Chapter 225
Chapter 225
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 225
Chapter Title: Ep. 225
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The effect of Mimicry Scales was to grant high-level resistance to specific types of energy.
With resistance to psychic power secured, Audgrad's breath wouldn't pose a major threat.
'It'll hurt like hell, but I can endure it.'
Audgrad's breath was overwhelmingly stronger than that of other Gallerons. There was little chance I'd fully absorb the impact if it hit.
But it wouldn't threaten my life. No longer did I need to dodge and weave desperately to avoid it.
'The problem is its crisis detection ability...'
I'd prepared ways to dismantle its pack and withstand its attacks, but one thing remained an issue.
How to strike an enemy that could foresee the future.
I kept pondering this as Adhai, Specimen 026, and I returned to the nest.
Space Survival had no skills or traits that truly predicted the future. As an online VR game with countless players, it couldn't allow that.
Skills named 'Future Sight' or 'Prophecy' merely enhanced evasion or marked enemy paths on the minimap.
So Audgrad could be called the first truly inscrutable foe I'd faced in this world.
'No. There are clues.'
I'd encountered future sight before—my own Predator Sense.
Thanks to that near-prophetic crisis detection trait, I'd escaped danger multiple times. Without it, I wouldn't have made it this far.
From memory, Predator Sense showed futures just a few minutes ahead—imminent threats to my body.
The exception was when I used Manifestation of the Hunt.
'In that state, the foresight range expanded.'
I first noticed during my escape from the T&C Special Trade Center hospital. I'd sensed the Ezerton Knights moving to surround it and slipped away safely.
It was likely because Manifestation of the Hunt amplified traits and type effects.
'Considering that, its ability is unusual.'
Audgrad's power definitely let it glimpse dangerous futures. But the range was vague.
It had predicted I'd hunt a White Galleron and come to attack.
And it ghosted my every use of Abyssal Hues, dodging despite never seeing it before.
'So it sees more than just immediate threats...'
Long-term, my hunting Whites could harm it. My goal was killing it, after all.
That explained why it hadn't attacked immediately upon my arrival. I'd come for Gallerons and Apexes, not specifically to kill Audgrad.
'...Let's think differently.'
It was far beyond the game now. I needed to broaden my perspective.
'What if it sees multiple types of futures?'
Like mine—futures only in certain states versus everyday ones.
Simply put, it saw two kinds.
'Immediate dangers right in front of it, and distant threatening futures.'
Based on the info, that assumption seemed reasonable.
And here's the key.
Audgrad had laid a trap to kill me—someone who could threaten its life. Caught in its scheme, I'd fought imperfectly, exposing most of my trump cards.
Yet it hadn't foreseen dying in our clash. It nearly did from Abyssal Hues and God's Whip.
Considering that, a new hypothesis formed.
'The futures it sees have limits.'
First, long-term threat detection: Likely only at set intervals or conditions, not frequently. That's why it missed mid-fight changes.
'Second, short-term incoming dangers.'
Similar to my Predator Sense, so same limits. Helps react to dangers in the moment, but can't avoid the situations themselves.
To kill it, I had to exploit the gaps between those futures.
'Rash moves would tip it off.'
Ship Ort's escape, Adhai's growth, ring intel, Mimicry Scales—plenty of cards, but misuse would alert it.
'It might even flee.'
Audgrad was the sole Black Galleron on this planet. Miss it, and I'd lose a Unique trait.
'I need to lure it into a future where it doesn't lose.'
As I mulled over how to strike, we reached the nest.
At the entrance sat Mother of the Sky, with a battered White Galleron slumped beside her.
｢Ship Ort?｣
Adhai sent out thought waves. Sensing them, Ship Ort lifted its head toward her.
The mother's purple eyes filled with dismay at her daughter.
｢Star's Daughter｣ ｢Savior｣ ｢Failed?｣ ｢Why?｣ ｢Why?｣
｢I｣ ｢Savior｣ ｢Refused｣
Hearing Adhai's reply, Ship Ort shot to its feet. Mother of the Sky rose too.
