Chapter 205
Chapter 205
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 205
Chapter Title: Ep. 205
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Survival is competition itself.
Finding prey, securing a place to rest, mating and producing offspring. Everything revolves around competition.
To claim limited prey, you have to compete with others. A spot that feels comfortable to you will feel the same to other creatures. Even emotions toward potential mates are no different.
That said, just because survival and competition are inextricably linked doesn't mean everyone can be a winner. Most creatures in nature live with defeat in at least one aspect of life.
The lord of a small cave, the Sharkbear, was a being who embodied both victory and defeat. He had triumphed in every contest—except one.
He had no mate.
Perhaps it stemmed from being cast out of the pack too early.
He never learned social bonds and viewed all other creatures merely as food. Females occasionally approached him, but his demeanor always drove them away.
But what did it matter?
He had his cozy cave and a vast territory all to himself. Aside from the inability to leave offspring, he led a thoroughly satisfying life.
Today, as always, the young male Sharkbear wandered his hunting grounds leisurely to sate his hunger. Nothing in the area could threaten him.
Except for that occasional intruder—a beast with white fur, long arms, and legs that trespassed into his domain.
The bipedal monster was agile and strong. Its arms, which moved in unpredictable directions, were particularly annoying. It was a somewhat burdensome foe even for the Sharkbear.
Still, the young male wasn't worried. Not long ago, he'd chased off the foolhardy creature when it blundered into his forest. He'd given it a proper thrashing, so it wouldn't return anytime soon.
As he patrolled the woods carefree, a scent reached his nostrils. Amid the frigid chill that blanketed the land, there was an incongruous warmth and stickiness, laced with a thick, sweet aroma.
It was the smell of blood.
Someone had died in his hunting grounds.
"Kruuung."
The young male let out a low growl.
Who dared encroach on his territory? He resolved that this time, he'd make that ignorant white-furred monster pay.
Following the scent drifting through the air, he emerged into a wide clearing. In the center, blanketed by falling snow, lay the source of the blood scent.
Under normal circumstances, he'd have charged right in. But not this time.
Something felt off. No predator would abandon such delectable prey without reason.
He tore his attention from the enticing aroma and scanned the surroundings. No other animal tracks marred the snow-covered ground. Lifting his gaze, he peered up at the open sky above the clearing.
As always, only white snowflakes fell endlessly from the pitch-black heavens. Was his ominous instinct wrong?
His eyes caught the tips of tree branches. They were unnaturally snapped, as if something heavy had plummeted from above.
If he'd possessed even a shred of social instinct or mingled with his kin, he'd have known what those marks meant. How perilous flying creatures from overhead could be.
But the solitary young male knew no such thing. He approached the snow-shrouded corpse. His jaws gaped wide, revealing rows of teeth that sprang forth in unison.
Just as he was about to feast—
Something plunged from the black sky above, straight onto his head.
The 'Enhanced Endocrine Gland' trait has been applied. Can fuse with existing 'Muscle Reinforcement' trait. 'Enhanced Endocrine Gland' and 'Muscle Reinforcement' traits have fused. Evolved into 'Berserker Synapse' trait! Berserker Synapse: Enhances overall physical capabilities. Reduces energy consumption rate and increases energy storage capacity.
*P.S.: You are a living tank, an unstoppable locomotive.
'Phew. Finally.'
After taking down my 11th Sharkbear, I finally got a new trait. Not using Hunting Image took longer than expected.
'Gotta save Hunting Image for the Skywhale.'
Skywhales have landmine traits like 'Energy Absorption,' but plenty of useful ones too. Beyond 'Colossal Being' and 'Spaceflight,' it boasts many strong traits. A worthy prey befitting its power.
Anyway, I looked down at my body, now enhanced by the new trait, 'Berserker Synapse.' True to its internal organ fusion nature, no dramatic external changes.
The most noticeable difference was the thickening of muscles around my arms, neck, and tail. My wing-arms felt even more improved, promising faster, longer flights.
