Chapter 40: Maybell Pilgrim (3)

The Experimental Round GHOST-157 was fundamentally different from conventional ammunition—it caused almost no physical damage.

This was due to its special structure, where the material of the bullet disintegrated at the molecular level upon impact.

Of course, it didn't mean that all kinetic energy was nullified; there would probably be a small bruise on the forehead. That was something Maybell Pilgrim would have to deal with.

"Kik... kek... geh... How... how do you... have that...?"

[Give it back. Give it back. Give it back. Give it back. Give it back. Give it back. Give it back. Give it back. Give it back.]

Whether it had seized control of Maybell's memories or not, the Spectral Beast howled in agony, writhing in pain.

It instinctively recognized what the bullet embedded in its forehead was.

The Experimental Round GHOST-157—the very bullet that Maybell Pilgrim had been desperately searching for—was in my possession.

A bullet that was supposed to exist as a one-of-a-kind item in this world, and its effect was undeniable.

"That's... mine...!"

[Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain.]

The Spectral Beast possessing Maybell convulsed in pain, then let out a horrible scream before vanishing completely.

[Gyaaaaaaaahhhhh!]

With that final death cry, the Spectral Beast that had taken control of Maybell's body was annihilated.

Maybell Pilgrim was freed.

Fortunately, since the possession hadn't persisted long enough to fully ravage her body, there didn't seem to be any severe aftereffects.

Moreover, the effects of the experimental round didn't end there.

[You have exorcised Grade-7 Spectral Beast: Wraith of Jenolan!]

[Respect is born from fear. Souls will fear and also respect you.]

[Ether Sensitivity has increased.]

[14 -> 16]

Shooting the experimental round just now was like a declaration—a warning to the ether beings that had always maintained a one-sided dominance.

It was a warning that I could annihilate them.

As if to confirm that, the ether around me quivered in terror.

[It's gone?]

[How?]

[Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared.]

Ironically, the more fear the ether felt toward me, the greater my control and dominance over it grew.

It was a moment that proved that fear was an essential quality for a ruler.

'Still... I should get out of here.'

Even if the Spectral Beast had been exorcised and the ether around me had calmed down, leaving Maybell here was not an option.

There was no telling when another possession could occur.

I lifted Maybell onto my shoulder and promptly exited Jenolan Cave.

The way out wasn't difficult.

Although the path was complicated, I'd been to this wretched place enough times to navigate it without much trouble.

'No time to get her to the hideout.'

With no choice, I laid Maybell on a large rock a short distance from the cave.

From this vantage point, I wasn't too far from the front lines, making it easier to join the battle if necessary.

'Now what...'

It would be ideal if Maybell regained consciousness soon, but I didn't have the luxury to wait.

If I stayed idle while the Wave approached, the Ark would be in serious danger.

'One problem after another.'

There was a way—just one I hadn't used because of how risky it was.

'It should work... now.'

If I didn't have the time to go and hunt the monster horde, I could just lure the monsters and beasts here instead.

Fortunately, I already knew how.

I'd even used it once before—though back then, it wasn't intentional, whereas now it would be entirely deliberate.

Groooooooh—

Slowly, I focused my mind.

The ether within me stirred violently.

[Heh heh... You called for us...?]

Yeah, I called for you, you bastards.

[I'm here. Right here.]

[Friends? Where are they?]

[Here. Here. Here. Here. Here. Here. Here. Here. Here. Here. Here. Here.]

Monsters and beasts are highly sensitive to ether.

That's why they rarely approach the ether-rich Mount Noah.

But if the ether itself moves, the story changes.

'The more monsters and beasts I lure here, the less pressure on the Ark.'

This was my way of participating in the second wave without moving from this spot.

Thump.

Thump-thump.

Through the scope, I observed the movement of the monster horde.

Though it was just a small fraction, several clusters were breaking off from the main horde and charging straight in my direction.

Their numbers quickly swelled from a few hundred to several thousand.

'...Did I overdo it?'

The number of monsters flooding down Mount Noah steadily increased.

No matter how rugged the terrain was, it hardly posed a challenge for most of them.

Sure enough, they were closing the distance at an alarming rate.

[Grrrraaaaah!]

I steadied the Ark-15 Anti-Materiel Sniper Rifle.

My hands were trembling slightly—whether from the vibration of the ground or from tension, I couldn't tell.

But I wasn't going to let a bit of shaking stop me.

'First, take out the Named ones.'

The time for hunting had come.

* * *

Maybell Pilgrim walked endlessly.

A darkness with neither an exit nor an entrance.

It felt like wandering through a nightmare.

'Where am I?'

She kept questioning herself as she walked, but the darkness had no end.

[Maybell... Pilgrim...]

Gasp.

Occasionally, she heard a voice calling her name from somewhere, but Maybell couldn't figure out where it was coming from.

'Now that I think about it... why am I here in the first place?'

Slowly, she tried to recall her memories.

She felt like she had been looking for something important...

'...I don't know.'

Maybell wandered through the darkness.

As she continued walking through the endless void, she gradually realized that the ground beneath her feet was disappearing.

She tried to scream, but for some reason, no sound came out.

'Ah, aaah...!'

An overwhelming fear and darkness engulfed her.

She couldn't move.

Just as the abyss seemed ready to swallow her whole, she saw a single ray of light.

'...Ah.'

The first sensation she felt upon awakening from the long darkness was pain.

Whether she had been severely injured or not, her neck muscles felt like they were tearing apart, her eyes stung, and she could taste blood in her throat.

