I Became an Evolving Space Monster

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[Translator – Seraph]

[Proofreader – Draxx]

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Chapter 488

｢Can we really bring our friend back?｣

Number 26, who had been listening quietly, asked the question in a careful, almost trembling voice.

｢Yes. I can’t say for certain, but it’s possible.｣

｢Wow!｣

At those words, Number 26’s body immediately regained its glow. It bounced in place joyfully, shining brightly again.

｢Big one! Let’s go right now!｣

[ZZZ ZZZ (Not yet.)]

｢Why not?｣

Star Union was the faction with the least direct contact with me, the Amorph. I had fought many Cyborg Rankers, but actually entering the capital of Star Union that had only happened two or three times.

‘And never through stealth. Every time had been during open war, charging in head-on.’

I knew the locations of Zak-01’s anti-air systems, but little beyond that. It remained an almost completely unknown territory.

[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ (If we want to help them, we need preparation. Just hold on a little longer.)]

｢Okay…｣

Number 26 drooped, its bright glow dimmed again. Still, it wasn’t as pale as before. I stroked it gently to comfort it.

‘Before preparing, I should call Shinobu.’

The Spacedock Ranker Shinobu had once taken commissions from Akira Yujin and the Grand Elder. He even received support from the Supreme Council and new model Prometheus units; his ties to Star Union ran deep.

He was bound to know the inner workings of Zak-01 better than anyone. I needed to hear the state of things there.

[ZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ ZZ (Where’s Shinobu now?)]

｢Shinobu?｣

[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZ (I need to ask him about Star Union.)]

The Mother of the Sky’s eyes widened. She hesitated, then answered.

｢Ah… he’s already dead. It’s been a while.｣

[ZZZ (Dead?)]

｢After parting ways with you, I went to the black market Shinobu managed. He’d kept the material to unlock Barong hidden in his private vault.｣

A secret vault for storing pure genetic samples that fit Shinobu’s special trait well.

｢But while he was away, other pirates staged an uprising. They detonated an EMP bomb right in the market square.｣

PS-111 had installed a control implant in Shinobu’s head. When the machine it linked to died, its wearer soon followed.

｢After the EMP went off, every pirate in the market rushed for his vault. Shinobu went berserk too.｣

[ZZ Z ZZZ ZZZZ (Because he didn’t realize he was already dying.)]

｢Yes. Fighting him and the pirates at the same time… it wasn’t easy. In the end, I had no choice but to put him down first.｣

A Ranker in his own stronghold, armed with his genetic vault—and a horde of pirates lunging for her throat it must have been a brutal battle.

｢After Shinobu’s death, I barely managed to escape. If the Wandering Ghost hadn’t been in that vault, I never would have made it here alive.｣

[ZZ ZZZ ZZ (So that’s how it was…)]

I had suspected as much. The famous pirate ship here made sense—but that its master had died, I hadn’t expected.

‘He could have been useful… that’s why I spared him before.’

｢…I should have been more careful. I’m sorry.｣

Her thought-waves carried an apology, steeped in genuine regret.

‘It can’t be helped.’

The uprising in the black market had been an unforeseen variable. If she had slipped even once, she might have been lost too. Blaming her would serve nothing.

[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZ (It’s fine. What matters is that you returned safely.)]

｢That’s right! If Middle one got hurt, I’d be so sad!｣

Number 26 suddenly piped up, waving a tentacle to pat the Mother of the Sky’s head.

｢Good job not getting hurt. Brave one!｣

｢….｣

The Mother of the Sky froze and accepted the awkward praise with an uneasy face.

Losing a valuable information source was unfortunate. But it wasn’t a complete loss.

She had said it herself because she finished Shinobu with her own hands, his special trait had transferred to her.

[ZZZ ZZZ (What happened to his trait?)]

｢Just as you’d expect it passed to me.｣

[ZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ ZZ (And how did it change? Is it the same as his?)]

｢No. It’s very different so different it may as well be called another trait entirely.｣

[ZZZ (Show me.)]

｢I can’t right now. To trigger it, I need a sample. I’ll have to fetch some from the support ship first.｣

So the requirement remained the same: her new ability still demanded genetic samples to activate, even if its effects had changed completely.

｢Middle one, where are you going?｣

｢Just stepping out for a bit. I’ll be back soon.｣

｢Going to Little one’s home? Then I want to go too!｣

Number 26 followed after the Mother of the Sky as she set out toward ‘White Stone’. It seemed eager to make sure the Gallagon hatchlings were safe. The two of them left the cargo bay together.

｢Grooooh…｣

The Mountain Crawler yawned widely as its master departed, the alloy-plated floor trembling faintly from the vibration.

‘So much for using Shinobu. That option’s gone. I’ll have to find another way.’

My gaze drifted toward the collapsed human butler of Akira Yujin.

He had been the closest aide to the Megacorp CEO, entrusted with countless secrets and intelligence. Chances were, he knew a fair deal about Zak-01.

‘But how much of it can I trust?’

It wasn’t his lies I feared, but the possibility that the Grand Elder of Star Union had deliberately fed him falsehoods.

