Became an Evolving Space Monster

Chapter 229:

Under the light, I saw six Gallagons.

Three had green scales, along with the white Gallagon, Nel Germa, and Ham Ort, whose wings were nearly healed. And then there was Adhai, adorned in her red makeup.

Above the Gallagons were some familiar figures.

Perched on Ham Ort was the Mother of the Sky, transformed into a Wendigo, while the Mutant Screamer PS-111 rode on Nel Germa.

Ahead of them, on top of Adhai, was a small pink balloon. This was Number 26, known as the Sea Demon.

They all gathered here to assist me on this lonely journey.

｢Odd Grad!｣ ｢I command you!｣ ｢Attack!｣ ｢Attack!｣

The black dragon kept barking orders, but none of the others followed. Amid the confusion, the frail White Gallagon stepped forward.

｢Great Odd Grad｣ ｢Black｣ ｢Enemy｣ ｢Color of the stars｣ ｢Enemy｣ ｢Strength｣

｢Kin｣ ｢Lie｣ ｢Impossible｣ ｢Color｣ ｢Lie｣ ｢Impossible｣

According to the lore, a red Gallagon is a mythical being that commands all Gallagons, one of the few creatures that can instil an instinctual fear in them, known as the dragon of the universe.

‘Of course, Adhai hasn’t fully grown yet.’

Her dragon power is pitifully weak compared to the Red Gallagon I’ve seen before, even weaker than Odd Grad.

Yet, the reason the Gallagon horde is in disarray is clear.

It’s all because of Odd Grad’s vile actions as the black tyrant.

He abused and starved his kin, ignored their strong sense of kinship, and killed the weaker offspring.

Had he behaved like a 'normal Gallagon,' they would have obeyed his commands, as he was their leader who had protected them until now.

But he was never a good king for the Gallagons.

｢Odd Grad｣ ｢Emotion｣ ｢Understanding｣ ｢Difficulty｣ ｢Explanation｣ ｢Request｣

｢!｣

And now, he’s lost the means to control his kin.

His treasure, the ring that hides emotions, was torn from him along with his forepaw when I attacked him with my bone scythe arm.

That ring is now in my possession. I clenched it tightly with the small hand on my chest.

｢You!｣

Odd Grad snarled as he saw it.

He had always exploited the Gallagons’ inability to lie, but that was no longer possible. It was easy to imagine how the other Gallagons would perceive him now that they knew his true intentions.

‘They’ll likely see him as completely insane.’

Or perhaps as a wicked tyrant who enslaved and massacred his kin.

The frail White Gallagon, who defied Odd Grad, continued to send out waves of thought.

｢Kin｣ ｢Stronger kin｣ ｢Follow｣ ｢New leader｣ ｢Decision｣ ｢Necessary｣

It clearly expressed its refusal to fight, then retreated. The other Gallagons followed suit, backing away.

Now, only Odd Grad's mates remained as enemies.

By coincidence, there were six of them left, as one had died in my previous attack.

It so happens that we also have six beings capable of flight on our side.

‘Including those riding on our backs, we outnumber them.’

No more thinking or talking is necessary.

From here on, strength will determine everything.

I pushed off the ground and soared into the air.

Though my neck wound wasn’t fully healed, the carapace formed by my ‘Symbol of Hunt’ transformation had stopped the bleeding. To fully recover, I needed nourishment.

The genetic essence of the black Gallagon should be sufficient.

I flapped my wings, which now gleamed with red veins, and flew towards Odd Grad.

Thanks to the Symbol of Hunt's effect, my wings were larger and stronger than before. Odd Grad was startled to see me approach so quickly.

｢Insignificant creature!｣

I pressed close to him, swinging my tail with all the force I could muster. The tip of my tail, like a colossal flail, hurtled towards him with a menacing sound.

Perhaps realizing that it was impossible to block my attack even with foresight, Odd Grad chose to evade. One of his black wings bent slightly, causing his body to lurch. My tail's pincer scraped against the horn on his head as it passed by.

Having narrowly avoided my attack, Odd Grad immediately fired a psychic breath from his position. Unlike me, who needed time to charge, his speed was undoubtedly faster.

