Chapter 359: Episode 16

Even now, thinking about it makes me shudder. Countless corpses revive in my mind. Most of the companions who shared joys and sorrows with me did not receive any reward. Among them, Tokunosuke Tenmiya, one of the few survivors, recalled the tragedy that occurred in this place.

The reason the four people here were able to survive is that they did not engage in direct combat with the "Worms." When many in the squad ventured into the sub-dragon habitat, these four were carrying out other missions.

There was a danger that a huge dinosaur-like creature would suddenly invade and collide with the troops in action, so they were sent to create a diversion. At the time, he thought it was a more dangerous mission, and Tokunosuke believed he had reached a dead end. Ironically, however, it could be said that thanks to that mission, he was able to survive.

With the lives they found, they returned to this hateful land. But this time, it was not a matter of being helpless. They did not come here to die. The Worm is a terrifying Disaster that parasitizes those who see it, but there is a way to nullify this power.

In fact, at that time, Tokunosuke saw the bugs. I firmly confirmed the "eyes" they possessed. However, it was never parasitized. The sub-dragon he saw was an image projected through a camera.

If it is "video," there is no problem with watching it. However, if observed with the naked eye, it cannot be avoided under any circumstances. A gas mask protects the entire face, and even if viewed through reinforced resin goggles, one will be infected.

There is still much that cannot be explained about this ability, but the investigation team is continuing its investigation. Quantum is a unit aimed at directly exploring the Dark Continent, but for those who boarded the airship, that is not all. Scientists on the ship also conducted detailed analyses of the unknown rewards and risks.

In the analysis team, there was a person who used a Nen Ability called "Experimental Subject No. 5 (Android)." This is an Incarnation System ability that creates Nen dolls. This Nen doll possesses the same human body structure and life support as a human, but it has absolutely no combat power. Its purpose is to allow human experimentation to be conducted legally as needed. The doll itself is a "Quan" that can observe progress in detail.

The returning investigation team stored the eyeballs of the infected as Material and brought them back to the ship. The results of the analysis using this Nen doll revealed that the eggs were not implanted from the outside. Examination of the infected eyes showed a mutation in the vitreous body. This is the gel-like tissue that fills the inside of the eyeball.

Due to certain factors, the host who sees the Worm undergoes special changes in the retina. This substance changes the environment inside the eyeball, centering on the retina, just as cancer cells promote changes in surrounding cells. The mutation of the vitreous body is also considered to be one of these.

It is well known that retinal detachment is caused by the liquefaction of the vitreous body with age. The difference is that the detached retinal cells rapidly degenerate and turn into embryo-like cell bodies. These are the worm eggs. The vitreous body acts like the egg white that protects and nourishes the egg, providing the perfect environment for the embryo to grow.

In other words, this is closer to reproduction than parasitism. In general animals, male and female individuals put genetic information into reproductive cells and establish reproduction through transmission, but for the Worm, the way to transmit genetic information is "eye-to-eye," and that is all.

This reproductive function already exists at the egg stage and causes a secondary Disaster where the eyeballs of other organisms mutate through the host's eyes. Once infected, the only way to save oneself is to remove the eyeball before the egg hatches. Hatching takes about 5 hours. Since it is an infectious disease discovered only recently, no treatment using drugs or surgery has been found yet.

But I found a way to prevent it. Even if you view the Worm as a recorded image, you will not be infected. It is thought that the process of transmitting genetic information visually to the retina is unusual, and the process is extremely delicate; once it is switched to another image, it may not be transmitted accurately.

I prepared a special gas mask for this expedition. By fixing a modified night-vision device to the helmet and wearing it over both eyes, you can see external images through the camera.

This can prevent it, but even if it can prevent parasitism, the adults are a threat simply because of their size and strength. If it were just one, one could still escape, but many adults are lurking in the habitat ahead. If one does not move away from the central hill that serves as the return collection point, the mission cannot be completed.

Measures have been taken for this purpose. Tokunosuke is the cornerstone of this strategy. He took out the necessary Binder to activate his ability.

"Wait, I want to confirm something before we continue."

However, the operation was controlled by Gragg Mcmiyah. He asked Quinn again.

