Chapter 361: |
｢Predation effect activated! Successfully obtained the genetic essence of ‘Infernal Illusions’.｣
｢Extracted the ‘Infernal Illusions’ trait from the Dreadsong’s biological characteristics.｣
｢Would you like to apply ‘Infernal Illusions’?｣
‘That was close.’
A text box appeared, and shortly after, the strength drained from my body. The ‘Symbol of Hunt’ had ended. My enlarged form shrank to half its size, and the various transformed parts of my body reverted to their original state.
｢Well? Did you succeed this time?｣
“Would you like to move on to the next specimen?”
[ZZZ ZZZ ZZZ (It’s fine. This is enough.)]
I had secured a new trait and acquired the necessary material for the Mother of the Sky. There was no need to hunt any further.
The text box awaited my decision. I selected ‘Accept Trait’, and the box vanished. The absorbed genetic essence spread throughout my body, altering it at a fundamental level.
The transformation took hold in my biological pipes.
When an Amorph matures into its adult form, it develops numerous pipes of varying lengths across its body. These pipes are used to secrete specialized chemical substances, particularly those tied to fusion traits like ‘Dark Veil’.
As the Dreadsong’s genetic essence integrated, my pipes began to change. Once pitch-black, they darkened further into a deep crimson. Their bio-mechanical appearance took on a rougher texture, resembling hardened lava.
Not only that wherever these pipes protruded, crimson streaks spread across my outer shell. My entire body now bore markings that looked like molten rock cooling after an eruption.
Up until now, aside from my wings and head carapace, my entire body had been black, which was admittedly a bit plain. But with these new accents, I had a far more striking appearance.
｢Big One.｣ ｢Star’s color.｣ ｢Similar.｣ ｢Looks strong.｣
Adhai tapped my ankle lightly with her front paw, then pointed at her crimson wings using the tendrils around her snout. She must have liked that I now resembled her.
‘Might as well demonstrate its effects.’
With the transformation complete, it was time to experiment.
This trait functioned through two primary mechanisms.
‘First, the initial stage.’
I exhaled a specialized chemical compound through my bio-pipes.
Grayish liquid sprayed into the air from every pipe, settling onto the ground and my exoskeleton like a fine mist. Within moments, it began to evaporate, forming a thick, ash-colored gas. It was reminiscent of the sulfuric acid fog that blanketed the Dreadsong’s habitat.
Due to its strong acidity, even my mere presence in this gas could corrode equipment and structures. In essence, it functioned similarly to my ‘Acidic Blood’ and ‘Acidic Fungal Glands,’ except in a gaseous form.
But if that was all there was to it, it wouldn’t have earned the name ‘Infernal Illusions’.
[ZZ ZZZ (Everyone, move back.)]
That was stage one. I distanced myself from my companions. Any closer, and they could be harmed by what came next.
‘Now for stage two.’
With my body still wreathed in gas, I parted my jaws slightly and clashed my teeth together. Sparks ignited instantly, setting the surrounding gas ablaze.
A roaring fire engulfed my entire body, and my internal temperature skyrocketed.
The acidic gas had an incredibly low ignition point, making it highly flammable. The resulting flames burned at extreme temperatures, hot enough to incinerate small projectiles before they even reached me.
As the name suggested, ‘Infernal Illusions’ turned me into a monstrous entity wreathed in endless fire.
‘A trait that diverges quite a bit from the original.’
The Dreadsong naturally inhaled explosive gases from its environment to create powerful detonations. ‘Infernal Illusions’, on the other hand, allowed me to generate toxic gas on my own but at the cost of reduced raw destructive power and aggression.
‘Still, this form is far from weak.’
Being cloaked in fire made this trait especially effective against melee opponents.
Against small, weak foes, it was overwhelming. But it was also useful against heavily armored enemies or those with high durability. Just as constant drizzle can soak a person before they realize it, sustained exposure to acid and fire would wear down even the toughest defenses.
‘And the enhanced heat resistance is a nice bonus.’
With ‘Infernal Illusions’ applied, my outer shell's heat resistance had significantly increased. There was no risk of my flesh or organs cooking from the flames. This would also prove useful in fights against magma-dwelling creatures like Magmasaur, which thrived on volcanic planets.
｢Little One, blazing hot.｣
｢Big star.｣ ｢Power.｣ ｢Slightly.｣ ｢Can feel it.｣
“The analysis of the gas composition confirms that it contains a mixture of acidic and flammable substances. Caution is advised, as contact with these materials poses a high fire hazard.”
