Ten free attribute points?! Was it really that awesome? And this was simply for recording a single wonder! Such a lavish reward! After all, he'd merely glimpsed at it!
[Ding! After activating the Bestiary System, please record as many entries as possible. Each entry will offer attribute point rewards based on the importance of the information. Keep up the good work, host.]
So that's how it is! In that case, could he also record Little, Little's mom and Little's dad? To think... They were creatures of Origin level!
Without a second thought, Lynne swiftly turned his gaze to Little, who was situated beneath him.
As expected, a system notification echoed in his ears immediately.
[Ding! You've recorded an Origin-level creature: Headhunter (Little). You've been awarded: 6 free attribute points.]
Lynne was immediately elated.
It really was possible!
Wasting no time, he quickly turned to the other two Origin-level creatures nearby.
[Ding! You've recorded an Origin-level creature: Headhunter (Titan's Skull). You've been awarded: 20 free attribute points.]
[Ding! You've recorded an Origin-level creature: Headhunter (Witch God's Skull). You've been awarded: 15 free attribute points.]
Lynne: "!!!"
Absolutely unbeatable! The boost this Bestiary System provided to his personal power was unimaginably helpful! With just four entries, he'd gained 51 free attribute points! This was significantly more than what he earned from leveling up!
Little (ω) held up her eyeball, looking at Lynne with curiosity. "Doctor — you look — so happy —"
Grinning, Lynne gave her a thumbs-up. "Because I encountered something joyous, so of course I'm happy!"
Little (ω) responded, "Hmm — when the doctor is happy — Little is happy too —"
...
Almost simultaneously, within the sealed space beneath the Hanged Tower, the large screen instantly displayed the visages of those three massive headhunters. The high-ranking members of the Demonfolk Association trembled at the sight, sweat pouring down their faces.
"They've really come!"
With a cold smirk, the Heart Eater propped himself on the screen, his eyes fixated on the three headhunters. He sneered: "Good! Very good! Since you've come, I shall let you witness the unparalleled strength of our association's top creation!"
Snap—
His hand instantly pressed a mechanical switch in front of the screen.
"Prototype Colossus activated… Entering combat mode… Target locked… Initiating Origin countermeasures…"
"Colossus blueprint fully initiated… Phase one data structure complete… Phase two energy transfer complete…"
"Commencing the hunt…"
Hum—
In a heartbeat, within that desolate wilderness, the towering Hanged Tower suddenly stirred. Its massive form slowly began to rise from beneath the earth. Huge mechanical legs, enveloped in dark flesh, creaked as they extended from the barren soil.
Dozens of giant mechanical arms, reminiscent of the limbs of zombies, dangled loosely behind the colossal frame of the Hanged Tower. It gradually stood erect, countless grains of sand cascading from its form.
Intense red lights radiated from the vast tower, and its enormous chimney belched even denser plumes of smoke.
"After centuries, countless members of the association have collaborated to research and develop flesh akin to the source. Combined with the intricate alloy derived from Colossus and the arcane-powered skeleton!"
The Heart Eater's expression, as he watched the screen, became even more twisted and malevolent.
"Wings modeled after the Abyssal Bone Dragon, powered by the core of a gargantuan Lava Golem, supplemented by the regenerative capabilities of a Blood Demon amalgamation, and the curse of the Old God's descendants acting as the bond for its intricate structures! What will you fight me with?! Even if you are beings of Origin level, so what?! Before the pinnacle of the Demonfolk Association's research, what can you possibly use against me?!"
He roared with a ghastly snarl.
Outside, the winds roared and clouds surged. A thick black mist formed above the gigantic Colossus, coalescing into a massive, swirling vortex. The Prototype Colossus slowly moved its immense mechanical legs, turning its body to target the trio of distant headhunters.
ROAR——!!
With a deafening cry, the Colossus unleashed a terrifying roar towards them. The heavens changed color, and the earth trembled in response.
[WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!]
[Emergency Special Task Triggered: Flee! Task Objective: Escape the Desolate Wilderness in the shortest time. Task Reward: Black Skull Coin: 5, Experience: 10k, Special Reward x1]
Lynne clutched his ears, his face pale with shock. However, just as the Colossus finished its roar.
