Ch.218Black Dragon (2)

Odd Grad, who had evaded the enhanced “Watcher of Fear,” did not attack us.

He merely maintained his distance while remaining vigilant.

Until I avoided him, he had appeared arrogant, but now that was no longer the case. He was extremely wary of us—no, of me.

The movement of my wings, the angle of my head, my auxiliary organs swaying in the breeze, and the monster’s tentacles glowing purple and green.

‘I don’t understand.’

His gaze was fixed on the monster’s tentacles. As if he knew these tentacles posed a threat to him.

‘Black Gallergorn doesn’t have any intelligence-related traits.’

Gallergorn doesn’t possess abilities like “X-ray Vision” to detect beings behind walls or underground by gathering information, or “Insight” to analyze equipment or characteristics based on an opponent’s appearance. Not even Red Gallergorn, which only appears in events.

Gallergorn is a perfect organism with a robust physique capable of surviving in space, powerful psychic abilities, long lifespan, and social skills for pack hunting with its kind. There’s no need for it to have intelligence-related traits.

‘No, that’s uncertain.’

Even Adhigh Orr showed differences from ordinary Gallergorn. Odd Grad might not be an ordinary Black Gallergorn either.

‘Let’s use Insight.’

I actually used Insight once on Adhigh when searching for the Hellside Hornet. It wasn’t much help since no special information came up.

The chances of getting new information from him were slim, but it was worth a try. I flapped my wings to approach him.

[Zzzzz zzzzzzz zzzzzz(I’m going to get closer to him. Help me)]

“Okay.”

I had planned to use the coordinated attack between the Power of Deep and No. 26 as my trump card, but the situation had already escalated. No. 26, who had been moving cautiously to hide his power, no longer needed to do so.

I advanced forward, beating the air forcefully with my wings. As the distance between us narrowed, Odd Grad’s horns glowed purple.

I heard a tiger growling sound high above my head. A psychic storm was about to rage due to the influence of “Maelstrom.”

Purple lightning bolts poured down behind me, and a tornado over 100 meters in diameter blocked my path.

The tornado, violently sucking in air, sharply reduced my flight speed. In that moment, as the psychic lightning was about to strike me, No. 26 stepped in.

“Urrrgh!”

Have you ever seen lightning strikes frozen in midair? What you might only see in photographs was happening right above my back.

I could feel it through my auxiliary organs. Countless threads—too many to count—shot out from No. 26’s body, grabbing the lightning. The captured psychic power gathered at a single point in the air according to his will.

“!”

Odd Grad, who had cast Maelstrom, belatedly tried to regain control of the lightning, but it was too late. The psychic power No. 26 had stolen had already become a purple arrow aimed at his life.

Like a god’s arrow shot to kill an evil dragon, the psychic power cut through the dark clouds. Having failed to control it, Odd Grad flapped his wings and dodged. The arrow changed direction to pursue him, but it couldn’t keep up with his erratic movements.

“Big guy, I can’t keep this up for long. It’s too hard.”

[Zzzzz(It’s okay)]

Thanks to him buying time, I was able to catch up to Odd Grad without any interference.

[Zzzeeee zzzzz(Help Adhigh)]

“Okay.”

Just then, Adhigh, the small White Gallergorn, was fiercely attacking Odd Grad at close range. No. 26 manipulated the psychic power to support Adhigh’s energy shots.

“You vermin!”

Odd Grad released an irritated thought wave and began firing psychic breath attacks. While Adhigh evaded the high-speed heat rays with evasive maneuvers, I activated Insight.

“Name: Odd Grad

Species: Black Gallergorn

Status: Enhanced (Dragon’s Power, ■■■ ■■■)

Skills: Hyper-acceleration, Psychic Breath, Dragon’s Heart, and many others…”

‘…As expected.’

After confirming him with Insight, I activated my Psychic Breath. Unlike the usual purple light, a strange light with green, purple, and various other colors swirled around my body.

This was Psychic Breath enhanced by the Power of Deep. Bubbles of annihilation, suffering from endless hunger, formed at the tips of my tentacles.

