Became an Evolving Space Monster - Chapter 176



Only Noblemtl

Ep. 175

I quickly threw the screamer’s head into my fighting hand.

And then he hugged number 26 and curled up.

“Big baby?”

No. 26 made a comment saying he didn’t know English, but I didn’t respond.

It’s too late to escape the blast radius. This is the only way to save No. 26 from the explosion.

‘shit!’

Thanks to the application of the ‘Bone Beast’ trait, my body’s defense power has increased by leaps and bounds, but that’s not the case for No. 26. As a Sea Demon, even if he gets caught in the Screamer’s self-destruct, he won’t die, but he will inevitably suffer fatal injuries.

‘Please bear with it.’

I closed my eyes tightly and waited for the impending baptism of fire.

A few minutes passed like that.

‘huh?’

“Big baby, what’s wrong? Are you angry?”

No matter how long I waited, the pain that burned my whole body never came. I just felt the cold air inside the ice passage.

I opened my eyes and checked the screamer.

“PS-111. Additional damage caused by external impact. Current damage status report. 87% damage.”

The Screamer, who was stuck in the ice wall, only muttered mechanically while bleeding white blood, and did not respond in any way.

‘What happened?’

It was only then that I realized that there was something different about this screamer.

Although Screamers are controlled by machines, they are still creatures based on living organisms. The only ones that can survive with just their heads are androids.

‘I don’t think it’s Android?’

I focused on the auxiliary organs and examined the guy’s appearance in detail. The guy was much more lively than the android.

If it’s an android doing espionage, it’s good at imitating humans, but it’s unlikely that Screamer would be given that ability, so it’s probably not.

“I’m frustrated.”

As I was quietly observing the guy, No. 26, which was in my arms, came out. Then, as if he saw the Screamer stuck in the wall, his body lit up.

“Eww! My friend got hurt!”

“PS-111. Advise Main Controller: Hostile creatures detected, please fall back.”

From what I’ve experienced so far, the darker the color of No. 26’s body, the more it glowed, which meant he was in a bad mood. I knew for sure because whenever I was seriously injured, it turned a shade of pink, almost purple.

No. 26, whose body color had slightly darkened, pulled out his tentacles and pulled out the Screamer stuck in the wall.

“Hey buddy, are you okay?”

“Reporting to the main controller. Currently 0.5% recovery in progress.”

As No. 26 placed the Screamer on the ground, six metal legs, resembling spider legs, sprouted from the Screamer’s neck. As soon as I saw the creature, I was reminded of the alien creature’s alter ego from a classic sci-fi horror film set in an Antarctic research base.

The grotesquely shaped Screamer head moved its metal legs diligently and stood in front of No. 26. It looked as if it was trying to protect No. 26.

“Hey friend!”

“Hostile creature poses a 95% chance of being a threat to the main controller. Ruled out.”

Number 26 seemed confused as to what to do between me and the Screamer.

‘How could this happen?’

Because it was a situation that transcended common sense, I also had a hard time understanding it.

“Big baby, I think your friend is sick.”

[Zuzu (quiet)]

“huh.”

I spoke coldly without realizing it, as if my feelings had melted into the waves. No. 26 cowered like a child who had secretly picked up a puppy without telling his parents.

‘… Let’s take a closer look.’

It’s fortunate that the Screamer didn’t self-destruct, but that doesn’t mean things are any better.

That’s because it was the first time No. 26 had acted independently since meeting me. And it didn’t end with just playing or eating, but caused a major accident.

‘I hid the risk factor without telling anyone.’

If Screamer had harmed No. 26, he might not be here. No, even Adhai might not have been able to avoid serious injuries.

Of course I had to scold him, but there was something I had to consider before that.

I looked at number 26, which was emitting a pink light in the darkness.

The guy was very taken aback by my anger, but he didn’t immediately abandon Screamer.

That is, the guy may have developed compassion.

As an Amorph, I must inevitably take the lives of other creatures. That is the only way to evolve and the only way for me to survive. There is no one among my fellows who does not know that.

There is an exception, the Heavenly Mother, but she has a goal: to kill her enemies and comfort the souls of her family.

Anyway, since everyone understood my special traits, I was able to come here with them to the Dragon’s Nest.

Normally, I would have spent a long time collecting the traits needed for Apex hunting. But I don’t need to do that because these guys make up for my shortcomings.

