Chapter 195
Chapter 195
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 195
Chapter Title: Growth and the Exiled Daughter
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'As expected.'
It's always so kind, and its childish speech patterns make me forget sometimes, but No. 26 is a Seed Demon.
Seed Demons have as strong a sense of territory as they do kinship with their own kind. There's no helping it when an intruder enters a place it considers its home.
'But it seems a bit stronger now?'
If it had been killed by Demon Crash, that would be one thing, but from the looks of it, it died solely from restraint. I glanced up at Mother of the Sky, and she nodded.
'Must be thanks to that Green Galleron I ate yesterday.'
Last time, it had rapidly grown stronger after absorbing the psychic power from a dead Seed Demon. It might have leveled up again thanks to devouring the Green Galleron's corpse—or more precisely, the psychic power it harbored.
'Gallérons and Seed Demons are both powerful psychic beings.'
｢Am I awesome?｣
I sent out a wave affirming it, and No. 26's body lit up with joy. It glowed so brightly that the dark cave brightened noticeably—it must have been thrilled by the praise.
"Once I'm recovered, I can handle many tasks."
I set down the Snow Banshee in front of PS-111.
"The head of the creature you're holding contains a large amount of energy."
｢No, friend. Don't.｣
No. 26 seemed tempted by the Glacial Finhead's head I was carrying. I was about to refuse, saying that one was off-limits, when it intervened first.
｢Big baby needs to eat lots and lots to grow.｣
"If I ingest and analyze that creature, I can acquire new abilities."
｢No, I said. Don't.｣
"Understood."
Chastised by No. 26, it hung its head dejectedly.
"Thank you for your consideration."
I patted PS-111 and immediately began preparing the meal.
The transformation mode Hunter's Tableau, which boosts the odds of triggering Predation Effect, had just come off cooldown.
'I wonder what traits I'll get this time.'
I had a few specific ones in mind, but who knew how it'd turn out.
Anticipating new traits, I activated Hunter's Tableau.
-
Odd Grad's exiled daughter, Adhai, awoke to an inexplicable chill.
It wasn't actual cold.
The place she was in was one of the warmest spots on this planet, easily in the top ten.
Gallérons, which dominated most ecosystems, didn't nest just anywhere. They instinctively sought out concentrations of psychic power.
Psychic power was a force that warped reality and transcended physical laws. Places rich in it were often anomalous.
If it was cold, it became warm; if hot, it turned cool. That was a Galleron's nest.
This cave was no different. Warm geothermal heat rose from the floor, and a spring of fresh water flowed nearby.
And that wasn't all. Sweet-fruited vines even grew on the cave walls—delicacies filled with sugary juice that hatchlings loved.
Despite this unnaturally comfortable haven, she felt uneasy. She knew exactly where she was.
This was the place her kin cherished most: the hatchling nursery.
She knew how they saw her. They must have noticed her scales tinted vine-green, yet they refused to acknowledge her.
To them, she was forever a weakling with a disability.
If she were truly part of their "real family," they wouldn't treat her this way. They had recognized her as a hunter.
She thought of them.
The ones who cared for her when she was abandoned for being weak and small, raising her into a hunter.
The ugly but kind adult who was something like a friend.
The gentle yet sometimes scary little adult.
The weak child the little adult had brought.
And her favorite adult, who amazingly changed forms constantly.
According to the pink little adult, it was "growing," but it didn't look that way to her. Her "former" kin didn't grow like that. They got bigger, not smaller again.
Still, she liked Big Adult. No matter the form, Big Adult was Big Adult.
Though the recent shrunken one wasn't her taste.
But right now, she even missed that ugly form.
She carefully raised her body. Then, like the little adult, she focused her "power."
The little adult wielded power masterfully. No creature she'd seen—not even Big Adult—could do what it pulled off so casually.
She spread her power thin and wide. So thin that no other kin could properly detect it.
The power, now like fine threads, extended beyond the cave into the outside. Her legs trembled from overextending, but she endured.
They saw her as weak and incompetent.
She was weak, true, but not incompetent. That's why she turned their arrogance against them.
If you're weak, strike when they let their guard down. It was Big Adult's go-to against enemies.
Through the spread power, she confirmed the guards were dozing.
With the info she needed, it was time to move. She slipped cautiously out of the cave.
Outside, vine-green kin like her bobbed their heads in sleep.
She'd noticed when she first arrived: they weren't in great shape. Most looked gaunt, and the hatchlings were emaciated from lack of food.
But she had no reason or time to worry about that. She had to flee while the guards were out.
｢Where are you going?｣
As she spread her wings to fly, a thought-wave hit her.
From the forest before the cave emerged a beautiful kin resembling white gems or snow, with striking black spots on pure white scales that drew even Adhai's admiration.
Even as a mutant, Adhai's own beauty owed much to her dam's influence.
But this female's true strength wasn't her looks.
She was strong enough to rebel against Odd Grad, ruler of this planet, and form her own flock.
Indeed, there were other white kin in the flock, yet Ham Ort held leadership.
That proved her power surpassed the whites—perhaps midway between white and black.
In other words, the last being Adhai wanted to face right now. Spotting the pure white female, she tensed up.
｢Intriguing｣ ｢This usage｣
Ham Ort pawed at the thread of power Adhai had spread. The wide net vanished instantly—likely seized and dispelled in a flash.
Terrified by the overwhelming might, Adhai didn't back down. Ham Ort tilted her head at that.
