Chapter 221
Chapter 221
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 221
Chapter Title: Galleron's Horn
-----------------------------------------------------------------
'Ah, come to think of it, I forgot about that.'
After the Galleron pack left and I emerged from the burrow, I checked the text box.
During the fight with them, the Predation Effect had triggered. The chance of obtaining Gene Essence without using Hunter's Symbol is extremely low, but luck was on my side this time. And it wasn't from a Green Galleron—it was from a White Galleron.
When I brought up the text box again, only 10 seconds remained until the selection timed out. Startled, I quickly chose to acquire the trait.
'Whew, that was close.'
As the trait took effect, the horns on my head began to mutate.
The six horns grew dramatically larger than before. My head carapace remained the same, but with the bigger horns, my head felt noticeably heavier.
Beyond just the size, there were detailed changes as well.
For one, thin scales protruded in reverse along the surface of all the horns. The gaps between the scales were dyed white, creating white cracks across the black horns.
Also, two of the six original horns had been broken, and this was reflected directly in the mutation.
My horns were originally in two types: a pair that spiraled and pointed forward at the tips, and four sharp, spine-like ones aligned along the head carapace.
Of these, the left spiral horn and the rearmost of the four spines had been damaged by Odd Grad's breath. They had been regenerating, but with the mutation applied midway, the sizes and shapes between horns became imbalanced.
The right horn turned thick and imposing, while the left one sprouted jagged scales like a saw blade. The same went for the four spines in a row.
'Hmm.'
It was an unexpected change, but it didn't seem like it would hinder their use as weapons. I touched the now even more grotesque horns with my hand.
'Galleron's Horn, huh.'
The effect of the psychic-related trait 'Galleron's Horn' is very straightforward.
It completely nullifies psychic power techniques.
For example, take 'Reflection,' which often annoyed me.
Even enemies protecting themselves with Reflection can't block if I stab with my horn. The horn pierces straight through the Reflection field. It nullifies all other shield-type psychic techniques too.
The nullification is limited to the horns. So if my head carapace touches Reflection, my whole head bounces back—but the horns are so large that against regular Cults, it's not a big issue. A single horn easily exceeds 1 meter, after all.
'Great trait for fighting Cults.'
The downside is that it has no chance to shine against Gallerons. They don't use techniques like Reflection.
After confirming the horn changes, I reviewed the other messages that had popped up.
I'd failed to kill Odd Grad, but this battle yielded tremendous gains. The number of Apex kills I'd racked up was now 28.
Apex counts only those I kill personally. Thanks to unleashing 'God's Whip' on the Galleron pack, I'd filled the quota in bulk.
'Just two more, and the Apex condition is done.'
Of course, that didn't mean I'd stop hunting them afterward. I still needed 10 Unique Traits and 6 Types.
With the Transcendence System, Unique Traits are relatively easier to obtain now, but that wasn't always the case.
The standard way to get Unique Traits in the game was to hunt creatures that possessed them. That meant taking down mid-to-high-tier Apex like Black Gallerons or killing players with Unique Traits.
The latter involved enemies who used Gene Essence, like Outspacer players or gene-modified Mega Corp players.
Even a single Black Galleron is extremely hard for a solo player to take. Red Gallerons and Arcane Orca above them are far stronger.
And players who managed to acquire Unique Traits from them? Without question, each one was a top-tier ranker equivalent.
Thus, getting Unique Traits in the game was never easy.
No wonder even in the game, fewer than 10 people—including me—ever reached Aimorph Adult stage. I struggled immensely to surpass that wall.
'In that light, the Transcendence System is pretty broken.'
Less than a year in this world, and I'd already grown this strong. As that thought crossed my mind, my body suddenly floated into the air.
No. 26 was using psychic powers to carry my injured self.
[Zz zz zuzz(It's fine now)]
"No. You're hurt, big guy. Let me carry you."
My tail's lower section still hadn't fully regenerated. My wing arms were still mending bones too.
'For now, I'll accept her help.'
She wobbled a few times carrying me but soon got the hang of it and transported me properly.
Soon PS-111 arrived dragging the Galleron corpses, and she lifted those too.
'Impressive.'
Lifting me and the Galleron bodies with psychic powers seemed effortless for her. As expected of a near-raid boss-grade creature.
We gathered the Galleron corpses and moved cautiously. No telling when Odd Grad might send pursuers.
I'd already told Adhai and Nel Germa to meet at the nest. They were probably hiding and moving somewhere in the forest.
Half a day into the trek, my wing bones had mostly healed. I asked No. 26 to set me down.
"Big guy still hurts. Rest when it hurts."
[Zz zz zuzz(It's fine now)]
My tail's pincer would take a while to regenerate, but it wouldn't hinder crawling on the ground much. I took a few Galleron corpses from No. 26 and gripped them firmly with Erosion Tendrils.
