Chapter 268
Chapter 268
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 268
Chapter Title: qiqi iykow gkk-268i
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 268
Chapter Title: Harvest (2)
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Kessha Arma's First Command Headquarters.
This was the residence of Montana Marcio, the ruler of the city. Despite its crude, cylindrical exterior, the interior was extraordinarily lavish.
At the heart of this steel fortress, adorned with opulent decorations and stringent security, lay a massive bathhouse.
Montana Marcio began his morning in the marble-tiled bath, soaking in hot water surrounded by dozens of concubines attending to him.
Montana's concubines were little more than genetically modified bio-dolls tailored to his tastes. Without daily maintenance, they suffered excruciating pain. Thus, they desperately fawned over him to avoid his neglect.
The voluntary love and devotion of these beautiful females—this was what pleased Montana most.
As he leisurely received their ministrations, pondering which one to enjoy this morning, an android approached from outside the bath.
"What is it?"
"Master. An urgent report."
"Urgent report?"
"The guests staying at the Second Command Headquarters contacted the mercenaries guarding the merchandise, but they're not responding."
"Auction item management was delegated to the underboss. Go ask Kadun."
"We've been unable to reach Kadun since yesterday."
"Unable to reach him?"
Kadun had never once failed to respond. When not working, the underboss was always immersed in training at the Third Command Headquarters' gym. Even if comms failed, one could just go there in person.
Yet the android had come to report this—what did it mean? That something had happened to Kadun.
'Wait. That's not the important part right now.'
Before mentioning Kadun, the android had brought up a critical issue. Montana pushed away the concubines serving him and questioned the android.
"The mercenaries guarding the merchandise aren't responding, right?"
"Yes."
"Did you contact the storage guards?"
"None of them are responding."
"......"
Hearing that, Montana felt himself snap fully awake.
He rose hurriedly from his seat. The concubines, sensing his mood, quickly brought towels and a robe.
"Contact the military port immediately and have them check the underground storage for issues."
"Understood."
"And prepare to mobilize at once if there's even a hint of trouble."
"I'll relay to all commands."
Though the concubines' soft hands roamed every inch of his body, Montana had no time to savor the pleasure.
Everything had been fine until yesterday. The auction items had been safely transported, and the guests were satisfied with his services.
But now, the morning after, things had suddenly gone awry.
As if that prior peace had been an illusion.
'...Nah, it's probably nothing.'
The Marcio Cartel was a powerhouse even within the Space Dogs, with few daring to challenge them. Few cartels could manage a space fortress and command hundreds of ships like they did.
And that wasn't all. Montana was backed by Noble Capital from Mega Corp and nobles of the Cult Empire. In essence, he was a warlord recognized by the great powers.
The idea of someone attacking the fortress he ruled was absurd.
'Maybe it's a comms glitch.'
Reassuring himself thus, he stepped out of the bath.
'Is that everything?'
I set down the now-empty cryo-container on the floor. The vast underground structure was littered with shattered containers.
All remnants left after I, Specimen 026, and PS-111 devoured their contents.
'With so many stored creatures, I racked up quite a few traits.'
Even after the Hunt's Emblem concluded, consuming dozens or hundreds more yielded no small haul of traits.
'Opened two more synthesis recipes, too.'
One required multiple flesh-related traits for a unique trait, the other nest- and psionic-related ones. I could make the former now, but lacked materials for the latter.
'Gotta hunt Redmist for that.'
Redmist was a top predator on jungle planets, an apex creature as tricky as Ice Horror. Charging in without resolve would backfire spectacularly.
'Later for that.'
Securing many traits let me craft two unique ones.
I pulled up the immediately craftable Transcendence fusions here.
'No clue what the first'll yield, but I can guess the second.'
Transcendence traits were all absent from the game. New unique traits or Hunt's Emblems always sparked deliberation.
But these storage-unlocked fusions screamed ranged attack unique trait from their materials.
