Chapter 346

I solved the biggest problem of my life. My stomach no longer has any discomfort. The egg itself did not disappear, but rather became assimilated with my own self. This is due to the influence of the Nen Ability that manifested within me.

Usually, there are several processes for an ordinary person before they awaken to Nen Ability. First, through meditation and becoming aware of one's aura, the pores naturally open. At the same time, one masters the technique of keeping the Aura that overflows from the aura around the body. If you cannot do this, the Aura will constantly flow out of the opened aura, and you will faint. This is the foundation of basic training, the Four Major Principles, "Mato".

After firmly putting on this Mato, one learns the technique of "Goo", which can draw out more Aura and produce explosive power. Conversely, it also has a technique called "Eliminate", which can close one's aura to erase one's presence.

Through the training of "Mato", "Goo", and "Eliminate", one knows how to handle Aura. The pinnacle of Nen Ability ahead is "Hatsu". This technique varies depending on the learner's personality; that is to say, it is a unique ability that only that person can possess.

Just like that, I skipped this process and learned the special ability "Hatsu" that I acquired at the end of many trainings. Usually, this is not the case, but there are very rare exceptions. It seems that some people who do not train in Nen, and do not even know of the existence of Nen, can suddenly use "Hatsu" by virtue of their own intelligence. My situation seems to be this case.

However, in this situation, because the ability is created unconsciously, the person themselves often cannot grasp the details, producing distorted effects. Originally, "Hatsu" is a technique of creating an ability that fits one's own characteristics after careful consideration. I cannot say that I have an accurate grasp of my "Hatsu". It is a recognition; you can predict the effect somehow by using your senses.

I named this ability "Psychological Synchronization". It is probably an ability that falls into the category of the "Manipulation System". The Manipulation System is good at controlling and manipulating other people and objects with thoughts. At this time, some kind of "medium" is often prepared. For example, if you place a coin in your mind and control the person who picks up the coin.

Not everyone can be manipulated unconditionally like this. If a medium is used, the effect is canceled when the medium is removed. This is an ability that is often subject to various other restrictions. On the other hand, once the ability is activated, it exerts a powerful effect, and the person being manipulated cannot resist. Depending on the situation, even when the skill is activated, it can continue to manipulate for a long time without exhausting Aura.

In my case, the medium is "radio waves". It utilizes the radio communication ability that the Chimera Ant originally possesses. If used normally, it is just a communication wave for contact, but one can transmit a faint aura on it.

If the radio wave has no substance, there is no need to worry about the medium being destroyed, and the means to prevent this are limited. Furthermore, it can produce a wider influence. Even a pure Emission System power user cannot cover such a range with ordinary power users. The ability to manipulate the opponent who receives this wave... it seems so. I have not tested it in detail yet, so I do not know, but if my guess is correct, it is a powerful ability. It is so powerful that it is almost frightening.

My body got better without laying eggs; that is probably the effect of this ability. I do not know how I did it by manipulating the eggs in my stomach, but I stopped the egg-laying function. Or, perhaps you are manipulating yourself. There is also a Manipulation System that can manipulate oneself. In other words, manipulating the unlaid eggs might be synonymous with manipulating oneself.

I am happy to have acquired such a powerful ability. But before I get happy, I must do something. A meal. I am starving to death.

I was driven out of the nest, but I am still in the Red Forest. It seems to be the outer edge, as the wilderness can be seen nearby. Red Stone is as abundant as food. I will not starve to death.

I think.

This red stone is extremely Hard. It is completely different from anything I have eaten. Even if you bite it very seriously, you will not be scratched. Even excluding the fact that my physical strength is weak, it is abnormally Hard.

Looking closely, the color is different from the stones I ate before. It is pale red. The stones here are dark red with a hint of black. Could it be that some stones can be eaten and some cannot? I do not know....

But I cannot return to my nest now. This time, there is a possibility that I will be killed. I am no longer the Ant Queen; I am just an outcast. You must take care of yourself. I have no choice but to eat this stone somehow.

Even if you bite it normally, all you can get is a pile of shavings. I have a good idea. Let's be in the state of "Ken". The mantle is mainly a defensive technique, but it should also improve your physical ability.

Just as I thought, I can put it on easily. I took an irregular form of waking up, first "Hatsu", but my aura was opened because of it. However, you can remain natural without consuming aura, which means your body has learned how to wear it. Otherwise, the aura would be exhausted, and you would be in a dangerous situation.

You can see the light film wrapped around the body. However, I can only "Ken" and not "Goo". Does it not work? It is said that if you start training when you are immature, you will develop strange habits that hinder your growth. Let's practice again after becoming able to use the mantle firmly.

