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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 362
We stayed inside our new hideout for a full 24 hours without stepping outside.
‘I had originally planned for a short stopover.’
But the crater’s intricate structure made it a surprisingly good base. So, while we rested, I built a nest.
The massive tunnel, naturally carved by flowing lava, was now coated in black mucus. The walls and ceiling were layered with hardened secretions, intertwining like veins, while the floor was covered in liquid. Thick steam filled the tunnels, making the place resemble an ancient swamp.
Despite the dense mist, the temperature wasn’t too high thanks to my ‘Master of the Environment’ trait, which allowed me to regulate the nest’s climate. The cool air inside made it a comfortable resting spot for everyone.
Once we had all taken some time to recover, I brought up our next course of action.
｢Hunting high-tier Apex creatures, eliminating Salman, the equipment manager of the Returners, and crafting my personal gear. Those seem to be your three main objectives.｣
The Mother of the Sky neatly summarized what I had outlined.
｢So the real question is: which one should we prioritize first?｣
[ZZ (That’s right.)]
She thought for a moment before speaking again.
｢It would be best if PS-111 and I worked separately.｣
[ZZZ (Separately?)]
｢To craft my equipment, I need tools.｣
[ZZZZ ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ (PS-111 should be able to help with that.)]
“If you have a specific design in mind, I can manufacture it for you.”
PS-111 flicked its clawed fingers, exuding confidence. But the Mother of the Sky shook her head.
｢While PS-111 can handle material processing, assembling and manufacturing require precise machinery.｣
[ZZZ (Is that so?)]
｢Salman is in charge of the Returners’ equipment, which means he has access to repair facilities. If PS-111 and I infiltrate and use those, we can get what we need.｣
Now that I thought about it, it wasn’t a bad idea.
The enemy still didn’t know we had snuck onto the planet. At this stage, while they were off guard, infiltration would be easier.
Besides, she was a ranked Wolf who could freely shift between her beast and human forms. She had pulled off similar covert missions before.
If anyone could carry out this operation with PS-111, it was her.
[ZZZZ (You sure you’ll be okay?)]
｢I’ve infiltrated a patrol corvette with a Heavy Walker before. Don’t worry.｣
And with that, the Mother of the Sky and PS-111 were set as the infiltration team.
[ZZZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZZ (The rest of you will hunt with me.)]
｢Big One, hunting, good.｣
｢New food.｣ ｢Taste.｣ ｢Unknown.｣ ｢Curious.｣
Floating above the swamp-like floor, Number 26 pulsed with light, expressing excitement.
Adhai, as curious as ever, seemed less interested in the hunt itself and more intrigued by tasting unfamiliar creatures.
Isabel, who had been coiled up nearby, listening, turned toward me with a question.
“You’re going after Magmasaur right away?”
[ZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZZZ (No. I’ll hunt something else first.)]
“Something else… You’re aiming for the ‘Elemental Hogger’ and ‘Pyromancer’, aren’t you?”
[ZZ (That’s right.)]
As she correctly guessed my targets, I was slightly surprised.
Both were dangerous Apex creatures with valuable traits ones I planned to obtain before facing Magmasaur.
I hadn’t expected her to know so much, considering she wasn’t an Amorph player.
Noticing my reaction, Isabel narrowed her blue eyes slightly.
“I’ve been to volcanic planets a lot because of my sister.”
That made sense immediately.
‘Right, Gallagons live on volcanic planets too.’
Her twin sister, Penelope, was a well-known Gallagon enthusiast.
From what I remembered, she had spent years studying their ecology, including their diet and natural predators. A large portion of what was known about Gallagons in the game came from her research.
‘She must’ve gone through a lot.’
Even though Isabel wasn’t particularly fond of Gallagons, she had likely traveled to all kinds of dangerous planets because of her sister.
Isabel glanced at PS-111 with sapphire-like eyes, her gaze momentarily lingering.
Those weren’t mechanical eyes they had once belonged to a Coldblood. Because of that, her expression carried a depth of emotion that was hard to decipher.
After briefly observing what had become of her twin, she turned her attention back to me.
“What are you hunting first?”
[ZZ ZZZZZ ZZZZ (I’ll start with the Pyromancer.)]
“The Pyromancer, huh… When do you plan on taking out the ranker?”
[ZZ ZZZZ (He’ll be last.)]
I intended to deal with Salman when I went after the Magmasaur.
Resting her head atop her coiled body, Isabel mused.
“So you’re planning to ambush him mid-battle just like in the game.”
Right now, he was targeting the same objective as me, which created the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the situation. I could let him engage the Magmasaur first, then strike at the right moment.
‘And I’ll get to observe his abilities beforehand an added bonus.’
With that, our strategy was set.
I led the others out of the nest.
A wave of scorching heat and burning volcanic ash hit us the moment we emerged.
｢The base is in that direction, right?｣
“Correct.”
The Mother of the Sky, preparing to leave with PS-111.
Just as I was about to tell her to be careful, something came to mind.
[ZZZ (Wait a moment.)]
｢?｣
Stopping her, I extended my combat arm. From the small openings in my flesh, an enhanced parasite emerged and crawled onto my fingertip.
Her amber eyes widened.
｢A parasite? Why are you giving me this all of a sudden?｣
[ZZZZ (For communication.)]
If she moved too far away, direct communication would become difficult. And if something happened to her, I wouldn’t have any way of knowing.
‘But with this, that won’t be a concern.’
She could carry the parasite, and if she needed to send a message, she could implant it into a human at the base. Once infected, the parasite would transmit her words to me.
And if things got so bad that even that wasn’t an option?
