OW-33 was once a barren planet, but has now become a star overflowing with life.
There resides a being who has built the most powerful group of Outspacers in the universe.
From the throne located in the heart of the star, the 'Empress' recognized that one of the queens had died.
'…also.'
The Queen's death was created with great care.
It was unfortunate, but it was expected. That's because the enemy the queen faced was someone that even he couldn't handle.
'Aimov.'
The battle is in full swing in the N-51 star system, Megacorp's territory and the place where the queen died. A punitive force led by Akira, the leader of the ruling faction, is fighting against the infamous Aimov Ranker.
'Still, I'm glad you got the results you wanted.'
Eimoff was so focused on the queen that he did not notice the trap that Akira had prepared.
Akira's trap is very fatal to those who use genetic essence like him and Aimorph. This is because he used his special privileges to make it difficult.
In addition, members of the ruling faction continue to provide reinforcements to N-51. Even if he were a bastard, it wouldn't be easy to survive.
'Our alliance ends here. Akira.'
Almost all of the troops he supported died in the fight against Eimov. He could have added more men, but he didn't.
We only cooperated for a while because of Eimoff, but we had no intention of joining the ruling faction. Just like Amorph, they are just objects to be sorted out.
'While they are focusing their attention elsewhere, laying the groundwork for the solar system…'
He stopped thinking about Eimov and tried to think about his next plan. At that time, a communication tombstone placed on the floor interrupted his thinking.
｢Message arrived.｣ 'Hmm?'
The mucous membrane oozing from his body detected the activated stele.
Currently, there is only one person who can contact him. The lover he cherishes and loves, and a fellow outspacer from the Returning Sect.
'You must be busy expanding the planet?'
I still vividly remember crying that I wouldn't be able to contact him for a while, but it was unexpected. Of course, that didn't mean that her lover's message wasn't welcome.
He checked the message that appeared on the computer connected to the tombstone.
'huh?'
Contrary to expectations, the person who contacted him was not his lover. He created a tentacle on the mucous membrane and typed the message.
｢Bumho? What's wrong with you?" "Message arrived."
The Empress was surprised by the reply that came immediately after writing it down.
'You're hiding in the Eimoff subjugation team?'
If all goes according to plan, Beom-ho should be waiting for the 'guest' led by another compatriot.
That guest is a very important element in the return sect's grand scheme. This is something that Beom-ho, the person who came up with the plan, always emphasized.
Then he changed his plan.
The leader of the returning faction is now in the N-51 star system, which has become a battlefield.
–
Highly concentrated energies hit my body.
The carapace and shell covering the body break little by little, and blood and flesh leak little by little into space.
The wounds that normally would have healed quickly are not getting any better.
"Hey, Morph! Ranker's perks, hey!"
While the heat rays of energy fired by the battleship were going back and forth, Isabelle sent a thought wave to me. I confirmed the abnormal phenomenon that occurred in my body with my heavenly eyes.
[Zuzu (perk?)] ｢Genesis, creating genes and electrons that contaminate purified water, is a perk. "That gene is preventing recovery."
Aimorphs gain immunity to poisons and viruses when they become semi-adults. Because of this immune ability, all kinds of bacteria, viruses, parasites, etc. could be used as weapons.
No matter how powerful a toxin enters the stomach, it is simply digested and cannot cause any damage.
'As long as it's not poison….'
It's a different story.
Isabelle told me that the cause of my problems was a 'gene' contaminating my genetic essence. It was probably acquired when eating the shadow.
'There was no special message when the predation effect appeared.'
When Amorph succeeds in predation, related information is always displayed in the text box. The only genetic essence I stole from the shadows is 'Ultra Control'.
However, just because it does not appear in the text box does not mean that the genes of the food consumed have completely disappeared. This is because organs such as mimicry organs, parasitic colonies, and human parasite hosts store some of them.
Those institutions cannot be controlled as I wish. It's the same way that humans can move their hands and feet at will, but they can't move their liver or gallbladder.
'It's a trap you can't help but fall into once you eat it.'
The master of shadows accurately shot me.
'Plus, there's a problem with the dragon's heart.'
From a while ago, I had a throbbing pain inside my chest. The dragon's heart must have been included in the trap.
'The state of energy supply is also a mess.'
It is estimated that the effectiveness has dropped to approximately one-fourth.
Even if recovery is not possible, the blockage of energy supply is fatal. This is because my attack characteristics and faster-than-light navigation all consume enormous amounts of energy.
And because the balance maintained by the dragon's heart was broken, the penalty for the 'hunger' attribute was reactivated. If you use your power recklessly, you will lose your mind and fall into madness.
'You can gain energy by eating enemies directly, but…
Traps may have been planted like shadows on the crews of those battleships as well. You cannot be hasty in feasting on ships because you might make a mistake while eating them.
｢For a period of time, you cannot recover or use characteristics, so be careful.｣
It is fortunate that there is a time limit, but we cannot be completely at ease. It's as if the recovery means were sealed for 60 minutes.
On the other hand, enemy reinforcements are constantly pouring in here. More ships are pouring firepower at me than when the battle began.
It's okay as the injury isn't serious yet, but as time goes on, it's ultimately going to be at a disadvantage.
At that moment, a strong energy response was detected from afar. It is a heat ray fired by the main gun of the Sax Alpha-class battleship, which is much larger and has more firepower than regular battleships.
I stopped thinking and quickly escaped. A heat ray as big as my body narrowly missed.
This was followed by a flood of attacks from other battleships. Green flashes form a dense network. A web of energy follows closely to entangle me.
It would be a big problem if you were trapped there now. I accelerated and got out of their attack range.
The Mother of Heaven and the 'Right Head' followed behind me.
"Amorph? "What about that wound?"
The Heavenly Mother asked as she saw blood spraying from the broken shell.
[Zuzuz zu zuzuzu zuzuzu (I was caught in a trap set by a ranker)] ｢What?｣ [ Zuzuz zuzu zuzu zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (Cannot be played for 60 minutes. And no energy or charging)] ｢….｣
While I was explaining the seriousness of the situation to her, a change occurred in my body. The duration of the symbol of hunting has run out.
The greatly enlarged body shrunk, and the body shape and various body parts returned to their original state. When I opened my eyes, Heavenly Mother was looking at me with a worried face.
'It's dangerous like this.'
We must use all the means we have to change this trend. Otherwise, there is only defeat and death.
'Let's gather the kids first.'
After falling back, enemy attacks slowed down. I think they are trying to organize the battle line with the new fleet that entered the star system. I took advantage of this opportunity and flew with the kids to the place where No. 26 and Aadhai were fighting.
The corvettes and aircraft carriers that Adhai and 'Left Head' were dealing with had already been cleared out a long time ago. The two were helping No. 26 against Screamer.
There were only a few psychic specialized screamers based on Jason left. When they approached me, they gave up the fight and retreated.
"Don't run away!"
No. 26's tentacles stretched out like my erosion tentacles and wrapped around the two fleeing Screamers. Then, it dragged the captured enemy and swallowed it into its body.
After seeing this, Aadhai shook off the bundle of tentacles around his mouth.
"That" "It didn't taste good" "It wasn't there" "Grrr" "Huh? "The big baby has arrived!"
The guys who fought hard are happy to see me. But that attitude didn't last long. Because I noticed that my body was covered in wounds.
｢Big adult?｣｢Body｣｢Are you hurt?｣ ｢Bad kids bullied the older kid!｣
Adhai, who was worried about me, let out a wave of anxiety and worry. Number 26 was also angry, dyeing his pink body dark.
[Zuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzu (I have a favor to ask. Call them)]
First, I asked No. 26 to sing Metallic Gremlin. Now that the outspacers that interfere with faster-than-light navigation have disappeared, they can jump here at any time.
Metallic Gremlins are a race specialized in fleet warfare. It will be a great help in fighting the mixed fleet of Megacorp and Star Union.
'If it weren't for the ranker, I would have won without difficulty.'
