Chapter 140

There Cannot Be Two Suns Under Heaven (1)

A strange silence hung over the drawing room of Whitewolf Castle. Brumbar remained silent, deep in thought.

Then—

"An ogre...!"

The human woman named Seraphia murmured under her breath.

Adrian, meanwhile, had fallen abruptly silent. He had not said anything for some time, merely staring blankly into space with a strange, unreadable expression.

"..."

Brumbar's expression grew steadily darker.

The ogre, the strongest predator on land.

Hunting one was truly, truly dangerous. Brumbar and the dwarves could not manage it alone.

And so their positions had reversed. Brumbar was no longer the one agreeing to Adrian's proposal. He was now the one who had to beg Adrian for help.

Not merely involving himself with humans, but begging one for help. His pride would never permit it, and yet—

"... Please."

Brumbar bowed his head. As chief of the dwarves, he had to protect what must be protected.

"Feractrum needs runesteel."

Without it, Feractrum would collapse. The home of the dwarves, and the history of their ancestors, would disappear.

"That makes this a rather poor deal for me..."

Adrian looked somewhat troubled, then—

"Well, all right."

He grinned as though this suited him perfectly.

"If you'll grant me just one more request, I'll help you hunt the ogre."

A request from a human brimming with greed. Brumbar did not know what Adrian would ask, but...

"... Very well."

Whatever it was, he had no choice but to do it.

* * *

The operation to transport the Arcanoheart.

Of course, if the Arcanoheart could be stored in the Inventory, the problem would be easily solved. But the chances of that were rather low.

Besides, even if I could store it in the Inventory, I would still hunt the ogre. All because of the Evolution Quest.

==[There Cannot Be Two Suns Under Heaven]==

[Objective] - Devour an ogre

[Reward] - Awakening of the <Protohuman> Bloodline

[If Declined] - No penalty

'Protohuman, huh.'

I did not know what it meant. But I had seen it before, with the Memorier that had copied me. When I examined it using Predatory Instincts[S], its biological classification had been "Protohuman."

'Wasn't that referring to the Memorier?'

Now that I thought about it, the Memorier had copied me perfectly, right down to my genes. In other words, its biological classification had been mine.

And come to think of it...

'I've never used Predatory Instincts on myself.'

There had been neither a reason nor a need.

If I wanted to know my own information, all I had to do was call up 「Player Information」. But since it had come to this, I might as well.

I used Predatory Instincts[S], and its information appeared, different from 「Player Information」.

==<Character Information>==

Name: Adrian Whitewolf

Classification: Kingdom Animalia, Class Mammalia, Family Hominidae, Protohuman

Sex: Male

Age: 19

Traits: I Alone Level Up[EX], Successor's Will[EX], Predation[S+], Regeneration[B+], Nutrient Synthesis[B], Promote Metabolism[C+], Dragon's Claw[A], Metabolic Overdrive[U], Dragon’s Skin[U], Predatory Instincts[S], Find Weakness[U], Infinity[M], Wrath of The Frenzied Dragon[L], Berserk[?], Assimilation[B], Low-Light Vision[C], Mental Empathy[E], Slime Fluid[U], Rigid Body Transformation[U], Predator[M], Limit[M], Monomolecular Blade[S], Dragon Burst[E], Oath of Loyalty[U]

Unlike the Memorier's information, mine also showed Ian's abilities and Predation[S+]. Predator[M], the Bond Skills, and even the skills I had evolved since fighting the Memorier were all there.

'... That's a lot.'

It really was a lot. The super-combination skills were missing, though. Presumably because I had to use Berserk[?] to transcend their limits—

'It says Protohuman.'

My biological classification was listed as "Protohuman."

But...

'What is that?'

Even Iliana had never taught me about it. Protists, I had heard of. But Protohumans were new to me.

... Somehow, it felt as though I wasn't being treated as human. Still, judging by the "human" in Protohuman, I did seem to be classified as one.

So if the prefix meant the same thing as it did in "protist," it would simply mean a primordial life-form—a Protohuman, or "Proto-Human." That was one rough definition.

