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[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 399
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The Fifth Commissioner of the Machine Council, Nemea Five, was currently within Megacorp territory.
One of the rulers of the Star Union, it had come in person for a single reason: by order of the Supreme Leader.
Its mission was to coordinate with Megacorp to subjugate an unidentified lifeform referred to as ‘Special Target A’.
This entity had once destroyed the Eleventh Commissioner, Pyra Eleven, and annihilated an elite fleet.
While the fleet could be rebuilt swiftly, a Supreme Commissioner could not. Most of Pyra Eleven’s data had been lost, save for the small amount she had backed up. One of the very pillars supporting the Star Union had been shaken.
Because of this, the Machine Council took every measure to ensure success in this extermination effort.
In addition to Megacorp’s cooperation, they deployed a massive force led by three Supreme Commissioners.
The scale of the Union’s strike team was so large, one could easily mistake it for an expeditionary force.
But now, after only a few dozen minutes into the battle, Nemea Five had come to a realization.
The Machine Council had miscalculated.
｢Requesting support from Anderes! Surrounded by metallic gremlins! Immediate backup required!｣
｢Sashabi reporting! One of the creatures with Special Target A just suddenly—Aaargh!｣
｢Un—Unknown lifeform not detected by sensors—He—Help me! Gahhh—skrrkk｣
｢This is Gestassi repor—skrrkk—click.｣
Within the fortress of the lifeless, aboard the XAX01-class battleship, Nemea Five sat upon its crude metallic throne, processing the panicked transmissions coming in from all sides.
Just minutes earlier, the situation hadn’t looked so grim.
Special Target A had been caught in a trap set by the Megacorp CEO, and the malformed Gallagon it kept as an ally had suffered a critical injury.
The fleet had taken damage in reaching that point, but it had been within acceptable limits.
As time passed, the odds were supposed to tilt in favor of the extermination force. The Commissioners had judged that continuing the operation was the logical course.
But that, too, was a mistake. The tide of battle shifted in an instant, and now even the Supreme Commissioners could no longer predict its outcome.
A decision had to be made here and now. Nemea Five opened a channel to its long-standing colleagues.
｢Nemea Five. Report damage status.｣
｢Redtail Eight. Fleet Eight’s loss rate is 55%. Command disruptions due to communication failure. Estimated to reach 60% in the next 3 minutes and 21 seconds.｣
｢Calion Eleven. Fleet Eleven loss rate currently at 72%. Entering annihilation phase.｣
Fleet Five, under Nemea Five’s direct command, had a loss rate of 31%. Relatively lower, but meaningless in the face of the overwhelming damage to Fleets Eight and Eleven.
Calion Eleven, newly manufactured to replace the destroyed Pyra Eleven, was still immature.
Though it possessed the same knowledge and physical functions as other Commissioners, it lacked the capacity to respond effectively to unpredictable situations.
｢Nemea Five. Probability analysis of mission failure now at 71%. I recommend immediate withdrawal.｣
｢Redtail Eight. Rejected. The Machine Council requires an 80% failure probability before withdrawal is sanctioned.｣
｢Calion Eleven. Requesting analysis from the Machine Council.｣
Redtail rejected Nemea’s suggestion, while Calion failed to assert any opinion of its own.
｢Nemea Five. Rejected. Calculations indicate a 67% chance that Fleet Eight will be annihilated before analysis is complete. A decision must be made beforehand to reduce losses.｣
｢Redtail Eight. Partial agreement. Acknowledges the need to act before Fleet Eight is annihilated. However, a decision to withdraw within the next five minutes would contradict the Machine Council’s directive.｣
｢Calion Eleven. Analysis inconclusive. Requesting input from the Machine Council.｣
Faced with Redtail’s stubbornness, Nemea Five’s fingers twitched slightly.
｢Nemea Five. Continuing the operation may result in damage to Supreme Commissioners. The safety of participating Commissioners must take priority.｣
｢Redtail Eight. Partial rejection. Current Supreme Commissioner models are upgraded. Unless a highly irregular variable appears, the probability of Commissioner loss is only 11%.｣
And yet, the situation had deteriorated precisely because such irregular variables kept appearing.
A sensation Nemea Five had never once experienced flickered briefly within its neural core.
