Became an Evolving Space Monster

Chapter 279:

"…Did you reject me because I'm a spy? If so, I can explain further."

She barely managed to get the words out, clearly flustered by the unexpected answer.

It seems she still misunderstands. I didn’t turn her down because she worked as an informant for another faction.

Space Survival is a brutal dystopia. Even with the best conditions and perks, survival isn’t guaranteed. It’s like trying to reach the end with just one life.

And she claims to have survived this long without that level of deception? That’s the real lie.

My reason for refusing is simple.

Her faction is a group aiming for the ending, and their quest involves hunting creatures like me, the Amorph.

The Cult’s ultimate quest, the one they must complete to reach the ending, is to "eliminate the monstrous threat to the universe”. This includes taking down a full-grown Amorph, a metallic gremlin’s top species, or one of the Outsiders who commands ten queens.

Likewise, the Amorph must also devour leaders from factions in “three major categories” to ascend. This includes figures like the high priest, regarded as the imperial successor within the Cult.

I’m not aware of how powerful or influential the faction Cynthia belongs to is, but it’s hard to believe they could tackle such difficult conditions.

"If they were that capable, they would’ve reached the ending by now."

In this situation, recruiting me as an ally? It only feels like they’re eyeing me as livestock for slaughter.

I don’t entirely blame them for thinking that way. I’ve been in their shoes before.

When I first set my heart on saving the Mother of the Sky, I viewed her as an insurance policy. After all, Wolff falls under one of the "three categories" that an Amorph must hunt.

Of course, my perspective has since shifted. Rather than using her as a sacrifice for my ascent, I decided to find another way. That’s why I removed the parasite.

This change of heart only came because I engaged with her regularly. Had I not, her fate likely wouldn’t have changed.

But what about me and them?

At this point, there’s no meaningful connection between us. They hold more power than I do.

True cooperation only happens when both parties are on equal footing. Joining that faction now would probably reduce me to a servant.

Look at Cynthia, for example.

It’s clear she dislikes killing other players, yet she’s embedded as an informant among player hunters. That says enough about the atmosphere within her faction.

"Do you think you can reach the end on your own? Even the top-ranked player failed…."

"You won’t know unless you try."

"Are you insane because you became an Amorph?"

"Sorry, but I’m perfectly rational right now."

"Rational? Ha, rational? You know nothing."

"Right. True, I know nothing. For now."

I’ll start learning. After all, I have a perfect source of information.

Understanding my meaning, Cynthia’s expression turned cold as ice.

"Disgusting. You’re no different from Jason, lost in this worthless game world, a killer who’s forgotten reality."

I didn’t respond.

I’ve taken countless lives for survival. Jason and Muriel, who kill others out of personal desire. Though our motives differ, the result is the same. If the real “me” saw who I am now, he’d consider me a monstrous, mad killer.

But, at least, I don’t treat those who stand by me as mere objects.

Number 26, Adhai, the Mother of the Sky, and PS-111, who joined us more recently.

Whether this world is a game or reality, they are precious to me, ones I must protect.

"Negotiations are over."

I used my auxiliary organ to monitor Cynthia’s condition.

Her breathing was becoming increasingly unstable due to oxygen deprivation.

The Cult members’ physical abilities are already weaker than humans. Given how she failed to attack me, her senses must be in complete disarray.

There’s no way she can escape from me.

"…I admit it. I can’t defeat you. I have no means or strategy to kill you."

Cynthia glared at me with bloodshot eyes.

"But I can make things difficult for you."

“Hm?”

With those words, she withdrew her hand from her chest pocket, revealing a small silver orb.

‘What’s that?’

The moment I saw the unfamiliar object, I spread my winged arms and leapt back.

It’s unlikely she’d produce a deadly weapon at this stage; if she’d had one, she’d have used it earlier. But just to be safe, I put some distance between us.

“It’s not something I’m supposed to use, but…”

Her voice resonated with the silver orb. The small object, no larger than three fingers, briefly glowed before turning a dull black.

She must have done something, but no visible change occurred. Just as I thought that, an alarm blared throughout the fortress.

‘An alarm? Don’t tell me…’

There are only two reasons why that sound would echo in a space fortress.

