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[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 471
“The Megacorp mining vessel has left the system. Unfortunately, your attempt has failed this time.”
[ZZ (Really?)]
I stopped manipulating the energy field.
The slender, thread-like stream of formless force, which had been stretching outward, recoiled back around the Terramorph.
My secondary body, the Terramorph, greatly enhances my ability to wield the energy field. When I compress the field into threads, I can cast them across truly vast distances.
Just like I did moments ago, when I dragged in the survey ship.
'Though, its efficiency is terrible.'
The farther the thread extends, the harder it is to control. Its speed also diminishes over distance.
The survey ship happened to drift close enough to touch the thread before it weakened, that's why I succeeded. But the more distant mining ship slipped away.
'Even with more time, it would’ve been a problem.'
Maintaining the energy thread consumes power at an alarming rate. If I exhaust my reserves, the Terramorph form vanishes. That would defeat the entire purpose.
“There needs to be some sort of anchor, an intermediary for the field.”
[ZZZZ (That makes sense.)]
That was PS-111, watching my attempts via warp particles, offering its advice.
I thought the same myself, though sadly the Amorph has no such ability.
The energy field is a side effect, a kind of perk I gained from applying the ‘Warped Abomination’ trait. It’s something that doesn’t even exist in the original game, so no related specialties exist either.
‘Maybe I should look for unique-grade equipment or devices that could help.’
“But if you get any stronger here, what happens to Sister Seoha?”
That was Isabel, speaking from the side.
“Wouldn’t it be better to focus on controlling it properly instead of just ramping up power?”
[ZZZ ZZ (That’s true, too.)]
The Mother of the Sky can’t stay here with me because of my energy field.
Unlike the others, she is extremely vulnerable to its effects. If she falls asleep within its range, she’s plagued with relentless nightmares.
The field is emitted constantly, regardless of my will. I can widen its range or strengthen its force but I can’t turn it off. That’s why she had to separate from us.
At present, she’s searching for a way to block out my field. She’s even making use of the Dominion-rank Shinobu, whom we captured earlier.
As a Spacedock-ranked entity, Shinobu has numerous ties with powerful factions. That’s the reason I spared him instead of consuming him. The Mother of the Sky decided to exploit that network.
But there was a problem controlling him. Namely, the parasite issue.
My parasitic control has a lifespan. It requires regular replacement, which simply isn’t feasible for long-term separation.
So PS-111 performed a special procedure on him.
It embedded a Screamer bio-management device into his brain. That way, the Mother of the Sky can control him at her own discretion.
“I could minimize the energy field’s effect if I implant a defense unit of my design directly into the brain.”
“I’ll tell you right now the moment you mention that, Sister Seoha will stab you with her spear.”
Isabel shuddered at the thought. Her twin sisters looked like they wanted to add something, but then fell silent.
'She’s probably right.'
The Mother of the Sky was present for Shinobu’s operation from beginning to end. After witnessing that, asking to have a machine buried in her own brain would not come easy.
That closed my experiment with the energy field in Terramorph form. I’d already tested the other abilities earlier.
After repeated trials, I realized the Terramorph is less a second body and more akin to a biological exosuit. A living nest, yes, though that image fits the “Horizon of Nightmares” far more accurately.
Its capacity for bodily alteration is extremely limited, unlike an ordinary Nest. At best, it can shift the positions of vascular channels or form hook-pillars with mouths. That’s all.
'But it does possess one fascinating ability that no Nest has the so-called Harvest Mode.’
When activated, and if I devour a selected kind of prey, I not only gain energy but also permanently absorb one of its traits.
During the past four days of travel through here, I’ve consumed the surfaces of multiple planets, and even swallowed small asteroids whole.
From these I’ve derived three traits: Pollution Organ, Oxygen Storage, and Sonic Rupture.
The meager count compared to what I devoured comes down to Harvest Mode’s mechanism.
My three hook-pillars draw out genetic matter when they consume soil or minerals. The digestion process distills that into a usable trait.
Which traits manifest depend heavily on the organismal environment of the food source.
The Pollution Organ came from the wastelands ravaged by Amorph corruption. Oxygen Storage from a colonial world where Megacorp laborers lived. Sonic Rupture from a desert planet.
All of them are the kind of traits local fauna would evolve naturally.
'The sample size is small, so I can’t be certain just yet.'
Harvest Mode doesn’t trigger at all if the material has no viable traits.
Indeed, I ate plenty of wandering rocks and asteroids, yet never gained a single trait from them. All the useful ones came only from worlds that harbored full ecosystems.
And after each successful harvest, a 24-hour dormancy follows, during which the hook-pillars vanish. No feeding, no trait absorption possible.
That’s why I obtained so little despite four days of effort. Confirming whether hidden conditions exist will take far longer.
'Still, harvesting traits without combat that’s an outstanding advantage.'
If my assumption is right, I could even acquire Apex-lifeform traits this way. Their habitats should follow the same rules.
'I’ll test it later in the Gallagon Valley.'
Just then, the Terramorph’s stomach relayed a signal the survey ship I had swallowed earlier was fully digested.
'Living beings don’t work, huh.'
I had hoped to extract the genetic essence of its crew as well, but as suspected, the attempt failed. The method of extraction must be entirely different.
'Maybe eating a “sample” would trigger a different reaction.'
Refined genetic essence might yield another result. I’ll need to confirm that once I reach a lab.
'That should be enough for now.'
We had uncovered most of the vital details, and the destination was no longer far. If not for being in Terramorph form, a single jump would have sufficed to cross the distance.
Where we were headed was a system-wide junk field, debris scattered everywhere. Among the countless fragments drifted unstable wreckage shattered ship engines, discarded torpedoes, and worse.
