Chapter 351: Episode 8

Many things have happened, but somehow, I am still alive. Should I call it a rebirth? There are parts of my mind that are a bit confused, so let's re-examine myself and organize my emotions.

I am an Ant Queen. Nameless. We call it the main body. A hybrid ant that combines the characteristics of insects, plants, and metal. Recently, a new element known as a Virus-type Nanomachine has been added to it, and it is becoming a creature that even I do not fully understand.

However, this does not mean it has completely turned into a machine. The contents of the exoskeleton and internal organs are almost the same as before. It is as if they are parasitic on the nanomachines, or more accurately, they coexist with them. It is like a Lobo.

I was born as a single soldier, but I can produce eggs correctly as before. I suspect this is the result of me being cloned from my mother's body. Such changes may be due to the fusion of the Chimera Ant's feeding mating and the virus's self-propagation function.

I do not know if the body structure of other soldier ants is the same as mine, but it seems that only I, who inherited the memories, can escape the virus's control by suppressing the program. Before the virus covers the consciousness block, it blocks its work and is able to retain its former self.

There is also my other form, the silver-haired girl Quinn. A Nen doll made with the Nen Ability "Idolatry". This looks the same as before, but I changed the name slightly. Changed to Quin Almeiza.

It comes from Luannalmeiza, who gave me the memory (data) of the virus suppression program. Since he inherited some of his memories through feeding mating, he can be called a father. Following the human custom of inheriting a surname from a father, I tried to incorporate it into Quinn's name.

My goal is to escape this Dark Continent and head to the Human World. And make the name Almeiza known to the world, leaving a name in history!

... Has your personality changed for a while? No, it's just my imagination. I think so.

Change into a new body, start over, and challenge today's harsh nature. Fearing the unknown threats to come, the journey before death continues—

The Dark Continent has all kinds of monsters. There are enough things to be swept away and thrown away. For example, now, I often see carnivorous beasts here chasing me at an astonishing speed.

"Woo woo woo!"

A dinosaur with a body length of about 30 meters. It has eight legs, with a four-legged skeleton added to its abdomen. Its hind legs are slightly more developed than the others, but its legs are all used for walking, and they are all strong. The head is large, accounting for about one-fifth of the body. It attacks prey indiscriminately with its fierce carnivorous nature.

Compared to the monsters encountered so far, its huge size is about the middle of the middle. There are quite a few giant creatures with a body length of over 100 meters that can easily prey on them. However, for such a large creature, an ant like me is rarely recognized as food. This may be because it doesn't even fill your stomach. So, as long as you pay attention to its existence and don't get trampled, it is not difficult to avoid.

Quite troublesome are medium-sized individuals like this dinosaur. It recognizes Quinn as food and insists on attacking. Its strength is also extraordinary, and even if I strengthen myself to the fullest just in case, I cannot compete. Well, small ones are more troublesome than medium ones. In my experience, the smaller it is, the more bad guys there are.

Anyway, what I want to say is that they and I are in a predator-prey relationship, and there is an absolute gap in strength between them. Sometimes we launch attacks fully strengthened by Aura, but this is like the stench emitted by a stink bug to a bird; in their eyes, it is just an annoying problem.

No matter how many lives you have, facing such a monster head-on is not enough. I have many lives, but still not enough. So, I have to steadily dodge, erase my tracks so as not to be discovered, pay attention to the wind direction so as not to leave a scent, and identify the territory from the enemy's tracks. Move. Even if you put in all your effort, sometimes you can't get rid of their wild instincts. That's how I feel right now.

A death race in a huge fern forest. The surrounding trees will not be an Obstacle to the enemy. It cuts down trees like paper crafts, lifts the fragments into the air, and heads straight for you. If there is more tempting prey nearby, it might change its course, but so far it doesn't seem to have.

There is no doubt that I am in a critical state, but this is something that happens every day. I have time to think calmly. In the worst case, if Quinn is used as bait, it is an opponent that can be avoided. Not only that, because of this situation, I also want to try something.

Due to the battle with the Disaster-class threat "Almeiza Machine", I brought that power into my body. By manipulating the suppression program, it coexists with this virus without being affected by the virus itself. If this program is canceled, the nanomachines will perform their original functions and will fully demonstrate their threat. I have control, so to speak.

