Ch.342Twins (1)

‘Huh?!’

Alshas opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was a white ceiling. The design of neatly arranged marble blocks gave off an elegant atmosphere.

But she couldn’t appreciate its beauty at all because of the terrible stench coming from somewhere.

‘Wh-where am I?’

She tried to turn her head to check her surroundings, but her body wouldn’t move. She had no sensation throughout her body and could barely blink her eyes.

‘Come to think of it, I…’

She recalled what had happened before she lost consciousness.

When she encountered the AMorph, she used “Simulacrum” without a moment’s hesitation. Her intention was to buy time with the duplicate while she escaped.

But before the duplicate could even be completed, something unknown pricked the back of her neck. By the time she felt the sting, she had already collapsed on the airship floor.

Given her current physical state, it seemed she had been hit with some kind of paralyzing poison. The creature must have moved her to this room after she collapsed.

‘…I need to recover quickly.’

She didn’t know why it had kept her alive, but this was the notorious AMorph. If she didn’t hurry to regain sensation in her body, who knows what would happen to her.

“Are you awake?”

Just then, a woman’s voice reached her ears. It was a voice that felt familiar yet strangely different.

‘Who is it?’

“I am PS-111. I serve the main controller ‘Sea Demon’ and the sub-controller ‘AMorph’.”

‘AMorph? Wait, how did you know what I was thinking?’

“AMorph told me. The test subject has the ability to create duplicates with her voice. That’s why we made it so you can’t speak.”

‘What?’

“But don’t worry. I can read all of the test subject’s thoughts.”

The activation condition for Simulacrum was to draw blood from her hand and then speak a command word to that blood.

From what this unidentified voice was saying, it seemed they didn’t know about the blood requirement.

But if she thought about that, the other party would find out, so she quickly thought of something else.

‘Where is this place?’

“This is the ‘Gigacracker’ built by Megacorp Noble Capital Saintkay. I manage it under the sub-controller’s command.”

‘…Gigacracker?’

“Yes. For your reference, this is a modification factory. It was created by integrating unnecessary facilities.”

If that was true, escape would be very difficult. The AMorph, having obtained a superweapon, wouldn’t be careless with security.

The one fortunate thing was that the owner of the familiar voice answered her questions readily. If she could trick them well, she might be able to escape safely.

‘PS-111. Could you help me? I’m an innocent person. That fight with AMorph wasn’t something I wanted. It was all set up by those above me.’

“Is that so?”

‘Yes. Since you can read my thoughts, you know my words are true, right?’

Whether in reality or in this world, she was skilled at deceiving others. Managing her own thoughts was a simple task for her.

“Based on physical responses, it is not confirmed as a lie.”

After a moment of silence, the other party affirmed. Gaining confidence, she immediately got to the point.

‘You don’t need to help me with much. Just one thing, tell me where the hangar is. I’ll take care of the rest myself.’

“The hangar is at the end of corridor 51.”

‘Thank you! You’re really kind!’

“Thank you for the compliment.”

Now that she knew where the hangar was, the rest would be easy. Once her paralyzed body recovered, she could subdue the opponent and run straight there.

As she was trying to hide her joy at finding hope, the other’s voice continued.

“But even if you know the location, you can’t go there.”

‘Pardon?’

“Because the test subject’s body is not suitable for movement.”

For a warning against escape, the content was peculiar.

Usually, if someone captures you and you try to escape, they would threaten to kill you or warn you not to go because it’s dangerous. It’s rare to say don’t go because you’re not suitable for movement.

Moreover, this person has been calling her a test subject all along.

“Come to think of it, in your current state, it’s impossible for the test subject to check her own body. I’ll help you.”

As soon as the other finished speaking, there was a sound of metal friction, and her field of vision moved. The bed she had been lying on was raised like a chair.

Thanks to that, she could clearly see where she was. And also where the terrible stench that had been bothering her was coming from.

In the space surrounding her, only the ceiling could possibly be described as clean. The walls were exposed with steel frames and wires like a building with incomplete interior work, and the floor was littered with large and small machines and equipment connected by cables.

On top of those machines were Cult corpses and unidentifiable black chunks of meat. Below them, pools of red blood and black liquid had collected.

‘Wh-what is all this?!’

“To create a new body for ‘little sister,’ a considerable amount of organic matter is needed, but the Gigacracker doesn’t have cultivation facilities. Those are organic materials that AMorph has supplied.”

The other answered as if responding to her question.

“But when it came time to transplant little sister’s brain, fresh organic material couldn’t be obtained. There were frozen test subjects, but that wasn’t enough.”

Then the owner of the voice revealed itself.

‘!’

