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Chapter 51

The car came to a halt, and Jade opened the front passenger door. Inside, a woman with goat horns and white hair was behind the wheel.

“You said to come secretly.”

“Just in case, bringing an inconspicuous vehicle might raise suspicion.”

The woman’s name was Jeanette Russell. Her appearance clearly indicated her cultist background.

“Anyway, for all five of us to ride, this size is necessary.”

“…Well, you’re not wrong. What about the others?”

With a tongue click, Jade got into the passenger seat. As he did, a man in the back seat revealed himself, removing his camouflage.

“Dwayne Russell. I received orders and have returned”

“It’s been a while.”

With a gloomy appearance, Dwayne Russell, a lanky man, had been assigned the role of a sniper among Yujin’s subordinates who had infiltrated this place. That’s why he was wearing an enhanced suit with optical camouflage effects added.

Originally, an advanced enhanced suit was something akin to powered armor. However, the suit Dwayne was wearing had been modified at great cost, to the point where it couldn’t be compared to the original.

In return, its defensive capabilities had significantly decreased to the level of an intermediate enhanced suit, but that wasn’t a significant issue since Dwayne’s role was to support his teammates from the rear.

“All that’s left are Frost and Hope.”

“Frost is in the Entertainment District, and Hope is…Here he comes.”

A man with a sporty haircut, Hope Russell, was carrying a cello bag and heading there way. Hope went to the back of the car and tapped on the trunk.

“Open it.”

“It’s an expensive car, you know.”

Jeanette grumbled as she opened the trunk. Hope, who had put the cello bag in the trunk, sat in the rear seat.

“It’s been a while, everyone.”

“No problem with the weapons, right?”

“Of course not. To be honest, I’m not sure if we’ll even need them.”

“Don’t let your guard down. You never know when an unexpected incident might occur.”

“Yeah, yeah, Mom. Dwayne, my man, how have you been?”

Hope casually brushed off Jade’s advice and struck up a conversation with Dwayne, who was sitting next to him.

“Ugh, that bastard is annoying every time I see him.”

“Why are you picking a fight again, you bitch?”

“…Jeanette, don’t talk nonsense. Let’s just get going.”

“Got it.”

The Russell children, who had infiltrated the T&C Special Trade Center, always operated as a team. With over dozens of operations performed together, they could rightfully be called a veteran team.

“Jade is right. Soldiers must always be prepared.”

Dwayne Russell had the most soldier-like personality among the team members. He was responsible for rear support and sniping.

“What’s the point of those weapons? They’re useless if we run out of ammo. Superpowers are way better than that.”

Jeanette Russell, the focal point of the group, was not only a cultist but also possessed an incredibly powerful and rare ability.

“You stubborn bastard. You’ll come to your senses when a grenade explodes under your ass.”

Hope Russell, who handled various weapons but specialized in using explosives, was a hot-tempered individual. However, in combat, he was more reliable than anyone else.

“…You guys fight every time you meet.”

The leader and demolition specialist, Jade Russell. Thanks to receiving the Metallic Gremlin genetic material from Si-hyun Yujin, he could destroy almost all types of metals.

Lastly, there was Frost Russell, who played the role of the vanguard in the team, although he was not present at the moment.

They each had their own specialized roles and, having operated together for a long time, they had a well-established synergy. However, it was difficult to say they had a good relationship with each other. Jade, who played the leadership role, was the only one who got along with everyone, while the others had a more distant relationship with each other.

‘They’re fine during missions, but outside of that, they’re always like this.’

Nevertheless, they were all professionals and had clear boundaries between work and personal matters. So, Jade didn’t intervene much in their interactions.

The car speeding through the late night came to a halt near the Entertainment District’s border. After a short wait, a cyborg sprinted from the distance.

“I’m the last to arrive.”

“Long time no see, Frost.”

“Nice to see you too, Jade.”

The cyborg, Frost Russell, hopped into the back seat with a cheerful smile. However, the expressions of the others in the back seat soured as soon as he got in.

“Crazy, who did you pick up again?”

“Huh? Tina?”

“Yeah, this bastard. He reeks of blood.”

“Hehe.”