｢Careful. Wounds not healed.｣
｢Why?｣ ｢You｣ ｢Choice｣ ｢Wrong!｣ ｢Audgrad｣ ｢Can't stop!｣
Ship Ort seemed shocked that its daughter rejected becoming a Red Galleron. Even in battle it stayed calm, but now raw fury poured out.
Reacting to Ship Ort's impassioned waves, Adhai unleashed her own.
｢I｣ ｢New kin｣ ｢Chose｣ ｢Past kin｣ ｢Important, but｣ ｢This｣ ｢More｣ ｢Important!｣
｢Audgrad｣ ｢Young kin｣ ｢Adult kin｣ ｢All｣ ｢Kills!｣
｢Worry｣ ｢Unneeded｣ ｢Big Adult｣ ｢Little Adult｣ ｢Ugly Friend｣ ｢Sick Child｣ ｢Kin｣ ｢All｣ ｢Strength｣ ｢Combine, fight｣
｢Audgrad｣ ｢Power｣ ｢Overwhelming｣ ｢Black kin｣ ｢Victory｣ ｢Impossible｣ ｢Audgrad｣ ｢Black kin｣ ｢Kills｣
｢Big Adult｣ ｢Not weak｣ ｢Ship Ort｣ ｢Don't insult!｣
｢Ship Ort! Calm down!｣
Ship Ort looked ready to charge Adhai. If its wings and body were whole, and Mother of the Sky weren't restraining it, it surely would have.
｢Disappointed｣ ｢Disappointed｣ ｢Disappointed!｣ ｢Star's Daughter｣ ｢Blessing｣ ｢Discarded!｣ ｢Kin’s hope｣ ｢Discarded!｣
｢Disappointed?｣ ｢I｣ ｢More｣ ｢Disappointed｣ ｢Ship Ort｣ ｢Kin｣ ｢I｣ ｢Weak, discarded!｣
｢Deny!｣ ｢Weak kin｣ ｢Never abandoned!｣
｢Liar!｣ ｢Ship Ort｣ ｢Liar｣ ｢Me｣ ｢Discarded｣ ｢Savior｣ ｢Forced on kin｣ ｢Shameful!｣
｢!｣
Their emotions boiled over, thought waves devolving into primal forms. Ship Ort's disappointment and rage mixed with Adhai's grief and resentment, making even my monster's tentacles ache.
Specimen 026, sensitive to vibrations, shifted to a dark pink hue.
｢I｣ ｢Go out｣
Adhai backed off first, kicking the ground hard with hind legs and flying into the forest.
"What happened?"
PS-111 emerged from the nest, where it'd been tending a Blue Galleron with symbiotic spores.
｢Little baby fought flap-flap mom.｣
"Environmental analysis shows no traces of combat between 'little baby' and 'Ship Ort'."
｢Friend talk too hard, don't get it.｣
As PS-111 bantered oddly with 026, Ship Ort stared blankly in the direction its daughter vanished. Overwhelmed, undisciplined emotions leaked from it.
｢Forest safe, but just in case. You two fetch Adhai.｣
｢Yeah. I'll protect little baby. Let's go, friend.｣
"Understood."
026 shrank small, climbing onto PS-111's back. A Seed Demon and Mutant Screamer vanished into the woods.
Only after they left did Ship Ort snap out of it, head drooping. Its chaotic emotions gradually settled.
Regaining composure, it looked up at me.
｢You｣ ｢Black kin?｣
[Zzz (Yeah)]
｢Star's Daughter｣ ｢You｣ ｢Talked much｣ ｢You｣ ｢Trained Star's Daughter｣
True, so I nodded. Ship Ort bent its forelegs, lowering its head before me.
｢Ship Ort｣ ｢Thanks｣ ｢Star's Daughter｣ ｢Saved｣ ｢Cared for｣
After brief thanks, it straightened. Complex feelings emanated from its citrine eyes.
