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[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 454
‘Let’s start by merging that synthesis formula I unlocked a while ago.’
After much deliberation, The Amorph settled on combining the synthesis formula obtained in the past first.
There were two reasons for this.
The "Jaw of the Reaper," which is a material for the "Reaper’s Maw," can only be harvested from Outspacer queen-class entities or beings above the Amorph proto-form. The difficulty of obtaining it is extremely high, which is why the synthesis had been put off until now.
But conveniently, the system NEO-3, where The Amorph currently was, was about to face an invasion by the Outspacer legion. Before long, the Outspacer forces would descend.
‘If I take down a queen-class entity mixed in with the invaders, I can get one.’
And if the Symbol of the Hunt is used, reclaiming the Reaper’s Jaw wouldn’t be an issue.
The second reason was to break the seal that had arisen because of the "Twisted Abomination."
After obtaining the Warped Abomination, The Amorph had become unable to use certain physical traits. Humanoid Parasite was among them. Because of this, the knowledge and information the Amorph had gained from devoured rankers were also sealed off.
‘I need to extract all the information before using them as material.’
To do that, the seal must be removed.
So far, whenever The Amorph used the Transcendence System to create a new unique trait, its body went through a reconfiguration process. The plan was to take advantage of this step.
‘Maybe the seal will be released while my body is transformed.’
There was no telling how things would go, but it was worth attempting.
With a rough plan set, The Amorph moved a tentacle and sent a wave toward the data room.
[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZ (Wait, I have something to say)]
Moments later, the freezer’s speaker activated, and a familiar female voice came through.
｢Big sister’s busy analyzing footage right now. What is it?｣
It wasn’t PS-111 responding to the wave, it was Isabel.
The Amorph briefly explained its thoughts and plan.
｢You’re after a new trait, huh. Then you’re going to enter a cocoon, just like last time?｣
[ZZZ ZZZZ ZZ ZZZ (Yeah. I should handle this while there’s no special threat.)]
｢Didn’t you just say you’d help big sister earlier?｣
She was right. As she pointed out, The Amorph had originally planned to help PS-111 after consuming everything.
‘…It’s true there’s no urgent need to synthesize right away.’
The deep-sea base was under the control of PS-111 and the gremlin moss. It would take the former master of the base, Edgerton, at least a few days to notice. The same went for the Outspacer invasion.
Helping check the records first, before going into the cocoon, wouldn’t really be a problem. The Amorph was about to send out another wave, but Isabel’s voice cut in first.
｢Just kidding. I’ll help big sister myself. Amorph, you go ahead as planned.｣
[ZZ ZZZ (Are you sure?)]
｢Yeah. There’s nothing more important than you getting stronger. Oh, also…｣
As she was talking, she suddenly went silent.
｢…I’ll tell you after you come out of the cocoon. See you later.｣
Just as she seemed about to say something, Isabel only left those words and cut off the speaker connection.
‘What was that?’
Her tone sounded the same as always, but something felt off. It seemed like she had a worry that hadn’t been shared yet.
‘Is it about her big sister?’
This place was deeply connected to the creation of the mutant Screamer. Even PS-111, who was always utterly calm, would find it hard to stay unshaken here.
For someone like Isabel, who cherished her sister, it was only natural to be concerned.
‘I should prepare a gift for her when I fight the Outspacers.’
From what The Amorph recalled, PS-111 felt joy when upgrading herself or creating a mini-Screamer. Rather than offering empty words of comfort, it would be better to give her something she’d actually like.
‘Well, I’ve said my piece.’
The Amorph sprawled out in the middle of the trashed freezer.
｢‘Transcendence’ material list: Inorganic Digestion, Reaper’s Maw, Bone Beast, Infernal Illusion, Ultra Control｣
｢Would you like to activate the Transcendence System?｣
‘Let’s get started, then.’
As soon as consent was given, an immense volume of mucus poured out and enveloped the entire body.
The preparations for acquiring the eleventh cosmic monster trait had begun.
***
“…Goddamn it!”
A sharp noise rang out in the room’s pristine atmosphere.
Jacob, the supreme ruler of the NEO-3 system, glared furiously at the shattered remains of his wine glass.
“What? We’re low on fuel, so it’ll take longer to arrive? You decrepit old man!”
He’d been relaxing with fine wine when an urgent message arrived from his subordinate.
A communication had come from Walter Saint Kei’s side, who was supposed to bring Giga-Cracker to NEO-3. The message informed him that the lord’s health was poor, so the schedule would be delayed.
Jacob knew exactly what that meant.
‘Is this your way of saying you don’t trust me?’
Recently, Jacob had suffered immense losses.
One of NEO-3’s entryways, Neo First Gateway City, had collapsed. And this wasn’t even from an Outspacer attack; it was caused by a single, mysterious ship.
Of course, the mastermind behind the city’s destruction wasn’t a simple spaceship. That vessel was superior to any weapon Edgerton had ever built. Countless warships were sent to stop it, but all were annihilated.
