Chapter 280
Chapter 280
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 280
Chapter Title: Sacred Beast and Beast (1)
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A space that should have been pitch black like the void was now occupied by a pristine white cloud.
It was the typical sight when a horde of Metallic Gremlins with their silver skin gathered in numbers.
'That's a lot.'
Judging by the size of the cloud, there were at least twice as many as the group of Metallic Gremlins he'd encountered before evolving to Near-Adult. Back then, it had been a mid-sized swarm, but the ones approaching now were even larger—a massive horde.
'Now that I look closer, there must be over 20,000.'
Maybe even more. Massive hordes like this never skimped on numbers.
Unlike the mid-sized swarm led by a single 'Warp Boy,' these large-scale groups included multiple types of superiors. Several Warp Boys, battle-specialized superiors like 'Wolfram Goblins,' and more.
With such specialized members, massive hordes moved with systematic precision, like army ants forming ranks and marching as an organized army. He couldn't afford to think of this like the mid-sized swarm he'd fought before.
The infamous legion of cosmic raiders was closing in to devour the Kasha Arma.
In response, the space fortress initiated its intercept against the enemy fleet.
The colossal fortress cannons positioned behind him began firing one by one.
Psychic heat beams as thick as his own psychic breath sliced through the sea of stars. The Metallic Gremlin horde scattered swiftly in reaction. Those too slow to react vanished without a trace, struck by the beams.
The first volley had unfortunately missed. The massive fortress cannons went into standby mode, replaced by hundreds of anti-aircraft guns designed for intercepting carrier-based fighters, priming for combat.
In the meantime, the widely dispersed Metallic Gremlins suddenly clustered together and charged straight at the fortress.
Now it was his turn to step up.
Though his vision, internal fungal glands, and one combat arm had been weakened by the color night he'd taken during the fight with Cynthia, it wasn't a major issue.
When battling numbers in space, what mattered was agile maneuverability, and...
'Long-range attack power.'
A psychic breath laced with a dash of 'Colors of the Abyss' should more than meet those criteria.
He advanced toward the approaching enemy, keeping his fully extended wings level. At the same time, the color of his black carapace, which protected his body, began to shift.
Purple and green, along with every imaginable hue, mingled in chaos. On the stage of his carapace, the riotous colors danced and swirled.
At their climax stood the monster's tentacles. The tentacles dangling like a mane from his neck and rear head carapace glowed with eerie colors as they writhed. Before his maw, a sinister, ineffable power condensed from the tentacles.
The Metallic Gremlins drawing ever closer still hadn't sensed the danger. What had looked like tiny specks in the cloud were now the size of a pinky fingernail.
Tens of thousands of monsters charged at him, their hideous maws gaping wide.
He hurled at them a mass of bubbles filled with chaos and malice. Bubbles utterly minuscule compared even to himself in the vastness of space. The Metallic Gremlins showed no wariness.
Then one sphere collided with an unlucky raider. The bubble burst like shattering glass, enveloping the raider's body.
That was the beginning.
｢■■?!｣
The psychic breath enhanced by the Colors of the Abyss was a predator even greedier than he was. Those bubbles, driven by unknown forces, wouldn't stop until they'd devoured every bit of organic matter nearby.
｢■■■■■!｣
｢■■■!｣
The first Metallic Gremlin struck was already devoured by the psychic breath, not even a finger left behind. The life-devouring bubbles latched onto its comrades as well.
They panicked and tried to shake them off, but it was futile. Flick them with a claw, and the bubbles tore into the claw. Try to bite them away, and they'd burrow inside to devour the entrails first.
What started with one victim swelled to dozens, then hundreds. The afflicted Gremlins' bodies began glowing blue amid their agony.
'Warp Boys, huh.'
The Warp Boys were attempting to use their innate 'Warp Guide' skill to send their bubble-covered kin to another dimension. His auxiliary organs detected powerful energy surging from two Warp Boys far off.
He immediately fired a standard psychic breath in their direction. A massive purple flame filled the empty weightless void.
One Warp Boy, prepping for FTL navigation, canceled its warp and dodged sideways. Quick thinking saved its life. The other failed to evade in time and oxidized alongside its kin in the dragon's breath.
Thanks to that sacrifice, though, the bubble-hit Metallic Gremlins vanished to some distant place beyond his detection.
｢■■■■｣
｢■■■｣
Their formation shifted as swiftly as when evading fortress fire. This time, it resembled a net laid to catch fish—widening the gaps between individuals while encircling him and the fortress.
'This is why massive hordes are such a pain.'
Just as mid-sized swarms had a Warp Boy leader, massive ones had a dedicated commander.
'Taitavos.'
Taitavos specialized in supporting the horde by continuously secreting special substances that bolstered allies. Commanding tens of thousands also meant high intelligence.
'Gotta find that one fast.'
Cynthia inside the fortress might slip away at any moment. He'd wrecked the silos to prevent shuttle launches, so she'd be seeking alternatives by now.
It was impossible to kill every one of these tens of thousands individually, and it'd take too long. The only way was to decapitate the enemy leadership and shatter their cohesion.