｢But｣ ｢Star's Daughter｣ ｢Your fault｣ ｢Savior｣ ｢Abandoned｣ ｢Audgrad｣ ｢Kin's all｣ ｢Kills｣
[Zz zzzz zz zz-zz zz-zzz (That won't happen)]
I'll stop it before it tries.
Ship Ort shook its head, denying me.
｢Audgrad｣ ｢Lies｣ ｢Kin｣ ｢Deceives｣ ｢Mates｣ ｢Young kin｣ ｢Deceived｣ ｢Kin｣ ｢Audgrad｣ ｢Orders｣ ｢Follow｣ ｢Ship Ort｣ ｢Black kin｣ ｢Power｣ ｢Insufficient｣
[Zz (Yeah?)]
｢Black kin｣ ｢Strong｣ ｢But｣ ｢Audgrad｣ ｢Pack｣ ｢More numerous｣
Having fought me, it knew my strength somewhat. It was pointing out the enemy's numerical superiority.
Not wrong. If we'd clashed back then, I'd have lost.
'Not now.'
Unaware of that, Ship Ort seemed to urge me to avoid the fight, pleading through thought waves.
｢Audgrad｣ ｢Strong｣ ｢Star's Daughter｣ ｢You｣ ｢Precious｣ ｢Think｣ ｢Then｣ ｢Survival｣ ｢More｣ ｢Important｣
[Zzzzzz zzzz-zz zz-zzz-zz zz-zzz (To save Adhai, Audgrad must die)]
｢Black kin｣ ｢Won't give up?｣
[Zz zzz-zzz zz zz-zz (Yeah. Audgrad dies by my hand)]
｢...｣
Ship Ort fell silent, glaring into my eyes.
I felt its anxiety. But my resolve was firm. The black dragon that screwed me over would die, no matter what.
｢Understood｣ ｢Ship Ort｣ ｢Black kin｣ ｢Believes｣
[Zz-zz zz zz-zz zz zz-zz zz zzz-zz (Good. Tell me about fighting it)]
｢Questions｣ ｢Ask｣
After glaring long, it gave up persuading. I began asking the questions I'd prepared.
Beyond the frozen plains lay a massive canyon.
Approaching its depths—hundreds, no, kilometers wide—odd sounds echoed. Like an animal's agonized screams, it was wind howling through the icy chasm.
A natural phenomenon, but so eerie that nearby creatures avoided it. Only the beast king ruling the area entered freely.
Lately, even that king hadn't appeared. Secluded or departed, unknown.
Instead, alien forms came and went. Ignorant of it being the king's domain, they massacred locals indiscriminately—beast or plant, anything moving died. The already sparse canyon became a dead land.
Today, too, grotesque beings finished slaughtering and entered, dragging meat chunks.
The abyss-deep canyon should hold only darkness. As they descended, hidden red lights flickered to life one by one.
Finally reaching the "bottom," they hurled the meat downward from their clinging positions.
A colossal red glow snapped awake, devouring the chunks instantly.
"Perimeter recon and energy source securing mission complete."
"Hazard in super-giant volcano interior: identity unknown. Investigation ongoing."
"Traces of humanoid activity on planet detected. Suspected Mega Corp humans. Confirmed moving to investigate super-giant volcano."
"Two days ago: anomalous atmospheric disturbance on planet. Compared to accumulated weather data—meteorological anomaly from native creature battle."
"During nest surveillance of natives..."
They—no, the Mutant Screamers—reported in mechanical tones. Normally they'd exchange intel after, but not today.
The red glow that consumed the meat flashed again.
All fell silent at the low murmur of the red light.
｢Weather anomaly creator. Starlink DB match: 82% similarity to Special Target A.｣
The red light—an android mid-body reconstruction from heavy damage.
Pira Eleven, top executive of Star Union's Machine Committee, spoke.
"Order confirmed."
"Order..."
At Pira Eleven's words, countless red lights awoke.
A chilling sound mixed into the canyon's wind howls.