All the people in the car were experts in killing, having each taken the lives of hundreds of individuals, but Frost stood out with his extraordinary intuition.

‘Even when there’s no mission, he keeps killing people.’

Frost, who had undergone over 80% of full-body modifications and was closer to an android, was a unique cyborg among the Russell family. As the one responsible for close-quarters combat in the team, he was the most violent member among the Russell family.

Among cyborgs who had shifted to becoming space pirates, there were often cases like Frost’s. They involuntarily turned into machines, which shattered their minds, leading them to seek only extreme stimulation.

For instance, torture, murder, and acts of violence towards others, among others.

Generally speaking, among the converted cyborgs, 80% chose the path of space pirates since they were closer to the space scum in terms of their mental state. The remaining 20% came to places like the T&C Special Trade Center, where ‘entertainment’ was well provided. Frost fell into the latter category.

‘Still, he doesn’t seem to have any issues with mission performance, which is fortunate.’

Frost was known to selectively kill only those who could be killed when not on a mission, so Jade wasn’t particularly worried. The constant smell of blood emanating from him was a burden, though.

“We’ve arrived.”

Jade, lost in thought, was interrupted by Jeanette. Through the front passenger window, they could see a stack of containers piled high.

“Get out and get ready, everyone.”

While the other team members checked their equipment, Jade approached a chain-link fence surrounding the cargo yard. He grasped the fence with his hands, and as he stood still, there was a snapping sound as the fence began to tear.

“Is this enough?”

Now, there was a hole in the fence large enough for three people to enter at once. Jade crossed the fence and entered the cargo yard. After completing their checks, the other team members followed him.

“Where should I go?”

“It’s this way, Dwayne. As always, you’re in charge of rear guard duty.”

“Yes.”

With his response, Dwayne’s body dissolved into thin air, becoming a shadow.

Excluding Dwayne, the rest of the group walked with Jade through the forest of containers. Thanks to the Metallic Gremlin gene, Jade could easily distinguish which container he was looking for, even if they all looked the same from the outside.

The rest of the team followed Jade through the forest of containers. Thanks to his Metallic Gremlin genetics, Jade could easily distinguish which container he was looking for by the metallic scent, even if they all looked the same.

He guided the team effortlessly, as if he were reading a map. Soon, they arrived at a container, and Jade placed his hand on a terminal.

As his hand touched the terminal, sparks flew from the device, and then, with a solid click, the door inside the thick steel wall opened.

“Huh?”

Inside the container, Jade, who had just stepped in, felt something was amiss. Normally, there should be a cold sensation due to the cryogenic chamber where the Gallagon is stored, but the inside of the container felt warm.

“What’s going on?”

Jade, with a sense of unease, quickly rushed to the cryogenic chamber and opened the lid.

“…”

“Huh? Is this the right place?”

Following him, Jeanette entered, and Jade couldn’t say anything in response.

There was nothing inside the cryogenic chamber.

***

“This is the container containing the mentioned creatures.”

William, who has been summoned by me twice, still maintained a polite attitude. Whenever he had negative thoughts about me, the parasite in his brain caused him pain.

Despite his politeness, he regularly took painkillers, likely because he harbored considerable resentment towards me.

‘Why doesn’t he just give up?’

Suddenly, I became curious about what kind of traits I might gain from eating William’s flesh. Of course, there was no guarantee that I would get a 100% genetic essence, but if I did, what kind of traits would manifest?

‘This is the epitome of human nature, isn’t it?’

Even with a significant amount of pain, William continued to resist attacking me. His determination to keep fighting, even though he knew he was going to die, was remarkable. He was better suited for this than being a pirate quartermaster.

‘I should hope he loses his usefulness.’

Whether William knew that I was trying to consume him or not, he simply lowered his head, offering no resistance.

‘Enough of that. Where should I check?’

I shifted my focus away from William and opened the container.

Inside the container were thirty Waking Woods.

Waking Woods were plant-like creatures that lived on jungle planets, similar to Plantizens.

About 30 cm in size, these cute and fairy-like Waking Woods were sleeping inside cryogenic capsules, completely unaware of the danger they might be in.