On the bloody slaughterhouse stood a spider with a human woman’s head and several metal legs. The creature was carefully holding something with its legs that had exposed bones.

“So I reused the organic material that makes up my body to create a temporary body capable of minimal life activity.”

What the monster that introduced itself as PS-111 was holding was another ‘monster.’

A face that was a mixture of human, Coldblood, and machine parts, and below it, an elongated body made by connecting Cult body parts. If the entity talking to her was a spider with a human head, that monster was closer to a centipede with randomly attached sentient parts.

‘A monster made by binding sentient beings together? Could it be?’

She finally realized what the entity she had been talking to was.

There is only one chimera of biology and machinery in Space Survival. Star Union’s cursed bio-weapon, the Screamer.

“There is an error in your thinking, so I will correct it. Little sister is not a monster. Now that all the necessary materials have been gathered, she will be completed with the most superior and efficient body.”

After saying that, PS-111 pulled out a hand mirror from blood-soaked clothing. And reflected Alshas’s appearance in that mirror.

‘Huh?’

“The test subject’s arms, legs, and various organs were used for the manufacture and testing of little sister’s body.”

Seeing her reflection in the mirror, she felt her blood run cold.

On the chair-like bed was a Cult with only a head and torso remaining.

Arms, legs, enchanting silver hair, all gone. Cables and wires were embedded in her head, and a thick oxygen tube was inserted into her neck.

That Cult in such a miserable state was Alshas herself.

“AMorph said that as long as you don’t die, even if only your head remains, the rest can be used as I please.”

‘Wait, wait a minute!’

“Currently, the arms are used for this part, and the legs for this part here. The compatibility is excellent, so next I will extract the organ parts.”

PS-111 kindly explained, pointing to various parts of the monstrous body with its sharp hook-like claws.

Seeing this, she immediately understood what it was trying to do. The monster intended to use her as material for that Screamer.

‘N-no! I don’t want to become a Screamer!’

“I will only use your body, and AMorph will consume your brain and head, so you don’t need to worry.”

‘Then just kill me instead! I don’t want to live as a slave forever!’

Alshas begged, tears and snot streaming down her face.

PS-111 carefully put down the upper body of its artificial life form and approached her. It bent its massive body and brought its face, covered with pale metallic skin, close to hers.

“AMorph said. The reason little sister’s body is collapsing due to an unidentified virus is because of the test subject, no, because of you.”

‘Be-because of me? What on earth did I do!’

Alshas didn’t know who the monster was referring to as its little sister. She felt only injustice, not knowing why she had to suffer like this.

But PS-111 had no intention of explaining in detail. The monster put down the mirror and raised its hook-like claws.

“You don’t need to know. The explanation ends here, and we will move on to the next step.”

‘N-next step? Eek?!’

“Thanks to the neurotoxin I injected, there will be no pain.”

Even as her body was being dismantled alive, Alshas’s eyes continued to tremble.

Only the red camera lens, PS-111’s eye, watched her silent screams.

–

“Bouncy bouncy delicious!”

“Taste” “Unique” “First time” “Eating”

“I never imagined Voltex One would taste like this.”

Three monsters were having a cozy meal conversation above the hangar.

In front of them lay the enormous corpse of Voltex One.

“Big kid would like it too.”

“Agree” “Big elder” “Likes” “Food”

“He’s tired, so it’s better to leave him alone for now.”

The griffon with golden fur turned its head, appeasing the other two monsters.

Where its amber eyes were directed, a beast as massive as the corpse in front of them was lying down.

A space monster that had defeated one of the demons of space, the “Ring of Agony.”

AMorph, beloved by Sea Demon and Red Gallergorn, was now in a deep sleep.

‘Well, it was tough.’

Despite being covered in wounds from the battle with a formidable opponent, he couldn’t rest right away.

That was because there was an urgent matter that required his help.

At Beryan02, he sent PS-111 to the Gigacracker first to save the rank 22 Isabelle. Then he sent her to use the Gigacracker as a joker.

Thanks to AMorph, she returned to the Gigacracker and first checked on PS-111 and Isabelle’s situation.

And she realized that AMorph’s predictions were quite off.

‘To think organic material would run out.’

Since the Gigacracker was not a research vessel, there was no separate cell cultivation facility on board. Still, AMorph wasn’t particularly worried because there were quite a few corpses stored – No. 26, Adhigh, and the crew members she had hunted.

But according to PS-111, human corpses alone were not enough to create a suitable body for Isabelle. Apparently, various genes needed to be mixed and complemented for a mutant Screamer to function properly.

Come to think of it, she had heard from AMorph before. The rankers who created mutant Screamers also went through many trials and errors.