It is almost certain that the enemies are under the ranker's command. If you're a ranker, you'll know what to do against Metallic Gremlin. There will be some damage at first, but you will quickly respond.
However, what I expect from these guys is not just the combat aspect.
'Here, just introducing variables that the enemy doesn't know about is meaningful.'
If a group of metallic gremlins appear out of nowhere, the enemies' attention will inevitably be diverted. While they buy us time, we need to find a way to turn the tide.
For example, eliminating a ranker or neutralizing an enemy fleet's command ship.
And there are several warp boys left in the group following No. 26.
Currently, I am in a situation where I need to conserve the energy stored in my body. If we ever find ourselves in a situation where we have to run away, we'll need their help.
'It wasn't possible in the game, but not here.'
There is Unit 26 that can talk to them, so I guess I can at least ask them to move me to an adjacent star system.
"huh! "I'll call you Glitter."
Number 26 heard my request and took out a silver tentacle.
A small light was emitted from the sphere at the end of the tentacle. The wave that called for the metallic gremlin flew out of the star system at extremely high speeds.
'good. and….'
I opened a semi-transparent text box.
Numerous features cluttered my vision. Among them, I looked at the first thing I got, the 'Together of a Strong Enemy' and the 'Plunderer's Irregular Polyhedron'.
'I didn't know I'd be using it here.'
On the back of the looter's irregular polyhedron was written the name of the ability I had acquired by feasting on special equipment.
'Dice of Void.'
The power gained by feasting on the equipment that Sihyeon Eugene previously had.
Using this ability allows you to use all attributes without restrictions for 3 minutes.
It's a very unconventional power, but I've only been able to use it once so far because the cooldown is 66 days. If it weren't for the 'Revenant Engine' that was activated during the last fight with Magmasaur, it would still be unusable.
'Even my enemies don't know about this power.'
My enemies think I have become greatly weakened. It's like that in reality too.
'It's a good time to throw the dice.' ｢The glitter has arrived!｣
At that time, a group of blue lights gathered behind me along with the wavelength of No. 26. This is a signal sent by the infamous Silver Marauders who received the call from him.
Enemies from far away also sense the intrusion of strangers and try to keep them in check. Before the battleships started firing, I quickly used the 'Complex Spectral Object'.
A transparent mirror containing various types of light was formed in front of me. After a while, the heat rays fired by the battleships flew toward the circular prism. Rather than being broken by the heat rays, the huge transparent tray reflected all of the attacks.
While I was wasting time, the group of metallic gremlins safely completed their leap.
｢■■■｣ ｢■■?｣ ｢Yes! Let's get rid of the bad guys!」 ｢Speech｣｢Strange｣｢Understand｣｢Impossible｣
The battleships' attack stops. He must have been taken aback by the sudden appearance of an enemy.
Now it's time to counterattack here.
A word from the author (author's review) ｢Complicated spectral body: In nature, waves are forces. Forms a medium that reflects energy attacks that have been hit multiple times. Reduces damage from energy attacks that cannot be reflected by less than half. *Reflection Target: Laser, Plasma, Psychic Power, Crystallization Wave *Duration: 5 minutes (cooldown 30 minutes) *PS: A strategist must know how to use the enemy's power against him."
"Plunder's Irregular Polyhedron: One piece of equipment. Devour to specialize the unique abilities of the equipment. This can only be done once per piece of equipment, and when you feast on another piece of equipment, the characteristic effects of the previous piece of equipment are lost. -Dice of Void: Obtained after feasting on 'Abyss Destroyer'. When activated, all attribute cooldowns are reset. Other unconfirmed additional effects and restrictions exist. ｣
-x-X-x-
Metallic Gremlin is not very tall. The largest specimens reach about 80cm, so most of them can be considered to be about the size of children.
However, you should not ignore it just because it is small.
These little demons with metal skin are the natural enemies of ships. The nickname 'Plunder of the Universe' is by no means a lie.
The fearful beings wandering the sea called the universe advance.
Even though No. 26 did not say otherwise, they moved towards the enemy fleet on their own.
Metallic Gremlins can detect energy emitted by ships through microscopic protrusions inside their mouths. Because the performance of the protuberance is quite excellent, it can easily find even small spacecraft in the distance. There is no way we will miss the fleet that is pouring fire on us from afar.
Warships that look like small stars move in the distance. Switching sides to deal with the Metallic Gremlin.
And some battleships began firing ultra-long range shots. If a flock of up to 10,000 animals approaches, the damage will be very significant, so the intention is to reduce it in advance.
Just before the incoming heat ray touched the silver cloud, they disappeared like smoke.
Next, a metallic gremlin with a blue radiance on its body jumped out near the enemy fleet. This is a large-scale teleportation performed by warp boys. They immediately closed the distance and immediately entered close combat against the ships that were changing positions.
[Zuzzu zuzuzu (let's move too)]
Afterwards, I and the kids approached the enemy fleet.
Unlike before, no check fire was fired. This was because they were busy dealing with marauders who suddenly appeared and ambushed them.
The silver monsters were extremely hungry and clung to nearby ships. The auxiliary guns of each ship were constantly moving to drop them. Heat rays and energy bullets fired from naval guns littered the black space.
One of them moves its main gun and aims at me. Just before the heat ray was fired, the hull shook significantly. This is because the alter ego, 'Right Head', born from 'Hydra Split', hit the body.
The collision caused the ship to stumble greatly, and the heat beam fired by the main gun hit another battleship behind me. The battleship hit by the heat ray had a large hole in its hull, but did not sink.
But there is no need for me to finish it. This is because a flock of hungry monkfish nearby will take care of the cleanup.
At that time, the five destroyers ahead exploded almost simultaneously. Red stars and black storms emerged from the silently spreading flames and rushed towards the other ship.
It was Adhai wearing 'red armor' and the mother of heaven who transformed into a griffon. The two fastest and most agile members among us are toying with the enemy through flying combat. The two literally became living torpedoes, piercing through various ships.
The ships that were not completely destroyed due to their large weight were finished off by my alter ego 'Left Head' and the Metallic Gremlin.
The left head stuck to the ship and used its sharp teeth and claws to rip off the ship's guns and thrusters. A ship with its attack and transportation capabilities disabled is nothing more than bulky scrap metal. The well-groomed prey entered the bellies of the silver demons that followed.
Like the other kids, No. 26 was actively using his unique abilities to go on the offensive. Using psychic power, he distorted the trajectory of the incoming torpedo and crushed the battleship's guns.
While everyone was fighting hard, I was looking for a command ship or a ship that seemed to have an enemy ranker on board.
'If it continues to be a war of attrition, there will be no end.'
The current chaos will never last long. When the enemy starts to respond, this side becomes at a disadvantage.
Before that, we need to shake it up by causing as much damage as possible. Either catch and kill the ranker, or neutralize the command center.
[Zuzuzu zuzuzu (Have you found anything?)] ｢Ranker, I don't see it. A special ship, I have to find it." "Command, looking for it." "There is nothing nearby."
Isabel's special privilege, 'The Heavenly Eye of All Things', allows her to read only information about creatures and objects she has seen directly. It is impossible to confirm the people on board the ship. So, we are looking for a ship with characteristics that are different from regular ships. PS-111 was also assisting Isabelle in checking for ships that had undergone unusual modifications.
'I will use the Void Dice only when the goal is set.'
The duration of 'Void Dice' is 3 minutes. The maintenance time is quite short. Therefore, it should be used when you are confident that you can achieve the highest efficiency.
As I continued to look at the numerous ships, there was a change in their movements.
The ships carrying the Metallic Gremlin broke away from the formation and widened the distance between them and the fleet. After some distance, other battleships attacked the ship. The ship that was hit by three or four heat rays exploded.
Then other ships did the same. After ordering the ship with the Metallic Gremlin to move away from the fleet, the ship is left to other ships to deal with it.
'What you do in the game, you do here too.'
