I Became an Evolving Space Monster
Chapter 423

——————

[Translator – Seraph]

[Proofreader – Draxx]

——————

Chapter 423

“I was happy to finally touch solid ground again… goddamn it.”

Inside a building lit by flickering, unstable lights, a scar-faced pirate muttered curses while staring out the window.

Beyond the pane, multiple transport ships could be seen wobbling as they made rough landings. The city they were in stood in the heart of a massive storm.

“When did those bastards go to fix the terraforming machinery again?”

“Even if they’re quick, it won’t be done before tomorrow.”

“Fuck. Two weeks in space was already hell, and now this shitstorm.”

Going outside without boarding a walker or donning a reinforced suit was extremely dangerous in this weather. Until all the terraforming systems were repaired, staying indoors was the only safe option.

But for pirates who hadn’t set foot on land in weeks, this situation was unacceptable. Fueled by synthetic drugs, their irritation was rapidly escalating alongside the amount they were inhaling.

“Word from the officers is once the repairs are done, we’re prepping for a hunt.”

“A hunt? Don’t tell me…”

“Yeah. They say we’re here to bag some goddamn monster.”

“Shit. I was wondering what all the cargo was. Tch.”

The scarred pirate spat on the floor while still watching the raindrops slide down the window. Others nearby clicked their tongues in disapproval.

“Damn it, disgusting.”

“We gave that asshole the good stuff and he just spits it out.”

Shaking their heads, the rest took long drags from their drug-laced vape devices. The powerful hallucinogens were steadily destroying their sensory organs in real time, but nobody seemed to care.

“But something still feels off.”

“Now what the fuck is it with you?”

“No, hear me out. We busted our asses in space two weeks ago, right? And we haven’t even sold those corpses yet.”

“Maybe they’ve got another use for them.”

“What, you think someone’s gonna screw the corpses?”

“God, you corpse-loving freak.”

As the drugged-out pirates rambled nonsense, the door creaked open. A pirate stepped in, soaked through and still wearing a reinforced suit.

This newcomer wore a different insignia—he belonged to a cartel, not their crew. Most ignored him, but one pirate decided to speak up.

“Hey, you work for Shinoni, right?”

｢Yes. Is something the matter?｣

“Any place around here worth visiting?”

｢Of course. Would you like me to escort you?｣

The question had been a throwaway, but the response was unexpectedly enthusiastic.

“You’re saying there’s somewhere to go in this weather?”

“If you're thinking about taking a walker, you’d better be ready to die.”

｢No need to worry. It’s an underground facility.｣

“Underground?”

｢Yes. A gambling den connected to the sewer system. And not just gambling—you can spend time with slaves for pleasure, too.｣

The mention lit up every pirate’s face.

“Lead the way. Now.”

｢Please follow me.｣

The Shinoni operative led them deeper into the building. Eventually, they reached a heavy black iron door.

When he opened it, a dark, shadowy passage leading below ground came into view.

“This place have a basement?”

“Didn’t see it when we came in.”

｢This way, please.｣

They followed the cartel operative, who had a headlamp mounted to his helmet, through the damp passage.

“Ugh, what the hell is that smell?!”

｢This is an abandoned sewer. I’ve heard it used to be popular with soldiers stationed here.｣

“Soldiers? What, they ran missions down here?”

“No way. More like they snuck out to gamble in secret.”

Whether or not it was truly abandoned, the stench was overwhelming. Even under the influence of drugs, the reek—like the rot of hundreds of corpses—was nearly unbearable.

Sticky mud-like sludge pooled along the floor. A single misstep could mean slipping into filth, so everyone moved with caution.

“Hey… this really is abandoned, right? No chance sewage starts flooding through?”

｢We’ve been down here a few times. That’s never happened.｣

“If I slipped in that…”

The pirate trailing off had more to say—until he saw it.

Someone was standing in the pitch-black corridor.

“What the f—?!”

｢It’s fine. They’re my friends.｣

In the glare of the headlamp, two figures in reinforced suits were revealed. They silently approached and stood beside the Shinoni operative.

｢We agreed to meet here. We were all planning to go to the gambling den together.｣

The cartel guide spoke like it was nothing and resumed walking.

“……”

But the pirates trailing behind couldn’t let it go that easily.

There were no lights in this sewer. And yet those two had waited in silence and darkness—despite having headlamps of their own.

Even in their drug-addled state, the pirates could tell something was off.

They started subtly reaching for their weapons.

“Say… pretty quiet for ‘friends’ you were meeting, don’t you think?”

｢They’re just not very talkative.｣

“See, I don’t buy that. Maybe they’re not choosing to stay quiet. Maybe they can’t speak.”