My fangs with the mantle somehow bit into the red stone. Until now, even with all my might, it was not scratched, so my strength is definitely increasing. However, it is still difficult. It bit many times, shredding it bit by bit.

After cutting off the pieces, the penance continued. Now you have to chew it until you can swallow it. It feels like my jaw is going crazy. Its taste is also terrible. Compared to the stones I ate before, it has a lot of miscellaneous flavors. I realized how privileged I was.

I think I will never stop eating. Until now, I refused to eat. I suppressed the desires that formed the foundation of my life. Compared to its spicy taste, eating this dark red stone is nothing. On the contrary, I am grateful that I am allowed to eat. I became able to eat while maintaining my "self". This is a great pleasure.

It crushes and devours the stone. Unless it is still wrapped, it is not something that can be eaten. This seems to be a good practice. Yes, let's think positively.

Currently, my primary goal is to completely heal my wounds. This body is my only capital. You must be healthy to start. So eat well and rest well. Obvious things are difficult.

I managed to get some food. Next, what we need is water. In some ways, this is more important than food. Many creatures cannot survive without water. We are no exception.

This wilderness is a harsh environment. There is no water nearby. At least since I was born, I have never seen it rain. It is dry anyway. There might be a rainy season, but I do not have time to wait.

But other ants get water from somewhere else. Naturally, there should be no water near the nest. So where does that water come from?

When I am thirsty, I remember the taste of water. Come to think of it, it is not just water. It tasted like red stone. I was given water to drink from the mouth of a soldier ant, so it might have been mixed with saliva and tasted like that.

But let's look at it from another perspective. I call the food "Red Stone", but I realized that they are not stones, but plants. Plants need water to survive.

Plants have Roots, absorbing moisture from the ground. Perhaps the water we drink originates from it. If this hypothesis is wrong, you will have to return to the nest and ask for water. It is certain that you will not be an opponent. No, they will attack.

They dig underground to find water sources. It is easier to dig while wearing the mantle, but it is difficult to keep it on all the time. Before the aura disappears, fatigue precedes it, and concentration is cut off. Considering that the duration of the mantle was extended, I started digging a hole.

Just digging a hole is quite hard work. Digging the dry, hardened ground requires physical strength. Well, it is still better than chewing Red Stone, but it is quite troublesome. Soil treatment after digging.

If it is soft soil, you can compact the soil around the hole to make a small path, but the drier the soil, the more it blocks the road, and the more you dig, the less you can move. So you have to dig a little, take the soil away, and repeat. But this is also training. I am sure there is a similar training method, I feel.

After all, it took three days to reach the Root. The roots of the red plant are deep underground. I will wither and die if there is no water with this; there is no choice but to attack the nest and rob it.

It turns out there is water. The roots are soft and contain a small amount of moisture. Yes, very little. The shriveled, almost dried-up roots are fragile enough to make you wonder if they are really working. Moreover, the taste of the water is particularly bad.

Especially bad. Worse than the dark red stone. A cooperation of weaving bitterness and astringency. Water is still very precious. I licked the marinade while being careful not to damage the roots as much as possible. You can see the Poison concentrated in one lick. We instinctively know this because we have resistance to this Poison and use it as a fighting means.

Even if my body has resistance, I feel a bit nauseous, possibly because the concentrated Poison exceeded the processing limit. The road to perfection is still long...

I wonder why there are only poor-quality dark red stones in this place where I was thrown.

I think the individual red plant I am eating is dying. Moreover, the plants growing on the outer periphery of the Red Forest are almost dead. All the red plants on the outer edge of the forest are dark red. So the roots are emaciated and withered, and there is not enough moisture.

My nest is near the center of this forest. I think that place has more brightly colored plants. That is to say, the closer to the center, the more new individuals there are, and the closer to the edge, the more old individuals there are. In other words, the forest itself has a single annual ring structure.

All in all, the place where I was banished is the worst place. I.

But I am no longer the weakling who cries over such things. I am now used to bad stones and water. No, recently I have just started to understand the goodness of this taste. This indescribable unique astringency has become a habit.

The amount of water I can get is small, but I can guarantee that I live alone. I am used to concentrated Poison. No symptoms of poisoning have been seen, and my physical condition is recovering smoothly.

The wounds on the exoskeleton are also regenerating. New Hard tissue is forming on the wounds. However, only that part is distorted. And it might be the influence of the stones I ate, but I feel that my body color is gradually deepening.

