Nightmare Beyond the Horizon (3)

Nightmare Horizon.

I pulled the text box back up to double-check it. It was a trait with the classic high-risk, high-reward profile, but what puzzled me was something else entirely.

The ability to control a spaceship.

I knew of a trait that worked much the same way: Ship Seizure, one of the unlockable racial privileges of the Outspacers. Just as the Amorph grows stronger by climbing through its evolutionary stages, the Outspacers unlock new functions as their hive develops. One of those functions is Ship Seizure — the ability to steal another species' vessel and turn it into a mobile colony. From the moment a queen gains it, she becomes capable of migrating to other planets.

Any species can hijack a ship, sure. But only the Outspacers can remake a stolen vessel into a living organism and command it as their own.

Killing other creatures, devouring them, and evolving from their flesh was the Amorph's defining trait — and this was the Outspacers' equivalent. Which is exactly why a trait resembling a species-exclusive ability should have been impossible to acquire.

And yet the Transcendence System had shattered that principle. The first trait I'd gained was Perfect Organism. When I transformed into the Hunter's Avatar through it for the first time, I remember thinking how much it resembled a Wolf. The Wolf, a beastfolk species, possesses a unique technique that lets them shapeshift into a battle-optimized beast form once certain conditions are met. Thanks to that trait, even as a mere Sub-adult I could hold my own in close-quarters combat against far stronger enemies.

Perfect Organism mirrors the Wolf's transformation. Nightmare Horizon mirrors the Outspacers' Ship Seizure.

I had obtained only two Unique Traits through the Transcendence System so far. It was too early to say for certain, but the suspicion kept gnawing at me. Is the Transcendence System designed to push the Amorph beyond its own limits?

And if so, what lay at the end of transcendence? What purpose did the system have in driving me to transcend at all? Right now I remained at Transcendence Stage 1. I had acquired two Unique Traits through the system, but I still hadn't crossed into Stage 2. I summoned up the message I'd received back when I first gained Perfect Organism.

Perhaps crossing into Transcendence Stage 2 would yield some clue as to why the Transcendence System even existed.

Come to think of it, the evolution conditions and the Transcendence System do overlap.

To evolve into a Young Adult I needed to devour intelligent lifeforms and acquire four Types. To enter Transcendence Stage 2, I needed fusion traits spanning five Types. If I prioritized evolution, I'd have to stockpile traits, which would make reaching Stage 2 harder. If I entered Stage 2 first, I'd burn through traits, delaying my evolution. Whichever path I chose, the other was pushed further away. I used to think the system merely widened my options — but maybe there was something more deliberate behind it.

No point agonizing over it now. I had no intention of grinding away at a question with no answer. I shook my head and resolved to test out my new Unique Trait, Nightmare Horizon.

Erosion Tentacles. How exactly does it seize control of a ship?

Going by the change in my body alone, I'd assumed Nightmare Horizon was a physical-type trait. I was wrong. It was listed under ⑤ Nest-related: Nightmare Horizon (Unique). Unexpectedly, it belonged to the nest-strengthening category — which meant I now had all five Type conditions unlocked.

So it turns a spaceship into a mobile nest, then. Faster to see for myself than to waste time theorizing. I stretched out my combat arms to try extruding the Erosion Tentacles. I focused hard — and what emerged was the bloodsucking tentacle I'd always had.

Not this one? I tested all four of my combat arms; nothing came out but bloodsucking tentacles. I tried the small arms at my chest on the off chance, but all I got were those adorable little fingers. Arms, legs, tail, even inside my mouth — nothing.

Where could a tentacle possibly come from…?

My deliberation finally settled on the carapace that had changed the most: my dorsal shell. Eight holes sealed over by vortex-patterned cortex. Maybe this was where the tentacles emerged. I tensed my lower back and the muscles along my spine, the way one would for a sit-up — and as the membrane peeled away, six tentacles burst forth.

There we go.

Slick with glistening mucus, the tentacles were pitch black like crude oil, nothing like the crimson bloodsucking tentacles. Their shape was different too. If the bloodsucking tentacles were like octopus arms with serrated claws in place of suckers, the Erosion Tentacles had smooth, serpentine surfaces. And unlike the bare-fleshed bloodsuckers, they were armored in small, hard scales that promised far superior durability. At each tip sat a mouth lined with pointed teeth, ringed by six appendages resembling the arms of a starfish. They were also far thicker than the bloodsucking tentacles — nearly as thick as my tail.

This is a genuinely unfamiliar sensation.

Wielding six tentacles anchored to my back was an uncanny feeling — like the vertiginous thrill of standing on a glass observation deck and staring straight down, sustained indefinitely. The difference was that rather than disgust or a shiver of dread, it felt as natural as moving an arm. I flexed the appendages at the tips the way one clenches a fist, and felt the raw strength pouring from them. Their grip seemed to outclass even my combat arms.

