Chapter 356: |
‘We’ve arrived at the Dorane star system.’
Before coming here, PS-111 told me that the planet Asuka-44 is the fourth closest to the red giant ‘Olga.’
｢Now that we’ve arrived, can you let me out?｣
Just as I was about to head out, the monster’s tentacle detected a mental wave. The Mother of the Sky, who resides inside the mouth of the central head, spoke to me.
Currently, the kids are inside the various mouths of mine, divided into three groups. They’re traveling with me. Both Adhai, who can travel at faster-than-light speed, and the Mother of the Sky are also inside my long snout.
[ZZZ ZZZZ (When we reach the planet)]
｢...Sigh, fine.｣
She had once been covered in saliva by a split version of my left head. The reason she didn’t come out this time is due to her stamina.
Since obtaining the agate-colored wings, she can also use faster-than-light travel in her Griffon form, but it consumes a lot of energy. To cross dozens or hundreds of star systems, she needs to stop frequently and consume large amounts of food.
‘She said she’d transform into another form before we departed.’
Using her unique ability, the ‘Hunting God’s Shapeshifting Shell’, she can transform into four different familiars excluding the Griffon.
The three familiars she can currently transform into are:
The best combat familiar, the ‘Chimera’, was obtained thanks to her late husband, the ‘Father of the Earth’, before meeting me.
The Wendigo and her final form were obtained while traveling with me. The most recently unlocked familiar specializes in flight and movement, allowing her to travel at faster-than-light speeds for long durations with minimal energy expenditure.
‘But its combat power isn’t great.’
Moreover, once the Hunting God’s Shapeshifting Shell is used, she cannot transform into any form other than the Griffon for 30 days.
We’re currently on our way to meet a ranker. There’s no room to waste her special ability on trivial matters, and she knows that, so she had no choice but to stay in my mouth quietly.
｢Does the middle one dislike it here?｣
｢Ugly friend.｣｢It’s damp.｣｢I don’t like it.｣
｢Want me to wipe you off with water?｣
｢No, it’s fine, just… no more tentacles.｣
I can feel their movements on my gums and tongue. In contrast, PS-111 and Isabel, located in the right and left heads, are unable to move at all. They’re so large that they barely fit inside my mouth.
‘Should I hurry up a bit?’
I activated my psychic fusion ability, ‘Dark Veil’. Dense black mist poured out from the bio-pipes on my back, arms, and legs.
This mist is made of special substances that disable various detection systems. Moving under its protection allows me to avoid detection by enemies. Since no one has shown up after we arrived, I probably don’t need it, but just in case…
I moved through the veil, which was darker than the surrounding space, keeping only my head slightly exposed as I searched for my destination.
The massive ancient celestial body continually burns itself to assert its presence. The hearth that illuminates all things in mythology likely refers to this aging sun.
The star of life, which had been burning for an almost eternal time, is now nearing the end of its fuel, and countless stars that had once basked in its light are also nearing their demise. Some stars have become the nourishment for dying suns, while others will continue to live until their final day approaches.
The cycle of birth, life, and death is the same for both living beings and stars. Of course, the scale difference is immense.
‘I never thought I’d be able to see such a magnificent sight.’
Feeling the awe of nature, something that would be impossible for a human body to experience, I moved forward. As I fluttered my wings and crossed space, planets orbiting Olga became visible.
‘Is that it?’
In comparison to the star, these planets appear infinitely small and, at first glance, look like dust. Among them, a reddish-brown glowing star stands out.
I checked to make sure there were no other ships or satellites nearby as I approached the target.
‘Only a faster-than-light communication satellite, no surveillance satellites.’
I gradually increased my speed as I approached the planet that seemed to be Asuka-44. As I got closer, I finally saw several cult warships. They were moving along the planet's orbit, so they appeared to be part of a defensive fleet.
Protected by the Dark Veil, I bypassed the fleet and entered the planet’s atmosphere.
As I neared the atmosphere, the Auxiliary Qrgans beneath my jaw tingled.
It wasn’t a warning of danger. The toxic sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere, and the volcanic ash produced by constant volcanic activity, were irritating the Auxiliary Qrgans.
Soon after, intense heat and pressure enveloped my body. It seemed that a volcano erupted near where I was descending.
‘Maybe this works out better.’
If I hide within the volcanic eruption, they won’t be able to detect me.
I deactivated the Dark Veil and dove into the volcanic ash that blanketed the atmosphere. Volcanic rocks larger than several meters collided with me, breaking apart. My exoskeletal surface took some damage, but it wasn’t serious, nothing that would trigger pain relief, it was minor.
