Chapter 183
Jason’s player group viewed the rest of existence as NPCs. They were similar in nature to groups aiming for just game clearance, but with one significant difference. They had little interest in leaving this world. Unlike the real world, here they were kings, mythical beings in themselves. Jason was a character who lived fairly decently in reality, but here he lived an even better life. Other members felt the same.
In that regard, they were similar to players who chose to live assimilated into the space survival world. Of course, what Jason’s group desired wasn’t assimilation but domination. Moreover, Jason had an exceptionally good start within the group. Thanks to becoming a noble of the cult, akin to aristocracy within a cult society, he smoothly adapted to this world.
Not only that, he boasted special privileges that synergize well with the cult. People around him supported him, and his own power exceeded the limits of the cult. Naturally, his self-awareness had to become stronger than necessary.
After understanding this world as a space survival world, he lived like a protagonist in a comic or a novel. Like collecting unique characters in a game, he made useful NPCs his allies or subordinates, and eliminated anything that blocked his path. Occasionally, if he fancied a woman, he would use mind control techniques like ‘Ultra Control’. As a result, he had more than 20 “lovers” within the empire. Slaves who couldn’t even be treated as lovers were too numerous to count.
To him, this world was a playground. Except for his comrades, the rest were mere toys for him. When he would become tired of them, he would hand them over to Cloe or Jubaka to be used as their experimental materials.
Even his own kind were seen as nothing more than slaves by the tyrant, not equal beings. That was Jason’s essence.
In fact, this life, which seemed to have everything, actually proved that he was a very lonely individual. But he didn’t realize it.
Anyway, living without deprivation for a long time, Jason was greatly displeased with the painful reality that recently befell him. Moreover, the one who exacerbated this situation was the Amorph, whom he most abhorred.
He killed his 17th lover with his own hands, and the temple guards he had cherished and nurtured were slaughtered.
As he diligently blocked the collapsing ceiling, the figure of that bastard was changing. Gray bones and exoskeletons protruded from the black, monotonous body, and the body itself was growing rapidly.
Its name was ‘Bone Beast’, one of the combat abilities Amorphs enjoyed using in the game.
Having fought the Amorph several times, he knew how dangerous this ability was.
‘It won’t work.’
It might be too difficult to keep being dragged around by the Amorph any longer. He decided to use his ‘Third Privilege’.
Four years ago, there was an event known as the Vortex Order Cleansing Operation in the cult society. It was publicly known as such, but in reality, it was a war between players.
Jason, Cloe, and Cynthia successfully hunted down a Coldblood Ranker by joining forces, and in the process, Jason gained a new privilege.
‘It might be a bit early….’
Jason activated his third privilege, blocking falling rocks and ice with reflections.
Then, a golden, translucent shadow-like figure appeared behind him. The golden form had antlers protruding from its head, resembling a splendid crown. Golden energy particles swirled around its arms like a garment, while its lower body was absent, instead connected to Jason’s spine.
The purple outer eye embedded in the golden head looked at the temple guards being controlled, causing something strange to happen. As the bodies of the cultists transformed into golden particles, they merged with the golden figure.
The golden figure, now having absorbed all 11 cultists, had a much clearer color than before. As Jason raised his arm, the golden figure mirrored the action. Then, with a tremendous light, their bodies shot upward.
‘What was that just now?’
While his body was transforming, my auxiliary systems detected an anomaly. It was the first time I felt this type of energy since coming to this world. It resembled psychic power, but it felt much more concentrated.
The enemy player used that power to break through the collapsing passage head-on. He flew upwards through the ceiling, leaving me alone underground.
‘I don’t sense any movement from the other cultists.’
Before the player left, mysterious energy absorbed all the psychic powers in the vicinity. Given the absence of the cult’s distinctive energy, it was easy to guess what happened to them.
‘An ability to absorb energy?’
Such a creature existed, but it was not something the cult could do. Clearly, they used means unknown to me.
‘I don’t see any equipment I don’t recognize.’
The equipment the player wore was the Predator set, obtainable as a quest reward. No other equipment was detected.
‘I need to go out and see for myself.’
It’s risky to fight recklessly in a situation where information about the enemy is lacking. Especially if the opponent is formidable.
Despite the playful antics, the player seemed proficient in using psychic power techniques. The privileges only available to players also seemed very powerful.
‘…But I can’t avoid this fight.’
He chased me all the way to this remote planet. Even if I run away, he’ll somehow track me down.
‘So let’s deal with it here.’
Having completed my transformation, I began to pierce through the massive ice formations with my overwhelmingly enlarged arms.
Until I activated the Bone Beast, the ice formations that seemed endlessly large now felt like clumps of snow squeezed by a child’s hands. Even the bones of the Ice Horror, which boasted a size enough to cover my body, now failed to give off such an overwhelming feeling.
Of course. My body length had almost reached 100 meters. Not only had the size increased, but the thickness of the exoskeleton covering my body, as well as the size of the densely covered composite scales, had also grown significantly.
