When I opened my eyes, I saw a metal floor tinged with pale light. The faint smell of chemicals and explosives lingered in the air.
I knew where this was. The ship's bomb storage.
I tried to move my head, and felt a familiar softness against my neck. No. 26, shrunk to human size, was clinging to me.
Normally, she would have greeted me immediately upon waking, but she was quiet. I lifted my head slightly to look down at her.
Her round body slowly repeated cycles of contraction and relaxation. She showed no reaction to my movement-she must be deeply asleep.
'She really did use a lot of power.'
She had expended tremendous force to protect the cultists. Power so strong that Adhigh Orr, who was outside the planet, could sense it.
On top of that, she had caught me as I fell unconscious and carried me here. I knew how difficult it was to manipulate Psychic Power with such precision. No wonder she was exhausted.
'I have many questions, but I'll ask later.'
I gently stroked No. 26 with the tip of my snout. Even in her sleep, she seemed pleased, her round body spreading out comfortably.
'Hm?'
For a moment, I saw something inside her body. Within her pink form, there was a fist-sized black mass. When I stopped stroking to get a better look, the black object vanished instantly.
'Did I see that wrong?'
I examined her several more times, but saw nothing except smooth pink skin. No. 26 was sleeping peacefully without any problems.
I relaxed my neck and lay back down beside her.
'Come to think of it, how long was I unconscious?'
I'd been feeling faint pain throughout my body since waking. Judging by the lingering aftereffects of the feedback, I hadn't been out for long.
Fortunately, there was a way to check the exact time. I brought up the text box.
「Secreting restraint digestive core. Time remaining until natural digestion complete: 5 minutes.」
'Perfect timing.'
It was the [Gluttonous Bag] that had swallowed the Vortex One [Masquerade]. It had said digestion would take 2 hours after predation, and now only 5 minutes remained.
'I wonder what trait will emerge.'
I'd used [Symbol of the Hunt] before eating it. Unless my luck was terrible, the chances of gaining a trait were high.
Like most Apex creatures, Masquerade possessed numerous powerful traits. Multi-attribute composite attacks, extensive environmental manipulation techniques, and so on.
Moreover, many of Masquerade's traits were unique-grade. With good luck, I might even fulfill evolution conditions.
'The only dud would be [Demon Machine], I suppose.'
[Demon Machine], the common trait obtainable from all Vortex Ones. You needed Demon Machine to use Vortex One abilities.
Though it was an important trait, Demon Machine alone had no effect. Until acquiring another Vortex One trait, it was essentially useless.
Of course, assuming I'd gain a new Vortex One trait, it wasn't a bad investment. The problem was that I already had the Space Morph trait [Twisted Abomination], which used Demon Machine as material.
Some traits inherited the effects of their materials. Twisted Abomination might have inherited Demon Machine's function.
'I'll be able to confirm that this time.'
While I was thinking about what might emerge, the 5 minutes passed. The moment the bag finished all digestion and returned to normal, a new text box appeared.
「Predation effect activated! Successfully acquired {Crimson Plague Garden} Gene Essence.」
「Plundered 'Crimson Plague Garden' from 'Masquerade's' biological traits.」
「Would you like to apply 'Crimson Plague Garden'?」
'Oh?'
The text box displayed a trait I knew well. I'd obtained it exactly once in the game.
'I didn't expect this to come up.'
As the name 'Plague' suggested, it belonged to the infection type. Grade: Unique. This was the third unique trait I'd acquired through predation in this world.
And it was among the most powerful of unique-grade traits.
'Beyond powerful, it was very dangerous.'
Infection traits typically had a supportive nature. But Crimson Plague Garden was different. Despite its seemingly peaceful-sounding name, it was extremely aggressive and difficult to control even for the user itself.
'Not that I'm thinking of giving it up.'
I applied the trait. My body, having gained new Gene Essence, initiated mutation.
