Ch.97Nightmare Beyond the Horizon (2)

‘Let’s use the Transcendence System.’

This was my choice after much deliberation—to secure a new unique trait.

But before using the Transcendence System, there’s something I need to do.

‘I need to prepare for the new risks that will arise.’

While activating the FTL navigation device, I brought up a new translucent text box in my mind.

「Species: Unidentified Agressive Space Morph

Status: Juvenile (Transcendence Stage 1)

Objective: Survive (Successfully evolve twice).

Traits (14 Physical/7 Psychic/3 Infection/2 Special Defense)

① Physical (Type Applied): Wings (Unusable), Acidic Blood, Bite Force, Metal Absorption, Complete Organism (Unique), Endurance, Pheromone Enhancement, Suspended Animation

-Physical Fusion Traits: Regeneration, Neurotoxin Gland, Mimicry Organ (Unusable), Blood-Sucking Tentacles, Spine-Shooting Tail, Hijacking

② Psychic (Type Applied): Humanity, Psychic Resistance, Insight

-Psychic Fusion Traits: Predator Sense, Monster’s Tentacles, Ghost Claws, Watcher of Fear

③ Infection: Space Bacteria

-Infection Fusion Traits: Parasitic Colony, Decay Fungus Organ

④ Special Defense: Pain Reduction, Resistance

Types (2)

Physical Enhancement Type, Psychic Enhancement Type

* Incomplete Traits (7)

Space Flight, Energy Absorption, Robust Vitality, Giant Organism, Miniaturization, Gills, Fins

The text box structure had changed as the number of traits increased. With more fusion traits, subcategories had been added for each series.

‘Among these, the most critical trait if a restriction is applied would be…’

At this point, undoubtedly Monster’s Tentacles.

Monster’s Tentacles is a fusion trait created using the psychic organ I obtained from the research ship on the meteor.

If I can’t use this trait, I won’t be able to communicate with No. 26 and Adhigh Orr.

‘Of course, it might become ambiguous like the Mimicry Organ.’

The Mimicry Organ is a trait that uses pheromones to disrupt the nerves of nearby people, making them mistake me for a human.

Additionally, it inherited the mimicking effect from its source material, allowing me to imitate human voices.

Although this trait has a restriction due to Complete Organism, I could still use the voice mimicking ability to a limited extent.

When Complete Organism was applied to my body, the pore organs that released pheromones were blocked, but the organs that produced voice remained intact.

‘If the unique trait is applied but the tentacles on my head remain, communication should still be possible.’

These tentacle clusters at the back of my head are organs that allow me to communicate with beings that converse through energy waves.

Thanks to them, I’ve been able to overcome the racial limitations of AMorphs and communicate with No. 26 and Adhigh Orr.

‘Of course, even if the tentacles remain, I won’t be able to use Psychic Breath.’

There’s no guarantee that Monster’s Tentacles will be restricted.

But I should prepare for that possibility.

I continued thinking about how to deal with restrictions on each trait until the kids woke up.

After several hours, No. 26 and Adhigh Orr gradually awoke from their sleep.

I temporarily stopped the spaceship and called them to explain the situation.

I told them that I might not be able to talk with them anymore, but I had prepared another means of communication.

I planned to use signals with the small hands on my chest. Since neither of them understood human language, this was my only option.

‘They obviously don’t know letters or numbers.’

I considered using sound signals, but that would be nearly impossible during combat, so I ruled it out.

But as I started teaching them, I realized this method might not be very effective either.

「Does raising the small appendage upward mean to attack?」

[Zz Zzzz Zz Zzzz Zzzz(No. The first finger of the right hand.)]

「Finger?」

[Zzz Zzzz(Small tentacle)]

「Ah.」

No. 26 had difficulty understanding my explanation because it saw arms, hands, and fingers as a unified whole.

[Zzzz Zz Zzzz(Second finger of the left hand)]

「Retreat」

[Zz Zzzzz(Retreat is the third)]

「?」「Incomprehensible」

[Zz Zzz(This part)]

「I」「Ticklish!」

When I poked the third toe of Adhigh Orr’s left front paw, it shivered from the ticklish sensation.

At least Adhigh Orr, having paws and toes, seemed to understand what I was trying to do.

However, given its body structure being closer to front paws than hands, there were limitations in making it understand me.

‘This is troubling.’

