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Chapter 191

The semi-transparent text box reappeared, almost as if questioning whether this was truly the best choice.

There were two reasons why I chose the Hallucinogenic Flames over the Cosmic Bacteria. Firstly, it was because of the adversaries I had to face on this planet. Gallagons are masters of psychic techniques. Just the White Gallagon alone was a monster capable of unleashing psychic breath. To fight them, I needed several weapons utilizing psychic power.

‘But all my innate abilities are either supportive or defensive.’

While the Hallucinogenic Flames and the psychic breath usable as the monster’s tentacles were both aggressive psychic techniques, they both had fatal flaws. The Hallucinogenic Flames were effective only against Blue Gallagon or lower, while the psychic breath, although powerful, had limited uses.

Given the lack of offensive psychic abilities, sacrificing the Hallucinogenic Flames to gain new skills was advantageous.

The second reason was my relationship with the Vortex One. If, as I anticipated, my psychic abilities and perks combined to manifest through the power of the Vortex One, it would become an incredibly potent ability.

‘In the game, everything related to them was useful.’

The Vortex One possessed unique abilities. Therefore, capturing them and reaping the predation effect would invariably grant a unique ability.

‘Of course, there are risks.’

To put it simply, the blessing bestowed by the Vortex One was high risk, high return. Power received from transcendent beings was never free. Like psionium, where the duration decreased with each use, using abilities weakened or the price to be paid increased.

Hence, players who followed the sociopath route would see a significant decrease in power after the mid-game.

‘If it’s related to the power of the Vortex One, it must be utilized as a trump card.’

It was like wielding the whip of the gods.

I selected ‘confirm’ in response to the semi-transparent textbox’s question.

Then, a new message appeared.

[You are the target of the Ability Enhancement System. Will you use the system?]

The Ability Enhancement System.

This was the first time I’d used it. When I killed Muriel, the system hadn’t been unlocked, and the new unique ability hadn’t appeared on the system, possibly because the conditions hadn’t been met yet.

Choosing abilities to create the Mark of the Adversary and using the Ability Enhancement System were both firsts for me.

‘…This is definitely a crucial moment.’

I felt this way shortly after starting my space survival journey.

Curiosity about the unknown outcome, coupled with fear and anticipation of the butterfly effect this choice might cause, stirred within me.

With that strange feeling, I checked what abilities I had available as materials.

‘The majority of my abilities are related to physical enhancements.’

There were a total of 18 physical-related abilities. Excluding the fusion abilities, which couldn’t be used as enhancement materials, that left 13.

‘To maintain the Physical Enhancement Type, I need 10 abilities.’

Thus, I could invest in up to 8 physical abilities as enhancement materials. Of course, I didn’t plan to use all 8; I intended to select only a few from among them.

‘Let’s go with abilities related to underwater activities.’

Currently, abilities related to underwater activities wouldn’t aid me in combat. While there was a high chance of water being present on the ice planet, the creatures I aimed to capture weren’t heavily tied to water.

Therefore, I chose abilities that were not frequently used or easily obtainable.

‘In the Physical category: Pheromone Enhancement, Robust Vitality, Aquatic Claws, Fins, Dexterity. Let’s go with these five.’

The remaining ones were selected from characteristics of other types that weren’t useful. I chose Memory Tracking for psychic-related abilities, Auditory Hallucination for infection-related abilities, Sticky Tendrils and Water Spirit for nest-related abilities.

Having selected a total of nine abilities, I double-checked to ensure there wouldn’t be any issues.

‘That should do.’

After confirming and selecting the nine abilities as enhancement materials, the Mark of the Adversary system finally started operating.

[The perks of ‘Jason (Jason Turningham)’ and the ‘Hallucinogenic Flames’ ability are merging. ‘Involvement of the Chaos Emblem – Special Trait Enhancement System!’]

[Trait enhancement in progress.]

[‘Colour of the Abyss’ trait evolving!]

[Colour of the Abyss: When activated, indescribable Colours envelop the body. Automatically granted to psychic-type abilities.]

[*Target applications: Monster Tentacles, Observer of Terror, Psychic Reflection Gloves]

[*Note: Terror cannot be controlled. Similarly, the unknown Colours cannot be controlled.]