There is no way not to use this power. I moved the main body while Quinn was running. The main body turned and leaned on Quinn's shoulder, facing the dinosaur-like creature. A huge ovipositor extended from the main body's buttocks to the back, aiming at the enemy. This is a Cyst Ejection Port.

Those infected with the Almeiza Machine can turn their bodies into large piles of trash by developing symptoms. At this time, a part of the body will always form a Cyst Ejection Port. The cyst is a Bullet filled with viruses, and the ejection port is like the muzzle of a gun firing bullets. The creature hit by it is infected with the virus, then immediately develops and turns into a pile of trash.

The ovipositor attached to me should also serve the same purpose. You will be able to shoot cysts.

Just a little hesitant. As far as I am concerned, the bullets I shoot from here are eggs. The egg is contaminated with the virus and has the same function as a cyst. If you turn off the suppression program, you should be able to infect your enemy without any problems.

It is just discharging eggs from the body to the outside, which can be said to be laying eggs. For me, this is a great trauma. In the past, I would strongly refuse to lay eggs.

The hesitation disappeared instantly. I have experienced countless egg-laying experiences in that wasteland. Overcoming my heartbreak, here I come. Don't think about anything, just do what you should do now. I shot the egg at a huge target that was harder to miss.

"Erosion Mechanical Bullet (Cyst Shot)!"

Pan

...... I got it?

I thought it was shot with the same force as a pistol, but on the contrary, if you were to ask if this monster would be hurt by shooting with a gun, the answer is no. On the contrary, when I fired, my butt hurt. Smoke came out of the pipe.

The enemy's skin is very thick. It continued to run without any accidents.

When firing a cyst to make the opponent break out, it seems that the bullet must reach the body. This virus can spread by touching the body surface, but it is usually an infection that will not develop until after a latent period of 6 months to 1 year.

Leaving it to develop after half a year, with no one knowing, is meaningless. This is the result of shooting with full confidence...

But then I had an epiphany. The bullet I shot was an egg, a cyst, and also a life form where one of my consciousnesses resided. I wonder what would happen if I "kneaded" this egg immediately after impact. If the virus devours the large amount of Aura released through kneading, the egg itself may cause explosive symptoms. If the enemy is caught in the outbreak...

Worth a try. I shot at the monster again.

"Erosion Mechanical Bullet (Cyst Shot)!"

...... What happened?

I couldn't see any changes in my enemy. Looking closely, a red wart-like thing could be seen where the bullet hit, but the enemy didn't seem to care at all and chased after me.

There are too many different levels of strength. There is a good reason why this virus is not rampant in this place. Under the abnormal ecology bred in the Dark Continent, does it mean that even a virus with amazing proliferation ability cannot be easily infected?

You should focus on running away. Such a flashy chase scene also has the danger of encountering other threats. Just as I was thinking this, a change occurred.

"Goo goo goo...!"

Suddenly, the dinosaur's running speed dropped rapidly. He stepped on Tatara and stopped, let out a painful groan, and then lost his balance. With a loud bang, the giant fell to the ground.

Hide for the time being, erase the sense of presence, and observe the situation quietly. I searched for the enemy with "Ryu", but I couldn't feel any particular danger. Carefully approach the dinosaur.

The enemy is completely dead. Was my attack the cause of death? There was no particular change in appearance, and it didn't seem to have broken out. First of all, from the perspective of the virus, it feeds on the host's Life Energy, and it is a problem if the host dies easily. Are there other factors?

In the process of investigation, I found a strange plant growing at the base of my chin. It is a red cactus. About 4 cacti of about 30 cm in size grew together. Compared to the size of a large dinosaur, it was only as big as a small wart, but that red cactus shone faintly like a gem.

I have deep feelings for this cactus. This must be the "Red Plant" from my hometown. It grew where I shot the "Erosion Mechanical Bullet", which is where my training made it erupt. In other words, my egg turned into this plant.

It might not be a plant. A collection of nanomachines. Traditional viruses turn Life Energy into mechanical trash, while the virus I have looks like a red plant.

This may be related to my growth experience. It seems that the exoskeleton is the effect of being made of plant-derived metal. It may have precipitated into this shape during the process of fusing with the virus.

I don't mind, but why the dinosaur died just by hitting this cactus is a mystery. There was no special trauma other than the cactus having grown. Having a beautiful body, as if it were poisoned to death...

