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[Proofreader – Draxx]

Chapter 216

[TL/N : Changed PS-111 dialogues from ‘[ ]’ to “ “ because the author changed it in the RAWS.]

“You\'re back?”

As we returned to the nest, PS-111 greeted us. The Mother of the Sky and Number 26 were nowhere to be seen.

[ZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZZZ ZZZ (Anything happend? Any encounters with enemies?)]

“We did not encounter any \'Gallagon\' entities. The main controller is still aboard the Cult cruiser.”

[ZZZZ ZZZZZ ZZ ZZZ (That\'s a relief. Has the Mother of the Sky returned yet?)]

“The \'Middle Child\' left for reconnaissance and hasn\'t returned.”

It seemed that PS-111 was holding down the fort at the nest, while Number 26 was protecting the Gallagons on the cruiser. the Mother of the Sky had gone off to monitor the Odd Grad swarm and hadn\'t come back yet.

I set down a few cocoons I had brought with me.

“What\'s that?”

[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZ ZZ ZZZZ (Cocoons made by the Hellside Hornet. Want to try one?)]

“It appears to be an intriguing organic compound.”

[ZZ ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZZZ (There\'s liquid inside, just drink it.)]

?Understood.”

PS-111 extended its long limbs towards the cocoons. It skillfully used its bladed legs to slice one open and then spread its clawed hand wide, allowing the liquid to spill into it.

Having consumed the StarUnion’s energy-absorbing device, the ‘Blood River,’ it sometimes fed this way, absorbing nutrients. I wondered if it could even taste anything, but it didn’t seem to care.

“This contains a high concentration of essential nutrients. Can this organic compound be acquired in large quantities?”

[ZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZZ (This is all I could bring.)]

“I recommend securing more of this organic compound in the future.”

The first time I drank the liquid from the cocoon, I felt my wounds heal almost instantly. It wasn\'t just my imagination, it was as PS-111 analyzed it was rich in nutrients.

It made sense, after all. It was the result of dissolving an entire living organism and then fermenting it.

[ZZZZ ZZ ZZZZ (I should take some to the cruiser too.)]

｢Young kin｣｢Food?｣

[ZZZ (Yes.)]

It had been a day and a half since they holed up inside the cruiser. The Gallagons there hadn\'t ventured out for hunting, as a Green Gallagon pursuit squad could appear in the area at any time.

Although the Cruiser had plenty of combat rations left behind by the Cult crew, they weren’t suitable for Gallagons. So they’ve likely been starving this whole time.

‘It’d be a huge loss if they starve to death.’

Bringing the Blue Gallagons was part of a plan to win over the remnants of Adhai and Ham Ort. I hadn’t even collected the favour for saving their lives yet, so I wasn’t about to let them die here.

Adhai, unaware of my true intentions, seemed pleased when she saw me trying to help them.

｢Young kin｣｢Hunger｣｢Relief｣｢Adult｣｢Task｣｢Me｣｢Adult｣｢Kin｣｢Food｣｢Deliver｣

[ZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZZ (Alright. Just carry this and this.)]

｢No｣｢Problem.｣

Even after leaving PS-111 behind at the nest, Adhai kept chattering away. Just like a few days ago, it seemed like she wanted to be a good role model for the young hatchlings, regardless of her feelings toward the kin who had abandoned her.

‘Maybe she’s trying to erase the painful memories.’

I engaged in small talk with Adhai as we made our way through the forest. Before long, the ivory-colored cruiser came into view between the trees. I could sense the Cult members implanted with parasites moving around inside.

｢Hello, Big Baby!｣

And then Number 26 sensed me too, sending out a wave of recognition from inside the ship. A moment later, it leaped out of the open hangar.

‘Huh?’

The creature approaching me was clutching five Gallagons with blue scales. These Blue Gallagons, each over 2 meters long, were nestled snugly into a massive 10-meter long pink jellyfish-like entity. They all seemed as content as if they were nestled in their mother’s embrace.

[ZZZ ZZZZ (What’s that?)]

｢The little ones were hungry, so I fed them!｣

[ZZZZZ ZZZ (Fed them?)]

