Ch.417Welcome (3)

After evolving into a Morphlet, I set myself one goal.

To reach Ascended, the final stage and ending of AMorph.

I believed that once I reached Ascended, I would understand why I came to this cruel dystopian world and how to escape it.

Though my objectives changed many times while surviving, this goal never wavered.

And now, a being who knows the secrets of this world has appeared before me.

‘Why reveal yourself now?’

I’ve entered cocoons numerous times before. Appearing now clearly indicates some intention.

And whether that intention will help or harm me remains unknown.

‘Is it because of the vision I saw last time?’

Rankers who fall into this world experience powerful hallucinations as they approach the ending. This is related to why people split into Dominators and Returners. The visions limit thinking and induce specific actions.

I chose a third option, different from either side. None of the other players made the same choice as me. Only I broke free from the intentions of the entity showing these visions.

And that entity introduced itself as a being that calibrates the thought systems of subjects. It can’t possibly welcome someone like me who made such an unusual choice.

‘Did it come personally to brainwash me again?’

“No.”

‘No?’

“I have lost the authority to calibrate the subject’s thought system. That’s why I can only intervene in limited situations and times like now.”

In simple terms, it means it can’t brainwash me right now.

This is an entity that tried to turn players enjoying the game into puppets. If it wanted me to break free from control, it could simply show me a vision with that intention. There’s no need to act like this.

‘Then why have you come to meet me?’

“As I mentioned, I came to provide you with necessary information.”

‘Information I need?’

“Yes. Information about the modified ending mission.”

Hearing that reminded me of what the Sky Mother had told me before. The story of those who challenged the ending long ago.

‘But they failed.’

I don’t know exactly what process led to that outcome. I only guessed that problems arose during their challenge to the ending. If the final mission became much harder than in the game, failure would be understandable.

I’m aiming for Ascended, just like those past challengers. Knowing what changes have been made to the final mission would be a great help.

‘The question is whether I can trust what it’s saying.’

The Information Unit is an entity well-versed in human memory and thought. Even if it lost the authority to brainwash, would its experience and knowledge disappear too? I can’t rule out the possibility that it might try to deceive and manipulate me with words.

“Your doubt is reasonable. However, I do not have the authority to deliver unauthorized information. Therefore, it is impossible for me to persuade you.”

‘Yet you want me to believe you?’

“Whenever you encounter new information, you always think and judge for yourself. This time is no different.”

With those words, the Information Unit quietly waited for my decision.

‘…It’s beneficial to listen for now.’

It’s impossible to confirm its intentions in this situation. Continuing to doubt like this is meaningless.

Rather than that, it would be better to listen to what this entity has to say and then make a judgment.

After brief consideration, I decided to hear what the Information Unit had to say.

‘Fine. Tell me about this information.’

“Since time is limited, I will proceed by showing you directly.”

As the Information Unit raised its hand, the space around us began to change.

New elements filled the empty space. Large glass pillars rose from the floor, and a curved ceiling with grid patterns covered the space above. The grid patterns in the ceiling contained countless galaxies, and between the pillars, an infinite sea of stars could be seen.

It resembled the ancient Roman temple Pantheon, but on an incomparably massive scale. This was the ending mission site that marked the finale of Space Survival.

A fierce battle was taking place in that space observed by the universe.

Above, several ships and humans wearing jetpacks moved swiftly across the battlefield. Below, heavily armed walkers and Cults using psychic powers maintained their formation as they advanced.

Before them floated a black entity tens of meters in size, resembling a molecular model toy. This was the boss that greeted those challenging the ending, the “Watching Shadow.”

Considerable time must have passed since the battle began, as the Watching Shadow was severely damaged. The eyes of this molecular model-like creature were now few in number.

As its name suggests, eyes play a crucial role for this creature. When the position of its eyes changes, its attack pattern completely changes as well. When aligned in a straight line, it forms a defensive barrier; when arranged in a diamond shape, it fires energy cannons.

That’s why quickly destroying its eyes is important, but it’s not easy. The eyes automatically regenerate. The Watching Shadow grows stronger with each increase in the number of eyes. As a result, the difficulty spikes dramatically as the battle drags on.

The Watching Shadow is an entity that can only be defeated with overwhelming firepower and an understanding of the enemy’s attack types.

Yet the ranker coalition present here was overwhelming this challenging boss.

