Day 471-480/Day 478

Day 478 / The Eighth Day
Outside of the underground space where the ruins were located, it was like a maze of an underground world.
　I had no idea where I was, and there were countless forks in the road.
　For now, I'm heading in the direction of the air current, but I don't know what's beyond that.
　I continue on my way, but not just on foot as I have been doing so far.
　I disassemble the remains of several golems to secure materials, connect several golem cores as a power source, and fit golden gears that spin around a red jewel, one of the magic items from the treasure chest, to increase the power output and allow me to move powerfully.
　It was named the Golemkrat because of its similar shape to the Kettenkrat with added armor.
　The front of the Golemkrat has tires and the back has crawlers, so it can move without any problems even if the cave is a bit rough.
　I prepared it as a means of transportation to minimize physical exhaustion in the face of an uncertain future, but it seems that golems are much more useful than I imagined.
　The structure of the Golemkrat is quite lax, and although I made some modifications to the working parts with liquid metal, it is only at a level of simple craftmanship. Normally, such a thing would be a piece of junk made of metal and would not work.
　However, by fitting the golem core, even such a piece of junk can be moved freely.
　In addition, the gears of the magic item can be easily placed, so this will make a lot of things easier to do.
　I haven't built it yet because I'm afraid of accidents, but if I can build an enhanced exoskeleton, I'll be able to do even more.
　The only drawback is that it makes a bit of noise when it works, which attracts monsters, not protists.
　The cave is very brightly illuminated by the ten 【Blood Draining Spears】, which are attached to the left and right sides of the Golemkrat and are wrapped with blood thread to meet the requirements for 【Glow】, but there is a deeper darkness where the light cannot reach.
　There are also countless side holes in the cave, and something flew in without a sound from there where no light could reach. When I stabbed it with the red spear in my hand, it turned out to be a bat the size of a man.
　I wondered if it was a large species like the Philippine flying fox. I think the bat's staple food was fruit and nectar, but the bat I stabbed in the head had the smell of blood smeared on it.
　Its wings were as sharp as blades, and its fangs were shaped to bite through flesh.
　I guessed it was a carnivore and would kill its prey by surprise.
　I quickly grilled it and ate it as a lunch. There was not much meat, but the texture was crispy, and I personally loved the crunchy wings and soft wing membrane
　As I continued on, I found the cave was a dead end.
　I thought it was strange that there should have been a wind current, so I threw a reasonably sized stone with my atlatl, but the stone didn't shatter or bounce back, it just went into the wall.
　If you look closely, you can see that something small and elongated is stirring, and in less than a few seconds, the place where the stone was stuck is closing up.
　So I took out a stone the size of an adult's head and threw it forcefully while activating the 【Bomb】 and 【Timing Device】 in duplicate.
　This time, the stone sinks deeper into the ground, and the size of the caved-in area makes it possible to see what it really is, as the activity of something wriggling violently is very active.
　The wall was apparently a swarm of monsters, like an uncountable number of centipedes.
　The swarm of centipedes seemed to understand that they had been noticed by the mimicry that could only be seen on the rock wall, and they were coming towards me like a looming wall.
　Fortunately, their speed was only that of a walker, but the way they filled the entire space in the direction they were moving was eerie enough to scare me.
　I was about to turn my Golemkrat around and head back the way I came when I heard a sound behind me.
　It sounded like a wall collapsing, and there was a small sound of crunching and rustling, as if countless creatures were crawling around. I could tell from the booming presence that a swarm of a centipedes had formed behind me.
　Apparently, this is their habit. In the cave, where their path is limited, they mimic like a wall, filling up the escape route and attacking in between.
　Even though they are centipedes, they are definitely hunters who come here to hunt. This must be their hunting ground.
　It seems I've been taken as prey for stepping into it so easily.
　I couldn't help but laugh, and I felt like I should eat them before they ate me, if that's what they wanted.
　But for now, it was dangerous, so I stacked and duplicated the 【Bioelectromagnetic Shield】, 【Airflow Armor】, and 【Compressed Nitrogen】 around me, and also activated the Golemkrat's variable reinforced armor wall to solidify my defense.
　And not a few seconds later, the 【Bomb】 stone that I had just embedded detonated.
　The explosion scrambled the group of hundred feet furiously from the inside, and the remnants of the hundred feet scattered with the blast, but they did not reach the Golemkrat due to the 【Bioelectromagnetic Shield】 and other factors.
　When I looked up after it was over, I saw that the swarm in front of me was almost completely destroyed, and the rest of it was almost impossible to move due to the explosions and blasts, or the sound and impact of the blasts.
　I ran over them lightly with a rattling golem krat, and looked behind me again.
　There was still a swarm of centipedes there, and I could tell by the signs that they were steadily approaching.
　I could have moved on quickly, but it would have been better to know if there was an easier way to kill them if they came out again.
