I Became an Evolving Space Monster
Chapter 414

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[Translator – Seraph]

[Proofreader – Draxx]

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Chapter 414

The spoils from the port's command center were decent enough.

The material goods weren't much to talk about—but I did get my hands on some intriguing information.

When one of my replicas ambushed the pirates, they used binding shells.

These weapons, developed by the Star Union, are highly effective against medium- to large-scale organisms. In fact, they were potent enough to restrain my doppelganger, which speaks to their impressive suppression capabilities. That's why hunters and combat-focused players favor them so much.

‘Still, they’re not easy to come by.’

According to lore, binding shells are classified weapons developed by the Star Union for use against Hulk Mutants, making them restricted in circulation. Other faction players can only use them if authorized by the Machine Directorate—that’s the official setting.

Producing them also requires a costly shape-memory particle factory and advanced nanotech. Only players who’ve progressed significantly along the cyborg path can even hope to manufacture them.

And yet pirates were using such high-end consumables? Unless they're backed by a top-tier player—a Ranker—that’s impossible.

‘And they brought quite a lot.’

They’d hauled off five entire containers' worth.

Even in the game, there were very few scenarios that required this many binding shells. It was either player-versus-player warfare… or—

‘Hunting a high-tier Apex.’

Apex creatures can’t be taken down by brute firepower alone. They possess not only formidable strength but also multiple special abilities. Taking one down requires serious prep work. Especially if the target is someone like Vortex-One, who’s in the upper echelon of the Apex tier.

And a mass supply of binding shells is one of the bare minimum requirements for hunting high-tier Apexes or raid bosses.

‘But there aren’t any Apex creatures in this world.’

Same goes for the other planets in the Zer-11 system. Even if some powerful species had existed once, they’re almost certainly gone now—wiped out during the terraforming phase by Megacorp.

‘With just one exception.’

A solitary, noble being that never settles on any planet or in any star system. Always wandering.

One of the highest-tier Apex creatures: Arcane Orca.

‘PS-111 did say this region likely falls within Arcane Orca’s range.’

This place doesn’t have rare resources or valuable fauna. From a pirate’s perspective, there’s no reason to come here.

Unless, of course, the Arcane Orca is involved.

‘Then our objectives align.’

PS-111 and Mother of the Sky had narrowed the possible locations to two. PS-111 and I chose Zer-11, while Mother of the Sky went to investigate the other system.

Just like in the game, locating Arcane Orca takes considerable time. Honestly, I assumed AG-01 would be a dead end.

But to find traces of the wandering colossus this quickly?

‘That said, there’s still a problem.’

I looked down at Ventris, who was now suspended from the wall. Parasites had taken over his body, and his eyes stared vacantly into space.

‘The key is when Arcane Orca is supposed to arrive here.’

Even Ventris, the sub-boss of the Sinoni cartel, had no idea. His orders were simply to stabilize AG-01 until the others arrived.

‘His team’s supposed to show up in about two weeks, right?’

The boss who gave Ventris his mission is reportedly on another assignment. Once that’s done, he’ll arrive at AG-01 with the rest of the Sinoni cartel—those who share the "Sino" designation.

No one knows the exact date, but one thing’s for sure: the pirates will arrive before the Arcane Orca does. They need time to prepare the hunt, after all.

That means Arcane Orca won’t be here for at least another two weeks.

And since their target overlaps with mine, a confrontation is inevitable.

‘A Ranker aiming for a top-tier Apex… won’t be an easy opponent.’

Judging by the other members of the Sinoni group I’ve met so far, the leader is likely a Ranker. Plasma rifles and binding shells aren’t things regular players can get their hands on.

‘Still not sure which faction they’re with.’

But that doesn’t matter. Whether they belong to the Dominionists or the Returners, both factions are enemies of mine.

What matters is the power they wield.

Anyone who’s seriously attempting to hunt something on par with Vortex-One is not going to be weak. They’ll either be my equal—or worse, stronger.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I plan to give up. Adhai’s life—and a valuable trait—are on the line here.

“She doesn’t have much time left.”

Even now, Adhai is trapped inside the red crystal, her energy draining rapidly. If I don’t deliver the Arcane Orca’s flesh soon, her life will be in danger.

To get what I want, I’ll have to eliminate the competition.

“They still don’t know I’m here.”

If I use the underboss Ventris properly, I can keep my presence hidden. Not just that—I might even be able to feed them false information and manipulate their movements. While they’re distracted, focused on the Arcane Orca, I can set the board to my advantage. No matter how strong they are, they’ll falter if struck by an unexpected blow.

“Then I’d better start preparing.”

I contacted PS-111 and conveyed what I’d learned from Ventris, along with my current thoughts.

