Became an Evolving Space Monster - Chapter 407



Only Noblemtl

Among the intelligent groups in Space Survival, there exists a system called ‘conflict’.

As the size of the faction a player belongs to grows, the probability of conflict occurring on planets and constellations occupied by the faction increases. Then, at some point, a conflict event appropriate for each race occurs.

For example, in the case of Megacorp, there is a colonial independence movement, in the case of the Cult Empire, there is a slave rebellion, and in the case of the Star Union, there is an uprising of clones. In addition, there are similar events in Wolf and Spacedog.

Although their names and contents are different, once a conflict arises, it must be stabilized. Otherwise, the conflict will escalate into a rebellion, and eventually, they will become independent as NPC forces.

This is my first time in the Jer-11 system, but I’ve been to other conflict zones many times. I know how to infiltrate.

However, this time we need to be more cautious than usual, since the battle with the rankers has just ended.

It’s obvious that they’re still wary of me, but if they’re discovered before they find any trace of the ‘Arcane Orca’, it’ll be quite a headache. The colony could be destroyed by the rankers’ attacks.

Taking all these factors into consideration, the target of the attack is AG-01.

First of all, this is the closest of the colonies in the constellation to the star. If the Arcane Orca were really active in Jer-11, there is a high probability that records of their activities would remain here.

And AG-01 is the most conflicted place in the constellation. The rulers of Jer-11 are busy dealing with pirates and separatist forces. They wouldn’t notice even if I secretly set up a nest.

Anyway, it wasn’t hard to infiltrate a planet with a weak surveillance network. Plus, the fact that the terraforming machine was broken was an unexpected windfall. It wouldn’t be easy to find me hiding in the endless rain and storm.

The first place I set foot on after safely infiltrating was a sewage treatment plant in a city. Despite being an important facility for residential areas, it was neglected. There were no managers or security guards to be found, and it was full of homeless vagrants and drug addicts.

Various pollutants, large amounts of moisture, and many organisms that serve as nutrients.

‘It’s a very suitable environment for nesting.’

After sending the PS-111 that came down with me to another place, I immediately planted a nest on top of the sewage treatment facility. The black mucus produced from my body sucked up the contaminated water and grew into a huge nest.

And for the first time in reality, I was able to taste the power of the ‘Hiveformer’.

Unlike other traits, nest-related traits are not easy to use unless the conditions are met. They are useless without a nest.

Instead, the nest series is one that becomes stronger the more nests it has. Hiveformer is a trait that shows this characteristic very well.

When you gain the Hiveformer trait, you will create a group of earthworms in your nest at regular intervals. The Hiveformers, which have a dull black color, are responsible for intercepting prey that enters the nest or decomposing their corpses to turn them into energy sources for the nest. As the name suggests, they are creatures that grow and manage the nest.

The Hiveformers created by Outspacers, the original owners of the trait, have considerable fighting power, but this is not the case for Amorphs. Hiveformers born in Amorphs’ nests are as weak as Megacorp’s corpsefish.

But their true value comes when they gather in large numbers and take the skin of their enemies.

I looked down at the numerous vagrants standing near my feet. They looked human at first glance, standing motionless on the black mucus.

But if you look closely, you can see something moving beneath their thin skin. They are not vagrants, but a colony of earthworms wearing human skin.

Hiveformers enter the bodies of their enemies and start eating away at the flesh. When only the hide remains, they turn it inside out and disguise themselves as the creature.

It looks similar to a parasite, but it is actually quite different. This is because it does not control a living creature, but rather moves while wearing the skin of a corpse. Since it moves the corpse and skin like a puppet, it cannot use its own abilities or characteristics.

‘That doesn’t mean it’s bad, though.’

Unlike parasites, which are limited in the creatures they can parasitize, Hiveformers have no restrictions on the hides they can use as shelter. Any creature with a hole to fit through and meat to gnaw on will do, even Apex creatures.

‘and….’

I lowered my body and lowered my head toward the floor in the center. I could see the black mucus that was continuously sucking up the rainwater. The moment I brought the auxiliary organ there, the scope of my consciousness expanded in an instant.

