by Okina Baba
Even if there’s no sign of them now, there are probably more brainwashed soldiers around, not to mention the queen.
On top of that, Sophia could easily show up.
So we’re better off escaping than trying to recapture the castle.
But first, we have to check on the teleport point.
A teleport point can warp someone to another registered teleport point.
But the one in the castle is broken.
The other destination point is in the empire, so they probably destroyed it to prevent us from invading.
Once we confirm that the teleport point is broken, we quickly leave the castle.
Leaving my brother Cylis behind.
Fei complains about the extra weight, since we have four more people than we started with, but I don’t think she means it.
She flies slowly and carefully, since there are four unconscious people on her back now.
Even though she’s making a show of complaining, I can tell by the gentle way she’s flying that she’s being considerate toward the people she’s carrying.
Overwhelmed with relief at her reunion with her parents, who she thought were lost, Katia clings to her unconscious mother and father and weeps.
As for me, I’m still thinking about Cylis.
There was always very little contact between us.
The queen saw me as an enemy, so I rarely interacted with him.
Whenever I did see him, he was always wearing a sullen expression.
Even when we did speak, it was only businesslike greetings or work-related information.
Even though we were brothers, there was a great deal of distance between us.
Still, based on what Julius told me about him, Cylis wasn’t always like this.
When he was young, he truly wanted to make the kingdom a better place for its people, just like our father.
But at some point, this turned into an obsession with the position of king, and he became distant from his brothers.
This was probably the influence of his mother, who wanted to put her own son on the throne.
But Julius still seemed to believe that Cylis would regain that pure heart of his youth someday.
And yet, this is how things ended up.
Hyrince says nothing.
He probably had more interactions with Cylis in the past than I did, but his face doesn’t reveal his feelings.
“Shun, don’t worry about Cylis. He chose his path himself, and that’s just how it ended for him. There’s no reason for you to feel bad about it.”
Beyond hiding his own feelings on the matter, Hyrince comforts me instead.
With Cylis in that state and my father killed, I don’t know what will happen to this kingdom.
But still, we were able to save Leston, Klevea, and Katia’s family.
I’m sure we can rebuild this kingdom someday.
I hang on to that hope as we leave the capital.
???
“Deviation due to resurrection confirmed.”
“Hmm. That’s fortunate. Otherwise, we would’ve had to take care of it ourselves again.”
“……”
“In this case, maybe we should have let him resurrect the king, too.”
“……”
“I know, I know. You think I’m being too soft, right? I entrusted this job to you lot. So I have no intention of criticizing how you go about it.”
“…That is good to hear.”
“Sophia and the others are already on the move, right? I guess the elf village is next.”
“……”
“Now, I realize you can handle this. I’m not worried. But you know, they don’t live those long lives of theirs for nothing. Don’t let your guard down.”
“……”
SPIDER VS SPIDER
Dragon shock!
I know it sounds ridiculous, but I’m totally in post-dragon shock.
Once I got back home, the terror sank in, and it took me a whole half a day to recover.
Seeing two earth dragons together when they’re already strong on their own…yeah, that had some impact, but I was still fine.
But earth dragon Araba is another story.
How am I ever gonna fight that?
That giant snake, which I already thought was too strong for me, got totally crushed with virtually no effort when it fought Araba.
What’s so scary about that? All of it.
The effortless movements that easily dodged all of the serpent’s attacks.
Sure, those movements were pretty fast, but even more dangerously, they were precise.
It enacted the optimal evasive action at every given moment, smoothly incorporating its skills along the way.
Unlike the way I bulldoze through everything with the sheer power of my skills, this was more like watching a martial arts master who’s honed his movements for many years.
Those magnificent moves had nothing to do with skills or stats. It was pure artistry.
On the flip side, there was the nasty attack method that worked in time with those movements.
Attacking at the same time as dodging.
Not only that, but on top of the flawless “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” strategy, there was the nightmarish assault of magic chasing the opponent down at the same time.
