Report
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 313
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Si-Hyun Yujin, clad in the white reinforced suit known as White Maiden, glared at the entity shrouded in darkness.
This was the unknown being that had once slain her assassination target in her stead and then turned on her, killing her as well.
The monster that had tormented her in nightmares was now found deep beneath a foreign planet. It had grown so powerful that it was barely recognizable.
Even during their previous fight, it had undergone a transformation, reshaping its body in what could only be described as a form of evolution.
And now, the creature before her was the same. The sheer number of evolutions it must have undergone to achieve its current form was beyond her imagination.
But she did not feel fear.
The creature was just another target she had to eliminate. Her sole focus was clear: to destroy it.
Every sense in her body sharpened, attuned to its movements. The creature's exoskeletal plates clicked faintly as they interlocked.
Recognizing its intent to move, she launched herself forward, her feet pushing off the ground.
As anticipated, the creature's left head slammed down where she had just been standing. Leaping into the air, she landed atop its neck and sprinted forward.
Its right head turned toward her, maw wide open, unleashing a deluge of black, viscous fluid.
While running, Si-Hyun raised her right arm. The White Maiden, capable of morphing its structure to the user's will, transformed the armor covering her wrist into a funnel-like shield.
She blocked the fluid with her newly-formed shield while simultaneously altering her left arm. This time, it wasn’t the suit that transformed but her very body. Gallagon DNA coursing through her veins activated, and a gleaming silver blade emerged from the back of her hand.
She aimed to slash the creature’s left neck.
However, it read her intent and violently shook its neck. Her blade only managed to scratch the exoskeleton covering its throat as her balance faltered.
As she fell, its massive arm swung toward her. Even though the reinforced suit protected her body, a direct hit from that colossal hand would reduce her to pulp. She kicked off the air to narrowly evade the strike.
But its assault wasn’t over.
A tentacle, as long as a frigate, tipped with six appendages resembling claws, lunged toward her. There was no way to dodge it.
In a desperate move, she generated wings on her back.
The glide-type wings unfolded, propelling her backward just as the clawed appendages narrowly missed her wing tips.
Yet, the creature hadn’t given up.
Its left head, which had been buried in the ground, moved again. This time, its jaws shot upward, aiming to swallow her whole.
Si-Hyun reverted her shielded arm to its original form and swiftly drew a plasma pistol from the holster on her thigh.
Her target: the inside of its gaping maw.
The green plasma bolt struck its open mouth.
｢Gruurk!｣
Though a small weapon, a plasma gun packed a punch. While it didn’t deal significant damage, it was effective enough to stall its attack. As the left head twisted in irritation, she widened the gap between herself and the monster.
...It’s strong.
In their previous encounter, she had held the upper hand. She might have lost due to a moment of carelessness when it exploited her vulnerability, but back then, she was clearly superior.
Now, however, it completely overwhelmed her.
Its size and strength were on an entirely different level. She retained a slight edge in speed, but the difference was negligible.
Its durability is monstrous too.
Even after she shot a plasma bolt into its unprotected throat, it emerged unscathed. Its internal tissues, shielded by no exoskeleton, were unnaturally resilient.
A perfect biological weapon.
The being before her was the very culmination of the Yujin family’s ambition. If the genetic weapons crafted by her family were considered a generation ahead of their time, this creature was a being from another dimension altogether.
Could she truly defeat such a foe or even survive it? Si-Hyun was doubtful.
‘…But.’
Yet, there was a reason Si-Hyun stood here.
She too was hiding a blade of her own.
Laila Chemblin, who had descended into the underground with her, was lying in wait, armed with the relic Abyssal Destroyer.
The plan was riddled with unresolved uncertainties, but if everything went smoothly, it would deal a decisive blow to the enemy.
With that hope in mind, she charged at it again.
---
‘How is she still alive?’
I pondered while allowing the incoming blade aura to strike me directly.
Despite knowing it was futile,Si-Hyun Yujin persisted in her relentless assault.
I clearly remembered her, as devouring her had granted me useful traits like Mimicry Organ and Monster's Tentacle.
Yet the one fighting me now was unmistakably Si-Hyun Yujin. Her combat style, movements, and physical responses were identical to the deceased.
In Space Survival, there are features that allow limited resurrection of the dead, though they are extremely rare. However, this wasn’t a game but reality, where traits or equipment that resurrect the dead might not function properly.
That left only one answer:
‘A clone.’
