Chapter 126
Chapter 126
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: Ep. 126
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After devouring the Unique-grade equipment, I scoured the campsite, searching every nook and cranny for any other useful items.
In the meantime, Mother of the Sky remained completely still. She was mourning her fallen kin.
A day passed, and Mother of the Sky came to find me as I rested in the nest.
She said she would help me hunt players too. Otherwise, tragedies like this would just repeat themselves.
'If she's volunteering to come along, that's great for me.'
Even if she had wanted to stay here, I planned to drag her along by force.
She might prove useful after I reach Adulthood, and above all, her combat prowess was exceptional—too good to leave behind. She could assist in supporting Specimen 026 and Adhai.
Since Mother of the Sky had offered to join me, I took the opportunity to ask her all the questions I'd been curious about.
How many players there were, whether they formed groups like clans in the game, when they had all arrived in this world, why no one had reached the ending yet, and so on.
I spent the whole day extracting vital information from Mother of the Sky.
Of course, it wasn't a waste of time. She knew far more than Muriel ever did.
To sum up what Mother of the Sky told me:
'So there was a gathering of players.'
She had fallen into this world fifteen years ago, but the players' gathering had existed long before that.
By the time she learned of it, however, the group had already splintered into rival factions of players, locked in conflict.
Their discord stemmed from a single point of contention.
'Those who want to see the ending, and those who oppose it.'
According to Mother of the Sky, many of the players at the gathering had already witnessed the ending. Thanks to them, everyone there knew what happened after it.
'Before becoming a Galaxy Conqueror, there's a message asking if you want to continue the game.'
They argued that the message appearing upon seeing the ending in Space Survival proved this world could be escaped the same way.
'The problem is how to do it.'
To reach the ending, one had to kill the leaders—or equivalents—of rival species competing against their own race.
Some players held high positions like Mega Corp CEOs or Cult priests. Naturally, they balked at being told to sacrifice their lives.
Moreover, not a few doubted what would become of this world after the ending.
Among the gathering's attendees were players who had survived decades, even over a century. For them, far more time had passed in this world than in their original lives. To such veterans, life here was far more precious than reality.
Surprisingly, someone had actually attempted the ending back then.
In the gathering's early days, the challenger was the rank 1 cyborg ranker.
He persuaded his opponents to join him in pursuing the ending, then put it into action.
'Rank 1, huh. Figures.'
The top player boasted an absurd game sense. I'd challenged him several times myself but never won.
Not only was he the best in skill, but his player perk was ridiculously overpowered too.
It was a perk related to equipment and module crafting, allowing him to add options that were absolutely impossible in the game—without any restrictions.
Thanks to his aggressive use of that ability, the gathering's players managed to bypass the condition of assassinating enemy species' leadership.
All that remained was defeating the raid boss, Vortex One.
The players at the gathering weren't too worried about that part.
Those who had seen the ending had already triumphed over it at least once in the game. The rank 1 player was even the only one to solo two Vortex Ones simultaneously.
Yet they failed.
No one knew what happened afterward—except for the survivors.
Whether they were wiped out by Vortex One or defeated by some unforeseen enemy, it remained a mystery.
What was certain: most of the players who sought the ending perished, including the rank 1.
The few survivors simply claimed it was impossible.
Whatever the case, with the rank 1 dead, reaching the ending peacefully was off the table.
Conflict between ending seekers and opponents was inevitable.
And then there was new information that sharpened the divide even further.
Player perk plundering.
Everyone knew all players had unique perks.
But few realized you could steal them by killing another player.
After the rank 1's death, this fact began circulating among the gatherings at some point.
What happened to the gatherings afterward goes without saying.
A war among players.
Ending seekers hunted down those who chose to stay, devouring them to grow stronger.
Stay-at-home players did the same in return.
For personal gain or sheer survival, they slaughtered one another.
'...In a way, the ending debate might just be an excuse.'
In a different sense from Mother of the Sky, they too might have become true natives of this world, severed from reality.
The war had entered a lull a few years ago, but before that, it was brutal. Most players died, leaving barely more than ten survivors.
'Of course, latecomers like me might still arrive.'
After hearing about the players, we exchanged brief introductions.
That's when I finally realized who she really was.