It is very difficult to remove the metallic gremlin that has stuck to your stomach. So players who operate fleets often eliminate enemies in this way, taking some losses.
'But if you do that, the backlash will be quite severe.'
This may not be a problem in games, but this is reality. If a ranker wastes the lives of his subordinates, side effects are bound to occur.
'furthermore….'
Coincidentally, Star Union and Megacorp are conducting a joint operation here to catch me. Originally, the two powers were hostile to each other. If it weren't for the rankers' orders, there would be no such cooperation.
As I thought about it, an idea came to mind.
If it goes well, this is a method that can cause quite a lot of damage to enemies.
'Should we try an experiment?'
I approached where the enemies were gathered.
A mixture of Megacorp and Star Union ships are attacking the ship with the Metallic Gremlins. Some of them spotted me and opened fire with their auxiliary guns. I continued to move forward while being hit by flying energy bullets.
And when the distance between them became close enough, 'Messenger of Chaos' was activated.
A thin line of psychic power rose from the monster's tentacles on its head. Deadly smoke, distorting cognitive abilities and driving people into madness, seeped into nearby ships.
Herald of Chaos is the only talent that specializes in manipulating the minds of large numbers of people and controlling crowds. If the range is maximized, it can affect intelligent entities within a radius of 500m.
'It's not an appropriate trait to use in space warfare, though.'
The average size of the battleships I fight is hundreds of meters or more. Even if you approach closely like now, only two or three ships will be within the range of influence.
But it still doesn't matter. The crew on board the ship will take care of everything after this.
With Herald of Chaos activated, I continued to approach the area where enemies were concentrated. There was no attack. Even if the aircraft carriers stuck to us and became a nuisance, we left them all alone.
[Zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzu (Don't attack those fighters)] ｢What?｣ ｢Hey, morph. Between, kick power, detected. Enemy, spirit, pollution, are you ordering it?" "Jeong, new pollution?"
Isabel, the only one among the children who had never seen the messenger of chaos, expressed doubt.
'This should be enough.'
The time has come for the seeds that were slowly sown to ripen. It would be better to show it in person rather than explain it in words. I stopped the harbinger of mayhem and took a step back.
After a while, enemy ships that showed strange movements began to appear. The batteries mounted on the outer walls targeted nearby friendly forces, especially Star Union ships, instead of the enemy.
The ships carrying the cyborgs were unaware of anything and were concentrating on attacking us. That is, until the Megacorp ships nearby attacked them.
'It's a success.'
Star Union ships are hit by plasma heat rays and sink one after another. As allies die one after another, the cyborg warships also show signs of agitation.
The cyborgs of the Star Union were not the only ones who felt embarrassed by the alliance's unexpected actions. The humans were equally confused.
'It has to be that way.'
The ships and aircraft that were fighting together were suddenly rushing towards them.
Two destroyers hit a battleship at the same time. A white battleship as if made of marble is engulfed in an explosion.
The ship that collided with the aircraft carrier had no major problems other than damage to the outer wall. I can guarantee you that only the outside is fine, but the inside is a mess right now.
'It must be crazy because people suddenly start going crazy.'
Those affected by the Herald of Chaos are randomly given the 'Insanity Bomb' effect. The subject with the bomb planted becomes a crazy cannibal, obsessed only with eating other people.
However, if you hastily eliminate the person carrying the bomb, the problem becomes more serious. This is because when the host dies, the madness bomb is transmitted to the nearest intelligent being.
'If it were a small space like a spaceship, it would spread quickly.'
It's only a matter of time before hell opens up inside that battleship.
As the Megacorp warships continued to make unexpected moves, the enemy's offensive was halted.
The same was true for Star Union's ships. The black, crude, rectangular-shaped ships were gradually increasing their distance from the white, streamlined design ships. Looking at his appearance, it was clear that he was wary of his allies.
While confusion was increasing among the enemies, Isabel, who was on my back, sent a thought wave to me.
"Teukgi, I found one. 2 o'clock ahead, direction."
Where he pointed, there was a white spaceship that looked a little different from a regular warship. The shape of the elongated hull and the tapered front part was reminiscent of a large knife.
'Where do you think I've seen you before?'
Despite its unusual appearance, it looks vaguely familiar. I had a strong feeling that this was a ship I had seen before.
｢Super Mu, Gi Yi, On Cannon, similar weapons, equipped.｣ [Zuzu Zuzuzuzu (Ion Cannon)]
Ion cannons, which are located at a higher level than plasma weapons, are mainly used as the main weapon of megacorp superweapons such as Gigacracker.
Of course, that ship is so small that it can't be compared to the Giga Cracker. It is unlikely that it will show as much power as a super weapon.
'It's a ship equipped with an ion cannon.'
In the game, ion cannons could not be mounted on regular warships for balance reasons.
[Zuzu Zuzuzu (Anything else than that?)] There is a device called 'go, quick response war, pn, jin'. Super light, fast sailing, is faster. There are many other devices besides that."
Then I suddenly remembered where I had seen that ship.
When I was leaving the T&C Special Trade Center, my predatory senses suddenly activated at the port. Unlike usual, I saw a future full of noise.
'That's why I chose a different escape ship.'
The ship I was avoiding at the time looked very similar to the ship over there now.
｢The target, Eugene, the family's flagship, 'Heavenly Sword' has been confirmed. Head, probability of boarding, over 80%."
PS-111 put a dent in my guess.
The 3rd ranker, Akira Yujin, is on that ship.
'good.'
Now that you have found your goal, there is no more hesitation. I immediately used 'Void Dice'.
The moment I threw the dice, I felt a shallow flame blooming in my chest.
At first, it was a small ember, but it grew bigger and bigger, and before I knew it, it became a flame that burned the whole body. As if it wasn't just a simple feeling, the silver pattern on his chest also spread out in all directions.
｢This?｣ ｢The energy released from the membrane inside Amorph's body was confirmed.｣
The Screamer sisters were puzzled by the changes that occurred in my body.
I know what happens when this pattern covers your entire body. Because I've experienced it once before.
As a silver pattern reminiscent of the Milky Way completely engulfed my entire body, a strange sensation captured my consciousness.
A strange feeling of vitality, liveliness, and liberation mixed together. As long as this state lasts, all the characteristics you have can be used freely without cooldown or restrictions.
Among the numerous weapons stored in my body, the first two I chose were.
'Bone beast and symbol of hunting.'
Two characteristics that are inherently incompatible.
'Giantness' and 'perfection' are fused in my body.
A word from the author (author's review) ｢Messenger of chaos: Reality depends on the senses. Spreads psychic power to distort the senses of all intelligent beings within a 500m radius. Plants a 'Insanity Bomb' at random among affected creatures. *'Insanity Bomb': Shakes the target's senses and mind and turns them into crazy cannibals. When you die, the 'Insanity Bomb' effect is transmitted to the nearest intelligent being. *Caution: The effect is halved for creatures with psychic power resistance. Agility decreases significantly when using the attribute. *P.S.: Please don't trust reality too much."
"Predator's Irregular Polyhedron: Devours a piece of equipment and specializes its unique abilities. This can only be done once per piece of equipment, and when you feast on another piece of equipment, the characteristic effects of the previous piece of equipment are lost. -Dice of Void: Obtained after feasting on 'Abyss Destroyer'. When activated, all attribute cooldowns are reset. There are other unconfirmed additional effects and restrictions. ｣
｢Bone Beast: Inherits and strengthens the existing giant creature characteristics. Once a week, you can transform into a very powerful 'Bone Beast'. The transformation lasts 60 minutes. *Caution: Cannot be used with 'Emble of Hunting'. *P.S.: Exoskeletons are not exclusive to certain species.
-x-X-x-
I have several characteristics that completely change the shape of my body. A symbol of hunting in which body parts increase, or 'organic evolution' in which the entire body shape changes, etc.
