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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Thala]
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Floating in the air, I flapped my wings to gain altitude. Adhai, boasting her swift flight speed, had already risen ahead of me.
Swaa.
The Hellside Hornet was also zipping behind me, quickly catching up. It spread its arms and swung them at me.Its arms, resembling the front legs of a mantis, were sharp and sturdy. They could even damage the hardest part of my body, my head carapace.
‘My pincers can't withstand that.’
The defense of my pincers at the tail end is equivalent to that of my head carapace. It has high resistance to psychic powers. Thus, using strategies like deflecting its attacks or blocking with my body would be disadvantageous.
I pulled my tail toward my body during flight. The scythe-like appendage of the Hellside Hornet sliced through the air.
Using the recoil from bending my tail, I twisted my body upside down in midair. As I spun around, my upper body faced the Hellside Hornet.
In that position, I extended my tentacles. Six long tentacles moved to tear off the Hellside Hornet’s wings.
Seeing the hissing tentacles, it quickly retreated. I anticipated its movement and spat out acidic fungi in the direction it was moving.
“Shraak!”
The Hellside Hornet, covered in green liquid, appeared irritated. It can shoot out a fearsome digestive fluid, making it immune to various acidic attacks.
However, my attack wasn't intended to cause critical damage.
I charged towards the Hellside Hornet, which couldn’t see due to the liquid. Sensing the air’s resistance, it hurriedly flapped its wings to evade. Its body shot upwards, and my horns brushed its toes.
I could feel a few of its claws shattering against my horns, but it was weak. The Hellside Hornet, quickly shedding the liquid from its eyes, attempted to strike my back with its arm.
My bone scythe arm on my back collided with its arm. While my bone scythe was dented halfway, the Hellside Hornet’s arm also sustained damage. The sharpness of my bone scythe slightly damaged the blade on its arm.
As the Hellside Hornet and I engaged in aerial combat, a purple energy mass flew in from somewhere. Had it not ducked its head, it would have had a baseball-sized hole in the back of its head.
Thanks to its compound eyes, the Hellside Hornet had no blind spots—except before I covered its entire vision earlier.
‘What a waste.’
“Shraak!”
Having barely escaped death, the Hellside Hornet screeched and distanced itself from me. Adhai then shot another purple energy mass.
The Hellside Hornet raised its arms in front of its head to block the head-targeted attack. Although the energy ball hit, it only left a slight scorch mark on its sturdy arm.
Using its arms as a shield, the Hellside Hornet attempted to chase Adhai again, but she was already gone.
Lightning spread across the dark sky. The term "lightning" is not metaphorical. Despite the enhanced performance of the auxiliary organs in the hunting state, it was challenging to keep up with its movements.
Transformed into white lightning, it retreated while intermittently releasing psychic breaths to control its opponents. The Hellside Hornet wasn’t particularly slow, but its speed made approach impossible.
“Swaa! Shraak!”
The Hellside Hornet, now highly agitated, emitted a bizarre sound. Along with this, a strong heat emanated from its body.
[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZZ (It’s just beginning. Be careful)]
｢Confirmed｣
Its body, glowing as if it had emerged from molten lava, soon began concentrating the heat towards its rear.
From its rear, I felt the movement of countless things bubbling. It was akin to an egg sac filled with baby spiders.
My auxiliary organs’ perception was accurate. Countless flying insects burst forth from the Hellside Hornet's rear.
Sss Sss Sss Sss Sss Sss
The insects are called ‘Hornetlings’. They are the offspring of the Hellside Hornet.
Hornetlings resemble the Hellside Hornet but are much smaller, only the size of an adult male’s fist. Moreover, they lack the menacing front legs.
But that doesn’t mean I should let my guard down.
Hornetlings are also one of the Hellside Hornet’s powerful weapons.
While the Hellside Hornet prefers to directly implant its stingers into enemies to hatch Hornetlings, it sometimes expands its own energy to grow Hornetlings internally when fighting formidable opponents, like now.
Hornetlings born this way have a distinctive feature: they are extremely hungry because they have only received the energy necessary for growth.
Shaaaa.
When it made that sound, the swarm of Hornetlings flew towards Adhai. Although each individual was small, the swarm numbered around a thousand. The sight of the swarm moving together resembled a small, moving cloud.
‘Except there is no such fast-moving cloud in the world.’
Hornetlings are as fast as adults. A cloud of insects closed in on Adhai.
Knowing that Adhai was much faster, the Hornetlings reformed into a surrounding formation to trap her. The Hellside Hornet pressured Adhai to prevent her from escaping.
