Chapter 295
Chapter 295
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 295
Chapter Title: Rest (2)
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'Hmm.'
This time, I focused mainly on helping Adhai with the hunt. So I didn't use Emblem of the Hunt. I had no expectation of gaining any traits, but an unexpected result emerged.
'And moreover...'
Who would've thought I'd acquire this one out of all those countless traits.
The trait gained from devouring the apex creature was named Tyrantroid.
At a glance, it seems like a physical trait or an internal organ-related one, but it actually falls under environmental adaptation traits.
By its lore, Giganteum possesses organs that enable it to efficiently acquire and utilize energy even in constrained conditions. Tyrantroid is the special chemical secreted by these organs. Thanks to this substance, the beast can survive in virtually any environment without significant limitations.
The key point here is that this substance ties directly into its combat prowess. Every time it enrages and swells in size, it's all because of Tyrantroid.
'Now I can use a trait like that too.'
Tyrantroid is the kind of trait that dramatically alters the body, much like Bone Beast or Emblem of the Hunt. The difference is that it only triggers under specific conditions, akin to Lazarus Organ.
'Easier to trigger than Lazarus Organ, though.'
Tyrantroid's activation condition is straightforward—just one. It automatically engages when the body sustains major injury. The more severe the wounds, the greater the surge in muscle power and energy output, with the body expanding massively in tandem.
However, the tradeoff is that movement slows to a sluggish crawl. With an enlarged frame increasing the hit area and reduced speed to boot, it's a pretty fatal flaw.
'Of course, that's only when considering the trait in isolation.'
Pair it with Bone Beast, which hardens the carapace upon enlargement, or Lazarus Organ, which conditionally activates only on critical wounds, and it becomes incredibly potent. Call it the Aimorph death spear.
The regrettable part is that this combo hinges on taking damage. Fail to overwhelm the enemy during the active window, and you're in serious trouble. At the very least, I need ways to rapidly heal injuries or negate the speed penalty.
'Right now, my recovery options number two.'
Regeneration and Hand of the Predatory Leech. The latter requires me to physically grab the foe, while Regeneration's speed is inherently limited. It's not bad by any means, but far from perfect.
This isn't a game—it's reality. Death is final. Until I can fully mitigate the downsides, this combo stays sealed.
'Still, better than nothing.'
Getting an unlooked-for gift has me in high spirits.
'Ah.'
Sensing the telepathic waves emanating from all around, I dismissed the semitransparent text box.
Amethyst-like purple pupils glowed in the darkness, fixed on me. They must have waited until I'd finished devouring the head.
Upon hearing my words, Adhai sliced off Giganteum's two arms using the wingtips empowered by Red Armor.
Giganteum's body resembled a hybrid of gorilla and bear, with highly developed arms as a result. Even the severed limbs were impressively massive—each over 10 meters long.
Adhai set the hefty meal down on the ground and broadcast telepathic waves to its kin.
The Gallerons swarmed the arms the instant the telepathy spread.
The White Gallerons went first, ripping away fur and hide with their razor-sharp claws before jamming their mouth tentacles inside. Adhai peeled back the skin to make it easier for the others, then joined the feast.
The relatively weaker Green Gallerons plunged their tentacles into the wounds opened by Adhai and the others, sucking blood greedily.
Green or white, their scales differed, but the tentacles were uniformly purple. Each wriggle of the violet biostraws buried in the arms caused their size to shrink visibly in real time.
Adhai had brought a total of 10 Gallerons: three Whites and seven Greens. With Adhai making eleven, they drained the blood ferociously until both arms withered into mummified husks in short order.
The Gallerons lifted their heads after the brief repast. The younger Greens eyed Giganteum's body covetously.
Adhai responded by slamming its hind legs into the ground. The sharp impact reverberated, causing the Gallerons to flinch.
The Green Gallerons hastily bowed at their queen's icy admonishment. Having warned off its greedy kin, Adhai severed Giganteum's intact left leg.
Skinny White Galleron Sha Belmag bent its forelegs in thanks to Adhai. As Adhai held its head high in regal poise, Sha Belmag gathered the queen's gifted prize.
