Ch.259Hunting (2)

From the moment I acquired the ‘Bio Gloves,’ a durability-type factor of ultimate caliber, my objective evolved toward potentially enhancing my existing factors.

Currently, my focus is on strengthening special abilities. My goal is to process factors that I possess but still have various issues with, ultimately turning them into usable cards in actual combat.

In particular, this choice requires extreme caution.

I’m already in a situation where I can’t significantly increase my ‘Hunting Quest’ targets due to time constraints. In such an atmosphere, I can realistically only choose about one prey.

Therefore, after much deliberation while keeping several options in mind, I finally selected two factors.

The ‘Amplification Vocal Cords’ from a Chimera. And the ‘Petrification Mystic Eye’ obtained from a mutant Basilisk.

The ‘Petrification Mystic Eye’ has a narrow focus but is good for exploiting the principle of concentrated power, while the ‘Amplification Vocal Cords’ has a broader application but risks becoming neither here nor there if mishandled.

Thus, after much consideration, I chose to enhance the ‘Petrification Mystic Eye’….

For this reason, the creature designated as the hunting target for what might be my final Hunting Quest was a monster named ‘Cyclops.’

This creature, which shares its name with many entities in Earth’s memory, is simply a one-eyed race of mutant giants in this world.

Their average height is about 7-8 meters. They’re approximately 1.5 times larger than ordinary giants who stand only about 5 meters tall, and naturally, their physical abilities match their size.

But above all, the most distinctive physical characteristic of the Cyclops race is the single massive eye on their face.

This eye, which takes up more than half of their brain, provides overwhelming long-distance vision, but perhaps as a trade-off, they also suffer from the chronic defect of one-eyed beings: poor short-range vision.

Because of this, despite their powerful physical abilities, they often miss targets right in front of them. However, this doesn’t significantly hinder the Cyclops race’s survival.

This is because the true power of the Cyclops race comes from the various special abilities manifested through their eye.

The Cyclops race is naturally born with eyes capable of manifesting three types of mystic eye powers, and as they age, the number of abilities increases, eventually growing to seven.

Additionally, they are skilled at slinging stones over long distances thanks to their excellent vision, making them powerful and rare giants capable of disrupting the ecosystem of an area once they appear….

After such a mutant giant was discovered in an unexplored area, I promptly set out to subjugate this Cyclops.

The Cyclops found in the forest was an individual capable of handling five mystic eye abilities, each one diverse and powerful.

Besides the two fixed abilities regardless of the individual—the ‘Clairvoyant Eye’ that can see abnormally far distances without issue, and the ‘Projection Mystic Eye’ that can shoot magical power like a beam from the eye—it had three more abilities.

The ‘Binding Mystic Eye’ that applies magical binding effects to targets directly affected by its power. The ‘Ignition Mystic Eye’ that can create flames at specific points within its field of vision. And the ‘Charm Mystic Eye’ that can enchant those it gazes upon.

Each power was formidable, so I struggled somewhat, but after a fierce battle, I defeated it, devoured more than half of it on the spot, and returned….

That night, in my dream, I chose two options from three.

The first was the ‘Binding Mystic Eye.’ As mentioned earlier, it had the power to apply magical binding effects to its targets, and it had sufficient potential to enhance the Petrification Mystic Eye I was aiming for.

My prediction proved exactly right, and upon returning to the field with the mystic eye, I was able to obtain a new power born from the combination of the two mystic eyes.

It was called the ‘Stasis Mystic Eye.’ Though its direction changed, it possessed power even stronger than the Petrification Mystic Eye, capable of completely stopping any object, living or non-living, that entered its field of vision.

Beyond binding and constraining effects, it exerts a complete stopping effect on subjects. From suspending them in mid-air to hardening them almost like petrification.

Additionally, it could be used to stop the fluidity of objects, and perhaps if my cognitive abilities improved, I might even be able to stop only the mind of a target.

Regardless of how this power seemed like a gift from heaven to me, I was actually focusing on the second element, which I hadn’t predicted at all.

This was because the ‘Cyclops’s Mighty Strength’ factor I chose as my second option was absorbed into the existing ‘Incomplete Titan’s Mighty Strength’ like other factors, but then transformed into a complete factor called ‘Titan’s Mighty Strength.’

I had simply intended to absorb it for factor enhancement, but the previously incomplete factor became complete.

A powerful factor with a completely different unit of strength from before, one that could rightfully be considered to have reached the advanced realm in terms of pure strength.

Of course, despite the tremendously enhanced muscular strength, my durability remains largely unchanged, so I’ll need to regulate my strength to some extent to prevent muscle rupture.

Well, considering that I possess ‘Troll’s Regeneration,’ the risk is certainly worth taking.

※ ※ ※

At the same time, in Colland, the largest city in the Colland Barony.

As the situation surrounding this city and the Colland Barony deteriorated day by day, the internal situation was also inevitably affected by external influences and could by no means be described as good.

From the outside, recognizing the ominous internal situation, various sanctions were imposed to control the city, and particularly trade sanctions and commerce controls pushed Colland, which lacked the ability to produce raw materials independently, into an even tighter corner.

The city of Colland is a typical metropolis, but its purpose is closer to that of an outpost for exploration, so the entire city is designed primarily for adventurers.

Therefore, apart from simple industry or weapon production capabilities, there are no special businesses, and particularly critical is that the city’s population has begun to drain daily while legal visitation routes have been blocked.

Of course, this pre-modern individual with guts and recklessness would see even these controls as an opportunity to make money, but the problem is that while goods may enter, prices go crazy in the process.

Even the most brazen merchant must move somewhat covertly to avoid risking their life with wrong justifications, and thus the contraband they bring is limited in quantity but exorbitantly priced since they know they’re the only option.

As a result, prices within the city are soaring, but the population outflow is also reducing the number of inhabitants, which somewhat regulates this price increase.

In this chaotic situation, while people are continuously leaving the city, making it gradually empty, the main workforce maintaining the city remains, allowing Colland itself to function without issues.

And the actual master of such a Colland. The culprit behind this ‘Colland Crisis’ who has seized the city using his special ability that appears to be… mind control.

Delil Fantrien, who holds the position of branch manager of the Adventurer’s Guild in Colland, was conversing with the [Mother] who had come to see him.

[Is everything going well?]

“Yes, [Mother]. It’s proceeding smoothly.”

Delil’s kind [Mother], the great ■■ monarch, and the ruler of ●● who leads countless ■■ legions.

While having a friendly conversation with such a [Mother] of great achievements, Delil suddenly voiced an idea that came to his mind.

“[Mother]. At this point, should I continue in this state?”

[What do you mean?]

“Well, the current situation in our city is at its worst…. First, I need to find a breakthrough—”

As he was speaking at length, he suddenly stopped. The [Mother] silently and carefully caressed his mind, then thrust her finger into his eye.

And then—

“—Hmm.”

Delil Fantrien, who had briefly fallen asleep, awoke from his drowsiness and began to prepare for war ‘again.’

A holy war, to be declared in the name of ●●, that would overturn the world.