Chapter 34 – Hunting the Chimera (2)

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Neuro switched off the augmented reality display inside his gas mask.

Had Dimedes's trail vanished?

No.

It was precisely the opposite.

The bizarre rocks scattered across the plain were mostly red, with occasional streaks of green, yellow, or black liquid. From a distance, it might resemble an abstract painting—a chaotic blend of colors and lines reminiscent of avant-garde art.

Neuro's magic detected traces of Dimedes and his beasts in all these hues.

Everyone who had been here—be they Bacchus cult members or other lowlifes—had become the paint in this gruesome artwork.

Neuro frowned behind his gas mask. Not because he was horrified by the scene.

He had seen countless similar murder sites, albeit smaller in scale. As a beast hunter, such sights were part of the job.

What unsettled him was the sheer scale of the carnage.

'For this much blood and bodily fluid to be spilled, they must have intended to kill everyone living here.'

Dimedes's beasts didn't normally kill indiscriminately. More precisely, they didn't kill so openly.

They only fed under Dimedes's orders, leaving no evidence.

That was why Neuro, despite seeking opportunities to eliminate Dimedes, had never initiated an all-out confrontation.

'Feeding…'

This was also a crucial clue. Normally, beasts devoured their prey unless restrained by their master. Yet, there were no signs of feeding here, only bodily fluids left behind.

'No bodies, only fluids?'

It was bizarre. To leave only fluids behind without any remains, bones, or flesh, was unnatural for beasts known to consume everything, including the blood.

Someone controlling these beasts had orchestrated this scene with intent.

"But why would they do this?"

"Hmm. Director Neuro."

Orthes, surveying the area, approached Neuro. Though he seemed to keep his eyes closed most of the time, he always appeared to see something.

"Do you have any drones? Ones that can fly."

Neuro nodded. He had left his usual cyborg-hawk-type hunting assistant drone behind for maintenance but had four regular mechanical drones equipped with auto-turrets.

However, he hadn't considered using drones to avoid attracting unwanted attention in this crime-ridden area.

Activating the drones might reveal their location to whoever created this scene. Orthes must have been aware of this, yet…

'Ah.'

In that moment, Neuro understood Orthes's intention. The colorful fluids painted on the strange rocks…

They formed a metaphysical diagram, drawn with the blood of living sacrifices.

This was indeed a magic circle!

To accurately grasp the structure of a magic circle, aerial observation was essential. One couldn't infer the whole from seeing only parts.

As realization dawned on him, Neuro felt a chill run down his spine. Orthes was giving him a hint out of mercy.

'If I can't even figure this out, I'm not fit to be a director.'

His diligent pursuit of Dimedes had evidently left a good impression. Neuro quickly launched the drones into the sky.

'What about potential attackers?'

Glancing at Orthes, Neuro noticed he was already holding a long, black high-frequency blade that resembled a plank.

'Even if it means taking a risk, solving the mystery comes first. That's the difference between someone who prioritizes safety and someone who prioritizes the boss's will.'

However, Neuro wasn't here as a hunter but as a director of Hydra Corporation, possessing the skills of a hunter.

Thus, he had to commit fully to the task at hand, following the field leader's intentions.

"I have four drones. To survey this entire plain, we'll need all four, and it will take about ten minutes. If any attackers show up, please handle them."

***

What is this guy talking about?

I just wanted to find a clean spot to sit since the ground was too filthy.

My body ached, possibly from opening my eyes after a long time or from the frequent business trips.

In truth, it was mainly the strain from using my eyes. The mental burden accumulated while my eyes were open spread pain throughout my body.

Opening my eyes left not only a headache but also a feeling of my entire body being thoroughly worked over.

Standing there with my legs aching, I used the newly acquired sword as a cane. Neuro glanced at me, misinterpreting my posture as a sign of resolve.

Whatever you're thinking, that's not my intention.

"Wait—"

Before I could say anything, four drones from the heavy metal case on Neuro's back took to the sky with a buzz.

"Beasts are sensitive to magic… Oh. That's hunter jargon. I mean they're sensitive to the individual magic wavelengths."

I knew that. Human magic wavelengths are like fingerprints, unique to each individual.

I was an exception, having no magic at all.

There would need to be more people without magic to compare, but I hadn't met anyone else like me.

"You probably know this, but Dimedes's beasts will come rushing in. The drones' batteries emit the same magic scent as I do."

I have no idea.

"I'll compile the visual data from the entire plain as quickly as possible to piece together the magic circle. I'll grab my bow as soon as the analysis is done, so hold them off until then."

I couldn't fathom what Neuro was thinking. He said beasts would come, and I had to fend them off with a sword. Might as well give it a try.

I sighed and spoke.

"Fine, I'll give it a shot."

How many beasts did Dimedes bring?

***

'Give it a shot.'

That was how Orthes described dealing with Dimedes's beasts.

Dimedes and his subordinates brought along 120 beasts. With enough personnel, they could be subdued.

Conversely, it was not an enemy one could single-handedly eradicate with certainty.

Neuro recalled Etna city's underworld before Orthes and Carisia arrived.

Dimedes had repeatedly challenged the Lernian faction for the magic core but had always been thwarted, ultimately avoiding direct confrontation.

The Lernian faction never pursued Dimedes into the underworld, but the power imbalance was clear. The Lernian faction was stronger.

And Orthes, alongside Carisia, had annihilated the entire faction.

'Indeed…'

For him, 120 beasts were mere trifles.

As Neuro's recollection ended, a wolf lunged at him. Its abnormally developed right foreleg was strong enough to not just rip apart but pulp a human.

Swoosh.

The extended right foreleg was severed first, followed by the neck, which arced through the air, failing to overcome its momentum.

"Please hurry?"

Orthes smirked and pointed his blade at the horde of beasts.

***

It was a scene of one-sided slaughter. With each swing of the sword, a beast's head flew off.

No, it was more of a butchery. The high-frequency blade's trajectory was drawn with precision and ruthlessness, more accurate than a machine's hand in a slaughterhouse.

Among Dimedes's beasts were airborne creatures. However, the monstrous birds circling above did not easily follow the source of the magic scent emitted by the drones.

Their sight and will were dominated by another entity.

An old man, using the birds' eyes to observe the massacre, was speechless.

Far stronger…

Than expected.

"You're from that organization?"

Behind Orthes stood Dimedes.

Dimedes had assumed his true chimera form, a secret he had hidden with such determination.

In fact, he was even more twisted than his true form.

His torso, once covered in a lion's mane, was now shielded with chitin resembling that of a scorpion or crab, and his arms were unnaturally elongated.

Even his fingers were not spared, each fingertip bearing a snake's fang-filled maw.

His face had an abnormal number of eye sockets, reminiscent of the mythic giant Argus with a hundred eyes, providing him with panoramic vision. The irises were not human-like but rectangular like a goat's.

Behind Dimedes, similar monsters were lined up.

"Are you truly part of an organization with directors? How? This skill is reminiscent of those detestable killers from the Ten Towers…"

The old man stopped. Even mentioning that name felt like blasphemy.

Instead of recalling unpleasant memories, he thought of ways to enhance the ritual's perfection.

"The blood of one so powerful…"

How strong a sacrifice, how sweet a brew would it make?

"I shall use him as the final drop for the ritual. Go! My patchwork creatures, bring me that bloodbag!"

At his command, the chimeras began moving, their twisted bodies advancing slowly.

To read over 200 fully translated episodes, patreon.com/Denji02