Chapter 365: Episode 22

Do not think about the present; just focus on returning to your post. Ever since I heard the voice on the radio, I haven't been able to shake my unease. I won't be at peace until I confirm that Cheru and Tokunosuke are both safe.

Perhaps this is just an excuse. Isn't returning to the ship a selfish reason? Isn't it just running away, postponing unpleasant things for later?

I am able to shake off the black shadow I created. But it does not disappear. If you look back, you are there. If I allow it, it will come closer to becoming one with me again.

The unusual use of the 【Sage's Gauntlet】 that Shu displayed just now cannot be imitated. There is a strange feeling when using it myself, but if I am not in a state of merging with that shadow, I would not be able to use it even now.

If that happens, Quinn will likely lose control again. It is not always convenient to stop next time. In the end, I have no choice but to run. I give up on the decision that is not so far away and wait for others to make the decision for me.

I cannot seem to find the answer myself. Even if I decide to do something here and now, I feel that it will return in the form of regret one day.

I want to tell you everything. I openly tell Cheru and Tokunosuke about my existence and what has happened so far. Most importantly, I have no choice but to let them decide.

He is carrying Gulag's corpse on his back. I cannot lie or hide how he became like this. If I do that, I will not be able to forgive myself.

What words will they say to me when they hear what I have done? Just imagining it makes me feel suffocated, as if my heart is being gripped. I am sure I will not be forgiven. Isn't it obvious what kind of treatment you will receive?

Moreover, in that pessimism, there is indeed only a little hope left. Perhaps those two will know everything and accept me. I thought I would be blamed, but there was no complete rejection.

Self-loathing grows in this baseness. I am afraid to go back to the ship and meet them. I thought I was escaping reality, but for some reason, I am caught in the contradiction of running toward the root of my fear. Like a car without brakes driving down a slope toward the bottom of a cliff, I do not know if my actions are of my own will.

However, while running, he realizes that now is not the time to worry about his own emotional changes. As I approach the sea, I begin to hear intermittent ringing in my ears. It becomes stronger and stronger. It is clear that something is wrong.

I have only experienced this kind of loud tinnitus once before. Just arriving at the beach near here, it is very similar to the tinnitus when fighting the giant crab.

Just then, the enemy suddenly appeared in front of me. Even if he had been invisible, approaching like the wolf I fought before, his concealment accuracy was unparalleled. Now that my malice perception ability has improved, perhaps I can see through it, but I do not have absolute confidence.

What's more, this time, the buzzing in my ears is still ringing continuously. If a group of crabs attacks me, can I handle it? Unlike the previous wolf, the crab's armor is thick. Right now, all I can do is deal with one.

If Quinn is in a runaway state of being one with the 'Shadow', perhaps he can still fight. However, this is a gamble, and there is no guarantee of returning to normal consciousness. Moving forward blindly like this is too dangerous.

But he cannot stop. Precisely because it is a dangerous situation, it is necessary to confirm the safety of the ship. I walk toward the coast while concentrating, feeling as if I am walking through a minefield.

An earth-shattering sound rings out. Tinnitus is like an auditory hallucination that occurs when there is some abnormality in the auditory nerve; it does not mean that the actual sound is actually transmitted to the brain as a signal. As proof, even if I cover my ears with my hands, the noise does not diminish in the slightest. It is as if the auditory nerve itself is being attacked.

Enduring nausea and dizziness, I look out at the sea. There is an understandable change. In one place on the sea surface, a huge spherical luminous body is floating. Since it is night, the light mysteriously illuminates the surrounding sea.

Large splashes of water are constantly flying near the light emitter. At first, I didn't know what was happening because it was far away. Looking closely, one can see a huge water-ball-like thing appearing in the air and falling onto the sea surface. This is repeated.

This water ball does not emit light. It may just be a water ball. This phenomenon may also be related to the yellow-green glowing water ball, but its principle is completely unknown. However, when the water ball appears in the air, I feel my tinnitus getting worse.

