Chapter 231
Chapter 231
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 231
Chapter Title: Ep. 231
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Cha Lume of Ord Grad's mates couldn't believe her eyes.
The great black male was an invincible being. No matter what crisis befell them, the leader always guided the pack to victory. Cha Lume wasn't particularly old, but she had never witnessed Ord Grad suffer defeat.
So she assumed today would be no different.
That he would sweep away the traitors and devour their blood.
But reality unfolded contrary to her expectations.
The male she loved was nowhere to be seen. In his place, a black star had emerged. It unfurled wings like a blizzard and positioned itself beside the diminutive female.
No one present was ignorant of what this signified.
"Liar Ord Grad" "He lost!"
The scrawny leader, shielded by the black slayer, cried out.
"Great Ord Grad" "Defeat" "Impossible!"
"Defeat" "Impossible!"
The other mates denied the female's words and charged.
Even if all the mates combined their strength, they couldn't overcome Ord Grad. The black slayer who had felled him must be far stronger.
Unfortunately, her prediction proved correct this time.
One of the white mates exhaled a breath toward the diminutive female. In response, the black slayer spread its wings, enveloping its leader protectively.
The mate's power failed to scratch the slayer's wings. While it shielded her, the small leader wheeled around and lunged at the mate.
The mate, still unleashing its breath, belatedly tried to evade, but the judgment came far too late. The leader pierced its body before it could even attempt to dodge.
Meanwhile, the black slayer moved to seize the young mate facing two foes alone: the pure-white queen with her injured wing, moving sluggishly, and the small entity wielding ominous power. The mate battling them remained oblivious to the slayer's approach.
This mate had always enjoyed combat, but now it seemed half-mad. Like immature kin drunk on blood mid-fight, it focused solely on assaulting the pure-white queen, Ham Ort.
A young mate succeeded in closing in on the pure-white queen and clamped down with its forelimbs. Pressing close, it exhaled its breath, but Ham Ort twisted her supple neck just in time to evade the force.
Even after the failed attack, the young mate refused to yield and gathered power once more.
"Danger!"
Cha Lume shouted a hasty warning, but it went unheeded. The price for ignoring it was far from light.
The black slayer materialized like a shadow behind the young mate. Its multiple arms seized the young one. The power gathered at the mate's mouth scattered like snow caught in the wind.
Then Ham Ort unleashed the force she had amassed straight at the young mate's head. It wasn't the strongest power for a pure-white queen, but ample to blow off a kin's head.
The black slayer had only just reappeared, yet already three had fallen.
Only then did Cha Lume realize.
Ord Grad's pack had lost to this rival group.
Cha Lume glanced at the mate fighting beside her. With thoughts aligned, they nodded.
"Enemy escape probability: 93%."
A metallic-smelling creature atop the white kin Nel Germa emitted strange noises and pulses. It was undoubtedly ordering pursuit. The two fled with all their might.
Cha Lume was the second swiftest here, after the small leader. The grass-hued kin and Nel Germa couldn't catch her.
The mate fleeing beside her began lagging, but Cha Lume paid it no mind.
They needed to flee their homeworld swiftly to the stars above. Up there, even they couldn't follow.
In that instant, a serpent appeared and swallowed the straggling mate.
Witnessing only its tail tip vanish, she felt her heart stop.
There loomed an enormous serpent. Thousands—no, tens of thousands—of heads writhed, its size blotting out the sky.
The moment she glimpsed its tail, she recognized the serpent's nature.
It was an aggregation of power beyond her wildest imagination.
No kin could wield such awe-inspiring might. Not even the great Ord Grad, whom she loved most.
The sky-devouring serpent flicked its tongue, hungering for her.
She fled with all her strength, as she had when hatching from her egg.
The serpent drew ever closer behind her tail.
Cha Lume didn't want to die. She still had so much she wanted to do, to devour. She couldn't perish here.
Amid her frantic flight, she suddenly felt a sharp impact in her chest.
An intense pain, as if pierced by something tiny and razor-sharp metallic, drained her strength.
That was her final memory.
-
'What was that?'
The white Galleron dodging my psychic breath suddenly slowed. I had no idea why the creature, fleeing madly until moments ago, had given up on life.
'Couldn't line up a proper shot because of it.'
After acquiring the Dragon Heart, the psychic breath's output exceeded my expectations. Previously a refined energy beam, its form had changed. Due to the massive energy burst, it now resembled roaring flames.
'Nightmare Horizon boosted the firepower.'
Nightmare Horizon enhances the effects of my sole inherent trait. Seeing the breath's power surpass game levels confirmed the Dragon Heart benefited too. It didn't just supply near-infinite energy; it amplified psychic power attacks' potency. Any new traits consuming psychic power would likely gain the same boost.
'About half as strong as God's Whip?'
Even if slightly weaker, this was far superior. Unlike God's Whip, I could fire it repeatedly.
'Perfect for fleet battles.'
Pity about missing the gene essence, but chalk it up to a valuable test.
The tentacles I'd extended to fire the breath went limp, and as I turned, Ham Ort approached. Her amber eyes gleamed. Likely stunned, having never witnessed psychic breath of such intensity.
"Black kin" "Power" "Very" "Very" "Strong" "Amazing"
[Zzzt (Body?)]
"No" "Problem" "Small one" "Ham Ort" "Helped"
From between her broken horns peeked Sky Mother.
"What the hell was that? Psychic breath, but that output?"
[Zzzt zzzt zzzt (Got Dragon Heart)]
"Even so, that strong? Overlapping with Icon of the Hunt?"
