Became an Evolving Space Monster

Chapter 219:

As soon as Odd Grad sneered at me, he immediately retreated. Despite his triumphant demeanour, he flew off in the direction where his kin were coming from.

'He doesn’t want to leave any risk behind'.

He’s the type that doesn't shy away from showing his ugly side to win. The claim that he has overcome every trial doesn’t seem to be an empty boast.

The number of Gallagons sensed by my auxiliary organs keeps increasing. Most of the ones from the nest must have rushed out. Winning under these conditions is nearly impossible.

'I need to change my strategy'.

To be honest, killing Odd Grad here doesn’t seem feasible. He has a crisis detection ability that surpasses my 'Predator Sense'. Gaining information through combat would be nice, but given our absolute disadvantage, that method is out of reach.

So, there’s only one option left for me.

'I need to retreat and regroup'.

However, I have no intention of fleeing helplessly as he desires.

For instance, the approaching minions. If I can reduce the number of those Gallagons, it’ll make it much easier when I face Odd Grad again.

'For that, I need allies'.

To reduce their numbers while evading his foresight, I have no other choice.

The 'Predator Sense' collects and calculates various surrounding factors to project the 'most likely future'. I don't know exactly how his crisis detection works, but if it's similar to mine, then the more unfavorable variables for him, the better for me.

And those unfavorable variables are ultimately my abilities and my allies.

'At the very least, I need to call PS-111'.

It can pilot the cruiser, which would be a huge help in getting us out of here.

The question is how to summon it here....

'I have just the thing'.

Just as he called his allies with 'Maelstrom', I too have the power to cause weather disturbances—the Divine Spectre, which twists the atmosphere and shatters the sky.

‘PS-111 will recognize my signal.’

It’s stationed on the cruiser and would have noticed the oddities in the sky caused by Odd Grad's Maelstrom. If I use the 'Divine Spectre' here, it will understand my peril and move immediately.

I raised my head toward the direction Odd Grad had retreated, where his forces were coming from.

With my will, the powers spread throughout my body began to surge. As a result, my black carapace and scales turned gold. The golden wave started from the tip of my tail’s pincers, the ends of my fingers, and the edges of my fully spread wings, flowing into my chest.

Under the tumultuous sky, filled with countless whirlwinds, my body shone brilliantly.

I didn’t need to think to know that Odd Grad would avoid my attack. But his incoming Gallagons were a different story.

To inflict proper damage on them, I gathered more energy than usual.

It had been a long time since I gathered this much energy, not since the battle with the Imperial Carrier. The firepower was about one-tenth of that time.

Of course, that didn’t mean it was weak by any means. On this planet, nothing but the Mother of the Sky could survive this attack.

Having finished all my preparations, I opened my mouth. My upper jaw rose, and my lower jaw split open wide. Like a snake swallowing its prey, my mouth opened to its limit.

And then, the energy gathered in my chest burst forth like an erupting volcano, unleashing the Divine Spectre. True to its name, the Brain God’s Lightning shot out from my mouth.

Like the chariot that drives the sun across the sky in ancient myths, the golden beam tore through the atmosphere.

Whirlwinds, lightning, snowstorms followed in its wake. An immense thunderous roar, unmatched by any natural phenomenon, shook the planet's atmosphere.

Even Adhai and Nel Germa, who lacked ears, shuddered at the supernatural vibrations caused by my divine power.

Odd Grad, sensing the danger, abruptly dodged as he was retreating. The Divine Spectre passed beyond Odd Grad and stretched far beyond the horizon.

Golden webs spread across the black clouds that covered the planet's atmosphere due to the power of the Divine Spectre.

As expected, the Gallagons couldn’t evade the invisible attack in time. I deactivated the translucent text box that appeared in front of me and spread my wings wide.

[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZZ (PS-111 will come. We just need to hold out until then.)]