It is not uncommon to encounter such unknown phenomena on the Dark Continent. On the contrary, it is harder to encounter anomalies with clear causes. If this is a phenomenon that is harmless unless you get close to it, then run away before thinking about it.

The most important thing for me now is to ensure the ship is safe. If you can do that, you can ignore everything after. However, reality is always the opposite of my hope.

There is a ship near the illuminator. The several water balls that appear and fall in the air are attacks on the ship. Can the enemy create water balls in the air, or are they lifting the surrounding seawater? Either way, the free-falling seawater is enough to sink a ship on its own.

Activate "Thought Manipulation" to find the best action in the current situation.

There is no time to spare. Due to the large amount of water hitting the hull, the ship is on the verge of capsizing. It is like a toy ship floating in a bathtub, swaying left and right under the friction of the waves. A child is being tossed around as if playing in a bathtub.

Really played with. If you really want to sink the ship, you can do it right away. Even a research ship built with human wisdom is nothing more than shavings floating on the waves in the face of a Disaster. However, the enemy looks down on us and lets us relax our vigilance. This is the only breakthrough.

I have no way to cross the sea to approach them now. Swimming in this sea is impossible. The investigation team explained the threat to me, and I experienced it firsthand before meeting them.

Although it is said to be an ocean of slime, if we are careful enough, it seems possible to avoid it, but reality is much more dangerous than I imagined. This slime has "viscous" and sticky properties. Taking advantage of the fact that it hadn't dried yet, I stepped onto the beach, but in the end, I couldn't avoid falling. I couldn't stand steady, couldn't grab anything, and was slowly dragged into the sea.

And the more you move, the more the slime solidifies, turning into a highly elastic moisturizer. In the early stages, it could still be torn off with force, but if you continue to be submerged in the sea, it will snowball, become thicker, and eventually, you won't be able to escape. I killed a Quinn who entered the sea without knowing it.

So swimming is not an option. And the distance of this ship is also hundreds of meters from the coast. The only attack method that can reach that far is 【Sacrificial Cradle】.

The question is where to aim. At first glance, the glowing water ball is suspicious. Only the water ball is not moving. There is reason to believe that it is the enemy's main body, but it has not been confirmed. There is no second shot in "Sacrificial Cradle". If I go off track here, I can do nothing.

No, you can't shoot a second shot, can you? Paying the price is impossible, but the technique itself can be activated. In that case, I would really die.

Think about it later. You should finish it with the first shot. When I take it off, I will consider it.

"【Sacrificial Cradle (Rotonegg)】!"

At night, beams of light cut through the sea. A scorching beam of light scrapes across the sea surface, producing a large amount of steam. In an instant, the area is shrouded in Dense Fog.

I desperately open my eyes, wanting to see through the fog. In addition to aiming the beam at the enemy, he must also prevent the aftermath of the attack from reaching the ship. The attack range of 'Sacrificial Cradle' is not something I can adjust at will, so it is difficult for me to calculate its attack range, but I calculated it based on my experience of using it so far.

It shouldn't have hit the ship. Then, he shot through the enemy's position.

"... No!"

However, a blurry yellow-green light appeared in the fog. The enemy is still alive. Its position is far from where I shot the beam. I thought it was a misjudgment due to the heavy fog, but the position has clearly changed.

It could have been avoided. If they move at a speed that even 'Sacrificial Cradle' cannot capture, then they can do nothing. It is useless to fire another shot when preparing to die. Grit your teeth.

But still. If this is all I can do.

Black smoke rises from the launcher. This is an illusion caused by malice detection. The smoke extends toward the direction I am in. Because of my attack, the other party also determined my position.

Now is not the time to let yourself despair. In some ways, this is a good development. The enemy should prioritize my long-range attacks rather than playing with the ship. If you get my attention, the ship won't be attacked during that time.

