I Became an Evolving Space Monster
Chapter 435

——————

[Translator – Seraph]

[Proofreader – Draxx]

——————

Chapter 435

There’s a familiar scent.

That stinging disinfectant smell I came to loathe as a child.

When I open my eyes, I’m greeted by a familiar sight.

Nurses hurry past behind thin white curtains. A drip line is connected to my arm. Just as expected it’s a hospital.

Then the curtain parts and a nurse steps closer. Our eyes meet, and she shouts something.

I want to ask what’s going on, but no voice comes out. I can’t hear anything either. It’s like watching a silent film.

Hearing my voiceless cry, more people rush in and begin checking my body.

It’s a scene I know well, and yet it feels wrong.

I feel it instinctively.

Something’s not right. I need to get out of here. Now.

That’s when someone grabs my hand.

Two people, one holding my hand, the other standing beside both of their faces are blurred, impossible to recognize.

And yet, the moment I see them, every ounce of caution inside me disappears. As if someone forcibly shut down my instincts. What fills the void instead is an overwhelming sense of longing.

The moment I realize who they are

I woke up.

***

｢Grurrk?｣

The harsh stench of disinfectant vanishes in an instant.

Warmth rises from the floor. Adhai and Number 26 are sleeping beside me, our bodies touching. Just from that, I remember where I am. This isn’t a hospital. It’s the Gallagon nest.

‘What was that just now?’

I know I saw something important in that dream, but I can’t remember. It’s like a fog has settled in my mind.

Worse still, a lingering sense of unease clings to me. How to describe it... Like the primal hostility that hits when you sense an opponent you can’t hope to beat.

‘Was it a nightmare?’

｢Big One?｣

Number 26 stirs from beside me.

｢Why aren’t you sleeping?｣

[ZZ ZZZ ZZ (I think I had a nightmare)]

｢What’s a nightmare?｣

[ZZZ ZZ ZZZ (When you’re sleeping and have bad thoughts)]

Upon sensing my signal, Number 26’s body glows faintly as if to say it understands.

｢You were thinking of a bad person. I don’t like that either. Bad people make me sad.｣

[ZZZ (Yeah)]

｢I’ll make those bad thoughts go away!｣

With that, it gently lifts a tentacle and strokes my head.

Strangely enough, I really do feel better. I still can’t remember the dream, but the discomfort has completely vanished.

‘Feels like I’ve digested everything too. I should just get up.’

Besides, I’m fully awake now. And that Ranker I caught before is in Zax Beta. I should check that out.

As I start to rise, I lift my head and meet Adhai’s gaze.

[ZZZZ (You’re awake?)]

｢You｣ ｢What are you doing?｣

Maybe it’s because she’s now a Red Gallagon? There’s a strange pressure behind those glowing violet eyes, piercing through the darkness.

[ZZZ ZZZ (I had a nightmare and Number 26 comforted me)]

｢I｣ ｢Can comfort｣ ｢Too｣

[ZZZ ZZ ZZ (I’m okay now, really)]

I sit up and stroke both Number 26 and Adhai with my wing-arms.

[ZZZZ ZZZ (Thanks for always looking out for me, both of you)]

｢Mhm!｣

Number 26 glows even brighter and retracts its tentacle. As I begin petting her, Adhai quietly lowers her head.

‘Looks like they’re both awake too. Maybe I’ll take them with me.’

I leave Adhai’s throne with the two in tow.

As we make our way out of the nest, we pass by several Gallagons.

More precisely Gallagons in deep sleep.

Not long after Adhai awakened, the rest of the pack returned from their hunts. It’s as if they’d sensed the birth of the Red Gallagon even before arriving. So, unsurprisingly, they weren’t shocked to see her transformed.

What did change, though, was their attitude. Every Gallagon lowered their bodies and spread their wings before Adhai. With the reverence one would show a supreme being, they presented their offerings.

‘Adhai did seem awkward about it all.’

Still, there was a mountain of food. Adhai distributed it among everyone. Thanks to her, the Gallagons who had been starving finally ate their fill and rested. Even now, lying across the nest, their bellies are swollen.

With that, we leave the nest and head straight for Zax Beta.

｢Big One｣ ｢Look｣ ｢Aren’t I pretty?｣

[ZZ (Yeah)]

Adhai spirals once in midair beside me, showing off her four wings.

Compared to before, they’re several times larger. Not only that, but they glow with their own light like Arcane Orca’s energy skin making them look even more massive. As her wings flap against the cold underworld air, resembling a crimson nebula, she looks utterly overwhelming.

[ZZZZ ZZ ZZZZ Z (Saying ‘pretty’ doesn’t even do it justice)]

｢Really?｣ ｢Really?｣

Genuinely thrilled by my awe, she flutters around me in excitement.

Suddenly, a wall of pink fills my vision. Number 26, perched on my head, has inflated its body.

｢I want to fly too.｣

It presses up against the tip of my snout, flying as close as it can. Because of its round, plump form, my view is completely blocked.

‘Guess it was feeling a little left out.’

