Chapter 211
Chapter 211
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 211
Chapter Title: Ep. 211
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Mega Corp called it PH-101, the Cult Empire called it Saigil-08.
That planet, designated a holy site by the Cult, brimmed with mysterious and perilous natural wonders, teeming with diverse ecosystems. Rare creatures roamed its surface, creatures seldom seen elsewhere, and isolated native Volf tribes maintained their independent civilizations in hostility toward outsiders.
To sum it up simply, it was a "dangerous paradise."
The planet, largely untouched by external civilizations, was under the strict protection of the Cult Empire. Occasionally, pirates or smugglers eyeing its paradise, or deranged Mega Corp researchers, attempted incursions, but successes were exceedingly rare. Most were obliterated by the empire's defense fleet before even breaching the atmosphere.
However, the notion that its nature was well-preserved was now a thing of the past.
Black flames descending from the sky's edge, golden lightning hurled upward by a devil on the ground. The aftermath of a war between transcendent beings had ravaged the entire planet.
The planet's skies were a total mess from magnetic storms and debris of the massively exploded mothership fleet. Trees that once painted the surface green now blazed fiercely, incinerating countless creatures within.
Some creatures were lucky enough to survive, but their situation was far from good. The fires spread relentlessly over time, shrinking their habitats in reverse.
Creatures that usually preyed on one another were now united in fleeing the flames.
A predator resembling a black panther with spider legs attached to its body—a Nightstalker—glanced at the Wooddevil fleeing alongside it and secretly licked its chops.
The faint charring from the flames gave the creature's body a unique aroma. That tantalizing scent drove the Nightstalker mad.
It knew that right now, evading the fire took priority over attacking each other. But that smell was so alluring it clouded the mind.
"Grrr..."
Dominated by overwhelming hunger, the Nightstalker drooled profusely as it ran. The Wooddevil had no inkling of the thoughts brewing behind it.
"Gr...rk?!"
The moment the Nightstalker lunged for its prey—
Its body froze mid-air, as if pinned in place. Panicking, it struggled to break free from the invisible force, but to no avail.
That unseen power crushed its bones before it could even resist. The Wooddevil ahead met the same fate.
The two creatures, their skeletons shattered in an instant, floated limply in the air and were whisked away somewhere.
Passing through the burning trees, they dropped before a pink creature.
The pink creature resembled a jellyfish but was incomprehensibly massive. Even combining the Nightstalker and Wooddevil corpses wouldn't reach half its size.
Beneath its rounded body extended countless fins and tentacles. The inner surfaces bristled with tiny claws reminiscent of saw teeth.
Normally, such a creature would never be seen in these woods. Its habitat was deep in the blue ocean below, not on land.
The monster among monsters, nicknamed the Deep Sea Devil—Sea Demon.
It extended its tentacles to wrap around the corpses.
｢Gotta bring this to the big baby quick.｣
Sea Demon No. 26 scooped up the bodies and began moving.
The inferno engulfing the entire forest rushed to scorch her soft, squishy skin.
Each time the flames closed in, she unleashed psychic power. Flames and trees alike shattered with each burst, but she paid it no mind.
As No. 26 advanced, laying waste to the forest, a wide clearing appeared before her. Less a clearing and more a small plain, where her most cherished being lay close by.
The colossal monster that had scorched the heavens lay in deep slumber, having expended all its strength.
Piled like a mountain before the monster's elongated maw were chunks of meat from all sorts of creatures—prepared as its meal.
No. 26 approached the pile to arrange the food neatly for easy eating. As she went to place it, something small dropped from the sky.
Small beasts or insects native to the forest.
｢Food｣ ｢Brought｣
Soon, the one who had dropped the tiny morsels landed before No. 26.
A long, sleek body, a small cluster of tentacles in place of a mouth, wings as large as its body length. A rare creature from far beyond this planet—a Galleron.
Its green scales indicated significant growth, yet it was tiny compared to full-grown green Gallerons.
The mutant female Galleron, Adhai, nodded in satisfaction at the prey she had caught.
｢Me｣ ｢Lots｣ ｢Brought｣
Adhai's tone implied "Praise me quick," but No. 26 had no desire to. The creature's recent actions had irked her.