"Poison?"

Try pulling the cactus. It slipped out from the middle of the meat. The roots were longer and deeper than I thought, deep into the dermis. If you look at the hole where the roots were pulled out, you can see loose meat walls.

This is not just damaged by the roots. Nearby cells were destroyed as they spread from the roots. The blood flowing from the wound is black. Cell necrosis, mixed with the strange smell of blood. There is no doubt that this is a reaction to the mineral Poison produced by the Red Plant.

My body can also use this Poison. It has neurotoxic and necrotic toxic properties, and it injects it into the prey with its bite through its fangs. The poison gland is divided into two, and the two properties can be used appropriately or combined.

Originally, native Chimera Ant soldiers could also use a Neurotoxin to paralyze the prey while keeping the prey alive and depriving the prey of freedom for a long time. Adapted to the Red Plant with potent toxins, we are more evolved in attacking and resisting poisons than our native species.

Even so, the opportunities to use this poison attack are few and far between. Our staple food is the Red Plant, and we never use poison to hunt. If anything, it is one of the defensive means. For those of us who move slowly, the most serious attack is this poisonous bite.

After my hometown collapsed, I was driven out of a peaceful environment, and naturally, I attempted to use this poison attack as a means of self-defense. However, first of all, if you get close enough to bite, you usually end up in a dangerous situation.

It is basically avoidance. When combat is unavoidable, there are too many enemies with skin too hard to bite with fangs. Up until now, I haven't used poison because after raising my Aura enhancement level, I can inflict more effective damage through physical attacks.

This is why I am surprised by the result of this poison killing the dinosaur. If it can properly reach the inside of the skin, is it poisonous enough to kill? I am deeply convinced that the enemy is too powerful, and even if I used the poison on my own body, it would be of no use.

That is to say, the "Erosion Machine Bullet" is the best attack for effectively sending venom into the enemy's body.

"……It's not what I thought."

After all, poisoning to death does not mean a virus.

＊＊＊

Although it was different from what I imagined, I still succeeded in defeating a strong enemy on my own. Being able to defeat an absolute powerhouse that had been hiding or running away head-on gave me great confidence.

Besides the dinosaur types, there are various monsters that can be poisoned to death. Conversely, they even launch attacks on threats they are not hostile toward. I am certain that my status as prey in this forest has been reversed.

Its power changed the world I see. For the first time, he felt the superiority of standing on the side of the strong. Until now, I told myself I was weak, and I spent all my energy just living. That gloomy soul finally had a chance to catch its breath.

Currently, we are gradually expanding the search range, centering on the Mechanical Ruins. In the past, human investigation teams landing on the Dark Continent needed about a week to reach the Mechanical Ruins. This means there is an ocean nearby.

If the investigation team, which had been avoiding monsters while moving around, could reach there in a week, then I, who can now walk freely in the forest, might complete the exploration in a shorter time. The briefcase containing the map and other materials rotted at the bottom of the spring, so I don't know the exact distance or direction, but if I search carefully, I should be able to find the landing point.

Now that I have some free time, while looking for hope (a return), I am also looking for a path to the sea. Regarding the "Gold White Water" already found, he used the "Cradle of Sacrifice" to destroy the spring without a trace, but in fact, he discovered a mysterious Stone at the ruins of the cradle.

If this were an ordinary Stone, it would have passed by without notice. A similar feeling is also condensed in that white little Stone the size of a grain of sand. Apparently, the components seeping out from this Stone dissolved into the spring water and played a role. This kind of Stone is called a "Konpaku Stone".

The power it condenses is quite strong; just by licking it, the Aura produced and the amount of Aura emitted increase by an order of magnitude. However, the side effects are also intense; after the effect time of about 1 to 2 minutes ends, the amount of latent Aura in the body decreases sharply. It is like borrowing Aura in advance, so it is difficult to use.

However, it is an item that can be fully utilized as a trump card. If you look for such a convenient reward, there might be others. This is why I searched around for various things, but it seems I cannot find it that easily.

I have already gained enough power to fight the surrounding enemies, but I will basically continue to use Hidden without fail. Fights that can be avoided should be avoided. When I was walking with the main body on Quinn's head, I discovered a beautiful flower.

This flower looks like a lily. Red and white gradients shine. A round, fruit-like thing the size of a marble hangs from the depths of the petals, but what is this? It looks delicious, so I let Quinn eat it.

