Ch.401Cocoon (1)

I stared at my old nemesis from within a tank filled with specially treated chemical solution.

It had been decades since I last met Shin Bumho.

He looked quite different from how I remembered him. Not just aged, but a different species altogether. The young Cult male had now become a middle-aged researcher.

Yet I quickly accepted his transformation. Considering his perk, it wasn’t particularly surprising.

“Why are you here? Don’t tell me you’re after AMorph too?”

As far as I knew, Bumho had been the top-ranked player most dedicated to defeating AMorph in the game. Many in the community considered Bumho and AMorph fated rivals.

If Bumho and I had cooperated in this operation, we could have killed AMorph.

However, Bumho’s answer differed from my expectation.

“The Empress thought the same, but she’s wrong. I’m not here because of AMorph. I’m here to prevent you two from fighting.”

“What?”

“To be precise, that creature shouldn’t die yet.”

Hearing those words, I recalled something.

A plan he had told me about before our relationship soured.

“How foolish. That plan is impossible.”

“Nothing is impossible in the face of human will.”

“Such words sound absurd coming from your mouth.”

“I saved your life with great difficulty, and this is how you respond? Disappointing. If the Gigacracker hadn’t come, you would have been killed by that creature.”

At Bumho’s words, I gritted my newly growing teeth.

So it was Bumho, not a traitor, who had called the Gigacracker.

Of course, that doesn’t definitively rule out a traitor within the Dominants. I don’t know when Bumho infiltrated the Megacorp, but someone must have helped him.

To find out the truth, I need to capture this human outside the tank.

“Is that all you have to say?”

I have a secret technique I can use even in my weakened state. The conditions for its use are strict, which is why I couldn’t use it against AMorph, but that’s not the case now. With this ability, I can capture Bumho.

As I summoned my power, the liquid in the tank began to ripple.

“You’ve disrupted my plans. You must pay the price.”

“Disrupted? That’s rich. You always lost to that creature in the game. You can’t beat it.”

I hesitated at his continued composure.

Having worked together in the past, I know Bumho’s abilities well. The same goes for him—he knows what a formidable opponent I am.

Yet he maintains this attitude, which means he must have confidence.

“Do you think I can’t kill you?”

“Well, you could tear me apart even in your current state.”

“Knowing that, you still provoke me?”

In front of the shaking tank, Bumho calmly raised his arm. His hand touched the glass wall.

“That’s always been your problem. Do you know why you can’t beat that creature?”

“What?”

“You have many resources but lack imagination.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Bumho’s eyes began to glow purple. The purple light, as if possessing its own will, traveled down his face and slowly moved to his shoulders.

Knowing what this meant, I was shocked.

“Players can do this too? Kusotora! You deceived me!”

“To be precise, I didn’t deceive you—I just didn’t tell you.”

Seeing the light travel down his arm and seep into the glass wall, I hastily activated my ability.

My target wasn’t Bumho but myself. The liquid surrounding my body froze as if suddenly chilled. The monitors connected to the tank and the room’s lights flickered unstably.

But the purple light was just slightly faster. Before the liquid completely solidified, the light touched my body. A purple thread formed between me and Bumho.

“Environmental modification and stasis field formation? Haven’t seen that in a while.”

Bumho removed his hand, looking at the severely damaged tank that had hardened solid.

“It’ll take some time to settle in, but I expected this. I’ve prepared for everything.”

With the ‘ability’ applied, my ‘physical body’ was essentially in his hands. Bumho smiled as he watched the thread become transparent.

“Don’t worry. I’ll leave when the time comes.”

When the thread completely disappeared, Bumho’s body collapsed onto the white floor like a puppet with cut strings.

A few minutes later, he regained consciousness.

“Ugh, my head…”

Rubbing his temples and groaning, he looked somewhat awkward, unlike before he collapsed.

Slowly rising to his feet, he looked at the tank in front of him.

“Why am I here… Huh? What?”

His face, which had been dazed while looking at the tank, suddenly turned pale. He reached for the monitor with urgency.

“W-why did this suddenly happen? Who did this… Damn it!”

Seeing the dead monitor, he hurriedly left the room.

Silence returned to the white room.

In the damaged tank, purple light flickered and then disappeared.

–

[Zzzzzz zzzz zzzz (No enemies following us?)]

“No. Bad metal not follow.”

No. 26 waved its silver tentacles as it answered my question.

I made one final check since enemies might follow belatedly. Fortunately, they didn’t send any pursuit teams, probably saving their strength for next time.

‘It’s been about an hour, should we move now?’

The effects of the contaminated genes I consumed from Akira Yujin’s subordinate had long worn off. My recovery traits had returned to normal.

‘I’m worried about Adhigh Orr too.’

The symbiotic spores I planted in him are still alive, which confirms his survival. However, I can’t determine his exact condition because of the distance between us.

‘Wait, before we go…’

There’s something I need to check.

I looked down at Akira’s head, which I was holding with the small arms on my chest.

It had been fine until an hour ago, but now it wasn’t in good condition. The head carapace, which had grown hard like AMorph’s, was visibly deteriorating.

