Became an Evolving Space Monster - Chapter 358
Only Noblemtl
There are many things to take care of on this planet. Capture Wolf Ranker, raid the equipment storage of the Returners that he guards, and get materials for equipment to be made for the Heavenly Mother. There are more than one or two things to worry about.
‘First of all, my top priority is to catch Wolf Ranker and obtain the necessary traits.’
It would probably be faster to find Wolf Rancor and other Apex creatures than Magmasaur. While I was reorganizing which targets to target first, PS-111 approached me.
“It has been confirmed that the structure of the hind legs has changed into a form similar to that of the ‘Lava Raptor’. We request a dissection experiment to confirm the internal structure.”
[No way]
The guy had been staring at my leg through the red camera lens for a while now. I declined, thinking that he might be injured, and that he had no intention of cutting off my healthy leg.
“I’m sorry.”
“If you say you want to cut off a healthy leg, of course I will oppose it.”
PS-111 narrowed his eyes and looked at my legs, despite his words of regret. Isabel shook her head at the sight.
[Zuzu zuzu (How does it taste?)]
“Honestly, it’s the most delicious food I’ve ever had in my life.”
The guy stretched out his arm near his head and wiped his mouth as if he found it strange. Then he poked the Lavaraptor on the ground with Gallagon’s clawed tail. He held the meat close to the lava and cooked it.
“Pretty Child” “Me” “One” “Give”
“You want it? I need to grill it, so just wait a minute.”
“Pretty Child” “Good” “Ugly Friend” “Bad”
“…Look at that pesky lizard symbol. Ugh.”
‘I’m glad you seem to be eating well.’
I too extended my fighting arm to eat another Lavaraptor. Just as I was about to eat it, my auxiliary organs felt a slight vibration in the air.
‘what?’
I stopped what I was eating and looked up. A small light appeared in the dark sky due to the volcanic ash.
That’s not a star.
“Aimop?”
“Why all of a sudden… Huh? Could that be it?”
[Zuz …
A mysterious airship is approaching us.
‘It’s an airship.’
There were no other aircraft or patrol ships in sight. It would only take a few minutes to clear that one.
‘No. Rather than that….’
This planet, which has not been terraformed at all, is not suitable for human habitation. So it is highly likely that the airship came from one of the few artificial settlements on this planet.
‘And in that residence will be the Wolf Ranker and equipment storage I am looking for.’
If I follow that airship, I won’t have to fly around and look for a place to live.
After making up my mind, I struck the ground hard with my winged arms. The ground split open and a large hole formed where I struck.
[Zuzu zuzu (everyone hide)]
I put the kids in there and simply covered them with the dirt and rock fragments I had swept with my wing membrane. Then I jumped into the nearby lava.
The depth of the pooled lava is not that great, and cannot cover my entire large body, but I have a special characteristic.
‘Darkness Curtain’ that allows you to avoid detection by electronic devices, and ‘Protective Coloration’ that activates when you stay still in one spot for several minutes. If you use both of these cloaking characteristics together, you can avoid being detected by that airship.
As we hid in that state, a blimp passed over our heads. They were headed towards the volcano I had used to enter the planet.
‘Do you have any business at the volcano?’
I thought it was just passing by, but it suddenly made a detour and landed near where we were. Then, two people wearing thick, reinforced suits that resembled spacesuits got off the airship.
“Why did the lava raptors die in droves?”
“Did you get caught in a volcanic eruption?”
“This isn’t their territory. There’s no reason for them to come here and die.”
“First, take a sample.”
Judging from the conversation, their identities seemed to be researchers. One of them took out a tool from the kit attached to his abdomen and took a sample of the body, while the other was holding a lantern and examining the footprint-like traces left around him.
Then, the researcher who was following the footprints with a lantern shouted loudly.
“Hey! Look at these footprints!”
“Why again… Huh?! What is this?”
“…Isn’t this Dreadsong’s territory?”
“Of course. No one can go in there.”
“Miss, then what is this? Are there any creatures we don’t know about?”
“Could this be the trace of a magmasaur?”
At that moment, the name of a familiar creature was heard in their conversation.
‘Dreadsong and Magmasaur?’
“That’s ridiculous. A crazy Lavaraptor wouldn’t attack you. It would just run away.”
“Then what are these footprints?”
“If I knew, I’d be here… okay?”
“Why? Did you find out what it was?”
“No, that’s not it. Why did these footprints end here?”
“huh?”
The researchers who had been following my footsteps stopped in front of the lava where I was hiding. I could feel their eyes on me.
‘That’s perfect timing.’
I was just thinking about following the airship secretly, but then I had a better idea.
I just got up from my seat.
“Huh? Is that thing moving?”
“earthquake….”
As soon as I got up, their conversation stopped.
I asked them, licking the lava flowing down my snout with my tongue.
“Magmasaur and Dreadsong. How much do you know?”
These might be a useful guide.
The researchers outside and the pilot of the airship answered my questions honestly.
As expected, they were Wolf Ranker, Salman’s subordinates on this planet. They were said to be going around here and there to investigate the volcanic activity that had suddenly become active under Ranker’s orders. They were probably trying to find the Magmasaur that only stayed deep in volcanoes.
‘Because magmas affect volcanic activity.’
It’s easy to guess why he’s ordering his subordinates to search for Magmasaur.
[Zzzzzz zzzzzz zzzzzzzz (What did Salman say was his special privilege?)]
“‘The Beast God’s Snare.’ The ability to control wild animals.”
Isabel, who had been hiding, came out and answered my question.
Isabelle has the power to read information from those she sees with her own eyes. She knows very well what special abilities, skills, and equipment the rankers she has met so far have. Among them, Wolf Ranker Salman of the Returning Faction has received special abilities related to taming.
