Chapter 21

chapter 21

infiltrating the flagship wasn’t too challenging. while they had some security measures in place, they were rather rudimentary, especially when compared to the research ship.

‘well, they are pirates.’

these individuals were accustomed to pillaging, so they probably didn’t consider the possibility of being looted themselves. my subdermal implant, located beneath my chin, started tracking the vibrations. the heart of the metallic flagship wasn’t too far away.

having confirmed the location of the reactor, i sprinted down the corridor. the flagship’s corridor was surprisingly messy for what was supposed to be a military vessel. it seemed like they had patched it together using parts from other ships, resulting in walls of different colors and boxes of plunder scattered about haphazardly.

it was like running through a garbage dump, and i sensed movement from the enemy. two of them, to be exact—one human and one insectoid.

‘let’s take care of this right here.’

i crouched behind some nearby boxes. as their footsteps drew closer, my tail took precise aim at the human’s throat.

“keh!”

“!”

a fountain of blood erupted from the severed neck, leaving the insectoid in shock at the sight of his fallen comrade.

while a regular person might have gone into shock, this individual was clearly a pirate, and he reached for his communication device.

i extended my palm, and the blade-tipped tentacles shot out, coiling around his wrist. the sharp blades on the tentacles mercilessly tore into his flesh.

“kyaah!”

his forearm became a gruesome sight, ground into pulp by the tentacles. the communication device he had pulled out fell to the floor, unutilized.

upon retracting the tentacles, now coated in the insectoid’s green blood, the items stuck to their surface were absorbed into my body. the taste was different from that of human blood.

“it’s like grape flavor.”

while human blood had a stimulating taste, the insectoid’s blood had a refreshing fruity flavor. i wished i had more time to savor it, but the circumstances didn’t allow for it. i focused my strength and lunged at him. it was a short charge, but with my enhanced physique, it packed a substantial punch. the insectoid was slammed against the corridor wall.

“kek!”

a short scream and the sound of bones snapping echoed through the corridor. if he had been human, he would probably have gone into shock, but this insectoid displayed tenacious resilience. he was still alive and struggling to escape.

using my lower tentacles, i pinned down his arms, while the upper ones gripped both sides of his head.

“kyaah! spare... keh.”

i was growing tired of hearing pleas for mercy. i applied force to my gripping tentacles, tearing his head apart. the corridor was now painted in green blood.

i didn’t bother with the human corpse and quickly devoured the insectoid’s body.

‘as expected, npc species don’t count.’

in the game, the insectoids were classified as sentient beings, but they were an unplayable alien race. as such, they didn’t count toward my evolutionary progress.

‘let’s just have this and move on.’

i would have savored the moment under different circumstances, but there was still much to be done. i swiftly chewed and swallowed the insectoid’s meat.

after licking up the blood on the floor, i neatly stashed the human corpse inside one of the boxes.

[patrol team, what’s going on? why no response?]

“it’s nothing.”

[then answer quickly, you brat. get out of there.]

“sorry.”

i gave a brief response to the communicator that insectoid had dropped before dying. thanks to my mimicry ability, the other side had no idea that the owner of the communicator was already inside me.

after concluding the short battle, i resumed my journey towards the reactor. along the way, i didn’t encounter any new enemies.

it would have been nice if the security around the reactor had been equally lax, but my wish remained unfulfilled. android security guards were patrolling the area around the reactor. these guys, who seemed to spare no expense on security, had suddenly deployed expensive androids here. it appeared they had placed the spoils of their raids here.

‘androids can be quite troublesome.’

destroying them isn’t a problem in itself, but what comes afterward is. the moment i attack, the android will send a signal to the central ai of the ship. unless i’m prepared for a full-scale battle, i should avoid confronting the androids.

‘how should i deal with this?’

the auxiliary organ under my chin squirmed as it searched for a weak point in their defenses. unlike humans, androids had no significant vulnerabilities due to their mechanical nature. moving around on the ceiling or walls as i had done on the research vessel was not an option since androids had heat tracking devices.

‘i don’t necessarily have to face them head-on.’

i turned back and headed upstairs towards the reactor. passing through rusty metal stairs and chaotic corridors, i arrived at someone’s bedroom.

the bedroom had a nauseating and foul odor. the mattress used as a bed was discolored, and empty bottles were scattered on the floor.

using my four hands, i lifted the mattress. the insects hiding beneath it were taken by surprise and scurried away.

‘this should do.’

i stood in the spot where the mattress had been and used my lower hands to extract spores from below. the acidic secretions from the spores began to dissolve the floor. a pungent smoke rose, and the dirty metal quickly developed holes.

beneath the holes, i could see the upper part of the reactor. if it had been a human, they would have noticed the reactor’s upper level melting away, but my opponent was an android. it was vulnerable to unexpected situations because it operated according to predefined programs.

