Chapter 167
Chapter 167
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: Ep. 167
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"...Dad, aren't you busy today?"
"Today, this dad prepared something special to go somewhere with our little cutie."
"Somewhere special?"
"Yeah. We're going to Mom's filming location."
"Wow! Really? Oh, but Mom told us not to come."
"This time, let's throw a surprise party for Mom. What do you think?"
"Heehee, that sounds fun! I'm in!"
"Someone help! My kid's trapped under the car!"
"The engine's on fire—it's dangerous! Get back!"
"■■! No!"
"If you hadn't taken them that day, none of this would have happened!"
"Is that what you want to say to me right now? Do you know who's paying the expensive medical bills?"
"Medical bills? You don't even care about the kid."
"Waaah! Teacher! Switch seats with me! This kid stinks!"
"Hey, do you smell something weird?"
"Ack. A skin-peeling monster just passed by."
"■■, if you're not feeling well, skipping school like this won't cut it. You can't just rely on your friends' understanding—you need to change yourself first, don't you think?"
"Shit, did I just see a monster?"
"Me too. Wow, I thought it was Halloween or something."
"Poor thing. If I ended up like that, I'd bite my tongue and die."
Poor thing.
Disgusting.
Why keep living?
Monster.
｢Gr?｣
When I opened my eyes, cool, damp air greeted me. As my dormant senses awakened, I felt the lukewarm liquid flowing across the floor.
'A dream.'
Since falling into this world, dreams had been rare. Maybe just the visions during evolutions or when using the Transcendence System.
'Because of that memory I saw recently?'
The childhood memory from transcending to Stage 2.
The days spent in the ICU from burns. A past I didn't want to recall.
'Sigh.'
I'd forgotten it lately, but thinking about the real world stirred up my emotions.
Ascension, the stage after Adult.
Not certain, but reaching it might give me a way to leave this world.
I wasn't the only one who thought so. The Mother of the Sky said earlier players had aimed for the same.
'But they all failed.'
The fallout killed the top ranker, and the rest splintered with new goals. That conflict had grown to this.
'An ending, huh.'
If even the number one couldn't clear it, how brutal could it be?
In the original game, Ascension had a notorious difficulty. Unlike other stages, fulfilling conditions wasn't enough.
A final battle. A trial from the being holding the world's secrets. Only passing it allowed ascension. Some Aimorph players met the conditions, but I was the only success.
'If it matched the game's difficulty, others would've cleared it first.'
Since they didn't, there must be changes I don't know about.
No thought of quitting midway. I became an Aimorph ranker when all said it was impossible. If higher rankers failed, I'd prepare more than them.
'But...'
I raised my body slightly.
The kids nearby stirred. Specimen 026, Adhai, and the Mother of the Sky—we'd been sleeping together in this underground space turned shallow swamp.
'What happens to this place if I leave?'
Setting aside why or how I fell here.
I didn't think the world would vanish or collapse without me. Too far gone for a mere game world. Better to see it as something new, like the Space Survival universe.
My experiences all had substance. That troubled me.
'Parting from them would be truly regrettable.'
The longer I stayed, the deeper the bonds. The Mother of the Sky, here a dozen years earlier, even married.
My feelings weren't love, but deep affection. A special emotion I hadn't felt since childhood.
'...And I'm worried too.'
Could 026 and Adhai survive without me?
Honestly, mixed feelings: hope they thrive, but also a wish they wouldn't.
The former was pure—a desire for them to live full lives.
The latter...
'Twisted desire.'
Wishing they'd grieve, remember, and feel lonely without me. Filthy thoughts.
'Tch.'
Far from Ascension, yet useless worries already.
Damn dream ruined my sleep, mood soured—better do something.
'Nest temperature still a bit chilly?'
The underground space, once just dirt and ice, transformed under my touch. Thanks to two nest traits: 'Swamp Formation' and 'Environment Dominator'.
Gained touring swamps before Transcendence Stage 2.
'Useless in game, but used like this.'
Swamp Formation literally creates swamps in nests. Hard to use alone; pairs with poison or germs for viability.
Like spreading space bacteria in T&C's sewer. Though game's heals and gear limit impact.
'Swamp Formation at least debuffed, but...'
Environment Dominator sounded grand but was useless in game.
'Overlaps with nest effect.'
Alters nest environment as desired. Pointless for Aimorphs manipulating via nests.
