Day 471-480/Day 472

Day 472 / The Second Day
Outside the space where the stone platform was, I woke up to a scene that looked like an ancient ruin that had been destroyed long ago.
　The architectural styles of ancient ruins are so varied that they are often completely different even though they are adjacent to each other.
　It was as if the ruins of several civilizations that had developed in different places had been gathered up and combined into one chaotic whole.
　I've been to many planets in the course of my work, and I've seen the various civilizations and histories that have developed there.
　There are hundreds of civilizations recorded in the 【Electronic Archive】, but none of the ruins here correspond to what I know.
　There are a few similar styles that can be confirmed.
　However, I was able to confirm a few things that would not be possible in terms of meaning if they were the same style, so I decided that some of them must have been coincidental.
　If it was the heritage of a known civilization, we could calculate our current location backwards, but at any rate, we set one of the ruins as our temporary base.
　It was one of the few buildings that remained intact enough to prevent drafts from blowing in, and with a little cleaning, we could secure enough space to sleep.
　In addition, there is a well near the ruins that can still be used, and there is a slightly broken cooking stove.
　There are very few ruins that have all these conditions at present, and we rarely got lost.
　However, I was concerned about safety and other defensive measures, as it was not originally built that way, so I moved the rubble lying around the area to limit the multiple entry points to some extent.
　This will make it easier to react quickly by limiting the direction of attention.
　This is not the case if the wall is forced down, but in that case the momentum of the wall will be reduced and there will be more time to deal with it.
　The rest of the time, we made simple squeakers and put up double and triple booby traps in places where something might pass through.
　At the temporary base I had set up, I took a short walk around the area to get a feel for the terrain, and spread out the supplies I had gathered while securing a few escape routes.
　A dusty rag with holes in it, probably once used as a curtain.
　A ten meter long piece of rough rope that had been cut by something.
　Knives, forks, and other utensils made of strange metal that I had never seen before.
　Golden candlesticks embedded in the wall or lying around inside the ruins.
　Mysterious metal lampposts that had been standing on the road outside but were pulled out.
　Numerous pieces of wood that had once been furniture or couches, but seemed to have been destroyed.
　A stone of a reasonable size that can be easily thrown around the area.
　A tub with a hole in it that will leak if you put more than a certain amount of water in it, but it is still usable.
　The wreckage of something that looks like a machine soldier with an exterior that looks like a mixture of Western armor and bugs that was lying near the base.
　The corpse of a chimera-type protozoan, a mixture of a ferocious red-haired lion and a giant scorpion.
　Huge bones reminiscent of the thick and sturdy size of the abandoned protoplasm in life.
　The molted shell of a huge snake, several dozen meters long.
　Rusty, shattered swords, spears with their hilts broken in half, and other very primitive weapons with no unusual mechanisms.
　The search was short, but we were able to reap some rewards.
　We still had a lot of work to do, but first we decided to use one of the harvested items, the carcass of a chimera-type protist, to make clothes and armor.
　The base of the chimera-type protists is a lion, with the tail of a scorpion and the wings of a bee added to it.
　We cut off the lion's head, the scorpion's tail, the bee's wings, and other parts that could be used for something first, and then peeled off the fur from the body and limbs.
　The only blade we could use was a red spear, so it took a bit of time and effort to remove the fur, but since the chimera-type protists were huge, we were able to get more fur than we needed from just one of them.
　The stripped fur was too big as it was, so I cut it in half and used 【Object Shrinking】 on one of the halves to make it smaller.
　After making it the size of a slightly larger candy ball, I put it in my mouth and chewed it firmly and repeatedly to prevent it from being torn apart.
　This will remove bacteria and viruses from the fur, and the nanomachines in your saliva and body will take in the information, analyze the structure, and create antibodies.
　I'm sure I won't get sick on rare occasions because of the 【Strengthened Immunity】and other factors, but with no help from others in sight, any number of safety measures will do.
　That's why we should take precautions against germs and viruses when we are still in a healthy state with little fatigue and a full stomach. Even if you get sick, there is still a chance that you can manage it if you are still healthy.
　Besides, there is another purpose.
　While chewing to eat the excess hair, fat, and flesh in the fur, the fur is tanned into leather by activating the 【Body Fluid Manipulation】 and 【Chemical Formulation】 in duplicate.
　The more you chew, the more the special chemicals secreted in your mouth will permeate the fur, and the fur will soon become usable as tough leather. 　Having leather that can be used for clothes and bags will make things easier later on.