I am using "Broadcast". This is a technique that multiplexes "Psychological Synchronization" on the spiritual waves emitted by the Chimera Ants. Each egg uses "Psychological Synchronization" on the enemy at the same time. This does not mean you can control the enemy, but it can give you a strong sense of discomfort. This is a good place to attract attention.

If the enemy warns me and runs away, I have nothing to say. Even if not, if you leave the ship and aim at me to approach me. As long as you can get close, there is a way to fight.

My wish came true. I was able to get close to my enemy. In a way completely different from what I imagined.

My tinnitus is stronger than ever, and knowing it is meaningless, I reflexively cover my ears with both hands. The next moment, the scenery in front of me changed completely.

There is a yellow-green light in front of me. It is a group of glowing jellyfish. A group of small glowing jellyfish are crowded into a huge foam sphere.

I am close enough to see the true identity of the enemy. Finally, you realize the ability your enemy possesses. This is Aport. This group of jellyfish has the ability to teleport themselves and other objects.

Before, I thought the ability I fought with the giant crab was a latent skill that even I couldn't recognize, but that was not the case. The crab that appeared suddenly at that time was not covered by my own ability. I was transferred to this jellyfish. So for a moment, I didn't know why I was here.

The huge water ball that grazed the bow of the ship must have been caused by the seawater rushing into the sky. Even if it is just a large mass of water, it cannot be blocked, but the stickiness of this seawater is extremely vicious. It would be bad to be attacked the same way as the previous ship.

However, even the worst judgment I assumed is childish compared to the current situation. The escape route has been closed. The place where I am standing now is not the coast. Quinn is in a huge foam. It is trapped in a bubble-like sphere along with the scaffolding.

To be precise, part of the coast including Quinn was transferred to the sea. The enemy did not approach. I was moved closer to the enemy.

In other words, this place is in the sea. Looking up at the sky, there is no starlight, only the moon twisting its shape, emitting a faint light. The underwater dome-like space seems to be crushed by the surrounding water pressure. Countless bubbles rise to the sea, and the rock scaffolding sinks to the bottom of the sea.

Watching the water flow slowly pouring in through 'Thought Manipulation', I activate the life jacket function equipped on the jacket. Air is sucked into the floating bag built into the jacket, making it a simple life jacket.

Despite his wit and agility, the situation remains grim. A reckless underwater battle, the enemy has the ability of Aport, with no obvious limitations. Without hesitation, the attack begins.

With the sound in my ears, two objects appear. It looks like a burr, but given that this is the sea, it might be a sea urchin. Its diameter seems to be about 5 meters. It seems to have been transferred from somewhere.

The sea urchin fires thorns to explode shortly after the transfer. Needle-like Bullets are scattered in all directions. The Bullet speed will not be reduced by waterproofing. It rotates like a spiral, passing through the viscous sea while generating propulsion.

It may be a creature adapted to this sea area. The violently rotating thorns keep approaching, while circling to block the cocoon covered in white slime.

The physical sensation of Quinn inside my body gave me an immediate answer. The situation with the viscous water, the rain of Needles from all directions, and the astonishing speed of the Bullet.

This kind of attack is unavoidable. Absolutely not. Abandon the option of trying to avoid it. If you don't spend the remaining time on something else, you simply won't survive.

Several thorns pierced Quinn's body. The screws dug out the flesh like a corkscrew. The penetration should have been fast enough, but the momentum of the rotation weakened immediately after being hit, stopping at the same time it pierced Xiu's body.

However, the spiral-shaped thorns embedded in the flesh were unlikely to fall off easily. Before that, Quinn's body had no strength. The limbs were numb. Poison. Not fatal, but it is difficult to detoxify with Aura.

From there, the thorns began to move on their own. A powerful force pulled Quinn's body. If you look closely, you can see something like a thin thread extending from the base of the thorn. It is hard to see, but it may be related to the Fugura's body. In other words, these thorns are harpoons used to capture prey, and the Fugura itself can retrieve the stabbed target by pulling the line.