'Never thought she'd be the Savage Clan leader. Her appearance is totally different.'
It made sense—her in-game nickname had nothing to do with Mother of the Sky. Her base form was a tiger wolf, and her deified transformation was a Nue, not a griffon.
The name and look were so different that I'd suspected she might be someone I'd seen before, but I never imagined she'd be from one of the four major clans I'd fought on the jungle planet.
The Savage Clan shattered after clashing with me. All members quit the game, leaving only the leader behind.
To end up traveling with her in this entirely different world from reality... life really is unpredictable.
"So, where are we headed now?"
[Zuzuzu (The coast)]
Currently, in griffon mode, she had left the campsite with me and was flying toward the sea.
With a backpack full of spoils tied to my tail tip, I raced through the forest at full speed alongside the griffon.
Unlike me, who barreled through trees, dirt, and rocks without regard, she gracefully bounded across the ground and treetops.
Her body, once matted with scabs, gleamed with sleek golden fur after a thorough cleaning upon leaving the camp.
Even covered in filth, her lioness physique had exuded dense, firm muscles. Now adorned with beautiful fur, she truly embodied a griffon's dignified majesty.
Just as I carried my bag, a sapphire-encrusted pendant hung from the griffon's neck.
A necklace enabling telepathic communication with others—a tool that didn't exist in the game.
'One of Muriel's allies handles equipment.'
The upgraded Psionium, Nano Spartan module, Blood River, and other gear she'd used against me were all crafted by that ally.
From what Muriel and Mother of the Sky had said, the ally was a human from Mega Corp. That narrowed it down to one identity.
'Carmelda.'
The Noble Capital family in charge of powered armor development. In the game, their players mainly handled logistics.
'Come to think of it...'
Back in the space city fighting armed police, their powered armor wasn't standard issue.
'It was mid-grade with shields.'
Shield-equipped logistic powered armor was the dream gear for most Mega Corp players.
Game balance prevented crafting it, but this was reality. If I were a Mega Corp player, I'd find a way.
Even without a player in Carmelda, leaving such clever minds unchecked would disadvantage me long-term.
'After the dragon's nest, deal with them next.'
To aim for Ascension, I needed to conquer Earth and Mars regardless.
But a player handling gear development would endlessly boost the planet's defenses. Better to eliminate them early.
'Or maybe prioritize them over the dragon's nest?'
Lost in thought, Mother of the Sky sent me a telepathic pulse.
"The coast? I figured you'd target the Hond giant first. Unexpected."
[Zuzuzu (Got some business there)]
"Business? Aiming for aquatic essences to cross to another continent?"
Mother of the Sky was the 15th-ranked wolf ranker, so she knew well what an Aimorph needed on this planet.
'Unfortunately, wrong.'
[Zu zuzuzu zuzuzuzu (No. Other continents later)]
"No?"
[Zuzuzu zuzuzu zu (Finding friends first)]
I needed to locate Specimen 026 and Adhai first, after all.
But the griffon's eyes took on a strange glint upon hearing my waves.
"You have friends?"
[Zu zuzuzu zuzuzuzu (Yeah. We got separated entering this planet)]
Mother of the Sky tilted her head at that.
"...You have friends?"
[Zuzuzu zu zuzuzu zuzuzu (How many times do I have to say it?)]
"Hm. Hard to believe."
[Zu zuzuzu zuzuzuzu zu zu (This isn't a game—no restrictions)]
"It's not about being an Aimorph. The idea of any creature being friendly with you is what's unbelievable."
She stated it matter-of-factly.
I was dumbfounded.
'Who're you calling a monster?'
Her eyes showed no hint of joking—she meant it.
Of course, whether in reality or the game, I'd never had friends. It was true.
Plenty of reasons in real life, and in the game, as an Aimorph, devouring was more efficient than making allies.
[Zuzuzu zuzuzu zu zuzuzu zuzuzu (Having companions is advantageous here)]
"...I'm curious who these 'friends' traveling with you could be."
[Zu zuzuzuzu (Good ones)]
"......"
Mother of the Sky gaped, then shut her mouth. She looked like she had plenty to say but held back.
And so we ran for a full half-day.
We handled meals by snacking on wild creatures we spotted en route.
