novelraw Chapter 200
Chapter 200
Chapter 200
With Emotion, who had returned to her humanoid form, I leapt up into the trees. Even though getting caught in the beasts' stampede wouldn't injure us, it was just in case.
Even outside the area where the Beast of Despair had appeared, trees were toppling all over. Perhaps large beasts fleeing had accidentally crashed into them.
"Whoa, that's huge..."
To the west of the Pink Leaf Trees stretched what should probably be called the Greenleaf Forest. At its center, what sluggishly revealed itself was a mass that could only be described as an earthen-colored mountain. Perhaps due to the large amount of soil clinging to it, its form was hard to make out. But there was no mistaking its massive size, enough to be mistaken for a mountain. The surrounding trees had been overturned by the upheaved earth when it emerged. It was like a landslide.
Without a word, Kait summoned Queen Bee. Depending on how things developed, he planned to flee atop Queen Bee.
Whether he rode Queen Bee or not, Kait was confident he wouldn't lose to the so-called beast. However, that creature was part of Ramadite's ecosystem. Its massive size meant it had a significant environmental impact as an individual. Kait, a mere temporary visitor, had no right to defeat it for his own convenience.
If it turned hostile, they would flee. Perhaps understanding Kait's intent, Emotion voiced no objection.
――Bwoooooooom
It was probably a cry—a deep bass sound echoed through the area. The atmosphere shuddered, and once again, the surrounding creatures scattered in panic.
Then, the beast's body suddenly split vertically. It seemed to split in two around the center of its body and collapsed onto the trees ahead. Cracking and snapping sounds of trees being crushed rang out—first loudly, then muffled.
"Is it eating...? Those trees?"
'Yes, Kait Third-Rank Citizen (Enec Lagif). That is the Beast of Despair. Also known as the 'Forest Eater'. It devours entire forests with its bottomless appetite.'
"Forest Eater, huh. That's quite the appetite."
Apparently uninterested in the Pink Leaf Trees, the beast was crunching away at the Greenleaf ones. With that massive body, its appetite was understandable.
Strange. Kait felt an odd sense of discomfort watching the beast. He didn't know everything about the evolution of Ramadite's creatures, so maybe his feeling was off-base. But his instincts told him—something was wrong.
"Rutimi De. Dolti Mu. Can you tell me everything you know about that thing? ...Something's off."
'Something's off? What do you mean...?'
"Sorry. I can't quite put into words what's off. There's just this strange sense of wrongness."
Hmm, the two on the other end of the transmission seemed to tilt their heads in thought.
Well, it was only natural they'd find his words absurd. Kait, a newcomer, was voicing discomfort to the natives.
Rutimi De answered first. Then Dolti Mu followed.
'I don't really understand what kind of discomfort you're feeling, Kait Third-Rank Citizen. And this is actually my first time seeing it. I've only heard stories from the elders of the herd, but if that's okay—'
"That helps."
'I've seen it once before. I might be able to share a little.'
"Thanks, both of you."
The earthen color filling the landscape still seemed engrossed in its meal. Who knew how long it would stay, but there might be enough time to find the answer to this discomfort.
***
The Beast of Despair. Also known as the 'Forest Eater'.
It's said to be a massive beast that emerges from underground with a tremor. No other animal with a similar appearance has ever been seen, so its reproduction and juvenile form remain unknown.
Its primary food is trees. It may sometimes consume beasts that fail to escape, but it has never acquired a taste for animals and pursued them.
Its appearance frequency is unknown. It doesn't seem to favor any particular location, and some Smallfolk live their entire lives without encountering it even once.
Its form appears as though it's covered in the soil it digs up, so no one has clearly confirmed its full appearance.
It has no natural enemies. Though its movement on land is extremely sluggish, its size is so overwhelming that no creature dares oppose or prey on it.
Its meals last about one to two days. After consuming an entire forest's worth of trees, it returns underground.
The forest it devours becomes a temporary void, but after the beast leaves, the surrounding forest begins to advance and rebuild a new ecosystem.
No one has ever witnessed the beast doing anything other than feeding above ground. For that reason, the Smallfolk believe it usually lives underground.
***
The information received from the Smallfolk amounted to about this much.
It was understandable that only distant observations existed. Approaching that thing carelessly would be fatal not only for the Smallfolk. If someone claimed to have tactile data, it would be more suspicious.
"Final confirmation. Its emergence on the surface is truly rare, correct?"
'Yes. That's correct. At least, the first time I saw it was as a child, and I didn't see it again until thirty years later, after joining the Federation.'
"Thank you. ...Hmm."
The vague discomfort that had been floating in his mind now seemed to take shape.
Then, perched atop Queen Bee and observing the beast, Emotion asked Kait a question.
"Captain. Is there something bothering you?"
"There is. It's just so strange."
Prompted by Emotion, Kait voiced the doubts that arose just from looking at the beast.
First, the head. Roughly half its massive body was its head, with a mouth large enough to swallow a giant tree whole. And the eyeball. If it primarily operated underground, then it wouldn't be strange for its eyes to have degenerated. Yet, there was clearly a sphere functioning as an eye on its head. It squirmed, searching through the trees it crushed—clearly an active organ.
Next, the lack of visible functional limbs. Maybe they were just hidden, but if so, they were far too small compared to the head. How could it have dug through the earth with such limbs? Despite its mountain-like size, it hadn't taken long to emerge after the quake. Without immense digging power, that wouldn't be possible, and yet no matching parts could be seen.
Lastly, it didn't seem to have a skeleton. A body that massive should require a proper skeletal structure. But the way it moved while feeding on trees didn't show any sign of skeletal influence. It moved more like wobbling jelly.
Overall, strange. Declaring it a unique creature beyond Kait's understanding would be the fastest explanation. Thinking of it as a super-giant amoeba made it easier to accept.
"I see. It really is strange."
"Right?"
Talking with Emotion finally helped Kait sort out his discomfort and questions.
A super-giant amoeba that burrows through the earth. Kait had encountered countless bizarre space marine creatures before, so perhaps this too could be dismissed as another bizarre space unicellular organism.
"Hey, is that thing even really a living creature?"
No good. Once he said it aloud, he couldn't resist confirming it.
He couldn't overcome the curiosity that had surfaced. Kait decided to observe the Beast of Despair more closely.