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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 331
The creature known as the ‘Starshark’, nicknamed the ‘Shark of the Universe’, is a subspecies of the Skywhale.
However, even though it is a subspecies, it is much weaker than the Apex-level Skywhale.
In terms of size, the Starshark doesn’t exceed 5 meters, which is a far cry from the Skywhale, whose body length averages well over several dozen meters. Similarly, its combat strength is much lower. If the Starshark were an Apex-level creature, it would have been impossible to tame it as a weapon.
There are also significant differences in appearance. The Skywhale resembles a whale with six wings and eight eyes, but the Starshark does not. It has transparent skin and two wings, resembling a swordfish.
Because of its transparent skin, the internal organs are clearly visible, and the bones even contain a glowing substance. From a distance, it seems as though fish bones are floating in the air.
These two creatures, so different in every aspect, do share one common trait: they both feed on energy.
Unlike ordinary organisms that obtain nutrients by eating organic matter, the Starshark lives by absorbing various types of energy.
However, unlike the Skywhale, the Starshark cannot convert the energy it consumes into photon cannon blasts. Instead, it stores the energy in its wings and uses it to move quickly. As a result, it is far more agile than the Skywhale.
Moreover, the Starshark has an important advantage that the cosmic whale does not.
It possesses a ‘pack mentality’, similar to Outspacers or Metallic Gremlins.
What this means is that the entire group follows the commands of the leader. This is the reason why the Eye of Revelation priesthood was able to tame the fierce cosmic sharks. By thoroughly training a single leader, they could easily control a large number of Starsharks.
And right now, hundreds of ghost-like fish are charging toward me in formation.
I prepared my enhanced Acidic Fungus Organ. A viscous liquid surged inside my throat, which branched out into three streams. Without hesitation, I unleashed it at the descending enemies.
Three deadly acidic rays split the air. The buildings blocking my path were torn in half by the rays.
The Starsharks quickly widened their distance. They skillfully avoided the heat rays and the falling debris from the buildings.
The priests, riding the 5-meter bio-fighters, ignored the chaos and aimed their material decomposition weapon, ‘Slayer’, at me. Hundreds of indigo energy pellets were fired toward me.
I spread my wings wide, shielding the others from the incoming shots. Every time the Slayer's energy bolts collided with me, chunks of my exoskeleton and scales vanished.
I briefly considered using the ‘Reflection’, which can reflect attacks, but decided to save it for when I face a higher-tier opponent.
Instead, I took the hits directly. The material-disintegrating attacks from Slayer caused significant damage, but it didn't matter. My regenerative abilities would handle the injuries.
‘After all, in order for it to be effective, I need to take some damage.’
After launching their first round of attacks, the priests attempted to circle back into the sky like a bird of prey after catching its meal.
At that moment, those I had protected with my wings dashed out.
The first to fly was Adhai, who plunged into the ranks of the priests.
｢Sky King｣｢Similar｣｢Die｣
"Ugh! Everyone, retreat...!"
She swung her wings, covered in ‘Red Armor’, toward the cosmic sharks. With the absolute defensive power of her wings and added speed, she essentially became a flying guillotine. Though not as durable as the Skywhale, the Starsharks, with their relatively tough skin, were cut through like paper.
Following closely behind Adhai, the Mother of the Sky appeared. She followed the retreating enemies closely, her wings flapping as particles of agate color spread through the air.
“Grrk?!”
“Snap!”
The ability she gained from ascending to a higher divine rank was the ability to manipulate pressure by emitting particles. The bodies of the priests hit by these particles crumpled like crushed paper.
The Starsharks, now without their pilots, were swiftly dealt with by the Mother of the Sky and Adhai.
“Priests! Switch to long-range firing formation!”
The leader of the group shouted loudly. With the exception of a few to delay us, the rest quickly withdrew outside of our attack range.
Behind the retreating enemies, I could see other warships approaching. The few battleships visible among the patrol ships suggested that all the nearby ships had converged here.
｢Bad humans!｣
Number 26, hiding inside the back shell of my head, also sensed the appearance of new enemies. It leapt out over the water, which filled the heart of the city.
As it fell, the disturbed surface of the water rippled slightly.
Then, a massive pink tentacle shot out of the water, slicing through the waves. These tentacles, reminiscent of octopus limbs except for their color, wrapped around the ruins of collapsed buildings and other structures.
Amidst the countless tentacles was a central body stretching dozens of meters in length. Its form resembled a sea monster that had crawled up from the deep ocean.
Dozens of eyes, scattered across its purple and pink body, glowed eerily.
Hundreds, even thousands, of these eyes emitted a chilling light as they gazed at the enemies. The immense psychic power flowing through Number 26’s now enormous body swelled like a balloon.
The Sea Demon’s unique technique, ‘The Fear of the Deep’, unfolded in the heart of the water fortress. Thanks to the Auxiliary Organs on each of its heads, the energy cluster was clearly visible in its many forms.
“A large amount of psychic power is gathering.”
｢…Could this be something Number 26 created?｣
｢Yes｣｢Little Adult｣｢Full power｣
The psychic illusion created by Number 26 was a massive 'me' that almost reached the end of the biodome. It was much more monstrous than the original, with countless eyes covering its body.