Neither of us needed sleep; we could last weeks without it. No real issue.
She seemed skeptical I'd actually meet companions but didn't bring it up again.
Traveling nonstop, the thick, massive redwoods around us began to thin.
The red-and-green haze faded, replaced by a canvas painted in blue.
I untied the backpack from my tail and planted myself on the white sand beach where blue waves crashed.
Time to fire off a Psychic Breath using the monster's tentacles.
'First time since becoming a Near-Adult.'
Adhai, sensitive to psychic power, should detect it from afar.
"What are you doing?"
[Zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzuzu (Step back. Calling it)]
She still eyed me dubiously but wasn't foolish enough to argue. Sensing the griffon retreat, I prepared my trait.
The tentacle cluster beneath my head carapace stirred to life after so long.
Vivid purple tentacles writhed like octopus limbs, all pointing forward in unison.
Then I felt energy surging from my tail tip toward my head. Unlike before, each pulse made the patterns on my exoskeleton glow purple in stages.
"......"
Mother of the Sky, behind me, sensed the massive psychic power emanating from my body and retreated further.
From tail to lower body, lower to waist and chest, then neck and head tentacles.
The monster's tentacles drew out every shred of psychic power embedded throughout my form.
And then.
'It's gotten huge.'
A 6-meter-diameter purple sun materialized before me. Compared to my 20-meter length, it wasn't that big, but versus my previous Psychic Breaths, it was absurdly larger.
'Took longer to charge, though.'
I raised my head. The psychic power essence summoned by the monster's tentacles followed suit.
'...Too big to handle easily.'
It looked still on the surface, but inside the sphere, a dragon's breath raged.
Judging it sufficient, I unleashed the pent-up energy.
A cosmic dragon unfurled its wings above my head and soared upward. Each flap scattered the white sands below and reversed the waves.
The psychic heat ray from my sub-organ under the jaw tore through the air, climbing endlessly skyward.
Higher, and higher.
It flew until it shredded the white clouds adrift in the blue ocean sky, then finally halted.
In the dragon's wake: a cloudless azure heaven and purple particles raining like snow.
Deeming it enough, I lowered my head from its lofty height.
[Zu zuzuzu (Now we wait)]
"......"
Mother of the Sky stared blankly at the sky, having witnessed the Psychic Breath.
"...Weird. You're definitely a Near-Adult. How is this possible? A perk effect? No, unless your species changes, this shouldn't..."
As I lounged on the beach waiting, she kept muttering to herself, staring at the Breath's path.
Another half-day passed.
After much mumbling, Mother of the Sky seemed to accept it and lay on the sand. But the fear in her eyes suggested she wasn't relaxing like me.
Ignoring her, I snatched a crab creeping toward me and popped it in my mouth.
'They should be here soon... Huh?'
Then Mother of the Sky stood abruptly, spotting something far off. Her superior vision pierced the orange-tinged horizon.
"Morph bastard."
[Zu (What?)]
"...Don't tell me the 'companion' you mentioned is a green Galleron?"
Only one green Galleron existed on this planet.
'Adhai's here.'
I rose too and waited for them. After about five minutes, I spotted Adhai as well.
'Huh?'
Something was off. Adhai's movements were far slower than usual, unnaturally so.
'What's wrong? What happened?'
Worse, I sensed no sign of Specimen 026, who should have followed from the water.
'No way.'
I hurriedly unfurled a new nest on the beach.
Big enough for Adhai and Specimen 026.
But as I built it, the situation escalated. Adhai, unable to fly farther, plummeted onto the sand.
[Zuuuuu (Adhai!)]
Mother of the Sky swiftly took flight, snatching Adhai in her beak and landing safely.
Adhai's condition was dire—even polite words couldn't call it "fine." The griffon's beak and the sand turned crimson in seconds.
I took Adhai from her, implanted symbiotic spores, and placed it in the nest.
The symbionts writhed, injecting healing fluid. Adhai's breathing eased, and its grievous wounds—exposing organs and bones—began mending, slowly but visibly.
'What the hell happened?'
Adhai, flying here with critical injuries. And no sign of Specimen 026.
A pitch-black unease, like the darkening night sky, settled over my heart.