I Became an Evolving Space Monster - Chapter 322

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HELHEIM SCANS

[Translator – Seraph]

[Proofreader – Draxx]

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Chapter 322

"Are you planning to leave this place?"

In the reception room of the cult-style mansion.

At the question from the elderly cult leader Kisos, Si-Hyun Yujin nodded.

"Yes. Thanks to your help, I have secured enough equipment and slaves. Since you have invested in me, I should show results in return."

"The emperor of Megacorp will not be an easy opponent. Are you sure you're not lacking something?"

"Megacorp is on the verge of ending the war. With the long-standing wartime system being lifted, society is in chaos. Now is the perfect time to kill the CEO."

"Hmm."

Si-Hyun’s words were true.

As the leader of the reformist faction, who emphasized inter-species relations, Kisos had many connections within Megacorp. Thanks to this, she knew that Megacorp’s power had greatly weakened.

"I've heard that one of the seven noble families supporting Megacorp has fallen, causing an economic downturn. The emperor and the nobles are troubled by it."

"That's correct."

"How daring."

With those words, Kisos closed her mouth and began to calculate in her mind.

It didn't take long for her to conclude that it would be more beneficial for her to leave.

"Si-Hyun Yujin of the Yujin family, I pray that Providence grants your wishes."

"Thank you."

Having finished her polite response, Si-Hyun left the reception room.

As she walked down the corridor, she leaned against the wall, her head nearly collapsing onto it. Recently, nightmares and headaches had been keeping her from getting much sleep.

She wondered if it was a side effect of her genetic modification, so she underwent tests, but nothing showed up. The research team leader suggested it might be a psychological issue.

Even with medication, the nightmares and headaches didn’t disappear. The only relief came when she entered a bio-capsule, where she could sleep for a short time, though even that time was becoming shorter.

"...Hah."

Leaning her head against the cold wall, her headache slightly eased. She sighed softly and resumed walking. As she left the corridor and walked through the gallery, she noticed a familiar figure approaching from the opposite side.

"Si-Hyun Yujin? What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Alshas."

The other person was a cult woman with shining silver hair Alshas. She widened her eyes in surprise at seeing Si-Hyun.

"I came to say goodbye to Kisos before leaving Verzan 02."

"I see. So, you're really leaving."

"Thanks to Kisos, I’ve received much help. I will visit her again later to express my gratitude."

Alshas’s appearance at Kisos’s mansion likely meant she also had an appointment. Si-Hyun gave a light greeting and prepared to leave.

"Wait a moment."

"Yes?"

Alshas, who had stopped her, took a small data chip from her pocket.

"Take this."

"What is this?"

"I heard you’re looking for mysterious relics. This is a map I acquired some time ago."

As soon as the word "map" left Alshas’s lips, Si-Hyun’s heart skipped a beat. Her black eyes were fixated on the data chip in Alshas’s palm.

"A map, you say?"

"Well, it’s somewhat embarrassing to call it a map. It’s incomplete."

"Incomplete...?"

"Through a contact in the Prophets' Circle, I asked about it. It seems to be a map to a shrine that hides a mysterious weapon, but I couldn’t get more details on it."

In reality, the chances of the data chip Alshas handed over matching the map left by Beom-Ho were incredibly low. Unless someone had intentionally set things up, such an fortunate coincidence would not happen.

However, Si-Hyun’s instincts reacted differently. She had a strong feeling that this data chip might be the key to restoring the damaged map.

Si-Hyun suppressed her emotions with reason and asked Alshas, "Why are you giving me a map that leads to a place hiding a weapon?"

"Honestly, I’m intrigued, but as the captain of the Imperial battleship, I can’t act on unreliable information. But unlike me, you don’t have such restrictions, do you?"

"That is true, but..."

"I, too, am in the same position as you. I have invested in Si-Hyun. If Si-Hyun achieves the goal, it will benefit me as well. So, please accept it."

When Si-Hyun locked eyes with Alshas, Si-Hyun felt the sincerity of the other person. That woman truly wanted to have this map. No other emotions were felt.

"You are an important part of the grand plan. There is no need to worry."

"...Thank you."

