Chapter 281
Chapter 281
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 281
Chapter Title: Divine Beast and Savage Beast (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In Space Survival, the Volf are a pretty unique species.
They start out in beastman form, progressing much like humans or cyborgs. They work as mercenaries to buy ships, hunt for good weapons and gear, and so on—following a similar path to other humanoid species.
But once they reach apotheosis and gain the ability to transform into a divine beast, their playstyle becomes far more varied. In divine beast form, they acquire exceptional physical abilities and powerful unique traits, letting them smash enemies without needing special weapons.
They fight in beastman mode normally, then shift into divine beast form when needed to overwhelm foes.
In short, the Volf can be seen as a hybrid species blending the traits of humanoid and monster types.
In other games, hybrid species often end up mediocre in the late game, neither fish nor fowl. But the Volf buck that trend to a degree.
That's thanks to their unique system, the "Path of the Primal."
Fulfilling the conditions for what's called apotheosis strengthens their divine beast abilities. Volf players in the late game tend to fight mostly in divine beast form.
Of course, by that point, their weapons and gear for beastman mode are top-tier too. They take down tough enemies with their enhanced divine beast form, craft powerful equipment from the rare materials they earn, and the synergy between their humanoid and monster modes lets them grow ever stronger. That's the Volf's biggest strength.
Naturally, it comes with the downside of more things to manage. To perform at their peak, Volf need to master combat in both beastman and divine beast forms. Fall short in either, and they become lackluster all around.
In any case, Mother of the Sky had raised her apotheosis stage to advanced level—somewhere between Near-Adult and Adult for an Aimorph. Her combat power was a touch below what mine had been just before reaching the dragon's nest.
But she had one clear edge over an Aimorph.
She could fly through space without restriction.
Her mysterious wings shimmered ceaselessly like sand blown on the wind, agate-hued and captivating as jewels. Thanks to those wings, Mother of the Sky had made it all the way here.
'Damn, that's impressive.'
Advancing her apotheosis hadn't drastically altered her appearance like it would for an Aimorph. Her white eagle head and golden lion's body remained much the same, wings aside.
But one thing was certain.
Flying on those beautiful wings as she battled enemies—it was stunningly gorgeous.
A griffin with agate wings soared through the swarm of metallic gremlins. The silver fiends lunged to bite, but not a single hair on her was harmed.
｢■■■!｣
A few metallic gremlins predicted her trajectory and leaped out ahead. She didn't flinch, swinging the golden spear clutched in her beak.
｢■?!｣
No mere gremlin could withstand the "Priest's Golden Spear," steeped in the blood of countless foes. With one strike, she cleaved three in half and glided effortlessly out of the encirclement.
｢■■!｣
Then the wolfram goblins hanging back raised their arms toward her flight path.
'Not on my watch.'
I stretched my wing-arms to their limits. The membranes, folded like a ship's sails, unfurled wide. A single mighty flap of my now three-times-larger wings propelled me forward at terrifying speed.
Metallic gremlins ranged from 30 to 80 cm. My body was nearing 100 times that size. Spread my wings, and it grew several times more.
Add the thrust from those wings? The destructive power was beyond imagination.
In an instant, my body slammed into the silver horde.
My carapace gleamed silver, like ink-splattered black paper coated in paint. All their blood. The impact had shattered them to pieces.
Hooked on my head horns and the tusks flanking my mouth, wolfram goblins dangled like skewered meat. Some slid right into my maw.
They had the "Super Alloy Skin" defense trait, so they got off that lightly. Otherwise, they'd have ended up like the lesser metallic gremlins—a puddle of gore.
｢■■■■■!｣
Watching their kin pulped, the warp boy hurriedly prepped its "Warp Guide." My erosion tentacles reacted instantly from their hiding spots on my back, long as my body itself, lancing toward it.
｢■■?!｣
Its mistake? Underestimating how much bigger I'd grown since using "Bone Beast." The erosion tentacles didn't just gulp the misjudging warp boy—they devoured the silver monsters beside it too.
｢■■■■!｣
｢■■■!｣
｢■■■■■!｣
The silver raiders that survived climbed onto me. Hundreds of metallic gremlins clung to my body, gnawing away.
I shook to dislodge them, but suddenly they burst like mosquitoes slapped on skin. Seeing kin crushed by some invisible force, the rest stopped biting and dropped off.
But the formless power spared no runners. The fleeing ones twisted and crumpled one by one.
'Mother of the Sky.'
I glanced at her battling nearby. Fine particles streamed from her wingtips into the void.
A new ability she'd gained upon reaching advanced apotheosis.
'Pressure manipulation.'
Within the zone those particles spread, she could generate or control pressure on objects. The gremlins crushed or warped because they'd touched or unwittingly inhaled them.
No matter how vacuum-adapted, no creature survives extreme internal pressure shifts. Even wolfram goblin hides meant nothing against those particles.
'Players didn't rate it highly, though.'
Powerful, sure—but the visible particles were a huge drawback. Just avoid the contaminated zone. Volf with pressure control had to lure enemies in while hiding it well.
These metallic gremlins didn't know. They died oblivious to the particles' danger.
Mother of the Sky, having smashed the gremlins on me, scattered more particles as she flew to my side.
