Chapter 113
Chapter 113
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: The Temple of the Forgotten Land
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Deep in the central forest of the Saintopia-02 continent lay a place where no electronic devices or communication equipment could function.
It was shielded by powerful energy, invisible from orbit or the skies above, accessible only by trekking through the labyrinthine jungle on foot.
That place was called the Temple of the Forgotten Land.
Only the Father of the Earth, worshipped by the Wolfs of Saintopia-02, knew the path to the Temple of the Forgotten Land.
Or at least, that was how it was supposed to be.
But the ones standing in the Temple of the Forgotten Land now were no Wolfs.
Shattered statue fragments, human and Cult corpses littered the temple interior and exterior.
Inside the temple, a group moved about, gathering the bodies.
They were young humans and horned Cults, but they shared something in common.
They were all strikingly handsome. And all male.
The intruders were members of the mighty pirate syndicate, the Humanity Cartel.
The pirates' faces were etched with tension and fatigue from cleaning up after the battle, save for one exception.
The Cult girl with deer antlers at her temples wore a beaming smile. In her hand gleamed a golden spear.
"Hehe, nothing beats snagging the important loot first."
A voice as lovely as her appearance flowed from her lips.
Her name was Muriel.
She was the boss of the Humanity Cartel.
One of her men approached as she admiringly turned the spear this way and that.
"Boss."
"What is it, handsome?"
"W-We have a few injured."
Her gaze shifted to the pirates slumped behind him. They were gravely wounded from the fight with the temple's guardian statues.
"Handsome, does it hurt a lot?"
"N-No, ma'am!"
"We're fine! Just scratches!"
The wounded pirates frantically insisted they were okay.
Muriel approached them, giving them a quick once-over. She frowned.
"You're too ugly for this, handsome."
"P-Please spare me! Gahk!"
"You too, handsome."
"Please... Argh!"
Muriel skewered the severely injured or scarred pirates one by one without a second thought.
Strangely, the golden spear grew more radiant with each kill, as if reveling in the blood it drank.
"Thanks to you handsome boys, the experiment was a roaring success."
She nodded in satisfaction at the spear, now shining brilliantly enough to illuminate the temple.
After executing all the wounded, Muriel led her men out of the temple.
A temporary camp set up by the Humanity Cartel lay some distance from the temple.
Her subordinates waiting at the camp came out to greet her.
"You're back?"
"Where's the Mother of the Sky?"
"She's in training, as you ordered."
Muriel entered the camp's inner area with her subordinate. At the center, a 3-meter beast was chained.
The eagle-headed, lion-bodied creature looked utterly wretched.
Its body was caked in hardened scabs, wounds festering with maggots.
Thick iron stakes pierced all four legs, a spiked collar around its neck.
Thick wires connected to wheels bound its protruding guts from a flank wound.
Muriel addressed the beast, which looked on the verge of death, in a cheerful voice.
"Hey, Choi Seo—oh, right. Mother of the Sky. Having a good time?"
｢……｣
When the so-called Mother of the Sky didn't respond, Muriel nodded to a pirate. He turned the wheel, yanking the wires and dragging out more guts.
｢Graaaah! You fucking bitch!｣
"You should answer when someone asks nicely."
｢Guhhh... S-Stop!｣
"I come bearing treasure to say thanks, and you ignore me? Still think I'm a joke?"
｢Aaaaaah!｣
In agony as its guts tore, the Mother of the Sky lost control of its bladder.
"Hehehe, even after all this, you won't drop the transformation. Impressive."
｢Ughhhh... You bitch...｣
"I wonder how much more you can take."
As Muriel sneered at the pathetic sight, a subordinate approached with a communicator pad.
"Boss, emergency comms from the cruiser."
"I'm busy right now."
"It's extremely urgent."
"...Tch."
Muriel reluctantly took the pad.
The screen showed footage from suit-mounted cameras.
'Phew.'
Once the aftereffects of Hunt's Manifestation faded and I regained my senses, I looked around. I'd worried I might wander out of the cave, but that hadn't happened.
'A bit messy eating, though.'
The cave walls and my body were blood-soaked. Chunks of innards dangled from my fingers, shattered bones and flesh scattered on the floor.
'Time to prepare.'
I devoured all the prepped food, processing it, then exited the cave.
I couldn't evolve just because conditions were met.
Aimorphs are most vulnerable during evolution, sealed in a cocoon.
An attack then would kill me without resistance.
'Previous evolutions took six hours.'
Probably similar or longer for Near-Adult.
To stay safe in this jungle for at least six hours, I needed preparations.
'Seal the entrance first.'
I went to the nearby pirate camp, now deserted after I ate them all. Wood Debbles had taken the calorie crates, but other supplies remained.
Grabbing a small bomb, I returned, set it at the entrance, and detonated. The opening collapsed, plunging the interior into darkness.