But if the prefix meant "beginning," referring to an origin, then Protohuman could mean "Primogenian." That was another possible definition.

I was not sure which it was. Still, judging by the word "Bloodline" in the Evolution Quest...

'Does it have something to do with Predation?'

My ability, Predation[S+].

'Even Iliana couldn't explain it.'

How could devouring my prey's heart let me instantly absorb its abilities and undergo such dramatic evolution? She had been unable to explain the mechanism behind it, and thus unable to explain what I was. The Iliana of the present would be no different.

In other words...

'There's nothing I can figure out for now.'

But if I cleared the Evolution Quest and awakened this Protohuman Bloodline or whatever it was, I would learn something. For that reason, I fully intended to hunt the ogre.

More importantly...

'An ogre...'

An opportunity to use Predation[S+] on an ogre had walked right up to me. I could not let it slip away.

Ogres were called the perfected form of biological evolution. They were creatures that had evolved from whales adapted to life on land. They had inherited the enormous size of whales intact, while mutating to acquire other genetic traits and extreme survivability.

Thick layers of subcutaneous fat. Dense skeletons. Unrivaled, powerful musculature that made them literal natural disasters.

Their skin was as hard as a carapace, and their internal organs and nervous systems had redundant structures that kept them standing even after otherwise fatal injuries.

I had encountered an ogre exactly once in my previous life. But I had been unable to use Predation[S+] on it, for the same reason I could not devour a Sovereign.

["I'm not confident I could subdue you without killing you."]

Even Ian could not have handled my Madness after I used Predation[S+] on an ogre. In other words, it was at least on par with a legion commander. Depending on the circumstances, it could be stronger.

That was why the Emperor had tried to raise them as strategic weapons, only to give up in the end. Their ferocious disposition, inherited from whales, would not bow even to him, and a single ogre rampage could wreck an imperial fortress.

Ultimately, the Emperor had abandoned the attempt and driven them to extinction.

The ogre, the strongest predator on land.

Now that I had Successor's Will[EX], I could use Predation[S+] on an ogre. And if I devoured one?

'I can break past my limits in one go.'

I could gain not only a body capable of withstanding Predator[M]'s overload, but also the foundation to keep Predator[M] active at all times. That would bring me decisively closer to the pinnacle of all living things: the Ultimate Lifeform.

Along with completing the Evolution Quest, I absolutely had to use Predation[S+] on the ogre. And so...

"If what Seraphia says is true, we must treat the ogre's appearance as a certainty."

The operation was simple.

"Chief Brumbar, Kai, and I will face the ogre. The three of us."

"What about me?"

Seraphia's eyes sparkled as she asked. She clearly wanted to take part in the operation as well. In the past, I probably would have refused her outright, but...

"I want to come—!"

"Seraphia, can you help too?"

"... Huh? Me too?"

"Yes."

She stared blankly for a moment, apparently not having expected me to bring it up first.

"Really?! You're taking me with you?!"

"Seraphia, you'll transport the Arcanoheart with the dwarves and contain it if it happens to go out of control."

An ogre was by no means an easy opponent. It was not something we could fight while protecting the Arcanoheart. I needed Seraphia's Authority as a safeguard in case the fallout from the battle sent it out of control.

◆Authority of Bitter Cold (Power of Cold)[P]

: The user generates a [Supernatural Thermal Energy Deficit], reducing [Entropy] and [Enthalpy] within an energy system to [Infinitesimal] levels. As a result, all thermal energy and molecular motion within a [Finite System] converge on [0], completely halting physical, chemical, and biological processes.

I did not fully understand it. But at the court social gathering, Seraphia had annihilated the she-spider of the Abyss carrying fifty thousand young. Judging by Leon's account, she seemed capable of annihilating all the energy a being possessed, including mana. That meant she should be able to control the Arcanoheart's runaway energy too.

"I'll do my best!"

Seraphia clenched her fists. I had yet to ask Kai's opinion, but...

"Then go get Kai."

If you say you're going, Seraphia, he'll follow no matter what.

"Yes!"