｢Was that unnecessary meddling?｣
[Zuzu zzuzuzu zuzu zzzuzzu (No. Timely support.)]
She shrugged, eyes fixed on the silver raiders.
｢They still won't back off. Guess we need their leader?｣
[Zuzu zzuzuzu zuzu zuzu zzzuzzu (Yeah. Take him down fast.)]
｢Because of the fortress?｣
Behind us, Kasha Arma—under PS-111's control—fought metallic gremlins. She worried about the fortress collapsing, but that wasn't my concern.
[Zzuzu zzuzuzu zuzu (Fortress has a ranker.)]
｢What?｣
[Zzzuzzuzu zzuzuzu zuzu zzzuzzu zuzu (Subdued her, but she might slip away anytime.)]
｢...So we chase these guys off first?｣
Her sharp amber eyes narrowed. She'd suffered brutally at player hands. No one knew better than her what Cynthia escaping might mean.
｢Whoever it is, we can't leave them be.｣
[Zuzu (Right.)]
｢But Titabos won't show easily. Got a plan?｣
[Zuzu zzuzuzu zzzuzzu zuzu zzzuzzu zuzu zuzu zzuzuzu zzuzu (I'll scatter them. You focus on finding him.)]
Mother of the Sky had the best eyesight among us. She'd spot Titabos even if my auxiliary organs missed it.
She nodded, grasping my intent. I edged slightly ahead, prepping a way to rattle the enemy ranks.
Meanwhile, they re-formed. From encirclement to a long, snake-like line, flying past us toward the fortress. They'd deemed fighting us too costly.
'Can't let that happen.'
I unleashed my prepared psychic breath at the snake's tail. An 80-meter behemoth's energy roar—far eclipsing the "dragonflame of the cosmos."
It was like the sun's crimson flares.
'Energy drain's insane.'
Dizziness hit as massive energy drained away. Since gaining the dragon heart, only my fight with the Gorgon Swarm had burned through this much so quickly.
Earth-shaking, heaven-rending. The colossal psychic breath erupted before Kasha Arma.
Purple-crimson flames chased the silver snake.
Not even bodies tough enough for fleet battles meant squat against mythic fire. The tail touched it and vanished.
｢■■■!｣
｢■■■■!｣
｢■!｣
Fearless as metallic gremlins were, losing thousands must've shocked them. They broke formation in panic.
Some held position, but terror gripped them too. The headless snake's body glowed blue—superluminal jump to regroup.
I urgently called to Mother of the Sky.
[Zzuzu (Found him?)]
｢Searching!｣
Needed to get closer. I grabbed her with a combat arm and charged the swarm.
[Zzzuzu zzuzu (No time.)]
｢I know!｣
No one bared teeth at my approach now. The psychic breath had shattered Titabos's control over the horde.
'But it'll recover soon.'
With non-standard biology, metallic gremlins had simple minds. Even after thousands died, tens of thousands remained. More living kin than dead—they'd shake off fear fast.
Flying through the scattering encirclement, Mother of the Sky tapped my combat arm with a forepaw.
｢There!｣
In the direction she pointed: a small monster black as the cosmic void, unlike its silver kin. A black-skinned metallic gremlin—Titabos, leader of this massive horde.
I released her and thrust erosion tentacles his way. Smashing blocking silvers, six appendages reached to seize him.
｢■■■■!｣
Just as they closed, he glowed blue and vanished. A warp boy behind him had whisked the boss away. The tentacles devoured the warp boy instead.
Predation Effect
Engaged!
'Where'd he go?'
Predation text popped up, but no time for that. As leader, he'd be nearby—had to find him quick.
My chin auxiliary organs sifted scents and reactions, pinpointing him 200m behind me.
Erosion tentacles responded to my will—but something was faster.
Mother of the Sky, freed from my grasp, was already diving toward him.
And her spear impaled him.
｢■■■!｣
｢Tch! Too shallow!｣
Her neck strike missed. Chest-grazed, Titabos vanished again. Every metallic gremlin around us did too.
Then they reappeared far off, amid blue glows.
｢...My fault. Should've been faster.｣
[Zuzu zzuzuzu zuzu (No, it wasn't.)]
She'd predicted the warp point and moved faster than me. No reason for self-blame.
'Getting annoying.'
Having barely survived by luck, he'd play cagier now. Taking him down would drag on.
'Time for a different approach...'
As I pondered luring him out, the gremlin horde's movements turned odd.
'Huh?'
｢What's with them?｣
Mother of the Sky tilted her head too—their motions were bizarre.
Disciplined even amid psychic breath shock, now they were utterly different.
'Scared?'
Titabos was wounded but alive.
So this was deliberate. In moments, the horde acted like its leader's personality had flipped—feral packs, not an army.
'Actually works in our favor.'
Attack while disorganized, and we'd inflict heavy losses.
As I geared up to strike, the erratic silver cloud glowed blue. When it faded—gone.
The gremlins assaulting the fortress behind us vanished too.
｢They're retreating.｣
The horde hitting Kasha Arma—finally withdrawing.
That ended the long battle sparked inside the fortress.
'No—one remains.'
The Cult ranker in the fortress, Cynthia.
Our fight with her still awaited.