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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Serpah]
[Proofreader – Thala]
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Chapter 192
｢It feels like something’s different.｣
Number 26 said as it woke up in the morning.
As usual, Number 26 immediately sensed the changes in me, likely because it considered me someone it needed to protect. Strictly speaking, it’s more of a mutual protection relationship, but I don’t really mind.
Whether in reality or in the game, it’s rare to encounter someone like Number 26 who gives unconditional love to someone.
I explained briefly about my growth while picking the plants growing at the base of a tree.
[ZZZZ ZZZZZ ZZZZ (I grew bigger by consuming a bad guy)]
｢The big baby is growing so well!｣
[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZ (Thanks. Here, have this)]
｢Okay!｣
Number 26 extended its tendrils and swept up the mushroom-like plants in one go.
｢Grow quickly so we can bring the little one back.｣
[ZZZ (Alright)]
When I patted the well-behaved creature, its pink body glowed brightly.
At that moment, PS-111 awakened from dormancy to replenish itself. I generated tooth fairies and offered them to The Mother of the Sky and PS-111.
｢Oh, um, I’m fine.｣
Said The Mother of the Sky, shuddering at the sight of the tooth fairies and shaking her head. PS-111, however, took all of them, including The Mother of the Sky’s share.
[Is this a new transformation state?]
Perhaps due to the psychic power imbued by Number 26, PS-111 also seemed curious about the appearance of my tendrils.
“No, this is a permanent change”
[The wavelength of an unregistered energy in the database is distorting light.]
After gulping down the tooth fairies in one go, PS-111’s eyes gleamed with interest.
[If you could provide a sample…]
“No”
I don’t know what kind of ability ‘Color of the Abyss’ is. I can’t give it to PS-111, as it might have adverse effects on it or us. It would be troublesome if it became uncontrollable.
‘It would be a headache if it goes wrong and becomes uncontrollable.’
When I flatly refused, PS-111 sulkily crunched on a tooth fairy.
After the simple breakfast, I explained the day’s plan to the group. I mentioned that I would need to act alone to test the new trophy I had obtained from a formidable foe.
｢I want to go with the big baby.｣
[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZ (Sorry, but not this time)]
I still don’t know how this trait operates. It’s hard to determine whether such uncontrollable traits are safe without trying them out first. I don’t want to put anyone at risk unnecessarily.
[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZZ (Instead, help the middle child)]
｢Why the middle child?｣
[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZZ (She will need to secure the nest and food while I’m gone)]
Yesterday, I had a brief conversation with The Mother of the Sky about what we would do in the morning. She said she would look for a suitable nesting spot while I conducted my experiment. Since she has the best vision among us, she believed she was perfect for the job.
‘She’s right.’
I thought.
The Mother of the Sky has considerable experience fighting alongside me in the game. She knows well the kind of locations Amorphs use for nesting. If anyone could find us a proper hideout, it would be her. Even if there were Gallagons roaming around, Number 26 and PS-111 could easily avoid them, as both can sense Gallagon’s psychic power.
[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZ (Be careful)]
I said.
｢Don’t worry. I’ll be as careful as possible｣
She replied.
[ZZZ ZZ ZZZ (I’m counting on you)].
｢And, um, you be careful too｣
She added hesitantly, turning her gaze away. She still seemed awkward around me, likely due to yesterday’s events.
Telling her not to worry would probably make things more awkward, so I just nodded in response.
With that, we parted ways to take care of our respective tasks.
I ran through the trees, which grew taller and more spread out the higher I climbed. The branches were so numerous and intertwined with other trees that almost no light penetrated through. All I could hear was the sound of the wind whistling through the branches, reminiscent of an animal’s growl.
The combination of the dark forest and the relentless blizzard outside created a very eerie atmosphere. I ran through the desolate forest for quite some time, not just to put distance between myself and the others, but also because I was searching for traces of a particular creature.
‘I’m sure it’s around here somewhere.’
In the game, Gallagon nests are classified as difficult hunting grounds. They are typically found on planets with extreme temperatures, either frigid like this one or scorching with flowing lava, making them hard to access. Even if you manage to prepare well and get inside, there are still challenges to face.
‘Because the area around a Gallagon’s nest is a labyrinth.’
Many powerful creatures of Gallagon-level strength or higher roam around a Gallagon nest. These creatures either serve as Gallagon’s prey or help control their population. Simply put, a planet with a Gallagon nest teems with apex-level creatures.
‘Given that there are Ice Horrors and Snowwalkers, there must be other creatures here too.’
I’m well-versed in the monsters inhabiting ice planets with dragon nests, having tackled them numerous times in the game before.
As my four legs moved tirelessly, the sensory organs under my jaw diligently searched for traces. Soon, I sensed movement in the distance. I lowered my body and slowed my pace.
Since I hadn’t disabled the ‘Intelligent Weakling’ state, my body, including my tail, was small, not even reaching 5 meters. I could easily hide behind a large rock or thick tree.
Using the terrain as cover, I cautiously approached the source of the movement.
After a while, I spotted it between the trees.
Standing at 4 meters tall with a gaunt frame, disproportionately long arms and legs, and a black face contrasting with its white body, it was the hunter of the snowfields, a Snowwalkers.
Despite its reputation as a hunter, its behavior seemed remarkably careless. Its white eyes were clouded as if shrouded in mist, and it paid no attention to my presence nearby.
Snowwalkers rank low in the food chain on this planet. They are typically vigilant about their surroundings, which makes its current strange behavior particularly unusual.
I caught a whiff of a distinct smell.
