Became an Evolving Space Monster - Chapter 310
Only Noblemtl
Episode 310 – Monster Hunt (1)
–
It has been five days since the death of Alkadi, the family of Captain Alshas of ‘Defenders of Berzan 02’.
The entire planet was moved by the unprecedented incident of the death of the captain of the Imperial Carrier. The knowledge managers belonging to the Oversight Agency, the cultists with tracking capabilities, the warrior groups of each organization, etc. In addition, the priests of the Eye of Revelation and the Prophet’s Society who protect Berzan 02 were mobilized.
It was unusual for priests and prophets to participate in the investigation, unless otherwise noted.
The purpose of both groups is to eliminate those who go against Providence. They are in charge of problems that arise from within the Empire rather than outside, such as searching for the Vortex One cult and eliminating spies.
Yet there is one reason why they intervened in Alkadi’s death.
It was not known to the public, but recently the Outspacers had been using unusual methods to erode the Empire.
Previous attacks had been carried out by having them create ‘bio portals’ on empty planets and summon large groups. Once the portals were created, they generated a huge amount of energy, allowing the Empire to prepare in advance.
But now things have changed.
They improved the parasites that lived in the bodies of ‘worker bees’ and forcibly transplanted them into the bodies of captured cultists and various intelligent beings. The infected intelligent beings became their slaves and infiltrated various planets to prepare for the offensive.
The only fortunate thing was that the intelligence of the infected people was extremely low, so there were no successful cases.
Of course, there is no guarantee that this will last forever.
Since learning of the existence of the parasite, the priesthood has been preparing to prevent the infiltration of the infected, by providing parasite-tracking equipment and psychic technology to identify the characteristics of the infected.
This was the reason why the Vice-Chief took ‘action’ against Alkadi and why they intervened in the investigation.
Although many people participated in the investigation, the entity that injected the parasite was not easily found.
Because Alkadi’s behavior was very different from that of a typical infected person. He acted perfectly normally until he lost his life in the Kissos mansion. It was not easy to find anything suspicious in his actions.
And he was also involved in gray areas outside of the legal realm of business. Many of his cases were handled secretly, leaving no evidence behind, which made investigations difficult.
It was only after four days of investigation that they finally found any clues about who had planted the parasite.
For about three weeks before his death, Alkadi sent containers of living creatures to the abandoned buildings on the Avenue of Glory every three days. It was widely known that he had an abnormal collecting habit. There was absolutely no reason for someone like him to send animals from his collection to an abandoned street.
In addition, the creation of Outspacer’s bio-portals requires a large amount of organic matter. The Priests and the Prophets claimed that the abandoned building, the ‘Hover Bus Center’, was their hideout.
Those who have experience in the past offensives, including Dan Alshas, denied the theory that it was an Outspacer operation. Many of the captains and warriors witnessed the Outspacer parasite. The being that emerged from Alkadi’s body had a completely different appearance and was far more capable.
So they rather expressed the opinion that it was the work of the Vortex One priests.
The reason this is problematic is because the composition of the punitive force must change depending on who the opponent is.
Outspacers are resistant to psychic powers, but cannot use psychic techniques. To deal with them, you need high-power psychic power weapons and equipment with high physical defense.
On the other hand, the Vortex One cultists are very unorthodox. Depending on which Vortex One they serve, the battle pattern changes completely. So after scouting, it is common to prepare equipment that fits the cult.
Since the opinions were not narrowed down from the time of investigation, Kisos stepped in to mediate.
While he was trying to convince Alshas, he also ordered the Prophets to be on the lookout for any possible covert activity by the cult. If anything suspicious was discovered during the expedition, those in reserve could be immediately deployed.
The Prophetic Council also accepted his mediation, as he agreed to pay half of the cost of operating the reserve force.
Although there were some priests who were dissatisfied with having to divide up their forces, they could not refuse orders from a higher authority. In the end, they proceeded according to Kissos’s mediation plan.
And on the fifth day.
The punitive force for monster hunting has entered the streets of glory.
“The punitive force. Moving towards the ‘hideout’.”
“It’s finally starting.”
Nern muttered as he received a message from the Imperial carrier floating in the sky.
He was currently in the situation room of a defense facility located in the ‘Water Fortress’. He was observing the operation with Alshas and several soldiers.
“… I should have gone.”
“Don’t you know better than anyone that you can’t do that? Lord Kissos was being considerate of you.”
The defenders of the Imperial Carrier of Alshas, Berzan 02, did not participate in this operation.
She is the person who lost her family to an unidentified entity.
It might be okay for a regular soldier, but if a captain of an Imperial Carrier were to indulge in revenge during an operation, it would be a serious problem. That’s why another Imperial Carrier participated in the operation in her place.
