Chapter 230
Chapter 230
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 230
Chapter Title: Dragon's Heart
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The moment I swallowed Aud Grad's head down my throat, the long-awaited text boxes appeared.
The Black Galleron's signature trait, the Dragon's Heart.
This was the first unique trait I'd obtained through direct predation without using the Transcendence System. For evolving toward psionic specialization, it was the ultimate choice.
I should have been thrilled to gain such a powerful trait, but I felt a twinge of regret.
'I thought something different would come out since it was such a special one.'
Precognition abilities, or maybe the Star Flame it had used right before dying—something like that. Not that the Dragon's Heart was useless by any means, but Aud Grad was a cut above your average Black Galleron. Naturally, my expectations had been a bit higher.
'Oh well, can't be helped.'
I selected confirm. Multiple translucent text boxes popped up, and my body began to change.
Mimicry was another facet of evolution.
No being suited that description better than an Aimorph.
The organs and physical structures in my body eagerly absorbed the Black Galleron's genetic essence, transforming as they did.
The blood vessels connected to the heart on my right side expanded, split, and branched into new ones. These fresh vessels converged toward the opposite side, my left.
A new heart grew in the empty space left by the shifting lungs and organs. Smaller than the right one in size, but no less powerful—the heart of a Galleron.
'So this is what it feels like.'
Was it because of the heightened senses from the Embodiment of the Hunt state? I could vividly feel the changes happening inside my body.
In an instant, with two hearts now beating, I took a deep breath. I'd felt a surge of vitality before after securing the Berserker Synapse, but this was on another level entirely.
I'd burned through a ton of energy fighting Aud Grad, but that exhaustion was completely gone. Instead, I felt a tremendous power, like I was harboring a sun within me.
With the Dragon's Heart, my psionic abilities would always mimic the state of Embodiment of the Hunt. The heart pumped out psionic power relentlessly, allowing unrestricted use of techniques like Psionic Breath.
And that was just the beginning. In situations demanding massive energy—like superluminal navigation—I could offload the consumption to psionic power instead.
'Pairs perfectly with Nightmare Horizon, too.'
Dragging the ship around wouldn't drain my energy as much anymore.
'Come to think of it, this makes four unique traits now?'
I already had three unique traits from the Transcendence System: Perfect Organism, plus this psionic-line unique trait, the Dragon's Heart.
'Six more to go until I meet the evolution conditions.'
I'd already fulfilled the Apex condition during the fight with Aud Grad's pack. All that remained were acquiring 10 unique traits and possessing 6 types.
'Still a long way to go.'
To fill out 10 unique traits, I'd need to hunt more Black Galleron-level Apexes like this or rely on the Transcendence System.
'Hunting for them won't be easy.'
There might be more Black Gallerons out there, but no new Galleron packs were visible on this planet. And aside from Gallerons, there didn't seem to be any other Apex creatures with unique traits here.
'Arcane Orca might show up, but waiting for them would be too inefficient.'
Arcane Orca, the superior variant of Skywhales, roamed from planet to planet devouring vast energies. They could come to the black mountains where the Skywhales had been, but pinpointing when was impossible.
Crystalwings at least had nests; these didn't. Better to pursue other options than wait indefinitely.
'Guess it's about time to move on.'
Thanks to the Gallerons, I'd met the Apex condition and slain the Black Galleron Aud Grad. I'd gotten everything this planet had to offer.
'Not leaving right this second, though.'
Earlier, after catching the Hellsider Hornet, I'd gained info on materials for a new unique trait. Fusing it required traits from the Hellsider Hornet and Glacial Pincer.
Hellsider Hornets aside, Glacial Pincers wouldn't be easy to find on another planet. I should either fuse the unique trait here before leaving or at least stock up on the materials.
Beyond that, the Screamer pack that came with PS-111 and the issue of Sihyun Yujin gleaned from the face parasites remained unresolved. Checking all that would take time.
'I'll think about that later.'
The battle was still raging below. Before descending, I gave my body one final check.
The scales scorched by Star Flame's aftermath had mostly regenerated. My head carapace, which had taken the worst damage, was still recovering, but absorbing more enemies would fix that—no need to worry.
'That attack just now was definitely the effect of Psionic Reflection Armor.'
Not the regular kind, either—it was the version infused with Colors of the Abyss.
The bizarre sensation like purified chaos, and the excruciating agony it inflicted on the struck foe. Only Colors of the Abyss had those traits.
'Passive trait, so it activated automatically?'
Psionic Reflection Armor couldn't be toggled on or off at will. I assumed the Abyss version retained that characteristic.
'Activation conditions are probably two-fold.'
Among Aimorph traits, some effects didn't stack or overlap. In those cases, the superior effect took precedence, disabling the inferior one.
For example, possessing Beast's Reinforced Wings meant acquiring plain Wings wouldn't sprout extras. The Wings genetic essence just got stored in my brain somewhere, without altering my body.
