Ch.356Snack (3)

‘Dorane star system. We’re almost there.’

Before coming here, PS-111 told me. The planet Askha44 is the fourth closest to the red giant star ‘Olga’.

“If we’ve arrived, could you let me out?”

Just as I was about to look around, the monster’s tentacles detected the thought waves. The Sky Mother inside the mouth of the central head spoke to me.

Currently, the kids are inside my various mouths, which are divided into three. This was to travel together with everyone. Both Adhigh Orr and the Sky Mother, who are capable of faster-than-light navigation, are likewise inside my elongated snout.

[Zzzz zzzzzz (When we reach the planet)]

“…Sigh, alright.”

She was once covered in saliva by the left head that had split off as a doppelganger. The reason she didn’t come separately is because of her stamina.

After obtaining the agate-colored wings, she can use faster-than-light navigation even in Griffon form, but it consumes considerable stamina. To cross dozens or hundreds of star systems, she needs to stop in between and consume large amounts of food.

This has happened a few times before, but this is the first time she’s been trapped in my mouth for so long. That’s probably why she’s having a harder time enduring it.

‘She said she would transform into another beast before we departed.’

She can transform into a total of 4 types of beasts excluding the Griffon using her unique perk, ‘Hunter God’s Transformation Shell’.

Currently, she has unlocked three transformable beast types.

She acquired the Chimera, the beast with the greatest combat power, thanks to the help of her deceased husband, ‘Father Land’, before meeting me.

Besides that, she obtained the Wendigo and the last beast while being with me. The most recently unlocked beast specializes in flight and movement, allowing for long-duration faster-than-light navigation with minimal energy.

‘But its combat power is mediocre.’

Moreover, once she uses the Hunter God’s Transformation Shell, she cannot transform into any beast other than the Griffon for 30 days.

Right now, we’re on our way to meet a ranker. We can’t waste perks at unimportant times. She knows this fact, so she had no choice but to quietly enter my mouth.

“Does Middle Kid dislike it here?”

“Ugly friend” “Wet stuff” “Don’t like”

“Should I wipe it clean?”

“No. It’s fine, but the tentacles…”

I can feel their movements on my gums and tongue. This is in contrast to PS-111 and Isabelle in the right and left heads, who can barely move. Those two are so large they barely fit in my mouth.

‘Then let’s hurry a bit.’

I activated the psychic fusion trait ‘Dark Veil’. Dense black fog spewed from the organic pipes attached to my back, arms, and legs.

This fog consists of special substances that neutralize various detection systems. Moving under the protection of the fog allows me to avoid enemy surveillance. Seeing that no one has appeared after our arrival, it might not be necessary to use it, but better safe than sorry.

With only my head slightly exposed from the veil darker than space, I moved in search of my destination.

The ancient celestial body of overwhelming size constantly burns itself to show its presence. The mythological hearth fire that illuminates all things must refer to that old sun.

Even the star of life that has been burning for nearly an eternity is now approaching exhaustion, and the many stars that enjoyed its light are nearing their end. Some stars have become nutrients for the dying star, while others will continue to live until their final day arrives.

Being born, living, and dying is the same for both living beings and stars. Of course, the difference in scale is enormous.

‘To think I’d be able to see such a magnificent view directly.’

I moved forward, feeling the wonder of nature that could never be seen with a human body. As I flapped my wings across space, I could see planets orbiting around Olga.

‘Is that it?’

Planets that look like dust at a glance due to their infinitely small size compared to the star. Among them, I can see a planet glowing faintly with a dark red color.

‘There’s only a faster-than-light communication satellite, no surveillance satellites.’

I gradually increased my speed and approached the planet presumed to be Askha44. As I got closer to the planet, I finally saw numerous Cult warships. Judging by their movement along the planet’s orbit, they seemed to be a defense fleet.

Protected by the Dark Veil, I bypassed the fleet and entered the planet’s atmosphere.

As I reached the atmosphere, the auxiliary organs under my jaw tingled.

It wasn’t to warn me of danger. It was because the sulfur dioxide toxicity in the atmosphere and volcanic ash from constant volcanic activity were stimulating my auxiliary organs.

Soon, intense heat and pressure enveloped my body. It seems a volcano erupted at the point where I was descending.

‘This might actually be good.’

If I hide in the volcanic ejecta while descending to the surface, they won’t be able to detect me either.

I immediately deactivated the Dark Veil and flew into the volcanic ash covering the atmosphere. Volcanic bombs over tens of meters in size collided with me and shattered. My carapace surface got scratched, but it wasn’t a major injury. It was minor enough that pain reduction didn’t activate.