‘They were popular in the game too.’

Just like Bubble Amoebas were popular due to their appearance, Waking Woods were also loved by many for their small and cute appearance. There were even enthusiasts who collected Waking Woods, so it wasn’t surprising.

I had also hunted down many Waking Woods in the past. In my case, it was not because of their cuteness but rather because of the traits they possessed.

The trait that Waking Woods had was ‘Natural Healing,’ which was a component of the ‘Regeneration’ trait I possessed. When an Amorph obtained more than one trait with similar effects, the one with the higher effect took precedence. In other words, if I had both ‘Natural Healing’ and ‘Regeneration,’ ‘Regeneration’ would be the active trait.

However, situations where ‘Regeneration’ didn’t work against attacks that nullified the trait were rare, so ‘Natural Healing’ didn’t come into play often.

‘So, for now, it’s not necessary.’

Having ‘Natural Healing’ wouldn’t be immediately beneficial to me. Of course, it could serve as material for the Transcendence System, but it didn’t provide significant advantages otherwise.

That’s why this time, I decided to give it to Number 26.

‘Perhaps a prey with healing-related traits might aid in its growth.’

If the outcome of the mutated Bubble Amoeba’s evolution was a Sea Demon, then it would consume and evolve through consuming other creatures on the same planet with the same habitat. Therefore, providing it with prey from the oceanic planet was the best choice.

While there weren’t any aquatic animals among the smuggled creatures, that didn’t mean I was giving up.

I formed a new hypothesis. Could consuming a creature with specific genes or traits lead to evolution?

So far, Number 26 had consumed various creatures without showing any significant changes. This indicated that obtaining nutrients was a separate process.

Reflecting on the circumstances surrounding the increase in its tentacles, it had only happened when it defeated Si-Hyun Yujin and when it consumed smuggled animals. Both instances had no significant relation to marine creatures.

It seemed that powerful enemy hunting and consuming special creatures were the conditions for growth, similar to Amorphs. That led me to believe that the evolution into a Sea Demon might also involve acquiring specific traits. Therefore, I intentionally chose creatures with self-healing abilities, similar to deep-sea creatures.

‘Now, let’s begin by examining the traits of the prey.’

I called Number 26.

[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZ (Hungry? It’s time to eat.)]

｢Yeah!｣

Number 26 rushed to the cryogenic chamber as if it was hungry. Using its tentacles, it operated the terminal naturally, just like I did.

‘It seems like it’s learned.’

Perhaps it had become smarter as it grew. Without any difficulty, it easily opened the cryogenic chamber.

As the cold air escaped and the lid opened, Number 26 used its tentacles to pick out a Waking Wood.

｢Keck!｣

The Waking Wood, awakened from its slumber, had its waist broken, and it died. Number 26 inflated its entire body and swallowed the Waking Wood’s corpse in one gulp.

After about 5 minutes of absorbing the corpse, Number 26 immediately targeted the next cryogenic chamber.

‘It seems to digest faster.’

Whether it was due to the small size of the Waking Woods or the growth of Number 26, I wasn’t sure, but its digestive fluid seemed stronger than before. At this rate, it was almost as potent as my acidic blood.

While I watched attentively, Number 26 devoured ten Waking Woods. It seemed more active, probably because it was full now.

｢I’m full.｣

[ZZZZ ZZZZ (Just one more)]

｢Okay.｣

I didn’t expect Number 26 to eat all of them anyway. There was another waiting behind it. Adhai, perched on top of my head, was patiently waiting for its turn, drooling in anticipation.

[ZZZZ ZZZZ (Just a little more patience)]

｢I｣, ｢Patient｣, ｢Patient｣.

[ZZZ (Alright)]

I petted Adhai once to express my gratitude.

In the meantime, Number 26 was digesting the eleventh Waking Wood. When there were almost no remains of the Waking Wood left in its pink, semi-transparent body, Number 26 suddenly began to tremble.

‘!’

Its body started to expand. I was momentarily startled, thinking something was wrong, but fortunately, there was no sign of it being in pain.

Number 26’s body swelled, and its shape changed slightly. It used to have a round, bun-like appearance, but now the upper part had become thicker, and small fin-like limbs had emerged at the bottom.