Playing the Giga-Cracker card as a last resort only made things worse. He lost both the enemy and the space fortress.
Because of this, Jacob’s political standing had deteriorated almost to the point of no return.
On Mars, there were daily summons for him to return, and even members of the Old Faction, to which he belonged, were questioning his leadership one after another.
The bad reputation didn’t stop within the family. Walter’s passive attitude toward supporting him was also tied to Jacob’s blunders.
“Damn it, if only those bug bastards were still around…”
Since the last invasion, the monsters had become eerily quiet—as if their aggression had been a lie. Even though one of the system’s bastions had fallen, there was no sign of movement from them.
Yet, the cessation of attacks brought little comfort. In fact, it was exactly this lull that had cooled Walter’s interest.
The only thing the Lord of Saint Kei wanted was the heads of the four unique entities that attacked NEO-3. If the Outspacers weren’t appearing, he had no reason left to support Jacob.
That’s why the old man was dragging things out, citing preposterous excuses.
“Aaaaargh! Dammit!”
With a cry bordering on a wail, he slumped into his chair.
There were two ways for him to restore his fallen prestige and damaged political influence.
Successfully defending NEO-3, or completing the anti-Outspacer weapon development he had been planning for some time.
Of these, the path he had to choose was the latter.
Jacob activated the communicator on his desk. Soon, the familiar face of a man appeared as a hologram.
｢Jacob, sir?｣
“Joel. Are the ship’s supplies fully loaded?”
The hologram’s owner was Joel, who had caught an Outspacer parasite. Having barely escaped Gateway City before it was destroyed, Joel was now resupplying at the oceanic planet NOX-02.
It had been nearly eight hours since Joel’s ship landed. Jacob had ordered the planet-side team to spare nothing in supporting him, so he expected all maintenance to be done by now.
But what came out of Joel’s mouth was not what Jacob hoped for.
｢Uh, there’s a bit of a problem.｣
“Problem?”
｢During the escape from Gateway City, ahem, the hull took some serious damage. Especially the superluminal engine…｣
“What?”
At the mention of a broken engine, Jacob’s expression instantly darkened.
Clearly bothered, Joel pressed his forehead with his fingers even while reporting.
｢They say it’ll take at least two days to fix, even just the engine.｣
“…….”
That cursed time, again. Hearing yet another delay, Jacob nearly lost his composure. Forcing down his anger, he quickly began thinking.
‘I can’t waste any more time.’
The Outspacers who attacked the system were highly intelligent. Jacob didn’t know why their offensive had paused, but there was no way to predict when they might strike again.
Walter arriving on time would resolve things, but that possibility seemed more and more remote. If the Outspacers returned before Walter did, NEO-3 would suffer catastrophic losses.
And that would all be on Jacob.
To prevent such a disaster, he would have to complete the anti-Outspacer weapon as quickly as possible.
‘If I have the parasite, they said I could get a weapon made in two or three days.’
Ship repairs, then receiving and researching the parasite—combined, that would take four or five days. If any unexpected variables cropped up, it could be even longer.
He needed to find a way to shorten the timeline.
‘Should I send the research team directly to NOX-02? Wait, no, there aren’t any facilities there—Hold on.’
At that moment, an important, forgotten fact surfaced in Jacob’s mind.
The previous Lord, Denver Edgerton, had secretly overseen the Hulk Mutant development project. And there’s a research facility on NOX-02 related to that project.
Though the lab was shuttered after Edgerton’s death, the equipment and materials were left behind. If they could use those, the research could be completed there.
｢Jacob, sir?｣
“Wait on the planet after the ship’s fixed. I’ll send the researchers to you.”
｢Uh, pardon?｣
“There’s a sealed research base in NOX-02’s deep sea. That’s where you’ll work on the parasite.”
｢Uh, but—cough, if we expose the sample to such a contaminated environment, there could be problems…｣
Joel coughed nervously throughout the call, possibly from anxiety. Normally, Jacob would have reprimanded such rudeness, but his mind was elsewhere.
“It’s the best facility in the system, so don’t worry. Rest until the researchers arrive.”
｢Understood.｣
As soon as the call ended, Jacob started contacting knights and researchers, ordering them to prepare to relocate the project to NOX-02.
‘I’ll have to make preparations as well.’
The secret lab was guarded by a complicated security system and only accessible to registered project members—people like Jacob himself.
To let the researchers in, Jacob would have to go, too.
‘Hmm. I was planning to take every precaution anyway. Finishing the research there shouldn’t be a bad move.’
The base enjoyed the protection of the sea—nature’s own barrier. Its location and security were flawless, so the odds of trouble arising mid-research were slim.
‘Maybe it’s even worth considering reviving the secret base entirely while I’m at it.’
Amid an onslaught of hurdles, a small light of hope was starting to show. With that hope in his heart, Jacob left the room.
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[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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