Kumodesu

Those assigned to the lower path had also been decided—it was the group with the highest combat capabilities, including Charlot. Once the Commander finished the assignments, he dismissed everyone, giving them time to mentally prepare themselves.

I went to find Charlot in another tent.

"What is it?" Charlot's expression hadn't changed, even though she knew she might not make it back this time.

"Give me your hand."

Charlot looked at me curiously but still held out her hand.

Then, I used the same linking skill I had used on Seryl before. This skill allowed me to link with up to five people.

"What's this for?" Charlot asked, looking at the faintly glowing thread between us.

"So that I know when you're about to die and can come save you."

"Didn't think you'd worry that much," she said, chuckling.

I ignored her and turned to leave. But before stepping out of the tent, I looked back and said, "Did you forget what I said before? Try to survive."

Then I left.

Behind me, Charlot stood silently.

Earlier, I had told her that even if it meant sacrificing the entire unit, I would still choose to save the person I wanted to save.

I also went back to make some preparations—since I would be leading the group this time, there was a lot I needed to do.

First, I had to plan the movement speed to match the group below. If we moved too quickly, we might draw enemies to ourselves. I also had to figure out a way to safely pass through the third segment. Although the Commander had arranged everything clearly, I didn't trust that cowardly bunch.

In the worst-case scenario… I might have to kill them myself.

And I wouldn't hesitate.

The next morning, everyone woke up early to prepare for departure.

The group below had already set out.

"Alger."

I called Alger over.

"What is it, Sir Loyral?"

"You take command."

Alger looked a bit surprised. "But the Commander said—"

I cut him off.

"I'm just leading the way, not commanding. Besides, I won't be staying here long."

Alger wanted to say more, but my firm tone stopped him.

"Let's move."

I said, stepping into the valley. The entire group began moving.

Segment one posed no danger, but we moved very slowly.

I could already hear tremors from below.

Seems like the battle had begun.

At the start of segment two, I told Alger to have everyone stop. I knelt down to check the ground. Although the valley floor was far below, I still needed to verify the path before proceeding.

"Let's keep going," I said.

The deeper we moved in, the louder the sounds from below grew.

The screeching of the Scutigera echoed endlessly, but we had no choice but to ignore it and keep going.

An hour passed, and we had only covered 7 miles.

That was to create distance from the group below. According to my estimates, they were now about 5 miles ahead of us, which meant they were about to encounter the first mutated one. And if the first appeared, the second could easily be drawn in.

I scanned the cliff walls—the number of remaining Scutigera was very small. Most had already been drawn below. Still, to be sure, I killed off a few lingering ones with my blade.

Another hour passed, and we reached the 16-mile mark.

I scouted below again and saw both mutated ones were engaged in battle.

The ground was still stable.

"Be careful."

"What is it, Sir Loyral?"

"The next 4-mile stretch is very unstable. It could collapse, so watch your footing. Also, from here on, we're officially entering the Scutigera's territory—there will be a lot of them. The group below is serving as a distraction, but they can't lure all of them away."

I did a quick calculation and said, "At least a hundred are still up here. Watch your movements carefully—each person is responsible for their own safety."

Alger held his breath and nodded, then passed my warning to the rest of the group.

In the next two hours, we reached mile 23. During that time, we were attacked from both sides a few times. A few careless members were pulled down, but there hadn't been any large-scale confrontations.

Compared to the group below, that was a small price to pay.

Two more miles in, and we were at the third mutated one.

The group below was still fighting, but the sounds had lessened significantly.

They might be at their limit.

We continued to move slowly, mainly to observe the situation below. When we reached mile 25, I clearly sensed the third mutated one. Before, its presence had been vague—but now it was crystal clear.

It had moved from its original position.

Suddenly, several dozen Scutigera leapt up ahead, blocking our path and causing panic among the group.

"Steady your breathing," I reminded them, then pulled out my chain and dagger.

"Alger, distract them."

Alger nodded. A dazzling beam of light shot out from his hand, forcing the Scutigera to scatter. Since I was in front, I wasn't affected and immediately rushed forward.

Unfortunately, I only managed to deal with nine of them—twelve remained.

They sensed me and grew wary, launching silk toward me. Since they were blind, they had to rely on sound to locate me—but unfortunately for them, my [Light Foot] skill was very high level.

I closed in, used my dagger to kill one, then swung my chain to smash two others into the ground, crushing their heads. One jumped from behind, trying to bite my neck, but Alger pierced it with his sword just in time.

Alger wasn't idle either—he had to both keep the group in check and watch my back, but he did a good job.

I didn't suffer much damage because I never fought them head-on. I relied on my dagger and chain to maintain a safe distance.

My [Blade] skill allowed me to freely change the length of my weapon, so I maintained a constant gap.

After taking care of that first wave, we quickly moved on.

Nearly an hour later, we reached mile 29…

The fourth mutated one.

It really existed.

I clenched my fists and tried to sense it.

