Ch.181Antlion Pit (5)

I have never seen my form when transformed by my mimicry organ.

The mimicry organ releases pheromones through countless gaps in the outer skin to confuse the senses of other organisms. The pheromones don’t affect me as their producer.

That’s why I don’t know how I appear to others when my mimicry organ is activated.

Judging from others’ reactions, the mimicry organ seems to cause subtle discomfort. Like something inhuman trying to imitate a human.

While it might work the first time, if I keep using the mimicry organ repeatedly, enemies will start to notice something’s off unless they’re fools. Once the target begins to doubt, the effectiveness of the mimicry organ drops significantly.

Just like how Red Mist, which once terrified players by imitating them, is now just an old story.

‘But it’s too valuable to just discard.’

I’ve put considerable effort into overcoming the mimicry organ’s drawbacks, particularly its inherent awkwardness. I practiced vocalization and gathered information about potential targets.

After numerous trials and training, I can now convincingly act as someone I’ve never seen before.

Like right now.

“What’s wrong with everyone? I’m asking for help here!”

A group of Temple Guardians keeps their distance while watching me. Visibly tense, they cautiously grip their weapons.

Those holding Gallergorn’s Claw Swords step forward, while those with Demolishers aim at my head from behind.

“What’s going on?”

“……”

Each time my voice echoes through the corridor, the guards’ eyes waver. While my voice might sound like their comrade’s, the Cult’s distinctive sensitive perception is likely rejecting it.

Telling them that the being before them is not “Cult Selone.”

“What should we do?”

When one Cult member aiming at my head asks, the female Cult who had been glaring at me speaks.

“…We’ll subdue it first, then verify.”

Judging by the yak horns on her head—unique among the group—she must be their leader. Like her subordinates, she seemed confused when first seeing me, but now appears to have regained her composure.

The Cult members who received their leader’s orders gradually approached me. Three Cult members with Demolishers were aiming at my head, or rather, above it.

‘Hmm. Interesting.’

The reason they’re aiming above my head is simple: they don’t see me as Selone. They probably think I’m showing them hallucinations.

High-level hallucinatory creatures like Red Mist or Sea Demon can deceive even the senses. You can die from hallucinations without taking physical damage.

However, the hallucinations produced by the mimicry organ aren’t that sophisticated.

They know my supposed hallucinatory ability hasn’t reached the level of sensory control, and they’re responding accordingly. They must have discussed how to deal with me via telepathy even while fearing me.

‘Not a bad response, but…’

Unfortunately, it’s not the best response.

The mimicry organ’s effect is to simulate the appearance of other intelligent beings through pheromones. It doesn’t physically transform my body.

So what happens to parts of my body, like corrosive tentacles?

The answer is simple.

‘They can’t see them.’

The corrosive tentacles extending from my back were already above the heads of the Cult members holding Demolishers. They had no idea what was hovering above them.

“……”

The Cult members with Gallergorn’s Claw Swords approach me with fixed gazes. They extend their hands with activated Champion Shields toward me. They’re trying to cast the psychic power technique “Binding” to immobilize me.

At that moment, when all the Cult members present are focused on me…

My corrosive tentacles struck the Cult members in the rear.

“Huh?!”

“Ambu—ugh!”

The six appendages attached to each tentacle spread wide and grabbed the Cult members’ upper bodies. Simultaneously, the mouths inside the appendages swallowed their heads.

Inside the mouths of the corrosive tentacles are densely packed sharp teeth. Even if they’re wearing the sturdy reinforced clothing called dragon scale garments (龍鱗服), they can’t withstand the razor prison tightening from all directions.

They died with their upper bodies crushed before they could even scream.

“This is… damn! It’s hiding its body! Be prepared!”

As soon as I attacked the Demolisher-wielding members, the enemy leader shouted loudly. The Cult members approaching me flinched and quickly raised their shields.

Unfortunately, my plan to sweep away the enemies with my tail in one strike was thwarted. My sweeping tail attack hit them, but they blocked it with their shields, so the damage wasn’t severe.

‘Not bad.’

I’m guessing that leader is the most skilled among the Temple Guardians here. Probably among the top five in the Temple Guard.

‘Actually, this works out better.’

It could have been dangerous if I’d joined up with the Cult player. I charged forward while maintaining my mimicry organ.