The Fear of the Deep showed terrifying illusions to multiple enemies, driving them insane. Even I found it frightening, so the priests must have been much worse off. The Starsharks, controlled by the priesthood, began to panic and break formation.
It was fortunate if they were just fleeing. Some of them, driven by confusion, began attacking their own masters or other sharks. The once orderly formation was immediately thrown into chaos.
But none of the pilots blamed them. They too were surely gripped by fear. If they hadn’t received intense training, they would have acted just like those beasts.
Those who didn’t lose their sanity avoided the crazed Starsharks and retreated to the rear. The warships quickly prepared for a barrage.
The priests aboard the Sea Sharks aimed their ‘Slayer’ weapons at Number 26 and me. The battleships and patrol vessels also turned their main guns toward our position.
As the short preparation time ended, weapons of all sizes began to fire.
A meteor shower of indigo and purple mixed energy shots filled the sky. I spread my wings wide and stood in front of Number 26.
The beautiful yet deadly barrage of light struck my entire body. The Slayer’s energy bolts turned my shell to dust, while the main guns of the battleships tore through the flesh and muscle beneath my broken exoskeleton.
｢Pain relief activated!｣
The familiar message popped up, but it was exactly what I had hoped for. My body was breaking apart faster than my regeneration could keep up with it.
｢Big Baby!｣
[ZZZZZ ZZZ (I’m fine, don’t worry)]
Currently, I possess a trait that increases my energy output and strength the more damage I take. It is a characteristic I gained from hunting Apex creatures on the planet where Adhai's group resides.
‘Tyrantoid.’
The fruit of that power had ripened.
The pain from being mercilessly torn apart no longer registered. The two hearts within my chest pumped viciously, producing an enormous amount of energy. With this sensation, I felt as though it wouldn’t matter if my limbs were completely torn off, leaving only my head and torso.
I felt the water rushing over my lower body shake. This wasn’t caused by Number 26 or other elements. The energy leaking from my body’s bio-pipes was what caused the water to tremble.
The heads filled with immense power began to move slowly.
If there were anyone who could see psychic power with their eyes,
I would now appear surrounded by a violet glow.
The moment the three heads swung their power, the sky shattered.
---
A dim warehouse.
The junk scattered on the floor had a slight layer of dust. Among it was an interstellar communication device, resembling a 1-meter tall obelisk.
The warehouse seemed like a place occasionaly visited by outsiders, but there was one peculiar feature.
The walls and ceiling were covered in strange, intricate patterns. The patterns themselves were unsettling, but what was truly bizarre was the color.
Sometimes purple, sometimes green, sometimes golden. All sorts of colors intertwined and shone.
The light from the patterns began to flow like waves.
The light moved sluggishly, like a swarm of ants crawling across the floor.
At the end of the scene lay a single sword.
As the light touched the blade, the warehouse darkened. The intricate patterns lost their glow, leaving only the disturbing murals on the walls.
In the darkness, Isabel, the cold-blooded woman of small stature, rose to her feet.
She had been watching the entire spectacle from beginning to end and now gripped the sword lying on the floor.
"...The preparations are complete."
To others, the sword was nothing more than a dusty blade, but to her eyes, it held a different meaning.
The ritual she had planned had succeeded. Now, she was like a grenade with the pin pulled any moment of hesitation would lead to an explosion.
The relief of having completed her goal, mixed with the fear of the uncertain future, created a complex emotion within her. Suddenly, the basement shook violently.
"What was that?"
With the sword at her waist, Isabel quickly rushed outside.
The first thing she saw outside was the warships flying through the sky of the biodome. The ships were heading toward the heart of the water fortress.
However, the purpose of these ships was completely different from what Isabel expected. The artificial waterfall, once a landmark of the fortress, had disappeared, and most of the surrounding skyscrapers were in ruins.
"Could it be?"
While she had been focused on the ritual in the basement, the Fortress of Water had turned into a battlefield.
It was clear who was responsible for this situation.
‘Foolish! I told you to leave!’
Now that the ritual had been completed, this city no, this planet could not escape destruction.
She had taken measures to leave in advance, but she hadn’t expected things to unfold like this.
‘For now, I need to...’
The slave quarters where Isabel resided were quite far from the central area, which had now turned into a warzone.
But no one knew when the fires of war would reach them. She had to evacuate the hidden cold-blooded slaves as quickly as possible.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Just as she was about to make a move, a voice called out from behind her, halting her. Isabel stiffened, recognizing the owner of the voice.
The last person she wanted to encounter right now was behind her.
"Our agreement... you haven’t forgotten, have you?"
The voice came from someone she had communicated with daily through the stone tablet, and Isabel hesitated.
She had prepared a trump card for situations like this, but there was a problem. If she used that card now, everything her sister had left behind would vanish without a trace.
"...I haven’t forgotten."
Eventually, Isabel decided to wait for the right moment.
"Good. I’m glad you have a good memory."
"...”
"Follow me. I think a little lesson for the reckless Amorph is in order."
"As you command."
She followed the words of the person behind her without resistance.
That person was a master of underhanded schemes, and despite the fortress now being a battlefield, their calm demeanor indicated that something else was at play.
‘I don’t know what they’re planning, but…’
This time, things wouldn’t go according to their plan.
Just before boarding the personal spacecraft, the sword hanging at her waist briefly flashed.
It was eerily similar to the light that had once filled the warehouse.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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