'If we crashed into one of those and triggered an explosion, that would be troublesome.'
“Understood. As soon as you release it, I’ll initiate the jump.”
While PS-111 prepared the warp sequence, I called Number 26 and Adhai, who had gone off wandering to other chambers. At the same time, I redirected the internal passages to lead closer to where they were.
Moments later, thick mucus cascaded from ceiling conduits like a crashing waterfall. Riding the torrent emerged the Sea Demon and the Red Gallagon, sliding down the black wave.
｢That was fun!｣
｢It was okay.｣ ｢Not bad.｣
｢Do it again!｣
Number 26’s vast body shimmered brightly as it bounced happily, apparently enjoying the hundred-meter-long water slide.
[ZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ ZZ (Sorry, not now. I’m going to remove this thing.)]
｢Really? Why remove it?｣
[ZZ ZZZZ ZZ ZZZZ ZZZ ZZ (Because we have to sneak into our destination. I need to reduce my size.)]
At once, its glowing body darkened.
[ZZ ZZZ (We can play again later.)]
｢Promise?｣
[Z ZZZ (Yes. I promise.)]
｢Yay! A promise with Big One!｣
With that, Number 26 leapt onto my head, tapping my horns with its antlers and shouting with boundless joy:
｢Me｣ ｢Big One｣ ｢Together｣ ｢Better｣ ｢Like｣
Adhai, who had descended with it, soon pressed her body warmly against my side.
With everyone gathered, I dispelled the Terramorph.
The vast sensory range I had grown used to contracted abruptly. Back was the narrower, familiar perception of my main body.
Regaining my ordinary senses, I gently coiled my tendril-arms around Number 26 and Isabel.
Separated from me, the Terramorph began to collapse. Flowing black slime froze in place as great cracks split apart the walls and ceiling.
The sight was cue enough for PS-111 it triggered the jump instantly. Warp particles surged, seizing us and hauling us into a realm beyond light itself.
Immense pressure bore down on us as our bodies tore through star and space. My vision filled with chaos: lights of every color, tangled and flooding together.
And then the pressure was gone. In its place, filling my view, was not light but endless clouds of derelict metal.
'We’ve arrived.'
Beyond the vast storm of cosmic junk loomed a grey, lifeless planet.
An artificial world, cobbled from compacted industrial refuse, derelict ships, abandoned station parts, Megacorp's dumping ground.
We pierced through the orbiting ring of debris and drew closer to the sphere itself.
As the swirling toxic atmosphere came into sight, I broadcast to the others:
[ZZZ ZZZZ ZZ (We’ll proceed just as we planned earlier.)]
｢If you see something strange, don’t touch it, just avoid it!｣
｢Also｣ ｢Living things｣ ｢Be extra careful｣
PS-111 and Isabel simply nodded, no words needed.
We had already discussed the movement plan before arriving.
This so-called garbage planet was moon-sized, and far more than sheer mass its interior structure was remarkably intricate.
We had to confirm whether any unknown threats lurked inside, and whether it offered terrain advantageous for ambush.
'If we all traveled together, it would take far too long to check everything.'
So we chose to split into three parties.
Number 26 and PS-111 would scout the surface.
Adhai and Isabel would enter through the opposite aperture, exploring the interior.
And I would take another route, checking for threats and ambush sites within the planetary shell.
To make sure we could reach each other immediately if anything went wrong, Isabel and I each received an MPS unit.
[ZZZ (Let’s begin.)]
｢Yes! See you later!｣
｢Child｣ ｢This way｣ ｢Follow me｣
We descended to the surface of the trash-world and split apart to survey our assigned areas.
I tucked a mini-Screamer inside my mouth and moved down into a gaping crater below.
'It’s been a long time since I came here.'
This trash planet had once been one of my hidden nests. A place no one ever discovered until the end of the game.
'I suppose people always think alike.'
The filthy walls were crusted with unidentifiable, rust-red muck. Corridors contracted and widened unpredictably, their dimensions uneven. All of it is so familiar.
The only difference now was the overwhelming number of defense systems.
Plasma turrets, motion-triggered mines, psychotronic bombs, traps of every kind were hidden throughout. Even at the entrance zone, the density was extreme.
So thorough a defense line that even a high-ranked player would struggle to break through.
'Looks like they invested a great deal here… but it won’t matter.'
From my body spilled glowing motes, like drifting fireflies, which clung to the walls. Gremlin Moss the bane of machines spread in eager hunger.
Every turret and mine dissolved the moment the sparkling moss touched them, neutralized instantly. With the defenses disarmed, I strolled unimpeded, following the ruined installations deeper in.
Time passed hours, perhaps with no threat other than the disabled defenses. The others contacted me periodically, reporting that their own explorations were proceeding safely too.
At length the tunnel opened into a cavernous space. Construction modules of the kind used in building orbital cities braced the chamber. Immense metal scaffolding wrapped in fused wreckage and garbage supported this hollow like flesh clinging to bone.
'Empty. Nothing here?'
Unlike the other areas packed with weapons, this chamber was vacant.
I spread my energy field throughout the space, probing.
A faint but decidedly deliberate current emerged. It was ordered, not random static from discarded electronics.
Tracing the interwoven streams of energy, I found the nexus where they converged upon a single point.
'There. That must be it.'
A massive container, wedged into the wall. Energy pulsed throughout, flowing in and out of it.
Then, without warning, the container doors ground open.
'What ?'
From within stepped a figure I had not expected to ever see here.
The one ranked third in power. Leader of the Dominion faction.
And if the world were still as it should be the Megacorp CEO who should be on Earth at this very moment, holding back the Outspacer invasion.
[ZZZ (Akira Yujin?)]
“At last, the prodigal returns.”
The creature wearing a human face smiled at me.
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[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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