My targets were two Cult warriors trying to retrieve Demolishers. As soon as they saw me charging, they hurriedly backed away.

My massive body trampled one Demolisher that resembled a harpoon gun as I passed. The Cult members who narrowly succeeded in retrieving two Demolishers rolled their bodies to avoid my attack.

It’s a bold move worthy of praise if they were allies rather than enemies. Despite not being able to properly perceive my overall form, they managed to dodge by estimating my size.

The two Cult members who half-raised their bodies immediately aimed their Demolishers at me. Seeing how fluidly they moved, I could tell how experienced they were.

Their only problem is that their opponent is me.

The tooth fairy nest near my waist burst open, and black flesh-eating fleas sprang out all at once. Their mouths aimed for the faces of the Cult members targeting me with Demolishers. The tooth fairies, with teeth resembling human teeth, clung to the Cult members while making clicking sounds.

“Ugh, aaagh!”

“Get awa—gack!”

While the Cult members were momentarily stunned by the palm-sized flesh-eating fleas blocking their vision, I swung my tail toward them. I wanted to take out both the Demolisher-wielding Cult members and the tooth fairies in one strike.

But this time my intention was blocked. The enemy leader, the Cult member with yak horns, jumped in and struck my tail with her Champion Shield.

‘Hmm?’

Normally she should have been knocked back, but surprisingly, she succeeded in changing the direction of my tail. The pincers at the end of my tail hit the wrong target.

The ice corridor wall vibrated greatly from my attack. The Cult leader, not showing any agitation, struck my tail with the axe she held in her other hand.

‘Oh no.’

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine!”

“Everyone, regroup!”

I immediately withdrew my tail due to the pain surging from it. Looking at the part where her axe had struck, I could see the hard carapace was damaged.

‘Tsk.’

That black axe in the Cult leader’s hand—I know that weapon. It’s one of the rewards you can get for clearing level 10 of the Cult quest.

‘Was it the Dragonslayer quest?’

The name of that axe is “Judgment.” According to the lore, it’s an axe forged from the horn of a Black Gallergorn and is one of the parts of the Dragonslayer set. The player who came here probably gave it to that woman.

‘This is annoying.’

The effect of Judgment is simple: it gives the wearer Gallergorn-level physical abilities.

The problem is that this enhancement effect is not to be taken lightly. You can tell just by how she deflected my tail with her Champion Shield.

‘…Another reason why I can’t afford to waste time.’

I don’t know when the Cult player might change their mind and jump in here. Seeing that woman wielding Judgment, the opponent is likely wearing the Dragonslayer set.

That means it would be difficult to fight while having to worry about such a troublesome person.

I leaped toward the Cult members who had already regrouped.

One of the warriors fired a Demolisher at me. The Demolisher’s distinctive indigo energy bullet flew toward my head.

I quickly turned my head, but it grazed the carapace on the back of my head. True to its nature as a matter-disintegrating weapon, the part touched by the bullet simply evaporated.

Ignoring the attack, I charged forward to crush the Cult member holding the Demolisher. Seeing that I continued forward despite being hit, the Cult member threw himself sideways in panic.

‘Where do you think you’re going?’

I lashed out with a corrosive tentacle and struck him.

“Guh!”

My tentacles are as thick as decent-sized logs. No matter how sturdy their armor is, they can’t absorb all the impact. The Cult member hit by the tentacle spat blood and tumbled across the floor.

As another tentacle flew to finish him off, another Cult member intervened. A Cult warrior jumped high and slashed my tentacle with a white sword made from Gallergorn’s claws. With an eerie sound like a hook scratching a glass window, small sparks flew from the tentacle.

Except for the carapace, all parts of my body are covered with synthetic scales, giving me high defense. The small scales on the surface of the corrosive tentacle absorbed the impact, resulting in only a small scratch.

That doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt. I grabbed the Cult swordsman who had slashed my tentacle and landed with my combat arm.

“L-let go of this!”

Before he could put strength into his sword arm, I squeezed hard. The sound was similar to dropping a water balloon from a high-rise apartment. Warm juice dripped between my four long fingers.

I casually shook my hand and brought my head down to strike the Cult member who had fallen to the floor earlier.

“Uh, uhhh!”

He tried to crawl away somehow, but it was already too late. His lower body, along with the Demolisher, was completely crushed under my head.

