Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Monster in the Apartment
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The next day, before heading to work, Ras reported the bizarre man he'd seen yesterday to the police.
Once the report was filed, there was nothing more he could do. The rest was up to the cops.
With that, he spent the day buried in work at his hectic office, erasing yesterday's events from his mind entirely.
Before he knew it, quitting time was approaching. He grabbed his bag in a hurry, desperate to escape this hellhole, but his team leader blocked his path.
"Ras, you bastard. You're not going anywhere today."
One look at the team leader's face, and it seemed like she'd feed him to a mountain crawler if he tried to leave. In the end, Ras had no choice but to join the rest of the team for unwanted overtime.
"...That crazy bitch of a team leader."
It was nearly midnight by the time he finally broke free from his duties.
He'd normally hit up a bar to blow off steam, but it was already too late. To make it to work tomorrow, he had to head home.
As always, Ras picked up a bottle of synthetic booze and stepped out of the subway station in the residential district.
The streetlamp that had been broken yesterday was fully repaired, casting a bright glow. The well-lit street showed no sign of any shady figures.
On his way home, his eyes fell once more on a manhole cover.
Unlike yesterday, it was tightly sealed.
Seeing it brought back the terrifying memory from before. Ras swallowed hard and hurried past.
Thankfully, nothing worrisome happened until he reached his apartment complex.
"Phew."
Passing through the entrance, Ras let out a sigh of relief.
Thinking he was safe now, he glanced up at the third-floor corridor where his unit was.
That's when Ras felt his heart stop.
Something pitch-black was standing in the apartment hallway.
With a long tail and four arms, it moved in eerie, unnatural motions before slipping through his front door.
"......"
Without a word, he pulled out his communicator.
-
'Cramped.'
As expected, the cyborg's place wasn't very spacious. The layout was basically a studio apartment: bathroom, living room, and balcony.
After deciding to target the cyborg, I'd checked out every resident in the building.
'Most people were at work or asleep during the day, so it was easy to scout.'
I'd roamed the rooftop and hallways all day, gathering intel on who to hit first, when to switch forms, and so on. If a place was empty, I'd slip inside to poke around; if occupied, I'd use my auxiliary organs to peer in from outside.
My thorough investigation revealed more than just humans and cyborgs living here. There were reptile folk with scales—Cold Bloods—half-beast Wolfkin, and a variety of other tasty options.
'Perfect, since the races I need for Near-Adult are pickier.'
Starting from Near-Adult, evolution conditions get way more complicated.
'20 shapeshifters, 20 humanoid races, 20 psychics. And...'
I had to devour a total of 60 playable species, plus fulfill one extra tough requirement.
'Acquire 4 types.'
Space Survival emphasizes player-killing. Devouring other races isn't a big deal for an Aimorph.
The real issue is that "4 types" condition.
I've already got one—Physical Enhancement Type—and Psychic Enhancement Type is within reach. It might sound like I'm halfway there, but factoring in type penalties, I'm still far from done.
'This is where most players quit.'
Types don't unlock just by hoarding traits. You need specific traits as keys to unlock them, and focusing on related ones makes it a grind. Plus, Predation Effect isn't guaranteed every time.
That's why most Aimorph players bailed here and switched races. Smart move, maybe. Post-Near-Adult evolutions are even harder.
'Special trade hubs draw tons of aliens, so it's efficient to farm genes all in one spot.'
Hopping planet-to-planet for specific races is inefficient. Hitting a crowded hub like this is the fast track to evolution.
Mega Corp has diplomatic ties with the Cult, so plenty of Cult immigrants hang out in this trade hub.
'Head to the central admin district, and I'll run into them.'
Eating those should easily clear the 60 alien species requirement.
'Alright. Time to settle in and check the place out.'
I inspected every corner of the apartment. Number 26 zipped around excitedly, clearly liking the tight, grimy space.
'Soundproofing's crap.'
That was my first thought. TV noise from next door and upstairs bled right through.
'Downstairs is vacant.'
Might get a tenant soon, but it's empty now. Once I evolve to Subadult and gain weight, the folks below would notice something's off quick.
'I factored that in, but... huh?'
My auxiliary organs pinged a warning. Someone was coming down the hall.
[Zuzzuz (Come here)]
｢Baby, what's wrong?｣
[Zuzzuz (Someone's coming)]
I called 26 over and calculated the approaching footsteps. Three in total. The cyborg, plus two strangers.
'Cops.'
No interest in tangling with the law just yet. I hunkered down inside.
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"You said a monster went into your place?"
"Yes."
"Door looks fine."
"It pried it open!"
"Ah, I see."
Ras was frustrated by the cops' nonchalant attitude. He'd specifically requested backup when reporting, but only two showed up—that alone pissed him off.
"That in your hand booze?"
"Pardon?"
"Records show you filed a false report about some weirdo before. You drunk?"
"......"
He barely swallowed a curse.
Ras was Low Capital. If he'd been Middle Capital, they'd never act this rude.
The cops were Low Capital too, but as public servants, they ranked higher socially despite the class match.
Sure, Ras treated Non-Capitals like dogs himself, but that's just how people are. You forget your own sins and stew over others'.
"We'll check since you reported it. Open up."
"...Tch, fine."
Ras gritted his teeth and punched in the code. The door slid open, and the cops stepped inside.
They tsked at Ras's place—it was too filthy for even polite lies about cleanliness.
"Whew, pigsty."
"Ahem, maybe tidy up a bit."