The resistance was not strong enough. Quinn was dragged to the seabed along with the sinking Fugura.

However, although Quinn was sacrificed, only the main body was able to escape. In the short time the thorns landed, the air sac was cut from the clothes and held by the main body.

Although he survived somehow, he lost Quinn and significantly reduced the number of remaining eggs. Including the consumption of the 【Sacrificial Cradle】 I used earlier, what remains is about 10% of the total.

There is no time left. Even if I created a new Quinn here with 'Idolatry', I couldn't find a way out. Even relying on that 'Shadow', you cannot use the power of your armor in the sea; your sinking speed will only increase.

The thorns shot by the Fugura came from all directions. That is to say, it should have hit the water ball of the glowing Fugura next to it, but it did not suffer any particular damage, nor was there any change, as if nothing had happened. The thorn attack itself may have been shifted to another location.

The bubble membrane wrapping the water ball is a Defense Wall. Moreover, its method of defense is based on the principle of rendering the enemy's attack ineffective by shifting it; no matter how powerful the attack is, it cannot be physically destroyed. Even if you willingly launch the 'Sacrificial Cradle' from this distance, even if you cannot dodge with teleportation, can you not break through the Defense Wall?

There is nothing left to do. I had to hope you would ignore it. Compared to the large group of Fugura, the main body separated from Quinn's main body should just be trash floating in the sea.

I can see the Fugura looking at me. The mist of Malice pointing at me spreads back and forth between the Fugura. It is strangely similar to me, using an egg to create multiple consciousnesses.

Each of these tiny Fugura constitutes a network. This group of Fugura functions as a single conscious body, just like realizing advanced thought through synapses of brain cells. I'm not sure, but that's what I think.

Not just an animal. They are creatures with the same thinking ability as humans. A group of Fugura is looking at me. And made a judgment. The Malice directed at me has disappeared.

Missed. Does it seem trivial? I have lived with many invincible enemies. Like now, some people survived by sacrificing Quinn like a lizard's tail. This is not the first time.

If I just stay still and do nothing, it might help. But what is ahead? Where will the group of Fugura that thought they defeated me go next?

It might return to the ship.

I am firing the "Almeiza Machine Bullet". Without the thought of a breakthrough or victory, the body moved reflexively. He had no intention of doing anything; he just attacked as if he were being pushed.

My life and the lives of my friends. Which one do I feel is heavier? In the case of the ship being attacked, in front of a very tough enemy, when I was pushed to the edge of life and death, I finally understood.

I don't want to die. I also want to help my friends. I don't seem to be able to choose one of them. During this time, I was thinking about such convenient things.

We promised to go home together. I want to be one of those "everyone". I am not prepared to be self-destructive like Catlai and Gragg Mcmiyah. I inherited Catlai's spirituality, but I did not become him. Reaching this conclusion is probably because he and I, who were originally present, were mixed-bloods.

So I can't die yet. We must win here. A draw is not good. This may be ruthless, but I can't even think about saving the ship, even if it means stabbing each other and dying. This is why I don't use the "Sacrificial Cradle". Unless death is truly imminent and there is no other way but to use it, it cannot be used. Now is not the time.

It might be because he was afraid of his own cuteness and ran away, but strangely, his Aura was not disturbed. Until then, he had been swayed by anxiety, but he was finally able to see the enemy's figure firmly. In that eerie yellow-green light, I found the light leading to victory.

However, just on the other side of that enthusiasm, the 'Almeiza Machine Bullet' suddenly decelerated and was wrapped in a white cocoon. Its flight distance was only 5 meters. It didn't hit the enemy before, and it didn't reach it at all.

Looking at the results, it was nothing more than a small skirmish, but the Fugura did not let it go. The enemy's Malice multiplied.

