Became an Evolving Space Monster - Chapter 137



Only Noblemtl

Ep. 137

Up until now, I’ve mainly used ‘Symbol of the Hunt’ as a means of acquiring traits.

Because it greatly increases the chance of predation when I eat the corpse I killed.

Even if you eat genetic samples or corpses that I didn’t kill, you’ll only get 0.5 traits instead of the full traits, but it’s still better than nothing, since you can use them as transcendence materials.

However, my guess is that the original purpose of the hunting symbol was not the probability of predation.

It’s all about hunting and killing. The goal is to specialize in cornering, beating, and killing enemies.

If we look at the description of a complete organism, there is a sentence like this:

My body is optimized for killing and evolution.

In fact, my current body is subtly different from the semi-adult form in the game. The six arms for combat, the lifestyle of having to crawl using the lower body and tail because there are no legs, and the blunt claws attached here and there on the body are the same as in the game.

However, the size and head shell are larger than in the game, and the fighting arms are also quite long. Overall, it can be said that the changes have been made to be much more advantageous in combat compared to the game.

What if we further enhanced their hunting and preying abilities there?

My appearance, which had temporarily mutated into a better being, was very different from before.

First, body size.

Compared to before the mutation, it seemed to have almost doubled in length. As evidence of this, even the position of the gaze changed.

Since I’ve been dragging my lower body and tail on the ground since I became a semi-adult, my eye level hasn’t changed much from before. I’d say it’s roughly between 7m and 10m.

But now, it feels like I’m looking down from a height of more than 15 meters. It must be so bad that the Mother in the sky in front of me is now obscured by my shadow.

‘If you look at the length of the body, it would be similar to Pale Mask.’

Although the change in size was the most noticeable, there were also many detailed changes.

First of all, if you look at the head, the jaw that used to be split in two has become much thicker and stronger. There is now more space between the jaw and the neck, so it can open its mouth wide like a snake. If it is this big, wouldn’t it be able to swallow a human in one breath?

As the jaws have been strengthened, the teeth have also become stronger, making it possible to easily chew through thick-skinned enemies such as Sea Demons.

And one major change was that the auxiliary organs under the jaw were now covered with a shell for protection.

The most vulnerable part of my body is the accessory organ under my jaw. Since it is a delicate organ in charge of detection, it is not protected by a shell or a carapace.

‘This part was also a major weakness in the game.’

The shape of the accessory organ was similar to that of a bone sickle, perhaps because it was covered by a carapace that appeared to be made of the same material as the bone sickle attached to the end of the arm growing from my back.

In other words, it seems to have surprisingly high cutting power.

My appearance, with four blades attached under my chin, reminded me of the land monster UlXrasX from classic SF strategy games.

The blade shells covering the auxiliary organs could each move freely as I wished. When turning my head, I could swing the blades to harvest the enemy’s neck, and when fighting large enemies, I could also attack by biting and slashing the enemy with the blades at the same time.

In this way, the auxiliary organ became a new means of attack, but its detection function was not reduced at all. This was due to the tiny holes drilled in various places on the blades of the carapace.

It wasn’t just a simple hole, but its already excellent cognitive abilities were further enhanced. It could even read the humidity in the air and sense when it was going to rain.

The eyes are still hidden by the skull shell as before, but the auxiliary organs have improved in performance to compensate for this, so there is no problem.

‘The skull shell has also changed a lot.’

Before becoming a semi-adult, the back of the head changed splendidly, spreading out widely in the shape of a crown. Even now, the back of the head spreads out widely, but it differed in that long spines and sharp bony plates were scattered on top of the layered carapace.

The shell covering its head appears to have at least three layers, greatly increasing its defensive capabilities. In addition, the new spikes and plates have been developed, allowing it to maximize the destructive power of its previous charge tactics, such as stabbing enemies with its horns.

‘Has your overall impression become grim?’

It doesn’t have the majestic impression of Queen X-Il-X-Un like before, but it’s not bad in terms of efficiency.

