Chapter 312
Chapter 312
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 312
Chapter Title: Monster Hunt (3)
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In the pitch-black underground maze, a large group of Cults advanced.
Most wore reinforced suits in the form of power armor, but some donned massive suits of plate armor.
These figures, towering at least two heads above the surrounding Cults, were the fully armed Priests of the Eye of Revelation. The reinforced suits they wore were special gear crafted specifically to combat the Vortex One cultists.
No matter how adept a Cult was with psychic powers, exposure to the Vortex One's influence made it hard to stay sane. Even warriors with decades of training often turned into madmen in a split second during fights with the cultists.
To counter this, the priesthood provided their most vital warriors with protective measures. The suits issued to these elite priests were called "Heretic Interrogator Suits." Made by processing vast amounts of Nova Metal with dark matter, they granted immunity to various energy-based attacks.
Not only that, their physical defense was exceptional enough to withstand battleship barrages. In terms of raw durability, they outclassed even the Temple Guardian Corps' rival gear, the "Dragon Scale Suits."
Their drawbacks were the unique resistances that blocked any psychic enhancements useful in battle, and their immense weight, which slowed movements considerably.
Moreover, some among this underground group carried special weapons.
The warriors in the center of the pack walked in pairs, supporting a single massive weapon between them.
This spear-like armament, fit for a giant or mythical being, was called the "Slayer." It was a modified version of the Demolisher, the Temple Guardian Corps' primary heavy neutralizer, retooled for mass production.
Though a mass-produced model, its sheer size gave it far greater firepower than the standard Demolisher. It was mainly used against Outspacers with tough exoskeletons. Considering the specs of their current target, the Slayer was essential, which was why they brought it.
The subjugation force moved at a snail's pace, weighed down by the heavy weapons of the warriors and the ponderous gear of the priests.
Yet no one complained about it.
Their foe was a monster boasting immense power, high intelligence, and shapeshifting abilities. Without this level of equipment, facing it would just mean a quick death. Hadn't the previous subjugation teams that entered ahead of them suffered heavy losses?
Thus, the subjugation force opted for a slow but steady strategy: building an encirclement to corner the beast. It had taken them a full day, but the results were undeniable.
Besides their group, thousands of Cult warriors waited at key points underground. Whenever the subjugation force or stationed troops encountered the "Three-Headed Demon," warriors from other points would reform the encirclement along its escape routes.
While the net closed, the monster attempted attacks on the defenders at each point and the subjugation force, but the damage was minimal. In turn, the subjugation force managed to inflict wounds on it.
About three hours ago, as they approached a fork in the tunnels, the beast suddenly appeared before them.
From its grotesque maw poured highly acidic liquid and clumps of corrosive mold.
The dual assault came, but this time the subjugation force was prepared. Leading with their heavily armored priests, they easily blocked the attacks. While the priests tanked the hits thanks to their Heretic Interrogator Suits' defenses, the warriors with the Slayer opened fire.
Even the beast's sturdy exoskeleton couldn't stop the Slayer's matter-disintegration rounds. Two of the horns on its eyeless head shattered on impact. Clearly caught off guard, the monster fled the moment they broke.
Having scored their first success since entering the depths, the subjugation force was greatly encouraged. If they could wound it, killing it was surely possible too.
After that, the beast stopped showing itself directly. Instead, it used its signature mimicry ability to deceive them with voices.
From the subjugation force's perspective, though, there was no cause for regret.
The longer the game of cat-and-mouse dragged on, the more it favored them, not the monster. This planet belonged to the Cults. The subjugation force had endless reinforcements, but the beast did not.
And in a few hours, backup from the Temple Guardian Corps would arrive. With those monster-hunting experts joining, the tide would surely turn decisively in their favor.
"Movement detected within 500 meters ahead."
"Smooth progress. Share it with the priests at the other points."
"Yes, sir."
The acting commander of the subjugation force—a vice leader of the Priests of the Eye of Revelation—nodded at his subordinate's report.