However, his breath no longer posed a significant threat to me.

With my body reinforced by the Symbol and the Mimicry Scales' effect, I was now almost completely immune to psychic power.

Of course, I couldn’t entirely ignore the physical force of his breath. The impact pushed me back, and Odd Grad quickly retreated.

While I fought Odd Grad, the battle between his mates and my allies began.

Nel Germa, who displayed above-average combat skills, dove into the midst of Odd Grad’s mates. PS-111, riding atop her, relentlessly fired demolisher blue energy blasts from its mouth.

One of the mates was hit by a blast that disintegrated matter on the edge of its wing and urgently warned its kin. Just like in the fight against me, the enemies scattered quickly.

‘Just as planned, the enemies have dispersed. Everyone, prepare yourselves.’

｢Understood｣

One of the scattered enemies flew towards the green Gallagons in Ham Ort’s group. It seemed intent on tearing apart the weaker ones first and rejoining its kin swiftly.

But such a predictable attack wouldn’t fool my allies. The still-recovering pure white queen blocked the white mate's path.

Riding on her back, the Mother of the Sky unleashed the ‘Ice Wraith’ she had prepared in advance. The white Gallagon, who had been flying perfectly fine, was suddenly infected with the Wendigo's madness and turned on her.

The crazed Gallagon fired a breath at her, but she boldly evaded the purple heat beam. She leaped into the air, grabbing onto Ham Ort’s horn, narrowly avoiding the beam.

Though she fell to the ground according to the laws of nature, Ham Ort skillfully tilted her head to catch her.

｢Are you alright?｣

｢…Would you stop if I said yes?｣

｢Little one｣ ｢Knowing you can't｣ ｢Stop｣

｢Tch, let's finish this quickly!｣

The combination of the Ice Wraith and the pure white queen pulled the maddened mate away. Meanwhile, the other green Gallagons moved to support Nel Germa and PS-111.

‘If you follow my instructions, your life will not be in danger.’

｢Adult｣ ｢Trust｣ ｢Me｣ ｢Trust｣

｢Me｣ ｢Pain｣ ｢Dislike｣

‘The probability of only losing a tail or getting a hole in your wing is 63%, so you can trust me.’

｢Suddenly｣ ｢Uneasiness｣

｢Nel Germa｣ ｢Pointing out｣ ｢Facts｣ ｢All of it｣ ｢Unnecessary｣

The combination of Green, White Gallagons, and mechanical creatures was facing two of Odd Grad’s mates.

Three of the enemy mates remained.

However, their situation was dire. They had to contend with my friends, Number 26 and Adhai, who had fought together frequently since the space city.

Perhaps because of their experience fighting together, they toyed with the three white Gallagon mates.

Adhai, who had always excelled in aerial combat, was now cutting across the battlefield at terrifying speeds. None of the Gallagons here could match her speed, which was as fast as a projectile fired from a railgun.

Failing to catch up with her, the mates tried to shoot her down with psychic breath. But riding atop her was Number 26, our best psychic power expert.

Every time Number 26 waved its tentacles from atop the glowing red comet, the direction of the heat beams veered off course, or the energy dissipated entirely.

With the mates' attacks nullified, Adhai pivoted and charged them in return. Activating her red armor, she rammed into one of the mates.

Her charge, combined with near-sonic speed and her indestructible horns, was nothing short of devastating. She completely pierced through the mate's abdomen.

It was as if a four-meter-long projectile had punched a hole in the White Gallagon’s belly, killing it instantly. Number 26, who had been clinging tightly to her back, suddenly popped out.

｢Fun! Do it again!｣

｢No｣ ｢Too messy｣

Just as expected.

It seemed like they had discussed their battle plan before arriving here; their coordination was flawless.

｢You!｣ ｢Where are you looking!｣

While I briefly watched them fight, Odd Grad launched a sudden attack. He thrust his head forward, aiming to pierce my chest with his horn.

As a clever creature, he quickly realized that I hadn’t died despite having my neck half-severed and immediately targeted a different spot.