[ZZZ ZZZ ZZZZZ ZZ (Use that technique)]
｢Understood!｣
Understanding my intent, Adhai gathered her strength and released it. Psychic power erupted from the tips of her tentacles like a fountain.
This was the Purple Lightning she used during her Green Gallagon days.
Sss! Ssh! Sss! Sss! Ssh!
The massive psychic net created by her covered the Hornetlings. Hundreds of Hornetlings fell like insects struck by an electric fly swatter.
‘Increased destructive power and precision?’
Originally, Purple Lightning’s destructive power is less than half of Psychic Breath and has a much shorter range. However, it is effective for fighting many enemies due to its wide spread.
But Adhai was controlling it to maximize its power and accuracy.
Just as Number 26 dispersed psychic power to subdue enemies, Adhai operated in a similar manner. Purple Lightning, which had previously ended after one shot, now moved as if it had a will of its own, annihilating the Hornetlings.
Adhai defeated the Hornetling swarm while maneuvering evasively. She mixed in Psychic Breaths to keep the Hellside Hornet in check as well.
‘Well done.’
Meanwhile, I actively harassed it. Whenever it aimed its digestive fluid at Adhai’s direction, I either shot Psychic Breath or charged at it to disrupt its attack.
“Sss!” “Sss!” “Sss!”
“Swaa!”
When the mother behind them made a sound, the movements of the young changed.
The fearsome aspect of the Hornetling swarm isn’t merely their numbers. Their real weapon is their digestive fluid.
Hornetling digestive fluid is on par with that of adults. Considering that the digestive fluid of an adult can melt through my carapace, imagine thousands of them firing simultaneously. Adhai would be wiped out without a trace.
‘I can’t let this continue.’
The goal of this hunt is not only to take down an Apex predator but also to help Adhai become accustomed to her power. It’s not ideal if she gets seriously injured during training.
After confirming that the Hornetlings were moving into position to shoot their digestive fluid, I took out a hidden weapon.
‘There’s a special remedy for such swarming creatures.’
I prepared Psychic Breath while activating ‘Abyssal Hue.’
The carapace and scales covering my body glowed in eerie colors. Purples, greens, and various other colors wriggled as if alive. Sinister, glowing patterns moved along my body towards the tentacle clusters hanging from my neck, back, and jaw.
The grotesquely tainted psychic power gathered in the monster’s tentacles. Countless bubbles bubbled up in front of my maw.
The many droplets bloomed like fully opened flowers. While they appeared fantastical, they were essentially like vampires, constantly craving other life forms.
The Psychic Breath reflecting Abyssal Hue was fired.
The Psychic Breath spread across the sky like bubbles shot from a bubble gun. And one of them collided with the Hornetling swarm.
“Sss?!”
The unfortunate creature was quickly sucked into the sphere of chaos. That was just the beginning. A sphere of madness, knowing no satisfaction, voraciously consumed the swarm of Hornetlings.
Since the swarm numbered well over a thousand, the effect wasn’t immediately apparent. However, it wasn’t long before the swarm seemed to collapse inward, as if it had a vacuum cleaner inside. This was because the Psychic Breath within was devouring them.
Only then did they realize how terrifying the presence near them was. They tried to scatter quickly, but it was far too late.
What could a creature whose body was vanishing into the droplets do? In its extremely hungry state, its body was melting away. In a desperate attempt to survive, they clung to their fellow Hornetlings.
The Psychic Breath and Hornetlings seemed to compete to see who could be the more ravenous predator, consuming their own kind. And this process accelerated over time.
There was no sound during this process. The massacre occurring in silence didn’t last long. Within a few minutes, the Hornetling swarm disappeared. The Psychic Breath, having lost its target, dissipated into the air.
｢What just happened?｣ ｢What’s going on?｣
“Sha, Shaaak!”
With the Hornetlings vanishing in an instant, everyone showed clear signs of confusion. Adhai tilted her head, and the Hellside Hornet screamed in anger and disbelief.
The Abyssal Hue caused the battle to enter a lull. Sensing the threat from my attack, they merely threatened and didn’t charge in.
With the enemy’s attacks ceased, Adhai flew over to this side.
｢Me｣ ｢Learn｣ ｢Possible?｣
[ZZZZ ZZ (Probably not)]
｢Disappointed｣
[ZZZZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZZZ ZZ ZZZ (Since we’re in the middle of a hunt, let’s discuss it later)]
｢Agree｣
As a Gallagon, she could replicate similar actions to mine, but I decided to explain that part later.
