Became an Evolving Space Monster - Chapter 314
Only Noblemtl
Episode 314 – Relics (1)
If you ask people who are new to space survival what Amorph and Outspacer have in common, most of them will give similar answers.
Both were created based on famous alien creatures.
The similarity is not limited to appearance. In fact, if you play as both races, you will feel similar to the original. Depending on the genetic base of the infected creature, the individual’s appearance will change, and they will operate a large colony to obtain more genes, etc.
Let’s change the subject of the question a little. What if we asked players who have been playing the game for a long time?
At that time, this kind of answer will come out.
Both races use ‘genetic essence’ as a resource.
The reason why Amorph and Outspacer prey on other creatures is to steal the genetic essence contained in the body of that creature. The key is to ‘specialize’ in the characteristics of the owner of the genes and evolve themselves or their colony.
So when do Aimorph and Outspacer players feel the most awkward?
Needless to say, this is when there is a problem with the ‘characteristic’ itself, which is the core of the play.
When you gain a trait that is detrimental to the owner, when you die and lose a trait, or when you can’t use a core trait for some reason, the game becomes so difficult that it becomes impossible to play.
So, players fighting against both races should be careful to prevent their opponents from utilizing their traits. This can be done by physically removing the part that activates the trait, using equipment or techniques that nullify the trait’s effects, etc.
However, there are no cases where the characteristics possessed by the opponent are deactivated or completely eliminated. If there were such a thing, it would not have been easy for me to become a ranker.
‘There is a trait that has a similar effect, but…’
It’s not something you can see from this spot.
Besides, what Sihyeon used was not a skill or trait, but a weapon.
‘I thought they were both bait.’
I knew that Si-Hyeon herself was acting as bait. I thought that it was a strategy for her to lure me and then have the person wearing the special enhanced suit snipe me.
My guess was only half right. The two of them tricked me into not revealing their hidden weapons.
He came at me relying solely on that one weapon.
‘… I ate one.’
To be honest, it would be a lie if I said I didn’t let my guard down. I was more concerned about Si-Hyeon’s identity and plans than focusing on the fight.
The price for having distracting thoughts during a life-threatening battle was fatal. His combat arm still showed no signs of improvement.
‘Let’s focus.’
There’s nothing we can do about what’s already happened, but we must be careful in the future.
The battle is not over just because Sihyeon is not here. I looked back at the situation where she was using her weapon.
While I was minding her companion, Sihyeon took out the weapon she had hidden on the floor.
To be precise, I got my hands on the materials for the weapon.
‘It was a combination of a crystal-like object and a firearm that looked like a vacuum cleaner.’
She assembled the two tools into one. Once complete, the crystal glowed and spun.
Then, a wave in the form of a halo of light was fired from the weapon. I was standing in the closed underground passageway on all sides, and I was hit by the wave.
‘No. Even if it had been a wide space, I wouldn’t have been able to avoid it.’
The wave generated by the weapon had already reached my body the moment I recognized it. It was virtually impossible to evade.
After that, as the text box warned, the ‘parasite colony’ trait in my body was deactivated. The parasites originally originated from my combat arm. My arm was damaged because the parasite colony trait was blocked.
Instead of launching additional attacks after dealing me a fatal blow, Sihyeon retreated, taking his fallen comrade with him.
The situation from earlier has been summarized here. The question that arises here is, what information can we obtain?
‘Why did Si-Hyeon do that in the end?’
That’s the biggest question mark.
If she had used her weapon again, I would have been incapacitated. She knew I wasn’t in good shape.
The fact that you knew but didn’t do it means that there are some restrictions on the use of that weapon.
After using the weapon, she said.
Wasn’t it an outspacer?
‘The contents of the text box are similar.’
Because it says that the genetic essence of the Outspacer has been destroyed.
The parasitic colony is a fusion trait created by preying on Outspacer worker bees. This is the only Outspacer-related trait currently in my body.
In other words, her weapon is the type that targets and strikes. So it shoots a wave that kills only Outspacers as specified by the user.
So the second question arises here: why did they destroy the genes of the outspacer?
‘That’s not it. She had to do it.’
While I do enjoy using parasite colonies, I think it’s unlikely she knew about it and shot them.
Rather, it is more reasonable to see it as being because ‘they judged my identity as an outspacer’.
