I Became an Evolving Space Monster
Chapter 409

——————

[Translator – Seraph]

[Proofreader – Draxx]

——————

Chapter 409

The dim complex echoed with the sound of water splashing against metal.

Alex had just stepped out of the security team’s building and was making his way toward the operations center, where the systems management team resided.

｢Damn it. How the hell did they let the entire complex fall into this state?｣

The interior of the buildings at least had emergency lighting, but outside was a different story. Buildings and metallic structures that should have been glowing with light were instead swallowed in total darkness.

‘Why is there so much fog?’

Alex had worked in the research complex for a long time, but he had never seen fog this thick before. It was so dense he could barely see a few meters ahead.

Darkened buildings. Endless rain. A suffocating mist. It felt as though the entire complex had been dropped into a massive swamp.

The only light guiding him came from his reinforced suit.

｢Not a damn soul in sight.｣

The research complex housed thousands of humans, including his own subordinates. Alex activated the thermal camera embedded in his helmet and looked up at the towering security post.

He could see figures moving inside. Their bodies flailed wildly, as if dancing, before they suddenly froze in place.

‘Idiots.’

They must be high out of their minds—dancing around like that even when the entire tower was engulfed in darkness. Alex clicked his tongue in disapproval and kept moving.

Each step he took produced a heavy mechanical thud and sent ripples through the water pooled on the floor, creating a constant splash beneath his feet.

His current reinforced suit was a high-grade model reserved for team leaders. Thanks to its advanced detection features, it could pick up subtle sounds and movements in the environment.

And that was how he knew—he was the only one walking these rain-soaked streets.

Of course, that didn’t mean there were no people at all. The thermal camera showed plenty of heat signatures inside the buildings.

Even now, he could clearly see people standing by the windows. Some were flailing about like the security tower guards. Others stood completely still.

Just as he was about to shrug it off like before, a strange thought struck him.

People standing motionless in total darkness. Others twisting their bodies like they were dancing. It felt wrong to dismiss it as just drug-induced behavior.

And beyond that—though it was hard to explain—every time he looked at them, an unplaceable dread settled in his chest. It didn’t feel like looking at comrades or subordinates. They looked human on the outside, but something entirely different was staring back from within.

‘...Just your imagination.’

Yes, the soldiers stationed at the research complex might be corrupt, but the security system itself wasn’t so easily compromised. The perimeter was lined with mines and combat drones, and the interior bristled with powerful anti-aircraft batteries.

Thousands of soldiers in reinforced suits were stationed within the buildings.

There was no way an outsider could infiltrate this place without resistance. This sense of dread—it had to be nothing more than a trick of the mind.

Alex forced himself to shake off the unease and pressed forward. Even so, he couldn't stop himself from walking faster.

Soon, a windowless square building came into view in the distance.

That was the operations center—the facility that stored the complex’s critical data. To protect against potential terror attacks, it had its own power grid and communication network.

Alex approached the door and entered his security code.

｢Security Unit: Alex. Access granted.｣

A short message played from the terminal beside the door, and the thick alloy door slid open.

｢Phew...｣

Alex let out a quiet sigh as he stepped inside. Was it the cold sweat, or the damp air? Either way, the inside of his suit was growing increasingly clammy.

He wanted to take off his helmet, but the mission wasn’t over yet. He raised the terminal on his wrist and brought up an internal map.

｢Beep｣

A holographic map appeared, a circle marking his current position. His destination was the Data Processing Room on the second floor. From there, he could access the comms equipment and transmit the files to the pirates.

‘Good. Then let’s—huh?’

As soon as he stepped into the hallway, a wet, sticky squelch echoed beneath his foot. Looking down, he realized the floor was completely flooded.

‘What the hell...?’

Judging by the way the liquid clung to his suit and peeled away, it clearly wasn’t rainwater. It must have been a sewage backflow caused by the power outage.

