Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Ep. 30
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Space Survival, the SF game, doesn't have many fantasy elements, but there are a few notable exceptions.
Representatively, the Cult—called space elves for their magic-like powers—the psychic lifeform Vortex One, and the space dragon Galleron all strongly exhibit fantasy traits.
There are other creatures that can use psychic powers, but these three races are unique in wielding psychic power like actual magic.
I guess you could compare them to elves, demons, and dragons, respectively.
Galleron, the so-called space dragons, are incredibly rare, making them hard for average players to even encounter.
That's why many newbies mistakenly think they look just like dragons because of the nickname.
In reality, they're nothing alike.
Though they share a massive reptile-based body, wings on their backs, and horned heads with dragons, the real difference is the bundle of tentacles where a mouth should be.
Galleron feed primarily on blood and psychic energy, so their oral structure consists of tentacles instead of a typical animal mouth.
It's also commonly said that a dragon's color represents its personality, but for Galleron, color indicates growth stage—that's another key difference.
The 'Galleron's Claw' trait that Sihyun Yujin gave me comes from a White Galleron's genes. White is right in the middle; for an Aimorph, it'd be Subadult level.
I've never acquired Galleron's Claw this quickly before.
Even a Blue Galleron at Hatchling stage is tough to catch without reaching Near-Adult. A White, two stages higher, goes without saying.
Just obtaining Galleron genes now is a groundbreaking achievement for me.
I have no idea where he got such a precious item...
I'm nothing but grateful.
Next up after Galleron's Claw is the 'Camouflage Skin' trait I acquired.
Truth be told, this ability is the real jackpot among the traits Sihyun Yujin gave me—powerful enough to call it an overstatement otherwise.
Honestly, I'm more curious where he hunted a Giant Chameleon than a Galleron.
Giant Chameleons are herbivores, so their combat prowess is negligible. Even an Aimorph Juvenile could hunt one without much trouble—they're that feeble.
The issue is spotting them in the first place, which is insanely difficult.
Giant Chameleons generate a special magnetic field from protrusions on their skin surface.
This field renders them undetectable by equipment or traits. My auxiliary organs, cameras, electromagnetic devices, psychic powers—none of it works.
You can only see them with the naked eye, making discovery a stroke of cosmic luck.
Someone might say just search manually, but their habitat is unknown. With thousands of planets in the game, where do you even start?
I only ever got Giant Chameleon essence three times playing as an Aimorph—that says it all.
Aimorph players can't even buy the genes since they don't trade. You have to hunt and use Predation Effect yourself.
Of course, consuming large samples or eating corpses can trigger Predation Effect too. But the success rate is so low it's inefficient.
So the best method is grinding it out personally.
Thanks to that grind, I gained some valuable info even rankers don't know—might've been a net gain.
I know one secret about Camouflage Skin that even rankers don't: it can fuse with Mimicry.
Fusing them creates an entirely new trait.
No one else knew, so I was the only one in the game with this fusion trait.
The resulting trait from fusing Mimicry and Camouflage Skin is the Mimicry Organ.
It makes others perceive me as the victim I've devoured when they look at me.
The mechanism is a bit complex, but simply put:
First, the Mimicry Organ analyzes the devoured victim's genetic info. Then, it emits special pheromones across my entire skin, disrupting other creatures' senses with that data.
As long as they're in my pheromone range, they see me as the victim. Plus, Mimicry's effects remain, so I can imitate the victim's voice perfectly.
The pheromone range is generous too, effective even at a distance.
It's perfect for infiltration, ambushes, and chaotic brawls.
Not without its downsides, though.
It seems cheat-like, but it has plenty of flaws.
For starters, Mimicry Organ doesn't transform my body—it just fools creatures via pheromones. Cameras and machines immune to pheromones capture my true form, and mirrors reflect it too.
The mimicry isn't flawless either. It copies the victim's appearance perfectly but can't depict complex emotions like joy or sorrow beyond simple actions.
This creates a severe uncanny valley effect. Even the most oblivious person would feel unease after sharing space with it.
It shares Mimicry's downsides too: can't speak long, complex lines during effect; devouring a new victim erases the previous mimicry, etc.
Clear pros and cons, but its ability to temporarily confuse an enemy's vision offers tons of utility.
Finally, X-Ray Vision.
The first two are jackpots, but X-Ray Vision is... meh.