According to Isabel, she hadn’t taken a single step and just stayed to care for her young until we arrived. It must’ve been a painful stretch of time.

‘Let’s just let her fly as much as she wants for now.’

My view was blocked because of her, but I didn’t really mind.

At that moment, I caught a glimpse of Adhai’s head peeking through Number 26’s fins. She was watching Number 26.

‘Hm?’

I thought her look was tinged with annoyance but on second glance, that wasn’t it. She was flying with her usual calm focus.

‘Did I imagine it?’

Soon after, we reached the tunnel that connected to the surface. Below us was a tilted support ship, skewered through a hole in the massive ice sheet like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

From within, lights flickered; it looked like PS-111 and Isabel were hard at work. Between Pyra Eleven’s data and the new drones the Ranker had brought, there was no shortage of research to be done.

I didn’t stop at the support ship. We continued forward, past the tunnel, across a frozen wasteland devoid of all life, and finally exited the planet.

In the distance loomed the Gigacracker, a massive spacecraft shaped like a moon, and the warship Zax Beta, long and rod-like in appearance.

Originally, it had resembled a trident thanks to the three main cannons mounted at its bow but those had been destroyed in the battle with Arcane Orca. With the cannons removed, it now looked rather ridiculous.

Still, it could fly just fine.

As we approached, the ship’s hangar bay doors opened. The three of us boarded Zax Beta without issue.

｢You’re earlier than I thought. I figured you’d still be sleeping.｣

Mother of the Sky welcomed us as she opened the hatch from the inside.

[ZZZ ZZ (I woke up early. What about you?)]

｢I had things to do.｣

She pointed to one side of the hangar.

There, several crude metal coffins were neatly laid out. I could smell faint traces of blood wafting from them.

｢They’re coffins for the Wolfs who were kidnapped and killed by the pirates. I want to bury them on this planet.｣

[ZZ Z (I see)]

｢The young ones will be living here, after all. Better for them if their family’s resting place is nearby.｣

The ten young Wolfs she had rescued had ultimately decided to stay with us.

It wasn’t for any noble reason. They simply knew too much about me now I couldn’t afford to send them back.

｢They’re smart, kind children. With proper care, they’ll be a big help to you.｣

[ZZ ZZZ Z (That’d be nice, I guess)]

I didn’t say it aloud, but in truth, I thought it would’ve been easier to simply eat them and be done with it. She probably knew that too that’s why she phrased it the way she did.

Gallagons, Coldbloods, and now Wolfs... The number of beings with me continues to grow.

‘I was always alone in the game.’

Maybe I’ve changed more than I realized. Just as the Amorph evolves to fit its environment... Perhaps I’ve done the same.

｢Anyway, Isabel mentioned it earlier, but Adhai’s new look is stunning.｣

It was the first time Mother of the Sky had seen Adhai’s transformed form, and she couldn’t help but be impressed.

｢Me｣ ｢Pretty?｣

｢Yes. You earned it. You too, Number 26 you worked hard.｣

｢Yup!｣

Adhai spread her wings wide in a show of pride, while Number 26 lit up with joy at the praise.

｢Still, you came early because of that brat, didn’t you?｣

[ZZ ZZZ ZZ (Yeah. I’m going to interrogate him now)]

｢Alright. He’s in the brig I’ll bring him here.｣

About ten minutes later

Mother of the Sky returned from the hangar with the Ranker from the 25th position Shinobu in tow.

“Lord Amorph. You summoned me?”

The parasite-controlled man bowed with a sycophantic grin.

“I have questions for you.”

“Please, ask me anything. I’ll answer everything as faithfully as I can for your ”

“Spare me the fake courtesy. You made a deal with Akira Yujin, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Tell me everything about how to reach him, how to lure him outside the solar system. Anything you know.”

At my demand, his eyes darted nervously.

“Well, uh... Akira...er, the Elder he doesn’t leave the solar system unless it’s an extreme exception. Usually he sends proxies or shadows to handle things.”

“Then start with those exceptions.”

“Ah, the last I heard, he left the solar system to command the united fleet... to try to capture you, Lord Amorph.”

“Anything else?”

“Before that... he only left once. To attend the Megacorp Dispute Mediation Council in the A-11 system.”

｢That would’ve been to settle the civil war that broke out.｣

The A-11 system was a place both Mother of the Sky and I knew well.

Whenever civil wars or noble house disputes flare up, representatives of the Seven Megacorp Houses gather there to negotiate resolutions.

Unless another civil war breaks out, Akira has no reason to go there again.

“Besides the mediation council, is there anything else?”

“That’s all I... Wait! Actually, there is something I heard that might help though I don’t know if it’s useful...”

“Speak.”

“Y-yes. I once got some info from a shadow who’d received support from Akira.”

“A shadow?”

“Yes. Someone named Sihyun Yujin . A bizarre woman noble-born from Noble Capital, but became a shadow.”

A name I hadn’t heard in a long time suddenly returned out of nowhere.

Hearing it, I couldn’t help but be shocked.

——————

[Translator – Seraph]

[Proofreader – Draxx]

——————