Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Alien Data Harvest
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Anyway, I got it.
By creating a stimulus that we both respond to, it forcibly familiarizes the alien's genes with my body.
If an ordinary person said something like that, I'd dismiss it as nonsense.
But when it comes to the body, Roze's words carry more credibility than cutting-edge medicine.
"So, try to endure the pain a bit."
No sooner does it become familiar than the stimulus changes in nature.
I said nothing, just endured the pain.
The beads of sweat faintly glistening on Roze's forehead showed just how focused she was.
That's not from fatigue.
Recalling how she usually struggles with controlling her strength, it's proof she's putting in that much care.
But how long do I have to keep taking this?
In the end, I skipped straight from lunch through to the first afternoon class.
***
Two weeks passed.
Lemon's body had become as familiar to me as my own, with almost no mistakes left.
Roze came by every three days without fail to temper me.
She even insisted I learn lion-form techniques that didn't suit me at all, forcing me into the "Roze-style" school.
Her first disciple or whatever.
She says she'll make me "usable" with all her heart.
I just hope her standards aren't set too high.
The honorific was up to me, and the only rule between master and disciple was "strive endlessly."
Considering how rigidly martial arts schools enforce their internal codes, this was practically special treatment, even for fellow students.
'Me, in the Roze-style...'
The pinnacle of martial arts in the story.
Even the protagonist references it later on.
Any shortcomings would be filled as Roze develops it further, and with diligent practice from now on, I shouldn't end up getting beaten everywhere I go.
Could I say a green light has lit up for my survival life?
'This way?'
I'd been walking a path I hadn't taken in the past two weeks.
I'd thought about it nonstop.
What could I do?
As the author, what I knew was undoubtedly massive.
Using that knowledge would guarantee personal success, of course.
But simple success meant nothing in this world.
Humanity's value was tied to survival right now, and as a Cradle of Heroes Academy cadet, I was right at the center.
A cadet's actions here were heavily restricted.
To act freely, graduation was necessary first.
Thinking of 'that incident,' it wouldn't take as long as expected, but there wasn't much I could do right now.
'The funds I can use at this point...'
Lemon had a solid background.
A pretty impressive one, at that.
Even in a disregarded position, he wasn't penniless.
Just looking at personal operating funds, it surpassed what ordinary people could dream of.
I'd planted the seeds with that.
I'd hooked resources that wouldn't normally surface at this time and accelerated positive changes.
The shortfall was covered with a credit loan using my Cradle of Heroes Academy cadet status and the Monarch family name.
Humanity United, with its 'extreme' interest in superhumans' influence, approved it at lightspeed.
'Here it is.'
And now.
I'd arrived in a heavily secured area.
As I stood before the door, it scanned my identity and slid open.
"You're here. Leonard Monarch, correct?"
"Yes, that's me."
"This way. We've prepared everything."
I'd made the request a week ago.
For a cadet's request, same-day or at latest within three days was standard, so this was quite delayed.
But considering the importance, it made sense.
"We were puzzled when we first got the request. It wasn't combat testing season, so prep took time. Alien ability-related, right?"
"Yes."
"We trust you've reviewed the precautions. Use it freely."
The staff led me to a sealed room and left.
Before me was a restrained, live alien.
'They actually approved this.'
The request was simple.
Aliens. As many types as possible, preferably intact and alive.
The results exceeded expectations.
Three specimens lay before me, all alive.
Barely clinging to life, sure.
But with no nearby battlefields, they'd prepared it the moment I asked.
I felt anew just how robust Cradle of Heroes Academy support was.
'Grade 1 Claw, Grade 1 Breathworm, Grade 2 Bladebee?'
I might gripe about Lemon, but starting at Cradle of Heroes Academy was undeniably lucky.
No individual wields more influence over Humanity United than a superhuman.
And the collective power of superhumans could shatter any balance.
Connections built here were power in themselves.
Plus, the academy had everything needed to grow as a superhuman—an ideal environment for me now.
'Alright, time to flip the biggest card.'
I approached the Grade 1 Claw first.
The Claw stood a meter tall, with hundreds of legs and eight pairs of membranous wings, letting it skim over the ground like flight.
They always moved in swarms of hundreds, strong enough to overpower a 1,000-horsepower car.
Couldn't underestimate a Grade 1.
Peeling off the contamination-sealed wrap released a stench.
"Ugh... what a foul smell."
The panel on my wrist showed alien contamination levels rising fast.
The rot of its corpse was worse than any decay.
Normally, you'd need a hazmat suit or combat gear with contamination countermeasures to face aliens.
