Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Ep. 74
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This might sound a bit off coming from me, but I wasn't popular in the game.
To be precise, I had high recognition, but I wasn't well-liked.
Players in Space Survival called me "Morph Bastard."
It got so bad that even on foreign communities, "that Morph bastard" became a proper noun, a nickname specifically referring to me.
Of course, I don't have nothing to say in my defense.
'The character design is what it is—it's not my fault if they hate me for it.'
Aimorphs are a species specialized in ambushes and hunting.
So there probably wasn't another player who stuck to the textbook playstyle as faithfully as I did.
Anyway, the reason I'm bringing up the past is because of this nostalgic trait applied to my body.
'Feigned Death state.'
Aimorphs don't have it easy surviving until they grow strong enough.
Even if they evolve safely, unlike other species, they can't rely on allies or clans—they always have to fight alone.
So, what's the most essential trait for an Aimorph like that?
Ironically, out of surviving, hunting prey, and evolving, the top priority for an Aimorph is the first one.
'Survival.'
Like a cockroach, stubbornly clinging to life without dying—that's the core of Aimorph play.
You have to survive first for hunting and evolving to even be possible.
But other players aren't idiots; they won't leave a potential threat alone.
There are players who specialize in hunting Aimorphs, and most users try to kill us on sight.
So how do you survive unscathed?
'They want me dead.'
That's when I flipped the script.
By giving them exactly what they want.
I'd often fake my death to slip away from enemies' watch.
The 'Feigned Death' trait does exactly what the name implies: it puts the user in a half-dead state.
In Space Survival, when a player dies, their corpse stays in place until respawn. So even if my body remains, enemies won't suspect anything odd.
It receives the same system judgment as actual death, so to NPCs, it looks unmistakably dead.
For example, Mega Corp scout mercenaries can't tell if I'm faking it with the trait or really dead.
They just report to players that they've found my corpse.
'It's not really their fault since the system treats it that way.'
When Feigned Death activates, the user's health and status all display falsely.
Even players with info-reading abilities can't distinguish if it's real death or not.
The only ways to dispel it, aside from the user themselves, are equipment, tech, or traits that nullify it.
When enemies without those means see my corpse, their reactions usually split into two.
Most just leave.
Satisfied that they killed me, or figuring I'll pull some trick and bailing quick.
Those who stay cautious and leave aren't necessarily cowards. They have good reason.
Before fighting enemies, I always prep the battlefield in various ways.
Setting up nests in unexpected spots and ambushing from there, and so on.
'There's a nest-related trait that changes respawn location to a nest.'
I've pulled off comebacks with these methods more times than I can count. So players who've suffered against me get extra wary.
Of course, there were bold users who tried messing with the corpse.
Some lost their minds to revenge and tried tormenting me.
When that happened, I had only one response.
'An eye for an eye, corpse-desecration for corpse-desecration.'
Anyway, I had plenty of enemies, including some rankers on par with me or higher.
For someone always living on the edge like me, Feigned Death was one of the most useful traits.
'Lucky to get a good trait.'
After thanking the pork-tasting knight in my mind, I hoisted the lady knight and the Plasma Launcher and moved out.
My destination was where I'd first lured and fought the knights.
Four knight corpses left there—I needed to collect them.
'Give the lady to the kids, eat the rest myself.'
On the way, it'd be nice to make new bait with the hidden signal chip, but with the sewer like this, probably not.
Lots of walls collapsed, so the chip's likely busted too.
'Psychic Breath would've messed up signals anyway.'
Arriving at the spot, I cleared rubble to retrieve the bodies.
Protected by advanced reinforced suits, their condition was decent.
I tossed the lady knight nearby and started munching the corpses.
'Wish I could savor it, but no time.'
Who knows when more enemies might show—gotta hurry.
'Same genes? All pork taste.'
I like pork, but back-to-back same flavor's getting old.
'One left—maybe give this to the kids?'
Or eat the lady myself and give this body to them instead.
Pondering the corpse, my auxiliary organ pinged a signal.
'Someone's coming this way.'
I grabbed the lady knight and the remaining body, diving into the water.
