Ch.40Conspiracy (1)

In the world of Space Survival, there exist over thousands of known non-playable species.

While this might seem small considering there are hundreds of planets for players to explore, it’s relatively numerous compared to other online games.

Species in the game have unique habits adapted to their habitats. Since they reflect the behaviors of wild animals living in similar ecosystems, they give the impression of being real creatures.

For intelligent NPCs, they’re modeled after specific cultures so players can experience a high level of realism.

However, since Space Survival is still a game, not everything is realistic, and exceptions exist.

Take Gallergorn, for instance.

Modeled after mythical dragons, Gallergorn exhibits habits quite different from ordinary creatures in many aspects.

Behaviors like collecting treasures and artifacts in their nests or destroying nearby cities with powerful psychic powers are far from normal animal instincts.

Among these alien characteristics of Gallergorn is their persistent affection for their young and kin.

Rather than acting independently, Gallergorn form packs similar to lions and live together.

A Gallergorn pack typically consists of one male and seven to eight female Gallergorn, with the weakest member, the Blue Gallergorn, receiving protection from the entire group.

This setting is implemented in-game as a unique characteristic of Blue Gallergorn.

Namely, summoning their kin.

According to the lore, Gallergorn are mentally connected through their unique psychic power, allowing them to call each other no matter how far apart they are.

In the game, this setting is expressed as a summoning skill, enabling Blue Gallergorn to arbitrarily summon members of their pack.

As a result, while Blue Gallergorn themselves are very weak, they’re considered very tricky prey because you have to face them alongside other Gallergorn.

One might think high-ranked players would appreciate easily catching the hard-to-find Gallergorn, but the kin summoned by Blue Gallergorn are treated as summons rather than actual creatures, so they don’t yield items or traits.

‘Actually, that’s why people hunt Green Gallergorn or White Gallergorn above Blue Gallergorn.’

Starting from Green Gallergorn, which corresponds to Morphlet in AMorph terms, the summoning trait disappears.

Of course, they’re by no means easy opponents, but they’re much better than fighting a swarm of other Gallergorn.

Anyway, according to the game’s lore, I’m currently in a very serious danger.

Because the creature sleeping before me is unmistakably a Blue Gallergorn.

‘But it’s quite small.’

Blue Gallergorn are at least 2m in size, but this one is barely over 50cm.

It’s so small that someone unfamiliar with the Gallergorn species might mistake it for a Fairywing.

‘Forget the mistake, how was it caught?’

Even as a Juvenile, capturing this alive would be absolutely impossible for me.

‘…There’s something I don’t know.’

Blue Gallergorn aren’t creatures that can be smuggled by ordinary criminals.

Unless they’re helped by upper cartels of Space Dog, or forces at Prime Capital level or above from Megacorp.

‘Is there a force trying to destroy the Special Trade Center?’

A pack of Gallergorn could easily destroy this place, the T&C Special Trade Center.

A space fortress with a large fleet stationed might be able to defend itself, but this place doesn’t have particularly strong military power. The defense fleet here can’t stop enraged Gallergorn.

I called Sander to understand the situation better.

“…You called for me?”

“Do you know what kind of creature this is?”

“Isn’t it a Fairywing?”

I asked in the voice of the man next door, but Sander seemed unaware of any issue.

‘Since Gallergorn are rare creatures, he might not know.’

Even in the game, only a minority of upper-tier players directly encounter them, while lower-tier users only see them through screenshots or videos posted on community sites.

This is reality, so most people probably don’t know about Gallergorn’s existence.

“Who smuggled this creature?”

“Oh, from my memory, it was Jade? Jade Russell.”

“Russell?”

“Yes. He was in the detention cell, but I heard he escaped shortly after.”

Russell. The name sounds familiar, like I’ve heard it somewhere.

‘Ah.’

After pondering briefly, I remembered where I’d heard that surname.

‘Arnold Russell.’

He was Siheyon Yujin’s henchman and the crisis management team leader on Eusung’s research ship.

Siheyon Yujin, who fought against me, had Gallergorn’s claw traits thanks to White Gallergorn gene implantation.

She wouldn’t have directly raised Gallergorn, so her forces must know the location of Gallergorn habitats or nests.

If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be particularly difficult for her subordinate to smuggle in a Gallergorn.

This means a henchman of House Yugin from Noble Capital was trying to attack a city of House T&C from the same tier.

‘This scene looks familiar.’

I’ve often experienced similar situations in the game.

The event Megacorp players look forward to the most.

‘Civil war.’

According to the setting, Megacorp is ruled by seven giant houses.

The five houses belonging to Noble Capital and the two houses belonging to Prime Capital compete to become the sole ruler, occasionally engaging in bloody battles involving force.

“Is there a festival in this city?”

“Pardon? Are you perhaps referring to the board meeting…?”

“Board meeting?”

“Yes. Prime Capital directors will gather to decide the next Megacorp CEO. There are 23 days left from today until the board meeting.”

Hearing Sander’s words, I could guess what was happening.

Megacorp’s supreme leader is determined by election. The five major houses of Noble Capital nominate candidates, and the directors of the two major houses of Prime Capital vote.

In the game, Megacorp players strive to have their house produce the CEO because it brings enormous benefits.

‘Or they work to prevent the opponent from becoming a CEO candidate.’

If it happens in the game, how much more so in reality?

