Became an Evolving Space Monster

Chapter 274:

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"Second Command fully sealed. Activating shields."

"All VIPs in the banquet hall have been evacuated to the underground bunker. Evacuation of upper-level VIPs is in progress."

In the central control room, dozens of androids, each with cables connected to the backs of their heads, were managing the Second Command. Montana Marcio, the master of the fortress, stood behind them with a nervous expression, watching the robots at work.

These androids were all high-end models produced by the Star Union. Originally designed as assistants for ship computers, they had been modified for fortress management.

Even with the Marcio Cartel's resources, it wasn’t easy to find skilled personnel capable of managing an orbital settlement. People with that level of knowledge and expertise rarely crossed over to the fringes of space.

So Montana had spent a fortune to purchase a number of high-spec androids from the Star Union, along with a vast array of weaponry for them to manage.

"Anti-air shock cannons and defense railguns activated and fully loaded."

"Psychic-based attacks have been deemed ineffective. Switching ammunition."

"Patrol ships under the command of the Second Command are also being rearmed with the same specifications."

The androids were proving their worth, swiftly responding to the crisis. Though the fortress cannons had been neutralized, they immediately brought out alternative defenses.

Watching this, Montana felt a mix of relief and unease. Relief that his judgement had been correct, and yet, the anxiety refused to disappear.

'Damn it! If this operation had gone well, I was planning to leave this place.'

Recently, unsettling rumours had been circulating—Outer Spacers becoming more active, major cartels suddenly disappearing. In such uncertain times, the control rights over Kesha Arma, which he had obtained through bribes, felt all the more unstable.

His plan was to use the profits from brokering the auction to buy a small planet within the territory of the MegaCorp. If he could operate in a legal zone, the protection of the MegaCorp would be easier to secure, and naturally, his safety would be guaranteed.

But that plan had fallen apart completely.

Some unknown entity was turning his crew into grotesque monsters. Whether it was some Outer Spacer creature or an experimental subject brought in by a deranged megacorp client, he couldn’t tell.

Whatever it was, it had already cost him dearly, and now, his very life was on the line.

'...Should I prepare to escape?'

Kesha Arma, orbiting the planet, had one other means of escape besides the military port. A way to reach the planet itself, right above them.

Montana contemplated this last resort as he stared at the monitors in the central control room.

On the screens, his subordinates were running around, frantically preparing for battle.

---

Three cylindrical pillars were visible from anywhere inside the fortress.

One of the three pillars supporting Kesha Arma—the Second Command—was fully armed and waiting for us.

‘Those barrier walls are tough.’

If the command is breached, the fortress would be done for, so naturally, the walls protecting it had to be equally robust.

The barrier was made from a blend of blacksilver, designed to dampen psychic power, and various high-strength metals, making it difficult to penetrate. My psychic breath or acidic breath could eventually break through, but it would take time.

‘But there’s no need for that.’

The longer I drag this out, the more likely my weaknesses will be exposed to the enemy. While my body is strong, I don’t intend to take unnecessary hits.

As I always say, frontal assaults don’t suit an Amorph.

Deception and attacking from unexpected angles—that’s the way an Amorph fights.

I commanded the mutated and insane army below to advance. A twisted mix of physically mutated beings and those whose minds had been corrupted surged toward the steel fortress.

The distance between them and the fortress wasn’t far. So far, no significant resistance.

But Kesha Arma’s defenses weren’t limited to fortress cannons.

From within the gaps of the thick barrier surrounding the cylindrical command, flashes of fire burst out. Intense explosions and deafening blasts tore through the mutant horde.

‘Looks like they're using shock cannons….’

The mutants hit directly were disintegrated, and even those grazed by the blasts lost limbs. But something like this wasn’t enough to stop the mutants.

"Gi-gi-gi-gi!"

"Giiiiiii!"

Mutants with missing legs ran on newly sprouted tentacles, while those with severed torsos propelled themselves forward with their grotesquely developed arms.

During that time, a bright light flickered again from the command center, and a massive surge of electromagnetic energy tore through the air. A red streak appeared amidst the dense swarm of mutants.

A projectile, flying at supersonic speed, pierced through the mutants and mercenaries, turning them into chunks of meat.

‘So, that’s the railgun they spent so much money on.’

The railgun in Space Survival is typically used by the MegaCorp's space fortresses. It’s effective when dealing with enemies like me who have resistance to energy-based attacks. Once we enter the MegaCorp’s territory, especially the solar system, we’ll be seeing it so often that it’ll get tiresome.

According to Kadun, that railgun was installed by the Marcio Cartel after they took over the fortress. Each command center got one, and even purchasing three smaller, less powerful models cost an astronomical sum.

‘Well, railguns are expensive. Not to mention the maintenance costs.’