Bone Beast is also one of those talents, but it is slightly different from the ones mentioned above. This is because it does not show any significant changes other than its body becoming larger and its carapace becoming thicker.
'That's right.'
I checked the body with both the hunting symbol and the bone beast applied at the same time.
The body shape itself was similar to that used when hunting symbols were used. The disappearance of vision, the highly developed auxiliary organs under the jaw, and the creation of a new bone sickle arm between the waist and pelvis are characteristics that are unique to the symbol of hunting.
What is different is that thick thorns reminiscent of stalactites have sprouted all over the body. It protruded not only from areas that originally had thick carapace, such as the head, back, and chest, but also from the arms, fingers, and tail. However, there was no problem in moving at all.
The reason is because of the structure of the spine.
The large thorns growing all over its body were made from small, saw-blade-shaped bone fragments gathered together. When I move, it freely deforms, folding or straightening accordingly. Thanks to this, I felt like I was wearing nanomachine armor from a science fiction movie.
"A huge amount of energy is observed. The body shape, color, and color are different." "White A, Moprani." "Well, I'm watching."
PS-111 and Isabelle were also surprised to see me change.
Isabelle in particular seemed impressed by not only the appearance but also the change in color. As he said, my carapace and spines are now silver and white, so it feels a lot different. So much so that if someone who doesn't know Amorph well sees me, they'll think I'm a completely different creature.
'Let's stop here to check the condition of the body.'
Now that the mutation is complete, we need to move quickly. Something has changed in the text window, but I don't have time to check it.
'Void Dice' lasts a total of 3 minutes. Originally, the Hunting Symbol and Bone Beast cannot be used together, so there is a high probability that one of them will be canceled when the effect ends.
'Or both are released.'
This is my second time using the Void Dice, so I don't know what the results will be.
'no. 'Let's not worry about that now.'
I opened my wing arms, which had shrunk during my transformation. The energy released from the wings pushed my body forward.
As I approached at high speed, the Heavenly Sword, a ship presumed to be carrying an enemy ranker, began to move.
｢Goal, energy, concentration, becomes.｣
PS-111 hanging on his back warned. As he said, an enormous amount of energy is gathering at the front of the ship, which resembles a sword. Since it is lightweight, it will not have the same power as a super weapon, but it will definitely not be the main gun of an ordinary battleship.
I immediately stopped flying and immediately used 'Complex Spectral Object' and 'Variable Biological Weapon' together.
Energy blooms from the surface of the body covered with clusters of thorns. At the same time, the shell that houses the erosion tentacles also wriggles.
While the haze gathered together to form a translucent mirror shape, the carapace on its back rapidly thickened. The armor of the powerful Apex creature, Magmasaur, is materializing on my body.
[Zuz zuzuzu (all down)]
As my torso swelled into a scarab-like shape, I brought Isabel and PS-111 under my chest.
At that time, the enemy's energy cannon finished charging.
Energy heat rays similar to Gigacracker's ion cannon spread light and get closer. Even if it is not a super weapon, it feels like it has enough energy to destroy an entire fleet.
The heat ray flying at incredible speed collides with the complex spectral body. A huge tray made of energy fields shines like a prism and shakes.
However, unlike usual, he was unable to immediately reflect the enemy's attack.
The complex spectral object only reflects attacks from energy types that have been damaged by it. For other attacks or attacks that cannot be reflected, the damage is reduced by half.
Since the restrictions were removed thanks to the Void Dice, it might be possible to reflect this as well, but I wasn't sure. So I bought insurance, and my expectations were correct.
The spectral body lasted for a moment, weakened the heat ray, and then disappeared. The residual energy of the heat ray assaulted me.
'huh?'
Although defense was increased through variable biological weapons, it was not expected that it would completely offset the damage. The heat ray fired by the enemy ranker's warship was powerful enough to activate 'Pain Reduction' in succession.
But the pain I felt was extremely minimal. Although the high fever was burning my body, the damage did not penetrate deep into my body.
'This?'
The moment the heat ray hit my body, the clusters of thorns on the surface shook like waves. All the thorns on his body were folded, like a hedgehog laying down its needles. As the thorns piled up, the distance between the carapace and the thorns became narrower.
｢Outer shell structure, highly hardened, confirmed, interesting.｣ ｢Sister, be careful with your head.｣
PS-111 It's just as you said.
The material of these newly formed spines is the same as bone. Thanks to the fact that they interlock with each other to form a biological shield, defense power increases exponentially.
Thanks to this, it was able to withstand being hit by weakened heat rays while passing through a complex spectral body.
Eventually, the enemy's attacks gradually subsided. The thorns that had been tangled on the surface were also straightened out again.
The Heavenly Sword, which released a heat ray once, retreats. Seeing that the movement was more urgent than before, I don't think I expected this result.
'Where are you going?'
There is now approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds left.
I spread my wings and chased after him. Battleships trying to protect the enemy ranker rained torpedoes and heat rays at me.
The thorns on the surface moved constantly to defend against enemy attacks. PS-111 and Isabelle, who were held in my small arms near my chest, also helped me keep the enemy in check.
As I didn't stop at all, enemy battleships jumped out in front of me.
A huge barrier made of alloy blocks blocks me. If it had been like before, I would have turned around and taken a detour, but not this time. I rammed into the enemy battleships without stopping or turning around.
The intense explosion caused by the collision envelops me. The unexploded battleships push me back to the station. The warships of Megacorp and Star Union are carrying out ramming tactics at the front.
It's foolish. I put the Ice Horror's carapace on my head and beat them up. The sturdy ship armor that can withstand even the harsh conditions of space collapses like a sand castle.
Some ships targeted my waist and chest. PS-111 and Isabelle quickly climbed onto the ship's deck.
｢Don't worry about us!｣ ｢Heavenly Sword, we must remove it.｣
Isabel shot a strong wave of thought.
The guy is right. You must not miss the enemy ranker here.
I cut down battleships with the bone scythe arm attached to my lower back. The outer wall, which was several meters thick, was cut like a piece of paper. This is thanks to applying the Pyromancer's abilities to the bone scythe arm.
And he grabbed the two pieces of the battleship at once with his fighting arms. The combat arm, which mimics the Giganterium's body, swells menacingly. In that state, the battleship was swung hard.
The steel club in my hand sweeps away the enemies surrounding me. As the ships were destroyed, explosions occurred repeatedly. I moved forward through the heat wave.
There was a heavenly sword there. He was preparing to fire his heat ray while the battleships captured me.
The distance is not that far. At this distance, you should be able to grab it and pull it with its erosion tentacles.
At that time, my body suddenly shook violently.
The Star Union's Zax Alpha-class battleship, which was bigger than me now, hit me from above. The tentacles protruding from the armor were blocked by thick armor.
'but….'
There is still one more way to attract the enemy.
I opened my mouth wide towards the Heavenly Sword. The tongue muscles connected to the inner double chin increase rapidly. Then the double-chinned tongue stuck out like a bullet.
Dradsong's tongue, embodied by a variable biological weapon, is stuck in the front of the Heavenly Sword. The guy couldn't avoid it because he couldn't move while the heat ray was being prepared.
I pulled the tongue embedded in the outer wall of the front of the ship towards me. As the distance between me narrowed, the energy gathered in the enemy ship began to dissipate. It was clear that he was trying to cancel the heated weapon and pull out another card.
There are only ten seconds left.
There are many obstacles and time is running out to fly directly to attack the enemy.
'Is that all there is?'
Since the dragon's heart was disabled, I tried not to use it as much as possible, but there was nothing I could do.
The monster's tentacles move according to my will. The energy stored in the body is converted into psychic power and gathered into the tentacles. The white tentacles are soaked in a familiar purple color.
A visible concentration of psychic power came out of the tentacles and gathered in front of the snout.
'Now 5 seconds.'
The sphere floating in front of the head elongates. The purple line extends like the horizon created at dawn.
A powerful shield similar to that used by cults appears from the Heavenly Sword to defend against psychic breath. However, even he could not overcome the breath created by the dragon's power.