It was just beginning to recognize that feeling as urgency, when a new message arrived directly into its thought stream.
After reviewing the contents, Nemea Five immediately shared the information with the others.
｢Nemea Five. A massive energy surge has been detected within the N-51 system.｣
｢Calion Eleven. Query: Is it reinforcements?｣
｢Nemea Five. Negative. Analysis identifies five Saint-K produced anti-planetary weapons preparing to enter the system.｣
｢Redtail Eight. Confusion. Megacorp previously stated it would not deploy anti-planetary weapons for this mission. Was that a lie?｣
｢Nemea Five. Negative. These weapons received the distress signal from Megacorp ships and chose to assist autonomously.｣
｢Calion Eleven. Query: Estimated time of arrival?｣
｢Nemea Five. Estimated to arrive within 10 minutes.｣
Unexpected reinforcements, unauthorized and uncoordinated.
It wasn’t just any ordinary fleet it was five Gigacrackers, planetary siege weapons, suddenly attempting to enter the area.
With the firepower of five Gigacrackers, not only could they obliterate Special Target A, but they could also annihilate the entire Star Union fleet stationed here. From the perspective of the highest-ranking authorities of the Star Union, this was an extremely suspicious act.
｢Nemea Five. Recommending mission abort again.｣
｢Redtail Eight. Agreed. All ships with restored comms, retreat in sequence.｣
｢Carrion Eleven. Agreed.｣
What Redtail had referred to as an ‘unforeseen variable’ was the factor that sealed the failure of the operation.
***
Akira had transformed into a form resembling the Amorph.
It had altered its chest arms, combat limbs, and tail. The combat limbs had morphed into heavy war hammers, while the small arms had become hook-clawed appendages. The tail now resembled my corrosive tentacle, ending in a pointed maw-like structure.
It was using both a trait that allowed it to alter its body parts at will and another that mimicked me.
[ZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ (What other traits does it have?)]
｢Life… sustain… trait… yes.｣
[ZZZ ZZZ (Life sustain?)]
｢Special… organ allows no… death. Even if head or heart… is gone.｣
Just as it said, even with its head blown off, it moved without issue.
‘Is it similar to the Vortex-One mechanism?’
Those things also don’t die unless their Abyssal Core is destroyed.
‘Then how do I consume its genetic essence?’
Would eating the head suffice like with other organisms, or would I need to devour its life-support organ like with the Vortex-One? It’s unclear.
‘Do I have to try eating it myself to find out?’
But before I devour it, there’s one problem to consider.
‘Akira can corrupt genetic material.’
If I eat it recklessly, I might fall into a trap again like when I consumed the Shadow. No matter the special organ or head, if I eat Akira’s flesh, my body will be drastically weakened.
‘Even if I recover over time…’
Becoming weaker mid-battle is fatal. I must minimize the risk before consuming it.
‘In the end, there’s only one answer.’
I need to immobilize Akira first. Only after it’s incapacitated can I target the head and the special organ.
With wings spread wide, I launched myself toward Akira. It mirrored me, unfurling its wings and rushing to meet me.
The moment we clashed, a powerful shockwave rattled my head. Its hammer-shaped arm shattered one of my horns and drove deep into the inner carapace of my skull. With force, it tried to wedge the stake-like limb deeper into my head.
I counterattacked by skewering one of its legs using my auxiliary limb, surrounded by bone-blades. Then I opened my jaws and extended my second jaw outward.
The power of this second jaw is enough to crush even the outer shell of a Magmasaur. As it clamped down hard on Akira’s abdomen, a sudden sharp pain shot through me.
｢Pain suppression, activate!｣
A surge of blood filled my mouth. It had used its hook-clawed chest arm to slash my second jaw-tongue.
Then it yanked out the embedded arm and struck my snout. My neck twisted involuntarily, and I was sent flying backward. If this had happened on solid ground, I would’ve crashed face-first into the dirt, an undignified sight.
Akira grinned, baring its teeth. It must have had a similar thought. I often smiled like that when my hunt succeeded but seeing someone else do it rubbed me the wrong way.
Just then, a massive pink tentacle came flying into Akira’s side. It swiftly shielded itself with its now-larger wings, successfully blocking Number 26’s attack.