However, it did not regenerate the broken leg. It remains on three legs. If you leave at least four, balance would be easier. Because of this, I have to walk while rubbing my head on the ground. Ant King... this is what people in the Human World call, do-do... dramatic violence.

It took a month to fully recover. I cannot say that I have made much progress in Mindfulness training. I have not trained yet. I know it is not easy to handle, but I feel in a hurry.

Training is not easy. I often want to give up. But I have the following goal: that is "to gain the strength to live alone". For this reason, we cannot be discouraged here.

I am a stray ant. On the contrary, they might be deviating from the framework of being an organism as an ant. I was able to awaken the power of the mind. I have stopped living as a group and have gained the strength to live as an individual.

But this is not enough. I am sure that in the world outside this Red Forest, there are mountains of danger beyond my imagination. I still have many things to do. I have no intention of spending the rest of my life in this Red Forest.

In the morning, my day starts with sunbathing called Meditation.

No, I am also serious about Meditation. But sunbathing is also important. It is necessary to use the Sun's light at night to relax the body that has hardened due to the cold.

Furthermore, sunbathing has many benefits. We can perform photosynthesis by exposing the exoskeleton to the Sun.

Chimera Ants inherit the characteristics of the creatures they eat, so it would not be surprising if they absorbed the photosynthetic ability of the red plant. Other ants may not understand how photosynthesis works, but they seem to be aware of the usefulness of sunbathing. Perhaps that is why I do not like places of Pitch Darkness.

Photosynthesis alone cannot provide all the nutrients, so eat reasonably. However, the fuel economy is still good. I eat every day because I need to get the nutrients needed for egg-laying, but compared to ordinary soldier ants, this is a considerable amount of food.

However, by the afternoon, sunbathing has already passed the state of teppanyaki, so only in the early morning, you dare to sunbathe slowly. While meditating in a relaxed state, he also practiced "Eliminate".

Ending is difficult. Neither practice nor the Zetsu technique succeeded. These are techniques to adjust the amount of Aura emitted from the body by opening and closing the aura. I do not know how it feels. Perhaps because I opened my aura unconsciously, I have a vague feeling about it.

Just as I was meditating, a faint sound approached me. A soldier ant came out from the forest. We Chimera Ants live near the center of the forest, so ordinary soldier ants do not come to this outer edge. Food and water are better and more abundant in the center.

This soldier ant is a direct Bodyguard of the King. Their job is to go out of the nest to find the next mate, so sometimes they encounter them like this. From our height, this forest is large, so we rarely meet...

Ze! Ze!

I had intended to erase my presence, but I was discovered normally. The other party noticed me and issued a warning sound. Our relationship is still far from close. I don't think there is any obvious hostility. If that were the case, the soldiers would have swarmed to get rid of me, and they would have been killed when I was first exiled.

However, it is certain that they view me as an alien. To such a degree of hatred, if you face each other like this, an alarm will be sounded. I used my "Psychological Synchronization" ability to send a wave to the soldier ant.

It seems that even the direct guards who lack communication skills can sense this wave. Most importantly, they cannot Exchange their thoughts. The soldier ant, sensing something abnormal, left my presence. I specifically use this "Psychological Synchronization" ability to fend off soldier ants.

There is no other way to use it. This powerful ability of unavoidable and irreversible ultra-large-range operation has too many serious drawbacks that outweigh its capabilities.

It is just less efficient. Even an ant that might have a decent self was pushed down. Radio communication has properties similar to telepathy, which is reflected in this ability. At first, after entering the other party's mind, I controlled my own consciousness, but I was repelled at the stage of entry.

Therefore, it can only be used for Harassment, making the other party feel somewhat uncomfortable. However, the ability itself will not be activated due to failure. There is a feeling of manipulating one's own success. Its dominance continues in the present tense.

Is there some kind of Constraint I don't know about? I didn't expect that the "departure" created unconsciously would be so troublesome. This is called distortion. This is still a necessary skill for me. I have no regrets.

However, there is a feeling that I also want to create other abilities. This time I want the ability to think for myself. But, with no practice at the moment, this is still a story for the future. Let's focus on doing the Four Major Principles well first.

Native species of Chimera Ants do not nest underground, but build "anthills" by solidifying the soil on the ground. However, our species prefers sunlight and does not build this type of nest. The nest is made in a hole cut out with a Red Plant. Since the structure is very simple, basically only one room, a group of people lives in many holes like an apartment building.

I am currently building my own home. I am just moving the hole caused by eating, but it is the same for everyone else. This is a house I am proud of, one I built with my own efforts.

First, the entrance. The sunny south-facing entrance is always open. There is no door, because the view is good, so security is perfect.

