Chapter 39: Maybell Pilgrim (2)

Thud! Thud!

The earth-shaking footsteps echoed through the world.

It was the most undeniable evidence that the horde of monsters and beasts was closing in.

[Grrrrraaaaaah—!!!]

[Grraaah, grrrrrah!]

All kinds of cries and roars resounded, horrifying enough to make even the bravest soldiers collapse on the spot, their legs giving out from sheer terror.

[Run away... Run away...]

[I don't want to be here. I don't want to be here. I don't want to be here. I don't want to be here. I don't want to be here...]

[Heh... heh heh...]

The ether trembled violently.

Though the voices differed in their desires, one thing was clear: the ether was being heavily disturbed by the phenomenon unfolding before me.

The second wave was upon us—the second one since I arrived in this world.

But unfortunately, I couldn't focus solely on the wave.

It was because of Maybell Pilgrim.

'...Maybell has disappeared.'

Maybell Pilgrim.

Director of the Red Line Special Purpose Weapon Research Institute.

Despite her personality flaws and impulsive nature, she was undeniably one of the Ark's most indispensable talents.

If she were to die, the Ark's weapon development would be significantly delayed, and it would inevitably throw my future plans into chaos.

'Guess I have no choice.'

Even if the Ark forces were already searching for her, their movements would be nothing more than them dancing in the palm of Maybell's hand.

Besides, even if I tried to inform the Ark of her likely whereabouts, it would only expose the fact that I had been eavesdropping on their communications.

In the end, to ensure Maybell's survival, I had to move personally.

'Her destination is obvious.'

From what I know, Maybell wouldn't normally run away at this time.

Especially not when a dangerous wave is crashing down.

If she left the Ark despite the imminent threat, there must have been a compelling reason.

'The experimental round, GHOST-157.'

She was undoubtedly searching for it.

'Maybe this is actually a good opportunity.'

Maybell Pilgrim was one of the Ark's foremost experts in weapon engineering.

Though it would be difficult to entrust her with the repair of my broken DR-404 revolver since it would expose my identity, if I saved her life, she might at least be willing to upGrade-my current equipment, including the Ark-15 Automatic Conversion Rifle.

'Alright.'

Now the only thing left was to figure out where she went.

The signs of the wave approaching must have been detected within the Ark a long time ago.

The fact that Maybell Pilgrim left the Ark without hesitation despite knowing that meant she was confident she wouldn't be caught in it.

In other words, it was highly likely that she moved along Mount Noah after departing from the Red Line.

'And her destination after reaching Mount Noah would be... that place, of course.'

Soon, the Ark's frontline would be swarming with monsters and beasts.

The only place Maybell could safely move to outside the Ark would be Mount Noah, where no monsters dared to approach.

Naturally, the most probable destination for Maybell Pilgrim would be within Mount Noah.

'The Jenolan Cave.'

One of the caves in the northwestern region of Mount Noah, it was known for its exceptionally dense ether concentration.

Considering her personality and the way she approached things; it made sense that she would head there.

'She must be tracking the ether reaction... but it's not a wise choice.'

The reason she chose Jenolan Cave out of countless possible places was obvious:

When GHOST-157 was lost, a high ether concentration was detected from the beast that took it. That meant she was targeting spectral-type monsters or ether-formed beasts. If so, track the area where spectral types are likely to gather. The place with the highest ether density? Here it is!

From an outsider's perspective, it was a ludicrous leap of logic, but that was just how Maybell Pilgrim thought.

To be fair, there was some rationality to it—after all, the Possessed Black-Maned Cheetah that took the experimental round was influenced by a spectral-type entity.

'I just hope she doesn't get caught by some troublesome ones.'

I quickly prepared and set out without hesitation.

The horde of monsters was already advancing toward the Ark, and I didn't have the luxury to waste any more time.

'The distance to the northwestern cave... roughly over 30 kilometers.'

It might sound like just 30 kilometers, but given the rugged terrain of Mount Noah, it was far from an easy journey.

'Good thing I moved my hideout.'

If I had still been using the old hideout on the eastern front, I might have had to give up on saving Maybell altogether.

Even though she was crucial for the Ark's future, it couldn't compare to the immediate threat of the Ark being overrun.

'Damn, this game's difficulty really is a nightmare.'

Even the sturdiest dam can collapse from a single small crack.

The Ark was no different.

Skipping even a small role in the grand battle of the wave might seem trivial, but doing so would mean the Ark's complete annihilation.

There was a reason The Defense was infamous for its brutal difficulty.

'Rescue Maybell and immediately join the front lines.'

With my plan in place, I activated my enhanced physique through [Hardening], along with the auxiliary support from the Bone Armor, and sped across Noah.

Thanks to feeding it monster carcasses for the past week, the absorption rate of Ankelenth's Fang had reached 5%.

Not only did this increase the duration of Ankelenth's Domain, but it also strengthened the inherent power of the Bone Armor.

The scenery flashed by at breakneck speed.

Before long, I caught sight of the western front, where the monster horde was beginning to reveal itself in full force.

It was a clear sign that I didn't have much time left.

'Let's leave them a little gift on the way.'

Bzzt—

Click, click—

I switched the Ark-15 Automatic Conversion Rifle to Anti-Materiel Sniper Mode.

Target: Grade-7 Named Beast Species.

Specifically, its eye.

[Activating "Sniper's Time."]

Time seemed to slow down.

My senses sharpened, and I locked eyes with the beast.

Clack—

The muzzle erupted with flame.