But if No. 26 feels the preciousness of life here, it will be a big hindrance to my hunting activities. Especially if the one among us who is the best at handling psychic powers is missing, hunting Gallagon will become very difficult.

‘furthermore….’

The problems don’t end here.

Number 26’s sudden actions may be evidence that he is growing up.

What that means is that this kind of thing might happen in the future. The smarter he gets, the more often he’ll come into conflict with me.

Not only No. 26. Aadhai can also become similar as he grows up. Aadhai is younger than No. 26.

‘This isn’t a problem that can be solved by me forcing myself out of this place.’

I need helpers to complement my weaknesses, not slaves. I need to take extra care to maintain positive relationships with them in the future.

‘You have to button up the first button well for anything.’

It is the same principle that the more a child’s ego grows, the more they want to escape from their parents’ gaze. I know better than anyone that if conflicts arise with parents at this time, they will last a lifetime.

Whatever the circumstances, it is a given that you will have to scold No. 26, but you must choose your words carefully so that he will understand.

After gathering my thoughts, I said to number 26.

[Zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (Do you know how dangerous that is?)]

“Is your friend in danger?”

[Zzzz zzzz zzzz zzzz zzzz (If that thing explodes with a bang, we’ll all get hurt)]

“Really? It’s more dangerous than Bang Bang?”

[Yeah]

No. 26’s body turned pale when he heard that the Screamer was more dangerous than the Plasma Launcher.

It’s not a lie. The Screamer’s self-destruct that I saw seemed to be 20 times more dangerous than the Plasma Launcher. Of course, I wouldn’t die, but I guess that’s not something I need to say.

“I don’t want the big baby to get hurt!”

[Zuzu zuzu zuzu zuzu zuzu zuzu (Me too. So trust me and help me)]

“huh….”

When I saw the guy trembling like he was being experimented on by Megacorp researchers in the past, I suddenly felt sorry for him. But I steeled myself.

[Zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzuzu (Where did you get that guy?)]

“I saw it when I was eating a big bad kid. I heard it hurt a lot….”

Come to think of it, we talked about Mother Sky and Screamer during the day.

As she searched through the body to extract the heart and devour it, she found the remains of the Screamers still being digested in the intestines. Based on the remains collected at the time, there were at least 10 Screamers that had been eaten by the Ice Horror.

The Heavenly Mother said that when she saw the broken traces, it seemed like they were eaten or crushed by the Ice Horror before they could commit suicide.

‘It was the same composition as the Screamer that caught Winterwalker.’

That’s why we assumed that Star Union was secretly conducting Screamer development experiments on this planet. They were challenging them to fight powerful predators like Ice Horrors and Winter Walkers to see how powerful they were.

[Zuzuzuzuzu (one more thing)]

“huh.”

[Z zu zu zu zu zu (Why did you save him?)]

“that….”

The guy hesitated and did not answer my question.

If I were to answer here that I did it because I felt bad for No. 26, it would be very difficult. That part is not something I can suppress.

‘Don’t be impatient.’

If you come at me too forcefully, it will backfire. I waited patiently.

The guy who had been quiet for a moment shot me a cautious wave.

“I could smell you from the moment I saw you.”

[Zuzu (same race?)]

“Yeah. My friend said he was sick, so I brought him here to make sure he doesn’t get sick.”

Now that I think about it, while I was hiding, No. 26 gave Screamer something to eat.

[Zuzu zuzuzu (Want to try again?)]

No. 26, who heard my waves, pulled out his tentacles. Purple thread-like things came out of the tips of the tentacles like when he uses his ‘Binding’ technique, and they pierced the metal holes on the back of Screamer’s head.

Then the Screamer’s eyes rolled back and a mechanical sound came out of his mouth.

“PS-111. Wave, wave, wave, power charge rate increased from 5% to 6, 6, 6%.”

“If you give sick friends food, they will get better.”

I saw that scene and roughly understood what the situation was.

‘It has the genes of a bubble amoeba or a sea demon.’

If you think about it that way, you can understand the characteristics of the Screamer, who can move alive even if only his head remains.

The two slime-like creatures can move or shrink their vital organs, such as their brains, at will. This trait allows Sea Demons to survive with only a few tenths of their bodies remaining.

‘They just reduced the necessary organs and put them inside the face.’