'Power surging through me.'
In games, it was just numbers. But in reality? My whole body brimmed with strength. Even without activating transformation modes like Hunting Image, instinct told me one thing.
I no longer had to worry much about side effects.
"Big Baby, you sure you don't want more?"
[Zz zzuzzu zzuzzuzzu zzuzu (Yeah. I'm good. You eat the rest)]
"Detecting rapid increase in muscle density and shift in energy allocation rates."
"...Your muscles are insane."
No. 26, who'd witnessed my growth up close, seemed unfazed. But the others weren't. PS-111 eyed my skin tissue hungrily, while Sky Mother fixated on my combat arm muscles.
[Zzuzzu zz zzuzzuzzu (Let's head out once you're done eating)]
"Yeah! Flap flap, fun!"
[Zzuzzuzzu zzuzu zzuzu zzuzzu zzuzu (Where should we go to find a Skywhale?)]
"...Huh? Oh, uh, well. Hmm."
Sky Mother—who'd brought the priestess's golden spear from the nest—seemed fascinated by my changes. Her amber eyes bored into my arms until my question startled her.
"W-Well, it's definitely somewhere in the atmosphere, but I don't know an easy spot to find one. As you know, they never stop moving."
Just as she said, Skywhales had no nests. Planets and space itself were their range. They roamed atmospheres, absorbing solar energy and more, then moved to other worlds or systems when bored.
The Dragon's Nest planet teemed with psychic power, drawing Skywhales often. High chance one lurked here somewhere.
"None detected in this vicinity."
PS-111 spoke while devouring Sharkbear meat with its hook-like hand. The chunk shriveled to dry leaf size in seconds, then No. 26 handled the desiccated remains.
I pondered as they ate.
'Dragon's Nest has Gallerons, so they won't go near there.'
In the game, Galleron-Skywhale clashes happened often. Skywhales absorbed all energy, even hostile, clashing with powerful psychic Gallerons. Thus, Gallerons hated Skywhales nearing the nest.
'Guess I have to fly and search manually.'
Only option: rely on auxiliary organs again.
Once No. 26 and PS-111 finished, we began the Skywhale hunt.
Each flap high in the sky made thick muscles writhe. Black wings cleaved air, parting clouds. Hailstones the size of soccer balls pelted my wings amid the blizzard, but the membranes held unscathed.
As my body soared like an ascending Imugi, the auxiliary organ under my jaw worked tirelessly. Analyzing cloud compositions, airborne energies—nothing escaped scrutiny.
[Zzuzzuzzu zzuzu (See anything?)]
"Not yet."
"Nothing feels off!"
Sky Mother and No. 26 on my back searched too. Sky Mother stood on two legs, eagle-eyed through clouds. Impressive progress for someone afraid of flight.
'If you ignore her death-grip on the erosion tendril.'
Beside her, No. 26 extended tendrils to trace energy flows.
I kept speed moderate for their search. Stuffed on Sharkbear and boosted by Berserker Synapse, energy reserves were ample.
Deep into the search, my auxiliary organ tingled. A subtle itch at its tip, distinct from psychic power.
'This?'
An anomalous energy flow from one direction. No. 26 sensed it too, firing a pulse.
"Big Baby! Weird vibe from over there!"
[Zz (Yeah)]
I banked one wing toward the energy. Momentum yawed my body sideways. Then, spreading both wings wide, I slammed the air. My body rocketed like a missile from a launcher.
Accelerating, a colossal mountain peak filled my view. Far taller than the twin peaks from the Crystalwing hunt.
It pierced clouds endlessly upward. Summit above the cloudline meant no snow accumulation, no trees—just stark black.
Less natural mountain, more mythical giant.
"Insane. Biggest mountain I've ever seen."
Sky Mother was right.
Seeing Olympus Mons might feel like this. The black monolith's majesty was awe-inspiring.
Closer, the alien energy intensified. The peak spewed energy like a volcano belching ash.