　While making the leather in his mouth, he then picked up a rough rope and a stone.
　He used the rope to tie the stones together to make a simple bola. A bola is a throwing weapon, a tool that can be thrown at prey to entangle its legs.
　It's not as difficult to untangle as a net, but if you get it right, you can still block its movement.
　However, it is made of a bad material, so there is a high possibility that it will be broken easily. The rough rope had deteriorated significantly and was only strong enough to be torn apart with a little force.
　So, I dipped my hands into a tub of water from a nearby well, and activated both 【Body Fluid Manipulation】 and 【Chemical Mixing】 here. 　Then, the special sweat that exudes from my hands dissolves into the water and stirs it up.
　After the water became a little viscous, I dipped the bolla I had created into it.
　The water now becomes a special coating agent. It is a kind of coating that can make a mere paper cup strong enough to withstand over a hundred kilograms of weight.
　It's an excellent product that can be used on almost any item since it's only applied, and with this, a light and sturdy Bora was completed.
　It would be enough to buy us some time even against a chimera-type protozoan that boasts a huge physique.
　After making the bola, he picked up a lamppost with his mouth moving.
　The streetlight was a metal pole about five meters long. It is cylindrical, and if you grab it with both hands, it is thick enough for your fingers to touch.
　As I touched it, I used 【Metal Manipulation】 to transform it into a sharp needle-shaped spear about 150 centimeters long.　There are several street lamps, but the amount of metal is limited, so I hollowed out the inside to make it bulkier, and then I suddenly thought of making a hole near the tip.
　The image I had in my mind was of a spear like a giant needle.
　Judging from the size of the carcass and bones, there was no doubt that the surrounding area was inhabited by a rather large native creature.
　Even if the creature's vitality is strong enough to match its huge size, it can be weakened over time by shooting this spear - let's call it a 【Blood Draining Spear】 - and letting the blood out through the cavity.
　It would also save us the trouble of dismantling it later, since we could prepare it for bleeding out at the same time.
　If you find a lamppost elsewhere, you can make a new one, so the 【Blood Draining Spear】 can be used as a disposable weapon.
　I've also coated the【Blood Draining Spear】 with a coating to make it even stronger.
　The coating is also very good at repelling water, so I expect it to make the flow of blood smoother.
　After remaking all the street lamps into 【Blood Draining Spear】, I selected a suitable size and shape of a giant bone from among the large bones of primitive creatures.
　He then shaved and processed the bones to make a makeshift "atlatl," a spear thrower.
　The atlatl is a stick-shaped tool used to increase the power, distance, and accuracy of the 【Blood Draining Spear】when it is thrown. It's definitely better to have it in order to efficiently use the 【Blood Draining Spear】, which is currently a valuable long-distance physical attack.
　You can also use it as a cudgel, so of course you'll need to apply a coating to this as well.
　After finishing the production of the 【Blood Draining Spear】, I spit out the fur that I had been chewing.
　The fur, which was initially covered with red hair, had turned into reddish-black colored leather.
　I tugged on it lightly, but it seemed to have become quite sturdy. The original fur was quite strong, but it seemed to be much stronger than that.
　I decided that I could use it, so I did the same with the other side I had left. This time, however, the leather was adjusted to be softer.
　This time, however, the leather was adjusted to make it softer, since different applications call for different hardnesses.
　While gulping, I decided on the shape of the hard leather I had just made to some extent, cut it, and sewed it using the metal thread that I had knitted by 【Metal Manipulation】using the remains of the machine soldier as my sewing thread.
　I have recorded the method of making the clothes in the 【Electronic Archive】, but actually making them is quite difficult.
　But I can't waste my time here. There are still many other things I want to do.
　I'd like to have it in shape by tomorrow, when I'll be out exploring in earnest.
PLACE TRANSLATIONS ABOVE THE BAR. THESE ARE THE RAWS, LEAVE THEM HERE. CLICK EXPAND TO VIEW THEM.