The enemy before me was likely a clone of Si-Hyun Yujin, prepared in advance.
As I considered her identity, horns resembling a yak's grew from her temples. With those horns, she swung her arm, which had transformed to reveal the claws of a Gallagon. Blade aura, significantly more powerful than before, targeted one of my auxiliary organs.
‘Two distinct abilities?’
I recalled that Si-Hyun's weakness was her inability to use more than one genetic ability simultaneously. Yet now, she wielded the yak horns implanted in her head and the Gallagon claws in her arm at the same time.
‘So that’s how the horns were cut.’
Twisting my head, I used the tusks sprouting from the sides of my mouth to block the blade aura. The tusks sustained minor scratches but remained intact. I countered by slamming one of my combat arms down at her head.
“Tch!”
She clicked her tongue briefly and sidestepped, evading the blow. My corrosive tentacles, extending from my back, lashed out in the direction she dodged.
As if anticipating my move, she transformed her arm into a shield. A white shield clashed against one of my corrosive tentacles.
“Ugh?”
Though she successfully blocked the tentacle, her expression betrayed her shock. She must have realized the sheer weight behind the attack.
Unfurling the membrane of one of my winged arms, I swept the ground beneath her with force.
Judging escape to be impossible this time, she activated Reflection. Just before my winged arm could strike, it stopped mid-motion. She seized the brief opening to retreat swiftly.
“…Damn it.”
Though she seemed largely unscathed aside from being covered in sand, her expression was grim. The shield-arm she had transformed was visibly damaged.
‘Even the White Maiden isn’t perfect.’
I already knew the type of reinforced suit she wore.
Just as the Black Shroud was worn by Code Black, whom I had defeated before, she was wearing a unique-tier reinforced suit called White Maiden.
The White Maiden utilized nanotechnology, allowing its shape to be freely altered at the wearer’s will.
‘A piece of equipment that heavily depends on the user's capabilities.’
In addition, it possessed self-repair functions and could absorb other materials to convert into an energy source for the suit.
Si-Hyun’s drawback was her inability to use more than two genetic abilities at once. The White Maiden, which could freely alter her body, compensated for this weakness effectively. It was likely a gift from Akira Yujin, head of the Yujin family and the third-ranked combatant.
"Even the White Maiden has its flaws."
When subjected to attacks strong enough to compromise the reinforced suit’s durability, its recovery becomes noticeably slower.
If she had auxiliary equipment, it might be a different story, but without it, she cannot withstand an attack from an Amorph in its mature form.
I looked down at the black-haired woman, who glared at me with clenched teeth.
"So it really seems to be a clone of Si-Hyun Yujin, given she’s wearing an exclusive-grade reinforced suit."
Her appearance was quite distinct from that of ordinary clones.
In the lore, Star Union’s clones cannot perfectly transfer memories. Memory data loss during transmission and mismatches between physical and memory data are among the reasons.
However, her behavior made it clear she remembered our fight. It was as if her memories were transferred after dying to me.
"Has some new technology been developed that I’m unaware of?"
I doubted it.
If such a thing existed, all the rankers I killed would have been resurrected in clone bodies to hunt me down. It was more reasonable to assume that the Si-Hyun Yujin clone before me was an extremely rare case.
"There's no need to overthink this."
I just needed to ask her directly.
At that moment, she turned and ran in the opposite direction, her movement resembling someone who had given up in despair and was fleeing.
"Yeah, right."
I had already discerned her true intent she wasn’t running away but trying to lure me.
Before encountering her, I had sensed two presences, not one. Besides Si-Hyun, there was another presence, although it had almost completely vanished. Unless it had disappeared outright, it was likely hiding further down the corridor.
"It felt heavy enough to leave an impression."
Before vanishing, the presence gave off noticeable vibrations. That suggested considerable mass.
"Whatever it is, defeating me won’t be easy."
To prepare against any ambush, I readied myself and followed the path Si-Hyun had taken.
The Auxiliary Organs beneath each of my heads continuously scanned for anything unusual. As a result, one organ detected a faint mechanical noise coming from a wall. All my maws turned toward the source of the sound.
"Damn it! It figured us out!"
Si-Hyun screamed in frustration as she saw me. Her ally deactivated the optical camouflage disguising the wall and raised their weapon against me.
A navy-colored heat ray shot from the muzzle of a standard Demolisher model, the Slayer, targeting my central head.
"I knew it."
I had anticipated an ambush like this. As I followed Si-Hyun, I had already activated my Adaptive Bioweapon.