Whiz——
Whiz——
The sounds of several objects piercing the air echoed beside Lynne. And then, Lynne saw the Titan's grotesque head open its massive maw. Numerous thick tentacles, akin to lightning bolts, shot out at the Colossus.
SMACK——
A thunderous slap echoed.
The Colossus, which had just roared at them, stumbled, its towering form crashing to the ground.
"…"
"…"
A brief silence ensued.
Lynne gazed vacantly at the scene, his mind buzzing.
In the underground sealed space, the smirk on the face of the Heart Eater and others faltered.
"Wha... What?"
Lynne, in his daze, sensed something amiss.
In the very next moment,
SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK——
The dozen or so colossal tentacles that had shot out from the Titan's maw now slapped the Colossus's frame repeatedly.
The impact split its metal hide, sending sparks flying!
Lynne: "(꒪Д꒪)ノ"
Heart Eater: "(‧̣̥̇꒪⍢꒪)!!!"
"Damn it— a puny machine— daring to act all high and mighty in front of me—"
"You dare roar— I'll show you a real roar— roar again— roar again—"
SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK——
The tentacle-like whips rhythmically lashed out.
Lynne stared blankly at the relentless whipping scene. He felt… This wasn't what he had envisioned... Why did the tense atmosphere suddenly take a weird turn? By all accounts, shouldn't there have been an intense man-to-man showdown: Headhunters vs Colossus?
Almost simultaneously, a system prompt rang in his ears.
[Ding! Current task canceled…]
[Ding! You have triggered a new task: Clean up the battlefield. Task description: After the battle, scavenge as much valuable material as possible from the Prototype Colossus's wreckage to enrich your collection. Task reward: Whatever you manage to pick up…]
Lynne: "(꒪Д꒪)ノ"
Deep within an underground sealed chamber, the vast screen flickered, capturing the vacant gaze of the high-ranking members of the Demonfolk Association. They stared at the depicted scene where a magnificent being, soaring to the heavens, now resembled a helpless maiden, pinned to the ground. With each forceful lash from a whip, it writhed and screamed, but couldn't resist.
Smack, smack, smack—
With every smack, the hollow eyes of the observers twitched in unison. Especially the Heart Eater, who stood before the screen. His face maintained a rigid smile, yet for some reason, each whip's crack seemed to burn his cheek. As if those relentless tendrils, landing smack after smack on the Colossus, weren't truly targeting the massive beast, but rather slapping him across the face.
"Mr. President!"
A high-ranking demonfolk, cloaked in black robes, quivered as he spoke, "I feel we're at a disadvantage. Didn't you say that even if the Colossus couldn't withstand those three at the Origin level, it would at least hold its ground and buy us a few hours? But looking at the situation now… Ten minutes seems rather generous, doesn't it?"
In the midst of darkness, the high-tech command center glowed eerily, the massive screen pulsating with luminosity. The ambiance and environment, from any perspective, exuded utmost seriousness and solemnity. Yet the scene projected on the screen – of the creature being pinned and relentlessly whipped – seemed to distort the atmosphere.
No matter how one looked at it, the scene felt… off. Like watching Ultraman being pinned and smacked around by a monster…
The Heart Eater's composure wavered. A surge of emotions churned within him, too overwhelming to be expressed.
"Stop standing there like statues! Start gathering the data… Take whatever can be salvaged, and prepare the warp device immediately. Do you understand?! I said NOW! IMMEDIATELY! MOVE!" He roared.
…
The drone of alarms rang out — a shrill sound that reverberated throughout the entire base, accompanied by the blinding flash of red warning lights.
A robotic, synthesized voice echoed throughout the facility.
"Alert... Alert... All personnel with Level 2 clearance and above, please proceed immediately to Warp Hall 1 for an organized evacuation..."
"Alert... Alert... Current damage level to the Hanged Tower... 85%... 84%... It's projected that the core machinery of the Hanged Tower will be completely offline within five minutes..."
"Evacuate immediately... Evacuate immediately..."
Along with the grating tones sounding in their ears, panic, and shock spread across the faces of all research personnel.
