Ch.333Legion (1)

“Insect-like bastard. I thought you were dead, but you were hiding well.”

Cult Ranker Alshas clicked her tongue.

Instead of responding, I scanned for potential threats.

‘It would be troublesome if there were other Rankers or reinforcements.’

The auxiliary organ under my jaw wriggled, collecting information floating in the air. I couldn’t sense any presence from the mansion.

Of course, I couldn’t let my guard down since they might be hiding using concealment techniques. Or they could use the Lightning God for long-range bombardment.

‘Plus, that mansion.’

There’s something strange about the mansion itself. Mixed with the faint smell of soil is an unusual scent I’ve never encountered before.

‘I need to be careful.’

Just as I’m hiding my trump cards, so is the enemy.

After quickly checking the environment, I examined the enemy’s attire.

Like Jason whom I met before, Alshas was wearing the Dragonslayer set made from a Black Gallergorn’s corpse.

However, it differed slightly from the typical configuration I knew.

The Dragonslayer set consists of an energy blade weapon called “Purification,” a tomahawk-like weapon called “Judgment,” and reinforced armor made from Gallergorn scales. Alshas was only holding two Judgments. The Purification was nowhere to be seen.

The appearance of the reinforced armor was also subtly different from what I knew. The armor she wore was designed for men.

‘Did she get it from another Ranker?’

Perhaps she received it from a faction colleague.

Other than that, there was nothing special.

‘That makes it even more suspicious.’

This situation is too favorable for me.

When fighting the Cults underground, I didn’t use my full power and concealed my strength as much as possible. I even pretended to be dead.

As the captain of the Imperial Mothership, Alshas must have been deeply involved in the subjugation operation. She would understand better than anyone what it means for me to show myself again. She probably thinks I’ve initiated an attack because I no longer need to hide.

Despite this, it’s completely irrational for her to appear before me without any preparation.

‘Does she trust Isabelle?’

I shifted my gaze to the small Coldblood standing next to Alshas.

Perhaps she made such a choice because she doesn’t know about the relationship between Isabelle and me.

It’s not my place to say, but in the game, all Rankers disliked me. From Alshas’s perspective, who knows nothing, it’s natural to believe that Isabelle would be hostile toward me.

Honestly, even Alshas would be hard-pressed to call me a good colleague, even as a pleasantry, but she would be a better opponent than me, who sees everything in terms of genetic essence. In fact, didn’t Isabelle dislike me until I brought PS-111?

However, she doesn’t know that Isabelle’s heart has already turned.

She did her best to ensure that the children and I could somehow avoid danger. She’s only here because of the unfair contract that forces her to “obey the Ranker’s orders.”

‘If I eliminate the one related to the contract, things might improve.’

Of course, that doesn’t nullify the contract itself. It won’t disappear until I forcibly terminate it by killing Voltex One.

But that’s an issue I can deal with later. Right now, I need to remove Alshas in front of Isabelle first. Only then can I move more freely than now.

“A morph and a pet. What an unbelievable combination. Did you suddenly develop some humanity?”

At that moment, Alshas’s mocking voice broke the silence. Despite knowing I’m not an easy opponent, she showed no sign of tension.

I wonder what kind of card she’s hiding that makes her so confident.

‘Further analysis is meaningless.’

It will become clear once I attack directly.

“If you have a pet, dialogue might be poss—”

I struck her with an infection tentacle. She hurriedly raised the axes she was holding mid-sentence.

The two Judgments crossed in an X-shape and collided with the appendages of the advancing tentacle. Due to the extreme size difference, Alshas was lifted into the air from the impact.

As she flew with her posture broken, another infection tentacle quickly approached her. The sharp appendage at the end of the tentacle slightly cut her ankle.

“What?!”

Alshas’s face was filled with bewilderment. She must have found it strange that her body suddenly wouldn’t move as she wanted.

‘Good.’

When I cut her ankle, I activated the unique characteristic I had thoroughly hidden until now. The characteristic called “Medusa Organ,” which turns enemies into quartz statues upon contact.

Rapidly crystallizing up to her knees, she crashed into the garden behind her. I unleashed all my remaining tentacles to attack her.

“……”

With more than half of her body turned to stone, she couldn’t even groan. The head on my left side opened its maw and swallowed her whole.

‘It’s over.’

I can feel her body passing through the long neck and being digested. Since I’ve eaten a Ranker, I should get either a perk or a characteristic. I waited for the text box to appear.

‘Huh?’

But there was no response even after waiting.

Sensing something was wrong, I looked at Isabelle. Her expression was identical to when she was standing next to Alshas. There was no sense of relief at all.

‘What is this?’

“You crazy bastard, attacking without warning.”

At that moment, a familiar voice came from inside the mansion. The owner of the voice slowly walked out from the entrance.

