NOVEL WEB
Chapter 114
Chapter 114
“…….”
“Boss?”
Muriel, the leader of the Humanity Cartel, had reviewed all the videos. Initially, her expression, while the hologram was displayed, was unremarkable, but it gradually stiffened, now as cold as ice.
“When was this recorded?”
She always called the pirates “brother”. The fact that she omitted the honorific indicated her anger was beyond measure. Swallowing his saliva, the subordinate answered.
“T…this was recorded a week ago.”
“A week? Who’s in charge of communications?”
“Ah…th…that would be me…!”
Mid-sentence, the subordinate’s breath was cut off as Muriel grabbed his throat. In her eyes, burning violet flames were ablaze.
“You’re only mentioning this now, such an important matter?”
“G…gaah…!”
Though Muriel herself had warned not to be a nuisance when entering the temple, she had forgotten this fact. In the end, the hapless communication officer met his demise with his throat twisted.
“Dispose of him.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Instructing another subordinate to clear the body, she again displayed the hologram.
“Why is an Amorph here… could it be?”
Not only in the continent of Utopia-02, but Amorph itself doesn’t reside on the planet PH-101. If it traversed through space and arrived on this planet, there’s only one thing that could mean.
“He’s a player.”
Muriel knows that she’s not the only one from other worlds in this Space world. The majority of players are also in extremely hostile relationships with each other. One of her reasons for coming to this planet was to capture players.
“But Amorph should be extinct, how is this possible?”
Though incomprehensible events unfolded in reality, that’s not the important part now. If an Amorph player has arrived, preparations must be made to deal with him.
“The skinned corpse…”
As a player who ranked in the top 20 in Space Survival, Muriel knew what the corpse meant. There are hardly any Amorphs in the game that provoke or intimidate in such a way. Only one person does that.
“Surely, he was the 5th ranker.”
Not long after becoming a ranker, that Amorph ranker quit the game. Thanks to that, they never met in person, but she roughly knew of his reputation.
“I don’t know how someone who quit the game could have come here, but…”
Muriel herself is also a former ranker. Moreover, she has survived in this world for a whopping 3 years. On the other hand, the opponent, though a long-time player, quit the game midway.
She believed her skills would not be outmatched by that former Amorph ranker.
“The likelihood of losing to him is slim…”
Snicker!
At that moment, laughter that disturbed her mind echoed.
She glanced away from the hologram to see who emitted the laughter.
?Hahh…ha…hah…pfft! I knew you were a stupid b***h, but I didn’t expect you to be this dumb…!?
The Mother of the Sky was mocking Muriel. In the midst of undergoing a gruesome torture, she couldn’t help but laugh, as if she had heard something incredibly amusing.
“What’s so funny?”
Heh, pfft, cough!
?The likelihood of losing to him is slim? Do you even know who’s in that video??
“…Isn’t it the Amorph ranker from the 5th place?”
?Even though you know that fact, you’re so nonchalant. Truly impressive confidence.?
“What?”
[He prepares and moves wherever he goes. He came here, killed the pirates? No matter what you think, no matter what plans you make, it doesn’t matter. Whether you fight, try to escape, or beg for mercy, he’ll kill you.?
“….”
?Rather than meeting him, it’s much better to die right here before he comes. No matter what you do, you can’t escape his grasp.?
“….”
Up until now, the Mother of the Sky had never asked for death, even amidst any torture. She wanted to survive somehow and take revenge on Muriel. But now, in the face of Amorph, she said it’s better to die than to meet him. This fact sent shivers down Muriel’s spine.
“…Damn, what is this?”
Muriel gazed into the Mother of the Sky’s eyes. The emotions within the eyes, resembling a bird of prey, were very unfamiliar.
Fear.
Even when she didn’t lose her composure during torture, the Mother of the Sky was now scared of the Amorph. Muriel, deeming that she could no longer obtain useful information from the Mother of the Sky, called her subordinates.
“Contact the cruiser and have the defense level raised to the maximum until I arrive. If anyone approaches, even from the camp, eliminate them.”
