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Chapter 180

One prominent example is the Red Mist, a predator. With its jaguar-like appearance adorned with red fur, it emits an irresistible hallucinogenic pheromone, rendering defenses useless. After spreading its hallucinogenic pheromone, it mimics human speech to entice and deceive players. It mimics the conversations and movements of players based on specific algorithms, making it quite realistic. Escaping the hallucination itself is challenging, and coupled with its ability to mimic companions, players unaware of the Red Mist’s nature can easily fall prey.

‘It’s not for nothing they call it the apex predator of jungle planets.’

In the early days of the game, its nickname was “Space Predator.”

As time passed and experienced players increased, fewer fell for the Red Mist’s tricks. No matter how advanced AI may be, it still feels awkward from a human perspective.

‘But what if the deceiver is human?’

If you pretend to be a fellow player, knowing their equipment and preferred tactics from yesterday’s gaming session, can you really avoid being deceived?

In essence, the best deceiver of humans is another human, particularly one who knows their opponent well.

And I’m probably the one who deceived others the most in the game, the Amorph.

‘So, shall we begin?’

With all preparations complete, I approached the enemy group. As I drew near, they halted their movement.

‘Indeed, the Temple Guardians.’

Their skills are considerable. Since coming to this world, few have anticipated and prepared for my approach.

I heard the sound of Galagon’s claw-made blade being drawn and the sniper’s loading their Demolishers, but there was no chatter. They’re probably fiercely discussing their response via telepathic link.

‘Alright.’

My task here isn’t to sneak up on the enemy but to sow distrust among them. Beyond the junction of the wide ice corridor, I slightly parted my lips. Near my throat, in a region akin to where a human’s thyroid gland would be, lies a special organ.

It’s the “Mimicry Organ,” an organ that activates within me due to the characteristics of the Eidos Device. It resets with each absorption of new genetic material, enabling me to mimic a new voice.

The “weapon” I used to deceive and consume countless prey is once again activated.

“Help me!”

A woman’s voice flowed from my lips.

It’s the voice of the cultist who fell victim to the Adhai after fleeing from the communal area where the corpse of the Ice Horror was found. After receiving the corpse from the Adhai and taking a bite, I used it for the mimicry organ.

There’s a reason why I chose this cultist.

‘She seemed quite important.’

Other members bought her time to escape safely. Seeing that, there’s a high likelihood she employs psychic techniques related to information transmission. Wherever you go, the credibility and importance of a statement rise depending on who the speaker is. If a person is deemed important enough for comrades to sacrifice themselves for, then surely, there would be considerations on the other side about what to do.

“What’s this?!”

“It’s Selene!”

As I anticipated, they began to falter upon hearing the voice.

“Everyone, hold on!”

At that moment, a woman shouted with a bold and firm voice. Judging solely by the voice, she seemed like the leader of that group.

The cultists, who were previously hesitating, collectively ceased their movements. Then followed the silence. They must be communicating via telepathy.

‘Indeed.’

When I mimicked the voice of the cult, or rather Selene, two main actions could be taken on their side upon hearing it: rushing to aid me or preparing to attack, suspicious of my intentions.

For them, there shouldn’t be an option to retreat as I’m an immediate threat that needs to be dealt with.

However, they didn’t choose either option. They maintained vigilance while communicating telepathically instead of verbally.

What does this signify?

‘I’ve already heard about this, haven’t I?’

The highest-ranking figure here, the cult priest.

It’s evident that he, with considerable experience in Space Survival, had explained to them about me.

‘If someone knew me, they wouldn’t come here at all.’

Because who knows what traps I might have laid. Besides, this is reality. If either I or the enemy player dies, that’s it. Even if their skills are impressive, can they really venture forth so easily?

I don’t think so.

‘But they’re exploiting that fact.’

The cult player wouldn’t approach out of fear of traps. Even knowing that I’m nearby.

