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[Proofreader – Draxx]

Chapter 226

The conversation with Ham Ort continued for quite a while.

It was because she knew more about Odd Grad than expected.

‘It’s natural since she was his mate for so long?’

Anyway, the information I got from her could be summarized into two key points.

‘A ring that manipulates emotions and foresight.’

She mentioned that Odd Grad carries a mysterious ring with him. She couldn’t recall exactly when he obtained it, but it was certain that he acquired it after becoming the leader.

It was also because of that ring that Ham Ort was slow to realize Odd Grad was changing in strange ways.

‘Gallagons can\'t lie.’

Due to their nature of communicating through emotional waves, the concept of lying doesn’t exist for them. While they can pass on incorrect information due to misunderstanding or ignorance, they cannot lie intentionally.

Therefore, Gallagons inherently trust their fellow clan members.

Ham Ort said she initially didn’t notice anything strange about him. Even though he had become more violent, she thought it was due to the burden of leading the clan.

But that wasn’t the case.

She accidentally witnessed Odd Grad killing a fellow Gallagon.

The victim was Odd Grad’s first mate and the oldest female White Gallagon in the clan. Odd Grad mercilessly disposed of the one he had been with the longest.

Before dying, the old mate severed her tail, causing the ring she wore on it to fall off briefly. Ham Ort, who had been secretly observing, caught a glimpse of her emotions the moment the ring fell off.

He was not in his right mind, overwhelmed with unknown rage and desperation. The splendid black dragon she once knew was gone, leaving only a mad tyrant behind.

After having the ring placed on his front paw due to his tail being severed, he calmly lied to the clan the next day. He claimed that the old White Gallagon had been killed in a Skywhale attack.

‘A ring that distorts emotions, huh?’

It’s not an item that exists in the game. What would be the point of a ring that hides one\'s emotions?

Moreover, it’s hardly useful for beings like Gallagons, for whom emotional expression is crucial. Such a tool would be unnecessary for Gallagons who deeply trust their kin.

‘Except for those who can read the future.’

Based on Adhai’s case, to grow beyond a White Gallagon, one must consume another White Gallagon.

Thus, the process of evolving from a White Gallagon to the next stage naturally leads to combat with the clan leader or war with another clan. A White Gallagon that survives the war becomes a Black Gallagon and competes for leadership or forms a new clan.

That’s the life cycle of a Gallagon.

In fact, the growth process of Gallagons wasn’t clearly explained in the game. It was only after coming to this planet and witnessing Adhai’s transformation firsthand that I understood it for sure.

‘Since he can see far into the future, he must have foreseen the leadership competition too.’

There were no other Gallagon clans on this planet besides Odd Grad’s. The only way for a White Gallagon to grow was to kill the leader.

‘It’s impossible for a regular White Gallagon to defeat a Black Gallagon.’

Only those capable of becoming a Red Gallagon can defeat a Black Gallagon.

‘He used his foresight to eliminate any threats to his position in advance.’

In reality, he has been periodically killing hatchlings and abandoning eggs outside the nest. He claims it’s to reduce the number of weak individuals, citing the clan’s hunger as the reason. This might also be why Adhai was cast out.

‘Without the ring, he couldn’t have done this much.’

What would happen if the other clan members found out that he killed his kin just to survive? What if it were a mother who lost her child because of him, like Ham Ort?

‘She would never forgive him.’

At this point, the ring is the only thing that solidifies his control over the clan. If the ring disappears, the collapse of his clan is only a matter of time.

‘That’s enough about the ring.’

Next is foresight. During the conversation, I was able to gather some interesting information about his ability.

Odd Grad always sleeps before making any important decisions for the clan. When he wakes up, he immediately makes a decision, so none of his mates are unaware of this.

‘Is sleep a catalyst that triggers the ability to foresee the distant future?’

It’s unclear whether sleep is the exact means by which the ability is activated, but it can be generally assumed that foresight is only possible when the body is in a stable state.

‘He can’t see far into the future when he’s not at rest.’

Even if he acts on a future he sees in a dream, he won’t know how that future might change along the way. Naturally, he will try to move in a way that avoids the foreseen future, but to be certain, he would need to re-observe the future.

For instance, let’s say I foresee a future where I die by being hit by a car.

I would move far away from the road to avoid the car, but if a building next to the sidewalk suddenly collapses, I wouldn’t be able to avoid death. To prevent this, I would need to re-observe the future where I die under the building after avoiding the car.

‘Simply put, I just need to succeed in luring him.’

This means he won’t be able to see the future while fighting with me.

‘To lure him in, I’d have to weaken myself.’