The shield that held for a moment broke and the breath directly struck the Heavenly Sword. An explosion stronger than when a battleship exploded occurred, and the shock wave swept through the surrounding ships.
The thorns that protected me crumbled as soon as they were hit by the shock wave. At the same time, the gigantic body gradually shrunk.
｢I don't know what it is, but it's over.｣ ｢Energy loss, body color, shape, restored to previous state.｣
Because the duration of the Void Dice has expired, the Bone Beast is being canceled.
'The symbol of hunting is still maintained.'
Since they are incompatible characteristics, it seemed like only one of the two was canceled.
'Still, I'm glad I finished it before the effect wore off.'
As I thought so, I suddenly sensed a huge flow of energy from afar.
'Sail at faster than light speed!'
Judging by the amount of energy felt through the auxiliary engines, a sizable fleet is attempting to sail at faster than light speeds. The enemy ranker must have called for support right before it oxidized along with the ship.
'Dangerous.'
I have already used up a lot of strength and characteristics. It's not a good idea to keep fighting a large fleet. Moreover, if there are other rankers among the enemies, things become much more complicated.
'Here we use the Black Devourer Cannon…'
While I was thinking that, the enemy fleet leaped into the inner star system. More than hundreds of battleships appeared, clad in blue light and tearing through the black space.
You may lose your temper due to the energy drain, but you no longer have time to consider the risks.
Just as I was quickly preparing the Black Devourer cannon, I felt a familiar figure behind me.
It was Gallagon, Aadhay, who was faster than anyone I knew. A purple sphere emerged from the bundle of tentacles located at the corner of its mouth and flew towards the fleet.
The little sphere looked very fragile and insignificant. However, the owner who created the sphere was the Great Dragon Queen. It is a power that Red Gallagon tempered with starlight.
When the purple sphere, Star Flame, collided with the leader of the fleet, an enormous wave spread everywhere. It was such an enormous explosion of energy that it paralyzed the auxiliary organs for an instant.
After the energy dissipated and the shock wave subsided, nothing was felt in the area where the Star Flame swept over. The reinforcements called by the enemy disappeared without leaving even a little dust behind.
｢The Power of Stars｣｢Twice｣｢It's Hard｣
Aadhai, who has wiped out the enemies, approaches staggeringly. The guy looked very tired, probably because he fired Star Flames continuously while not being a full-fledged Red Gallagon. Is it so bad that even Red Armor can't maintain it?
｢Big adult｣｢Me｣｢Did you do well?｣ [zuzuzu zuzuzuzu (it was a perfect move)] ｢Praise｣｢I'm happy!｣
The guy who sensed the sincerity in my brief compliment expressed joy.
'He did enough.'
You can rest now. Of course, the battle is not over yet, so I have to protect it. I stretched out my wing arms towards him.
At that moment, Adhai's body trembled.
'huh?'
A sticky liquid flows from the small Gallagon's abdomen and spreads throughout space. He slowly fell onto my hands.
'Aadhai?'
As soon as I realized that the liquid was blood, I quickly grabbed it and pulled it inside my body.
｢Amo, f! Enemy ahead, in the rubble!"
Without any time to worry about Adhai's condition, Isabel's thought wave flew in.
Just as he said, there was something among the debris left behind when the Heavenly Sword exploded. A strange-looking creature was watching me, holding a rifle-shaped weapon.
'Akira Eugene!'
The undead Megacorp ranker is aiming for my head.
-x-X-x-
I examined the enemy with the accessory under my chin.
Akira Eugene floating among the broken ship wreckage.
In the game, I fought the Megacorp ranker so many times that I got sick of it. I have battled with the third place over there more than a dozen times.
However, the person here now is very different from what I remembered.
Megacorp players can strengthen their bodies through genetic modification like Amorph or Outspacer. However, like the two races, the collected genes cannot be used immediately; they must be made into samples.
And since genetic samples have been changed for human use, their quality is significantly lower than that of purified water. Because of this, it is impossible for Megacorp's humans to change into beings with completely different appearances, such as Amorph and Outspacer. At best, he looks like a Hulk mutant. In the case of Sihyeon Eugene and Code Black, who I fought with, they did not deviate too much from the human framework.
But it was hard to see Akira Yujin over there as a human being.
Compound eyes reminiscent of insect eyes, four horns sprouting from the temples, a height of nearly 5 meters, scales covering the entire body, large wings, four elongated arms divided from the shoulder blades, and large wings sprouting from the back.. They all looked distant from humans.
If it weren't for the rifle-shaped weapon in his right hand, it would have been difficult to think of him as a human.
The moment I thought that, the thing moved.
Its body moves closer at an incredible speed, as if it is skipping through space.
Does this mean that the wings on the back are not decoration? It's much faster than I thought. I quickly moved Aadhai from my fighting arm to the small arm near my chest.
The one that approached in an instant swung one of its four arms. The arm with the hook at the end looks similar to the bone scythe arm I own.
Just before the claw was stuck on its snout, it quickly craned its neck back. As if it didn't just look alike, its claws cut off the carapace at the end of its snout.
If I had been even a little late, my snout would have been cut in half. After narrowly avoiding a fatal wound, I counterattacked with my eroding tentacles.
The 'Medusa organ' is applied to the erosion tentacles. If you succeed in stabbing it with its tentacle appendages, you can turn it into a chunk of quartz.
An enemy that does not react even when it sees a flying tentacle. Instead, the wings on its back began to react by emitting energy.
'this!'
I know what those wings, where energy is rapidly concentrated, mean. Should I avoid it right now? The distance is too close.
Just as the ray was about to be fired from the wing, the left wing melted and scattered like powder sprinkled on water. Isabel fired Vortex One's pistol from above my wing arm.
He must have decided that this was dangerous, so he stopped the attack and tried to retreat. My encroaching tentacles caught its leg just in the nick of time.
Although Akira is close to 5m tall, my body is much taller than him. The tentacle's appendages easily tore off the creature's left leg. I was about to rip off the entire leg, but an obstacle came from behind.
These were the battleships of Megacorp and Star Union that blocked me from attacking the Heavenly Sword. The torpedoes and heat rays they fired hit my back. Akira escaped from the tentacles while the battleships were keeping me in check.
Instead of chasing him, I moved out of the battleship's firing range. The battleships continued to attack with their auxiliary guns and moved toward Akira.
It's not nice to see enemies uniting, but it can't be helped. This side also needs time to repair as it has a mortally wounded Adhai with it.
'Besides, Akira was seriously injured.'
The guy who quickly retreated cut off the entire injured leg with his claws. It was probably done to avoid the Medusa Institute.
While I was thinking that, something strange happened. New body parts protruded from where the wings and legs were cut off.
'what?'
The leg that protruded from the wound was protected by a thick carapace, and the newly grown wing was narrower and longer than the right one.
The regenerative and recovery properties are to restore the damaged area to its original form, not to reconstruct it into a completely different appearance. The creature's newly acquired wings and legs looked as if they had been transplanted and replaced with body parts from another creature.
"Aimoff, Joe, deep sea. "That's his perk."
At that time, Isabel sent a thought wave to me.
｢It is a privilege to create a body from within the body based on stored genes and quickly replace it.｣
It definitely had a strong feeling of replacement with new legs and wings rather than regeneration. It seems to be a perk similar in nature to Cyborg's module replacement ability.
'No, rather, it is similar to a variable biological weapon.'
The right wing that was trying to fire the beam earlier was similar to that of creatures I know.
'It's similar to the wings of the Arcane Orca.'
It is much smaller than the original and does not have any unique, beautiful patterns. However, its form and ability to fire energy beams are very similar to that of the Arcane Orca.
In addition, the arm with claws that tried to scratch me, and the newly grown left wing and leg were all imitations of the Apex creature.
'Change several parts at the same time.'