In the end, Si-Hyun decided to accept the data chip.

---

When The Amorph reaches the semi-mature state, it becomes immune to most poisons, thanks to the special trait ‘Complete Immunity’ gained through the semi-mature stage.

Despite consuming an enormous amount of alcohol, my body didn’t change at all.

‘I didn’t even feel the slightest hint of drunkenness when I started drinking.’

In fact, if it weren’t for the Complete Immunity trait, The Amorph's body would still not get drunk. Its metabolism is so high that alcohol would be broken down immediately.

This was also true for others. Number 26 and PS-111, even after emptying dozens of wooden barrels, showed no changes.

Of course, not everyone was immune to the effects of alcohol. Adhai, for example, visibly became happier the more she drank.

‘She acted similarly when she ate the Hellside Hornet's cocoon.’

At that time, other Gallagons who drank the cocoon's fluid seemed to enjoy it even more than usual. It was similar to wild animals enjoying the fermentation of fruits.

However, it seemed Adhai didn't realize she had a body that could get drunk. Completely intoxicated, she ran around the room before collapsing into my arms and falling asleep.

‘And now, she's sleeping in the room that the mansion’s owner used to sleep in.’

"Adhai is still asleep, I see."

"Indeed."

Mother of the Sky, draped in a towel over her shoulder, spoke while gazing into the room.

She must have bathed as soon as she woke up, as droplets of water were still clinging to her fur. The wet fur clung to her body, revealing her figure.

‘Even with her divinity elevated, she hasn't changed much.’

On her bare back, there was a carnelian-colored wing tattoo. When there’s no combat, wings can be cumbersome to move with, so they often change them into tattoos for storage. It seems she deliberately transformed her wings into tattoos to avoid the trouble of drying them when they got wet.

Aside from the wing tattoo, she hadn't changed much from her previous appearance.

"So, when do you plan to meet the slave, who is presumed to be that child?"

The beautiful-bodied Griffon Wolf asked as she wiped herself with a towel. I tore my gaze away from her body and responded with my thoughts.

"As soon as possible today, if possible. I want to check from a distance first."

"Today? That quickly?"

"There’s a chance that the opponent may not be Rank 22, after all. I'll at least verify it before we meet face to face."

"Hmm, that makes sense."

"As soon as everything about Roberts is settled, I’ll move. I'll check the large warehouse along the way, too."

"I hope we won’t need to use the warehouse."

Before heading to find Roberts, there were two reasons for renting the large warehouse.

Officially, we entered the fortress to sell rare creatures. Renting the warehouse under Charas' name ensures no issues with the paperwork.

The second reason was to prepare for a prolonged search for Rank 22. Once the duration of the Clever Weakling ends, I will return to my original form, a giant monster over 60 meters long. I’ll need a safe place to hide, so I rented the large warehouse in advance.

"Simply put, it's for insurance."

It would be nice if everything ended before I needed the warehouse, but isn’t that how the world works? There's no guarantee that things will go as planned, so it’s better to be prepared.

"Unless something special happens, I’ll move as discussed. If you have any concerns, please speak up."

"Any concerns?"

She narrowed her eyes slightly and pointed her finger at my chest.

"That body."

"Huh?"

"Right now, you look like a cultist in a bathrobe."

That made me remember.

The last thing I devoured, Roberts, was nearly naked. The 'Mimicry Organ' makes others perceive me as the form of an intelligent being I have consumed, through pheromones.

It's a great ability for disguise and infiltration, but it has a fatal flaw. It doesn’t work on machines or creatures that can’t detect pheromones, and I can’t change how others perceive my appearance at will.

‘At least the inability to change my appearance is annoying.’

The good thing is that the 'Humanoid Parasite Host' trait can somewhat counteract this flaw. With the parasite host, I can store up to five genetic codes in my body. The Mimicry Organ analyzes the genes of consumed beings and projects their image through pheromones. If needed, I can use the stored genetic information from the host.

The important one, Jason, is fixed, but the other four have changed periodically. When infiltrating this fortress, I used 'Charas' as my disguise.

"Is this fine now?"

"…Every time I see that, it really gives me the chills. It’s even scarier because your voice changes completely."

