Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Observing the Nesepalas
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Through the vision of the Treegalaon that had crossed into this star system, it was indeed an intriguing sight.
Varisa's mining ships were salvaging minerals from asteroids and delivering them to the Nesepalas in cat-speak.
The Nesepalas devoured those minerals and grew sturdy layers of rock on their heads.
This explained why Varisa had started importing minerals.
To feed such massive creatures, they had no choice but to run short eventually.
Munch... Munch...
Even looking again, their sheer size was staggering. It wasn't admiration for the squid-like texture after so long—it was pure awe at the Nesepalas' scale.
Larger than even Treegalaon-Alpha, they were the first beings since the World Tree that it couldn't swallow in one bite.
Catching just one would yield an abundance of organic material. They were perfect specimens of the creature I'd hoped to encounter before acquiring the World Tree genes.
Before clashing with the Bahilila Holy Knight Order—back when I desperately needed massive creatures to create proper main-force monsters—these would have been ideal samples to meet.
Enormous size, unique genetic abilities. They didn't seem built for combat, but that could be covered with some gene tweaking.
Though now, it felt like a judgment based on memories from my gaming days.
The Bahilila Holy Knight Order's cruisers went without saying, but could they have really devoured something even bigger than Treegalaon-Alpha?
One smack from those giant squid legs, with their immense mass, would probably turn it to cosmic dust.
Back then, the war with the knights had been a dangerous tug-of-war, but thanks to my tree friends' generous gene donations, I'd created Treegalaons and could now easily devour these squids.
Today, too, I renewed my gratitude to the Bahilila friends and prayed for their peaceful rest.
Aaaahhh—!!
I could even witness a lowly monk who had provoked a Nesepala and ruined a precious sample being hurled into space.
I should express my thanks to that fellow too.
Crunch... Crunch...
Back at my main body on Lushaka Planet, metals like iron, gold, and copper began sprouting across the Hirak's skin in its nest.
I'd whipped up a prototype by roughly mixing in some genes and ran a test.
As you can see, it successfully grew metal from the skin.
Varisa Space Company was pouring massive resources into researching the Nesepalas, but unfortunately, they were far too slow.
Compared to me, who could analyze genes from the smallest units, their pace was inevitably glacial. What could you do? Species differences and all that.
Honestly, it made me think the Varisa folks were a bit shortsighted.
The neighboring nation was operating space monsters as ships, and after buying and trying them themselves, they loved the handling and wanted to follow suit. I get it.
But they were born without gene manipulation in their nature. A species created for it, stealing all sorts of genes and reaching the pinnacle of modern genetic engineering—plus me controlling it—allows for docile, obedient creatures temperamentally speaking.
You guys can't do it.
Varisa Space Company lacked the genetic engineering tech to create such beings. They'd probably realize it themselves without me pointing it out.
Even if they succeeded in taming Nesepalas, there were too many hurdles to overcome.
If tamed, how would crew board? If no boarding, how to guide them to destinations?
Unlike sustainable food production, minerals have finite reserves—how to supply them endlessly? Varisa's vast resources come from mineral sales; could they keep operating at a loss like this?
In the end, modifications would be needed for easy handling, but humans and Varisa alike have limits in genetic engineering.
Investment follows necessity, and research follows investment. Outside pure academia, they'd at best dabble in cell culturing or medical treatments.
With that tech level, could they control ultra-giant ammonites drifting through space?
I had a feeling cooperation requests would come soon.
Unlike lab rats on Earth, where you could mass-produce samples, Nesepalas had limited numbers.
Despite the company's full commitment, vague results would make them anxious.
Their dreams probably involved piloting squids bigger than Treegalaon-Alpha to reshape power dynamics. In reality? No control, just easier asteroid mining at best.
Lushaka was weak in metallurgy, so if they shared stellar ship alloy recipes, I'd be open to helping with gene mods.
Of course, that Nesepala would no longer be a Nesepala—it'd be mine.
Right now, another ship was feeding a Nesepala... and getting eaten.
The ship approaching with salvaged minerals got tightly bound by tentacles.
Its engines desperately spewed ions in escape attempts, but the Nesepala ignored it and shoved the entire hull into its massive maw.
Ships are metal too, after all—Nesepala chow.
Inside Treegalaon-Alpha, I could hear Varisa crew in a meeting.
"Senior. Should we kill that nyaong? Our kin got eaten nyaong."
One cat sat at the Treegalaon's crew console, gazing worriedly at the Nesepala.
"Let it be nyang. Not our department nyang."
"Won't we get eaten too nyaong? The team leader said to ignore hostile Nesepalas and kill them all nyaong."
"That bitch'll pin it on the underlings and bail again nyang. Don't poke the bear, just stay put nyang. If it's really dangerous, other Treegalaons will handle it nyang. No bonuses—why stick our necks out nyang?"
The cat called "senior" bristled its fur as if furious just imagining it, emotionally reining in the junior.
"Got it nyaong. They could've gotten hazard pay and big bonuses—poor things nyang."
Eventually, the bound ship vanished from sight. Watching the faint movements of digestion, I noticed the Nesepala's head—the asteroid shell—growing slightly larger.
Kill that one and mine the asteroid, and they'd probably find spaceship alloys. The minerals it was fed would turn up too.
Lifeforms sustaining themselves on metals—straight out of sci-fi, mystical beings.
So what happens to the eaten Varisa folks? Do these squids poop?
Digesting metals means no need for other substances, so maybe they excrete. Or perhaps such tiny sizes go unnoticed.
I'd snagged the genes already; nothing left to do. Idly sightseeing, lost in such idle thoughts.
Varisa's losses were mounting, so contact seemed imminent.
Then, another Nesepala herd sliced through hyperspace lanes into the area.
I'd never ventured to the next star system, so I hadn't expected more herds.
Regular lifeforms aside, I hadn't imagined a single species— not a civilization—discovering and using hyperspace lanes.
If Nesepala ecosystems spanned other systems, it could get annoying. Varisa wouldn't be chasing limited targets; they'd ramp up aggressively.
But such worries proved moot soon enough.
A Nesepala of utterly different dimensions in size tore through space and appeared.
Ships nearby shattered instantly under its wildly swung tentacles, reduced to drifting debris.
Looks like Varisa contact is coming soon.
Just... not in the direction I'd expected.
"Planet rotation 2,569,902 cycles. 05.410% point. Individual Si1-L0-K. Conducting 7,869,125th memory check."
A small wormhole opened at the center of the massive archive, and Si1-L0-K pulled out a book, opened it, and began reading.
"All set? Care to introduce yourself?"
One machine was speaking to another.
"Level 1 security clearance confirmed. Individual name: Si1-L0-K. Archive custodian."
"You too—introduce yourself?"
"Le■el 1 sec■rity cle■rance confirmed. Ind■vidual name T■R-■1-S. ■■■ Prometheus st■■on com■■nder."
"Al■ sector at th■s le■el ■nough? One mo■e era■ ■f da■■age?"
"■■■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■■■."
"Data anomaly. Memory load failed."
Si1-L0-K stared at the book as if regretting, then slipped it back into the wormhole. It pulled out another and continued the data check.