Ch.340Vortex One (4)

Two Imperial Motherships were firing at the ‘Ring of Agony’.

One was likely Alshas’s mothership, ‘Defender of Beryan02’, while the other was presumed to be an Imperial Mothership protecting another planet.

Normally, when an Imperial Mothership moves, a mothership fleet is always mobilized, but now there were only a few destroyers. This was because when fighting at Beryan02, Alshas had included the mothership fleet in the Surveillance Bureau’s elite fleet.

It was likely intended to help in attacking me, but it ultimately became a bad move. The elite fleet and mothership fleet were destroyed by the Black Devourer Cannon. Additionally, the Imperial Motherships deployed alongside them also disappeared.

Since his strategy failed, these two Imperial Motherships were the last line of defense. If those ships were destroyed, the Aur star system would become no man’s land.

‘So far, everything is going according to plan.’

While the Imperial Motherships were buying time against Voltex One, I checked my evolved body.

This wasn’t the first time I’d used the Hunter’s Aspect since becoming an Adult.

I had used it several times when visiting the dragon’s nest where Adhigh’s kin had migrated. At that time, I utilized the Hunter’s Aspect to implant characteristics into the mini-screamers created by PS-111.

‘But this is the first time I’m using it against a powerful enemy.’

Moreover, it’s been a long time since I transformed specifically to use it in combat. Every time before, I used the Hunter’s Aspect to permanently acquire characteristics.

‘So I should check my body condition once.’

Starting with the head, as before, my eyes disappeared and the auxiliary organs under my jaw improved. The central head, like the right and left heads, had carapace covering where eyes would be, with sharp horns growing above.

The auxiliary organs under the jaw were no longer thin tentacles but had become structures protected by sharp blade-shaped bones like fangs on either side of the mouth.

The back head carapace and horns had grown incomparably larger than before. According to the sensations through my auxiliary organs, the carapace and horns were mixed together in a wildly protruding form.

The side heads, which had been simpler in form compared to the central head, had become more elaborate and ferocious.

Another major difference was that the skull shape and oral structure of all three heads had changed. The jaws, similar to those of snakes or alligators, had transformed to resemble my Subadult-stage mouth.

Of course, they weren’t exactly the same. A second jaw had formed inside the lower jaw.

“Grrrr”

When I opened my mouth, the second jaw located between the jaw and throat—the pharyngeal jaw—shot out. The tentacle-shaped tongue that had appeared with the ‘Reaper’s Jaw’ characteristic had been replaced with a jaw.

It’s as if I’d not just borrowed the motif but had physically become closer to a true Al*en.

‘Though it’s closer to a moray eel.’

Looking at the rest of my body, it had become generally more massive, like my head. My body length without any enhancement effects was only 60m, but now it easily exceeded 100m.

Besides the body enlargement and disappearance of eyes, there was still one more trademark of the Hunter’s Aspect.

The bone scythe arms on my back.

Until now, the bone scythe arms emerged from around what would be the shoulder blade area in humans. This made it convenient to attack when biting prey with my mouth or during tests of strength.

But perhaps because my body structure changed when I became an Adult, the location where the bone scythe arms emerged had changed.

Instead of from my back, the bone scythe arms protruded from near my waist, below my combat arms. They had grown so long that they were almost the same length as my ‘normal wing arms’.

I specifically say ‘normal wing arms’ because my wings had become even more massive in the Hunter’s Aspect state.

Enormous wings that hardly seemed like parts of my body swayed above the black sea. The inner membrane of the wings featured prominent red wave patterns that resembled constellations in the night sky.

As my head, arms, and other parts had generally all grown larger, my muscles had also increased tremendously.

Although my length had increased about twofold from normal, my body had become so thick that proportionally there wasn’t much difference.

‘This overflowing power, I like it.’

“Big One” “Horns” “Many” “Very” “Big” “Indeed” “Cool”

“Big baby is cute.”

The two were seeing my transformation from Adult to Hunter’s Aspect for the first time.