She clicked her tongue as she looked at me, now fully resembling Charas, the Knowledge Manager.

‘The outfit is fine.’

Having changed my appearance, I contacted Roberts' secretary through a terminal pad.

"Master?"

"I've got an urgent task. I won't be able to make it to the shop for a while."

"Huh? But… what about what you mentioned yesterday…"

"Yesterday?"

"You told us there might be a suspicious person sneaking into the shop, and we should strengthen the security. The wolf slave said it smelled something odd."

"I've already taken care of it, so no need to worry. Deactivate all the security measures. Oh, and take the money for the guards from the ledgers and give it to them. Especially the wolf slave give him extra."

"Ah! Understood!"

"Good work."

I ended the conversation, speaking in Roberts’ voice. Watching me, Mother of the Sky shook her head in disbelief.

"Isn’t that too natural?"

"It’s not like it’s the first time I’ve done this."

"You’re not some seasoned actor. Is it because of your bloodline...?"

Muttering to herself, she watched as I began to make sure Roberts’ death wouldn’t be linked to me. I deleted all the footage from the surveillance and evacuation rooms and submitted cancellation requests to invalidate the report made to the warrior unit.

No one in the fortress would ever know that a slave trader had died.

Once everything was sorted, I left the mansion with MPS-05 and Mother of the Sky.

The mansion would be guarded by Number 26 and PS-111. Like me, Number 26 could mimic voices, and PS-111, with its knowledge of cult society, would be able to handle any issues that came up.

"Let’s head to the warehouse first."

We flew toward the warehouse using Charas' airship, which Mother of the Sky had brought.

It was still daylight, and the fortress was bustling with people. The waterfall, which had appeared to flow like wine, now showed its true colors, casting a blue light. Colorful hover buses disturbed the surface of the water as they moved through the canal.

Passing by buildings that reflected the sunlight and shone brilliantly, we saw a massive pyramid-shaped structure. As we got closer, we realized that each block of the pyramid was actually a warehouse.

｢That’s a lot.｣

"Anyone searching wouldn’t stand a chance of finding it."

The warehouse we had prearranged was located near the bottom of the pyramid, likely because of its size.

Using Charas’ terminal pad, we entered, and I was surprised by how large it was large enough to fit Roberts’ entire mansion.

‘Although it’s not very tall.’

It was shorter than the tunnels where I had fought the cultists before entering the fortress. When I return to my original form, I would have to lie down flat, it’s that low.

Considering it, unless you're putting a gigantic creature like a Sea Demon or a Gigantarium inside, there’s no need for the height to be excessive.

｢She needs to be found as soon as possible.｣

"Small! Height! Small!"

"True."

I left the warehouse, hoping the slave we were going to check today was indeed number 22.

‘The warehouse is sorted. Now, what’s next…’

I entered the new destination using my small arm near my chest.

｢The Coldblooded slave’s hotel is on the northern street?｣

"Going directly to the hotel would be too risky. It’s better to go to the slave quarters and wait there."

Once the input was complete, the airship headed straight in the opposite direction of the city center.

The warehouse pyramid was where customers and merchants stored goods. It wasn’t far from the street where high-end hotels were located.

As soon as we left the vast open area around the warehouse pyramid, buildings of a very different style from the city center came into view.

A wide lake, possibly a reservoir, with various buildings floating above it in geometric shapes. These were high-end buildings using magnetic levitation technology large enough to be used on massive airships. The floating hotels above the lake resembled lotus flowers blooming on water.

‘It looks like something from a game.’

On cult planets like this one, in capital cities, you often find such floating structures. Cultures that prefer to live above the ground rather than underground, combined with the psychic abilities their species possess, led to the creation of buildings that float above the ground.

‘Although players don’t generally like them.’

If the levitation devices malfunctioned, the entire building would collapse. Unless you’re into concept play, most players wouldn’t live in such buildings.

Anyway, we weren’t headed to those beautiful hotels. The airship quietly crossed the lake.

According to Roberts, the Coldblooded slave worked in a hotel that also managed a slave-only accommodation. The accommodation wasn’t far from the hotel.

