Chapter 93: Threat Creatures
“Ma’am. We have discovered a creature in the desert that appears to be a threat creature,” reported the communicator.
“…Hmm? A threat creature?”
“Yes, Ma’am. We will refer to large creatures that could pose a threat to us, such as the Rain Croin or the Worm, as threat creatures from now on.”
“Ah… Well, that’s straightforward enough. By the way, who came up with that name?”
“Akane did.”
“I see.”
As she gazed at the spatial projection, the newly discovered creature was displayed before her.
It was a lizard running across the sandy terrain. Without any reference points for size around it, its exact length was indeterminate.
“Hmm. Oh, it’s about 1.3 meters long. It’s certainly large, but…”
She was about to continue that it didn’t seem monstrous enough, but the words caught in her throat.
Suddenly, the sand beside the running lizard erupted, and a claw resembling that of a crab shot out, grabbing the lizard’s body in a vice-like grip. Although the footage was taken from a distance and thus silent, she could almost hear the sickening crunch as the lizard’s body was easily crushed by the massive pincers.
The pincers measured an impressive 70 centimeters. While the lizard was indeed large, these pincers were colossal. And the creature that wielded them must be correspondingly massive.
“Whoa, it’s coming out!”
Perhaps having successfully hunted the lizard, the creature emerged from the sand.
Given that the footage was captured at dawn, the colors were not particularly vivid. However, the image captured by the reconnaissance aircraft clearly displayed the creature’s entire form.
The footage provided additional context regarding its size. From the pincers on its forearms to the needle-tipped tail, it measured a staggering 7 meters in length, with a height of 50 centimeters. It was a gigantic scorpion.
“That’s huge!”
“Yes, Ma’am. In comparison to the multi-legged tank, it appears to be about half its size. The multi-legged tank has a larger body.”
“…So, the multi-legged tank is about… 10 meters long?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
In response to her words, RINGO paused the footage and displayed a wireframe comparison of the scorpion alongside the multi-legged tank Type 1. While the length difference was clear—7 meters versus 10 meters—the scorpion appeared shorter due to its bent limbs and tail. Additionally, the scorpion’s slender body made it seem less imposing than the multi-legged tank Type 1.
“Hmm… But it’s still 7 meters long…”
RINGO, ever considerate, displayed an Eve-type communicator android between the scorpion and the multi-legged tank Type 1. Given that the communicator stood at around 150 centimeters, the size disparity was stark.
“Wow, it really is big! Why are monsters always so enormous?”
“I apologize, we are currently researching this. However, it seems that the phenomenon of enhanced biological structure is a common trait among all monsters, allowing them to somewhat disregard the issues of self-weight when growing larger.”
When organisms grow in size, gravity becomes a significant concern. To support a massive body, strong bones and powerful, or even abundant, muscles are required. However, naturally, both bones and muscles would also increase in weight simultaneously. Consequently, to support that muscle, adequate nutrition must be consumed.
When a creature is heavy, its mobility is affected, which in turn limits its predatory behavior, creating a vicious cycle where skeletal structure, muscle strength, and predatory behavior all need to be enhanced to support one another.
Thus, under normal physical constraints, biological growth ceases beyond a certain threshold.
“However, under the different laws of magic, physical constraints are somewhat relaxed. With the same muscle mass, one can exert greater force. Bones and exoskeletons become tougher, allowing them to disregard weight. Alternatively, biological composition can be ignored, enabling the use of metals or ceramics as part of their bodily structure.”
“Well… that makes sense. There must be some limitations, but creatures like the Rain Croin and the Worm have such incomprehensible ecologies…”
Recalling the previous battle, Commander Eve let out a sigh.
“So, this scorpion is classified as a threat creature, then?”
“Yes, Ma’am. As a side note, we are analyzing its biological structure through spectral analysis. The basic composition is chitin, but we have also detected metallic reactions from iron, titanium, and aluminum. Additionally, we calculated the load on each joint based on its mobility, and it clearly exceeds the expected strength. From this, we can infer that some form of magical enhancement is at play.”
The combination of biological and metallic structures, along with the apparent lack of sufficient muscle strength for its mobility, suggested phenomena that contradicted physical laws. Thus, this scorpion was deemed a monster and a target of caution for The Tree.
“Ugh. If a swarm of those came rushing at us, it would certainly be troublesome.”
RINGO thought that this was what one might call a “flag,” but wisely kept that thought to herself. Such things should never be spoken aloud.
Now, regarding the crucial oil field.
The investigation revealed that the spontaneous discharge rate was not particularly high. While it formed a lake-like expanse, unlike water, the amount lost to evaporation was minimal. The portions already exposed on the surface had lost lighter fractions, resulting in a lower quality.
While it was useful as asphalt, which would be recovered, it was expected that various locations would soon be paved with asphalt.
However, the lakes formed by the oil’s spontaneous discharge were scattered over a considerable area, indicating a substantial amount of oil buried underground.
They aimed to drill extraction wells to unearth unaltered crude oil that had not been exposed to air. To achieve this, they were currently creating a three-dimensional map of the underground using a combination of acoustic and radar surveys.
“For now, we will begin recovering the oil that is exposed on the surface. We have started setting up bucket equipment for extraction.”
“Okay. Olive will be in charge of this area. I don’t foresee any particular issues.”
Due to its high viscosity, they would be using buckets to scoop it up. While pumps would be more efficient, they would require specialized equipment, which they decided to forgo for now. Olive was currently overseeing the assembly of the necessary equipment.
“Additionally, we have identified several locations where we can recover oil, so we have begun preparations to set up drilling equipment. We anticipate securing a certain amount of oil, and we are also starting to lay down pipelines.”
The pipeline installation distance would be approximately 80 kilometers. The oil field spanned over 100 kilometers in all directions, so the total length would be considerable, but the distance between the oil port and the oil field was manageable. This was a favorable condition for The Tree, which aimed to conserve resources.
“We estimate that drilling the oil wells and starting the extraction equipment will take about five days. After that, we will begin transportation using multi-wheeled connected transport vehicles. The pipeline is expected to be operational in two weeks, or 14 days. Following that, we will increase the number of multi-wheeled connected transport vehicles or expand the pipeline based on the extraction volume.”
“Good. It’s nice to see things progressing smoothly… Though I will overlook the decrease in stored resources…”
At this point, The Tree was consuming a large amount of resources while massively increasing the production of machinery and equipment. They were using the stored resources they had upon transfer and the resources mined at the Second Fortress like water, producing a vast quantity of machines and materials. By transporting these to the oil port, various facilities were being constructed at a speed reminiscent of a fast-forwarded video.
“Now, we need to determine where the main source of this oil field is located. Do we have a method for exploration?”
“Yes, Ma’am. We will insert explosives into the drilling holes to create artificial earthquakes, allowing us to analyze the geological information from the resulting vibrations. By detonating at multiple locations and depths with staggered timing, we can gather a wealth of information in a single survey.”
“I see. That’s something that, as expected, Ichigo wouldn’t be able to control, right?”
“Yes, Ma’am. I will handle the execution of the plan. Constructing the calculation model will also be difficult without a dedicated AI. It’s a matter of placing the right tools in the right places. Eventually, I will prepare foundational models for various specialized AIs, but for the time being, I will provide support.”
“That’s true. For now, RINGO can control everything, but once we start activities on a cosmic scale, we’ll have no choice but to leave the local AI to handle the details. I’ll be counting on you in the future.”
“Yes, Ma’am. Leave it to me.”