Ch.80Monument (3)

Space Survival is a game known for its vast worldview, diverse species, and high degree of freedom.

While it has all the qualities that science fiction enthusiasts would love, Space Survival couldn’t escape a problem common to most online games.

That problem was management.

The Space Survival management team was notorious for their lack of communication, worse than any other game.

Due to the game’s nature, Space Survival had numerous balance issues.

For example, compare the Cult, which rarely shows weakness from early to late game, with AMorph, which remains challenging throughout.

Despite this, instances where the developers and management adjusted the balance could be counted on one hand.

In my case, I was able to become a ranker and see the ending only because I had an affection for AMorph. Otherwise, I would have quit immediately.

‘But they change this right away?’

This is the first time I’ve seen them respond so quickly after talking about balance.

‘Cheaters.’

There was a similar incident in the game before.

Megacorps operate several colony planets to recruit employees.

Some colony planets have environments similar to Earth in the real world, while others are more fantasy-like places we’re familiar with.

They commonly have tangible or intangible restrictions to prevent resistance against Megacorp rule.

The armament status of the employees residing on the planet is very poor, or the level of civilization development is low, and so on.

‘In other words, it means it’s a very easy place to farm genetic essences.’

So I once traveled around colony planets collecting genetic essences.

On the day I raided about three planets at once, an emergency notice appeared in the game for the first time.

They said they would make an emergency correction because a situation the game company did not intend had occurred.

At the time, the community was buzzing with this topic, but no one knew what had actually been fixed.

‘Of course.’

Because they don’t play AMorph.

Unlike them, I could tell right away.

The next day, I raided a colony planet and harvested many genetic essences, but very few of them showed predation effects.

That means the management adjusted the probability of predation effects from employees to be very low.

‘Even here, I ate dozens of employees, but the only trait that came out was dexterity.’

Anyway, having experienced something similar, this situation didn’t feel unfamiliar.

However, as a human being, I couldn’t help but feel very bad about it.

‘They talk about development intentions and whatnot, but they don’t fix other things, yet they fix this kind of thing right away.’

In this case, I need to change my plan again.

Because if eating samples only gives half-traits, it’s worse than not eating them at all.

‘…Let’s accept this first.’

I accepted the space flight trait acquisition.

As indicated by the 0.5 mark, no significant changes occurred in my body.

I felt emptiness and irritation at that fact and thought about what I needed to do next.

‘I should eat samples after the Mark of the Hunt ends. That’s the only way there’s a possibility… huh?’

At that moment, another translucent text box appeared.

「*You have received a new unread message. Would you like to view it?」

There was no mention of it being an urgent message.

‘Last time, a message about the transcendence system came like this too.’

When I opened it, my prediction was correct.

「’Transcendence’ Material List: Mimicry Organ, Pheromone Enhancement, X-ray Vision, Hallucination (Not Acquired)

‘Transcendence’ Material List (New!): Wings, Endurance, Space Flight, Giant Creature (Not Acquired), Hijacking (Not Acquired)」

As expected, it was a notice that I could create a new unique trait using the transcendence system.

‘Are they trying to mess with me right now?’

I tried to dismiss the text box while suppressing my rising irritation.

‘Wait a minute?’

At that moment, an idea flashed in my mind.

I checked the text box again.

‘Why space flight?’

In the transcendence material list, traits I don’t possess are marked as “Not Acquired.”

Giant Creature and Hijacking are both traits I don’t have, so they’re marked accordingly.

On the other hand, there are no special notes for Space Flight.

Realizing this fact, I thought of one possibility.

‘Could it be that transcendence materials can also use traits that I haven’t fully acquired?’

I checked the previous message about the transcendence system again.

「’Transcendence’ System: Combines 3 or more traits from your possessed traits to transform them into a new ‘unique’ trait. The newly secured trait is a completely new trait that didn’t exist before.」

This is the message I received when I evolved into a juvenile in the residential district.

The tooltip says it combines “possessed traits,” but it doesn’t specifically say they must be “usable traits.”

‘Seeing that Wings, which can’t be used, is included as a material, there’s a possibility.’

If traits that are unusable due to restrictions can be included, couldn’t Space Flight also be used as a transcendence material?

‘An interesting hypothesis.’

If this is the case, I have two paths to choose from.

First, gathering transcendence materials with predation effects while in the Mark of the Hunt state.

‘Giant Creature and Hijacking are possible if luck is on my side.’

