've made up my mind.'
It's not a problem, so there's no need to criticize it.
"Once you have fully recovered, you can stay in the research complex above. Since he's Wolf, he'll probably like it better there than here." "…thank you."
After leaving Wolf's treatment to Heavenly Mother, I removed the pirates from the wall.
"You guys should come with me."
Unlike Wolf, these are useful. Ventress and other high-ranking executives will use it to file false reports to the main body of the Shino Group. The remaining beetles are used as bait to guide the trap.
I took the pirates and came out of the nest.
'It's been a long time since a planet was used as a trap.'
In fact, it was rare for a game to use an entire planet as a trap. Because it is so large, it takes a very long time to lay and expand the nest. Even I have failed many times because I was caught in the middle of preparation.
So, I only made it when I was sure I could attract enemies and when I needed a nest to keep using.
'In this case, I guess it should be considered the former, right?'
Of course, it is impossible due to time constraints to cover the entire star with a nest in 12 days. Therefore, you need to anticipate where the enemy will be stationed and where they will lure you to attack you, and then lay a trap.
And that is an issue that needs to be resolved with my capabilities and experience.
I spread my wings and flew up into the dark cloudy sky. The view of the city engulfed in black slime came into view.
The 25th and his subordinates wandering around here and there.
By the time they come, the scenery here will be much different than before.
Because it will not be a terraformed planet that will welcome guests, but a planet ruled by Aimorphs.
–
A black universe where stars are scattered like sand dust.
In the middle of it all, a blue light suddenly flashed.
What appeared, tearing through space like lightning in the sky, was a fleet that had succeeded in sailing at faster than light speeds.
The number of ships was nearly 50, reminiscent of a fleet belonging to a great power. However, if you look at the individual ships, they were far from an elite fleet. This is because the shapes, sizes, and specifications of the ships were all different.
Some ships had drone command towers attached to cult-style cruiser bases, while others had plasma guns attached to megacorp mining ships.
Among them, there was a ship that boasted a particularly large size.
The ship, which has a three-pronged front end that looks like a trident, is Star Union's XAX02 class battleship, commonly called XAX Beta.
Originally, it should strive for the well-being of the cyborg people, but that ship here serves a different master. The infamous Space Dog, especially the Pirate Alliance that shares the name 'Sino', is its owner.
"boss. We have arrived at the Jer-11 conflict zone."
Sachs Beta's bridge. The Insect Man pirate reported to the human man sitting in the captain's seat.
His name is Sutherland. He is the leader of the Shinoichi Cartel, the first cartel to join the Shino Group.
"Who was the one who fell behind?" "doesn't exist." "good. First, scan AG-01 and the surrounding area, then tell Shinoni to contact the kids down on the planet." "yep."
The pirates under orders manipulated computers installed arbitrarily on the bridge.
"Uh, hey, boss?"
Meanwhile, the pirate in charge of the ship's detector called the leader.
"AG-01's condition is a bit strange? "The planet's atmosphere is extremely unstable." "how much?" "There are massive storms occurring in various parts of the planet, making ship scans difficult."
Sutherland frowned at his subordinate's words.
"You didn't say anything like that before you came here, right? What happened?" "I think there was a problem with the terraforming machine when I saw the sudden weather abnormality." "Boss, I received a reply from Shinoni."
At that time, the cyborg pirate in charge of contact joined the conversation.
"They say there was a terrorist attack by separatists three days ago. "They say that's why there was a problem with the terraforming machine." "Separatists? "I heard you cleared everything up in the regular report?" "It seems like there were some leftovers that couldn't be dealt with. "They say it's all taken care of now." "What should I do?"
Sutherland scratched his head nervously. He scratched his fingernails until they bled, and reluctantly opened his mouth.
"There is no problem at the scheduled encounter point, right?" "There is no problem except that the communication is a bit unstable." "For now, continue scanning with this ship, and land the rest. Oh, and the bastards who switched to a mining boat without a boat permit last time. "I'll give them a day and tell them to fix the terraforming machine as quickly as possible." "Are you talking about the Shinoroku Cartel?" "uh." "All right. "I will convey it that way." "…I'll rest in the captain's quarters, and handle the rest the same way as before." "yep!"
With those words, Sutherland left the bridge.
The closer he got to the captain's office, the darker the shadow on his face became. Even though he was going to rest, there was a reason why he made this face.
Other pirates think Sutherland is the owner of the ship, but this is not the case. This ship and the cartel it belongs to have separate owners.
Sutherland quickly arrived at the captain's office and carefully knocked on the door.
"Sino-sama, this is Sutherland. "I have something to report… keuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuxir me something to report… something to report…?
Before I could finish speaking, I suddenly suffered from a severe headache and collapsed to the floor without realizing it.
The voice of a young man pierced his ears as he struggled in pain.
"Anyway, you incompetent bastards. "Can't you handle such a simple task properly?" "Keuuuuuuu!" "Would you like to change that bad haircut at this point?" "Ugh, forgive me just this once…!"
Despite the playful tone that made it sound like a joke, the obedience device was still operating. Sutherland prayed desperately even as blood poured from his nose and ears.
"Fiskes Twelve. says The object still has a purpose. "Spending at this point is inefficient."
Next, a woman's voice mixed with mechanical sounds dissuaded the young man. It seemed to work, as the owner of the voice stopped the obedience device before he lost consciousness.
"Well, it's different from what I planned, but it's not a big problem, so I'll leave it at that. "Thank you, right?" "Thank you! "Thank you so much for saving my life!" "Fiskes Twelve. I command. There is a need to supplement some of the subject's instructions. "Come in."
A door that opens automatically when you speak.
The real 'owners' of the Shino Group are calling him.
'…Fuck.'
He was resentful of himself for choosing to follow them in the past, but there was nothing he could do. All he could do was curse inwardly.
In an instant, Sutherland, covered in blood, stumbled inside.
-x-X-x-