Became an Evolving Space Monster - Chapter 215



Only Noblemtl

Ep. 214

After confirming that the Hellside Hornet was dead, I retrieved the bone scythe arm.

Blood and brain fluid flowed out mixed together from a hole in the middle of the two compound eyes.

A brain covered in maggots, a head like a bug. It was a collection of disgusting elements, but from Aimov’s perspective, it just looked like tasty prey.

Even though I like monsters, the visual was burdensome, but I didn’t care and pulled out the head.

‘I guess I should be thankful that it’s Aimop.’

The Hellside Hornet was hideous when alive, but became even more terrifying after death.

There are only two useful traits you can acquire from him.

‘Those strong arms and the ability to create maggots.’

Both are good traits on their own, but when made into a fusion trait, they become even stronger than the original.

The Hellside Hornet’s scythe can be combined with the ‘Jaws of the Harvester’ trait. The original is a scythe connected to the arm that transforms into a fang. According to the setting, the fang blade is filled with single-molecule saw blades, which can destroy any armor. It can even easily tear apart the head shell of an Ice Horror.

In addition, the oral structure is quite different from its current form. It is designed to cut off the opponent’s head with the sickle fangs and then absorb it right away.

‘So it is not advantageous for large-scale harvesting.’

This could be said to be the most necessary trait at this point in time, as we are preparing for war with the Gallagons.

‘If you think about the future, the ability to create maggots isn’t so bad.’

The maggot creation trait can be combined with the ‘Human-faced Beast’. When the two are combined, the trait changes to create a fly monster with the head of an intelligent being. Just as only 5 Human-faced Beasts can be created in total, the number of Human-faced flies that can be separated from the body is 5 in total.

The ability to shoot paralyzing sound waves remains intact, allowing for even more unorthodox operations than before.

‘But it can’t be used when fighting Gallagon.’

Gallagon has no ears, so he is unaffected by paralyzing sound waves. So this might come in handy later.

‘… Well, if you’re unlucky, neither of them will come out, and something like strong vitality will come out.’

Insectoid and plant-like creatures have the common trait of ‘strong vitality’.

Even though the symbol of hunting increases the success rate of predation, the characteristics that can be acquired are random. There are many cases where you can get a blank.

‘Let’s stop thinking about useless things and eat quickly.’

Adhai is waiting next to me, wondering when I will eat. I want to jump into the pool of blood with the delicious smell rising up right away, but it looks like he is holding back because of me.

‘Where should we eat?’

I put the Hellside Hornet in my mouth, praying that some good trait would come out of it.

‘Euuum.’

The moment I bit the bastard’s head with my forked jaws, I couldn’t help but let out a gasp.

The thing looked so disgusting that it would make anyone who saw it shiver. Its taste was as intuitive as its appearance.

‘weigh.’

So much so that it melts your tongue.

If you compare Hellside Hornet’s head to real food, it’s like chewing on a giant caramel made with Nutella.

‘It’s much sweeter than Nutella.’

The brain of the creature, a mixture of light brown and yellow mucus, tasted like highly concentrated chocolate jam the moment it entered my mouth. In addition, the hard shell typical of insectoid creatures gave me the pleasure of chewing on crackers.

‘It tastes bad for your health.’

As expected of an Apex that boasts a unique taste, its head left a strong impression on me. However, while the meat of other guys tasted like a meal, this one felt like a literal snack.

Normally, I would have swallowed it in one gulp, but because of the addictive sweetness, I held it in my mouth longer than usual. I swallowed the completely liquefied head of the thing without a single piece or fragment.

Then, several semi-transparent text boxes appeared in front of me at the same time.

“Big man” “Me” “Meal” “Is it possible?”

[Zzu zuzu zuzu zuzu zuzu (Huh? Eat it. It tastes really good.)]

Adhai, who was standing next to me, stuck a bunch of tentacles into the pool of blood and drank it down as soon as I gave him permission. I checked the contents of the text box while he enjoyed his meal.

“Predation effect activated! ‘Contamination Bug Host’ genetic essence acquired successfully.”

“Taking over the ‘Contamination Bug Host’ trait from the ‘Hellside Hornet’s’ biological characteristics.”

“Can be fused with the ‘Inmyeonsu’ that you already have.”

｢’Transcendence’ Material List (NEW!): Corruption Bug Host, Tetanus Vine, Tooth Fairy Nest, Human Sacrifice, Red Acid (Not Obtained)｣

‘…I didn’t expect this.’

After a long time, I received a message regarding the ‘Transcendence’ system. It is a system that combines several characteristics to create a ‘unique’ characteristic.

I had completely forgotten about it because it hadn’t come up for a while.

‘Was the host of the pollutant a key trait?’

Because when I got the Tetanus Vine, Tooth Fairy Nest, and Human Sacrifice, this message didn’t appear.

