I Became an Evolving Space Monster

[Translator – Seraph]

[Proofreader – Thala]

Chapter 195

‘Of course.’

Though it is always friendly and with a childish tone, I sometimes forget, Number 26 is a Sea Demon.

Sea Demons possess not only a strong sense of kinship but also a strong territorial instinct. Since the enemy entered what it considers its territory, it’s only natural.

‘But still, it seems like it’s gotten stronger?’

‘Maybe it’s because of the Green Gallagon from yesterday.’

Previously, after absorbing the psychic power of a dead Sea Demon, it grew rapidly. It might be another growth spurt thanks to devouring the Green Gallagon’s corpse, or more precisely, the psychic power contained within it.

‘Both Gallagons and Sea Demons are powerful psychic beings.’

[ZZZZ ZZZ (Well done)]

｢Am I amazing?｣

[ZZ (Yes)]

As I send a wave of affirmation, it lights up with joy. Seeing it shine so brightly in the dark cave, it seems receiving praise is quite pleasing.

[If I recover, I can do a lot too.]

[ZZZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZ (That’s why I brought this for you.)]

I set down the Snow Banshee in front of PS-111.

[ZZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZ (Eat with the Sharkbear)]

[The head of the creature you’re carrying contains a considerable amount of energy.]

｢Friend, no.｣

It seemed eager for the Glacier Find’s head I was carrying. I was about to refuse outright, but Number 26 intervened first.

｢To grow big, big ones need to eat a lot, a lot.｣

[If we consume and analyze that creature, I can also acquire new abilities.]

｢No, you can’t.｣

[Sorry.]

When scolded by Number 26, it lowered its head with a sullen attitude.

[ZZZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZ (Let’s do this, after eating, I’ll go out and fetch a new prey for you)]

[Thank you for your consideration.]

After petting PS-111, I started preparing the meal.

Transformation mode that increases the chance of prey effect activation, the embodiment of hunting. The cooldown has just ended.

‘What kind of traits will come out this time?’

I have a few traits in mind, but who knows what will actually come out.

With expectations for new traits, I activated the ‘Symbol of Hunt’

***.

Adhai, the exiled daughter of Odd Grad, woke up feeling an unfamiliar chill.

It wasn’t actually cold.

In fact, the place she was in was warm enough to fit within the top ten warmest places on this planet.

Gallagons, typically dominating the upper echelons in any ecosystem, don’t nest just anywhere. Gallagons instinctively seek out places where psychic power is concentrated.

Psychic power is a force that distorts reality and transcends physical laws. Places where this power is concentrated tend to be abnormal.

In a cold place, warmth is comforting, while in a hot place, coolness is the nest’s comfort.

This cave was no exception. Warm geothermal heat rose from the ground, and nearby, there was even a spring with fresh water flowing.

But that’s not all. There were vines on the cave walls bearing sweet fruits. These fruits, filled with sweet juice, were a favorite delicacy among the young of her kin.

Despite being an abnormally comfortable place, she felt uneasy. Because she knew where this was.

This was the place most cherished by her kin, where the Hatchlings dwelled.

It was clear how they viewed her. Despite her scales tinged with vine-like hues, they refused to acknowledge her.

To them, she was always just a weakling with a disability.

If they were her “true family,” they wouldn’t treat her like this. They had acknowledged her as a hunter.

She thought of them.

The ones who cared for her weakness, nurtured her as a hunter.

Ugly but a gentle adult and friend in their own way.

Gentle, but sometimes showing a frightening side, the little adult.

The weak child brought by the little adult.

And the adult she liked. Strangely, he frequently changed his appearance.

The little adult said it was about growing, but it looked very different to her. Her “previous” kin didn’t grow like that. They didn’t grow bigger, only to shrink again.

Still, she liked the big adult. No matter how his appearance changed, he was still the big adult.

Of course, she didn’t like his recent smaller form.

But right now, she wanted to see that ugly appearance.

She gently got up and concentrated “strength” as the little adult used to do.

The little adult was very skilled with strength. Any creature she had seen, even the big adult, couldn’t do what it casually did.

She spread her strength wide and thin. It was so thin that other kin besides her wouldn’t even recognize it properly.

The thin thread-like strength spread beyond the cave to the outside. As she exerted her strength beyond its limits, her legs wobbled, but she managed somehow.

They saw her as weak and incompetent.

She was weak, that was true, but not incompetent. So, she decided to exploit their arrogance.

If I’m weak, I must seize the opportunity when the opponent lets their guard down. It was a method the big adult often used in battle.

Through the widely spread strength, she could confirm that the watchers were dozing off.

Now that she had obtained the desired information, it was time to act. She cautiously stepped out of the cave.