If this Screamer has the genes of Bubble Amoeba or Sea Demon, then it’s not impossible.

It also explains why No. 26 and Screamer, who have completely different conversation systems, can communicate with each other.

“Power charge rate 10%. I will use it to supplement my biological functions.”

When the guy opened his mouth and spoke, a very subtle flow of waves could be felt. It probably sounded much more awkward to 26 than what Adhai was saying.

From the perspective of No. 26, he must have felt even more sorry for his fellow countryman, who was very sick and couldn’t even speak properly.

‘Because he’s a guy with deep love for his fellow countrymen.’

It’s much better than feared, but problems still remain.

‘The same thing could happen if you meet another Screamer.’

It’s not good if No. 26 hesitates every time he encounters the new Screamers who have been transplanted with the genes of Bubble Amoeba Sea Demon.

[Zuzuzuz zuuzuzuz zuuzuzuz zuuzuzuz zuuzuzuz (There may be many friends like this in the future)]

“really?”

[Zuzuzuzuz zuuzuz zuuzuz zuuzuz zuuzuz (If those guys attack me, I’ll be in so much pain)]

“I like friends, but I hate seeing children hurt even more!”

Number 26, who understood the meaning of the words, puffed out his body in surprise. When he saw the body of the guy as white as a sheet of paper, it seemed unlikely that he would do something rash again in the future.

‘I think this will be okay.’

I shot a wave with the meaning of a warning as a finishing touch.

[Zuzu zuzuzu zuzu zuzu zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (I have a responsibility to protect my family. You know how I feel.)]

“Yeah. I know.”

[Zuzuzuz zuuzuz zuuzuz zuuzuz zuuzuz (If you see a new friend, tell me. Okay?)]

“okay….”

I felt uneasy when I saw the gloomy-looking No. 26, but there was nothing I could do. It was never good for something like this to happen when fighting dozens or hundreds of Screamers.

After finishing my warning to No. 26, I looked back at the Screamer who was glaring at me.

‘The next question is how to deal with this.’

I picked up the screamer with only the head remaining with my fingers.

Until just now, it had a metal leg attached to its face, but now its appearance has changed. Tentacles and protrusions that I hadn’t seen before were also protruding from its cheeks and chin. In addition, flesh had sprouted from the broken and severed tubes, transforming it into a semi-organic form.

‘Is it a self-repairing function?’

The guy who just received psychic power from No. 26 must have used the energy to recover his body.

“Threat detected by hostile creature. Initiating counterattack.”

“Friend! The big kid is my kind! Don’t do that!”

As the creature, which had become even more bizarre in appearance, resisted by poking my fingers with its metal legs, No. 26 stopped it.

“I have received the order from the main controller. Stop the counterattack.”

Screamer immediately stops resisting at No. 26’s words. It seems like he recognizes No. 26 as his superior, perhaps because they share the same genes.

“Friend, you have to listen to the big kid. Okay?”

“Reclassifying hostile creatures. Classification to sub-controller level complete. Verifying access to internal database.”

The Screamer, having completed his adjustments, folded his metal legs and looked up at me quietly.

“Hello, Sub-Controller. How may I help you?”

Originally, I was planning to defeat No. 26 and then eat the Screamer.

However, seeing him obey No. 26 obediently changed my mind a little.

‘I can extract information.’

I activated one of the mimetic organ’s special effects, the ability to imitate voices.

“Who are you?”

“My codename is PS-111. I am a PS-class intermediate terminal model that commands lower-level Screamers in place of the main controller.”

PS-111, a Screamer with only a head left, was a sort of field commander.

“That’s unexpected. Screamers don’t have commander entities, right?”

“That was the case up until the old model. The former main controller, ‘Pira Eleven,’ pointed out the limitations of that model, and with the permission of the Supreme Controller, we began developing a new model, ‘Mutant Screamer.’”

“What if there is a limit?”

“The weak durability of the organism that will be synchronized with the Screamer machine, low resistance to psychic powers, and poor tactical thinking.”

The three things the guy mentioned are the chronic weaknesses of Screamer.

‘It was a problem limited by the system, but this is reality.’

If you use the Hulk mutant as a material, you can drastically improve the performance of the non-mechanical parts. And adding psychic powers is a bonus.

The problem is the part about tactical thinking, which is not something I don’t understand either.