｢What’s all that banging outside?｣
｢Scales.｣｢It’s hot.｣
｢Wait. This smell... you didn’t, did you? You’re inside an erupting volcano?｣
[ZZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZZZZ (This way, the enemy won’t notice us)]
｢...Ugh.｣
The creatures inside my snout also murmured, sensing the external changes.
I cut through the black volcanic ash and the barrage of falling rocks, and before long, the surface was in sight.
Like most volcanic planets, Asuka-44 was an environment that could easily be described as hellish. Everywhere you looked, there was boiling lava, and the ground was completely blackened by volcanic ash and hardened lava.
‘It’s amazing that any life can survive in a place like this.’
As seen, volcanic planets have incredibly harsh environments, and the creatures living here are correspondingly tough. They’re vastly different from the creatures on ice planets, where weaker and stronger species are more evenly mixed.
At that moment, I spotted a creature fleeing from a volcanic eruption.
Ignoring the flowing lava beneath it, the creature stomped across it. This beast was called a ‘Bulkarox’. It was a carnivorous animal resembling a bull, with three horns and skin that glowed like heated bronze.
It didn’t hold a high rank in the planet's ecosystem, but it wasn’t an easy opponent either. Its charge could easily surpass the firepower of a plasma launcher.
‘Not that it matters in front of me.’
I spread my wings and flew over the Bulkarox, which had increased its speed after noticing the shadow above it.
Just as it was about to lunge at its prey, my auxiliary organs detected another creature.
From the endless lava river, a mysterious assailant suddenly emerged and pounced on the Bulkarox.
The creature had two legs, a long bifurcated tail, and a terrifying, starfish-like mouth with five prongs. It quickly climbed onto the Bulkarox’s back, and with a sickle-shaped bone at the end of its tail, it decapitated the bronze bull monster in an instant.
“......”
The Bulkarox spilled thick lava-like blood from its wound and collapsed to the lava floor.
“Kyiak! Kyaaak!”
The predator, having skillfully made its kill, raised its head and howled triumphantly.
Its name was ‘Lavaraptor’.
These creatures hide in the lava and suddenly jump out to hunt their prey. While their average size is only between 4 and 5 meters and they may seem insignificant, that’s not what makes them so terrifying.
“Kyiak!”
“Kyaaak!”
“Kyiak!”
In response to the victorious cry of one Lavaraptor, hundreds of others nearby joined in a chorus of howls.
The true power of the Lavaraptors lies in their ability to hunt in large packs. Unlike the Gallagons, who gather in small numbers, Lavaraptor packs consist of at least a hundred members. Hundreds of Lavaraptors, leaping out of the lava, growled and glared at me, who was hovering in the air.
I paid no mind to their reactions and landed firmly on the blackened ground. The shockwave from my massive body hitting the earth caused volcanic gases and debris to scatter around me.
“Kiiiaaak!”
As the creature that had killed the Bulkarox let out another roar, the smaller hunters began to stir. Noticing me for the first time today, they began to cautiously approach, forming a surrounding formation.
‘Are they that hungry?’
While Lavaraptors aren’t as intelligent as Gallagons, they’re still quite smart. They don’t recklessly charge at enemies they can’t hunt. Considering my size is several times larger than the Lavaraptor leader’s, it’s surprising that they aren’t fleeing.
‘Has something changed in the environment?’
I’m not sure why, but the increase in prey is certainly a welcome development.
I opened all three of my mouths wide. The Mother of the Sky, in her humanoid form, and Adhai emerged from the central mouth, stretching out their wings. Number 26 used its tentacles to latch onto my fangs, then landed on top of my head.
｢The only one hiding in a volcanic eruption like this would be you.｣
｢Hot.｣｢It’s burning.｣
｢There’s a lot of banging here!｣
Soon after, PS-111 and Isabel crawled out from the left and right heads. PS-111, having jumped onto the lava, stretched out its bent legs. Isabel, who had been curled up, immediately took to the air as soon as she emerged from my snout.
“A fresh experience to be carried in an Amorph’s mouth and come to a volcanic planet.”
“The creatures visible right now are identified as ‘Bulkarox’ and ‘Lavaraptor.’ They have undergone a high degree of evolutionary adaptation to survive in this extreme environment.”
I thought there was only one enemy, but suddenly more appeared, causing the Lavaraptors to become agitated.
“Kiiak!”
The leader howled, rallying the confused pack. The creatures, who had been moving cautiously, now leapt toward us in unison.
“Judging by the number of them, there must be over 200. That’s a pretty large group.”
“These creatures are worth studying.”
｢…We’ve barely arrived and we’re already fighting.｣
｢Hunt.｣｢Fun.｣
｢Food! Food!｣
With over 200 Lavalraptors, it would be more than enough to satisfy our hunger from the long journey.
It didn’t take long to clean up the clueless snacks that charged at us.