FPS


    I noticed something when I was chasing a trio of pale-skinned humanoids heading to the center of the caldera carrying a me lizard. The trio climbed straight up the caldera, but another me Lizard on the map showed no reaction.


    If the me lizards ecology is as per the information, it should react to magic other than from its own kind and attack. In my case, theyre unable to perceive my magic power because I am a magicless. This same w also exists in the Night Rat.


    But I dont think those three are magicless, yet the lizards werent attacking themwhats going on here? After chasing the trio while maintaining a sufficient distance, the other side of the summit began to enter the range of the sound collecting sensor.


    What I heard was the sound of footsteps walking on two legs, and theres a lot of themsomethings not right. I stopped chasing, took out the RQ-11 Raven unmanned reconnaissance aircraft from my inventory, and flew it high into the sky. First, lock in to the me Lizard that the trio carries.


    With this, a red frame will be disyed in my field of vision to inform me of the locked-on items location, and I can always check where it will be carried.


    Overtaking the trio, I looked down inside the caldera from above to find the owner of the footsteps.


    The inside of the caldera was covered in more greenery than the outside. However, if I switch to FLIR (infrared thermography) mode, the camera will capture the heat source and disy it in red. From the gaps between the branches and leaves, I could see arge amount of red heat sources wriggling.


    What a number


    Switching to NV mode, I confirmed my suspicion. Wriggling in the caldera were the pale-skinned humanoids, and not just one or two of them. Continuing recon while circling Raven around the area, I made screenshot images from the video feed the Raven provided.


    .withdraw.


    The number of pale-skinned humanoids was beyondprehension. If I go inside the caldera, I will be surrounded instantly. Escape is possible if I shoot them all down, but I dont know if it is even possible to collect magic stones from them. Theyre not monsters, nor are they ordinary demihuman. I didnt even know if they originally belonged to thebyrinthno, I can only think that theyre not part of thebyrinth.


    I need more information. Return to Big Ship to find out more about the pale-skinned humanoids. Besides, all this made me curious about those three that I saw at the dock.


    After retrieving the Raven and returning to the rocky mountain base, I summoned LVTP-5 with a magic formation that connects to Big Ship, and transported back to the rental warehouse. I wanted to start collecting information as soon as possible, but the time was still before dawn. The Big Ship should still be shrouded in deep darkness, and no one would be awake to see me.


    Besides, since the information I got from Sierra didnt mention anything about the pale-skinned humanoids, I might not be able to get any information about them at all.


    I set up another set of teleportation magic circles in the rental warehouse, and this time teleported to the Marida Company trading ship anchored in Amar coast. Even when I returned to Amar, it was still midnight. There are still a few days left until the date and time for the next liaison meeting, but I will put out each attribute magic stone that I have collected so far in the hold.


    After that, by dawn, we will review the battles on thebyrinth ind so far, how to efficiently kill the monsters that I have encountered so far, and scrutinize for advantageous positioning on the ind. and the next morning. In front of the entrance of the Zephanel residence, I caught Ashley and Chancellor Zephanel on their way to themand post of the Amar escort fleet.


    Schwartz!


    Morning, Ashley.


    So, you came back so early, did something happen?


    Yes, actually theres something that I would like the Chancellor to see


    Ashley headed to themand post because there was a morning meeting that couldnt be missed, but the Chancellor made time to hear what I had to say. In the mansions salon I essed the TSS, let it visible in midair, and showed the screenshot of the pale-skinned humanoids I had taken from thebyrinth ind.


    what kindof Skill is this? No, putting that aside


    Chancellor Zephanell sank into the sofa in the salon, and while poking the screen monitor floating in front of her with her thin, white fingertips, she traced the image of the unknown humanoid on the screen.


    I cannot see their faces well because its too small in the picture, but you are saying that you have seen these faces often in Kurtmerga?


    About thatyou can magnify the image by moving your finger like this.


    Wow, it really erges!


    Chancellor Zephanell was amused and dexterously scaled the image, using her fingertips to confirm each individual pale-skinned humanoid, but her curious smile gradually faded and her eyes narrowed slightly as she began to speak.


    Still Its a story from before the founding of Kurtmerga


    Chancellor Zephanel and the Founding Kings party were traveling to abyrinth created on a certain coastline. However, what they saw there was a herd of monsters attacking thebyrinth. A single monster took up a position in front of thebyrinth, sent many of its followers into thebyrinth, and attacked the living creatures of the natural worldpeople and animals.


    Arge insect-type monsterEmpress Ant. Later, it was a monster that would be designated as the first first-ss threat in the Kingdom of Kurtmerga.


    The Empress Ant is arge ant-type monster, but its characteristic is its erged abdomen that makes it impossible to walk independently. In addition to taking in people, animals, demi-humans, and monsters as nutrients, it reproduces their abilities and appearances to the eggs itys. This spawning ability is the only ability of the Empress Ant, and apart from this, it does not even havebat abilities.


    However, thervae that are created are the greatest means of attack, and in addition to thervaes original abilities, they possess the ability to duplicate nutrients, giving them a certain amount of freedom and releasing themthe purpose is to secure food.


    Empress Ants are monsters with voracious appetites. Even if limited to what Chancellor Zephanel knew, some had managed to devour cities and evenbyrinths. Incorporating manyrge magic stone dungeon cores, it continued to grow by evolving its existence as a species.


    Then, are you saying that these pale-skinned humanoids are its offspring?


    They have simr characteristicsTheservae are just as troublesome as the Empress Ant. Using a skill called Mimicry, they can disguise themselves. The odor emanating from their body causes those around them to see and hear hallucinations, making their prey let their guard down.


    Disguisethemselves?


    Yes, they can. That man, as you might expect, was not affected by the mimicry, so he was able to chase thervae away but thats it. We didnt know where they escaped 300 years have passed since then.


    Their hallucination inducing body odor was imbued with magic power. Therefore, the mimicry didnt work for me and the Founding King, as were both Magicless.


    From the beginning, I knew from several encounters that the trio looked like someone I knew. I could have predicted that there would be some form of magic power working there, butI didnt think it was a being created by a monster.


    However I have seen the same face as this monster many times in the Kingdom of Kurtmerga, but are they also juveniles? They are not white though?


    That can be exined easily. Unlike the puppets of the Empress Ant, thervae have a certain degree of willpower. And while repeatedly hunting to bring food to their parents, it will eventually evolve into an adult if that happens, it will gain freedom as an individual and leave the nest.


    I wonder whyall those characteristics of the Empress Ant, strangely simr tobyrinth


    Thats rightthat is the most annoying thing about it. They move in search of food and flee when they sense danger. And then theyy down thervae all over the ce and devour them.


    The entire body of the juvenile is white, and it seems that it doesnt change whether it takes the shape of a humanoid or a monster. However, when it bes an adult, its color changes. The Chancellors prediction is that the trio that I saw in the Kingdom of Kurtmerga were the already evolved adults.


    The actions of adults who have gained freedom were mostly based on thest actions they took. Those who hunted in thebyrinth became an adventurer, those who were guarding the Empress Ant became an escort, and those who were bait for hunting became a gluttonous eater. The trio, who were monsters that could live longer than humans or beastkin, were probably unconsciously pursuing this set of motives.


    Having obtained good information about the pale-skinned humanoids, I immediately returned to thebyrinth ind to confirm it. I have an idea of where to lookthebyrinth that should exist in the center of the calderaits probably hiding in the Caldera Labyrinth.


    It is necessary to hunt them downthe Empress Ant is only a hindrance to the smooth collection of magic stones that I nned to do.