The airship landed near an old, somewhat shabby area. This district contained facilities for the slaves working at the hotel.

After landing at the nearby airfield, I, along with Mother of the Sky, made our way to the accommodation that Roberts had pointed out.

"They all seem to live as well as those in Megacorp's Middle Capital."

"Slaves working in high-end hotels are treated differently."

Since this city, Verzan 02, concentrated most of the wealth, even the cult's slaves had a relatively high standard of living.

While the faces of the slaves wandering the streets didn’t suggest they were particularly happy, their clothing was so neat that it was hard to tell they were slaves. The buildings, though old, were well-maintained.

‘And there’s a watchtower too.’

While the area mostly consisted of low-rise buildings, like those in the city center, there were occasional tall watchtowers. Their main purpose was to monitor the slaves, but they also helped maintain order. If a fight broke out, they would intervene immediately.

‘If there’s going to be a fight, I’ll need to avoid those watchtowers…’

As I was thinking about how to handle a potential fight, Mother of the Sky suddenly nudged me.

"What’s wrong?"

｢I’ve found it.｣

"What? Where?"

She pointed to a fruit stall. Standing in front of the stall was a familiar figure.

A species with a mix of reptilian, human, and beetle-like features—a Coldblooded. The individual looked very similar to the photo I had seen in Roberts’ file.

｢That’s the one.｣

"Are you sure?"

When I asked, she nodded with certainty.

At least Mother of the Sky was convinced that this was indeed number 22. Her amber eyes were locked onto the small Coldblooded, unwavering.

‘What should I do?’

Originally, today’s plan was to confirm whether the slave Roberts had sold was really number 22 by looking at their face. Judging by Mother of the Sky's reaction, it seemed like we had achieved that goal.

"There's no need to rush, let's observe a little longer."

Still, just to be sure, we decided to keep an eye on the Coldblooded who we suspected to be number 22. Mother of the Sky and I kept our distance while following the figure.

The Coldblooded bought a few fruits and then moved on to another place. After purchasing a few more items from a nearby shop, he simply scanned the goods on display without buying anything.

‘I heard he was short, but he’s really small.’

It looked like he had inherited the traits of a frail Adhai. He was unusually short so much so that he resembled a child dressed as a Coldblooded, rather than the real deal.

‘Huh?’

A few minutes into the chase, something felt off. The Coldblooded had stopped buying things and was now just moving around aimlessly. At first, it seemed like he was pretending to window shop, but now, he wasn't even doing that.

‘He's not heading to the accommodations either.’

Just when I started to feel that something was wrong, the Coldblooded turned into an alley that was less frequented by people.

‘Could it be?’

｢…That guy, he seems to have noticed we’re following him.｣

Even though we had kept several hundred meters of distance, I didn't think we had been detected.

As I continued tracking him, I was constantly checking with my auxiliary systems to see if any detection techniques had been activated around us. He hadn’t sensed us through psychic powers, that much was certain.

‘Did he bring some kind of detection equipment?’

"We need to adjust our plan. We need to talk to him today."

Whatever means he used to detect us, now that he knew we were here, there was no way we could go back without confronting him. This needed to be settled right here.

Mother of the Sky, understanding what I meant, tensed up, her body braced for action.

We both entered the alley where he had disappeared.

As expected, the short Coldblooded was standing between old buildings, waiting for us.

"Choi Seoa."

The Coldblooded uttered the name of my companion, Mother of the Sky. His reptilian eyes lingered on her for a moment before shifting to me.

"...Amorph. This is your doing."

This time, when he called out the name of an old colleague, it was very different. The contempt in his voice, as if he were gnawing on the words, was accompanied by a dark glint in his eyes directed at me.

｢Wait! Isabel!｣

"……."

Mother of the Sky was startled and tried to intervene, but it was too late. The Coldblooded, now revealed to be the ranker number 22, or Isabel, had already drawn a weapon that looked like some tool.

‘This isn’t good.’

From the atmosphere, it seemed like things wouldn’t be resolved easily.

Without another word, Isabel lunged at me.

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HELHEIM SCANS

[Translator – Seraph]

[Proofreader – Draxx]

Join our Discord for release updates!

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