For Wings to activate, Beast's Reinforced Wings had to be deactivated—like if I lost the wing arms or the trait itself.
By the same logic, my Mimic Scales' high psionic resistance kept Psionic Reflection Armor inactive. Once Mimic Scales' resistance ended, the armor would reactivate.
'But Star Flame damaged the Mimic Scales badly.'
Scales and carapace peeled away, exposing muscle and nullifying Mimic Scales' effect. That temporarily triggered Psionic Reflection Armor.
Of course, I'd taken breaths before when Mimic Scales were down, and it hadn't activated then. Which meant there was another condition.
'It only auto-triggers if the incoming psionic power exceeds a certain damage threshold.'
Regular Psionic Reflection Armor reflected any amount unconditionally. The Abyss version, activating automatically, only did so against overwhelming attacks that could deal lethal damage.
'Can't activate it at will, which is a downside, but...'
Still, landing a solid counter on psionic-heavy foes like Cult players or Gallerons wouldn't be bad at all.
'I'll study it more when I get the chance.'
With all checks done, I folded my wings and accelerated toward the clouds below.
The fight with the Gallerons was over.
-
After the Big Adult left, she couldn't move for a long while.
The moment he announced he was leaving, memories of being abandoned by her old pack resurfaced.
When she came to, her mother was by her side, wrapping her in wings despite wounds not fully healed.
She looked up, but her indifferent mother wouldn't meet her gaze. She was just covering her to keep out the cold.
Her emotions were a tangled mess at the sight.
What was this now? How would she take responsibility for making the Big Adult leave?
She wanted to scream it, but she couldn't bring herself to.
Because her mother's wings were so incredibly warm. Like a mother cradling and comforting her child.
Her sharp memory dredged up ancient events.
Born with a frail body, she'd shivered even in the nest. Each time, her mother had spread her wings to warmly embrace her.
Unlike her cold, impassive eyes, those wings had always been so comforting.
Was it reliving old memories, or had she grown enough to see things broader? Suddenly, she doubted if the Big Adult had truly left their pack.
On the way to her homeland, the Big Adult had said it.
He called her his most precious being. He vowed never to abandon her, and he'd kept that promise.
And right before leaving, hadn't he said as much? He never lied to her. No matter how many times she replayed it, he'd never deceived her.
She thought.
Maybe the Big Adult had a plan? He always pulled out schemes she'd never seen or imagined. This could be another grand design only he knew.
And she wasn't alone in that thought.
"Found it! Big Baby left this behind!"
The Little Adult, who'd spent the most time with the Big Adult, pulled something from a pit. A long metal lump pulsing with unfamiliar power—unlike her kin. It was something the Big Adult often lent to his ugly friend.
Seeing it, she realized.
That was the trace the Big Adult had left behind.
He hadn't abandoned them. He'd trusted them and left for his plan.
After that, everyone started searching for more traces he'd left. They revisited everywhere they'd gone with him.
The vast icy plains, the black mountains where they'd fought sky serpents, even the mid-mountain cave where she'd hunted food alone with him.
All dead ends, but she and her kin didn't give up. Surely the Big Adult was waiting for them.
After searching endlessly, the last spot was one she'd never been to. The Little Adult said it was where he'd gone to catch the "sparkly flying thing."
And that place was the right one.
There, the Big Adult and the mighty Aud Grad were locked in a battle the heavens and stars would remember.
Flying with the Little Adult aboard, she vowed to scold him when they met.
He had no idea how shocked she'd been when her most revered and beloved adult said he was leaving. A few horn jabs would teach him not to do it again.
But seeing the Big Adult injured from fighting Aud Grad nearly melted her anger. She forced herself to hold firm.
It softened to claw scratches instead of horn stabs, but her resolve to chew him out remained.
Clutching that desire to smack the Big Adult, she kept fighting.
Besides the white adult she'd ambushed and killed first, the remaining two weren't easy.
After one died, they just harried her while fleeing, hoping Aud Grad would finish the Big Adult and come help.
Foolish thinking.
The Big Adult was far superior to that liar Aud Grad. These adults were too dumb to realize, clinging to vain hopes.
The moment that thought crossed her mind.
A star's light flashed from the clouds above her. A familiar power wave shook the clouds several times, then spat something out.
"Traitor""Black kin""Dead"
"Great Aud Grad""Victorious"
It fell so fast she couldn't confirm properly. Her foes seemed the same; her companions mocked her.
But she knew instinctively.
Who the true victor was.
Of course, her instincts were spot on.
A black meteor plummeted onto the white adult mocking her. As the star's path shifted and shadows swallowed the nest, the black star devoured the white adult.
"Impossible""Impossible!"
The "black kin" they cried about lifted its head to look at her. Meeting her gaze, it nodded and flew straight to her side.
[Zuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzuzu (Hurry up and finish, then let's go back)]
"Yeah."
That nonchalant attitude was so infuriating, but she couldn't say a word.
Even that felt endearing.