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Chapter 25

“The boss asked to protect garlic, remember?”

“Damn, I was happy because he said he’d reward us for it, but damn it…”

Bridge command center.

The pirates were debating whether or not to go help the boss. In the eyes of the grumbling cyborg pirates, they saw Garlic working diligently.

She was tinkering with the main computer equipped with central AI.

“Hey, Garlic, how much longer?”

“It’s, it’s almost done.”

“Why’s it taking so long for that pile of junk to do something?”

It was a humorous situation, but cyborg pirates, despite being half-machine, were total novices when it came to computers and advanced machinery.

Like most of the lower-class citizens in the StarUnion, he too had focused more on worldly matters than on high-tech fields like robotics, nano-computing, and the like.

“Even though it’s next-gen tech, it’s the AI of the MegaCorp Battleship. It’s practically the essence of space engineering and computer science. It’s not going to be that easy…”

“Ah, I don’t know those fancy words. Let’s just wrap this up and go help the boss.”

The cyborg interrupted Garlic’s attempt to provide a detailed explanation with a wave of his hand. Disinterested, the pirates returned to their idle chit-chat.

To them, Garlic smiled awkwardly and then refocused on her work. Well, at least she pretended to.

In her face, which she had turned, you couldn’t find the inexperienced look she had shown earlier. The pupils behind her round glasses were colder than the inorganic masses surrounding them.

‘Arnold did a great job.’

Thanks to the sacrifice of the minion, she could see that he was evolving.

He had appeared in the command center twice. Both times, he had deployed smoke to conceal himself, but she easily read his transformation.

Her eyes and spatial perception were far superior, thanks to genetic modifications. Among the genes transplanted into her, there was one called ‘Terror Devil’.

The Terror Devil was a type of desert-dwelling dragon. Due to the extremely harsh living conditions, this dragon’s sensory abilities had evolved in a unique direction.

The Terror Devil could comprehensively analyze various factors, such as changes in the surrounding terrain, subtle vibrations on the sand’s surface, and more, to determine the presence of hidden prey. Its accuracy was nearly 100%, which is why the indigenous people of the planet referred to it as ‘clairvoyance.’

Of course, it wasn’t actually ‘seeing’ what was hidden behind obstacles but rather mentally ‘reconstructing’ what was behind them based on the gathered information.

MegaCorp’s scientists concluded that this ‘clairvoyance’ ability was possible due to innate psychic powers inherent in the Terror Devil’s genes.

Anyway, she used the Terror Devil’s ability to discern that the creature in the video was evolving.

When the guy reappeared for the second time in the command center, he had a much thicker outer shell.

Her estimate was that he could withstand up to two hits.

‘The guy raided the lab midway through the experiment.’

She was currently reviewing the lab data through the ship’s main computer. The computer-illiterate pirates were oblivious to the fact that she had already completed all the checks a long time ago.

‘He’s not just smart…’

Based on the sample loss report sent by the lab’s control AI, she could tell that he had wiped out every last trace without leaving anything behind.

He had specifically targeted genetic samples, leaving all other chemicals and materials untouched.

That meant he knew exactly what abilities he possessed and how to utilize them effectively.

‘A creature that absorbs genes and evolves… Is that it?’

She knew of a similar entity, one that shared her kind.

‘Like my own kind.’

That was her conclusion.

The creature, who plundered and utilized the genes of other organisms, was similar to her in that respect.

‘Elchen won’t be able to handle this.’

He was merely a monstrous entity enhanced by the will of others. A paltry being who had no idea what was inside his own body.

He could never defeat the mastermind of life who manipulated the origins of living beings at will.

She shut down the computer. Somehow, a smile crept onto her lips.

She would never admit it, but her expression bore a resemblance to the enigmatic smile that her unidentified enemies often displayed.

It was the smirk of a predator circling its prey when it spotted it.

‘That old man in the basement was annoying, but surprisingly, he’s been quite productive.’