"As I said before, we are starting the operation now. We have made as many preparations as possible, but there is still danger. Still, are you coming with us?"

Quinn thought for a moment, then nodded. If I had the personality to wait quietly here, I wouldn't have followed you this far. Quantum accepted her reply without confirming or denying it.

"Then, shall we begin?"

Tokunosuke dared to speak in a stuttering tone. From the Binder he held in his hand, sheets of paper flew out on their own. A large number of sheets fluttered in the air without any Wind, then flew high into the sky.

"'Shikigami'"

The shape of this paper is like a cross, and it can even look like a bird with its wings spread. Each of them turned into a real bird. To be precise, a Nen Beast with paper as its core.

Among small-beast-type psychic beasts, birds with flight capabilities are valued for their ease of use, but they are often less powerful. Its combat style focuses on lightness and speed.

However, his Nen ability is not bound by this common sense. He can operate up to 400 Nen birds at a time. Although they are only the size of pigeons, if they hit a Nen Bead, it is a mass of momentum, yet they have a certain amount of power. A hundred birds flocking together are like surging sea waves, crushing the enemy. This attack is closer to a rain of Bullets with enhanced rapid-fire characteristics.

However, he is a person with a strong Emission System ability. Because it is incompatible with the Incarnation System, the appearance of the birds is the same as a dummy. It has reproducibility like a poorly made wood carving, so if you look closely, you will notice it immediately.

Furthermore, the Emission System is good at increasing the power and durability of Nen Beads and increasing their quantity, but the operability is not good. Looking at the gender chart, it is next to the Manipulation System, but it is not close to my main work. In particular, the more Nen birds operated at once, the greater the decline in operability. If he keeps the operability to a level he can use in actual combat, his ability can handle at most five Nen birds.

I mentioned earlier that 400 flying birds would attack the enemy, but this is a very inefficient way to use Nen Beads. If you can do that, you should be able to increase power by simply attacking with Nen Bullets. First of all, he does not have enough Aura to create 400 Nen birds at once.

However, this is only considering his original ability. He has a trump card that can greatly boost his ability. This is a "God Character."

Kamiji are special characters that act as auxiliary Nen abilities. By carving them into things or places, you can increase the effect and range of your ability. However, the effect is only supplementary. People with abilities who cannot fight normally without relying on them are often seen as lacking ability.

However, the level of training in Kamiji also varies depending on the Needle, just like Nen Ability. If you are a shrewd user, there are also fierce people in actual combat who write this complex and strange character. Some craftsmen create tools with special abilities by programming activation effects.

And Tokunosuke has a skill in handling Kamiji that the world cannot compare to. Furthermore, the Kamiji he writes are also different from the Kamiji commonly used by Hunters. This is related to his background.

He was born into an old family in Japan. His family served as Shinto priests for generations, and their Roots are planted in the Onmyodo. The Kamiji he uses also originated from the Kamiji used by ancient Onmyoji.

In the past, when religion and science were confused, and natural phenomena, disasters, and plagues were considered the work of gods and demons, Nen Ability was also confused with religion. Even now, it cannot be said that Nen Ability has been clarified by science, and there are many cases where religion acknowledges it.

Even if you don't understand the essence of Nen Ability, when dealing with Nen, a strong belief in something will not seem out of place. Nen is closely related to religions around the world and has established its own culture with priests, monks, shamans, and witches.

It is said that the Kamiji often used by Hunters today originally came from the Kamiji carved on Coffins during the ancient Zeptang Kingdom period. It has been improved to make it easier for future generations to use and has stabilized into its current form.

Kamiji, like language, has completely different forms in different regions. It is believed that the most popular Matou Shinji character is the easiest to handle and has no special characteristics. Other miscellaneous Kamiji, even if you use several times the amount of sentences, mostly have less than 1/10 of the effect.

Many of these "Ancient God Characters" have been forgotten with the passage of time, and even if they remain, they only have academic value. However, some have been passed down from generation to generation and are still in use today.

The characters used by Tokunosuke are also one of the so-called "Ancient God Characters." Japan is a polytheistic country. The idea that God exists in all things injects life into inanimate objects that cannot move. Once upon a time, the blood of the people in the city was boiling, filled with a large number of gods and evil spirits.

