I Became an Ancient All-Host Lifeform - Chapter 9

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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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009 Worse Than a Rat

An emergency gripped the First Research Division at word of the Magic Tower Master’s visit.
Cold sweat beaded on Hans’s forehead as he hurried through the briefing preparations.
Inside the egg incubator sat the Fake Dragon Egg, positioned exactly where he and the Senior Researcher had set it the day before.
The Fake Dragon Egg had been meticulously filled with a blended organic compound capable of passing all manner of bioscans and examinations.
By any ordinary test or scan, it would be utterly indistinguishable from a genuine dragon egg.
Hans completed his final check and drew a deep breath.

‘No problems at all. Which means no one will catch on. Not even if the Tower Master himself comes….’

He repeated it to himself like an incantation, yet his heart thundered beyond his control.
When he found that Senior Researcher who’d vanished claiming acute gastroenteritis, Hans wanted to kill him on the spot—and yet some corner of his heart still wished the man would come back, right now.
Caught in that tangle of emotion, he was staring blankly at the briefing materials when it happened.

Whirrrrr—!

The security door to the First Research Division hissed open.
In that instant, the lab fell silent as if doused in ice water.
And then, at last, ‘he’ appeared.
The Grand Magus whose mood had already turned foul at news of the Imperial Investigation Bureau’s inspection team.
Cornelius, Master of the Third Magic Tower, had come in person.
The research team lead, who’d been standing by, rushed forward with practiced haste.

“M-Master! You’ve arrived!”

The team lead bowed at a sharp ninety degrees, but Cornelius barely acknowledged him.
The Tower Master’s cold gaze fixed on one thing alone: the egg incubator.

Tap. Tap.

With each footfall of Cornelius’s shoes echoing through the silent laboratory, Hans felt his heart ready to burst from his chest.
At last, Cornelius stopped before the incubator.
His dark eyes scanned the dragon egg beyond the reinforced glass with meticulous attention.
The team lead opened his mouth beside him.

“The egg’s condition is perfectly normal! From here, the assigned researcher will provide a direct briefing….”
“Shh.”

Cornelius raised his right index finger to his lips.
The moment his eyes began to gleam with that cold, piercing light, a terrible premonition seized Hans’s entire body.

“….”

Silence stretched thin as a nerve—each second feeling like an hour.
Hans couldn’t draw a proper breath, only swallowed hard against a dry throat.
It was Cornelius’s chilling question that broke the silence.

“…Where is the Ancient Dragon Egg?”

At his icy tone, the team lead’s face drained of color as he stammered a reply.

“Sir? M-Master, what do you…?”
“Ha.”

Cornelius exhaled sharply, then spoke in a tone thick with barely contained rage.

“Where is the real dragon egg?”

At the sudden outburst, the research team leader responded in bewilderment.

“A real dragon egg? But, but it’s right here before our eyes… Hack!”

When the Magic Tower master fixed him with a glare, the team leader was hoisted into the air, his throat beginning to constrict.

“Gak… gak….”

Cornelius’s eyes blazed blue with fury.

“This is no Ancient Dragon Egg. It’s nothing but garbage—a crude mockery of the genuine contents.”
“What? I… I don’t understand….”
“Hmph. See for yourself.”

Cornelius lowered the team leader and extended his hand toward the egg incubator.
In that instant—

Crack! Boom!

The reinforced glass incubator shattered completely.
Fragments should have scattered in all directions from the force of the blast, yet they remained suspended, unmoving.
As if time itself had frozen.

Hummmmm….

A fierce surge of magical power rippled through the space around them.
Defying the laws of physics, the dragon egg drifted serenely upward into the air.
With another gesture from Cornelius, the egg’s shell peeled away entirely, leaving only a grayish-white liquid suspended in mid-air.
And that liquid was unmistakably not the contents of a dragon egg.
Merely a paste of albumen.

“Wh-what? How is this possible?”
“It wasn’t a dragon egg?”

All who witnessed the truth of the Ancient Dragon Egg were seized with shock.
The research team leader’s face drained of color as he rushed at Hans.