[Zzzzzz zzzzzzzz zzzzzz zzzz (You said there were no contaminated genes?)]

“Yes. From, what I, can see.”

Isabelle, whom I had asked to check, confirmed multiple times with her all-seeing eyes that no contaminated genes were visible.

The abnormal decay rate must be a characteristic of Akira’s perk—his fake body itself.

‘I should eat it before it deteriorates further.’

I had originally planned to wait until I could use the Hunt aspect. But the head’s condition is rapidly worsening. I need to consume it before it deteriorates further.

‘There’s no guarantee I’ll obtain gene essence anyway.’

What I’m holding isn’t Akira’s real body but just part of his fake body. There might not be any predation effect when I consume it.

‘It would be really disappointing if there’s no reward.’

Hoping to gain something, I tossed Akira’s head into my mouth.

When the hard head carapace hit my teeth, it made a short, sharp cracking sound like biting into candy. The contents flowed over my tongue and down my throat. A sweet and intense aroma, like chocolate, caramel, and butter melting together in a hot pan, spread throughout my mouth.

‘Hmm, the taste is definitely good…’

Just as I was about to savor the rapidly spreading taste and aroma.

A semi-transparent text box suddenly appeared before me.

“Predation Effect Activated! Successfully acquired ‘Hiveformer’ gene essence.”

“Stole biological trait ‘Hiveformer’ from ‘Akira Yujin’.”

“Apply ‘Hiveformer’?”

After confirming the text box’s contents, I almost shouted.

‘Hiveformer?’

Hiveformer is a general trait related to nests, extremely beneficial for species that can establish nests. It’s considered an almost essential trait for Outspacers who heavily depend on nests.

But this trait is extremely difficult to acquire because creatures possessing it are very rare.

‘I thought I’d only see this when attacking the solar system.’

I never expected to obtain it here through Akira’s head.

“Big baby smiling! Must be happy because it’s delicious!”

“I think, it’s for a, different reason.”

No. 26 and Isabelle were talking about me. I must have been grinning without realizing it.

I tried to calm myself and examined the text box again.

‘Even though the predation effect only appeared once, this is quite a good outcome.’

Hiveformer itself is a good trait, but what’s even better is that it’s one of the materials needed to create a unique trait.

“‘Transcendence’ Material List: Demon Machine, Tyrantroid, Destroyer Carapace, Ether Core (Not Acquired), Hiveformer (Not Acquired)”

A unique trait requiring traits obtainable from apex creatures. With this, only two materials remain.

If I acquire Hiveformer, all that’s left is the ‘Ether Core.’

‘Let’s apply it first.’

I accepted the text box’s request.

The special gene essence from outside spreads throughout my body. Cracks begin to form in the carapace protecting my organs, bones, muscles, and flesh.

Eventually, muscle fibers from inside burst through the gaps in the broken carapace and torn scales. What initially looked like hair began to intertwine and grow longer. The same thing happened all over my body except for my head, neck, and wings.

It’s as if all the muscles below the shoulders of a human had torn through the flesh, but there was no pain.

The muscle fibers that protruded and rose externally grew larger and longer, transforming into tentacle-like forms. Like what No. 26 showed during the battle with the fleet, large and small tentacles grew all over my body.

‘Not bad.’

I’ve seen AMorph with Hiveformer applied in the game many times, but this is the first time seeing it in reality. The massive body covered with small tentacle bundles resembling plant stems reminded me of a plant monster from an old monster movie I once saw, and I quite liked it.

“Wow!”

While I was inspecting my body with the new trait applied, I felt a short, intense wave from beside me. It was a wave sent by No. 26 upon seeing my completed mutation.

“Pretty! Pretty!”

It kept sending waves of admiration as it circled around me. It seemed to really like my appearance with tentacle bundles on my body.

“Big baby pretty!”

[Zzzzzz (Thank you)]

“Is that, con, sidered pretty? Am I, strange?”

I’m glad not only do I like it, but No. 26 does too. It brought out its pink fins and poked my tentacles.

“Big baby different from me but similar! That’s why I like it!”

[Zzz (Really?)]

“Yes. Soft and pretty.”

It’s just as it says. The tentacle masses on my body differ from Sea Demon’s tentacles in purpose and appearance.

Unlike Sea Demon’s tentacles with saw-like inner surfaces, mine aren’t like that at all. They’re covered with finely divided carapace pieces, making them look similar to a snake’s body or plant stems from the outside.

And I can’t express complex emotions with my tentacle masses like No. 26 can. Since they’re muscle fibers transformed into tentacles, precise control like with other body parts is impossible.

‘They have different purposes anyway.’

These tentacles created by Hiveformer can do things beyond imagination. There’s no need to be disappointed that they can’t be used for attacks.

Anyway, the mutation is now complete. I spread my wings again.

[Zzzz zzzzzzzz (Shall we go back now)]

“Yes!”

“Your, sister will, faint when she, sees you.”

Adhigh Orr, Sky Mother, PS-111. Everyone is waiting for me.

It’s time to return to the dragon’s nest.