Hugging the bottom, I barely hid everything but my back.
'Lucky with all the debris around.'
Camouflaged in the ruins, voices echoed from afar.
"Honestly, do we really need to rescue the knights?"
"You think knights are invincible? They starve like anyone if they don't eat, get crushed under buildings same as us."
New arrivals: six in total.
All in gas masks and mid-grade reinforced suits, armed with Gauss rifles.
'Defense forces.'
This was a T&C-managed space city. Security and defense fell to the defense fleet soldiers, not the knight order.
'As expected, joint operation between the two units.'
I'd suspected from the dozens of hires, and now confirmed.
These soldiers came looking for the knights around here. Checking the collapsed sewer, probably.
They passed by without noticing me right there.
'Joint op between two families.'
Mega Corp's seven great families were set to hate each other.
Competing for the top seat: CEO.
Only Noble Capitals could nominate CEO candidates, but Prime Capitals vied with them too.
Prime Capitals had votes but no nomination rights, always dreaming of ascending to Noble.
To do that, pull down one of the top five families and take their spot.
Naturally, they'd fight bloody.
'Teaming up for some reason ahead of the board meeting.'
Ezerton was Prime Capital, T&C Noble Capital.
Maybe Ezerton promised votes to T&C in some deal.
Major security issue at T&C's special trade center—board meeting site—would hurt their secret pact, so joint op makes sense.
'Could use this situation well.'
Truth is, my position wasn't great.
Wiped a knight squad, ate dozens of hires, but overall war still against me.
They knew I existed, had weapons to one-shot me aplenty.
'Sewer infrastructure means they can't attack recklessly, though...'
If T&C deemed ignoring me costlier than wrecking the sewer, they'd deploy the fleet.
'Can't block fleet cannons even with Hunting Mark.'
Fighting ships head-on needs special traits. Can't get those here.
'Let's sort the situation and conditions.'
From sewer intel:
'Threats now: T&C and Ezerton families.'
I'm a threat disrupting security before big event.
They're jointly operating in sewers to eliminate me quick.
'Gotta break their alliance.'
Mega Corp structure guarantees infighting.
A little discord would shake Ezerton-T&C "friendship" hard.
With their pact, one like me won't deepen the rift much. Don't need that anyway.
'Just sow confusion—enough.'
How to shake them?
'Unstable comms mean poor info flow...'
Perfect: tool to drive wedge between defense forces and knights.
'Launcher and knight corpse.'
I activated the launcher with a small arm.
The terminal on the over-1m barrel lit up.
'Launcher's fine.'
Knight body check: neck snapped, but rest intact.
Wouldn't notice unless up close.
'Good. Bait here.'
Before op, I broke the lady knight's arms and legs.
"Mmgh!"
Faint whimper from her helmet, but ignored.
Reason for not killing: simple.
'If I kill her, might not count for kids' growth conditions.'
I'm game-logic in reality; 026 and Adhai are native life. Might differ, better safe.
Hid lady knight well in water, then followed soldiers with knight corpse and launcher.
Pre-contacted 026 about post-"death" plan.
She reacted fiercely to my "death."
Said she'd rather die than let me die.
'Surprisingly sensitive to death.'
Mental growth? Didn't expect such hate.
Convinced her with promise of tasty food.
She cared more that I'd definitely return than food.
｢If Big Baby doesn't come back, I'll really get mad.｣
026 sent no more waves after.
'Obviously.'
Doing all this to not die—pointless if I do.
After briefing 026, sped up to close on soldiers.
'Didn't go far.'
Unlike advanced-suit knights, their speed was average.
Still clueless something trailed them.
'This distance good.'
Calculated gap, propped knight corpse upright.
Armor suit made standing pose easy.
From behind, half-submerged, activated launcher.
｢Charging 10…20…｣
Half-ruined sewer, waist-deep filth, darkness.
And mystery monster lurking somewhere.
'Perfect setup to lose sanity.'
Not stopping at making them turn on each other.
'Key is action and results.'
Induce melee chaos for my gain.
'Anything can happen in a brawl.'