It’s highly likely that he had assessed how far my nest had spread after hearing news of the initial attack. His decision to halt the advance was probably due to realizing the disadvantage of fighting from the nest.

His safe option would be to recall his subordinates first. Then, he could alter his strategy and move accordingly.

His intent was clear as his subordinates began to move again. Their steps seemed slightly resentful, indicating dissatisfaction.

‘It’s inevitable.’

Not knowing unless one experiences it isn’t unique to humans. Cultists are no different.

Moreover, they are part of the Imperial Guard, one of the empire’s finest army units. How frustrating must it feel to abandon such honorable individuals, unsure if they are enemies or allies?

‘Time to drive the wedge.’

I put down the female cultist I was holding against the wall.

Because the Mother of the Sky had broken her neck, she was paralyzed. It made the “operation” easy.

I turned her head to face me. Her pupils dilated significantly, filled with disbelief as if she couldn’t trust the reality before her. The moment she saw me, the movements of the members who were gradually distancing themselves from me came to a halt.

“What’s this?!”

“It’s Alia! Can you see her now?”

Soul Link is a very powerful technique. In a battlefield where information is life, there’s nothing as crucial as having a broad perspective. Moreover, if one can instantly confirm the view of allies whenever desired, executing strategies would be much smoother. Thanks to this technique, the cultists not only excelled individually but also displayed dominance in teamwork.

Now, let’s consider the opposite scenario. What if that information is incorrect? Suppose what I’m seeing differs from reality?

“She’s still alive!”

“Selene rescued her!”

I looked down at the cultist, sweating profusely while leaning against the wall. She seemed to realize what I was about to do, as her pupils shook frantically. I silently asked her,

“What do I look like to you?”

Ranker Jason, ranked 10th, had a deep-seated enmity with the Amorphs. He was a concept player based on the so-called ‘lookism’. His playing motto was to kill ugly aliens and enslave the less ugly ones. This kind of play style wasn’t particularly special. In Space Survival, there were all sorts of eccentric players, and many enjoyed similar plays in other games too.

What made Jason, a ‘normal’ concept player, famous was that his tormenting of monster players went beyond the norm. There were quite a few players who couldn’t bear his torment and quit the game.

In fact, such a type tends to make a lot of enemies, but what allowed him to thrive was his fans who followed him. Jason was an internet broadcaster who made Space Survival his main content, so he had quite a lot of followers trailing after him. With his followers, Jason wielded considerable power even in the game.

Because of this, even among monster players, it wasn’t easy to challenge him as a ranker. One might suggest waiting for him to be alone, but Jason was also a ranker ranked 10th. He was by no means an easy opponent.

Originally a ‘human-centric’ concept player, he chose the cult because the cult race had good performance. Good performance meant even if he lacked skills compared to other players, he wouldn’t easily fall prey.

Thus, as he indulged in all sorts of villainy while enjoying the game, one day, his end came. The one who became the worst race as a ranker. The one who prompted former adversaries to form an alliance and put a bounty on him. The 5th-ranked Amorph ranker began targeting him.

For over half a year, that fellow followed him every day, ridiculing him with bizarre tactics. Especially the incident where the fellow, hidden, ambushed him as he tried to enter the character’s dormitory to end the game, was enough to become a urban legend in the community.

Due to the Amorph, two clans created by his followers were destroyed, and his relationship with the rankers he was close to fell apart. Eventually, Jason, unable to endure, publicly wrote a letter of apology in the community, bringing the incident to a close.

Afterward, as soon as he entered the gaming world, it all became a thing of the past. But the time he spent in the world of Space Survival was not insignificant. Now, I thought it was forgettable.

Until I came here, or rather until I met him, I thought so, but I was mistaken. The telepathy coming from him awakened deeply buried nightmares.

“Jason! Are you seeing this too? Look at Bilone’s eyes! Both of them are alive, not dead!”