As the new Mark of the Adversary was completed, semi-transparent text boxes popped up everywhere. Suddenly, my head felt heavy, perhaps due to lack of energy. I steadied myself and checked the description of the new trait.

‘What’s this?’

The finished product was completely different from what I had expected.

‘This isn’t an offensive trait?’

Based on the description alone, this trait seemed more like a supportive one. Of course, I couldn’t be sure until I tried it out.

More concerning were the notes. Unlike usual, the ominous implications in the note caught my attention.

‘Cannot be controlled?’

In space survival, there were occasionally equipment or traits that players couldn’t control. Some were very powerful, but others were difficult to utilize effectively. Overcoming this inability to control was crucial.

From my experience, traits that couldn’t be controlled were as challenging to use as the ‘Revenant Mechanism’.

‘I’ll have to experiment to see how to use it… Huh?’

Lost in thought about the new trait, I only then realized that something had changed around me.

‘Where’s Mother of the Sky?’

She, who had been with me during the interrogation of Jason, was nowhere to be seen. Focusing on the auxiliary systems, I sensed her presence from a small clearing nearby.

I stopped checking the ‘Colour of the Abyss’ trait and walked toward her location.

｢What are you doing… Ah.｣

In the clearing, she stood silently, gazing into the void. Tears filled her luminous pumpkin-Coloured eyes, even in the darkness.

As I approached, she wiped her eyes with her forepaw.

｢Are you done?｣

Seeing her forcibly maintain an appearance of calmness, I couldn’t say anything.

‘…I messed up.’

I heard why Jason targeted Mother of the Sky when questioning him. His motives were simple and selfish. He wanted to toy with Mother of the Sky. And if he got bored, he’d turn her into a perk.

If that were the case, there were two reasons why he specifically chose Mother of the Sky.

“He wants a Wolf slave, and…”

Playing with the same player held a special significance for him.

Mother of the Sky lost her loved ones and family because of Jason’s petty desires.

‘I shouldn’t have brought her along for nothing.’

Thinking that knowing the reason might ease her mind a bit, I brought her along, but it only made things worse.

Quietly, I knelt beside her and leaned against her.

It didn’t carry any special meaning. It’s because she, who hasn’t gained the power of Wendigo yet, finds it difficult to endure the cold. Normally, she would send awkward glances, but now, she just remained still, perhaps mentally exhausted.

So there we were, huddled together, maintaining silence.

I wished I could offer some words of comfort, but unfortunately, I lack the gift of speech. Moreover, I’ve never experienced the same pain as her, the experience of losing loved ones in an instant. If Number 26 and Adhai were to die at the hands of Jason, I wouldn’t be able to keep my sanity.

Just imagining it makes my blood run cold, yet she actually went through that situation. Whatever I say wouldn’t bring her any comfort.

All I can do is ensure she doesn’t feel cold.

How much time had passed?

After a long silence, she sighed deeply.

｢I met him ten years ago. It was in the fifth year after I fell into this world.｣

The ‘him’ she mentioned is singular.

｢The Father of the Earth.｣

In the game, he’s a fixed NPC related to the quest for the Divine Spectre. He has the appearance of a lion with metal scales and horns like a goat. He’s not very big, but he has high defense and speed. To put it simply, he gives off a vibe like a downsized Ice Horror.

I’ve heard before that she married the Father of the Earth and took on the role of protector of the Wolfs. She made the decision to live with the family she found in this world.

｢To be honest, I didn’t adapt well when I first came to this world.｣

[ZZZZ ZZ ZZZ (Is that so?)]

｢Yeah. If I hadn’t met him, I wouldn’t have survived in this world for so long.｣

With her words flowing, she began to talk about her experiences with her loved one.

｢Arguing, making up, even getting a Grey Centipede… Can you imagine how shocking it was? You know, he had a head just like that person.｣

[ZZZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ (Yeah. It was often used for terrorizing in the community.)]

｢What I mean is, even a love of a thousand years can fade away.｣

Memories of fighting and reconciling.

“The young Wolfs found it awkward when I tried to put flowers on them. It was the first time I realized that lions could make such expressions.”