The others observed my burning body with fascination.
“That reminds me of something from before.”
｢Something from before? Ah, ah!｣
“Oh, so even Seo-ah knows about it. The ‘Space Bomber’.”
｢It’s so infamous that there’s hardly anyone who doesn’t. Because of that, most fortress operators panic at the mere sight of an Amorph.｣
The Mother of the Sky and Isabel exchanged whispers as they glanced at me, seemingly recalling an old story.
‘The Space Bomber…’
That was something I was briefly called back when I was obsessed with the game.
Here, I had obtained this trait after reaching adulthood. But in the game, I had acquired it much earlier, during my sub-adult stage. Back then, whenever I infiltrated a space fortress, my first move was always the same.
‘I became the light.’
A sealed environment, an abundance of oxygen, and highly flammable gas perfect conditions for self-detonation. Blowing up a fortress meant losing the genetic essences inside, but at the time, I didn’t care. My only focus was striking fear into my enemies.
‘Looking back, I definitely overdid it.’
There were countless instances where I lost valuable genetic essences just because I was having too much fun with explosions. I only stopped once I obtained a Unique Trait, but until then, many players had quit the game after losing their fortresses to me.
‘Speaking of which, I had unlocked a Unique Trait synthesis formula back then, didn’t I?’
Not the one I unlocked after killing Vortex One there was one other, an old synthesis formula from long ago. And the ‘Infernal Illusions’ trait I had just acquired was one of its required components.
‘I should relocate first and check it out.’
The moment I decided to deactivate the trait, the pipes along my body sealed shut, and the raging flames gradually died down.
[ZZZ ZZZ ZZ (Let’s move to a safe place.)]
｢Where are we going?｣
“While retracing our path, I spotted a massive crater. Based on its structure, it likely leads underground.”
With the others on my back, I followed PS-111’s guidance toward the crater.
As we retraced our flight path across the barren black terrain, an enormous pit came into view. It was wide enough to fit a destroyer-class ship with ease. Even from above, I couldn’t see the bottom, which suggested it was exceptionally deep.
‘No signs of lava inside.’
There was no rising steam or toxic gas, only the howling of fierce winds echoing from within.
I descended, entering the crater.
I had assumed it was spacious from the entrance alone, but the inside was even more expansive than expected. Tunnels riddled the cavern walls, branching off in chaotic patterns.
Judging by its formation, this place seemed to have been shaped naturally by trapped lava and gas. Over time, as those substances were displaced or expelled, they left behind this massive structure.
At the bottom, I spotted a passage where lava had once flowed. The entrance was large enough for me to crawl into and hide.
‘I’ll take shelter there.’
I squeezed into the natural tunnel, where the remains of various creatures lay scattered those that had wandered in but never found a way out.
‘A convenient food source.’
Without needing to say a word, the others dismounted and instinctively gathered what they needed.
｢Will this help your friend heal?｣
“This organic material appears suitable for tail repairs.”
｢I’ll help too. What do you need?｣
｢Food.｣ ｢Dry.｣
“Want me to roast it for you?”
｢Reject.｣ ｢That method.｣ ｢Meal.｣ ｢Uncomfortable.｣
After letting the others know I had something to check, I moved deeper into the cavern and settled in.
‘Alright, let’s see…’
Lying down comfortably, I pulled up a translucent text box.
｢Transcendence Material List: Inorganic Digestion, Harvester’s Maw, Bone Beast, Infernal Illusions, Ultra Control (Not Acquired)｣
｢Transcendence Material List (New!): Demonic Machine, Tyrantroid, Unconfirmed, Unconfirmed, Unconfirmed｣
‘I originally came here for the second synthesis formula.’
After devouring the ‘Ring of Agony’, I had obtained an incomplete trait ‘Demon Machine’. That had led me to believe hunting Apex creatures might provide the missing piece.
‘My original target was Magmasaur and other high-tier Apex creatures.’
I hadn’t planned on hunting a Dreadsong, but circumstances had changed. Now that I had acquired ‘Infernal Illusions’, the only trait left to obtain was ‘Ultra Control’, which I could get from the Antler Cult.
‘But there’s a problem.’
I had unlocked the first synthesis formula a long time ago. The key trait was ‘Inorganic Digestion’, which I obtained while hunting the powerful Apex creature, Gorgon Swarm.
