Became an Evolving Space Monster - Chapter 424

Amidst the terrified screams echoing through the helmet’s speakers, Common tried to hurriedly give orders.

‘He’s here’

If only it weren’t for that command ringing in his mind.

｢Why again… Ugh?!｣

Coming to his senses, he realized he had dropped the plasma rifle he was holding on the floor.

The corridor, which had been perfectly fine until just now, had been reduced to ruins in an instant. The walls and ceiling were covered in traces of plasma burns, and the floor was littered with dismembered corpses.

｢Ah, no! What have I done…｣

‘Come here’

Before he knew it, he was in an elevator. He could see the numbers on the display rapidly changing.

｢Stop it!｣

｢Ding. Sublevel 4. Doors opening.｣

The elevator doors opened with a cheerful chime. His body moved out on its own, regardless of his will.

‘This way’

His hand, no longer under his control, removed the helmet from his head. A thick humidity and a foul stench, unlike anything he had ever experienced in a terraforming facility, enveloped his face.

There, the owner of the pale hand was waiting for Common.

“Sh, shit! This is my body! No one can control me!”

The elevator doors were about to close. The lights dimmed.

It was not difficult to imagine what would happen once the lights went out. Common muttered like a madman.

“This is my body! This is my body! This is my body! This is my body!”

“Long time no see.”

The pale being in front of him whispered to him.

No, to be exact, it was whispering to ‘something’ in his head.

“This is my body. This is my body…”

The door closed. The cyborg’s voice also faded away.

“I was glad to be back on the ground after a long time… Dammit.”

A building with flickering lights. A scarred pirate looked out the window and cursed.

Through the window, several transport ships could be seen wobbling and barely landing.

The city they were in was in the middle of a huge storm.

“When will those guys who went to fix the terraforming machine be back?”

“Even if we process it quickly, it won’t be done until tomorrow.”

“Phew. I’ve been in space for two weeks, and now I’m stuck here.”

It was too dangerous to go out in this weather without a walker or a power suit.

Until the terraforming machines were fully repaired, it was safer to stay inside the building like they were now.

Of course, the pirates, who had finally returned to the surface after a long time, were not happy with this situation.

Their anger flared up as quickly as the amount of synthetic drugs they had been diligently inhaling.

“The bosses said that once the repairs are done, we’ll start hunting right away.”

“Hunting? Are you serious?”

“Yeah. They said we came here to catch some damn monster.

Shit.”

“Damn it. I wondered why they were moving so much stuff. Ugh!”

The pirate who had been staring out the rain-soaked window spat on the floor.

The other pirates who saw him clicked their tongues.

“Ugh, that’s disgusting.”

“That bastard gave him something expensive, and he just spits it out.”

They shook their heads and took long drags from their electronic cigarettes filled with drugs.

Their senses were being destroyed in real time by the potent hallucinogens, but no one cared.

“But it’s a little strange.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“No, look. We were struggling like dogs in space two weeks ago. We haven’t even sold the bodies yet.”

“Maybe they’re useful.”

“Are you trying to have sex with the bodies?”

“Oh, that sick bastard.”

“Why are these crazy bastards acting like this all of a sudden?”

As the drugged pirates were chattering nonsense, the door opened.

A pirate wearing a heavily soaked power suit entered.

The newcomer was from a different cartel than them.

So everyone ignored him, but one of them spoke to him.

“Wait. Do you work for Sinoni?”

｢Yes. Why do you ask?｣

“Is there anywhere fun to go around here?”

｢Of course.

Would you like me to take you there?｣

It was a question he had asked on a whim, but he received an unexpected answer.

“Is there a place you can go in this weather?”

“I’ll take a walker.”

｢You don’t have to worry.

It’s a facility underground.｣

“Underground?”

｢Yes.

It’s an underground gambling den connected to the sewers.

“Not only gambling, but also slaves and a good time,”

Everyone’s faces lit up at those words.

“Guide us right away.”

“Please follow me.”

The member of Shinoni’s organization guided the pirates inside the building.

When they followed him, there was a pitch-black iron door.

When the staff opened the door, a dark underground passage appeared.

“Was there a basement in this building?”

“I don’t think I saw it when I came in earlier.”

“This way.”

The pirates followed the staff member with the headlamp through the damp passage.

“Damn! What’s this smell?”

“It’s because it’s an abandoned sewer.

I heard that the soldiers who used to work here used it a lot.”

“Soldiers? Were they doing some kind of operation?”

“How could that be? They were probably sneaking out to go to the casino.”

“Megacob bastards anyway.”

The stench vibrated everywhere, as if the words “abandoned sewer” were true.

It was such a bad smell, like hundreds of corpses had rotted, that it was hard to bear even while intoxicated.

In addition, the floor was covered with sticky mud.

Everyone walked carefully, as they might end up in a bad way if they accidentally fell.

“Hey, is this really abandoned? Is there any chance that sewage will flow in while we’re here?”

“We’ve been here a few times and nothing like that has happened.”

“Oh, if I fall…”

The pirate who was about to say it was a big deal shut his mouth.