Siheyon Yujin probably had her subordinate smuggle the Gallergorn before the board meeting was announced. She likely planned to kill the Gallergorn to coincide with the board meeting.

Since House T&C is also a competitor of House Yugin, her actions aren’t particularly incomprehensible.

‘Though she’s dead now anyway.’

There are 23 days left until the board meeting.

The missing Jade is probably hiding somewhere in the city, waiting to kill the Blue Gallergorn on the day of the board meeting.

His master is already dead, but whether the plan will be executed is still unknown.

‘What should I do?’

Putting it back is problematic, but eating it myself is also an issue.

The Gallergorn’s traits are very tempting, but timing is crucial. If not for the board meeting, I would eat it and flee to another planet immediately, but that’s not possible at this point.

As I was contemplating, the tail of the Blue Gallergorn, which should have been frozen, twitched.

“Baby, it’s moving.”

[Zzzzz (I saw that too)]

As I hurriedly tried to close the freezer again, the Gallergorn opened its eyes.

‘Ah.’

Its purple glowing eyes rotated, scanning the surroundings before stopping on my face. Then it started trembling.

‘Oh no.’

I quickly grabbed and covered No. 26.

“Fear”

Though young, it was still a Gallergorn, and a powerful psychic thought wave passed through my body.

I have psychic resistance traits, so thought waves don’t harm me. Thanks to my protection, No. 26 wasn’t affected either.

“Huh, huh, gack…”

Unfortunately, Sander, who had no protector, was hit by the Gallergorn’s thought wave. He trembled as if electrocuted and then fainted.

[Zzzzz (Calm down)]

“Black” “Darkness” “Fear” “Death”

[Zzzzzz (I won’t hurt you)]

At my words, it stopped emitting thought waves.

That’s not a lie. I can’t kill it right now anyway. If I’m going to eat it, I should do so after getting an opportunity to escape this city.

“You” “Adult” “Trust” “Calm”

Regardless of my true intentions, it seems to have decided to trust me. The Gallergorn’s thought wave, which until just now sounded like an electric guitar, has now changed to a quiet, gentle ripple.

‘Adult?’

In the game too, Gallergorn communicate only through thought waves, so they converse by conveying words or concepts. Judging by the words it used, it seems to think of me as an adult of its pack.

‘Is it because of this?’

The ‘Monster’s Tentacle’ extending from the back of my head.

Though the location is different, it looks exactly like a White Gallergorn’s tentacle.

‘Come to think of it, is the conversation possible because of the Monster’s Tentacle?’

In the game, there are cases where Gallergorn speak to players, but conversely, Gallergorn can’t understand what players say.

Normally, I wouldn’t be able to converse with Gallergorn either, but it seems the Monster’s Tentacle makes it possible.

‘Anyway, this creature seems to think I’m a White Gallergorn.’

For now, I decided to make use of its misunderstanding. I asked the now calmer creature:

[Zzzzz Zzz Zzzzz (Why did you come here?)]

“I” “Body” “Small” “Home” “Exile”

It gave an unexpected answer.

‘Exiled because its body is small?’

As far as I know, there are variants among Gallergorn.

Variants are monsters that have excessively consumed psychic power and grotesquely transformed, being rejected by their kin. They can be understood as corrupted evil dragons commonly appearing in myths or other popular media.

‘But it doesn’t seem like a variant.’

Being a Blue Gallergorn means it’s a baby, so it wouldn’t have excessively consumed psychic power. Judging by its much smaller size compared to its kin, it seems it was born naturally weak and was exiled.

‘Siheyon’s subordinate made a mistake.’

If this creature was exiled from its home, even if it calls its kin, they won’t come, so their plan becomes invalid.

‘Wait, then does that mean I can eat it without consequences?’

It would still have the trait to call its kin, but if they won’t come when called, there’s no reason for me not to eat it.

The creature, sensing my changed mood, hurriedly emitted thought waves.

“I” “Survival” “You” “Promise” “Price” “Treasure”

[Zzzzzz Zzzzzz Zzz (You’ll give me treasure in return for sparing your life?)]

For AMorph, treasure means genetic essence, not artifact equipment. Seeing my skeptical expression, it continued:

“I” “Memory” “Dragon’s Nest” “You” “Guide” “Possible”

At those words, I lowered my tail that was about to stab it.

‘It knows the dragon’s nest?’

I don’t need treasure, but the dragon’s nest is different.

After becoming a Subadult, I must hunt Gallergorn.

It’s a necessary condition for evolving into an Adult, plus I need it to obtain rare traits.

The dragon’s nest, where Gallergorn packs live, is optimized for farming Gallergorn genes.

‘Information about the dragon’s nest is premium information.’

I contemplated two rewards.

Since the danger of summoning kin is gone, there wouldn’t be major issues if I ate it.

Given that I currently lack psychic-related traits, eating it isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

‘Of course, there’s no guarantee that a predation effect will appear.’

Conversely, if I keep it without eating it, I can obtain information about the dragon’s nest. I don’t know how a baby knows this, but Gallergorn don’t lie.

‘Its words are true.’

It was waiting quietly, as if leaving the choice entirely up to me. There was no sign of resistance or harboring other thoughts.

‘Kill it? Or not?’

My tail swayed back and forth, reflecting my conflicted feelings.

After contemplating for several minutes, I made my decision.