With that, my vision split into thousands of pieces. It felt like I was looking at a bunch of monitors stacked on a wall. By linking with the nest, I was able to share the Hiveformer’s vision as well.

I kept my mind focused on the guys, and then one of the vagrants at the foot of the stairs slowly stepped forward. He crawled like a snail and held on tightly to the human I had captured.

‘I didn’t know it could be controlled like this.’

In the game, you could only give very basic commands, like ordering more people to gather at a certain point. It was unimaginable to order people to grab something like that now.

There is a downside that you can only give commands if you link it to a nest, but that was the case originally, so it’s not a big problem.

‘Thanks to you, the number of ways I can use it has increased.’

For example, the vagrants here, the original plan was to keep only a few and use the rest as nesting material. Humans, especially drug addicts, have shells that are not very suitable for combat.

Now that you can give detailed instructions to a Hiveformer, there’s no need to use them as mere consumables. If you use guys disguised as vagrants, they can be helpful in finding humans who handle information.

I built a nest in the sewage treatment plant and spread black goo through the sewer pipes connected to the plant. At the same time, I sent Hiveformers up to the nearby city. While the black goo consumed the city, the Hiveformers selected useful humans.

The human captured by the Hiveformer is also a result of exploration. Judging from the laser pistol he is holding, he is likely a member of the city’s defense team or a pirate.

‘He is a person worth opening his mind to.’

I lifted my head and disconnected from the nest.

The vagrant, whose stomach was filled with worms, continued to hold the human. As soon as he extended his fighting arm, the hiveformer immediately released his restraints. With his mission complete, he moved to tend to the nest like the other hiveformers.

I picked up the man who broke into the apartment and pulled him out.

“Hee, heeheehe.”

The guy had been laughing the whole time. Judging from the way his eyes were open, he seemed to have completely lost his mind.

‘I didn’t do anything in particular.’

He didn’t pose any real threats other than knocking down the wall of the apartment to get the guy out. I didn’t know that this would drive him crazy.

‘Well, it doesn’t really matter.’

I put the man down and called my little friend who had come with me. The head on the left opened its mouth and a monster with a female head and metal legs crawled out of it.

This is the MPS-03, a mini screamer that I created with PS-111.

Normally, I would carry around Model 5, which is made for communication and hacking, but not this time. MPS-05 is not here because Heavenly Mother took it.

“Please check this again.”

“Something strange. Check. Check.”

The guy who heard my request raised his metal leg and took a saluting pose. His left head lowered his neck to help the guy get down easily. MPS-03 moved across to the guy, diligently playing with his multiple metal legs.

“Machine parts. Check.”

“Hehe, hehehe… .”

The guy on the man’s shoulders stretched out his metal legs. A folding antenna popped out from the end of his legs and began to scan the man’s face.

‘I’m worried that something might be stuck in my head like last time.’

Before coming here, I asked PS-111 to give the Mini Screamers the ability to detect electronic equipment, in case the Rankers plant traps on their subordinates.

Modifying all of them would have taken a long time, so for now I’ve only added detection capabilities to models 3 and 5. The antenna-like part that comes out of the MPS-03’s leg is the result.

While the guy was checking, I turned my head and looked at the apartment where one wall had collapsed.

Inside, you can see black mucus flowing up. The Hiveformers move along the mucus, gathering nutrients.

As I was looking inside the building, I came across the room where the human I had dragged out lived.

‘huh?’

There was an unexpected object lying next to the fallen debris. I used the small arm on my chest to clear the debris and pick up the object.

‘A portable hologram playback device?’

This is quite an expensive piece of equipment, but I never expected to see it in a place like this.

“Nothing strange. Nothing! Nothing!”

At that time, the MPS-03 test was also completed. I transplanted the parasite into the man. After swallowing the eel-like parasite, he trembled for a moment and then became calm.

“I think you’re holding something interesting.”

“yes….”

“Explain who you are and what you have done.”

“Yes. My name is….”

Even if you are not of sound mind, you cannot refuse the parasite’s orders. The man who introduced himself as Jeff answered my question slowly.