An attack by Outsiders, or…

"In five minutes, a horde of Metallic Gremlins will arrive here."

"What?"

That alarm only sounds when a large swarm of Metallic Gremlins is detected.

The orb she’s holding—it must be the cause of their summoning.

‘Does she plan to go down with me?’

If the Metallic Gremlins attack Kesha Arma, Cynthia will be the one in greater danger. I can survive in the vacuum of space, but she can’t.

Yet, her face doesn’t look like someone who’s resigned to death. Seeing that, I understood.

‘She’s targeting the ones with me!’

“You don’t have much time, do you? If you don’t want to watch your precious ‘pets’ die, you’d better hurry.”

Even as her oxygen ran low and death crept closer, she mocked me.

Unfortunately, she’s right.

Number 26 and PS-111 could hold their own in a spacecraft, but they aren’t suited to face Metallic Gremlins bare-bodied.

And the Mother of the Sky has yet to complete her divine ascension. If attacked before she’s fully grown, she’ll die for certain.

I have no choice but to postpone dealing with Cynthia.

But that doesn’t mean I’ll leave without a parting gift.

I aimed a psychic breath at the floor, bypassing the shield. The already weakened surface, worn down by our prolonged fight, finally gave way.

“!”

As the floor collapsed, both the transport ship and Cynthia began to plummet to the lower level.

The ship’s shield will protect her, so neither she nor the vessel will sustain damage. However, escaping via the silo is now impossible. She’ll have to find another way out of this fortress.

"You’d better hope I don’t return."

I warned, spreading my wings toward her twisted expression. My body shot upward, propelling me through the silo that extended over the command post.

As the cold steel track ended, the vast starry sky welcomed me. Below, I saw Kesha Arma, the immense space structure crafted by the Cult.

Ordinarily, the entire city would be visible through reinforced glass, but with combat imminent, the fortress had been sealed off by shielding walls. Gigantic turrets at the top and bottom of the fortress busily adjusted, preparing to confront the approaching enemies.

One of the turrets, as massive as my body, targeted me, shifting up and down as if nodding. It was clear who held the control.

‘PS-111, of course.’

With the second command center destroyed by me, they’re leaderless. The primary command center is likely in disarray after I sent Number 26 on a rampage.

‘I asked Adhai to go with it and take control.’

Mutants and madmen roamed everywhere, with Sea Demons and Gallagons adding to the chaos. The First Command must be overwhelmed by the task of holding them back, giving PS-111 the perfect opportunity to seize control over the fortress’s entire defense system.

Leaving the rear to PS-111, I focused on the darkened front.

An endless black expanse stretched ahead, its depths unknown. Suddenly, a blue flame ignited in the distance.

What started as a small flicker grew, spreading beyond the mountain and engulfing the city in an intense blaze.

When the fierce blue fire finally subsided, what remained wasn’t ashes but countless granules.

The black space was now littered with what looked like grains of raw rice on dark paper—a horde of Metallic Gremlins.

Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of these creatures, were surging toward Kesha Arma.

---

"Damn it…."

Cynthia cursed under her breath.

That wretched Amorph had ruined everything, throwing her plans into complete disarray.

The orb she used as a last resort was called the "Orb of Savagery". When specific conditions were met, it granted the wielder the ability to command certain monsters.

Crafted by a past Space Survival champion, this relic had ended up in Cynthia's possession. She’d gone to great lengths to fulfill the usage requirements.

‘I finally succeeded in controlling the Metallic Gremlin horde!’

She’d even killed players to meet that goal, only for it to be wasted like this. A precious artifact meant to serve the "Return Faction’s" grand design, squandered in vain.

The Orb of Savagery was intended for a "chosen of the Return Faction."

While Cynthia waited in Kesha Arma, her allies were working to ensure that the rightful user of this relic would reach the fortress.

Had she waited just a few more days, she, or rather ‘her’, would have arrived for the auction set to take place in the fortress. Cynthia was to hand over the orb and guide her to new relics.

That was the Return Faction’s plan, but an unexpected ticket-holder had thrown it all into chaos. Now, to reactivate the blackened orb, she’d have to shed blood once more.

‘...For now, escaping here is the priority.’

At least the creature had chosen to confront the Metallic Gremlins over pursuing her.

