Chapter 223
Chapter 223
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 223
Chapter Title: Ep. 223
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Adhai's growth issue was settled for now, but there were still things left to address.
Originally, I'd included the Red Galleron in the plan to assault Ordgrad, but that card was no longer playable.
'So I need to revise the plan to fight without the Red Galleron.'
Regardless of its choice, it was regrettable.
The Red Galleron was a top-tier predator, more fearsome than Sea Demons or Black Gallerons both in lore and in actual gameplay. There were only a handful of creature groups stronger than the red dragons.
But I couldn't expect that level of power from the current Adhai. It was unknown how much of the Red Galleron's strength it could wield, but it would naturally be weaker than the original.
'I'll check that later.'
First, there were things I needed to confirm. I looked toward the Sky Mother.
She had entered the nest herself to rescue Ort. I had a lot to ask—how she'd done it, the size and status of the enemy forces, and more.
"I knew you'd used the God's Whip by looking at the sky."
Knowing exactly what I wanted to ask, she slowly began explaining what had happened in the dragon's nest.
"I debated retreating to support you, but I can't fly. Rushing in blindly wouldn't have helped. I figured striking the nest directly would be better, so that's what I did."
[Zzuzu (Fair enough)]
"All the White Gallerons had cleared out of the nest, so I thought it was worth a shot. Actually entering wasn't difficult either."
Wendigo's black fur harbors tiny bacteria. They don't cause major harm to other creatures, but they induce temporary cognitive impairment.
A Wendigo can deliberately spread these bacteria from its body. Anyone who inhales them or gets infected experiences disorientation, sensory confusion, and the like for a short time.
'A perfect ability for infiltration or ambushes.'
She knew Wendigos as well as I did, so she'd deliberately transformed into one.
For reference, that ability could only be used in Wendigo form, as the bacteria are produced in the black fur according to the lore.
[Zzuzuzu zzuzuzuzu zzuzu zzuzuzu (How many Gallerons were in the nest?)]
"I avoided them as much as possible, so not exactly, but even just the Green Gallerons numbered over fifty, I'd guess."
[Zzuzu (That's a lot)]
Factoring in the Gallerons she hadn't seen and the hatchlings, the Ordgrad group's total membership had to be nearing a hundred.
As far as I knew, a single Galleron group's size rarely exceeded sixty. Beyond that, food supply issues arose.
'Come to think of it, back when I first fought that mutant screamer here.'
Its self-destruct had set the forest ablaze, burning countless creatures alive. The Gallerons that flew in at the time had been busy hauling away food more than anything else.
Gallerons were predators who enjoyed hunting live prey. They ate dead creatures too, but it was lower priority. Yet they'd focused on transporting the fire-blackened corpses.
[Zzuzuzu zzuzuzu (They must be starving)]
"I didn't check the egg storage area, but probably. Too many mouths to feed."
[Zzuzuzu zzuzuzuzu zzuzuzu zzuzuzuzu zzuzuzu (Yet you managed to rescue Ort despite the numbers)]
"It was a close call. And the situation worked in my favor."
[Zzuzu zzuzuzu (What do you mean?)]
"Ort was biding its time for an opportunity. I gave it a quick rundown, and it got it right away. Its cooperation let me minimize the fights."
Her words surprised me a little. As expected of Adhai's mother—impressive judgment and nerve.
Thanks to the rescue target's active cooperation, she hadn't faced much trouble escaping the nest. It was all due to the Wendigo's powerful special ability, 'Ice Wraith.'
Creatures hit by Ice Wraith completely lost their reason to abnormal hunger. She'd made the patrolling Green Gallerons go berserk to divert enemy attention as she moved.
On top of that, the cliff—which had been expected to be the biggest obstacle during escape—had been cleared easily thanks to a suggestion from Ort.
"I planned to climb out, but it told me there's a water flow below the cliff. So I headed that way."
Once they jumped from the cliff, Ort used its psychic power to slow their fall. As a result, they splashed down onto the water without major injury.
"Any later, and it would've been dangerous. Ordgrad returned while we were escaping."
It was an incredible stroke of luck. If she'd returned to the nest or if the rescue had taken just a bit longer, they both would've been done for.
She'd escaped via the waterway and made it back to the nest.
"When I got back, everyone was hiding in a pit dug right in front of it."
'The pit I saw earlier.'
They'd nearly attacked upon seeing the Sky Mother in Wendigo form, but Ort had prevented any fighting.
"After that, I went out intermittently for hunting and scouting. Just in case you showed up with Gallerons in tow."
[Zzuzuzu (Well done)]
A ranker's sound judgment and decisiveness. As I praised her, the orange flames flickering in her eye sockets swirled softly.
"Morph kid's been praising me a lot lately."
[Zzuzuzu (Want me to take it back?)]
"Just kidding. By the way, I heard from Ort too—Ordgrad has some weird power?"
[Zzuzu zzuzu zzuzuzu zzuzuzu zzuzuzu (Yeah. It can predict crises)]
"Crisis prediction?"
At my words, the Sky Mother scratched her black skull with a hand.
"You mean precognition? It was pretty meh in the game."
[Zzuzuzu zzuzuzu zzuzu zzuzuzu zzuzuzuzu (Not here. It reads the real future)]
Understanding the implications, she straightened up. She knew full well how serious it was for a top-ecosystem Black Galleron to read the future.
"...This won't be easy. How far ahead do you think it can see?"
[Zzuzu zzuzuzu zzuzuzuzu zzuzuzu zzuzu (Life-threatening crises under five minutes)]
I wasn't sure of the exact timeframe. But it definitely reacted to life-or-death crises.
