Chapter 310: The Digging Rabbit
The collapsed Power Transmission Tower.
What was discovered amidst its shattered foundation was a small rabbit.
“…A rabbit.”
“Indeed, Ma’am! It appears to be quite a common monster! In the local tongue, it’s called a Digging Rabbit, or as we would say,
In front of the rabbit, which was confined within a metallic cage, Asahi exclaimed with high spirits. The rabbit trembled and huddled into the corner of the cage.
“Asahi, lower your voice. You’re scaring it.”
“Oh, my apologies! Well, rabbits are naturally timid creatures, so it can’t be helped!”
“No, it’s your voice that’s too loud!”
This
The defining feature of this monster was its exceptional digging ability.
It lived by burrowing into the ground, feeding on tree bark and roots.
It seemed that while it was underground, land preparation by The Tree had begun, and it had remained hidden all this time. The truth was that it had been pierced by the foundation structure that was driven in nearby, thanks to its absurd (fantasy) abilities.
“It seems that the act of digging is subject to some mysterious enhancement! I’ve observed data suggesting its forelegs are reinforced!”
“…We’ll need to redesign the structure… There are numerous mechanical weaknesses found in the foundation…”
“Oh dear… Well, it’s not something you typically consider—being directly attacked at the foundation…”
While gently stroking Olive’s head to comfort her, Eve wore a troubled expression as well.
“We’ve been careless since there haven’t been any sightings of threat creatures like Worms. It’s unexpected to find monsters lurking underground.”
“I’ve modified the analysis algorithm for subsurface exploration, so this Digging Rabbit is now almost detectable! However, there may be other similar monsters, so we need to proceed with caution!”
The reconnaissance of the base had already been completed. In fact, it seemed that fourteen Digging Rabbits had been found, buried due to the land preparation. If construction had continued as it was, another structural collapse might have occurred.
“For now, we’ve secured a few as samples. The rest have been exterminated and sent for investigation! It seems we’ll be facing off against such monsters for a while!”
Though they had stumbled early in their advance, they had managed to resolve the situation. Clearing, including the underground, was complete, and the forward base was steadily nearing completion.
“Also, regarding the reconnaissance unit being attacked…”
“Yes, Ma’am. It appears there have been assaults by monsters known as Climbing Wolves or Forest Bears. The moment we crossed into the territory of the Black Monkeys, it became clear that the Demon Forest is truly teeming with monsters.”
The Climbing Wolf was a type of monster adapted to the densely packed trees of the Demon Forest. Its hunts primarily targeted arboreal animals and monsters, making nests on the ground.
The Demon Forest was characterized by its towering trees, which grew large due to factors other than sunlight—likely absorbing magic essence or something similar. The extended leaves suppressed the sunlight reaching the ground, yet the trees continued to stretch upward.
However, the lack of sunlight created a harsh environment, making it difficult for plants that couldn’t grow tall to thrive. In that sense, the ground was relatively barren, filled with intricately intertwined roots and branches that twisted upward.
As a result, most animals and monsters had shifted their habitats to the treetops.
The Forest Bear also primarily lived in the trees, but due to its considerable size, it often moved on the ground as well.
“Wolves and bears, huh? It seems the Black Monkeys were also preyed upon…”
“Climbing Wolves and Forest Bears don’t typically eat Jumpers. It seems they’re being ambushed as they invade their territory.”
The Climbing Wolves appeared to be hunting Jumpers in packs, while the Forest Bears were simply charging in and causing destruction. Their mobility was reportedly very high.
“Hmm… I understand that we’re in the phase of gathering information regardless of the damage, but the casualty rate is becoming hard to ignore…”
“There have also been reports of attacks on the Backpackers in the rear. If we advance any further, we risk annihilating the reconnaissance team, including the Backpackers.”
“Indeed.”
That meant, fundamentally, they were lacking in both offensive and defensive capabilities. The units currently in operation were insufficient for further incursions.
To resolve this, they would need to develop more powerful units or…
“Perhaps we’ll have to collaborate more closely with the Chimiya family…”
Eve concluded.
“At the very least, mass-producing units with human-sized defensive and offensive capabilities will be difficult.”
“Yes, Ma’am. Given the current technological level, especially considering operations on a terrestrial planet, we would need to raise our capabilities by several levels.”
“That would require some kind of breakthrough… We’re making progress on the resource issue, but we need manufacturing facilities for high-performance materials or a Molecular Synthesizer, something along those lines.”
The manufacturing facilities currently operated by The Tree were unable to achieve advanced technologies that could enhance the strength of materials themselves.
While there was a shortage of construction materials, the real bottleneck was the energy source.
To routinely use high-level facilities like a Molecular Synthesizer or an Atomic Conversion Reactor, an enormous amount of energy was required. Supplying that energy on a planet came with various risks.
For instance, the Degeneration Reactor contains a micro black hole. In the event of an accident, a massive explosion could engulf dozens of kilometers around. In the worst-case scenario, it could even lead to the entire star system becoming a black hole.
Moreover, the energy produced was so vast that there was a risk of it exploding due to being unable to consume it all.
Such powerful yet difficult-to-handle facilities would ideally be constructed in interplanetary space, where nothing existed within thousands of kilometers.
Naturally, preparing anything that could only be made with such facilities on a planet was exceedingly challenging. In other words, they were not in a position to mass-produce more advanced automated machines than the current ones.
“Well, that caveat applies as long as we’re bound by our scientific and technological framework!”
Including the necessary preparations for such an environment, the Chimiya family exhibited capabilities that matched or even exceeded those of the units.
“However, the fact that it takes at least fourteen years to raise them is a drawback. But if we’re using what already exists, there’s no need to worry about that!”
“Rather, if we have fourteen years, we should have the know-how to prepare properly…”
In the Prava Divine Nation, citizens born were selected at a certain age, and those who met the criteria were gathered, trained, and utilized as monk soldiers. Although the department that actually carried this out was said to have been wiped out during the invasion of the Divine Nation, the Chimiya family had access to some of that information.
“They’ve become very cooperative after seeing our strength and actions! As long as our goals align, they should fully cooperate with us!”
It seemed the Chimiya family had visited the forward base established by The Tree and were greatly impressed. Even when a base was constructed at the front, it had been difficult due to the need to allocate personnel for its defense. The fact that automated machines could take over without considering human casualties was seen as revolutionary.
The Digging Rabbit is everyone’s meal (outrageous theory).
Thinking about the food chain is fun. The problem is that the plants, which should be at the very bottom, have turned into predators.
What are we going to do about that…?