"Is this some sort of joke? The Hanged Tower is being destroyed? This can't be! Haven't we activated Protocol Zero?!"
"How long has it been since we initiated it? You're saying the Hanged Tower is being destroyed?! What on earth possesses that kind of power to take down the Hanged Tower?!"
"Wait a second! Level 2 clearance personnel?! What about those below Level 2?!"
A palpable sense of panic enveloped the entire base. Everyone knew that the Demonfolk Association was on the brink of catastrophe.
...
Meanwhile, outside, the battle that unfolded was entirely different from what Lynne had envisioned. The Titan and Witch skulls were in the fray, currently in the distance, rhythmically clashing against the massive creature with booming impacts.
Watching the spectacle, Lynne found his throat parched, unable to utter a word. Then, a realization hit him. Yes. The envisioned scenes in his mind — the metal-on-metal collisions, the thunderous impacts of machinery against flesh, the dramatic encounters reminiscent of Ultraman versus monsters — these only occur between evenly matched opponents. But if there's a vast difference in strength, the stronger party can indeed toy with the weaker in myriad ways...
"I get it now! I finally understand!"
Lynne exclaimed, eyes wide. He felt like he had grown. Then, suddenly, his gaze shifted intently. As soon as the realization hit him, Lynne activated the Flesh Catastrophe, manifesting a specter eye on his cheek.
If this was indeed the heart of the Demonfolk Association and the Hanged Tower was already deployed, then the rest of the association's members were undoubtedly hidden nearby.
His gaze settled on the large pit in the distance. Slowly, he probed deeper underground. With the aid of the specter eye, he sensed the presence of countless beings hundreds of meters below the surface.
"As expected, they're underground!"
Lynne smirked slightly, gently wiping away the eye on his cheek.
"Little, we've got nothing to do up here. You mentioned earlier that you were still hungry, right? How about we find something tasty now?"
Little chirped in surprise, "Hmm! Hmm!"
Mention of food immediately perked Little up.
"Let's head to that pit!"
Lynne pointed assertively at the deep crater.
In a flash, the obedient Little leaped forward, diving with Lynne into the vast pit.
...
Inside the base.
"Alert... Alert... Strong curse source detected approaching the base... Initiating full defense systems..."
"Prepare to intercept..."
In the depths of the base, the Heart Eater, barking out orders to evacuate the association's classified information, was interrupted by the piercing alarm.
Within his consciousness, linked to the entire facility, he saw the image of a Knight of Origin speeding towards their base through the long corridor outside.
"It's him!"
Upon seeing Lynne's face, rage instantly surged in the Heart Eater's heart.
That human! All their troubles started because of him. If it weren't for this man, the Demonfolk Association wouldn't have drawn the ire of the three terrifying Origin-level creatures. And now! He even dared to assault their base.
Noticing the Demon's gaze, Lynne, riding atop Little, looked up with a smile. He gracefully traced a line over his eyebrow, saluting.
Thud—
The Heart Eater's fist slammed into the steel wall beside him.
"Activate the defense systems immediately! Fire! Aim at that human and bring him down!"
His voice roared with rising fury.
...
[Ding! The resentment from Heart Eater increased by +20.]
[Ding! The resentment from Heart Eater increased by +20.]
Hearing the system's prompt by his ear, Lynne cast a subtle smile, his gaze sweeping over the surveillance equipment lining the vast corridor. He knelt on one knee, resembling a leopard ready to pounce.
"Little! Just charge forward. Leave the rest to me. Our target is that scoundrel who dared to offend you."
Little nodded vigorously, her tentacles moving swiftly, and her massive head, resembling a heavy-duty lorry, dashed forward at lightning speed. By now, her trust and affection for Lynne had reached a point where she'd heed his every word.
In her heart, Lynne had long become a trustworthy, dashing doctor-big-brother, a being she could deeply communicate with.
"Hidari! Quit playing dead! I know damn well you've been awake. It's your time to show, so wake up!"
With a swift motion, Lynne smacked his left hand hard.
[Ding! Hidari's Favorbility towards you -1.]
[Ding! Hidari is striving to appear as a normal left hand. Not out of fear, but merely following her heart's whims, believing she was asleep.]
"..."