“Damn it!”

The other Cult members cursed at the sight of their comrades dying, but they didn’t rush in recklessly. Instead of close combat, they pulled out a card that only Cult members can use—psychic power attacks.

Two Cult members with goat horns simultaneously aimed at me with their hands spread wide. My body suddenly felt as heavy as a water-soaked cotton ball.

‘Gravity Control?’

It’s a psychic power technique that manipulates gravity and is quite versatile as a control technique. It’s in a similar position to “Binding,” which No. 26 likes to use.

The floor where I stood cracked, and my upper body involuntarily tilted downward. While the goat-horned Cult members blocked my movement, one Cult warrior with mountain goat horns and the leader launched psychic power attacks at me.

The warrior unleashed a Psychic Whip, a telekinetic whip, while the leader fired a Pain Spear, which resembled a purple lance.

Pain Spear is a psychic power technique boasting high penetration, and the effectiveness of Psychic Whip varies greatly depending on the user’s skill.

Both are techniques I experienced when fighting Code Black, the shadow of House Yugin, in the space city before. Those techniques that once pushed my life to the edge are now flying toward me again.

‘But…’

The purple whip lashes my combat arm, and the elongated spear pierces my head carapace. The synthetic scales covering my arm are peeled off, and a hole is drilled in my head.

‘I’m very different from back then.’

The trait “Psychic Reflection Armor” that I gained from eating the Swamp King.

Its effect is to reflect 30% of the damage taken when hit by psychic attacks.

The whip and spear that had struck and pierced me began to fly back toward the Cult members as if time were reversing.

“What?!”

“Oh no!”

The leader quickly raised her Champion Shield, and the mountain goat-horned warrior rolled to the side. That choice determined their fates.

“Kuk!”

True to its high penetration, the Pain Spear pierced the Champion Shield but only inflicted a minor wound on the leader’s left arm.

But not so for the mountain goat-horned warrior. The reflected Psychic Whip mercilessly lashed his upper body as he ducked.

“Guuuuuuuugh!”

He let out an agonized scream as his body was split from the left shoulder to the chest. The eyes of the goat-horned Cult members wavered at the horrific sight.

Taking advantage of that gap, I cast “Fearful Gazer” on one of the Cult members casting Gravity Control.

The eye-shaped patterns on my head carapace glowed ominously.

Fearful Gazer, a downgraded version of Deep Sea Fear, is a trait that shows terrifying illusions to a single target. It’s very effective in situations like this when enemies are confused.

The face of the Cult member affected by Fearful Gazer drained of all color.

“Uh, uwaah! Aaah! S-senior! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

“Uh, uhh! Hey! Snap out of it!”

He sat down on the spot, covering his head with both hands. The weight pressing down on my body became much lighter.

I raised my head and pointed the tip of my snout at the remaining goat-horned Cult member. The goat-horned Cult member gritted his teeth at the sight of me, but there was nothing he could do.

I opened my lower jaw wide. A green mass rapidly rising from inside my throat was fired outward.

The mass, full of terrible acidic fungi, was aimed at the goat-horned Cult member’s palm. Being within the gravity-manipulated area, it couldn’t fly far, but that didn’t matter. It just needed to touch any part of his body.

And the fungus touched the enemy’s right hand.

“What is thi—guh, guaaaaaaah!”

As the fungus began its corrosion, his hand rapidly melted away. The ivory-colored dragon scale garment tried to repair itself somehow, but it couldn’t restore the lost hand.

Few ordinary creatures could maintain their sanity after losing their right hand in an instant.

Finally free from Gravity Control, I looked at the last remaining leader.

“Cough, gack, gaaah…”

“Hiiieek! Senior! Please don’t hit me! I was wrong! Hiiiek!”

“Ugh, ughhh, ugh…”

“……”

Her eyes quickly swept over her panic-stricken comrades. I could feel the strength entering her right hand holding Judgment.

The Cult leader looked as if she was prepared to die here.

‘She’s not running away?’

Her heartbeat was still intense, but it was slightly more stable than before. There was no fear in her eyes as she glared at me.

It even felt like relief.

‘Wait, could it be?’

Seeing this, I realized why she was acting this way.

‘The player sent her a telepathic message!’

She must have been told to buy time because they were coming. Perhaps the moment the Cult members’ tactics changed earlier was when the player signaled they would come.