Someone was standing in the dark passage.

“What the hell…?”

“It’s okay.

They’re my friends.”

In the direction of the headlamp’s light, two pirates wearing reinforced suits appeared.

They approached without saying a word and stood next to the staff member.

“We agreed to meet here.

We were going to go to the casino together.”

The staff member at the front spoke as if nothing was wrong and started walking again.

“……”

However, the pirates following him couldn’t just let it go.

They had been waiting in this sewer without even a light in this place without lights. They could have used the headlamps attached to their helmets.

It was clearly a suspicious situation, even for those who were drunk.

The pirates following behind carefully reached for their weapons.

“Hey. Your friends who agreed to meet you in this place are pretty quiet.”

“They don’t talk much.”

“Well, I think it’s a little different. They’re not not talking, they can’t talk, right?”

“Yes?”

The staff member at the front slowly turned around when he heard that.

“Do you suspect us?”

“I heard that there are still remnants of the separatist guerrillas. How can you guarantee that you’re not terrorists?”

“If I were a terrorist, I would have attacked already. Would I have stayed still until now?”

“I don’t know. You might be trying to lure us in.”

“That’s right. We’re outnumbered, so you’re bringing us to a place like this to hit us from behind.”

The pirates aimed their weapons as they spoke. The member of Shinoni’s organization just looked at them without saying anything.

“Let’s go out and talk about the details. Put your hands up.”

“……”

“Do you think we’re idiots…what the hell?”

At that moment, the staff member suddenly began to tremble.

“You crazy bastard. Are you laughing right now?”

The pirates soon realized that the other person was laughing.

He laughed as if he was going to die laughing.

His two companions had not said a word since they first met and had just stood there.

“Damn it, put your hands up!”

“I’ll kill you!”

The pirates’ screams echoed in the pitch-black darkness.

There was fear mixed in with those screams.

They were the ones holding the weapons, but they were overwhelmed by the strange atmosphere.

When the pirates screamed, the staff member who had been laughing while trembling stopped laughing.

He slowly moved both hands to his head.

“D, don’t move!”

“He’s trying to take off his helmet.”

“Don’t move!”

Contrary to what they were saying, they couldn’t shoot.

It was because they had a bad feeling about it.

It felt like something terrible would happen if they opened fire.

Perhaps expecting this, he took off his helmet without hesitation.

The light from the headlamp shone on his face.

The scars and dirty beard were no different from the pirates present.

“I’m not a separatist or a pirate from Shinoni.

I’m just…”

The companions next to him also took off their helmets.

The pirates froze when they saw the faces that were revealed.

The faces illuminated by the light were by no means human.

Underneath the ghastly pale skin, a multitude of somethings were wriggling.

“Just a messenger.”

The light of the headlights turned off, and those with reversed skins charged toward the pirates.

In the pitch-black darkness, the light of an energy bullet flashed before quickly fading.

After that, the sound of a school of fish devouring a chunk of meat filled the sewers.

–

“Boss. We’ve moved all of the brought in goods.”

“I see.”

In a room filled with expensive goods in a disorderly fashion, two pirates were conversing.

They were Ventrice and his superior, the boss of the Sinoni Pirates.

“Were there any problems while unloading?”

“The amount was a bit much, but I was thoroughly monitoring it, so there were no problems.”

“It took a long time to unload the cargo thanks to someone who was so thorough.”

“Ahem, well…”

Ventrice lowered his head at the boss’s pointed remark.

The boss, who was glaring at his subordinate while sitting on an antique mahogany chair, waved his hand after a moment.

“Forget it. There’s something more important than your treatment right now, so move on.”

“Thank you.”

“The goods brought in this time are something that the General had a hard time acquiring, according to Sutherland. There shouldn’t be any mistakes in the preparations.”

“The General, you say?”

At those words, Ventrice made a slightly surprised expression.

“What kind of goods are they? I took a quick look when unloading them, but they looked like some kind of spaceship parts.”

“You don’t need to know. Just monitor it so that there are no problems.”

“B, but I need to know what kind of goods they are to be careful to avoid any problems.

If you could just tell me a little bit….”

“Hmm.”

Sinoni’s boss, Sutherland, had emphasized several times that it was an incredibly valuable item.

He said that the item must be protected no matter what.

In that case, just as Ventrice had said, it would be easier to manage if he knew at least what kind of item it was.

After pondering for a moment, he decided to tell him a little bit.

“I didn’t hear it properly, so I’m not sure, but I heard that it’s a type of Warp Finder.”

“Warp Finder? Is that the equipment used to track spaceships?”

Ventrice looked at the boss with a puzzled expression.

A Warp Finder is a device that analyzes the energy flow generated by superluminal navigation.

It’s expensive, but it’s not rare enough to be considered incredibly valuable.

The boss, who had read his subordinate’s thoughts, added a word.

“It’s not an ordinary Warp Finder.”

“Yes?”

“It’s a prototype model that the Star Union secretly developed. There aren’t even 10 people in this universe who know of its existence.”