Ten free attribute points?! Was it really that awesome? And this was simply for recording a single wonder! Such a lavish reward! After all, he'd merely glimpsed at it!
[Ding! After activating the Bestiary System, please record as many entries as possible. Each entry will offer attribute point rewards based on the importance of the information. Keep up the good work, host.]
So that's how it is! In that case, could he also record Little, Little's mom and Little's dad? To think... They were creatures of Origin level!
Without a second thought, Lynne swiftly turned his gaze to Little, who was situated beneath him.
As expected, a system notification echoed in his ears immediately.
[Ding! You've recorded an Origin-level creature: Headhunter (Little). You've been awarded: 6 free attribute points.]
Lynne was immediately elated.
It really was possible!
Wasting no time, he quickly turned to the other two Origin-level creatures nearby.
[Ding! You've recorded an Origin-level creature: Headhunter (Titan's Skull). You've been awarded: 20 free attribute points.]
[Ding! You've recorded an Origin-level creature: Headhunter (Witch God's Skull). You've been awarded: 15 free attribute points.]
Lynne: "!!!"
Absolutely unbeatable! The boost this Bestiary System provided to his personal power was unimaginably helpful! With just four entries, he'd gained 51 free attribute points! This was significantly more than what he earned from leveling up!
Little (ω) held up her eyeball, looking at Lynne with curiosity. "Doctor — you look — so happy —"
Grinning, Lynne gave her a thumbs-up. "Because I encountered something joyous, so of course I'm happy!"
Little (ω) responded, "Hmm — when the doctor is happy — Little is happy too —"
...
Almost simultaneously, within the sealed space beneath the Hanged Tower, the large screen instantly displayed the visages of those three massive headhunters. The high-ranking members of the Demonfolk Association trembled at the sight, sweat pouring down their faces.
"They've really come!"
With a cold smirk, the Heart Eater propped himself on the screen, his eyes fixated on the three headhunters. He sneered: "Good! Very good! Since you've come, I shall let you witness the unparalleled strength of our association's top creation!"
Snap—
His hand instantly pressed a mechanical switch in front of the screen.
"Prototype Colossus activated… Entering combat mode… Target locked… Initiating Origin countermeasures…"
"Colossus blueprint fully initiated… Phase one data structure complete… Phase two energy transfer complete…"
"Commencing the hunt…"
Hum—
In a heartbeat, within that desolate wilderness, the towering Hanged Tower suddenly stirred. Its massive form slowly began to rise from beneath the earth. Huge mechanical legs, enveloped in dark flesh, creaked as they extended from the barren soil.
Dozens of giant mechanical arms, reminiscent of the limbs of zombies, dangled loosely behind the colossal frame of the Hanged Tower. It gradually stood erect, countless grains of sand cascading from its form.
Intense red lights radiated from the vast tower, and its enormous chimney belched even denser plumes of smoke.
"After centuries, countless members of the association have collaborated to research and develop flesh akin to the source. Combined with the intricate alloy derived from Colossus and the arcane-powered skeleton!"
The Heart Eater's expression, as he watched the screen, became even more twisted and malevolent.
"Wings modeled after the Abyssal Bone Dragon, powered by the core of a gargantuan Lava Golem, supplemented by the regenerative capabilities of a Blood Demon amalgamation, and the curse of the Old God's descendants acting as the bond for its intricate structures! What will you fight me with?! Even if you are beings of Origin level, so what?! Before the pinnacle of the Demonfolk Association's research, what can you possibly use against me?!"
He roared with a ghastly snarl.
Outside, the winds roared and clouds surged. A thick black mist formed above the gigantic Colossus, coalescing into a massive, swirling vortex. The Prototype Colossus slowly moved its immense mechanical legs, turning its body to target the trio of distant headhunters.
ROAR——!!
With a deafening cry, the Colossus unleashed a terrifying roar towards them. The heavens changed color, and the earth trembled in response.
[WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!]
[Emergency Special Task Triggered: Flee! Task Objective: Escape the Desolate Wilderness in the shortest time. Task Reward: Black Skull Coin: 5, Experience: 10k, Special Reward x1]
Lynne clutched his ears, his face pale with shock. However, just as the Colossus finished its roar.