The Slayer-wielding warriors readied themselves to fire at any moment, while the priests in their Heretic Interrogator Suits gripped their weapons tightly.
The breathing and footsteps of the advancing Cults echoed off the dirt walls.
As the distance to the detected movement shrank, a sound rang out.
"Everyone, halt."
At the vice leader's command, the group froze. In the ensuing silence, broken only by the absence of breath, the sound came again.
"Help me!"
From the uncharted darkness, someone cried for aid. But the vice leader didn't move rashly.
"Is there a standby point nearby?"
"One, yes."
"Contact?"
His subordinate quickly checked and shook his head. The vice leader issued orders immediately.
"Everyone, stay alert. It's close."
"Yes, sir!"
"If you see anything moving, open fire at once. That's an order."
So far, the beast had deceived them by mimicking voices. The odds of that cry belonging to an ally were slim.
Besides, higher command had issued directives on this ages ago: the monster could imitate intelligent beings' voices, so strike first if suspicious.
The subjugation force advanced slowly toward the source of the voice.
"Heeeelp! Somebody help meee!"
"Ignore it. Stick to your duties. I'll take responsibility."
"Heeeelp meeeee!"
The screams grew more desperate as they drew nearer. Each time, the vice leader reassured his troops to prevent panic.
Then, abruptly, the cries cut off. The tunnel, filled with tension, began to rumble. Seeing something massive stirring beyond the shaking shadows, the vice leader bellowed.
"Open fire!"
Slayers and assorted weapons roared to life, illuminating the black tunnel in flashes. Explosions more intense than the light battered the walls mercilessly. Amid the strobing brilliance, a huge creature twisted its body.
The barrage ceased only when the beast's movements stopped. The dirt floor was now slick with the blood it had spilled.
No creature could survive losing that much blood, but the vice leader remained cautious.
"Confirm the kill."
One priest approached the corpse gingerly.
"V-Vice Leader!"
"What? Still alive?"
"No, that's not it! Come look!"
The subordinate's voice trembled with bewilderment upon inspection.
The vice leader understood his shock only after seeing it himself.
The corpse before him...
Half-buried in the dirt, it wasn't the Three-Headed Demon.
It was a Redworm—a key player in this planet's ecosystem.
"Wh-what do we do?"
It would've been better if the beast had still been alive.
...Damn it.
This dead Redworm was immature, not fully grown. Its size matched the Three-Headed Demon they were pursuing.
That meant the monster could be masquerading as a Redworm to evade them. Or worse, it might have slipped away from this area long ago.
It was a blind spot born from tracking solely by size and vibrations.
"Contact the surface now. Tell them it's mingling with the Redworms."
"Yes, understo—"
Then the quiet tunnel shook. The vice leader knew what that rumble signified.
"More Redworms incoming! Battle stations, everyone!"
The Three-Headed Demon hadn't just fled.
It had lured them into a massive trap.
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Got 'em.
The vibrations reached me even without pressing my auxiliary organs to the ground.
A sign the Redworms were on the move.
They thought they'd successfully surrounded me, but they were dead wrong. I'd led them to a specific spot.
Right into Redworm territory.
The subjugation force hadn't noticed, but the tunnels they now occupied weren't my doing. All I'd done was carve slight side paths into the Redworms' existing burrows.
I'd also kept piping voices to the enemy en route to the Redworm zone, leading them to the fatal mistake of assuming I was the only voice-mimicking entity under the red desert.
The Ranker might realize what went wrong by now...
But it was far too late to turn back.
The enemy Ranker had two options to catch me here.
Come down personally to hunt me, or slaughter every moving Redworm.
They'll pick the latter, probably.
If the opponent was as clever as they seemed, they'd suspect I'd orchestrated this. With their guard up, the chances of them entering the depths themselves were low.
Even pulling out an Imperial Frame here wouldn't be easy. Wrecking Berzan-02 was a whole different league from bombarding a holy site.