The original three tentacles had increased to six, and its body size was much larger, approximately 60 cm in length. While it used to be smaller than Adhai, it had now reversed.

‘It looks similar to the Sea Demon.’

If it grew its body to around 20 meters and made the fins much longer and thicker, it would be a combat form similar to the Sea Demon.

Number 26 seemed unfamiliar with the changes in its body as it moved awkwardly with its small fins. Its small fins looked quite cute compared to its body size, but I knew better. Those fins would later transform into incredibly brutal weapons that couldn’t be compared to the saw-toothed tentacles.

As Number 26 wandered around the container, it looked at me strangely and then lit up its body, as if something was amiss.

｢The big baby got smaller.｣

[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZ (No, it’s you who got bigger)]

｢I got bigger?｣

It seemed like this was the first time it had experienced something like this, and the little one didn’t quite understand. I explained my own changes to it using a metaphor.

[ZZZ (Yes)]

｢Wow!｣

The little one jumped up with joy upon realizing that it had also grown. Not only had its volume increased, but its weight had also gone up, causing the container to shake slightly.

‘I should be careful when taking it with me for surprise attacks.’

Before, I used to carry it on my shoulders or head, but now that seems impossible.

After the celebratory ceremony of joy, Number 26 retracted its tentacles and legs into its body. When it did so, it returned to its original Bubble Amoeba form, only larger.

｢I’ll protect the big baby!｣

[ZZZZ (Thank you)]

I petted it in appreciation. Its change in size had noticeably altered its texture. Previously, it felt like a water balloon, but now it had a softer, plush pillow-like sensation.

“…The monster got bigger.”

William, who was watching Number 26 from outside, murmured with a troubled expression.

Watching the transformation of Number 26 seemed to stimulate Adhai, and it poked my head with its hand.

｢Adult｣, ｢Me｣, ｢want｣, ｢Grow｣, ｢too｣.

[ZZZZZ ZZ ZZ ZZZZZ (If you eat, you’ll grow too.)]

｢Good｣

Honestly, I didn’t know how Gallagon grew. Since it wasn’t a typical organism, I assumed it required specific conditions, but I couldn’t be sure at the moment.

‘Gallagon might be related to creatures with psychic powers.’

After acquiring the Type, I would also need to consider Gallagon’s growth.

The remaining walking woods were all consumed by Adhai.

After finishing our meal, we left the container. As I was about to send William away and leave, several scenes flashed before my eyes.

[Reinforced alloy rounds pierced my head.]

[I died.]

‘What?’

The predator sense suddenly kicked in, and I quickly turned my head.I quickly turned my head as a bullet tore through the tentacle behind my head, narrowly missing me.

‘Someone is attacking.’

I focused on the sensations from my two tentacles below my chin, and using auxiliary sensors, I determined the source of the attack. My entire sensory perception was directed towards my auxiliary sensors, which analyzed the flow of air disturbed by the passing bullet.

In the distance, near the boundary of the Harbor Earth, I sensed something. The distance was too great for me to pinpoint the exact location.

‘Sniper!’

I gestured to the others and William to take cover behind the containers and rapidly changed my position. There were no more shots from the enemy’s direction.

‘Why all of a sudden?’

Since William wasn’t saying anything, it wasn’t likely to be the police. The journalist who was following me had died not too long ago, so it wasn’t likely to be someone connected to her.

‘A round powerful enough to pierce my head, and not a regular gun.’

There is only one plasma weapon-class sniper rifle that uses reinforced alloy bullets- Sniper coil gun.

‘Not many people in this city would have a sniper coil gun.’

If someone did, the heavily armed police would have brought it. If this were during the Council, the newly arrived security personnel might have had them, but the Council was still several days away.

‘Who would want to assassinate me with an expensive weapon like this?’

As I considered this, one person came to mind: Arnold Russell, the man who had nearly killed me on the research ship.

‘… He came for Gallagon.’

Of all the days, it had to be today. And it seemed like he wasn’t alone.

Within the detection range of my auxiliary sensors, four unfamiliar individuals were approaching.