Part Forty-Three

Shimonoseki, Japan. Kyushu Defensive Line Headquarters…..

It was time. He could put this off no longer. Taking a deep breath, Chris Walters opened the door to the small room where Ouka Sasaki had spent the last two weeks in captivity. She’d been placed under house arrest following her return, and it was only now that the Committee’s higher-ups and the JSDF had decided what to do with her. And that meant it was up to Chris to convey the news.

“Director. I suppose I should say it’s been a while, but it hasn’t actually been all that long.”

“No, it hasn’t. Haaaah, I suppose you know why I’ve come?”

“Mn-hm. They’ve finally decided my sentence, I suppose?”

Her candid attitude confused Chris. It was often hard to remember given the way she acted, but Ouka was still a teenager, barely an adult. And yet even in this situation, where her fate was completely uncertain, she retained her calm demeanor. It was both reassuring and shocking to see. Most people would be either lamenting their fate or ranting at the unfairness of it all, but Ouka remained calm, though it was yet to be seen whether that would last.

“Yes, they have. First, you’ve been cleared of any and all charges that could have been filed against you. In addition, you’ll be allowed to return to active duty, provided you allow a minder to chaperone you.”

That managed to catch Ouka off-guard. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she even gasped.

“Really? That easily?” Ouka's surprise was not at having been pardoned, but instead because of how fast it had been decided. She’d expected to wait at least a month before they’d decide on a date for the tribunal. For the JSDF to completely skip over it was completely unexpected.

“That easily. Well, there is one caveat. Haah, the Executive Board decided that you were to be… ‘reassigned’ effective immediately. I’m not sure when it’ll happen, but it should be within the month. Also, you’re to stay in here until the reassignment actually happens.”

This was not something Chris had wanted to happen. In fact, it had only happened because a certain someone had been pulling strings behind the scene, all to isolate a potential obstacle. While this was still better than her being imprisoned, it felt like a bittersweet victory.

“…Where are they sending me?”

“North America. Apparently Director Wallace is having difficulty getting the American government to cooperate. They haven’t told me what they intend for you to do over there, but I imagine that’ll involve assisting him in setting up a proper branch of the Committee.”

“I see. Will I have a chance to say goodbye?”

“Probably not. The JSDF ordered me to keep this confidential. Your former subordinates will probably be told what happened, but not where you’re going. Anything else?”

“Yes. What about the Glutton Hive?”

“Glutton Hive?”

“What I took to calling the monster responsible for the Gluttonists.”

“Ah, of course. Well, officially, I’m not supposed to tell you, but the JSDF actually sent a helicopter to scout out the area. It never returned, so they sent three more out. Only one of those came back.”

All four helicopters had encountered the Glutton Hive, but only one had managed to escape. That was just how powerful the beast was.

“The Diet and the JSDF are flustered. According to the survivors, one of the helicopters successfully launched a single Hellfire missile, striking the monster in the torso and blowing away a large chunk of its flesh, but that was all. The monster then counterattacked with what they described as tentacles, catching and dragging the other helicopters to the ground, where the Gluttonists tore them apart.”

That was the natural outcome. The Glutton Hive was a B-Rank monster, a creature well beyond the normal capabilities of living things. Not only did it have the toughness to withstand gunfire, but its vitality was such that even gouging out large chunks of its body wouldn’t kill it right away. This was the first time earthlings had encountered such a monster, but they’d quickly learn that they were basically living disasters.

“The only real idea anyone’s had since is to just send two or three dozen helicopters over to bombard it, but the logistics make it a bit of a slog to put together. Add in politics, and the whole thing's basically an absolute mess right now.”

Ouka didn’t reply. She supposed that the fact that they were attempting to deal with the threat was good enough. While she probably wouldn’t enjoy her transfer, she’d at least kept her homeland safe, and that was all that mattered to her.

***

Ethiopia. Encampment 17 of the African Defensive Line……

“Excellent. Excellent, excellent, excellent! I underestimated you, good sirs! I believed it would take you at least two months to acquire everything on the list, but you did it in one! How marvelous!”

Forzerenth was lavishing Sampson and his men with praise, as he rightly should. Finding, hunting, and transporting this many monsters wasn’t an easy task, not to mention that they had to do so while under a time limit. While there was no contractual deadline, there was only so much gasoline they could bring with them at any one time. Losing the trucks would’ve ended the job before they finished it.

“Hmph, this much is to be expected. I’m aiming so that me and my men will be the foremost names when it comes to hired muscle, so fulfilling such a simple task is something we should easily be able to handle. Hell, if ya got anything else, we’ll take that on too. After my men get some rest, that is.” That last line got some cheers from said men.

“Ahahaha, excellent! It’s wonderful to see someone so willing to not only seek out any and every available job, but to also care about the wellbeing of his men! Delightful.”

