I Became an Evolving Space Monster - Chapter 17

—————

Chapter 17

Bears, lions, wolves.

These are carnivorous animals we easily encounter through the media. In the media, they are often portrayed as killing machines or as incarnations of unrelenting violence.

In reality, predators are not ruthless terminators but rather closer to cowards. This isn’t meant as an insult; their cautiousness, bordering on timidity, is what makes them true hunters.

As someone who enjoyed playing as Amorph, I had deeply ingrained the lessons that nature had taught me. No matter how powerful my abilities were. Even if I had more information at my disposal than anyone else.

‘Without caution, you’re useless.’

I remembered this fact as I scouted the enemies. Arnold’s heartbeat was steady. His earlier tension had clearly been an act. People would have likely analyzed me and taken action while others were dying.

While they might not know that I possessed enhanced abilities like a biometric radar, they did know that I had some kind of heightened sensory perception.

‘Quite impressive.’

I had deliberately killed the soldiers brutally to intimidate them, but it had no effect on Arnold. He emitted the scent of a seasoned hunter, unlike me, who had learned from nature. Who could be his mentor?

The plasma pistol fired again. The high-energy blob incinerated the spot where I had been just moments ago. I raced across the bridge with sturdy legs like a wild horse, contemplating how to attack the enemy.

‘First and foremost, the enemy’s biggest weakness is the location.’

This was the bridge command center, filled with sensitive electronic equipment. Although the plasma pistol might be considered a relatively weak plasma weapon, it was still a powerful weapon that could penetrate even thick alloy plating. One wrong shot, and it could trigger a catastrophe.

‘I didn’t originally plan to use this, but…’

Even in the future shown by the predator sense, Arnold pulled out the pistol just before he was about to die. He was aware that using the pistol inside the ship was not appropriate.

“Crisis Management officer! Remember that we’re in the command center!”

“Be careful not to hit any machinery!”

“…Understood.”

Captain Samuel and the other officers offered their advice, but Arnold seemed uninterested in holstering the pistol.

‘Fine. I guess it’s me before the ship, then?’

It seemed that, in his eyes, I had a higher priority than the safety of the ship. It was understandable. I was the only obstacle in his plan. Even if the ship was damaged, capturing me here would be more favorable.

However, despite having a powerful weapon, Arnold had disadvantages. At this point, his main duty was to protect the captain and the officers. He couldn’t go to C-08 alone, so some of them were essential for navigation.

‘He has many weaknesses, but…’

My situation wasn’t ideal either. This open space provided a good firing angle, and if it weren’t for computer-like cover, I might have been hit by the pistol earlier. Even now, whenever I tried to approach an officer or the captain, Arnold would restrain me with his pistol.

When I hid behind the computer, he stopped shooting.

“You little rat.”

Arnold cursed from a distance. It seemed like he was irritated or annoyed, but I could understand.

‘That’s a ruse.’

Arnold was hoping for a prolonged standoff. While he was keeping me in check, he used the communicator to call for the ship’s personnel.

“This is the bridge command center. The creature has attacked this location. All available personnel, gather here.”

‘I wonder if that’s how it will play out?’

The bear-like fox over there was using his formidable weapon to buy time. He wanted to capture me in this spot, but he definitely intended to leave the task of harming me to his soldiers.

Certainly, my movements had become passive due to that pistol of his, so his plan seemed to be working quite well.

‘Well, it’s amusing to be deceived like this.’

With this level of judgment, he would rank above average among Space Survival players. Those who only hunted gentle prey and suddenly encountered a wolf among them would undoubtedly be tense.

Since becoming a metamorph entity, this was the first crisis I had faced, and it was against a formidable adversary.

After a long time, I felt my fighting spirit rising.

‘I have to finish this before the reinforcements arrive…’

I moved away from the energy blob that had left the barrel and hid behind a machine. While pondering my escape plan, I noticed a fire extinguisher. Its appearance was different from Earth’s, but it emitted white smoke-like extinguishing agent, which was the same.

‘It might come in handy.’

I quickly retrieved the fire extinguisher and pulled out the safety pin with my small hand on my chest. At that moment, Arnold, holding the plasma pistol, appeared behind me. Before the pistol could fire, I activated the fire extinguisher first.

White extinguishing agent sprayed out from the hose, obscuring his vision.

“Ugh?! What a trick!”

Beyond the white mist, a green energy blob flew towards me. I dodged it by lying flat on the ground and, with my four combat arms and legs, began hexapodal locomotion.

Meanwhile, my small arm on my chest continued to disperse the contents of the fire extinguisher in all directions.

“Cough! Cough!”

“I can’t see anything!”

The command center, sealed off from the outside, was filled with extinguishing agent. Coughs from survivors could be heard here and there.

“You scum! Are your weapons just for show?”

“Sorry, I apologize!”

The soldiers who remained in the command center hastily drew laser pistols. However, given the limited visibility due to the extinguishing agent, their lasers posed no threat to me.

“Where is he?”

“Could it be? Darn it! Everyone, take the captain outside!”

