Insertion Complete ─ Afterwards
I held my breath. Cold sweat trickled down my skin.
There's no way that thing died from an attack like that.
Still...
...Did it die?
I harbored a vain hope.
Swish.
Against my wishes, the sentinel rose casually. Its helmet shattered.
Yeah, didn't die after all.
"...You're worth your size, at least."
I'd definitely landed the hit. Not a fatal blow, though.
Confidence surged in me. I'd gotten the feel for effective strikes.
Now I just repeat this until the bastard drops.
All I needed was patience, persistence, and stamina.
Grip.
I reached for the weapon at my feet and gripped it again. I still had plenty from the 100th floor.
Just keep throwing until it dies.
No need to fill up on the first bite. Keep shoveling until you're stuffed.
"I'll feed you plenty."
Hoo.
I steadied my breathing and assumed position again.
Align, center─.
Then I hurled the weapon at its brow once more.
Thud.
This time, a throwing spear. First time trying one, but it wasn't hard.
Just recreate that sensation from before.
The heavy blade and light shaft actually made it easier to throw. The weight was biased toward the tip, so putting power into it felt natural.
That's why it's a dedicated throwing weapon.
Whish─.
Perfect trajectory. It'll hit this time too.
I believed that.
Thud.
That instant, the sentinel swung its arm. A lazy swat like shooing a fly.
Crack!
The spear shattered from that casual motion and clattered to the ground.
"...Ha. Now you're reacting."
Seemed like that last hit had registered my throws as a threat.
I hurriedly put distance between us. Drew my rapier and glared at it.
Fortunately, the sentinel didn't attack. It just stood frozen, blue eyes flickering wildly.
No counter this time either. Does it only move the minimum necessary?
Or can it not even conceive of throwing my weapons back at me?
I went with the latter. Monsters were dumb as rocks, power level be damned.
...Throw again.
I sheathed the rapier and reached for another throwing weapon.
Hurled it with more force than before.
Whish.
The throwing handaxe flew in a straight line. Perfect trajectory again.
Target: its brow─.
Crack!
Even with extra power, no hit. Its hand flicked the axe away.
Head's too hard to aim for now.
Fine, target elsewhere.
I threw a dagger at its knee. Perfect arc.
Still missed. It swatted it away with a gesture.
"...Hoo."
I threw a few more times, then stopped to observe.
Need a different approach? Kept missing no matter the spot.
Insight had strained my eyes to bursting.
Throw more carefully. Even with Orkan's arsenal, supplies are finite.
Blindly chucking them means I'll run out before the sentinel does.
"...Hoo."
I regulated my breath. Arms numb from full-power throws.
Muscles aching from shoulder to elbow like they'd worn through. Fingers numb; gripping felt like bone on metal.
"...Haa."
Still, I hefted a long wooden spear.
Assumed position and pondered.
The sentinel raises its arm faster than my projectile reaches target.
Means I need to throw faster.
But how...?
"......"
Head throbbed. Each inhale scorched my brain.
Like sucking fire, not air. Deeper breaths drove reason away, filling my skull with burning pain.
...Take a break?
I shook my head. No. One more try.
Make it spin this time.
Decision made, I positioned.
Insight. Align, center─.
Hurled the spear at its brow. Matched trajectory, then snapped my wrist just before release.
Whish─.
Spear spun through the air. Perfect path.
Got it. It's gonna hit!
Thud.
Against expectations, it swatted even more casually. Those flickering blue eyes seemed to mock me.
"...Haa. You little shit."
Not the answer.
Duh, curves can't outpace straights. Basic physics.
Spinning adds drag; obviously slower.
Trajectory is the blade. A bent blade doesn't pierce...
I sat right there, deep in thought. Exhausted to the point breathing drained stamina.
"Hooo... How many've I thrown... Wooden bastard. Can't you just die...?"
Grumbling, I kept brainstorming. How to boost projectile speed?
Speed over accuracy.
Plenty to throw. Even off-vitals, enough hits will drop it.
Clarity hit. Cool head wins.
Impatience ruins everything.
I racked my brain, dredging memories.
Gigantism no-go: coordination, weapon size.
Then it clicked.
Shot put, javelin throw...
Olympic javeliners don't throw from standstill. They sprint, approach run, then position and release.
...Why was I throwing stationary?
Thrusting instinct. Align, center.
...Can I align-center mid-sprint approach?
