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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 363
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"Dad, it hurts so much...."
"Really? Should I ask them to give you some painkillers?"
"No. Just untie this. It hurts, and I can’t breathe."
"■■, the teacher who unties bandages isn’t here right now. We’ll do it tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay...."
"Good girl. Our ■■. Oh, by the way, I brought a fun movie. Let’s watch it together."
"Okay!"
"Nurse, what about Dad?"
"He won’t be able to come today. So, why don’t you play with your sister?"
"Again today?"
"As you know, he’s really busy."
"Yeah."
"Mom?"
"I brought your favorite pizza. Want to eat together?"
"Okay."
"Oh, don’t mind the camera. It’s nothing big. Ah, this looks delicious, right?"
"Yeah."
"When was that broadcast even filmed?"
"What’s it to you?"
"Are you crazy? What the heck are you doing with a child?"
"And what about you? You only cared at first, but you never properly came back."
"Ahem, I’m busy too. I can’t be running to the hospital every day."
"Well, with your measly income, I suppose you couldn’t."
"Heh. You’re not exactly in a position to talk, are you? A woman who sells children."
"What? Who said I sold a child?! You have no idea how I feel..."
If I hadn’t been sick, this wouldn’t have happened.
If I hadn’t gotten into the car with Dad that day, this wouldn’t have happened.
I...
---
The Auxiliary Organs below my chin caught something alien. My body, which had been lightly sleeping, began to gradually wake up. As sensation returned to my body, I once again felt the intense heat of lava.
Was it because I had been submerged in magma for so long? I had a dream during my brief sleep.
‘Such a boring memory.’
After I had an accident when I was young, I spent a long time in the hospital. Over half of my body was burned, so I had to undergo several treatments.
‘Who would have thought I would fall asleep in a lake of lava?’
After growing older, things improved, but before that, the trauma from the accident made things difficult. It was so bad that just seeing someone light a fire with a lighter in a movie would freeze my body.
‘If being the Amorph means I’ve gotten better, then I guess it’s a real advantage.’
My strong body even healed my mental wounds.
As I thought about that, I received a wave inside my mouth.
｢Are you okay, big baby?｣
[ZZ (Yeah?)]
｢Not feeling well?｣
The wave inside the central head of Number 26 was sent from there. It seemed like it had sensed my emotions while I was dreaming.
[ZZZ ZZZZ (I’m better now)]
｢Really?｣
｢Fever｣｢Hot｣｢Not feeling well｣
[ZZZ Z ZZ ZZZ (Don’t worry. It’ll pass soon)]
I reassured the concerned ones and opened my eyes.
What had been a peaceful atmosphere before I jumped into the lake was now completely in chaos.
The Bulkarox were torn apart and scattered. The Stoners, who had been hiding, seemed to have fled. Even the Lavaraptors, who had been hiding by the shore with only their tails visible, were now in the same state as the Bulkarox.
And the one responsible for turning the lake into a massacre site was right there.
The monster stood about 11 meters tall, its body covered in red scales. It had sharp spines running down its back, and two long arms were attached to its shoulder blades. Despite having four arms, its body structure resembled that of a human or an ape, standing upright.
The beast, which looked like a giant engulfed in flames, was the brutal predator known as the Pyromancer.
It was holding Lavaraptor with its four arms, its back to the center of the lake.
"Kii, Kiiieek!"
The Lavaraptor swung its tail in resistance, but it didn’t retreat even an inch.
Instead of backing down, its four arms swelled up, bulging with power. A moment later, blood sprayed from the Lavaraptor’s body as it was torn in half.
"Tsssss, Tssaaah."
The Pyromancer, having just ripped apart a monster nearly half its own size, let out an eerie cry. Drunk on victory, it eagerly tore into its prize, devouring the fresh kill.
‘This is my chance.’
I crept forward, inching closer through the molten lake.
Like most creatures that inhabit volcanic planets, the Pyromancer’s scales were incredibly tough too hard to damage with conventional attacks.
‘And it has that annoying ability, too.’
As its name suggests, the Pyromancer possesses two fire-related abilities.
One of them is an exceptionally powerful regeneration.
Even fatal wounds that should have killed it can be healed in an instant.
‘Even if only its head remains, it can fully regenerate in just a few minutes.’
This, of course, comes at the cost of an enormous amount of energy. But that also means as long as it has energy reserves, it doesn’t have to fear death. It knows this, which is why it constantly feeds, stockpiling energy within its body just like feeding logs into a fire to keep it burning.
Because it will keep reviving unless it’s killed in one blow, the strategy for dealing with it is fairly standardized.
Either unleash overwhelming firepower to kill it instantly, or…
‘Prevent its regeneration.’