When she had her conversation with her faithful servant, Arnold, she had never dreamed of such an exciting turn of events.

The death of Noble Capital and Akira Yujin’s orders to her, the arrival of the Dvara Cartel on this research vessel—everything had gone according to her plan. But the presence of this creature had been unexpected.

“Garlic, are you finished?”

“If you’re done, let’s go.”

The pirates called out to her, but she didn’t respond. She had no further business with these pirates. When the mission was over, she had to infiltrate another organization that was part of C-08.

‘I should reduce the number of genes he can acquire as well.’

She, too, was an entity that consumed the origins of life, so she understood.

She didn’t know the exact method he used to plunder genes, but she knew that even if she wanted to obtain genes, she couldn’t if there were no traces left behind.

She got up from her seat.

The timidity that had haunted her until now was nowhere to be found. The woman standing there was entirely different. In place of timidity and gloom, there was now the fierceness and allure that one could feel from a giant feline or a predator.

“Hmm?”

Her former ‘colleagues’ seemed to sense their impending fate as they hesitated. She slowly removed her inconspicuous glasses.

In the Dvara Cartel, she was known as Garlic. She had many other names.

Her enemies in the MegaCorp referred to her as the ‘Spiral Witch’. In her family, they called her the Shadow and revered her.

The head of the family, Akira Yujin, referred to her as ‘Code White’.

Once upon a time, her father used to call her Si-hyun. The essence of genetic engineering from the Yujin family, the sole heir of an obscure lineage within the family.

Sling…

Drawing a white blade from the back of her hand, Si-hyun Yujin smiled as she gazed at the ‘sheep.’

***

***

I silently observed the beast in front of me. The boss, too, opted to assess my movements from his position rather than rush in recklessly.

It was a battle of beasts. Before revealing our fangs and claws, we were in the midst of a reconnaissance phase. Much like human combat, the outcome hinged on whose strategy was superior and whose weapon posed a greater threat.

Was it due to nervousness or the anticipation of the fight? The acidic blood coursing through my veins seemed to boil, and my skin grew hot.

‘So, this is what this sensation feels like.’

It was a sensation I couldn’t experience while playing games. If I were in a human body, I might have licked my dry lips.

The opponent’s muscles tensed. With just one stomp on the ground, the creature surged towards me, charging as if its prey were right under its nose. A creature of substantial size didn’t necessarily mean it was slow.

The floor shattered under the force of the creature’s punch, and metal fragments scattered into the air. The sight of white shards soaring through the air resembled a flock of startled birds in the wind.

Twisting my body to evade the attack, I dove inside the creature.

Had my movements felt more agile than expected? Retrieving the fist that had smashed the floor seemed sluggish.

I had no intention of showing mercy to the creature. I aimed straight for its belly with my combat arm.

“Ha!”

It seemed I wasn’t the only one who had predicted the opponent’s attack. The creature, too, lifted its knee to neutralize my strike.

My tail clung to the creature’s shoulder, but it chose evasion over blocking.

With enough force to leave footprints behind, the creature slammed into an alloy panel. The three-meter giant was pushed back quite a distance into the air.

But the creature hadn’t merely retreated. During the exchange of blows, it had secretly planted pulse grenades.

When the first attack had missed, I assumed it had stiffened in surprise, but in reality, it was a feint to set up the bomb throw.

As soon as I realized this, the grenades exploded, generating a powerful electromagnetic field that swept over my body.

‘Ugh.’

There was nothing wrong with my body, but the psychic device attached to the back of my head tingled as if I had just eaten something spicy.

A pulse grenade was thrown assuming I was a combat android, although it turned out to be incorrect. Not a bad sense. With this level of skill, finding an adversary might prove difficult.

“Tsk. It’s not one of StarUnion’s new weapons.”

The boss clicked his tongue as if he weren’t pleased. It seemed that through our brief exchange, he had come to realize that I was not an easy opponent.