I checked the surroundings with my auxiliary organs. No particularly powerful energy flow was detected yet.

‘…I need to move.’

This place isn’t suitable for fighting them. I turned and retreated.

As I expected, the Cult leader didn’t pursue me. Instead, she tended to the wounded.

‘That leader is finished anyway.’

I still have one more hidden trap. Traits I acquired a while ago but never had the chance to use.

When “it explodes,” that woman will die.

I ignored the leader and ran along the dark corridor.

–

‘…Damn it!’

As the creature’s presence could no longer be felt, Elijah slumped to the ground. She had faced life-threatening situations against powerful monsters many times before.

That’s only natural, since the Temple Guard is only deployed when monsters appear that are difficult to subjugate by conventional methods.

But never had she faced an enemy as frightening as today’s.

Her lover, Jason, was right. The creature was a monster so terrifying it could rightfully be called a demon.

In her view, the true power of the “Three-Headed Demon” was its excellent strategy. It fought reading several moves ahead of her, a veteran guard.

Even now. The creature chose to withdraw rather than kill her, though it could have. It must have read ahead that her lover was coming here.

‘It’s a threat to the Empire.’

After tending to the wounded, she approached Bilone, who was leaning against the wall.

Elijah knelt before her. Bilone, paralyzed below the neck, was shedding bloody tears from her bloodshot eyes.

‘Jason said she was being controlled, but…’

Bilone must return alive for Elijah, or rather, for the Empire’s security. She is the one who survived longest by the “Three-Headed Demon’s” side. She cannot be allowed to die before extracting the necessary information from her head.

Perhaps sensing the love-hate in Elijah’s gaze, Bilone spoke.

“E-Elijah, I-I’m sorry…”

“I’m keeping you alive because you’re useful to the Empire. No need to apologize.”

Elijah spoke coldly, but Bilone’s reaction was somehow strange.

“S-sorry… sorry, sor-ry, ugh, ugh!”

“Huh?”

Bilone kept dry heaving before dropping her head.

“Hey? What’s wrong…”

The moment she moved closer to Bilone, the latter suddenly raised her head.

The face that looked up was no longer the Bilone that Elijah knew.

Bilone, with bright red vines growing from every orifice—eyes, nose, mouth, ears. The moment she saw this, a telepathic message flew into Elijah’s mind.

‘Fuck! It’s tetanus vines! Elijah! Get away!’

‘What?’

Before she could understand what her lover meant, the head of what had been Bilone exploded. Red vine fragments scattered as small shards, splattering onto Elijah.

“How did this…?”

Elijah wiped away the vine fragments and unknown red liquid that had splashed onto her torso. She looked down at the headless corpse with a bewildered face.

Red vines were wriggling like worms on the cleanly severed surface where the head had been.

Before she could feel disgust at the sight, Elijah felt an itch on her left shoulder.

“Why suddenly… guh?”

She thought it was the wound from fighting the monster earlier healing, but that wasn’t it.

The itching was brief, and soon extreme pain began to arise not just from her shoulder but throughout her upper body.

“Ugh, guhh?! Kyaaaaaaah!”

It was pain like countless insects crawling inside the blood vessels beneath her skin. She clawed at her upper body with her nails.

“Guaaaaaaah!”

When scratching proved futile due to the protective effect of the dragon scale garment, she began to remove the reinforced clothing and scratch. Her fresh, delicate skin quickly became bloody.

Perhaps because of this, she failed to notice the thin vine-like things wriggling inside the bleeding wounds.

‘It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts!’

Only then did she realize why Bilone had ended up that way. And what her own fate would be.

“Aaaaaaaaaah!”

“Elijah!”

In the midst of her fading consciousness, she heard her lover’s voice. Even in tremendous pain, she ran toward the direction of her lover’s voice.

Was it instinct born of love, or was it the command of the beings crawling inside her body?

Either way, she would never know.

“Fuck…”

Another incomprehensible word. The moment she heard it, Elijah no longer felt pain.

More precisely, she couldn’t feel any sensation other than pain.

“Morph bastaaaaaaaard! You fucking piece of shiiiiiiiit! You killed my Elijah, you bastaaaaaaaaaaaaaard!”

She couldn’t understand what her beloved boyfriend’s words meant.

How could she?

Even Cult members die when they lose their heads.