　Besides, I want to make sure it's clean this time. The bombing had left it a little too soggy.
　After waiting for a while, they appeared, but I don't know if they didn't notice that one of them had been wiped out, or if it was for some other reason, but they didn't stop coming here.
　After defending myself with 【Ear Plugs】, 【Sound Insulation】, and 【Compressed Air Walls】, I duplicated the activation of 【Sound Weapon】, 【Speaker】, 【Vibration Enhancement】, 【Scream】, 【Ultrasonic Cannon】, 【Resonance】, and 【High Frequency Motion】, and opened my mouth to shout with all my might, though only for a moment.
　The blow, which was much louder than the sound of the explosion, was more than effective against the centipede, which is small when viewed alone.
　For a moment, the centipedes stopped moving. The mimicry also crumbled, and a mountain of corpses with centipedes is formed.
　I collected the centipedes that were still intact, and since it was too troublesome to do it by hand one by one, I wriggled countless metal skewers that I had manipulated with [metal] and skewered them like snakes.
　Then I used my 【Ignition Ability】 to cook and eat it slowly.
　【Ability【Centipede Gathering】learned 】
　【Ability 【Mimetic Body Shell】learned 】.
　When I finished eating two groups of centipedes, I was able to learn again.
However, there are already similar abilities, so I guess I'll use them if I can.
　The centipedes were crunchy on the surface, but moist and soft on the inside. The taste made me want to drink, which reminded me of how much I wanted to drink.
　This was the moment I decided that I would definitely drink sake when I arrived at a civilized place.
　After that, I was attacked by countless monsters in addition to bats and centipedes, but now that I know how strong they are, I have a strong feeling that food will come to me, please come to me.
　Many of the monsters are tasty, so I hope to enjoy a variety of foods.
　My journey is going well, and I hope that my lost memories will return soon.
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PLACE TRANSLATIONS ABOVE THE BAR. THESE ARE THE RAWS, LEAVE THEM HERE. CLICK EXPAND TO VIEW THEM.
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“八日目”　／　“四百七十八日目”
遺跡群があった地下空間から外は、まるで　迷路のような地下世界だった。
　どこにいるのかも分からず、無数の分かれ道がある。
　とりあえず気流がある方向に向かっているが、その先に何があるのか分からない。
　そんな道中を俺は進んでいくが、ただこれまでのような徒歩ではない。
　数体分のゴーレムの残骸を分解して材料を確保し、動力源になるゴーレムコアを複数連結させ、宝箱から得たマジックアイテムの一つである赤い宝玉を中核にして回る黄金の歯車を嵌め込む事で出力を上げ、力強く動けるようにしたゴーレム半装軌車に乗っている。
　装甲を追加したケッテンクラートに似た外形なので、ゴーレムクラートと名前を付けた。
　ゴーレムクラートの前はタイヤで後ろは履帯なので、洞窟内が多少荒れていても問題なく動いてくれる。
　先が見えない中で極力体力の消耗を抑える移動手段として用意してみたが、ゴーレムというのは想像以上に使い勝手がいいらしい。