｢Yes! I’ll punish those bad guys for messing with the little ones!｣

｢Black kin｣ ｢Strong｣ ｢Acknowledged｣ ｢Order｣ ｢Obey｣

｢Elder｣ ｢Awesome｣

Adhai seemed pleased as Nel Germa’s thought waves became more respectful. Just moments ago, both had been terrified, but now there was no trace of fear. The thought of being near a being with transcendent power had given them courage.

‘Thank goodness'.

Flying ahead of them, I checked the energy remaining in my body.

I had used far more energy than usual, but I still had reserves. It was thanks to the 'Berserker Synapse', which helped me manage my internal energy efficiently.

'I can use it two more times'.

I could fire more if I weakened the power, but I have no intention of doing that.

As I sped forward, the enemies came into view.

Seven large White Gallagons, nine relatively small and lean White Gallagons, and fifteen Green Gallagons. Behind them was the Black Gallagon, Odd Grad.

They were communicating with each other through thought waves. I couldn't tell what they were saying, but one thing was clear.

The Green Gallagons and the smaller White Gallagons were frightened. They had just seen their kin turned to ash in midair.

‘If it weren’t for their leader, they would have retreated…'.

One of the large White Gallagons whipped a nearby Green Gallagon with its tail. The other Gallagons reluctantly prepared for battle.

‘So, those must be Odd Grad’s chosen ones'.

They had indeed been nurtured well under Odd Grad's favor. Judging by the psychic power emanating from them, they weren’t as strong as Ham Ort, but they were far more powerful than the average White Gallagon.

‘I should target those seven if possible'.

With my targets in mind, I charged toward the cluster of enemies. Following Odd Grad's command, the Gallagons unleashed their Psychic Breaths in unison.

Dozens of purple beams shot towards me.

These were attacks made of destructive psychic power. I adjusted the angle of my wings, weaving through the onslaught of breaths. Of course, even I couldn’t dodge them all, and some of the attacks struck my scales and carapace.

｢Pain Reduction Activated!｣

Each time, a text box appeared, and the heat beams reflected by my psychic repulsion armor bounced off into the clouds.

A dull pain throbbed from the hit areas, but I paid it no mind. To gain the benefit of the 'Mimicry Organ', I needed to take their attacks head-on.

My current task was to get hit just enough to avoid critical injuries or death while still fighting. While engaging the enemies, I also had to calculate the cumulative damage to my body.

‘This is when the Amorph’s unique hyper-senses really come in handy'.

If I had to keep track of everything, my head would have exploded before the battle even started.

Dodging what needed dodging and enduring what couldn’t be avoided, I continued my advance. Behind me were Adhai and Nel Germa, using me as a shield and closely following.

No matter how fast Adhai and Nel Germa were, they couldn’t dodge all the breaths fired by the dozens of Gallagons. So it was only natural for them to hide behind me, as I was bigger and had superior defenses.

Once I judged that the distance had been sufficiently closed,

With Odd Grad's group ahead of me, I prepared to unleash a Psychic Breath of my own. But this time, it was the Abyssal Hue version.

The tendrils of the creature dangling from the back of my head and neck writhed ominously. Seeing this, Odd Grad quickly sent out a thought wave.

｢Be careful!｣

Odd Grad's chosen ones retreated swiftly, but the other Gallagons were slower to react. I unleashed my enhanced psychic breath towards them.

The bubbles of destruction that dripped from the ends of my tendrils moved toward their targets, ready to consume them. Though these bubbles were minuscule compared to the Gallagons, their power was not to be underestimated.

One unsuspecting Gallagon learned this the hard way. The Green Gallagon, too busy firing its heat rays at me to move, was startled the moment a bubble touched its tail.

In an instant, the small bubble engulfed the tail like dye spreading in water, creeping up to consume its lower body.

Gallagons cannot scream due to their unique mouth structure. Instead, the thought waves of pain it emitted echoed through the air.