“…Damn. Where did this monster come from?”

The boss cursed under his breath as he reached for the laser pistol at his waist. It was an enhanced laser pistol, but due to his massive build, it looked like he was carrying a slightly longer handgun.

After a moment of contemplation, he released his grip on the pistol.

It was a wise decision. While it had more destructive power compared to conventional firearms, it was still just a laser weapon.

All of his subordinates had laser pistols and had just failed. Since I had confirmed that I was unharmed in the recent exchange, it was reasonable for him to assume that laser weapons wouldn’t be effective against me.

He roughly swiped his hand through his mane, revealing a switch on the right side of his neck.

“The berserk switch.”

It seemed he chose to trust his own fists rather than rely on weapons. With fingers almost the size of a beer can, he halted just before pressing the switch.

“Hey. Do you understand me?”

It was unexpected. Until now, none of the beings I had encountered had tried to communicate with me, except for 26. They had only left messages like not wanting to die or begging for their lives. I wasn’t sure what his intentions were, but he had piqued my interest. I lowered my threatening tail slightly, and in response, he raised the corners of his mouth in what looked like a grin.

“I planted a bomb in the reactor. The control device is synced with my heart. If you kill me, this ship will explode, and everyone will die.”

‘A bomb?’

I glanced at the medical officer behind the boss. His pale complexion and the way he wiped sweat from his forehead with his sleeve indicated that the boss’s words were not a lie. While the bomb’s installation was a fact, what mattered was whether the boss would detonate it.

‘He seems quite attached to life.’

With high intelligence, superhuman physique, and arrogance, there were no elements to lower his will to survive.

“…!”

Without explaining the topic he brought up, he pressed the switch in silence.

It signaled the beginning of the transformation unique to Hulk mutants.

The arrangement of genes within cells shifted, and the body contorted. Bones that should have been inside burst through the flesh and spilled outward, while blood that should have circulated within veins poured out. The surface of the skin emitted vapor due to the inner energy’s agitation. Muscles swelled, tearing apart the clothing they covered.

‘This sensation… I’ve never felt it in a game.’

Even in his normal state, he looked far from human, but completing the transformation into the berserk state turned him into an outright monster. Compared to before, his arms had grown much longer. Not only that, but bones protruded from inside and transformed into armor-like shapes that wrapped around his arms, resembling small shields.

This bone armor extended to other parts of his body, such as his head and legs. After the transformation, he resembled a gorilla wearing armor more than a human. Near his chest, an exoskeleton, similar to mine, had developed, providing protection to his vital areas.

The difference was that the material covering his chest appeared to be alloy. The exoskeleton that emerged from his back and enveloped his entire chest gave the impression of steel spiders encasing his torso.

With bone bursting from the skin, blood pouring out due to the outburst, the abnormally long arms, and more, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that he looked like a creation playing tricks on its creator.

‘He’s not just randomly messing with genes.’

Looking at this guy, who was in fact a backward compatible version of Amorph, I guessed the genes that went into his body.

First, the bone exterior covering his arms, which would likely become his main weapon. I had a suspicion about the origin of this biological feature.

‘It’s probably from a Mountain Crawler.’

Mountain Crawlers were predators that shared their habitat with RockWalkers. They looked like a blown-up version of an armored skunk, about 10 meters in size. Their tough exterior earned them the nickname “Rock’s Dragon,” and they were notorious even in the game.

The boss seemed to have selected only the best genes from these Rock’s Dragons for himself. He tore off the ragged clothing that had become rags during his transformation.

The Hulk mutant, standing at the boundary between savagery and rationality, pounded his chest and roared.

“Gwaaaah!”

Rumble! rumble!

A pure, destruction-driven scream echoed, mingling with Amorph’s resonance. My body, too, shivered as I felt the approaching bloodshed and violence under my skin.

‘Come.’

In the darkness of space, monsters roared, announcing the beginning of the battle.

***

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