I submerged my entire body in the magma and extended my Corrosive Tentacles from my back. The thick, sturdy appendages, previously concealed beneath my carapace, emerged and slowly reached for the Pyromancer.
Engrossed in its meal, it didn’t notice what was creeping up behind it.
Just as the needle-like tip of my tentacle was about to seize the back of its skull, it suddenly froze.
"Tss, Tstststs?"
‘It noticed!’
It sniffed the air, then launched itself forward in a desperate dive. Almost simultaneously, the tip of my Corrosive Tentacle grazed its nape, tearing away a small section of its scales. Blood splattered into the air.
"Tssaaaaagh!"
Now facing me directly, its face resembled that of a maned lion except covered in scales instead of fur. It had no ears, as its auditory organs had long since atrophied. Instead, it relied on highly developed eyes, nose, and tongue to perceive its surroundings.
‘An earless, scale-covered lion, huh?’
The grotesque beast bared its fangs and let out a furious roar.
[ZZ ZZ(All of you, come out.)]
As I opened three of my mouths, my companions burst forth.
As if we had planned it beforehand, Number 26 struck first, using its psychic power to hold the Pyromancer in place.
Then, Adhai, wrapped in her 'Red Armor', crashed into the immobilized Pyromancer.
"Tsaaah!"
The impact tore its body apart upper and lower halves separating as it let out a final, anguished shriek before collapsing onto the ground.
Finally, Isabel slithered forward like a serpent, coiling around the severed torso. Dozens of her hands pinned the Pyromancer’s arms down, preventing any struggle.
At last, with a deadly precision, Adhai’s tail tipped with a Gallagon’s claws stabbed toward its skull.
"Tststststs."
But the Pyromancer’s regeneration was far faster than its movements. The bony plates on its back turned white.
Recognizing the signal, Isabel swiftly uncoiled herself and pulled away.
‘I can’t let that happen.’
Seeing the arms attached to its shoulder blades swinging toward Isabel, I rammed into it with my central head.
The Pyromancer’s body lifted off the ground. As it soared, I noticed the white glow from its back plates transferring to its two extra arms.
Just before it was sent flying by the impact, it slashed with those glowing white limbs.
The distance was too close to dodge. Its fingertips clipped my right horn, severing half of it.
｢Pain Suppression Activated!｣
｢Big One!｣
The Pyromancer, having damaged my horn, was flung backward and crashed into the ash-covered ground.
At a glance, it might seem like it took more damage than I did, but that wasn’t the case. My horn had been wounded, while it remained completely unscathed.
I launched my Corrosive Tentacle toward where it had fallen. The sharp appendage at the tip stabbed into its shoulder.
"Tstststs."
The Pyromancer let out a frustrated cry and swung its white-glowing arm, striking my tentacle.
｢Pain Suppression Activated!｣
Another notification. That strike had nearly severed the tip of my tentacle. I quickly retracted it.
‘Annoying bastard.’
If its miraculous regeneration symbolized an ever-burning flame, then those glowing white arms represented the searing heat of fire itself.
The Pyromancer can convert the energy stored in its body into heat using the bony plates on its back. When those plates turn white, it means it’s ready to transfer that stored heat into its shoulder arms.
And once infused with heat, those arms become swords capable of cutting through anything. The sheer intensity of their strikes is enough to shatter even the toughest parts of my body, my head carapace and chest armor.
A predator armed with both ideal offensive and defensive capabilities.
That’s the Pyromancer.
‘I only got out of that thanks to Infernal Illusion.’
Normally, I should have lost both my horn and my Corrosive Tentacle. But thanks to the heat-dispersing effect of Infernal Illusion, I barely avoided complete severance.
｢Big One.｣ ｢Are you okay?｣
｢Bad human! Bad human!｣
"That damn trait is as troublesome as ever."
The others had withdrawn, their concern evident. They knew the enemy had dangerous attack methods, so they weren’t foolish enough to charge in recklessly.
"Tstststs."
The Pyromancer flicked its tongue, its expression almost mocking me.
I had lost part of a tentacle and half a horn, while it remained completely unharmed. If I were in its position, I’d probably be smirking too.
‘But…’
I’m no fool either.
There’s a secret about my Corrosive Tentacles that even Isabel and the Pyromancer don’t know.
One of my Unique Traits interacts with the appendages at the tip of my tentacles.
That effect just needs a little more time to activate.
‘Three minutes. Five at most.’
Considering the Pyromancer’s size, it might even take less. And if I land another hit with my Corrosive Tentacle, the process will speed up even more.
I withdrew my heavily injured tentacle and extended a fresh one. My movements signaled the others to act.
Just like before, Number 26 initiated the attack.
Its invisible psychic force rippled through the air, and the Pyromancer immediately reacted.