'Here we go.'
A spacious cavern deeper inside could fit my evolution.
I slithered along the walls to a suitable spot and settled.
Finally, after so long.
I affirmed to the waiting text box.
Evolve.
Vast amounts of mucus erupted from my body. Amid the sticky sensation, I lay on the cool cave floor.
The mucus enveloped me and filled the cavern, hardening into an egg shape. I closed my eyes peacefully within.
And then.
'Hm?'
I opened my eyes in a familiar space.
'Where...?'
It was someone's room.
Computer and VR headset in the corner, classic SF movie posters on the walls, neatly folded bedding on the floor.
I knew this place.
'My room?'
For a moment, I thought I'd returned to reality and checked my palm.
It was the familiar Aimorph hand, just human-sized.
'What's going on?'
Too real for a dream. The musty bachelor pad smell, kimchi stew wafting from outside—it felt genuine.
I approached the computer, powered on the VR headset.
The translucent visor displayed the Space Survival login screen clearly.
'Different from Subadult evolution.'
Then, I'd guessed it was a mental world—the space felt unreal.
Now, the boundary blurred.
The headset's weight made reality hard to judge.
I set it down and opened the door.
'Huh?'
Beyond was another space entirely.
A family home.
'This is...'
A framed picture by the entrance.
My kindergarten drawing.
Inside, a middle-aged couple argued on the floor.
Their faces painted black, voices distorted with static, unintelligible.
They continued bickering, unaware of me.
……
I passed them, entering the innermost room.
Bed, desk, wardrobe—stark, more desolate than my old room.
I ignored bed and desk, opened the wardrobe doors.
"……."
Inside, a child plugged his ears.
More precisely, a boy with burns scarring half his face.
He looked at me, eyes widening with tears.
I instinctively reached out. He mirrored me.
Our hands touched. His expression changed.
I recognized the smile.
Then darkness engulfed everything.
'I'm back.'
I extended my 'sixth arm' to tear the membrane encasing me.
Mucus spilled out, cave's cold, musty air wrapping me.
Like refreshing coolness after a warm bath.
I used my 'tail' to slowly rise.
No light, but I sensed everything.
The auxiliary organs under my jaw, now four instead of two, vividly relayed the changes.
'So this is Near-Adult.'
Hatchling resembled spider or scorpion.
Juvenile and Subadult walked bipedally like human or ape.
What animal for Near-Adult?
A massive snake, I thought. With eight arms.
No legs anymore. Former legs retooled into combat arms, totaling six.
'Upper arms, middle arms, lower arms.'
Positioned near shoulders, flanks, pelvis. Leg-to-arm shift lengthened my upper body.
Lower half: thick tail like my torso.
In short, like a Naga from Indian myth—half-human, half-snake.
No legs slowing me? No.
Tail's blunt claws handle movement. Their power lets me run faster on land.
'Great for burrowing or swimming too.'
Near-Adult thrives in diverse environments: ambushing underground, pursuing in water.
Tail, key for support and movement, armored in scales like my head.
Finely segmented for flexibility, still tough. A tail strike matches full-charge power.
'Used to crush foes by coiling.'
Even Swamp King’s plating would crumple in minutes. He wouldn't let me, though.
Body overhaul changed Nightmare Horizon's bloated plating: sleeker, less bulky for serpentine form.
'Let's see.'
I move tail-supported now. Tested it.
Ssss
'Oh?'
Easier than expected. Like flexing waist to sway.
'Grown a lot.'
Previously 12m total, 20m manifested. Now 25m+ without manifestation.
Beyond size and tail, more mutations.
｢Grrr｣
I gaped wide. Jaw split in two, opening impossibly.
Inside: dense sharp teeth.
'Tail's strong, but...'
Near-Adult's true power: new trait in this jaw.
Jaw of the Essence Harvester
Consume only the head of a gene essence bearer to trigger Predation Effect.
Head alone triggers Predation, no full body needed.
With this jaw, harvest enemy essences swiftly mid-battle.
Meaning faster growth than before.
'This is why players target from Near-Adult.'
All changes checked—no reason to stay in the cramped cave.
I lowered and crawled to the entrance.
Narrowing didn't bother me. Six arms carved through walls.
I burst through the rubble easily, climbing a nearby redwood.
Coiling tail, pushing arms—up swiftly.
Ssss
Best: near-silent movement, like a snake.
Proof: Nightstalker on a branch didn't notice me behind it, yawning bored.
I snapped its head in my split jaws.
"Yelp?!"
Headless corpse plummeted.
'Nothing on this continent checks me now.'
Near-Adult outmatches Hond Giants or Swamp Kings.
Pirate player remains the sole threat.
Without her, no one stops my evolution.
'I'll try talking first...'
If talks fail, her gene essence pays the price.