Nern pointed that out, but Alshas shook his head.
“That’s not it. What I’m worried about is that the enemy might not be a simple outspacer. You know that, Senior.”
In fact, Nern had similar thoughts to her.
Even if it was true that the Outspacer did what the priests said, there were still many things that were questionable.
The war between them and the Empire is not a story of one or two days. They must know that Berzan 02 is difficult to conquer. Rather than this place, it is much more efficient to gradually conquer the planets on the outskirts of the Empire.
‘And it’s also suspicious that he rules over Alkadi.’
My younger brother is the captain of the Imperial Carrier, and I am a powerful figure in the streets of Gwangmyeong. It would be foolish to infect someone who is overly exposed to outside gaze.
‘They are monsters, but they are not stupid.’
Although the priesthood had been very vocal in expressing their opinions, Nern felt that their explanation alone was not enough.
When he saw them, they were hiding a secret that the priesthood didn’t know about. Or they were a third party that wasn’t an Outspacer.
But I didn’t necessarily say those words out loud.
“There’s nothing I can do. I have no choice but to point out what you find suspicious.”
“Will those proud priests listen to me?”
“I have no choice but to listen. You are the one who has fought against them countless times.”
She looked away slightly, embarrassed by Nern’s plain compliment.
Currently, Alshas is involved in the operation as an advisor approved by the Council and the Planetary Governor. He cannot participate in the operation or battle directly, but instead can convey his opinions to the punitive force on the ground.
The priesthood didn’t really object to that either, because they knew that she was a veteran warrior with tremendous combat experience.
“Isn’t that the same for you, senior?”
“More than that, you came with a weapon even though you weren’t going to fight.”
Nern’s gaze turned to the chair she was sitting on. Alshas held in his hands the two black axes that were placed at his feet.
“One of these was given to me by a friend of mine who was in the Prophetic Society.”
“You’re a member of the Prophet’s Society and use an axe. What a peculiar fellow.”
“It wasn’t the weapon he used himself. To be exact, it was a weapon he received from someone else and gave to me.”
There was a complex emotion in her eyes, as if there was some kind of story behind the object.
“If you have a friend in the Prophet Society, could you give him some advice on this operation?”
“Unfortunately, that is not possible. Providence took it away some time ago.”
“… I’m sorry.”
At those words, Nern realized that the feeling was sadness. When he quickly apologized, she nodded as if it was okay.
“My friend sacrificed his life for the cause. We have lost many of our compatriots so far, but I believe that one day their sacrifice will be recognized.”
“…you.”
“It is now my turn to follow my friend’s legacy. I hope that the cause will be achieved without further sacrifice.
“You can surely bring peace to the empire. Trust me.”
After hearing that, she looked at Nern with a strange expression. After locking eyes with Nern for a moment, she spoke.
“I hope you can enjoy that peace too, senior.”
“me?”
“Yes. You are an important person to the cause. You must not die until the goal is achieved.”
“Thank you for your words. Don’t worry. Providence has sent me back to guard the empire. I will not go to her side until that purpose is accomplished.”
Only when Nern spoke firmly did she smile in satisfaction.
At that moment, the cultist who was visualizing and printing out the movements of the punitive force shouted.
“The punitive force is entering the center!”
With that, their conversation ended.
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the image floating in the center of the situation room.
The punitive force had just entered the hover bus center.
–
“Checking the residual pheromone of parasites.”
“It leads inward.”
“I confirmed the marks left by the container.”
Two hundred combatants from different specialties, including warriors, knowledge keepers, hunters with tracking skills, paramedics, and priests, entered the abandoned building.
Outside the building, 2,000 troops were on standby to support them and deploy in case of emergency, and ships of the carrier battle group were floating in the sky above.
The punitive force followed the trail, leaving behind an impenetrable siege.
On the sand piled up inside, traces of something huge remained intact. Veteran hunters who had professionally honed their tracking skills estimated that the owner of the traces was a bipedal creature at least 40 meters tall.
“At least 40m? That’s a huge size.”
“Judging by their size, they look like the Queen’s Guard.”
“Or maybe it’s a hybrid entity.”
“Either way, it’s not an easy opponent. Relay this information to the ship.”
“yes.”
The knowledge managers beamed the information the hunters had sent to the carrier fleet above, while the others stood guard over the surrounding area.
There were a lot of people, but it was unknown what kind of trap the enemy had prepared. None of the 200 people let their guard down.
The punitive force moved again after the knowledge manager finished his work.
As they followed the trail, an underground staircase appeared before them. The priests of the Eye of Revelation, who had the strongest military force among the punitive force, stood in front of them. They slowly descended, holding the long, five-pronged staff in their hands in the darkness.
