Bastard Homunculus: Reborn in the Corpse Pit-Chapter 168: Cause for Concern

"Alright, the corpse is in my Storage Ring, let’s take a short break to rest up and then head back to report this," Remarked Raven, the others taking a seat on the grass in response.

"Yeah, I’m not particularly tired or anything, but the stress and adrenaline I felt after that mutated bear showed up kinda wore me out mentally," Responded Akila with a wry smile.

"Me too, though I do feel a bit physically fatigued as well," Sighed Ferd.

"Probably because I healed you, your arm was badly fractured and the right side of your ribcage sustained some damage too," Raven informed him.

"I really am sorry, you wouldn’t have gotten so hurt if I’d held back a bit more," Spoke up Zina apologetically.

"Like I said before, you have absolutely no reason to apologize. A few fractured bones is a price I’m more than willing to pay when the alternative would’ve been death," Ferd shook his head with a wry smile.

"What was with that Monster, anyway? Was is simply just a random mutation? Or maybe evolution?" Suggested Laiza uncertainly.

"Hm, good question...I’m leaning more towards the former, given how deformed its appearance was compared to the other Death Grizzlies, so I doubt that was evolution. There are a few Monster species that can evolve, like Goblins and Slimes, but Death Grizzlies aren’t one of them," Pointed out Raven.

"I-I really hope this was a one-off thing, it’ll be bad if more mutated Monsters like this one start popping up. I-If a Mid Level Monster got this much more powerful, I-I don’t want to imagine how powerful a mutated High or Critical Level one would be," Shuddered Kia warily.

"Hm...hey, are there ant Monsters in this world?" Inquired Akila curiously.

"Yeah, there are, they’re called Giant Ants. Why?" Responded Raven.

"Well, I don’t know if it really applies in this world, but in a couple of fictional stories in my old world, mutating ants are, like, crazy dangerous. But, like I said, those were purely fiction, and could have no real correlation to this world. Still though, I thought I should at least mention it."

"Sure, I’ll keep it mind and mention it when we report this incident. Giant Ants are Low Level Threats though, so I wouldn’t be too concerned."

"D-Don’t say stuff like that, you’ll set off a death flag."

"Huh? A death flag?" Responded Raven in bemusement.

"Is that the same as a jinx?" Chimed in Laiza curiously.

"Yeah, pretty much, I guess the term death flag doesn’t exist in this world, then," Mused Akila thoughtfully.

The group then chatted for a while as they rested up, the others asking Akila about his old world and how it differed from this one.

Naturally, they had some trouble wrapping their heads around certain aspects of the modern world, particularly the internet.

"Alright, guys, I think we’ve rested up long enough. Let’s head back to the city, shall we?" Suggested Raven, as he got back onto his feet and stretched his arms up.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the nation, in a location known as the Petalite Woods...

"Stand back, everyone! This thing’s too dangerous!" Exclaimed Wein Beryl, before rapidly extending out his staff towards the Monster he was fighting, a mutated Cyclops.

Cyclopses were usually humanoid Monsters with tall, muscular bodies and a single eye, from which they could fire out powerful beams of red energy.

But this one was different. Not only was it taller than others of its kind, but it had extra eyes on both its palms and a large one in the middle of its chest, with a third arm protruding out of its back.

It turned its body across as Wein’s staff shot towards it rapidly, before roaring it pain as the staff grazed the large eye on its chest, before Wein swiftly leapt off to the right as the Monster fired rapid beams at him from its palms, the eye on its chest starting to glow ominously.

A massive beam then burst forth towards Wein with immense speed, who raced off to his right before leaping away, narrowly evading the blast as it carved a trail across the ground, clouds of dust rising up, before the Monster turned its head towards Wein, its main eye starting to glow.

Wein swiftly raised his hand and fired out an intense blast of wind, hitting the Monster’s chin and knocking its head up, dazing it as it stumbled back, the glow of its eye fading, before Wein rapidly extended his staff straight towards the eye on its chest.

It began to try and scramble away in alarm, but it was too slow to react, as the end of the staff slammed square onto the middle of the eye and burst through, a deafening roar of pain ringing out as blood burst out of the eye and streamed down the Monster’s body. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

Wein’s eyes then widened in alarm as the Monster snarled viciously and grabbed hold of the staff, wrenching the weapon out of the eye in the middle of its chest before giving it a sharp tug, pulling Wein off balance before starting to yank on the staff to pull Wein towards it.

Wein quickly retracted the staff as fast as he could, the blood coating the end of the weapon helping slip it out of the Monster’s grasp.

Wein stumbled forward before quickly regaining his balance and springing off to his left as the Cyclops fired a rapid beam at him from the eye on its right hand, just barely evading a direct hit before grimacing as the beam grazed his right shoulder, burning through his armor and searing his skin.

He then gritted his teeth before firing off pressurized bursts of wind from his heels, launching himself towards the Monster before whipping his staff across while extending it out, striking the injured eye on its chest.

The Monster’s body seized up sharply in pain, before Wein swung his arm across and fired out a rapid slashing wave of wind towards the Monster’s head.

It quickly raised its arms up defensively, before roaring in pain as the attack sliced through the eye on its left hand, blood gushing out as a deep, horizontal gash appeared across the middle of the eye.

Wein then sprang back and spun his staff in front of himself as the Monster roared furiously and unleashed a rapid, concentrated beam from the eye on its head, which struck the spinning staff with immense force.

Wein’s feet skidded back across the ground from the force of the beam, before stiffening as the Monster charged towards him as the beam petered out, the eye on its right hand starting to glow.

It leapt forward as it closed in on Wein, swinging its right arm across as it fired out the charged up beam, which sliced across the air and missed Wein’s head by a whisker as he ducked down to evade it, the heat emanating from the beam brushing the side of his head and singing a couple of hairs.

He then launched himself up as the Cyclops balled its fists together and swung them down towards him, a loud crash echoing out as its fist slammed onto the ground with immense force, as Wein narrowly zipped up over the swing of its fists.

"I’ve got you now!" He exclaimed, before extending out his staff and swinging it down with all his strength, slamming it onto the top of the Monster’s head before it could react, severing dazing it as he deeply cracked the middle of its skull upon impact, before opening his mouth and charging up a swirling mass of wind.

He then compressed and fired out the wind, hitting the end of his staff and slamming it more firmly against the top of the Monster’s head, a slight crunch echoing out as he split its skull, blood streaming down its face.

The Cyclops shakily stumbled back as Wein landed, before he sprang forward and raised his hand, firing out a piercing burst of wind towards the Monster’s eye, hitting it right as it raised its right arm and fired out another beam at him.

He quickly twisted his body across as the beam shot towards him, shooting through the spot above his left shoulder, by the side of his neck, grazing his skin and inflicting a few painful burns, before a loud thud echoed out as the Monster collapsed onto its knees and fell over.

Wein’s attack had burst through its eye and pierced its brain, killing it right as it fired out its final beam.

"Th-That was way too close," Muttered Wein shakily, letting out a sigh of relief before thinking to himself in concern, "What the hell was this thing, anyway? It was far too powerful for a Cyclops, it must have been at least close to Critical Level. I don’t like this one bit, it’s certainly cause for concern. I should report this to the Commander right away."