‘She’s not dead?’

The being that emerged from the mansion was Alshas, whom I had just devoured. From her face and voice to the equipment she wore, everything was completely identical.

“As expected, the Empress was right. You’re beyond dialogue.”

‘What’s going on? It’s not a Tuner since she’s not wearing one.’

A “Tuner” would give the user teleportation abilities in times of crisis, but that’s not it. I confirmed with my own eyes that she wasn’t wearing anything on her head.

Moreover, her corpse was completely digested in my stomach. There was no sign of her disappearing or anything unusual during the process.

Therefore, the Alshas in front of me only looks identical to the one I ate, but is a different being.

‘It’s strange to consider her a clone.’

It’s also odd to see her as a newly awakened clone. The body might be explained, but the male reinforced armor and the two Judgments being replicated doesn’t make sense.

There were psychic techniques in the game that could create doppelgangers, but not this natural. It might be a technique I don’t know about, but if so, the Cult Rankers I fought would have used it too.

Then there’s only one answer.

‘Her perk.’

Every Ranker I’ve fought so far had perks that didn’t exist in the game.

I suspect that Alshas’s perk might be creating identical copies of herself like this.

‘If my guess is correct, then this one too…’

Is likely not the real one. The original who created the copy is probably in another location.

‘This has become troublesome.’

I thought it was strange how confidently she appeared, but she was playing this trick.

“It seems your perk is to clone yourself.”

When I spoke with Robetz’s voice, Alshas snorted.

“Ha, I thought you were mute since you’ve been keeping quiet all this time.”

The power to create identical doppelgangers. It’s quite a coveted ability. That’s one more reason why she needs to die.

‘Before finding the original, I should check the capabilities of the copy first.’

“That attack was unexpected. Well, to be precise, I expected it, but it was much faster than anticipated.”

As I remained still without attacking, Alshas evaluated me. Only someone confident they won’t be in danger could show such composure.

‘Muscle movement, heartbeat, and even the condition of the armor. Completely identical.’

“You morph, you’re probably wondering about this right now. You’re thinking, even if Isabelle and I cooperate, we can’t defeat you, so what’s my confidence based on?”

After saying that, she gestured to Isabelle.

For a brief moment, I made eye contact with Isabelle. Her eyes contained many emotions: apology, resentment, and even concern.

After conveying various emotions to me, she turned her gaze away and stood behind Alshas.

“Do you know why humans are the lords of all creation? Because they overcome obstacles by cooperating with each other.”

With her words, the ground shook violently. Simultaneously, I felt an overwhelming energy that made my auxiliary organs tingle.

Something was rapidly rising from underground to the surface.

“Empress. Please help us.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the old mansion exploded.

[Zzz zzz zzzz (Everyone be careful)]

I spread my wings wide and quickly gained altitude. In a split second, dozens of stakes about 3 meters long flew and pierced the membrane of my wings.

「Big one! Are you okay?」

The pain from the injury struck my mind, but that’s not what’s important right now.

The being that launched the stakes at me is crawling out of the ground. Perhaps rather than crawling out, it would be more accurate to say it’s emerging by lifting the ground.

That’s because the size of the being rising from the ground easily exceeded 30 meters. A giant monster resembling a rhinoceros beetle but equipped with multiple bio-cannons on its back. The debris from the collapsed mansion fell into the hole created by its emergence.

「Great One」「Enemy」「Be careful」

“Multiple life forms detected. Please be careful.”

In the area below my feet, and throughout the entire city, similar creatures were revealing themselves on the ground.

「AMorph, could that be…」

[Zz (Yes)]

The Sky Mother, flying beside me, is shocked at the monsters emerging everywhere.

I completely understand her feelings.

I didn’t expect to see them in Cult territory either.

And then, a being appeared that confirmed our thoughts.

From the hole where the mansion once stood, a massive creature with hundreds of eyes emerged. This being, with its countless sensory organs, carried Alshas and Isabelle on its body before rising into the air.

“It’s truly regrettable to sacrifice Beryan02, but since the Empress strongly desires it, there’s no choice.”

「’■■’ ■ ■■. Friend■ ■■ ‘■■■’ ■ kill ■■.」

“I know. I know. Let’s begin then.”

As Alshas finished speaking, they appeared from the hole.

Thousands of monsters, about 5 meters in size, resembling a mix of hornets, snakes, and scorpions, all flew up into the sky at once. The sky of the collapsed dome was instantly filled with the noisy sound of flapping wings.

While the flying monsters surrounded me, the 30-meter giant monsters on the ground aimed their bio-cannons at me.

These monsters have no names.

Because individuals have no meaning to them.

The many existing for the one.

Beings from a completely different place, not this universe.

The Outspacer legion summoned by Alshas descended upon me.