Chapter 232
Chapter 232
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 232
Chapter Title: Remains of the Black Dragon
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After the battle ended, Od Grad—or rather, now Adhai's flock—returned to their former nest. Nell Гермa was put in charge of leading them.
The ship Ort was still recovering from its injuries, so it returned to the cave nest I had made with the Mother of the Sky. Once its wounds were fully healed there, it would gather the Blue Gallerons and join up at Od Grad's nest.
The rest of us were now scouring the forest near the Twin Peaks to collect the Gallerons that had crashed during the fight.
As I searched for bodies, PS-111 approached me.
PS-111, being interested in biological genes and energy supplies, had stayed behind instead of going with Nell Гермa.
In its clawed hand, it held a Snow Banshee pinned down.
"Analysis of the battle shows a significant correlation between body size and combat effectiveness. May I use this creature as an energy source to readjust my size?"
"Chit! Kikeek!"
It seemed the Snow Banshee had been eyeing a Galleron corpse and got caught by PS-111.
It hadn't been long since we descended into the forest, and the Predation Effect from the hunt had worn off. Even if I ate the Snow Banshee now, the odds of getting Gene Essence were low.
'No harm in handing it over.'
[Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzu (Leave the Galleron corpse for me)]
"Confirmed."
"Chit?!"
With my permission, it swung its scythe-like clawed arm. An invisible blade of wind slashed through the Snow Banshee.
Hot blood and entrails spilled onto the cold ground. The mouthwatering aroma spread through the dry forest. It scooped up the chunks and devoured them.
There was nothing around here that could threaten it. Leaving the creature to its hearty meal, I headed deeper into the forest.
｢Big baby not hungry?｣
[Zu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzuzu (I'm saving room for something else)]
A short distance from the Twin Peaks, I spotted shattered trees. The widely splayed branches were snapped, clear signs of a collision with something fallen from the sky.
And at the point where the broken branches pointed, there was a black mass.
It looked like a meteorite from off-planet, but it was Od Grad's headless corpse.
It wasn't just the head that was gone. The impact from hitting the surface had crumpled its wings completely, and its waist was twisted into a grotesque shape.
A pathetic end for the black dragon that had overestimated its own power and clung to its position as leader.
｢Bad flappy boss?｣
[Zuzu (Yeah)]
Black Galleron meat was an excellent source of nutrition. Even just the forelegs and head would yield a massive amount of energy.
'And damn, it tastes amazing.'
Apex creature meats all had deep flavors that brought me joy. And among the apexes I'd eaten, the Black Galleron was the strongest. Its taste was overwhelmingly superb.
'I don't need energy as desperately anymore...'
Thanks to Berserker Synapse and the Dragon Heart, my energy supply was more stable than before. But that didn't mean I had to pass up a chance to enjoy delicious food.
｢Boss gonna eat?｣
[Zu (Yeah)]
｢Eat yummy.｣
I paused as I reached to tear into the corpse. Something had just occurred to me.
Specimen 026 on top of my head.
Right now, it had shrunk itself down to just 50cm, but its original size was nearly 10m. It had grown massively after absorbing the adult Seed Demon's psychic power in the past.
'So, wouldn't eating the Black Galleron have a similar effect?'
In the game, Gallerons and Seed Demons were both renowned as high-tier psychic creatures. Different in appearance, habitat, and habits, but they shared the trait of wielding incredibly powerful psychic powers.
Gallerons grew in nests that constantly spewed psychic power, accumulating vast amounts of energy in their bodies. Seed Demons, meanwhile, passed on their accumulated psychic power to others before death, preserving and inheriting it.
'Different methods, but both packed with massive psychic power.'
In fact, 026 had once fed psychic power to Blue Gallerons as sustenance. This time, it was the reverse—empowering it with a Galleron corpse.
I shoved my combat arms into the Black Galleron's belly.
Warm innards and flesh pressed against my fingertips. I grabbed and pulled out its heart and major organs.
Still warm, the organs gave off a tantalizing aroma. I offered the freshly extracted meal to 026 on my head.
[Zuzu Zuzu Zuzuzuzu (Wanna try some?)]
｢Food big baby caught.｣
[Zuzuzuzu Zu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzu (Too full to eat it all. It's delicious, so dig in)]
026 extended its tentacles long and thin, wrapping around the food in my hand. It stretched its body like thin dough, then sucked up the meal tentacles and all.
Soon, its body shimmered with multicolored lights.
[Zuzu Zuzuzu (Good, right?)]
｢Yummy!｣
[Zuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzu (Plenty more, eat up)]
With my go-ahead, it hopped down from my head and started tearing into Od Grad's corpse.
It was always a voracious eater, but the Black Galleron's organs clearly hit the spot.
Not long after 026 began eating, I sensed movement from above.
Adhai, the four-winged red Galleron, descended through a gap in the broken branches and landed beside me.