Outside, kin with vine-like hues like her were nodding off just like her.

As she had sensed when she first arrived, her kin didn’t seem to be in good shape. Most looked emaciated, and the Hatchlings were so thin from not eating properly.

But she had no reason to care about that, nor time. She needed to flee quickly while the guards were still drowsy.

｢Where are you going?｣

Just as she was about to take flight, a Gallagon flew over.

A kin with white gems resembling snow in the forest in front of the cave had appeared.

Even to Adhai, born with mutations, the impressive figure with white scales and black spots was so beautiful that admiration came naturally. Surely, the influence of her mother played a significant role in her ability to boast exceptional beauty.

But the true strength of that female wasn’t her beauty alone.

In a planet dominated by Odd Grad, to raise a new flock was very difficult; But she was strong enough to establish a new flock. In fact, in this flock, there were a few more individuals besides her. Nevertheless, Ham Ort maintained her position as the leader.

Seeing that, her strength certainly surpassed normal white gallagons. Perhaps she positioned somewhere between white and black.

In other words, a presence one would absolutely not want to encounter. Adhai, upon seeing the white female, tensed up.

｢Interesting｣ ｢This method.｣

Ham Ort touched with her forepaw the thread of power Adhai had spread. In an instant, the wide-spreading net vanished. It seemed she had snatched away and released Adhai’s control.

Despite being overwhelmed by the opponent’s power, Adhai didn’t retreat. Witnessing her determination, Ham Ort nodded slightly.

｢Meaningless resistance｣ ｢It’s pointless｣ ｢The difference in power｣ ｢Don’t you understand?｣

｢I do.｣

｢Then surrender.｣

｢Refusal!｣

Purple flames flickered in Ham Ort’s eyes, and Adhai felt her body trembling. The immense pressure, reminiscent of facing Odd Grad, overwhelmed her.

But she didn’t give up. Because the adult she respected never gave up, no matter how tough the situation.

Adhai put strength into her four legs and glared at Ham Ort. The tentacles on her mouth were tightly tensed, ready to unleash purple lightning at any moment.

How much time had passed?

Surprisingly, it was Ham Ort who retreated. Stepping back, she sent a short gesture.

｢Daughter of the Meteor｣ ｢Stubbornness｣ ｢I like it.｣

The slightly tilted crescent-shaped figure of the opponent seemed to mock and admire at the same time. However, it was a fleeting sight, and she immediately raised her forepaw to crush Adhai.

｢Daughter of the Meteor｣ ｢Weak｣ ｢Ham Ort｣ ｢Strong daughter｣ ｢Necessary.｣

Adhai and Ham Ort had a more than tenfold difference in physique alone. There was an incomparable gap in strength.

Despite knowing this fact, Adhai didn’t give up. She clawed with her claws and sent purple lightning, but everything was in vain. Yet she kept resisting.

Even though that interior might be comfortable, she didn’t want to go back. If she followed the orders of a powerful opponent, it wouldn’t be much different from being chased away from her previous flock.

As she struggled, Ham Ort unexpectedly brought up something entirely unexpected.

｢Ham Ort｣ ｢Prepared｣ ｢Weak daughter｣ ｢Power to make strong.｣

｢Strength?｣ ｢Understand｣ ｢Impossible!｣

｢Resistance｣ ｢I’ll explain if you give up.｣

Upon hearing those words, Adhai stopped moving. Now that she thought about it, Ham Ort could have broken her wing bones but didn’t.

Clearly, there was something they wanted from her.

Once, the adult said,

‘When facing a formidable enemy, utilize everything at your disposal. Even if it’s the enemy’s strength.’

｢Explanation｣ ｢Request.｣

｢Fine｣ ｢Go back to the nest｣ ｢I’ll explain.｣

***

‘I don’t know what Ham Ort wants, what she’s thinking’

‘For now, I need to find out that part first.’

‘This should be sufficient.’

In the dead of night when everyone was asleep, I was adjusting the new nest. This ancient underground cave had been transformed into Amorph’s nest for a long time, fueled by the energy acquired during the day.

On the floor lay marshes aiding in the Amorph’s recovery, while black mucus dripped from the ceiling and walls.

The heat rising from the nest was being sucked in by the “smog towers,” releasing it underground instead of on the surface to prevent the steam from escaping through the cave entrance.

Of course, with time, the land around here would dry up completely, but I don’t plan on staying that long.

‘The symbiotes are functioning well.’

Despite sustaining significant injuries, Number 26, with a broken beak, had “symbiote spores” I implanted attached to the body of the injured Sky Mother. Through the spores connected to the nest, healing fluid and energy were continuously supplied, so her wounds would significantly improve by tomorrow morning.