｢Charging 40…70…｣
Say I appear amid launcher crossfire?
"Die" to a launcher hit while they fight?
'Hunt for me ends there.'
I, the joint op's cause, eliminated; unbridgeable gulf between knights and defense remains.
Convince them I'm dead, my range expands.
'Brings back memories.'
Once on jungle planet vs. four clans—same.
Their forces endless might; I a weak solo.
Won unfavorable fights by exploiting everything—including my own "death."
｢Charging 90…100%｣
Terminal hit 100%; advanced weapon that wrecks ships spewed fire at soldiers.
"Even with gas masks, the stench is coming through— for real?"
"Cough, and the vibe's off. Been feeling chills since earlier..."
"Damn it, you gotta say that in this shitty situation?"
"If I survive this op, I'm proposing to my fiancée."
"This crazy bastard's at it again."
"The guy jerking off to VR TV every dawn talks marriage—fuck off."
"It's true! Not here in the special trade center, but on another planet..."
Mid-chatter, green light flew from behind.
The sickly pale green beam vaporized a soldier's upper body and the tunnel wall.
"Enemy attack! Take cover!"
"Cover!"
Lead soldier's shout; others nimbly hid behind sewer rubble.
"Fuck! What was that?!"
"S-Squad leader! Plasma Launcher!"
"What? Friendly fire?"
"Unlikely. Launchers are managed by mini-computers."
Meaning: they were targeted deliberately.
Squad leader peeked out, spotted enemy.
Darkness, but silver armor stood out.
Facing worst-case, he cursed.
"...Those motherless knight bastards lost it? Why shoot us?"
"Mistook us for the monster, or..."
"Wait."
Interrupting subordinate, squad leader yelled from cover.
"Hey! We're defense fleet! Friendlies!"
Voice echoed in sewer.
As if reply, green flash from darkness.
"Fuck!"
Squad leader dove into filth. Plasma beam grazed his back by a hair.
"Squad leader!"
"Fucking bastards!"
He survived; cover-mate didn't. Subordinate's body disintegrated with debris from heat.
"Firepower short for knights! I'll cover—retreat!"
"Roger!"
Squad leader sprayed Gauss rifle; others bolted into dark.
"Any team—report! Knights gone mad... Aagh!"
Scream from rear.
Soldiers easily imagined leader's fate.
"S-Squad leader!"
"Fuck squad leader—we're done! Run, you fucks!"
Highest-rank survivor led dash down tunnel.
Ruined silence filled with splashing water, panting.
Two mates and leader dead—senses hyper-alert.
So they noticed.
Odd sound mixed in their footsteps.
"Agh!"
Scream, big splash. Rear guy tripped.
Others turned; he sucked into water instantly, gone.
His spot: ownerless Gauss rifle floating.
"Fuck!"
"Run!"
"Fuckfuckfuckfuck!"
Fleeing soldiers near-mad.
Dark, ambushes, sudden deaths, shitty body states.
All turned trained troops to rabble.
Minds blank: just survive.
Thus?
No more beams post-leader scream, but they didn't notice oddity.
Running long, finally met other team.
"Who?!"
"S-Save us!"
"Huh? Why you here? Wait—you're all Team 3, right?"
They'd hit Team 1 mixed search party.
Gas-masked mid-suit soldiers mixed with silver-armored knights.
"Eek?!"
"They all snapped? Why suddenly?"
Fugitives screamed at knights. Team 1 defense forces puzzled as they panicked; then crisis management sub-team leader arrived.
"What happened?"
"Team 3 scouts. Showed up suddenly..."
"S-Sub-team leader! Save us!"
"Hm? Spotted it? Calm down, report."
Sub-team leader soothed calmly.
Fugitives stabilized; highest-rank pointed at knights, yelling.
"They did it! Knights hit us with Plasma Launcher!"
"What?"
"Three of six KIA! All from knights!"
Sub-team leader eyed knights' leader, Vickers vice-captain.
Vickers schooled expression quick, but sub-team leader caught it.
Fleeting emotion on Vickers' face—not surprise, embarrassment.
Like busted secret.