I charged at the Gallagon, which was still being dissolved by the bubble. With my lower jaw wide open, I aimed for the neck close to its head. The searing pain of its entire lower body melting rendered the creature unable to react to my attack.

I clamped down on the thin neck of the Gallagon with my jaws and yanked hard. With a sound of bones snapping and flesh tearing, the creature's head came off completely.

As its unpleasant thought waves, like nails scraping metal, abruptly ceased, the headless Gallagon's corpse plummeted to the ground.

Satisfied with the result, I called out to Number 26.

[ZZZ (Do your thing.)]

｢Sure!｣

Number 26 waved its tendrils like a conductor, and the bubbles that had been devouring Gallagon's corpse rose into the air. The bubbles then hurled themselves at the other Gallagons.

One of the bubbles controlled by Number 26 engulfed a sluggish Gallagon. Just as I had done before, I ended its suffering.

｢Everyone scatter!｣

Odd Grad commanded, and the Gallagons quickly spread out. With their distance widened, the coordinated psychic breath attacks with Number 26 had come to an end.

‘Could've taken down more of them. Shame'.

I swallowed the Gallagon’s head in one gulp. If it weren’t for the current situation, I would have savored it, but there was no time for that.

With his subordinates retreating, Odd Grad launched another attack. A powerful, dark purple breath, stronger than anyone else's, came hurtling toward me. I beat my wings and soared upwards to evade it, heading towards his underlings.

‘This way, he won’t be able to attack…what?!’

Despite the risk of hitting his own underlings, Odd Grad fired his breath without hesitation. The psychic-powered blast just missed my tail. However, a young White Gallagon behind me was struck by Odd Grad’s breath, leaving a hole in its wing.

｢Great Odd Grad!｣｢Young kin｣｢In danger!｣

｢Black traitor｣｢More dangerous｣｢Sacrifice｣｢Necessary｣

One of the chosen ones hurriedly sent a thought wave to his leader, but it had no effect. I grabbed the plummeting White Gallagon with the hole in its wing and bit its head. The creature, which had been struggling in resistance, ceased all movement as its head was crushed.

At that moment, an unexpected message appeared.

[Predation Effect Activated!]

‘What? Let’s check it quickly!’

Normally, I’d be thrilled at such a lucky break, but this was a battle. I quickly scanned the details and then called out to Adhai.

[ZZZZ (Adhai).]

｢Acknowledged.｣

Adhai, who had been fighting alongside Nel Germa against the other Gallagons, shot toward me like a bolt of white lightning.

For Adhai to grow, she needed to consume a White Gallagon. But in the current situation, devouring a whole one was nearly impossible.

‘Not sure if sharing it will work…’

Given the paradox of 'Ship of Theseus', it’s likely that it won’t, but this is the only option we have right now.

Grabbing Adhai and the White Gallagon’s corpse, I leaped into a nearby waterspout.

The violent vortex would obliterate an unprotected human in an instant, but for me, with a body tougher than a ship’s hull, it posed no threat.

[ZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZ (I’ll shield you, so take this.)]

｢You insignificant creature!｣｢How dare you!｣

As I sought refuge within the waterspout, attempting to feed Adhai the Gallagon’s corpse, Odd Grad’s furious thought waves penetrated the storm, accompanied by an overwhelming surge of energy rapidly closing in on us.

Adhai and I quickly dodged, just in time to avoid the breath attack that obliterated the Gallagon’s remains I had been holding.

‘So, he knows'.

It was clear that Odd Grad was aware of the secret behind Adhai's growth. The fact that he reacted so violently showed how much it feared this.

‘He fears Adhai’s growth…’

This was vital information, and I made sure to remember it as I shielded Adhai and exited the waterspout. The moment we emerged, a halo of purple light greeted us.

｢Great Elder｣｢Are you okay?｣

[ZZZ ZZZZZ (I’m fine. Don’t worry.)]

