Ch.1111. Giant Armor

After the extermination of the ant colony, I acquired an abundance of truly valuable spoils.

First, there’s the ant colony itself. It’s quite large in scale, with connected passages that allow access to most of the eastern forest area.

By completely infiltrating the ant colony, I’ve significantly increased the amount of energy I can absorb from the ground. We’re also utilizing the cultivation chambers where they were growing mushroom monsters.

The cultivation chambers are particularly valuable since they can quickly produce nutritionally rich mushroom monsters from minimal resources like leaves. I’ve instructed my monsters below to rapidly master this technology.

Additionally, there’s the massive amount of energy obtained during the extermination of the ant colony.

Unlike a week ago when I could barely produce just 4 level-9 monsters, the number of monsters under my command has grown substantially through this abundant energy, now approaching nearly 4,000.

Although about half are level-9, considering that more than a quarter are level-7, it’s a force with considerable quality as well as quantity.

And what I personally consider the most excellent spoil is the variety of genes I’ve acquired.

From the simple genes of the queen ant and regular ants to the genes obtained from fragments of powerful monsters they had hunted or collected—I have quite a collection.

To put it bluntly, I now possess virtually all the genes of level-7 and below monsters in this vicinity.

Well, not that it changes much. The energy I’ve accumulated doesn’t even reach a quarter of what’s needed to evolve into a level-4 Hive Mind, and I’m being cautious about taking aggressive action since it would necessitate battles with powerful surface monsters or humans.

I’ll say it again—a Hive Mind of my level could, no joke, be eliminated with a single guided missile by human standards.

The danger of Hive Minds and humans’ extreme countermeasures against them are repeatedly emphasized in the story, so there’s no reason not to be careful.

Anyway, with not much to do these days, I’ve been using telekinesis to bring over and examine one particular object.

It’s the molted skin of Jagatan, which still emits a strong scent and psychic residue that prevents external monsters from invading the cave.

While I’d love to absorb it immediately and obtain its premium genes, after much deliberation, I decided to leave the molting as is.

The reason is simple: I fear the mid-tier or higher monsters that would invade without this deterrent.

To be blunt, even if a level-6 monster—considered the weakest of the mid-tier—were to invade, I’d have more than a 50% chance of losing even with all my forces. Even if I won, my legion would be annihilated and internal facilities devastated.

And if another invader appeared in such a situation, it would mean 100% death. So I have no choice but to treasure this molted skin.

Huh? You think I’m exaggerating about level-6 monsters being only one level higher?

No, there’s no exaggeration at all. To use a military analogy, if low-tier monsters are infantry, mid-tier monsters are like tanks or armored vehicles.

Most generate force fields that can easily cut through even thick tank armor, while their field-protected bodies are so sturdy that infantry weapons barely scratch them.

It’s so challenging that they use Giant Armor, bipedal anti-monster machines, to compensate for the weakness of armored vehicles in close combat. The difficulty (according to the setting) needs no further explanation.

※ ※ ※

After finishing my deliberation, I transferred my consciousness into one of my monsters that I had designated for external activities.

This is a level-8 Hive Scout, a monster I created specifically for reconnaissance, specialized in exploration and escape rather than combat.

Hive Scout

Grade :: 8

Level :: 32

Stats

Strength :: 10

Agility :: 20

Vitality :: 15

Intelligence :: 12

Resistance :: 12

Energy :: 12

Command :: 0

Traits

Monster Gene(E), Predator(E), Hive Mind(E), Subjugation(EX), Master of Detection(D), Keen Senses(E), Escape Expert(E)

Skills

Escape(E), Stealth(E), Heat Detection(E), Psychic Tracking(E)

Bio-weapons

Bio Wire(E), Hunter Claw(E)

The base monster is naturally a Hive Hunter. I modified it by replacing the bio-crossbow with a bio-wire that has hooks for movement, and attached various detection organs.