Just as it said, the tentacles of the Blue Gallagons were embedded in the psychic energy radiating from Number 26\'s body.

‘Are they feeding on psychic power?’

The way the slender tentacles periodically puffed up like straws made it clear they were syphoning psychic power.

‘Come to think of it, that’s not impossible.’

Number 26 had rapidly grown by absorbing the psychic power of the dead Sea Demon. It made sense that it could also transfer that power to the Gallagons, who were also psychic creatures.

‘Now that I think about it, their scales seem different…’

Upon closer inspection, the Blue Gallagons cradled in its arms had an odd coloration. While predominantly blue, they had green stripes running through them.

[ZZZZ ZZZ (Were they always like that?)]

｢I don’t know.｣

Adhai, noticing something strange as well, tilted her head in confusion while looking at the hatchlings.

At that moment, Ham Ort’s group appeared behind Number 26. White Gallagon Nel Germa was among them, along with three Green Gallagons that it had brought along.

I offered the cocoons I had brought to them. Finally noticing the cocoons held by my arms and tentacles, Number 26 asked:

｢What’s that?｣

[ZZZZ ZZ ZZZZ ZZZZ (Food. I bought it for everyone to eat.)]

｢It\'s shaped weird.｣

｢Appearance｣｢Funny｣｢But｣｢Delicious｣

Adhai\'s comment sparked curiosity, and one of the creatures extended its tentacles, wrapping them around a cocoon. It then spread out a part of its body, not the part cradling the Blue Gallagons, like a blanket and swallowed the entire cocoon whole.

Inside its semi-transparent pink body, the cocoon began to dissolve, releasing the liquid within. As it absorbed the liquid, its body shimmered like a mirror ball, glowing brightly.

｢Tasty!｣

Once it started eating, the other Gallagons showed interest in the cocoons as well. The moment they tasted the cocoon, their eyes curved into crescent shapes, a clear sign of delight.

｢Gratitude｣｢Kindness｣｢Not forgotten｣

Nel Germa, who had tasted a bit of the cocoon and then passed it to the hatchlings, expressed thanks to me. The Green Gallagons beside it also sent waves of gratitude my way, albeit with some hesitation.

‘Not like I did something worth being thanked for.’

It wasn’t exactly a gift. I fully intended to be repaid in the future for what I gave them.

After delivering food to the Gallagons, I returned to the nest to heal my injuries. As night fell, the Mother of the Sky finally returned to the nest.

She brought back two crucial pieces of information.

The first was that the Odd Grad group was making a move. Twelve White Gallagons had left their nest simultaneously.

My plan was to defeat the White Gallagons one by one before they could regroup. Adhai needed to consume a White Gallagon to continue growing.

‘I also need the genetic essence of the White Gallagons.’

Everything was going according to plan, except for the second piece of information, which posed a problem.

[ZZZZ ZZZZ (Ham Ort is still alive?)]

｢Yes. I saw the other Gallagons carrying her away.｣

When everyone had gathered, she nodded her head in agreement.

According to the Mother of the Sky, Adhai\'s mother was still alive. To be more accurate, she was barely clinging to life.

Upon hearing the news of Ham Ort\'s survival, I could sense Nel Germa and the three Green Gallagons growing uneasy. She was their former leader, so naturally, they wanted to rescue her.

‘Hmm.’

The situation had become more complicated.

For starters, I wasn’t the leader of the Gallagons hiding in the cruiser. I hadn’t defeated their leader in combat. While I had protected them and provided them with food, that alone wasn’t enough to make them turn their backs on their former leader.

‘Given time, they’ll likely follow me….’

But that’s a meaningless assumption for now since it won’t happen immediately.

Leaving Ham Ort to die is problematic too. She’s the only Gallagon who knows Adhai’s secret. There’s still much valuable information to be extracted from her.

[ZZZ ZZZZ ZZ ZZZZ ZZ ZZZZ ZZ (What if we rescue her after we take down the others, before attacking the nest?)]

｢I’m not sure. Her injuries seem severe. I don’t know if she’ll hold out that long.｣

Moreover, we don’t have much time. The Snow-White Queen has been left in a severely injured state. While White Gallagons are resilient creatures and could last a day or two, beyond that, it’s uncertain.