She hurried out of the drawing room.

Seraphia, Kai, and I would all be away, but that was fine. With Bernard here, I had little reason to worry about running the county. Nor did I have to worry about the Vister recruits betraying us anymore.

The Bond Skill, Oath of Loyalty[U].

It had not been my intention, but the result was that the Vister recruits' loyalty was now firmly cemented. Another bond had formed, and they would never turn their backs on us, whatever happened.

With that, all preparations were complete.

"Let's leave at once."

We set out for Feractrum, the kingdom of the dwarves.

* * *

Feractrum, the kingdom of the dwarves.

A land long isolated from humanity. There were no paved roads, and the terrain was so rugged that not even a carriage could pass. They had to travel on foot.

Brumbar, chief of the dwarves, led the way, forging a path. The mountains were steep and the winds fierce, but he strode on in silence, solid as iron.

Kai watched his back, then checked on Seraphia beside him.

"Are you all right, Count?"

"Yes! I'm perfectly fine!"

She answered brightly, but her breathing was ragged—

She staggered, swaying like a flower petal caught in the wind. Kai hurriedly caught her by the shoulders.

"Th-thank you."

She felt as light as a thin petal. Up close, her face looked terribly drawn.

"Let's rest awhile."

Without waiting for her reply, he helped her sit down.

Noticing the commotion, Brumbar approached. He said nothing in particular. After quietly observing the exhausted Seraphia, he sat down on the spot without a word.

Kai slowly addressed him.

"You are the dwarven chief, correct?"

"Brumbar."

"There is something I would like to ask."

"Ask."

"Why did you say nothing?"

"... What do you mean?"

"Why did you say nothing about having only the three of us accompany you to hunt the ogre?"

An ogre was a monster beyond the capacity of even an army. Defeating one would be difficult even if the county committed its entire military strength. If that were enough, the dwarves would have handled it themselves in the first place. Was that not why Brumbar had asked for help?

Yet the force mobilized for the ogre hunt consisted of just three people. For Brumbar, who had requested help, that ought to have been more than puzzling. By any common-sense standard, it should have been incomprehensible.

And yet he had said nothing. Even the sight of a frail young girl like Seraphia had raised no questions. It could hardly be because he trusted them—

"I've heard that dwarves don't place much trust in humans."

"S-Sir Kai...!"

Seraphia looked at him in alarm. But Kai remained impassive, and Brumbar likewise showed no emotion.

"We don't."

"Then why—"

"Regardless of whether I trust you, I know you're strong."

As though Kai had asked something obvious, Brumbar recalled what had happened several days earlier.

* * *

It had been shortly after they left Whitewolf county. Brumbar could not begin to understand what was happening.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Those tremendous crashes coming from behind them.

'An ogre?'

That had been his first thought.

But it was not an ogre. It was Adrian, laden with heavy iron equipment. The weight was so immense that each time he stepped down, the earth caved in beneath him in the shape of his footprint.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The crashes shook heaven and earth. That was the source of the thunderous noise, like an ogre on a rampage. The rocklike muscles all over Adrian's body bulged with the effort...

... What was that? Was he even human?

And that was not all.

"Hnnngh!"

What was wrong with the human man named Kai? As though determined not to lose to Adrian, Kai was drawing the energy suffusing his entire body up to its fullest.

And then...

"Hah, hah...!"

What was with this human woman who took all of it in stride?

"Why are they doing that?"

"... Pardon? Doing what?"

Doing what? How could she look at that and ask, "Doing what?"

"Oh, Brother is conditioning his body."

"Conditioning his body?"

That monstrosity?

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

... Not torturing it?

Unless his body was carved from stone—

No, even a body carved from stone couldn't—

"And Sir Kai is training his aura."

That monstrosity?

WHOOOOSH!!

... Not fighting a war?

What in the world were these humans? Was this where the ogre had appeared?

No, perhaps...

"..."

Perhaps Brumbar was traveling with beings even more bizarre than an ogre—

CRAAAAACK!!

"Ah, oops! It's still hard to control..."

... And what was with her now?