In addition, my body was covered with an exoskeleton made of bone material identical to bones. A gray exoskeleton covered my black exoskeleton, protecting it.
On top of the gray exoskeleton were bone-like spikes resembling scythes, packed densely enough to look quite threatening even to me.
To summarize my current appearance briefly, it would be fair to say that I, the former Amorph, had flipped an exoskeleton armor made of animal bones onto myself.
‘With that size increase…’
It was truly an appearance deserving of being called a giant monster. Although I had seen countless Bone Beasts in games, this feeling of experiencing it firsthand was definitely new.
‘I’d like to examine it further, but…’
Ahead lies a battle with a formidable foe. I smashed through ice and rocks, ascending upward. Thanks to the blunt bone spikes protruding from my body, which served as picks or shovels, I could easily clear away the ice.
I ascended to the icy plain much faster than when I descended. Outside, gray Cloeuds heavily covered the sky. The snowfield where I stepped foot no longer deserved to be called an ice plain. Due to the significant depression in the middle, it had become rugged.
Rugged snow and ice piles. And beneath the dark sky, he stood.
The player with the bizarre golden figure attached to his back. He was waiting for me.
‘Is that it?’
What caught my attention was not the player himself, but the strange entity attached to his back.
Composed of golden particles, it seemed ethereal like a shadow yet somehow felt three-dimensional. Thanks to Amorph’s unique developed senses, I could tell that it was forming a single entity due to extreme energy concentration.
The golden figure had a form similar to the player’s, but antlers protruded from the crown, tangled as if wearing a coronet.
Apart from a vivid purple outer eye on its face, there was nothing else. Around its arms, particles swirled, resembling long silk drapes.
‘Seems like summoning-related tech.’
In space survival, “summoning tech” was Closer to the possession or descent of higher-dimensional beings rather than mere summoning. Coldbloods who rode the Vortex Order social faction route, or heretic cultists, could harness the power of the Vortex Order.
‘If it can materialize to that extent, the cost must be enormous.’
Summoning is a high-risk, high-return technology, so it’s not easy to use. Although the enemy player stared at me as if about to kill me, it didn’t seem like he paid an enormous price to summon that entity.
‘Is it an equipment effect, or…’
Perhaps it’s due to a special ability.
Either way, it seems extraordinary.
‘…So he had a hidden ace up his sleeve.’
Even when I used the Spear of the Gods, he seemed confident. He probably judged that he had it under control.
‘Normally, summonings that are unified with the user can’t move independently.’
It’s likely specialized for assisting in cult battles or summoning specialized for ranged combat. Maybe both.
But that’s not the only problem.
Although attention was focused on the alien golden figure, dealing with the player wielding the Predator set was also challenging.
For example, the black armor he wore for body protection. Made of Black Gargol scales and leather, it offered considerable defense.
Although it was evaluated as one step lower than the Ice Horror’s exoskeleton, just being compared to the extremely high defense of the enemy was remarkable in itself.
‘I don’t have the means to destroy that armor in one blow.’
Unless it’s a reinforced body with the symbol of hunting or Bone Beast, the King of Monsters.
Moreover, the Predator set includes more than just armor.
The player who had been eyeing me drew a silver rod from his waist. The golden figure imitated him, also pulling something from its waist.
As he held the rod and pressed his thumb, black flames spewed out from the end of the rod. The blazing black flames gradually subsided, refined into a slender black blade.
The weapon resembling a torch is the ‘Purification’ part of the Predator set. It’s equipment inspired by the space opera movies that I had watched before my re-birth, featuring cosmic weapons.
I wish it ended there, but alas.
The golden figure’s arm behind him transformed, taking a form similar to Purification.
The wielder of the weapon immediately swung the sword diagonally towards my direction. The golden figure moved in sync with the player. As the figure extended the sword, it flew towards me to strike.
‘Shit!’
I quickly twisted my body to evade the attack. The sword strike in the form of golden particles brushed past the upper arm area of my combat arm and passed by. As I transformed into Bone Beast mode, the neatly layered exoskeleton covering my body was cleanly sliced. The sword strike didn’t stop even after hitting me, flying backward for quite a distance.
Dodging the initial attack, I dashed towards him.
With each stomp of my combat arm on the ground, snow and ice fragments piled up flew upwards. As the 100-meter giant moved, creating a tsunami of snow and ice, it engulfed the player along with me.
‘How should I counter this?’
Is it reflection, or another psychic power?
However, the cult player acted completely different from my expectations.
No, to be precise, it wasn’t him but the golden figure behind him.
‘Ugh?!’
Feeling a chilling sensation from the monster’s tentacle at the back of my head, I immediately lowered my head forward. Then, the whip-like golden arm passed over my head.
As if falling forward, I sprayed acidic fungus towards the spot where he stood, maintaining the same posture. The green fungus flying amidst the snowstorm was blocked by the brilliant golden shield.
Beyond the swirling snow, the golden figure was seen protecting the player with sword and shield. The cult player, protected by the summoning, looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
‘…Indeed.’
Fighting against him won’t be easy.