‘i’ll clear the engine with this.’

i poured the spores upwards toward the reactor.

***

it had been ten years since elchen davara started pirating.

a hulk mutant involved in piracy, no one could have expected elchen to continue her activities for so long.

originally, hulk mutants had short lifespans; their genes were manipulated to ensure they died within two years.

if he hadn’t been an improved hulk mutant by eden, he would have surely died not long after. even if he had survived, if his intelligence hadn’t been up to par, he wouldn’t have lasted this long.

elchen has surpassed both of these adverse conditions. he has become a respected figure among the space-dogs, even an elder statesman.

seeing what is happening in front of him right now is quite shocking, even for elchen, who has been through all sorts of trials and tribulations.

[request for assistance! this is the command center! the intruder is attempting to break down the door!]

“the creature doesn’t know we’re here.”

since all the individuals in their group were hardened pirates, they had infiltrated the research ship as quietly as possible. unless the creature had cameras placed throughout the entire ship, detecting their movements would be nearly impossible.

“let’s find the creature first and corner it. we’ll deal with the bodies afterward.”

as elchen was about to issue orders to his subordinates, one of them rushed in from outside, holding a communication device. his face was pale, as if he had seen a ghost.

“boss, something big has happened!”

“what is it?”

“the ship’s engine is completely fried!”

“what!”

elchen exclaimed in disbelief. the engine was working fine, and the sudden malfunction was incomprehensible.

though facing an enraged boss was never a good idea, the subordinate had no choice but to explain the unfortunate situation. after all, if they concealed it and were caught later, the consequences would be far worse.

“after checking from that side, it appears that the engine is completely corroded, and recovery is impossible!”

“damn it! give it to me!”

elchen snatched the communication device from his subordinate, his frustration evident in his actions.

“damn it, garlic!”

“yes?”

“can this ship still function?”

“well, we’ll need to check...”

“damn it!”

“no, wait. yes, it can still function!”

“you, and you. help garlic. the rest of you, come with me. we’re going after that damn creature. follow me.”

“yes!”

elchen led his subordinates out of the command center. he made a vow to himself that capturing the creature wouldn’t be the end of it.

***

‘oh, he’s angry. he’s really pissed.’

back at the nest, i was aware of their movements. the boss, with his heart racing twice as fast, was storming through the ship, and his subordinates were following him closely.

‘should i wait until they scatter?’

the research ship had a more complex layout and more facilities than the battleship. moreover, the intruders had just arrived. to efficiently search this unfamiliar place, they had to divide their personnel.

they probably didn’t know, but there were survivors on this ship. there were about 20 individuals scattered throughout, including the captain and some of the command staff. naturally, they weren’t left alive out of kindness.

‘megacorp really despises pirates.’

there might be some defectors, but most of them would attack the pirates. while they fought among themselves, i could pick the fruits that fell from the tree.

‘but that guy’s a problem.’

the human who remained in the command center. disguised as ordinary, she was moving around the room, seemingly performing some tasks.

only three individuals were with her. it would have been a good time to attack, but i had an uneasy feeling.

amorph’s unique intuition was warning me. that individual was a dangerous presence, and i needed to be cautious.

‘could she be the person arnold mentioned?’

si-hyun yujin.

she was someone arnold had mentioned as being similar to me. what had arnold seen to make that comparison?

‘perhaps she’s a genetically modified human like me.’

in a society where megacorp valued competition as the highest virtue, the obsession with extending life was incredibly strong. especially at the top of the pyramid, the noble capital, they would commit heinous acts without hesitation as long as it allowed them to live longer.

the advancement of genetic modification technology in megacorp was a result of this societal atmosphere. hulk mutants were nothing more than byproducts of that.

‘even megacorp players are ultimately into genetic modification.’

in the game, there were users who went beyond simply modifying their appearance to the point of becoming inhuman. some used artifacts that allowed them to use cult-like abilities, while others flew through space on their own without a spaceship. there were all sorts of people.

given that, it was entirely possible that the yujin family’s scion had been modified to an extraordinary degree.

‘keisaragi was nothing special, but what about that woman?’

as expected, if she is a genetically modified human, she would be a formidable opponent for me now. just as my enemies don’t know my abilities, i don’t know what abilities she might possess.

if they had modified her to the level of players, defeating her wouldn’t be easy.

‘a genetically modified human, huh? it’s been a while since i’ve had a fight like this.’

i didn’t say it was difficult; i didn’t say i would lose.

i had devoured countless megacorp players. facing a formidable opponent not only aroused a sense of danger but also piqued my interest.

‘for now, let’s hold off on the one who appears to be si-hyun yujin. let’s clean up the pirates first.’

there was no point in fighting recklessly and then dealing with trouble if reinforcements arrived.

i turned my attention back to the pirates.

coincidentally, they were approaching the captain’s quarters, where survivors were hiding.

***

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