Aimorph nests create survival-friendly environments: boosted healing, energy resupply.
Dominator just tweaks temperature or scenery, no real gains.
'Who knew it'd be useful here.'
Kept it as potential transcendence material like Psionic Organ; unexpectedly handy.
Dominator cooled the space to a crisp chill. Walls/ceiling might melt? Nest mucus handled it.
Nest within 100m insulated heat, preventing melt, keeping interior cool.
Overlaid swamp—if light reached, steam would rise.
'Heat dissipation and swamp formation. First to combine them, probably.'
Lying in the swamp atop nest, slowly radiating heat turned it into a mud hot spring. Adhai and Mother slept comfortably despite cold sensitivity.
'Come to think, Psionic Organ too—rediscovering unused traits.'
Thought no Aimorph player played as diversely; time to reflect.
Much left to learn.
Adjusting emitted heat, swamp warmed as body heat rose.
｢Big baby? Whatcha doing?｣
[Zuz zu zuzu( Sorry. Did I wake you? )]
Sensing my movement via waves? 026 pulsed. I stopped heat, reached to stroke it.
[Zuzuzu zu zu( Don't mind. Go back to sleep )]
｢Big baby not sleepy? Then I'll put you to sleep!｣
Before refusal, it ballooned huge, hugging my head tight.
10m size, half my body but perfect pillow.
'Novel sensation.'
Sat on my head before, but never vice versa.
Its cool temperature helped.
｢Sleep well, big baby.｣
Feeling inexplicable comfort, I closed my eyes.
Mega Corp's Noble Capitals hold colonies across the universe.
Some strategic hotspots eyed by rivals, others obscure.
Yujin Family controlled many planets for gene mods and Hulk mutant materials.
One unnamed planet among them.
Discovered by Akira Yujin personally, uncharted even on shared faction maps.
There lay the nest of space dragons, Gallerons.
Its frozen surface was the sole Galleron gene source.
But all Gallerons ferocious; entering risked life. Maybe 1 of 100 survived.
Danger and value kept location secret, known to few in Yujin Family.
Sihyun Yujin was among them.
Her Galleron genes originated here, so she knew.
But her knowledge of danger went beyond genes.
Only one besides Akira to visit personally: Noble Capital.
She'd stolen eggs, captured mutant Blue Galleron.
Her forces suffered heavily from pursuers. Clone now, but retained memories. Never dreamed of returning.
Yet here she was, stepping back on Galleron planet.
"...Looks like the bastard went in."
In her custom White Maiden suit, Sihyun rose slowly from snow. Hidden followers stirred at her words.
Standard suits froze instantly; subordinates wore specials.
Snow-white, thick like spacesuits—for volcanoes or ice worlds. Comms, weapons specially treated too.
Like others, camo paint whitened Layla Chemberlin approached Sihyun.
｢Gallerons seem diligent. Do they patrol that often normally?｣
"No. They stay in nests except hunts."
Earlier White Galleron forced all landing troops to hide.
｢Good flagship didn't land. Exploration would've ended then.｣
Sihyun arrived three days ago.
As Layla said, no flagship landing—instead transport ship.
Flagship too detectable, risky if support needed.
Judgment paid off.
'Weird. They don't patrol this much.'
Gallerons top predators, but strong rivals abound. Whites guard nests from them.
Patrolling without hunting? Abnormal.
"Captain Nern. You buried relic in that range?"
"Yes. Map please."
Sihyun handed mini-pad to middle-aged Cult with yak horns, Nern.
Ex-captain of imperial mothership 'Damoss 08 Arbiter', lost ship/crew to 'Three-Headed Devil'. Here for revenge.
Skilled with human tech despite Cult, marked spot on map.
"Buried here."
"Quite a distance."
"But shortest time this way."
｢Not recommending that. White Galleron might return.｣
Both valid.
｢Cross that plain instead? Won't take long.｣
"Impossible. 'Glacial Plain' has dangerous beast underground."
Spot Layla's mech hand indicated housed mighty predator. Lost 100+ soldiers to it before—not Gallerons, unforgettable.
'If still alive, too risky.'
"No choice. Take safer detour."
Sihyun lacked time, but failure meant Minseok aboard flagship distrusting her.
'Still need his trust.'
Eyes off map, glaring ahead.
Black barrier on horizon. Relic in one of those peaks.