Ras glared like just check already, but they shook their heads. One peeked in the bathroom, the other the balcony.
"Nothing here."
"No way!"
"See? Bathroom's empty."
The cop flung open the bathroom door demonstratively. Nothing but a grimy tub and questionable toilet greeted them.
'N-No way...'
Up to the sky or down to the sewer? No monster anywhere. Yanking back the balcony curtain revealed only the complex's enveloping darkness.
"Fridge too?"
Ras nodded at the mocking question. The cop smirked and yanked it open.
Half-eaten sandwich and packed synthetic booze bottles.
"Tch, ease up on the sauce."
"Th-This can't be! I saw it clear as day!"
"Tsk tsk. If you're a cyborg, swap those eyes first."
The cop's rude jab barely registered. Ras didn't buy ghost stories or monsters, but this was too weird to dismiss.
'I didn't look away until the cops arrived...'
Out the window? No signs of it opening or closing. And a monster crawling past windows would've been spotted by neighbors.
"No reports from others...?"
"Look, you're the only one who called. Get a grip."
"B-But...!"
Ras shouted, and the wall thumped hard from next door.
The cops scowled at the banging. Their faces screamed we're out.
"Ahem, we've confirmed nothing inside. Anything else?"
"...This is ridiculous..."
"We're on patrol. Call again if needed."
With that, the cops left.
Alone, Ras flopped onto the bed.
Reporting again would just repeat this farce.
'Fuck, did I imagine it? Or did it slip out?'
Their attitude sucked, but they'd checked everywhere: bathroom, balcony, even fridge. No space left for a monster.
'J-Just to be sure...'
Shaking, Ras approached the bathroom. The door he entered daily felt alien tonight. He gulped and flung it open.
Exactly as before. A cockroach startled and fled down the drain.
"......"
The bad feeling proved unfounded. Only after checking the balcony too did Ras relax.
"Phew, damn. Feeling faint? Seeing shit."
No funnier phrase than a cyborg saying he felt faint, but he meant it.
He grabbed a synthetic booze from the fridge, sat on the bed, and fired up the virtual TV. Holographic women in skimpy outfits cooed at him as he chugged—mood lifting instantly.
Finishing the bottle, Ras pondered. Work in hours; overdoing it meant headaches all day.
"...Fuck it, when do I ever care."
Craving more, plus sober sleep seemed impossible, sealed the deal.
He drained another and collapsed. The place was a dump, but he'd splurged on a big bed for Capital-tier sleep.
'Feels good.'
The wide, plush mattress enveloped him. Booze and comfort clouded his mind.
'Tomorrow after work, pick one that looks like the team leader.'
Vowing to vent overtime stress, he caught a sound.
Something heavy dragging below, like moving furniture.
Grraaag grraaag graaag
'Fucking psycho. Do it daytime.'
Cursing inwardly, he tried to sleep. Then it hit him.
No one lived downstairs.
Grraaag grraaag graaag
"......"
Ice water down his spine—Ras snapped awake. He wanted it from another unit, but the grating noise drilled too close.
Like right under his big bed.
The monster he'd seen. Seemed huge at first, but no—two-thirds adult male size, excluding tail. Just slim enough to squeeze beneath.
Grraaag grraaag graaag
That realization set Ras quaking like a leaf. Praying it was delusion, he forced his eyes open.
Shifting from the familiar ceiling to his feet...
There it was, grinning toothily, body hidden save its head.
-
Gary couldn't sleep through the neighbor's midnight yelling.
"Fucking lunatic. Not letting this slide."
Storming out, he pounded the next door.
"Hey, asshole! Come out or—sniff sniff? What the hell's that smell?"
Mid-knock, a weird odor hit him. Like metal shop rust mixed with some pheromone funk.
'Metal stench at night?'
As he puzzled, the door opened.
"Why the racket at night? I rented this whole place."
"Sorry."
Gary's rage deflated before Ras's apology. He'd seen the guy around; knew his vibe.
But this Ras was off. Unblinking stare, blank face—eerie.
'Wh-What's with the creep factor?'
Overwhelmed, Gary froze.
"A-Ahem, it's night. Keep it down."
"Sorry."
"Got it? Behave."
The robotic apologies creeped Gary out—he wanted gone. Tossed a vague warning and bolted home.
Missing Ras's final words.
"Next target's set."
-
Back inside after shooing the neighbor, I found 26 raiding the fridge, stuffing sandwiches inside itself.
｢Hungry. Wanna eat.｣
[Zuzzuz zuzz (Eat up)]
I left 26 foraging and grabbed an arm from the blood-soaked floor.
'Tastes like shit.'
Shockingly, Ras ranked second-worst of all my meals. His flesh reeked of booze and rotten meat. Only calorie bars were blander.
'Guess health affects flavor.'
Didn't look healthy, but this bad? Worrying, with more like him in the building.
'Tch. Gotta force it down.'
To evolve, I needed all of this cyborg. Choking it down triggered a text window praising my effort.
I'd planned to wrap up Juvenile on the Mega Corp research ship, but damn, what a detour.
[Zuzzuzz zuzzuz (Gonna be an egg for a bit)]
｢Egg? But you're already a baby. Why egg?｣
[Zuzzuz zuzz (To grow bigger)]
｢Baby becoming big baby?｣
[Zu zuzzuz grag (Yeah. Don't worry)]
I warned 26 not to freak, then accepted.
Time to fully savor Subadult power, after that Psionium tease.