Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Ep. 80
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Space Survival was a game boasting a vast worldview, diverse races, and high freedom of play.
It had all the ingredients to be loved by SF fans, but like most online games, it couldn't escape one persistent issue.
Operator problems.
The devs running Space Survival had a reputation for being more out of touch than any other game.
Due to the game's nature, there were countless balance issues.
For instance, even comparing Cults—which rarely fell behind from early to late game—with Aimorphs, which stayed challenging throughout.
Yet the developers and operators had barely touched balance, you could count the patches on one hand.
In my case, my fondness for Aimorphs let me climb the ranks and see the ending; otherwise, I would've quit on the spot.
'But they fix this right away?'
Seeing them react so swiftly to balance complaints was a first.
'Cheaters.'
Something similar happened in the old game too.
Mega Corp ran multiple colony planets to recruit hires.
Some mimicked Earth's real-world environment, others felt straight out of classic fantasy.
All shared one thing: invisible or tangible shackles preventing resistance to Mega Corp rule.
Poor armament among residents, primitive tech levels, you name it.
'In other words, prime spots for farming gene essence.'
That's why I once hopped between colony planets, hoarding gene essence.
The day I cleared three planets at once, an emergency in-game notice dropped.
The devs claimed it was an unintended exploit, promising hotfixes.
Communities lit up with speculation, but no one knew what got patched.
'No surprise there.'
They didn't play Aimorph.
Unlike them, I figured it out instantly.
The next colony raid netted tons of gene essence, but Predation Effects barely triggered.
Operators had slashed the drop rate from hires.
'Ate dozens here, got just one trait: Manual Dexterity.'
Having been through it, this felt familiar.
Still, even I couldn't help feeling pissed.
'They ignore "dev intent" for everything else but patch this in a flash.'
Plans needed reworking.
Half-baked traits from samples might be worse than nothing.
'...First, take this.'
I accepted the Space Flight trait.
As marked 0.5, no changes hit my body.
Frustrated and hollow, I pondered next steps.
'Save samples for after Hunter's Manifestation ends. Boosts chances... Huh?'
No "emergency" label.
'Last time, Transcendence System came like this.'
Sure enough.
A notice for crafting new unique traits via Transcendence.
'Teasing me now?'
I swallowed rising irritation, moving to dismiss.
'Wait?'
An idea flashed.
I double-checked.
'Why's Space Flight unmarked?'
Unacquired traits get "(Not Acquired)".
Colossal Creature and Hijacking had it.
Space Flight didn't.
One possibility hit me.
'Can Transcendence use partially acquired traits?'
I reviewed old Transcendence message.
From my Subadult evolution on the residential planet.
Tooltip said "held traits", not "fully usable".
'Wings are unusable but listed, so maybe.'
If sealed traits count, Space Flight might too.
'Intriguing hypothesis.'
Two paths emerged.
First: Use Hunter's Manifestation for Predation boosts, gather materials.
'Colossal Creature and Hijacking possible with luck.'
Colossal Creature from Skywhale; Hijacking fusion from Metallic Gremlin's materials.
'Fuse Manual Dexterity and Radio Interference.'
Fusions need full traits, so no exploits.
'Need Radio Interference twice.'
That's option one.
Option two: Eat post-Manifestation.
Full traits if Predation triggers, but low odds.
Bad luck? Zero traits from all samples.
I eyed the samples.
'What to do.'
Decided after thought.
'Eat now.'
Both luck-based; Manifestation lower risk.
Half-traits beat nothing.
I grabbed a sample, crunched it.
Predation Effect
‘Energy Absorption’
Skywhales appeared rarely across jungle or ocean planets.
Like humpbacks with eight eyes and opal wings, minimum 50m long.
They lived in skies, except birth, whelping, death.
No digestion; they absorbed ambient energy.
Like plants with sunlight: light, air, cloud moisture fueled them.
Sounded great, but not for Aimorphs.
'Energy Absorption degenerates mouth and guts.'
We thrive on digesting gene essence from prey.
It wipes that out.
Once took it blind, stalled evolution, restarted Aimorph.
'Hm.'
Normally skip, but now...
'Transcendence.'
Useless now, material later?
'Know all fusion recipes, but Transcendence updated.'
'0.5 won't activate, proven by Space Flight.'
Accepted Energy Absorption.
No degeneration, as expected.
Devoured more.
Fifth capsule: Predation hit.
Predation Effect
‘Robust Vitality’
From Cockroach days.
'Regeneration covers it...'
Best effect overrides duplicates.
Plenty body traits; no need inferior regen.
No fusions used Robust Vitality save Regeneration.
'Still, just in case.'
Wings proved useless traits had Transcendence use.
Accepted it.
One Skywhale left.
Underwhelming.
'No, gathering materials is fine. Focus there.'
Low hopes, ate last.
Space Flight would've been full; this instead.
'Colossal Creature.'
Shared by 50m+ mega-fauna: Skywhales, Near-Adult Black Gallerons.
'Enables gigantification... Shame.'
Like Psychic Breath from Monster Tentacles, unlocks Gigantification state.
'Grows to 20m, massive power boost.'
Weekly limit, but scales all stats.
Gigantified Aimorph wages war on cruisers or cities.
Manifestation doubles traits/effects; 50m+ easy.
True space monster vibes.
'Tch. Can't be helped.'
Skywhale samples done: Space Flight, Colossal Creature, Energy Absorption, Robust Vitality.
'No patch, jackpot.'
Four from one species.
'...Past is past. No use fuming.'
Shook off irritation, reached for others.
Sub-jaw organ twitched.
Scenes flashed before me.
Ended with goat-horned Male Cult exiting dark room.
'Damn.'
Thought clear; nope.
'Sharp female Cult.'
Ignored initial fire; Leader's odd moves raised flags.
'Third Central Control nearby.'
Five minutes max.
Male Cult easy prey; I'm boosted.
'Post-kill issue.'
No contact? Alert female calls Central One or Monument Security.
'Disable cameras.'
Needs Metallic Gremlin trait.
Shoved Gremlin samples in.
Capsules cracked, essence absorbed.
Dwarfism, Dwarfism, Metal Absorption...
Bad start. Dwarfs twice, dupe third.
Accepted one Dwarfism for materials, skipped rest.
Fourth: Radio Interference.
'Good. One more.'
Two Interference = full trait.
Next two: no triggers.
Two left.
Tension rising.
'Stick to parasite plan?'
Implant, control Cults.
'But she's sharper than expected.'
William proved parasites imperfect.
Male folds; female sniffs oddity fast.
'Back to square one.'
Got here dodging parasite detection.
Blown now? Wasted effort.
'Plus Coma state exposed. Worse.'
Pondering female, swallowed seventh.
Twice-acquired, now complete.
No more decisions needed.