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[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 397
The Mother of the Sky knew the specific activation conditions of the Revenant Organ. We'd discussed how to use it when we were preparing to fight Jason near Adhai's former home.
Later, after I acquired the ability to transfer up to two traits to others thanks to the 'Monolith of the Double Helix', she asked me to give her the Revenant Organ.
'And the Superior Homeostasis as well.'
The Revenant Organ is a trait that only triggers automatically at the very brink of death. To offset that flaw, a powerful regeneration trait is necessary and Superior Homeostasis pairs exceptionally well with it.
So after we finished hunting the Magmasaur on the volcanic planet, I passed the traits to her. I later reacquired both, so now she and I each possess them.
Thus, the Mother of the Sky has everything she needs to make full use of the Revenant Organ.
[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZ (Once I transfer the trait, I’ll send Adhai and PS-111 with the Giga-Cracker.)]
PS-111 needs to go too, because of the active APNC (Anti Psychic Nanite Cartridge).
This compact machine absorbs psychic power and can't be removed by healing abilities. While the Mother of the Sky keeps Adhai alive using the Thunder Bird’s powers, PS-111 has to handle the nanomachines.
｢…Are you sure about this?｣
The Mother of the Sky sent out a thoughtwave laced with complex emotions.
Her concern wasn’t unfounded. After all, she'd never used the Revenant Organ neither in the game nor in this world. All she had were second-hand accounts from forums and my own explanation.
That’s also why I wanted to send her somewhere safe. If anything goes wrong, both she and Adhai could be in serious danger.
'But...'
I believe she’ll succeed.
[ZZZ ZZZZ (You can do this.)]
｢……｣
To be precise, I believe in the strength of the emotions she has for Adhai.
She’s lost precious things before, so she knows better than anyone how terrifying and painful that is. That’s why she won’t fail.
As she received my sharp, focused thoughtwave, she closed her eyes. Her heartbeat, which had been erratic with anxiety, began to settle.
｢I’ll do it.｣
With her resolve firmed, the Mother of the Sky leaned her head toward my snout. Transforming into her hunting form, a secondary organ wrapped in razor-sharp bone blades touched the tip of my beak.
I activated the Monolith of the Double Helix, the power that manipulates genetic essence. From deep within, a reaction began. Blood, flesh, bone, carapace every component of my body began breaking down and recombining. Outwardly, there was no visible change, but inside, a complex biochemical process had begun.
Moments later, the product of that process emerged from the tip of a bone blade. It was a drop of genetic essence similar in composition to the black mucus secreted during growth. No larger than a human knuckle, the drop passed into the Mother of the Sky.
The liquid, containing the information for the Revenant Organ, was instantly absorbed through her beak and rapidly dispersed throughout her body.
The trait had successfully transferred. Once her genetic essence fully reconfigures, she’ll be able to use the Revenant Organ.
[ZZZZ ZZZZZ (Now I’ll send Adhai.)]
She was still undergoing internal calibration, so instead of speaking, she nodded silently.
I prepared to use the starlight coordinates to send Adhai when a jolt slammed into my head.
A torpedo fired by a Star Union battleship struck my cranial carapace and exploded. That marked the renewed start of the enemy's assault.
｢Incoming!｣
Isabel’s voice rang with urgent warning.
Among the incoming torpedoes, I spotted something moving unusually fast. Akira was hiding between the projectiles, aiming directly at me.
He pointed the barrel of his weapon something shaped like a rifle at me.
He knows APNC is useless against me. He must’ve loaded something else.
He’s already managed to slice off a portion of my carapace once before. He’s aware of how strong my defenses are. Whatever he’s loaded now, it’s likely powerful enough to deal serious damage.
'Whatever it is, I can’t afford to take the hit.'
Just as it tried to dodge the mysterious attack, Number 26, who had been frozen in place, suddenly moved.
｢Eee! Don’t keep hurting the Little One!｣
Before I could stop it, a massive surge of psychic power erupted from its body. Like an entire cult fleet firing its psychic main cannons all at once, thick and thin purple beams shot out in every direction.
The incoming torpedoes and carrier-based drones exploded the moment they touched the psychic net it had cast. In an instant, the entire area was engulfed in red fire and metallic shrapnel.
'Terrifying.'
This was psychic power manipulation so destructive it was hard to believe it came from Number 26. It reminded me of how Sea Demons would violently unleash their powers against players in the game.
In the inferno of rage that Number 26 had unleashed, the only one still standing was Akira. The torpedo he’d been using for cover had exploded, ruining his ambush. Frustrated, he re-aimed at me.