Arnold shouted as if he had somewhat figured out my intentions. He probably thought I was targeting Captain Samuel. He was somewhat perceptive, but he chose the wrong answer. My target wasn’t the captain. In front of me was the head chef, who had fallen.

As my tail retracted the stinger stuck in his body, I silently withdrew. Just as a predator targets the throat of a herbivore, my teeth were embedded near his carotid artery. Human blood and flesh flowed into me, and the small organ in my throat reacted to it. Now I could mimic the head chef’s voice.

“He’s not over there! The captain is over here!”

“Huh?”

The enemies who couldn’t see ahead were bewildered by my voice. It was clear that the captain was nearby, but suddenly hearing someone else say otherwise would naturally cause confusion.

“Don’t be fooled! He’s employing disruptive tactics!”

“Yes, y-yes!”

Arnold urged the soldiers, but the chaos didn’t subside easily. They had also heard through the communication that Teams A and B were wiped out, but they probably didn’t expect themselves to be next.

While the enemies were in disarray, my hands were stained with the blood of another victim. His luxurious attire indicated that he was not an ordinary person. I shouted in his voice, “Don’t be fooled! He killed the officer!”

“What, the navigation officer?”

The voice belonged to the navigation officer, who ranked just below the captain in terms of hierarchy.

“He’s impersonating the officer’s voice!”

“This damned son of a bitch! Don’t believe him!”

“I’m the navigation officer! Trust me!”

“Darn it! You idiots! He’s the monster! Shoot him now!”

Arnold may not have realized it, but I could sense it. The hesitant soldiers’ muzzles were shifting back and forth between Arnold’s location and mine in the fog of uncertainty. In a space where you couldn’t see an inch ahead as if shrouded in mist, the soldiers were being tested for their trust.

On one side, they had their heavenly officer, on the other, a creature from the depths of space. What choice would they make?

“Ugh, aaargh! Damn it!”

One of the soldiers finally made up their mind. The muzzle of their laser pistol, held in suspicion, was aimed at the figure in the mist. A crimson flash cut through the extinguishing agent.

After a trajectory of light that human eyes couldn’t follow, the smell of burning flesh permeated the air.

“Aagh!”

Arnold let out a groan mixed with agony. The right shoulder area of his body had been charred by the laser. His hand holding the plasma pistol was limp, but it was enough damage without losing his entire arm.

‘It’s my chance.’

Targeting the soldier instead of him was a success in the jamming operation. In combat, having more personnel doesn’t necessarily mean an advantage. Out-of-sync allies are worse than enemies.

Instead of attacking me, he should have chosen to leave the situation room with the others.

His biggest mistake was starting the fight with the intention of killing me directly.

“Y-you bastard!”
He didn’t give up; instead, he clumsily gripped the pistol with his left hand.

It seemed like he was determined to resist until the end, even with his limbs damaged. His unwavering spirit was a true testament to a soldier, but unfortunately for him, he had chosen the wrong opponent.

Thanks to the ship’s ventilation system, the extinguishing agent gradually dispersed. I hid myself within the remaining white cover and made my move.

“Grr! Where are you?”

Perhaps because of his severe shoulder injury, he couldn’t aim properly, and the plasma round passed just by my side. It was a close call, but the intense heat left a long burn mark on my combat arm.

For a moment, the pain filled my mind to the point where I could scream, but I managed to hold it in.

There’s no time to hesitate. The enemy isn’t going to wait for me.

The vibration from the energy charging of Arnold’s plasma pistol, held in his hand, is detected.

Only a few seconds remained before that small harbinger would pronounce my death sentence.

Meanwhile, there was still some distance left for my tail to reach his body. That’s why I decided to play my final card.

Muscles in my back, where equivalent to a human’s trapezius would be, moved. A split opened up in that area, revealing a dark, massive something slowly emerging from within.

This was something I hadn’t summoned since becoming Amorph – my first acquired attribute since becoming a metamorph.

Two enormous wings unfurled, and in an instant, my body closed the remaining distance to him.
His face rapidly enlarged, and in his dilated pupils, he saw the image of Amorph with its wings spread, teeth bared.

In his reddish-brown irises, Emoph is reflected, showing its teeth.

With all my might, I thrust my tail, which had been hiding behind me, towards him.

The deadly plasma round in his hand roars, but it will never reach its target.

From behind, the plasma round loses its target and impacts against the alloy wall. It sounded like a salute to my victory.

With Arnold’s head firmly clamped in my mouth, I’ve got my meal for the day.

“Officer!”

One of the communication soldiers finally regained his senses and aimed a laser gun at me. I looked at him with Arnold’s head still in my mouth.

“…Grrr!”

I wish I could savor the meat, but I don’t have time. The auxiliary devices are warning me that the soldiers are closing in, so I’d better hurry.

It looks like I’ll have to postpone dinner for later.

I passed by the soldier. He stood there frozen like a deer in the headlights. Until I crawled into the ventilation duct, he couldn’t move at all.

—————