Although they cannot communicate with each other, they are able to read the enemy's emotions from the enemy's Malice. They don't think I'm a threat. A trivial insect attacked me without considering my position. I don't like that. I am annoyed because I went out of my way to oppose something I would have ignored if I had stayed quiet.

Accompanied by tinnitus, the Fugura from just now was shifted. It wasn't just one or two. A quick glance revealed dozens of them.

Judging from the impact of piercing Quinn's body, this thorn bullet does not have enough power to pierce the "Hardness" of my body. However, the air sac possessed by the main body would be shot through more easily than paper.

Even if I protect my air bladder with "Carbuncle", I don't know if it can stop it. Even if I use the Almeiza Machine to strengthen the "Ryu" of Aura wrapped around the air bladder, it will not be as effective as the main body's defense. To increase its defense, it is necessary to make heavy ore armor, but if it becomes too heavy, it will not float in the first place. Once created, the Crystal cannot be canceled and undone.

If it loses its air bladder, its body covered in mineral armor will sink to the seabed under its own weight. Even if you can't swim in ordinary water, there is no way to leave this sea. Suffocation is already near the limit, and no matter how much you endure, it will take a few minutes to suffocate.

Explore the light of the thorns. The Fugura does not shoot thorns without thinking. Each one is precisely controlled, and even though so many thorns flew at once, the trajectories do not overlap, as if they were connected together.

Therefore, I can clearly feel the path of the enemy's Malice directed at me. It is impossible to avoid, even without looking. The Barrage coming and going is as complex as a piece of cloth, without even a gap.

However, there is no time to grieve. Looking at the intricate threads, he accurately calculated the trajectory of the thorns on himself.

Just before the thorns pierced it, it protected its air bladder with "Hidden Palm Armor". The spear of thorns easily broke through that line of defense. The red Crystal shattered and scattered in the sea.

The air bladder was destroyed, and bubbles were blown out. The buoyancy that served as a lifeline disappeared. But I am not sad. My purpose was not to protect my air bladder.

When the Bullet hits the target, it slows down and stops. Taking advantage of that moment, I threw away the air bladder and jumped toward the thorns.

The thorn was not chosen at random. It was chosen from thousands of thorns and thousands of resentments.

A harpoon of thorns returned to the master who fired it. Along with the thorns, my body was pulled vigorously. The destination was a Fugura. The Fugura was right next to the water ball where the Fugura gathered.

20 meters left.

The distance was closed in the blink of an eye. Due to the irritation of the viscous seawater caused by the speed, the body was covered with a layer of white cocoon. The line of sight was Hidden. Even so, he never forgot his enemy. It resisted the wrapping cocoon and turned its tail toward the enemy.

15 meters left.

I feel like never before. It is anger. The Disasters I have encountered so far have brought me great pain, but I have never treated them with such feelings. Even the Dragon that killed Catlai had no anger. That is because that is their natural state, nothing more than the result of colliding with others in their lives.

10 meters left.

But this Fugura is different. They use unnecessary violence, play with other lives, and enjoy observing their reactions. I cannot forgive you for hurting my comrades as a target.

Possessing power and high intelligence, I can see the arrogance in his Malice. Even now, when he caught my approaching figure, he did not lose his composure. That mockery was the last chance I could use.

8 meters left. 7, 6, 5, 4...

'Almeiza Machine Bullet'

The enemy did not dodge the fired Bullet. That is because the attack can be rendered ineffective by teleportation without needing to avoid it. I used all my strength to get close, making the last shot I fired desperate, not contemptuous. I guess he wanted me to feel that kind of despair.

The cyst Bullet reaching the water membrane sprouted instantly. Even if you have the power of teleportation and reaction speed to avoid the 'Sacrificial Cradle', there is no way to stop it. The virus no longer infects and shows symptoms.

The water ball itself turned into a round cactus. Ironically, it looked like a giant Fugura. The surrounding sea was dyed red by the light emitted from within.

