BXBX NOVEL Chapter 246
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Chapter 246
Adhai landed gracefully on top of the hangar.
It seemed she had used her ‘Red Armor’ when she rammed into Pyra Eleven’s craft, as there wasn’t a single scratch on her body.
｢Kin｣ ｢Grudge｣ ｢Avenged｣
[ZZZ (Well done)]
｢Great Elder｣ ｢Me｣ ｢Great Leader｣ ｢Did I play my role?｣
[ZZZZ (Absolutely)]
｢Well done, little one! Well done!｣
｢Success｣ ｢That’s a relief｣
Hearing the praises from me and Number 26, she nodded proudly. It felt strange seeing her stand so dignified, especially when she used to hop around in joy.
‘Though it seems like she still can’t control her tail.’
I patted her head as her chubby tail swayed gently.
[ZZZ ZZZZ (What about Mother of the Sky?)]
｢Ham Ort｣ ｢Took her on｣ ｢Star Sea｣ ｢Going there｣ ｢Seems tough｣
[ZZ (Worth noting)]
Wolfs don’t die immediately when exposed to the vacuum of space, but unlike monstrous species like Amorphs or Metallic Gremlins, they can’t survive for long periods.
If there’s a well-maintained ship or a space with a suitable oxygen supply, like the nest I created, they can manage. However, hitching a ride on Adhai’s back into space is quite a burden.
While we were talking, the hangar door closed on its own. I could feel the entire ship descending rapidly. PS-111, who had taken control of the ship, was landing it.
‘It must be in the control room.’
Pyra Eleven had remotely controlled this massive ship, but that was only possible because it was a superior android. While PS-111 is certainly special, its performance doesn’t match that of Pyra Eleven.
So, it must be piloting the ship while directly synchronized with the bridge.
‘This is a Zax Alpha-class warship, so it should be in the upper central area.’
I led Adhai and Number 26 to the control room.
When we arrived, just as I expected, PS-111 was there. It had removed the floor in the center of the room and was lying inside.
The biological tissue covering its back had split open, revealing its spine, where hundreds of cables were densely connected.
“You’ve arrived.”
It was staring blankly into space but acknowledged us when it noticed our presence.
“You’ve come at the right time. There’s something I need to check.”
“Is it about the Star Union’s support fleet?”
“Can you check when the support request was sent?”
Considering it was directly controlling this massive ship, I thought it could easily access the records.
But contrary to my expectations, it gave a negative response.
“Pyra Eleven has strengthened the security system. In my current state, it’s impossible to breach it.”
“Is that so?”
“However, if I enhance my mechanical modules, I believe I can bypass it.”
“Enhance? You plan to use the ship’s facilities, then.”
“Precisely.”
This ship is equipped with various machinery and facilities for the production of Screamers. It should be easy for it to modify the equipment to enhance itself.
‘I thought about infiltrating the ship and extracting the data, but that method would be better.’
Given Pyra Eleven’s ruthless nature, who knows what might happen if the security system is forcibly deactivated. It’s likely that it would have set up traps.
While we were conversing, the ship, which had been descending steadily, successfully landed on the surface.
Once we stepped outside, I saw a half-collapsed canyon in the distance.
On the plains near the ship, the Gallagons and Mother of the Sky were waiting for us. Although the Gallagons were covered in wounds, not a single one of them had died.
Ham Ort, who stood at the forefront of the Gallagons, bowed her head quietly towards Adhai. The other Gallagons behind her also bent their front legs and bowed their heads.
Adhai spread her wings wide and bowed her head slightly in return. Then, she released a psychic wave around her that I couldn’t interpret.
‘A ritual to mark the completion of her vengeance, perhaps.’
Gallagons don’t have a concept of funerals, but that doesn’t mean they lack a sense of kinship. If a young Blue Gallagon dies or an egg is destroyed, the entire group becomes enraged.
‘In the game, Gallagons were notorious for their ruthless vengeance.’
That made hunting them particularly challenging. If you hunted one alone, other Gallagons would constantly show up.
‘And here I am, travelling with a group of Gallagons.’
The me in the game would have been shocked to see what I’ve become now.
As I observed the dragons’ ritual, Mother of the Sky approached me.
｢That guy would have been thrilled to see this.｣
[Z ZZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZ ZZZZZ (That Gallagon maniac? You two knew each other?)]
｢Yes. After my clan disbanded, he went to great lengths to recruit me.｣
The ‘guy’ she referred to was a Coldblood Ranker who was famous for his obsession with Gallagons. He was ranked 18th and had even stolen Gallagon eggs in an attempt to raise one.
‘I wonder if he ended up in this world as well.’
Coldbloods can grow rapidly until mid-game, but it becomes increasingly difficult afterward. They draw power from the Vortex Ones, which makes them powerful early on, but the cost they must pay increases over time, making it harder.
‘Considering the cost, survival wouldn’t be easy.’
The Vortex Ones are transcendent beings that only Rankers encounter. The power they lend is formidable, but the price is equally immense. Failing to pay that price? It would lead to a fate worse than death.