Variable biological weapons can only be changed one part at a time, even temporarily, unless the Void Dice is in effect. It is unclear what restrictions there will be on his ability to transform his body, but at this point, his perks are superior to this one.
[Zuzu Zuzuzu (Any other perks?)] "Boy, are the perks, there are 7 of them in total." [Zuzu (7?)]
Among the players I killed, the one with the most perks was Jason. In my case, there are 5 'Mark of Strong Enemy' characteristics that I acquired by killing him and other players.
It is unclear whether he killed a player with multiple perks like me, or six other rankers besides himself.
The important thing is that Akira has many perks. 7 is more than me.
"Luckily, I can't use the two items here." [Zuzuz zu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu zuzuzu (Can't be used here? Is this a limited perk?)]
The guy nodded to my question.
The characteristic of a strong enemy's token that I possess is powerful, but has limitations in its use. I think the same goes for his perks.
'Still, 5 is the same as mine.'
The wave of thought sent by Isabel was deeply ingrained with anxiety.
Let's summarize.
It has a perk that contaminates genes, a perk that is close to upward compatibility with variable biological weapons, and three more perks. Of course you can't help but be worried.
'…It won't be easy.'
Besides, the situation is not good here.
I monitored Aadhai with my auxiliary organ and checked on Aadhai held in his small arms.
Her small, delicate body was cooling down rapidly, as if to prove that her life force was draining away.
"Aimov. 'Little baby's condition is very serious."
PS-111 crawled down onto his arm and quickly checked on Aadhai.
｢APNC, active, confirmed. "If you don't take action quickly, it will be dangerous."
Official name: Anti Psychic Nanite Cartridge. This weapon, called APNC for short, is a nanomachine bullet made by Star Union.
If the target is successfully hit, the built-in micro-machines activate and absorb all nearby psychic power. It is very small in size and can be considered a Blood Reaver that only absorbs psychic power.
However, except that it is equipped with nanomachines, it is not much different from the Storm Gun's depleted uranium bomb. It does not cause significant damage to creatures with extremely thick shells like me or to beings that do not use psychic powers.
'The problem is that Aadhai, not me, got APNC.'
If it had been a normal White Gallagon, it would not have suffered such fatal injuries. This is because as Gallagon grows, its scales become harder, making it difficult to damage it with Stormgun-level firepower.
However, Aadhai was born with a naturally small body. If you do not have Red Armor, you can be seriously injured even by APNC, which is weak in the power of the bullet itself. Like now.
[Zuz, zuzuzu, zuzu, zuzuzu (any other poisons or contaminants?)] ｢Not confirmed, not.｣
I'm fortunate that no fatal poison that I don't know about was injected, but I can't be optimistic about that.
'If it continues like this, I won't be able to last much longer.'
Not only is the injury itself serious, but the nanorobots inside the body are continuously eating away at the psychic power. If you don't act quickly as PS-111 warned, you will die like this.
'I would like to implant recovery-related characteristics, but…'
Unfortunately, that is not possible. This is because the genes responsible for recovery and regeneration were contaminated due to Akira's manipulations.
Still, the fortunate thing among the misfortunes is that there is someone else here besides me who has the power to heal wounds.
'Mother of Heaven.'
Having gained the power of the phantom beast Thunderbird, she has powerful healing abilities.
After gathering my thoughts, I immediately created a wave with the monster's tentacles.
[Zuz zuzuzu (everyone come here)]
My message spreads into outer space. The kids who were fighting fiercely from afar react to this.
The silver clouds stretching between the ships turned blue and then disappeared. And a moment later, it appeared, tearing up the space near me.
Thanks to No. 26 receiving my message and delivering it to the Metallic Gremlins, everyone came here together.
｢■■?｣ ｢Grrr.｣ ｢The enemy fleet just jumped and disappeared. What happened?｣
The silver demons and my clones that flew in during the middle of the fight looked confused. Heavenly Mother, who was among them, saw me and flew over with No. 26.
｢Little baby?｣
The two who came close stopped when they saw Aadhai in my arms. Soon, No. 26's body, which was in battle mode, began to turn white.
"The little baby is hurt!"
The Mother of Sky, who was in Gryphon form, also trembled with her amber eyes when she saw Adhai covered in blood.
｢That blood, really?｣ ｢You can't die!｣ [Zuzuzu (Calm down!)]
With strong will, I fired a wave at the two.
[Zuuuu zzu zzu zuz (Aadhai never dies)]
I've never had such a strong impact on these guys before. Maybe that was why the two, especially No. 26, stiffened their bodies.
[Zuzuzu zuz zzu zzuzuzuzu (I don't have time. You have to help me)] ｢…What do you plan to do?｣
Perhaps because the Heavenly Mother had already experienced losing something precious, she came out of her panic earlier than No. 26. She kept her eyes fixed on Aadhai and waited for my answer.
[Zuzuz Zuzuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzu (I will hand over the Revenant Agency to you here)] ｢What?｣ [Zuzuz Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzu Zuzuzu (I need the power of the Thunderbird to save him)]
Her eyes widened when she heard what I said.
-x-X-x-
Even Heavenly Mother knows the detailed activation conditions for the 'Revenant Agency'. This is because they talked about how to use it when fighting Jason in Adhaj's former hometown.
Later, when I was able to pass on up to two characteristics to others thanks to the 'Double Helix Monolith', she asked for the Revenant Organ.
'And superior homeostasis.'
Revenant Engine is a trait that is automatically activated only when life is about to end. To overcome this shortcoming, strong recovery characteristics are needed. 'Superior homeostasis' was a characteristic that was well suited to the Revenant Agency.
So I passed the trait on to her after the magmasaur hunt on the volcanic planet. Since I acquired it again, both she and I now have that trait.
Therefore, all conditions were met for Heavenly Mother to utilize the Revenant Agency.
[Jazzzzzuzahzazzzzzzizeszizes (I'll send Daum Ad High and PS-111 to Giga Cracker)]
The reason PS-111 is also being sent is because APNC is in operation.
The ultra-small mechanical device that absorbs psychic power cannot be removed using recovery abilities. While the Sky Mother uses the Thunderbird's powers to keep Aadhai alive, PS-111 must deal with the nanomachines.
"…Are you sure it's okay?"
The Mother of Heaven let out a thought wave containing complex emotions.
It's not like she's worrying for nothing. That's because Heaven's Mother has never used the Revenant Agency, either in the game or in this world. All the information I heard from the community and the explanation I gave was all.
This is why they wanted to send her, a powerful woman, to a safe place. If she makes a mistake or something goes wrong, both she and Aadhai will be in danger. It will probably be a lot of burden.
'but.'
I believe she will succeed.
[Zuz zuzu zu (You can do it)] ｢….｣
To be precise, I believe in the strength of her feelings for Aadhai.
Because she has experienced losing precious things, she knows better than anyone else how terrible and scary it is. So you will never fail.
She closed her eyes after hearing my short, strong wavelength.
Her heartbeat, which had been beating uneasily, gradually stabilized as she listened to her heart.
"Please."
After gathering her thoughts, Heavenly Mother stuck her head toward my snout. Transforming into a symbol of hunting, an auxiliary organ surrounded by a sharp bone blade touched the griffon's beak.
When we activate the 'double helix monolith', the power to manipulate genetic essence, a response comes from inside the body. All the structures that make up the body, including blood, flesh, bones, and carapace, are split and combined. Even though there was no change on the outside, a high level of chemical reaction occurred inside.
After a while, the result flowed out from the end of the bone blade covering the accessory organ. It was a genetic essence made up of ingredients similar to the black slime produced during growth. A drop of liquid as small as a human fingertip fell to the Heavenly Mother.
The liquid containing the information of the 'Revenant Agency' quickly seeped into her beak. And it quickly spread throughout the body.
The characteristic passed safely. Once the genetic essence rearrangement is completed, she can also use the Revenant organ.
[Zuz, zuuu, zuzuzu (I'll send Aadhai now)]
She, whose body was still adjusting, nodded instead of answering.