But Number 26 seemed to have predicted that defense. Its follow-up attack a concentrated psychic net struck with incredible force. The energy it released was nearly double what a normal psychic breath would expend.
｢Don’t copy Big Baby!｣
With strength surpassing even a Sea Demon, Number 26 overwhelmed Akira. This time, rather than using its wings to defend, Akira altered its body again. As the horn protruding from its head touched the psychic energy, the energy dispersed in all directions.
‘A Gallagon horn.’
It used the horn, which can tear through energy fields, to break free and tried to bite into Number 26’s tentacle attempting to mimic the form of this unique Sea Demon.
‘I can’t allow that.’
Spinning my body with force, I swung my tail wide. The pincers at its tip struck Akira just as it was about to attack Number 26, sending it flying far away.
It didn’t take long before it unfurled its wing membranes and stopped itself mid-air. Most of its body remained intact, but the hook-clawed chest arm had been completely crushed by the pincers.
It tore out the damaged section with its teeth as if it were nothing. Moments later, a pair of elongated bone-blades grew in its arms, identical to the scythe-like limbs that appear when one becomes a Symbol of the Hunt.
Instead of charging the thing, I turned away. It gave chase, staying close behind me.
A bluish-green beam fired from its tail, striking my back. The particle beam resembled the Crystalwing’s, but it was far more powerful, likely due to its higher output.
Each time the beam hit, my carapace cracked apart, leaving large, gaping wounds. With my regeneration failing, the minor injuries continued to accumulate.
After blasting apart my shell with the beam, it accelerated and leapt onto my back. Then, those bone-blade arms plunged into my wounds, gouging out chunks of flesh.
｢Pain Suppression Activated!｣
‘Ghh!’
The torn muscle and shredded meat throbbed with excruciating pain. And within the relentless stabbing of those blades, I could sense its emotions Akira was enjoying torturing me.
The creature’s unique traits synergized extremely well. Despite merely mimicking the Amorph, it was overpowering me and the others.
‘…Or so it thinks.’
There was a reason I pretended to flee helplessly: I was luring it to a specific location.
Powerful energy signatures surged nearby. Thermal rays fired from battleships were closing in.
One of them struck my back or more precisely, it hit Akira directly.
Perhaps Number 26’s psychic disruption had broken the ships’ targeting systems. The thing flinched, clearly caught off guard.
But it wasn’t a mistake. The next thermal rays all targeted Akira. To dodge the downpour of plasma, it leapt off of me.
The moment it fell away, the beams from the warships split into two clear streams one aimed at it, and one at me.
Akira flinched. It had realized what it looked like.
‘It’s too late to drop the transformation now.’
The enemy already knew I could freely alter my form in battle. Even if it changed into something other than the Amorph, the warships wouldn’t lower their guard.
Even if Akira had left behind intel about its transformation abilities for the fleet commanders, it wouldn’t help. Between Number 26’s psychic interference and my use of the Herald of Mass Confusion, enemy coordination had already broken down. In this state, smooth communication was impossible.
[ZZZZ ZZZ (Foolish creature)]
｢■■■■■■!｣
I bared my teeth at it and dove into the cluster of enemy ships. Seeing my mocking grin, Akira roared in rage and came charging after me.
The pursuit resumed in the storm of thermal beams but this time, things were different.
Just earlier, it had easily outpaced me. Now, it was barely managing to stay near the tip of my tail. Dodging the plasma rain was limiting its speed.
‘Its defense isn’t as good as mine.’
It was only about ten meters long. Even if its carapace was made of the same material as mine, the thickness was much less, so of course its defense would suffer. If a warship cannon struck us both, I’d take far less damage than it would.
It had auxiliary organs too, causing about half the incoming fire to miss. But it hadn’t mastered them yet. The unfamiliarity was evident.
‘It’ll get used to them eventually.’
Which is why I had to finish this before that happened.
In the chaotic warzone warships and metallic gremlins tangled everywhere I dove into a cluster of vessels. When I got close enough, I spat the MPS-05 I’d hidden in my mouth into my hand.
I was planning to use The Clever Weakling here. That’s why I’d kept it ready.
As I activated the trait, my body rapidly shrank. My long neck and massive wings shriveled up and vanished, and my whole shape changed.