The inside of my right tail tingled. A new organ had taken root. The pincer at the tail's end also grew larger and heavier. When closed, it looked like I was carrying a hammer or mace.
Short, thick bio-pipes grew inside the pincer. These were organs that would activate when using the trait.
It was itchy.
With that, the mutation ended. I kept the transformed pincer docilely closed.
This wasn't a good place to experiment with the trait as usual. Using it here would cause a catastrophe.
This trait was the result of transforming Masquerade's [Performance] into AMorph style. When activated, it released unknown bacteria called {Crimson Plague Bacteria} that devoured the surrounding environment.
The plague bacteria contaminated and consumed everything. It didn't distinguish between enemy or ally, living or not. Even things like nests or human-faced beasts were included as prey.
The only existence safe atop the Crimson Plague Garden was the one who spread the plague bacteria-the AMorph itself.
Energy gained as the plague bacteria fed was transmitted to the AMorph. While in contact with the garden, I could rapidly heal wounds or spam energy-intensive techniques.
Even if the AMorph left the garden, the plague bacteria continued accumulating energy without discarding it.
'And when it reaches its limit, it self-destructs.'
The power was similar to Star Union's gamma-grade antimatter bombs, but it also scattered lethal contaminants beyond the blast radius. Areas hit by the fallout became barren wastelands where life couldn't survive. Restoring them required considerable cost and time.
Thus, {Crimson Plague Garden} was an extremely exclusive trait. I couldn't use it unless I was alone and separated from others.
In the game it might be fine, but in this world where I operated with the others, it was a significant drawback.
Yet I had reasons for taking the trait anyway. I thought I could eliminate its restrictions.
Two methods came to mind immediately. One was using the Space Morph type trait [Great Infector].
「Great Infector: You are one yet many. You can select up to 3 traits from infection and nest enhancement types to grant special effects.
* Mental Contamination enhancement: Gremlin Moss, Unset, Unset. (omitted)」
'If I designate it with Great Infector, the trait effect changes, so the weakness might disappear.'
In the case of {Gremlin Moss} I'd set earlier, it was originally just a trait that broke machines on contact. It had become a trait that autonomously sought out important machinery and could collapse giant facilities.
'Crimson Plague Garden could be strengthened just as much.'
It could change to not attack allies, or become something I could directly control.
'Or...'
The second method was utilizing an ability I'd acquired relatively recently.
With [Faceless Apostle], the Space Morph type had advanced to the next stage. As with stages 1 and 2, new rewards appeared this time too.
「Stage 3 Reward—
Trinity Crucible: Combines 1 Formidable Enemy's Mark trait and 1 Unique trait to convert into a Space Morph trait.
* P.S.: You have taken the first step toward breaking the system.」
Space Morph type Stage 3 reward [Trinity Crucible].
A system that used unique traits and Formidable Enemy's Mark traits-which couldn't be synthesized or modified-as materials.
The {Boundary Dweller} I'd used on Jax-01 was also a product created by [Trinity Crucible]. I'd made it by combining the environmental adaptation unique trait {Medusa Organ} with the Formidable Enemy's Mark trait [Form Dominator].
'Both traits had become much less useful than before.'
I'd used them as materials partly to experiment with Trinity Crucible.
The resulting {Boundary Dweller} was similar to yet different from its materials. I turned my gaze to the beings visible beyond the text box.
Translucent creatures resembling eels and moray eels floated peacefully in the air. These were 'Boundary Beasts' generated by Boundary Dweller's effect.
Their appearance closely resembled the Gorgon Swarm, the former owner of Medusa Organ.
'The fact that their behavior changes according to other creatures' perception must be Form Dominator's influence.'
Thus, traits created by Trinity Crucible partially reflected the unique characteristics of their materials. If I used a [Formidable Enemy's Mark] trait with synergy with {Crimson Plague Garden}, I could offset its weaknesses.
'However, the remaining Formidable Enemy's Marks all have their uses.'