Isn’t it kind of unfair to use Earth Magic inside a labyrinth?
A labyrinth has earthen walls and ceilings, not to mention the ground, you know?
If all that was weaponized and came after you all at once, there’s no way you could dodge it.
Since I have Foresight, I might be able to get by, but I’m not confident I would last very long.
So attacks that come from all sides and leave you no place to run, coupled with flawless evasion based on sheer technique.
Most importantly, there’s Araba’s own judgment, which commands all that power.
Not to mention, I have no way of telling, since the snake never landed a single attack, but because it’s an earth dragon, I’m sure its defensive power is ridiculous.
There’s not a single weakness to be found.
How am I supposed to beat that?
I just can’t picture myself winning a fair fight against that thing.
Hmm.
In that case, maybe I should come up with a way to make it an unfair fight?
I continued leveling up for several days in the Lower Stratum as I tried to think up strategies to beat Araba.
Right now, I’m in my home, lying in wait.
A group of monsters my Detection picked up on is heading directly this way.
Considering most Upper Stratum monsters run away as soon as they see me, it’s very unusual for some to be approaching me.
They’re clearly coming this way on purpose, targeting me.
But I suppose I know why.
And I know exactly what they are, too.
The group appears.
Leading the way is an incredibly huge monster.
Status: HP: 4,466/4,466 (green) +1,400
SP: 4,267/4,267 (yellow)
Average Offensive Ability: 4,399 (details)
Average Magical Ability: 3,004 (details)
Average Speed Ability: 4,237 (details)
MP: 3,182/3,182 (blue) +1,400
: 4,262/4,262 (red) +1,288
Average Defensive Ability: 4,315 (details)
Average Resistance Ability: 3,101 (details)
Skills:
[HP Rapid Recovery LV 5] [MP Recovery Speed LV 7] [MP Lessened Consumption LV 7] [Magic Power Perception LV 7]
[Magic Power Operation LV 7] [SP Rapid Recovery LV 2] [SP Minimized Consumption LV 2] [Status Condition Super-Enhancement LV 3]
[Destruction Super-Enhancement LV 2] [Cutting Super-Enhancement LV 4] [Piercing Super-Enhancement LV 8] [Impact Super-Enhancement LV 3]
[Shock Super-Enhancement LV 1] [Magic Power Attack LV 6] [Magic Warfare LV 4] [Mental Warfare LV 7]
<
br /> [Deadly Poison Attack LV 10] [Poison Synthesis LV 5] [Threadsmanship LV 5] [Utility Thread LV 3]
[Thread Control LV 10] [Telekinesis LV 2] [Dimensional Maneuvering LV 8] [Hit LV 10]
[Evasion LV 10] [Probability Super-Correction LV 2] [Danger Perception LV 10] [Presence Perception LV 10]
[Motion Perception LV 10] [Heretic Magic LV 10] [Poison Magic LV 10] [Healing Magic LV 4]
[Destruction Super-Resistance LV 1] [Cutting Super-Resistance LV 2] [Piercing Super-Resistance LV 2] [Impact Super-Resistance LV 4]
[Shock Resistance LV 9] [Status Condition Super-Resistance LV 8] [Rot Resistance LV 6] [Heresy Resistance LV 5]
[Pain Nullification] [Pain Super-Mitigation LV 2] [Vision Enhancement LV 10] [Clairvoyance LV 2]
[Night Vision LV 10] [Vision Expansion LV 7] [Auditory Enhancement LV 7] [Olfactory Enhancement LV 2]
[Tactile Enhancement LV 7] [Ultimate Life LV 2] [Magic Hoard LV 8] [Ultimate Movement LV 1]
[Fortune LV 1] [Fortitude LV 2] [Stronghold LV 2] [Monk LV 7]
[Talisman LV 8] [Skanda LV 1] [Satiation LV 4] [Taboo LV 7]
Skill Points: 34,500
Titles:
[Foul Feeder] [Kin Eater] [Monster Slayer] [Poison Technique User]
[Monster Slaughterer] [Thread User] [Monster Calamity] [Human Slayer]
[Champion]
>
So strong?!
