Ch.331Contract (3)

Star Sharks, nicknamed the sharks of space, are a subspecies of Sky Whales.

Even though they’re a subspecies, they’re much weaker than Sky Whales, which are classified as apex creatures.

Comparing their sizes, Star Sharks never exceed 5m in length. This is vastly different from Sky Whales, which average several dozen meters in length.

Their appearance is also very different. While Sky Whales resemble whales with six wings and eight eyes, Star Sharks do not. They resemble marlins with transparent skin and two wings.

Because their skin is transparent, their internal organs are clearly visible, and their bones even contain luminescent material. From a distance, they look like fish skeletons floating in space.

If there’s one thing these two otherwise different creatures have in common, it’s that they both feed on energy.

Star Sharks don’t obtain nutrients by consuming organic matter like ordinary creatures; instead, they survive by absorbing various types of energy.

However, unlike space whales, they can’t convert consumed energy into photon cannons. Instead, they accumulate the energy in their wings to propel themselves quickly. This makes them much more agile than Sky Whales.

And Star Sharks have one more important advantage that space whales don’t possess.

They possess a “hive mind” like Outspacers or Metallic Gremlins.

What this means is that the entire group follows the control of their leader. It’s thanks to this characteristic that the Priests of the Eye of Revelation were able to tame these fierce space sharks. They control numerous Star Sharks through thoroughly trained leader specimens.

“Attack!”

Hundreds of ghost fish carrying the priests charge toward me.

I prepare my enhanced “Acidic Fungal Gland”—in other words, my acid breath. Viscous liquid rises from inside my three-pronged throat. I don’t resist the sensation and spew it toward the descending enemies.

Three acid beams with terrifying destructive power slice through the air. The building blocking my path is cut in half by the beams.

The Star Sharks quickly widen their formation. They skillfully avoid the beams and the falling building debris.

A priest riding a 5m biological fighter aims the matter-decomposing weapon “Slayer” at me. Hundreds of indigo energy bullets rain down on me.

I spread my wings wide to protect the kids. Each time the Slayer’s light bullets hit me, chunks of my carapace and scales disappear.

The Slayer’s matter-decomposing attacks inflict considerable damage on me, but it doesn’t matter. I can cover this level of injury with my regeneration ability.

‘I need to take some damage anyway for it to be effective.’

After one round of bombardment, the priests try to soar over my head like birds of prey that have caught fish from a river.

At that moment, the kids hiding inside my wings leap out.

Adhigh Orr, who takes flight first, dives into the midst of the priests.

“Sky King” “Similar” “Die”

“Oh no!”

He swings his wings wrapped in “Red Armor” toward the space sharks. Wings with absolute defensive power plus acceleration? It’s like a flying guillotine. The Star Sharks with their tough skin are sliced like paper.

Behind Adhigh, the Sky Mother reveals herself. She sticks close behind the enemies who are gaining altitude. With each flap of her wings, the griffon—a mix of lion and eagle—spreads agate-colored particles through the air.

“Urgh?!”

“Gak!”

The ability she gained upon reaching the advanced Incarnate level allows her to spread particles that manipulate pressure. The bodies of priests touched by these particles crumple like crushed paper.

The Sky Mother and Adhigh personally deal with the Star Sharks that have lost their pilots.

“Priests! Switch to long-range firing formation!”

The one at the front shouts loudly. The sharks quickly retreat beyond our attack range.

Behind them, I can see other warships approaching. Seeing several battleships scattered among the patrol ships, it seems like every nearby vessel has been sent here.

“Bad humans!”

No. 26, who was hiding inside my rear head carapace, also notices the new enemies. He launches himself onto the water that fills the city center.

As he falls, the water surface ripples slightly.

Then, giant pink tentacles burst through the water. The tentacles, reminiscent of octopus legs, wrap around collapsed building debris and other structures.

Among the numerous tentacles was a central body tens of meters long. It resembled a sea monster crawling up from the deep.

Countless eyes opened on the purple and pink mixed body.

Hundreds, thousands of eyeballs emit an eerie light as they gaze at the enemies. The psychic power flowing through No. 26’s enlarged body swells like a balloon.

The Sea Demon’s unique skill, “Terror of the Deep,” unfolds in the middle of the water fortress. Thanks to the auxiliary organs attached to each head, the energy aggregate’s form is clearly visible.

“A massive concentration of psychic power is gathering.”

“…Is that really created by No. 26?”

“Yes” “Small adult” “Full power”

The psychic illusion created by No. 26 was a gigantic “me” that reached the edge of the bio-dome. Moreover, it had countless eyeballs all over its body, making it look much more ferocious than the original.

Terror of the Deep is an ability that drives multiple enemies insane by showing them terrifying illusions. If even I’m startled by it, imagine how the enemy feels. The Star Sharks under the priests’ control begin to break formation out of fear.

