Chapter 194
Chapter 194
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 194
Chapter Title: Ep. 194
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Once I escaped that excruciating pain, my mind cleared up in a flash. As my thoughts settled, the fur standing on end across my body gradually smoothed down.
The agony from ripping off my pincer-tailed stinger raw was still there, but it was nothing compared to the trauma-triggering torment.
Only after my body recovered could I finally take an objective look at the Colors of the Abyss.
'The risks are deadly, but...'
It was high risk, high reward, just as expected. Regardless of the suffering I'd endured, the gains were substantial.
An enhanced Psychic Breath that gnawed away at foes until their flesh vanished entirely, and the Gaze of Terror that awakened the most horrific pains buried in their memories.
But the effects of the traits it applied to were secondary. What truly mattered was how skillfully I wielded them.
The real prize was the Colors of the Abyss itself.
'Being able to control its activation at will is a huge advantage.'
I could choose exactly when to deploy it. That meant one trait granting two distinct effects.
For instance, I could snipe enemies with Psychic Breath as usual, then slip in a bubble that devoured them relentlessly the moment they let their guard down.
The Gaze of Terror worked the same way. Unlike the original, the Colors of the Abyss version affected multiple targets. Spraying it over a clustered group of enemies in tight quarters would be devastatingly effective.
And if it applied to any new psionic traits I acquired later? It'd be like gaining two traits at once.
'I wonder if it'll reflect on new abilities too?'
According to the text box, only three traits currently fell under the Colors of the Abyss.
Non-combat ones like Humanity or Predator Sense weren't affected. 'Psionic Reflection Armor' qualified but hadn't met activation conditions yet, so untested.
If newly acquired psionic traits also qualified? They'd shore up my sorely lacking anti-psionic combat prowess considerably.
'Guess I'll find out during hunts.'
Whether the Colors of the Abyss extended to new Psychic Power traits would only become clear once I obtained some.
Conveniently, this planet hosted Galleron nests—one of the best spots for picking up psionic-related traits.
'Anyway, priorities. Time to get out of here.'
The forest's master was dead, but dangers lingered.
Hundreds of cocoons of varying sizes still dotted the area, each harboring slaves to the red substance slumbering within.
With their drug supplier, the Glacier Phind, gone, it was only a matter of time before they awoke.
'Before I go...'
I gazed down at the Glacier Phind's decapitated corpse.
Fresh meat stretching over 8 meters sprawled across the ground—not counting the lower half buried underground, pushing 15 meters total—awaited me.
In 'Clever Weakling' state, my body couldn't exceed 5 meters, making it impossible to haul the whole thing. No matter. Thanks to 'Jaws of the Essence Harvester,' devouring just the head would yield the full genetic essence.
I seized the deer-beetle-like head of the Glacier Phind.
Securing it firmly with my combat arms, I yanked hard. Flesh tore from the barely connected neck, severing the head cleanly.
Since reaching Near-Adult, the 'Jaws of the Essence Harvester' trait let me trigger full Predation Effects from the head alone. The size gap made transporting the entire body impractical anyway, so the head would suffice.
'Can't let the junkies take this.'
The Glacier Phind boasted numerous useful traits. As a monster that ruled vast territories without hunting personally, it was a rare find. Missing this chance meant uncertainty on the next, so I had to secure at least the head.
As I grabbed it and prepared to leave, the nearby cocoons began to twitch.
The closest one burst open, unleashing a creature that charged me. It resembled a long-legged salamander—a small carnivore with ghostly pale skin and a striking red tongue.
Snow Banshee, they were called.
They lurked coiled in snow, ambushing prey with their thick tongues.
'Its terror stems from perfect concealment, but...'
This one was drug-addled and out of its mind. No stealthy ambush—just a reckless tongue lash straight at me.
I caught the incoming tongue with my chest arms.
In Clever Weakling state, my body shrank, but chest arm muscles bulked up prominently. Weaker than combat arms, but ideal against foes my size.
'Like right now.'
"Chit?"
I wrenched the tongue hard, yanking the creature toward me with full force. Caught off guard by my strength, it tumbled forward helplessly.
Closing in as its stance crumbled, I bit deep into the back of its neck. A sickening crack of shattering bone, and its body went limp.
'This one's worth taking too.'
I loaded the 1.5-meter Snow Banshee atop the Glacier Phind's head on my back. Meanwhile, other cocoons ruptured one by one.
The emerging monsters vied for the Glacier Phind's corpse, knowing full well the red substance's source.
'Time to bolt.'
While they fixated elsewhere, I swiftly escaped the center. The outer cocoons had been obliterated by my earlier Psychic Breath, leaving no blockers.
Except one.
"Grraaaaa."
4 meters tall, gaunt frame with freakishly elongated arms and legs. White body contrasting a pitch-black face.
A Winter Walker burst from the forest, blocking my path.
'It's that one from before.'
The very Winter Walker I'd tracked earlier.
Its gaze locked squarely on my back—specifically, the Glacier Phind's head.
It looked ready to pursue to the death. Better to deal with it here.
'Actually, perfect timing.'
The Mother of the Sky needed a Winter Walker's heart.