Under normal circumstances, I might have commended his judgment, but not now.

The only way for him to survive was to flee from this place.

‘Not that I’m going to let that happen.’

I slightly twisted my body to narrowly avoid his charge. His horn only managed to scratch the surface of my chest carapace.

Odd Grad tried to quickly pull his head back after the failed attack, but this time, I was faster. My combat arms grabbed hold of his horn.

｢!｣

The Predator Leech's hand activated, rapidly draining his energy through the horn.

Even a large creature like a White Gallagon wouldn’t last long in my grasp before becoming a withered husk. Odd Grad knew this. In desperation, he fired a psychic breath with his horn still caught.

The force of the impact pushed me back sharply. I tried to maintain my grip, but the horn broke, and I lost my hold.

｢I’ll kill you!｣ ｢I’ll kill you!｣ ｢I will definitely｣ ｢kill you!｣

Having lost all the horns that a male Gallagon could take pride in, Odd Grad looked utterly pitiful. He watched as the horn in my hand crumbled into dust and began spewing waves of furious telepathy.

｢You, of all creatures!｣ ｢Never｣ ｢Never｣ ｢I will never forgive you!｣

Blinded by rage, he spread his wings wide and ascended into the sky.

‘Is he running away?’

I could feel his presence rapidly receding.

I quickly checked on the others’ battles. Unless the Gallagons observing us from afar decided to intervene, it didn’t seem like my friends would lose.

In fact, the situation was tilting more in our favour. Confident, I pursued Odd Grad.

As I flew up, my black mantle with red patterns billowing behind me, I sensed his energy.

‘What is he doing?’

A massive amount of energy was emanating from his body, similar to when he uses the 'Maelstrom' to create a localized psychic storm.

‘He knows that won’t work on me….’

As that thought crossed my mind, images rapidly flashed before my eyes.

In the Symbol of Hunt state, where my vision is obscured, the only time images appear is when one specific condition is met.

Predator Sense.

This ability, which synthesizes environmental factors to predict the future, was warning me. Thanks to the Symbols of Hunt’s effect, the future images provided by Predator Sense were much more detailed.

The immense energy gathering within Odd Grad wasn’t meant to create a psychic storm in the sky.

The sole purpose of that black dragon’s power was to annihilate me.

The energy, aligning with his will, began to concentrate and soon transformed into a familiar form. Red diamond-like energy, Dragon Power.

‘How is that possible?’

He’s an aged Black Gallagon, not a Red Gallagon. He’s not a special entity like Adhai.

Moreover, when I last observed him with Insight, he was definitely a Black Gallagon. This means something must have changed during our battle, but I can’t pinpoint what caused it.

‘Could it be because he drank my blood?’

My body contains a significant amount of the genetic essence of the White Gallagon. It’s possible that Odd Grad, by consuming my blood, absorbed some of that essence.

‘No, that’s not the main issue right now.’

The Dragon Power he created was much more unstable than Adhai's. While Dragon Power should manifest as a bright red, like a red diamond, Odd Grad's energy was closer to a reddish-purple.

That means it was mixed with psychic power.

And that impure fusion took the form of a massive beam aimed directly at my head.

｢Odd Grad’s attack has hit.｣

｢I am dead.｣

The last attack I saw through Predator Sense before it ended was a technique I recognized.

‘…Starflame.’

A technique similar to an orbital weapon's bombardment, and one of the Red Gallagon's signature moves.

‘But it's different in many ways.’

Since it’s an attack based on Dragon Power, it should be purely red, but the Starflame I saw through Predator Sense was closer to purple.

‘He’s on the brink of a transformation.’

I don't know why Odd Grad is suddenly on the verge of this growth, but his attack remains incomplete.

A true Red Gallagon’s Starflame would be unstoppable, but not yet.

I halted my advance towards him and began preparing a psychic breath.

‘I have to push back with maximum firepower.’

I needed to channel the full effect of the Symbol of Hunt and the energy I absorbed from Odd Grad just moments ago.

For the first time since the battle with the Imperial Mothership, my body reached its limit. I converted all my remaining energy into psychic power, leaving only the minimum necessary to keep myself intact.