Whiz——
Whiz——
The sounds of several objects piercing the air echoed beside Lynne. And then, Lynne saw the Titan's grotesque head open its massive maw. Numerous thick tentacles, akin to lightning bolts, shot out at the Colossus.
SMACK——
A thunderous slap echoed.
The Colossus, which had just roared at them, stumbled, its towering form crashing to the ground.
"…"
"…"
A brief silence ensued.
Lynne gazed vacantly at the scene, his mind buzzing.
In the underground sealed space, the smirk on the face of the Heart Eater and others faltered.
"Wha... What?"
Lynne, in his daze, sensed something amiss.
In the very next moment,
SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK——
The dozen or so colossal tentacles that had shot out from the Titan's maw now slapped the Colossus's frame repeatedly.
The impact split its metal hide, sending sparks flying!
Lynne: "(꒪Д꒪)ノ"
Heart Eater: "(‧̣̥̇꒪⍢꒪)!!!"
"Damn it— a puny machine— daring to act all high and mighty in front of me—"
"You dare roar— I'll show you a real roar— roar again— roar again—"
SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK——
The tentacle-like whips rhythmically lashed out.
Lynne stared blankly at the relentless whipping scene. He felt… This wasn't what he had envisioned... Why did the tense atmosphere suddenly take a weird turn? By all accounts, shouldn't there have been an intense man-to-man showdown: Headhunters vs Colossus?
Almost simultaneously, a system prompt rang in his ears.
[Ding! Current task canceled…]
[Ding! You have triggered a new task: Clean up the battlefield. Task description: After the battle, scavenge as much valuable material as possible from the Prototype Colossus's wreckage to enrich your collection. Task reward: Whatever you manage to pick up…]
Lynne: "(꒪Д꒪)ノ"
Deep within an underground sealed chamber, the vast screen flickered, capturing the vacant gaze of the high-ranking members of the Demonfolk Association. They stared at the depicted scene where a magnificent being, soaring to the heavens, now resembled a helpless maiden, pinned to the ground. With each forceful lash from a whip, it writhed and screamed, but couldn't resist.
Smack, smack, smack—
With every smack, the hollow eyes of the observers twitched in unison. Especially the Heart Eater, who stood before the screen. His face maintained a rigid smile, yet for some reason, each whip's crack seemed to burn his cheek. As if those relentless tendrils, landing smack after smack on the Colossus, weren't truly targeting the massive beast, but rather slapping him across the face.
"Mr. President!"
A high-ranking demonfolk, cloaked in black robes, quivered as he spoke, "I feel we're at a disadvantage. Didn't you say that even if the Colossus couldn't withstand those three at the Origin level, it would at least hold its ground and buy us a few hours? But looking at the situation now… Ten minutes seems rather generous, doesn't it?"
In the midst of darkness, the high-tech command center glowed eerily, the massive screen pulsating with luminosity. The ambiance and environment, from any perspective, exuded utmost seriousness and solemnity. Yet the scene projected on the screen – of the creature being pinned and relentlessly whipped – seemed to distort the atmosphere.
No matter how one looked at it, the scene felt… off. Like watching Ultraman being pinned and smacked around by a monster…
The Heart Eater's composure wavered. A surge of emotions churned within him, too overwhelming to be expressed.
"Stop standing there like statues! Start gathering the data… Take whatever can be salvaged, and prepare the warp device immediately. Do you understand?! I said NOW! IMMEDIATELY! MOVE!" He roared.
…
The drone of alarms rang out — a shrill sound that reverberated throughout the entire base, accompanied by the blinding flash of red warning lights.
A robotic, synthesized voice echoed throughout the facility.
"Alert... Alert... All personnel with Level 2 clearance and above, please proceed immediately to Warp Hall 1 for an organized evacuation..."
"Alert... Alert... Current damage level to the Hanged Tower... 85%... 84%... It's projected that the core machinery of the Hanged Tower will be completely offline within five minutes..."
"Evacuate immediately... Evacuate immediately..."
Along with the grating tones sounding in their ears, panic, and shock spread across the faces of all research personnel.