There’s a chance he might have survived if he didn’t follow the Cultist path, but this world isn’t a game. With the power of the Vortex Ones, most immediate problems could be resolved, but I wonder if he could resist that temptation.
‘Come to think of it, Jason also took down a Coldblood Ranker.’
I remember when I turned the Cult Ranker, Jason, into a human-faced beast for interrogation.
The ability to create metallic forms, which was later known as the ‘Abyssal Hue,’ originally belonged to a Coldblood Ranker.
‘Jason said he didn’t know what rank the Coldblood was.’
Coldblood Rankers generally rank low due to their inherent limitations. Jason, being the arrogant type, didn’t care about those weaker than him.
‘And that arrogance is why he lost to me.’
As I recall, the investigation into the Coldblood Ranker was handled by another player who participated in the Ranker hunt with Jason. So, it’s no wonder he wasn’t interested.
While I was lost in thoughts of the deceased, Adhai sent me a psychic wave.
｢Great Elder｣ ｢Me｣ ｢Nest｣ ｢Going to inform them｣
She’s probably planning to inform the others in the nest about the situation. Just as I was about to tell her to do as she wished, PS-111, who had lagged behind, approached us.
“To improve the efficiency of controlling the ship, I need to upgrade my mechanical modules. For that, I require the metal stored in the nest.”
｢I｣ ｢Will take you there｣
“Thank you.”
With that, those who had tasks to complete headed back to the nest.
Once they left, only Number 26, Mother of the Sky, and I remained by the ship.
‘Now then….’
I looked up at the ship, its front and side sections damaged.
Not all problems have been resolved yet. We still don’t know when the Star Union support fleet Pyra Eleven mentioned will arrive.
But that’s information I can only get once PS-111 is upgraded. For now, there’s nothing I can do about it.
There is, however, one thing I can do.
The treasures Pyra Eleven had diligently gathered for Screamer production. It’s time to inspect them.
‘Wonder how many gene samples are stored on this ship.’
[Z ZZZZ ZZ (Let’s take a tour of the ship)]
｢Sure.｣
｢A Screamer ship, huh? This wasn’t in the game, but it’s certainly interesting.｣
I boarded the ship again with the others.
If I’m lucky, I might discover a new unique trait synthesis formula here.
‘Though I’ve already unlocked a formula that requires infection-related traits as ingredients.’
On the other hand, it’s also possible there are too many samples of the same species, making it hard to acquire new traits. Still, even if that’s the case, securing a large number of traits wouldn’t be bad.
With those pleasant thoughts in mind, I headed toward the area where the gene essence was stored. The closer I got, the stronger the alluring scent I had previously noticed became.
Could it be that I’m more susceptible because I’ve expended a lot of energy in the intense battle? The combination of slight hunger and anticipation for what lies ahead lifted my spirits without me realizing it.
｢The big one seems to be in a good mood.｣
｢…As expected of an Amorph, ahem, indeed.｣
Finally, I reached the place where the scent was most intense. I grabbed the thick iron door blocking the sweet aroma and tore it open.
An overwhelmingly concentrated fragrance hit my auxiliary organs.
‘Wow.’
The sight that unfolded behind the iron door was just as I had imagined.
No, perhaps it even exceeded my imagination.
Inside, hundreds of gene samples refined from various creatures were stored in freezers. Additionally, containers filled with the bodies of creatures from this and other planets greeted me.
｢Wow! There\'s so much food!｣
Number 26 remarked with awe from atop my head. As he said, this place was a treasure trove of genetic essence.
The only downside was that many of the samples had leaked out of their freezers and shattered. It seemed the freezers had been damaged during the battle.
But it wasn’t a major problem. There were still plenty of intact samples left.
‘Never mind that, let’s start with the Symbol of Hunt.’
It had been a while since I had the chance to feast.
---
On an unnamed planet, there exists a peculiar volcano.
While it’s massive enough to be called a supervolcano, it isn’t extraordinarily large. There are larger volcanoes scattered across other planets.
What makes this volcano truly unique isn’t its size.
The first reason is its color. On this planet, where snow and hail fall regardless of day or night, the volcano always remains black. It’s strange, as nature doesn’t avoid the volcano, yet it stays this way.
The second reason is the energy. This volcano constantly emits an enormous amount of energy. It’s so intense that creatures that feed on energy find it nearly impossible to leave.
The strange thing is that the volcano wasn’t always like this. It’s only been a few decades since it transformed.
At some point, the volcano began to transcend the laws of physics and nature. Near the base of the volcano lies a cave.
At first glance, it appears to be a common cave, but once inside, it’s far from simple. The long, maze-like tunnels wind deep into the volcano’s core.
As one ventures further into the volcano, the temperature rises to levels only the most resilient creatures can endure. As a result, the cave is teeming with predators native to this planet.
For a long time, no outsider dared to enter this cave.
Until recently.
“Shhhh…!”
