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[Proofreader – Draxx]

Chapter 240

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a pink jellyfish.

It was Number 26, who had grown to a size of 10 meters, asleep while leaning against me.

Beside Number 26 were Adhai and Mother of the Sky. Not long ago, Mother of the Sky in her griffion form had been much larger than Adhai, but that was no longer the case.

After evolving into a White Gallagon, Adhai had grown to be similar in size to Mother of the Sky, and now, with the power of the Red Gallagon, Adhai was even longer, especially when considering her wings.

‘It seems her heart has softened.’

I expected her to be with the Blue Gallagons, but surprisingly, she was here. It seems the comfort from Number 26 and Ham Ort was quite effective.

As I lay there, simply observing, I noticed white and green islands submerged in a black swamp. These were the White and Green Gallagons that were still recovering from their injuries.

Fortunately, most of their wounds had healed. However, their horns, which took longer to regenerate, remained broken for some.

While I was checking on their conditions, a light flickered from the passage connected to the chamber.

‘What was that?’

Though it was brief, having seen it, I couldn\'t just ignore it.

Carefully, I got up.

Normally, Number 26 would have woken up at the slightest movement from me, but it must have been extremely tired because it didn’t stir. I moved cautiously to avoid waking it and stepped outside the swamp.

‘Speaking of which, where is PS-111?’

It was nowhere to be seen inside the chamber.

Heading towards the passage where the light had flashed, I found PS-111.

It was in the middle of syncing with a Screamer head. When it noticed me, it stopped what it was doing and turned to face me.

“You’re awake.”

Just like Number 26, PS-111 also matched its actions to Number 26’s daily rhythm. When Number 26 slept, it would partially power down its system, and when Number 26 ate, it would replenish its energy.

It was rare for it to act on its own initiative unless given orders.

“Did you find something?”

“Yes. I had some memory data that needed verification.”

“Is it about Pyra Eleven?”

“No. I found a few interesting memory fragments.”

Despite its usual lack of expression, something about it seemed different today. Perhaps it was a hint of emotion.

After a brief silence, it spoke again.

“During the process of being digested by the Ice Horror, most of my memory data was lost. It’s impossible for me to know what memories or thoughts my original body held.”

“Were you trying to see if others were in a similar situation?”

“Yes.”

PS-111’s body had been severely damaged by the Ice Horror’s attack. When Number 26 found it, only its head remained.

It had managed to cram the minimum life-support functions into its small head to stay alive. In the process, its organic parts and the AI that controlled its actions formed a symbiotic structure.

‘It seems the original memories and personality were lost in the process.’

To be precise, it would be more accurate to say that the two merged.

After receiving energy from Number 26, its body had been restored to a state where machine and organism achieved perfect balance. In other words, it had become a new entity where biological tissue and machinery were seamlessly integrated.

‘Its identity must be very different from what it once was.’

In a way, the intelligence and mechanical components of the Screamer that originally made up PS-111 had died, leaving this new entity in front of me as something entirely different.

‘But that’s probably not what it wants to hear.’

“Did you find what you were looking for?”

Shaking its head, it replied, “The memory data analysis revealed an 89% similarity. They were all resigned to their existence and wished for their life-support systems to stop.”

‘Not surprising.’

The conditions it faced were vastly different from those of a regular Screamer.

Cyborgs or intelligent beings forcibly turned into Screamers must endure constant torment until they are pardoned by the Machine Council. They can’t control their bodies as they wish, but they still experience pain and sensations fully.

Even when hit by artillery fire on the battlefield, they must charge forward, and even when their bodies are scorched by energy rounds, they must continue fighting.

It’s an environment that would break even the strongest of wills. As PS-111 said, it would be rare to find anything other than a plea for death.

“After analyzing the data, I’m left with new doubts. Was I like them, or was I something different? I can’t make a definitive judgment.”

Even if the newly developed mutant Screamer differed from older models, the basic framework remained the same. Before its transformation, PS-111 was probably similar to the other mutant Screamers.

However, I couldn’t just tell it what I was thinking.

“Well, I think you were different.”

“What makes you think so?”

“If you truly wanted to die, you wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of modifying your body inside the Ice Horror. And even after Number 26 saved you, you’ve had plenty of opportunities to end it all. Doesn’t that make you different?”

It’s likely that its transformation was a desperate measure taken by the AI to preserve life, but I couldn’t be 100% sure. Out of all the creatures that had participated in the mission with it, PS-111 was the only one that had stubbornly survived.

I added one more thing to PS-111.

“You’re a special entity. That much is certain.”

And I meant it.

Depending on how you look at it, PS-111 had reached a stage of freedom far beyond the others.

It blinked the camera that replaced its eyes and fell silent. After a brief pause, it spoke again.

“I will take that into consideration.”

With that, the conversation ended. PS-111 fiddled with the Screamer’s head for a moment before quietly entering sleep mode.

‘Memories, huh.’

When you think about it, the players who arrived in this dystopian world are in a situation similar to PS-111. Humans who were living their own lives suddenly had their consciousnesses thrown into this world.

I, too, am essentially human, not an Amorph. The burns I suffered as a child, the conflicts with my parents, and the hobbies I started as an escape—all of these memories from my human life still define who ‘I’ am, even in this Amorph body.

‘What happens to these memories if I return home?’

If they remain intact, it might be difficult to adjust back to reality. After all, I would be going back to being human after existing as a creature that devoured people.

‘But that’s not something to worry about just yet.’