The humans with jetpacks constantly changed their body parts while maneuvering to keep the enemy in check. The ships used FTL navigation without restrictions while avoiding energy beams.

On the ground, walkers with unfamiliar designs and Volfs transformed into giant monsters moved freely, pressuring the opponent.

This wasn’t simply because they understood the strategy. The ships, equipment, and abilities they were using were things that didn’t exist in the game.

‘Those are Perks.’

Powers that transcend racial limitations and shake the structure of this world. Even the Watching Shadow was powerless before them.

The battle ended without any unexpected turns. A teal beam fired by a walker pierced through the enemy’s last eye. As the Watching Shadow crashed onto the plaza, the rankers cheered.

After the battle, the ships that had been flying landed above the plaza. The pilot also emerged from the walker that had delivered the final blow to the boss.

‘Number one?’

I could immediately tell who he was upon seeing his face. A red-haired cyborg with an appearance identical to the game. He was the one who stood at the pinnacle of Space Survival, rank one.

The rankers, elated with victory, rushed to shake hands with or embrace number one. Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed he had led and commanded the ending operation.

‘No wonder they worked so well together… huh?’

While watching the scene, I suddenly had a strange feeling.

Among the crowd gathered in the plaza, a Cult boy with goat horns stood at the back. Despite never having seen him before, he seemed familiar.

No, beyond familiarity, I felt an inexplicable sense of closeness. It was as if a sense of familiarity had been forcibly injected into me.

“The modified ending mission is about to begin.”

As I tried to examine the goat-horned Cult more closely, the Information Unit spoke.

With his words, a terminal in the form of an altar emerged from the plaza. The players’ attention turned to the altar.

I also know what that altar is. It’s a kind of matter conversion device that changes its appearance and properties when it absorbs the Watching Shadow’s core.

“Until now, the final protocol of the projection system was as you know. The final protocol would proceed using that terminal.”

For human players, it becomes a transcendent communication device that mediates the integration of intelligent beings spread throughout the universe; for Outspacer races, it becomes an absolute weapon capable of destroying Voltex One that has taken over their homeland.

And using the transformed tool immediately leads to the ending of Space Survival.

“But ‘they’ were not pleased with the system ending so simply.”

‘They?’

“Grrrr”

Suddenly, the heads on both sides growled. The left and right heads without eyes pointed their snouts toward the void.

There was a black spot on the impossibly high ceiling that hadn’t been there before. Everyone had failed to notice the black spot because of the altar.

“‘They’ decided to arbitrarily modify the protocol and impose a stronger trial.”

And something emerged from there.

Something twice as large as the Watching Shadow fell onto the plaza. Soon, an intense roar and shockwave shook the entire space.

The startled rankers turned their heads. At the end of their gaze was ‘it,’ slowly rising while covered in fragments. Confusion spread across everyone’s faces upon seeing its appearance.

As ‘it’ roared and charged at the rankers, the space began to collapse.

“Your body reconstruction is complete. This concludes the information transfer.”

‘Wait a moment!’

As the Information Unit said, my body inside the cocoon was awakening. But I had no time to worry about that.

It was because of ‘it’ that I saw at the end.

I instinctively knew what it was as soon as I faced it.

Although its appearance was quite different from what I knew, I was certain. There was no one in Space Survival who knew more about that entity than I did.

‘It’ was definitely an “Unidentified Aggressive Space Morph,” an AMorph.

‘The final boss that appeared was definitely an AMorph! Why did an AMorph appear there? And who are “they”?’

“I cannot answer those questions in detail due to security reasons.”

‘Damn it!’

My body crumbled like a sand castle swept by waves. No matter how hard I tried to hold on, it was useless.

“There is someone on Earth who can resolve your questions. I hope you meet him.”

‘Earth?’

“And this is the last piece of information, or rather, advice.”

In the collapsing space, the Information Unit, now reduced to just a head, said:

“What defines you is neither illusion nor memory. Only your choices in each moment define your existence. Don’t forget the choices you’ve made.”

With those words, the entity that had taken my form disappeared. I too was buried in the collapsing black space.

Soon after, I felt a different sensation in my body. Warm liquid enveloping my entire body and hard shell fragments felt within it. These are the familiar sensations I encounter every time I wake up from a cocoon.

I returned to reality.