'Come to think of it, Nel Germa's brooding eggs, right?'
Back in the Dragon's Nest, the White Galleron that aided us most: Nel Germa.
It had laid eggs just before our arrival and was now incubating them in the nest.
Adhai originally planned to bring Nel Germa, its battle-tested partner, but circumstances led to Sha Belmag filling in for its mate.
'Galleron reproduction.'
I'm no Galleron enthusiast, but it's a fascinating subject. Even the game never revealed how they bred.
'Thinking back, maybe it just wasn't implemented.'
Like most VR games, Space Survival featured plenty of sexual content—player interactions, NPC services, and so on.
True to its focus on NPC ecosystems and lore, it implemented reproductive behaviors for wild fauna.
'Not entirely, though.'
Species with strong pair bonds or pronounced maternal instincts had their breeding depicted as key elements. The Crystalwings I hunted in the Dragon's Nest were one such example.
But that level of detail sparked controversy in all the wrong ways, ultimately dooming its ratings.
'Blame that obscenity for failing review.'
No domestic release meant I had to pirate the foreign version, relying on the VR device's built-in translation.
In any case, Gallerons were prime candidates for depicted reproduction, drawing high expectations. Top rankers infiltrated nests to uncover it firsthand but came up empty.
Adhai's telepathy snapped me out of my reminiscing. The other Gallerons were unfurling their wings, ready to depart.
'Might as well head back.'
I hefted the headless, limbless Giganteum corpse. Securing it firmly to my body with Erosion Tentacles, I spread my wing arms. Beating wings as vast as my frame, I soared upward alongside the Gallerons.
The underground cave and passages Giganteum claimed as its lair were relatively cramped by underworld standards. Flapping in unison with the eleven Gallerons made it feel downright tight—not much width to spare.
Yet beyond those modest confines lay an entirely different realm.
Exiting the underground passage in the lead Gallerons' wake, my view exploded open. Calling it a cavern felt inadequate; "underground world" was far more apt for the colossal expanse.
The ceiling of thick ice layers rivaled a second sky, with vast plains stretching below.
It's no mere metaphor—gazing at that ice canopy evokes the real heavens. The reason? Microorganisms carpeting its outer surface. Moss-like critters that emit light and heat while digesting prey. From afar, they twinkle like stars in the night firmament.
Gallerons gliding beneath a frozen starry sky. A breathtaking vista impossible back home.
Glancing down revealed the subterranean plains teeming with flora from mere meters to dozens tall. Unique plants blending mushrooms and rainbow grasses harbored roaming wildlife.
Our flight with the space dragons was brief. Crossing the vegetal forest brought a steaming canyon to greet us.
Geothermal vents spewing vapor marked the Gallerons' new palace.
Deep inside the gorge lay countless caves. Entering the grandest welcomed us with the black dragon Ham Ort.
Adhai nodded to Ham Ort, who bowed with polite deference.
Ham Ort looked markedly different from our last encounter. Scars atop its scales were gone, and its frame had grown slightly.
'Thriving in a good environment—it's put on a healthy layer of fat.'
Not that it's obese. True to form as Adhai's dam, its seductive beauty endured. Obsidian scales gleamed smoothly, while its four legs and elongated torso brimmed with vital muscle.
The horns remained incompletely regenerated, lending an asymmetrical edge that contrasted its graceful figure with primal allure—unique charm indeed.
After greeting Adhai, Ham Ort dipped its head slightly toward me.
A massive pink entity emerged from the cave's depths, cradling a cluster of tiny Blue Gallerons. It was No. 26.
Thrilled at my unscathed return, it lit up vibrantly. The 25-meter luminary banished the gloom in an instant.
The hatchlings, basking in psychic power from No. 26, curiously pawed at its body.
I deposited the Giganteum corpse from my back before Ham Ort.
As Ham Ort cocked its head quizzically, Adhai fielded the question.
Hearing it was for nourishing the young kin, Ham Ort wagged its tail gently—a picture-perfect proud parent beaming at its offspring's maturity.
We have to stick around this planet for at least a week anyway. No point rushing.
With the hunt wrapped up, it was time for a breather.