The transformation focused on my head. The thick carapace of the Ice Horror now protected my central head.
Of course, even the Ice Horror’s carapace couldn’t fully withstand high-powered matter-disintegration rounds. However, its overwhelming thickness was sufficient to safeguard critical organs like my brain. The Slayer’s heat ray only managed to pierce the surface, leaving no significant damage.
"Fall back!"
The enemy, wearing a uniquely designed reinforced suit, stared blankly at me, seemingly unable to process my unharmed state.
To return the favor, I surged forward with strength in my legs. My massive 60-meter body accelerated rapidly.
｢What?!｣
The enemy snapped out of their stupor as I closed the gap, their modulated mechanical voice letting out a distorted scream as they hastily retreated.
When my reinforced heads slammed into the corridor walls, the surrounding area quaked as if struck by an earthquake. From that position, I swung my tail a powerful limb equipped with a claw at its end.
The enemy, who had dodged sideways, activated a shield in desperation. It was a grave mistake.
The moment my tail’s claw struck, the shield shattered, along with the activation device attached to the enemy’s wrist.
｢Kugh!｣
The enemy hit by the tail flew like a cannonball and slammed into the opposite wall.
‘That armor is tough.’
The enhanced suit the enemy wore seemed designed to amplify physical defense to an extreme level it didn’t break, even under that attack. However, it couldn’t absorb all the impact; a thick scent of blood wafted from the enemy lodged in the wall.
‘Now, all that’s left is….’
Si-Hyun Yujin. I flexed the muscles in my neck to pull my embedded heads free from the wall.
When I turned, she was standing there at the end of my gaze.
‘Huh?’
She held objects that looked like they had just been pulled from the dirt.
“Got it.”
Si-Hyun muttered coldly, her demeanor completely different from earlier.
She attached the crystal in her hand to a device resembling a wireless vacuum. As soon as it clicked into place, the crystal began spinning furiously, emitting an ominous, piercing light.
｢‘Si■ ■jin’ ■■■■■■’s ■■■■■■■｣
‘What?’
Images suddenly flooded my vision, obscuring everything in front of me. A thick mosaic obscured the details, leaving me unable to discern anything clearly.
But I understood exactly what this phenomenon meant.
‘Predator Sense!’
Realizing this, I quickly shielded my head with my wing-arms and combat-arms. Just as I crouched, an ominous wave of light engulfed my body.
I didn’t feel pain. No, I didn’t feel anything at all. It was as if a light breeze brushed past me.
At least, that’s what I wanted to believe.
｢Grrk?!｣
Blood dripped from my mouth. Intense pain erupted from my combat-arms, particularly the two attached near my sides. They twisted violently before shriveling up.
Is this what it feels like to be mummified alive? Not since being struck by the 'Watcher of Dread' enhanced with 'Abyssal Hue' had I endured pain like this. The sheer agony sapped the strength from my legs.
‘Kgh, ugh… Th-this is…?’
But the pain wasn’t the only thing that shocked me.
A semi-transparent text box floated before my eyes, displaying something I had never seen before.
‘I have to focus! For now….’
A dangerous enemy was still in front of me. I forced my wing-arms to push my body upright.
“Why? Why won’t you die? You’re not an Outspacer, are you?”
Si-Hyun Yujin, who had inflicted this grievous wound, stared at me in disbelief.
Her expression clearly showed she hadn’t expected me to survive.
｢Grrrrrr!｣
“…Tch!”
Taking advantage of my momentary immobility, she picked up her injured comrade and retreated to safety.
‘…That was close.’
If she had used that weapon again, it would’ve been the end for me.
Once she disappeared, I used my wing-arms to scoop up the scattered dirt around me and shoved it into my mouth. Thanks to the Environmental Adaptation trait, which included Inorganic Digestion, even dirt could enhance my regeneration. The efficiency wasn’t great, but I couldn’t afford to be picky.
As I devoured the dirt, the pain gradually subsided. Internal bleeding stopped, and I recovered enough to stand on two legs.
However, my combat-arms didn’t return to normal.
The reason became clear when I read the semi-transparent text box again.
｢‘■■ ■■■’ destroyed the genetic essence of an 'Outspacer.'
The trait Parasitic Colony has been deactivated. To reactivate this trait, you must consume the relevant genetic essence.｣
What Si-Hyun Yujin used on me…
‘…She erased one of the Amorph’s traits.’
It was a weapon designed to destroy genetic essence itself.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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