｢Futile resistance｣ ｢Meaningless｣ ｢Power gap｣ ｢You don't know?｣
｢I know｣
｢Then submit｣
｢No!｣
Purple flames flickered in Ham Ort's eyes, and Adhai shuddered under immense pressure, like facing Odd Grad.
But she didn't give up. Big Adult, whom she admired, never surrendered, no matter how dire.
Adhai braced her four legs and glared at Ham Ort. The tentacles by her mouth tensed, ready to fire purple lightning.
How much time passed?
Surprisingly, Ham Ort yielded first, stepping back and sending a brief wave.
｢Starfall's daughter｣ ｢Spirit｣ ｢I like it｣
Her crescent smile seemed mocking or impressed—just a fleeting glimpse before she raised a paw, pinning Adhai.
｢Starfall's daughter｣ ｢Weak｣ ｢Ham Ort｣ ｢Needs strong daughter｣
Ham Ort dwarfed Adhai by over tenfold in size, with an unfathomable power gap.
Knowing that, Adhai fought on—clawing with talons, blasting purple lightning.
All futile, yet she resisted.
No matter how comfy inside, she refused to return. Obeying the strong one would be no different from her old flock's exile.
As she struggled, Ham Ort said something unexpected.
｢Ham Ort｣ ｢Prepared｣ ｢Weak daughter｣ ｢Power to make strong｣
｢Power?｣ ｢Can't｣ ｢Understand!｣
｢Stop resisting｣ ｢I'll explain｣
Hearing that, Adhai froze. Come to think of it, Ham Ort could have snapped her wing bones but hadn't.
They clearly wanted something from her.
Big Adult had once said: When fighting the strong, exploit everything—even their power.
｢Explain｣ ｢Request｣
｢Good｣ ｢Enter nest｣ ｢I'll explain｣
What Ham Ort wanted or planned, Adhai didn't know yet.
For now, she needed to find out.
-
'This should do it.'
In the dead of night with all asleep, I fine-tuned the new nest. Using energy from today's hunts, this ancient underground cavern had long become an Aimorph nest.
The floor was lined with a recovery bog, while black mucus dripped from ceiling and walls.
Heat rising from the nest was absorbed by Smog Towers and vented underground, not surfaceward—to prevent steam leaking from the entrance.
Of course, the surrounding land would eventually wither, but we wouldn't stay that long.
'Symbionts are working fine too.'
On No. 26's severe wounds and Mother of the Sky's broken beak, my implanted Symbiont Spores clung. Linked to the nest, they supplied healing fluids and energy nonstop—by morning, injuries should improve greatly.
For reference, I couldn't attach any to PS-111. As a machine-bio hybrid mutant screamer, it was immune.
'A machine fretting most about its body.'
At least it had our most efficient recovery method.
I gazed at dormant PS-111. Propped in the warm bog, remnants of its meal floated beside: half-dissolved bones, the Glacial Finhead's skull.
'Ugh, seeing that pisses me off again.'
The "complete organism" evolution mode Hunter's Tableau massively boosts gene essence acquisition odds.
Aimorph predation success is low—usually needing dozens to snag a desired essence.
But with Hunter's Tableau, one kill can trigger it. The boost applies to gene samples or un-killed kills too.
Downside: non-standard "incomplete traits." Still useful as Transcendence System fodder; duplicates restore full traits.
Thus, I used it strategically for valuable prey.
Problem: it raises odds, not guarantees.
That ugly stag-beetle skull gave zilch.
'I knew Hunter's Tableau isn't foolproof...'
But failing on Glacial Finhead specifically?
No message after devouring it all—even licking blood drops. Then I realized: no Predation Effect at all.
'Tch.'
Glacial Finhead offered a narcotic-producing trait. Combined with my Smog Tower, it'd be terrifying.
If triggered, fusion material secured. Shame.
'...Can't change failure now.'
To shift focus, I checked the text box.
Unlucky with it, but Snow Banshee and Shark Bear yielded Predation Effects.
Snow Banshee essence gave Stealth Maneuver: slashes noise and traces drastically—special evasion trait.
Close to inferior to Fur Pelt of Unknown Creatures from "Clever Weakling" perks, but has merits.
'Drastically reduces body weight as side effect.'
Stealth Maneuver swaps bones to ultra-durable, lightweight composites. Applying it earlier gave puberty-like itches everywhere.
Anyway, post-Clever Weakling, great for evasion or stealth—vital in games for luring or traps.
'Next...'
From the un-killed Shark Bear: incomplete Enhanced Endocrine Gland. Fuse with internal organ trait Muscle Reinforcement for Berserk Synapse.
Berserk Synapse secretes chemicals boosting physical prowess vastly. Faster, stronger, hardier.
Valued in-game for high versatility.
'Exactly what I need now.'
Optimizes stored energy use. Alone, cuts energy drain on Hunter's Tableau or God's Whip.
'Hunt more Shark Bears later.'
Incomplete fusion needs duplicates. For Berserk Synapse, need another Enhanced Endocrine Gland.
With that, I dismissed the text box.
Nest tuning done, I sank into the bog. Amid enveloping warmth, I planned ahead.
'Now it's a long war.'
New trait tests over, nest secured, kids recovering fast. Time to prep for fetching Adhai.
Her White Galleron escort seemed clever—not an easy fight.
'Max prep needed.'
Great strategies and skills demand solid foundations—for Aimorphs, that's traits.
Stock diverse traits for active counters to any foe.
'With Glacial Finheads, Ice Horrors, Gallerons around, others too.'
I knew the dragon nest's locals well.
I pondered targets till sleep.