'Come to think of it, Ort fought it too.'
[Zzuzuzu zzuzuzuzu zzuzu zzuzu zzuzuzuzu zzuzuzuzu (You heard from Ort, right? I'll ask when it wakes up)]
"Huh? Ort might not know."
[Zzuzu (?)]
"The ability it described was something else. Not precognition."
[Zzuzu zzuzuzu zz zzuzuzu (Another ability?)]
I couldn't help but be taken aback myself.
"Unlike precognition, it's not combat-related. Or rather, it's iffy to even call it an ability."
[Zzuzu zzuzuzuzu (What kind of ability?)]
"According to Ort, it possesses a mineral imbued with the power to deceive its kin."
[Zzuzu (A mineral?)]
Something suddenly clicked at those words.
'Ore? Could it be...?'
It wore a large ring embedded with a refined gem on its forepaw.
Gallerons had intelligence, but no concept of adorning themselves with gear or clothing. That's why I'd found the ring unusual.
[Zzuzuzu zzuzu zzuzuzu zzuzu zzuzuzu zzuzu zzuzuzu (Come to think of it, it was wearing a jeweled ring)]
"A jeweled ring, huh. Probably that. Ort said it never lets a power-infused mineral out of its sight."
If Ort was right, that explained how Ordgrad—abnormally commanding for a Galleron—could control so many kin. Never mind where the ring came from.
'Whatever it is, the fact that the ring is key to its dominance is crucial intel.'
What if it lost the ring mid-battle?
Its subordinates would panic hard. Already starving, and now realizing their leader was controlling kin through some shady method.
Exploit that right, and it could deliver a fatal blow to Ordgrad.
I looked down at Adhai, rubbing its head against the back of my hand.
Seeing it sparked ideas on how to handle the fight against Ordgrad.
'Good.'
I'd gotten plenty of info from the Sky Mother. As I organized it, I thought about what came next.
Three things left now.
Waiting for Ort to wake up, and...
'Checking Adhai's abilities and activating my Mimic Scales.'
The two were interconnected. I could handle them at once.
[Zzuzu zzuzuzu zzuzuzuzu zzuzuzu zzuzuzu zzuzu (Let's head back to the nest first. Lots to do)]
"Right."
"Talk" "done?"
[Zzuzu (Yeah)]
Hearing me, it gently lifted its head from my hand. Sure enough, the Red Galleron traits made it look subtly different somehow.
Not just the larger body or the changed colors of its horns and wings—it felt fundamentally altered.
'Its thought waves have changed.'
Before, they were staccato bursts laced with primal emotions. Now, they were far more refined. Almost like No. 26's or Ordgrad's when conveying intent.
[Zzuzu zzuzuzu zzuzuzuzuzu (Your communication's gotten skilled)]
"Change" "big?"
[Zzuzu zzuzuzuzu zzuzu zzuzuzuzu (Nah. Growth's a good thing)]
Its thought waves had been simple, which made parts hard to grasp. This was much easier for me.
'Though it feels a tad regrettable.'
With that thought, I picked up the remaining Galleron corpses.
Returning to the nest with Adhai, the Sky Mother, and Nell Germa, I spotted the Green Gallerons who'd gone out hunting.
Like the Blue Gallerons, they were plastered tight to No. 26's body. It was due to this planet's brutal cold, which even Gallerons struggled against.
'Should I implant symbiote spores in them?'
Spotting us, they detached from No. 26. They approached, lowering their wings and torsos close to the ground and bowing their heads.
'What's this?'
Their lowered horns all pointed toward one being.
Adhai, riding on my back.
'Hmm.'
It was the first time the other Gallerons had reacted this way to Adhai. It wasn't a Red Galleron, but apparently, that didn't matter to them.
After their synchronized bow, the Gallerons rose and retrieved the bodies from the pit, placing them before me. It resembled servants presenting a meal to their lord.
'Or maybe courtiers offering tribute to their queen.'
Adhai tilted its head, clearly puzzled by their behavior.
"Me" "full" "no need" "food" "you all" "eat"
"Gratitude"
Only after it refused did the Green Gallerons start eating their catches. While they fed, I attached symbiote spores to their bodies.
I also passed some of the White Galleron remains Adhai had left uneaten to No. 26.
[Zzuzu zzuzuzu zzuzu (Eat up. Then we've got work)]
"Work?"
[Zzuzu zzuzuzuzuzu zzuzu zzuzuzu (Need both you and Adhai)]
"Got it. Big baby, just trust me!"
Always saying the nicest things without fail.
I raised a wing arm to stroke it gratefully. It sparkled happily in response.
After No. 26 and I split the Galleron corpse, I took the two out of the nest again.
'This should do.'
Stopping in a suitable clearing, I explained to Adhai and No. 26 what we'd do here.
[Zzuzu zzuzuzuzu zzuzu zzuzu zzuzuzu zzuzuzu (First, we'll test Adhai's new powers)]
I needed to see how much Red Galleron strength it could draw out.
'Red Gallerons use a whole new system of power called Dragon Power.'
The plan would shift slightly depending on how much Dragon Power it could wield.
To grant psychic resistance via Mimic Scales, it had to take pure psychic power attacks only. Dragon Power resistance wouldn't help at all right now.
The resistance from Mimic Scales applied to one energy type at a time. Immunity faded over days, so no wasting time.
"Now" "try?"
[Zzuzu zzuzuzu (Yeah. As much as you can)]
I nodded, and Adhai's eyes gleamed.
Then, red energy began emanating from its body.