[Zzzt zzzt (Maybe)]
"Knew it... No, that's not the point. You crazy Morph bastard!"
She paused mid-sentence, sighed briefly, then unleashed a barrage of thoughts.
"You deliberately delayed noticing the prophecy to dodge it, right? Do you know how much trouble you put us through?"
[Zzzt zzzt zzzt zzzt zzzt (Left the spear behind?)]
"How were we supposed to know from just the spear? We needed the battle location too. We scoured the whole area because of that!"
[Zzzt zzzt zzzt zzzt zzzt zzzt zzzt (Figured you'd see if I fought)]
"Ugh, never mind."
Her amber eyes in their sockets trembled, mirroring her emotions. It was the first such outburst since the Muriel fight.
'...Did I go too far?'
No alternative to catch Ord Grad. My plan succeeded.
Regardless, Sky Mother was shocked by my actions. If roles reversed, I'd be rattled too.
[Zzzt zzzt (I'll be careful next time)]
She shook her avian-skull head.
"I get your intent, but consider us next time. I'm fine, but not them."
Her finger pointed behind me. Adhai and No. 26 were there.
"Big one" "Too mean" "Me" "Abandoned" "Really" "Really" "Hate it"
Its sincere thought-waves left me speechless. As I stayed silent, it approached and scratched my head carapace with claws.
"But" "Really" "Didn't" "Abandon"
Meaning it'd let it slide.
I tried conveying gratitude, but No. 26 leaped from its head.
"Bad baby! Real real bad baby!"
No. 26 emitted unprecedented waves, elongating a tentacle to original size and smacking my head.
'Gah?!'
The blow was so fierce I thought my neck snapped. Pain reduction activated before my eyes; my head carapace dented.
"Babies bullied, family abandoned—bad babies get punished!"
Its body had paled stark white.
Last seen like that long ago, during forced Psionium injection on the Mega Corp research ship. My departure had shocked it deeply.
To the rampaging one, I had one thing to say.
[Zzzt (Sorry)]
Did it sense my sincerity? It halted mid-swing.
Soon its body pinked up. Shrinking the tentacle, it moved from Adhai's head to mine.
"No more bad things, right?"
[Zz (Yeah)]
"Bad things, punish. Smack smack."
[Zz (Got it)]
It balled the tentacle tip like a fist and wagged it. A warning for the future.
'Sky Mother was right.'
They weren't my slaves or tools. Beings who followed by choice. Precious companions.
Alone in game and reality before, but not here.
My strategy exploited their hearts. Successful, but hurtful.
'Not good long-term.'
For me or them.
Ord Grad was unique, but prophecy foes might arise. I'd revisit the tactic then. Ruthlessness kept me alive.
But knowing the risk now, no repeats. Maintaining bonds benefits me long-term.
No. 26 accepted my apology, no more anger. Slight grudge lingered as it poked my horns with tentacles.
"I have no objections. The 'Aimorph's' choice yielded optimal results. Areas for learning noted."
"...Don't learn that."
Ord Grad and his mates were all dead.
Remaining were his routed pack Gallerons, watching from afar. Sensing our gaze, they flinched.
'What to do with them?'
Devouring all would benefit me greatly, but unsure of Adhai's view.
Then a gaunt white Galleron flew toward us.
"Me" "Sha Belmag" "Ord Grad" "Defeated" "Acknowledge"
Introducing itself as Sha Belmag, first in Ord Grad's pack to refuse combat.
"Sha Belmag" "New leader" "Serve" "Request" "Mercy" "Beg"
Its surrender waves spread; other Gallerons relaxed and approached.
I surveyed the survivors. Few whites, mostly greens.
Apex conditions complete. Whites offered decent traits, greens none new.
'Icon of the Hunt nearly expired too.'
Capturing now yielded scant essence.
Decision made, I looked to Adhai.
[Zzzt zzzt (You decide)]
"Big one" "Stronger" "Me" "No right"
[Zzzt zzzt zzzt zzzt zzzt zzzt zzzt zzzt zzzt (You've dwelled on exile since. Time to end it)]
"!"
Understanding, Adhai's eyes widened.
Reason simple.
Even with me, Adhai sometimes suffered past trauma.
I planned keeping it. No issues yet, but no guarantees.
Offering chance to heal.
War for vengeance? No loss to me. Miss full icon, but enough for essence or two.
Forgiveness? Fine too. Gallerons strong fighters. Not constant allies, but invaluable for key planetary assaults.
Adhai's gaze shifted from me, scanning our group.
No. 26 on my head, me, PS-111 and Nel Germa, green Gallerons behind, Ham Ort and Sky Mother.
Eye contact complete, it turned resolutely to Ord Grad's remnants.
"Me" "Ham Ort's daughter" "Adhai!" "Ord Grad's descendants" "Submit!" "Submit!"
"Sha Belmag" "Great Adhai" "Serve"
"Jer Kapcha" "Great Adhai" "Serve"
"Ord Jiaga" "Great Adhai" "Ser..."
Starting with Sha Belmag, all Gallerons bowed to Adhai. Like Adhai's former obeisance to me.
A posture of reverence to a new queen.
-
A dark forest where sunlight scarcely penetrated.
There, tiny lights twinkled like fireflies. Yet on this icy planet, such glows were anything but natural.
Hundreds of blood-red flickers emitting inscrutable sounds could hardly be a common phenomenon.
Something decided, the lights vanished en masse. The voices accompanying each flash cut off abruptly.
Instead, sharp metallic clangs echoed, bushes and trees rustling.
An eerie, ominous stir deep within the forest.
A sight invisible from the skies above.