Became an Evolving Space Monster

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[Translator – Seraph]

[Proofreader – Draxx]

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Chapter 306

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"I'm sorry to have asked for your time when you must be busy."

"Haha. Not at all, senior."

In a formal office, two Cultists sat across from each other at a desk.

Both bore horns resembling those of a yak, but beyond that, they shared no similarities. The male Cultist, who had the air of a man in his prime years, wore the distinctive uniform of a Megacorp Crisis Management Team. In contrast, the female Cultist seated at the desk wore the traditional purple military uniform of their kind.

"I should have contacted you sooner. Is the accommodation I arranged to your liking?"

"A suite in the Fortress of Waters? I've always heard it was excellent, but the reality exceeded my imagination."

"For you, and those who saved you, even a reception in the Imperial Palace wouldn't be too much."

"Such generous hospitality makes me question if I even deserve it. Truly, thank you, Alshas."

"Senior! Please, lift your head."

The Cultist in the Megacorp uniform inclined his head in gratitude, prompting Alshas, the female Cultist, to wave her hand awkwardly, as if embarrassed.

"When I received your message, Nern, I offered a prayer of gratitude to the Great Providence. For granting me the chance to repay the debt I owe you."

"Alshas, you..."

"So please, raise your head."

At her insistence, Nern reluctantly lifted his gaze.

Silver hair meticulously groomed, a face radiating mature beauty and poise. As Nern met the eyes of his much younger junior, memories of the past stirred.

Years ago, Nern and Alshas had served together aboard the same starship.

At the time, Alshas struggled to adapt to shipboard life, likely due to her youth when she first joined the crew. Without Nern’s repeated interventions against Outspacer threats, she would not have survived to stand where she did now.

'That crybaby is now the captain of an Imperial warship.'

The weeping Cultist who had shed tears after every battle was long gone. Nern glanced at the insignia pinned to her right chest.

A golden diamond enclosing a small circle. Nern himself had been awarded an identical emblem ten years earlier when he became the captain of the Judicator of Damos08.

Who could have imagined that the once doubtful subordinate would grow to command The Defender of Berzan02, the Imperial warship guarding this star?

Though Nern was aware she'd held her captaincy for years, he couldn't help but feel the swift passage of time.

"By the way, senior, are you truly not considering returning? The Empire is in chaos, and heroes like you are needed now more than ever."

"I’ve told you before I won’t return until my vengeance is complete."

"The Three-Headed Demon, is it? I’ve read the records. Without the Empire’s cooperation, exterminating it is impossible."

At the mention of the Three-Headed Demon, Nern’s body stiffened involuntarily. The terror of facing that monstrosity remained etched in his being.

"You know as well as I do the Empire doesn’t have the resources to hunt that creature. Even if they did, the Council would surely oppose it."

"If I offered my aid—"

"And risk getting expelled from the Reformists yourself? If that happens, the Empire would crumble entirely."

"......"

"Humans they are indeed frail and primitive. But they’re the only key that can help me exact my revenge."

The organization Nern now served was led by Si-hyun Yujin, who wielded a relic of immense power. The reasons behind her ability to use it were unclear, but such details hardly mattered.

With her and the relic she controlled, even the Three-Headed Demon could be slain.

"So, it really is because of that relic?"

"Yes. You remember what I told you."

"Of course. That terrifying relic saved both of our lives. I never imagined someone else would appear who could wield it. Truly, it was beyond my expectations."

When the relic had been activated, Alshas was aboard the ship. However, she had been hospitalized at the time and hadn’t witnessed its activation. By the time she learned about the relic, Nern had already hidden it on a distant planet.

"Anyway, I came here today because of something related to that relic."

"Excuse me?"

"I need your help to arrange a meeting between Si-hyun Yujin, the relic user, and a Reformist faction senator."

"A Reformist senator?"

"Weapons and ships of various kinds are required. The Providence faction is adamant about rearmament and will never release their weapons. However..."

"You believe the Reformists, who advocate disarmament, will be more cooperative. That’s true, but..."