No experience, no guarantees. But no other way.
To bridge power gap, throw faster—this is it.
Do it.
I stood. Breathing already steady.
Checked throwing spears left: three.
Plus a few daggers, handaxes. Rest unsuitable: battle axes, hammers, maces.
Practice with hammer or mace?
No. First feel matters. This carves the path.
Wrong start, wrong forever.
First feel becomes habit.
Stick to throwing gear first.
Gripped spear, backed far from engagement range.
Bonus: flat, straight ground.
"Hoo."
Far enough, steadied breath.
Resolved, I kicked off and sprinted.
Feet light. Speed built. Body felt airy; spear vibrated against arm.
...Faster.
Thighs burned to bursting. Calves cramped, knees screamed.
Lungs aflame, heart pounded fists against ribs.
─Huff.
Breath caught. But feet didn't stop.
Kept running. Faster. Quicker. Just this moment longer.
...Go.
Sentinel neared. Right at engagement line.
Right foot hit ground; I focused.
Align, center─.
Foot pushed, knee snapped. Torso pitched forward naturally.
All joints halted—no, converged.
Crown to spine. Spine to hips, legs. Legs to toes.
Straight line.
Now─.
Body unified in that instant. Fleeting gap.
Through─.
Released.
Whiiish──!
Spear left hand for brow.
Body followed. Full propulsion flung me forward awkwardly.
Missed the impact.
Krunch!
But heard it. Bone-and-flesh pulverizing rupture.
Thud!
Felt ground shake. Body shuddered in resonance.
"Hurk, hurk..."
Lungs fit to burst.
Fuck. How hard did I push?
Wrung body to limit. For one thing: burst speed.
Drip.
Something surged up my spine. Splitting sound.
Familiar sensation.
Crack.
Not ears—nerves ringing. Felt, not heard: rupture.
No way...
"......"
Checked status.
New skill acquired. From that action, apparently.
"Ha..."
Too drained for joy. Barely stood, checked sentinel.
Spear shaft buried deep in its head, shaft straight like a tombstone piercing sky.
* * * * *
Certify first?
"Nah, before that..."
Gathered scattered weapons. Packed them neatly into sub-space pouch.
Useful later.
Done, grabbed nearby corpse, approached giant tree.
Just offer this to the tree now.
Pressed corpse to trunk. No reaction.
Worst assumption flashed—but ignored, scanned area.
Closer look: square altar at base, hidden under trunk. Definitely one.
Place it here?
Sighed in relief, approached altar.
That instant.
Thwack!
Spine-searing agony hit back. Auto-repaired ruptured flesh, snapped bones; whirled around.
Whoosh─.
Wood Sentinel glared, blue eyes flickering.
...Still alive?
No, confirmed death. Eyes dimmed, breathing stopped.
Then why?
Worst flashed.
...Wasn't alive to begin with.
It was dead from the start. True body: this tree.
That was just a tree-possessed corpse.
"Ha... Fuck."
Sentinel rose. Slowly gripped pickaxe.
Instinct kicked: ducked, rolled right—
Boom! behind me.
Crackle─.
Black earth erupted, dust flew.
"Filthy trash..."
And that wasn't all.
Thud.
Odd vibrations around.
Thud thud.
Quick scan.
Thud thud thud.
Thick roots like kudzu burst from ground, writhing, staring me down.
Ha. Surrounded.
No escape. Front: sentinel. Sides, back: roots. Sealed tight.
"......"
One idea hit.
Checked giant tree quick.
"......"
Not here.
Then. Glanced at sentinel.
"...Hm."
Big enough. This'll work. Guaranteed.
Screech.
Sentinel tilted. Massive torso reared back, pickaxe skyward.
Then─ swings.
...Now.
I bolted.
─Swiftness.
Swiftness [P]
Familiar, like first Insight use.
Heartbeat shoved back, ground shredded like paper under toes.
Whish─.
Sentinel leaned forward. Arm dropped.
Pickaxe smashed earth—but I was gone.
...No hesitation.
Kicked off, leaped.
To its mouth─ split maw.
Arrived, curled body, dove in.
Squelch!
Body engulfed. Slimy mucus coated skin like membrane.
Vision blurred. Breath blocked.
It swallowed me whole.
I didn't resist. Gladly went deep, fully.
Recalled.
...Seek what crumbles, grow heavy.
─Mantra.
Mantra
"Flesh, expand."