Because of that, by the time she arrived at the Gigacracker, PS-111 had already torn off parts of its own body to create Isabelle’s body. Thanks to its sacrifice, Isabelle was able to overcome a major crisis.

‘I’m not sure if “overcoming a crisis” is the right expression.’

Isabelle’s former body had completely collapsed due to the aftermath of summoning Voltex One. What PS-111 saved were only her twin sister’s brain, eyes, and a very few other organs. Of course, it was thanks to its quick response that even those parts could be preserved.

According to it, the damage to the brain was somehow prevented, so there shouldn’t be any problems with intelligence when she is resurrected in a new body.

In fact, that was the problem.

Even if she is resurrected in a new body in that state, aside from whether she should be considered Isabelle, the question is whether she can adapt well to the new body. She might resent PS-111 for resurrecting her as a monster.

‘Still…’

One must be alive to hate someone, or to resolve that hatred.

It would be a waste to let her go like this. She, who has worked hard for her sister, deserves to enjoy happiness with her family.

Anyway, since they needed to quickly obtain a large number of corpses, she informed AMorph of this fact as soon as the Ring of Agony died. He also recognized the urgency of the situation and moved immediately.

‘But I didn’t expect him to suggest using Voltex One’s corpse.’

As soon as he heard her words, he tore off part of Voltex One’s corpse and moved it to the hangar. The reason was that Voltex One’s corpse would help create Isabelle’s new body.

‘Plus, he said I would need it too.’

As AMorph said, there is an item among Volf-exclusive equipment that requires Voltex One’s flesh as material. If she obtains that equipment, she can get an effect similar to raising her Incarnate stage by half a level.

‘He’s subtly caring.’

Though he says it’s insurance, both he and she know well that he doesn’t really think that way.

‘Well, bringing a ton of Cult corpses afterward was a bit much.’

The next thing he brought after Voltex One’s corpse was the Cult corpses from the monitoring station.

Due to the aftermath of the battle between AMorph and the Ring of Agony, there were tremendous casualties inside the monitoring station. He filled his intact arms and tentacles with corpses and dumped them in the hangar. Most were Cults, but there were quite a few slaves mixed in, which satisfied PS-111.

After bringing a lot of corpses, he returned to his original form. Though the enhancement effect had ended, surprisingly, he didn’t collapse immediately as expected.

That was because Alshas still remained.

He used AMorph’s unique hyper-sense to find an airship wandering around the monitoring station and brought it back. Alshas, who was inside, tried to escape somehow but failed.

‘If she had fought with determination, it would have been quite troublesome.’

The panicked one ended up being caught by PS-111, who came to collect corpses. AMorph entrusted Alshas’s treatment to PS-111 and soon fell into sleep.

Since he fell asleep, she took care of the remaining cleanup.

The 40 Coldblood slaves and MPS-05 that Isabelle had saved. Their airship was orbiting Beryan02, so they had to be brought back.

It wasn’t a particularly difficult task, so it was quickly completed, and the Coldbloods are currently resting in the crew quarters that were used by the Gigacracker’s crew.

After all that was done, they left the Aur star system. The Gigacracker, which moved via FTL navigation, is currently wandering in an ownerless star system.

‘Come to think of it, I should also think about the treatment of the slaves.’

The battle is over, but there’s still a mountain of things to do. She glanced at AMorph, who was sleeping like the dead.

‘I can think about it later.’

The rest can be discussed when he wakes up.

‘Discussing with AMorph. If this were a game, I would have thought I was crazy.’

“Ugly friend” “Big elder” “Why” “Looking?”

“Huh?”

“You’ve been” “Staring” “For a while”

“Huh? Oh, well…”

Due to the unexpected question, embarrassment tinged her thoughts.

“Ugly friend” “Big elder” “Bothers you?”

“Bothers? Me? That’s absurd. Why would I be bothered by that Morph… I mean, him?”

“Middle kid also worried about big kid? Bothered?”

“No. Not at all.”

“Really? Really really?”

“Emotion” “Suspicious” “Suspicious”

The creatures, who usually quarreled over trivial matters, were strangely in sync.

“Uh, that’s not it. Actually, I think b-big kid is hungry.”

“Big elder” “Certainly” “Used” “Much” “Power” “Probably” “Hungry?”

“That’s right! He was like this before too!”

She shot out any random thought that came to mind, and surprisingly, it worked.

“Let’s cut some delicious bouncy bouncy for him!”

“Agree” “Eating” “Makes” “Stronger”

The two monsters stopped interrogating her and prepared to feed AMorph some Voltex One meat.

‘Phew.’

Seeing this, she let out a small sigh and took a bite of Voltex One’s flesh.

The taste of the meat that the griffon with amber eyes experienced was that of rich chocolate.