It’s not impossible, but it’s certainly not an easy task. There are plenty of dangerous variables as well.

‘…I need to steel myself.’

With my thoughts quickly organized, I asked Ham Ort another question.

[ZZ ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZ (Was there anything strange when you fought him?)]

｢Didn’t｣ ｢understand｣ ｢Explain｣ ｢In detail｣

[ZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZ ZZZZZ ZZZ (Like it dodging your attacks as if he knew what you were going to do in advance?)]

｢Completely｣ ｢Overpowered｣ ｢Impossible｣ ｢To threaten｣

[ZZZ (I see.)]

In fact, just blocking his ability to foresee the distant future is a significant gain. Just like with ‘Predator’s Sense,’ while it helps in mitigating immediate dangers, it doesn’t change the structure of the dangers themselves.

‘I’ll have to verify the rest by confronting it directly.’

[ZZZZ ZZZ (One last thing)]

｢Ask away｣

[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZ (This isn’t a question.)]

｢?｣

There’s one last thing I need to confirm before I proceed with my plan.

[ZZZZ ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZZ (I’ll use any means necessary to kill Odd Grad.)]

｢Agreed｣

[ZZZ ZZZZ (Would you stake your life on it?)]

｢Daughter of the meteor｣ ｢For the sake of saving our kin｣ ｢Decided｣ ｢Life｣ ｢Doesn’t matter｣

Her response was immediate. There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in her emotional waves.

Given her answer now and our conversation so far, she seemed to possess a strong sense of camaraderie, even among the Gallagons.

‘She’s not the kind to easily abandon her offspring.’

Though I’m not a Gallagon, I could clearly understand the feelings she harboured toward Adhai. While her attitude towards her daughter might be ambiguous, she wasn’t cold-blooded enough to kill her just because she was born with a weak body.

‘It seems there’s more to the story.’

That’s something I don’t need to delve into. It’s a matter for Adhai and her to resolve between themselves.

‘I’ve checked everything I needed to.’

[ZZZ ZZ ZZZ Z ZZZZ ZZZ (That’s all I wanted to ask. Go in and rest.)]

Ham Ort nodded at me and turned away. Before entering the nest, she looked once more in the direction where Adhai had disappeared.

The others hadn’t returned yet. She stood for a moment, gazing beyond the forest, before entering the nest.

[ZZ ZZZZ ZZZ (Could you pack me a few pieces of food?)]

｢Got it.｣

[ZZZ ZZZZ ZZ ZZ ZZ ZZZZ ZZZZ (And while you’re at it, bring the equipment backpack from inside as well.)]

｢…Do I look like your mother?｣

Mother of the Sky grumbled but still complied with my request. After entering the cave, she came back out and handed me the backpack.

｢I think you’ve gathered enough information. So, what are you going to do now?｣

She must have been listening to my conversation with Ham Ort, as she seemed to have reached a conclusion similar to mine—that the next step is to fight Odd Grad.

‘But it seems we have different ideas on how to fight.’

Normally, I would have explained, but not this time. It might influence the future that Odd Grad sees.

‘The battle with him has already begun.’

[ZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ (You won’t be disappointed, I promise.)]

｢…Huh?｣

She tilted her head, puzzled by my words. When I remained silent, offering no further explanation, she didn’t press me any further.

The Gallagons ate outside the nest, while Mother of the Sky busied herself going in and out of the cave to care for Ham Ort.

Everyone eventually retreated into the nest, but I stayed outside, waiting for them.

As I waited, my mind was filled with various plans and strategies, each one more complex than the last.

This is a plan I’ve never attempted, either in this world or in the real world. I need to proceed with the utmost caution.

Time passed, and they finally returned.

｢Great Elder｣ ｢I’m back｣

｢Why are you outside all alone, Big One?｣

[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZZ (It’s because we were waiting for you to return.)]

‘Looks like they persuaded well.’

Adhai, who had been looking gloomy, now appeared much better, with more strength in her wings. I suppose it’s thanks to Number 26’s gentle coaxing.

‘She’s a thoughtful one.’

Despite her childish speech, her words and actions sometimes resonate deeply with me. Looking back, I’m grateful I didn’t devour her when we first met on the research ship.

She’s a good one, but from now on, I’m going to do something terrible to her. Not just her, but to Adhai, PS-111, Mother of the Sky, and everyone here.

[ZZZZ ZZZ (Ham Ort, come out.)]

｢Great Elder?｣

｢Is Big One trying to mediate?｣

Instead of answering their questions, I called for Ham Ort again. Shortly after, both Ham Ort and Mother of the Sky emerged from the nest.

