I Became an Ancient All-Host Lifeform - Chapter 18

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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018 The Loyal Rat’s Steps

Water Hell.
The stench of rot that vibrated through this place was indeed the perfect name for it.
This vast underground sewer was where all the wastewater from the surrounding area converged.
The water flowing here was choked with filth and suspended debris, and I was one of those floating particles.
When I came to my senses, I found myself swept helplessly along by the violent current of gushing sewage.
I wanted nothing more than to escape this place at once, but my frail limbs couldn’t fight through the rushing water.

I’d been in this same predicament when I first met Gyusik in that toxic barrel.
Back then too, everything around me had been filthy like this.
But would Gyusik and that stubborn old codger be all right?
I haven’t felt any sensation through the Mushroom Cave’s mycelial network since the blast.
Surely that mad Flame Mage’s explosion didn’t reduce both of them to ash?
The blast had been powerful enough to send me flying this far—fortunately I’d soared straight into the air without hitting anything, so I took less impact than they might have, but Gyusik….

‘No. That can’t be it.’

I shook my head, pushing away the dark thought.
The reason I couldn’t sense the Hive Consciousness was simply because I’d separated too far from Gyusik’s body.
Morgul’s Jewel could only connect through Gyusik, and that was how I’d accessed the Hive Consciousness in the first place.
Since Morgul was attached to Gyusik, somehow he’d have survived—that self-proclaimed “Grand Mage” has endured for three thousand years, after all.
And if Gyusik were to die, Morgul couldn’t survive either. So by any means necessary, Morgul would have protected him.
Therefore, both Gyusik and Morgul would be fine.

For now, though, my own situation was urgent. I had to get out of this sewage somehow.
I stretched my rounded body, trying to release Hardening.
The moment I did, a searing pain enveloped my entire form.
Ow, that stings too much! This won’t work….
I immediately reconsidered.
If I deactivated a skill in this place, I risked infection from horrific bacteria and an ignominious death.

Meanwhile, my status window has been flashing like mad since earlier.
The sweet rewards from enduring that one-sided bout with the soul were still piling up in my status window.
Maybe I should check them out.

[You have defeated 4 humans including a ‘Mage’!]
[Skill Hardening has risen to level 2.]
[You survived a powerful explosion. You have acquired the traits Flame Resistance level 1 and Impact Resistance level 1.]
….

Oh! I’ve gained quite a lot.
It was worth risking my life to attempt that checkmate.
Now that I think about it, when I was parasitizing the ‘Mage’ earlier, I’d also acquired the genetic essence of Flame Mage Aptitude.
Does that mean I can now shoot fire from my hands?
I wanted to test it right away, but unfortunately I’m stuck in this sewer, being swept along by the current.
There’s no way to test flame magic underwater, so I’ll skip that for now.
I continued reading through the status window notifications piling up behind.

[You have acquired Genome Point. (Current Genome Points held: 1pt)]
[Your main body’s level has increased! Lv 9 → Lv 10]
[You have reached the level threshold. Will you Mutate to a superior form?]

I’ve finally reached level 10!
Just as Gyusik had hit level 10 and evolved into a Plague Rat, the time had come for my main body to make its own dramatic leap.
Though I did notice it said ‘Mutation’ rather than ‘evolution’—the two concepts seemed different somehow. But that didn’t really concern me.
So… should I Mutate right now?

Just as I reached for the ‘yes’ button in my status window, the reek of rot vibrating all around me snapped my senses back to reality.

If I mutate thoughtlessly here, there’s a ninety percent chance I’ll die on the spot.
I’m drifting through foul water right now, my whole body covered in burn wounds.
If I get infected by sewage bacteria during the mutation, there’s no coming back from that. And then there’s the possibility of being attacked by hungry predators.
On top of that, the moment I start mutating, I’ll likely be defenseless for a while. Gyusik was in a semi-conscious state while evolving, after all.
It seems that when a mutation of significant enough magnitude occurs, the body enters a dormant state.
I want to press “yes” right now with every fiber of my being, but that would be pure suicide.

So I can’t do it now. The mutation will have to wait.
I swallowed my disappointment and closed the notification window. I need to hold on until I find somewhere safe.

[Skill “Hardening Lv 2” is maintained.]

I surrendered myself to the current. How long had I been drifting?
Suddenly the water around me began to surge violently.

‘What? What’s happening!’

A massive shadow descended over me.

Crunch—!

In an instant, pitch-black darkness swallowed everything.
Something had consumed me whole.

* * *

“Hum-hum-hum~”

The Administrator sat deep in the sofa of his office, humming an indecipherable tune.
How much had he suffered over the past few months?
His precious hair had fallen out in clumps because of that damned vampire ghost and ghost rats and all sorts of nonsensical creatures.
But this time, the suppression team included a sorcerer in its ranks.
And not just any sorcerer—an official mage from the Magic Tower itself.
Not some greenhorn waving around an Academy diploma and acting important!
So now all he had to do was wait for good news from the suppression team. Once this was wrapped up cleanly, his comfortable life would unfold before him once again.

“Hum-hum-hum~”

Yet the Administrator’s sweet dream shattered the moment the door flew open.

Bang!

The door burst open and the suppression team stumbled in.

“Oh, you scared me!”

Under normal circumstances, he would have hollered at them, but the sight of the returning team made his heart drop.

“W-what on earth happened to you all!?”

The Administrator shot up from the sofa in alarm.