She couldn't speak.

Her vision was blurry.

However, she could still make out what was right in front of her.

It was someone's back.

[Keng! Keng!]

Maybell Pilgrim could hear it.

The sounds of monsters charging toward her and the figure in front of her fighting them off.

Maybell Pilgrim knew.

Someone was protecting her.

* * *

Bang!

Bang-bang—!

Gunshots echoed relentlessly as the trigger was pulled over and over.

But the monsters did not stop.

[Grrr, grrrr!]

[Kyaoooooo!!!]

'They're coming.'

Before I knew it, the distance between me and the horde had closed to less than 500 meters.

Normally, I would have chosen to retreat, but Maybell Pilgrim was here.

'Guess it's time to try it.'

As the monsters got dangerously close, the Bone Parasite responded to my will.

[Giiit!]

A bone tendril shot out from my hand, and I grabbed it firmly before driving it into the ground without hesitation.

[Proclaiming "Ankelenth's Domain"!]

[Current duration: 6 minutes, 13 seconds.]

Grooooooooh—!!!

As [Ankelenth's Domain] spread, a tremor, like the roar of Ankelenth itself, surged through the surroundings.

At the same time, the charging monsters halted abruptly.

They instinctively realized whose domain this was.

[Grrr...?]

[Keng! Keng!]

Soon, the monsters seemed to remember their original goal and turned their heads away.

Their aggro had been reset.

'If I attack now, they'll charge at me while the domain is active. That would be suicide.'

Of course, I couldn't just let them head toward the Ark either.

Once the monsters had moved a reasonable distance away, I yanked the bone tendril out of the ground.

[Ankelenth's Domain has been deactivated.]

[Current remaining time: 5 minutes, 56 seconds.]

I squeezed the trigger once more.

Realizing that their comrades were being shot, the monsters finally took notice of me.

But by that point, their formation was already disrupted and tangled up.

Some of the monsters tried to resume their charge toward the Ark, while others turned to climb back up Noah, seeking revenge on me.

Just as I intended.

'The problem is the Named ones.'

Sure enough, a few cunning Named monsters began to reestablish order, communicating through their distinct cries.

[Kyaa, kyaa!]

[Awooooo!]

[King! Kingkong!]

The monsters, which had been hesitating about whether to charge down or not, quickly became coordinated again.

The conclusion was clear.

'They're targeting me.'

That was also part of the plan.

My objective wasn't just to delay the horde temporarily—it was to completely separate them from the Ark.

'This time, I'll draw them in deeper.'

While [Ankelenth's Domain] was indeed a powerful force against low-level monsters, it still had limitations.

That was because the Bone Parasite hadn't fully absorbed Ankelenth's power yet.

'Remaining duration: about 6 minutes.'

To wipe out the monsters within that time, I needed to let them get as close as possible.

Bang! Bang-bang-bang!!!

Switching the Ark-15 to automatic rifle mode, I kept firing, signaling that the monsters were getting dangerously close.

'Time to activate it again.'

Just as I was about to plunge the bone tendril into the ground to proclaim [Ankelenth's Domain] once more—

Swoosh—!

Something tore through the air at incredible speed.

I instinctively raised both the bone tendril and the Ark-15 in a crossed stance to block it.

Crack—!

The sheer impact sent me tumbling backward.

Whatever it was, it packed a monstrous punch.

"Kh...!"

I heard an unpleasant sound.

Thankfully, my bones weren't broken.

But something else was.

I hurriedly checked my weapon, only to find that both the bone tendril and the Ark-15 had been shattered.

'The auto-repair function... isn't working.'

The damage was too extensive for it to self-repair.

'What the hell just hit me?'

Even though I hadn't activated [Sniper's Time], I barely managed to block it.

'This thing...'

Then, I noticed it—lying on the ground was the projectile that had destroyed my weapon.

A rock.

Not just any rock—it was massive, too large and dense for a human to throw.

I immediately realized who had hurled it.

'...Grade-5 Primate-type, Stone-Thrower Moog. It has to be him.'

Stone-Thrower Moog.

A Named monster resembling a gigantic chimpanzee, infamous for its skill in throwing rocks.

Never in my wildest dreams did I expect that monster to be among the horde near Mount Noah.

'Figuring out its identity is good and all, but... the problem is I've lost my weapon.'

I was now taking cover behind a massive rock.

If I made a hasty move, that damned Moog would throw another rock my way.

That wasn't the only issue.

Unfortunately, all my spare weapons were stashed away at my previous and current hideouts.

Right now, the only usable gear I had was the HE2050 pistol on my waist and the Smel-7 machete.

'To make things worse, the grenade launcher's busted too.'

It was a lapse in judgment—a result of getting complacent after acquiring the experimental round and mastering the Relic's power.

'No choice, huh.'

There was still a way to fight.

Even with just a pistol and a machete, I had my hardened physique, and the Bone Armor still retained a fraction of Ankelenth's power. 

Hand-to-hand combat it was, then.

I wasn't going to shy away from paying the price for my overconfidence.

'Let's go.'

Just as I drew my HE2050 pistol and Smel-7 machete, preparing to move—

"Wa-wait...!"

A strained voice called out from behind me.

It was a voice I recognized.

In fact, the only human voice it could be.

"I-I'll fix it... Better than before... Yes, that... way..."

Maybell Pilgrim.

One of the Ark's top weapon engineers had finally woken up.

***

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