The Giant Creature trait can be acquired from the Skywhale, and Hijacking is a fusion trait with materials possessed by the Metallic Gremlin.

‘I need to combine the Dexterity trait with the Radio Interference trait.’

Of course, fusion traits can only combine complete, usable traits, so the trick I’m planning won’t work.

‘I need to acquire the Radio Interference trait twice to use it as a material.’

That’s the first option.

The other option is to just take samples after the Mark of the Hunt is removed.

In this case, if the predation effect occurs, I can acquire a fully usable trait, but the probability is very low.

With bad luck, I might eat all the samples here and not get a single trait.

I looked down at the samples.

‘What should I do?’

After thinking for a moment, I made my decision.

‘Let’s eat them now.’

If both options depend on luck, taking traits with the Mark of the Hunt involves less risk.

At least this way, even with the worst luck, I’ll still have half-traits left.

I picked up a sample and put it in my mouth.

With a crunching sound, a text box announcing the predation effect appeared.

‘Energy Absorption.’

The Skywhale is a creature that appears with a very low probability on jungle-type planets, ocean planets, and various other planets.

It looks like a humpback whale with eight eyes and opal-colored wings that show various colors, and it’s gigantic, at least 50m in size.

Skywhales always stay in the sky except for three cases: when they are born, when they give birth, and when they die.

As for how they get food, Skywhales don’t obtain energy through meals like ordinary animals.

They don’t have digestive organs; instead, they use the Energy Absorption trait to absorb energy existing in nature.

Simply put, just as plants get the energy they need for survival from sunlight, Skywhales extract survival energy from various elements such as light, air, and moisture in clouds.

Up to this point, it seems like a very good ability, but not for AMorph.

‘If you get Energy Absorption, your mouth and digestive organs atrophy.’

AMorph acquires traits and nutrients by eating prey and digesting the genetic essence inside.

If the Energy Absorption trait is applied, my mouth and digestive organs will be lost as a side effect.

If that happens, the very method by which I can obtain genetic essence disappears.

I once didn’t know this fact and accepted Energy Absorption, which blocked evolution itself, forcing me to raise AMorph again.

‘Hmm.’

Normally, this would be a trait I should definitely not accept, but the situation is slightly different now.

‘There’s the transcendence system.’

Even if a trait isn’t immediately useful to me, it could potentially be used as material for transcendence.

‘I know all the combination formulas for fusion traits, but…’

The newly updated transcendence system is still an unknown territory for me.

‘At 0.5, the effect won’t be applied, so there shouldn’t be a big problem if I accept it.’

The fact that half-traits don’t activate their effects has already been proven with the Space Flight trait.

After deliberating, I accepted the Energy Absorption trait.

As expected, my mouth didn’t rapidly atrophy, nor did any alien changes occur inside me.

After receiving Energy Absorption, I continued to swallow samples.

When I ate the fifth sample capsule, the predation effect activated.

It was the “Robust Vitality” trait, which I had previously obtained from a cockroach.

‘Since I already have regeneration, I don’t really need this…’

If there are two traits with similar effects, only the effect of the better trait is applied.

Given that I already have plenty of physical traits, there’s no need to eat a trait that’s inferior to regeneration.

As far as I know, in fusion trait combinations, Robust Vitality is only used as a material for regeneration and nothing else.

‘But just in case.’

Seeing that Wings, which is considered useless in the game, is used as transcendence material, Robust Vitality might also be used for purposes I don’t know about.

After accepting Robust Vitality, I realized there was only one Skywhale sample left.

Honestly, the results were a bit disappointing.

‘No, gathering materials isn’t bad either. Let’s find value in that.’

Without much expectation, I ate the last sample.

At that moment, a new trait appeared.

「Predation Effect Activated! Successfully acquired ‘Giant Creature(0.5)’ genetic essence.」

「Stole ‘Giant Creature(0.5)’ from ‘Skywhale’s biological traits.」

「Would you like to apply ‘Giant Creature(0.5)’?」

If Space Flight had appeared, I would have acquired a complete trait, but unfortunately, it was a different trait.

‘Giant Creature, huh.’

The Giant Creature trait is a common trait possessed by super-large creatures with sizes over 50m.

Creatures like the Skywhale, whose sample I just ate, or the Black Gallergorn, which can be considered a subadult among Gallergorn, possess the Giant Creature trait.

‘With this trait, you can use the gigantification technique, which is a shame.’

Just as I can use Psychic Breath through the Monster Tentacle trait, acquiring the Giant Creature trait allows transformation into a special state called gigantification.