It hadn't moved yet—it was currently 6 miles away from us. That meant the group below was about to encounter it.

I had Alger halt the group because I needed to check ahead. I moved alone to mile 31, then stopped.

Compared to before, this stretch of road was much more damaged. Another fight like the one earlier could collapse it entirely.

I needed to reinforce it.

I had a skill that allowed me to create stone and reshape it freely. I used it to fill in the damaged parts of the path and widen it. I also created stone pillars along the sides that connected to the cliff wall to add stability.

After finishing, I signaled Alger to move the group forward.

Only 8 miles left—

But just then, something unexpected happened.

I sensed the presence of a fifth mutated one! It was coming from the end of the path, charging straight toward us.

Judging by the disturbance, I guessed the group below was about 4 miles ahead—they would face it first.

Sure enough, a massive tremor soon followed, shaking the entire path and throwing the group into panic.

I had to quickly reinforce the damaged sections, adding an extra layer of stone on top. Fortunately, I had prepared in advance, or the path might've already collapsed.

Earlier, the Commander had mentioned that Lubberia had accounted for three mutated ones and prepared countermeasures. That's why there hadn't been any overly intense clashes until now.

But the fourth one had required full force to handle. With a group attack strategy, it wasn't unmanageable—but the journey there had drained them. The sudden appearance of the fifth had truly pushed them into a corner.

We had to move faster.

I didn't hesitate and signaled Alger to march quickly.

If the fight below ended before we passed through this area, it would be really dangerous. The mounting tension had terrified the group—some of the more useless ones had started to falter.

Alger stormed over and scolded them harshly, finally snapping them back to reality.

Six miles... five... four…

We ignored every noise and pressed forward. Along the way, I killed any Scutigera that tried to attack or were lurking nearby.

Just three miles left…

Suddenly, the road ahead collapsed…

Everyone stared at the ruined path, despair taking hold.

The battle below hadn't lessened.

I looked down at my arm—the thread connecting me to Charlot was still glowing, which meant she was okay. If the thread began to darken, that would indicate her life force was fading.

Right now, it was only slightly dimmer—so she should be fine.

This link allowed the two of us to monitor each other's status.

I stopped checking the thread and started repairing the path.

New stone rapidly formed to fill the collapsed area, but the structure wasn't solidly integrated yet, so it could collapse again.

I warned Alger to tread lightly.

Eventually, we managed to cross that stretch. A few careless individuals fell down, but I didn't have the energy to rescue each one.

And finally, we arrived at the entrance to the third segment...

This place...

The path in the middle was now only wide enough for two people to walk side by side, and it was surrounded by a dense, pitch-black fog that couldn't be illuminated.

"Two people at once time, hurry and cross," I shouted.

The group quickly formed lines of two and cautiously moved forward. The line stretched far back, but no one dared to complain. One wrong step into the black fog, and they'd be done for.

I stopped watching them. I had already escorted them safely up to this point—if they couldn't make it through this simple stretch, then there was no point in protecting them any further.

I walked down toward the person I wanted to see.

Seryl was near the front of the line, so I quickly reached her.

"Miss Seryl."

She was currently walking with another female researcher.

Without waiting for her to speak, I stepped in close and whispered in her ear, "Once you're across, quickly find a place to hide."

Seryl looked at me in surprise, but seeing the seriousness in my eyes, she simply nodded and continued forward.

Suddenly, a wave of pain made me curl up in agony.

I quickly looked at the thread connecting me to Charlot.

It... had started turning black.

Things were getting worse.

I didn't hesitate and immediately leapt down the cliff, using my chain to hook onto various surfaces to land safely.

I needed to help them!

I rushed forward...

Not long after, I arrived at the battlefield...

What... is this...?

In front of me were four mutated Scutigera—and the others had been utterly decimated.

Only four were still fighting: the Commander, Charlot, the Vice Director , and Vorsel—but it was more like Vorsel was just getting beaten. The rest were either down or dead.

The four mutated Scutigera still looked very healthy.

Without hesitation, I charged toward Charlot.

At that moment, she was barely fending off a series of brutal attacks. The barrier around her body was already shredded beyond repair.

I launched four chains to restrain the creature, then hurled my dagger at its neck. It pierced through, but didn't kill it. The creature thrashed violently and broke two of my chains.

I reformed the broken chains and ran to Charlot's side.

"Don't move."

Using [Scan], I could see her SP was completely depleted, and her HP was down to half.

I carried Charlot and quickly retreated, placing her down beside a nearby cliff wall.

"What are you doing here?" Charlot asked weakly.

"Saving you."

I used my healing skill to temporarily stop her HP from dropping further, but with no SP left, she couldn't continue fighting.

"Rest. I'll take care of the rest."

Charlot propped herself up and said, "Thanks... The Vice Director 's not in great shape. He was attacked by two mutated ones at once earlier."

"How's the Commander?" I asked.

"He's holding off the Scutigera King."

I took a deep breath.

The Scutigera King!?

It was here?