----
“二日目”　／　“四百七十二日目”
目が覚めた石積壇が在った空間の外には、まるで遥か過去に滅んだ古代遺跡のような光景が広がっていた。
　古代遺跡の建築様式は実に様々で、隣接していても全く違う場合が多い。
　まるで別の場所で発展した複数の文明の遺跡がかき集められ、混沌としつつも一つになったような感じだろうか。
　俺は仕事柄数多くの惑星に出向き、そこで様々な発展を遂げた文明や歴史を見ている。
　【電脳書庫】にも軽く数百の文明が記録されているが、ここにある遺跡群の中には知識の中に該当するモノは無かった。
　一応、似たような様式は幾つか確認できる。
　しかし同じ様式なら意味合い的にあり得ない部分を何点か確認できたので、一部が偶然一致したのだろうと判断した。
　知っている文明の遺産なら現在地を逆算できるのだが、ともあれ、そんな遺跡群の一つを仮の拠点として定めた。
　隙間風が吹き込んでこない程度には形の残った数少ない建物で、少し掃除しただけで寝るには十分な空間を確保可能。
　加えて遺跡の近くにはまだ使える井戸があり、少し壊れているが竈などが残っている。
　現状でこれだけ条件が揃っていた遺跡は少なく、迷う事はほとんど無かった。
　ただ安全性など防衛面では元々そういう造りになっていないので心もとなかったので、周辺に転がっている瓦礫を動かし、複数ある侵入口をある程度制限している。
　これで注意する方向を限定する事で咄嗟の対応はしやすくなるだろう。
　無理やり壁を壊されるとその限りではないが、その場合は壁を壊すのに勢いは削がれるだろうし、対処する余裕は生まれるだろう。
　後は簡素な鳴子を作ったり、何かが通りそうな場所には二重三重のブービートラップを張り巡らせている。
　そうしてある程度準備を整えた仮の拠点にて、俺は周囲を少し散策して地形を把握し、逃げ道を幾つか確保しながら集めた物資を広げていた。
　かつてはカーテンにでも使われていたのか、ホコリ塗れで穴の開いたボロ布。
　何かで斬られてしまったらしい、十メートルほどの草臥れた荒縄。
　見た事の無い不思議金属製のナイフやフォークなどの食器。
　壁に埋め込まれていたり、遺跡内部で転がっていた金に輝く燭台。
　外の道路に立っていたが、引っこ抜いてきた不思議金属製の街灯。
　昔は家具や長椅子だったが、壊されてしまったらしき多数の木材。
　その辺りで拾える、投げやすい手頃な大きさの石。
　穴が開いているので一定以上入れると水漏れするが、まだ使える桶。
　拠点の近くで倒れていた西洋甲冑と蟲が混ざったような外装の機械兵らしき何かの残骸。
　赤毛の獰猛な獅子に巨大な蠍などが混ざり合ったキメラ型原生生物の死骸。
　打ち棄てられた原生生物の、太く頑丈な生前の大きさを連想させる巨骨。
　数十メートルはある、巨大な蛇の脱皮した抜け殻。
　砕かれた錆びた剣や柄が半分に折れた槍など、変わった機構も無いとても原始的な武具。
　などなど、探索は短時間ながら、収穫は得られた。
　やる事はまだまだ沢山あるが、まずは服や防具を作るため、収穫品の一つであるキメラ型原生生物の死骸を使う事にした。
　キメラ型原生生物のベースは獅子で、そこにサソリの尻尾や蜂の翅などが加わっている。
　獅子の頭部や蠍の尻尾、蜂の翅など何かに使えそうな部位を先に切り落とし、それから胴体や四肢の毛皮を剥ぐ。
　使える刃物が朱槍しかなく、剥ぐのに少し手間を必要としたが、キメラ型原生生物は巨体なだけに一体だけでも必要以上の毛皮が採れた。
　剥いだ毛皮はそのままだと大きすぎるので半分に裁断し、その一つは【物体縮小】を使って小さくする。
　少し大きなアメ玉サイズにした後はそれを口に含み、しばし食い千切らないようにしっかりと何度も噛む。
　これで毛皮に付着している細菌やウイルスを除去できるし、唾液や体内にあるナノマシンが情報を取り込んで構造解析し、抗体が作られる。
　【免疫強化】などがあるので滅多な事では病気にはならないと思うが、他からの助けが見込めない現状では安全対策は幾つあってもいい。
　だからまだ身体に疲れが少なく、腹も満ちて元気な状態の時に細菌やウイルスに対する対策をしておくべきだろう。体調不良になったとしても、まだ元気があればどうにかなる可能性があるのだから。
　それにそれ以外にも目的はある。