It seemed to care deeply about the Sea Demon it had with it, evident by how it immediately withdrew when the creature’s tendrils were hurt. She could also see how disturbed it was when she mentioned the word “pet.”

‘Filthy pervert.’

In any case, its retreat meant her life was extended—if only temporarily.

But she couldn’t rest easy just yet.

That creature was infamous throughout Space Survival. The number of Metallic Gremlins here wasn’t small, but it was possible it could slaughter them all and return, sealing her fate.

If she wanted to survive, she had to find a way off this fortress.

“L-Lady Cynthia… has it left?”

A familiar voice called from behind her. Turning, she saw Montana and his guards disembarking from the transport ship.

“It hasn’t left entirely.”

“Th-Then what should we do?”

Who would believe this trembling man had been in control of a space fortress just moments ago?

Cynthia addressed the half-broken Montana.

“It’s best to head to the First Command. The transport ships there should still be intact.”

“Yes! Excellent choice!”

Casting a levitation technique over Montana and his guards, she leaped into the hole the Amorph had created.

Landing on the first floor in one bound, she rummaged through the reinforced suits submerged in a pool of blood, retrieving oxygen capsules. She bit down on one, inhaling deeply.

“Hah…”

The capsule bought her a little more time. Handing one each to Montana and his guards, she stepped outside the command post.

The fortress’s shielding wall, deployed to block the Metallic Gremlins, left the interior in deep darkness. Only the scattered flames rising here and there provided light.

The end times had arrived. The symbol of glory, Kesha Arma, was gone, replaced by ruins of collapse and decay.

"This can't be happening…."

Montana, having lost everything in an instant, let out a deep sigh.

"We don’t have time for this. If you want revenge someday, you need to survive first."

"Y-Yes, you're right."

Cynthia climbed aboard a nearby hover bus with the gritting-teethed Montana. The inside of the bus was in complete disarray—every window shattered, the floor littered with dismembered bodies. The engine, too, was completely drained of energy.

For an ordinary human, it would be hopeless, but Cynthia was no mere human. She was a powerful antlered cultist.

Placing her hand on the engine, the hover bus lifted into the air.

“There are enemies on the road, so it’ll be safer if we travel this way.”

“Can’t you just protect us with that special barrier of yours?”

“That ability doesn’t allow for movement.”

She gave a curt answer to Montana's question and began piloting the hover bus toward the First Command. The vehicle glided almost soundlessly at a deliberately slow speed, though the distant echoes of explosions and faint cries drifted up from below.

This world-obsessed creature had turned it all into a massacre. At this point, it was no different from a mass murderer.

And even more terrifying was the fact that a creature with that kind of twisted mindset was also skilled. Cynthia had felt that firsthand in their fight. Without the orb, and without its “pet”, she would have surely died.

‘…I’ll need to revise the plan.’

The other members of the Return Faction seemed to consider the Fifth one a necessary part of their strategy, but that was far too reckless. Trying to control a being as dangerous as Akira, the head of the Domination Faction, was no small feat.

Her thoughts grew more chaotic until, through the shattered window, she saw the First Command ahead. The cylindrical defensive wall surrounding it remained intact.

“The entry wall—it can be deactivated from the outside, correct?”

“Of course. I made sure my retinal scan grants access to all major city facilities.”

“We’re almost there. Be ready to run as soon as we get off.”

Everyone tensed up at her words.

But then, without warning, something struck the hover bus, shattering it to pieces. The bus split in two, flinging the three passengers into the open air.

‘Damn it!’

Cynthia quickly activated her levitation ability, halting her descent just before she hit the ground.

The other two, lacking such skills, plummeted dozens of meters and crashed, their bodies mangled.

Montana, especially, with his bulky frame, ended in an unspeakably grotesque state. A once-powerful leader within the Space Dog cartel, his final moments were nothing short of pitiful.

"……."

There was a more pressing issue than Montana's death.

Something, or someone, was near—whoever had attacked the bus. Cynthia swiftly activated her “Mantra of Dimensional Protection”. The dome-shaped, purple mandala spread over the metal ground beneath her.

‘Who did this? Who would…?’

Her gaze darted around frantically.

