Chapter 241:


    Space Survival stands out among its contemporaneous VR games due to its sheer variety of NPC species.


    These NPCs, a mix of traits from real-world animals and alien creatures inspired by various science fiction media, are one of the game’s most appealing features.


    This led some yers to focus on studying the game''s ecosystems and the behaviors of its many creatures. yers have uncovered lore about a wide range of beings, from the small and adorable Bubble Amoebas to the massive space whales known as Sky Whales.


    However, no one had ever flown alongside the Gxy''s Dragons, the Gagons.


    What no one else had achieved, I was doing now.


    Flying beside me was a Gagon with white skin that looked as though it was draped in a red dress. This was Adhai, the red-and-white Gagon, pping her four wings as she kept pace with me.


    Behind us was a female ck Gagon. The newly evolved Ham Ort, who had transformed into a ck Gagon that very morning, was now reminiscent of a celestial being dragging a storm cloud in its wake.


    Flying in formation behind Ham Ort were four White Gagons and nine Green Gagons. Together, we formed a squadron of fifteen Gagons soaring over an endless snowy in.


    A slight tilt of my head revealed the white expanse below. It was the same icy field we first encountered when we arrived on this.When we first arrived, we hid to avoid confronting any enemies. But that was no longer the case.


    ?Hey, big guy, look over there.?


    Perched on my head, Number 26 sent me a wave of thought, directing my attention with a tentacle. I saw arge indentation in the ice where the ground had caved in, creating a sizable crater.


    It was the spot where I fought Jason, where thick ice tes had shattered. Though much time had passed and the snow had piled up, the signs of our battle remained.


    We flew on, passing over therge crater.


    By the time we neared the edge of the snow-and-ice-filled in, it was already close to evening.


    ‘That must be it.’


    Located in the opposite direction of the mountain range was an enormous canyon. It was so vast that it could likely be observed from outside the.


    The canyon appeared to be a deep subterranean chasm, with no visible bottom from above.


    ‘A ce that size could definitely hide a ship.’


    The Jax Alpha warship is over a kilometer long. Such a colossal beast could easily be concealed within the canyon’s vast and deep expanse.


    Since arriving in this world, I hadn’t fought in such arge battlefield. And this time, we weren’t luring the enemy out—we were the onesunching a surprise attack. The enemy likely wasn’t foolish enough to leave the area unguarded.


    ‘But….’


    I signalled Ham Ort. Receiving my signal, Ham Ort lifted her head to the sky.


    As the six ck horns on her head glowed purple, the clouds above began to shift rapidly. The swirling clouds soon formed a tornado that descended to the ground.


    This was Maelstrom, a psychic ability unique to ck Gagons—a force akin to a natural disaster, wielded by Ham Ort.


    No matter what traps the enemy had set, they would lose much of their effectiveness against Maelstrom.


    The tornado settled around the canyon, and psychic-powered lightning surged deep into the abyss.


    Purple lightning crawled across the canyon’s floor and walls, creating a spiderweb of energy against the dark void.


    Soon, thick smoke billowed up from the canyon’s unseen depths and walls with a resounding boom.


    ‘So they set up drones.’


    ?APD, huh.?


    The Mother of the Sky, perched atop Ham Ort, sent out a telepathic wave.


    Pyra Eleven had prepared for the possibility of Gagons attacking by hiding APDs (Anti Psychic Drones) within the canyon walls.


    APDs are drones used by Star Union warships in battles against Gagons and cults. They can absorb various energy types, including psychic power, making them a defence against energy-based weapons.


    Gagon flight relies on abination of wing movement and psychic power. If their psychic power is neutralized by APDs, their flight speed would drastically decrease.


    ‘That’s when the Screamers would strike.’


    Judging by the setup, the Screamers were likely waiting to ambush us as soon as we entered the canyon.


    I waited for them to attack.


    But despite the continuous psychic lightning strikes, there was no response from inside the canyon. I focused all my senses on the secondary systems, but detected no movement.


    [ZZZZ ZZ (See anything?)]


    ?No, nothing.?


    The Mother of the Sky shook her head.


    With her eagle-like vision, she could spot objects at great distances, regardless of the time of day. Moreover, she was a fellow Ranker like me. No matter how well the enemy hid, it would be nearly impossible for them to escape her notice.


    ‘What’s going on?’


    From what I could tell, the only danger within our visible range was the APDs.


    The fact that they deployed APDs indicates they were prepared for a Gagon assault. But Pyra Eleven would know that drones alone wouldn’t be enough to stop Gagons.


    “Is there a possibility that all the Screamers were lost?”


    “Highly unlikely. If that were the case, Pyra Eleven would have considered the mission a failure and chosen to retreat.”


    The Androids of the Machine Committee are fully aware of their value. They tend to avoid damage whenever possible.


    If Pyra Eleven found itself in an unfavorable situation, it would have opted to retreat. In that case, it wouldn’t have set up APDs in the canyon.


    In other words, it hasn’t fled. It’s waiting for us to enter.


    ‘Hmm.’


    Thanks to the lightning’s glow, I could see that the canyon was wider at the bottom than at the top.


    It was shaped like a bottle—easy to enter, but difficult to exit.


    ‘I need to change the n.’


    Waiting for them toe out is inefficient and risky. If given time, Pyra Eleven would likely produce new Screamers.


    I considered destroying the canyon, but it was toorge to easily copse. Topletely bring it down would require days of continuous psychic sts. It would not only take too long but also exhaust our strength, making it an impractical option.


    ‘I’ll have to go in directly.’


    In the game, I had faced situations like this many times.


    When operating solo, the Amorph usually infiltrated and attacked the enemy’s base in this manner. There’s nothing more disadvantageous than fighting an enemy stronger than you on their home ground.


