Monsters in the Lab #5

 

Jonathan’s face was stiff, but his eyes were filled with determination.

Just by looking at his face, I could easily guess what had happened while I was gone.

There were no other orc corpses or bloodstains visible around. They must have escaped safely thanks to Jonathan’s aggro.

“Estelle… you’re not dead, are you? I thought you were finished for good this time.”

Jonathan asked with relief.

“No, he died? Twice.”

Actually, I died four times, but I’ll shorten it a bit.

It’s definitely not because I’m being rude.

There were reasons for all of this. If we had fought properly, we wouldn’t have died even once.

“⋯Intruder A, resurrected again. Very troublesome.”

For the first time, Alice’s wooden doll-like face showed emotion.

Alice frowned and looked at me with a look of disgust on her face.

“Even if torn to shreds or crushed, it regenerates. Intruder A’s regenerative powers are unparalleled. Unlike ordinary life forms, it refuses death. A new solution is needed.”

Alice muttered quickly.

Jonathan looked puzzled and hid behind me.

“What are you saying, that bitch?”

“I guess it’s a habit. He just says his thoughts out loud.”

“What a crazy woman. Did that woman kill everyone who explored the lab so far? She looks like just an ordinary person.”

I shook my head.

An ordinary human? That’s impossible.

“Jonathan, don’t judge a book by its cover. You thought the same thing when you first met me, didn’t you? I’m just a normal, human girl.”

“⋯Ah. Then that woman too⋯ What⋯?”

Suddenly Jonathan trailed off.

Jonathan wasn’t looking at me. His gaze was fixed on Alice.

“What, what is it? That human— no, is he even human? ⋯?”

Gigigigig.

Alice’s body began to deform from head to toe, with the sound of bones twisting and flesh tearing.

Thud.

Blood flowed profusely across the pristine white snow. A massive amount of blood would have killed a normal person.

It wasn’t just blood. White skin, yellowish fat, gray hair—everything began to flow from Alice.

It’s like a worm shedding its skin and being reborn in a new form.

“Whoa, whoa! What the heck⋯!”

“calm down.”

“How can you calm down, Estelle! You’re a, you’re a monster!”

“That’s what it was from the beginning. The monster in the lab. That’s its true form. That’s the true form of the monster in the lab that Camula’s expedition witnessed.”

Before she knew it, Alice was reduced to nothing but bones.

Then, Alice grew into a giant that seemed to reach the snow-swept sky, sprouting up like bamboo shoots after a rain.

Hwarak.

Alice spread her wings, made entirely of bone. She swung her long tail, now made of connected bone joints.

A dragon, but its body has rotted away and only bones remain.

The dragon named Bone. Alice’s true identity.

“Oh my god⋯.”

dump.

Jonathan fell on his butt in the snow.

It seems like they’ve completely lost their fighting spirit. At least when Alice takes human form, they’ll have the courage to try and buy some time.

As expected, it’s impossible to fight that giant.

“Exclude, resume.”

Alice took a deep breath through the flurry of snow.

A blue flash flickered inside the skeletal body, the inside of which was clearly visible through the throat.

“Get up, you punk.”

I kicked Jonathan, who was lying on the floor in a daze.

“If I just sit there and do nothing, will I really die?”

As I grabbed Jonathan’s shoulder and launched myself forward, a blue explosion occurred behind me.

“Unholy Breath”.

This is a breath attack unique to the Bone Dragon, possessing both the properties of coldness and weakness.

“Estelle, wouldn’t it be better to run away! How can we catch a dragon like that?”

“I’m sorry, but I have no intention of catching you.”

“What!?”

Ignoring Jonathan’s dumbfounded expression, I took out a small stone from my bosom.

“The Sage’s Transformation Stone”.

One day, a precious reward obtained from the Garden Underground.

This transformation stone transforms into the tool I need most.

There are still two more chances to transform on the Transformation Stone.

I’m going to use that opportunity now.

“Why are we catching such a strong guy? We need to make him our ally.”

“That can’t be possible-”

“Oh, don’t nitpick and just do as I say. Just grab his attention for a moment. Can you do it?”

“Ha, just one moment⋯.”

Jonathan looked unsure.

And that’s understandable. The opponent is a bone dragon gliding leisurely through the stormy sky.

The moment you catch my eye, I might die.

“You can do it, Jonathan.”

“I appreciate your trust, but… Hehe, this might be difficult….”

“Hey, you were looking so cool earlier, but what’s going on now? You’re back to that pitiful expression.”

“What the hell!”

Jonathan stood up, swearing harshly.

“If I die, at least return my body to the village! Aaaah-!”

Jonathan raised his sword high, shouted blindly, and ran forward.

“Intruder B, Orc entity, attempting a pointless struggle—”

Alice looked at Jonathan with the same look she had for a pitiful creature.

You don’t even need to use Unholy Breath to kill Jonathan. Just a gentle stomp with one of those big front paws will do.

‘We have to hurry.’

I quickly ran to a blind spot out of Alice’s sight.

Those precious few seconds Jonathan risked his life to buy.

It is something that should not be wasted.