Indeed, a new organ had formed on my body. Reflecting 'Explosive Fluid Launcher' and 'Spore Cannon', two elongated bio-cannon barrels sprouted from the carapace covering my back.
Tucking my neck low stretched my back, barrels popping out to aim forward. Flexing now would launch spore pods brimming with hazardous material.
'Pairs great with Acidic Fungus Gland.'
In the game, I'd lob fungi then douse with explosive fluids—a white phosphorus-like combo effective on machines and organics alike.
Now with acidic fungi as breath, it'd perform even stronger.
Plus, 'Destructive Sonic Wave' proved quite useful.
Unlike the Faceworm's paralyzing waves, this purely destroyed foes with sound. Low power and finicky conditions were drawbacks, but its broad utility against varied enemies made it a versatile attack.
'That's sorted. Just need to finish these for Adult evolution. What to do?'
Adult stage required two more unique traits. Using the system here could evolve me instantly.
'Time's the issue...'
Mercs' dropped comms rang repeatedly during our feast—check-ins from clients who'd tasked them. With owners in our bellies, they'd come verify themselves.
In short, full war with the fortress pirates loomed.
Past Transcendence uses always cocooned me. Likely again, so better delay the uniques.
'Loot boxes later.'
Closing the text boxes, I turned to Specimen 026 and PS-111. Reading my gaze, 026 bounced over.
「Biggie! Look look!」
Focusing, its pink glow deepened. Tendrils wriggled from the pink body, morphing shape.
Soon, one tendril transformed utterly unlike before. Prior ones had jagged barbs lining inner surfaces.
This new one ended in six appendages like mouth-organs. Eerily akin to my Erosion Tendrils.
「Same as Biggie now! Right? Right?」
[Zuzuzu (Yeah)]
I replied flatly, but inwardly? Stunned anew despite prior glimpse.
'Body alteration, huh.'
The storage feast meaningfully boosted 026.
First, size leaped—max growable now 25m.
Skin thickened accordingly, fins and tendrils toughened. Shrunken now, but full size evoked quasi-raid boss majesty.
'Tch. Thought it was solid myself.'
But 026 was dissatisfied. Lacking 'sparkly like little ones,' per it.
I consoled that it was plenty, but it seemed truly downcast, crouching dejectedly by containers while I ate.
'Never moped like this before.'
If anything, like its early lab days—unimaginably far from proudly showing new powers now.
Seeing it bummed me out. After deliberation, I gave it prey I'd planned for myself.
Faceless—a carnivorous snail with hundreds of teeth and rare 'Mimic Organ' trait. As named, it disguised as objects. Normally mimicking trees or rocks, it reverted to ambush nearby prey.
Pre-Kessha Arma, I'd predated pirate-captured Faceless on the slave market planet, completing 'Herald of Great Chaos'.
Mimic Organ's utility made me eye another someday.
'Tch. Thrilled it was listed.'
I'd have eaten it regardless of 026's mood, but a whim struck.
'Sea Demon had camouflage traits.'
Sea Demon morphed skin to coral-like. Seamless to naked eye, needing special detectors. A combat nuisance in-game.
Thus, for comfort and experiment, I gave Faceless to 026—hoping game-divergent new power.
And I was right. Far beyond expectations.
As seen, it freely reshaped one tendril's exterior and internals. True 'mutation' worthy.
'Just one tendril now, but...'
If its hundreds morphed independently into weapons/organs, combat power would skyrocket.
'Stronger 026 benefits me.'
I stroked it approvingly. It bounced joyfully, sparkling. Clearly thrilled at long-last new ability.
"Satisfactory, I presume."
PS-111 approached gleeful 026.
[Zuzu zuzuzuzu zuzuzu (Your changes aren't bad either)]
"'A valid point, but below expectations.'"
As before, PS-111 struggled applying living traits.
'Precisely, results are luck-based.'
Gene absorption or equipment predation yielded gains. Live prey? Structures imperfectly shifted, flawed or underwhelming.