A spacious entrance greets visitors upon entering. There are no other rooms. The scars carved every day to count the days of exile cover the entire Wall, which is very tasteful.

The bed is made of Stone, giving you peace of mind and reliability. It is an avant-garde structure that makes sleeping on the ground more comfortable. The comfort of sleep will tell you the importance of bedding.

... Wait, convincing myself while playing a single-player game. Well, there are no other inconveniences. My lifestyle consists of three things: food, Training, and rest. I am always outside, except when I am sleeping.

There is nothing inconvenient, just a little dissatisfaction. Is it because I have human memories? I think the desire to lead a humane life is emerging little by little. Although it makes no sense for me, an ant, to want such a thing...

Don't think about unnecessary things, let's focus on Training today as well. I walked out of my house. Then, my line of sight met something in front of the house.

"Ae?... Why are you here..."

It is the Ant King. I haven't seen him since the day he was exiled. How did you appear in front of me now? Unconsciously, my body was backing away. Back into the house.

The King seemed to be chasing it and came to my house. Fear struck me. The Root of my fear was right in front of me. I don't know why, but it felt like everything was there.

Kick, kick, kick.

A threatening sound rang out. Getting closer and closer. My body froze and couldn't move. What do you want to do? Will I be hurt again? For what.

I certainly opposed him. As a Chimera Ant, he betrayed his mission as the leader of the herd. But he should be punished. He was so badly injured that he might die. And then, are you going to let me live and get hurt again like a play?

(I hate it)

Remember. Why do I want power? To live alone, to resist the unreasonable, to know the size of the world. If so, what do you intend to do in a place like this? If you cannot overcome this level of fear, then what kind of Training is it just in case? Will you also simply give in and be helpless?

"Wrong! I"

Put on the aura. As if to dispel fear, let your spirit spread throughout your body.

I didn't mean to cause more trouble for everyone in the herd. It would be great if he ignored the fact that I live quietly in this corner of the forest. But, if you are going to use force like this, I will at least make you resist.

I crouched in front of the Ant King, who approached me calmly. No shrinking. But the opposite. The spring in his legs was compressed to the limit, and he was storing power for the next move.

I only have three legs. Walking became inconvenient, so I came up with another way of traveling. This is a Leap. Jumping like a grasshopper, moving quickly over long distances. Originally, our legs were not designed to move like this, but with the power of instinct, we were able to force it to happen.

The jump was not to Escape. With the strength of my legs, I leaped up and rammed into the enemy with all my might. My whole body is wrapped in armor-like exoskeleton, and my impact will be a powerful attack.

The other party is also wearing the same armor, but I don't intend to lose with that kind of power. So far, I have only eaten harder dark red stones. In terms of lightweight, my armor is darker than the Ant King's. If my guess is correct, this one should be stronger.

Add the power of the mind to it. Use "Material" to increase your defense, making it harder and more powerful. Put all your strength into this blow. Let the other party know. Who do you want to oppose?

An Ant King bit my body. Extend your teeth. At that moment, memories I didn't want to recall burst out. Traumatic flashbacks ignited my aura like a flash.

The aura opened. For the first time, I felt this sensation. The explosively rising aura of "Ren". No, this is "Training". While waking up under extreme conditions, I released the elastic energy stored in my legs.

Explosion, Collision. I couldn't even realize what happened. But I could understand. My grasshopper jump exploded, blowing the Ant King away and hitting the Wall.

A dull sound echoed in the nest. The Ant King stood up from his broken posture. It walked slowly, very scary.

Gi... gi...

Although I used my aura and decided to give it my all, it didn't seem to work at all. His exoskeleton was intact.

But I cannot back down here. I will try again and again until my opponent recognizes my strength. I squeezed my legs again.

The Ant King stood still, as if asking him to make a move. Even without avoiding or defending, his attitude was as if to say that an attack of this level was no problem. Obviously, I overestimated my own strength. I was proud of becoming stronger because I could use my mind.

"Ren" the aura. Become stronger, exceed your limits. The enemy does not move, and will not miss the target. Take some time and focus. More, more, more....

(...?)

However, the compressed spring slowly returned to its original state. Something went wrong. From the Ant King in front of me, the sense of deterrence from just now disappeared. Only silence remained.

I activated "Psychological Synchronization". The wave "passed through" the Ant King's body. I couldn't grasp it. It wasn't that I was denied access, but that there was "nothing".

The Ant King was dead.

After the Ant King died, many soldiers gathered in my nest. They were the King's direct Bodyguards. Up until now, we had been wary of each other and had no direct contact, but this time, we could not expect a peaceful end.