‘Just because the leaders are allied doesn’t mean the factions are truly friendly.’

They had entered the pact only to hunt me down. Before then, they’d clashed sporadically, each seeking its own advantage and antagonistic coexistence built on deception.

‘A lot of what’s in that butler’s head could be planted with misinformation.’

And false data is worse than ignorance. Until I could cross-check it, his knowledge was best set aside.

‘No answers for now. No point brooding alone.’

Instead of chasing empty thoughts, it would be better to review my arsenal and see what could be useful for infiltration. I opened the text-box.

‘Gremlin Moss, Shadow Shroud, and Stranger’s Usurpation… these might come in handy.’

Shadow Shroud and Stranger’s Usurpation worked in almost every covert op. Gremlin Moss, strengthened by the Great Parasite bonus, was devastating against machines.

But most of my other abilities weren’t as promising here.

‘Parasite Swarm’ and ‘Mimicry Organs,’ two of my most frequently used traits, would be nearly useless. Parasites and pheromone-based disruption simply had no effect on androids.

‘Anything that influences minds or exploits organic tissue won’t shine in Star Union’s mechanical realm.’

What I truly needed was a new weapon. Something unseen. A unique trait that could tip the balance.

I called up the synthesis formula I had unlocked previously.

‘Transcendence’ Recipe (New!): Parasitic Humanoid Host, Hive Parasite, Predatory Nest, Zombie Fly, Horror Stalker

This had appeared alongside the Gluttonmaw Pouch. I hadn’t crafted it yet for one reason. The ingredients. Two of them were the core traits I relied on most.

‘At least I can rebuild Parasite Swarm by fighting Outspace creatures…’

The true sticking point was Faceworm Host.

Its value lay in storing the genetic codes of intelligent species—humans, cultists, and others. That stored data enabled Mimicry Organs, or recalling the memories of the dead.

‘If that trait disappeared, every gene sample would vanish too.’

When I had turned the “Humanoid Parasite” trait into “Humanoid Parasite Host,” the genetic archive had transferred intact. Likely because the two abilities shared the same core mechanism. Whether that would remain true in forging a Unique Trait was impossible to know.

‘Besides, it’s under ban on seals already.’

Ever since acquiring the “Twisted Abomination,” certain traits had been locked under taboo. Faceworm Host was among those sealed.

And the only way to undo that restriction… was to create a new Unique Trait, reshaping the very structure of my body.

‘And if I succeed in creating this one… my “Cosmic Monster” type advances to the next stage.’

So far, I’ve secured a total of 11 Cosmic Monster traits. Once I gain the 12th, my type will advance from Stage 2 to Stage 3.

Each stage advancement of the Cosmic Monster type grants a special reward—so this time, too, I should expect something new.

A type reward, and a Unique Trait. The price will be casting away the Faceworms’ stored memories.

‘What’s the right move here…?’

As I pondered the text-box, a faint stir came from outside.

The heavy freight gate rumbled open, and three of Megacorp’s massive construction mechs, MCAE (Multipurpose Construction Auxiliary Equipment), trundled into the cargo bay.

｢Groooh…｣

The Mountain Crawler, until now sprawled on the floor, rose slowly at the sight.

‘Feeding time.’

Piloted by Coldbloods in spacesuits, each MCAE carried a cart laden with ore. They left the carts by the gate without bringing them inside—because my energy field covered the cargo bay.

From a distance, the Coldbloods bowed deeply toward me.

They were the ones Isabel had saved, continuing her elder sister’s will. Now they lived at the White Stone camp, hunting side by side with the Gallagons and maintaining the Gigacracker.

To them, I was the one who had given them a safe shelter. Every time they saw me, they showed reverence.

‘They really don’t have to do that.’

Coldbloods, being tied to Vortex-One, possessed natural resistance to psychic assaults. But resisting didn’t mean immunity; even at this range, my field had to be agonizing. Still, they bowed.

‘Tch.’

I dipped my head quickly in return, and only then did they straighten and slowly withdraw.

‘…Wait.’

A memory stirred.

Long ago, following Adhai’s lead toward the former Dragon’s Nest, I had devoured a Star Union supply ship.

‘There were Coldbloods aboard that vessel too.’

When Star Union creates cyborgs, they almost always use humans as base material. Wolf-folk or Coldbloods aren’t the norm. At the time, I had been too focused on gaining traits to dwell on it.

But in hindsight, maybe that ship was carrying Coldbloods to be processed—raw stock for producing Mutant Screamers.

‘A supply ship…’

The Dominion Faction always threw hordes of Mutant Screamers into battle against me. Which means, of course, they had facilities to mass-produce them. And if that was the case, then supply ships carrying Coldbloods still existed.

If I could exploit that, it might become my route into Zak-01 itself.

‘It’s worth a try.’

｢Groooh…｣

I decided I would bring this up once the Mother of the Sky returned.

Until then, I stayed at the edge of the bay, watching as the Mountain Crawler began its meal, and waited for her to come back.

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[Translator – Seraph]

[Proofreader – Draxx]

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