I was about to use the starlight coordinates on Aadhai when I suddenly felt a strong impact on my head.
A torpedo fired by a Star Union battleship hit my head shell and exploded. From that point on, the enemy's offensive began again.
｢You bastard!｣
Isabel urgently warns.
Among the incoming torpedoes, a particularly fast-moving object is detected. Akira is hiding among the projectiles and is targeting me.
He points the muzzle of a weapon resembling a rifle at me.
There's no way I don't know that APNC is useless to me. It must have been loaded with different bullets.
He already cut off my carapace once, so he knows that my defense has increased significantly. If it's not APNC, it's probably a bullet with enough power to cause great damage to me.
'No matter what happens, it's not good to get hit.'
Just as I was trying to avoid the mysterious attack, Number 26, who had been frozen, stepped forward.
"this person! "Don't keep disturbing the little baby when she's in pain!"
Before I could stop him, an enormous amount of psychic power was released from his body. Large and small purple streaks spread out in all directions, as if the cult fleet had fired their psychic guns all at once.
The incoming torpedoes and aircraft exploded as soon as they touched the psychic net he had spread. In an instant, the entire area was filled with red flames and metal fragments.
'It's scary.'
It is a psychic power management technique so destructive that you would not think it was number 26. It was reminiscent of when the Sea Demon violently exerts power against players in the game.
In the hell created by the angry No. 26, the only surviving being was Akira. The torpedo that was intended for cover suddenly exploded, and the guy who failed in his surprise attack took aim at me again.
At that time, Isabel pulled out Vortex One's pistol. Both pulled the trigger at almost the same time, but Isabelle was slightly faster.
The bullet that was just fired disappears as is. The invisible and undetectable power of Vortex One swallowed up the bullet and the barrel of the gun Akira was holding.
Thanks to the connection between No. 26 and Isabelle, it became impossible to know what bullet he was trying to fire.
The guy who lost his ace in an instant irritably threw away his broken weapon. And then it flew in to attack me directly.
You might be thinking of cutting me with your claws like before, but this time the situation is different. The clones born from 'Hydra division', 'left head' and 'right head', blocked its path.
｢Grrr!｣ ｢Grrr!｣
As my clones and Akira began to fight, the battleships in the rear also flew in to support him. The metallic gremlins here also moved again against the metal structures created by humans and cyborgs.
'Now is your chance.'
The enemies are caught up in the melee and are out of their minds. Thanks to this, I had time to move Aadhai.
I carefully took Aadhai out from my small arms. I was trying to bring the auxiliary device closer to use the starlight coordinates, but it moved slightly.
｢Big Adult｣
Unlike usual, the wave of thought that Aadhai released was very weak. Even though it was this close, it was barely noticeable by the monster's tentacles.
"I told you that you grew up" and "I complimented you" but "I'm sorry" [Zuzu (No)]
I gently stroked his head with my fingers.
[Zuzzu zuzuzuzu zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu (You are my pride. You don't know how thankful I am for having you)]
These are not empty words, they are sincere.
At first, it was just a contractual relationship. I thought of it only as a guide who would lead me to the dragon's nest, a treasure trove of precious genetic essence.
But now things have completely changed.
He has become one of the most precious things to me.
'If it were me in the past, I would never understand this feeling.'
[Zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu (and the leader of the group does not apologize casually)]
Adhai touches my wavelength and wags his tail slightly. It must have been because he felt my sincerity and expressed joy.
With that, the guy's thought wave was completely cut off. He lost consciousness due to his injuries. Delaying any longer than this is dangerous. I aimed my auxiliary organ at the guy and focused my attention.
Soon, it was enveloped in blue light and disappeared from the palm of my hand.
'The guy was sent safely.'
The Mother of Heaven also saw this and prepared for a faster-than-light voyage. Blue particles enveloped her body just as Aadhai had.
｢Amorph.｣
Just before leaving, she called me. Now I couldn't answer because of the starlight coordinate penalty.
As if she knew that, she said a short word.
"do not die."
After that, she disappeared from here. On the black space she left, only blue particle particles remained, evidence of faster-than-light travel.
After a while, the penalty was over and we could move. All that remains is PS-111.
He took out the MPS-05, which was in power saving mode, from the storage space underneath the body.
"Take it, I'll take it over the MPS-5 that came. In case of emergency, we can contact you." [Zu (yes)] "Once the treatment is over, Giga Cracker will come to support you."
I received MPS-05, kept it in my mouth, and sent PS-111 to Gigacracker.
But right after he disappeared, enemy battleships started coming this way. The unique energy waves generated when traveling at faster than light speeds attracted the attention of enemies.
The enemies are slowly surrounding me to catch me as I cannot move. Among them, Star Union's warships were fully equipped with APD (Anti Psychic Drones). This is to prevent torpedoes or ships from exploding with psychic power.
As the distance narrows to a certain extent, the battleship's main guns aim at me all at once. Number 26 saw that and trembled.
'Even if he is, he can't beat that many APDs.'
Even the psychic breath I fired with all my might was easily blocked by them. Here, it is best to withstand the enemy's attacks until you can move your body.
That's what I thought, but something unexpected happened.
Number 26's body twisted grotesquely, and then thousands or tens of thousands of tentacles came out. Tentacles large and small stretched out like waves, piercing the APDs spread everywhere.
'This?'
It looks like it uses saw blade tentacles, mimic tentacles, and even the ability to change its body, but I'm not sure. Because the Sea Demon in the game has never shown this ability.
The guy who deleted about a quarter of the operating APDs in an instant spread his psychic power through the gap. At the same time, eyes made of psychic power were created on translucent pink skin.
"A bad piece of metal that harasses a big baby! I really hate it!"
A being called the nightmare of the ocean planet and the devil of the sea.
The devil roars in the black depths of the universe.
A word from the author (author's review) ｢Double Helix Monolith: You can transfer your characteristics (except the unique characteristic) to a friendly creature. The implanted traits are permanent, and each creature can only have two implantable traits. The implantable traits are affected by the level increase of the Space Monster type. *P.S.: It is up to you whether you will become a guide or a destroyer. ｣
-x-X-x-
Waves of pink flesh flow over empty space.
The sight of countless tentacles intertwined and spreading out was like the sea in a storm.
Perhaps the expression storm would be appropriate. The steel ships were swept away and sunk by tentacles coming from all directions. Their screams and cries echoed and died down in the rush of psychic power.
The enraged Sea Demon, Number 26, is leading the ship and its crew to their deaths.
"No. 26, was it that strong?"
Isabel, who saw this, let out a wave of astonishment. I couldn't give an answer right away due to the penalty of starlight coordinates, but I have similar thoughts.
The largest Sea Demon I have ever seen is the corpse of the Sea Demon I saw in the deep sea before. Although it was a corpse in its normal state, its size was larger than that of No. 26, which was in combat mode.
However, Number 26, which was rampaging in front of me, was overwhelmingly larger than any other Sea Demon. Because of the enormous amount of tentacles that had expanded, its size seemed to easily exceed several hundred meters.
Moreover, its tentacles are growing in size and number in real time. The body was already buried inside the bundle of tentacles and was no longer visible.
What it now looks like is a giant rose made of pink tentacles and numerous eyeballs piled on top of each other. A gorgeous flower that spreads psychic power instead of scent, sweeping away enemies with terrifying force.
Even while ruthlessly destroying enemy ships, they never attacked me or the Metallic Gremlin. The group of metallic gremlins who were afraid of No. 26 at first quickly changed their attitude and helped him.
Unlike before, the ships of Megacorp and Star Union responding to No. 26's offensive were slow to respond. This is because the communication network was paralyzed due to the psychic power emitted by No. 26. Enemies were struggling and were swept away by tentacles or bitten by silver demons rushing from all directions.
The battleships that were targeting me, who could not move due to the starlight coordinate penalty, also scattered in all directions due to the greater risk factor.