{Terramorph}, which turned completed nests into living celestial bodies, and {Hydra Division}, an ability that created clones based on my heads. I frequently used the former when moving as a group, the latter when fighting formidable enemies.
{Starlight Coordinates} and [Plunderer's Amorphous Polyhedron], which had performed brilliantly this time, I mainly used as trump cards.
'At least I haven't been using {Abyssal Hue} much lately...'
{Abyssal Hue} was a trait that granted 'color' to Psychic Power techniques, enhancing their power. If combined with the already sufficiently destructive {Crimson Plague Garden}, it would produce a trait extremely biased toward offense. It didn't seem like it would help eliminate weaknesses.
'In terms of compatibility, Terramorph is the best option.'
While I was pondering over the text box, the auxiliary organs under my jaw detected movement. The others must have noticed I'd awakened.
The storage door opened, and a four-legged beast resembling a lion mask and Adhigh Orr entered.
「Great Adult」 「Sleepyhead」 「I thought you'd be getting up soon.」
Following Adhigh Orr's teasing, the four-legged beast transmitted a familiar thought-wave. It was Sky Mother, transformed into the support-type phantom beast Barong.
'It's been a while since I've seen Barong.'
Though smaller than a griffin, the platinum fur covering its entire body made it appear larger. The long, fine fur hung down so much it dragged on the floor.
The only part not covered in fur was the head. The lion head, depicted in ritualistic form, was red like blazing flames.
From the large muzzle occupying half the head, fangs crafted from jewels protruded. The amber-colored eyes and star-like shining fangs illuminated the storage's darkness.
'She transformed to protect the cultists.'
Barong was completely immune to all attacks affecting the mind. In phantom beast form, she could share this ability with allies within a certain range.
Currently, there were other cultists on this ship besides me. To protect them from my energy field that induced madness, Barong's protection was necessary.
「We escaped from Jax-01 while you were unconscious. Everyone's safe, including you..」
[Zzzzz Zzzzzz (Good work. What about the Grand Leader?)]
「PS-111 adjusted her body so she can't move. Additionally, Angel Spiders have laid a surveillance network and are monitoring..」
[Zzz (I see)]
「None of the cultists were seriously injured, but everyone was quite exhausted. I had most of them rest, leaving only a few..」
「Herd」 「Resting」 「I」 「Alone」 「Enemy」 「Watched」
[Z (Really?)]
Adhigh Orr raised her neck high, looking proud.
「As you know, we're still in Star Union territory. Pursuit teams might follow, so Adhigh Orr and the White Gallagon are taking turns on patrol.」
With PS-111 at the controls, the chances of being caught by enemies were extremely low.
'Still, being careful can't hurt.'
[Zz Zz (I'll help too)] 「Great Adult」 「Digestion」「Finished?」
At my words about joining the patrol, Adhigh Orr approached me. She circled around, examining me thoroughly.
「This」 「Original」 「Form?」
[Z Zzzzzz Zzzzzz Zzzzzz (Yes. I'll be in this form for a while)]
「Body」 「Long」 「Slender」 「Scales」 「Hard」 「Balanced」 「Tail」 「Thick」 「Wings」 「Horns」 「Big」 「Proportions」 「Optimal」
'Hm?'
She suddenly poured out thought-waves like rapid fire.
「Appearance」 「Excellent!」
「You like that?」
「Male」 「Charm」 「Abundant」 「Physique」 「Preference」 「Very」 「Good!」
Adhigh Orr vigorously wagged her tail and hopped in place. Anyone could see she was pleased.
Γ...Sha Belmarg, who married Nel Germa, was also quite lean.」
[Zz Zz Zzzz Zz Zzzz Zzzz (So your ideal type is males with large but lean builds)]
「Interesting information.」
Just then, an unfamiliar voice flowed from the speaker installed in the storage.
「Gallagon reproductive culture has been barely researched. Please explain 'Little Adult's' preferences in detail.」
「Sister! Stop getting distracted and focus on ship control!」
'Is that PS-111?'