    And yet, I always won for a simple reason.


    ‘Turning the enemy’s advantage against them.’


    The enemy believes this icy underground prison gives them an advantage. They’re not wrong, but there’s something they don’t know.


    I have a way to turn their advantage into a disadvantage. A tactic I didn’t even use against the Screamers.


    [ZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ (Let’s find a way in on foot.)]


    ?Do you have a n??


    [Z (Yes.)]


    We turned and flew back towards the direction of the ice in. At the edge of the canyon, there was a ce that could be considered an entrance.


    The frozen entrance to the canyon had walls that narrowed toward the top while the bottom was wide open. It resembled more a dungeon or cave where a monster might reside than a canyon entrance.


    Afternding on the icy ground, I looked around at the Gagons.


    The fewer people involved in the n I had in mind, the better. There was a risk that friendly fire could ur.


    [ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ (We’ll go in alone. The rest of you wait outside.)]


    ?Ham Ort? ?Daughter of the Meteor? ?I’ll protect? ?Not sending you alone?


    [ZZ ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZ (No. Ham Ort has something important to do.)]


    Among us, she is the only one who can freely intercept enemies from the air. If we need support fire, it’s better for Ham Ort to wait outside.


    [ZZZZZ ZZZZ ZZZZ ZZZZ (Don’t worry. Adhai won’t get hurt.)]


    She hesitated briefly before finally agreeing with me. As the Gagons took off again, Number 26, Adhai, the Mother of the Sky, and PS-111 apanied me into the canyon.


    The canyon’s interior was nearly devoid of light due to its structure, with walls narrowing at the top and a deep chasm below. At this hour, it was a world ofplete darkness.


    To make matters worse, the wind howling through the openings above created an eerie sound that was both like a beast’s roar and the whispers of thousands of people simultaneously.


    Fortunately, none of us were the type to be frightened by such things.


    I stopped a little distance away from the entrance where we hade in. Here, I began setting up a trap to counter Pyra Eleven.


    ‘What I previously set up isn’t necessary anymore.’


    I had two cards to y against Pyra Eleven, and one of them was the nest.


    I moved around, spreading ck mucus in various spots. The mucus quickly solidified into tumor-like forms, contaminating the white ice.


    This wasn’t an ideal spot for a nest, but it didn’t matter. Once it expanded enough to cover the surrounding area, it could deliver a critical blow during the fight with the enemy.


    ?Are you nning to do this like when you fought Fourth ce yer in the game??


    [ZZZ (Yes.)]


    The Mother of the Sky immediately caught on to what I was nning.


    ?How do you intend to do that without a specific trait??


    [ZZ ZZZZ ZZ ZZZ (You adapt to the situation.)]


    ?…It won’t be easy.?


    ?What is it? Teach me too.?


    ?I? ?Curious? ?I want to? ?Know too?


    ?You’ll see soon enough.?


    After finishing all the tasks, I set out again with the kids.


    The more we went inside, the more the floor sloped steeply inward. It was more like a passage leading underground than a canyon. It felt like entering the frozenke of hell from ssic literature.


    ?Something feels off.?


    ?Something off?? ?I? ?Don’t feel it.?


    ?I’m not sure either.?


    ?It’s odd here and there. It feels boring.?


    By the time we were halfway in, Number 26 seemed to be in a bad mood. Its usual bright pink body had turned a dark red, simr to cherry.


    ?I can’t see anything.?


    Mother of the Sky and I carefully surveyed the surroundings, but there was nothing noticeable or perceptible. The area was filled only with ice and rock formations resembling elongated stctites.


    ‘It wouldn''t say something like this for no reason.’


    As a Sea Demon, it was sensitive to the flow of energy and various other sensations. There must be a clear reason why it felt something was wrong.


    While I was contemting what the problem might be, PS-111 made a sound.


    “There is a faint electronic signal detected 1.5 kilometers ahead. It is presumed to be an XAX01-ss battleship.”


    “What?”


    The hidden ship is already close by. Yet, the enemies remain invisible. If they were hiding, they should have shown themselves by now.


    ‘That can’t be. Something’s definitely… wait a moment.’


    The battle with the Outspacer Mother of the Sky mentioned, Number 26''s reaction, and the current situation.


    A realization shed in my mind, and my gaze turned toward a serpent-like rock formation.


    It appeared to be a massive object that looked like a fossilized Ice Horror. What I had thought was just a simple rock was now something else entirely.


    I hurriedly approached the mass and lightly ced my auxiliary sensor on its surface.


    The first thing I felt was the cold chill, followed by a faint earthy smell.


    And then….


    ‘The smell of metal!’


    Removing the auxiliary sensor, I looked up and stared at the canyon walls. I now understood why I hadn’t noticed this before.


    There was a very faint metallic odour pervading the entire canyon around us.


    The others, seeing my reaction, quickly grasped that the situation was dire. Before I could say anything, they urgently assumed abat stance.


    [ZZ ZZZ (Everyone, get ready)]


    As the monster’s tentacles emitted waves, the serpent-like rock formation in front of me shook violently.


    The ice and earth covering the canyon shattered. From within, a massive metallic hose, resembling a serpent, writhed.


    Like a demon emerging from a frozenke, several metal hoses sprang up from the floor. At the ends of these hoses, arge face formed from a mixture of synthetic metal tubes and biological tissue appeared.


    The mechanical giant''s face opened its eyes. A pair of red camera lenses looked down at us.


    ?Pyra Eleven. Judgement. The special target A we were observing noticed us faster than expected. n altered. Proceeding with the mission.?


    As it opened its mouth, an immense mechanical noise erupted, making my auxiliary sensor tingle painfully.