While the battle paused for a moment, the sky grew increasingly noisy. A massive storm seemed to be approaching; the wind blew fiercely, and the temperature dropped significantly.
[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZZ (Are you okay with the cold?)]
｢White｣ ｢Scales｣ ｢Good｣ ｢No problem｣
Though it hadn’t grown much in size, it was still a White Gallagon. It looked perfectly fine.
‘Alright. Now for the next step…’
The Hellside Hornet, known for its intelligence, also has a strong instinct for self-preservation. In this unfavorable situation, it had two options.
One was to summon Hornetlings again and cooperate in an attack. Having seen what happened just now, it would likely operate differently this time.
‘It might spread them out and strike quickly or use them as bait.’
It would probably try to settle things with Adhai while leaving the young ones behind. Of course, I wouldn’t just let that happen.
‘Alternatively, it might try to escape.’
Most Apex predators are highly aggressive and avoid fighting only if absolutely necessary.
Except for the Hellside Hornet in front of us.
“Shaaaa.”
The brief cry from the creature made its body heat up rapidly. It was trying to awaken the Hornetling eggs stored inside.
Soon, the swarm of Hornetlings burst out from its rear. This time, having laid eggs twice in a short period, there were about half as many as before.
‘That doesn’t mean it’s a small number.’
[ZZZZ ZZZ (Prepare)]
Known for its rapid learning, this creature would likely be more troublesome this time. Just as I was about to warn Adhai and prepare for battle, the creature that had created the Hornetling swarm began to descend towards the ground.
‘Oh no!’
Would it fight or flee? The creature chose both options simultaneously. While its offspring bought time, it planned to escape.
The unfortunate creature was swiftly sucked into the sphere of chaos. That was just the beginning. A sphere of madness, knowing no satisfaction, devoured the swarm of Hornetlings.
Given the swarm's size of over a thousand, the effect wasn't immediately noticeable. However, it wasn’t long before the swarm seemed to collapse inward, as if a vacuum cleaner had been turned on inside. This was because the Psychic Breath within was consuming them.
Only then did they realize how terrifying the presence near them was. They tried to scatter quickly, but it was far too late.
What could a creature whose body was vanishing into the droplets do? In its extremely hungry state, its body was melting away. In a desperate attempt to survive, they clung to their fellow Hornetlings.
The Psychic Breath and Hornetlings seemed to compete to see who could be the more ravenous predator, devouring their own kind. And this process accelerated over time.
There was no sound during this process. The massacre occurring in silence didn’t last long. Within a few minutes, the Hornetling swarm had disappeared. The Psychic Breath, having lost its target, dissipated into the air.
｢What happened just now?｣ ｢What’s going on?｣
“Sha, Shaaak!”
With the Hornetlings vanishing in an instant, everyone showed clear signs of confusion. Adhai tilted her head, and the Hellside Hornet screamed in anger and disbelief.
The Abyssal Hue caused the battle to enter a lull. Sensing the threat from my attack, they merely threatened and did not charge.
With the enemy’s attacks ceased, Adhai flew over to this side.
｢Me｣ ｢Learn｣ ｢Possible?｣
[Zzz zzz zzz (Let’s do as we discussed earlier but with slight adjustments)]
｢How?｣
[ZZZZ ZZ ZZZ (I’ll hold it)]
｢Agree｣ ｢Hurry｣ ｢Understood｣
With the plan quickly adjusted, Adhai and I moved toward our respective targets. Adhai went after the Hornetlings, while I descended towards the mature creature.
Behind me, a purple lightning storm raged. While it fought with the insects, I folded my wings and closed the distance with the Hellside Hornet.
As I descended, I fired a Psychic Breath at the creature. This time, it was the standard version, not enhanced by Abyssal Hue.
The purple heat ray skimmed the creature's lower body. It would have been a fatal hit if it had connected properly, but the creature dodged at the last moment, causing the attack to miss.
“Shaaa!”
The enraged creature spat digestive acid at the spot where I was falling. As I folded my wings to continue my descent, I quickly extended them slightly. The fall slowed significantly, and the creature’s attack merely grazed the underside of my tail.
The searing pain of burning flesh was overwhelming, but seeing that 'Pain Suppression' didn’t activate indicated that it wasn’t a severe injury. Having evaded the attack, I folded my wings again and increased my descent speed.