'Still, this one's a win.'
PS-111's boon: neurotoxin spines on all leg carapaces. Fireable at will. Handy for live captures.
'Yet still dissatisfied.'
No Faceless for PS-111, so no extras. It knew, made no requests.
'Still, evolution conditions met, 026 and Sky Mother's growth inspiring.'
First haul this big since Gorgon Swarm. Worth targeting Kessha Arma.
'Sky Mother's taking longer than thought.'
We'd rendezvous post-deification upgrade with Adhai. Hours passed sans arrival—must be prolonged.
'Wait one more hour then—huh?'
Mid-thought, auxiliary organs detected air shifts. Far from C-Zone, near underground storage entrance—someone prowled.
Guards and mercs eaten pre-entry. Those footsteps? Outsiders.
'They're here.'
Missing contacts drew them to verify. Footsteps swelled from dozens to hundreds.
[Zuzuzu zuzuzuzu (All full?)]
「Yeah. Stuffed.」
"My internal energy is overcharged."
[Zuzuzu (Perfect)]
Bellies full.
Time for exercise.
"No bio-signs detected nearby."
"Entry cleared."
"...Alright. Let's go in."
Pirates entered the underground storage, leading with armored androids wielding heavy front shields. The dozens-strong group was heavily armed, faces taut with tension.
"Hey, underboss really fucked?"
"Fuck off with that shit."
"Came for Marcio Cartel perks, now this bullshit."
"My bro went to hospital, no contact. Related?"
"Am I God? Know everything?"
"Shut your traps, stay alert."
New officers' orders barely lifted morale. Entering the A-Zone passage soured it further.
"Fuck..."
"...We're fucked."
The 1m-thick double blast door was mangled beyond recognition, like crumpled paper.
Not even Kessha Arma's junkies could imagine storage doors thus.
Worse: whatever did it lurked inside.
Escape urges surged in every pirate, including officers—but none bolted. Androids would honeycomb deserters.
Swallowing hard, they passed the wreckage into the A-Zone guardroom passage.
"Vibrations ahead."
"Estimated enemy movement."
"Prepare to engage. Prepare."
Approaching the guardroom, lead androids blared alerts.
Flickering lights, destruction scars on metal walls, blaring machinery—all amplified dread.
Pirates gripped weapons with trembling hands. Cult psychic shields on arms offered no comfort.
As pirates and androids readied—
Thumping echoed from beyond.
Initially faint floor tremors, swelling to shake the passage and exposed hairs.
Tension brief: source appeared swiftly.
"H-Hiiiik!"
"M-Monster!"
"Open fire!"
Unclear who ordered; irrelevant. Panicked pirates would've anyway.
「Grrrrrr」
The wide passage—needing six stacked men to touch ceiling—filled with monster. Ignoring the barrage, it charged.
Thick serpents from its back pierced lead androids, thrashing to smash them.
Shields endured plasma, but direct body hits wrecked the pricey bots, embedding them walls despite grips.
"R-Run! Gotta run!"
"Don't run, you fucks!"
Officers screamed futilely.
Pirates turned tail.
The monster, tendrils battering androids, gaped wide at fleeing pirates.
"I-It’s doing something!"
"Watch out—!"
Keen pirates shouted.
Before cries ended, colossal force erupted from the maw.
「■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■!」
The sonic wave shredding front androids to scrap propagated via walls.
Fleeing and front-line pirates alike burst into gore amid the overwhelming roar.
"What happened?"
"Can't hear shit!"
Lucky survivors beyond range staggered, muttering. Deafened, blood streamed from eyes, noses, mouths.
Sensory losses instant—but mercy: suffering brief.
"R-Run..."
"Hiiiik?!"
A staggering pirate pulped abruptly nearby. Gore splattered rear comrades.
The monstrously thick-legged fiend that crushed him thrust its maw forward.
Maw yawned.
Bloodied pirate screamed soundlessly.
Then his eyes saw no more.
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