“What’s that banging outside?”

“Scales” “Hot”

“This smell, don’t tell me you entered an erupting volcano?”

[Zzzz zz zzzzz zzzzzz (This way the enemies won’t know)]

“…Geez.”

The creatures riding in my snout also felt the external changes and muttered.

Breaking through the black volcanic ash and the barrage of volcanic bombs, I soon approached the surface.

Like any volcanic planet, Askha44 had an environment that could only be described as hell. Everywhere I looked was filled with boiling lava, and the ground was completely black due to volcanic ash and solidified lava.

‘It’s amazing that living creatures exist even in a place like this.’

As you can see, volcanic planets have extremely harsh environments, so the specs of the creatures living there are also considerable. It’s very different from ice planets where weak and strong creatures are evenly mixed.

At that moment, I noticed a creature fleeing from the volcanic eruption.

Its name is Volkarox, a carnivorous animal that looks like a bull with three horns and skin that shines like heated bronze, walking on flowing lava without concern.

It doesn’t hold a very high position in the planetary ecosystem, but it’s not an easy opponent either. Its charge is powerful enough to easily surpass the firepower of a plasma launcher.

‘Though it’s meaningless before me right now.’

I flew over the Volkarox that was fiercely running along a river of lava with my wings fully spread. It noticed the shadow covering it and increased its speed even more.

Just as I was about to pounce on my prey, my auxiliary organs detected another creature.

A mysterious attacker emerged from the seemingly endless lava river and pounced on the Volkarox.

A hideous creature with two legs, a long tail split in two, and a mouth divided into five parts like a starfish quickly climbed onto the bronze bull monster’s back. Then it severed the Volkarox’s neck in one go with the scythe-shaped bone at the end of its tail.

“……”

The Volkarox collapsed onto the lava floor, spewing viscous blood like lava from its wound.

“Kiak! Kiaak!”

The creature that successfully hunted with skill raised its neck stiffly and howled.

Its name is Lava Raptor.

They are creatures that hide in lava and suddenly leap out to hunt prey. Their average size is between 4m and 5m, which might seem unremarkable, but that’s not what makes them fearsome.

“Kiak!”

“Kiaak!”

“Kiak!”

Hundreds of Lava Raptors nearby respond to the successful hunter’s cry with their own howls.

The true value of Lava Raptors lies in hunting in large groups. Unlike Gallergorn, which gather in groups of at most dozens, Lava Raptor packs consist of at least a hundred individuals.

Hundreds of Lava Raptors that jumped out of the lava growl at me as I float in the sky, watching them warily.

I landed on the black ground, ignoring their reactions. The impact of my enormous body touching the ground scattered volcanic gas and debris around.

“Kiaaaak!”

When the one that hunted the Volkarox roared again, the small hunters began to move. They seemed to be wary of me, whom they were seeing for the first time today, and slowly approached while maintaining a formation of encirclement.

‘Are they very hungry?’

Lava Raptors are quite intelligent, though not as much as Gallergorn. They don’t recklessly charge at enemies they can’t hunt. My current body is dozens of times larger than even the Lava Raptor leader. It’s quite surprising that they’re not running away.

‘Has something changed in the environment?’

I don’t know the reason, but an increase in prey is welcome.

I opened my three mouths wide. The Sky Mother and Adhigh Orr, who were in humanoid form, leaped out of the central mouth and spread their wings wide. No. 26 grabbed my fangs with its tentacles and immediately settled on top of my head.

“Only you would sneak in during a volcanic eruption.”

“Hot” “Burning”

“Here has many boom-booms!”

Then PS-111 and Isabelle crawled out of the left and right heads. PS-111, who jumped onto the lava, stretched out its legs that had been constantly bent. Isabelle, who had been coiled up, immediately floated in the air as soon as she came out of my snout.

“Being carried in AMorph’s mouth to a volcanic planet is a fresh experience.”

“The visible creatures are presumed to be ‘Volkarox’ and ‘Lava Raptor’. They have undergone advanced evolutionary processes to adapt to extreme environments, as confirmed.”

The Lava Raptors become agitated, realizing there’s more than one enemy.

“Kiak!”

The leader makes a crying sound to encourage the agitated pack. The creatures that were moving cautiously all leap toward us at once.

“Seeing over 200 of them, it’s quite a large pack.”

“They are creatures worth researching.”

“…Fighting as soon as we arrive.”

“Hunting” “Fun”

“Food! Food!”

Two hundred Lava Raptors should be enough to satisfy the hunger from our long journey.

It didn’t take long to deal with these snacks that rushed in without knowing any better.