When I could distinguish the trees covering the mountain, I had managed to close the distance significantly with the creature. Although I was hit by digestive acid a few more times as I approached, I endured, trusting in the hardness of my exoskeleton.
“Shaak! Saaa!”
Not retreating despite the hits seemed to change the creature’s mind. It, which had been passively resisting while falling, suddenly began flapping its wings and flew towards me.
With the creature close, it attempted to slice my neck with its scythe-like arm.
Before being decapitated, I pulled my upper body back. The creature’s arm cut through the blade bones attached to my jaw. The hunting emblem’s effect had transformed the auxiliary organs into blade bones, but fortunately, my nerves were unharmed.
As I pulled back, the digestive tentacles on my back emerged again and ensnared the creature. The appendages at the end of the tentacles entangled the creature’s six legs on its lower body.
While my intention to capture the creature succeeded, it also seemed to have willingly allowed itself to be captured. The creature’s arm pierced my abdomen like a spear.
‘Gah!’
｢Pain Suppression Activated!｣
I nearly lost consciousness from the tearing pain in my intestines. If I weren’t an Amorph and didn’t have the Pain Suppression trait, I would have been defeated right there. Even as my mind screamed, my body continued to hold the creature firmly.
‘I’ll pay you back the same way!’
“Shaaa!”
I opened my mouth wide to bite the creature. It hurriedly used its other arm to block my mouth. Thus, the creature and I fell through the sky, locked in a tight embrace.
“Shaaaa.”
As if things were going well, the creature's rear started moving. It seemed to plan to sow maggots into the area where my exoskeleton had melted away from the digestive acid.
But there was something the creature didn’t know.
While it was pouring all its attention into killing me, my auxiliary organs informed me of an important fact.
A high-speed aircraft was approaching from above.
And from that aircraft, a purple energy projectile was fired. This energy projectile was much thinner and more refined than what it usually shot.
As if to avoid someone’s eyes.
According to Adhai’s plan, the creature noticed too late. Seeing the energy projectile heading towards its head, the creature tried to pull away but couldn’t, as it was too close to me.
“Shaak!”
The creature, demonstrating sharp judgment, tore off its own limbs. With only its wings remaining, it moved away from me. I also tried to grab its wings with my combat arms, but it was slightly faster.
‘But!’
When the purple energy projectile reached above my head, I slightly twisted my head to avoid it.
As a result, Adhai's Psychic Breath collided with the Amorph's head exoskeleton. Whether it was properly condensed to finish the job with a single shot, the intense shockwaves spread throughout the head.
The moment it was hit by the Psychic Breath, the Amorph’s latent trait, the Psychic Reflection Armor, automatically activated. Most of the Psychic Power dissipated when destroying the head exoskeleton, but some remained.
And those energies ricocheted in a direction no one except the Amorph could have predicted.
Specifically, towards the direction of the Hellside Hornet’s wings.
“Shaak?!”
Losing one wing, the creature staggered and lost control of its body. A second energy projectile flew towards it, as if to confirm the kill.
｢Big One｣ ｢Attack｣ ｢Forgive｣ ｢Impossible｣
The energy projectile incinerated the creature’s wings along with its cold, vengeful thoughts.
With both wings lost, the creature could no longer stay in the air and began to fall.
This was not a strategic retreat; it was a genuine fall.
“Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!”
It had lived a life far removed from falling to its death, but not anymore. With its cries growing fainter, its body became progressively smaller.
And soon, it was no longer visible.
‘Phew.’
｢Big One｣ ｢No pain?｣
[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZZZ (It's okay. You did very well)]
｢Head｣ ｢Hit｣
[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZ (Don’t worry)]
The creature that flew towards me asked with concern.
Currently, my body was a mess with melted exoskeleton from the digestive acid, a penetrating wound in my abdomen, severed horns, and a gouged head exoskeleton from the Psychic Breath. Honestly, it would be a lie to say it didn’t hurt, but I answered that I was fine.
As long as the brain and heart don’t stop, an Amorph doesn’t die. With injuries like these, consuming the creature’s flesh would be enough for recovery.
I slowly descended to the ground with Adhai.
The area where the creature fell was covered in a sticky liquid. In the center of the bloody crash site lay the creature.
“S, s, s…”
The creature, with only its head remaining from the upper body, was barely breathing. Its lower body was shattered, and dead maggots floated in the pool of blood.
‘This is the end.’
Approaching the creature, I used the bone scythe arm on my back to pierce the Hellside Hornet's head.
The creature’s upper body trembled before coming to a stop.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Thala]
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