Perhaps because I was holding more psychic power than I should, my black scales and carapace began to emit a faint purple glow. The parts of my body that held the most energy, like the monster tentacles, glowed a vivid purple, brighter than any heat ray.

｢Insignificant creature!｣ ｢Face judgment!｣

The moment I fully charged my psychic power, Odd Grad struck.

The reddish-purple sphere elongated into a thin cylindrical shape and descended upon my head. My senses were so heightened that it seemed to move slowly, though it was actually as fast as light.

Just before the deep violet ray could touch my body.

I unleashed all my power into a psychic breath. The beam I fired collided with the Starflame, creating a massive recoil that crushed down on me.

[Pain Nullification Activated]

‘No! I can endure this!’

As I suspected, his attack was incomplete. A proper Starflame would have overwhelmed me, reducing me to nothing.

Thanks to the Symbol effect, the thickness of my beam was on par with the Starflame. In fact, his imperfect Starflame was evenly matched with the psychic breath I was unleashing.

｢I am｣ ｢A being blessed by the stars!｣ ｢I will never｣ ｢be defeated!｣

Odd Grad knew he wasn’t overpowering me, so he kept pouring energy into the Starflame.

The output was nearly equal. The outcome would depend on who had more energy left.

And in this moment, he held a slight advantage over me, even with the Symbol of Hunt.

‘Grrr!’

The power struggle between us began to tilt in his favor. The intense heat from the Starflame started to burn my head carapace. Even with the Mimicry Scales, my carapace was slowly melting.

‘Just a little more…!’

Odd Grad's energy was dwindling, likely because this was his first time using Dragon Power. Despite the agony of my melting carapace and scales, I gritted my teeth and maintained focus.

Then, in the spot where my scales had melted, I felt a strange sensation. It was like tiny creatures crawling over me, but oddly, it wasn’t unpleasant. The feeling extended beyond my body, like fur blowing in the wind.

‘What?’

And it wasn’t just a sensation.

Within the molten carapace, wriggling, worm-like entities began to proliferate.

‘What is this?’

It was peculiar. Even amidst the pain from the struggle with Starflame, I was concerned about the changes happening in my body.

These worm-like sensations weren’t a natural growth or even physical matter. They were formed from incomprehensible energy, a mixture of psychic power and unknown energy. It was as if someone had refined chaos into delicate strands.

‘Refining chaos… Could it be?’

As soon as I became aware of the transformation in my body, the worm-like entities began to coalesce. They merged from fine, hair-like strands into tendrils as large as my own assimilation tentacles.

The newly formed tentacle cluster shot out with the speed of an arrow released from a bow. It surged towards Odd Grad, who was now the target.

｢?!｣

As the tentacle attack approached, Odd Grad must have read the future, because he quickly ceased the Starflame. The energy that had been burning me vanished instantly, and my psychic breath blew off one of his legs.

Despite his injury, Odd Grad tried to dodge the incoming energy tendrils. He evaded most of them, but one energy tentacle pierced through his tail. The tentacles that had achieved their purpose dissolved into the air.

｢Kraaaak!｣

For the first time, Odd Grad screamed. Even though he had only lost a tail, the pain was so intense that he could not properly emit his psychic waves.

‘No matter what, this is the chance.’

With my still-healthy wings fluttering, I flew towards him. Odd Grad, no longer in a state to maintain flight, began to slowly descend.

｢You!｣ ｢You!｣ ｢You!｣

The pain, hatred, and various resentments emanating from the black dragon seeped into me.

As I closed the distance, an additional emotion appeared in his psychic waves.

It was surely fear of death.

What could the black tyrant be seeing right now?

The sight of the Amorph approaching with its mouth open? Or perhaps the future shown by the precognitive abilities that had assisted him until now?

｢The great Odd Grad｣ ｢Will never｣ ｢Be defeated…｣

Odd Grad's psychic waves failed to continue to the end.

The headless black dragon’s corpse disappeared beneath the clouds.

[ZZ ZZZ ZZZ (Your future is over)]

With the sun at my back, I devoured Odd Grad’s head in one bite.