“Even people coming from the camp?”
“Yes. He can deceive and pretend to be human, so don’t trust anyone. Don’t even take any communication. Report immediately if anything happens.”
“Got it.”
Although what the Mother of the Sky said was quite concerning, Muriel deliberately ignored it. Fearing danger when facing a formidable opponent only puts one at a disadvantage.
‘Calm down. Anyway, he’s just an A-ranker.’
She, too, was a ranker, and she had not a few experiences fighting against Amorph. The point when Amorph rapidly grows stronger is after becoming a Quasi-saint or Saint.
Although the figure in the hologram looked significantly different from the in-game appearance, it still seemed to be in the Pre-saint stage.
No matter how formidable his skills might be, with numerous subordinates, a cruiser, and top-tier equipment, the probability of her losing was low.
‘If he has any exceptions, it would be receiving some special benefits.’
Muriel herself received new benefits upon falling into this world.
The benefit effects were powerful, but that didn’t mean she had some omnipotent tool like Amorph. Considering the gap between her and Amorph, it was impossible for him to defeat her no matter how good his benefits were.
“I’ll have to return earlier than planned. Everyone, pack up.”
“Understood.”
Snicker!
?Doing useless things. You’re all already screwed! Hehe…cough!?
Even as the camp members moved quickly, the mocking laughter of the Mother of the Sky echoed ominously.
***
‘The time until the boss comes is just one day.’
I checked the time using the small terminal pad stolen from the pirates.
Now that I’ve evolved into a Quasi-Saint, I can say that the conditions necessary to confront the pirate leader are roughly met. However, it’s not accurate to say that a Quasi-saint is overwhelmingly powerful. While becoming a Quasi-saint does enhance one’s strength significantly, it’s crucial not to rely solely on this fact, as the exact level of the pirate leader’s abilities is unknown.
One of the reasons I considered evolution necessary is not only to enhance my specs for physical combat but also to avoid mistakes caused by acquiring incorrect information.
‘They may think I’m at the Pre-saint stage.’
At this point, it’s impossible to know the pirate leader’s skill level. If she’s a top-tier player, she should have an idea of how to fight against an Amorph. An Amorph’s strength varies significantly based on the evolutionary stage, so she will assume that I am a Pre-Saint and prepare accordingly.
Grrrr!
‘Believing in incorrect information and preparing can lead to significant consequences.’
I smiled faintly and brought up a semi-transparent text box.
[Species: Unidentified Aggressive Morph
Status: Quasi-Saint (Transcendent 1st Stage)
Objective: Survive (3rd evolution successful)
Possessed Traits (17 in physical-related / 7 in psychic related / Infection 8 / 5 in special defense-related / Nest 8 in nest-related):
① Physical Related (Type Applied): Metal Absorption, Complete Organic Being (Unique), Pheromone Enhancement, Gastric State, Bone Axe, Aerial Membrane, Reinforced Suction Pads, Robust Vitality, Aquatic Claws, Fins, Reinforced Large Tail, Essence Harvester’s Jaw
Physical Fusion Traits: Regeneration, Neurotoxic Gland (Unavailable), Bloodsucking Tentacle, Spine Shooters
② Psychic Related (Type Applied): Humanoid, Insight
Psychic Fusion Traits: Predator Senses, Monster’s Tentacle, Ghostly Claws, Watcher of Fear, Psychic Reflection Gloves
③ Infection Related (Type Applied): Space Bacteria, Enhanced Contagion, Illusion Beetles
Infection Fusion Traits: Parasitic Colony, Putrefying Fungal Organ, Tooth Fairy Nest, Gremlin Moss, Acidic Mycotic Gland
④ Special Defense Related: Pain Reduction, Resistance, Disease Immunity, Complete Immunization
Special Defense Fusion Traits: Protective Coloration
⑤ Nest Related (Type Applied): Horizon of Nightmares (Unique), Rapid Calcification Inducer, Enhanced Expansion, Sticky Suckers, Humanoid Cannibalism, Smog Tower, Water Wraith Nest
Nest Fusion Traits: Symbiotic Organ Spores
Possessed Types (4):
Physical Enhancement Type, Psychic Enhancement Type, Infection Enhancement Type, Nest Enhancement Type
Specialization Available Type (1):
Special Defense Enhancement Type (5/16)
*Incomplete Traits (3):
Energy Absorption, Diminutiveness, Gill]
‘There are quite a few.’