He unleashed enhanced psychic breath at the scattered foes. Those who spotted the incoming bubble-form breath scattered nimbly.
'When the formation shifts drastically, it'll show itself.'
In games, Taitavos hid among its kin during battle for protection. To draw it out, he had to disrupt the horde like this.
As his auxiliary organs scanned for the Taitavos emitting fine particles, the enemy prepared a counterattack. Individuals three times larger than standard Metallic Gremlins, with black-stained arms, stepped forward.
Those hulking monsters were Wolfram Goblins. As they raised their black arms, rock-like projectiles launched from the tips. His breath exploded mid-flight, struck by the incoming boulders.
'...Tch.'
Wolfram Goblins, an upper variant of Metallic Gremlins, handled long-range harassment in wars. Those boulders? Digested excreta from devoured starships.
Don't underestimate excreta—their rocks were hardened through special chemical reactions into ultra-durable metal, packed with microbes that corroded more metal.
'Doesn't faze me, but still annoying.'
Taitavos's clever response neutralized his enhanced breath. Betting on close combat, they accelerated their approach.
Metallic Gremlins had tough, sharp teeth befitting ship-devourers. One or two bites would barely scratch, but tens of thousands? Even one chomp each would inflict serious wounds.
'And I've got the fortress behind me to worry about.'
Currently, they had him and the fortress encircled. Those who'd looped to the rear were already clashing with the fortress defenses.
'Time to use that.'
The trait that transformed his body into a colossal mega-beast: 'Bone Beast.'
He'd held it back in case of surprises during the fortress assault.
'Now's the perfect time.'
The Metallic Gremlin horde swarmed him.
Hideous, eel-like maws—sans eyes or noses—clung to his carapace like suckers. Like starving mosquitoes, they dangled from his body, fangs embedded.
He grabbed a few on his back with his combat arm. The 'Predatory Leech Hand' effect triggered, shriveling them like mummies. Repeating the motion only multiplied the wounds on his carapace.
They kept gnawing relentlessly, even watching kin mummify. Believing sheer persistence would eventually kill him.
But they were wrong.
'Good.'
Absorbing massive energy left his belly feeling bloated. Reveling in it, he activated Bone Beast.
｢■?!｣
｢■■!｣
｢■!｣
They say if you flex where a mosquito's sucking blood, the pressure bursts it. He'd never tried, but he could imagine it now.
That was exactly the fate of the Gremlins clinging to him.
His roughly 25-meter body expanded rapidly. Carapace thickness, tail length, wings, arms, head carapace, tentacles—every Aimorph element ballooned several times over.
｢■■■■!｣
Witnessing his transformation, they tried to retreat. Having completed the change in an instant, he seized the fleeing ones.
Or rather, "seized" wasn't apt. Erosion tentacles sprouting from his back merely swept the air like swatting flies.
Yet the destructive power of those 3-meter-thick tentacles was immense. Only mangled flesh remained in their wake.
Facing their kin's gruesome deaths, the horde pulled back in haste. Tens of thousands of cosmic raiders tensed at the sight of him alone.
Anyone would react that way to a 25-meter form suddenly becoming an 80-meter behemoth.
'Been a while since I used it.'
Against Jason before, he'd exceeded 300 meters combining it with 'King of Beasts.' This was standard Bone Beast size.
Seeing his sudden gigantification, Taitavos apparently decided caution was key. Excluding those assaulting the fortress, the rest repositioned. Gremlins kept distance while Wolfram Goblins advanced to shoot.
'Thinks it can win by kiting, huh?'
Assuming his enlarged breath had the same output as before would be a grave mistake.
As he prepared psychic breath, the Wolfram Goblins' heads ahead crushed inward. Not just them—nearby ones crumpled as if squeezed in invisible presses.
｢■■■!｣
｢■■■■■!｣
'What the—?'
As the panicking Goblins retreated in chaos, something small zipped to his side.
｢"You look beat. Need a hand?"｣
Pumpkin-colored eyes carrying playful mischief and battle intent sent him a telepathic message.
Though mere hours apart, her voice felt oddly welcoming. He replied curtly.
[Zzt zzzt zzt(Does this look tiring to you?)]
｢"Isn't that why you're using Bone Beast?"｣
Not wrong, so he changed the subject.
[Zzzt zzt zzzt zzt zzt zzzt zzt(What about you? You just finished your phase-up.)]
｢"Don't worry. I'm brimming with energy—ready to fly."｣
Griffin, Mother of the Skies, spread her radiant agate-hued wings as she spoke. The jewel-like shimmer rippling along her feathers evoked desert sands stirred by wind.
Those newly mystical wings were proof of her ascension to the superior divine rank.
'Good.'
With her here, defeat was impossible. He worried slightly about her mastering the new power, but she'd adapt quickly.
Tilting his massive head carapace, he turned his gaze to the Metallic Gremlins.
They were bewildered by the new foe but held their ground.
'Good posture, but...'
A leader responsible for many lives must know when to retreat.
The monster's tentacles spewed flames once more at the fools who'd misjudged.
Now, round two.