'The mountain's generating energy...'
"There! Skywhale at the peak!"
Sky Mother telepathed, pointing with a foreleg. Far off, a tiny speck orbited the summit.
I accelerated toward it. Soon, the Skywhale came into clear view.
Whale-like elongated body, six wings of clustered opal particles, eight eyes.
The space whale, Skywhale.
'Still young by size.'
Subadults hit 50m; this one about 60m. Nearly double my length.
■--------
It noticed me, issuing a warning cry. Here to devour it anyway, I ignored and closed in.
■---!
Rage flared; it spread wings. Opal particles glowed and converged.
'Crap!'
Recognizing the threat, I folded wings into a dive. Six photon beams—thick as my psychic breath—lanced from its wings, scorching my prior position.
Community deemed Skywhales docile herbivores.
Misleading to outsiders. African elephants and hippos are herbivores too—terrifying ones.
Cosmic whales were no different.
It fired opal beams again. I wrapped wings around myself, spinning midair. The beams grazed outer wing membranes. On reopening wings post-evasion, Sky Mother acted from my back.
Her 'Wraith of Ice' ability to seal the photon barrage. Meeting her eyes, the Skywhale shuddered.
Its radiant wings flickered, then dimmed.
"I can hold it for one minute max! Finish it quick!"
[Zzuzzu (Don't worry)]
No plans for a prolonged fight. While Wraith of Ice addled it, I closed distance in a flash.
Its eight blue-tinged eyes lost focus. Berserk, it charged. I met it head-on.
Black wings clashed with opal. Thunderous roar echoed like lightning.
■-----!
Mad but feeling pain, it bellowed. Collision stung but bearable.
Erosion tendrils from my back bit into it. Its wing clubbed my head. Shell held, but impact jarred.
Ignoring the popup, I gaped wide and crunched its wing. It recoiled in agony, swinging the other.
"Help Big Baby attack!"
"Assisting."
Then everyone on my back piled onto the clinging Skywhale.
Sky Mother wielded the golden spear after ages. It flashed, carving flesh. No. 26 lashed tendrils, scoring its back. PS-111 spider-crawled to its flank, clawing relentlessly.
Skywhales absorbed energy, nullifying such attacks. Forewarned, all went melee.
'Close quarters is our edge.'
Its melee wasn't bad, but lacking durability.
Our attacks rent its hide easily.
■------
It bucked to dislodge riders. I bound it tight with erosion tendrils.
Realizing it couldn't shake the kids before me, it yawned hugely.
Skywhale maws served more for dominance bites than feeding. Males competed by chomping to prove strength; even kin took fatal wounds from those jaws.
But it didn't know.
'Now!'
■?!
As jaws parted, I thrust my head inside. Before it clamped, my horns gouged its palate.
Six massive horns pierced soft tissue, ravaging innards. I yanked tendrils, shoving deeper.
■--------
It tried screaming—impossible with a quarter of my body jammed in.
I thrashed my head, horns shredding palate depths.
---…
Finally, horns tore its brain. Motion ceased. Wings dulled, eight eyes slowly closed.
With its breath gone, we plummeted, still airborne.
"Whooooa! You psycho Morph bastard! We're falling! FAAAALLING!"
"Wheeee! So fun!"
"Measuring altitude for impact damage calcu—"
I withdrew my head, flared wing-arms. Tendrils gripping the corpse bore sudden weight.
[Zzuzzu zzuzu (Climb up quick)]
"Thank you."
"...Ugh."
"That was fun!"
I kept flapping as they ascended tendrils. With Skywhale in tow, descent slowed.
'Now just land and feast...'
Sudden psychic surge. I released tendrils, rocketing upward.
A thick purple beam sheared them. Corpse and fragments tumbled below.
「King of the Skies」 「Cannot let escape」
Above the black sky loomed a pure white, angel-like being glaring down.
'...Ham Ort.'
The pristine Galleron that took Adhai.
The White Galleron Ham Ort was there.