Exposed like this, an ordinary person would sicken in a day and die in a week.
Even tough superhumans risked illness from prolonged exposure.
I swallowed the revulsion amplified by the smell and carefully placed my hand on its epidermis, activating my ability.
'Oh...'
A strange sensation.
It was like my hand stretched out, cradling the Claw's body in one palm.
My brain buzzed, my mind heightening.
Like becoming a single computer.
In that state, I [Analyzed] the Claw.
Scraping up its data, most of it looked like garbage.
Claw[230]
Taking it raw would be idiotic, I realized.
From the full data, I cherry-picked the valuable bits and [Assembled] them, filtering for what my human body needed.
Ditching the rest shrank the volume.
Claw[13]
Down to under 6%.
But it wasn't perfect.
My ability proficiency was too low for efficient processing.
Like a computer with crap specs.
Tempting info aplenty from the Claw, but to get something applicable, I could only select one.
Picking a Tier 1 trait reduced it further.
Claw[2]
Just over 1%.
One down, next up.
I applied the Claw's info to my body and moved to the Breathworm.
Similar difficulty to the Claw at Grade 1, so it wrapped quickly.
'Now for the Grade 2 Bladebee?'
No pause, straight to it.
Bladebees were just below mammoths in rank.
This flying, man-sized bee wielded 2-3m spears fused to its forelimbs, skilled in high-level spearwork.
Its tail held explosive venom stingers, launchable from range, piercing 2m steel plating—requiring caution.
Bladebee[3910]
Expectations met splendidly.
Except I'd need all day to fully analyze it.
No hesitation, I touched its epidermis.
Grade 2 lived up to it.
As I started analyzing, even fully restrained, it radiated unmissable hostility.
If it could move, it'd shred me on the spot.
Its hatred for humans seeped through the data fragments, raw and vivid.
Endless loathing, as I'd set it.
'I know, but no choice.'
Did I ever imagine the characters in my story coming alive?
If so, I'd have written a happy world for all.
Then I'd be living the good life now, too.
Thankfully, the work finished before I collapsed.
The Bladebee lasted only a bit after extraction before dying.
Not done yet.
I'd compile today's haul here before leaving.
Claw[2]
Breathworm[3]
Bladebee[11]
Mammoth[32]
Usable resources for now.
First, test if I could use the ability without alien contact.
Conclusion: yes.
Using Roze-style meditation for mental training, I succeeded after an hour.
One success meant more were possible; time would shorten with practice.
I scanned the Mammoth info Lemon had applied.
Mammoth[32]
-Sticky Leg Tendons[67%, 4/23]
Leg strength increases, greatly boosting muscular endurance.
-Reactive Exoskeleton[92%, 7/192]
High resistance to beam weapons or concentrated energy attacks. Skin thickens slightly.
-Thick Heel[54%, 2/14]
Improved propulsion.
-Trash[19]
Non-recyclable garbage.
As expected, raw haul.
Far more junk than thought.
Dumped the trash to ease body strain.
Mammoth[13]
The % showed adaptation to my body.
Two weeks after Roze's beatings, and still those numbers.
Disappointing, almost.
But there was hope.
One Roze-style motto: balance and harmony.
Mastering it would imprint alien factors faster.
It could suppress side effects, too, giving more leeway.
Claw[2]
-Wind Antennae[0%, 2]
Sense air currents via body fuzz.
Breathworm[3]
-Rapid Cell Division[0%, 3]
Wounds heal quickly.
Bladebee[11]
-Tough Wrists[0%, 11/29]
Wrists develop massively. Thickened nerve bundles greatly enhance hand sensation.
Tier 1 traits extractable from each.
Lower tiers would wait for next time.
For the Bladebee, completing Tough Wrists required recollecting for that trait.
"Hmm..."
Maybe from the massive patch.
My whole body burned hot.
Not unbearable, but caution advised.
I opened the door and stepped out.
Fourteen hours inside; time past dawn toward morning.
"Leaving now?"
"Ah, you waited?"
"Yes. We don't switch handlers lightly. But if breakfast passed, I'd have requested a shift."
"Sorry to make you work overtime."
The staff waved it off with a smile.
Then glanced inside.
"No longer needed?"
"Yes. I'm done."
"Hope it went well. I'll handle cleanup. Contamination risk, so use the decontamination unit on the left. Mandatory."
No way I'd return to dorms like this.
I bowed and left.
Not prying into internals was per superhuman info protection law.
After complex decon, clutching my feverish head, I somehow reached the dorm.
The problem hit after crashing hard and waking.