By the time the transformation was complete, I was about five meters long quadrupedal, like a centaur, and covered in fur. All typical of the Clever Underdog form.
Clinging to the underside of a nearby ship, I waited.
｢■■?!｣
Akira, who lost sight of its target right in front of it, looked genuinely confused.
If it stood still and focused its auxiliary organs, it might find me. But I doubted it. This battlefield was a whirlwind of stimuli. Tracking me with unfamiliar organs in this mess wouldn't be easy.
‘And with my body this small now, it’ll be even harder.’
Around us, the battleships all turned their guns, or cannon muzzles on Akira. Even the ship I was clinging to aimed its main weapon at its own supposed master.
Having turned my enemies against each other, I climbed the outer hull in search of a better spot. As I moved, I called out to my remaining duplicate, my ‘Right Head’ which was still fighting in the warzone.
Then, a warship just 100 meters away was struck by a bluish-green beam and exploded. Enraged beyond reason, Akira had started blindly firing particle beams at its own troops.
‘Just as I expected.’
Third Place often fell for my disruption tactics even in the game, frequently turning on its own allies. It seems to have been in this world for quite some time, but still hasn’t fixed that flaw.
‘Not that I’m complaining.’
While it was distracted, I secured a suitable position. Just then, my clone appeared near Akira.
Akira also noticed the presence by his right head, just as I did. His auxiliary organ shifted, directing his head to the side. Instantly, he fired a particle beam at the right head.
The beam struck and bored a hole through my clone’s chest. Akira flew like lightning and plunged his bone-bladed arm deep into the clone’s wound.
Blood erupted like a fountain, and the clone’s body went limp.
He was about to smile at the sight then froze. Perhaps he’d realized something was wrong.
‘Too late.’
While the right head played decoy, I had already taken aim at Akira. And now, that effort left my body in the form of a projectile.
A darkly glowing orb of chaos rolled toward him. Its power had been greatly reduced due to my Clever Weakling state, but that didn’t matter. If anything, the smaller size made it easier to fire unnoticed.
The malicious projectile approached its mark. Sensing it, Akira turned his head.
He shielded himself with his wings, just like he did against Number 26’s attack. It would’ve been a reasonable move if it had been any ordinary attack.
But this wasn’t ordinary. I had fired a Psychic Breath imbued with the Abyssal Hue.
The small orb shattered on contact with his wing. The contained chaotic hue seeped out, soaking the membrane.
｢?!｣
The Psychic Breath began eating through the wing rapidly. In a panic, he severed it himself. But during the process, the sinister-colored foam spread to other parts of his body.
Psychic Breath infused with the Abyssal Hue devours organic material without end, until nothing remains. The only way to escape it is to amputate every affected part.
‘Which means… until then, you’re disabled.’
I drove all four legs into the hull of the ship, launching myself forward like a bullet from a barrel.
Akira spotted me mid-flight, tried to aim a particle beam with his tail but it too had lost function due to the foam. The energy gathered painfully slowly.
｢■■■■!｣
He finally realized the foam’s nature and tried to sever the tail.
But again… too late.
‘This ends now.’
By now, he must’ve understood. There’s nothing here that can stop me.
I whipped my head violently. A blade of bone, grown beneath my jaw, traced along my snout and slashed clean through his neck.
The grotesque head that had mimicked the Amorph’s floated into the air. The headless hybrid flailed, arms and legs spasming.
I reached out and seized Akira’s severed head.
‘Now… to find the special organ keeping him alive.’
Just as I thought that, an image flashed before my eyes.
Five colossal warships, shaped like peeled tangerine skins or fully bloomed flower buds.
Then, a mega-sized turret at the center of the formation began to move. From its barrel, a teal flame started to rise and the image abruptly cut off. At the same moment, a massive impact slammed into my body.
One of the Megacorp’s ships had rammed me while circling nearby. The blow hurled me a great distance, slamming me into the wreckage of a ruined vessel.
‘What was that just now?’
It’s rare to see images while the Symbol of Hunt is active. One of the few cases is when my predatory senses warn me of danger.
‘No doubt about it… those were five Giga-Crackers.’
The impact had cut the image short, but I was certain.
Somewhere in this star system… the superweapons lie in wait.
They’re preparing for war.
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[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 399