The surroundings looked as if an earthquake had torn through. Buildings were sunken into the ground, the roads completely upturned, strewn with the corpses of people and beasts alike.

Even in the air, the sight had been unsettling, but standing on the ground was an entirely different feeling. She had witnessed death countless times, but this level of horror was new to her.

‘It’s just a game. There’s nothing to be scared of.’

While Cynthia tried to calm herself, a red flash streaked rapidly over her head. It was moving so fast she could barely catch a glimpse.

She hastily readied a color bomb, and in that instant, another object hurtled toward her. The sound of beating wings reached her ears.

‘Amorph?’

The thought crossed her mind but was quickly dismissed. The creature’s wings made a much louder noise when it flew. Whatever was approaching was smaller.

And then the wingbeats grew louder. The red light closed in at an alarming speed. Her left hand released the color bomb toward the approaching figure, but it was far too late.

The creature, with red horns and wings, rammed its horns into the barrier she had raised.

Ordinarily, its head—not just the horns—would have been obliterated. But shockingly, it remained unscathed.

“Gal… lagon?”

The four-winged, serpent-like beast cocked its head in confusion, then vanished before her eyes. Realizing the identity of her assailant, a sharp pain shot through her right hand.

“Huh?”

A thin, pink tendril sprouted from the ground, piercing her right hand.

She habitually used her right hand to cast her phasic shield mantra, and now that hand was compromised, slowing her shield’s adjustment speed. Even so, it was only a fleeting delay, barely enough to blink an eye.

Yet, was that brief delay enough time for someone else? The pink tendril that pierced her hand darted toward her eye with lightning speed.

“!”

It felt as if a needle was stabbing right in the center of her eye. She tried to scream, but the pain didn’t last long.

Cynthia thought her world was rapidly darkening.

It wasn’t the fortress lights dimming but rather a life flickering out—yet she would never come to realize this.

-

While escorting the Little One to fulfill a request from the Big One, her eyes fell upon a bad one.

This bad one, who had tormented the Big One, was wearing a strange shell and heading toward a massive rocky mass.

When she mentioned that the bad one hiding within that shell was causing trouble for the Big One, the Little One furiously stomped its plump limbs on the ground.

Anyone who harasses the Big One must be dealt with.

Anyone.

And so, she took action.

She thinned her tentacles to hide them in the ground and then struck, piercing the bad one’s body. The creature slumped, limbs dangling, unable to move.

｢I｣ ｢won｣ ｢thanks to you｣

The Little One landed beside the fallen bad one.

It often mixed up words, but this time it was right. Without the Little One, she wouldn’t have defeated the bad one so easily.

So, she decided to let the Little One take the lead this time. She wrapped the bad one in her tentacles and handed it over.

｢You’re right, Little One. This time, you eat.｣

｢Really?｣

｢Yes.｣

The Little One flicked its many-tentacled appendages. After a pause, it replied.

｢Enemy｣ ｢strong｣ ｢me｣ ｢alone｣ ｢hard to handle｣ ｢so｣ ｢let’s eat｣ ｢together｣

｢That’s fine.｣

｢The Small Elder｣ ｢strength｣ ｢thanks to｣ ｢we won｣ ｢I like｣ ｢sharing meals｣ ｢with the Big Elder｣

With that, the Little One gently nudged her tentacle with its many-tentacled appendage.

The act of offering to share the prey impressed her. So, imitating the Big One, she gently stroked the Little One with her tentacle.

｢You did well!｣

｢No!｣ ｢Stop that｣

It had liked it when the Big One did it.

She almost felt a little hurt, but she held back. After all, she was an adult, and sometimes that meant showing restraint.

Together, they started devouring the prey they’d hunted.

｢Delicious!｣

｢Not bad｣

｢I feel better after eating.｣

｢Agree｣ ｢Stellar power｣ ｢got stronger｣

Even by her standards, the bad one’s meat was decent. Each bite filled her body with strength. The Little One also seemed pleased, its body vigorously wriggling.

Something round and hard slipped in along with the meat, but she paid it no mind. Once it was inside her stomach, it would be digested.

｢If we’re done eating, let’s go.｣

｢Okay｣

After consuming every last bite, she and the Little One set off again toward the massive rock.

There was no trace left to show a bad one had ever been there.