Compared to ordinary pirates, the Marcio Cartel is exceptionally well-prepared.

However, the fact that they are up against me is their misfortune.

‘The railgun has gone into rest mode.’

Shock cannons, positioned between the command center’s shielding walls, continuously spewed fire. The mutant and madmen army I created didn’t stop advancing, even as they were struck down by the cannon fire.

The number of mutants I created exceeds a thousand. To make matters worse for the enemy, more crazed residents, driven mad by the Messenger of Mass Confusion, are joining the ranks.

As fast as they fall, more of the insane horde quickly swells, eventually reaching the shielding walls of the command center. Yet, they couldn’t break through. The mutants’ sharp claws, the mercenaries’ and pirates’ weapons—all were useless against the shielding walls.

The command center responded by launching missile-like projectiles, similar to claymore mines, toward the approaching enemies. Every time one of those missiles exploded in the air, scattering cluster munitions the size of human heads, mutants and mercenaries below were shredded to pieces.

“Gaaaaaah! You son of a biiiiiiitch!”

“I’m gonna kill you! You f*cking bastards! Raaaargh!”

The crazed mercenaries and pirates screamed in agony. Though their minds were corrupted, the pain remained, making their situation truly pitiful.

I had expected that the mercenaries and pirates might hesitate upon seeing their comrades fall, but I was wrong. The enemy was far more resolute than I anticipated.

From the command center, they continued launching cluster bombs without hesitation, indifferent to the fact that they were killing what were once their comrades. Every time a red flame scorched the shielding walls, dozens of lives were extinguished.

‘It’s no good if they all die too quickly.’

For the madness bomb to have its full effect, they need to make it inside the command center before dying.

‘Time to get started.’

While the command center was preoccupied with other enemies, I descended to the ground. Folding the large membrane of my wings into the empty carapace of my arm, I lowered my head, bringing my snout close to the ground.

‘It should be around here.’

Using my auxiliary limbs to feel the ground, I stopped in front of a building whose wall had collapsed. The layout of the fortress had changed from the game, but this seemed right.

I swung my wing-arm, smashing the wall and causing the entire building to collapse. Then, I opened my mouth wide over the debris.

The fungal gland deep inside my throat activated, spewing a large amount of acidic fluid. The green liquid not only engulfed the rubble but also dug into the ground.

The enemy still didn’t know what I was up to. Some blind shock cannons were launched in my direction, but I wasn’t concerned.

After all, 26 was with me.

｢I’ll clear the way so they can’t bother you, Big One.｣

It, who had been perched on my head, smashed more buildings and lifted the debris into the air. The incoming projectiles exploded as they collided with the spinning obstacles in midair.

‘Such a clever one.’

Having spent so much time together, it was in sync with me.

Under 26’s protection, I continued my excavation work. After expending all the liquid from the fungal gland, I used the cannons on my back to launch spores filled with explosive fluid deeper inside.

‘But this isn’t the end.’

Compared to the underground storage, this area needs to be dug much deeper.

The tentacles, draped over the back of my carapace and down to my neck like a mane, swayed in sync with my will. The psychic energy they gathered condensed before my snout, taking form.

A blazing, violet sphere—like a sun—ignited, and a massive flame shot through the hole I had drilled. The sheer intensity of the firepower caused the once-solid metal floor to crack open.

Not only that, but the ground around me began to tremble as if an earthquake had struck. Even the intact buildings collapsed, and from the cracked ground, the flames of psychic power surged upward like molten lava.

‘Good.’

The intense psychic flames, which had incinerated even Apex creatures, gradually subsided.

From the blackened pit, thick smoke rose. Amid the acrid fumes caused by chemical reactions, my auxiliary organ picked up a familiar scent.

The scent of humans in fear. It was a signal that the pit was close to my target.

‘This is the weak point of the command center’s shielding.’

The shielding wall protects the entire cylindrical command center protruding from the surface. However, this means that underground structures, like bunkers, are left unprotected.

If the enemy’s wall is too strong, I can always find a way around it.

‘In the game, some people went so far as to coat the entire underground with the same shielding material, but...’

Pirates who bend over backward just to buy a railgun wouldn’t go that far.

Even if the enemy tried to do that, I could still find ways to breach it. I simply chose not to, as it wasn’t necessary right now.

I reactivated the Messenger of Mass Confusion, which had been cancelled when I fired the psychic breath. Mutants within a 500-meter radius responded to the pulse of my psychic waves. Some, who had been frantically attacking the command center’s shielding wall, were drawn to my guidance and leapt into the pit.

I, too, along with 26, plunged into the abyss.

Below us lies the bunker, and those who believe it to be the safest place.

Chaos is about to descend upon them.