Perhaps because her body was remade, PS-111's voice sounded much younger than before. Her sister Isabelle's voice had also changed subtly.
Still, the sisters' bickering was exactly as I remembered.
"It's been a while. PS-111."
「Pleased to meet you. 'AMorph'. Your physical form differs from before. How many evolutions have you undergone?」
"Once while you were gone. No, should I say twice?"
「That is also interesting. I require advice regarding physical improvement.」
"Sure. Let's talk once we're outside Star Union."
「I request this.J
With that, the red light on the speaker went out.
[Zz Zzzzzz (Both still the same)]
「Right? It's amazing they get along so well after going through all that.J
[Zz Zz Zzzzzzz Zzzzzz Zzzz (Well, isn't it normal to grow closer instead?)]
「Hm?」
[Zzzzzzz Zz Zzzz Zzzzzz (Since the effort to resurrect her succeeded)]
「Ah, well, um. Right?」
Sky Mother stopped mid-sentence and rolled her eyes around.
「Come to think of it, you haven't seen what they look like yet.」
[Zz Zzzz (What do you mean?)]
「It's hard to explain in words. See for yourself.」
「Great Adult」 「Patrol」 「Together」 「Let's go」 「Quickly」
As I was about to ask why she was being evasive, Adhigh Orr climbed onto my head. She bounced around on my back, urging me to go out quickly.
'PS-111 also said she needed advice, so did she change similarly to me?'
That was possible. Sky Mother didn't particularly like AMorph's appearance.
I was curious about how she'd changed, but it wasn't urgent. I decided to check later and opened the storage door.
「After」 「Patrol」 「Only」 「I」 「Great Adult」 「Two」「Together」 [Zzzz (Shall we?)] 「Of course」 「Kin」 「Want to」 「Show off」
Even on the way out of the ship, Adhigh Orr remained excited. A world of difference from how she'd treated me when digestion wasn't finished.
'Well, her honesty is part of her charm.'
Her affectionate behavior was cute too.
Thus we spent time together, swimming through the space near the ship.
---
Something had changed after obtaining Faceless Apostle. I no longer dreamed when I slept.
Was it because Bumho had been expelled from me? Or because the 'Information Unit' that contacted me through visions had fallen silent? I didn't know the reason.
In any case, after dreams disappeared, I could no longer sleep as deeply as before. AMorph's characteristically developed senses interfered with sound sleep.
Unless in a safe place like a nest, I woke quickly at the slightest stimulus. Like now.
Detecting minute movement near my neck, I opened my eyes. I saw Adhigh Orr, curled up and sleeping by my head.
'Did the ship shake?'
I was about to close my eyes again when something felt off. No. 26, who had been sleeping pressed against my neck, had disappeared.
I raised my head and looked around.
[Zz (No. 26?)]
「Big Baby.」
"Gurgle."
She was huddled near a nearby wall. But her appearance was strange.
「My stomach feels bad...J
"Gurrgle."
The color of her skin, originally pink, changed chaotically. Her spherical body couldn't maintain its form and fluctuated unstably. As if something was trying to burst out from inside.
Before I could react, No. 26 exploded. No, she changed so rapidly it could be mistaken for an explosion.
'...This is?'
"Kugh."
「Phew. I feel better now!」
The transformation ended in an instant. The result completely exceeded my expectations.
She had gained a face. A woman's face formed from numerous intertwined tentacles.
「I feel so much better now!」
Number 26 radiated waves of joy.
It seemed completely unaware of what changes had occurred to itself. Its appearance had changed drastically from before-so much so that it was hard to consider it a Sea Demon anymore.
New bundles of tentacles had appeared on its smooth, flawless body. Unlike the tentacles it used as limbs, these were smaller and had a more complex structure.
The new tentacle bundles moved ceaselessly across its pink skin. Like waves drawing pictures on the water's surface, the movement of the tentacle bundles created unique forms.
