Banished from the herd, I was actually a member of a very rare species. ~With the unique skills that only I can use, I can grow and evolve quickly. I will become an unrivaled monster~ - Episode 55: Hydra Weapons

Episode 55: Hydra Weapons

“(Hoo, this should be good…)”  

I’ve finished making the last of the Hydra weapons.  

There’s still some material left, but I’ll save it for any emergencies.  

“(This should be enough.)”  

I look over the completed weapons.  

There are five in total: a whip, a spear, a hammer, a sword, and a bow.  

Since they’re made to match my large frame, each one is the size of a telephone pole. The whip is even twice that length.  

“(Alright, the tension seems just right.)”  

I pick up the poison bow and pluck the string.  

The string is made from the highly elastic poison gland of the Hydra, so strong that only my beastly strength can draw it.  

“(The wind-resistant bow felt a bit soft lately. Unless I’m aiming for something really far, this one seems stronger.)”  

The Hydra’s poison bow lacks wind resistance, but it has increased elasticity and higher elasticity limits instead.  

Even shooting normally, it should have the same power as using the wind-resistant bow with a [Weapon Skill].  

“(With the poison arrows done, my long-range attack power has greatly increased.)”  

I used some extra materials from making the five weapons to create a few poison arrows.  

These arrows have a simple but powerful effect: they inflict poison upon impact.  

By channeling |Mana| into the poison bow, I can apply poison to the arrows, allowing for a double dose of poison.  

I’ll mass-produce these poison arrows alongside the explosive arrows that were reduced in number during the Hydra battle.  

“([Weapon Storage])”  

I store the Hydra weapons and the weaponized plants around me.  

The increased volume from {Evolution} has expanded my [Weapon Storage] capacity, but if I keep using the forest as a weapon, I might reach the limit soon.  

“(Well, I wouldn’t need to worry if I had ‘Convergence,’ though.)”  

I think about that while focusing on my domain.  

Whether I’m looking at the completed products, gathering weaponized plants, or heading towards the base’s flower field, my territory skill is still active.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Territory Details~

• • • • Additional Effects: ‘Sharpness’, ‘Convergence’  

       ↪Option List:

• • • • ‘Shrink’: Narrows the effect range of [Dominion].  

• • • • ‘Convergence’: Minimizes the effect range of [Dominion] to an extremely small size.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Because I kept focusing on narrowing the range, my [Dominion] now allows the addition of ‘Convergence.’  

The [Dominion], minimized by ‘Convergence,’ covers just me perfectly—without a millimeter of error.  

While weaponization and other debuffs become ineffective, the extremely narrowed range means almost no |Mana| consumption.  

Additionally, it doesn’t affect the flower field or anything else, which is all good news.  

“(Though, the downside is that switching modes depletes |Mana| quickly.)”  

‘Convergence’ is convenient, but it does have its drawbacks.  

When expanding the domain to a wide area, I need to remove ‘Convergence.’  

However, adding and removing additional effects while the territory is active requires |Mana| and takes some time, even if it’s minimal.  

“(It’s a double-edged sword… not quite balanced.)”  

Despite this, I use ‘Convergence’ because it offers greater benefits.  

Thanks to [Storage], my |Mana| reserves are plenty. And I can’t imagine a situation where I would have to expand the [Dominion] quickly or switch additional effects.  

In the end, I think keeping ‘Convergence’ active for constant [Territory] while using ‘Sharpness’ to enhance cutting power is the best approach.  

—As I reflect on this, I arrive at the base’s flower field.  

“(Hmm… maybe I should just sleep now.)”  

The sky is still a reddish hue, but it’s been a busy day.  

Since I’m not hungry after eating the Hydra, I go straight to sleep.  

“(Oh yeah.)”  

I swing the whip up and down. The tip of the Hydra’s whip blurs, and the simultaneous sounds of explosion and bursting echo.  

The right shoulder of a bear in the Grand Beast rank is blown apart. It had recklessly stepped into the flower field.  

“GRAAAWRRR”  

The right foreleg rolls on the ground as the bear screams in agony.  

The bear, already drooling and seemingly not quite sane, regains its composure after this strike.  

It tries to flee in a panic, but collapses before taking its second step.  

The poison from the whip takes effect.  

The bear, still trying to crawl away while collapsing, soon dies after vomiting a large amount of bl00d.  

“(As brutal as ever…)”

This poison whip inherits the traits of the [Hundred Poison Fangs], allowing it to inflict a variety of poisons through wounds.

The effects include:  

• • • • Reduction of |Life|.  

• • • • Weakening of the body.  

• • • • Paralysis of the senses.  

• • • • Hindrance of healing.  

• • • • Neutralization of immunity.  

These are the five effects of the poison.  

Though “Hundred Poisons” feels a bit like an overstatement, it’s undeniably powerful.

Now, I stretch the poison whip toward the bear, wrap it around, and bring it close for consumption.  

The bear, being a beast, stood over two meters tall. But with my current |Power|, I can lift it with a single whip.  

“(Munch, munch… As I thought, basic abilities of a Sovereign Beast are on a whole different level.)”  

I mutter to myself as I recall the recent battle—a massacre too one-sided to be called a fight.  

It’s been two days since I {Evolved}. In those two days, I’ve come to fully grasp just how extraordinary the existence of a Sovereign Beast is.  

Even without using a [Weapon Skill], I can one-punch a Grand Beast like it’s nothing.  

The difference in class is literal.  

“([Intensified Warfare]… I don’t really need any materials from this guy. I’ll just dissolve it all.)”  

I absorb the tough claws, fangs, and fur. With my current [Decomposition Liquid], it’s no big deal.  

Then, I transform part of my body into a whip and swing it vertically and horizontally, training my whip attacks.  

Before I had swords or spears, I used to fight by turning my body into a whip, using [Weapon Skills] like [Whip].  

But there’s a huge difference between crudely transforming my body and using a real whip like I am now.  

“(Yeah, it’s better not to interfere unnecessarily.)”  

After swinging the whip a few times, I reconfirm the conclusion I came to yesterday.  

Like chains, the whip moves freely according to my will. But rather than relying on that control, simply moving the handle and letting the recoil and flexibility do the work produces more power.  

If I interfere too much, it feels like the momentum gets killed, or the coordination is disrupted.  

I think it prevents the proper transfer of force.  

“(Hah.)”  

That’s why I spent half the day yesterday studying how to swing the whip.  

I tried various methods to see how I could swing it faster and sharper.  

It wasn’t exactly formal training. But since the replica whip I mimicked with [Replicant Form] feels like part of my body, and with the analysis abilities of [Intensified Warfare], I managed to get the hang of it.  

I pull back the whip deliberately, then swing it forward with added recoil.  

Every time the whip slices through the air, a high-pitched sound, almost like a whistle, resonates.  

“—Uh, excuse me… Katsu-kun, right?”  

It was at that moment that a somewhat hesitant voice called out.