“Listen here, you novice! How did this happen? Did you smuggle out the Ancient Dragon Egg?”

Hans, seized by the collar, protested desperately.

“No, no! It wasn’t me—yesterday the Senior Researcher handled it all… Ugh! Cough!”

Hans had barely begun to speak the name of the senior researcher who had fled, pleading his innocence,
when Cornelius’s magical power coiled around the boy’s neck and hurled him to the ground.

Thud!
“Urgh!”

Cornelius’s lifework—his research, which had consumed astronomical sums of money and years of time—had crumbled to nothing in the hands of these petty subordinates.
He wanted nothing more than to tear the junior researcher before him to shreds, but he barely restrained himself.
The investigation of the incident took priority over this wretch’s execution.

“As for what happened, I’ll learn the truth slowly, painfully, from this moment forward.”

His gaze held not a trace of mercy.

“Take him to the Underground Interrogation Chamber at once! Tear him apart if you must—I want every last detail of this affair wrung from his lips!”

In that moment, Hans’s face went ghastly pale.
Among those imprisoned in the Underground Interrogation Chamber, none had ever been seen again at the Magic Tower afterwards.
What sort of lives they lived thereafter remained nothing but rumor.
Hans clung to his plea with desperate fervor.

“Your Lordship! I only did what the Senior Researcher ordered me to. Please, I beg for mercy—gck!”

But Hans could say nothing more.
Bound entirely by binding magic, his eyes could only watch the Tower Lord’s retreating figure disappear without hesitation.

* * *

‘Ah, so this is the Breeding Facility.’

From atop the feed cart, I took in the entire vista of the Breeding Facility without missing a detail.
The outer perimeter of the facility was enclosed by iron fencing, and at its center stood an enormous structure that resembled a livestock barn.
That was likely the breeding facility itself.
The cart passed by it and headed toward a warehouse in the corner.

Rattle-clunk.

The feed cart finally came to a halt.
I slipped out through the gaps between the feed sacks before the workers began their actual unloading.

‘Thanks for the free ride~!’

Hopping down from the cart with the casual cool of a hitchhiker on America’s western frontier, I immediately headed for today’s objective.
Sneaking into the breeding facility building was not particularly difficult.
Well, even on Earth, a cattle barn doesn’t exactly have fortress-level security. You just need to avoid getting caught by the owner.

The interior of the Breeding Facility was arranged like an enormous indoor menagerie.
Hmm, since this is a ‘Magical Beast livestock’ breeding facility, calling them Magical Livestock wouldn’t be off the mark, would it?
Within enclosures surrounded by iron bars, various Magical Livestock of every conceivable type crowded together by species.

From horn-rabbits with blunt Magical Stones embedded in their foreheads,
to creatures that seemed to be a blend of a rooster’s head and a serpent’s tail,
to grotesque pigs that fed with ravenous abandon,
to electric sheep whose scrawny fur crackled with static in sharp, bright arcs.
Every last one bore bizarre Traits.
Among them were white mice used for experimentation.
They were nearly identical to experimental rats from Earth, except these creatures possessed magical essence.

Squeak…

Seeing this sight, Gyusik let out a pitiful, dispirited sound.

‘What’s wrong? Sad because your kin are locked up?’
Squeak…

Pity them as I might, there’s no way to save them. We’re far too weak right now.
And I mustn’t forget why we’re here. We didn’t come for a safari.
I pulled Gyusik, who was drowning in sympathy, deeper into the facility.
Though appetizing Magical Livestock filled every direction, one creature commanded my attention at once.
A massive beast trapped alone in the innermost section of the facility, caged behind particularly thick and heavy iron bars.
Its body was easily twice the size of an ordinary ox,
wrapped in glossy black hide like tempered steel,
boasting magnificent horns while snoring contentedly through its nostrils.