Then a bright light burst out from the peak, illuminating the huge underground cavern.
“Traces found everywhere.”
“That’s strange. There are traces, but there’s no contamination of the outspacer at all.”
“It’s too early to judge. It could be because the source is inside.”
The senior priests leading the group kept an eye on the passageways that were open throughout the community.
“The traces are spread evenly.”
“It’s a trap. Any contact with the ship?”
“Our detection system detected a creature of similar size to the owner of the traces from 2km away.”
“Okay. Just in case the passageway collapses, 50 people per team, 4 teams in total, move while keeping a distance.”
“Contact the reserve forces above and request that they deploy additional personnel and detection equipment into the compound.”
“I think it would be a good idea to check the computer in the center too.”
The punitive force, which had changed formation in the area, moved into a large passage.
For a while after entering, it felt old but still well-maintained, but as I went deeper inside, this feeling gradually disappeared. There were traces of a huge beast with blunt claws digging the ground all over the place.
“How is the communication status?”
“Good.”
“If there is anything unusual, report it immediately.”
“That’s strange. I don’t see any signs of a bio portal.”
“No contamination or energy detected.”
The underground passage was quiet except for the sound of the footsteps of the punitive force. This part, in turn, made the senior priests uneasy.
By now, something should have come out.
In order for Outspacers to operate, there must be a source of contamination, that is, their nest. All of their activities, including bio portals, reproduction, evolution, and nutrition, take place in the nest.
But there was no nest to be seen in this underground area. It is rare for a single individual, not even a queen, to wander around without a nest.
It’s not like there were any cultists hiding, as some people say.
Those who have been taken over by evil beings commit human sacrifice, orgy, torture of victims, and other unspeakable acts. They do not even hide the traces because they are already out of their minds.
Five minutes had passed since the punitive force entered the passage. By now, it would have been normal to see something like bones, corpses, or blood.
‘What the hell is that guy doing?’
The same thought crossed the minds of the senior priests. As tension rose in the quiet passage, the warrior in charge of communications shouted.
“Bad communication!”
“They’re here! The attack will come soon!”
“Everyone, prepare to defend!”
The punitive force prepared for battle in perfect order. Everyone drew their weapons and looked ahead. The light created by the priests and warriors ahead dispelled the darkness.
There was something on the other side of the bright passage like the ground. The being opened its mouth wide towards the punitive force as if to take away the light.
And then a green beam shot out of the bastard’s mouth and flew towards them.
“All personnel, activate shields!”
“Priests!”
All the warriors in the front line activated their shields, and the priests unleashed the powerful reflection technique, ‘Reflection’.
The heat rays collided with the invisible barriers stacked up inside the passage and reflected. The split green beams returned to their owners or bounced off the surrounding walls.
And the walls and ceiling of the passageway hit by the beam quickly melted away.
“It has an acidic effect.”
“Those who have the neutralizing agent, prepare to spray!”
“Put on the life support equipment attached to your helmet too!”
There are those among the cult who use poison or strong acid as weapons, so they have already prepared for this. The punitive force members quickly put on gas masks connected to their helmets.
Meanwhile, the poisonous venom it emitted had torn a hole in the ceiling above them. It was so toxic that sunlight from above could shine through the hole.
But the senior priests did not panic and calmly assessed the enemy.
“You can’t move while shooting acid.”
“Even if you get hit by reflected acid, you’re fine.”
“I think it would be better to check if the shell is hard or if there is another reason.”
“All hands, open fire!”
The punitive force members poured bullets from their weapons onto the enemy. The sound was deafening and the ceiling of the passage collapsed.
The collapsed ceiling was also littered with building debris. Some of the abandoned buildings above had collapsed as a result of the shaking occurring underground.
In the meantime, the guy was just getting hit. Whether he knew that all his attacks were being reflected or not, he just kept pouring out acid until the ceiling collapsed.
After remaining motionless for several minutes, the creature stopped attacking and disappeared into the passage.
“Oh my goodness. This is so hard.”
“Our current weapons are not enough. We need to increase our firepower.”
“How is the communication status?”
“It has been normalized.”
The senior priests exchanged glances at the signalman’s words.
“An entity that spews out rivers and mountains and blocks communication. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
“… A new hybrid? This is a big deal.”
“Report this matter to the higher-ups and request support.”
“What should we do? Should we leave it to the ship from now on?”
“If it’s an entity with the ability to jam radio waves, it might be difficult to track it with a ship. Just in case, let’s keep tracking it.”
Following the decision of the senior priests, the punitive force began to pursue the bastard again.
