Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: The Immortal Jhang Warwolf
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I left the surroundings to Roze and initiated the connection.
Fortunately, even though it was just a larva, there was no issue applying my ability.
First, I gauged the information volume.
??[31,000]
An information volume easily surpassing five digits.
It was definitely classified as a Grade 3 threat.
‘This is going to take a while.’
At my current speed, properly analyzing it all would take more than a day.
But there was no need to analyze everything.
‘What works and what doesn’t are clearly different.’
I could tell by now.
Out of the dozens or hundreds of traits in a single entity, only a tiny fraction were suitable for humans.
The ones that absolutely wouldn’t work were obvious just from a glance.
I boldly skipped unnecessary information and dove into the analysis.
After about an hour, the rough outline came into view.
‘This…?’
It was a species I knew.
Bug Flower, one of the Grade 3 threats.
A defensive type that couldn’t move once it took root, it released spores that disrupted most human signals and transmissions.
It could even cause detection radars for Alien contamination to malfunction, making it far more dangerous than combat types in certain situations.
So why was it producing this one?
This hatching site had put a lot of effort into hiding its existence.
Starting with digging tunnels.
That new entity releasing poison could have isolated the area without revealing itself, if used right.
‘Impressive.’
If all Aliens were like this, humanity’s survival would be much harder.
As long as the defensive lines held, Aliens reinforced from outer space wouldn’t penetrate inward, but the attrition from contamination spread like this would become a huge burden.
But there was nothing I could do about it now.
I filtered the traits through analysis.
-Deep Roots.
Takes root. Supplies excess energy absorbed through roots to the hatching site.
-Bug Spores.
Generates bug spores from the spore gland and spreads them around. Bug spores cause errors in nearly all human communication and detection methods.
The problem was they were harder to find than expected.
Maybe because of its plant-like structure, there weren’t many fitting traits.
‘That one could be forced somehow, but should I give up?’
Bug Flower’s signature ability.
Bug spore generation seemed appealing at first glance but was a chicken rib.
Humans didn’t have organs like spore glands.
I could probably create one by applying the trait, but it would weaken other internal organs accordingly.
And it wasn’t useful enough to justify the penalty.
My choice was to pass.
‘It’s harder than I thought.’
It had been a while since I encountered a Grade 3 entity, but no gains.
I clicked my tongue and approached the egg where the poison toad was growing, starting another connection.
Then, I let out a gasp of admiration.
Poison Toad[5150]
-Rubber Band Camouflage.
An interior designed to swallow large prey in one bite. Since it swallows prey soaked in poison, it secretes stomach acid that neutralizes it. It can digest anything from hazardous chemicals to rocks, metal, and more. For indigestible prey, it regurgitates them out.
-Small Liver.
A small but powerfully capable liver. Its detoxifying function, which aids digestion, is especially strong.
-Frog Legs.
The poison toad’s mobility relies on its extremely developed lower body. In particular, the calves and thighs are highly developed, providing excellent explosive power and forward movement.
Three traits applicable without other penalties.
No need to regret missing anything from the Bug Flower.
I wandered around the egg, extracting those traits in perfect condition one by one.
“Went well?”
“Yeah.”
“Took a while.”
“Had a lot to check. Got something to show you this time, so look forward to it.”
A good amount of time had passed.
The support team was already planting bombs in the hatching chamber.
As I looked around, the mercenary team leader approached me.
“Demolition prep complete, employer.”
“Ah, thanks for your hard work.”
“No problem. Thanks to you, we’re getting paid for nothing.”
Mercenaries got base pay plus performance bonuses.
The cadets who joined were also on my payroll.
For cases like this—finding and eliminating hatching sites or reporting Alien-related matters—extra compensation was paid.
“How’s the perimeter search going?”
“We’ll need a few more days, but no signs of escapees.”
“Good.”
If the Bug Flower had fully activated, we might not have found it like this.
We caught it just in time.
“By the way, those were new types even for me. You reporting them?”
“Have to. Grab samples too.”
New entities always required reporting to the military.
It was mandatory, but not enforced.