Free thought and action are not allowed for the Screamers who are close to the punishment unit. That is probably why they chose this limited method of mixing in superior individuals to assist them.

“Indeed. I guess you can be considered a commander-level mutant Screamer.”

“you’re right.”

“Did you say Pira Eleven? Why did the main controller change?”

“The system was initialized due to internal data corruption caused by an attack by the Class 7 Hazardous Lifeform ‘Ice Horror’. The newly registered main controller at that time was the Class 8 ‘Seed Demon’.”

When I heard that, I had some idea.

‘The superpower drill shot by No. 26.’

It must have been the aftermath of that thing tearing apart the Ice Horror’s guts with such tremendous psychic power.

I asked again.

“Let’s move on to the next question. The genes in your body. Explain what kind of creature they are and who manipulated them.”

“The genes applied to my body are….”

PS-111 listed the biological information that had entered his body one by one. As expected, it contained a small amount of the Sea Demon’s genes.

‘The cold blood gene is surprising, though.’

Just like the Screamer we met last time, this guy also had a high proportion of Coldblood genes.

It’s true that you can get good traits from Coldblood, but it’s not powerful enough to upset the balance. There’s no need to put it in the Hulk mutant for Screamer material.

‘Is there anything I don’t know?’

Even as I thought to myself, the screamer continued to speak.

“There are five types of genes injected into my body. The genetic manipulation was done by Chloe Garmelda, the head researcher, and Li Zhao, the senior researcher.”

“Wait a minute. Carmelda and Zhao? Could it be the Megacorp family?”

“Yes. The two researchers are affiliated with Megacorp, Noble Capital, and Prime Capital, respectively.”

It was only after hearing what the guy had to say that I realized my guess was correct.

The leader of Star Union, Noble Capital Garmelda of Megacorp, and Prime Capital Zhao.

All three of them can be said to be leaders of Megacorp and Star Union. This is a situation where the leaders of warring groups are colluding.

‘Most likely a player.’

I looked down at the PS-111 lying on my palm.

I’ve gotten most of the information I can get from him, and only the most important question remains. I intend to decide his fate based on the answers.

“Is there a chance that the former Main Controller, Pira Eleven, will take command?”

“It is not possible until you reset the system and disable the firewall.”

“Can other intermediate terminals change their main controllers like you?”

If this is possible, I will be able to counter the Screamers created by the enemies. It will not only help me in hunting Gallagons, but it will also be a great help when fighting players later.

But PS-111’s answer denied my expectations.

“Control changes due to damage are no longer possible.”

“Why?”

“Before I left Pira Eleven’s control, I reported the possibility of this error occurring. By now, the weak points of control should have been improved.”

This means that it is no longer possible for 26 to take out another Commander Screamer like PS-111 did.

‘Then is it beneficial to eat the guy?’

The guy on my palm noticed my feelings and added something.

“Only lower-level entities, S models, can access the lines used.”

“Does that mean we can spy on other Screamers’ operations?”

“In addition to peeking, there is limited control over the S model.”

“Limited control?”

“You can physically touch a screamer machine to take control of it.”

A screamer machine is a mechanical device in the shape of a scorpion or spider that surrounds a creature that serves as the screamer’s material.

As befitting their nickname as the Star Union’s punishment unit, all of Screamer’s physical movements are controlled by the Screamer Machine.

So what the guy is saying is that he can manipulate the Screamer’s very actions.

‘I find the expression ‘physical contact’ offensive.’

Screamers cannot be controlled by my parasites or human faces. Enemy players will know this as well.

‘If we take advantage of that part….’

They can stab you in places you don’t expect.

“Last question. Is there any chance that Star Union will track you?”

“It is impossible for them to find me.”

“Impossible?”

“The signal chip in my body was destroyed by the Ice Horror’s attack. I am officially considered discarded.”

I placed the auxiliary organ against the guy’s cheek. The four long strands of the auxiliary organ caressed the screamer’s smooth face.

‘I don’t feel any special signals.’

Just in case, I checked to see if there were any electromagnetic waves leaking out, but I felt nothing.

‘There’s no need to be tracked.’

I mentally reviewed the conversations we had had so far.

It was clear which was better: the benefit of keeping it alive or the benefit of eating it.

“It seems useful.”

“I’m glad it helped.”

With that, the fate of PS-111 was sealed.