Ch.179Antlion Pit (3)

“Huk, huk, huk, huk, heok, huk….”

Selene, a warrior of the Temple Guardian Corps, ran across the icy corridor.

‘Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!’

The silence that had fallen across the entire corridor spoke volumes about what had happened to her comrades. The other members had sacrificed themselves to save her, the one who had learned memory storage techniques.

Even knowing their opponent was a demon that devoured souls.

‘To think such monsters exist in this world!’

As she ran, she recalled the scene she had just witnessed.

White skeletal structures that stood several times taller than a Cult member. At first, she thought some giant creature had been resurrected in skeletal form.

It didn’t take long to realize that it was something wearing the bones and carapace of a giant creature. On the “thing’s” head that rose with the bones were her comrades.

The first Cult member she saw was the group’s leader, Christian. He was impaled on a horn protruding from the monster’s head.

Below, in the pointed snout resembling a theropod, legs presumed to be from a corps member were sticking out, struggling.

The scene was so surreal that she and all her comrades just stared blankly at it.

Soon after, with a chilling sound, the legs that had been struggling to escape went limp. Only upon hearing the sound announcing her comrade’s death did she and the other members snap back to reality.

Rough shouts and the sharp metallic sounds of weapons being drawn. The sounds that always accompanied monster hunts.

The Temple Guardian Corps that came here had prepared the best equipment to catch the three-headed demon.

The Demolisher that manipulates and destroys matter, the Champion Shield that dramatically increases defense by combining psychic power and ether, dragon scale reinforced suits made from monster scales, blades forged from White Gallergorn’s claws, and more.

As one of the Empire’s elite units, the Temple Guardian Corps naturally had the best equipment.

And those who used this equipment? They were the best of the best.

If they had only faced the bone-wearing monster, they wouldn’t have been defeated so easily.

The reason the battle went differently than expected was simple.

Unlike their expectations, the enemy wasn’t alone.

When the giant monster rose, other monsters hidden beneath it appeared.

A monster with a human head and spider body, a monster with a pink balloon-like body and long tentacles.

Among them, the spider monster absorbed the Champion Shield composed of complex energy. Every time its hook claws scratched the shield, chunks of the shield’s energy fell away.

The bone-wearing monster targeted only the Guardian Corps members whose shields had weakened. Despite its enormous size, it was surprisingly agile. Whenever it moved, her comrades were either impaled by its horns or crushed under its massive feet.

And finally, the pink balloon monster. It didn’t move as nimbly as the other monsters, but possessed a terrifying ability.

It was the most powerful psychic power user among the many monsters she had seen. Although not as powerful as the young priest Jason, it was enough to overwhelm those present.

Because of the pink balloon monster, communication with the outside was nearly impossible. The immense psychic power flowing from its body blocked supernatural techniques like telepathy or soul links.

For Cult members, psychic power was like their limbs. Even for the Temple Guardian Corps, it was impossible to demonstrate their full abilities with restrictions on supernatural power use.

Her comrades tried their best to dodge and counterattack the two monsters.

But despite such counterattacks, the number of standing members rapidly decreased.

The monsters moved as if they knew all the characteristics and weaknesses of the equipment worn by the Temple Guardian Corps.

When the spider monster neutralized the Temple Guardian Corps’ shields, the giant monster attacked. When they tried to move to avoid the giant monster, the pink monster restricted their movements.

It was useless even when members with Demolishers attempted to fire. The monsters might take other attacks, but they always avoided the Demolishers.

The enemy showed coordination superior to that of the Temple Guardian Corps members who had worked together for decades.

The result was a massacre.

Those who had always hunted monsters were now the prey being slaughtered.

The spider monster disemboweling Cult members with its hook claws, the pink balloon monster lifting members into the air with psychic power before tearing off their limbs.

And the giant monster devouring Cult members who weren’t dead yet.

Selene would probably never forget that sight until her dying day.

When their numbers had dwindled from twelve to five, Selene’s comrades shouted for her to run away, as she had learned memory storage techniques.

If the deaths of those present were not to be in vain, Selene at least had to survive. Knowing this fact, she fled, leaving her comrades behind.

‘I’ve stored all the memories. If I can just deliver this to Jason…’

She kept attempting telepathy as she ran. The farther she got from the monster, the weaker its power became. Perhaps if she went a little further, she could transmit these memories to her comrades.