Tokunosuke's ancestors were Wizards who protected the city in the chaos. That ancient Divine Rune was specialized in assisting the power of Nen Beads.

Kamiji cannot be used just by looking at it and imitating it. Calligraphers accurately grasp the meaning contained in the character, as well as the meaning that changes as the characters are connected, and depict each character with the determination to put their whole heart into the work.

This tendency becomes more intense as it becomes an Ancient God Character. Hammering the details of the historical and cultural thought background into the back of one's mind, one must inevitably interweave seemingly endless subtle emotions into the characters. The difficulty is like an impromptu poem. Handling it requires special training, and in some cases, it cannot be used unless it is written with the blood of the lineage. Therefore, it is often said that this is a secret inherited from a child.

However, due to its difficulty, it is very effective under certain conditions. As a result, despite the large number of his Nen birds, they can be operated precisely. Since it is an Auto-type Nen bird based on preset conditions, as long as the Aura contained within it persists, it will act autonomously without the caster's instructions.

The operation types of Nenju include Auto and Remote. The remote type requires the operator to constantly issue instructions near the Nen Beads, just like radio control. In this regard, the Auto type is not limited by the range of action and can use multiple operation objects at the same time, but it also has the disadvantage that it can only act according to the program and cannot respond flexibly.

Since his ability is premised on writing commands in Kamiji, the disadvantages of the Auto type are particularly obvious. There is no time to rewrite commands during battle. After merging, one can switch between multiple programs, but there is a large limit to the amount of space that can be written.

This is why he carries a paper template with detailed program classifications and each character assigned so that he can deal with any situation. Depending on the situation, he will use different Nen birds to summon. His ability to judge the situation can be said to be his true value.

It was not necessary this time, so it was omitted, but you can make it look more realistic by increasing the Materialization performance of the small birds. Although he is a person with an Emission System ability, neither Manipulation nor Materialization is a weakness. He shows strength that ignores system compatibility.

Moreover, this ability also has the powerful effect of "being able to be used even without Aura." To be precise, because Aura can be stored in the paper template of the Nen bird base in advance, it does not need to consume the Aura in the body when activated.

This is an attribute of Material manipulation for a Nen Beast user that is closer to an operating system than an Emission System. He is not manipulating a bird, but a paper template wrapped in Aura. The Manipulation System is also good at injecting Aura into tools and storing it.

Of course, to create a Nen bird with this performance, a lot of preparation is required. Unless a considerable amount of Aura is injected in addition to writing the Kamiji, it will not become a powerful Nen technique. The production time is at least one week. The more Aura that can be invested, the better the effect, so if you want to show it, it will take longer. Moreover, it will deteriorate just by storing it, and it also requires Aura to maintain it after completion.

I cannot make more than one bird at a time, but it is certainly not something that can be easily mass-produced. How many Nen birds did he prepare for this investigation? I spent a dizzying amount of time preparing the paper templates. This is the result of years of accumulation little by little. However, the bottom line of these savings is right in front of me.

Every time I go out on an expedition, I drink Nen birds like drinking hot water. Although it is not a stingy situation, the little girl flashed by, and I don't know how much effort was used.

This operation used 400 paper templates, and there was almost no stock left. In essence, this is your last chance to get a reward. If he doesn't succeed here, I don't know why he has worked so hard until now.

The strategic outline is simple. Use a large number of Nen birds as a diversion to penetrate the host to the collection point.

The Worm's habitat is covered with a sensory network of threads, and the presence of intruders can be detected immediately. This line is very thin, and it is difficult to feel it without actually touching it. Furthermore, this sensory network is not limited to the ground, but extends between trees and even above the forest.

By connecting the lines to Floating Stones, a safety net leading to the sky was formed. This sky net is different from the one on the ground; it is tough and sticky. It seems to be stretched to catch prey like a spider web. Because of this line, the Floating Stones are tied to the surrounding area. The reason the swarm flocked here was probably to use this Floating Stone for hunting. Invading from above is currently impossible.