The soldiers viewed me as an enemy and attacked me. I killed, I killed all the ants that came towards me.

Not someone you can talk to. For them, the survival of the herd is the primary reason for their existence, and they are willing to die to defeat the enemy of the herd. They had no choice to protect themselves or withdraw from the beginning. The attack did not stop until the last one, so I had to finish off the last one.

Our exoskeletons are Hard. Even with my impact, I couldn't destroy it in one blow. However, inside are muscles and internal organs. It is possible to destroy the inside through an unavoidable impact. No ant could withstand my well-trained attack.

To be precise, there were more people who were attacked and did not die. The Chimera Ants' powerful Life Force did not seem to allow death even if the internal organs were destroyed. He continued to live until the end of his life while suffering from fatal wounds waiting for death. Is this the right way to evolve into life? I continued to attack until my opponent was completely dead.

Just like that, the Ant King and his direct guards were wiped out. Fortunately, not all Chimera Ants viewed me as an enemy. The Ant King faction was independent of the original nest organization. The cause and effect of the battle were temporarily interrupted here.

I made a grave, a grave for my mother and a grave for my father.

I killed my own father, but I don't regret it. There is no such thing as conflict. It's not that I hold a grudge against him, but that I really don't feel anything at all. Indeed, he was a symbol of fear to me, but that was all.

For some reason, I made a grave for my mother. Considering the life of a Chimera Ant, it was as if I was born into this world at the cost of my mother's life. You could say I killed my mother. You could do that. That is to say, I don't feel guilty about it.

I don't understand the feeling of mourning someone. There are many other such differences. They have human memories, but they are just information. Against the background of such information, there is the common sense and ethics that humans naturally possess as people.

This is a feeling everyone has, and it does not need to be expressed in words. I feel that it is gone both here and there.

I built the graves because I wanted to know that feeling. I thought that if I acted like a human, perhaps I could arrive at an answer. I still do not know the answer.

I did not make a grave for the Royal Guard because it was troublesome, but would it have been better to make one?

Three months passed.

Wrap, end, knead, and depart. You will be able to perform all the "Four Major Principles." The Training phase has progressed, but just in case, I am an amateur. He only has fragmented knowledge and lacks confidence that what he is doing is the correct Training method.

Regardless, I tried to consume Aura. He has been wearing a Mantle, Training every day to extend the Training duration. I think this is the "Hard" practice of applied techniques, but I do not know if it is truly finished, or how close it is to completion.

The applied techniques of the Four Major Principles include "fier," "hidden," "circle," "shu," "firm," "hard," and "ryu." In addition to these acquired Training methods, training based on the "Hatsu" system is also required. In particular, I do not know how to handle training for this kind of system.

First of all, I really do not know what my system is. Even if we tried to hold a water ceremony, there is no water here. Perhaps it is a Manipulation System, and I am using it with a "Psychological Synchronization" mindset. However, since I am the only one using it, I do not know how much progress I have made, or if there is any progress at all in the first place.

Specialized training for the Emitter system, which is compatible with the Manipulation System, has also begun. I want to see if I can shoot Aura in conjunction with a grasshopper jump to extend the flight distance. So far, it is better to simply cover your legs with Aura rather than releasing it.

This is not what I want, but I still want a Nen Ability coach. There is a limit to fumbling around to find Training methods. Even if you do something wrong, there is a fear of not being able to notice it. It seems there is a Nen combat school called Shingen-ryu, but I do not know if I could learn it if I went to the Human World. Is it impossible for an ant?

Although I sometimes have doubts about the Training methods, I decided not to give up and to keep moving forward. Before I knew it, Training was no longer painful. If I were to receive training from who I am now, I would have no choice but to eat and sleep. This practice is the only thing I can call my human behavior. I did not feel the slightest bit of laziness.

Then, one day, my body began to change. The total amount of Aura, which had been growing slowly, increased sharply.

It is normal for a person to increase their total amount of Aura through Cultivation. When I started Training, the total amount increased steadily. After the growth period ended, the rate of increase gradually leveled off. I am also at this stage.

It began to grow as if ignoring its limits. If one says that Aura increased nearly fourfold in three days of Cultivation, one can understand how abnormal it is.

What is even stranger is that this extra Aura is deliberately unusable. It remains inside the body and cannot be drawn out. You can only use the amount of Aura from before the increase.

At first, I did not understand what was happening, but as I continued to meditate, I vaguely understood the reason. The newly increased Aura is concentrated in my abdomen. Every egg I manipulate in my stomach has begun to emit a kind of Aura.