‘When gigantified, you grow to about 20m and become incredibly strong.’

Although there’s a restriction of once per week, once gigantified, you become extremely powerful.

It’s not just about growing in size; my physical abilities also strengthen to match the size.

A gigantified AMorph gains such tremendous power that it can wage war against battleships or entire cities without being at a disadvantage.

Moreover, the Mark of the Hunt doubles trait and type efficacy.

If I had the Giant Creature trait in this state, I might grow to over 50m.

If that happened, I would display a majesty worthy of being called a space monster.

‘Tsk. It’s a shame, but it can’t be helped.’

The Skywhale samples end with what I just ate.

From the eight Skywhale samples, I obtained four traits: Space Flight, Giant Creature, and for material use, Energy Absorption and Robust Vitality.

‘If it weren’t for the restrictions, this would have been a great harvest.’

After all, I acquired four traits from a single creature.

‘…It’s already in the past. There’s no use getting irritated.’

I shook my head to shake off the irritation and reached out to eat the remaining samples.

At that moment, the auxiliary organ under my jaw trembled.

Simultaneously, certain scenes quickly flashed before my eyes.

「Female Cult says: Something seems suspicious.」

「Male Cult says: What is?」

「Female Cult shakes her head while looking at the camera. The Anatomy Team Leader, who supposedly fainted, visited the Gene Repository and now hasn’t come out of the Cryogenic Storage.」

「Male Cult says: Huh? Why did he go in there?」

「Female Cult continues: I don’t know. Plus, other researchers went in earlier and still haven’t come out.」

「Male Cult stands up. I’ll go check it out. If something seems strange, I’ll report it to the higher-ups.」

The video ended with the male Cult with goat horns leaving the dark room.

‘Oh no.’

I thought I had safely gotten away with it, but I was wrong.

‘That female Cult has good intuition.’

She initially dismissed the fire incident, but it seems she became suspicious after seeing the Anatomy Team Leader’s unusual behavior.

‘The Third Central Control Room is close to here.’

At most 5 minutes? Within that time, the male Cult will arrive here.

Capturing the male Cult itself isn’t particularly difficult. I’m currently strengthened by the Mark of the Hunt.

‘The problem is what happens after dealing with the male Cult.’

If the Cult can’t be contacted, that intuitive female Cult won’t just sit still.

She will definitely contact a higher authority, either the First Central Control Room or the Monument Security Team.

‘I need to neutralize the cameras.’

For that, I need the trait possessed by the Metallic Gremlin.

I put the Metallic Gremlin samples into my mouth one by one.

As they passed through my throat, the capsules were crushed, and the genetic essence inside seeped into my intestines.

Each time the essence dissolved, a text box appeared before me.

Miniaturization, Miniaturization, Metal Absorption….

It didn’t start well. After Miniaturization appeared twice in a row, the third one was Metal Absorption, which I already possessed.

I acquired Miniaturization once for material use and canceled all the rest.

Next, when I swallowed the fourth capsule, the Radio Interference trait I was hoping for appeared.

‘Good. Now I just need one more.’

If Radio Interference appears just one more time, I can acquire one complete trait.

However, after absorbing two more samples, no predation effect appeared at all.

Now I have only 2 chances left.

By this point, I was starting to get anxious.

‘Should I go with the plan I initially thought of?’

I suddenly wondered if it might be better to go with the method of implanting and controlling a parasite in the Cult.

‘But that female Cult has better intuition than I expected.’

As can be seen from William’s case, parasites are not omnipotent.

The male Cult wouldn’t be able to resist me, but that sensitive female Cult would quickly notice something strange about her colleague.

‘If that happens, we’ll be back to square one.’

Looking back at how I got here, I took various measures to avoid the parasite being detected, which led to this situation.

If the parasite is detected here, all my efforts so far will be in vain.

‘Plus, the Dormant State trait will also be detected, making the situation even worse.’

While pondering how to deal with the female Cult, I swallowed the seventh sample.

And the text box that appeared:

「Predation Effect Activated! Successfully acquired ‘Radio Interference(0.5)’ genetic essence.」

「Stole ‘Radio Interference(0.5)’ from ‘Metallic Gremlin’s biological traits.」

「Would you like to apply ‘Radio Interference(0.5)’?」

「Radio Interference: Emits a wave that causes temporary errors in electrically operated devices.」

The trait, which has become complete through two acquisitions, is telling me.

That there’s no need to worry anymore.