Let's see here.

I picked up a seat with one of the appendages, and the chair's sturdy alloy frame crumpled like an aluminum can.

Forget spaceship control — I could use these as weapons.

New arms and new weapons were always welcome. What's more, the mouths at the tips of the Erosion Tentacles could feed as well. Effectively, I now had seven mouths. That part should synergize nicely with the Hunter's Avatar, too. As it happened, the Avatar's duration had already been raised to twenty minutes by Nightmare Horizon's effect. With my consumption speed increased on top of that, I could harvest far more Genetic Essence per hunt than before.

But why only six?

There were eight holes, so shouldn't eight tentacles emerge? Every Erosion Tentacle had sprouted only from the holes in the middle and lower sections of my carapace. The holes near my shoulders produced nothing, remaining sealed behind their vortex-pattern membranes.

Oh. That makes sense. When I used the Hunter's Avatar, two scythe-bladed arms grew from my waist. Those shoulder holes ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠must be where those arms emerged. That was enough inspection of my new organ. Next, I needed to learn what the trait could actually do. How do I use it?

As I swung the tentacles this way and that, I brought one of their mouths close to the interior wall — and a new text box appeared before me.

Just as I suspected. Judging by the message, not just any ship could be eroded — it seemed governed by size limits. That part will probably change as I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠acquire new Types or advance through evolution stages. Whether the escape shuttle sat at the maximum size my Erosion Tentacles could dominate, I couldn't yet say. I'd need to secure other ships to find out.

Erosion takes quite a while, though. Infiltrating an enemy warship in secret and seizing it mid-battle would be difficult with these time frames. Of course, that too could probably be shortened with new Types or some other method.

The saving grace is that the control duration is fairly generous. It scaled with the energy I held in reserve, so if I kept myself well-fed, the window would stretch further. Good enough. Now all that's left is to jump to hyperspace and head for Spacedog territory.

Having more or less mapped out my new trait's effects, I moved to retract the Erosion Tentacles. That was when No. 26, who had wandered out of the mess hall still picking at the leftover food, looked at me.

[Zzz (Hello)]

｢Whoa?!｣

Nightmare Horizon had imposed its restrictions on the Hunter's Avatar alone and left my existing traits untouched, so the mishap I'd been bracing for never came. Even though I'd greeted her, No. 26 said nothing. Stunned by my transformed appearance, her body flickered. Adhai, who had trailed out behind her, caught sight of me and startled so badly her wings snapped open.

｢Elder｣｢Growth｣｢Done?｣

[Zz (Yes)]

｢Me｣｢Amazed｣｢Elder｣｢Cool｣｢Cool!｣

Adhai came scampering over and circled around me again and again. My transformation seemed to fascinate her; as she orbited, she batted at my Erosion Tentacles with her forepaws.

｢Elder｣｢Mouths｣｢Many｣

[Zzzz (They grew in)]

｢Excellent.｣

Adhai cocked her head in apparent admiration. No. 26 drew close as well and stretched out a tentacle of her own, caressing my Erosion Tentacles.

｢Big Baby is so, so cool.｣

[Zzz (Thank you)]

Her body flushed with a deep crimson glow as she touched me. True to her Sea Demon nature, the sight of multiple tentacles sprouting from my body must have particularly delighted her. Well, I'm glad she likes it. With my brood regarding me so warmly, I couldn't exactly feel bad about the change myself. If the game had depicted this, I'd have been tagged as nightmare fuel. Players would have recoiled in horror at my current form — but these two were animals at heart, and their sensibilities ran on a different track entirely.

Anyway, they'd had a thorough look ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠at my new appearance, so I withdrew the Erosion Tentacles back into my carapace.

｢Ah.｣

She must have been terribly fond of those tentacles, because No. 26's whole body slumped in disappointment. I gave her head an affectionate pat and headed for the cockpit.

Thanks to my increased bulk, the once-spacious cockpit now felt downright cramped. My body structure in particular had shifted into a half-hunched posture, which made piloting the ship with my small arms genuinely awkward.

Once the erosion is complete, I'll need to check whether hyperspace travel still works.

I worked the terminal and engaged the hyperdrive. The shuttle's heart — its compact reactor — roared to life, channeling a torrent of energy into the lightspeed engine mounted at the stern. Moments later, the vessel we rode leapt across the threshold of light, hurling itself toward somewhere far beyond the void. Beyond the reinforced glass at the front of the cockpit, a baptism of light poured down across the darkness. Flecks of every color stamped on black canvas swapped places, wove together, and danced. By the time the eternal waltz of the stars — a ballroom that outlasts all human reckoning — drew to a close, we were in Spacedog territory.

We've arrived.

Stepping out of the cockpit, I explained the plan to the kids: after the ship finished eroding, we would set out in search of a new vessel and new prey.