[ZZZZ ZZ ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ (Ham Ort caused discord within my group.)]

｢What?｣

｢Great Elder, what are you saying?｣

｢Big One?｣

Everyone was shocked by my unexpected words. Ham Ort, however, remained unfazed.

She glanced briefly at Adhai. In that fleeting moment, her amethyst-like eyes captured the image of the little Gallagon born from the stars.

After taking one last look at her daughter, Ham Ort turned her gaze back to me, her eyes devoid of any emotion.

She had already steeled herself. I reached out with my winged arm and grabbed her by the throat.

｢Hey! Wait a minu…｣

[ZZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZZ (Therefore, I will kill you and eat your flesh.)]

Realizing I was serious about devouring Ham Ort, Mother of the Sky reached out to stop me. But before she could, I opened my jaws wide.

Just as my jaws, split in two, were about to engulf Ham Ort\'s head—

｢Great Elder, stop!｣

I was thrown sideways by a powerful impact, the force reverberating through my entire body, causing me to lose my grip on Ham Ort.

｢Daughter of the Meteor?｣

｢Great Elder｣ ｢I have something｣ ｢to say｣ ｢please wait｣

The one who attacked me was Adhai.

The red markings on her head indicated she was using the Red Gallagon\'s ability, the "Red Armor."

‘I was planning to teach her that later.’

I had intended to show her how to use the Red Armor effectively in both offense and defense, but she was smart enough to figure it out on her own.

While Adhai stood between Ham Ort and me, Mother of the Sky also jumped in front of me.

｢What do you think you\'re doing?!｣

[Z ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZZ ZZZZ (I’m only trying to protect my group. Don’t interfere.)]

｢Are you serious?｣

[ZZ ZZZZ ZZZZ (If you get in my way, I’ll remove you.)]

Without hesitation, I swung my tail with great force. Startled, she planted her feet firmly on the ground, just in time for my tail to slam into it, shattering the earth.

｢You insane! You moronic, crazy Amorph!｣

Since she couldn’t use the "Ice Spirit," I retracted my tail and opened my jaws wide. From deep within my throat, a glob of acidic fungal mass shot out, aimed directly at her.

But then, the mass froze in mid-air.

｢Big One, what’s wrong with you?｣

Number 26, who had used its binding ability on the fungal mass, asked with concern evident in its voice.

I didn’t respond, instead turning to PS-111.

[ZZ ZZ ZZZZ ZZZZ (Assist me in attacking them.)]

“Attack command denied. Cannot harm the Main Controller.”

[ZZZ ZZ ZZZZZ (Then start with the others.)]

PS-111, usually expressionless, looked uncharacteristically troubled. It shook its head slowly.

“Impossible. The current ‘Amorph’ is experiencing a clear state of mental derangement and impaired judgment. I advise you to stabilize.”

Standing beside Number 26, PS-111 opened its mouth, ready to fire its demolisher if necessary.

‘Stupid machines, always so literal.’

Despite its analysis, my mind was perfectly clear. I was deliberately choosing to turn against everyone.

This plan, executed based on my rational judgment, stems from my complete trust in those who’ve been with me until now.

‘At least I made the right choice.’

I glanced around at everyone present. None of them sided with my sudden outburst.

It was only natural. My current actions were undeniably a betrayal of the group.

‘Good.’

[ZZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZZZZ ZZ ZZZZ (Since everyone has betrayed me, I will leave.)]

｢Wait!｣

[ZZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZZZ ZZZZ (I’ll also return the parasite in your head.)]

｢Wait… ah!｣

At my command, the parasite lodged in Mother of the Sky’s head began to emerge through her eye socket. The Wendigo form it took had no nostrils, so it exited through another opening.

She staggered, recoiling from the unpleasant sensation of the parasite leaving her body. I retrieved the parasite and grabbed the bag containing my gear.

｢Big One, are you serious? Are you really leaving?｣

｢Great Elder｣ ｢This is a joke, right?｣

[ZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZZZ ZZ ZZ ZZ ZZ ZZZ (I’ve never lied to you since we first met.)]

They should understand the gravity of my words.

‘If they don’t, that would be a problem.’

With everything in order, I spread my winged arms. The membrane, as vast as the night sky above, unfurled, lifting my body into the air.

As I soared into the distance, no one followed.

A small sense of relief mixed with bitterness welled up inside me.

‘No, it has to be this way.’

I shook my head as I flew through the storm clouds.

The stage that Odd Grad wanted was now fully set.

Now, it’s time to lure him into the trap.

[Proofreader – Draxx]