Ch.106106. The New Continent (3)

Three days after the Tarasque’s modification work began.

“Finally, it’s complete…!!”

After tirelessly hunting and modifying day and night, we finally succeeded in upgrading the Tarasque to version 2.0.

“The Prophet… is going to sleep now….”

“Yes. Go inside and rest, Sophia.”

As Sophia, exhausted from the brutal rush of overnight work, headed inside in a half-asleep state, I contemplated the new features of the modified ‘Small Aleinos Forest Tarasque 2.0’… tentatively named ‘Tarasque 2.0’.

Tarasque 2.0 underwent modifications aimed at enhancing functionality, such as expanding the interior space and improving defensive capabilities. Simultaneously, its combat abilities were significantly enhanced during the process of restructuring its internal systems.

Not only did we greatly increase the Tarasque’s strength and durability by transplanting additional primitive magical beast bodies, but the key modification was to the Tarasque’s head.

Originally, it would have functioned to enhance the power of magic cast by the druid inside, but realizing this was rarely used in practice, we installed a cartridge-type attack system in the head.

In other words, it can now attack enemies without anyone needing to cast spells, automatically using mana produced by the Dragon Heart to operate the attack organs of the primitive magical beasts installed inside.

It can fire sonic waves using the crest of a Parasaurolophus beast. It can shoot shockwaves like shells using an adaptation of an Ankylosaurus beast’s tail. It can also emit poison breath using the dragon’s venom gland that we had been saving, and of course, the original magic amplification function remains intact.

However, if I had to choose my favorite attack organ among those installed… it would probably be the Bloodsaurus’s mana amplification organ.

The Bloodsaurus, the first primitive magical beast I encountered after falling into this jungle, occupies the position of apex predator in this forest’s ecosystem—comparable to bears or tigers.

Naturally, its physical abilities are among the highest of intermediate-level primitive magical beasts, and its intuition and physical durability are nothing short of remarkable.

But these physical abilities only give it a relative advantage. The true reason this intermediate primitive magical beast could become the ecosystem’s supreme ruler is its mana amplification organ.

Bloodsaurus are born with vast amounts of mana and an innate method of mana discharge, which is primarily used to gain propulsion by expelling mana in the opposite direction of movement.

However, this type of usage is merely a secondary effect. The Bloodsaurus’s mana discharge ability is primarily used to fire its main weapon—a mana beam—from its mouth by amplifying mana through the mana amplification organ in its neck.

This mana beam, though blood-red in color, is essentially non-elemental, so it rarely suffers from type disadvantages. Its destructive power is considerable, as it concentrates amplified mana into a single point.

Of course, the mana consumption is proportionally enormous, so a Bloodsaurus itself can only fire it 2-3 times per day at most. But… fortunately, we have a special organ that produces mana—the Dragon’s Heart.

In other words, the Tarasque, which until now we had merely kept in reserve for fear of damage, has gained enough merit to be considered part of our combat strength.

Meanwhile, the overnight work yielded even more results.

[W-Wow!! Master! Mr. Gregory! I’ve grown!]

“…Y-Yes, you have.”

As a result of consuming large quantities of primitive magical beast meat filled with high-concentration mana and wild mysteries, Griffin Gretel, who had been consistently deemed outside our combat strength due to being low-ranked, achieved dramatic growth and instantly became intermediate-ranked (adult).

As with Robo, magical beasts can experience exponentially accelerated growth when they obtain large amounts of mystery, mana, and nutrients in a short period. Even considering this, Gretel’s growth rate was remarkably fast.

Well, this was possible because Gretel was originally at a stage just before becoming an adult, and she alone devoured several tons of primitive magical beast meat.

※ ※ ※

Exhausted from consecutive night shifts, we took a full day to rest and recover our energy, and only by the next day were we finally able to gather our wits and move.

And we did so using a new function added to Tarasque 2.0 with this upgrade.

While this modification primarily enhanced basic functions, it naturally included several features for exploring this harsh primeval jungle.

One of those features is the variable-transformation function.

Defining the original tortoise-like form of the Tarasque as the “basic” mode, we made it possible to transform the Tarasque into various forms, and among them, the one specialized for movement is… the “travel” mode.

To summarize its appearance in one word, it resembles a semi-aquatic turtle like the red-eared slider—the type of turtle most people would have kept as pets in my previous life.

Thus transformed into the appearance of a semi-aquatic turtle that anyone would recognize, the Tarasque can walk on land as the “semi” in semi-aquatic suggests… but the true value of the “travel mode” Tarasque manifests in its “liquefaction” ability.

This ability, which works in conjunction with the “natural object assimilation” ability that is essentially a druid’s lifeline, is also a technique that utilizes the body of a primitive magical beast called the Jungle Megalodon (tentative name).

The Jungle Megalodon was an intermediate primitive magical beast that could swim through neutral natural objects like plants as if they were water, excluding the ground or monsters. By linking this ability with natural assimilation, we (I) were able to add a function to “dive into the ground.”

Of course, due to the Tarasque’s mass, weight, and even mystical reasons, it’s extremely difficult to utilize this diving ability flexibly. At best, it can submerge completely into the ground and then move without a trace by assimilating with the natural environment…

‘…Isn’t that amazing enough?’

Indeed. No matter how much I thought about it, even this much could guarantee us almost absolute safety.

Tarasque 2.0’s enhanced defenses can withstand even the fierce attacks of intermediate magical beasts with hostile intent, and there’s no particular reason for us to remain passive if attacked.

Anyway, after swimming through the ground for quite some time in travel mode, the Tarasque was able to move to a small stream.

“…Shall we take a break before continuing?”

“The Prophet agrees. Nothing will be solved by just running.”

Wanting to rest in this relatively quiet and peaceful streamside, Sophia and I set up a simple barrier and came out in lighter clothing.

The barrier, which repels creatures below a certain intelligence—in TRPG terms, those who “fail an intelligence check of difficulty N”—can prevent beasts from approaching. At the same time, considering our animal companions resting with us, most threats wouldn’t approach anyway.

Adult Thunderbird. Silver Deer evolved to intermediate rank. Forest Sage Minerva. Sub-adult (intermediate) Fenrir. Hydra that reached its racial limit (twelve heads) as an adult. Adult Griffin. Nightmare, the dream horse.

With these, plus more than half of the Shadow Rat colony released to guard the surroundings, we could identify and repel most threats in advance.

And… that proved to be the case.

[…Grrrr.]

“Hydra? Oh, you’re feeling good?”

[Grr.]

As I gently stroked the back of Hydra, who had been showing increasingly affectionate behavior lately, I was enjoying a leisurely rest while sensing life forms that repeatedly approached and retreated from our vicinity.

And… during that time, I suddenly began to sense something unusual approaching.

“…?”

A strange group with a mix of what seemed to be low-rank and intermediate-rank life forces. Because of the diverse life forces mixed together in a way I couldn’t quite define, I couldn’t predict their identity.

Of course, the fact that they were approaching while ignoring the barrier confirmed they were enemies, so I sent the Shadow Rats to get a more accurate understanding of their identity while initiating shared vision.

And…

‘…Hmm?’

The sight that met my eyes: reptilian humanoids dressed like indigenous tribespeople, riding various primitive magical beasts. It momentarily plunged me into an emotion I couldn’t quite express.

‘…Kobolds?’

It reminded me of the familiar reptilian humanoids from my past life, which made the feeling even stronger.