Specifically, the face of a human woman. Or more precisely, the face of a humanoid creature. The form changed according to the movement of the tentacles.
The image that had been a woman's face with closed eyes just moments ago had now changed to that of a Cult member. The Cult face soon became a cyborg face with a metallic texture.
Aside from the closed eyes and feminine features, each form was completely different. As if swapping out faces.
'Wait. Swapping faces?'
Coincidentally, I had fought an enemy similar to this just yesterday. A demon that wore stolen faces on its body-the 'Masquerade.'
According to Hasa Zahr, Number 26 had dealt with a group of clowns targeting the cult. Perhaps in that process, it had absorbed the massive amount of energy the clowns had collected.
'Even so, it's changed way too much.'
While it was true that the creature had undergone several transformations before, it had rarely changed this drastically. At most, it had gained new tentacles or grown into an adult Sea Demon.
The only time it had undergone such a major change was when it ate the flesh of the 'Ring of Agony.'
Then had Vortex One catalyzed the transformation? I couldn't rule it out completely. Vortex One was an existence full of secrets, after all.
'But Adhai, who ate it together, didn't change.'
I glanced at Adhai sleeping peacefully beside me. Aside from being small, there was no significant difference from a typical Red Gallagon.
Vortex One's energy had only aided growth; it wasn't the key factor that triggered the transformation. There must be another cause.
'Or could it be because of the Ranker?'
In the past, I had encountered a Cult Ranker at SpaceDog's space fortress. Adhai and Number 26 had killed her, but neither of them gained any special benefits.
So I had assumed that non-player entities gained nothing from killing Rankers.
'But that wasn't actually the case.'
The one who directly killed Cynthia was probably Number 26. That act had fundamentally changed the creature-into an existence harboring the possibility of transcending the limits of its species.
「I'm going back to sleep with Big One!」
Fins sprouted beside the face positioned on its body. The elongated fins hung down like hair, spreading across the floor.
「Huh?」
Number 26, which had been approaching me, stopped upon seeing the fins.
「This is weird. The shape changed.」
Belatedly recognizing the transformation, Number 26 examined its own body.
The face made of tentacles moved, and expressions appeared. The part representing the mouth opened wide, or the area around the closed eyes trembled, and so on.
'Are emotions being projected?'
「These are scary faces...」
The creature's expression rapidly deteriorated. Its pink skin turned pale, and the faces being cycled through became increasingly menacing.
「Bad faces that bully the cult! Don't like them! Bad! Hate them!」
*Kikikiki, shiii, taaaa. Shiiieeee.*
It wasn't just the expressions that were changing negatively. A tremendous amount of psychic power boiled up from its small body.
The metal walls of the storage bay made sharp bursting sounds as they were affected by Number 26's psychic power.
All the generated energy flowed into its closed eyes. The area around Number 26's eyes was dyed a vivid purple, as if eyeliner had been drawn.
The atmosphere was ominous. I tried to calm it down quickly, but the two eyes filled with psychic power opened.
Where the tentacles acting as eyelids had disappeared, there were hundreds of pupils. It looked as if the phantom eyeballs created by 'Terror of the Deep' had been packed in.
And from the pupils, purple threads flowed out, drawing the form of a complex mandala in the air.
'That's definitely... Oh no!'
[Zzz! (Gruk!)]
A sudden ominous energy struck. I didn't hesitate and ducked my head.
Immediately after, the purple mandala shot out like a bullet, piercing through my head carapace. The mandala didn't stop there and flew through the storage bay wall.
「Warning. Hull damage detected. Hull damage detected.」
Following the distant explosion, the storage bay's speakers blared noisy warning sounds.
'Cynthia's trait?'
The Cult Ranker Cynthia had created an extremely powerful barrier when fighting me. The surface of that barrier had been decorated with geometric patterns-just like the mandala Number 26 had created now.