Alshas furrowed her brows slightly. Even as the captain of an Imperial warship, it was no small task to persuade senators to sell weapons especially to unknown entities whose potential threat to the Empire could not be dismissed. If someone had made such a suggestion to Nern in the past, he would have rejected it outright.

Nern, aware of her inner conflict, waited silently for her answer.

After a brief pause, Alshas let out a short sigh and nodded.

"How could I refuse an opportunity to repay my debt? Fortunately, someone I consider a mentor is currently here. I’ll speak to him about it."

"Really?"

"Yes. He’s a well-connected Megacorp liaison among the Reformists. He should be approachable."

"Thank you!"

"If you’re so grateful, why not return to active duty? We have plenty of Imperial warships here."

"Ahem. By the way, how is your elder brother faring?"

Nern cleared his throat awkwardly, attempting to steer the conversation away. Alshas smirked faintly at his obvious deflection.

"Arcadi is the same as ever. As you know, he’s still indulging in his refined hobbies."

"No need to put it that way. He’s clearly a resourceful individual."

"You’re the only one who speaks so kindly of my wayward brother, senior."

Though her tone carried a hint of sarcasm, her expression remained warm.

As far as Nern remembered, the relationship between Arcadi and Alshas was unusually amicable for siblings among the Cult, who generally had weak familial bonds.

"Why not give him a chance this time? A recommendation from you could easily secure him a position as a governor’s aide."

"Not until he gives up his unsavory hobbies. The senators would never approve."

"Tsk. Why are there so many who are obsessed with slavery? That includes that Providence faction figure as well."

"Ah, the missing youngest priest? I heard all their slaves disappeared with them as well."

With the important discussion concluded, Nern lingered in the room.

Reunited after so long, they shared stories of recent events, including various incidents across the Empire.

---

‘The Fortress of Waters.’

I savored a delicious chunk of meat while reflecting on what I had observed earlier in the day.

Last night, I infiltrated Arcadi’s estate and implanted a parasite in him. The man was a figure of considerable renown on this planet. For that reason, I decided not to use the standard control method but instead opted for one similar to Charas, focusing primarily on physical manipulation.

To the Cultist with the largest collection of slaves in the Radiant District, I made two main demands information and merchandise.

First, I requested the ledger documenting all the slaves he had ever sold.

Even with me standing before him, Arcadi flatly refused. He claimed it was the foundation of his trade and could never be handed over.

Of course, in a situation where a parasite had seized portions of his brain and spine, his refusal carried little weight. After inflicting pain on him, I repeated my command.

"Bring me the ledger."

It was only after he vomited out every last ounce of defiance that he complied. I received a small data chip from him, then inquired about the living specimens he still held.

If Arcadi had only dealt in slaves, he wouldn’t have amassed such wealth. As expected, he possessed numerous creatures, both for sale and as part of his private collection.

‘Rare Apex-tier creatures... I hadn’t anticipated that.’

It was only natural to demand those creatures as well. I ordered Arcadi to discreetly send them to my hidden location.

Having already suffered greatly, the man obeyed. He vowed to ensure the deliveries would go unnoticed by others.

With that, my dealings with him were complete. I left the aftermath in his hands and returned to my hideout.

The moment I arrived, I summoned PS-111.

It had been analyzing the enhanced suits brought by the enemies to upgrade its metallic body. I requested it to analyze Arcadi's data chip once it finished its current work.

Though I told it to take its time, PS-111 spent the entire night processing the massive volume of records. By morning, it had filtered out all references to Cold Bloods sold by Arcadi and displayed the results via a hologram at the hover bus center.

As I reviewed the list, the Mother of the Sky pointed out a suspicious individual.

Her reasoning was compelling she had encountered the 22nd Rank in person a decade ago. At the time, it was a young Cold Blood. By now, it would have matured into an adult.

Moreover, the 22nd Rank had been a target of the Dominator faction, including Jason. It was highly likely that it had completely disguised its appearance.

She seems certain of it, at least.

According to Arcadi’s records, the Cold Blood suspected to be the 22nd Rank had been handed over to a new master at the Fortress of Waters just two months ago. With so little time passed, it was likely still there.

