Episode 32: The Giant Centipede
Lake Purlan is a distant lake, at least a full day’s walk from the town.
This lake, located in the Missgancia region, is a crescent-shaped oxbow lake that was once part of the Promelos River, a major river that brings enormous profits to the region.
The Promelos River is quite large, so there are many such tributaries and inflows that form lakes.
Of course, such lakes are usually occupied by the wretched humans and incorporated into some kind of economic activity… but Lake Purlan is different.
Lake Purlan is said to have toxic heavy metal strata in its vicinity, and the water is poisonous, containing those components.
The Fortress Crab apparently sips the metal contained in that poisonous water, making its carapace into steel armor.
There are magical elements, but even monsters don’t seem to be born from nothing.
That’s why in this world, Striders have hunting rights, and the targets and seasons for hunting are determined by Guild regulations.
Of course, they grow and multiply faster than normal animals, but monsters don’t just appear infinitely. If I went around saying, “Oops, did I do it again?” and over-hunted, I’d be arrested!
…So, while talking about such things, I was moving.
“Heeh, Dru-nii always says ‘this world’? I don’t really get it.”
“What is ‘world’ aru ka?”
“I’m actually a reincarnated person. I was told by a god and came to this world from another world.”
“I don’t get it…”
“Tensei? Sekai…? I don’t understand the words…?”
Yes.
Somehow, I don’t hide the fact that I’m a reincarnated person at all, but no one believes me!
In the first place, they don’t understand.
That there are multiple worlds… doesn’t seem to be a common idea in this world.
Well, the word “world” is originally a Buddhist term.
In this world, where the world (in the sense of the entire planet) hasn’t even been fully explored yet, people don’t seem to understand “other dimensions” or “other timelines” because the scale is too large.
“Another world? What is that? Isn’t this the only world there is?”
“Ah, is it like the story the Dolma tribe in the far north tells about ‘paradise’ where you go after you die?”
“Hmm… another universe, is it? Cosmology is an old Elven philosophy. Dru is smart, ne?”
…Or rather, I usually tell so many tall tales that everyone probably thinks, “Oh, that idiot’s saying something again.” Sad!
“So, what was the world like where Dru was before?”
Shio asked me that.
Hmm, what was it like…?
“First of all, there were no monsters, and it was more peaceful.”
“Eh? No monsters? Then, aren’t Striders unnecessary?”
“Yeah, unnecessary. But because it was peaceful, there were more people and more traffic, and there were all kinds of jobs.”
“What did Dru do?”
“Ah… I was a fisherman, a corpse disposal worker, and… a writer?”
“Hmm? What’s that? What’s the connection?”
“Well, I was a doctor at first, but I got fired for sleeping with a bigwig’s mistress and seducing his daughter. After that, I was a fisherman when there were a lot of fish, a corpse disposal worker when there were few, and I spent my free time writing an autobiography… or something like that.”
“Eh? Fish~?”
“Yeah. I’d ride on a ship for about a month and catch tuna and crabs in the northern sea. It’s interesting.”
“What is ‘corpse disposal’ aru?”
“On Earth, there’s a vehicle like a huge carriage monster… called a train. There are people who want to commit suicide who jump in front of that vehicle and die in pieces almost every day. So I had the job of picking up those scattered corpses. No one wants to do it, so the salary is good.”
“…Then, what about the autobiography?”
“Everyone on Earth could read, and there was technology to make mountains of books overnight. I’d write and publish autobiographies, lewd books, adventure stories, and stuff like that.”
“…Somehow, that’s a lie, right?”
“That’s the truth, ma’am.”
“Sounds like a lie~! Dru always says weird things, so I don’t know what’s true!!!”
Yeah, I’m sorry about that?
But, you guys like me, right? Couldn’t you trust me a little more…?
Well, whatever.
Even if you don’t believe me, there are no disadvantages.
Either way, I’ve lost the means to return to Earth, so it doesn’t matter anymore.
And, on the way.
…Well, it’s safe.
Monsters are ferocious, and when you fight them, unlike beasts, they don’t just “drive you away from their territory,” but come to kill you with clear intent.
However, they are not foolish.
A goblin suddenly charging at the town gate with a club! There’s no such thing. If that were the case, human society would be on a much smaller scale.
Monsters are ferocious and intelligent, so they don’t often take on battles they can’t win.
In other words, with a force of six people and a large horse in tow, obvious small fry like goblins and hound dogs won’t come near us.
If they encounter us, they run away.
The ones that encounter us and attack are…
“Ah, there it is. A Giant Centipede.”
…Monsters that have judged that they “can kill us.”
“Dru, what do we do with this guy? Chase it away?”
Shio had already drawn the Greatsword she was carrying.
That’s fast.
“No, insects don’t have pain receptors. Even if we hurt it, it won’t run away, so let’s kill it.”
“Roger that!”
A ridiculously sized and heavy Greatsword, with a blade like a thick steel plate of two or three centimeters, dances in Shio’s hand… no, on her fingertips.
She’s spinning a Greatsword that probably weighs hundreds of kilograms like a pen with just the strength of her fingers.
Considerable Magic Skill of ‘Adamantine Strength’.
…But that can be said of monsters as well.
The difference between monsters and animals is their fighting spirit and the speed at which they grow…
‘KISHAaaaa!!!!’
Monsters above a certain level perform actions similar to human “Magic Skills”… in other words, “the use of Magical Power.”
Well, that’s right. This Giant Centipede is, as the name suggests, a huge centipede. Specifically, it’s over three meters in length?
If an exoskeleton insect were that huge, it would normally collapse under its own weight.
Therefore, it can be concluded that it is constantly strengthening its body using Magical Power.
Also, if you use the Magic Skill of passing Magical Power through the optic nerve to see the surrounding Magical Power… ‘Demon Sight’, you can see that monsters, unlike animals, have strong Magical Power. In addition, there is an aura of Magical Power like human ‘Adamantine Strength’ and ‘Adamantine Body’.
“Here it comes!”
That’s why… let’s do this.