【Blood Horn Black Ox Lv 13】
【Traits】
「Timidity」, 「Herbivore Sensitivity」, 「Stubborn Fortitude」
【SKILLS】
Charge lv 3, Leather Hardening lv 2, Rampage lv 2

The moment I beheld that overwhelming bulk and stupid durability, I knew for certain.
This beast—this was the perfect host I’d been dreaming of!
Back on Earth, when I played games, I’d always chosen nothing but ‘knight’ characters who charged straight into the front lines—a devoted tank player through and through.
The kind of tank who’d charge in dutifully, lock down enemy damage dealers with crowd control, and lead the whole battle to victory from the vanguard!

‘Wow, look at that durability. That’s textbook tank material right there.’

Honestly, with that creature’s overwhelming specs and Charge lv 3, it could shatter the iron bars of this Breeding Facility like tissue paper and walk right out.
But it couldn’t muster the most important thing—the will to do it.
Because of its innate Cowardice and herbivore nature, it was condemned to spend its days meekly caged, eating feed rations.
Never knowing its true strength….

Tsk tsk, poor Blood Horn Black Ox.
Rotting away in a Magical Livestock pen without ever realizing what it was truly capable of.
I made my decision.
I would awaken that beast’s suppressed ferocity myself.
I’d smash these frustrating iron bars wide open and grant it true freedom!
But first, there was something I needed to do.

‘Gyusik.’
Chirp?

At my call, Gyusik tilted his head, his bright eyes looking straight at me.
Ah, the way he gazed at me so innocently softened my resolve a little.
From the moment we met in that enormous ventilation duct to now, in the Breeding Facility.
Though it had only been a short time, we’d faced life and death together.
We’d crawled through that complex maze of ducts and had our backsides bitten by Gore-roaches,
encountered that true predator, the Siam Tiger, and turned the entire Feed Factory upside down in a wild chase.
Through all those twists and turns, we’d overcome every hardship together.

‘Thank you for everything. From now on, eat your meals properly, and for goodness’ sake, stop eating that garbage slop of theirs. This is where we part ways, Gyusik.’
Chirp?

I immediately released the Parasitism skill.

Slip.

Freed from Gyusik’s body, I crawled straight through the gaps in the iron bars and into the Magical Livestock pen.
Then I burrowed into the nostrils of the Blood Horn Black Ox, who lay sleeping, blissfully unaware of the world.

[Using skill Parasitism lv 2.]

Zing.
Along with that electric sensation of plugging into the creature’s nervous system, a message flashed across my status window.

[You have successfully taken Blood Horn Black Ox as your host.]
[You have acquired Blood Horn Black Ox’s genetic code!]
[Skill Parasitism has leveled up. lv 2 → lv 3]

I opened my eyes immediately.
And suddenly, a vastly wider field of vision spread before me—incomparably broader than when I’d inhabited Gyusik.
Furthermore, my entire body thrummed with power.
A magnificent physique, rich not only in raw strength but also brimming with magical power.
Yes. This was it! This was what a true Magical Beast should be like!

Moooooo~!

I savored the raw power flowing through Blood Horn Black Ox’s massive body as I twisted and flexed it in every direction.

A low grunt escaped.

That’s when I noticed Gyusik standing outside the cage, staring blankly.
Something clenched in my chest at the sight of him.

‘So Gyusik hasn’t left yet. We’ve grown attached over this time, it’s true. But I need far greater power.’

I shook my head side to side, pushing aside the regret.
Then I rolled forward toward the cage bars on the far side, away from where Gyusik stood.
Well, Gyusik and I are strangers now—but if he got hurt in what comes next, I’d never forgive myself.
I lined myself up with the cage bars opposite him, gathering all my strength into my legs.

[Activating Skill: Charge Level 3.]

I channeled Blood Horn Black Ox’s surging Magical Power into the crimson horns and charged forward at full speed.

Crash!

The deafening impact shook the entire Breeding Facility.
It was the kind of collision that would have shredded even the thickest iron bars like paper.
But—

Crackle!
‘No! What the—?!’

Brilliant blue electricity erupted from the bars, searing through my entire frame.
Blood Horn Black Ox’s massive body crumpled to the ground, wracked with unbearable agony that felt like my whole being was burning.