｢?｣
｢I stacked it neatly for easy eating, but the little one ruined it.｣
｢Food｣ ｢Stomach｣ ｢Digestion｣ ｢Same｣ ｢Shape｣ ｢No matter｣
Adhai argued that once in the mouth, it all tasted the same. But No. 26 couldn't agree.
The sleeping big one was picky about meals. Unlike her, who devoured anything, it meticulously chose which food tasted best and which part to eat first.
She had arranged it specifically to please the big one, only for Adhai to mess it up.
｢Stack it again.｣
｢Incomprehensible｣
｢Gonna give the big one its favorite first.｣
Adhai looked displeased but obeyed without complaint. Both wanted to offer the best to their beloved first.
Adhai lifted a wild boar corpse bristling with dozens of spines on its head and placed it on top. As she set her catches at the end, No. 26 snapped.
｢What the hell!｣
｢Big one｣ ｢Likes this｣ ｢More｣
｢No! It likes this more!｣
｢Deny｣
As No. 26 reached with a tentacle to move the food, Adhai blocked her. She swatted it aside with psychic power, like shooing a fly.
｢Cheater!｣
She had used psychic power first. Adhai retaliated in kind. When No. 26 removed the boar and swapped it, Adhai zipped in with super acceleration to restore it.
｢Why remove it!｣
｢This｣ ｢Better｣
As the two glared at each other, a griffin loaded with prey on its back emerged from the burning forest.
A head like a white-headed eagle, golden mane, body akin to a lion—this phantom beast wore a sapphire necklace around its neck.
Companion to the monsters here, the Mother of the Skies. Having gathered food from the forest like No. 26 and Adhai, she tilted her head at the odd atmosphere.
｢What's this? You two are both here... Why the tension?｣
｢Little one｣ ｢Bully me｣
｢The little one started it!｣
｢Incomprehensible｣ ｢Little one｣ ｢Food｣ ｢Moved as pleased｣
｢The big one doesn't like that.｣
｢Wrong｣ ｢Little one｣ ｢Doesn't know｣ ｢At all｣
｢Hold on. You're arguing over what to feed Morphbak—er, the big one first?｣
｢Yeah.｣
｢Agree｣
The Mother of the Skies was dumbfounded by their responses.
The colossal monster lying before them, Morphbak, viewed all creatures as genetic essence. It devoured anything edible without discrimination.
｢It'll like whatever anyway, so why not just pile it all together?｣
｢No. This'll get cold and taste bad.｣
｢Little one｣ ｢Wrong about others｣ ｢But｣ ｢Words right｣
｢Bad little one! Gotta punish the naughty!｣
｢Won't avoid fight｣
｢Wait wait wait!｣
As tensions flared between the Sea Demon and Galleron, the Mother of the Skies hurriedly intervened.
If they fought, Adhai was done for. The pink slime was cute in speech only—a monster that could hurl house-sized boulders hundreds of meters. Using that power on Adhai would leave no bones intact.
｢Why not stack yours separately?｣
｢Separately?｣
｢Yeah. Then the big one wakes and eats what it wants first.｣
｢Troublesome｣ ｢Useless｣
｢You both want it to eat yours first. This is surer. Right?｣
Her desperate persuasion cooled their tempers swiftly. Anger faded, replaced by rising rivalry.
｢I'll bring more!｣
｢Little one｣ ｢Slow｣ ｢Me｣ ｢Fast｣
Adhai spread her wings wide and soared off at full speed—faster than when battling the Pale Mask in the sea—vanishing into the forest depths.
｢I won't lose either!｣
No. 26 thrashed her fins busily and plunged into the flame-filled woods.
With the two little monsters gone, the Mother of the Skies sighed. Her amber eyes glared resentfully at the slumbering behemoth.
'Morphbak, you little shit, you're gonna be in big trouble someday.'
Last time it was pestering about how to lay eggs, now this food-prep competition. Normal creatures, fine—but these were apex predators of their ecosystems.
If they ever truly fought, it'd be a bloodbath, no doubt.
'Was gonna bring more food myself...'
The Mother of the Skies piled her back's haul in a corner, then flopped onto the parched ground, a small fresh morsel in her beak.
'No need now, I guess.'
Chewing squid-like prey while waiting, Adhai returned first moments later. Hurtling in at insane speed, she aerial-dropped her food without landing.