‘It’s a new unique trait.’

So far, I’ve only created two unique traits using the Transcendence system: ‘Perfect Organism’, which allows you to use the Hunting Symbol, and ‘Nightmare Horizon’, which allows you to erode spaceships and turn them into bio-battleships.

‘Organic Evolution’, which allows my body to change according to the situation, was provided as a reward for unlocking Transcendence Stage 2, so I received it for free.

That is, the only unique traits I currently have are 3. There are also 2 traits I obtained as a token of strength, but these are not classified as unique traits, so they are excluded.

‘Come to think of it, if I get the unique trait this time, it’ll be a total of 4?’

When you acquire 4 unique traits, the ‘Space Monster’ type stage will go up from stage 0 to stage 1. It is currently unknown what rewards you will receive when the Space Monster type reaches stage 1.

‘It’s a type that requires 4 unique traits that are hard to obtain.’

I think there may be changes that are similar to evolution.

‘For now, I can’t get it.’

The ‘Red Acid’ at the end of the material list is a trait that can be obtained from Glacier Fiends. If you acquired the trait the last time you hunted them, you may have used the Transcendence system right away this time.

‘Isn’t that it? Because the number of characteristics is not enough.’

Currently I only have enough traits left to maintain the type.

This material, combined with the newly acquired Contaminated Bug Host and Red Acid, has 4 infection-related characteristics and 1 nest-related characteristic. If you use it as the sole characteristic material without thinking, you will end up blowing away 2 infection and nest-enhanced types.

‘I need to collect some more characteristics and then combine them.’

After the fight with Gallagon, you should consider taking out some Glacier Fiends or Hellside Hornets.

Having lost interest in the Transcendence system, I chose to combine the traits of the Pollution Bug Host and the Human-Faced Beast.

“The ‘Contamination Bug Host’ trait has been applied.”

“Can be fused with the ‘Inmyeonsu’ that you already have.”

“The characteristics of ‘Pollution Bug Host’ and ‘Human-faced Beast’ are fused. Evolves into the ‘Human-faced Bug Host’ characteristic! ”

“Human-faced Host: Creates a flying creature with the ‘Human-faced Beast’ trait effect reflected. Up to 5 flying creatures can be created, and they can only survive within a 200m radius of the host.”

｢*P.S. The dead cannot speak. Therefore, they have no rights.｣

As soon as the trait was applied, the body changed. Among the symbols of the hunt, there were human-faced beasts that changed positions to my head shell. The five faces began to twist wildly.

The face embedded in the shell splits vertically and insect legs and wings pop out from inside. The insect monsters flutter like butterflies emerging from their chrysalises. Their damp bodies dry and harden upon contact with the cold air. Along with this, their crumpled wings also spread out.

Their bodies after transformation resemble hornetlings. They have six legs with sharp claws, two wings, and a body that is a mix of a mantis and a fly, all of which are characteristics that hornetlings have.

The only difference was that it was larger than the Hornetling, and instead of having a wasp-shaped head, it had an intelligent head. It looked like a giant insect wearing a human mask.

“?!”

“■!”

“■■ ■■!”

“■■!”

“■■■!”

The bugs, or rather, the human-faced bugs, who woke up are terrified when they see their own bodies. They retain some of their original memories. They must have been quite shocked to realize that they had become bugs in that state.

Not long after the Inmyeonchung host was applied, the symbolic effect of the hunt ended. My body shrank again, and the bone sickle arm on my back crumbled into dust.

Along with him, the nest where the human-faced insects would stay moved from the carapace to the back. Instead of the shape of a human mask, five nests that looked like large tumors were established. From now on, this is the human-faced insects’ treasure trove.

“■■■ ■■ ■■!”

The man-faced creature with Jason’s face shouted something. It was glaring at me with liquid dripping from its eyes.

The human-faced host is a trait that exists in the game as well. Naturally, Jason would have realized what kind of a person he had become.

And how much more miserable he will become in the future.

‘I don’t intend to let that go though.’

Others will be replaced with different genes when their usefulness is over, but not Jason. He can never be freed until I die.

I ignored his protest and called the insects back. They immediately obeyed the command after receiving the special wave I sent. The insects that had been crying and wailing just a moment ago suddenly lost their minds and returned to their nests.

After completing the application of the trait and demonstration, I looked back at Adhai. The creature had already emptied the puddle of blood and was wiping the blood off its front legs with its tentacles.

‘It seems like the wings have changed a bit.’

There were no other changes other than the red wave patterns on its body becoming larger and more colorful. There were no signs of it evolving into Black Gallagon.

‘Isn’t eating Apex a condition?’

It’s true that there’s been a change, but it’s not as dramatic as last time. Even if Hellside Hornet is slightly lower in level than Skywhale, it’s the same Apex, so I don’t know what happened.

‘I don’t think it’s because there aren’t enough sheep.’