The difference was that Number 26 used the mandala very offensively. Unlike Cynthia, who had only used it defensively, the creature generated the barrier in a small form and shot it like a bullet.
Judging by how it pierced through my head carapace in one shot, the effect was nearly identical. In terms of versatility, Number 26 could be said to surpass the original.
'...No. This isn't the time to leisurely make comparisons.'
If I left the creature like this, the ship would be in danger.
Besides us, dozens of cult members were aboard this vessel. The ship was their lifeline.
Number 26 cared about the cult members. If they got hurt, it would be deeply wounded. I needed to calm it down before the situation worsened.
I extended my wing-arms and embraced the creature.
[Zzzz zzzzzz (Calm down. It's okay)]
"Gaeae, kiiiii."
The moment I held it, the creature's gaze fixed on my head. If it shot the mandala again like this, I'd lose my head, but I didn't back away.
As I continued to stroke it, the mandala forming in the air gradually disappeared.
[Zz zzzzzz (Feeling better?)]
「Yeah...」
Number 26, barely calmed down, answered dejectedly. Regardless of being calmed, it wasn't in a good mood-all the cycling faces looked tearful.
「The scary faces bullied my friends and bullied Big One too. They're bad villains. My friends will hate me....
[ZZZZ ZZZZZZZZ zzzz (That will absolutely never happen, so don't worry)]
「Really? Big One doesn't hate me either?」
[ZZZZZZ ZZ Z ZZZzzz zzzz (I can say with certainty that I'll never hate you)]
As I spoke, I brought my head close to Number 26.
[Zzzzzz zzzzzz (If you're curious, check for yourself)]
The creature hesitated for a moment, then extended the tentacle it used for communion. The slender tentacle soon touched the auxiliary organ beneath my jaw.
Instantly, a sense of despair like falling off a cliff struck me. As I resonated with Number 26, the creature's emotions flooded into me.
But the sadness didn't last long. Similarly, the creature could feel my emotions too.
Like pouring water into an empty cup, relief and happiness filled up. Its pale skin regained vitality.
[Zz zzzz zzzz (See? I was right)]
「Wow!」
"Gaaa, aaaaa."
A smile appeared on the face sculpted from tentacle bundles. Happy laughter flowed from its wide-open mouth.
The joy the creature felt was immediately transmitted to me. Waves of pleasure circulated slowly, gradually elevating our moods.
It had become more skilled than when we had communed before. So much so that my neck relaxed and my mouth opened without me realizing it.
Just as I was about to become intoxicated by the sweet pleasure, I felt a strange sense of incongruity. Like biting into a fishbone while eating fish.
Forcing my closing eyes open, I saw Adhai sleeping curled up. I flinched in surprise when I saw the creature's eyes.
Gallagons don't have eyelids, so they don't close their eyes even while sleeping. Having its eyes open wasn't strange.
Yet I was surprised because the creature's gaze was different from usual.
Its amethyst-like eyes glinted coldly. Like the eyes of a predator hiding in darkness, waiting for the right moment. The killing intent was so intense that even I, who had hunted countless enemies, flinched for a moment.
Startled, I immediately stopped the communion. The happiness that had been caressing my entire body disappeared, and the cold, hard sensation of the metal floor filled the void.
「Big One?」
[Zzzzzz (Just a moment)]
Setting aside the bewildered Number 26 for a moment, I looked at Adhai.
The creature's eyes had already returned to their sleeping appearance. The ferocious gaze I had just seen was nowhere to be found.
'Did I see it wrong?'
As I tried to examine more closely, the storage bay door opened. Short metallic sounds repeated, and an alien presence approached me.
"Unidentified energy that destroyed the ship's interior has been confirmed to have been fired from here."
"Amorph, are you okay? Did you happen to see who attacked?"
The beings visiting the storage bay were PS-111 and Isabel. However, the appearance of the 'two' standing under the emergency lights was very different from what I had expected.