｢AG-01 detected in active zone of hazardous creature 'Arcane Orca'. Estimated next appearance: minimum 2 weeks. Pirate syndicate 'Shino' is also expected to arrive in 2 weeks. Is this information accurate?｣

"Yes. And tell the Mother of the Sky to come here too."

｢Understood. Regardless, I will continue cross-referencing stellar activity data from Zer-11, just in case.｣

"Please do. Oh, and I might be out of contact for a few days starting today."

｢Why is that?｣

There was something I’d been postponing due to the pirates targeting the research complex.

The consumption of materials needed for unique trait synthesis.

My plan was to use trash-tier traits to create a unique one.

｢Are you preparing your body for growth?｣

"Exactly. If anything happens while I’m gone, consult with the Mother of the Sky. She’ll know what to do."

｢Confirmed. Wishing you a safe and successful evolution.｣

Once I ended the transmission with PS-111, I activated a holographic projector using the Hiveformer. The genetic sample list that MPS-03 had brought previously appeared in midair.

I needed four traits from the numerous samples available. They were generally shunned for poor performance, not rarity—so obtaining them shouldn’t be too difficult.

Except for one.

‘Let’s start with the Reclusive Tendency.’

That trait can only be obtained from three species. One is an Apex creature, so it won’t be here. I’ll have to check if there are samples from the other two.

‘Let’s see how many Rust Crabs and Mushroom Snails are left.’

Using the Hiveformer, I searched for the names of the creatures associated with the trait. Soon, detailed holographic data on the samples was displayed.

‘Alright, let’s see…’

I checked the Rusty Crab samples first.

‘Since Megacorp often handles Rust Crabs, there should be plenty of samples.’

Rust Crabs are large crustaceans about 2 meters in size. They resemble a mix between hermit crabs and coconut crabs but behave more like hermits.

They use metal alloys from buildings or starships as their ‘shells’ instead of seashells. Aside from moving to a new home or feeding, they spend most of their time inside. If no food is nearby, they start eating their own shell, so they tend to relocate often.

‘Because of that, they’re commonly used for waste disposal.’

In the game world, both the Cult Empire and Megacorp operated waste facilities using Rustcrabs’ habits. Their docile nature made them safe around humans. Among players, they were popular as decorative pets alongside Bubble Amoebas.

‘Wait, only four samples in storage? The rest have been discarded?’

Much fewer than I expected. Seems the complex administrators may have secretly sold the rest.

‘If that’s how it is for Rust Crabs, Mushroom Snails might be completely gone.’

Due to their specific habitats and habits, Mushroom Snails are even harder to find than Rust Crabs.

‘They usually live in rotting swamps.’

Their main diet consists of decayed bones stuck in polluted soil and meat teeming with bacteria. They thrive in swamps infested with germs and grave-like environments full of decaying corpses.

Naturally, such places are hard to access. Only with airtight breathing gear can anyone survive there—making it nearly impossible to collect them.

On top of that, once a Mushroom Snail burrows underground, it becomes incredibly difficult to locate. The protrusions on their backs resemble mushrooms, so from above, they just look like a patch of poisonous fungi. To catch one, you’d have to dig through contaminated earth by hand.

Only one sample remained.

‘That gives me five total attempts.’

Not many, but enough to give it a shot.

‘Good. Next up…’

Traits like ‘Dwarfism’, ‘Sensory Degeneration’, and ‘Slow-Life’ are present in many species. Unlike Reclusive Tendency, they’re easy to obtain.

Soon, I had all the samples I needed. I ordered the Hiveformers in the facility to gather them.

Altogether, I ended up with 32 samples. Taking the form of the Symbol of Hunt, I started by devouring the Rusty Crab and Mushroom Snail samples.

The small quantities—smaller than my own claw—slid right down my throat. The refined essence was digested instantly, and three textboxes popped up in succession.

‘Only three?’

Perhaps due to poor storage, only 3 out of the 5 samples were successfully consumed.

Fortunately, the last of the three was the Reclusive Tendency.

‘Got it.’

When I successfully consume a sample in the Symbol of the Hunt form, I gain an Imperfect Trait. These traits offer no direct benefits, but they can be used as ingredients for Unique Traits.

Either way, I’d cleared the biggest hurdle. I consumed the rest as well.

A flood of textboxes announced each successful consumption. Some were interesting, but that wasn’t my focus now.

｢‘Transcendence’ ingredient list: Dwarfism, Starvation, Sensory Degeneration, Slow-Life, Reclusive Tendency｣

｢Would you like to activate the Transcendence System?｣

What mattered most was that I had acquired all the traits I needed.

‘What kind of new Unique Trait will emerge?’

And what vision will I see this time, inside the cocoon?

‘I’ll find out soon enough.’

With those thoughts in mind, I accepted the textbox prompt.

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[Translator – Seraph]

[Proofreader – Draxx]

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