Chapter 240
Chapter 240
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 240
Chapter Title: A New Black Galleron
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When I opened my eyes in the nest, the first thing I saw was a pink jellyfish.
It was Specimen 026, who had grown her body to 10 meters. She was asleep, leaning against me.
Next to Specimen 026 were Adhai and the Mother of the Sky. Until recently, the Mother of the Sky in her griffon form had been much larger than Adhai, but not anymore.
After evolving into a White Galleron, Adhai had become about the same size as the Mother of the Sky. And now, having gained the power of a Red Galleron, his body length was even greater. Including his wings, he was far larger than her.
'She must have calmed down a lot.'
I'd expected her to be with the Blue Gallerons, but this was unexpected. It seemed the comfort from Specimen 026 and Ham Ort had helped a great deal.
Looking around with just my eyes, I saw white and green islands submerged in a black swamp. The White and Green Gallerons who still hadn't fully recovered from their injuries were resting here.
Fortunately, the wounds on their bodies had mostly healed. However, their horns took longer to recover, so some still had broken ones.
As I checked on their bodies, a light suddenly flashed from the passage connected to the main chamber.
'What was that?'
It flickered out quickly, but having seen it, I couldn't just ignore it.
I carefully rose to my feet.
Normally, Specimen 026 would have woken up from my movement, but she must have been exhausted—she didn't stir at all. I slipped out of the swamp, careful not to wake her.
'Come to think of it, PS-111 isn't here.'
I didn't see him anywhere in the chamber.
I headed to the passage where the light had flashed, and sure enough, there was PS-111.
He was synchronizing with a Screamer's head. When I appeared, he paused and turned to me.
"You're awake."
Like Specimen 026 imitating him, PS-111 had adapted his routine to match hers. When she slept, he partially powered down his systems; when she ate, he replenished his energy.
He rarely acted independently unless given a command.
"Did you find something else?"
"Yes. There was something I needed to verify in the memory data."
"About Pira Eleven?"
"No. A few interesting memory fragments."
As always, his expressionless face somehow felt different today. Emotional, perhaps.
After a brief silence, he continued.
"During the digestion process inside the 'Ice Horror,' most of my memory data was lost. I can't confirm what memories my original body held or what thoughts it had."
"Were you checking if the others were the same?"
"Yes."
He had been badly damaged in some incident involving an Ice Horror attack. When Specimen 026 found PS-111, only his head remained.
He had crammed minimal life-support functions into that small head to survive. In the process, the organic parts handling his body and the AI controlling his actions had formed a symbiotic structure.
'But as a result, his original memories and personality were lost.'
More precisely, they had fused.
After receiving energy from Specimen 026, his body had regenerated into a perfect balance of machine and organism. In other words, a new being where biotech and machinery were seamlessly integrated.
'His sense of self must be very different from the original.'
In a way, the intelligent organic and mechanical components that made up the previous him had died, and the one before me now was something entirely different.
'But that's probably not what he wants.'
"Did you get what you wanted?"
He shook his head.
"Analysis of the subjects' memory data showed 89% similarity. They despaired of survival itself and hoped their life-support devices would shut down."
'No surprise there.'
His situation was completely different from typical Screamers.
Cyborgs and intelligent beings forcibly turned into Screamers were trapped in mechanical prisons by the Machine Committee until pardoned, enduring endless torment. They couldn't control their bodies, but felt every pain and sensation fully.
Even if hit by artillery on the battlefield, they had to charge; even if their bodies were charred by enemy energy blasts, they had to keep fighting without rest.
No matter how strong-willed, no one could endure that. As he said, begging for death was probably all there was.
"The data analysis raised new questions. I can't determine if I was like that—or something else."
Newly developed mutant Screamers might differ from old models, but the basic framework was the same. Before his changes, he must have been similar to the others.
But I couldn't say that outright.
"Who knows? I think you were different from the rest."
"What is your basis for that judgment?"
"If you really wanted to die, you wouldn't have modified your body to survive inside the Ice Horror's gut. And after Specimen 026 saved you, you had plenty of chances to end it. That alone proves you're different, doesn't it?"
His transformation was likely a desperate measure by the AI to preserve life, but I couldn't be 100% sure. He was the only one among his mission companions to barely survive.
I added one more thing to him.
"You're a special one. That's for sure."
I meant it this time.
Depending on perspective, he was far freer than the others.
He blinked the cameras replacing his eyes and fell silent. After a moment, he said to me,
"Noted."
With that, the conversation ended. He fiddled with the Screamer head a bit more, then quietly entered hibernation.
'Memories, huh.'
Thinking about it, the players who came to this dystopian world were in a similar boat. Humans living normal lives, with only their minds transferred here.
I was essentially human, not Aimorph. The burns from childhood, conflicts with my parents, hobbies that started as escapism. My body was Aimorph, but what made up "me" was memories from my human days.