‘It’s a prerequisite that the user knows about me.’
If it were a game, I could just type in my race name and the weapon would work, but this is reality. It can’t work that way.
‘It’s probably a form of creating waves based on genetic information.’
I guess it’s possible that the weapon would have to be programmed with the genetic information of another creature in order to fire waves that could kill that creature. I’m not sure, but that seems most likely right now.
However, even if I summarize it up to this point, it still doesn’t completely explain why she didn’t attack me. Even if I designate her as a metallic gremlin or other creature and shoot her, she will still damage me.
‘It’s not that I didn’t do it, but that I couldn’t do it?’
In my opinion, Sihyeon Yujin is not the kind of person who would blow a golden opportunity to kill me while taking care of his colleagues. If he were that kind of person, he wouldn’t have used himself and his colleagues as bait in the first place.
It seems reasonable to assume that I was unable to use the weapon due to some constraint I was unaware of.
It may have a cooldown after one use, and the energy consumption may be so high that rapid fire is impossible each time it is used.
‘No matter what, that part is weak.’
If the energy consumption was high, it makes sense that she couldn’t use the weapon consecutively.
From her perspective, it was like a hit or miss from the moment she failed to kill me. She couldn’t afford to waste her remaining energy in a situation where she wasn’t sure she could definitely kill me. If she used up all her energy, she would be finished.
‘Given the circumstances, her plan was only half successful.’
I’m pretty sure her weapon doesn’t contain my genetic information, and even if it did, she wouldn’t know exactly what I am.
She probably didn’t expect this situation to happen since she considered me an out-spacer from the beginning. That’s why she succeeded in hitting me but failed to kill me. That’s why she’s trying to run away from me.
‘Then what should we do here?’
The basement is full of cultists hell-bent on killing me. I checked with the auxiliary agency and I didn’t feel any cultists coming here.
But there’s no telling how long that luck will last.
You have to choose here.
‘Should I pursue her or just back off?’
In fact, it is not a good idea to chase after her when your physical condition is not perfect. If you run into other cults while chasing her, you will be in big trouble.
The cults aren’t the problem. If the ones behind them, the Rankers on this planet, know about my condition, that’s a serious problem.
But the reason I hesitate is because of the weapon she is holding.
There are many questions about who made her weapon, where she got it, and more, but there is a more important question.
What if she comes face to face with me after obtaining Aimov’s genetic data?
If that happens, it will be really difficult for me to handle.
‘So we need to sort it out here and now.’
The best thing to do is to eat her. If you make her a human-faced beast, you can even steal the information about the weapon, so it’s even better.
Even if I fail to kill her, I must at least destroy the weapon itself. The weapon she is holding is a serious threat to my survival.
We absolutely have to clean up this basement and leave.
‘The problem is that it’s not as easy as it sounds.’
Now that I’ve exposed my cards, she probably knows what I’m going for. She’ll try to avoid confronting me in any way possible.
‘If I stall, the cult will find me.’
It is unknown what kind of relationship Sihyeon has with the cultists of Berzan02. Judging from the fact that she moves around alone with her companion, it doesn’t seem like they have a particularly friendly relationship.
However, from the cult’s perspective, the vision is just an intruder. It is safe to say that they are unlikely to perceive it as a threat as much as I am. It is clear which side they are taking, me or the vision.
The longer the fight between me and her goes on, the more likely it is that I will lose. I have to end it as soon as I find her.
I decided to chase after Sihyeon, and I stood up. My fighting arm, free from my control, dangled and fell to the floor.
It seems that the arm’s function was greatly damaged due to the parasitic colony being restricted. Even when the ‘transformable bioweapon’ was used to change the arm, it did not move properly.
‘I lost my arm, but I’m okay.’
I still had wings, arms, legs, and tentacles. I pulled out the erosion tentacles on my back to support my flailing body.
‘Even if I fail to kill it, I still have to dispose of the weapon.’
It is hard to imagine that a weapon that fires waves that destroy only specific genes would be mass-produced. Even if it could be produced, it would be a super weapon, so it would cost as much and take as much time as a unique piece of equipment.
‘Break it or…’
If I had the chance, I would like to devour her weapons.
Having set a new goal, I moved to follow the enemy’s trail.