A thick body covered with metal plates and various mechanical devices, with two long necks attached to the front. At the end of the necks made of intertwined bio-pipes and hoses were identically shaped female heads.
On the sides of the body were four pairs of large legs made by weaving together android body parts.
Simply put, a metal spider with two human faces.
'Now I understand why the Mother of the Sky kept silent.'
Who would have thought PS-111 would be resurrected in this way? Even if she had told the truth it would have been hard to believe.
"Amorph?"
[Zzzzzz Zzzzzz Zzz Zzz Zzzzz (You hated separating so much that you finally became one.)]
"That is correct. My younger sibling and I have been permanently fused."
"There was a blueprint that my sister made when she treated me before. A method to fuse multiple Screamers into one."
"It's a difficult method because you have to maintain self-awareness while sharing control. But as you can see, my younger sibling succeeded splendidly."
"...Though I need to improve my patching skills a bit more."
[Zz (I see)]
Two minds in one body. From my perspective with three heads, it sounded more familiar than strange.
[Zzzz Zzzzzzzz Zzzzzzzzzz Zzz Zz Zz (I'm curious about how it works. It seems like it could be quite helpful to me too.)]
"I also have questions about upgrades."
"Both of you can talk about that later. Let's find the enemy that attacked the ship first."
「Kiii, here, enemy?」
"Yes. An unidentified enemy..."
Number 26, which had been nestled in my wing-arms, peeked out after hearing Isabel's words. Isabel, seeing the creature, stopped mid-sentence and closed her mouth.
"...."
"Unidentified biological species detected. Energy wave data matches 'Main Controller'."
Unlike her younger sibling, who was confused by Number 26's drastically changed appearance, PS-111 recognized Number 26 immediately.
"Pleased to see you, Main Controller."
「Hello. Friend.」
"The stored memory data differs greatly from the actual appearance. Has Main Controller also evolved?"
「Yes. Ate bad faces. Very angry that faces appeared! But Big One said it's good. Very happy!」
"Physical transformation through predation. Another subject to research has increased."
"Amorph, what's going on here?"
The Screamer sisters' gazes focused on me. I explained all the changes that had occurred to Number 26 and the hypothesis I had formed.
"So your hypothesis is that non-player entities can also obtain traits?"
"Well, yes. More precisely, it's closer to a creature that acquired a Ranker's power being upgraded into a better existence."
"Definitely. I looked with 'Eye of Myriad Forms,' and Number 26 is different from ordinary Rankers."
"Different from ordinary creatures too."
I spoke while stroking Number 26. During my explanation, the creature had been dozing in my arms. It seemed very tired from not sleeping properly. When I patted it, it fell asleep quickly.
"Anyway, the attack on the ship was Number 26's mistake. There's no intruder."
"That's a relief. We're just about to leave Star Union territory-it would have been a disaster if there had been an intruder."
"Now that we've confirmed the details, I will inspect the ship's condition again."
Isabel and PS-111 walked their single body toward the storage bay's terminal. Their movement was as natural as if they had always been one body.
'Is it because they're twins after all?'
"Wait, is this for real?"
"Calculation error detected. Will verify again."
As I watched them with such thoughts, the two approached me again.
"There is a problem."
"...Number 26's attack penetrated the FTL engine."
"What?"
"Earlier, we estimated the unknown energy as psychic power. We judged that the engine could withstand psychic attacks because Black Silver is included among the engine's materials."
"But the attack Number 26 fired isn't based on psychic power. The engine damage is more severe than we thought."
"We will attempt repairs to the best of our ability, but it is estimated that the limit will be reached after four or more jumps."
To summarize what the two said:
"So you're saying we can't reach our destination with this ship?"
"Yes."
"Absolutely not."
To get from here to the Gallagon's home, 'White Stone,' we needed to make at least dozens more jumps. Making three or four jumps would be meaningless.
'We need a new ship.'
It seemed this journey home would take longer than expected.