Adhai, noticing the shattered scales and carapace on my body from the enemy attacks, was concerned.

To be honest, it hurt a lot but I had to endure it.

‘We’re almost there'.

The silver lining was that the pain was gradually diminishing with each hit, a sign that the ‘Mimicry Organ’ immunity system was kicking in.

As I closed the distance with the nearby Gallagons, enduring the heat rays, the creatures retreated the moment I got too close.

Seizing the opportunity, I released Adhai and expelled a fungal mass into the air. The green, sticky clump began to defy gravity, propelled toward its target by Number 26’s psychic power.

The target was one of the larger White Gallagon companions.

It attempted to retreat, but Number 26 was faster. The flying fungus exploded like a claymore, dousing its wings in acidic spores.

The once-white wings were quickly stained red as the acid did its work. The Gallagon retaliated with a burst of purple lightning, burning away the fungus.

A decent countermeasure, but it made a crucial mistake—it failed to prioritize the immediate threat before it.

It noticed me only at the last moment, firing a psychic breath as I swung my clawed tail. Some of the psychic breath I absorbed reflected back, striking the Gallagon’s body.

The White Gallagon was momentarily stunned, confused by what had happened, but my natural flail was already on its way to its abdomen.

Just as the clawed tail was about to strike, a massive black dragon materialized above me.

｢Die!｣

Odd Grad had used its companion as bait, luring me in for a devastating blow. He smashed his heavy forelimbs down on my head.

[Pain Nullification Activated!]

Even in his aged state, Odd Grad’s power was immense—nearly equal to an Ice Horror’s charge. The force nearly broke my neck.

I pulled back, using the Gaze of Terror on Odd Grad. There was no time to add the Abyssal hue, though.

For a brief moment, Odd Grad’s eyes clouded over before clearing again. It had been affected, but as a Black Gallagon with immense psychic resistance, he quickly shook off the effect.

Then, images flooded my vision—my Predator Sense was triggering a warning of impending death.

｢Insignificant wretch｣｢Tricks｣｢Won’t work｣

Odd Grad unleashed another psychic breath. Thanks to Predator Sense, I detected the attack and ducked, narrowly avoiding death.

‘Ugh!’

[Pain Nullification Activated!]

The proximity was too close; although I survived, I couldn’t escape injury. The dark purple breath obliterated the lower portion of my tail, leaving nothing but a clean stump where my clawed tail once was.

｢Weak creature｣｢This will be your end｣

Odd Grad's tendrils darkened into a deep shade of black-purple, gathering power for a final, devastating attack. It was too late to dodge.

I sensed Number 26’s energy reaching out in desperation. Despite its impressive abilities, there was no way it could shield me from such an overwhelming force at this close range.

｢Great Elder!｣

Adhai, who had spotted my peril from afar, raced to my aid, only to be intercepted by another Gallagon.

Time seemed to slow as Odd Grad’s tendrils coiled tighter, focusing immense power. The moment of attack was imminent.

But just as Odd Grad was about to unleash his deadly strike, a blinding light appeared from the opposite side of his head.

‘The sun? No, that’s not…’

This planet, like many others with life, has a star. But that light wasn’t the sun—it was too close, too sudden.

I recognized the energy; it was familiar to me and the Gallagons, akin to psychic power but mixed with strange impurities.

I knew what it was.

Odd Grad, blinded by the thrill of killing me, realized the danger too late.

｢What…?｣

As he turned his head, I quickly folded my wings and dropped below. Less than a second later, a massive explosion erupted above me.

As I fell towards the ground, I caught sight of a familiar craft.

“We have arrived to provide support, responding to Sub-Controller ‘Amorph’s’ signal”.

｢Wow! the friend has come!｣

The broadcast, emanating from the ivory-colored, diamond-shaped cruiser, belonged to a being both Number 26 and I knew well.

The mutant Screamer, PS-111, developed by Star Union.

It had followed the golden beacon and arrived just in time.