While the two men were outwardly sucking up to one another, inside they were both devising schemes to make the most use of each other, a fact they both knew well. Forzerenth knew that by utilizing them, he could earn sky-high profits through his contacts, which was the exact reason Sampson was here. He knew that if he pulled this off right, he could get even more jobs from those very contacts, jobs that were several times more lucrative.

At first, I thought he was procuring those corpses for some kind of scientific research, but now I know better. Every single one of those monsters has either particularly sharp claws or fangs, or their skin or carapace is extremely tough. They’re perfect for turning into arms and armor. Either someone’s looking to get rich off of selling weapons to mercenaries, or they’re looking to start a war. And either way, they’ll be profit to be found. Heheheheh.

***

Western Australia. Inside a Generic D-Rank Dungeon…..

“H-hey Serena?”

“Hm? What’s up Tiff? You’re looking kinda…odd.”

“Well it’s just… haaaah. Look, I kind of understood the whip, and I didn’t say anything when you decided to use that weird scarf you found, but this is just plain weird!”

“…What is?”

“…AAAAAAHH!”

After the events in Ethiopia, Tiffany and Serena had joined up with another group of survivors, forming a ten-person team. Said group had decided to head to Australia to take advantage of the government’s efforts to cull the number of monsters, which was where they’d found the Dungeon the two were currently inside.

“T-Tiffany!? We’re inside a Dungeon. You can’t just scream like that!”

“Haaah, haaaah. Sorry, I just felt like I needed to. Okay. So, why are you using that weapon, specifically? I know your whip isn’t exactly well suited for these monsters, but we have multiple maces or clubs you could’ve chose. So why did you pick that?”

The Dungeon was populated by numerous insect-type monsters known as Gobugs, a beetle-like creature that would roll up into a ball before using mana to propel themselves forward. If Michael were here, he would probably compare them to a certain blue hedgehog from a popular video game series, but since he wasn’t, the quip went unsaid.

Gobugs weren’t particularly strong. Jumping to the side was usually enough to avoid their charges, causing them to slam into a wall. However, their carapaces were particularly tough, and highly resistant to bladed attacks. Serena’s Flesh-Tearing Whip was completely ineffective against them, so she’d switched weapons, an obvious countermeasure. But for some reason, Tiffany had taken offense to the weapon she was wielding.

“Why? Well, it’s just useful? Maces are heavy and hard for me to use effectively, and I can use my Venom Magic with this much easier than a mace. I know it’s a bit odd looking, but its surprisingly practical.”

“Ooh, but… no, fine. It is what it is at this point. Haaaah.”

“…?”

Serena didn’t understand what Tiffany had been concerned about. Sure, a nailbat was an unconventional weapon, but if something was effective, shouldn’t she use it?

***

Uganda. Inside a ruined city…….

“Haaaaaaaaaha!”

*Crack!*

“KYYAAAAA!!”

With an explosive shout, Tavin’s punch landed square in the middle of the lizardman-like monster in front of him, sending it flying backwards. They weren’t Kovis, but were similar in nature and ability, so Tavin and the others weren’t having any difficulty with them. Having fought numerous monsters in the Siege Dungeon meant they had plenty of experience dealing with monsters on this level.

“HAAAAAAH!”

“KYYYYAAAA!!!!!”

A second spirited shout came from Brad, as he used his spear to impale the head of the monster leading the pack. With their leader dead, the other monsters all screamed in panic, before running off. Like Minotaurs, these lizards would run when the strongest amongst them was killed, often leading to many of them being trampled or hunted down, though the mercenaries had no intention of doing that today.

“Alright, push towards the bank!”

“Yes sir!”

Over the last month, Tavin had trained Brad and his friends to the point where each of them would be capable of killing a Minotaur Soldier one-on-one, and if they all fought as a group, they had the potential to overcome the Baculth Warlord that had been the Boss of the Siege Dungeon, though that was only if Tavin was with them.

However, this explosive growth had come with a cost, two of them had died during a particularly fierce battle, while another three had left the group altogether, though they’d found others willing to endure the brutal training pace to replace them.

Now as for why they were here, well that was because they’d been hired to retrieve the items of a certain bank deposit box, something they’d done several times in the last month. Everyone needed money.

Both Kenya and Uganda had basically been completely destroyed, with over ninety percent of their territory now infested with monsters. Both nations were effectively defunct, and their borders were being secured by the Committee and neighboring countries. As such, there were few people who were willing to go very far into the disaster zones. Seeing an opportunity, Tavin had managed to convince several people to hire them to retrieve assets left behind, and word had spread. While they weren’t making money hand-over-fist, the finder's fees they secured weren’t anything to sneeze at, though Tavin considered them as bonuses to whatever monsters got in the way. He was as much a battle junkie as ever.

“KORRYYYYYYYAAAA!!!”

“Hahaha! HOO RAA!”

Having sensed a group of intruders, the monsters' true leader came out then, intent on heading off any further intrusion into its territory. Tavin matched the beast's intensity, beginning a battle to the death between them.

***

Pennsylvania, United States of America. Inside the B-Rank Trial: Slaughterhouse……

“Aro, aro.”