The telepathy sent by his lover Alia truly annoyed him. He knew too. The Soul Link doesn’t deactivate until the subject dies or the user cancels it. In Bilone’s eyes, who was kidnapped by him, the image of the female cultist who was still alive was seen.

One of the twelve sent to exclude factors causing psychic power impairments was Selenne. She was a member who learned memory retention techniques. Normally, she was someone who should be protected at all costs.

But Jason, who had suffered terribly from the Rank 5 Amorph, knew better. “It’s a trap.”

The cultist seen through Bilone’s eyes. She seemed to be severely injured and unable to move properly, desperately calling out to her comrades.

In the darkness, her face wasn’t clearly visible, but when her voice was heard alone, she seemed pitiful as if she might collapse at any moment.

“Bullshit! That disgusting Rank 5 Amorph…!”

Seeing his performance, it felt like past traumas were creeping up on him.

He was certain. The owner of that voice was already dead, and Bilone, linked by Soul Link, was in a state infected by parasites.

If he went to save her like this, he would suffer immense damage from the cult controlled by him. In the game, he even controlled NPCs to detonate warships.

“He can mimic the appearance of the opponent exactly. Moreover, he can also absorb memories.”

“…What about Bilone? Is she being controlled too?”

“Yeah. His parasite is controlling her.”

“I’ve never heard of such a monster existing.”

Naturally, it could only be so. Even in the game, the true nature of his transformation technique was never fully revealed. It was speculated that the transformation was a fusion attribute made through a very rare combination or obtained as a reward from Vortex One hunting by Outer Spacer players.

Regardless of the identity of that transformation, there were no monsters or players using parasites and transformation techniques like that, except him. He may have a pathological dislike for Rank 5 Amorph, but he admitted his skill was remarkable.

Honestly, when it comes to utilizing abilities, there might not be much difference between him and the 3rd or 4th rankers.

“…But I know this fact.”

They are not the Temple Guardians here. They only encountered him through information, and this is the first time they have directly confronted him.

The expertise gained from facing countless monsters was now working against them. He was a creature that could not exist when they saw him.

Who would think that the true power of the monster that annihilated the Mob Jam Corps lies in the deceptive tactics using parasites and transformation?

“I’ll say it again. Alia. Give up and come over here.”

“Jason….”

Alia hesitated.

He must have aimed for this too. Weakening Jason’s command and sowing discord between his subordinates and him.

He sent telepathy to his lover again.

Was it his earnestness that reached her? Just as she was about to coax her subordinates and move again.

An anomaly occurred in the shared sight through the Soul Link.

Selenne seemed startled as if she had discovered something. Behind her, a monster revealed itself in the darkness.

“What’s that?”

With an eagle-like head, pumpkin-colored eyes, and a lion’s body with golden fur, the newly appeared monster was a griffin named Hwansu, who had learned divine transformation.

“Why is that Wolf, who learned divine transformation, here…?”

The griffin approached closer and closer to the shared sight. Its sharp beak gleamed threateningly as Selenne suddenly stood in front of it with her arms outstretched.

As if it couldn’t pass until it killed me.

That sight was the decisive blow.

“Damn it! It’s no use anymore! Lady Alia!”

“…Jason, I’m sorry.”

“Wait! Everyone, wait! It’s a trick! Crazy! Don’t go!”

Jason urgently sent telepathy, but there was no response. Alia and her subordinates had severed the telepathy link.

Instead, in her sight connected through the Soul Link, she saw the backs of the members rushing out quickly.

They, who were running through the corridor, stopped simultaneously.

What stood before them were Selenne standing intact and Bilone leaning against the wall. The griffin Wolf that was there just a moment ago was nowhere to be seen.

But the members, Alia, and Jason connected through her sight could feel it.

That ‘thing’ in front of them wasn’t a cultist.

Alia’s transmitted sight through her eyes trembled slightly. It reflected her bewildered feelings in her pupils.

Alia’s sight read the movement of ‘it’s’ mouth.

It was saying this.

What do I look like to you all?