I myself am an anomalous being with a human mind in an AMorph body.

I’m fundamentally different from these creatures who, despite having intelligence, are closer to animals.

「Big baby, don’t worry!」

「I」「Effort」

Thinking I was disappointed, they tried to comfort me.

‘Right. No need to be disappointed yet.’

Both No. 26 and Adhigh Orr are intelligent creatures. Especially No. 26, who has often anticipated my intentions and acted accordingly without me saying anything.

‘So I just need to teach them the important parts.’

Afterward, I spent an hour repeatedly teaching them the signals I had created. Despite the tedium, they listened attentively and followed my instructions.

‘This should be enough.’

Getting them to understand all the signals I had originally planned was indeed impossible. But they had grasped the basics.

「So big baby is growing again?」

[Zz(Yes)]

「Adult」「Growth」「I」「Welcome」

Since they had experienced me entering a cocoon before due to the Transcendence System, they didn’t seem particularly surprised.

With their strange send-off, I brought up the translucent text box.

「’Transcendence’ Material List (New!): Wings, Endurance, Space Flight, Giant Organism, Hijacking」

「Do you want to use the Transcendence System?」

‘Accept.’

After accepting, I waited for the mucus to flow from my body. But unlike before, there was no reaction from my outer skin.

‘Huh?’

As I tilted my head in confusion at the difference, suddenly there was a sound from my back. With a cracking noise like breaking ice, my back split open.

And from the split back, something half-liquefied burst out.

It looked like the root system of a centuries-old tree, or perhaps a spider web spun over a long time.

Whatever they were, these stems that emerged from my body began to corrode the surroundings.

[Zzzz Zzzzz(Everyone back away!)]

Judging the situation to be serious, I shouted to the kids while Monster’s Tentacles was still functioning.

While the kids retreated, the stems that shot out from my body enveloped me and consumed the passenger seats.

「Big baby!」

[Zzzzz Zzzzzz Zzzzz(Don’t worry. Wait as usual)]

Since I felt no pain, this must be the procedure for applying the new unique trait.

The stems covered about one-third of the passenger cabin before stopping their expansion. After that, they hardened into a massive cocoon, just like before.

‘What exactly is it trying to show by going this far?’

I suspect it’s related to changes in my body size. It’s probably going to make me much larger or cause rapid changes.

‘Tsk. Next time I should warn the kids to be careful.’

I told them not to worry before the cocoon formed, but they’re probably still concerned.

‘I should get them a gift when we hijack a new ship.’

With that thought, I closed my eyes.

–

「Adult」「Strange」

「Yes.」

She gazed at the cocoon with the small child.

Covered in black mucus, it was pulsating leisurely.

After a moment’s hesitation, she pulled out a thin tentacle from her body.

This wasn’t the tentacle she normally used to strike down prey with four appendages.

None of her kind had taught her this, but somehow she had naturally come to know.

This thin, slender tentacle she had extracted was only used for very special rituals.

「I」「Curious」

「Be quiet.」

After silencing the annoying small child, she placed the slender tentacle against the cocoon.

The initial sensation was wetness and warmth.

But this was merely superficial. She went deeper.

The thin tentacle glowed faintly. Then, sensations that were difficult for her to understand flowed from the cocoon.

They were very complexly intertwined. Some were sensations she had never experienced in her life.

But amidst the unfamiliar chaos, there was something familiar. It was identical to the sensation she felt when sleeping with her kind back home.

Comfort.

The big child is feeling comfort right now.

She had been prepared to help if the big child was suffering again, but there was no need this time.

While she was relieved, she also felt a bit disappointed.

Why did she feel disappointed when she wasn’t hungry?

She wouldn’t have known before, but after growing several times, she understood where this sensation similar to hunger came from.

The last time the big child was suffering.

She had used this thin tentacle to calm him.

This tentacle had the effect of reading the sensations of other beings and transmitting her thoughts.

Of course, the transfer of sensations was just one of the many abilities this tentacle possessed.

This tentacle is used for high-density communion.

She doesn’t yet know what high-density communion means.

Her intellectual level hasn’t reached the point where she can clearly explain this.

But whenever she uses this tentacle, she feels strangely elated and ticklish inside.

It was somewhat like the excitement felt before prey, but slightly different.

She wanted to continue feeling this somewhat addictive sensation, but she deliberately gave up.

This cocoon is important to the big child.