Aside from its speed, it’s not particularly strong, but that’s irrelevant since it’s designed for reconnaissance, not combat.

Anyway, I’m using the Hive Scout to survey the surroundings a fair distance from the main base.

Since this area is where I spent time enjoying the third installment, my memories are quite hazy. I’m mapping the area while also looking for potential monster colonies to target next.

‘I wonder if there’s another ant colony somewhere…’

While contemplating suitable places to raid, I spent a considerable time searching the surrounding area extensively. Predictably, dangers appeared.

I encountered a hunting ground of a level-5 Hunter Raptor that I’d met before, and also spotted an incredibly powerful psychic energy entity floating leisurely through the air.

Fortunately, by desperately keeping a low profile, I managed to survive. I noticed that the Hive Scout’s remaining energy was gradually depleting.

It was time to return.

After checking the shortest route using the mental map I had constructed inside the Hive Mind during mapping, I directed the Hive Scout toward the main base.

However, during the return journey, I had to adjust my route to avoid a pack of fighting Beast Hounds. That’s when something familiar caught my eye.

‘…This is.’

Though its surface was covered with soil due to the passage of time, with plants growing over it, I could never forget the appearance of this entity before me.

What stood before me was a massive machine once touched by human hands—a 7-meter Giant Armor, the most major bipedal war machine during the third installment.

Although its design was changed in the fourth and fifth installments due to newer models, this was an old model that perfectly matched the image in my memories from the third installment.

And this war machine from my memories was now abandoned as a complete pile of scrap metal right before my eyes.

…With all its weapons still attached to both main and auxiliary arms.

※ ※ ※

Giant Armor. A term referring to bipedal war machines appearing in Project Monster, and also a symbol of the series, as the protagonist of the first installment was a Giant Armor pilot.

They typically form protective shields using built-in force field generators and shred large monsters with heavy weapons and melee weapons mounted on their arms. Among the three major professions (Modified Human, Pilot, and Psychic User), almost all pilots operate these, making them quite popular.

Their sizes range from small ones barely distinguishable from reinforced suits to Titan Armors that easily exceed 10 meters.

Since the game also features wearable reinforced suits called Skeleton Suits, it might be difficult to distinguish between small Giant Armors and reinforced suits, but there is a decisive difference.

That is, Giant Armors officially incorporate whole monsters in their creation.

To be precise, Giant Armors are a kind of cyborg monster.

They replace most body parts—except for some organs and the nervous system, including the brain—with metal, and then the pilot acts as the brain to control the Giant Armor.

Of course, to prevent the monster’s instincts from activating, the monster’s biological organs are used only for hardware. The weapons mounted are solely human technological recreations of bio-weapons.

Therefore, while the appearance of a Giant Armor might seem like a useless pile of scrap metal to me… considering this particular Giant Armor, it could actually be good news.

First, the weapons it’s equipped with are different from ordinary Giant Armors. Though they appear to be just two energy cannons, inside are heavily modified reinterpretations of monster bio-weapons.

Additionally, the pilot must have been of high rank, as the Giant Armor itself is a premium model with almost no rusted or damaged parts.

So if I replace the moderately damaged parts with biological components and create a monster to serve as the pilot and insert it into the cockpit, I could swallow this Giant Armor whole.

Most importantly, the life support system in the cockpit is still functioning.

The functioning life support system means there’s a very high possibility that the pilot’s tissues are still preserved.

Survival possibility… none. After detecting the heat inside, I found something submerged in liquid meant to maintain its condition. But with no heartbeat and no psychic residue, it’s essentially dead.

So I plan to separate this practically dead human from the inside and use its genes to create a human body for my use.

Though it’s a bit too significant to call it killing two birds with one stone, I also intend to capture this Giant Armor and use it as an excellent military asset.

Both in the game and according to the setting, Giant Armor is theoretically an anti-mid-tier monster weapon made from the corpse of a mid-tier monster.