｢Excuse me?｣

The cartel guide turned slowly to face them.

｢Are you accusing us of something?｣

“I heard there are still separatist remnants out there. How can we be sure you’re not terrorists?”

｢If I were a terrorist, I would’ve attacked already. You think I’d wait this long just to ambush you?｣

“Who knows. Maybe this is all a setup to lure us in.”

“Yeah. You brought us somewhere secluded where you’ve got the numbers. Now you’re planning to gut us.”

The pirates raised their weapons and took aim. The Shinoni operative simply stared at them without a word.

“Let’s talk about this outside. Hands up.”

｢………｣

“You think we’re fucking stupid or someth—what the hell?!”

Suddenly, the operative’s body began to tremble.

“What the hell is this freak doing? Is he laughing?!”

They quickly realized he was laughing. Cackling like it was the funniest thing in the world.

His two ‘companions’ hadn’t moved an inch or said a word since appearing.

“Shit, hands up!”

“I'll kill you!”

The pirates' shouts echoed through the heavy darkness. Their cries carried fear—despite holding weapons, they were overwhelmed by the eerie atmosphere.

The cartel operative, who had been trembling with laughter, suddenly went silent. Slowly, it moved its hands up toward its head.

“D-Don’t move!”

｢I’m just removing my helmet.｣

“I said don’t move!”

Despite their words, none of them fired.

A bad feeling hung over them like a fog—pulling the trigger felt like it would unleash something horrifying.

As if it had expected this, the operative removed its helmet without hesitation.

The headlight beam illuminated its face—scarred, dirty, covered in stubble.

Not all that different from the pirates standing there.

“I’m not a separatist. I’m not part of the Shinoni cartel either. I’m just...”

Its two silent companions also removed their helmets.

And the moment the pirates saw their faces, they froze.

Those faces weren’t human.

Beneath their pallid, almost translucent skin, something wriggled—something alive and many.

“...a Messenger, that’s all.”

The headlamps cut out. Then the things wearing human leather lunged toward the pirates.

In the pitch black, energy bolts flared briefly—then faded fast.

And after that, came the sound.

The wet, sloshing noise of flesh being torn and devoured, like a school of fish feeding on a carcass.

***

“We’ve finished moving all the cargo, boss.”

“Good.”

Two pirates exchanged words in a room scattered with valuable items.

One of them was Ventris, the other—his superior—was the leader of Shinoni.

“No trouble during unloading, I assume?”

“It was a large haul, but I oversaw it myself. No issues.”

“Thanks to your thoroughness, unloading took forever.”

“Er, well…”

At the sharp jab, Ventris lowered his head.

The boss sat in an antique mahogany chair, glaring for a moment before waving it off.

“Enough. We’ve got more important things than your screw-ups.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“This shipment… according to Sutherland, it’s something the Supreme Commander had a hard time acquiring. There must not be even a single mistake in setting it up.”

“You mean… the Supreme Commander himself?”

At that, Ventris’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

“What exactly is it? I got a quick look while unloading—it looked like spaceship parts or something.”

“You don’t need to know. Just watch it carefully. Make sure nothing goes wrong.”

“I mean… if I at least know what it is, I can be more alert. Even just a hint would help—”

“Hmm.”

Sutherland, the Shinoni boss, had emphasized multiple times that the item was extremely rare.

He’d said it must be protected at all costs.

In that case, Ventris had a point.

It would be easier to guard something if he at least understood what it was.

After a moment’s thought, the boss decided to share a little.

“I didn’t hear the full details, but supposedly… it’s a type of Warp Finder.”

“A Warp Finder? You mean one of those devices used to track Faster than Light travel routes?”

Ventris looked puzzled.

Warp Finders analyzed the energy trails left behind by faster-than-light travel.

They were expensive, sure—but not that rare.

Reading his subordinate’s expression, the boss added:

“It’s not a standard model.”

“Sir?”

“It’s a prototype, secretly developed by the Star Union.

Fewer than ten people in the entire galaxy even know it exists.”

“I-I had no idea it was something that rare.”

“They said they disassembled it into parts just in case the information leaked. Only the Supreme Commander knows how to assemble and operate it.”

“Incredible…”

“Anyway, now you know. Be careful. Understood?”

“Yes, sir. I’ll keep that in mind.”

And with that, the conversation ended.

Once Ventris left, the boss leaned back comfortably in his chair.

All the minor preparations for the operation had been delegated to the underboss.

All that remained for him now… was to wait.

“Well then…”

Rising from his seat, the boss pulled a bottle from the cabinet.