A grotesque creature, a hybrid of mantis, wasp, and horsefly, collapsed with its head half-severed.
Standing before the fallen beast was a woman with black hair. Clad in a white bodysuit that accentuated her slender figure, she flicked the blood off a gleaming white blade extending from her wrist.
“How about your side?”
｢It’s done.｣
The one who responded was a being clad in a 2.5-meter-tall metal suit. The suit, a mix of reinforced armor and a walker, resembled a heavily armed combat android.
“Is Captain Neren safe?”
“I am unharmed, Si-Hyun Yujin.”
Si-Hyun Yujin, the woman in the white bodysuit, surveyed the survivors. Not many remained.
‘…Nine, huh.’
When they first set foot on this planet, there had been 60 of them. Ten were lost to wild animal attacks before even entering the volcano. While officially listed as missing, being alone on this harsh planet was tantamount to being dead.
Despite losing 10 people before entering the volcano, what awaited them inside was an even more terrifying nightmare.
Though the harsh cold was absent within the volcano, it teemed with dangerous creatures.
The creature she had just slain, known as a Hellside Hornet, was a highly dangerous monster. Without her reinforced suit, the White Maiden, which morphs according to the wearer’s imagination, even she couldn’t have survived.
‘And that’s the fourth such encounter.’
“We’ll rest here for a bit.”
“Got it!”
At her command, her subordinates collapsed onto the ground to rest. Understanding the toll the battle had taken on them, Si-Hyun refrained from chastising them.
Si-Hyun approached her subordinate in charge of communications.
“How’s the communication going? Is the weather anomaly resolved?”
“It seems the weather anomaly has been resolved for now. However, it appears that the connection on the other side hasn’t been fully restored.”
“Is it an issue with the satellite radar… hmm?”
At that moment, Laila Chemblin, the being in the metal suit, gestured for her. It seemed she had something to say privately.
“Keep trying, and let me know if you succeed.”
“Understood.”
After giving the order, Si-Hyun followed Laila to a spot slightly away from where the others were resting.
“You have something to say?”
｢Since we entered this place, we’ve already encountered four Hellside Hornets. No, with the one we just faced, that makes five. I’ve never seen so many Hellside Hornets in my entire life.｣
“…Yes.”
｢And don’t forget about the Ice Horror we encountered. It killed 20 of our people. If you hadn’t lured it away, we might’ve all been wiped out. Am I wrong?｣
Due to severe physical damage, Laila was forced to rely on the life-support systems of her suit for the rest of her life. Her vocal cords were completely destroyed, so she had to use a machine to speak.
Although the machine’s voice was devoid of emotion, Si-Hyun could easily grasp Laila’s feelings.
Laila was questioning whether what they were doing was worth all this.
“There’s an important relic here. We need to obtain it to achieve what we desire.”
｢That relic again. You do realize how ridiculous that sounds, right? Magical relics don’t exist anywhere in this universe.｣
Laila’s family, T&C, owned the most colonized planets among the Megacorps. They were well-versed in the peculiar elements present on various planets.
So Laila knew better than anyone that ancient relics or secret weapons left by fallen civilizations were nothing more than myths.
｢You gave me a second chance. I can’t die before achieving what I want. Especially not in a place like this.｣
“……”
Si-Hyun didn’t respond immediately, maintaining a moment of silence.
She understood Laila’s thoughts, just as she knew what Min-Seok, who was somewhere outside this planet, would be thinking. Normally, she would have thought the same.
But Si-Hyun had seen something.
Reborn in a clone’s body, she had reviewed not only the records left by Si-Hyun but also those left by those around her.
Among those records, she found a peculiar message from her former mentor, Beom-Ho.
It was something akin to a plan for the future.
Si-Hyun had never shared this discovery with anyone until now.
‘But…’
Now was the time to reveal it. Si-Hyun handed a small memory chip hidden within her suit to Laila.
｢What’s this?｣
“You’ll understand once you check it.”
Without further questions, Laila inserted the chip into a panel on her wrist. Soon, a series of images stored in the chip appeared before her eyes.
｢Is this a navigational chart?｣
“Yes.”
｢What are these next to it? Words? Sentences? They look like letters left by a primitive intelligent species.｣
“They are letters once used on Earth.”
｢Earth? The Earth I’m thinking of?｣
“Yes. The letters have become obsolete now. If I translate them, they mean this.”
Si-Hyun took a deep breath before she began to speak.
“The ownership of two pieces of equipment, made by an unknown creator, is temporarily transferred from ‘Player Jung-Woo’ to ‘Player Shin Beom-Ho.’”
The words coming from her mouth were in a language no one used anymore. As she spoke, a strange sense of familiarity washed over her, as if something deep inside her was resonating.
“Afterward, the ownership of the two pieces of equipment can only be obtained by someone who shares the blood of ‘Player Jung-Woo.’ ‘Player Shin Beom-Ho’ is to safely keep these items until then.”
With those thoughts swirling in her mind, Si-Hyun recited the next sentence.
[Proofreader – Draxx]