‘What should we do?’

The truth is, the answer to this dilemma is already clear.

The nest is heavily guarded by numerous enemies. Attempting to rescue Ham Ort would mean engaging in an all-out battle, something we can’t afford given our current disadvantage.

However, openly declaring that we’re abandoning Ham Ort is another issue altogether.

Doing so could negatively impact Nel Germa and the Green Gallagons. While they’ve agreed to follow my lead, such a decision might cause them to resist or harbor resentment.

‘It\'s already challenging enough to fight with everything we\'ve got. An uncertain stance would only make things worse.’

As I was pondering the best course of action, Adhai approached me.

｢Great Elder｣｢Ham Ort｣｢Worry｣｢Unnecessary｣

[ZZZ (Hmm?)]

｢I｣｢Confirm｣｢Ham Ort｣｢Strong｣｢Compared to｣｢Others｣｢No Comparison｣｢Pain｣｢Overcome｣｢Can｣｢I｣｢Believe｣｢Survive｣｢Will｣

Adhai assured me that Ham Ort was strong enough to survive.

｢Daughter of the Meteor｣｢Correct｣

｢Agree｣

The other Gallagons nodded in agreement with Adhai, who was regarded as Ham Ort’s daughter and the savior of the Gallagons.

[ZZZZ (Are you sure about this?)]

Understanding the intent behind my question, Adhai nodded confidently.

｢It’s okay｣

[ZZZZ (Alright then.)]

I knew why Adhai had acted this way. Being sharp, she must have noticed my unease and took it upon herself to reassure the other Gallagons.

However, despite her words, there was a hint of anxiety in her eyes. It was likely the lingering mix of love and resentment towards her mother.

‘Ham Ort needs to survive until Adhai’s heart finds peace.’

The decision on Ham Ort’s fate wasn’t in the hands of the Black Dragon Odd Grad, but rather in those of his abandoned daughter, Adhai.

Thanks to her, our next move was clear: we will take down the White Gallagons that had gone hunting and then rescue Ham Ort as quickly as possible.

｢Nel Germa｣｢Knows｣｢Hunting grounds｣

[ZZ ZZ ZZZZ ZZ ZZZ (Alright, let’s head there first.)]

For the hunt against the White Gallagons, Adhai, I, Number 26, and Nel Germa would be the ones going. the Mother of the Sky continued her role as the scout, and PS-111 was tasked with guarding the cruiser.

[The Cult’s fleet system is complex, but with the crew in place, there should be no issues operating it.]

[ZZZ ZZZ ZZZZZ (Still, just in case, I\'m counting on you.)]

[Understood.]

With all preparations complete, we were ready to move.

Before we left, I called Mother of the Sky aside. It felt a bit unsettling to send her off again right after she had just returned.

｢No need to apologize. It\'s much easier to do this than to fight while flying.｣

[ZZZZ ZZZZ (I\'m glad to hear that.)]

｢I’ve lost count of how many apologies I’ve heard from you, Amorph.｣

[ZZZ ZZZZ ZZ ZZZZ ZZ ZZZZ ZZZ (The way you say it makes it seem like you\'re truly okay with this.)]

｢Oh, and if you manage to get a Gallagon heart, save it for me.｣

[ZZZ ZZZ (I will. Stay safe.)]

She gave a wink in response and vanished into the darkness.

After sending her off, I lifted Number 26 onto my back and took to the skies. Adhai and Nel Germa were waiting, and they nodded slightly as I approached.

｢Hunting ground｣｢This way｣

Following Nel Germa\'s lead, we moved swiftly. In this operation, time was crucial, so we pushed ourselves to be as fast as possible.

We flew in silence for a long time, cutting through the dark, cloud-filled night sky. As we approached our destination, Nel Germa, who was leading, began to slow down.

｢Nearby｣｢Hunting ground｣

｢I｣｢Sense｣｢One of our kin\'s｣｢Power｣

[ZZZ ZZZ (How close are we?)]

Adhai mentioned that the energy was faint and the distance significant, so we all slowed our pace.

