[Grrrk, Greeek─]
[Kieeeh...]
After several minutes of monster screams echoing through the air, the noise finally died down.
The trainees, looking dazed, glanced at each other with wide eyes.
They couldn't quite grasp what had happened, but one thing was clear—something had definitely occurred.
If it hadn't, the monsters would have already attacked their weakened recovery team.
"...What just happened?"
Dmitri voiced his confusion, but none of the other trainees had a clue either.
"Well, I... I don't know?"
"Could it be... reinforcements?"
Unfortunately, there was no answer to be found.
If it were really reinforcements, Sergeant Henry would have known, and by now they would have shown up to aid the team.
As the leader of the recovery team, Sergeant Henry made a swift decision.
"First, we move out of here immediately. We'll take care of the wounds once we're out of the swamp."
With Henry's command, the recovery team trudged onward with unsteady steps, heading for the edge of the swamp.
Treating the wounded was important, but the injuries weren't as severe as they'd initially thought.
More than that, staying any longer in the swamp meant further exposure to its toxins and the constant threat of monsters, which posed a much greater danger.
"...Look over there."
During their staggered retreat, Hildegard—who possessed a rather special "sight" among the trainees—pointed out something, drawing everyone's gaze to the monster corpses.
"What in the world...?"
"What happened here?"
The monster carcasses were shriveled up like dried mummies, as if all the fluids had been sucked out of them.
"It's like... they lost all their body fluids."
Sergeant Henry tightened his jaw.
"First, we focus on getting out of here. Everyone, move."
Despite their uneasy feelings, the trainees silently obeyed his order and pressed on.
They knew that staying any longer would only endanger the lives of the wounded.
"... ..."
Even as they hurried their steps, Kalakin's eyes remained fixed on the desiccated monster corpses until the very last moment.
'If reinforcements really did come, the monsters' bodies would have bullet holes, not look like dried husks... To be completely drained of fluids like that...'
Kalakin's eyes narrowed.
Such a grotesque scene could only have been caused by other monsters or beasts.
And considering the most recent monster they'd encountered in this area, there was only one possible culprit.
'No way.'
A theory briefly surfaced in his mind, but it was too absurd to believe, so he quickly shook his head.
'...It can't be.'
Lost in thought, Kalakin trudged along, his steps heavy.
No matter what the truth behind it was, one undeniable reality remained before the recovery team.
Mission failed.
That was the only truth looming over Kalakin now—the harsh reality he had to face.
* * *
After subduing the recovery team, I circled around them slowly, hunting down every monster that approached.
Even though I had rendered the recovery team combat ineffective, I had no intention of leaving them to die.
Especially since the trainees in this recovery team were all invaluable assets—letting them die in a place like this was not an option.
'That should do it.'
Once I saw the recovery team safely escape the swamp, I finally turned around.
Although it took a bit more time than expected, the result was worth it.
'Guess it's time for me to head out too.'
Not wanting to run into the recovery team on the way back, I decided to take a slightly longer route.
And finally...
I left the swamp.
[Successfully returned from 'Opacum's Swamp'!]
[Immunity to toxins has increased.]
[5% -> 10%]
[You spared the life of an enemy.]
[Acquired the trait, 'Pacifism.']
──────────────
[Pacifism]
—One who understands the value of life.
"Details"
──────────────
──────────────
"Detailed Ability"
[Pacifism]
—For every 100 lives spared, you gain one chance at 'Nine Lives.'
—Lives spared so far: 6
—Accumulated 'Nine Lives': 0
──────────────
'Oh-ho...'
Pacifism is one of the more difficult traits to acquire.
The 'Nine Lives' ability it grants literally offers one life-saving chance for every 100 spared lives.
It's a trait directly linked to survival.
Even though it was somewhat intentional, I hadn't expected to gain it so easily... It seems my impromptu monster impersonation paid off.
'Looks like it worked pretty well.'
Even the seasoned veteran, Sergeant Henry, was completely fooled by my monster act.
Of course, the biggest reason for that was probably my appearance—one that no one would mistake for anything but a monster.
'If there's one thing that bothers me... it's Hildegard and Kalakin.'
Among the trainees in the recovery team, Hildegard and Kalakin both had unique senses—special eyes and an uncanny intuition, respectively.
No matter how flawless my performance was, it would have been difficult to completely deceive their instincts.
'Well, at most, they'll just be suspicious.'
No matter how sharp they were, they wouldn't be able to identify me.
After all, neither of them even knew of my existence.
'Anyway, I've secured the experimental round.'
──────────────
[Experimental Round GHOST-157] [??(?? Stars)]
[Current Quantity: 1]
—An accidental creation.
—Capable of inflicting damage on intangible entities.
"Details"
──────────────
With this, I now have an overwhelming advantage against spectral-type monsters and other ether-based creatures.
'Not just specters.'
Anything fundamentally reliant on ether.
Yeah, those bastards who messed with me.
'Well... it might be hard to hit them, but I'll figure something out.'
That wasn't my only gain.
I glanced at the revolver that had gotten caught on one of the bone tendrils.