Swish—!

A single beam of light pierced through the Grade-7 Named Beast Species' eye in an instant.

[You have declared war on the monster horde!]

[Tenacity stat has increased.]

[5 -> 6]

The slight increase in my Tenacity stat from the declaration of war helped relieve some of the mental pressure.

[You have slain a Named Beast.]

[The "Beast Hunter" effect is applied 10 times.]

[Damage to Grade-7 Beast Species "Gray-Furred Rat Warrior" increased by 0.5%.]

Currently, the monsters I can take down in one shot by hitting their vital points are limited to Grade-7.

Even that requires targeting a weak point preemptively, along with the additional damage effect.

Thud! Thud!

The ground-shaking footsteps reverberated through the land.

It was undeniable proof that the horde of monsters and beasts was closing in.

[Kiiiit!]

Even though I was practically throwing myself forward as I dashed through Noah, I managed to maintain my speed, thanks to the support of the Bone Armor.

Whenever my balance wavered from moving too fast, bone tendrils would shoot out, gripping nearby rocks and stabilizing my movement.

'At this speed, I'll be there soon.'

I just hoped nothing had happened to Maybell Pilgrim by the time I arrived... but that was probably just wishful thinking.

If I had managed to overtake her earlier, it might have been different, but if she had already entered Jenolan Cave, things were bound to get troublesome.

Finally—

After pushing my body to the limit with reckless mountain climbing, I reached the entrance of Jenolan Cave.

Having sprinted at superhuman speed for over an hour, my breath was ragged and caught in my throat.

But I couldn't afford to rest, so I moved forward without pause.

*

Jenolan Cave.

Among the many caves within Mount Noah, this one had an exceptionally high concentration of ether.

Ether that had coalesced and formed into something tangible existed here—some called them Spectral Beasts, while others had different names for them.

'Am I too late?'

Near the entrance of the cave, I found a clock-type ether disruption device lying on the ground.

A tool meant to block ether interference—but it seemed that Maybell had underestimated Jenolan Cave.

If something like this could completely neutralize the cave's ether, the possession phenomena seen in the White Line and Red Line would never have occurred in the first place.

[Th... Tha... That thing... Mo... Mon... St... Er...]

The ether within my body reacted to the disruption device, shivering with discomfort.

Ignoring it, I picked up the device and cautiously ventured deeper into the cave.

[Intruder, intruder, intruder, intruder, intruder, intruder...]

[Leave. Leave. Leave. Leave. Leave. Leave. Leave...]

[This is not your place.]

[Get lost!]

[Heh heh... Should I kill you?]

It didn't take long before a cacophony of voices started flooding in from all directions.

Friendly voices.

Hostile voices.

Indifferent voices.

It was only natural.

Ether wasn't a singular entity—it was countless and varied, like stars in the night sky, each with its own will.

Whether they were favorable to me or not didn't really matter.

If someone with weak ether sensitivity entered here, they would have been swallowed whole by the ether itself.

But I wasn't shaken, no matter what whispers tried to reach me.

"Where is Maybell Pilgrim?"

Before long, one of the voices responded.

[That way...]

Following the guidance, I ventured deeper into the cave.

The terrain was rugged and treacherous—one wrong step, and I could easily fall into some unknown pit.

'Even from behind a screen, I hated coming here.'

Yet, here I was, trudging into this nightmare with my own two feet.

[Heh... heh heh...]

A mocking laugh echoed from somewhere.

I recognized that sound.

This wasn't a typical ether presence.

'A Spectral Beast.'

Strictly speaking, Spectral Beasts were a subset of ether beings, but the Ark classified them separately as monsters.

Unlike the mischievous ether spirits, Spectral Beasts were inherently hostile—a different breed entirely.

If ether was the "soul" of something, Spectral Beasts were the vengeful, corrupted remnants of souls turned against humanity.

"Aaaaahhhhh!!!"

A sharp scream rang out from deep within the cave.

There was no way any living being other than Maybell could have screamed like that in here.

'Found her.'

Bloodshot eyes.

Disheveled black bobbed hair.

Drool streaming from her mouth.

"Heh, heh heh... heh heh heh..."

Her once brilliant intellect and beauty—once admired even among the top minds of the Ark—were nowhere to be seen.

Now, she was nothing but a deranged woman cackling in the darkness, her neck twisted at an unnatural angle.

'Tch.'

Just as I feared—Maybell Pilgrim had already been possessed by a Spectral Beast.

A Possession Phenomenon.

Her body was no longer her own.

"You... You... You know... Me..."

"Yeah, I know you too."

"Heh, hek... You? Know me? Kiihehehehe!"

'...Can't deal with this anymore.'

Click—

I pressed the button on the SW-01 interchangeable magazine, switching the ammo type.

The bullets in the chamber were ones I had prepared specifically for this situation.

"You should really leave that body."

"Heh, heh heh! You're gonna shoot me? Really? Kiihehehehe!"

Even though I gave a warning, the possessed Maybell didn't seem the least bit threatened.

Instead, she drew a military knife from her waist and charged at me without a hint of fear.

I had anticipated this much.

"Yeah, figured you wouldn't listen."

There's a reason Spectral Beasts are called that—they don't listen to reason.

The muzzle of the Ark-15 Automatic Conversion Rifle aimed straight at Maybell Pilgrim's forehead.

"Shoot, and this woman dies. Kiihehe!"

I corrected her assumption.

"No. She won't."

Click—

I pulled the trigger without hesitation.

***

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