So why had I ignored it until now?
Because of one specific material ‘Harvester’s Maw.’
A physical fusion trait, Harvester’s Maw could only be synthesized using ‘Jaws of Essence Extraction’ a trait found in Amorph sub-adults or certain Outspacers. The issue was that if I used Haevestor’s Maw as a synthesis material, I’d lose my ability to harvest genetic essence simply by consuming heads.
‘Back when I unlocked the synthesis formula, I was still a sub-adult, so sacrificing it wasn’t even an option.’
The other materials ‘Inorganic Digestion’ and ‘Bone Beast’ weren’t exactly easy to come by either. Even when I was collecting genetic essences in bulk at Kesha Arma, I ended up abandoning the idea after considering the risks.
‘But my circumstances are different now.’
As an adult, I had grown so large that targeting only the heads of my prey had become impractical. There weren’t many creatures bigger than me anymore. Most of them, I could swallow whole or devour in seconds.
That meant the risk of needing to eat enemies whole was now significantly lower.
‘It sounds like a minor issue when I put it that way, but…’
A slight shift in perspective changed things.
‘It’d be a hassle in battles against creatures like Vortex One.’
Without Harvestor’s Maw, acquiring traits mid-battle through predation would become much harder. If the enemy was small enough to be swallowed whole, that was fine but anything even slightly bigger would require consuming the entire body piece by piece.
‘And experimenting on others would become more difficult too.’
I glanced at Number 26 and Adhai, who were happily sharing their meal.
In the game, they never would have eaten such things. But here, by consuming what they otherwise wouldn’t have, they had gained new strengths.
The same applied to the twin sisters and the Mother of the Sky. They also needed Apex creatures’ bodies to grow stronger.
If I devoured everything myself, I’d be stealing those opportunities from them.
‘Back then, I wouldn’t have even thought about this.’
Whether in the game or in the real world, I had always lived for myself.
In Space Survival, everything around me was just prey. In reality, I had never formed deep bonds with anyone.
And yet, here I was growing attached to these little monsters, considering their needs, even choosing to share.
‘…Well, it’s the more advantageous way to survive, after all.’
For now, I decided to seal away the first synthesis formula, just like before. In any case, acquiring ‘Ultra Control’ on this planet wouldn’t be easy.
Instead, I would focus on the second synthesis formula just as I had originally planned when deciding to come to Asuka-44.
‘So far, none of the synthesis formulas have required duplicate materials.’
That meant I could rule out ‘Infernal Illusions’ from the unidentified components of the second formula. As for Magmasaur, the parasite-infected researchers were still searching for one, so that would take more time.
‘That leaves my next potential targets…’
A few creatures came to mind ones that were worth consuming.
With my eyes closed, I continued thinking about my next course of action.
---
“What? An earthquake destroyed the Dreadsong’s habitat?”
Salman frowned at the transmission from the exploration team.
On Asuka-44, where volcanic activity was constant, earthquakes were nothing unusual. Even the gravity stabilizers installed in the building he occupied were there specifically to minimize seismic damage.
Still, despite knowing that, something about this report didn’t sit right with him.
‘The Dreadsong is notorious for being cunning. Those things never settle in earthquake-prone areas.’
Even if one were forced into such a location after losing a territorial fight, it would still be an issue. Since they lived underground, Dreadsongs could predict seismic activity faster than any other creature. If a quake was imminent, they would relocate to a safer region in advance.
‘But there were no signs of that happening.’
If the Dreadsong had migrated, there was no way the surveillance network spread across the planet would have missed it.
‘…Bulkarox. He mentioned it, didn’t he? That some unknown massive creature was near the Dreadsong’s territory.’
A possibility surfaced in Salman’s mind.
A being that devoured vicious beasts, claiming their power as its own.
If that thing had come to this world, its first target would undoubtedly have been the Dreadsong.
‘No way…’
Suppressing the ominous thought, Salman issued an order.
“Check every known Dreadsong territory immediately. If you encounter any suspicious creatures, report back at once.”
｢Understood.｣
After ending the transmission, he reached for his desk drawer and pulled it open.
‘If it is truly here…’
He had yet to confirm the creature’s presence, but he couldn’t ignore the possibility.
Considering its reputation, handling it alone was out of the question. Salman had no intention of dying here.
Inside the open drawer lay a diamond-shaped stone tablet.