"!!"

A delicate sweetness spreads in the mouth. It's great; everything I've eaten so far has been like trash. I originally wanted to lick a little to see the taste, but I ended up eating it by mistake. If I had to compare it, I can only think of it as falling from the sky... like an angel's fall...!

"Yingluo!"

Quinn's line of sight shifted, and the space descended like a spiral staircase. Rays of light flew back and forth, drawing a fractal structure. Severe hallucinations. Unable to endure the floating sensation, intoxication, abnormal euphoria, sharpening of senses, and surging neural waves brought on by semicircular canal paralysis, Quinn let out a strange cry and collapsed to the ground.

Immediately cut off the perception sharing. Because I have a different consciousness, I can look at my condition calmly and objectively, but the intense hallucinatory experience remained in my memory. Quinn suffered from incontinence, convulsions, and loss of consciousness. The detoxification to repair the Aura was not completed in time; he died, most likely from acute poisoning.

There are many poisonous plants on the Dark Continent, not just this flower. Its main body has strong resistance to poison, so you can eat it with peace of mind, but when it comes to suspicious or unusual items, Quinn might ask you to taste them. This is a precautionary measure; Quinn, with developed taste and smell, might be able to detect it in advance.

Quinn had previously been poisoned by a lethal, fast-acting poison, but this was the first time it was accompanied by such a significant hallucinogenic effect. Even now that my senses have returned to normal, I can still remember it clearly.

That was certainly dangerous. However, one cannot deny it. Am I not tired of this feeling? Indeed, I felt an indescribable excitement. This is the sweetest honey I have ever eaten. In the closed environment, I felt the pleasure of being released from the accumulated oppression all at once.

Quinn's corpse quickly dissipated and disappeared. The vomit she left behind was followed by the remains of the flower she had eaten. I couldn't take my eyes off it for a moment.

＊＊＊

I re-incarnated as Quinn, cheered myself up to get rid of my distraction, and continued my search, but I couldn't concentrate. I kept looking for other things, although I should have been looking for the ocean and rewards. And, fortunately or unfortunately, I found an object for this purpose.

"Ah"

Not far from where I discovered the flower earlier, there was a small stream where the trees had bloomed a little. Beautiful flowers bloomed in the center of the trees, as if accepting the sunlight filtered through the leaves. It swayed in the Wind as if a fairy were dancing gracefully.

Run up immediately and pick it up. Collect the fruit in the center of the flower. I put it in the Goo I carry with me. This Goo was made from the throat pouch of a monster bird I recently killed. Thick and durable, it stretches like rubber. It is very airtight, so I can carry water with me, which is very useful. It is usually attached to the main body's body.

In your mind, multi-consciousness demands that you exercise self-control. What do you intend to do with the fruit? It is obviously poisonous. No matter how delicious it is, there is no need to eat it willingly.

Even with the main body's resistance to poison, I don't know what kind of effect it will have. No, without a doubt, this is dangerous because it produced such a psychological effect just by indirectly feeding it to Quinn.

The hand stops. Trampled petals are scattered at her feet. Calm down for a moment. There is no need to collect everything. If we uproot the fruits in this garden, the natural habitat we found will disappear.

No, that's not right. Not like that. Should I throw this fruit away now...? But there might be some useful rewards. Once you bring it home, you should check it carefully. It is not based on the premise that you eat anything. Eating or not eating is a matter of careful consideration.

I reached a conclusion. Quinn stood up after filling the Goo with fruit. Then, I saw something that looked like a dead tree in front of me.

"……"

"……"

What is this. It didn't appear until a short while ago. Before I knew it. Why didn't I notice? For a moment, my thoughts were dyed white. My body stiffened.

It was Hidden, but I think it's impossible to be ignored at this distance. I didn't mean to let my guard down, but I was too focused on the flowers.

……No, this is clearly carelessness. Considering the position close to the water, even if we remained vigilant and alert, it should still not be enough. The natural floral fabric that exists there unnaturally. If you look closely, there are no weeds around this flower. Well-maintained. This is not a metaphor, but a garden created by someone intentionally. I ignored an anomaly that could have been noticed with just a little attention.