｢Okay. Then I'm going to sleep until then.｣

｢Agree.｣

With the two of them briefed, I headed for the cargo hold to replenish my energy. Setting aside the stored provisions, I began scarfing down Calorie Bars first. I need a massive quantity of energy in raw terms. Honestly, they tasted awful and I didn't want to eat them, but there was no helping it. After forcing down roughly half of the Calorie Bars in the cargo hold, I activated the Erosion Tentacles. My controllable duration had risen to fifty days.

That'll do.

Leaving the cargo hold, I made for the engine room. At its center gleamed a sphere of shimmering silver — the lightspeed engine, the mechanism that granted the ship passage beyond the speed of light. Standing before it, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I activated the Erosion Tentacles.

Initiate erosion.

My six tentacles stretched out and fastened themselves against the engine room walls. From their mouths, a black, mucous substance welled forth and began seeping into the alloy interior. The slime resembled the fluid my body secreted whenever I built my nest — the only difference being how vastly faster it spread. The mucus spewed by the Erosion Tentacles swiftly blanketed the entire engine room. Even the engine, which had glowed as if unwilling to die, did not last long before it sank beneath the black tide.

The moment the slime swallowed the engine, I felt a sensation utterly unlike anything before. A symbol of cutting-edge science — one of the crowning achievements of Mega Corp spacefaring technology — was being reborn as something new, entirely under the will of my Erosion Tentacles. And the process felt vividly, undeniably alive, as if it were taking place within my own flesh.

Thump.Thump.

The blackened engine pulsed. It looked for all the world like the beating heart of a living creature.

Sector I-97. A surplus pocket of space with no resource-rich planets to speak of, occupying no position of strategic importance whatsoever. It lay entirely outside the concerns of the galaxy's luminaries — the Mega Corps, the Cult's Empress, the Star Union. And where the tiger is absent, the fox plays king: Sector I-97 had fallen under the dominion of the hyenas of space, the Spacedogs.

The Rusrak Cartel was one of the pirate factions that made I-97 their lair. Their chief revenues came from smuggling rare creatures and raiding other ships, so every member of the cartel was a first-rate hunter and professional smuggler both.

The infamous leader of the Rusrak Cartel — the great Volf warrior Milo Rusrak — was in an excellent mood.

"This job couldn't have gone smoother."

Thanks to closing a major deal with a senior Mega Corp executive, Milo had raked in a hefty sum of credits. How hefty? Enough that he could buy out every whore in the hideout and keep them warm for a full year straight without running dry. Picturing the warm, plush fur of a Volf courtesan and the cool, slithering tongue of a scaled female Coldblood, Rusrak grinned to himself.

He lay sprawled on the captain's quarters bed, quietly undoing his trousers — when the comm unit beside the bed suddenly chirped. It was a transmission from his vice-captain, Starks.

｢Captain Milo.｣

"I'm busy."

｢We've picked up a signal on the route to Sector I-97.｣

"Probably one of the other crews. Ignore it."

Milo dismissed it as nothing and tried to shrug the call off, but his vice-captain refused to grant him his pleasure.

｢Captain.｣

"Fucking hell, seriously. What."

｢We're detecting a biosignal — and the waveform looks similar to a Skywhale's.｣

"What?"

At those words, Milo bolted upright in the bed, sleep and lust alike scorched away.

"You're telling me there's a Skywhale out here?"

｢Not confirmed yet, sir.｣

"Then what the hell are we waiting for — we grab it first! Move!"

For all their fame, Skywhales were notoriously hard to encounter — so hard that even Milo, a smuggling specialist, could count on one hand the times he'd laid eyes on one in his life.

"Plot a course for the signal source. I'll be right there."

｢Yes, sir.｣

Yanking his trousers back up in a rush, he strode out of the captain's quarters. Heh heh heh. The Wolf God must be smiling on me. Handing me a Skywhale, no less. If he captured a Skywhale alive, he'd be so rich that the credits from this deal wouldn't even register. By the time he reached the situation room, he'd already studied the signal Starks pulled up for him.

"Well? What do you think?"

"Hmm…."

Milo hummed low in his throat as he studied the reading. It does look like a Skywhale. He'd seen one only a handful of times in his life, but the signal itself he had never forgotten. The waveform on the monitor differed slightly from what a typical Skywhale emitted. Then again, I haven't seen that many of them. No two Skywhales produced identical signals. Each individual carried its own distinct character, and those differences showed in the waveform.

"It's on our route anyway — we'll confirm it with our own eyes."

He thought nothing more of it and gave the order to head for the signal's coordinates. And if it really is a Skywhale… what do I do with it? What would be best?

Ahead of the situation room stretched the black of open space, where the glittering stars seemed to whisper of good fortune to Milo and his crew.