‘Only one enemy? That’s lucky.’

Usually, they move in groups of two or three, so this was unexpected. Still, I instructed the two Gallagons to stay vigilant and keep an eye out for anything unusual.

As we moved through the clouds, I began to sense the Psychic Power closer to the ground. The enemy seemed to sense us as well, suddenly picking up speed.

‘They’ve noticed us.’

[ZZ ZZ ZZ (Let\'s strike now.)]

｢Agreed.｣

[ZZZ (Hold on tight.)]

｢Got it!｣

I warned Number 26 as I adjusted my wing angle for a steep dive. Nel Germa and Adhai, without missing a beat, followed close by my side.

Below us, a white figure darted across the pitch-black forest at a terrifying speed. The White Gallagon was trying to escape.

I anticipated its trajectory and fired a regular Psychic Breath in its path. The purple energy gathered in the tentacles around my head, neck, and under my jaw, forming a focused beam.

The beam tore through the ground and trees with a thunderous crack. The White Gallagon narrowly avoided the blast and immediately tried to use its hyper-acceleration ability to escape.

But it wasn’t just me hunting tonight. Nel Germa, at my side, unleashed two more Psychic Breaths.

The enemy skillfully evades one, twisting its body mid-air. The second beam nearly clipped its wing, but the White Gallagon managed to deflect it with a counterattack— a Psychic Breath of its own.

The collision of our powers sent shockwaves rippling through the sky, the impact echoing like thunder all around us.

The White Gallagon, realizing Nel Germa was more powerful, attempted to negate the Psychic Breaths and flee again. However, Adhai had closed in and began to unleash rapid-fire energy blasts, reminiscent of a machine gun. The White Gallagon couldn’t dodge this time; three of Adhai’s Psychic Breaths tore through one of its wings, leaving it unable to fly and crashing into the forest.

‘Got it.’

Confirming its fall, I landed in the forest with Adhai and Nel Germa. Among the shattered trees, the white Gallagon lay incapacitated.

‘Smaller than expected.’

It was bigger than a Green Gallagon or Adhai but significantly smaller compared to Nel Germa. It seemed recent to its White Gallagon form.

‘This shouldn’t affect Adhai’s growth.’

Feeding it to Adhai would confirm everything.

I approached the fallen Gallagon from the Odd Grad group. It only glared at me, showing no signs of immediate aggression.

Perhaps it feared us. Its wings were broken, but other parts seemed relatively intact. Given the aggressive nature of Gallagons, it should have attacked us by now.

‘A cautious individual?’

At that moment, A Gallagon directed a thought wave at me.

｢Are you the black Gallagon?｣

[ZZZ (Yes?)]

｢Trap｣｢caught.｣

‘A trap?’

As soon as I sensed its thought wave, I felt a shiver run through my body. The air thickened, and the entire sense of the Amorph’s transcendental feeling triggered an alarm. This intense feeling was something I had only experienced once before.

‘When the Imperial Carrier fired the Cosmic Bolt.’

The sense of impending doom I felt was reminiscent of when I faced the absolute power that could scorch entire planets.

This meant that a being of absolute power had its sights set on my life.

The danger I sensed wasn’t something I alone perceived.

｢Black Gallagon?｣｢Great One!｣｢Danger!｣

｢Leader｣｢Near｣｢Danger!｣｢Danger!｣｢Danger!｣

Looking back, I saw Adhai and Nel Germa in a state of panic, trembling uncontrollably.

Even Number 26 was silently unleashing its Psychic Power, generating fins and tentacles, and activating its \'Deep Sea Terror\' trait.

‘Number 26?’

Despite its size being unchanged on my back, it was fully armed. I had never seen Number 26 so alert before.

｢Odd Grad!｣｢Great Odd Grad!｣｢Arrived!｣

As Nel Germa screamed out in thought waves, a colossal shadow emerged beyond the stormy clouds.

The shadow of a gigantic black dragon with two wings.

‘Great Odd Grad!’

The king of the Gallagon nest and ruler of this planet.

Adhai’s father and the Black Dragon, Odd Grad, had arrived.

[Proofreader – Draxx]