Like the enticing scent of a neighbor cooking pancakes on a rainy day, a delicious aroma permeated the air. The creature was following this delightful scent.
‘Perfect.’
I maintained a safe distance and trailed the Snowwalkers. It moved with a hypnotized gait, its eyes fixed straight ahead.
‘In a way, it might indeed be hypnotized.’
As I followed, the scenery began to change. The most noticeable difference was the color of the densely packed trees. The dark brown trunks were now covered with red moss, resembling bulging veins. The snow on the ground was also tinged red, as if syrup had been spilled on it, and it exuded a sweet smell, like actual syrup.
‘I found it.’
The intensely appetizing smell emanated from the red moss, which was what I had been searching for. The Snowwalkers, drawn by the scent, licked the moss off the tree ravenously. Each time its tongue touched the moss, it shuddered with pleasure like an addict experiencing an orgasm from a drug hit.
This red moss is a toxic substance produced by a powerful apex-level monster. However, it’s not a poison that causes pain or hallucinations.
‘It’s more akin to a drug.’
Just as a Venus flytrap lures insects with a sweet scent, this red moss attracts nearby creatures with its enticing odor. Even for someone like me, with the “Perfect Immunity” trait that provides immunity to toxins and viruses, the smell is almost irresistible. For a Snowwalkers, which lacks immunity to toxins, it would be impossible to resist.
‘That alone won’t satisfy it.’
As expected, the creature, which had been pressing its head against the tree, looked even more desperate. This is because the red moss has an incredibly potent narcotic effect. Consuming even a small amount turns one into a slave to this forest.
Suddenly energized, the Snowwalkers darted deeper into the forest filled with red moss. I kept my distance, just close enough to follow without losing it.
I couldn’t afford to go too deep. Getting lost here would mean certain doom.
With my senses on high alert, I slowly followed until I saw other creatures starting to appear.
From weak creatures like Snowwalkers and Cavegoyles to stronger ones like Green Gallagons, they were all present.
Though varied in species, they shared the same appearance: bodies ensnared in the ground, encased in red cocoon-like structures, with only their heads exposed. The roots connecting them to the ground pulsated, injecting something into their bodies. Each time the roots twitched, the captive creatures drooled with blissful expressions.
This place was a food storage area. All those ensnared by the red roots were chosen meals by the master of the Red Forest.
‘Glacier Fiend.’
The Glacier Fiend is a monster with an upper body resembling a stag beetle and a lower body in the form of a plant with numerous tendrils. Before it takes root, it uses the wings on its back to fly around and find areas rich in prey. Once it finds a suitable location, it anchors itself into the ground and produces a red substance to lure its prey. Beneath the frozen ground where I now stand, its roots must be spreading extensively.
[TL/N- I do not like the name glacier fiend as nothing in it reassembles a…glacier so do suggest the name you want me to give it.]
In essence, this entire vast red forest is its territory.
A Glacier Fiend that has successfully rooted itself in the ground becomes a formidable foe. It can control other creatures using the red substance.
‘To be precise, it manipulates their behavior with a narcotic-like substance.’
The creatures trapped in those cocoons know well who provides the drug. So, when the Glacier Fiend targets someone, they will obey with a death wish.
If the Glacier Fiend decides to kill me, every creature in those cocoons will attack me.
‘This should be far enough.’
I stopped trailing the Snowwalkers and moved to an area with fewer red tendrils. The master of this food storage is very slow, but it’s enslaved creatures are not.
What I need to do now is something the master of this food storage will despise. I must secure an escape route in case things go wrong, ensuring I can flee quickly.
‘I’m planning to test the Psychic Breath.’
My targets were the creatures hanging from the tendrils, experiencing orgasmic pleasure.
I positioned myself in a place where I could escape easily and activated the Abyssal Hue. The fur covering my body stood on end as if charged with static electricity.
‘What’s happening?’
When I raised my battle arm in surprise, I noticed strange colors within the fur. The hues appeared to be both purple and green, writhing as if alive. The mysterious lights surged not just on my arm but all over my body.
‘It doesn’t feel like a part of me. It’s not detectable as energy either.’
Unlike the Demon Beast, the colors flowing through my body felt distinctly alien. It was as if I were wearing the skin of another entity.
I had a strong sense that maintaining this form for long would be dangerous.
I focused my senses on the tentacles covering my neck and jaw joint.
The writhing colors rapidly concentrated on the tentacles. The hues of purple and green became much more vivid. The once drooping tentacles defied gravity and floated in the air, their colors dispersing into the air like ink dropped in water.
If the sphere formed during a regular Psychic Breath was like a purple sun, the one before me now was entirely different. It was an orb barely containing a terrifying array of lights and colors.
I hurled the orb of chaos at the red cocoons. Unlike the previous purple beam of Psychic Breath, this attack took the form of a sphere.
The moment the orb hit its target, I was taken aback.
The numerous lights within the orb burst out, engulfing the red cocoons. The cocoons struck by the lights lost their original shape, transforming into the same chaotic orb I had fired.
The newly formed chaotic orbs then targeted nearby prey, repeating the process.
An uncontrollable chain reaction. This was the effect of the Psychic Breath infused with Abyssal Hue.
A guttural roar filled the air.
“Gwooooorrrrrrr!”
As the Psychic Breath spread and consumed all the red cocoons, a roar erupted from within. The master of the forest was enraged.
No sooner had the roar subsided than I sensed the movement of various creatures.
‘I wonder how many more storage areas are around here.’
I relocated to avoid the Glacier Fiend’s thralls. Unfortunately for the glacier fiend, my experiment isn’t over yet.
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Thala]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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