'What happened?'
Even if No. 26 has the ability to change its tentacles, it has never changed its appearance as drastically as I did. In cases where a person's body suddenly changes, there is usually a trigger, such as eating an Apex creature or receiving a trait from me.
But this time, there is no element that can make him grow.
'Are the effects of eating Magmasaur showing now? Or because of Vortex One predation?'
As I was reviewing the various foods that No. 26 ate, something suddenly occurred to me.
'Screamer.'
The screamers that No. 26 faced here were all made using special materials. This is the corpse of Jason, a cult ranker with powerful psychic abilities. While I was dealing with the enemy main force, he was fighting and feasting on Jason Screamers.
'Did absorbing a large amount of psychic power at once have an effect?'
Or, it may be that the various foods I had eaten so far and the enormous energy I consumed this time created a complex synergy that promoted the change.
'If it became like that because it ate energy…'
When all the psychic power stored in the body is used up, it will return to its original state.
Moreover, enemies who are immediately confused will soon adapt. Since they are the ones who came to catch me, they must have prepared at least some countermeasures against EMP.
'So we have to kill Akira Eugene now.'
You must cut off the enemy's head before the chaos ends.
And it seems he also thought the same way as me. The one who is supposed to be competing with my clones is flying this way. Behind him, Star Union warships that were not caught up in No. 26's EMP were seen taking their time against the clones.
Akira, who has escaped the clone, quickly approaches me. Akira closed the distance and pointed his right wing at me. Isabel saw him trying to fire a light bullet and went to keep him in check.
The guy who moved away from me like a snake swimming across the water picked up a pistol. The point where the gun is pointed is Akira's right wing. When the trigger was pulled, the power of Vortex One contained in the gun barrel was activated.
However, Akira, who had already been hit once, dodged the pistol attack by diving down. At the same time, it unfolded its destroyed and then replaced left wing and shook it loudly. Then, small objects came out from inside the wings and flew towards Isabel on their own.
As soon as Isabel saw Akira counterattack, she moved her body to avoid it, but she was one step too late. Projectiles resembling sharp blades cut into the arm and torso holding the pistol.
｢!｣
Isabel quickly retrieved the pistol floating in the air. Meanwhile, Akira approached him closely.
Its claws flashed like lightning, cleanly cut cables and metal tubes scattering across space.
Isabel narrowly avoided Akira's attack aimed at her eyes. It bent its elongated body and attempted to entangle the enemy entirely. Akira grabbed Isabelle's torso with both hands that did not have claws.
When he applied force in that state, the outer shell made of Vortex One's body began to crumple. Isabel counterattacked with several swings of her hands, but was unable to do much damage to the enemy.
｢Run!｣ 'It's dangerous.'
The moment she was caught, she should have escaped right away, but Isabelle made a wrong decision. Akira took the guy's attack and raised his clawed arm high.
Just before the sharp nail plunged into the top of Isabelle's head, a pink pillar appeared behind her. The tentacle sent by No. 26 hit Akira hard. Akira fell from the shock, and Isabelle was freed from her restraints.
"Little friend, are you okay?" "Yes, thank you."
Akira, who was hit by a tentacle several meters thick, suffered no injuries. However, he seemed in a bad mood, perhaps because his work was being interrupted. The guy fired a light bullet and exploded the tentacle that hit him.
"I will beat up the bad girl!"
Number 26, who was filled with anger just like him, instead of feeling pain, responded by sending more tentacles. Isabel, who was greatly defeated in close combat, hid among the tentacles and held the creature in check with a pistol and Gallagon's claw sword implanted in its tail.
While Isabel and No. 26 dealt with Akira, the penalty ended. After being able to move my body, I jumped into the battlefield again.
Green heat rays moving dizzyingly and metal missiles with a strong smell of gunpowder brush against my large wings. Fragments of broken ships, corpses of humans and cyborgs crash and crumble on my carapace.
I broke through the chaos and approached the enemy, sending out a tentacle to capture Akira. It did aerobatics and avoided the six tentacles I shot. At the same time, it swung its left wing and fired sharp projectiles.
I quickly retrieved the erosion tentacles before the objects he radiated ripped them apart. Then the guy turned sharply and rushed at me.
At the same time, I can feel a large amount of energy gathering from its right wing. The intention is to snipe me from close range. But instead of dodging, I ran towards the approaching guy.
The moment the light bullet was fired from its wing, a pink wall appeared in front of my head. Number 26 stretched out several tentacles and took the attack instead.
The tentacles turned into pieces of meat in an instant, but thanks to that, I was able to avoid the energy bullets. I swung the bone blade-covered accessory at Akira beyond the piece of flesh.
The bone blades that form when hunting is as hard as the head carapace and are very sharp. Akira quickly extended his claws to block my attack.
A fierce spark flashed, cracking its claws and my bone blade. With our blades touching each other, he kicked the tip of my muzzle with both legs. Even though it was overwhelmingly smaller than me, the power contained in the kick was by no means small.
At the same time as my head was pushed back, his body also rapidly moved away. There, it spread its wings and prepared to attack me.
'but….'
It cannot be said that it is very wise to focus only on 'me' when fighting with myself.
A large head protruded from the side of the thing. This is the 'left head' that flew in after receiving my call while dealing with a warship. It opened its mouth wide like a snake and chewed Akira's right wing hard.
As its wings collapse, its face also becomes distorted. It ripped off its wings without hesitation and slashed at the clone's head with its hooked claws.
A hole appeared in the hard carapace, and blood mixed with flesh inside gushed out. Akira, who had sunk his claws into the corpse, opened his mouth when he saw the blood fountain gushing from the wound.
Then the mortally wounded left side of the head grabbed him with his fighting arms. Then his head melted like water. Isabel shot him with a pistol.
If it were an ordinary human being, this would have been the end of it, but this guy is not an ordinary being.
"It's not over yet, huh."
Akira did not die even though his head was blown off. It tore off the clone's hand with its hooked claws and quickly retreated.
Taking advantage of Akira's retreat, I approached the head on the left. He has suffered fatal injuries and is no longer able to function.
'great job. Come back now.'
I held the bone blade-covered auxiliary organ against the clone and deactivated 'Hydra Split'. The liquefied clone came into my body via the auxiliary organs and snout. After a while, the left side of my neck rose from the area between my neck and shoulder.
Currently, I cannot use the recovery attribute due to Akira's trap. Maybe that's why the left side of my head that came back to me was recovered in a state where it wasn't completely healed.
At that time, Isabel sent a wave to me.
｢Inheritance, ingestion, you can't do it.｣ [Zuzuzuzu (is it a perk?)] ｢It's a perk to ingest something, imitate its appearance.｣
The moment he recognized Isabelle's wavelength, Akira's appearance in the distance began to change. The body, which had lost its head and one wing, was twisted and then transformed into a familiar shape.
｢Aimoff P, I ate the flesh, so….｣
It has a large head carapace, an elongated neck, protruding horns where the eyes should be, auxiliary organs growing under the chin, two wings, four arms, and a long tail. Although its body size was only about 10 meters, its shape was something I had seen many times before.
'Aimorph?'
Akira's newly transformed appearance was very similar to my clone, an adult Aimorph with only one head.
Akira smiled, showing his teeth as if he liked the world where he felt like an auxiliary organ. I guess I'm quite satisfied with my imitation.
[Zuz, zuzu, zuzu, zuzu, zuzu, zuzu (if it was a special privilege like that, I would have told you in advance)] ｢I don't have time. Sorry."
Isabelle, who was very nervous, apologized to me. What he said is true, so I have no intention of saying anything.
'An enemy imitating Aimorph.'
If you are dealing with another ranker, taking on the form of a pseudo-Amorph is not a bad choice. This is because the adult Aimorph with various characteristics applied guarantees powerful combat power.
'If it were another ranker.'
It seems like he pulled out his trump card with the intention of ending me here, but that was a mistake.
I am the only Amorph ranker.