Generous bounties were offered instead.
It didn’t matter much to me either way, but for information sharing, it had to be reported.
And since I’d dragged cadets into this, creating some news material seemed smart.
“Work’ll take another half day. Why don’t you head up and rest, employer?”
“Then I won’t stand on ceremony…”
“Haha, even among mercenaries, no one works the first assault team this hard. Elite forces always need to be preserved.”
“In that case, I will.”
With a nod, Roze, who’d been talking to another cadet, followed.
That cadet recognized me and greeted.
‘Gotta take good care of them.’
The 150 cadets had definitely helped.
Small numbers compared to the total, but the attention was different.
I’d even heard the military was moving more aggressively these past few days.
At this rate, no matter what happened in half a year, their forces would be depleted.
Finally, a sense of relief.
Roze looked happy too, having accomplished something in just three days.
“Man, I’m starving. Let’s head up and eat.”
“Me too, me too.”
-Mini-bot retrieval required, Master.
“Don’t worry. I won’t forget.”
I sped up first and ascended to the surface.
And half a day later.
We all gathered to watch a massive avalanche fill the pit completely.
*
The outing period was over.
Last semester’s ranking: 15th overall.
That earned me 20 days off, but vacation always felt too short.
Two successful explorations.
The first was a dog’s luck, and it seemed like no further gains until the end, but I scored a second success the day before returning.
Unfortunately, no additional traits acquired.
The hatching site was brand new, barely worth calling first-stage.
Still, fully applying the three traits from the poison toad made it worthwhile.
-Rubber Band Camouflage[87]
-Small Liver[43]
-Frog Legs[29]
The small liver trait greatly boosted my immune system.
With the healing fluid trait already in place, I was confident I’d never be poisoned now.
Plus, Rubber Band Camouflage was even more useful.
Information volume: [87]
Not far behind my highest, Healing Fluid Secretion[104].
I’d run various tests since.
Digestion improved dramatically—no bloating even from large meals, energy conversion from food was incomparably faster, and nutrient loss during digestion dropped sharply.
It was like everything eaten was fully absorbed.
‘But if I don’t move as much as I eat, I’ll gain weight immediately.’
So some dietary control was needed, but for a martial artist with high activity, it wasn’t much of a penalty.
‘The number of traits is growing.’
Fourteen traits acquired so far.
Even though finding applicable ones was tough, I’d stacked this many.
‘Not satisfied yet.’
Endless Alien individuals ahead.
New ones like this meant new opportunities for me.
The long-awaited final semester.
After this, we’d get core weapons and head to the front lines.
Next year, as third-years, we’d go to less intense areas, but after that, most cadets would be thrown to the forefront.
Which was why I was in the auditorium now.
Maybe to give a speech about not losing sight of duties till the end.
The principal on stage cleared his throat and spoke.
“Hello. This is the principal. By now, you all know my face.”
The opening address started with a plain introduction.
“I don’t particularly like these events, but today we have guests to introduce, so no choice.”
The area behind the stage grew noisy.
Vibrations from multiple people behind the curtain.
Who were they introducing?
I pondered briefly, then jolted.
‘Oh, I forgot about this.’
I could guess who the principal was introducing.
And who among them.
“Please welcome with applause the Cross Alliance trainees who will spend this semester at Cradle of Heroes Academy with our second-year cadets.”
The curtain parted.
Behind it, 100 trainees in Cross Alliance uniforms appeared.
Men and women alike in stuffy, nun-like outfits covering up to the neck, clutching small crosses around their necks.
The solemn atmosphere left the cadets speechless.
Clap! Clap!
Starting with the principal, sparse applause echoed briefly through the auditorium.
But still, puzzled reactions about why they were at Cradle of Heroes Academy.
I ignored it all, staring piercingly at one person.
‘He’s here.’
One male trainee, like the others, only face visible in the stuffy uniform.
Thick eyebrows, gray eyes, youthful face.
An unremarkable face mismatched with soulless, empty eyes that instinctively repelled others.
He was the last of Miracle Generation 5.
Immortal Jhang Warwolf.