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[Proofreader – Draxx]

Chapter 247

The Amorph might be a fringe species in ‘Space Survival’, but it’s not entirely awful from start to finish.

The rewards after hunting down powerful NPCs or players.

The thrill of discovering a new trait fusion formula I wasn’t aware of.

The sense of accomplishment when I incorporate a new trait into my hunting strategy.

There’s nothing more satisfying than experiencing these moments stack up like a snowball, bringing me closer to perfection.

After Ascension, though, these moments of joy have become rarer. Most players began avoiding me.

As I climbed higher in the game, the chances to discover new creatures and new traits decreased. Naturally, the sense of achievement also dwindled.

But today, I got to feel that old excitement once more.

I gazed at the faintly glowing translucent text box.

｢Transcendence material list: Contaminated Worm Host, Tetanus Vine, Tooth Fairy Nest, Human Sacrifice, Red Acid｣

｢Transcendence material list (New!): Insight, Observer of Terror, Echo Bug, Psychic Parasite Pustule, Mimic Organ (Not Acquired)｣

｢Psychic Parasite Pustule: Partially inherits the Tetanus Vine trait. Implants a psychic-power pustule into the mind of an intelligent being. When it bursts, it deals psychic power damage to the surroundings, with a low chance of transferring the pustule to another intelligent being.

*Note: Who comes up with these sadistic traits, anyway?

｢Reaper’s Maw: Inherits and enhances the Jaw of the Essence Reaper trait. Adds saw-blade teeth to your fangs.

*Note: Eating is one of the most basic instincts.｣

｢‘Jason (Jason Turningham)’s special ability and ‘Second Brain’ trait have fused. ‘Second Hea■∬∬⨸⫱ Trait Enhancement System Engaged!｣

｢Trait enhancement in progress｣

｢Evolving into ‘Shapeshifter Dominator’ trait!｣

｢Shapeshifter Dominator: When activated, amplifies the effects of traits that influence the thoughts of other beings.

*Applicable traits: Mimic Organ, Parasite Colony, Psychic Parasite Pustule

*Note: Adapting the right mask for the situation is one of the key virtues of a superior hunter.｣

‘One unique trait synthesis achieved, another unlocked, multiple new fusion traits acquired, a new Nemesis token obtained, and…’

Several regular traits as well.

After the hunt concluded, I was so engrossed in reviewing the flood of trait text boxes that I nearly forgot my hunger.

I bit into one of the stored corpses while I carefully examined the text boxes.

‘Let’s start with the new Nemesis token.’

The newly acquired Nemesis token, ‘Shapeshifter Dominator’, was the result of specializing one of the perks I obtained after defeating Jason.

I had acquired three perks from Jason in total.

He originally had one, and the other two were perks he had stolen from other players he killed.

At the time, I only converted one into a trait. It was the Coldblood Ranker’s perk he had, the ability to summon a golden form, which I transformed into the ‘Abyssal Hue’.

The reason I couldn’t convert all three into Nemesis tokens was that I lacked the trait materials necessary to do so.

Until now, whenever I wanted to steal and use another player’s perk, I had to have a trait that matched the perk.

‘A perk and a trait. You need both to obtain a Nemesis token.’

The other two perks, besides the Abyssal Hue, had been stored in my body in an incomplete state.

Then, while raiding the Screamer’s support ship, the opportunity arose. I acquired a large number of traits at once, and among them was a trait that matched one of the perks, allowing me to obtain a new Nemesis token.

‘And I got a lot of regular traits too.’

Besides the traits displayed in the translucent text box I had just opened, I acquired many regular traits as well.

Most of them were traits I already possessed or had detrimental effects like ‘Energy Drain’ or ‘Diminutiveness’, but that didn’t matter. Useless traits could be used as materials for ‘Trait Enhancement.’

｢Trait Enhancement: When fusing traits through a special process, regular traits can be used as enhancement materials. Up to 10 materials can be used, and fused or unique traits cannot be used as materials.

Applicable systems: ‘Unique Trait Synthesis System,’ ‘Nemesis Token System’, Unknown｣

‘This wouldn’t have been possible without this system.’

If this were just a game, I wouldn’t have bothered acquiring traits that were a disadvantage. Once you obtain a trait, you can’t get rid of it until you use it as fusion material.

However, thanks to the Trait Enhancement System, unlocked along with the ‘Cosmic Monster’ type as a second-stage perk of the Transcendence System, even unnecessary traits could be somewhat useful.