It would be fortunate if they just fled. Some, fallen into confusion, attack their masters or other sharks. The once orderly formation instantly falls into chaos.

But none of the pilots blame this. They too must be gripped by considerable fear. If they hadn’t received advanced training, they would have gone mad like beasts.

Those who maintained their sanity retreated to the rear, avoiding the rampaging Star Sharks. Then they prepared to fire alongside the battleships.

The priests on the space sharks aimed their Slayers at me and No. 26. The fleet also turned their main guns in our direction.

Large and small weapons spewed fire.

A meteor shower of indigo and purple colors covered the sky. I stood in front of No. 26 with my wings spread wide.

The beautiful yet deadly light barrage struck my entire body. The Slayer’s energy bullets turned my carapace to dust, and the battleship’s main guns tore apart the flesh and muscles beneath my broken carapace.

“Pain reduction activated!”

The familiar message appeared, but it was exactly what I wanted. My body is being destroyed faster than it can be healed by my regeneration ability.

“Big baby!”

[Zzzzzz zzzz (Don’t worry, I’m fine)]

Currently, I have an ability that increases my energy output and strength as my injuries worsen. It’s an ability I obtained from an apex creature I hunted on the planet where Adhigh’s group lives.

‘Tyrantroid.’

Its fruit has ripened.

I no longer feel the pain from being mercilessly destroyed. The two hearts inside my chest pump sadistically, producing an enormous amount of energy.

I can feel the water covering my lower body stirring. It’s not because of No. 26 or other factors. The water is stirring because energy is leaking through my body’s biological pipes.

My heads, filled with immense power, move slowly.

If there were someone who could see psychic power with their eyes.

I would appear to be wrapped in purple radiance.

When the three heads wielded that power, the sky shattered.

–

A dim warehouse.

Dust had settled lightly on the junk scattered across the floor. Among them was an interstellar communicator resembling a 1m obelisk.

It looked like a warehouse rarely visited by outsiders, but there was one peculiar element.

The walls and ceiling were densely covered with bizarre patterns. Not only were the patterns themselves eerie, but what was truly strange was their color.

Sometimes purple, sometimes green, sometimes golden. All kinds of colors were intertwined and glowing.

The light of the patterns begins to flow like waves.

Light that wriggles like millions of ants moving.

At its end was a curved sword.

When the light touched the blade, the warehouse darkened. This was because the patterns lost their light. Only unpleasantly shaped murals remained in the warehouse.

In the darkness, Isabelle, a Coldblood with a small stature, rose to her feet.

Having watched the scene from beginning to end, she grasped the curved sword lying on the floor.

“…The preparations are complete.”

To others, it might have appeared to be just a slightly dusty curved sword, but it looked different to her eyes.

The planned ritual was a success. Now she is like a grenade with its pin pulled. If she lets her guard down even for a moment, she’ll explode.

While she was caught in mixed feelings—relief at achieving her goal and fear of the future ahead—the basement suddenly shook violently.

“What was that?”

With the curved sword at her waist, she hurriedly left the warehouse.

The first thing she saw outside was warships flying in the bio-dome’s sky. They were heading toward the center of the water fortress.

And the destination of those numerous ships looked completely different from usual. The artificial waterfall, the fortress’s landmark, was nowhere to be seen, and most of the skyscrapers surrounding the waterfall had collapsed.

“Could it be?”

While she was focused on the ritual in the basement, the water fortress had become a battlefield.

It was very clear who had caused this situation.

‘You fool! I told you to just leave!’

Now that the ritual is complete, this city—no, this planet—cannot escape destruction.

She had made arrangements for them to leave beforehand, but she never expected this.

‘But first, before that…’

The slave district where Isabelle is located is quite far from the central area that has become a battlefield.

But no one knows when the flames of war might engulf this place. She needs to evacuate the hidden Coldblood slaves as quickly as possible.

“Where are you going?”

Just as she was about to move quickly, a voice from behind stopped her. Knowing who the voice belonged to, she froze.

The person she least wanted to meet in this situation was behind her.

“You haven’t forgotten our contract, have you?”

At the words of the being she had been communicating with daily through the Monolith, she hesitated.

She had prepared a trump card for situations like this, but there was one problem. If she used that card here, the legacy her sister left would completely evaporate.

“…I haven’t forgotten.”

In the end, Isabelle decided to wait for the right timing.

“Good. I’m glad you have a good memory.”

“……”

“Follow me. It seems that the recklessly rampaging Morph needs some proper discipline.”

“I will follow as you command.”

She obediently followed the other’s words.

The other person is skilled at dirty tricks. The fact that they remain calm despite the water fortress becoming a battlefield clearly indicates they have some scheme.

‘I don’t know what you’re thinking, but…’

This time, things won’t go according to their plan.

Just before boarding the personal aircraft, the curved sword at her waist briefly glowed.

It was similar to the eerie light that had colored the warehouse.