Chapter 342
Chapter 342
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 342
Chapter Title: Clash with the Ring of Agony
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I figured they called it cute because of its bear-like snout. If you dive into the deep sea back home, you can encounter creatures with similar mouth structures. Maybe seeing my transformed head reminded them of animals from their homeland, prompting the compliment.
'Whatever. No issues with my body.'
Finishing my quick check, I lifted my head.
Now it was time to hunt the demon right in front of me.
I shook my fully spread wings vigorously. The energy radiating from them propelled my body effortlessly through the zero-gravity void of space.
My form shot forward like a battleship at full throttle. Adhai and Specimen 026 stuck close behind me.
Even while I was evolving, the Ring of Agony and the imperial motherships had been locked in fierce combat. The lightly armed destroyers had been wiped out early on, leaving only the motherships to struggle desperately.
Our arrival drew the attention of one mothership, which swiveled some of its secondary armament—the Black Cannon's barrels—toward me. The others quickly followed suit, preparing to fire.
Each imperial mothership mounted just eight Black Cannon turrets, but they were devastating weapons, rivaling Cosmic Bolts in power if not quite matching them.
The Black Cannon had two modes: thin black heat beams for small targets, and spheres that generated artificial black holes for fleet engagements.
Though different in form, both drew on dark matter—the same energy source as Cosmic Bolts—making their raw power incomparable to standard ship armaments. In fact, during the earlier clash between the Cult fleet and Star Union forces, these motherships had unleashed black hole rounds from their Black Cannons, inflicting massive casualties.
Suddenly, four anti-fleet Black Cannons roared to life. Pitch-black beams reminiscent of black holes streaked toward me, intent on incineration.
'Of course, they have to hit first.'
Mid-flight, I timed it perfectly and folded my wings. The four black beams, converging like a net, barely grazed over my body.
Adhai, trailing behind, deftly altered course to evade the beams with practiced ease.
Meanwhile, the other Black Cannons unleashed a barrage on the Ring of Agony.
The arms set ablaze by the heat beams clapped silently.
Its firepower more than doubled when twisted into a figure-eight compared to its standard ring form—even now, with only half its body summoned.
Gravity manipulation kicked in, warping space like paper fluttering in the wind. The reality-distorting force rippled outward, striking Verzan 02's guardian.
The imperial mothership began twisting from the stern like a corkscrew, ignoring its thick armor and shields entirely.
The other motherships halted their fire on me, redirecting all Black Cannons toward the Vortex One. Cracks spiderwebbed across its diamond-cut smooth hull, hatches blooming open. Turrets emerged, launching black spheres—black hole rounds.
The Ring of Agony clapped once more.
The black spheres halted mid-space, as if blocked by an invisible wall. Space warped around them, devouring all light.
Firing black hole rounds at a gravity manipulator like the Vortex One? Not a wise move.
Black hole rounds couldn't distinguish friend from foe. The unnamed mothership that rushed to save its ally got caught in its own weapon. Its massive hull contracted violently before vanishing into the cosmic abyss.
Closing in on the Ring of Agony, I slammed down with my combat arms and bone scythe arms.
Though smaller than my bone beast gigantification, my strength had surged. The bone scythes, cold as starlight in the void, shredded the arms encasing the ring. My three heads, now double-jawed, tore into it mercilessly.
Organic matter fused with energy seeped into me. My superior Aimorph digestive organs converted the Vortex One's flesh into nutrients.
It sensed my increased power and reacted instantly. Its surface arms crossed in an X, unleashing a storm of energy blasts that hammered my body.
'Energy blasts, huh.'
Generating repulsive force to shove me away would have hurt less. It chose poorly.
My body shredded under the close-range barrage, but my power only grew.
Along with my size.
Under the Tyrantroid effect, my embedded heads and arms swelled massively within its body—like stuffing dozens of hemostatic sponges into a wound.
The otherworldly pain froze it momentarily. I thrashed my heads, ravaging its innards.
While it was immobilized, I had work to do.
'Where's the core?'
Vortex Ones transcended normal biology—no limbs or organs like stomachs.
But they had heart- and brain-like organs to sustain their forms: the Abyssal Core. Destroying it killed any summoned Vortex One.
To claim a Vortex One's genetic essence, an Aimorph had to devour this core.
Realizing I was devouring its flesh in search of the core, it retaliated. Arms clasped together, unleashing overwhelming repulsive force that slammed into me. My body whipped backward, but not helplessly like before.
My embedded arms and heads anchored me. Repulsive force didn't affect internals, only surfaces.
I could endure, but not negate the shock. Energy blast wounds tore open; thick carapace shattered.
Next came muscle and bone. Exposed flesh ripped, bones snapped under the repulsive force. Blood fountained from me, filling the void.
'...Strong!'