‘Though I can’t just use any trait.’

The downside of Trait Enhancement is that it can only be used in conjunction with traits related to the Transcendence System.

As the tooltip for Trait Enhancement indicates, traits can only be consumed as materials when synthesizing unique traits or fusing Nemesis tokens. So, it’s still risky to pick up traits with negative effects.

‘It\'s better than nothing, though.’

I stared at the tooltip of the newly acquired Nemesis token.

‘Shapeshifter Dominator.’

The two newly acquired fusion traits are ones I’ve used several times while playing the game. However, ‘Shapeshifter Dominator’ is a trait I’ve never seen before.

‘Enhancing the effect of the Mimic Organ… I’ve never encountered a trait with such an effect.’

In the game, I was the only one who knew the fusion formula for the Mimic Organ, making it practically my unique trait. Additionally, there weren’t any players who used Parasite Colony as effectively as I did.

‘This trait feels tailor-made for me.’

All the Nemesis tokens I’ve obtained so far have had incredible performance. The tooltips for these traits are usually quite simple, which in a way, makes them even more exciting.

‘I’ll experiment with this slowly.’

I checked my altered body.

Most of the regular traits I obtained from raiding the storage were used as materials for Trait Enhancement. So, my body didn’t undergo a complete transformation as it sometimes does.

The most significant change was in my jaw.

The traits of the Hellside Hornet and the existing ‘Jaw of the Essence Reaper’ had fused into ‘Reaper’s Maw,’ altering the structure of my mouth.

Previously, my lower jaw split into two, but now it no longer does. It’s reverted to a form similar to the face I had before reaching the proto-adult stage, resembling the snout of a crocodile or boa constrictor.

While the jaw structure has become simpler, two massive fangs have emerged from my lower jaw. These fangs are sharp and durable, akin to the bone blades that appear during the hunt.

‘In terms of sturdiness, they’re tougher than my head carapace.’

The fangs are lined with microscopic saw teeth, nearly as sharp as a monomolecular cutter. They can slice through almost anything—unless it’s something with special properties, like the ‘Red Armor’ of the Red Gallagon.

Thanks to these fangs designed for cutting and slicing, my method of claiming an enemy’s head has also changed. Before, I would open my lower jaw wide and swallow the enemy whole. Now, I can simply sever the head with my fangs and claim it.

‘And this helps with that.’

I slightly opened my mouth, extending my tongue. A dark, snail-like appendage wiggled out.

Despite being inspired by a famous sci-fi creature, the Amorph originally doesn’t have a tongue. It’s only through acquiring special traits that I gained this feature.

‘It’s more of a tentacle than a tongue, really.’

According to the lore, the Amorph has taste buds widely distributed inside its mouth, so it doesn’t need a tongue. Thus, the Amorph’s tongue serves purposes other than tasting.

For instance, it can snatch an enemy’s head and swallow it, or…

｢It tickles!｣

I gently licked Number 26, who was eating a stored corpse beside me. My tongue absorbed all the bacteria and viruses clinging to its surface.

On the surface of my tongue is the newly acquired infection-related trait, ‘Microbe Storage Organ.’ It allows me to detoxify poisonous creatures or eliminate beneficial microorganisms from an opponent.

｢What was that? Do it again!｣

[Z (okay.)]

｢It tickles! That’s fun!｣

Number 26 gleamed, fascinated by the new sensation. Adhai, who was also eating nearby, became curious.

｢Me｣ ｢Curious｣ ｢Me too｣ ｢Do it to me｣

[Z (Sure.)]

As I complied, Adhai’s tail twitched as if she had been shocked.

｢What is this?｣ ｢What is this?｣ ｢What is this?｣

｢Isn’t it fun?｣

｢Interesting｣ ｢Very｣ ｢Interesting｣

Seeing them enjoy themselves like children made me happy as well.

It’s been a while since I’ve played so purely with them. Ever since I got Adhai back, it’s been nothing but battles, leaving no time to play with them.

‘I should spend more time with them from now on.’

They’re not just useful allies; they’re my friends.

As I had that thought, I made eye contact with Mother of the Sky. The griffon with the magnificent golden mane was watching us with a look of disgust.

[ZZ ZZZ (Do you want me to do it for you too?)]

｢No, I’ll pass.｣

Perhaps due to the griffon form’s higher resistance to poison, she firmly declined my offer.

Aside from the changes to my jaw, the rest of my body hasn’t undergone significant transformations. Technically, it did change but reverted after being consumed in Trait Enhancement.