｢...Damn it!｣

Thankfully, the helmet blocked out the stench. Muttering curses, Alex trudged toward the second floor.

‘Is this it?’

He reached the Data Processing Room and keyed in the access code.

Inside were computers even larger than himself, all humming quietly. The overhead lights were out, just like outside, but the glow from the machines illuminated the room well enough.

Everything seemed operational. Alex approached one of the machines to verify.

｢Communications are intact. Good.｣

He pulled out a wire from the terminal and connected it to his suit’s device, beginning the data transfer.

‘Done!’

Data volume and time remaining appeared on the inside of his visor. It would take just one minute to finish the transmission.

Scratch, scratch...

Just as he started to relax, a sound came from deeper inside the room. Alex jumped to his feet.

｢Who’s there?｣

The only reply was the mechanical whirring of computers.

｢Must’ve imagined—｣

Scratch-scratch...

｢!｣

The second time, there was no mistaking it. That wasn’t a sound a human would make.

He checked the holographic map again—and spotted something new. A triangle-shaped marker that hadn’t been there before.

Inside the dark compound, the clash of water and metal echoed faintly.

Having just exited the security team's building, Alex made his way toward the operations center where the Systems Administration team was stationed.

｢Goddamn it. What kind of maintenance are they running if the whole compound’s like this?｣

The inside of the building was at least dimly lit by emergency lights, but outside—there was nothing. Structures and metal scaffolding that should have been glowing brightly were now swallowed by shadow.

‘Why is there so much fog?’

Alex had worked in the research compound for years, but he’d never seen fog this thick before. It was so dense, even things just a few meters ahead were hard to make out.

Blackout buildings, endless rain, and suffocating fog—it felt like the entire compound had sunken into some massive swamp. His reinforced suit was the only source of light as he made his way through the darkness.

｢Morons. Not a single one in sight.｣

There were thousands of personnel stationed in the research compound, including his own men. Alex activated the thermal imaging camera in his helmet and looked up at the towering guard post.

Inside, he could see humans moving. Their bodies flailed wildly, almost like they were dancing, before freezing in place.

‘Idiots.’

How much were they dosed up to act like that while the whole tower sat in complete darkness? Clicking his tongue, Alex turned away and kept moving.

With each step, the heavy thud of machinery and the splash of pooled water echoed in his ears.

His reinforced suit was one of the high-tier models reserved for team leaders, equipped with advanced detection systems that made it sensitive to sound, movement, and even minute vibrations in the air.

That’s how he knew—he was the only person walking these streets in the rain.

Of course, that didn’t mean the compound was empty. Thanks to the thermal imaging, he could still see people moving inside the buildings.

Even now, people stood by windows—some flailing violently like those in the guard tower, others just standing perfectly still.

He tried to brush it off, as he had before, but a strange thought crept in.

People standing motionless in total darkness. Others twisting their bodies as if in a trance. At first, he thought it was just the drugs. But something felt wrong.

And while it was hard to put into words, looking at them brought on a chilling unease. They didn’t feel like comrades or subordinates. They might’ve looked human on the outside—but something else entirely seemed to be inside.

‘...It’s just my imagination.’

Sure, the soldiers here were corrupt, but the security systems were still solid. The perimeter was covered with mines and combat drones, and inside the compound were anti-air batteries and thousands of armed personnel in reinforced suits.

There was no way an outsider could sneak in undetected. The fear was just in his head.

Forcing down the gnawing anxiety, Alex kept walking—though his pace had unconsciously quickened.

Soon, a square building without windows came into view.

This was it: the operations center that stored all of the compound's critical data. To prevent sabotage, it had its own power and communications network.

Alex approached the door and entered a security code.

｢Security Team – Alex. Access granted.｣

The panel beside the door chimed with a brief message, and the thick alloy door slid open.

｢Haaah.｣

Alex exhaled sharply as he stepped inside. Maybe it was the cold sweat—or the damp air—but the inside of his suit had grown uncomfortably clammy.

