Chapter 176
Chapter 176
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 176
Chapter Title: A New Companion Awakens
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Adhai and the Sky Mother, just roused from sleep, stared blankly at the Screamer that was now just a head—PS-111.
「Everyone, look! This is my new friend!」
"Pleased to meet you, wild creatures. I am PS-111. I now serve the main controller 'Seed Demon' and the sub-controller 'Unidentified Hostile Organism.' I look forward to working with you."
"Don't call it 'Unidentified Hostile Organism.' Just call it Aimorph."
"Acknowledged. Updating the sub-controller's designation."
The Sky Mother gaped at the human woman's head perched atop No. 26's body, introducing itself. Her gaze shook as it turned toward me, silently asking if what she thought was true.
'Yeah, that's exactly what you're thinking.'
Unlike her stunned eagle-like face, Adhai kept tilting its head, sensing something off.
「Big adult」「Me」「Question」
[Zuzuzu (What's up?)]
「That one」「Speech」「Weird」
Adhai had immediately picked up on the awkward psychic waves emanating from PS-111.
[Zuzuzu zuzu zuzuzu zuzu (It's because its body hurts.)]
「Injury」「Bad?」
[Zuzuzu (Probably.)]
I had no idea what PS-111 originally looked like. The Screamers I'd hunted were lower-grade S-models, so this one must look different from its true form.
'Either way, being reduced to just a head means it's suffered a fatal wound.'
Of course, PS-111 probably wasn't feeling much pain from its injuries. Thanks to Seed Demon's genes, it could relocate vital organs. It might look like just a head on the surface, but inside were its brain and basic digestive organs.
Explaining that to Adhai would be too complicated, so I let it slide.
「That one」「Hurt」「Serious」「Poor thing」
[Zuzu zuzuzuzu zuzu zuzuzu (You're the grown-up here, so help it out a lot.)]
「Me」「Adult?」
I hadn't asked directly, but it was likely. In the game lore, Screamers rarely lived past a year.
PS-111 was a new model, but its lifespan probably wasn't much longer—maybe a few years at best.
Anyway, upon hearing me, Adhai seemed fascinated by the younger creature and scampered over to No. 26 and PS-111.
"External analysis complete: The wild creature matches 'Green Galleron' by 78%."
「Little baby, be friends with my friend.」
「Hurt kid」「Poor」「Help it」
「Friends gotta get along with little baby too. Got it?」
"Per the main controller's orders, reclassifying 'Green Galleron (78%)' as sub-controller 2: 'Little Baby.' Pleased to meet you, Little Baby."
「Hurt kid」「Talks weird」「I」「Teach it」
「Yeah! Little baby is good!」
"Thank you for your support, Little Baby."
Watching the three quirky monsters chatting amiably was quite entertaining.
Adhai, in particular, was acting much friendlier than it had with the Sky Mother—positively sweet toward PS-111.
'Does it feel responsible because it's younger?'
Or maybe it related to the physical defects, being similar itself.
As I smiled warmly at the friendly group, the Sky Mother called out to me.
「How did this happen? You tamed a Screamer? Was that even possible?」
[Zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (I didn't do it.)]
She couldn't wrap her head around the existence of a friendly Screamer. In the game, they were always pure enemies, so her reaction made sense. I probably would've thought the same if I hadn't seen it myself.
I gave her a quick summary of what had happened.
「No. 26 took over that new model—mutant Screamer, right? It seized control?」
[Zu (Yeah.)]
「A Screamer that uses psychic powers. You're right—someone's compensating for their weaknesses.」
Agreeing with my deduction, she sighed.
「Chloe Carmelda, huh? I have a pretty good idea who it is.」
「Probably rank 12.」
Among the Mega Corp rankers, there was one specializing in weapon development—a specialist in rare gear crafting who supplied arms to players opposing me.
「The two sponsors Muriel mentioned last time—one was a Cult player named Jason, and the other was unknown, right?」
[Zuzuzu (Yeah.)]
「You guessed the unknown one was from Carmelda.」
[Zuzuzu zuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (You think they're the same person?)]
She nodded.
「There are only two rankers skilled in gear crafting. The number one is already dead, so that leaves only rank 12.」
[Zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzu (I heard rank 12 is a guy?)]
「In the game, you can pick whatever gender you want. Who knows the truth.」
[Zuzuzu (Fair point.)]
Valid observation. No guarantee the game's details match reality here.
'Gotta be careful with that.'
It had been over half a year since arriving in this world, but I still sometimes judged based on game knowledge.
I myself was an anomaly defying this world's rules, so clinging to that mindset could lead to trouble.
'Keep all possibilities open. Stay alert.'
I resolved inwardly and continued the conversation with the Sky Mother.
[Zuzuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzu zu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzuzu (If Muriel's helper is linked to the Screamer developer, that makes this one even more important.)]
「We need more investigation to confirm.」
[Zuzuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzuzu (Its former main controller probably knows something.)]
Capturing PS-111's previous main controller, 'Pira Eleven,' would yield more intel.
'Timing's the issue.'
Should I take out the Black Galleron first, or Pira Eleven before that?
If the new-model Screamers were tied to players, their commander Pira Eleven likely was too. It could spy on my fight with the Black Galleron and relay info to players.