I also acquired traits like ‘Contaminated Worm Host,’ which could alter my body, but they’re currently inactive due to more advanced traits being in effect.

I stopped licking Number 26 and looked back at the text box.

Having consumed so many traits, two unique trait synthesis formulas are currently unlocked.

One was a fusion formula I had unlocked after defeating the Hellside Hornet, requiring infection-related and nest-related traits.

This unique trait can be created immediately.

‘I thought it would take much longer.’

I had anticipated that it would take considerable time to obtain the traits of the Hellside Hornet and Glacier Fiend. However, it turned out that the Screamer support ship had more samples than I expected.

Especially the Hellside Hornet. Whether they had raided its habitat or not, there was an unusually large number of genetic samples available.

And then there was the Glacier Fiend, an Apex creature even rarer than the Hellside Hornet. Samples of its DNA, seemingly collected from another planet, were stored deep within the repository.

‘It would have been nice if there were just a bit more.’

If the Amorph acquires the Glacier Fiend\'s trait of producing narcotic substances, it becomes the ‘Red Acid’ trait, which transforms the Amorph\'s blood into a narcotic substance. Combining this with the ‘Smogtop’ trait results in a powerful fusion trait.

‘It’s extremely effective in mass combat.’

Had there been more samples of the Glacier Fiend, I could have acquired both the fusion and unique traits based on Red Acid, but unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.

It’s uncertain whether Pyra Eleven had difficulty with the Glacier Fiend or simply couldn’t locate its habitat, but there were only two samples of it. If there had been just three, I could have obtained both the fusion and unique traits, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

‘Right now, the unique trait takes priority over the fusion trait.’

While evolving conditions are important, there’s something even more critical.

If I create just one more unique trait using the Transcendence System, my Cosmic Monster Type will progress from Stage 0 to Stage 1. No matter how powerful the Red Acid-based fusion trait is, it can’t compare to a unique trait.

‘Besides, I’m curious about the effect of reaching Stage 1 of the Cosmic Monster Type.’

Having abandoned the fusion route, I’ve perfectly met the conditions for creating a unique trait using infection-type and nest-type traits. I’ve also balanced the number of traits to ensure the two type effects remain active, so I can create it at any time.

‘Now, what should I do about this?’

｢‘Transcendence’ Material List (New!): Insight, Watcher of Fear, Hallucination Worm, Mental Parasite Blister, Mimic Organ (Not Acquired)｣

The newly opened fusion formula requires several psionic-related traits. I’ve obtained all but one of them.

‘I can’t acquire the Mimic Organ here.’

There are no samples on this Screamer support ship that could provide that trait, so I’ll need to move elsewhere.

‘It’s about time to leave.’

Before she died, Pyra Eleven mentioned that she had requested support, meaning the Machine Council’s fleet would arrive soon.

‘Since one of their own has died, at least half of the High Council members will likely come after me.’

Perhaps even the Grandmaster Player might join them.

‘I could consider an ambush after lying in wait…’

But I’m not prepared enough yet. Fighting the Machine Council would essentially mean going to war with the Star Union. My power has grown, but it’s not quite there yet.

‘Not yet, anyway.’

To meet the type condition for evolving into the adult form, I’ll need to move to a new location.

A place not as barren as this, teeming with various species and creatures. There, I’ll be able to grow significantly once again.

‘I’ll need to ask PS-111 to access the ship’s logs.’

The one who brought back the necessary metals from the Dragon’s Nest isn’t here right now. It’s currently modifying mechanical parts in the production line located next to the repository. It mentioned that the process would take a few hours to complete.

‘In the meantime…’

[ZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZ (I\'m going to become an egg again. Please watch over me.)]

The ones present here have seen me enter a cocoon multiple times. So, no one was surprised or asked questions.

After notifying them, I left the repository and entered a nearby cargo hold.

‘It’s been a while.’

This is the place where I first opened my eyes in this world. Although, unlike back then, there isn’t much cargo on this ship now, the atmosphere feels similar.

Coiled up on top of the cargo hold, I reactivated the semi-transparent text box.

｢‘Transcendence’ Material List: Contaminated Worm Host, Tetanus Vine, Tooth Fairy Nest, Human Sacrifice, Red Acid｣

｢Would you like to use the Transcendence System?｣

This is the fourth time I’ve seen this prompt.

As always, my answer is already decided.

[Proofreader – Draxx]