"Those tendrils look highly versatile and useful."
[Zz zuzz(Yeah, they are)]
"I'll need gene data to incorporate upgrades later."
[Zz(No)]
I flatly refused her request and kept moving with the Galleron bodies. Aside from the missing lower body, I felt fine.
After that brief rest, we headed back to the nest.
Now walking myself, our speed was much higher than before, but still slower than flying. It took nearly a full day to reach the nest I'd made.
As we neared, Adhai and Nel Germa—who'd arrived first—emerged from the forest.
"Sub-Controller 2 confirmed as little one. Pleased to see you."
"Little one, hello!"
"Big adult" "Injured one" "Safe" "Relieved"
Adhai greeted No. 26 and PS-111, then spotted me with my still-regenerating tail and gasped in surprise.
"Big adult" "Injury" "Severe" "You okay?"
[Zz zz zuzz zuzz( I'll heal soon)]
"Rest" "Needed" "Return" "Quick…?"
She sent the thought wave mid-sentence and tilted her head. Her lavender eyes, like snowflakes, fixed precisely on my horns.
"Horns" "Feeling" "Different"
[Zz zz zuzz zuzz zuzz zz zuzz zuzz(They broke earlier from Odd Grad)]
"Broken ones" "Different" "Horns" "Changed"
[Zz zz zuzz zz zz zz(These changed from eating prey)]
"One side" "Bigger" "One side" "Sharper" "Wild" "Attractive" "Yes"
"Agreed"
Adhai nodded, apparently liking my horns' new look. Nel Germa beside her sent agreement too.
"Bigger appendages good?"
"Some male species appeal sexually with flashy tails or horns."
"No idea what that means."
[Zz zuzz zuzz zuzz zz zuzz zuzz(Enough chit-chat. Any issues at the nest?)]
At my words, Adhai suddenly bombarded with thought waves as if remembering something.
"Big adult" "Important thing" "Yes" "Very" "Very" "Very!" "Important!" "Now" "Nest" "Must go!"
[Zz zz(What's with that?)]
"Nel Germa" "Daughter of the Meteor" "Opinion" "Agree" "Black kin" "Home" "Check" "Needed"
Even the usually calm Nel Germa acting urgent made me uneasy.
'Did something happen at the nest?'
Or maybe the Heavenly Mother had suffered a grave injury. I quickly checked the parasite on her head. It was fine, so no major issues with her body.
'Then what?'
[Zz zuzz zuzz(Problem at the nest?)]
"Nest" "No problem" "Problem" "Else" "Hurry" "Check"
I hurriedly followed Adhai, who bounced around urging me on, to the nest.
Between the trees in the distance, I saw the entrance to the cave half-buried underground. Next to it lay a massive something mixed red and white.
'Huh?'
As I thought it looked familiar, someone emerged from the cave.
It was a beast with a gaunt black skeleton-like body, massive stag-like antlers, and a skull-shaped head.
It resembled the evil phantom beast Wendigo from Space Survival.
And that Wendigo-like beast looked at me. In its empty eye sockets burned familiar orange ghost flames.
The Wendigo's true identity was the Heavenly Mother using 'Hunter God's Disguise Husk.' She'd safely returned here after surveilling Odd Grad's nest.
The moment she saw me, she gestured frantically.
"No time! Her injuries are critical—she won't last much longer! Use the symbiotic spores now!"
Only then did I realize what the massive object at the cave entrance was.
Torn wings, broken and twisted arms and legs, ripped tail and snapped horns. It was a brutally mangled White Galleron.
And this Galleron was someone I'd met once before.
'Ham Ort? How?'
Adhai's mother, whom I'd thought dead, was alive.
'No, first things first.'
She's a vital source of info. How she survived and why she's here can wait.
I generated symbiotic spores and attached them to the dying Ham Ort's body.
Touching her while doing so, there was no response. No breathing either—she was clearly on the brink of death.
Yet they'd left her outside because my nest is full of hazards for unauthorized creatures.
Due to my traits, the nest emits all sorts of harmful substances to other organisms. They're not lethal to a White Galleron normally, but Ham Ort's injuries are severe. Leave her inside, and she'd likely become nest fodder nine times out of ten.
'Spores attached—now move her inside.'
With the symbiotic spores, Ham Ort could benefit from the recovery effect. I carefully lifted her with Erosion Tendrils and placed her deeper in the nest.
Perhaps due to the nest's rising heat, I felt vitality slowly returning to Ham Ort's body.
[Zz zz zuzz(What happened?)]
"Too long to explain now. I'll tell you later—rest up too."
As she said, my tail injury wasn't fully healed. She said no more and exited the cave.
'Much to think about, but...'
Returning to the nest had loosened my tension, bringing waves of fatigue.
'For now, a short rest.'
I closed my eyes atop the warm swamp.