And if I somehow survived? They'd be stuck fighting me in empty space, no backup in sight. Could they stomach that risk?
So, their only viable path was clearing the Redworms to resume tracking me smoothly.
The problem being, that's exactly my real goal.
Before they even set up their net, I'd encountered over 80 Redworms. How long would it take to hunt them all one by one? At least a week, even rushing.
While they chased false leads, I'd wait until I could shapeshift again.
Of course, I'll need to sprinkle in some spice along the way.
To keep them on my plan's rails, I'd have to show myself at key moments. That way, they'd cling to false hope and keep pursuing the Redworms.
Bonus: it'd reinforce their delusion that I was in a weakened state.
Time to move again... oh, right.
As I prepared to seek out those who hadn't yet met a Redworm, I remembered something I'd forgotten.
I raised my combat arm and gripped the two horns on my left head. Then, with all my strength, I snapped them off.
Specimen 026, seeing me shatter my intact horns, poked me with a tentacle.
｢Big baby, why break horns?｣
[Bzz… bzz bzzzz…(It's an act. Pretending I'm not fully recovered)]
｢Act? I know acts! When I mimic bad guys, that's acting too!｣
[Bzz…(Spot on)]
｢I act good! Watch!｣
With that, it extended a "mutant tentacle." The plain one wriggled and morphed into a replica of my broken left head—pink hue aside, identical to my current look.
[Bzz… (Well done)]
｢I'm good!｣
[Bzz… bzz bzzzz… bzz… bzz bzzzz…(When we meet bad guys, do what we practiced)]
｢Yeah. Acting.｣
It reverted the tentacle and climbed atop my head.
After that, we roamed together, toying with the enemy. Even after Adhai joined, the plan stayed the same.
As expected, they chose to cull the Redworms. But they deployed far more troops underground than I'd anticipated.
Even mobilizing the Temple Guardian Corps.
The Temple Guardians were the priests' bodyguards and monster-hunting specialists. They weren't normally stationed on Berzan-02, thanks to the Priests of the Eye of Revelation handling things.
Yet here they were, warriors in Dragon Scale Suits prowling about—must've been rushed in from other planets.
They really want me bad...
But they'd picked the wrong approach.
Countless troops wasted time slaughtering Redworms they mistook for me. It let me survive unscathed underground for two full days.
One more hour.
In about an hour, "Organic Evolution" cooldown would end. Then I could shapeshift and escape.
Mother of the Sky and PS-111 had prepped my getaway long ago. They'd be waiting at the rendezvous outside.
Before I go, maybe thin the enemy lines one last time.
[Bzz… bzz bzzzz…(You guys go ahead. Got business)]
｢Okay.｣
｢Hurry｣｢Back｣｢We'll wait｣
I petted the hardworking 026 and Adhai, then sent them off first.
Leaving them behind, I headed toward the clustered Cults.
Hm?
As the distance shrank, my auxiliary organs picked up an odd presence.
The Cults down here never traveled in small groups. But this aura? Definitely solitary.
And this familiarity... I've felt it before, somewhere.
The approaching entity made faint footsteps and moved with mechanical precision. It matched someone I'd faced directly, but I couldn't recall when.
Better safe.
I readied an acidic breath toward its direction. The moment the suspicious figure emerged from the tunnel, I unleashed it.
A cannon of viscous green slime lanced across, striking true.
"...Acidic mucus. No change there."
What?
The foe's voice echoed through the haze of acidic fumes. Then an invisible blade-wind sliced the mist, severing one of my central head's horns.
No way...?
"Remember me?"
I was more shocked by the speaker's identity than the severed horn.
Long black hair, slender build, eyes gleaming with cool, quiet madness.
Only one person I'd met fit that description.
The first powerhouse I'd clashed with after arriving in this world.
The gene-modded human I'd defeated in a life-or-death struggle.
Sihyun Yujin?
The woman I'd killed once now appeared in this dark underworld.