He wanted to take off his helmet, but the job wasn’t done yet. He raised his wrist and pulled up the internal map on his forearm terminal.

Beep

A small circle marked his location on the holographic map. His destination: the data processing room on the second floor. If he could reach the communications equipment there, he’d be able to transmit the file to the pirates.

‘Alright. Let’s get—huh?’

The moment he stepped into the corridor, a wet squelching sound came from beneath his feet. He looked down to see the floor submerged in water.

‘What the hell?’

The way the liquid clung to his suit with each movement made it clear it wasn’t rainwater. It looked like the sewage had backed up after the power outage.

｢…Shit!｣

At least his helmet spared him the stench. Cursing under his breath, Alex headed for the second floor.

‘This must be it.’

He reached the data processing room and keyed in the code to enter.

Inside, computers even larger than him lined the walls. The room was dark like the rest of the compound, but the glow of the machines illuminated the space well enough.

Everything seemed to be functioning normally. Alex approached the nearest console to confirm.

｢Comms are operational.｣

He pulled out a data cable and connected it from the terminal on his suit to the computer. The file transfer began.

‘Got it!’

His visor displayed the data being transmitted and the time remaining. Just one more minute.

Rustle.

He had just begun to relax when a sound echoed from deeper inside the room. Alex stood up in alarm.

｢Who’s there?｣

Only the mechanical whirring of the machines replied.

｢Must’ve imagined—｣

Rustlerustle.

｢!｣

The second time, it was unmistakable. That sound wasn’t human.

He glanced at the holographic map—there, a new triangular marker had appeared, one he hadn’t seen before.

No one else should be in the data processing room.

｢…….｣

Tension mounting, Alex cautiously made his way deeper into the forest of machines. His heart pounded faster as he drew closer to the marker.

Just beyond this final row of computers, the unknown intruder would be waiting. He tightened his grip on his weapon.

The moment he cleared the last obstacle, he raised his rifle.

But there was nothing there.

｢What the…?｣

The marker pointed straight ahead, but all he could see were computers, wires, and a small external terminal.

Wait.

Something made him glance down—and then freeze. Slowly, his eyes lifted to the ceiling.

｢?!｣

A woman’s head hung upside down from above. Her eyes were bloodshot, as if every vessel had burst. It was staring directly at him.

The shock of the unexpected encounter made Alex falter. That’s when it opened its mouth wide.

“■—!”

｢Gkh?!｣

An explosion of pain tore through his ears.

It felt like being stabbed with a spike—agony radiating from his eardrums. Something warm and wet trickled down his neck from inside his helmet.

Alex tore it off in a panic. The internal speakers were charred black and soaked in blood.

‘You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!’

He shouted, but no sound reached his ears. His hearing was gone—damaged beyond recovery.

Then, something the size of a human head darted across his vision. Without hesitation, Alex fired his Gauss rifle.

Muzzle flashes lit the room, rows of computers crashed down, and sparks flew as electricity arced from the wreckage.

‘I’ll kill you!’

Furious, he threw aside the ruined helmet and gave chase. The triangle on his map was moving quickly.

Through the shattered machines, he glimpsed the woman’s head—her hair streaming as she ran. Beneath the head, multiple legs propelled it at incredible speed.

If he hadn’t been in a reinforced suit, he’d have never kept up. But now, with enhanced physical capabilities, Alex crushed machines underfoot as he pursued the signal.

‘Got you!’

Just as it reached a wall vent, a tungsten round from the Gauss rifle struck one of its legs. With a shriek, it fled into the duct, leaving the broken limb behind.

‘You’re not getting away.’

Thanks to the building's schematics, he knew exactly where the vent led. He turned back toward the data processing room entrance to intercept it.

But when he opened the door, his eyes widened in disbelief.

‘What... is this?’

The hallway he had just walked through minutes ago was now filled with thick, swirling fog—the same mist he’d seen outside.