If the changes in your head are literally cataclysmic, how would your body have changed?

First, the back evolved into a double shell similar to the head, with bony plates and spines sprouting between them.

As Pale Mask was coming down on me, if the enemy used a strategy of pressing me down with their body weight, they would surely be impaled on my plates and thorns and left to die.

And as I had expected, a new bone scythe arm grew on my back. Of the eight holes covered by the swirling membrane, only two did not have any erosion tentacles, and these were the holes where the bone scythe arm would emerge.

The overall shape of the bone sickle arm that protruded like that was similar to before.

First of all, unlike a normal arm that has one joint between the humerus and the radius, the arm is long enough to have one more joint in the middle, and it also moves freely.

The difference from before, aside from the fact that it was bigger, was that the bone scythe on the end of the arm was split into two. Bone blades protruded up and down like pincers, and I could move them freely according to my will. The length of the bone scythes extending up and down was over 3m, so it was very intimidating. Its sharpness and hardness were also incomparably improved.

The changes in my bone sickle arm are quite interesting, but personally, the biggest change that has happened to my body is my lower body.

As I became a juvenile, I developed claws here and there on my body, which I used primarily for digging or crawling on the ground, and for moving underground or in the water.

The claws have become very vicious.

If a raccoon were to grow to about 50m, this is what it would look like. The claws that used to be blunt and thick have changed into short legs. Thanks to the numerous legs, my lower body and tail are slightly off the ground.

‘At this rate, the movements will become much faster.’

In addition, the gliding membrane that was originally only between the arms is now also between the small legs, so it may be possible to float on the water.

Finally, the upper body.

Unlike the head, back, and lower body, which were clearly mutated, the changes in the upper body were not particularly special.

The combat arms were the same, except that they were thicker and longer. The membrane hidden between the arms also grew larger to match?

As I moved around to check my newly mutated body after becoming a semi-adult, the Heavenly Mother in front of me flinched.

“It doesn’t seem to be an adult… What kind of ability does it have?”

[Z zu zu zu zu zu zu zu zu zu (I can’t tell you because it’s my secret weapon)]

“It’s a desperate measure. Is it perhaps a special privilege? If it’s a special privilege, then it’s not impossible, but it’s not like it’s this strong….”

The heavenly mother who understands without answering.

Now she was greatly intimidated by my majestic appearance.

Her neatly arranged hair stood stiffly, perhaps due to tension, and her eyes shook slightly. She could also feel her heart beating strongly through her auxiliary organs.

She, who never lost her dignity when we first met or when she fought Muriel, is now afraid of me.

At that time, No. 26 and Adhai also came closer.

“The big baby has grown again?”

[Zuzu zuzuzuzu (It got bigger for a moment)]

“Even the big kid can change his body, so he’s just like me.”

Number 26, who likes that they have something in common.

On the other hand, Adhai just stared blankly at me.

“Me” “Adult” “Question”

[Zuzu (what is it?)]

“Me” “Adult” “Tail” “Female” “Judgment”

[Huh?]

The guy pointed backwards with his wingtips. In the direction his wings were pointing was my huge tail.

Then he pointed at my horn with his wing.

“Me” “Judgment” “Error” “Adult” “Horn” “A lot” “Awesome” “Me” “Question” “Adult” “Male?” “Female?”

‘hmm.’

Gallegons are sexually dimorphic, meaning that the males and females look different. Males have thick, long horns, while females have plump tails instead of horns.

As a semi-adult, the biggest change I noticed was my tail. By Gallagon standards, it was so big that even the word “sturdy” would be an understatement.

‘Oh, come to think of it?’

When I went to get No. 26, the guy hesitated and spoke to me. At the time, I thought it was because he felt guilty.

‘Now that I look at it, I don’t think that’s the case.’

I think the guy was probably trying to ask me if I was male or female.

Since I wore the symbol of hunting, my horns have grown considerably. They are about 2 meters long. With this size, they are superior to the Black Gallagon. It would be safe to say that they are among the top-tier among the species that Adhai has seen.

