040

Ep. 40

In the world of space survival, there are over a thousand known non-playable species.

There are over hundreds of planets that players can explore, which may seem small in some ways, but compared to other online games, it can be said to be a relatively large number.

Each species in the game has unique habits tailored to its habitat. Because they are all created to reflect the habits of wild animals living in similar ecosystems, they feel like real creatures.

In the case of intelligent NPCs, players who enjoy the game with a motif from a specific culture can feel a high sense of realism.

However, since space survival is also a game, not everything is realistic and there are exceptions.

For example, Gallagon.

As it is inspired by a mythical dragon, Gallagon has many different habits from ordinary creatures.

Actions such as gathering various treasures or relics in a nest or destroying a city near the nest with powerful psychic power are far from the instincts of ordinary animals.

Among these heterogeneous characteristics of gallagons is their tenacious affection for their young and their own kind.

Rather than working independently, gallagons form groups similar to lions and stay together.

A gallagon herd usually includes one male and seven to eight female gallagons, and the weakest one, the Blue Gallagon, is protected by the entire herd.

These settings were implemented as Blue Gallagon's unique characteristics in the game.

It's about summoning your own people.

According to the setting, Gallagons' minds are connected to each other through their unique psychic power, so they can be called no matter how far away they are from their kin.

In the game, the setting is expressed as a summoning skill, allowing Blue Gallagon to summon a group of his compatriots at will.

Thanks to this, Blue Gallagon itself is very weak, but it is a very difficult prey because it has to be dealt with along with other Gallagons.

If you are a ranker-level player, you might say that it would be good to be able to easily catch the hard-to-find Gallagon, but the kin summoned by the Blue Gallagon are treated as summons, not official creatures, and cannot obtain items or characteristics.

'Actually, because of that, I pick more Green Gallagons or White Gallagons than Blue Gallagons.'

In Amorph, the summoning characteristic disappears from Green Gallagon, which is a fluid.

Of course, it is not an easy opponent, but it is much better than fighting other Gallagon hordes.

Anyway, according to the settings in the game, I am currently in very serious danger.

No matter how I look at it, the creature sleeping in front of me is Blue Gallagon.

'But it's a bit too small.'

The size of a Blue Gallagon is over 2m at best, but this one is so small that it barely exceeds 50cm.

If you don't know about the Gallagon race, it's small enough that you could mistake it for a Fairy Wing.

'No, let alone being mistaken, how did you catch this?'

If you were to capture me alive as a sub-adult, it would be an absolutely impossible goal.

'…There's something I don't know.'

Blue Gallagon is not a creature so easy that a single criminal can smuggle it in.

We won't know unless a force higher than Space Dog's cartel or Megacorp's Prime Capital helps.

'Someone is trying to destroy the special trade center.'

For the Gallagon group, it would not be difficult to destroy the T&C Special Trade Center here.

A place like a space fortress where multiple fleets are stationed can be defended, but the military power here is not particularly strong.

Although there is a defense fleet, it is not enough to stop the angry Gallagons.

I called Sander to get the lowdown.

"…Did you call me?"

"Do you know what this creature is?"

"Isn't it a Fairy Wing?"

I asked in the voice of the guy next door, but Sander didn't seem to know what the problem was.

'Gallagons are rare creatures, so you may not know about them.'

Even in games, only a small number of high-ranking players are encountered in person, and lower-ranking users are only encountered through screenshots or videos posted on the community.

Since this is reality, most people are probably unaware of Gallagon's existence.

"Who smuggled this creature?"

"Uh, is that Jade from what I remember? Her name was Jade Russell."

"Russell?"

"yes. "They said he was locked up in a detention center and escaped shortly after."

It's Russell. It feels familiar, like a last name I've heard before somewhere.

'ah.'

After thinking for a moment, I remembered where I had heard that last name.

'Arnold Russell.'

He is Sihyeon Eugene's confidant and was the head of the crisis management team on Yoosung's research ship.

Sihyeon Eugene, who fought me, had the characteristics of Gallagon's claws thanks to the transplantation of White Gallagon's genes.

Since she couldn't have raised Gallagon herself, it can be assumed that her forces know the location of Gallagon's habitat or nest.

In that case, it wouldn't be particularly difficult for her subordinate to sneak Gallagon in.

That means that the Noble Capital Eugene family's henchmen were trying to attack the city of the T&C family of the same class.

'It's a sight I've seen many times before.'

I've often encountered situations similar to this in games.

The most anticipated event by Megacorp players.

'civil war.'

By default, Megacorp is ruled by seven major families.

Five families belonging to Noble Capital and two families belonging to Prime Capital compete with each other to become the sole ruler, sometimes engaging in bloody battles involving force.

"Is there a festival in this city?"

"yes? "Are you talking about the board of directors?"

"Board of Directors?"

"yes. Prime Capital's directors will meet to decide on the next Megacorp CEO. As of today, there are 23 days left until the board meeting."

Listening to Sander, I had an idea.

The top leader of a megacorp is determined by election. When the five largest families of Noble Capital nominate candidates, the directors of the second largest families of Prime Capital vote.

In the game, Megacorp players try their best to become CEOs from their own faction because they gain enormous profits if their family becomes the CEO.

'Or, do something to prevent the other party from being a CEO candidate.'

Even in games, it's like real life.