The problem is that breaching the Fortress of Waters won’t be easy...

I chewed on the meat Arcadi had sent as I pondered.

The Fortress of Waters was effectively the capital of this planet and home to the largest branch of the Council of Prophets. Its defenses were on an entirely different level compared to other locations here.

Furthermore, if there were other players on Verzan-02 besides the 22nd Rank, they would most likely be at the Fortress of Waters. As the economic hub of the planet, any Cult player worth their salt would make it their base of operations.

‘Regardless, breaking through in two days is impossible.’

The duration of Clever Weakling was only a few days. There was a high chance that my transformation would wear off before I could infiltrate the fortress. Short of waging an all-out war against the city, sneaking in with a body spanning dozens of meters was nearly impossible.

I had come to this planet to ask the 22nd Rank about the vision I had seen during my evolution. If it turned hostile toward me, so be it. But until its intentions were clear, I couldn’t just lay waste to the city.

‘I’ll need to spend at least 30 days here.’

And in that time, I had work to do.

Preparation for infiltration and...

｢Predation effect activated!｣

‘Perfect.’

When the container sent by Arcadi arrived, I immediately activated the Symbol of Hunt. I needed to acquire the traits of the creatures he had sent.

The one I just consumed was a larval Red Worm. Native to desert planets, these carnivorous worms were also known as "Sand Dragons" or "Crimson Serpents."

Its unique trait was one I was deeply familiar with. I had first acquired it not long after arriving in this world.

It served me well.

I had used it extensively before eventually incorporating it as a fusion material. It had proven immensely useful up to now and would continue to be so in the future.

｢Extracted the biological trait ‘Mimicry’ from the Red Worm.｣

｢Would you like to apply ‘Mimicry’?｣

Of course. Confirm.’

The treasure I had first discovered in the cargo hold of a Megacorp research vessel was back in my hands.

As I integrated the trait into my body, I began contemplating the most critical decision.

I intended to pass this invaluable trait onto one of my companions. The question was, who would benefit most from it?

‘The simplest choice would be PS-111, of course…’

PS-111’s body was over half machine and could be modified to suit various purposes. Changing its voice or appearance would be no challenge for it.

‘It would be useful, but only to a point.’

The Mother of the Sky was not a bad choice. Among the companions, she was the one whose reaction to receiving Mimicry was the most predictable.

But there’s a sense of hesitation about giving it to her.

As a member of the Wolf species, she faced no particular hindrance in interacting with others. Using it solely for combat felt like an underutilization of its potential.

That said, she was the only one among my companions who truly understood the terrifying potential of Mimicry. She had painfully experienced its effects firsthand in the game. Having witnessed and endured it, she would undoubtedly make good use of it if given the chance.

Adhai, on the other hand, is out of the question.

For Gallagons, their cluster of tentacles serves as a substitute for a mouth. Even if a Mimicry Organ were implanted in her throat, her oral structure would make producing sound almost impossible.

In fact, by oral structure alone, Number 26 would face similar limitations. However, there was one critical difference that set it apart.

It can change its body.

In the underground storage of the space fortress Kesha Arma, 26 had consumed a creature called a Faceless.

Faceless creatures possess the ability to alter their bodies at will. Upon inheriting that power, 26 had gained the ability to freely morph the shape of its tentacles—a power I dubbed Mutant Tentacles.

Granted, that name is one I came up with.

Still, the Mimicry Organ being a poor fit for its body wouldn’t pose much of an issue for 26. It could simply adapt its tentacles to accommodate the new organ.

Of course, that would mean the results could stray far from my expectations. It might exceed my imagination and prove far more impressive or it could fall short, producing sounds barely worthy of being called a voice.

So, should I give it to the Mother of the Sky or 26?

One offered minimal risk and highly predictable outcomes. Whether for better or worse, her use of it would likely align closely with my expectations.

The other also came with minimal risk but offered completely unpredictable results. They could be astonishingly good or not.

‘...It’s better to give it to 26.’

After a moment of deliberation, I finally made my decision.

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[Translator – Seraph]

[Proofreader – Draxx]

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