Like a bomber carpet-bombing, she turned and flew off again.
'Gotta tidy or they'll fight.'
The Mother of the Skies gathered Adhai's leavings and stacked them before Morphbak.
After Adhai's tenth round, No. 26 appeared—from the forest. Seeing her haul, the Mother of the Skies dropped her beak's morsel.
'Crazy?! What's that?'
Five full-grown Plantlizards and corpses of three or four monsters their size floated in the air. Below, No. 26 maneuvered them with psychic power.
｢Where to put?｣
｢...There.｣
She dumped them where indicated, then bounced away on her fins toward the woods beyond.
Scarcely had she vanished when Adhai landed—for the first time, never having touched down before.
Her amethyst eyes fixed squarely on No. 26's food pile.
｢That｣ ｢Little one's｣ ｢Food?｣
｢Yeah.｣
Adhai shook her head irritably and flew off again.
'...Damn, did I screw up?'
Their rivalry was getting out of hand, she sensed. And she was right.
It continued until Adhai's wings gave out. Coincidentally, No. 26 had overexerted, shrinking dramatically from energy drain.
Before the Aimorph towered mountains of corpses. Some burned to death, but most were hapless victims of the little monsters' contest.
'...Scary fuckers.'
If only it ended there—but another issue arose.
｢My food's bigger!｣
｢Me｣ ｢More｣ ｢Brought｣ ｢Me｣ ｢Win｣
｢No! Bigger food's better!｣
｢Deny｣ ｢Little one｣ ｢Doesn't know｣ ｢Doesn't know｣ ｢Doesn't know｣ ｢At all!｣
Wing-weary Adhai scraped at No. 26's nerves verbally, her only weapon left. No. 26 seemed itching to smack her with tentacles but huffed exhaustedly instead.
And the sparks flew to the third wheel.
｢Middle one, who did better?｣
｢Huh?｣
｢Good friend｣ ｢Right answer｣ ｢Please｣
Both monsters eyed her; the Mother of the Skies panicked.
'Why ask me?'
Siding with either was trouble now, but fallout terrified her. One a near-raid boss, the other potentially horrifying.
Incurring grudge as a new Morphbak group member was burdensome.
｢Uh, just call it a tie? This one's hoping for...｣
｢No. Big one'll like big food. Lots of small, tasteless stuff? No way.｣
｢Little one｣ ｢All wrong｣ ｢Big one｣ ｢Food｣ ｢Quality｣ ｢Important｣ ｢Quantity｣ ｢Not｣
No dodging this vibe.
As she agonized over a reply—
｢Grrr...｣
The savior's voice rang out.
Turning, she saw the slumbering monster stirring.
Having slept nearly nonstop for two days, it rose, stretching its many arms.
[Zuz zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (Something smells delicious)]
｢No. 26 and Adhai brought food! Eat up.｣
[Zu zuz (Oh? Sure?)]
The Mother of the Skies deftly passed the buck. Freshly awakened, it scratched under its chin with an arm, eyeing the piles.
Deciding, it extended an arm.
｢Huh?｣
The Aimorph used the membrane under its combat arm to sweep the piles into its maw. So fast, no one could tell whose went first.
｢Big one｣ ｢Ate all｣
｢So who won?｣
Devouring nearly everything, leaving scant remains, the Aimorph reached out, pulling No. 26 and Adhai into an embrace.
[Zuzu zuz zuzuzuzu zuzuzu (Thanks for taking care of me, everyone)]
｢Big one not hurt anymore?｣
｢Big one｣ ｢Okay?｣
[Zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzuzuzu zuzuzu zu zuzuzu zuzuzuzu (Yeah. Without you, I'd be in trouble. Thanks to you all)]
Exhaustion? Or comfort in the beloved's carapace?
No. 26 and Adhai wanted to ask whose tasted best but couldn't. Overwhelming sleepiness claimed them before words formed.
[Zuzu zuzuzuzuzu (They must be tired, huh?)]
｢...You sure rack up a lot of sins.｣
[Zuzu (Huh?)]
｢Nothing.｣
The Mother of the Skies sighed softly.
Amid skies and earth ablaze, the Aimorph, oblivious, gently patted the sleeping No. 26 and Adhai.