It appeared out of thin air, looking like a pitch-black dead tree. If you were standing in the woods, you might not notice it. However, looking closely like this, there are slender limbs. There are three holes on the top of the trunk that look like human faces. Eyes and mouth? A dead tree man walking on two legs.

He is holding something like a bucket in his hand. It is a Container for holding water. Did it come from the nearby stream? They can plant and manage flowers. Does the fact that you use tools imply corresponding intelligence?

"……Ah……"

A voice? A hoarse high-pitched sound came to my ears. I can't think of words. Even if I could talk to him, I don't think he is someone I can talk to. To him, I am an intruder in the garden. Or perhaps prey lured into a trap.

Escape or kill, think about it. It doesn't look like a strong enemy; it's just that its intelligence makes it troublesome. In any case, this distance is too close. If it were a long-range battle, this one with the Bullet would have an advantage. Little by little, they stepped back and left.

The dead tree man did not leave the spot. Perhaps it is good at killing signs and approaching enemies. Is this place a hunting ground built to sneak up from behind and prey on prey distracted by flowers?

I am glad I noticed in time. Do not take your eyes off it, and keep your distance while retreating. And retreat immediately within a certain distance. If it catches up to me, I can deal with it with the "Erosion Machine Bullet". Is this the best?

"Woo woo woo"

The dead tree man looked at me and just groaned. Water flowed from the hollows that looked like eyes. Are you crying? Is it angry because the garden was destroyed, or frustrated because it lost its prey?

And then what happened? Unfortunately, we don't even have a shred of sympathy. The strong take, and the weak are taken. That's it. It will be time. Leave this place immediately. That's what I thought, and that was when I put strength into my legs.

"Wooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa————"

Suddenly tears. The high-pitched sound beyond the audible range could not be heard from the middle. The air was trembling. And Quinn's vision was instantly shut off.

Both eyes were broken. It is clear that you were attacked. Before I could figure out the reason, Xiu's right hand pointed at the enemy. Although Quinn's eyes were crushed, the main body's eyes still existed. I fired a Bullet from the Emitter on the main body clinging to the arm.

The "Erosion Machine Bullet" shot at the enemy at high speed. But it can be avoided. The enemy's movement speed was so fast that my eyes could barely keep up. It showed agility that makes you wonder what the dullness just now was.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"

Quinn's left leg suddenly broke. Before both eyes could be repaired in time, further damage was received. My feet are not good. Loss of mobility. This might be why the enemy wanted it. I was deprived of my sight and stopped. This reaction was already lagging. I activated the derivative technique "Spirit Synchronization" made for emergencies.

"Thought Calculation (Multi-tasking)!"

By separating consciousness groups that think in the same way as much as possible and processing information in parallel, the thinking speed is significantly increased. When using it, extreme concentration is required, so it can only be used for a very short time, but in extreme situations where a momentary delay can determine victory or defeat, you can make decisions and act without any waste.

First, guess the enemy's strength. The attack method is unknown, and the effective range is also unknown. The attack distance is at least 10 meters from here. Its accuracy is also very high. It destroyed two eyeballs accurately in one go. The legs are also very likely to become targets and attacks.

And it possesses astonishing movement speed. Its leg strength and kinetic Sight Vision are enough to dodge bullets shot out unexpectedly at high speed. It is difficult for Quinn, who already has an injured leg, to Escape. I don't know if I can escape in perfect condition.

In the process of my Accelerated Thinking, my subjective time is abnormally long. I finish repairing Quinn's eyes. Then, just as I am about to start restoring the legs, the enemy roars. A shrill scream rings out, and a chill pierces through my internal organs.

The next moment, Quinn's internal organs burst open. Below the stomach, is that the liver? It feels like a water balloon popping inside my belly. In the stretched-out time, a sharp pain, as if squeezing cotton, slowly attacks me.

If not for Accelerated Thinking, I might have lost consciousness due to this pain. A hell where you can feel the pain of not being allowed to go crazy while remaining calm. However, it is precisely because one is still alive that one can experience this pain. If you leave an ugly gap here, you will be killed soon.

Deduction. Just before I was injured, the enemy shouted. I don't feel I did anything else. I also observed with "Gyo," and there was no abnormality. If it were just a thought attack, the moment you receive it, you could send a virus back and make it erupt. It's not that simple.

