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 79: Processing the Queen Ant

Episode 79: Processing the Queen Ant

A girl fell from the sky. Even before correcting that it was from the ceiling rather than the sky, or thinking about what to do, my body was already in motion.

“([Replicant Form]!)”

I moved to the girl’s falling spot, used ‘Convergence’ on the [Dominion], and imitated a mineral shield. This mineral was a shock-absorbing material used for coating explosive arrows. Holding the shield up, I pulled it as soon as her back touched the surface. The [Receiving]’s correction made it very flexible, slowing down the speed, but it wasn’t enough.

Depending on the girl’s |Toughness|, catching her at this speed would most likely crush her. Even if I dented the center of my body to gain distance, it was insufficient. So, I used another [Skill].

“([Parry]!)”

I redirected the downward vector acting on the shield horizontally. The girl, falling into the dent in my body, was naturally deflected sideways and rolled up the dent. Since she seemed likely to bounce out, I transformed the shield into a tube-like shape like a drainpipe to protect her from falling rocks. The girl spun around twice inside the tube before her movement stopped. She lay there limply at the bottom.

“Are you okay!?”

I asked through [Communication], but there was no response. She had no visible injuries, so she probably lost consciousness from the fear of the fall.

“(…………)”

I kept protecting the girl and the Queen Ant’s materials from the falling rocks for a while. Although the other Steel Ants were crushed, I had fought them several times on the way to the chamber. I had gathered enough necessary materials, so it wasn’t a big loss if I couldn’t retrieve more.

What concerned me more was why the girl had fallen. Even if she was caught in the collapse, she shouldn’t have been alone in the Grand Beast Region… I didn’t think she was capable of that. 

Well, I could ask her when she wakes up. With the collapse stopped, it was time to move. I slowly crawled out onto the fallen rocks.

“(First, I should return to the surface. The cave might be dangerous.)”

I used [Aerial Jump] several times to enter a passage on the other side of the ceiling. I then walked upward using the forest chain. Since operating the forest chain requires little physical effort and concentration, moving in a tube shape wasn’t a problem.

Eventually, I could see the outside light.

“(Hmm, the |Mana| seems thin…? And it’s a bit hot.)”

However, the place I emerged was entirely different from the food storage where I had initially fallen. It was no surprise, as I knew the entry and exit routes were different due to my [Sense of Direction]. I had traveled mainly east to enter and roughly north to exit, so it made sense to end up somewhere else.

“(Hmm, it might take a little longer for her to wake up…)”

Watching the girl, who was tossing and turning in her sleep, I thought about that. Waiting idly was boring, so I decided to make some weapons in the meantime.

“(Expand the [Dominion]… Let’s start with the Black Ant’s.)”

This was a rare Steel Ant with a special chitin that changes color for camouflage. I had processed it into a shield right after defeating it, but it was still rough since it was improvised. I adjusted the size, material seams, and special effects.

(Note: Yeah, you better google that sh1t up. “Chitin” is a real word in English. I ain’t giving you images this time. If you don’t enjoy the story (and somehow manage to complete 86 chapters), at least you get a little bit smarter)

As a result, it became a weapon for ambushes when combined with [Concealment], rather than just for defense.

“(And the next one is the main event.)”

Of course, I was referring to the Queen Ant’s materials. I had completed the analysis while escaping from the cave. Now, I just needed to decide how to process them into weapons.

“(A spear would be ideal, right?)”

The Queen Ant’s stingers were extremely sharp and strong, with plenty of potential special effects. The best way to make the most of these stingers would be as a spear.

“([Weapon Creation])”

So, I quickly made one. A ten-meter-long ant spear with a stinger at the tip and part of the chitin used for the handle. The silver spear, which looked like it was made of iron, was not only a top-class spear but also had a unique power.

“(Acid Spray!)”

I infused |Mana| into the spear’s handle. |Mana| was conducted to the tip, and a pale green liquid shot out like a water jet. The acid reached the opposite mountain’s cliff, eroding and melting the rock face.

“([Conduction]!)”

Lightning ran through the metallic spear, intensifying the acid spray. This was an advantage of using the Queen Ant’s material, which was a metal-type monster. I stopped quickly because it was very noticeable, but the |Mana| consumption was relatively light compared to [Thousand Blade Genesis].

Although it couldn’t curve its trajectory like the Ants’ attacks, it turned out to be quite a good weapon.

“(And one more… I’ll make it into a single-edged sword.)”

There was a reason for using a single edge this time. Until now, there had been ample materials, so double-edged or even blades made entirely of fangs, claws, or bones had sufficed. However, with the Queen Ant, it was different due to the small claws and mandibles.

So, to make the most of the limited materials, I concentrated them into a single-edged blade.

“(──Alright, completed!)”

What I ended up with was a sword about ten meters long, with a curved blade, similar to the spear. I had thought of making it sword-like partway through, and it actually turned out quite well. I don’t know the real process of making a sword, and it’s only similar in shape, but for now, I’ll call it the ant sword.

(Note: If you’re an American, it will roughly take 13 washing machine(thirty inches) to cover 10m)

It might annoy sword experts if they found out, but there aren’t any in this other world!

“(…………)”

…Back when I was in the forest, I vaguely asked Ergo about reincarnators or translocators, or anything about Japan or Earth, but it seemed he didn’t know. Perhaps it’s just not well-known, or I might be the first person, or someone might be censoring information. 

In any case, it’s not within the scope of common knowledge.

I’m not in a rush to know, but not understanding leaves a nagging feeling, like having something stuck in my molars.

“(──Anyway, that’s not important right now.)”

I shifted my focus back to the ant sword. 

The sword’s notable feature is its earth-attack ability. This ability, which all Steel Ants have, is most effective in the Queen Ant. Instead of using the long-unused earth-specialized spear, the ant sword will handle earth-type enemies from now on. It will be especially useful in this mine.

Additionally, the sword has the ability to extend its blade. As the name suggests, it uses |Mana| to extend the steel blade. The Queen Ant’s claws were unusually long, but they seemed to have been temporarily extended with a [Skill]. The blade extension is a special effect based on that.

After making various small weapons like arrows and daggers, and finishing up that work, the girl beside me stirred.

“Wow, when did I fall asleep…?”

Rubbing her eyes, the white-haired girl sat up. After looking around and tilting her head, she noticed the light blue cube next to her.

“What’s this…?”

“Good morning. Are you okay?”

“……?”

The girl’s bright red eyes widened in surprise.

(Note: There is side story for this chapter that you can buy using coins or membership).