“Deny” “Cool thing” “Cute thing” “Different”

“Cool and cute!”

“That” “Agree”

Adhigh, as always, made an assessment based on Gallergorn instinct. No. 26, on the other hand, gave an unexpected evaluation.

‘Cute, huh? Is it because of this mouth shape?’

I suspect it’s because of my moray eel-like snout. If you go to the deep sea, you can find creatures with oral structures similar to mine. Perhaps seeing my transformed head reminded her of animals she had seen in her homeland.

‘Well, never mind that. My body is fine.’

After a brief inspection, I raised my head.

Now it’s time to hunt the demon.

I spread my wings wide and flapped them greatly. The energy emitted by my wings helped my body move easily even in the zero-gravity space of the universe.

My body moved as fast as a full-speed battleship. Adhigh and No. 26 followed closely behind me.

While I was evolving, the Ring of Agony and the Imperial Motherships were in the midst of battle. The destroyers had already been annihilated, and only the Imperial Motherships remained, fighting desperately.

When we appeared, one Imperial Mothership turned some of its secondary armament, the ‘Black Cannon’, toward me. The other Imperial Mothership followed suit, preparing to attack me.

The Black Cannon, with only eight turrets installed per Imperial Mothership, is a powerful weapon, though weaker than the Cosmic Bolt.

The Black Cannon has two modes: a black heat ray for facing few enemies, and a sphere that forms an artificial black hole for fighting fleets.

Both use dark matter as an energy source, like the Cosmic Bolt, making their power far exceed that of ordinary battleships.

Soon, four fleet-targeting Black Cannons spewed fire. Black heat rays, reminiscent of black holes, flew toward me to incinerate me.

‘Of course, it’s useless if they don’t hit.’

During flight, I folded my wings at the right moment. The four streams of black heat rays that flew to surround me brushed over my body by a hair’s breadth.

Adhigh, following behind, also skillfully avoided the heat rays by freely changing his trajectory.

Meanwhile, other Black Cannons were pouring fire at the Ring of Agony.

“-“

Arms burning from heat rays clap in silent applause.

Its firepower is more than doubled when in the figure-eight twisted form compared to the regular ring form. This is true even now, with only half of its original body summoned.

As its gravity-manipulating power is exerted, the space warps like paper. The power that distorts the physical laws of reality spreads and reaches the Defender of Beryan02.

The Imperial Mothership begins to twist like a pretzel from its end, completely ignoring the thick armor and shield created by the mothership.

Seeing this, the other Imperial Mothership stopped firing at me and concentrated all its Black Cannons on Voltex One. Cracks formed in the smooth ship exterior, like a cut diamond, and corners opened. Turrets emerged from inside and fired black spheres—black hole shells.

“-“

The Ring of Agony claps again.

The black spheres stopped in the middle of space as if blocked by an invisible wall. The space around the spheres distorted, and all light was sucked in.

Firing black hole shells at Voltex One, who can manipulate gravity—it wasn’t a wise decision.

The black hole shells, which create small black holes, cannot distinguish between friend and foe. The unnamed Imperial Mothership that had come to save its comrade was caught in its own weapon. The massive hull rapidly contracted and soon disappeared into the abyss of space.

Meanwhile, I approached the Ring of Agony and swung my combat arms and bone scythe arms.

The bone scythes, cold as starlight in space, tore apart the arms covering the ring. And with my three heads, each with double jaws, I bit into it mercilessly.

Flesh made from the fusion of organic matter and energy seeps into my body. My excellent AMorph digestive system absorbed Voltex One’s flesh and converted it into nutrients.

It also recognized that I had grown stronger than before and immediately responded. As the surface arms crossed in an X, numerous energy bullets struck my body.

‘Energy bullets, huh.’

If it had created anti-buoyancy to push me away instead, the damage would have been less.

My body, hit by a rain of death at close range, quickly became tattered, but my strength actually increased.

And my body size too.

