999. Mustache Detection

---Unclaimed Mountains---

The ATV was struggling through the savage wind of the blizzard, but the group led by Mike made consistent progress on their path back to civilization. Since he had enough and more material for his divine quest, the beastman fully concentrated on keeping the group safe.

While Kruger was driving the transporter, Mike stayed alert to fend off against the stealth hunters that made these mountains so incredibly dangerous. It was a profound trump card that allowed the champion of Maahes, a magnificent mustache.

The item Seth had given them to detect the invisible agents of The Scene back then. He brought one along just in case and it was a great help during his travel alone in the snow. Although its range was not high, the mustache's detection was still more reliable, than his eyes, ears, or nose in these terrifying snow storms.

Many times, they were able to evade monsters just in time to drive by and evade their attack. The ATV powered by magic crystals was able to reach frightening speeds, at a frightening consumption. Still, it was worth it, since it allowed them to even drive away from beasts ranging between lv.80 and 90.

"Yeah, the company originally got this as a prototype from Y-City. It's the only reason I made it out alive, " Kruger told him when Mike questioned him about his suspicion. Kruger was quite open about Y-City's involvement in the unclaimed mountain. They had been cut off from the world for weeks or months, they couldn't know about Minas Mar's conflict and the fall of Y-City.

Apart from some idle talk and the ample excitement of escapes and battles, the journey was mostly a silent odyssey and a battle with mountains, the landscape, and the climate. The small mining towns and hamlets stayed silent when they came by. Maybe there were already no survivors anymore so far out.

The route Mike took two weeks to walk melted away in a fraction of that time. The storm grew weaker and the climate became less volatile. They had gotten past the roughest part of the road, and more normal monsters started appearing. A sign that they had finally left the influence of the hashing birds.

This was a blessing and a curse since the mountains were filled with various kinds of monster birds and other flying beasts who were able to keep up with the ATV on the ground. As a prototype of technology, it was not built with any high-grade materials. Although it had a basic shield, it was way too flimsy for the current level inside the mountain range.

"Sorry, I don't think I can repair it with my skill..." one of the miners said after another attack that had left the ATV severely damaged. The man in question was the mine mechanic and had been able to do middling repairs to keep the vehicle running.

However, after the last attack of a Roc had destroyed the driver cabin and part of the energy circuitry it was time to walk again. They were lucky since it was only two or three days on foot to reach the last settlement Mike had met people at, a mining town called Adit 5.

"I wasn't sure before, but as long as we keep going in this direction tomorrow, we should reach Adit 5 in the afternoon," Mike estimated their travel time in the evening after they walked for a day. The miners had eaten and rested well during the drive in the ATV, so their walking speed was quite good.

"Let's camp here tonight and leave early morning to reach Adit 5," he suggested because they reached an overhang where they would be dry and protected from the wind. Everyone agreed, relieved at the fact they would finally reach safety. After a quick meal, they got ready for the night, talking about what they would do when they finally reached the settlement,

Mike laid out his padding and sleeping bag and fell asleep, or so it looked from the outside. In his bag, he secretly drank a stamina potion and waited vigilantly. While pretending to sleep, he heard the shuffling of feet in the darkness behind his back. He sighed inwardly as he waited for them to get closer. He wished he had been wrong.

"Why aren't you sleeping, everyone?" Mike asked in a serious tone, the steps in the dark stopped, shocked. Sitting up in his sleeping bag, the beastman looked at the group of miners that had halted like caught thieves.

Kruger shared a glance with the other miners before he spoke with a friendly smile. "I can't thank you enough in the name of all of us. We would not have gotten this far without you. To think we can reach safety tomorrow...Truly, thank you. But it is time to drop the pretenses."

"Yeah, your charade has been crumbling for a while now, especially after we left the stormy mountains;" Mike answered with a sigh. Actually, Mike already had his suspicions after only a few days of travel. On the whole way, he had never met a hashing bird again after they traveled together. He became really suspicious when he still couldn't contact Minas Mar even after leaving the stormy area. Mike knew that they still had contact when he came through this place the first time. Someone was jamming his communications.

"But why did you drop the act now? It's not like you can beat me," the beastman asked as he stood up.

"Right, we probably can't. But our mission is already accomplished and all that is left is to get rid of the only witness, you. Even... especially if it costs us our lives," Kruger answered with a wry smile.

"Your mission is already accomplished? I have to disappoint you, there is no place called Adit 5 in this region. I led you to a deserted wasteland," Mike revealed that he had led them astray. When he had his doubts, he decided not to bring them back to the route he had taken. However, Kruger only smiled in derision.

"It does not matter. It was never our mission to reach civilization. Just to get out of the storm and spread the children."

"The children?"

"Ah. We are apiaries, the last stage. We have already released the next generation of worms, far from the influence of the storms and Lambda, and infected all the settlements on the way here. Now we are just empty husks. Silencing you will be our last task," Kruger explained talkative.

Mike stared at him, shocked. He had expected that there was something wrong with them. Maybe that they were already infected by the worms if the worms really did what they told him. This was why he wanted to stop them here, but ...he had not expected that he was the one who had already released another scourge onto Urth. But there was one thing Kruger said, that caught his attention.

"Lambda? Isn't that another district?" he asked. As a foreigner, he didn't quite know all the names and places on Urth, only the ones that came up often.

"The great Lambda, home of the machine gods. Sitting in their towers of glass and steel, they look down on us- me as they try to find the secret of life, " for a moment Kruger's voice became weird and mechanical as he spoke of the place with great resentment.

"Enough talking. You will have to join us today, Mike."

Kruger's head still spoke, after it was already lopped off by Whitehilt. In the back, his headless body sank to the ground. The stump of his neck was a mix of burned flesh and molten metal. The minders stepped back in shock when Mike revealed his true strength.

A giant lion, wielding a flaming sword, clad in a savage aura. A storm suddenly erupted in the cave, extinguishing the campfires that had previously illuminated the scene in a flickering orange glow. Now there was only the flaming sword and the lion.

The miners attacked, much stronger than they should have been in their state. Mike finally tried to check their status but found that <Observe > actually couldn't tell that there was something wrong with them. It was as if they were strengthened by equipment.

Despite being unnaturally strong, they could only watch the lion in the darkness, as he hacked them apart with his flaming sword. Mike killed them all then and there, but it didn't help alleviate the guilt in his conscience. He had unleashed another danger on Urth.