“!”

Just then, as she ran with all her might, a sound reached her ears. She quickly activated the Champion Shield on her wrist.

‘Where is it?’

Holding the Champion Shield that glowed faintly gold, she looked around.

Thinking she had misheard, she heard the sound again. Something was mixed in with the sound of wind blowing through the corridor.

‘Damn it! Where the hell…’

Her pupils darted around frantically. All she could see was her own distorted reflection in the ice. The distorted faces of Cult members seemed to mock her.

As if saying she would soon join them.

Temple Guardian Corps members are trained not to waver even in serious situations when fighting monsters.

But was it because of today’s situation, or some unknown factor? She couldn’t collect herself, like a rookie on their first mission.

“Damn it! Where are you!”

Having lost her composure, she howled like a wounded beast. As if in response, a sound reached her.

The sound was similar to that of a flag fluttering in the wind.

Only then could she recognize what kind of sound she had heard.

It was the sound of a creature with large wings flapping.

And unlike what she had heard until just now, the sound was very close. As if it were right above her head.

“……”

Her gaze slowly turned upward.

In a place where there should have been nothing but ice.

A creature with green wings was hanging upside down, looking down at her.

Meeting the gaze of its purple eyes, she tried to draw her sword.

Before her hand could reach the sword handle, the creature’s wings spread wide. The moment she recognized this fact, she felt strength leaving her body. The world she saw flipped upside down, and her familiar ankle came into view.

Selene’s consciousness sank into darkness.

–

「Prey」「Escape」「Block」「Success」

[Zzzzz (Well done)]

Adhigh, who had gone to deal with the one hiding outside trying to escape, returned. On his back hung a Cult member with only the upper body remaining.

Judging by the blood covering his body, he must have charged with super-acceleration.

‘Seems like he has no injuries.’

He appeared to have completely mastered the combat method of charging while surrounding himself with psychic power.

‘Good boy.’

I patted his head with my combat arm and picked up the Cult corpse hanging on his back with my parasitic tentacles.

‘All 12 who entered here have been dealt with.’

Although my tooth fairies that emerged from my body initiated the battle, this is the first time I’ve fought directly.

Their skills were as I expected. However, there were a few unexpected points.

‘Their equipment is better than I thought.’

My gaze turned to the equipment the Cult members had brought. Dragon scale suits, Champion Shields, swords forged from Gallergorn materials, and even Demolishers. All high-priced armaments.

I picked up a weapon resembling a harpoon gun from among the weapons scattered on the floor.

Though unimpressive in appearance, it’s a weapon with destructive power ranking in the top five among standard infantry weapons in the Space Survival world.

‘Bringing a Demolisher. Were they planning to hunt a Gallergorn?’

A Demolisher is a weapon that fires bullets synthesized from dark matter and various other rare substances. The Demolisher’s heat ray has a matter manipulation effect, causing even the hardest materials to decompose into sand when hit.

Considering that the Ice Horror’s carapace, which No. 26 and I had to use all our strength to break, could be pierced by a Demolisher.

To defend against a Demolisher’s attack, one needs special defensive measures. I don’t have such defensive measures yet.

‘And this knife is also quite an expensive weapon.’

This white blade worn at the Cult members’ waists is a weapon made by shaving down the claws of a White Gallergorn. Its effect is to create supernatural sword energy that can cut enemies from a distance. It has the same effect as the Gallergorn claw that Siheyon Yujin pulled from the back of his hand when we fought before.

People with such good equipment wouldn’t come here without reason. I woke the human-faced parasites attached to my head carapace.

“Why did you come here?”

“Th-that’s…”

The five human-faced parasites tried their hardest not to speak, but it was useless.

The human-faced parasites that formed on my body are all beings reconstructed from AMorph bodies. Like my arms and legs obey my commands, they cannot refuse my orders.

Eventually, they spilled everything.

Their explanation wasn’t long, but it contained very important information.

What they came to catch, who was leading them.

If I hadn’t confirmed this now, everyone could have been in great danger.

‘So the young priest is targeting me.’

He was the one who advocated sending the Imperial Mothership and its fleet to subjugate the three-headed demon that appeared on PH-101, the planet the Cult calls Psygil08.

After the plan failed and he lost influence in the Imperial Council, he came here directly leading the Temple Guardian Corps to make up for the failure.