In other words, my appearance would be very strange by Gallagon standards. My horns are big, and my tail is thick as well.

But since it was such an absurd question, I was at a loss as to what to say, but Mother in Heaven answered first.

“This guy is a man in name and reality. This bastard… Ahem, there’s no way this guy is a woman.”

“man?”

“It’s a male.”

[Z zu zu zu (I’m a male)]

Adhai tilted his head at my words and those of the Heavenly Mother. After looking at my horn for a moment, he sent out a wave of thought indicating that he understood what I was saying.

“I” “Understand” “Adult” “Male” “Certain”

[Zuzu (yeah)]

“Adult” “Best” “Cool” “Group” “Leader” “Possible”

[Thank you]

“…under.”

I expressed my gratitude for Adhai’s compliments, ignoring the empty laughter of the Heavenly Mother, of course.

Since I had basically finished explaining everything to the guys, I finished the inspection I was doing.

Now it’s time to do what you originally intended.

It’s the pale mask predation.

‘Ugh. It’s a shame that such a good thing is only used for preying.’

I know that the symbol of hunting is a trump card, but it’s hard to avoid feeling like it was a waste every time I transform. If it weren’t for the limitations of a 20-minute duration and a one-week cooldown, I would have actively used it in battle, but it’s just a shame.

‘I wonder if things will get better once we reach the second stage of transcendence.’

The condition for the second stage of Transcendence is to use 5 fusion characteristics related to different types as materials.

I have already cleared the conditions for the second stage of Transcendence thanks to the characteristics I acquired while going around the swamp. However, I am waiting until I obtain the new nest-related fusion characteristic ‘Symbiotic Spore’ as a material because it is a fusion characteristic related to the nest.

‘Before we leave this planet, let’s get some new nest related fusion traits.’

The ship is ready, though a bit broken, and No. 26 and Adhai have all been assembled. I should aim to obtain the nest-related fusion traits before I can rewrite Nightmare Horizon.

‘Think about that later.’

Now is the time to enjoy the prey. I approached the corpse with No. 26.

‘where.’

I opened my jaw wide and bit Pale Mask’s head. My mouth, which was as wide as a great white shark or a boa constrictor, ripped off a large handful of Pale Mask’s flesh.

‘hmm.’

Is it because my jaw has been strengthened, or is it because my teeth have become harder? When I was fighting it, it felt tough, but now it feels like it’s melting in my mouth.

‘This is another interesting taste.’

There are two types of marine life I’ve eaten here: fisherman and sea demon.

Both of them boasted unique flavors, but the taste itself did not go beyond the category of seafood.

But this male pale mask meat here, what is it? It had a different flavor from seafood.

‘It seems closer to lamb.’

Pale Mask meat was the most oily meat I’ve ever eaten in my life, perhaps because it was mixed with brain oil. Looking at it like this, it might seem greasy, but because the meaty flavor was so strong, I didn’t feel particularly greasy.

‘Plus, the taste comes in stages.’

When you first chew, the fat and juice burst out and an intense meaty flavor takes over your mouth. Then, as you chew the meat, unlike at the beginning, it mixes with the fat and changes into a soft taste. At the end, it changes into a sweet taste like ice cream melting in your mouth and disappears at the back of your throat.

Unlike Sea Demon meat, which has a unique yet natural feel, Pale Mask meat is intuitive. It could be said to be the difference between a high-end seafood buffet and an American steakhouse.

‘It was hard to catch, but I’m glad it tastes good.’

So, No. 26 and I enjoyed the pale mask meat to our heart’s content.

It took about 10 minutes to eat all of its head.

As I licked the last remaining drop of brain juice, the expected text box appeared.

“Predation effect activated! Human-faced beast genetic essence acquired successfully.”

“Taking away the ‘human face’ trait from the ‘Pale Mask’.”

“Would you like to apply ‘Inmyeonsu’?”