The detection network on the ground is thin and weak, so we had to choose this route. The reason the ground part is easier to enter may be a trap to lure prey into the forest. It might be more convenient for them to prey on them or use them for reproduction. However, using the safety net, it will launch a full-scale attack from multiple directions with its Nen birds, thereby confusing the enemy.

In fact, this subversive strategy has been successfully tested before. No matter how threatening it is, its IQ is low. They have an instinct to prioritize objects that move more violently on the sensory network, and they are easily guided.

The Nen-bird flashed by, catching the insects' attention. Meanwhile, the investigation team snuck in. The worms' locations were tracked via images from the camera held by the elder, and the search for enemies by Cher and Katraie safely breached the worm forest. Even if they encountered worms, they could avoid the danger of infection by using gas masks and night-vision goggles.

It was a repeatedly rehearsed strategy to ensure no oversights. It was the best one could do for now. Still, considering unforeseen circumstances, I cannot guarantee it will succeed, but once I start thinking about it, it is endless. Tokunosuke sent off the Nen-bird, leaving half his luck to the heavens. His actions were pre-set; once activated, there was nothing left for him to do.

Seeing hundreds of birds fly into the sky was truly spectacular. Up until now, he had only calculated flight opportunities for at most four hundred birds he could use. Among them, I remember the training scenes from when I lived in Japan.

Not very good memories. I only remember my father scolding me for being immature. Even so, what I remember might be Quinn's influence.

For some reason, this young girl, who should have grown up on the Dark Continent, was extremely knowledgeable about Japan. After Tokunosuke revealed he was from Japan, Quinn asked some related questions. Although she had some misconceptions about place names and people's names, she generally understood Japanese food and culture. Was it Mr. Nguyen's wisdom? Besides her, her father was also a mysterious figure.

I don't think I'm indulging in nostalgia now, but once I start thinking about it, I can't get rid of it. At the moment of life and death, vague memories were awakened. At that time, when I ran out of the house I was confined to, I was just a child longing for freedom. You would never dream that it would now be in the U. S. Special Forces, setting foot on the Dark Continent.

Everything is settled, let's go home.

Will my father forgive me? If I told you that you brought back the return, the hope of humanity, even as a commemorative story, how would you react? I can't. That person would come to kill you without a second thought.

He couldn't help but feel it was ridiculous that he hadn't refused the meeting. I couldn't help but laugh. Captain Gragg Mcmiyah looked at him like that, warning him to pull himself together. That angry figure overlapped with his father's, and Tokunosuke could no longer hold it in and burst out.

Running silently. No one took a step. Even the sound of breathing was suppressed while running. The feeling of tension was like nerves flowing down from her hair.

Pay close attention to the surrounding environment. The scene was visualized through the mask. Quinn was fine, but the main body was not wearing a mask. Since there was no other way, I placed the carry-on bag on the main body's head. My line of sight was completely blocked, but considering the threat of the enemy, I had to do this.

Tiny water droplets danced on invisible threads. Fiber-like thin lines were stretched everywhere. It could be cut without resistance, but it would get entangled one after another. Annoying, as if adding to the unpleasantness brought by the thick, hot mist.

But there was no sound. I heard the insect disaster did not appear. About 10 minutes later, we crossed the forest and reached the summit. In terms of straight-line distance, the worm forest was not that vast. Tokunosuke's containment with the Nen-bird definitely worked.

For some reason, the hilly area had no detection network. This place was located in the center of the Dragon Forest, like a stranded island, out of range. This mountain did not seem to have any dragons.

But of course, this was not a safe zone. I cannot be sure that the bugs in the forest won't enter the mountain. The return needs to be collected immediately. We continue to the next action, without resting.

"Watch your step."

The ground was light. The slight vibration just stepped underfoot lifted the ground, almost lifting the whole person into the air. If you only look at that scene, it is like a zero-gravity space. The raw Material in this environment has changed its mass. So far, our weight does not seem to have changed, but it is not a place where we want to stay for a long time.

Seen from above, the largest hill had a huge depression, like a crater. Its center was the goal. It was a black object about 5 meters long. They said it was a kind of mineral Crystal, but it didn't look like one at all. It had a twisted, bulging shape, like bubbles floating and hardening in boiling water.