By the way, I couldn’t attach them to PS-111. Being a hybrid of machine and organism, a mutant screamer, he couldn’t benefit from the symbiotic effect.

‘A machine needing the most care, of all things.’

Perhaps I should take comfort in the fact that he’s the most efficient means of recovery among us.

I looked at the dormant PS-111. Traces of the food I had eaten during the day floated around beside him, as he lay in the warm marsh.

Half-dissolved bones, the skull of a Glacier Fiend.

‘Ha, just looking at that annoys me again.’

The “Symbol of Hunt” , an evolved mode of the “Perfect Organism,” greatly increases the chance of acquiring genetic essence.

Amorph’s success rate in predation is low. Typically, one would need to prey on dozens of individuals to barely obtain the desired genetic essence.

However, with the Symbol of Hunt just preying on a single individual would suffice to exhibit the predatory effect. This effect also applies to genetic samples or organisms I haven’t killed.

However, in this case, the acquired trait is obtained not in a normal state but as an “imperfect trait.” Nevertheless, imperfect traits can be used as materials for the Transcendence System, and if the same trait is acquired twice, it can be restored as a perfect trait, so they’re not entirely useless.

Due to this, whenever I ate prey with strategically important value, I used the Symbol of Hunt.

The problem is that it doesn’t increase the predation success rate to 100%.

The skull resembling an ugly deer beetle gave me no reward.

‘I knew the predation effect wouldn’t always activate, but…’

Of all things, it had to be that the predatory effect wouldn’t work on Glacier Fiend.

Even after eating everything and not seeing any messages popping up, I thought I might have missed something.

Only after licking up even the blood droplets on the floor did I realize. The predatory effect hadn’t been triggered at all.

‘Tch.’

Among the traits that can be obtained from Glacier Fiend is a trait that generates narcotic substances. When combined with my ‘Smog Tower’ trait, it becomes a very formidable ability. It’s regrettable that the predatory effect didn’t trigger; it could have been used as a fusion material.

‘…Ah, nothing can be done about what’s already failed.’

To distract myself from Glacier Fiend, I checked the text box. Unfortunately, I didn’t acquire any traits from the creature, but I could exhibit predatory effects from other prey like Snow Banshees and Shark Bears.

The trait from the Snow Banshee’s genetic essence is ‘Stealth Movement.’ It drastically reduces sound and traces when moving, a special defense trait. It’s inferior compared to the ‘Unknown Creature’s Fur’ from the ‘Intelligent Weakling’ mode, but it’s not without its advantages.

‘It significantly reduces body weight as a side effect.’

With Stealth Movement, the bone structure becomes extremely robust but is replaced by lightweight synthetic materials. When I applied the trait during the day, I felt tingling all over my body, reminiscent of adolescence.

Nevertheless, this trait is incredibly helpful for evading enemy tracking or concealing oneself even after releasing the Intelligent Weakling. I used Stealth Movement effectively in the game to lure enemies or set traps.

‘Now, onto…’

From the Shark Bear I didn’t kill, I obtained ‘Enhanced Endocrine Gland’ as an imperfect trait. When fused with the internal organ trait ‘Muscle Reinforcement,’ it yields the trait ‘Berserk Synapse.’

Berserk Synapse secretes special chemicals to significantly enhance physical abilities. With this trait, one becomes faster, stronger, and gains more vitality than before. While it doesn’t offer anything special in the game, it’s praised for its versatility.

“It’s one of the essential traits I need right now.”

Berserk Synapse helps in utilizing stored energy more efficiently. With this trait alone, I can reduce the energy consumption of the Symbol of Hunt or ‘Divine Halberd.’

‘After this, I should look for more Shark Bears.’

To use imperfect traits as fusion materials, I need two of the same traits. To fuse Berserk Synapse, I need to obtain Enhanced Endocrine Glands again.

With that, I dismissed the text box.

With all adjustments to the nest completed, I quietly nestled into the marsh. Wrapped in the warmth enveloping my body, I pondered the tasks ahead.

‘Now, it’s a long-term plan.’

The experiments with the newly acquired traits are over, and the new nest is secured. The kids are recovering quickly, so it’s time to prepare to bring in the Adhai.

The White Gallagon that took away Adhai seemed quite intelligent, so the fight won’t be easy.

‘I need to prepare as much as possible.’

To fully demonstrate good strategy and excellent skills, one must establish a solid foundation. And for Amorph, that foundation is none other than traits.

It’s essential to possess a variety of traits so that I can proactively deal with any enemy.

‘With Glacier Fiend, Ice Horror, and Gallagon, there are bound to be others.’

I’m well aware of which creatures predominantly inhabit the area around the Gallagon’s nest.

Until I fell asleep, I contemplated what to target first.

[Translator – Seraph]

[Proofreader – Thala]