'If I go back, what happens to these memories?'
If they stayed, adapting to reality would be tough. I'd gone from a man-eating monster back to human.
'Not something to worry about yet.'
Lying next to him, lost in such thoughts, I fell asleep before I knew it.
I woke to movement around me—it was morning. The first thing I saw upon opening my eyes was Specimen 026.
｢Big baby, hello.｣
I stroked her as she greeted me energetically. She emitted waves of light, signaling her pleasure.
｢All the babies are up. Hurry, food.｣
[Zuzuzu Zuzuzu (Wait just a moment)]
Instead of heading straight to the chamber, I stopped at the cave entrance. I gathered what I needed from the area not covered in mucus, then returned to the chamber.
Entering the vast space with its swamp, the Gallerons and kids were waiting for me.
｢Big adult｣ ｢Ready｣ ｢Done｣
I felt intense rage from the recovered Gallerons. Adhai was burning with battle spirit, vowing revenge.
'Good.'
Four White Gallerons who barely survived defending the nest from Screamers, nine Green Gallerons. Add Ham Ort, that's 14 in total.
A few more Green Gallerons who avoided injury by guarding the nest remained, but I didn't plan to bring them.
'Pira Eleven is the same type as me.'
He gained energy by absorbing creatures. More numbers didn't guarantee victory. Better to go with an elite few: 14 Gallerons and the kids.
'But first...'
There was something to do before departure.
What I'd brought from the nest entrance was none other than four White Galleron corpses won from Odd Grad.
'From Adhai's case, White Gallerons need to eat other White Gallerons to evolve.'
Not fully confirmed, so I'd test it here. Whether these corpses could evolve four White Gallerons.
'Who to give them to.'
Ham Ort and Nel German were definite. Both had rich combat experience and outstanding prowess. If the experiment succeeded and they both became Black Gallerons, they'd be a huge asset in battle.
'Sha Belmag isn't a bad choice either.'
That lean male Galleron was the first to rebel against Odd Grad after losing the ring. He seemed smart, perfect for the experiment.
For the last one, after some thought, I picked a relatively large-bodied Galleron.
'Ham Ort, Nel German, Sha Belmag, Jer Kapcha.'
I placed the four White Galleron corpses from the day before in front of them.
The loyal Nel German plunged his tentacle cluster into a corpse without hesitation. Then Sha Belmag, Jer Kapcha followed, absorbing the remaining fluids.
Ham Ort, the last one, seemed to hesitate.
[Zuzuzu (Drink it)]
He looked at the corpse I offered, then turned to glance at Adhai.
｢?｣
Adhai tilted his head, meeting his gaze. At that, Ham Ort seemed to make up his mind and thrust his tentacles into the corpse.
'Wonder how it'll turn out.'
I'd love for all to become Black Gallerons, but it might not go that smoothly.
'At least one would be nice.'
Quite some time passed since they started their experimental meal.
The corpses I held shriveled one by one like mummies. They'd eaten almost everything, but no signs of change yet.
'Did it fail...? Huh?'
Then I noticed Ham Ort's horn. Black was spreading across its surface like ink from food.
Soon, a black wave engulfed the horn in an instant, spreading to his head and neck. Realizing the change, he spread his wings and wrapped them around his body. From behind the thick wings came the sound of rapid growth.
'Similar to Adhai.'
I checked the others.
Nel German and Sha Belmag had new black spots on their necks and parts of their bodies, but they weren't expanding like Ham Ort's.
'Only Ham Ort evolved?'
Only Ham Ort was growing. The other three had devoured the White Gallerons fully but showed no change.
'The corpses too degraded? Or age-related?'
As far as I knew, Ham Ort was the oldest surviving Galleron. He'd been young originally, but after most died fighting Odd Grad and the Screamers, he became the elder.
'Maybe both the corpse quality and age played a role.'
Regrettable, but nothing more I could do. Now, just wait for Ham Ort to finish safely.
Adhai's transformation from White to whatever had taken 30 minutes to an hour. Unlike Aimorphs, it wasn't long.
An hour passed.
Ham Ort hadn't moved, wings wrapped tight. His pure white wings were gone, replaced by sleek obsidian ones cloaking his body.
Suddenly, the sounds from his body stopped. His growth was complete.
The new Black Galleron unfurled wings like a curtain. As the fresh black dragon was born, all surrounding Gallerons bowed their heads.
Two new horns had grown on Ham Ort's head. Since the old ones hadn't regenerated, they looked quite asymmetrical.
The horns and body gleamed like obsidian, and his increased size gave him considerable majesty.
Smaller than the old male Odd Grad, but tail included, he was at least 30 meters.
Ham Ort scanned his body once, then slightly bowed his head to me and Adhai.
Seeing him fully evolved, I thought,
All preparations were complete.