Mere self-defense yielded such power. Add gravity manipulation, and even I'd be done for.
'About time for backup...'
It seemed to think the same, gathering hands to clap.
Its body shuddered slightly. Verzan 02's guardian, not fully sunk, struck it.
Its arms shifted from clapping to X-cross. Prioritizing the less troublesome motherships before me, no doubt.
After repositioning, a brief intense pulse rippled out. The mothership went still forever.
Energy blasts sank the mothership. As countless palms neared collision—enough to crush me utterly—
But it wasn't just me and the motherships here.
Its innards quivered violently. Adhai, carrying Specimen 026, had pierced through it.
The arms moved to eliminate the irritating intruder clinging to it.
'Think you can?'
Specimen 026's impenetrable barrier and Adhai's Red Armor protection. Even a Vortex One couldn't dispatch them easily.
My auxiliary organs finally detected something alien: a 10-meter organic mass nearby.
'Abyssal Core!'
Locating it, I extruded erosion tentacles from my back and tore into the ring's surface over the core.
Realizing its core was exposed, it assumed a new stance. All arms balled into fists and thrust forward.
Its halved figure-eight body fragmented. Like a lizard autotomizing its tail, it severed the section with my heads and arms.
'Knew you'd do that.'
The core-bearing part drifted away, but that was part of the plan.
The severed ring segments recombined into a partial figure-eight Ring of Agony—smaller now, having sacrificed part of itself.
I buried my head in the abandoned torso, preparing my next move.
From afar, the reassembled foe lunged to finish me. Just as it moved to clap—
A pulse from somewhere struck my monster's tentacle tip.
'Finally!'
Specimen 026's "new house."
There was only one thing that qualified.
Amid the empty void, azure light converged. Tearing through the glow emerged a colossal structure of immense mass.
Mega Corp's 2km-diameter superweapon: Gigacracker.
When parting from Mother of the Sky at Verzan 02, I'd made the request.
Once the Aour system's threats were mostly cleared, bring in the Gigacracker.
With the motherships annihilated, the superweapon carrying Mother of the Sky, PS-111, and Isabelle had arrived.
'Gasp?!'
Alshas's eyes snapped open.
The first thing she saw was a white ceiling. Marble blocks arranged neatly exuded luxury.
But a horrific stench from somewhere ruined any sense of elegance.
'W-where...?'
White ceiling, foul odor. No clue where she was.
She tried turning her head but couldn't move. No sensation anywhere except her blinking eyes.
'Come to think of it, back then...'
She recalled the moments before blacking out.
Facing the Aimorph, she'd activated 'Simulacrum' without hesitation—to buy time with a duplicate and escape.
Not a bad plan, and it half-worked. While it tore apart the clone, she'd crawled out of the shuttle safely.
Glancing back at the dwindling duplicates, she sprinted for the hangar doors. Midway, something jabbed her nape. By the time she felt the sting, she was already collapsing.
Her current state screamed paralysis venom. The creature must have dragged her unconscious body here.
'...Gotta recover fast.'
Whatever the reason it kept her alive, it was that infamous Aimorph. Delay, and who knew what fate awaited.
"Awake?"
A woman's voice reached her ears—familiar yet subtly off.
'Who...?'
"I am PS-111, servant to Main Controller 'C Demon' and Sub Controller 'Aimorph'."
'Aimorph? Wait—how do you know my thoughts?'
"The Aimorph said the specimen possesses the ability to create duplicates via voice. Thus, speech is restricted."
'What?'
"Rest assured, I can read all your thoughts."
Simulacrum required drawing blood from her hand and chanting a command into it.
The mystery voice didn't seem aware of the blood part.
But dwelling on it might tip them off, so she shifted thoughts hastily.
'Where am I?'
"Gigacracker, constructed by Mega Corp Noble Capital Saint K. I manage it under the Sub Controller's command."
'...Gigacracker?'
"Yes. This is the modification factory—unnecessary facilities consolidated."
If true, escape would be tough. No way the Aimorph slacked on securing a superweapon.
Small mercy: the familiar voice answered freely. Probe right, and she might slip out unscathed.
'PS-111, help me? I'm innocent. The fight with Aimorph wasn't my idea—my superiors orchestrated it.'
"Is that so?"
'You read my thoughts, so you know it's true.'
A master manipulator in any world, controlling her mind was child's play.
"No falsehood detected in physiological responses."
It paused, then affirmed. Buoyed, she pressed on.
'Don't need much—just the hangar location. I'll handle the rest.'
"Hangar at end of Corridor 51."
'Thank you! So kind!'
"Praise accepted."
Hangar pinpointed—easy from here. Once paralysis wore off, subdue and run.
Hiding her glee, the voice continued.
"But even knowing the location, you cannot go."
'Pardon?'
"Your body is unfit for movement."
An odd way to say "don't run."