And as the story progressed, I couldn’t help but be amazed.

“This is where they developed the Hulk mutant?”

“Yes. The Noble Capital TNC family secretly attempted to develop the Hulk mutant. There is a testing facility built by TNC in the colonies belonging to the Jer-11 constellation.”

Jeff’s job was a reporter. He was a reporter with such a reputation that he worked for the Prime Capital Zhao family. Maybe that’s why he knew more information than I thought.

“So, is there a research center on this planet that stores genetic samples?”

“Yes. TNC’s defense team is guarding the genetic samples and the Hulk mutant test subjects.”

The important thing is that a large number of genetic samples and test subjects remain here.

“It seems like it could be useful.”

“thank you.”

I smacked my lips as I watched Jeff nodding his head.

I’ll have to check if I can sneak a sample of those.

–

“When on earth will this damn rain stop?”

A research complex attached to a commercial city.

The security team responsible for security there were looking out the windows from inside the tall guard tower.

“These T&C bastards, they have a lot of credits and they don’t even fix the terraforming machine.”

“Be quiet, kid.”

“No, isn’t that right? I’ve been rolling around here for four years now and it never rains a day, you fucking TNC bastards.”

“Is this kid drunk? Drink moderately.”

The swearing teammate removed the hip flask from his waist and put it in his mouth. The strong smell of alcohol vibrated whenever his throat moved.

“Oh my, I like it when pharmacists eat it.”

“Why? Should I give you some too?”

“Get out, you fucking dope.”

The security team member looked at his colleague with a pitiful expression as he drank cheap synthetic liquor mixed with drugs. He clicked his tongue and took out a metal bar from his pocket.

“You crazy bastard, you’re the one who makes the map look so weird.”

“Hey. What you’re drinking is a drug that makes even your mother sell herself, but this is a cigarette. A cigarette that has been officially approved and sold.”

“What about verification? They’re both the same.”

Both soldiers, one drinking alcohol while on duty and the other smoking electronic cigarettes laced with drugs. This was a common sight at the guard tower of the research complex.

“You know that, right? Those pirates that came in recently brought a lot of Wolf slaves.”

“Wolf? What the hell are you hairy, smelly bitches talking about?”

“Hey. I told you that once you taste those thighs and waist, you’ll never forget them.”

“Ugh, just thinking about it makes me sick. I’d rather have cyborgs. They at least look like people.”

“What the hell is so good about those oily cans?”

“He doesn’t know anything. Separate the top and bottom and front and back…”

The security guard, who had been spouting obscenities while under the influence of drugs from his cigarette, suddenly stopped talking.

“People stop talking. What’s going on behind the scenes?”

“… … .”

He took the cigarette out of his mouth and walked closer to the window. Then he shined the flashlight outside.

All that could be seen in the space illuminated by white light was the rainwater and darkness that spread out like a curtain.

“what’s the matter?”

“I think I just saw a big shadow.”

The research complex is surrounded by open fields without any buildings around it. If you stand on the guard tower, you can see with the naked eye who is coming in.

“There are minefields everywhere. Did I see things differently?”

“Is that so?”

The moment he lit his cigarette again, a light flashed outside the window. This was followed by a loud roar.

“Huh? Really?”

“huh?”

“Who is really there?”

“what?”

The security guard, who was drinking, pointed with his finger at the window covered with raindrops.

A flash of light flashes again just in time.

A lightning strike across the field dispelled the darkness for a moment.

It was a brief moment, but they clearly saw each other.

I’m talking about the sight of hundreds, if not thousands, of people standing on a field.

“What the heck, none of the mines exploded?”

“doesn’t exist.”

The fields surrounding the research complex are filled with mines and combat drones. Inside the complex, anti-ship anti-aircraft guns are placed everywhere to prevent enemies from invading by air. Only the soldiers guarding the research complex know the safe route.

“…Is it outside the boundary?”

“Damn, it’s so dark I can’t see anything.”

Even though they put their faces close to the window, it was so dark that they couldn’t see properly. The two quickly put on their helmets that they had taken off.