"This shape itself is not as rare as a grape-cluster crystal, but to what extent can it be applied to existing minerals that have already been discovered?"

To deal with emergencies, only one person went to collect. The rest waited at the edge of the crater. The one who went to collect was Gragg Mcmiyah. The captain did this work himself. I started carving the Crystal with the power tools I brought with me.

The mission progressed so easily, it was disappointing. However, this was the result of their careful planning. Everything went well, and the damage had been done.

The Quantum Investigation Corps suffered a crushing defeat in the previous operation, and most of its members were killed. The reason this operation went so smoothly was because we learned from that failure. It was not just a matter of luck.

Originally, they intended to perform the surgery with the remaining four people. There were detailed calculations, rather than desperately giving up honor. There was no curtain to let me leave. Unable to make any appeal, it was as if following along was the end of it.

However, I was not stupid enough to hope to cause an accidental commotion here. After all, when it comes to a threat of the class called Disaster, it is not something you want to deal with. Hearing the story about the bugs made me rethink. It is better that nothing happened.

Friendship with humans allowed them to communicate with each other on the way to this place. This should be fine. Perhaps... I am not very confident, but at least I should be able to tell there is no hostility. I cannot show powerful strength, but it is enough for the opponent to avoid being overly cautious. After that, I will accompany you until I return to the ship, depending on the negotiations there.

Cutting the Crystal seemed to take some time. It looked very Hard. The piece scraped off was about the size of a pinky fingernail. That was the limit of what I could carry. It was too Heavy.

It is believed that this metal has the property of absorbing only the weight of surrounding substances. The weight is transferred to this metal because the soil and rocks around it are lighter. That is why even a small piece is very Heavy, and a large adult cannot lift it.

Even for a Nen-user who can perform Enhancement on their physical fitness, the amount they can carry is negligible, but it is still a valuable return. Its value is immeasurable. It was tightly encapsulated in a prepared transport capsule.

The capsule seemed to be carried by Cher. I was sure Gragg Mcmiyah would have it. Cher has the highest muscle strength of all, as she is just an Enhancement type. She lifted the capsule, which Gragg Mcmiyah held with both hands, with one hand. But it was not easy, even though it was a joke. Thinking of returning the same way, the burden was heavy. We will be forced to act more cautiously than ever before.

Anyway, this was a long-awaited return acquisition. Due to the urgency of the situation, they didn't say much, but they still patted each other on the shoulder. Everyone was wearing a gas mask, so I didn't know their expressions, but they all looked happy. Some gave a fist pump. This is a gesture humans take when they are happy. Quinn also did a fist pump.

Regarding this return, I also had the idea of taking the opportunity to collect it personally. I have the mating ability to take on the properties of metal. There is also hope that consuming minerals that affect quality will grant special abilities accordingly.

However, because of the risk, I decided not to do so. Even if the main body possesses the same attributes, if it continues to absorb mass from the surrounding environment, wouldn't it become heavier and heavier, unable to move? The result of feeding the mating is the offspring of the next generation. Unlike the current main body, it is able to acquire this ability.

Instead of worrying about these things now, I decided to leave here as soon as possible. After that, if we can safely return to the ship—

"It's coming."

Katraie said briefly. I turned and looked behind me. Beyond his line of sight, he could only see a forest extending into the Pitch Darkness. But he felt something.

"Toku, can you check with the camera?"

"Yes, right away."

The bird turned in the direction Katraie indicated. Tokunosuke relied on images collected by multiple cameras to accurately grasp the enemy's movements.

So Tokunosuke should be the reason he could detect the approaching enemy the fastest. The problem was that Katraie noticed it before he did.

Katraie searched for enemies in response to the killing intent emitted by the enemy. If the enemy just happened to enter this place, I wouldn't be able to detect it. In other words, this meant an enemy with obvious hostility was approaching.

Bad things are coming.

It is a shame to collect scattered equipment. Take what you can for now, check the return directly, and leave afterwards. Prepare to escape. Tokunosuke captured the image of the enemy.

"Ah... ah...?"

"Is the enemy a bug? What is the distance?"

"Oh, what about now?"

I don't understand this. Why can't you say it clearly? What did you see? So much.

"My eyes..."

Are you scared?