Eventually, I drifted off to sleep while lying beside PS-111, lost in these thoughts.

When I awoke to a sense of movement around me, it was already morning. The first thing I saw was Number 26.

｢Good morning, big one.｣

I patted it as it greeted me cheerfully. It glowed and sent out waves of contentment.

｢The little ones are all up. They’re calling for you.｣

[ZZZ ZZZ (Wait a moment.)]

Instead of heading directly into the chamber, I stopped by the entrance of the cave. After gathering what I needed near the uncovered entrance, I returned to the chamber.

As I entered the vast space covered in a swamp, I found the Gallagons and the little ones waiting for me.

｢Big elder,｣ ｢We’re ready,｣ ｢All set.｣

The Gallagons who had recovered from their injuries radiated intense anger. Adhai was also determined, burning with the desire for revenge.

‘Good’.

There were four White Gallagons and nine Green Gallagons who had barely survived while defending the nest from the Screamers. Including Ham Ort, there were fourteen in total.

A few more Green Gallagons had remained unscathed by staying in the nest, but I didn’t plan to bring them along.

‘Pyra Eleven is an enemy similar to me.’

It absorbs energy by consuming living beings. Bringing too many won’t necessarily be beneficial. Instead, I plan to bring a small but elite group of fourteen Gallagons and the little ones.

‘But before that…’

There was something I needed to do before setting off.

What I had brought from the entrance of the nest was none other than the corpses of White Gallagons. Four corpses obtained from defeating Odd Grad.

‘Judging by Adhai’s case, White Gallagons need to consume other White Gallagons to evolve.’

I wasn’t sure, so I intended to experiment right here. I wanted to see if these corpses could evolve the four White Gallagons.

‘Who should I give them to?’

I was definitely going to give them to Ham Ort and Nel Germa. Both had extensive combat experience and were highly skilled. If the experiment went well and they both became Black Gallagons, it would be a significant advantage in the upcoming battle.

‘Sha Belmag wouldn’t be a bad choice either.’

That lean male Gallagon was the first to rebel against Odd Grad after he lost his ring. He seemed intelligent, making him a suitable candidate for the experiment.

As for the last one, after some deliberation, I chose the largest Gallagon among them.

‘Ham Ort, Nel Germa, Sha Belma, and Jerkapcha.’

I presented the four White Gallagon corpses I had obtained the previous day in front of them.

Loyal by nature, Nel Germa didn’t hesitate to plunge its tentacles into the corpse. Sha Belmag and Jerkapcha followed, absorbing the remaining fluids from the corpse.

Finally, Ham Ort seemed to hesitate.

[ZZZ (Drink.)]

It gazed at the corpse I had offered, then turned its head to look at Adhai.

｢?｣

Adhai tilted her head, puzzled by Ham Ort’s stare. After a moment, Ham Ort seemed to make up its mind and immediately plunged its tentacles into the corpse.

‘Now, let’s see what happens.’

I hoped that all of them would evolve into Black Gallagons, but things might not go that smoothly.

‘At least one of them should evolve into a Black Gallagon.’

Quite some time had passed since they began their experimental meal.

The corpses I had brought started to shrivel up, drying out like mummies. Despite consuming nearly all of it, there were no visible signs of change.

‘Could it be a fail—huh?’

Just then, I noticed something on Ham Ort’s horn. The surface of the horn had started to turn black, as if ink had spread across it.

The black waves quickly engulfed Ham Ort\'s horn, spreading rapidly over its head and down its neck. Realizing the changes in its body, Ham Ort unfurled its wings and wrapped them around itself. From beneath the thick wings, the sounds of rapid growth echoed.

‘It’s similar to Adhai.’

I checked the other Gallagons to see if they were undergoing any changes as well.

Nel Germa and Sha Belma had some unfamiliar black spots behind their necks and on parts of their bodies, but there were no signs that these would spread like they did with Ham Ort.

‘So, only Ham Ort is evolving?’

Out of the four, only Ham Ort showed signs of growth. Despite devouring the entire White Gallagon corpse, the other three didn’t transform.

‘Could it be the condition of the corpses? Or is it related to age?’

To my knowledge, Ham Ort was the oldest among the surviving Gallagons. It was relatively young before, but after the battles with Odd Grad and the Screamers, which decimated most of their numbers, Ham Ort had become the eldest.

‘Maybe both the condition of the corpses and age played a role.’

It was disappointing, but there was nothing more I could do. All that was left was to wait for Ham Ort to complete its growth.

When Adhai transformed into a White Gallagon, it took about 30 minutes to an hour. Unlike Amorphs, it didn’t take that long.

An hour passed.

Ham Ort remained still, its wings tightly wrapped around its body. The pure white wings had vanished, replaced by smooth, obsidian-like wings that now covered it.

At some point, the sounds of transformation ceased. The growth process was complete.

The new Black Gallagon spread its winged mantle wide. As the newly born black dragon emerged, all the Gallagons in the vicinity lowered their heads in deference.

Ham Ort now sported two additional horns on its head. The original horns hadn’t fully regenerated, resulting in a somewhat unbalanced appearance.

The horns and body had taken on the black sheen of obsidian, and the creature\'s increased size added to its imposing presence.

Though still smaller than the aged Odd Grad, Ham Ort now stretched at least 30 meters from head to tail, a considerable figure nonetheless.

Ham Ort surveyed its new form briefly before bowing slightly to Adhai and me.

As I looked at the fully evolved creature, I thought to myself.

Everything is ready.

[Proofreader – Draxx]