“I, is that so? I didn’t know that it was such a valuable item.”

“They said that they deliberately disassembled it into parts and brought it in because they were worried about information leaking. Only the General knows how to assemble it and operate it.”

“Really.”

“Anyway, now that you know, be careful. Got it?”

“Yes. I’ll keep it in mind.”

The conversation ended with that.

After Ventrice left, the boss leaned back comfortably in his chair.

He had left all of the chores for preparing the operation to his second-in-command.

All he had to do now was wait.

“Now then….”

The boss got up from his seat and picked out one of the liquor bottles placed in the liquor cabinet.

“Olympus, 12-year-old. It’s not a liquor that a mere security team leader should be able to get their hands on.”

The previous owner of this room was the one in charge of the research complex’s security system.

The reason that Ventrice and his subordinates were able to easily take over this place was also thanks to his help.

He had left AG-01 right after making a deal with the pirates.

He had left all of these good things behind.

“Let’s have a taste… huh?”

He was about to pour himself a drink of the ownerless liquor when he frowned as he looked at his palm.

There was some sticky black mucus on the hand that was holding the liquor bottle.

“Ugh, is it mold?”

After roughly wiping it on his pants, he opened the lid.

Judging from the fragrant scent that wafted up, the contents seemed to be fine.

“The contents seem to be fine.”

He took a sip and the taste was fine as well.

The intoxicating and strong fragrance spread throughout his mouth, making his legs feel weak.

“…It’s amazing.”

With that as the start, he began to guzzle down the expensive liquor.

The boss had undergone an expensive genetic modification surgery with the credits provided by the General.

So, he doesn’t get drunk easily even if he drinks strong alcohol.

As he continued to gulp down the alcohol like water,

A sound came from outside the door.

“Cough… who is it?”

He called out, but the only thing that returned was silence.

Thinking that he had misheard, he tried to drink again, but then he heard the sound again.

“!”

This time, he heard it clearly.

The sound that came from outside was definitely the laughter of a young child.

Instead of a bottle of alcohol, the leader grabbed his weapon and opened the door.

A hallway stretched out before him under the light of the lamp. At the end of it was the source of the sound.

“Huh? What are you?”

The young wolf with the head of a jackal did not answer and disappeared around the corner.

The entire building was being guarded thoroughly by Shino’s pirates.

It was not a place where a wolf cub could casually wander in and out of.

Furthermore, the wolf that had just disappeared seemed strangely familiar.

He was sure that he had seen it recently, but he could not remember where.

‘I should chase after it for now….’

He would catch it and ask questions no matter what.

The leader chased after the intruder with quick steps.

After turning the corner, he saw the wolf going down the stairs.

He immediately followed it downstairs.

Whether it had turned off the lights or not, the lower floor was a dark world unlike the one above.

However, he had a body that had been implanted with useful genes. He could distinguish objects even in spaces with little light.

He skillfully navigated through the darkness and quickly caught up to his target.

“Stop.”

At the leader’s words, the small fugitive stopped in its tracks.

“You, where did you come from?”

Instead of answering, it slowly turned around.

‘Huh?’

When he saw the other party’s face, something came to mind.

A few weeks ago, the leader had gone to a certain planet with another cartel.

The female that he had played with and killed there looked similar to that wolf.

“Do you know me?”“…….”

Instead of answering, the wolf cub glared at him.

When he saw those resentful eyes, he was certain.

“Ha. I don’t know how you got here, but…keugh?!”

Just as he was about to say that this was its grave, a strong impact struck him.

His body, which had been floating in the air, slammed into the nearby wall.

“Ugh, uwaaagh!”

Unable to endure the excruciating pain, the leader let out a scream.

A golden skewer that had pierced his right shoulder was pinning him to the wall.

「How does it feel to experience the pain that you inflicted on the children?」

“Fuck…uwaaagh!”

The leader tried to switch his weapon to his left hand and counterattack, but he failed again.

This was because a foreleg of a beast that had emerged from the darkness was crushing his left arm.

Even when he tried to break free using his enhanced strength, the beast’s foreleg did not budge an inch.

Instead, it crushed his arm and sternum with an Overwhelming tosuperior force.

Two orange lights flickered in front of him as he writhed in pain.

“Uuuugh!”

「You cut off the arms and legs of some children and burned others to death on skewers. You enjoyed listening to the screams of those children.」

What he had thought were lights were actually eyes.

The eyes of a savage beast that was several times larger than an adult male.

「I want to kill you right now, but….」

The sharp beak that protruded between its two eyes stopped just before it could pierce the leader’s neck.

The beast removed its beak and foreleg and slowly backed away.

“Kuheugh!”

‘A, am I alive?’

The beast spoke as it watched him exhale roughly.

「To a pest like you, death would be a salvation.」

He was relieved that he had survived, but only for a moment. The wall behind him suddenly moved.

Something like a black vine shot out, wrapped around his body, and began to pull him toward the wall.

「You need to suffer more.」

“Wait…kuheugh!”

His mouth was completely covered, and he was unable to resist as he was sucked into the liquefied wall.