She could simply kill the parasite. That alone would be enough to alert me that something had gone wrong.
[ZZZZZ ZZZZ (Not a bad idea, right?)]
｢…That’s exactly the kind of idea you’d come up with.｣
After listening to my explanation, she let out a long sigh before hesitantly taking the parasite.
[ZZZ ZZZZZ ZZZ ZZ (It’s a delicate one, so handle it carefully.)]
｢…….｣
The parasite wriggled atop the Griffon’s arm.
The black, eel-like creature squirmed, brushing against the fur near her collarbone. She stiffened as the parasite affectionately wiggled, her fur standing on end.
“If you find it uncomfortable, I can store it for you.”
｢That would be for the best.｣
I had hoped she would carry it herself, but the moment PS-111 made the offer, she wasted no time handing it over.
“Rest assured. It will be much safer inside my body.”
PS-111 gently grasped the parasite with its clawed fingers, then moved it toward its torso. A faint metallic sound followed as a panel beneath its body slid open, revealing a storage compartment about 70 centimeters deep.
Inside, I spotted pieces of Vortex One’s flesh and strips of Dreadsong hide. Between the stored materials, I could see its digestive system subtly shifting.
[ZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZ (You’re already carrying a lot. Won’t it be inconvenient?)]
“I can accommodate parasitic organisms as well.”
PS-111 casually stored the parasite inside its body before sealing the metal compartment shut.
‘Well, it should be fine.’
Unless something literally ripped its body in half, the parasite wasn’t going to die anytime soon.
With that, the Mother of the Sky and PS-111 departed for Salman’s base.
Meanwhile, I led the others toward an area where the Pyromancer was likely to be.
‘Might as well start with the lava lake.’
The Pyromancer was a nomadic predator; it never stayed in one place for long, always moving and hunting.
Even so, the lava lake was a logical place to check first. That was where its prey gathered.
Creatures like Bulkarox, which hardened their bodies by rolling in lava and stone, and Lava Raptors, which lurked beneath the molten surface to ambush them both were among the Pyromancer’s preferred meals.
With such a buffet waiting, there was no way it would just pass by. I planned to wait there and ambush it.
Flying low, I followed the path of molten rivers stretching across the blackened land.
Isabel, soaring alongside me, suddenly spoke up.
“I was going to ask earlier, wouldn't the Elemental Hogger be easier to find?”
[ZZ ZZZZ (Because it’s a territorial creature?)]
“Yeah. Those porcupine things mostly live in volcanic craters.”
[ZZ ZZZ ZZ (That’s exactly why I’m avoiding them.)]
“?”
[ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZZZZ ZZ ZZZZ (Salman’s forces are searching for the Magmasaur nearby.)]
“Oh, I see.”
Understanding my reasoning, Isabel nodded.
If we wandered too close to the volcano, we risked drawing unwanted attention.
｢Big One, what’s a porcupine?｣
[ZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZZZ (A small creature covered in spines.)]
｢Spines?｣
[ZZZ ZZZ ZZ Z ZZZZ (Like this, but thinner and smaller.)]
I gestured toward the horns on my head. Number 26 pulsed with light, signaling comprehension.
｢So it has sharp appendages! Like humans!｣
…There were quite a few differences, but explaining them all felt like too much trouble.
｢This.｣ ｢Appendage.｣ ｢No.｣ ｢Horn.｣ ｢Appendage.｣ ｢Different.｣
｢Horn? What is a horn?｣
｢Horn.｣ ｢Male.｣ ｢Symbol.｣ ｢Horn.｣ ｢Size.｣ ｢Important.｣
｢Is it good if an appendage is big?｣
Adhai, flying closer to my central head, reached out with her tail and gently stroked one of my horns before pulling away.
｢Very.｣ ｢Very.｣ ｢Important.｣
“……”
I could feel Isabel giving me a strange look.
I had nothing to say to that.
Continuing our flight along the lava flow, we watched as the thin, vein-like streams gradually widened into what could be called a molten river.
At the end of that river stretched a vast, fiery lake.
The surface churned with heat and rising gas, constantly bubbling and shifting.
Near the edges, a pack of Lavaraptors lay in wait, revealing only the tips of their twin-pronged tails above the molten surface.
And beyond the lava, their targets Bulkarox roamed.
Bulkaroxes were solitary creatures, only grouping up during mating season. The massive, bronze-scaled bulls kept a good distance from one another as they wandered.
Scurrying around them were creatures measuring about 60 to 70 centimeters, their bodies entirely covered in scales.
These small beasts, known as Stoners, lingered around the Bulkarox, occasionally climbing onto their backs to gnaw on jagged rocks protruding from their bodies.
Stoners primarily fed on rare minerals and stones, forming a symbiotic relationship with creatures that encased themselves in hardened lava and rock.
If too much lava and rock accumulated on a Bulkarox’s body, it would hinder its movements. That’s where the Stoners came in they regularly gnawed away the excess, preventing it from becoming a burden.
The Bulkarox knew this and didn’t seem to mind, even when the small creatures pestered them.
‘No sign of the Pyromancer.’
If it were here, the area around the lake wouldn’t be this peaceful.
‘There’s plenty of prey around. Might as well wait.’
Just as I had done upon arriving on Asuka-44, I tucked the others into the mouths of my different heads. Then, without hesitation, I leaped straight into the lava.
The lake was deep enough that I could submerge almost completely while lying low.
Heat engulfed my body as I poked my heads slightly above the surface.
If there were such a thing as a fire-dwelling crocodile, I probably looked just like one.
‘Alright. Now…’
There was only one thing left to do.
Wait until new prey arrives.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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