Chapter 419

A ‘ghastly imitator’ created by combining characteristics that only have negative effects.

Looking at the text box, this trait has two main abilities.

One is camouflage ability.

The tentacles that grow throughout the body can change their position, shape, and coloring to mimic the shapes of surrounding objects. The level of camouflage is quite high. Even the Mini Screamer MPS-03 doesn’t know I’m in front of it.

‘It’s also a big advantage that the transformation is maintained when moving.’

It can be useful when surprising an enemy or luring them into a trap. If the same holds true in outer space, it would be possible to disguise yourself as a block of rock or stick to a rock and hit the enemy from behind.

‘I’ll check this later.’

First of all, the camouflage ability using tentacles is a kind of side effect. Like ‘Nightmare Horizon’, which provides eroding tentacles that can be used as weapons.

The true power of the eerie imitator lies elsewhere.

It is the ‘transformation organ.’

The explanation says that you can create new body parts or organs by taking advantage of powerful prey. In my entire text box, there is only one case where the expression ‘mighty prey’ is included.

A badge of a powerful enemy created by robbing the player of his perks. The macabre mimicry is related to this.

‘How will it be applied?’

Either create an organization that has effects similar to those of a powerful enemy, or create an organization with new abilities. It would be good to do it the former way, but in the latter case, the story is slightly different.

An organization that is more powerful than the privilege may emerge, or conversely, unhelpful results may emerge.

According to the text box, the token characteristics applied to the metamorphosis institution cannot be replaced for 30 days. This means that even if you get useless results, you should use it for at least a month.

‘No matter what it is, you’ll have to experiment to know for sure.’

Currently, I have a total of 5 strong enemy badge characteristics.

These are ‘Plunder’s Irregular Polyhedron’, ‘Color of the Abyss’, ‘Shape Ruler’, ‘Starlight Coordinates’, and ‘Hydra Split’.

‘For now, let’s try the color of the abyss later.’

Since it is high risk and high return, I don’t think it would be appropriate for the first attempt. I looked at the remaining four, excluding the color of the abyss.

‘Shall we use the Shape Ruler for experimentation?’

The Shape Master has the effect of reinforcing traits that affect the thinking of sapient races. Since it is a feature that is always applied even if it is not activated separately, its presence is relatively weak.

‘Instead, it seems to have fewer side effects, so let’s take this.’

「The ‘form ruler’ was set as the target of the ‘transformation organ’. After completing the reanalysis, we move on to transformation and application.”

When I chose the characteristics to apply to the metamorphosis organization, a short message came to mind. Perhaps because it was the reanalysis stage, I did not feel any changes in my body.

But after a while, the center’s head felt slightly itchy. Even if I scratched it with a sharp fingernail, the itching did not go away. Transformation by the metamorphosis organ has begun.

‘It happens in the head?’

Specifically, itching was felt in the two larger horns on the head. It seemed like something was about to change in the horn.

As expected, the existing horn split and a new horn grew inside.

When I detected it with an auxiliary organ under the chin, the structure was quite unique. It was a structure in which several horns were intertwined in a spiral shape to form a single body.

「Grrr?」

「Grrr?」

Subsequently, similar mutations occurred on the left and right sides of the head. The object was the horns that sprouted where the eyes should have been.

When the transformation was completed, a new text box appeared.

「*Transformed part: Scent of the shape (shape ruler), unspecified」

‘Scent of the shape?’

There was only the name of the newly born, or rather improved, horn written there, and no other explanation at all.

‘Could it be that there are still remnants of pirates left?’

The moment she thought that, she threw the spear. The spear became a ray of light and flew down to the right side of my head.

「Die!」

「Grrr?」

“Wait!”

Griffon Wolf, who was about to continue his follow-up attack, stops when he hears my voice.

「That voice...is it Amorph?」

Vivid amber eyes wander confusedly through my head. Only then did I realize that she was under the influence of the sense of form and the organ of mimicry.

‘this.’

I immediately stopped looking at the image. The horns that had stretched out like branches returned to their original spiral horn shape.

The Heavenly Mother, free from the influence of the disturbing substance, opened her eyes wide when she saw me.

“What was that just now?”

“That’s what I’m saying. “Why did you attack me?”

“Pirates wearing reinforced suits are running this way. So, stay still?”

It wasn’t really wrong. Since they saw me without knowing the mimicry organ strengthened by the scent of the shape, it was easy to misunderstand.

However, even so, it was strange that they immediately launched an attack. The same goes for my current harsh attitude. It was not like her who usually shows a calm demeanor.

She seemed to know that her attitude was different from usual, and she sighed softly.

“...sorry. I guess I acted too hastily. “Is your head okay?”

I used my wing arm to pull out the golden javelin stuck in the right side of my head.

‘Is it because it contains a lot of blood? It got stuck pretty deep.’

Still, thanks to the thick carapace, the injury itself was not serious. It is a wound that can be fully recovered through regenerative abilities.

“I’m fine, but why did you just do that? What’s going on?”

“That’s it... please follow me for a moment.”

Heavenly Mother took the spear from me, took it away, and ran off to somewhere.

We followed them and arrived at a small warehouse located on the outskirts of the port. Despite its ordinary appearance, the closer I got, the more a strange smell stimulated my auxiliary organs.

As soon as I went inside, I knew why it smelled like that.

Ten young Wolfs are lying on medical beds on the warehouse floor. They were all skinny and their entire bodies were covered in scars. The condition was so bad that it could be said that he was just breathing.

There were medical equipment next to the beds. The identity of the strange smell was the treatment solution being injected into Wolff.

“Who are these?”

“Survivor of the Wolf tribe in U-08.”

“Survivor?”

It has the nuance that someone suddenly attacked.

Now that I think about it, MPS-03 did that to me. The Mother of Heaven came here earlier than expected.

She read my thoughts and nodded.

“Before I arrived, the Shino Group cartel came and went to U-08.”

“There too?”

“huh. “He seems like someone who knows how to track down Arcane Orca, the ranker who leads those damn pirates.”

It was not the Heavenly Mother who first came up with the method to track the Arcane Orca. It was something she learned while working as a mercenary in a tracking group where she first tried this method.

“Didn’t you say last time that the Arcane Orca tracking party was quickly destroyed?”

“that’s right. “It went bankrupt not long after it was created, and all the clan members quit.”

“Then there is a high possibility that the guy who joined as a mercenary like you is a ranker of the Shino Group.”

“...There are a few people who have an idea about that, but I’m not sure.”

I looked down at the Wolfs lying on the bed.

I think I know why she brought the survivors.

‘Because I was the one who was attacked. ‘I might have some useful information.’

I have the means to restore the dying Wolfs. I think we should save them first and then listen to the details.

“Watch next episode”