[Zuzu zuzu (How’s your body?)]

“Feeling” “Good”

[Zuzu zuzuzu zuzuzu (Does it feel like something has gotten stronger?)]

“Pattern” “Change” “Strength” “Difference” “Unknown”

The guy seemed to know that the pattern had changed, but he wasn’t sure if it had gotten stronger.

‘There’s no time to experiment.’

It’s been a little over a day since I left the nest. I don’t know how the Odd Grad herd will move, but it’s not a good idea to stay out any longer than this.

“Pattern” “Glamorous” “Good”

I don’t know if it’s gotten stronger, but I like the way its wings and tail have changed so beautifully.

‘I can’t help it. I have to go with the original plan.’

I thought that if I fed it more Apex, something would change, but there was no impressive change. If a White Gallagon appears in a group of Odd Grads, it seems that I will have to attack it and evolve it.

‘Then I’ll go back… Ah.’

By the way, there is one last thing I need to take care of before I leave.

[Zu zu zu zu (Aren’t you hungry?)]

“a little”

[Zuzuzu (good job)]

“?”

A guy tilting his head.

There is a place nearby where you can fill your stomach properly. It is a food depot that Hellside Hornets love to gorge themselves on.

‘The animal will probably hate it if you throw away its precious food.’

I took Adhai and headed to the bastard’s feed warehouse.

–

“Ugh!”

Colin Russell, a subordinate of Sihyeon Eugene, let out a groan of pain as he fell to the floor. After two weeks of being trapped in the cocoon and hanging from the ceiling, he was finally able to escape.

Even for Colin, who had undergone rigorous military training, the past two weeks had been a nightmare.

While in charge of supplying supplies during Sihyeon Yujin’s expedition, his unit was attacked by a giant insectoid monster. It brought him and several of his men into this cave.

I thought he would kill them right away, but he didn’t. Instead, he trapped them in a cocoon made of the mucus secreted from his body.

He and his men were glad that they had survived. They thought that since they were not going to die right away, they could just escape somehow.

But this was a terrible misjudgment. The monster had kept them alive because of their unique diet.

He pickled and ate his men one by one. Every three days, he poured a little bit of his digestive juice into the cocoon. The men trapped in the cocoon melted away in excruciating pain.

So when the load, or rather the food, completely melted, the bastard would stick its head into the cocoon and suck it up.

Colin and the survivors trapped in the crater could not see the sight, but they could hear the sound clearly.

The sound of a person slowly melting alive, and the sound of a monster sucking up a human who has turned completely into water.

All his subordinates were crazy, but Colin, who had been highly trained, could not go crazy even if he wanted to. Even if he wanted to give up everything and commit suicide, it was impossible.

In addition to imprisoning them, the cells also performed a primitive life-support function, making it impossible for those trapped here to even die.

But Colin didn’t give up. He kept clawing at the thorns without stopping. Blood flowed and all his nails fell off, but he didn’t stop.

As a result of not giving up in that living hell, heaven gave him a chance.

On the second week of his imprisonment in hell, an earthquake occurred in the cave. The insectoid monster left the place to investigate the earthquake.

In other words, this was his last chance to survive. From the moment he stopped hearing the sound, he started scratching at the cocoon like a madman. His fingernails fell off and his fingers broke, but he didn’t give up.

And finally he could tear open the cocoon and breathe the outside air again.

“Coolook! Coolook… .”

Colin barely managed to get up and coughed loudly.

His current condition was very bad. He was barely getting enough nutrition to sustain his life, so his entire body was emaciated, and both his hands were completely ruined.

Yet, he was demonstrating superhuman strength with a single-minded determination to escape.

He searched through the debris and remains of the victims strewn about, grabbing a flashlight and a protective suit.

Even if he managed to escape, he would freeze to death without a reinforced suit. He quickly finished preparing to escape and ran hurriedly out of the cave. He memorized where he was when he was caught by the monster and entered the cave.

Thanks to that, he was able to avoid getting lost in this maze-like place with just the light of a flashlight.

‘Just a little more!’

How far did you run?

I see a faint light in the distance. That is the only exit from hell.

He ran with all his might. It was the first time he had run this hard since he had stolen Gallagon’s eggs and escaped, a long time ago.

He almost died hundreds of times back then, but he survived.

He will survive today too.

He cleared away the vines blocking the cave entrance. An icy wind greeted him. It was the outside he had been longing for for two weeks.

There was nothing different there than before he came in.

White snow, a sky so dark that you can’t tell day from night, densely packed trees, and even huge rocks.

‘Rock?’

Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen that rock before coming here.

Did he put it there to hide, or did it roll down the mountain during the earthquake a while ago?

The answer was neither of those two.

Because the rock doesn’t move.

“uh?”

What was in front of him was not a rock. It was something he had mistaken for a rock that was slamming into him.