Whimpering in pain, the Weregoblin limped down the bloody hallway, trying to keep her intestines from slipping out of her abdomen. Her belly had been sliced open, and it was only due to her natural resilience and vitality as a monster that she’d gotten this far. A human would’ve long since died from her injuries, but it wouldn’t last much longer. No matter what she did, death would soon claim her, either by her bleeding out, or by the monster finally catching up to her.

“Shshshshshshshsha!”

Unfortunately, it seemed death would act sooner in this case. Sharp claws dug into her side, slipping through her ribs and piercing her lung. She could feel them inside her, just as she could feel the breath of the creature on her neck.

Which was exactly what she’d been waiting for.

Using the last of her strength, the Weregoblin twisted her head around and bit into the exposed neck of the monster clinging to her, clamping down as hard as she could and twisting. A normal creature would’ve had its neck snapped with that, but the horrific thing that had stalked her for days wasn’t so easy to kill. It tried to pull itself away, thrashing as it did so, further damaging her body. But the Weregoblin would not be deterred. She knew she’d die if she let go, which made her hellbent on taking this thing with her.

And her determination would pay off.

*Snap!*

With a satisfying crunch, the monster's spinal cord snapped, and the damn thing went limp, its bulk becoming pure deadweight on top of her. The Weregoblin collapsed backward, the Stalker's body following, and the impact caused her to pass out. Though not for long.

::Death of Dungeon Boss confirmed. Individual has cleared B-Rank Trial: Slaughterhouse.

Individual has killed the Dungeon Boss instead of hunting the Scenario Targets. Awarding Title: Predator, Not Prey.

Individual has acquired Title: Conqueror of Trials. Acquired Authority: Insight.

All conditions met. Beginning Evolution….::

Intense, all-encompassing pain shot through her, jolting her back to consciousness. With intense effort, she managed to get the Stalker off of her, but couldn’t get to her feet due to the way her muscles kept spasming. All she could do was lay there, hoping that death would claim her quickly.

Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, death had already had its dues today. Though she hadn’t noticed due to the pain covering it up, all her wounds were slowly healing, and her intestines were even returning to her body. This process was actually the cause of the pain she was experiencing, as normal Evolutions were said to be quite pleasant.

Granted, the process would need something to compensate for this. It was likely to eat through all the mana in her body, and could even burn through some of her Essence at the same time. She’d likely not experience any side effects from this, but the sensation was never pleasant.

After a substantial period of time, the pain faded away, leaving only a numbing sensation, and the words of the World System.

::Evolution Complete. Individual’s Class has become: Predator.

Normal Skills: Predator's Instinct, Predator’s Hunger, and Predator's Aura have become Class Skills.

Restraints on Growth have been released.

Individual is now B-Rank. Once you reach A-Rank, your data shall be compiled to create an Ultimate Skill.::

The second she parsed those words, the Weregoblin lost consciousness.

***

Western Australia. Encampment Delta Three……

“Uh-huh, uh-huh. Okay, I understand. But if I may say one thing Madame, it’s that the work I’m doing here could be essential for reclaiming lost territory. I know the Japanese have been planning their own operation, but more data is needed! To prematurely end my expedition for such a foolish-. Uh-huh. I see.”

Ah, he got too worked up again. Leland was watching his employer speak with his employer, and feeling pity for the man. Based on his body language, Warren was being harshly rebuked by whoever was on the other end of the call, and his feeble protests weren’t helping his case.

Honestly, Leland had been surprised to learn that Warren worked with the Committee, and was even here on an assignment. However, it seemed that the Frenchman had gotten ahead of himself and had left before a sufficient guard had been put together.

“But Madame, I already have a superb bodyguard protecting me. I don’t need heavily armed soldiers-. I see, but if I- Madame, please be reasonable!”

Whoever this ‘Madame’ he’s speaking to must be someone quite difficult to deal with. I never thought I’d learn of anyone who could reel in Warren. I’m a little curious about her, but it might be best to avoid her for now, given my Undead nature and all. How Warren hasn’t noticed is beyond me, but I may have to give up the jig if he brings other soldiers in. I’ve probably already been reported as MIA.

Considering how his entire squad had been wiped out, there was little chance of anyone knowing he’d died right off the bat, but someone would likely suspect that he’d deserted. Either way, it wouldn’t lead to anything good for him. Leland was fine with the fact that he was now an Undead, but he doubted other people would be. He wasn’t a Zombie, but the Undead didn’t really have a good reputation on Earth.

“Wait, do you mean that!? Y-Yes! That would be much better than the alternatives. Thank you Madame!”

Huh, what was that? Before he could ask, Warren answered his question.

“Good news! It looks like we’ll be given funding to put our own team together! Hahahaha! Just think of what we’ll be able to accomplish!”

At the moment, Leland was only able to think something along the lines of ‘oh dear', so he of course had no way of knowing what this would lead to. People like to say that fate works in mysterious ways, and that was true, especially in cases like this one.