But contrary to my expectations, I was able to encounter the guy quickly. In the narrow passageway, the guy hid his body again and only revealed his head.
“It’s toxic mold!”
“Priests, prepare for air impact! Make sure the mold doesn’t spread through the air!”
Unlike before, what the creature was spewing out was not acid, but a mass of virulent fungus. It was squirming its throat and firing disgusting projectiles at them.
“Ah, it hurts… it hurts…!”
“Ugh, ugh… .”
“Spraying disinfectant! Just hold on a little longer!”
The parts that the mold touched quickly rotted. A few lucky people survived with emergency treatment, but the rest did not.
Perhaps it was because of the sudden change in attack. This time, there was a victim. Just like before, the bastard continued attacking for a few minutes before running away.
As soon as the guy disappeared, the communication was reactivated as well. However, this time, there were casualties, so we had to spend a longer time in the passage.
While the other members worked diligently to help the casualties, the senior priests discussed the second enemy they had encountered.
“… Did you see that guy just now?”
“You saw it. The bastard’s head is different.”
“Yes. It had no eyes, and its horns were different. Its head shape was different than when it shot acid.”
“Do you have the ability to transform?”
“I don’t know. I think it would be better to report it first.”
What is clear so far is its size, its ability to jam communications, and its ability to attack with more than one weapon.
After reporting the information they had confirmed to their superiors, they set off again.
And the third time we encountered them, more people died than the second time.
It wasn’t the common level in the center’s basement, but it was a fairly large space. That’s where the bastard made his surprise attack.
This attack was neither a virulent fungal projectile nor an acid-blasting liquid. In fact, it was much simpler than that.
The bastard moved at a speed so fast that it was invisible to the eye and struck the punitive force members in the head.
As we confirmed when we first encountered it, its shell was incredibly hard. The crew members who collided with it were literally torn to pieces.
The punitive force tried to counterattack somehow, but it was difficult to even find the creature because it disappeared as if it had become one with the mud wall.
The guy who turned ten members of the warrior corps into chunks of flesh flew out through the passage.
“Damn it… It was so fast I couldn’t see it properly. Did anyone see it?”
“I saw something strange. It shrank in size.”
“Size?”
“Yeah. I don’t think it’s even 10m, let alone 40m.”
“What’s going on? Could there be another creature here?”
“I’ve finished requesting support. When the unit arrives, we’ll move together.”
There are still about 180 members left, but they decided to go safely. Since the identity of the bastard is unpredictable, it is dangerous to move rashly.
And before the reinforcements arrive.
The fourth raid occurred quietly.
A voice was heard towards them as they waited in the common. Someone was calling them from across the passage they had passed.
Come this way so we can move the injured out first.
At first, no one found it strange. Thinking that it was part of the reinforcement unit that had arrived, the men supported their injured comrades and followed the voice.
If the senior priest had not been with them, if the signalman had not tried to confirm this by communication, they would have fallen into the trap without fail.
Because the bastard was there.
In the middle of the passage, there was a pile of building debris, and there, the thing was calling out to them with only its neck and head exposed. This time, the shape of its head was different. The appearance itself was similar to when I first saw it, but the color was pink.
The guy who had been imitating the voice crushed all the injured soldiers and hid in the rubble.
I searched the area thoroughly with the real support unit that showed up late, but there was nothing. I found a few small holes that were only a few tens of centimeters wide, but it was impossible for that large beast to hide in them.
Eventually, they returned to their comrades, having lost only the wounded.
“Imitating voices? Is that possible?”
“… I guess it’s become clear what it is.”
“That’s right. It’s clear that his abilities change every time he changes his head.”
“What kind of monster did the Queen create?”
“No, I’m not sure if it’s Outspacer or not. Maybe it really is related to the cult.”
“If you’re talking about ‘Mask Play’, then probably not. If you were, then it would have already been a major disaster.”
Although there were a total of 250 members, including the support unit, in this position, the senior priests could not shake off their anxiety.
They were gripped by the fear that some unknown enemy was hiding somewhere underground, watching them.
And the communication from above put a stop to that anxiety.
“Please say that again. What did you just say?”
“The advisor’s opinion is that the creature you are dealing with resembles a ‘three-headed demon’ in appearance.”
“We know about him too. Does he have the ability to shape-shift? No, more importantly, how on earth did he get here…?”
“The relevant part is being investigated by the advisors from the Prophet’s Association and the Temple Guardians. The results of the investigation will be immediately known, Chijik, retreat, Chijijik.”
“Communication is unstable!”
“… … .”
Although they got a clue as to the bastard’s identity, no one was happy.
The fifth attack of the demons is approaching the punitive force.