The trait I acquired is ‘Human Face’.

It was a trait that created parasites that resembled the pale face that was Pale Mask’s mascot.

Unlike Pale Mask, which uses hypnosis and shockwaves, the human face applied to Aimorph has a different effect. I personally found this trait useful and was happy about it, but I also felt regretful.

‘I was aiming for a giant creature.’

The ‘giant creature’ trait is a trait shared by creatures that are over 50m in size. If you gain the giant creature trait, you can use the giant ability. If I use giantization as a symbol of hunting, it would not be an exaggeration to say that my physical abilities are truly invincible.

It may sound childish, but I wanted to see it at least once. A giant version of myself wearing the symbol of hunting.

Anyway, you have to catch Apex creatures to evolve. Most Apex creatures are large, so there will be plenty of opportunities to get giant creatures in the future.

I shook off my regrets and applied the Pale Mask’s legacy and human-faced traits.

–

A universe filled with infinite darkness.

In that space, where only stars tens or hundreds of light years away emitted their only light, a gigantic structure was floating.

The shape of the structure resembled a refined diamond. With a diameter of 3km and an ivory-colored body decorated with gold and special metals, the structure was surprisingly a spaceship.

Its true identity is the Imperial Carrier, a mass-produced weapon that embodies the ancient technology of the Cult Empire.

Until just a few thousand years ago, imperial warships were active on numerous battlefields.

In order to protect the ‘providence’ that can be said to be the foundation of the cults, and to enlighten countless planets and their native peoples, the Imperial Carriers had no time to rest.

Of course, that is now a thing of the past. The Cult Empire has been suffering from civil war for over a thousand years. Even at this moment, numerous factions are repeatedly engaged in meaningless arguments in the Imperial Diet for their own political gain.

In other words, the war with the outside world has ended and the internal struggle has begun.

Times had changed, and there was no longer any place for powerful weapons like the Imperial Carrier. Some had retired, and others were performing defense duties on the outskirts of the Empire.

The imperial carrier here, ‘Judgment of Damos 08’, was also one of the ships that avoided retirement and was driven to the outskirts.

A remote area where no one visits, not even monsters like metallic gremlins or outspacers. There, the captain of the imperial carrier was repeating the same meaningless calculations of course.

It would have been just another day as usual if the cult advisor hadn’t come running up to him.

“Captain, this is a message from the council!”

“If it was a request to join a faction, I would have told you to decline.”

“That’s not it! The purge order has now been passed by the council and is being considered by the elders. I expect the order to come down within a week at the latest, or a few days at the earliest.”

The yakhorn cultist turned their heads at the aide’s words.

“Purification order? Could this be Outspacer? When did they invade? Where is under attack? Is this a serious enough problem to require the mobilization of a mother ship?”

“Oh, that, that doesn’t seem to be the case. The Intelligence Department received information that the Holy Land was contaminated while monitoring the Star Union. It has not been revealed which race did it.”

“Holy Land?”

“This is Seongji Saigil 08.”

“Because it’s a side road… .”

The captain was also interested in espionage and information gathering, and did not shy away from interacting with inferior intelligence beings. That is why he was well aware that humans and cyborgs called Cygil-08 PH-101.

“The Holy Land has been polluted, and the machines knew about it before we did? Even the council is really rotten.”

Not only the captain, but also the more intelligent members of the cult leadership were well aware of the extreme depravity of those who ran the council.

The fact that some of them make money through piracy or smuggling.

“…It smells disgusting.”

“What would you like to do?”

He shrugged in response to his aide’s question.

“What can we do? We are warriors. Sacred warriors who follow providence and are loyal to the cult, not the faction. We must follow the orders of the council.”

“Captain… .”

“Inform the entire crew. Get ready in advance.”

“All right.”

As the aide departed, the captain began to calculate his course again. A universe manifested through psychic powers appeared before him again.

However, its shape was slightly different from before. The space floating in front of the captain resembled the star system that the planet PH-101 belonged to.