That’s when Isabel drew her Vortex One pistol. They both pulled their triggers almost simultaneously but Isabel was just a fraction quicker.
The freshly fired bullet disappeared completely. The invisible, undetectable force of Vortex One devoured both the bullet and the barrel of the gun Akira had been holding.
Thanks to the combined effort of Isabel and Number 26, we never found out what kind of bullet he had tried to shoot.
Having lost his trump card in an instant, Akira angrily threw aside his broken weapon. He then charged straight at me, ready to attack with his hook-like claws just like before.
But this time, things were different.
The doppelgangers created through ‘Hydra Split’—‘Left Head’ and ‘Right Head’—stepped in to block him.
｢Grrr!｣
｢Grkk!｣
As my doppelgangers clashed with Akira, battleships stationed at the rear launched forward to support him. Our side’s metallic gremlins began to move again to counter the metal constructs built by humans and cyborgs.
'Now’s the chance.'
The enemy was caught in the chaos, completely distracted. It gave me the window I needed to move to Adhai.
I carefully pulled Adhai out from where she was cradled in my small arms. I brought the auxiliary module close to her, preparing to use the starlight coordinates. That’s when she stirred faintly.
｢Big One...｣
Her thought-wave was so faint, it was barely perceptible even with my tendrils, and despite being this close.
｢Grew｣ ｢Praised｣ ｢But｣ ｢Sorry｣
[ZZZ (No, it’s okay)]
I gently stroked her head with one of my fingers.
[ZZ ZZZ Z (You’re my pride)]
And I meant it. It wasn’t just empty words.
At first, our relationship was bound by contract. I saw her as nothing more than a guide to the Dragon’s Nest, a trove of rare genetic essence.
But now, everything has changed.
She had become one of the most precious beings to me.
'The old me would never have understood a feeling like this.'
[ZZZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZ (And a pack leader never apologizes lightly)]
Adhai gave a small wag of her tail. She must have felt my sincerity, and that was her way of showing happiness.
That was her last conscious thought-wave. She had passed out from her injuries.
There was no more time to waste.
I aimed the auxiliary module at her and focused my mind.
A moment later, Adhai vanished in a swirl of blue light.
'She’s safe now.'
Mother of the Sky, who had been watching, began preparations for her own faster-than-light travel. Just like Adhai, she became enveloped in blue particles.
｢Amorph.｣
Just before she left, she called out to me. I couldn’t respond due to the penalty from using the starlight coordinates.
But it seemed she understood that. She simply said:
｢Don’t die.｣
And with that, she vanished.
Only the floating blue particles evidence of her faster than light jump remained in the black void where she had stood.
Moments later, the penalty lifted, and I was able to move again.
Only PS-111 remained.
It opened the storage compartment under its body and retrieved MPS-05, which had been in sleep mode.
｢Delivering... retrieved MPS-5... Standby for further... contact.｣
[ZZZ (Alright)]
｢Upon recovery, will dispatch... Gigacracker for support.｣
I took MPS-05 and stored it inside my mouth, then sent PS-111 away to summon the Gigacracker.
But just after it vanished, enemy battleships began closing in.
The distinct energy signature created by faster-than-light travel had drawn their attention.
They began slowly surrounding me, trying to capture me before I could regain mobility.
Among them, Star Union warships had brought in a swarm of APDs Anti-Psychic Drones to prevent me from using psychic powers to detonate torpedoes or ships.
Once they closed the distance, the battleships all aimed their main guns at me.
Number 26 began trembling.
'Even it can’t handle that many APDs.'
Even my full-power psychic breath wouldn’t break through. Until I could move again, my best option was simply to endure their attacks.
That’s what I thought until something unexpected happened.
Number 26’s body grotesquely contorted and then thousands, tens of thousands of tendrils burst forth.
Thick and thin tentacles surged out like a tidal wave, piercing through the APDs scattered in all directions.
'What is this?'
It looked like a hybrid application of its saw-blade tendrils, mimic limbs, and shapeshifting but I couldn’t be certain. No Sea Demon in the game had ever demonstrated something like this.
In a flash, it eliminated about a quarter of the active APDs. Through the gap it had opened, it unleashed torrents of psychic power.
Along its translucent pink skin, new eyes made of raw psychic energy began to form.
｢You nasty metal lumps hurting the Big One! I hate you!｣
A being known as the Nightmare of the Ocean Planet.
A demon of the sea.
Now, in the black abyss we call space, the demon roared.
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[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 397