It couldn’t see the attack, but its primal instincts screamed at it something was coming.
The Pyromancer moved swiftly, slipping out of the range of Number 26’s binding force. But Number 26 wasn’t fazed. Without hesitation, it launched the next attack.
A violet barrier, connected to the hidden tendrils beneath the blackened ash, erupted from the ground beneath the Pyromancer’s feet. The instant it made contact, the lower part of its legs disintegrated.
As the creature hovered in the air momentarily, legless, Isabel shot toward it. Just like before, she coiled around it except this time, her arms seized the bony plates on its back.
A sharp metallic screech rang out as cracks formed across the plates, releasing a violent burst of steam. With its heat-conversion mechanism damaged, the white glow in its arms immediately faded.
Then, for the final blow, Adhai, still clad in her Red Armor, launched herself at the Pyromancer. Her crimson-drenched forelimbs aimed directly for its head.
Realizing it was trapped and unable to evade, the Pyromancer resorted to a desperate measure; it tore off its own head and part of its upper torso.
｢What the ?!｣
"Tssaaagh!"
The detached upper body was hurled at Adhai. In the brief moments it flew through the air, the Pyromancer had already begun regenerating. Then, as if nothing had happened, it leaped onto her.
｢You!｣ ｢Disgusting!｣
As Adhai twisted violently, trying to shake it off, the Pyromancer’s half-formed arms turned white once more.
But before it could strike, an invisible force slammed into its body, sending it tumbling across the ground.
｢You can’t bully the Little One!｣
"Tsshaak!"
The Pyromancer let out a short growl of frustration before abruptly turning and dashing in the opposite direction. It wasn’t fleeing it was looking for prey to replenish its energy.
‘Not so fast.’
I planted my feet firmly and kicked off the ground. Even without spreading my wings, my body soared high into the air.
"Tssaaaaagh!"
Noticing the shadow looming over its head, the Pyromancer recoiled in shock. I aimed to crush it beneath me, but at the last moment, it rolled to the side, narrowly escaping.
The moment I landed, I swung my tail at it. The Pyromancer, frantically stuffing a corpse into its mouth, spotted the twin tails slicing toward it and reacted immediately.
Its glowing white arms met my pincers in a violent clash.
Up until now, those arms had sliced through my carapace like a hot knife through butter. But this time was different.
Given my size, my pincers were massive. No matter how sharp its arms were, cutting through them in one go was impossible.
While my pincers held it down, my Corrosive Tentacle struck. Just like before, the sharp appendage at the tip drove into its shoulder.
"Tss, Tssaaaagh!"
Realizing it wasn’t alone in this battle, the Pyromancer abandoned its weapon. Without hesitation, it severed its own arm and retreated.
"Tssaaaaagh!"
Despite suffering multiple critical wounds in just a few minutes, the Pyromancer looked no different from when we first encountered it. Its regeneration was nothing short of miraculous.
It must have known that too hence its triumphant roar.
‘Let’s see about that.’
This was the third time.
The third time my Corrosive Tentacle had injected something into its body.
"Tssaa, huh?"
It suddenly froze. Sensing something was wrong, the Pyromancer tilted its head in confusion.
But by now, it was far too late.
"Tss, Tsststs?!"
It looked down at its crystallizing shoulder in horror. Desperately, it swung its remaining arm to smash the affected scales, but it was useless.
The silicon-based microorganisms I had injected had already spread throughout its body.
"Could that be…?"
[ZZZ ZZZZ ZZZ ZZ (Yes, it’s exactly what you’re thinking.)]
A unique environmental adaptation trait Medusa Organ.
Named after the mythical creature that turned those who gazed upon it into stone, this trait was now turning the Pyromancer into quartz shards.
"Tssaaagh?! Tssaaaaagh!"
The Pyromancer thrashed in desperation, smashing at its own body as parts of it crystallized into a substance resembling crystal.
If it had amputated its nape or shoulder immediately after my tentacle struck, it wouldn’t have come to this. Medusa Organ’s microorganisms only spread if the contaminated area remains intact. Removing the infected sections in time would have prevented the spread entirely.
But the Pyromancer didn’t know that.
Worse, instead of cutting those parts away, it left them untouched and simply regenerated the rest of its body. That mistake allowed the microorganisms to spread rapidly throughout its entire form.
Now, its once-miraculous regeneration was effectively neutralized. If it tried to heal, the Medusa Organ would spread even faster, forcing it into a precarious balancing act.
[ZZ ZZZZ ZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZ (Did you really think I came after you without a plan?)]
The perfect predator, the Pyromancer.
The Apex creature that once carried itself with unwavering confidence no longer existed.
What stood before me now was nothing more than prey, paralyzed with fear.
And as always, killing something that had already lost its will to fight was never difficult.
——————
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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