Attack (Bonus Chapter)

Meanwhile, Benjamin worked with the others to carry things into the crude new house.

He then turned to look out the window, and the thought of running away surfaced in his heart once more.

But he quickly shook his head and forced himself to let go of that idea.

On Whale Back, the wilderness was far too dangerous.

Or rather, this era was far too dangerous.

Ever since the Great Cataclysm on the ground, the land had been suffused with a certain calamitous aura.

Creatures that lived there for long periods would undergo mutations because of it, becoming creatures collectively known as Calamity Beasts.

Even flying creatures, after leaving Whale Back, would be drawn down by the earth and descend unconsciously, bringing some of that calamitous aura back up with them.

Some creatures would also become dangerous under the influence of that aura.

The most typical example was the Nest Beast.

Nest Beasts were not Calamity Beasts, but their danger could not be underestimated.

They had only become famous because they reproduced in sufficient numbers and at a sufficient speed.

There were many other dangerous creatures in the wilderness.

There had even been cases of Steel Breed dying by accident in the wild.

"Help The Church capture Otto quickly. I'll use these illegal miners as stepping stones for my redemption." Benjamin's gaze hardened. He had no choice; to make a living, he had worked for a middleman dealing in contraband.

He had gradually grown accustomed to that life on the fringes of legality.

This time, The Church had caught him. He would basically be imprisoned for life, or simply killed to save trouble.

But if he redeemed himself through meritorious service, there was still hope for him.

He had hidden quite a bit of money in several places around Tail-Wagging Town.

As long as he earned merit, he would still have hope of getting out of prison someday and living a normal life again.

"I hope Isabella succeeds." That was another reason Benjamin had made up his mind.

If Jacques had been the only one involved this time, Benjamin firmly believed Jacques would never be able to outplay Otto.

He might even have taken the risk of secretly passing information to Otto, joining forces with him and gambling that Otto would not silence him, but would instead help him assume a new identity.

But Isabella...

Thinking of the girl who had not looked down on him for being a "tainted witness," Benjamin's heart softened considerably.

She had first saved him in the wilderness and treated his wounds.

And during their later conversations, he had sensed Isabella's difference.

She could understand the choices forced upon him by the hardships of life. That feeling of being understood made him feel redeemed.

"I never thought someone like me would one day be moved by another person."

Isabella looked delicate, but that impression came only because her features were so exquisite that she resembled a doll.

In truth, her heart was unexpectedly strong, and she possessed firm convictions of her own.

It was precisely because of that that Benjamin found himself leaning toward The Church when making his choice.

Even if he still had to spend several years in prison after redeeming himself, at least then he would not have failed...

Before the thought could finish, someone appeared in the distance.

That person staggered toward them, swaying from side to side.

Looking closely, wasn't that the person he had traded with?

A member of Otto's caravan. Benjamin had obtained some of his information about Dorsal Fin Village from him.

Sharp as he was, Benjamin immediately sensed that something was wrong.

"Danger!" Benjamin shouted and immediately dodged to the side, slamming his fist into his chest at the same time.

As he struck himself hard, three thin, nail-like objects emerged from his chest. They were the Sin Nails placed by The Church.

Made with a special power, they restricted his ability to move, speak, and use his fairly decent Breathing Technique.

The resources available on the fringes of legality had meant his cultivation progress was not bad.

But now Benjamin's physical capabilities were locked. Once he left his controller's range, his entire body would convulse. And if he intended to do anything bad or say any forbidden words, he would be forcibly "silenced."

Furthermore, if this thing was triggered, the controller would receive an alert.

Earlier, when Benjamin and the others had come to Dorsal Fin Village, they had been attacked by dangerous creatures in the wilderness. Faced with that unexpected situation, Benjamin had used this very method, which was how Isabella had managed to save him.

Now, Benjamin naturally used the same trick again, warning Isabella and the others through this method.

Otto and his people were not unaware. Word that they had come to investigate the Whale Skin Mine had already leaked.

Otto's goal was therefore clear: create an "accident," then silence them all!

People like that were far too dangerous. For profit, they were true desperadoes.

Boom!! A tremendous explosion rang out, followed by flesh and blood flying everywhere. The staggering man was now scattered all over the ground.

Then, amid the splattered flesh, black specks appeared.

"It's a deeply Alienated Nest Beast, run!!" At the sight of those black specks, Benjamin's scalp went numb.

Once a dangerous Nest Beast underwent deep Alienation, it was only one step away from becoming a Calamity Beast, and its abilities would be greatly enhanced.

As he spoke, Benjamin hurriedly ran into the distance.

The black specks wriggled continuously before revealing their full forms—every one of them was a strand of black hair.

If the Nest Beast died, these things would lose enough activity that leather gloves could ignore them.

But if they entered a living body before that, not only would their activity not diminish, it would continue to increase.

Sure enough, among the chunks of flesh scattered everywhere, the black hairs bent themselves slightly and sprang into the air.

As if they could sense the presence of life, they shot densely toward every living target like flying needles.

After some people were struck, the black hairs quickly burrowed into their bodies.

"Ahhh!" Someone screamed in terror, frantically scratching at their skin as though trying to pull the black hairs out.

The black hairs that had missed their targets continued to struggle after embedding themselves elsewhere, trying to enter living bodies again.

That was truly terrifying. Previous Nest Beast disasters could be contained mostly because, after the black hairs launched themselves, their activity rapidly declined and they could no longer actively pursue living beings.

Therefore, after the first explosion, all they had to do was quickly restrain those whose bodies had been invaded by black hairs, then either treat them or directly exile them into the wilderness.

But now, these black hairs were launching themselves repeatedly.

At this thing's speed, virtually everyone in the surrounding area would be unable to escape being parasitized by the black hairs.

Benjamin had noticed a step ahead of everyone else, so he had barely managed to escape their attack range.

But then he discovered that those parasitized by the black hairs suddenly stood up with dazed expressions and ran toward him.

"The incubation period is gone?!!"

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