｢Corpse｣ ｢Not far｣ ｢Soon｣ ｢Arrive｣
[Zuzuzu Zu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzu (I'll head there after this)]
｢Roger｣
[Zuzuzuzu Zu Zuzu (It's delicious, you should eat too)]
｢Big adult｣ ｢Prey｣
[Zu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzu Zuzuzuzu (We caught it together. Spoils get shared)]
｢Is that so?｣
I nodded, and it joined the feast. It climbed atop the corpse, thrusting tentacles into the torn hide and slurping up the blood.
｢Totally｣ ｢Delish｣
Its throat quivered in delight as it eagerly guzzled the blood. True to Galleron nature—sparing for kin, merciless to foes—Adhai showed no hesitation devouring Od Grad's body.
'Not like I, an Aimorph, can judge.'
If I waited longer, there might be nothing left, so I wedged myself between them to prepare for my meal.
Wondering where to start, my eyes fell on the half-remaining foreleg. The cleanly severed cross-section was my handiwork.
The ring that had been on that foreleg was now clutched in one of my smaller hands near my chest.
I'd tried forcing it on after landing, but no special effects. The emotion-concealing ability didn't activate at all.
Unclear if it needed other conditions or was Od Grad-exclusive. For now, this ring was just a fancy gem with no power.
'Tch.'
For gear not in the game, it was an anticlimactic end. I considered tossing it but decided to keep it on my small arm for now, in case of hidden effects.
'Ring can wait. Time to eat.'
I tore my gaze from the foreleg and grabbed a hind leg, ripping it free. Then I took a big bite.
'Perfect.'
How to describe Black Galleron flavor? A complex taste hard to pin to one word.
'The umami feels like truffle oil mixed with pepper.'
It reminded me of food with artificial truffle oil I'd tasted before. The fatty scent from the meat was balanced by the sharp, spicy tang from the blood.
Unlike other apexes, the Black Galleron had a unique feature: its hide.
The skin crunched like the crispy crackling of roasted pork rind. Fun texture, but the flavor elevated it further—a concentrated depth that intensified the meat's taste.
The meat itself was fairly tough, but nowhere near challenging my Aimorph jaws. Chewing it just right let me savor the richness.
'Stronger foes taste better—formula holds.'
I polished off the hind leg in seconds and reached for the tail section.
"Dining, are we?"
A voice came from behind as I went to tear off the tail.
Turning, I saw PS-111. While we ate, it must have collected bodies; a white Galleron corpse lay beside it.
[Zuzuzu Zuzuzuzu (You grabbed a body)]
"Yes."
It stared at me with its usual expressionless face.
Or more precisely, at my hand gripping the Black Galleron's tail.
Screamers are controlled by brain-linked machinery. All physical actions fall under machine oversight—no exaggeration. Even mutant screamers like this one.
But in this moment, I knew exactly what it wanted.
I wrenched the tail free and offered it.
"I'm fine."
[Zuzu Zu (Take it when offered)]
"Thank you."
True to machine nature, it didn't refuse twice.
After the brief feast, I went to the spot Adhai mentioned and recovered the bodies.
Couldn't carry them all, so I processed all but four right there. These four would serve for Ort's treatment and Galleron feed.
With my size, I'd carry three; 026 would revert to full size for one. Laden with our hard-won spoils, we set off for the cave nest.
'It looks different, somehow.'
026's inflated form wasn't drastically changed. Jellyfish-like fins, protruding tentacles everywhere— all familiar.
'A bit bigger?'
026 could freely adjust its size, making changes hard to spot.
Checking its energy levels would be most accurate, but it was adept at hiding psychic power. Until combat, I wouldn't know how much stronger it was.
'Might not have grown at all. No point obsessing.'
Still things left to try, like the dragon nest brimming with endless psychic power.
Lost in such thoughts on the way back, my auxiliary organ picked up a scent.
'Huh?'
Similar to fresh blood, but off. More like iron, maybe. Unfamiliar yet somehow nostalgic.
I stopped in place.
｢Big baby, what's wrong?｣
"Something the matter?"
[Zuzu (Quiet)]
I lowered my head close to the ground. Not buried metal—the scent wasn't from that.
While tracing it, my gaze hit PS-111. The Screamer's bio-mechanical body mixed metal and organics, wafting metal scents and chemical preservatives for life support.
Very similar to what my organ detected.
[Zuzuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzuzu (Does this area fall in Screamer territory too?)]
"Not until my main controller was changed."
I'd traversed these woods to the Twin Peaks multiple times. Would've encountered screamers by now if any.
[Zuzuzuzu Zuzuzu Zu Zuzuzuzu (Screamer scent. Check it out)]
"Understood."
A snail-tentacle-like sensor extended from PS-111's eye. It crouched low, using the hose-shaped probe to feel out ground traces.
Soon, it found footprints in the dirt.
Three claw marks like a bird's foot.
Screamer tracks.