Chapter 222:

Chapter 222:

I woke up in a hospital after clearing the Space Survival.

My parents, who had separated after I became an adult, were there, hugging me and crying. They held me tightly, repeatedly murmuring how relieved they were that I was alive.

To some, this might seem natural, but to me, it was an unfamiliar sight. While I was in the hospital, my parents would always blame each other.

But was I also hoping for a harmonious family? For some reason, tears welled up in my eyes, and I cried together with them.

Once they finally calmed down, my parents spoke to me.

They wanted to start over.

Although, legally, they were already strangers, they hoped to slowly rebuild their relationship.

Seeing them, I realized an unwanted truth.

I was dreaming.

My parents loved me, but their relationship with each other was never good. Even if I were to die, there would be no chance of them reuniting.

The moment I realized it was a dream.

I opened my eyes, finding myself above a swamp.

‘How long have I been asleep?’

I checked my lower body and tail. My tail, covered in mucus, was intact, with no wounds. Even the completely lost claw had fully recovered.

Perhaps because I glimpsed reality through the dream, I suddenly wished I had this kind of healing ability when I was human. If I did, my parents wouldn't have divorced, and I wouldn’t have lived a lonely life at home without a single close friend.

‘...Such pointless thoughts.’

It wasn’t even time to evolve, so why did the past suddenly appear in my dream? It only left me feeling worse.

I shook my head, trying to shake off both the mucus and the negative thoughts. The ripples I caused in the swamp were blocked by an object in front of me.

It was Ham Ort, a White Gallagon lying there with symbiotic bio-spores attached.

Compared to when she first entered the nest, she had improved, but she still wasn't in a good state. While her broken legs and torn tail had healed, her wings hadn’t even half-regenerated.

The horn on her head remained broken. Although we’d have to wait and see, it seemed there was a chance she might never fully recover.

After checking on Ham Ort’s condition, I stood up. As soon as I stepped out of the nest, the first thing I saw was an enormous, bright pink jellyfish.

It was Number 26, with its body maximally inflated. Through the gaps in its pink tentacles, I could see the heads of Blue Gallagons with blue scales. Just as it had done on the cruiser, it was holding the cold-sensitive Blue Gallagons tightly within itself.

「Little one, are you not in pain?」

[Z ZZ ZZZ (Yes. I'm fine now.)]

Seeing me, it raised one of its tentacles and waved it gently.

Looking around, I noticed several pits that weren’t there before I fell asleep. Branches were covering the tops of the pits.

‘So they were hiding here.’

It seemed that when the cruiser left, the Green Gallagons and Blue Gallagons dug into the pits. We had also maintained body temperature in a similar way after the fight with Jason, so it was easy to figure out.

Currently, instead of Green Gallagons, the pits were filled with the corpses of other creatures.

「The middle one brought them. You can eat too if you’re hungry.」

The recovery of my body and the emptiness in my stomach were separate issues. Gladly following its suggestion, I pulled out one of the corpses from a pit.

It was a Snow Banshee, grotesquely twisted, with its tongue ripped out. The cold emanating from it suggested it had been dead for quite some time.

I had eaten this one a few times before. It tasted like a mix of jerky and dried squid.

I put the meat in my mouth and chewed. Since it already tasted like a snack, the coldness didn’t bother me much.

While chewing on the cold Snow Banshee, I asked PS-111.

[ZZ ZZZ (Where are the others?)]

「The flappy one went hunting. The middle one has something to say to the little one and the big flappy one.」

The “big flappy one” it referred to was Nel Germa.

Number 26 gestured with one of its tentacles, pointing toward the forest.

「They went that way together.」

[ZZZ (Thank you.)]

After quickly finishing off one of the corpses, I crawled in the direction it indicated.

A forest emerged, where only black and white existed, like a chessboard. The ground was lightly covered in snow, with black trees growing above it. Dim light filtered through the densely intertwined branches.

As I moved through the sombre forest, I sensed the movements of three creatures, all varying in size.

「I」「betrayed」「the Elder’s expectations」

[ZZZ Z ZZZ ZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZZZZ ZZZ ZZZ (That’s not true. I’ve never once thought you’ve let me down.)]

It was the truth.

Number 26, Adhai, the Mother of the Sky, and PS-111—they all supported and sustained me. Not once had I ever felt disappointed in them. They always exceeded my expectations, and if I lacked in any area, they filled in the gaps.

My emotions must have reached Adhai, as she seemed to calm down a bit. Seeing that she was stable, I asked again.

「Corpse」「After feeding」「During growth」「I felt something bad」

[ZZZ ZZ (Something bad?)]

「Growth」「Completion」「I」「transform into the Savior」「The only ruler of my kind」「The Red Queen」

[ZZ ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZZ (Yes, when you fully grow, you’ll become the Red Queen of your kind.)]

At my words, Adhai shook her head, looking at me with sorrowful eyes.

「If that happens」「I won’t be able to stay by the Elder’s side anymore」

[ZZZ (What?)]

「The Red Queen」「must lead the prosperity of her kind」「That is her sole mission」「Elder」「Little Elder」「Friend」「Sick child」「We all must part ways」

Hearing those words, something suddenly clicked in my mind.

According to the lore, the Red Gallagon was akin to a king among Gallagons—a being that commanded all Gallagons and reigned over them.

And a king cannot exist without a kingdom.

「I」「struggled with this」「I resented my kind」「Ham Ort」「But I didn’t want to see them die」「So」「I thought of walking the path of the Savior」

As I quietly listened, Adhai continued to send her thoughts to me.

「I chose」「to have both the Savior and the Elder」

[ZZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZ (So, you gave up on becoming the Red Queen?)]

In response, Adhai sent a wave of denial.

「I cannot refuse」「the mission of the Red Queen」「But I postponed it」

[ZZZ (Postponed?)]

「I’m still lacking」「I have much to learn from the Elder」

Adhai emerged from behind Nel Germa and approached me. Then, she respectfully bowed her head before me.

「I belong to the Elder’s group」「Will the Elder accept me?」

While I was sleeping, Adhai had made an important decision.

Though it was a decision made in a short time, I didn’t think it was a rash one. Even if it was, I couldn't belittle her decision.

It chose to forgo the throne and stay by my side.

‘Adhai will be helpful to me.’

I wasn’t sure how much stronger she had become, but she must have surpassed a regular White Gallagon. With some luck, she might even be able to use the Red Gallagon’s unique Dragon Power.

It would be a valuable asset not only in battles against Odd Grad but also in future confrontations with other formidable foes.

‘...But it’s not just that.’

If I had intended to let her leave, I wouldn’t have come this far. Neither her nor Number 26 would ever be given away to anyone else.

I approached Adhai, extended my arm, and patted her trembling head.

[ZZZZ ZZZZ (You’re always welcome here.)]

It was uncertain whether she would eventually grow into a Black or Red Gallagon. However, the nuance of postponing suggested that growth wasn’t entirely impossible.

So even if she doesn’t become a Red Gallagon, she might still evolve into a Black Gallagon later on, though I don’t know how.

‘That’s something to figure out later.’

Adhai, now transformed, seemed like she would be useful in the fight against Odd Grad. Even if she hadn’t grown stronger, that was fine.

The red horns and wings.

The meaning behind those symbols would be better understood by Gallagons than by me.

‘It might even provoke internal strife if things go well.’

With that thought, I continued to pat Adhai’s head.