I set my cargo down. Sensing I wouldn't back down easily, it growled threateningly.
The Winter Walker advanced with heavy strides. At twice my height now, it cut an imposing figure.
I launched off all four legs, leaping at it.
It swung its unnaturally long arm in perfect sync. Combat arm met its limb in a clash.
"Grraaaaa."
Grrrl.
Winter Walkers had far more arm joints than typical beasts, letting their limbs whip like flexible lashes.
Its arm slithered over my combat arm like a serpent. Razor-sharp claws targeted my eyes, aiming to blind me.
True to its Tundra Hunter moniker, it struck cunningly from the outset.
But I'd anticipated as much.
Weight on my rear legs, I kicked up with my front ones—like a horse rearing. They slammed into its lower abdomen.
"Gruk?!"
Reeling from the vital hit, it loosened its grip. I reset my front legs, stomped, spun in place, and whipped my tail with the momentum.
Pincers hadn't regrown, but the massive tail alone made a formidable club. The blunted, severed end battered its legs like a mace.
"Grraaaaa."
It leaped skyward. My low-sweeping tail grazed harmlessly beneath its soles.
More agile than it looked, but still within expectations. The tail was bait—my real intent followed.
Half-turned, my back now faced it. And on my back: the human faces.
Five heads snapped out, mouths gaping wide. Paralysis sonic waves poured toward the target.
"!"
The airborne Winter Walker froze midair, plummeting paralyzed. My jaws unhinged, engulfing its head.
Teeth sank into the black face. I clenched, and its skull began to crunch slowly.
"......"
Even as its head pulped alive, not a finger twitched. A silent scream was all it could muster.
Moments later, a walnut-shell crack released sweet, thick liquid into my mouth. Velvety smooth, like chocolate pudding.
'Mmm, want more, but...'
My mouth wasn't just mine anymore, so I restrained myself. Mother of the Sky needed only the heart, but delivering just that would raise eyebrows.
I gathered my prizes and exited the red forest. At the outskirts, the crimson moss was already wilting.
The masterless woods reverting to normal. Once the infighting beasts dispersed too, silence would return as before.
I focused on my auxiliary organs, tracing our inbound path. Traces of their movement would linger at our overnight spot.
Hours of nonstop dashing through the dark woods after leaving the red forest. Sunlight barely pierced the dense branches, and similar-looking trees made it maze-like, but not for me. Aimorph Super Sense guided me unerringly.
A few wild presences—like Snow Banshees—brushed by en route, but all steered clear. The Winter Walker blood scent on me kept them at bay.
Before long, I reached yesterday's dug pit. Halting nearby, I lowered my auxiliary organs to the ground.
Faint traces of the kids lingered, scattered in one direction.
I followed the subtle trail. Midway, deliberate markers appeared: small stone cairns, claw marks on trees. Made in case I lost the way.
Pressing my auxiliary organs to the earth, crawling far, I arrived at a burrow entrance.
'Hmm.'
Narrow opening, overgrown with trees for camouflage. Even I might've missed it without auxiliary senses.
'Looks solid.'
Bulky load wouldn't fit. I tossed cargo inside piece by piece, then entered.
The interior reeked not of earth, but musty decay—like an old animal den.
Scanning the entrance, a figure emerged from within.
"Faster than expected?"
The Griffin—eagle-headed, golden-furred lion body—Mother of the Sky, greeted me with glowing amber eyes.
"Thought it'd take all day."
[Zuzuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzu (Got all the info we needed)]
I handed her the Winter Walker's torso.
"What's this? Winter Walker?"
[Zu zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzu (Yeah. You needed the heart, right?)]
"Oh? Right, yeah. Thanks."
[Zuzuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzuzu (Nice find on this spot)]
"Didn't do much myself..."
[Zuzu (Huh?)]
"See inside."
I split the load with her and ventured deeper.
The interior widened considerably. Flask-shaped: long narrow entrance tunnel widening inward.
"Biggie!"
No. 26's waves hit me then. The pink-glowing Bubble Amoeba bounded from the inner chamber, leaping atop my head in its shrunken form.
[Zuzuzu (You good?)]
"Yeah. House hunting was fun."
Seeing my welcomer lifted my spirits. Petting it, I spotted something odd in the dim cavern.
'Huh?'
A mystery creature lay in the corner. I'd chalked the mustiness to age, but no—the source was it.
No heartbeat, no muscle twitches: definitely a corpse. Beside the massive body lay PS-111.
"Sub-Controller Aimorph. You've arrived."
"What's that beside you?"
"Sharkbear. Thought it was abandoned, but nope."
Mother of the Sky's words startled me slightly. Sharkbears weren't apex but formidable nonetheless.
Shark head on a bear body, excelling in melee. Lacked psionic resistance, though.
'Wait, no way?'
Now that I looked, the Sharkbear corpse seemed off. Supposed to be huge—Winter Walker-sized upright.
Auxiliary senses read much smaller, like it'd been crushed in a press.
"Came in while we rested. No. 26 got it."
"Punished the bad intruder in our home. Good job, right?"
The culprit who'd cubed the shark-headed bear grinned innocently from my head.
Seed Demon No. 26.