“Change your appearance, Sage’s Transformation Stone.”

As I held the transformation stone in my hand and gathered my will, the shape of the transformation stone began to change along with the light.

Soon, a small glass bottle appeared in his hand.

“Dew of the Goddess”.

This is a sacred item of which only four exist in the world.

It is said that the dew is the concentrated essence of the goddess’s purity, but it can also be interpreted in a somewhat sly way…

That’s not important right now.

Goddess’ Dew can remove all negative status effects.

Even if it is a mental contamination that cannot be reversed by any other means.

Yes. Even a crazy Alice can use this item to heal her broken brain.

Knock—!

He grabbed the glass bottle and jumped high into the sky.

The snowfields receded below my sight, and Alice, flying in the sky, drew closer.

I took the chain from the ring of storage and threw it towards Alice’s tail.

I don’t have chains wrapped around my tail like the main character in the movies, but I do have “telekinesis.”

Even without aiming precisely, the chain was bound to the tail like a magnet under the guidance of telekinesis.

“What are you doing! You skin and bones! Come at me!”

On the ground, Jonathan was screaming and cursing.

Thanks to that, Alice still didn’t notice that I was clinging to her body.

No matter what, Jonathan was definitely useful.

“⋯!?”

Alice finally turned to me, perhaps because she felt something strange in her tail.

“Intruder A, close to the tail. Attempting impulsive action. Must be restrained.”

Alice changed the direction of her breath, which was aimed at Jonathan, and shot it at me.

Hwaruk—

As I grabbed the chain and dodged it by spinning my tail like Tarzan in the jungle, an explosion rang out from behind me.

I can’t just sit back and take it. How did you get here?

“Deploy a thorny shield. Reflect all damage from attacks.”

As the breath missed, Alice didn’t hesitate and immediately activated her shield.

The bones in his entire body become sharp, and thorns spread all over his body like a heavy infantryman carrying a spear and shield.

As Alice said, if you attack in this state, the attacker will also have to suffer great damage in return.

But, I was mistaken.

As I said, I have no intention of ‘attacking’.

“I’m trying to treat you. You can thank me later.”

Wheeze—

I threw a vial of goddess dew over Alice’s head.

A brilliant rainbow of dewdrops poured from a broken glass bottle that hit a bone thorn.

Immediately afterwards, a dazzling flash of light swept through the entire area.

***

“Okay, my legs hurt. Let’s just rest for a bit, Mark.”

“Don’t whine! Didn’t you hear Jonathan? The warrior Orc and Estelle sacrificed themselves to save us. We don’t have time to relax.”

“Mark is right. Let’s push ourselves a little harder and walk a little longer.”

Wilde’s face broke into tears. But knowing his companions were right, he limped back to walk.

A solemn atmosphere hung over the orcs.

Ultimately, this expedition ended in failure, just like it had during the elder’s time decades earlier.

The price was catastrophic.

Along with Jonathan, the leader of the Orc village, they also lost Estelle, an irreplaceable force.

But the orcs were not discouraged.

“The Snowfield Orcs will not give up! Let us not let the sacrifices of the warrior orcs and Estelle be in vain.”

“Yes, that’s right. Next time, we’ll sacrifice. Then our descendants will challenge again. Someday, we’ll win.”

The orcs were shedding their deep-seated defeatism and regaining their courageous warrior spirit.

They no longer feared death. As the noble sacrifices of the orcs piled up, even if individuals died, the orcs as a whole continued to advance.

Jonathan must have wanted to teach that valuable lesson by example himself.

“Now, wait a minute. Stop.”

“Wild- I know your legs are a bit sore, but right now is not the time-“

“No. I hear something! Can’t you hear it? It’s the sound of wings flapping. Something is flying!”

Wilde’s eyes widened. His face wasn’t one of joking.

Mark and Buffalo also turned their gaze in the direction Wild was looking.

It’s the sky.

A huge shape was approaching from the blizzard-swept sky.

It’s too big to be just a bird.

The young orcs’ hearts sank.

“⋯Wow! That monster is already chasing you.”

Mark said, licking his dry lips.

“So you mean we won’t miss out on anything, following Jonathan and Estelle⋯.”

“Buffalo, run!”

Wilde got up, his knees trembling.

“You’re the fastest among us. I have trouble walking, and Mark can’t run. So, you should run away.”

“⋯Wild.”

“It’s Mark’s turn to sacrifice. Yours is next, so survive until then.”

The buffalo clenched its jaws. At least one of them had to survive and return to the village.

The responsibility on Buffalo’s shoulders was heavier than a boulder.

“⋯Huh?”

Mark narrowed his eyes.

“But why?”

“⋯It looks like someone is riding on that monster.”

“What does that mean?”

The buffalo, which was about to run away, stopped and looked up at the sky.

Mark was right.

A small figure riding on top of a flying monster was waving at them.

As the distance narrowed, a shape came into view.

“Hey, it’s the warrior orc! The warrior orc is controlling the monster!”

“Estelle is behind you too!”

The orcs jumped up and down, hugging each other without saying who would go first.