'But hitting the Screamers first isn't easy either.'
Normally, prioritizing Pira Eleven would be smart, but circumstances weren't ideal.
I'd already confirmed the Gallerons wandering abnormally. Rushing after Screamers could lead to Galleron packs, creating a two-front war. Based on Screamer combat power I'd seen and PS-111's info, Pira Eleven was a formidable foe—weaker than the Black Galleron, maybe, but no pushover.
Fighting both at once would be suicide.
'Let them fight each other? Nah, too little info for that.'
Best to extract more on Pira Eleven from PS-111 first.
'Prep for Apex hunting until I'm sure.'
Securing traits from this planet's predators would let me fight anyone smoothly.
'Plus unlocking the Sky Mother's Wendigo transformation.'
As I organized my thoughts, No. 26 and PS-111 approached us.
"Question for the main controller: What species is the wild animal beside you?"
「Wild animal...」
"Detecting psychic powers similar to Galleron. Estimated high intelligence."
「Friend. This is Middle Baby.」
"Information unclear. Search for creature 'Middle Baby': zero results."
As the Sky Mother looked exasperated at being called a wild animal, I gave PS-111 a brief explanation.
[Zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzu zu zuzuzu (She's a divinized Wolf—basically a Wolf with transformation abilities.)]
"A mutant Wolf exhibiting metamorphosis traits. Updating internal database."
「Middle Baby is amazing at punishing bad kids. Get along.」
"Reclassifying as sub-controller 3: 'Middle Baby.' Pleased to meet you, Middle Baby."
「...Y-yeah.」
The Sky Mother seemed flustered by this surreal setup of greeting a Screamer via Seed Demon's arrangement. Ignoring her demeanor, the beast and the cyborg creature finished introductions and headed to Adhai.
"Detecting special metal device on Little Baby."
「Don't touch that. Big Baby brought it.」
「Big adult」「Friend」「Two」「Can use」「Hurt kid」「Check」「Want?」
"Absorbing that device would aid rapid recovery..."
The three monsters huddled together, chattering via telepathy and waves. Seeing how quickly they'd bonded, the Sky Mother shook her head.
「...You sure have a knack for picking up monsters.」
[Zuzuzu (Tell me about it.)]
「I thought I'd gotten used to this kind of thing.」
Any other player would lose their mind at this lineup. She muttered softly, but I didn't respond.
About an hour of chatting later, the trio dozed off again. The Sky Mother, exhausted from nonstop battles since midday, fell asleep fast too.
The only ones awake in the nest were me and the headless—no, head-only—Screamer, PS-111. It swam across the swampy floor toward me.
"Aimorph. Not sleeping?"
"Got some thinking to do."
I'd meant to check the new 'Trait Enhancement' system before bed.
No. 26 sneaking out had delayed it, so now was the time.
I sent PS-111 away and summoned the translucent text box, but it floated right in front of me.
"Something to say?"
"Yes, Aimorph. According to info from Little Baby, that 70L tactical backpack is yours, correct?"
It pointed with a small metal leg at the backpack I'd secured from Muriel, filled with gear.
Adhai usually carried it—inside were the 'Priest's Golden Spear' and eight Star Union unique-grade weapons, 'Blood Rivers.'
The 'Raider's Irregular Polyhedron' from killing players let me consume unique gear and convert it to unique traits. Thanks to it, I'd absorbed the Cult's orbital weapon 'Thunder God' into the trait 'God's Switch.'
I carried the Priest's Golden Spear and Blood Rivers for potential consumption.
"Yeah, that's mine. Why ask?"
"I require three of the metal devices inside: 'Blood River.' Absorbing them would drastically boost combat capabilities."
"Absorb?"
"Higher units beyond mid-tier terminals have broad self-repair protocols for concentrated enemy fire. With secured materials, they can be used for repairs."
Its words reminded me of the Screamer that killed the Winter Walker on the surface—it had eaten the corpse for energy.
'Not just meat or psychic power—gear can be consumed too.'
PS-111 seemed able to ingest metals, weapons, and equipment like me. Its superior, Pira Eleven, probably could as well.
"Why bring up something that important now?"
"Per main controller 'Seed Demon' and Little Baby's info, this location is unsafe. To protect the main controller, I must restore combat functions ASAP."
I eyed PS-111 steadily. It didn't seem to have deliberately withheld key info.
'If it was hiding something, it wouldn't mention it now.'
It didn't feel like a lie, but I couldn't just hand over Blood Rivers.
Unknown what absorbing powerful unique gear would yield, and I only had eight.
'Three is basically half.'
Needed for the Black Galleron fight—had to decide carefully.
As I pondered, my sub-organ under the jaw picked up faint vibrations.
'What was that?'
Vibrations from far away. Not quite an earthquake.
Bad feeling rising, I flattened myself and linked my sub-organ to the nest.
My senses spread through the swamp surface across the underground space: cold ice walls, chilly air in passages, craters from my battle with the Ice Horror.
While licking over the vast underground beneath the ice plains like a tongue, my senses caught another vibration.
A thud—ice and rock blocking a passage vanished in an instant. Followed by psychic power flows and metallic weapon afterimages.
Realizing what it meant, I shot to my feet.
'Enemies!'
Numerous psychic power users had entered the underground space.