It's good, but...
In Space Survival, X-Ray Vision isn't true x-ray like we know it—more like super-spatial perception.
It's not literally seeing behind walls; it reconstructs what's there by synthesizing environmental data and elements.
The reconstruction is so accurate it got named X-Ray Vision. In a way, it's akin to future precognition abilities.
This should feel familiar.
It's very similar to the Aimorph trait Super Sense.
Tch. Would've been great without Aimorph's Super Sense—it's basically an upgrade.
Super Sense overshadows X-Ray Vision, making it a mixed bag.
Still, it counts as a psionic-type trait.
Useless now, but a rare psionic trait. Plus, useful for future fusions—better than nothing.
Trait check done. The text window's been waiting for my confirmation.
I accepted all trait applications.
"'Galleron's Claw' trait applied." Possible to fuse with existing 'Psionic Organ' trait. 'Galleron's Claw' and 'Psionic Organ' traits have fused. Evolved into 'Monster's Tentacles' trait! Monster's Tentacles: Inherits and enhances existing 'Psionic Organ' trait. Psychic powers available.
P.S.: Use the dragon's power with caution.
"'Camouflage Skin' trait applied." Possible to fuse with existing 'Mimicry' trait. 'Camouflage Skin' and 'Mimicry' traits have fused. Evolved into 'Mimicry Organ' trait! Mimicry Organ: Can mimic the appearance of devoured victims. Limited to once per day.
P.S.: The human body is the warmest place to hide.
I stared at the flurry of translucent text windows, stunned.
Monster's Tentacles?
Before I could question it, my body began mutating. A sharp tug at the back of my neck hit first, followed by intense itching across my whole form.
A small bundle of tentacles sprouted rapidly, growing long. My head felt heavy from the sudden growth, and I sensed their tips over my shoulders.
Tiny holes formed in the chitinous exoskeleton covering my skin. Anyone with trypophobia peering through a magnifier would faint.
Membrane-like covers formed over the holes, turning my exoskeleton into intricate geometric patterns.
Not a full evolution stage, so the mutation ended quickly.
I touched the long, octopus-leg-like tentacles. They looked exactly like the ones on a Galleron's mouth.
As far as I knew, Galleron lack Psionic Organs, and their mouth tentacles can't be acquired as traits. It's like trying to get human fingers or toes as a trait.
...No clue how, but I got a better weapon than claws.
Psionic energy blades are nice, but Monster's Tentacles have broader uses beyond attacks. Unexpected, but far from bad.
Mimicry Organ should be as expected.
X-Ray Vision applied without much sensation. Still, I'm close to unlocking psionic-type traits.
Now four psionic-related traits.
Predator Sense, Humanity, Monster's Tentacles, X-Ray Vision. Evolving to Subadult grants 'Psionic Resistance' as a bonus, making five.
Just one more for psionic-type unlock.
That sparked an idea.
I glanced at No. 26, passed out and now asleep.
Never guessed it was a Sea Demon.
Many marine enthusiasts tracked Sea Demon ecology, but no one figured out how they spawn. Everyone chalked it up to game convenience—including me.
Until today.
Maybe mutant Bubble Amoebas evolve into Sea Demons?
They're similar in look and habits, size aside. Sea Demons are ocean tyrants no one messes with, yet they ignore Bubble Amoebas.
Maybe kin.
Whether No. 26 is a Sea Demon—or a potential one—is crucial now.
...Sea Demons have a psionic trait.
'Terror of the Deep' drives people in range insane. Like Redmist's hallucination, but vastly wider area and always passive.
Powerful, but Sea Demons require multi-ranker hunts, so traits are rare.
Rarity on par with Galleron's Claw.
And one potential carrier is right here, weakened.
No.
I shook my head firmly after brief thought.
Not certain it's a mutant Sea Demon. Even if so, no guarantee Predation triggers.
...I've heard enough.
Hunting and evolving solo is fun, but companionship offers new experiences.
Hunters must seek knowledge. Broad minds expand horizons and strength.
I stroked No. 26. Useful ally. I'll help till it threatens me.
Shaking off thoughts of No. 26, I headed to the cockpit and switched from manual to auto navigation.
Destination, huh.
Pressing a dashboard button with my small hand brought up hologram candidates.
Default was some Mega Corp planet—the research ship's original target.
No need to go there.
