Chapter 28: The Lair

In the moment he faced the green giant, Farren didn’t think much at all. From his perspective, he had already done everything he could; he’d even sacrificed the elite energy chip he’d painstakingly collected earlier. If even that wasn’t enough to defeat this monster, then whether he chose to fight or flee would be meaningless. Fortunately, his gamble paid off. After raising his [Cleave] skill to level four, the finishing move “Blade of Ruin” broke through the green giant’s defenses and dealt a fatal blow.

“Mutants are always a hassle...”

He shook his head lightly and let out a helpless sigh, then reached out toward the massive corpse before him. Once more, the energy collection halo shimmered from his hand, enveloping the huge body. After a moment, the halo vanished, leaving Farren with two green energy chips in his palm.

“My luck really isn’t with me this time.”

Farren looked at the chips, clearly dissatisfied. Collecting energy chips was a bit like looting corpses in an online game—sometimes you found something great, sometimes it was mediocre. The elite energy-absorbing monster he and Delin defeated earlier had been a lucky haul, but this green giant was clearly not. Exchanging one superior-grade chip for two excellent-grade ones felt like a losing bargain no matter how he looked at it.

But at least, he thought, I’m alive.

“Commander, are you alright?”

At that moment, Eluca hurried to his side, watching him anxiously. Noticing her gaze, Farren shook his head.

“No problem. At least for now, we’re both still alive.”

“But your hand…”

As she spoke, Eluca glanced at Farren’s left hand, which hung limply by his side—a price paid to ward off the green giant’s counterattack. He had to admit, the creature was incredibly strong; with a single blow, it had shattered his left hand completely. If he hadn’t reacted quickly, it might not have been just his arm that was broken.

“It’s nothing, just a hand. Once we find Delin, she’ll be able to heal it.”

The pain radiating from his arm hadn’t faded, but compared to the relief of survival, it was bearable. Still, Eluca couldn’t accept this answer. She looked at the young man before her, her expression conflicted, unsure what to say. If only she hadn’t been so weak, Farren wouldn’t have had to risk himself, or pay the price of an arm. Though he still wore his usual smile, Eluca noticed the sweat beading on his brow and the pallor of his face—proof that his suffering couldn’t be so easily dismissed.

“But still…”

“Enough. Let’s see what’s inside. I think… it’s about time we left this forsaken place.”

As he spoke, Farren cast a glance at the bisected corpse before him, then strode forward. Eluca hesitated a moment before clutching her laser rifle and following close behind.

Fortunately, during their exploration, Farren and Eluca encountered no further lurking threats. It seemed the only monster on this floor was the green giant. In the meeting room it had used as a lair, they found the bodies of other exploration team members. What surprised them both was that the monster hadn’t devoured the corpses; instead, after killing them, it had hung each body from the ceiling, as if curing meat.

Could this creature know how to preserve jerky?

“Waaah...!”

As Farren curiously studied the lifeless corpses suspended from the ceiling, a sudden, shrill wail rang out. The abrupt sound startled Eluca so much she instinctively raised her laser rifle, spinning to aim toward the source. Her eyes widened in shock.

“C-Commander!”

“Hm?”

Hearing her call, Farren turned in the direction she indicated, and soon understood her astonishment.

Bathed in the tactical flashlight’s beam, a huge, grotesque infant was curled up in a hole dug out of the sofa. It was several times larger than a human baby—nearly the size of a toddler, with a ferocious face and fangs much like the monster they’d fought. But it was still an infant; seeing strangers instead of its kin, it wailed loudly, flailing its arms and baring its teeth, shrieking furiously at the two intruders.

“This is...”

“I never imagined these monsters could reproduce… Wait, does that mean the one we fought earlier was female?”

Eluca shivered at Farren’s muttering. She simply couldn’t connect that hulking, terrifying creature to the word “female.” But Farren didn’t care what she thought; in fact, the moment he saw the monster infant, his eyes lit up as if he’d spotted the most beautiful woman in the world.

“Who would have thought—a juvenile, right here. This trip was worth it after all…”

Murmuring to himself, Farren slowly approached the infant monster. Sensing his approach, it shrieked even louder, as if aware of imminent danger, its cries chilling to the bone. Eluca’s hair stood on end; she gripped her weapon tightly, unsure whether to fire. What was the commander planning? Did he intend to kill the young creature? Or—could he want to raise it? She’d heard tales of wastelanders keeping mutant beasts as pets, but surely the commander wasn’t one of them…

With a heart full of dread and confusion, Eluca watched as Farren knelt beside the creature, raising his right hand. Under the lamplight, a gleaming silver scalpel caught the light, glinting coldly.

For Eluca, what happened next was a nightmare she would never forget.

“Waaah… Waaah…”

“Don’t move now. Let’s take a look at your structure. Not sure how many months old you are, but you already have teeth—seems healthy… Hmm, the skin is more supple than the adult’s. How about damage resistance?”

“WAAAH!!”

“So that’s it—compressing muscle density to defend against attacks. Must be instinctive. What else… pity about wasting that last specimen. Now, let’s examine the thoracic cavity…”

“WAAAHHH!!!”

“Four hearts! No wonder it can power such a massive body. Its mutations seem focused on self-preservation—almost like a pumpkin, with most of the bulk in skin and muscle, the other organs, even the hearts, much smaller… Remarkable healing ability. Let’s try another incision here…”

“Waah… waaah… waaah!!”

“Still crying lustily—shows a strong vitality…”

Witnessing these indescribable scenes, Eluca felt a chill down to her bones. Only one thought filled her mind.

How long would this hellish nightmare last before it finally ended?