‘There were many requests in the game to ask Wolf for training-related skills or special privileges.’
There were quite a few who wanted the fantasy of a werewolf with a jetpack on its back running around the battlefield alongside a rhinoceros monster with a reinforced exoskeleton covering its entire body.
You can do something similar in games, but I don’t think it’s particularly efficient. It’s because it’s impossible to have an emotional connection with an NPC like you would with a real-life pet.
“What a dreamlike ability.”
Even in reality, the mother in the sky, who was a wolf player, inadvertently revealed her feelings.
[Zuzuzu zuuzu zuuzu zuuzu zuuzu zuuzu zuuzu zuuzu zuuzu zuuzu (Non-playable animals, only the ones you defeat in battle are yours to control. Right?)]
“huh.”
You cannot dominate playable monsters like Amorph or Outspacer. And only animals that you have fought and won can be dominated.
“And when I saw it before, it seemed like you could only dominate by winning and then using your powers directly.”
Additionally, after winning, the special effect is activated only when the body is in contact.
Unfortunately, that was all Isabel knew. She hadn’t seen Salman for long, so she hadn’t been able to read all the details.
‘Still, this much is enough to harvest something.’
It is unclear how far the creatures can be controlled, but it seems that top-tier Apex creatures like Vortex One are uncontrollable. It would be possible to catch Vortex One with the help of other members, especially the 4th rank, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
‘But it’s strange to find a magmasaur.’
Excluding special abilities, if you compare only the simple combat power, it is one level lower than the ‘Perfect Ring of Agony’. It is true that it is weaker than Vortex One, but that doesn’t mean it is an easy opponent.
In the game, Magmasaur is treated as a semi-raid boss, just like Sea Demon. Even rankers find it quite burdensome to go hunting alone.
‘If it’s a 1 on 1, it’ll be difficult even if you use Wolf’s incarnation technique, Gangshin (降神).’
Based on the information I’ve gotten so far, Salman isn’t that strong.
In short, the enemy ranker is preparing to attack a semi-raid boss-level creature alone without the cooperation of other players.
If so, there is only one answer.
‘I intend to challenge myself with the help of the animals I have dominated.’
Just like when I fought Gallagon and Vortex One with the help of the kids.
‘Then the question is how strong the animal he commands is.’
Or maybe the number of animals he commands is quite large.
Whatever it is, I think it’s at least good enough to fight a Magmasaur.
‘We need to gather more information to know more.’
I guess I should wrap up the part about Wolf Ranker here.
I looked down at the shivering humans wearing their reinforced suits.
These guys are useful because they are looking for Magmasaurs. If you use them, you can find the location of Apex before Salman.
I was about to inject parasites into my enemies when a thought suddenly occurred to me and I stopped.
“Didn’t you say it was Dreadsong’s territory earlier?”
“Yes? Yes, yes. Ma, that’s right.”
“Where is that place?”
“Uh, that’s….”
The researcher was puzzled by my question. He thought I couldn’t know just because I told him the coordinates.
I wiggled my fingers as I pulled the parasite out of my combat arm. PS-111, who was behind me, approached me.
[Zuzuzuz zuuzuz zuuzuz zuuzuz zuuzuz zuuzuzuz (Go inside the airship and check where Dreadsong is)]
“Please leave it to me.”
[Zzuzuz zzuzuzuz (and these too)]
I also gave PS-111 three parasites.
The three humans who saw the writhing parasites began to tremble more. It must be because they knew where the bugs were going.
Of course, I don’t intend to see it that way.
“Trying to catch Dreadsong?”
[Z zu zu zu zu zu zu zu (Yeah, because we need it)]
I need Dreadsong’s genetic essence, and Heavenly Mother needs his physical body.
Among the equipment that Wolf can use, there are equipment that can be made from Vortex One’s body and Dreadsong’s body. I plan to use this opportunity to obtain all the equipment materials.
Ten minutes later, PS-111, having confirmed the coordinates, emerged from the airship.
“I will guide you to the corresponding coordinates.”
[Zuzu zuzuzuzu (Then shall we go)]
I bent down and lifted the kids up, then kicked the ground hard with my two reinforced legs. As I spread my wings wide, my body shot up.
The sky filled with volcanic ash is a good hiding place, where even a large creature like me can move around without being noticed.
PS-111, held in a small arm by the chest, pointed in a certain direction with its hooked claw.
‘You have to go to a suitable place and then get off.’
I stretched my neck and tail straight out and spread my wing membranes stiffly. Thanks to the air current, I could maintain gliding without flapping my wings.
“This” “Sound” “No” “Good” “Surprise” “Useful”
[Z (right)]
“Me too” “Possible”
Adhai, who was riding on top of the center head like No. 26, spread his folded wings and started flying.
The guy’s flight was quiet and nimble, like a futuristic fighter jet often seen in SF movies. The guy who once learned combat and flying techniques from me and the Heavenly Mother is now much more skilled than me. Even though we’ve fought together many times, I still get a strange feeling every time I see the growth of that little Gallagon.
[Zuzu zuzuzu (Be careful of lightning)]
“Me” “It’s okay” “Adult” “More” “Danger”
So I flew with the guy to a place covered in black clouds. As expected from a volcanic planet, there were quite a few active volcanoes here and there. Thanks to that, the flight time was much longer than expected.
After about six hours, the ash cloud began to dissipate rapidly. I adjusted my wings slightly to lower my altitude.
An endless wasteland of solidified lava turned black. The atmosphere was very different from where we had been six hours ago.
Instead of fire and magma, this was a hell where ash and sulfuric acid rained down.
We landed in a place that seemed completely devoid of life. As our feet touched the ground, the hardened surface of the lava caved in, and red liquid and fire poured out from within.
I walked on the slightly hardened lava, stepping hard as if I was walking on mud.