"Is this some sort of joke? The Hanged Tower is being destroyed? This can't be! Haven't we activated Protocol Zero?!"
"How long has it been since we initiated it? You're saying the Hanged Tower is being destroyed?! What on earth possesses that kind of power to take down the Hanged Tower?!"
"Wait a second! Level 2 clearance personnel?! What about those below Level 2?!"
A palpable sense of panic enveloped the entire base. Everyone knew that the Demonfolk Association was on the brink of catastrophe.
...
Meanwhile, outside, the battle that unfolded was entirely different from what Lynne had envisioned. The Titan and Witch skulls were in the fray, currently in the distance, rhythmically clashing against the massive creature with booming impacts.
Watching the spectacle, Lynne found his throat parched, unable to utter a word. Then, a realization hit him. Yes. The envisioned scenes in his mind — the metal-on-metal collisions, the thunderous impacts of machinery against flesh, the dramatic encounters reminiscent of Ultraman versus monsters — these only occur between evenly matched opponents. But if there's a vast difference in strength, the stronger party can indeed toy with the weaker in myriad ways...
"I get it now! I finally understand!"
Lynne exclaimed, eyes wide. He felt like he had grown. Then, suddenly, his gaze shifted intently. As soon as the realization hit him, Lynne activated the Flesh Catastrophe, manifesting a specter eye on his cheek.
If this was indeed the heart of the Demonfolk Association and the Hanged Tower was already deployed, then the rest of the association's members were undoubtedly hidden nearby.
His gaze settled on the large pit in the distance. Slowly, he probed deeper underground. With the aid of the specter eye, he sensed the presence of countless beings hundreds of meters below the surface.
"As expected, they're underground!"
Lynne smirked slightly, gently wiping away the eye on his cheek.
"Little, we've got nothing to do up here. You mentioned earlier that you were still hungry, right? How about we find something tasty now?"
Little chirped in surprise, "Hmm! Hmm!"
Mention of food immediately perked Little up.
"Let's head to that pit!"
Lynne pointed assertively at the deep crater.
In a flash, the obedient Little leaped forward, diving with Lynne into the vast pit.
...
Inside the base.
"Alert... Alert... Strong curse source detected approaching the base... Initiating full defense systems..."
"Prepare to intercept..."
In the depths of the base, the Heart Eater, barking out orders to evacuate the association's classified information, was interrupted by the piercing alarm.
Within his consciousness, linked to the entire facility, he saw the image of a Knight of Origin speeding towards their base through the long corridor outside.
"It's him!"
Upon seeing Lynne's face, rage instantly surged in the Heart Eater's heart.
That human! All their troubles started because of him. If it weren't for this man, the Demonfolk Association wouldn't have drawn the ire of the three terrifying Origin-level creatures. And now! He even dared to assault their base.
Noticing the Demon's gaze, Lynne, riding atop Little, looked up with a smile. He gracefully traced a line over his eyebrow, saluting.
Thud—
The Heart Eater's fist slammed into the steel wall beside him.
"Activate the defense systems immediately! Fire! Aim at that human and bring him down!"
His voice roared with rising fury.
...
[Ding! The resentment from Heart Eater increased by +20.]
[Ding! The resentment from Heart Eater increased by +20.]
Hearing the system's prompt by his ear, Lynne cast a subtle smile, his gaze sweeping over the surveillance equipment lining the vast corridor. He knelt on one knee, resembling a leopard ready to pounce.
"Little! Just charge forward. Leave the rest to me. Our target is that scoundrel who dared to offend you."
Little nodded vigorously, her tentacles moving swiftly, and her massive head, resembling a heavy-duty lorry, dashed forward at lightning speed. By now, her trust and affection for Lynne had reached a point where she'd heed his every word.
In her heart, Lynne had long become a trustworthy, dashing doctor-big-brother, a being she could deeply communicate with.
"Hidari! Quit playing dead! I know damn well you've been awake. It's your time to show, so wake up!"
With a swift motion, Lynne smacked his left hand hard.
[Ding! Hidari's Favorbility towards you -1.]
[Ding! Hidari is striving to appear as a normal left hand. Not out of fear, but merely following her heart's whims, believing she was asleep.]
"..."