The key is the "sound." After he finished speaking, there was a slight tremor in my stomach. This is a sensation I was able to capture because I was using Accelerated Thinking. The vibration quickly converged to a point, Explosion. It only targets and destroys one organ.

Sound waves? That sound is like a type of acoustic weapon. Furthermore, it has impossible, precise directionality. Even for parts exposed on the outside like eyeballs and legs, the attack reaches remote places like internal organs without harming the surroundings at all.

Defending with aura is meaningless. A death scream that destroys any position instantly. If the first shot had aimed at the brain, Quinn would have died. As I thought this far, a chilling imagination flashed through my mind.

Quinn has already died once today. He died of poisoning when eating flowers. At that time, I ate a lot of egg soup. By the vow, this number is 333 or more out of 1000. However, this is only if you die in a state of perfect mental health.

Depending on your level of anxiety at the time, the consumption of lost eggs will increase. Poisoning should have been considered a relatively "gentle" death, but even so, it was impossible to minimize the damage. In fact, I have less than 500 eggs left now.

That is to say, the number of times you can materialize Quinn is only one more time. If Quinn dies here, there is no next time. Self-realization is possible, but when Quinn dies, the price of the vow cannot be paid. Looking at the remaining quantity, I can't even use "Sacrificial Cradle."

Now, if I lose Quinn, I can no longer use "Idolatry." If you create a new Quinn, you will be killed immediately. It is impossible to escape with the remaining mobility of the main body.

Right now, there is still an "easy-to-understand target" called Quinn, so the enemy aimed there first. However, once she is gone, the next target is the main body. If you let it pass, they might miss it... no, you can't. The corpse can be seen firing bullets.

For the time being, he will come to kill me, just to be safe. No matter how the exoskeleton protects it, if its contents explode directly, it will die. On the other hand, it cannot attack the enemy.

However, if you don't hit it, you have no chance of winning. The "Erosion Machine Bullet" is the only way to win. It is not an enemy you can hit by blind firing. Now that Quinn's injuries are few, can I carry out a special attack on the enemy? Even for a moment. This attack speed is not slow. If you have a chance, you have a chance to hit it.

Quinn's left lower leg bursts open, as if mocking such a guess. You lose your balance and land on all fours. To keep Quinn from dying, I am currently doing my best to restore his liver. The wound is so severe that it would be strange to be alive. I cannot straighten my legs.

Unable to defend, unable to evade, helplessly crawling on the ground in the face of a sonic attack with outstanding destructive power. Bringing it into close combat is impossible. This is the disadvantage of keeping distance.

They have complete control over life and death. Now I am being played with; there should have been many opportunities to kill Quinn. Or, perhaps I am being sanctioned because I touched the enemy's anger.

When he gets serious, it's all over. Is it a minute early or a second early?

Death? Me?

The Heavy pressure comes quickly. It even feels like the air has become heavy. Death as a group, not as an individual. The death of everything I am. It falls as easily as rain. A feeling of deathly stillness.

Are you dead?

"Thought Calculation (Multi-tasking)" is fully mobilized. Overusing your consciousness beyond the limit. The best, the best method, the method to overcome this situation. I think there are hundreds.

After that, I made a decision. Fire several "Erosion Machine Bullets" from the main body. The enemy naturally anticipated it. I can see it is taking evasive action. Just like a high-speed camera recording a large number of frames, the aggregated split consciousness connects the observed perceptions to form slow-motion images.

But it is only visible. Even if you can accurately grasp the enemy's position and reach 100% accuracy, it is useless if the enemy has the reaction and speed to dodge bullets. So, proceed to the next step.

"Psychological Synchronization"

Release this ability toward the enemy.

This is a brainwashing spirit wave, carefully sent into radio waves. Its speed is the same as radio waves, and if nothing blocks it, it travels through the air at near the speed of light; you can manipulate the hit target as if manipulating your own body.

However, its effectiveness is very weak. It has no effect on all living things. It is repelled by those with a self, and is completely ineffective even against an insect without a will. It is especially useful for my eggs, which is the ability to manipulate oneself.

Therefore, it is meaningless to use it on the enemy in front of me. After being repelled by Nen, it ends just like that. A sensitive enemy might feel slight discomfort from the Malice caused by the spirit wave, but there is no other effect.

But what if several of these nenwaves overlap at the same time? Each one is a trivial little "whisper," but by overlapping, it becomes a "sound" that can be heard.