‘Damn it. Was there magic woven into it? The bars—are they—?’

Even as the electrical shock sent me sprawling, I lifted my head to look up at the cage.
But the bars weren’t even dented. Not a scratch.
That’s when it hit me.
The mages of the Magic Tower would never imprison a Magical Beast of this magnitude with ordinary iron.
This cage was enchanted—engineered to repel physical force and deliver electrical discharge on impact.

‘Damn. This is bad.’

If I couldn’t break through, I’d spend eternity locked here as a test subject for the Magic Tower.

‘I have to get up. Come on—why won’t you move?!’

I tried to rise, but the devastating electrical shock had left Blood Horn Black Ox’s body paralyzed; nothing would obey.
Then I heard footsteps pounding toward us from somewhere distant.

“What was that sound?!”
“There was a loud noise from the livestock section!”

This just got worse. Workers converging on the scene was the last thing I needed.

Tremble, tremble.

Blood Horn Black Ox’s body still couldn’t shake off the lingering effects of the electrical surge.
Should I wait for my senses to clear, then try again?
No. The outcome would be identical.
That collision had been tremendous, yet the bars hadn’t even scratched.
And what I’d just unleashed was Blood Horn Black Ox’s maximum output.
Even if by some miracle I managed to break it, I’d still have to face a mob of humans rushing in afterward.

I had to make a choice.
I felt terrible about Blood Horn Black Ox, but if I stayed here much longer, the humans would catch me for certain.
If I was unlucky, the Magic Tower researchers might drag me off and stuff me as some ancient parasite specimen.
So this was unavoidable.

‘Release the Parasitism. Time to escape!’

I’m sorry, Blood Horn. But I need to survive too.
I wriggled quickly out of Blood Horn’s nostril as the creature convulsed and frothed from the electrical shock.
Then, my millet-seed-sized body squeezed through the gaps in the cage bars, and I managed to slip free.
Workers arrived at Blood Horn’s enclosure moments later, but they were so focused on the fallen beast that they never noticed my tiny frame.

‘Phew… that was close.’

I’d escaped successfully, but now what?
What came next?
I’d considered jumping to another Magical Livestock nearby, but even if I did, it would be pointless if I couldn’t escape the cage.
Besides, just reaching another enclosure would be a problem in itself.
In this state, my body was no better than a flea passing by.
Actually, a flea might have better mobility than me.
If I wandered alone in this pathetic form and ran into an ant, I’d be finished on the spot.
If only Gyusik were here….
Then at least I wouldn’t be worried about ants.
You never appreciate what you have until it’s gone.
I was lying face-down on the floor in despair when it happened.

Squeak?

A familiar cry sounded above my head.

‘What? Could it be…?’

I lifted my head and saw Gyusik looking down at me calmly.

‘You… is it really you, Gyusik?’
Squeak!

Gyusik lowered his head and opened his mouth gently.
As if to say, ‘Come here and hop in!’

‘You… you waited for me?’

I’d abandoned you in my hunger for greater power, yet you never abandoned me—you waited all along….
In that moment, a warm surge of emotion welled up inside my chest.

[Using the skill “Parasitism Lv3” on Gyusik.]

I felt Gyusik’s familiar body envelope me.
It was like coming home after a long time away.
Even though barely ten minutes had passed, it felt to me like ten hours.

‘Sob… I’m sorry, Gyusik. I was worse than useless. I swear I’ll never abandon you again!’
Squeak!

Gyusik let out a cheerful cry.
That little rascal. I thought you were just cute, but you turned out to be loyal through and through.
That’s right. Since you didn’t abandon me, I’ll never abandon you either, no matter what!
But our touching reunion was short-lived.

Screeeech—!

The air around me froze solid in an instant.
I turned my head toward the direction from which the ominous presence emanated, moving on pure instinct.

‘…What?’

Something pale and murky was creeping up from the drainage channel at the bottom of Blood Horn Black Ox’s pen.
In that moment, understanding struck me.
This was what those workers had been whispering about—the truth behind the strange rumors.

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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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