My heads and arms embedded in its body grew rapidly due to the Tyrantroid effect. From its perspective, it must have felt like dozens of hemostatic sponges stuffed into a wound.

This was clearly a different dimension of pain, as its movement momentarily stopped. I shook my heads embedded in the ring’s body, stirring up its insides.

While it couldn’t move, I had something to do.

‘Where is the core?’

Voltex One, a being that transcends ordinary creatures, has no digestive organs like limbs or intestines.

However, organs necessary for maintaining and operating the body, like the heart or brain, do exist. It’s an organ called the ‘Abyssal Core’—destroying it kills the summoned Voltex One.

For an AMorph to steal Voltex One’s genetic essence, this Abyssal Core must be devoured.

“–“

It realized I was searching for the core. Anti-buoyancy generated with the clasping of arms struck my body. But I wasn’t helplessly pushed away like before.

My arms and heads were embedded in its body, acting as anchors. Since anti-buoyancy doesn’t affect the interior, I could hold on.

“Pain reduction activated!”

“Pain reduction activated!”

Of course, I could only endure, not offset the impact. Wounds from energy bullets opened wide, and thick carapace shattered completely.

After the carapace broke, muscles and bones were next. Due to the anti-buoyancy created by Voltex One, exposed muscles tore and bones broke. Fountains of blood from my body filled the zero-gravity space.

‘…How persistent!’

It’s a formidable power even when just using self-protection abilities. If gravity manipulation is added, even I wouldn’t be safe.

It seemed to have similar thoughts, as it brought its hands together to clap.

At that moment, its body shook slightly. The Defender of Beryan02, not completely sunk, had attacked it.

“—-“

Its arms, about to clap, crossed in an X instead. It intended to deal with the less troublesome enemy, the Imperial Mothership, before killing me.

After the arms changed position, I felt an intense but short wavelength. After that, I could no longer sense the Imperial Mothership’s presence.

“-“

Having sunk the Imperial Mothership, it tries to change position. The moment those numerous palms meet each other, my body will be completely crushed.

But I and the Imperial Mothership aren’t the only ones here.

Its body suddenly trembles. Adhigh, carrying No. 26 on his back, has flown in and pierced through it.

The arms move to eliminate the annoying enemies clinging to it.

‘Is that even possible?’

No. 26, who can create shields that block anything, and Adhigh, who can protect himself with Red Armor. Even Voltex One can’t easily kill those two.

And finally, my auxiliary organs detected something alien. A large organic mass, about 10m in size, is nearby.

‘The Abyssal Core!’

Having confirmed the core’s location, I pulled out corrosive tentacles from my back. Then I used the tentacles to tear at the ring’s surface where the core was located.

“—–“

Realizing the core had been discovered, it took a new posture. All arms extended forward with clenched fists.

Then the halved figure-eight body broke into pieces. Like a lizard cutting off its tail in danger, it detached the parts where my heads and arms were embedded.

‘I expected that.’

Although the part containing the core moved away, this too was part of my plan.

The broken ring parts rejoined, returning to the half-remaining figure-eight form of the Ring of Agony. Having detached part of its body because of me, it was now smaller than before.

With my head still buried in the abandoned body part, I prepared my next card.

The creature, having reformed its body far from me, moves to finish me off.

Just before it claps, a wavelength from somewhere reaches the tip of my monster’s tentacle.

“Wow! The new home is coming!”

“Not” “Here yet”

‘Finally, it’s here!’

The new home No. 26 speaks of.

There’s only one thing that could be called a new home for her.

In the middle of empty space, blue light concentrates. Tearing through the light, a structure with enormous mass appears.

The Megacorp’s 2km-diameter super weapon, the Gigacracker.

When sending off the Sky Mother from Beryan02, I had made a request.

To bring the Gigacracker once the dangerous elements in the Aur star system were mostly cleared.

Now, with the Imperial Motherships annihilated, the super weapon carrying the Sky Mother, PS-111, and Isabelle has appeared here.