Day 481-490/Day 490

Day 490 / 20th day
To be honest, I might have gotten lost.
　Everywhere I looked, the scenery was similar.
　It seems that there is a limit to how far you can go to look for signs of life because you can't use any of the abilities that cover a wide area among the information gathering abilities.
　In the event that you're not sure about the direction you're going, you can use your body magnet to find the right direction.
　Without giving up, we continued onward for a while.
　Finally, I found some traces of something.
　A broken bush, a slightly dented footprint. There was a faint smell of living things and processed metal.
　If it was just the smell of living things, then it was most likely wildlife, but if it was also the smell of processed metal, then it was probably intelligent life.
　Since there are so few of them, are they hunter-like beings?
　I don't know, but I have a hunch that they're not far from here, so I run the Golemkrat while 【Tracking】 the trail.
　While I was skillfully maneuvering my way over the roots of a large tree, which had a lot of ups and downs, and also jutted out to the surface, I was met with a slight hostility.
　Immediately, something like an arrow flew at the right side of my head from between the trees a little higher up.
　The speed was as fast as the wind, and yet the aim was precise.
According to the 【Ballistic Prediction】, it will be shot in the path of my moving body, and if it hits me, my head will be blown off.
　So I swatted it away with the red spear in my right hand, pointed the muzzle of the magic rifle in my left hand at the spot where it had been shot, and squeezed the trigger.
　There was a single gunshot. However, there were three magic bullets that were fired.
　Now that I've gotten used to handling magic power, the power of the magic bullets has increased somewhat. However, the increase in power is just a bonus, and the main purpose is to improve the firing speed of the magic bullets.
　The three magic bullets passed through the gaps in the trees and caught the perpetrators like hounds.
　As if a series of crushing sounds were heard, the underling who was apparently on a branch fell into the bushes.
　After hearing the sound of a body crushing the bushes, however, I heard nothing.
　There was no sign of him taking a catch or running away, so I wondered if he was too well hit to move.
　Although the destructive power of the magic bullet is still low compared to the ideal, it is still enough to inflict fatal wounds on monsters of a certain level.
　If you hit the same spot with three shots in a row, the damage will be considerable.
　As I approached him, thinking that he might be dead, I could see that the chest of the servant in the bushes was moving.
　He seemed to be tougher than I thought.
　However, the reason he couldn't move was because he was hit in the abdomen.
　Blood was pouring out of the wound, and it was still pouring out.
　I approached it with caution, hoping to neutralize it and get some information, but I could see its entire body.
　If I were to describe the underling simply, it would be an anthropoid about 180 centimeters long.
　It was shaped like a human ant, with a black shell that looked like it was equipped with reinforced armor, and a mouth on its face that repeatedly opened and closed as if it was panting. The mouth on its face opens and closes repeatedly as if it is panting. It is missing a needle on its right arm, but the one on its left arm is still there.
　Insectoid aliens are not uncommon, so I was not surprised, and I restrained him to give him the minimum amount of treatment to find out why he had come after me.
　And as it turned out, despite their size, the ants were still single-digit boys, citizens who had been subjected to illegal bio-enhancement surgery by a certain underground organization.
　He had managed to escape from the hell where he had been kidnapped from afar and brought here, and fled to this sea of trees, where he had been living for a while.
　When I came after him, he thought I was from an underground organization.
　He said that he didn't want to be killed if he didn't kill me, or be captured and go back to hell, so he attacked first.
　I heard other vivid and tragic stories, and I am sorry to say that I put a hole in his stomach.
　Now he is recovering by administering the magic potion recovered from the underground world, but he is still not in full condition.
　I decided to work with the antsy boy for the time being.
　I thought it would be a good idea to split up with him after hearing what had happened.
　It was difficult to leave a child of a single digit age unattended, even though his body had grown and he had strong vitality and high fighting ability. I could also see the level of mental exhaustion of the anthropoid boy, who seemed friendly and happy to talk to me now that he knew I was not an enemy. If he was left alone, he would probably die in the near future.
　Besides, it was not without calculation. If the antsy boy was there, there was a good chance that some illegal organization would come after him.
　If he could beat them back, he would be able to get their technology, property, and other things without any hesitation. Crushing an illegal organization has its risks, but it also has many advantages.
　If it comes down to it, we can just run away and give it a try. If I can do it, I'll just eat it all and be done with it.
　Thinking about such dangerous and dark things, I stayed at the base that the antsy boy had built in the Sea of Trees today.
　The base was simply a natural cave that had been dug out and hidden with thick branches and other materials to make it difficult for wild animals to enter.
　I could see how hard it was to live here, but I sharpened my spear while watching the antsy boy sleep soundly, having eaten his fill for the first time in a long time.
　As I did so, I sensed the presence of something slowly approaching me.