If she keeps touching it, it might negatively affect the big child’s growth.

As she withdrew her tentacle, the small child behind her emitted a wave.

「Adult」「Growth」「More」「Cool?」

「Yes. When big baby grows, he becomes even cooler.」

「I」「Satisfied」「Satisfied」

Pleased with her answer, the small child wagged its tail.

「I」「Small Adult」「Curious」

「What is it?」

「Adult」「Growth」「Complete」「I」「Adult」「Know」「Possible?」

「…Small baby can’t yet.」

「Incomprehensible」「I」「Growth」「Complete」

Though she said it wasn’t possible, the small child disagreed. Dissatisfied, it stomped the floor with its hind legs.

「I」「Adult」「Know」「Possible」「Know」「Possible!」

「…」

When the small child wouldn’t listen, she pulled out a thick tentacle and struck the floor.

As the cold floor dented, the small child immediately quieted down.

「You’re noisy.」

「Understand」

To the now silent small child, she emitted a weak wave.

「…When you’re bigger.」

「I」「Promise」「Remember」

So she waited, talking with the small child.

Until the big child would wake up in an even cooler form.

–

‘Done.’

After nearly two hours, I felt sensation gradually returning to my body.

Starting from my head and torso, then to my arms and legs, hands and feet, tail, and finally to my fingers, toes, and the tip of my tail.

With all sensations returned, I rose. As I moved, the half-dried cocoon tore easily.

‘Hmm.’

I had guessed my body would grow larger due to the cocoon’s size, but I was only half right.

Since hatching, I had walked with digitigrade legs. My waist was upright like a human’s, and I balanced with my tail.

In that posture, I stood about 3m tall. When using Hunter’s Emblem, my height increased to 5m.

But now my body was in a form between the hatchling state when I used all eight legs and the later bipedal state.

I still walked on two feet, but my waist was half-bent, allowing my lower combat arms to reach the ground.

This change in body shape was due to significant alterations in the carapace covering my body and my back.

First, the carapace and horns covering my head had become much larger.

The eye-shaped pattern engraved on my head had deepened, making it look as if several real eyes had been added to my head carapace.

Eight large holes had newly formed on my back carapace, covered with spiral-patterned cortex.

The outer skin covering my back had expanded widely, transforming as if I were wearing an inverted turtle shell.

As the back carapace became enlarged and touched the carapace at the back of my head, the shape resembled an alligator snapping turtle.

Matching the body changes, Monster’s Tentacles had shifted from standing like a mane at the back of my head to flowing down over both shoulders.

Arms and legs had also grown thicker and longer to match the expanded carapace, and the tail’s appearance had changed too.

With piece-shaped carapaces protruding like scaled armor, it looked suitable as a medium-range striking weapon.

To simply describe my transformed appearance: a heavily armored tank.

Previously, I was closer to an agile bipedal carnivore, but now I had become fatter and more massive in comparison.

‘My body itself has become incomparably heavier than before.’

I’d need to experiment later for accuracy, but it was clear that my mobility had slightly decreased.

‘On the other hand, I’ve become larger and harder.’

Thanks to the carapace, my body had generally grown larger, reaching nearly 5m in height even in a half-bent posture. In terms of length, I was probably between 10m and 12m.

If I used Hunter’s Emblem now, I’d grow much larger.

‘Let’s see what new trait I’ve acquired.’

After checking my body, I brought up the translucent text window containing the new trait.

「Nightmare Horizon: Your hunting ground is not limited to a single planet. Increases the effect of your unique traits. Allows you to use ‘Corrosion Tentacles’ to infect and control spaceships.

*Affected Target: Hunter’s Emblem (duration increased to 20 minutes)

*’Corrosion Tentacles’: Infects spaceships, turning them into complex organisms controlled by the user’s consciousness. Cannot use physical series traits while connected to a spaceship. The trait effect is automatically canceled when the user’s stored energy is depleted. Corrosion Tentacles can be used once every 7 days, and only once per spaceship.

*Caution: Cannot be canceled until the spaceship’s infection is complete. Hunter’s Emblem’s cooldown is changed to once every 7 days. Shares cooldown with Corrosion Tentacles.

*P.S.: ‘Nightmare’ is just a word. The reality is much more terrifying.」

The unique trait ‘Nightmare Horizon’ was a completely new type of trait I had never seen before.