Why does this SPIDER have higher stats than an earth dragon?!
Okay, well…yeah.
I guess I was expecting this.
This thing looks like a pale, smaller version of Mother. It’s probably just one step away from becoming another one of her, so of course it’s not gonna be weak.
That’s right.
The group of monsters coming to attack me are spiders, just like me.
Technically, since my species has changed via evolution, we’re not exactly the same family. But I was originally a taratect, too, so I guess they’re sort of like close relatives.
Behind the arch taratect, there are three greater taratects, which are about a size smaller than their leader.
Status: HP: 2,845/2,845 (green) +189
SP: 2,833/2,833 (yellow)
Average Offensive Ability: 1,766 (details)
Average Magical Ability: 2,099 (details)
Average Speed Ability: 2,744 (details)
MP: 2,101/2,101 (blue)
: 2,839/2,839 (red) +786
Average Defensive Ability: 2,710 (details)
Average Resistance Ability: 2,102 (details)
Skills:
[HP Rapid Recovery LV 1] [MP Recovery Speed LV 2] [MP Lessened Consumption LV 1] [Magic Power Perception LV 6]
[Magic Power Operation LV 5] [SP Rapid Recovery LV 1] [SP Minimized Consumption LV 1] [Destruction Enhancement LV 8]
[Cutting Enhancement LV 8] [Piercing Super-Enhancement LV 1] [Impact Enhancement LV 5] [Status Condition Enhancement LV 9]
[Mental Warfare LV 4] [Deadly Poison Attack LV 5] [Threadsmanship LV 2] [Spider Thread LV 9]
[Thread Control LV 5] [Cutting Thread LV 5] [Poison Synthesis LV 2] [Dimensional Maneuvering LV 2]
[Hit LV 10] [Evasion LV 10] [Probability Correction LV 5] [Danger Perception LV 10]
[Presence Perception LV 10] [Motion Perception LV 10] [Heretic Magic LV 10] [Poison Magic LV 8]
[Destruction Resistance LV 6] [Cutting Resistance LV 6] [Piercing Resistance LV 8] [Impact Resistance LV 9]
[Shock Resistance LV 5] [Status Condition Resistance LV 8] [Rot Resistance LV 3] [Heresy Resistance LV 1]
[Pain Nullification] [Pain Mitigation LV 8] [Vision Enhancement LV 10] [Telescopic Sight LV 7]
[Night Vision LV 10] [Vision Expansion LV 5] [Auditory Enhancement LV 4] [Olfactory Enhancement LV 4]
[Longevity LV 6] [Magic Hoard LV 2] [Instant Body LV 6] [Endurance LV 6]
[Herculean Strength LV 6] [Sturdy LV 6] [Monk LV 1] [Talisman LV 2]
[Acceleration LV 6] [Overeating LV 9] [Taboo LV 4]
Skill Points: 29,500
Titles:
[Foul Feeder] [Kin Eater] [Monster Slayer] [Poison Technique User]
[Thread User] [Monster Slaughterer]
>
This one’s probably the strongest of the greater ones.
Sure, after seeing the arch’s status, this seems like no biggie by comparison, but it’s still rather strong.
Its stats are lower than the fire dragon from the Middle Stratum, but it’s got way more skills.
If they fought one-on-one, the fire dragon would probably have the advantage because of spiders’ fire weakness, but overall, I’d say their power’s on roughly the same level.
And the other two are similar in stats, so basically, I’ve got four dragon-class monsters on my hands.
On top of that, they’ve got a ton of small taratects and some adult taratects milling around, too.
Ah, and even a few of the rare Poison variety.
Ooh, there’s a few small lesser taratects, too! Now, that takes me back.
They’re sooo weak.
I feel like just a light push would be enough to kill them.
Gazing off into the distance, I think about how far I’ve come from being one of those.
Oh, right.