　噛む事で毛皮にある余分な毛や脂肪や肉を喰いつつ、【体液操作】と【科学薬品調合】を重複発動する事で、毛皮を革に鞣していく。
　噛めば噛むほど口内で分泌される特殊な薬品が毛皮に浸透し、毛皮はすぐに頑丈な革として使えるようになる。
　服や袋に使える革があれば、後々楽が出来るだろう。
　モゴモゴと口の中で革を作りつつ、次に荒縄と石を手に取った。
　荒縄で石を括り、簡単なボーラを作る。ボーラは投擲武器の一つで、獲物に投げて足を絡めるなどに使える道具だ。
　網のように全身を絡めるようなモノでないので解くのは難しくはないが、それでも上手くかかれば動きを阻害できる。
　しかし素材が悪いので簡単に壊される可能性が高い。荒縄は劣化が著しく、少し力が強ければ引き千切る事も出来る程度の強度しかない。
　そこで近くの井戸から桶に汲んできた水に手を浸し、ここでも【体液操作】と【科学薬品調合】を重複発動する。
　すると手から滲み出る特殊な汗が水に溶け、しっかりと攪拌する。
　次第に水が少しの粘性を帯びた後は、これに作成したボーラを浸した。
　現在の水は特殊な塗布剤となっている。塗布剤は塗布するだけでただの紙コップでも百キロを軽く超える重量に耐えられるほど強度が上がるという代物だ。
　ただ塗布するだけなので大抵の品に使える優れ物で、これで軽くて頑丈なボーラが完成した。
　巨躯を誇るキメラ型原生生物相手でも、時間稼ぎくらいは十分出来るだろう。
　ボーラを作った後は、口を動かしながら街灯を手に取った。
　街灯は五メートル程度の長さのある金属の柱だ。円柱状で、両手で掴めば指と指が触れる程度の太さがある。
　それに触れながら、【金属操作】を駆使して百五十センチ程の鋭い針のような形の投げ槍に変形させていく。
　街灯は数本あるが金属量に限りがあるので中は空洞にしてかさ増しし、ふと思いついて尖端付近に穴を開けた。
　イメージとしては巨大な注射針のような投げ槍である。
　死骸や骨の大きさから、周囲にはかなり大型の原生生物が生息しているのは間違いない。
　巨躯相応に生命力が強くても、この槍――【血抜き槍】としよう――を撃ち込み、空洞を通った血液が外に出れば時間経過で弱らせられる。
　それに血抜きなどの下処理も同時にできるので、後で解体する手間も省ける筈だ。
　他で街灯を見付ければ新しく作れるので、【血抜き槍】は使い捨ての武器としても使い勝手がいいのではないだろうか。
　【血抜き槍】にも塗布剤を塗って、強度は更に上げておいた。
　塗布剤は撥水性も非常に良いので、血が流れるのをスムーズにしてくれると期待している。
　街灯を全て【血抜き槍】に作り替えた後は、原生生物の巨骨の中から手頃な大きさと形状のモノを選ぶ。
　そして巨骨を削って加工し、即席の“”を作った。
　アトラトルとは【血抜き槍】を投げる際、威力や飛距離、命中精度を上げる為の棒状の道具だ。現状では貴重な遠距離物理攻撃である【血抜き槍】を効率よく運用するにはあった方が絶対に良い。
　また棍棒としても使えると思うので、もちろんコレにも塗布剤を塗っておく。
　【血抜き槍】とアトラトルの製造を終えた後は、噛んでいた毛皮を吐き出した。
　【物体縮小】を解除すると本来の大きさに戻るが、最初は赤毛で覆われていた毛皮は赤黒い色の革に変わっていた。
　軽く引っ張ったりしてみるが、かなり頑丈な革になっているらしい。元々の毛皮もかなり丈夫だったが、それよりも遥かに頑丈そうだ。
　これなら使えるだろうと判断し、残していたもう片方も似たように処理する。ただし今回はより柔らかくなるよう調節した革にする。
　用途によって硬軟を使い分けるからだ。
　口をモゴモゴしつつ、出来たばかりの硬革をある程度形を決めて裁断し、機械兵の残骸を【金属操作】して編んだ金属糸を裁縫糸代わりに縫っていく。
　【電脳書庫】で服の制作方法は記録しているが、実際に造ると中々に難しい。
　しかしここで時間を使う訳にもいかない。他にも色々とやりたい事は残っているのだから。
　本格的に探索に出る明日までにはある程度形にしておきたいものだ。
----
----
Category:Novel
Category:Articles that needs cleaning
Category:Re:Monster ~ The Dark Continent ~ Vol. 2