Since becoming a Quasi-Saint, the number of new traits I gained was staggering.
‘Especially in terms of special defense enhancements.’
Of course, there were also some new changes in physical and psychic traits.
Due to using the Infection Fusion trait ‘Gremlin Moss’ as a material for electronic interference, the plates on my back disappeared. Additionally, the color of my exoskeleton, originally close to dark brown, was now closer to a dark violet.
This was due to the effects of the ‘Psychic Reflection Gloves,’ created by combining the traits obtained from defeating the Swamp King with psychic resistance.
Both of these traits would be used countless times against opponents I would face from now on.
‘Gremlin Moss is effective against machines, and the Psychic Reflection Gloves are useful against cultists.’
In addition to these, there are many traits that will continue to be useful in the future.
‘Especially getting the Symbiotic Organ Spores was fortunate.’
The ‘Symbiotic Organ Spores’ were created using traits obtained from the swamp, and it had a very special ability. In nests where this trait was applied, it produced spores with the ability to heal the target that had undergone symbiosis with the organism.
‘If I have the Symbiotic Organ Spores, it will be a great help to number 26 and Adhai.’ I’ve been worrying a lot about both of them getting hurt, but now I feel like I can breathe a little easier.
‘Let’s focus on the cruiser for now.’
Currently, I’m less than 50 meters away from the enemy cruiser. It seems they’ve been ordered to be on high alert by their leader, as they’ve set up all sorts of defenses around the ship.
Various mines, dozens of Stormgun units in auto-fire mode, Heavy Walkers numbering in dozens, reconnaissance drones made by StarUnion, and even plasma turrets mounted on the cruiser were all operational. Their defense level is truly formidable. If I were a Pre-Saint, even with number 26 and Adhai, it would have been impossible to breach this place. It’s practically impenetrable from both land and air.
‘I wonder if they know about the underground approach.’
The enemies have built a near-perfect defense against ground and aerial assaults. But they’ve overlooked one thing: underground.
Since earlier, I’ve been digging tunnels to infiltrate beneath the cruiser. When I evolved into a pseudo-entity, blunt claws emerged all over my exoskeleton except for my head. Most of them are concentrated on my tail, but there are also blunt claws on my wrists, waist, and chest. These claws can be used for offense, but more importantly, they’re very effective for digging through soil. Thanks to these claws, I can move quickly and quietly underground.
‘I think this should do.’
As I reached beneath the cruiser, I stopped digging. This space, slightly larger than my body, will serve as my new nest.
‘Now that I’ve gained new traits, I should try using them.’
As I activated nest-building mode, black slime poured out from my body. The surrounding soil absorbed the slime like a sponge absorbing water. In the past, it would have taken quite a while for the slime to harden and form spores, but now the nest was completed incredibly quickly. It’s all thanks to the reinforcement from my types and traits.
‘That was fast. Very good.’
The completed nest automatically expanded its territory around the area without me needing to command it.
The walls of the tunnels I dug became solidified in an instant due to the slime, and the ground around felt as vibrant as my body.
Fruit-like spores reflecting my traits sprouted throughout the nest, and various pathogens such as toxins, viruses, fungi, and fungi crawled into the soil.
I wonder if the people on the cruiser are aware. Aware that beneath their feet, a kingdom of contagion is being constructed.
‘Alright, hurry up and come up.’
The nest rapidly extended upwards.
The target is the cruiser guarded by the pirates. Since the cruiser also represents the power of the pirate leader, weakening it in advance wouldn’t hurt.
‘If we attack using the nest’s traits, they won’t stand a chance.’
The enemies above won’t be facing just a single creature like Amorph.
This soil, this land, and everything else under my control, will become their enemy.