What does that mean?

‘The player who sponsored Muriel.’

The one I judged to be a Black Gallergorn-level powerhouse was a player. A player with much stronger power than Muriel.

If the opponent is a player, I need to modify the plans I’ve made so far.

‘He probably knows a lot about me.’

If the other side is also a ranker, they would obviously know what to be careful about when fighting an AMorph.

‘After the enemies join up, deception with parasites or human-faced parasites will be impossible.’

The original plan was to lure the enemies into the cavity where the Ice Horror was. That cavity was in such a weakened state that the walls and ceiling could collapse at any moment.

There, I planned to collapse the walls and ceiling, burying everything under the glacier above. No matter how strong the enemy, the chance of surviving being crushed under hundreds of meters of ice was almost zero.

At most, a Black Gallergorn-level powerhouse might survive depending on what psychic power techniques they possessed. If he survived, I planned to launch a full-scale offensive with the kids to subdue him.

‘But if he’s already considering me as an enemy…’

Since he would know I’ve set a trap, the likelihood of him moving according to my intentions is low. To deceive him, I need to think harder.

‘…It’s fortunate I found out now.’

As soon as I heard the explanation, I slightly modified my original plan and called PS-111.

“There’s been a variable. Take the kids and go to the place I mentioned first.”

“Understood.”

He prepared to leave with No. 26 on his back, along with Adhigh.

「Big one, see you later.」

[Zz (Okay)]

After saying goodbye to the kids, I hurried to the nest. On the way, I didn’t forget to check the enemies’ movements by placing my auxiliary organs on the floor.

‘The timing is a bit tight.’

There were only a few minutes left until the remaining two groups gathered in one place. The group that had been attacked by PS-111 and Sky Mother was moving with extreme caution, so they hadn’t joined up yet.

‘I’ll be late if I stop by the nest.’

I need to strike from behind before the enemies join up.

I stopped moving in the middle of the corridor. I put my head close to the ice floor and attempted to link with the nest using the auxiliary organs under my jaw.

As the nest expanded on its own, this area around me has been stained black. Although spores haven’t formed yet, the nest’s mucus has spread and hardened here, so sending signals is possible.

‘She’ll notice right away.’

I searched for a place to link by feeling the floor with my auxiliary organs. In the process, my auxiliary organs touched the nest’s stem that had just begun to spread.

Part of my senses seemed to pour into the floor, and the wide corridor began to feel like my body. I had successfully linked with the nest.

‘Good.’

I burst a few spores inside the nest. In response, two objects lying in the swamp reacted. Soon, one object began moving in this direction with the other object.

Sky Mother, who had captured a prisoner, must have read the signal I sent.

While maintaining the link, I reconfirmed the corridors of this underground space. The enemy player and the group he was leading showed no signs of movement.

While keeping a close watch on them, Sky Mother appeared. She was holding a female Cult member in her beak.

Whether she had broken the Cult member’s neck when capturing her, the lower part of the Cult member’s neck didn’t move at all. Sky Mother must have taken such measures knowing that the dragon scale suit has a life support function for its wearer.

I carefully received the Cult member, making sure she couldn’t look at me. Unless No. 26 was here, I had to be careful about soul links.

「What’s going on? This wasn’t part of the plan?」

[Zzzzz Zzzzzzz (The plan has changed)]

I explained to her what I had heard from the human-faced parasites. Understanding my wavelength, flames rose in her amber eyes.

「He came here?」

[Zz (Yes)]

「…We absolutely cannot let him go.」

[Zzzzzz (Of course)]

We can’t let a player, especially one who knows about me, go like this. We must capture him by any means necessary.

「What are you going to do?」

[Zzzz Zzzzzzz Zzzzzz (First, we deal with his subordinates)]

The subordinates the player brought are carrying Demolishers and knives made from Gallergorn claws. Both are weapons that can inflict fatal wounds on me, making them enemies I can’t take lightly.

If they receive direct commands from the player, dealing with them becomes extremely difficult.

‘So we need to strike before they gather.’

I looked down at the Cult member I had captured as a prisoner.

Originally, I planned to use her to instill fear by skinning her in front of the enemy. But since the situation has changed, I need to slightly change her purpose.

‘A player wouldn’t fall for it, but…’

What about those who haven’t joined up yet?

I reached out to the paralyzed Cult member.