Perhaps Sihyeon Eugene had his subordinates smuggle Gallagon in before the board meeting was announced. Afterwards, they probably tried to kill Gallagon in time for the board meeting.

The T&C family is also a rival to the Eugene family, so her actions are not particularly understandable.

'He's dead now anyway.'

The remaining time until the board meeting is the 23rd.

Jade, who is said to be missing, is probably hiding somewhere in the city to kill Blue Gallagon in time for the board meeting day.

His master is already dead, but it is still unknown whether the plan will be carried out.

'How do I do it?'

Putting it back like this is a problem, but eating it up is also a problem.

Gallagon's trait is highly desirable, but it takes timing. If it weren't for the board of directors, I would have run away to another planet right after eating, but that's not possible at this point.

As I was thinking like that, Blue Gallagon's tail, which was supposed to be frozen, twitched.

｢Baby, move.｣

[Zuzuzuz (I saw it too)] I

was quickly trying to close the freezer again when Gallagon opened his eyes.

'ah.'

Glowing purple eyes scanned the surroundings and stopped on my face. Then the guy started shaking.

'this.'

I quickly grabbed No. 26 and wrapped it.

｢Fear｣

Although I was young, I was still a Gallagon, so a powerful wave of psychic thoughts passed through my body.

I have psychic resistance, so I don't take damage from thought waves. Thanks to my protection, No. 26 was not particularly shocked.

"Huh, huh, huh…"

Unfortunately, Sander, who had no guardian, was hit by Gallagon's thought wave. He trembled as if he had been shocked by electricity and then fainted.

[Zuzuzu (Calm down)]

｢Black｣｢Darkness｣｢Fear｣｢Death｣

[Zuzuzu(I won't harm you)]

At my words, the guy stopped shooting thought waves.

It's not a lie. Because we can't kill him right away. If you're going to eat it, you should do it after you have a chance to get out of this city.

｢You｣｢Adult｣｢Trust｣｢Calm｣

Regardless of my inner feelings, I think he decided to trust me. Gallagon's Thought Wave sounded like an electric guitar just a moment ago, but now it has become as calm as a gentle wave.

'Adult?'

Even in the game, Gallagon only communicates through thought waves, so he communicates by conveying words or concepts. Looking at the words he said, it seems like he thinks I am the adult of the group.

'Is it because of this?'

The 'monster's tentacles' extending to the back of my head.

It looks exactly like White Gallagon's tentacles, except for the different parts.

'So, is it because of the monster's tentacles that conversation is possible?'

There are times in the game where Gallagon speaks to the player, but on the contrary, Gallagon cannot understand what the player is saying.

Normally it would be impossible for me to communicate with Gallagon, but it seems that conversation is now possible thanks to the monster's tentacles.

'Anyway, I think this guy thinks I'm White Gallagon.'

For now, I decided to take advantage of his illusion. I asked a question to the guy who was more stable than before.

[Zuzuzu zuzu zuzuzu (Why did you come here?)]

｢Me｣｢Mutant｣｢Hometown｣｢Exile｣

The guy said something unexpected.

'He was expelled because he was a mutant?'

As far as I know, there are mutations among Gallagons, but they are slightly different from mutations among normal creatures.

Among the Gallagons, mutants are monsters that have turned into grotesque creatures by consuming too much psychic power and are ostracized by their compatriots. It is easier to understand if you think of it as a corrupted evil dragon that often appears in mythology and other popular media.

'It doesn't look like a variant.'

Even though it is a Blue Gallagon, it is unlikely that it will consume too much psychic power. Considering that it is much smaller than its brethren, it appears that it was exiled because it was a mutant, as he said.

'Sihyeon's subordinate did something foolish.'

If this guy was exiled from his hometown, he wouldn't come even if he called his own people, so their plan would be nullified.

'Wait a minute, then you don't mind if I eat it?'

It may still have the trait of calling its own kind, but if it doesn't come when I call it, there's no reason for me not to eat it.

The guy must have noticed a change in my mood and quickly fired a thought wave.

｢I｣｢Survival｣｢You｣｣Promise｣｢Price｣｢Treasure｣

[Zuzuzzu zuzuzuzu zuzu (I will give you treasure in return if you save me?)]

For Aimorph, the treasure is genetic essence and no relic equipment is needed. When he showed signs that I was not trustworthy, he spoke again.

"I" "Memory" "Dragon's Nest" "You" "Guide" "Possible"

At those words, I lowered my tail to stab him.

'You know the dragon's nest?'

You don't need treasure, but the dragon's nest is different.

After I become a semi-adult, I must catch Gallagon.

This is a necessary condition to evolve into an adult and to obtain rare characteristics.

The Dragon's Nest is a place optimized for Gallagon gene farming because a group of Gallagons inhabit it.

'The information about the dragon's nest is high-level information.'

I considered two rewards.

As long as the risk of summoning my compatriot has disappeared, there is no big problem if I eat him.

Right now, I am lacking in supernatural abilities, so eating him is not necessarily a bad thing.

'Of course, there is no guarantee that the predation effect will be effective.'

Conversely, if you hold it without eating it, you can obtain information about the dragon's nest. I don't know how he knows, but Gallagon doesn't lie.

'What he said is true.'

He was waiting patiently, as if he was just leaving it up to my choice. There was no sign of resisting the sight or having any other thoughts.

'Kill me or not?'

My tail swung back and forth as if reflecting my mixed feelings.

After thinking about it for a few minutes, I made a decision.