And beyond that dense curtain, something moved.

‘The helmet!’

Its instincts screamed.

That mist—no, that gas—was extremely dangerous.

Alex hurriedly searched for a helmet to avoid inhaling it.

"Captain."

A familiar voice called out.

Alex was startled to see who had appeared with it.

"There you are, Captain."

"We’ve been looking all over for you."

The voices belonged to subordinates who were supposed to be stationed at the watchtower.

They were clad in reinforced suits, looking exactly as Alex remembered them.

"This place is dangerous."

"We need to get out of here, now."

The subordinates urged him from within the mist.

Letting his guard down, Alex followed them out of the data processing room.

"Things have deteriorated due to a Separatist terrorist attack."

"They’ve even managed to drag the Shino Group into this."

"Our other units are buying time, but they won’t last much longer."

"This way, please."

As Alex followed them down, something felt wrong.

He was certain the data room was on the second floor of the administration building.

Getting outside shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.

But they just kept descending the stairs.

And the subordinates showed no sign of noticing anything unusual, chatting naturally.

"■■, ■■ ■…■?"

Alex tried calling out to one of them—but no sound came.

No, he did speak. The sound left his mouth—but it didn’t reach his ears.

His hearing hadn't recovered from that earlier encounter with it.

"What’s wrong, sir?"

"There’s no time. We have to go."

"……"

Come to think of it, both he and the subordinates were wearing reinforced suits.

Along the way, he’d heard the heavy clanking of machinery and footsteps far too many times to count.

There were three people here wearing such suits, including himself—yet the room was eerily silent.

"■, ■■■, ■■?"

‘You… you’re not real, are you?’

Before he could finish, the subordinates leading the way suddenly stopped.

"There’s no time."

"We have to go."

Their heads turned slowly.

Their faces were hidden beneath the visors of their helmets.

"There. Is. No. Time."

"We. Must. Go. Now."

Cracks spread across their familiar faces—like glass on the verge of shattering.

The fissures extended across their bodies, and from within those cracks, something black began to surge and writhe.

"Join. Us."

"Join. Us."

Hell’s guides, hidden beneath their shells, lunged at Alex.

***

"Threat. Neutralized."

MPS-03, hearing the screams from below, crawled out of the ventilation shaft.

The moment it emerged, it checked its damaged leg.

"Damage: Minor. Temporary repair: Feasible."

When PS-111 and the Amorph created MPS-03, they gave it two special abilities.

One was a sonic attack based on the genetic structure of cave gargoyles that dwell in ice caverns and underground tunnels.

The Amorph referred to it as ‘Destructive Sonic Waves’—a power capable of disabling the hearing of even heavily armored enemies.

The other was thermal emission.

Using its thin, spider-like legs, MPS-03 picked up a broken fragment of its own limb.

Holding the piece against the fractured area, it remained still. The damaged joint began to glow red-hot.

"Repair: Complete. Complete!"

The mini-screamer shook its newly fused leg a few times.

It wasn’t perfect, but it could move well enough.

"Task: Confirmed. Confirmed."

Its mission was to transfer specific data stored here into a device previously given to it by the Amorph.

Now that the intruder had been dealt with, it could resume its task.

Skittering on its metallic legs, MPS-03 returned to the data terminal and began copying the requested files.

About ten minutes passed. It had finished duplicating all the data the Amorph had asked for.

With the external terminal clenched in its jaws, it prepared to leave.

As it crawled toward the exit, something made it pause in front of another computer terminal.

"Intruder. Used: Terminal."

It was aware that the intruder had entered this room using a valid security code.

This facility handled sensitive information.

It needed to verify what the intruder had been working on.

"Usage log: Objective: Confirming. Confirming."

Perhaps this information could also be of use to the Amorph.

After thoroughly reviewing the terminal the intruder had accessed, MPS-03 left the room.

——————

[Translator – Seraph]

[Proofreader – Draxx]

——————