　ゴーレムクラートの構造はかなりいい加減で、稼働部位に液体金属やら少し手を加えたりしたが簡単な工作レベルでしかない。本来ならこんなものは金属の塊のガラクタで、動くはずがない。
　しかしゴーレムコアを嵌める事でそんなガラクタでも自在に動かせる。
　加えてマジックアイテムの歯車も簡単に配置する事が出来るので、これならかなり色々な事が簡単にできるようになるだろう。
　今は事故があった場合怖いので造っていないが、強化外骨格なども作る事が出来れば、やれる事はさらに増える事だろう。
　ただ少し欠点もあり、動作時には多少の音が出るせいで原生生物改め、モンスターが襲ってくる。
　ゴーレムクラートの左右の側面に取り付け、血液糸を巻き付ける事で【発光】の条件を満たした十本の【血抜き槍】に照らされる洞窟は非常に明るく、しかし光の届かない場所により深くなった闇がある。
　洞窟には無数の横穴も存在し、光の届かないそこから音もなく何かが飛んできた。手にする朱槍で突き刺してみると、それは人ほどの大きさがある蝙蝠だった。
　フィリピンオオコウモリのような大型種だろうか。オオコウモリは果実や花蜜が主食だったと思うが、頭を突き刺した蝙蝠には血の臭いが染み付いている。
　それに翼がまるで刃物のように鋭く、牙も肉を噛み千切る形状をしていた。
　肉食で、不意打ちで獲物を仕留めるのだろう。
　とりあえずさっと焼き、弁当代わりにボリボリと喰ってみた。肉は少ないがサッパリとした食感で、個人的にはコリコリとした翼と柔らかい翼膜がお気に入りだ。
　さらに進んでいくと、洞窟が行き止まりだった。
　確かに風の流れがあったはずなのに変だと思い、手頃な大きさの石をアトラトルで投擲してみると、石は砕けたり跳ね返されたりせず、壁にめり込んでしまった。
　よく見れば小さく細長い何かが蠢き、数秒とせずに石がめり込んだ場所は塞がっていく。
　これもある種のモンスターなのだろう、という事で大人の頭ほどの大きさがある石を取り出して【爆弾化】【時限装置】を重複発動しつつ力強く投げつける。
　すると今度はより深くめり込み、陥没した場所の大きさが大きさだけに激しく蠢く何かの活動が活発で、その正体が良く見えた。
　壁はどうやら数えきれない量の百足のようなモンスターの群体らしい。
　百足の群体は岩壁にしか見えない擬態に気づかれた事を理解したらしく、まるで迫る壁のようにコチラに向かってくる。
　幸い速度は歩く程度でしかないが、進行方向を隙間なく埋め尽くしている様は怖気が走るほど不気味である。
　その異様さに気持ち悪くなりつつもゴーレムクラートを反転させて来た道を戻ろうとしたが、背後の方で音がした。
　壁が崩れたような音と、カサカサガサガサと無数の生物がまるで這いずるような小さい音が聞こえてくる。沸き立つ気配からも、百足の群体が背後で形成されてしまった事が分かる。
　どうやらそういう習性なのだろう。進路が限定される洞窟内で壁のように擬態して逃げ場を埋め尽くし、挟撃する。
　百足のくせに、確実に狩りに来ている狩猟者だ。ここはこいつ等の狩場なのだろう。
　そこに安易に踏み入れた俺は獲物にされているらしい。
　思わず笑いつつ、そっちがその気なら喰われる前に喰ってやる、という気持ちが湧き出た。
　しかしとりあえず危なかったので周囲に【生体電磁シールド】【気流装甲】【圧縮窒素】を積層的に重複発動し、更にゴーレムクラートの可変式強化装甲壁を起動させて防御を固める。
　そして数秒とせず、先程めり込ませた【爆弾化】した石が起爆した。
　爆発は百足の群体を内部から猛烈に掻き混ぜ、爆風と共に百足の残骸が飛散するも【生体電磁シールド】などによってゴーレムクラートまでは届かない。
　終わってから顔を出して見てみると前方の群体はほぼ壊滅状態で、残りも爆発と爆風、あるいは爆音や衝撃などによってほとんど行動不可能な状態になっている。
　ガタガタとゴーレムクラートで軽く轢殺し、改めて背後を振り返る。
　そこにはまだ百足の群体が居り、着実に近づいてくるのが気配で分かる。
　別にさっさと前に進んでもいいが、また出てきた時にもっと簡単な討伐方法があるかどうか知っておいた方がいいだろう。
　それに今度は綺麗な状態で確保しておきたい。爆破では少々グチャグチャになりすぎてしまったからだ。
　しばらく待つと姿を現したが、片割れが全滅しているのにも気づかないのか、あるいはそれ以外の理由なのか分からないが、止まらずコチラにやって来る。
　それを見ながら【耳栓】【遮音】【圧縮空壁】で自己防衛した後、【音響兵器】【スピーカー】【振動増強】【スクリーム】【超音波砲】【共鳴】【高周波動】などを重複発動すると共に口を開いて一瞬だけだが全力で叫んだ。
　爆音よりも遥かに大音量な一撃は、単体で見れば小さい百足相手には効果覿面だった。
　ブルリと一瞬震えたかと思えば、百足達は動かなくなった。擬態も崩れ、バラバラと百足の死体の山が出来上がる。
　綺麗に形が残っている百足を回収し、一つ一つ手作業は面倒だったので、【金属操作】した無数の金属串を蠢かせて蛇のように串刺しにしていく。
　それから【発火能力】でジックリと焼いて喰ってみた。
　【能力名【百足の群体】のラーニング完了】
　【能力名【擬態の体殻】のラーニング完了】
　百足の集団を二つ完食すると、またラーニング出来た。
　しかし似たようなアビリティは既にあるので、まあ、使えたら使おうという部類のアビリティだろう。
　それよりも百足は表面はカリカリとしつつ、中はしっとり柔らかい。何だか酒が欲しくなる味で、あー、酒が飲みたいなと思い出してしまった。
　文化的な場所についたら、絶対酒を飲もうと決めた瞬間である。
　その後も蝙蝠や百足の他に無数のモンスター達に襲われるが、大体の強さが分かった今では食料が向こうからやって来てくれると思えばどうぞ来てくださいという感情が強い。
　モンスターは美味いのが多いので、是非色んな食を堪能したいものである。
　道中は順調で、失った記憶も早く戻って欲しいものだ。
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Category:Novel
Category:Articles that needs cleaning
Category:Re:Monster ~ The Dark Continent ~ Vol. 2