[ZZZZ ZZ ZZZ (That’s intriguing.)]

Memories of spending pleasant times together.

She recounted every memory that came to mind, leaving nothing out. Because of that, her story was chaotic and hard to follow.

But I quietly listened to her story, knowing that she was doing this to mourn the deceased.

｢Hehe, he was really an interesting fellow. But what about when he died? He said we’d be together forever, and then… tsk, that bastard…｣

Continuously rambling, she suddenly couldn’t speak anymore. All she did was repeat the words ‘bad guy’ while sobbing.

Seeing her pitiful state, I unknowingly reached out with my small arm towards her chest.

My fingertips touched her plush and soft fur. I gently stroked her snowy white head like fur.

Mother of the Sky seemed too overwhelmed with emotions to notice that I was petting her.

‘We don’t have that kind of relationship, but…’

Perhaps it’s because we’ve been through so much together. Now it’s awkward to withdraw my hand, so I continued to pet her.

So she poured out all the tears she had been holding back for a long time. By the time the tears on her front paws froze, she was able to calm down.

Finally calming down, she awkwardly turned her head to the side. Following her reaction, I naturally withdrew my hand.

｢I didn’t expect to cry like this at this age.｣

[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZZ (How old are you?)]

｢…Do you really have to ask that in this situation?｣

[ZZZ ZZZZ ZZ ZZZ (I have nothing to say.)]

｢I have one request, would it be okay?｣

[ZZZZ ZZ ZZZ (What is it?)]

｢I want to destroy Jason’s disguise.｣

I thought it was a joke to hide the awkwardness, but when I looked into her eyes, it was sincere. Looking at her front paws, I saw the vicious claws protruding, ready for action.

[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZ (No, you can’t.)]

｢Please, just once. Huh? Can’t I just hit him really hard, just once?｣

[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZ (Consider it when your stamina is fully recovered.)]

In truth, even if she were to destroy Jason’s face, he could regenerate it anytime. After all, it’s part of my body. If that helps ease her burden even a little, it might be worth it.

Mother of the Sky was silent for a moment, then looked me straight in the eyes.

｢Thank you.｣

Her short but sincere words.

I nodded in response. Her smooth pumpkin-Coloured eyes still held traces of sadness, but they had improved a lot since earlier.

‘Thank goodness.’

｢B-by the way, you’ve changed a lot in appearance, haven’t you?｣

Perhaps feeling embarrassed to meet my gaze, she changed the subject.

‘Is it because of the new traits?’

I came to find Mother of the Sky after reading about Colour of the Abyss. So I hadn’t yet examined the changes in my body.

[ZZZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZZZ (Some traits may have disappeared, that could be why.)]

｢Really? But it feels like something has changed a lot.｣

Mother of the Sky chuckled and examined my body.

The claws between her fingers, the fins hidden in her tail, and various other traits had disappeared from my body due to the trait enhancement system.

However, it was true that there was a subtle change that couldn’t be explained just by that. As I began to inspect my body, I quickly noticed what had changed.

‘Monster tentacles?’

The tentacles of the monster that flowed from the back of the head like hair or sparse bristles down to the neck had changed slightly. The tentacles were longer and thicker than before, and the number of tentacles had increased, making them much fuller.

Now, the range of the monster’s tentacles extended to the entire neck and jaw joint.

‘Is it because Colour of the Abyss has psychic-related effects?’

Not only had the number of tentacle clusters increased, but the monster’s tentacles on my body now emitted a dangerous light mixed with green and purple. In fact, it looked more eerie, like foam or mold, rather than light.

｢It seems to be because of the new traits.｣

[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZ (It seems so.)]

｢I shouldn’t be saying this, but those tentacles feel kind of unsettling. I don’t know what kind of trait it is, but I feel like I should use it cautiously.｣

Whether it was her innate animalistic senses as a Wolf or the intuition of a Ranker, Mother of the Sky immediately pointed out the danger of the changed tentacles upon seeing them.

‘Let’s check in the morning.’

After all, I planned to go out to hunt for food in the morning anyway.

Colour of the Abyss, the trait obtained from Jason.

I’ll need to spend tomorrow investigating this unknown power.