It was none other than Sergeant Henry's DR-404 revolver.
──────────────
[Damaged DR-404 Revolver] [★★★★★(5 Stars)]
—A special revolver made by Ark.
—Possesses tremendous destructive power and extreme recoil that is difficult to manage without significant strength.
—Currently severely damaged and unable to utilize self-repair functions.
"Details"
──────────────
'Tch.'
While deflecting the revolver out of Henry's hands, I managed to secure it, but it had taken too much damage in the process.
'If the self-repair function is disabled, it must mean that the core components are busted.'
Ark firearms are more than just mechanical devices—they are masterpieces of Ark's engineering and technology.
Naturally, they don't break easily.
But once they do, repairing them without specialized equipment is nearly impossible.
'Maybe I should've held back a little.'
I couldn't help but feel a slight tinge of regret.
If I had tried to go easy on him, I might have been the one lying cold on the ground instead.
Sergeant Henry was that skilled and experienced, and the DR-404 revolver was just as deadly.
All things considered; it was an unavoidable situation.
'Well, I can always fix it later.'
I had secured my primary objective, the experimental round GHOST-157.
On top of that, I'd gained a few other useful items, so all that remained was to head back.
'Good thing Noah isn't too far from here...'
If I had really needed to go all the way to Chronos, it would have been a grueling journey even for me.
Though I got a bit sidetracked along the way, Opacum's swamp route was ultimately the most straightforward.
'Let's head back.'
Time to go home.
*
The way back wasn't easy.
Since the recovery team had taken the shortest and fastest route, I had to be extra cautious and take a detour.
Of course, I wasn't planning to pass through another monster habitat, so I chose to take an even longer path.
'Still... the bone parasite has consumed quite a bit today, but there's no noticeable change.'
It seemed that no matter how many low-level monsters or beasts it consumed, it barely did more than sate the bone parasite's hunger.
Of course, even if it was just "hunger," accumulating power within the bone armor did increase the number and strength of bone tendrils I could release at once, so it wasn't entirely useless.
'To further grow the bone armor, I need to hunt high-ranking monsters or beasts.'
The problem was that such foes were tough to deal with.
At the very least, I'd need my Ark-15 auto-conversion rifle to be upgraded before I could take them on.
'If there's a chance, it would be during a Wave...'
Unfortunately, revealing myself on the front lines of Ark was still too dangerous, so I shook my head.
The journey grew longer.
Because I had to take a detour, I naturally ended up in a slightly different area than the path I'd originally taken.
'...Something's not right.'
The plain felt unnaturally empty.
Normally, I would have run into a few wandering monster packs by now, but I hadn't encountered even one.
It was strange.
'On top of that, the ether response is different from usual.'
[Someone... is watching me...]
I wasn't sure when it had started, but the ether's reaction gradually became bizarre.
'What the hell?'
Usually, the voices didn't stay quiet, but this time, the ether itself felt distinctly alien.
'Something... feels off...'
A nauseating sensation churned inside me.
The ether within my body was reacting.
[Ah... Aaaaahhhh────!!!!!]
[I don't want to go. I don't want to go. I don't want to go. I don't want to go. I don't want to go. I don't want to go. I don't want to go. I don't want to go.]
[Carl... Marcus...]
It felt like my head was splitting apart.
The ether raged out of control, and my veins bulged as if they were about to burst.
The side effects of Strengthened Body, which amplified physical capabilities through ether, were painfully clear.
'Why is this happening?'
There weren't many things capable of causing such a phenomenon.
'But... no, that's impossible.'
I knew most of what occurred in Ark and the surrounding areas throughout the main scenario of The Defense.
Of course, there were a few exceptions like Tatiana Beloff, but the thought that there was still something I didn't know was intolerable.
'Something has changed again.'
But why?
Amidst my confusion, I followed the pull of the ether, taking slow, cautious steps forward.
And the more I moved, the fiercer the ether storm became.
It felt like walking toward the eye of a hurricane.
[Ah... Aaaaahhhh───]
[Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it.]
[Gyaaahhhh──!]
[Let me gooooo─────]
The center of the ether storm.
Seeing the location just beyond the horizon, I raised my scope to get a clearer look.
There was a group gathered there.
I soon recognized one of the symbols emblazoned on their gear—a symbol depicting a heart and soul offered as a sacrifice.
The Church of Morte.
A cult that worships monsters and beasts, and one of Ark's most troublesome adversaries.
It was obvious that they were behind the sudden ether storm.
'So that's how it is...'
What I feared had come true.
There was no way I wouldn't know what they were up to.
'They're trying to trigger a Wave.'
Since the last Wave had occurred recently, this one would likely be a hastily constructed, irregular Wave.
But even so, if another Wave broke out now, I'd be trapped in the middle of the plains with nowhere to hide.
That would mean certain death—buried under a horde of monsters.
'Like hell that's happening.'
An unplanned Wave had already occurred, and now another was brewing.
Even if the forces behind them were different, I had no intention of letting these bastards run wild any longer.
Click—
I swapped out my magazine.
Experimental Round GHOST-157.
A bullet to shatter their plans.