“Olympus, 12-year vintage, huh? Not something a lowly security chief should’ve had his hands on.”

The former occupant of this room had been in charge of the security systems at the research complex.

The reason Ventris and his men had been able to seize this place so easily was thanks to that man’s cooperation.

Right after striking a deal with the pirates, the man had left AG-01—Abandoning all these fine things behind.

“Let’s see what this tastes—huh?”

Just as he was about to uncork the bottle, he noticed something on his palm and frowned.

There was a smear of sticky, black slime on the hand gripping the bottle.

“Ugh. Mold?”

He wiped it off casually on his pants and uncorked the bottle. The sweet, rich aroma rising from it suggested the contents were perfectly intact.

“Smells fine.”

He took a sip. The flavor was just as it should be—smooth, intense, and overwhelmingly fragrant. It nearly knocked the strength from his legs.

“…Now that’s a drink.”

That first sip set him off—he began downing the precious liquor like water.

Thanks to the gene enhancement procedure funded by the Supreme Commander’s credits, the boss’s body could easily withstand strong alcohol without getting drunk quickly.

And so, he drank. And drank.

Then—he heard something outside the room.

“…Hrk. Who’s there?”

No reply.

Just silence.

Thinking he must’ve misheard, he lifted the bottle again—but there it was again.

A sound.

This time, unmistakable.

A child’s laughter.

He set the bottle down and reached for his weapon instead, stepping toward the door.

The corridor beyond stretched out beneath a flickering light.

At the far end stood the source of the sound.

“Huh? Who the hell are you?”

A young wolf child with a jackal-like head stood in the distance.

It didn’t reply—just turned and disappeared around the corner.

This whole building was under tight control by Shinoni’s pirates.

A stray pup like that shouldn’t be able to wander in so freely.

And more importantly—that wolf… it looked familiar.

He was certain he’d seen it somewhere recently, but couldn’t recall when.

“Whatever. I’ll just catch it and find out.”

Determined, he moved with nimble steps to pursue the intruder.

Rounding the corner, he spotted the child heading down a flight of stairs.

Without hesitation, the boss followed, descending into the basement.

Unlike the floor above, the basement was pitch black.

Perhaps the lights had been shut off intentionally.

But thanks to the advanced genes in his body, his vision worked just fine in low light.

He weaved confidently through the darkness, quickly closing the distance.

“Stop right there.”

The boss's words made the little runaway freeze in place.

“You—how did you get in here?”

The pup didn’t answer. Instead, it slowly turned around.

‘Huh?’

The moment he saw its face, something clicked.

A few weeks ago, the boss had traveled to another planet with members of another cartel. There, he had toyed with and killed a female who looked eerily similar to this little wolf.

“You know who I am, don’t you?”

“……”

The young wolf didn’t respond. It just glared at him.

Those resentful eyes told him everything he needed to know.

“Tch. I don’t know how you managed to make it all the way he—ghh?!”

Just as he was about to say this place would become its grave, a violent impact slammed into his body. He was lifted off the ground and hurled into the nearest wall.

“GAAAGH!!”

The boss screamed, unable to suppress the pain.

A golden spike had pierced through his right shoulder, pinning him to the wall.

｢How does it feel, tasting the pain you gave those children yourself?｣

“F-fuck…AARRGH!”

The boss tried to switch his weapon to his left hand and retaliate—

But he failed again.

A beast’s forepaw emerged from the darkness and crushed his left arm.

Even with his enhanced strength, he couldn’t break free.

The beast’s strength utterly overwhelmed him. It crushed his arm and cracked his sternum in the same motion.

As he writhed in agony, two amber lights flared before his eyes.

“Ughh…uhhh!”

｢One child had their limbs cut off. Another was impaled and burned alive.

You laughed, didn’t you? As they screamed.｣

What he had mistaken for lights were eyes—

Eyes belonging to a massive predator several times the size of an adult man.

｢I want to tear you apart right now.｣

A sharp beak protruding between the two glowing eyes stopped just short of stabbing into the boss’s throat.

Instead of finishing him, the beast withdrew its beak and forepaw, slowly stepping back.

“Ghk—cough!”

‘I… I’m still alive?’

As he coughed up blood and gasped for air, the beast spoke again.

｢For someone like you, death would be a mercy.｣

Just as relief began to wash over him, the wall behind him moved.

Black vine-like tendrils erupted out, wrapping around his body and dragging him back toward the wall.

｢You deserve to suffer more.｣

“Wait… Kuuhgh!”

Even his mouth was sealed shut as the liquid wall swallowed him whole.

He couldn’t resist. Not even once.

——————

[Translator – Seraph]

[Proofreader – Draxx]

——————