Sorry, I got sidetracked for a second there, since I wasn’t really expecting this big of a crowd.
But I did know this would happen.
That a bunch of taratects would come to attack me eventually.
Why?
Because I’ve been picking a fight with their boss.
It all started when I was fighting the fire dragon and was surprised to find myself thinking of it as “irritating.”
So when all my Parallel Minds teamed up to search for the source of this oddity, that’s when I found it.
Basically, I was being controlled.
To be more exact, it was more like the preliminary stages of control, or like I was unconsciously being fed thoughts that weren’t my own.
Apparently, since Mother is a “queen” and all, she has a skill that lets her control her children.
And so, I started to feel the effects of that skill, if only a little.
As it turns out, she doesn’t control all her children, just the ones that reach a certain level of strength. And I guess I crossed that line somewhere along the way.
I think the reasons she couldn’t completely control me are my high resistance stats and the fact that my race is no longer taratect, probably.
Honestly, I would never have noticed if it weren’t for the weird feeling I got while I was fighting the fire dragon, and I had no awareness that I was resisting it, so I’m not really sure why it didn’t work on me.
Those are just my best guesses.
Anyway, basically, she was trying to manipulate me.
So of course I couldn’t just let that slide.
That’s right. I decided to launch a little counterattack.
Since Mother was trying to control me, that meant there was sort of a mental path there, connecting us ever so slightly.
So I used that path to do some reverse-engineered hacking.
I figured I’d try it with Parallel Minds, and what do you know, it worked.
So now aside from me, the main brain, the other Parallel Minds are all hard at work reverse-attacking Mother, to rave reviews.
How should I put it?
Sorta like a spirit parasite or a soul virus or something.
Well, you get the idea.
I’m basically crunching away at my mother’s soul.
So obviously she’s not just gonna sit there and take it.
Which means that as my Parallel Minds continue their intense mental battle against Mother, she’s dispatched something like a SWAT team to take me down in the physical world.
I seem to be winning this sorta soul-ish battle against her, but if she showed up in person, I’d definitely lose.
That’s why I built my home in a space between
the Middle and Upper Stratums where Mother can’t enter.
She’s strong enough to stomp a fire dragon without even thinking about it, but because she’s so huge, she can’t enter such a small area.
The arch taratect that’s before my eyes right now is damn big, too, but apparently, it can barely squeeze through this passage somehow.
Now then, we’ve got a huge spider army here, with four dragon-class hotshots in the lead.
From the outside, you’d probably assume I’m in hot water.
But think about it. If I knew these guys were coming, do you really think I’d just sit here waiting without making any preparations?
These guys are spiders.
And I’m a spider, too.
These days, I tend to wander around in the labyrinth, but deep down, I’m still the type who likes to set up webs and wait for prey to get caught in them, y’know?
So of course I’m not gonna sit here and not set up any traps!
The arch taratect slowly shifts into action.
I predict its movements with Foresight.
Then dodge.
The arch’s fangs pass right through the spot where I was a millisecond ago.
Yikes!
So fast?!
Well, I guess this is the monster with the highest speed stat I’ve ever Appraised.
Plus, its Hit is maxed out, and Probability Super-Correction is at level 2.
Without my quadruple combo of Thought Acceleration, Foresight, Evasion, and Probability Correction, those fangs probably would’ve gone right through me.
Damn, that’s scary.
But no matter how fast it might be, it’s still slower than me.
Even with the arch using Magic Warfare and Mental Warfare to increase all its stats, I’m still much faster.
Plus, my Magic and Mental Warfare skill levels are higher anyway.
In fact, my Magic Warfare has even evolved into Magic Divinity.
Magic Divinity is a way more powerful version of Magic Warfare, of course.
On top of having a stronger effect than its weaker version, it even increases the rate at which magic stats go up.
Thanks to that, my already ridiculously high magic-related stats are now at truly unfathomable levels.
When I activate Magic Divinity and Dragon Power at the same time, my magic attack power and resistance easily reach the ten thousands.