No time to be shocked.

"Alright. Rest up and recover quickly."

That brief ten-second exchange with Charlot had already caused trouble for the Vice Director . The mutated Scutigera that had been fighting her turned on him instead, and he was already heavily wounded—now forced to take on two enemies at once.

I rushed over, intercepted an attack aimed at his back, and countered with my dagger. Though mutated, these creatures were blind, so dodging them wasn't too difficult.

I barely managed to pull the Vice Director out of combat.

He was covered in blood, his clothes in tatters—no longer resembling a researcher in any way. The mutated Scutigera he had been fighting was also seriously injured, so they didn't advance for now.

I did a quick healing treatment on him, then asked if he could still fight.

"I can only manage one more strike."

"Can you kill that one?" I pointed to the heavily injured mutated one.

"I can."

"Then wait here for the right moment."

He nodded.

I didn't hold back anymore and summoned eight chains at once to deal with the two mutated creatures. Against the badly injured one, I stayed mostly on the defensive. The healthier one stayed close to protect its ally.

This actually gave me an advantage.

I focused five chains on the healthier one to pin it down.

Without its protection, the injured one's weakness was immediately exposed—I held it in place with just three chains.

Then, using my skill, I created stone walls to block its movement, enclosing both of them in a stone enclosure I had formed. I generated sharp spikes and launched them repeatedly. While the damage wasn't high, it forced them to constantly defend themselves.

"Now, Vice Director !"

The Vice Director , who had been waiting for the chance, launched a small paper charm at the injured one. Still restrained by my chains and preoccupied with the spikes, it didn't notice the attack.

The paper charm, though small, slashed right through its head in a single blow.

The moment it died, I redirected all eight chains onto the remaining one.

Now the real trouble began...

I was skilled at restraint and stealth—but I lacked the strength to fight head-on.

My dagger could only wound it, not kill it. Still, I had the advantage in stamina. If I could hold it long enough, it would eventually wear down.

Luckily, its skin was poisonous but not tough, so after repeated slashes I managed to inflict several wounds.

Then, it let out a roar and—somehow—broke all eight of my chains, charging at me like a wrecking machine.

I kept retreating, continuously creating stone walls to slow it down—but it smashed through them with ease.

No good.

I couldn't back away any further.

Retreating now would put Charlot, who was behind me, in danger.

So I changed direction—toward segment three!

I planned to use the curse to kill it.

I already had a plan in place.

As I ran, I had marked several surrounding rocks. Upon reaching the boundary, I stopped and waited for the mutated creature to charge.

When it was just four meters away, I used my skill. Instantly, I swapped places with one of the marked rocks. The creature, moving too fast to stop, ran straight into the cursed zone and died on the spot.

I let out a relieved sigh.

That had been incredibly risky—this skill didn't have a 100% success rate. That's why I marked multiple objects—so if one failed, I could quickly switch to another.

Fortunately, it had worked on the first try.

After catching my breath, I ran back to Charlot.

On the way, I spotted Vorsel still struggling, so I rushed over to assist. Both of us specialized in control and stealth, so finishing off the mutated creature took a long, grueling effort.

Thankfully, we managed to kill it after a hard fight.

When we returned, Charlot and the Vice Director were still resting there.

"All taken care of?" the Vice Director asked.

I nodded.

"Where's the Commander?"

The Vice Director shook his head and sighed. "Still fighting."

I frowned. "But why don't I hear anything?"

"The Scutigera King has a skill that creates an independent space. As soon as it appeared, the Commander charged in to stop it and got pulled into that space. We tried to help, but it summoned more mutated creatures. While they weren't as strong as natural ones, their sheer numbers overwhelmed us," Vorsel explained.

So that's what happened.

"So there's nothing we can do now?" I asked, though I already knew the answer. All four of us here—including me—were completely exhausted.

"We can only wait."

I nodded, then voiced another question that had been bothering me. "Why is the Scutigera King even here? This place shouldn't have enough resources or conditions for one to evolve, right?"

Everyone wore a dazed expression as they looked at me.

After a long silence, the Vice Director replied, "We don't know either. It came out of the cursed zone."

I stared at him in disbelief.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. I'm clueless too. We didn't sense anything before—it just suddenly emerged."

I lowered my head, lost in thought.

The cursed zone had always been suspicious, but what was happening now made it even more mysterious.

"My guess is that it absorbed power from the cursed zone," I said, sharing my theory.

The others were too tired to respond, but they still asked, "Wasn't that 'curse' something we just named ourselves? It's never been proven."

"Creatures die when they touch it because it contains some kind of unknown energy that living beings can't absorb. But the Scutigera have lived here for a long time—maybe they've adapted to it and gained power from it."

That was the most reasonable conclusion I could think of.

The Vice Director silently pondered for a moment, then said, "If that's true, then in a few decades this place might produce dozens of Kings. That would be a real disaster for all of Lubberia."

He was right—but there was nothing we could do about it right now.

All we could do was wait.