The bubble-shaped breath flew toward him to devour him. He was about to attack Adhigh but quickly retreated upon seeing the bubbles.

‘He noticed it again.’

Thanks to his retreat, I gained a moment to reflect on the information I’d just acquired.

‘He has a special ability.’

You can see it in his “Status.” There was clearly another trait effect besides “Dragon’s Power” in his enhanced state.

All Gallergorn above Black Gallergorn possess a unique skill called “Dragon’s Heart.” When ordinary players possess Dragon’s Heart, they receive the Dragonization effect, while Gallergorn receive the Dragon’s Power enhancement.

The problem is the enhancement effect after Dragon’s Power. An ordinary Black Gallergorn should only have Dragon’s Power, but he has two enhancement effects.

That additional enhancement effect is likely related to his unknown ability.

The unfortunate thing is that Insight didn’t reveal all of his abilities. Insight doesn’t show all of an opponent’s equipment, skills, or traits—it only shows them randomly.

It would be good to approach him again and use Insight, but that doesn’t seem easy. Having evaded my attacks consecutively, he was extremely wary of me. Being clever, he wouldn’t allow me to approach again.

‘I should be thankful he’s being passive.’

I don’t know how Odd Grad knew about my traits, but his movements are restricted because of it. If he had been more aggressive, the fight would have been much harder.

‘I need to change my strategy.’

I sent a short wave to Adhigh. He hesitated upon hearing my wave, but when I sent another stronger one, he finally agreed.

“Great One” “Body” “Be careful”

Leaving only those words, he flew away in the opposite direction.

Odd Grad kept his eyes on me, regardless of whether Adhigh left or not. He knew that Adhigh’s attacks couldn’t harm him.

‘He thinks he can end this easily if he just catches me.’

That’s a perfectly rational judgment for him. Of course, I acted this way because I anticipated he would make that judgment.

And so our battle resumed. Perhaps because of No. 26, he had adjusted the Maelstrom field so that lightning wouldn’t strike.

Instead, he increased the number of tornadoes coming down through the clouds to obstruct my movement. His intention was probably to intercept me from a distance and slowly wear me down.

As expected, he fired breath attacks while maintaining maximum distance from me.

Although No. 26 had previously neutralized Ham Oort’s heat rays, Odd Grad’s breath was impossible to control. So he was assisting by slightly altering the trajectory of the breath to make it miss.

‘Even that is a great help.’

In fact, I had one “trump card.”

If Odd Grad hadn’t been much stronger than I expected, or if he had been as stupid as the Black Gallergorn I knew, I would have used this card.

I have a trait I obtained after hunting the Sky Whale. A physical fusion trait that combined with my existing physical trait “Synthetic Scales.”

“Mimicry Scales: Inherits and enhances the effects of Synthetic Scales. When continuously exposed to energy-type attacks, it mimics the properties of that energy and incorporates them into the body.

*P.S.: Originality is not important in nature. What matters is how you survive.”

“Mimicry Scales” is similar to yet different from “Metal Absorption,” which consumes metal and reflects its effects on the body. As described, Mimicry Scales mimics the enemy’s energy attacks and provides resistance effects against those energy attacks to the body.

For example, if someone continuously attacks me with a plasma launcher, the Mimicry Scales effect activates and greatly increases my defense against plasma-type attacks. To the point where plasma weapons can’t even damage a single scale.

It’s a great trait that dramatically improves an AMorph’s survivability, but it has drawbacks.

You can’t gain resistance effects for different types of energy while already having resistance to one type. This means if you’re immune to plasma, you can’t also be immune to psychic power. To gain resistance to psychic power, you have to wait until the existing immune system dissipates.

‘That’s why Cult players used to alternate between different types of weapons.’

Of course, in my current situation, this isn’t a major drawback. Gallergorn primarily use psychic power attacks.

The problem is that to gain the resistance effect of Mimicry Scales, you need to continuously receive enemy attacks.

When fighting enemies like Odd Grad who unleash attacks my body can’t withstand, it’s difficult to gain the effect. I’d die before Mimicry Scales could activate.

‘If things had gone according to plan, I could have utilized it properly.’