The glowing red cactus sank to the seabed along with countless Fugura. No more Malice mist, no more tinnitus. The light gradually dimmed, and soon I couldn't see anything.

Why couldn't the enemy teleport the 'Almeiza Machine Bullet'? That is because he is a "Psychic". Since this teleportation ability is for just in case, I was able to burst it out all at once with the Almeiza Machine.

Speaking of teleportation and jumping, they are seemingly impossible and impossible abilities, but in fact, as long as you use your mind, you can reproduce the same effect. Teleportation is one of the "departures" classified as an Emission ability. It can move part or all of the body to a distant place, and if used in conjunction with the Materialization system, it can create a space that does not exist in reality, entering and exiting.

Of course, there is no evidence that this Fugura is an Emission Psychic. So far, there has been no Disaster that has been used cautiously, so the Almeiza Machine has fallen into a bias that it will not be effective unless it reliably fires cyst Bullets.

In order to prevent the inadvertent spread of virus infection, the infection function of the Almeiza Machine is turned off by default except when attacking, but if it is turned on, it has already been transferred from the beach to the sea, and it seems that the enemy was defeated at that moment.

I noticed it during the battle, but when I observed it with "Focus", I could feel the light of Life Energy mixed with yellow-green light. The radiance seemed to become stronger with the timing of the tinnitus and the shifting of things. This made me believe that he was using his Nen Ability.

It wasn't a bad bet, but it was still a tough battle. If the enemy wasn't complacent and avoided all our attacks, there would be no chance of winning. Suffocation and loss of consciousness would happen faster than resolving the situation.

And even now, after defeating the enemy, it is hard to say that the crisis is over. My air bladder is broken, and I should fall to the seabed with those Fugura and Fugura. The reason I don't have to chase them is because I created Quinn and swam into the sea.

Judging from the number of remaining eggs, if this Xiu dies, it is equivalent to the main body dying. It is reckless to do so in this viscous sea, but there is no other way. Knowing that I would be trapped in a cocoon, I let Quinn carry the main body and swim on it. With Quinn's body, swimming for a short time is possible.

When I was semi-conscious, I finally made it out to sea. But I still couldn't breathe. This was because the surface of the main body was covered in a layer of solidified mucus. This was not something that could be wiped away. When you try to touch it, it is very slippery, and with additional stimulation, it only gets more Hard.

Through respiration, living organisms inhale oxygen from the outside air into their lungs and exhale the unnecessary carbon dioxide produced within the body. In fact, in a situation where you cannot breathe, being unable to inhale is more painful than being unable to exhale. In this ocean of mucus, because of the cocoon, the air in the lungs was difficult to exhale.

I immediately spat out the unnecessary air accumulated in that puddle from my mouth. More accurately, it is called a spiracle, not a mouth. Many insects have tracheal openings on the body surface called spiracles. In my case, eight pairs of spiracles are arranged on both sides of the abdomen of the main body. From there, the air, along with the breath, was violently ejected, just like the Training of an Emission system.

After several attempts, one of the spiracles finally opened. It was really close. If the cocoon had been one millimeter thicker, I might not have been able to save myself. The one that suffered the most in this battle was the mucus of the Nutakambu, not the jellyfish.

Quinn was able to go out to sea before being trapped in the cocoon, paddling on the spot. This caused the cocoon to solidify and grow larger. When you are in distress at sea, doing nothing and waiting for help is a basic rule, but I dared to make Quinn do the exact opposite.

By letting Quinn rampage on the sea, air was brought into the cocoon. By doing so, the cocoon was used as a buoyancy Material. Based on Quinn's stretched body, he built an improvised boat. In this state, Ren naturally cannot breathe, but the lack of oxygen in his blood can be compensated for by recovering his Qi. Do not suffocate immediately.

First, I was saved, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Next, worry about your friend. What happened to the boat? Can you safely pick it up?

In the endless night sea, I could find nothing but myself.

No boat, no land, nothing at all.