“Ugh…”

The condition of the returning team was, to put it mildly, appalling.
Their clothes were blackened with soot, and blood soaked through in various places.
One of them limped from poison, while another muttered incomprehensible words and gestured at empty air.
Bern, who had led them back, looked like a beggar who’d been caught in an explosion, his beard and hair half-burned away.
Bern drew a ragged breath and opened his mouth.

“Request reinforcements from headquarters immediately. The situation is critical.”

At Bern’s words, the Administrator’s face went ashen.

“What? What do you mean… What about the mage?”

Bern answered with a grim expression.

“…He’s dead.”
“Gasp!”

In that moment, the Administrator’s legs gave out beneath him.
A Magic Tower mage was dead! This was no ordinary matter.
Regardless of whether he belonged to the Border Guard contingent, he still held an official rank from the Magic Tower.
Only now grasping the gravity of the situation, the Administrator turned pale and rushed toward his desk.

Scratch. Scratch.

His trembling hands moved frantically, the quill scratching across the page.
Bern collapsed onto the sofa, his exhausted body giving way.

“Sigh…”

The moment his eyes closed, the horrific battle in the cave came rushing back.

Hundreds of mushroom monsters,
a deadly venom that paralyzed on contact,
and hallucination effects that drove men to madness.
It was no simple wild demon.
It possessed not only diverse and formidable abilities, but considerable intelligence as well.
It had exploited the mage’s arrogance with calculated precision, ultimately driving him to his death.
In that moment, a single possibility crystallized in Bern’s mind.

‘If it’s this powerful in its current small rat form, what will it become later?’

After evolving into a higher form, it would almost certainly become an unstoppable threat.
He burned with indignation.

‘What manner of thing have those lunatics at the Magic Tower created?’

Bern was certain of it. This had to be a horrifying experiment conducted in secret by the Magic Tower.
There was no other way something this powerful could exist—a chimera forged in utmost secrecy by combining the superior traits of multiple demons.
And this was far from the first time such a thing had happened.

Crack.

Bern clenched his fists, grinding his teeth.

‘I must find it. Before that monster evolves into a stronger chimera!’

As his resolve hardened, unwanted memories flickered through his mind like a lantern show.
The chimera returning in its terrible strength. His comrades, sent to contain it, crushed to pieces….

‘I cannot—will not—let the tragedy of three years ago repeat itself!’

Blood welled between Bern’s clenched teeth.
The taste was bitter.

* * *

Crash—!

A ferocious explosion swept through the cavern.
A detonation powerful enough to level half the Mushroom Cave.
Through the billowing smoke and collapsed debris.

Crackle?

A small rat emerged from the wreckage completely unharmed.
As the curious creature lifted its head, the violet jewel embedded in its forehead glimmered softly.

—Hah, did you see? This is the power of a great mage like myself. With my magic, I can weather explosions of this magnitude without breaking a sweat!

Morgul puffed out his chest, boasting shamelessly.
In the same breath, he fixed the young rat cradling his jewel with a covetous gaze.

—Hehehehe….

That arrogant parasite was surely ground to dust in the mage’s self-detonation.
And the little rat before him would have no defense against a mental assault.
In other words, this was the perfect chance to claim the orphaned creature as his own servant.
Morgul immediately extended his magical force toward Gyusik.
The jewel erupted in a violet wave that enveloped the small rat.

Hummmmm….

Morgul confidently attempted Mental Domination on Gyusik.
But then.

—…What?

Nothing happened.

—This can’t be right?!

Morgul tried again in confusion, but the result was the same.
His dark magic struck the small rat like a fist against an impenetrable fortress—it had no effect whatsoever.

—Immune to Mental Domination? No, that’s impossible. How in the world…?

Morgul recoiled in shock.
Even weakened as his power was compared to its former glory, there was no conceivable way a tiny rat creature could repel the Mental Domination of an Arch-Mage.

—Could it be… that parasite left behind some kind of protection? Hmm…. Clearly no ordinary creature….

As Morgul brooded over his failed Mental Domination attempt.

Squeak….

Gyusik collapsed to the ground and let out a mournful cry.
Grief-stricken at being forever separated from his master.
Seeing this, Morgul scolded him.

—Tch, tch! What a pathetic display, whimpering over a single insignificant worm. Stop your sniveling this instant!

Morgul barked harshly, but.

Squeeeeeak….

Gyusik didn’t even pretend to listen.
Instead, the creature wiped away its tears with its front paws, rose abruptly from its spot, and began walking toward the riverbank exit of the Mushroom Cave.

Pad, pad.

With each step the creature took, crimson footprints were etched sharp and clear across the floor.

“Hold on—where do you think you’re going? The Tracking Magic hasn’t even worn off yet! If you go out there, they’ll kill you!”
Squeak!

Gyusik let out a sharp, dismissive cry and continued walking toward the river in silence.
Morgul kept chiding him from alongside.

“Don’t tell me you’re actually going after that parasite? Your master is already dead!”
“…….”

Pad, pad, pad.

“Do you have any idea how savage the monsters swarming outside are? You’re nowhere near strong enough yet. Listen to me! Can’t you hear what I’m saying?!”
“…….”

Gyusik didn’t slow his pace, even as Morgul’s endless nagging poured down on him.
The Loyal Rat Gyusik pressed forward through the darkness of the cave toward the world beyond, driven by a single unwavering resolve: to find his master.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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