Originally, I planned to gain the resistance effect of Mimicry Scales during the process of hunting White Gallergorn. I could withstand their psychic breath attacks.

‘I should have prepared in advance if I’d known this would happen.’

With Adhigh and No. 26, I could have activated Mimicry Scales even if it took a long time, but I was complacent. This happened because I didn’t expect him to come at me so quickly.

‘…I can regret it later.’

I wrapped my wing arms around my body and rotated. The incoming heat ray grazed the surface of my wing by a paper-thin margin.

‘This won’t work either.’

I considered taking his breath attack to activate Mimicry Scales, but it doesn’t seem feasible. That dark purple heat ray is not something I can block with my body.

‘I can’t take risks when I don’t know his abilities.’

Whether I use Mimicry Scales or something else, I need to know his abilities first to formulate an effective countermeasure.

‘It’s probably not the ability to read information.’

Thinking about it again, it’s unlikely that he knows about the Power of Deep effect that even players don’t know about.

‘Then there’s only one possibility left.’

The ability to detect danger in advance.

Like my “Predator Sense,” he too can analyze the surrounding environment to produce something close to precognition.

‘This seems more likely.’

He moved as if he had read my plans in advance without receiving any reports. Not only that, but out of 12 White Gallergorn, he came to help exactly the one I was targeting. These were actions possible only if he knew the future.

But there are questions. As far as I know, there’s no ability that can see the future across such a wide range. Even Predator Sense only shows imminent mortal danger.

If he could perfectly read the future, I would have no way to win.

‘No. That can’t be.’

If he had such an ability, he would have killed me long ago. There were plenty of opportunities, like when I first arrived on this planet, or after I was weakened following the fight with Jason.

The reason he didn’t is simple.

‘There are limits to his ability to see the future.’

What’s important is the extent of those limitations. I need to know this to exploit them.

‘I’ll have to find out now.’

And there are beings coming up here to help with my experiment.

“Black kin” “Support”

Two White Gallergorn, one large and one small, with white scales, followed behind me. They were Adhigh Orr and Nel Germa.

He seems to think I’m acting as bait while Adhigh escapes, but that’s not the case.

Adhigh pretended to flee, then circled around to help Nel Germa. Thanks to that, they were able to quickly deal with the White Gallergorn with broken wings and come up here.

Odd Grad glared at us with cold eyes.

“Nel Germa” “Did you kill Jer Garuda”

“Yes”

“Odd Grad’s companion” “What made you betray”

“Ham Oort” “Said” “Odd Grad” “Liar” “Tyrant” “Weak kin” “Abandon” “Kill” “Agree” “Impossible”

Odd Grad was silent in response to Nel Germa’s rebuttal.

After a brief silence, he sent a thought wave.

“Regrettable” “Unrepentant traitor” “Only death”

“Nel Germa” “Will not die” “The one who dies” “Liar” “Odd Grad”

“Great Odd Grad” “Will not die”

After saying that, he turned his gaze from Nel Germa to me. His eyes, which had been full of wariness until just now, contained a completely different emotion.

‘Mockery?’

“Great Odd Grad does not retreat” “No matter how strong the enemy”

Despite the situation being far from comfortable, he was mocking me.

At that moment, I felt like lightning struck my head.

At the same time I realized it, Adhigh and Nel Germa urgently sent me thought waves.

“Great One” “Over there” “Kin” “Feeling!”

“White kin” “Approaching”

Although not yet visible, it seemed certain that his pack was coming this way.

‘Maelstrom! He used it to call his comrades!’

There aren’t many beings on this planet that can cause localized weather anomalies.

Except for the black dragon Odd Grad standing before me.

While it’s true that he was wary of my attacks, he also had a hidden plan.

“Great Odd Grad” “Strong enemies” “Dangers” “All defeated”

He sent a thought wave triumphantly. Contrary to his words, his intention to buy time by fleeing until his kin arrived was obvious.

‘Don’t make me laugh.’

Those words about strong enemies, dangers, and defeating them all apply to me too.

After all, I’ve also overcome all kinds of powerful enemies and dangers until now.

‘Don’t think you’re the only one who can call allies.’

This time is no different.