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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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　“二十日目”　／　“四■九■■目”
　正直に言えば、迷ったかもしれない。
　どこを見ても似たような風景ばかりである。
　情報収集系アビリティの中でも広範囲をカバーしてくれるアビリティが軒並み使えないせいで、気配を探るのにも限界があるらしい。
　一応方向だけは【体内磁石】で間違えていないが、知らない場所に案内も無くいくのだから、こんなものだろうか。
　諦める事無く更に先に進んで行く事しばし。
　ようやく何かの痕跡を見つけた。
　折れた茂み、僅かに凹んだ足跡。微量ながら僅かに残った生物の臭いと、加工された金属の臭い。
　生物の臭いだけなら野生生物という可能性が高いが、加工された金属の臭いまであるのなら知的生命であると思われる。
　数は少ないので、狩人的な存在だろうか。
　分からないが、ここから離れていない場所にいる予感がするので、痕跡を【追跡】しながらゴーレムクラートを走らせる。
　起伏が激しく、また地表にまで飛び出た大樹の根を巧みに操作して乗り越えて進んでいると、僅かな敵意を向けられた。
　途端、やや上方の樹木の間から右側頭部を狙って矢のような何かが飛んできた。
　その速度はまるで風のように速く、それでいて狙いは正確無比だった。
　【弾道予測】によれば移動している俺の進路上に射られ、当たれば頭部が吹き飛ぶだろう。
　だからそれを右手にした朱槍で払い、左手で保持したマジックライフルの銃口を射られた場所に向けてトリガーを絞る。
　銃声は一つ。しかし、放たれた魔弾は三発あった。
　魔力の扱いにも慣れてきた現在では、魔弾の威力は多少上がっている。ただ威力向上はオマケで、本命は放たれた魔弾の連射速度の向上にある。
　僅かな時間差で連なるように三発の魔弾は樹木の隙間を抜け、猟犬のように犯人らしき存在を捉えた。
　連続した破砕音が聞こえたかと思えば、枝に乗っていたらしい下手人が茂みの中に落下する。
　茂みを身体で押し潰す音が聞こえた後は、しかし何も聞こえなくなった。
　受け身を取ったり逃げ出す気配がないので、当たり所が良すぎて動けないのだろうか。
　魔弾の破壊力は理想からすればまだ低いとはいえ、それでもある程度までのモンスターなら致命傷を負わせる事が出来る程度にはある。
　それを三発連撃で同一カ所に受ければ、ダメージはそれなりに入るだろう。
　死んだかもしれないと思いつつ近づくと、茂みの中の下手人の胸が動いている事は確認できる。
　思ったよりもタフらしい。
　しかし動けないのは、腹部を直撃したからだ。
　傷口からは血が溢れ、今もドクドクと流れ出ている。
　取り敢えず無力化して情報を探るかと警戒しながら近づくと、その全身を見る事が出来た。
　下手人を簡単に表現するなら、百八十センチほどの蟻人である。
　蟻をヒトにしたような形状で、強化装甲を装備しているようにも見える自前の黒い甲殻を持ち、顔にある口は喘ぐように開閉を繰り返している。
にある太い生体針を射出したのだろうか、右腕の針が無く、左腕には残っている。
　昆虫系星人は珍しくも無いので驚きはさほどなく、どうして狙ってきたのか聞きだすために最低限度の治療をする為に拘束した。
　そして話を聞いて分かったが、この大きさでありながら蟻人はまだ一桁の少年であり、とある裏組織によって違法な生体強化手術を施されていた市民であるらしい。
　遠くから拉致されて連れてこられた地獄から何とか逃げ出してこの樹海に逃げ込み、しばらく生活していた。
　そんなところに俺が追うように迫って来たので、裏組織からの追手かと思ったそうだ。
　殺さねば殺されるか、捕らえられて地獄に逆戻りになるのは嫌だったから先制攻撃を仕掛けたという。
　その他にも生々しい悲惨な話を聞いて、腹に風穴を開けてしまって、申し訳ない思いである。
　今は地下世界で回収した魔法薬を投薬して回復しているが、まだ本調子ではないらしい。
　一先ずはこの蟻人少年と行動を共にする事にした。
　流石に事情を聞いて、別れるのはどうかと思ったのだ。
　身体は成長し、逞しい生命力と高い戦闘能力を持つとはいえ、実年齢は一桁の子供を放置する事は難しい。
　それに敵ではないと分かったからか人懐っこく嬉しそうに話す蟻人少年の精神的な疲労度も伺えた。放置すれば、遠からず死ぬだろう。
　それに、打算が無くも無い。
　蟻人少年がいれば、違法組織っぽい所から追手が来る可能性が高い。
　それを返り討ちにすれば、その技術とか財産とか色々気兼ねなく貰う事が出来るだろう。違法な裏組織を潰すのは危険もあるが、メリットも多い。
　いざとなれば逃げればいいのだし、やってみるだけやってやろう。やれるなら全部喰えば終わりだ。
　そう危険で後ろ暗い事を考えつつ、今日は樹海で蟻人少年が作った拠点で泊まった。
　拠点は天然の洞窟を少し掘り、野生動物が入りにくい程度には太い枝などを拾ってきて隠しているだけの簡素な作りだ。
　ここでの生活の辛さが伺えるが、久しぶりに腹いっぱい食べたらしく、グッスリと眠る蟻人少年を見つつ朱槍を研ぐ。
　そうしながら、ゆっくりとコチラに迫る何かの気配を俺は感じていた。
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Category:Novel
Category:Articles that needs cleaning
Category:Re:Monster ~ The Dark Continent ~ Vol. 2