Mega Corp planets have massive garrisons. Varies by planet, but impossible for me now.
Closest spot...
Racking my memory, I scanned options. One familiar place caught my eye.
T&C Special Trade Center.
A massive space colony I know well.
Perfect.
Even in-game, players gathered for trades. Gene essences galore—I visited regularly.
Took tons of flak though.
Cowardly Morph bastard, they cursed. But that's Aimorph nature—what can you do? Play Aimorph if you hate it.
Not that I spared them for being Aimorph.
Diverse races mean prime nutrients for growth.
Three hours. I'd rest till then.
Fueled by meals, but back-to-back fights drained my mental energy.
I lay beside No. 26 on the bed. Stroking it as it nuzzled in, I drifted to sleep.
Star Union's capital planet, Waks-01.
Black smog unleashes torrents of polluted rain—no light pierces it.
Following raindrops reveals factories ceaselessly belching exhaust.
Everywhere: factories, smog, and photos plastered on every building.
Photos of a stern man with mechanical eyes, arms crossed. Homes, shops, factories—all bore his image.
His name: Juvaka. Star Union's Grand Leader, father to all cyborgs.
Cyborgs saluted the photos as they passed—no one found it odd. Natural here.
Amid the eerie scene, one building lacked photos.
An abandoned-looking structure.
Beneath: a facility unknown to cyborgs.
Unlike the dark surface, a spotless medical room housed a med capsule.
The pod, like a white coffin, hummed open slowly.
A pale arm emerged instantly.
"Gasp! Ack, cough..."
The owner: a woman. Black hair, slender build. She coughed rising up.
Her name: Sihyun Yujin.
Or rather, her clone.
As Yujin Family's 'shadow,' she's peerlessly strong—but not from birth.
Pre-gene mod completion, she insured her future.
If she died, a clone would replace her.
Mega Corp tabooed human cloning, so she hid one in enemy territory.
"Never thought I'd be the clone..."
Sihyun examined her body. Fresh, pale skin and smooth curves like newborn. Beautiful, yet alien.
Clones lack updated genes. Galleron's Claw, Redmist hallucinations, countless abilities—gone.
Unknown time to recover genes lost to that monster. Major setback to grand plans. She gnashed her teeth.
"...That filthy cur. Next time, I'll rip out its brain."
Resentment darkened Sihyun Yujin's eyes.
When daylight slept and starlight awoke, T&C Special Trade Center's port district buzzed.
Workers in coveralls, suited businessmen, alien tourists—myriad sapients hustled under neon glow.
Carpenter, port worker, was on overtime too.
On break, reading webnovels on his mini-terminal, his comm lit up.
Beep.
"Howard? What's up?"
"From where?"
"Another motherless bastard ship, huh. I'll check."
At the spot, a lavishly decorated escape ship gleamed. Clearly expensive. Carpenter whistled.
"Whew, which young master snuck away this time?"
Rich heirs fleeing in escape ships happened often. Assuming the same, he knocked.
"Anyone inside, come out."
No reply after waiting.
Sighing, Carpenter pulled hacking gear. Cable to door terminal, tweak—and it opened easily.
"What'd you do to kill all lights?"
Interior pitch black. Helmet lantern on, he scanned.
"Where'd they go?"
Booze bottles, wrecked cockpit—signs of presence, no people.
"Huh?"
Sticky on his shoe. Floor pooled with odd liquid.
"What's this?"
Touching it, liquid dripped from above. Eyes up—
It clung to the ceiling.
"Yo, where's Carpenter?"
"Huh? Said he's clocking out early today."
"That guy? Always whining about saving for a house?"
"Yeah. There he goes."
Howard turned. Carpenter walked ~20m away.
"Hey, Carpenter!"
"......"
He froze at Howard's call.
Coincidentally, a dark alley unlit by streetlamps.
So dark, even close up, his upper body was shadowed, outline vague.
Why's he standing there?
Sudden unease hit Howard. Walk and clothes matched, but felt like another entity.
"Yo, overtime tonight, right? Bailing?"
"Yeah. Busy."
"Foreman say nothing?"
"Yeah. Busy, leaving."
Carpenter vanished into shadows. Oddly, discomfort faded.
"...Fuck, he always talks like that?"
"Let it go. Probably on his period. Heh."
Howard chuckled with his coworker, back to work.
Next day, Carpenter didn't show at the port.