I command every split mind to exercise its power. The waves emitted by each egg attack the enemy in a series of layers.

However, this ability does not allow you to manipulate the enemy. At most, it will only increase discomfort. A sense of incongruity that "something is being done." This is what I asked for.

Those who know the content of the ability don't have to be sad. Because this Nen has no attack power at all. But for those who know nothing about it, this is an unrecognizable attack.

A small gap is created there.

"Ah!?"

The enemy's movement speed slows down slightly. Even so, it is not enough to just stop the evasive behavior. The enemy barely sees through the position and avoids the trajectory. A small Bullet passes through without catching its target.

"Kneading!"

At that moment, the diameter of the Bullet expands. The Bullet (egg) itself becomes explosive and immediately grows into a red spherical cactus. The plan to trick the enemy into dodging the bullet at the last moment.

"Aga!?"

I certainly did it. However, the cactus did not take Root. Although the enemy was scratched, it grazed past behind the enemy with the momentum of the shooting speed.

It doesn't matter. A slight blow from the spirit waves of "Psychological Synchronization" and "Erosion Machine Bullet." The storm-like offensive achieved results, creating a decisive opportunity for the enemy.

And before the main body recognized the opening, the split consciousness that had been on standby had already fired a bullet. Guess-shooting on the premise that a gap would appear. This is the best shot I can make now. If this is dodged, there is no future.

Hit or miss.

Life or death.

"A-Rank!"

I knew it. The bullet that hit the enemy's torso grows into a cactus. This time I caught it. Absorbing the Life Energy covering the enemy's body surface, it successfully takes Root. Rapid continuous shooting. If we stop here, this is who will be killed.

"Agobu!"

The enemy's legs are hit. The bullet hits the torso, face, arms, one after another, turning it into a red cactus nursery.

"... Ah!"

When I close my mouth, victory or defeat is decided. I can't speak with this. Still shooting at the amazing dead tree. Thoroughly Pursuit the enemy bouncing on the ground like a Fugura. And when the strange cactus collection is finished, I finally lower the muzzle.

"Ha... hey...!"

There is no trace of victory. There is no sense of accomplishment in defeating a strong enemy, no sense of accomplishment in showing one's strength, and no ecstasy in taking revenge.

Still alive. There is only an illusion that transcends death. I know this is many times worse than death.

This mistake was caused by my negligence.

By obtaining the power of the Almeiza Machine, I felt proud of my strength. I had the illusion of ruling at the top of this forest ecosystem.

I have to say this is a superficial thought. My power was originally just one of the Disaster-level threats. Who decided there were no other threats at the same level? I finally obtained the power to fight equally in this forest.

There were many opportunities to avoid the previous battle. As long as I didn't succumb to the temptation of the flowers and didn't carelessly approach the Swamp, I would only be like this. Even when gathering, as long as I remained vigilant, I wouldn't let the enemy get close.

However, the enemy must have also let their guard down. The best approach is to hide and attack from a distance while I am busy gathering. There is no need to show off. I was saved by the power of the strong.

I am lucky. Just one word. There is no guarantee we will have such luck next time. Sometimes there is also an enemy who looks down on you like a weakling, scoops up your feet, and reverses the situation in an instant. Tomorrow is my

permanent battlefield. Engrave this mindset into your heart.

Quinn was finally able to complete organ repair, saving his life. When egg drop soup is less than half full, it is usually quite sticky. I need to consider how to make full use of Quinn in the future. If you do not think about how to use it, you cannot fight against powerful enemies.

The foundation will be the same as before, avoid fighting. Use "Hidden" to hide, and use "common" to search for enemies. Explore the condition of the surrounding forest.

""Both""

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

Eleven.

Twelve.

Twelve corpses.

There are twelve corpses reacting around here.

"Palace"

Stupid. When, that, how, until not long ago, of course, no, were you there? Fighting the whole time? Were you being watched? I have no time to confirm.

There are dead trees hiding in the trees, as if hiding inside the trees.

The number, twelve. Even if there is only one, there are twelve vicious threats; they did their best, taking advantage of the enemy's carelessness, using all their strength to win by a narrow margin.

Quinn's body has already started to sweat. The droplets flowing down his cheeks are absorbed into the ground. All I can do is stare at the traces of soil that have been soaked by the water and discolored.