Chapter 100 The Antsauroids and the Weapons Skill
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The surprises just kept coming.
Sashima’s subspace storage carried a barrier.
Ms. Ootori’s magic attacks were devastating.
Ayumu hadn’t been able to show off in the slightest.
These guys are insanely strong—what the hell! Totally unfair! He wanted abilities like that too.
He reeled from it all, unable to help thinking that way. Thank god he hadn’t peeked while they were wiping themselves down… Tokihara’s skill would have shredded him into bits. Terrifying.
Even with that fear running through his head, he managed to pick up some intel from them about their fight with the Antsauroids as they walked along the road.
”We should have taken them down quietly, yet they noticed us… Could they be some sort of collective intelligence? A hive civilization? No… is that even possible?”
”I have no idea what you’re talking about. Sanai, if you’ve figured something out, explain it properly,” Tokihara said, frowning.
It wasn’t easy to explain, but Sanai tried.
”Well… it’s surprising, but maybe those ants aren’t individuals at all. Maybe a mass of them gathers to function as a single intelligent entity—a group mind.”
”That sounds like… one of those setups from a sci-fi novel, right? The kind where countless identical creatures are actually controlled by one original?”
The other two looked lost, but Sashima, who clearly read a lot of novels, picked up on it quickly.
”Yeah, that’s it. To put it another way: think of a single-celled organism with no will of its own. Now think of us humans. We’re made up of thirty-seven trillion, two hundred billion cells, yet together they function as one living being. You could call us a kind of collective intelligence too. Our cells don’t act on their own, after all.”
Tokihara’s expression only grew more confused. “I still don’t get it…”
So Sanai trimmed it down to the essentials.
”In short, those ants might be creatures without selfhood, sharing memory and information subconsciously—maybe through something like telepathy.”
”What—?! Are you saying those monster ants can share feelings and information with each other unconsciously, like a telepathic link? Is that even possible?” Tokihara asked, falling into step with him, her voice tinged with excitement.
”In our world, no. But here? In another world, it wouldn’t be strange at all. It’s just a hypothesis, but it would explain everything—the way they noticed us despite our quiet strike, the way they kept getting ahead of us…”
The three of them fell silent, staring in disbelief. Sanai couldn’t blame them. The idea that every Antsauroid might be wired into an unconscious network was a stretch, to say the least.
”But there’s a countermeasure, right, Sanai?” Ms. Ootori asked, her tone uncertain, her eyes serious.
Sanai nodded with confidence.
”Of course. If my hypothesis is correct, then there’s probably something like a queen ant coordinating them. If she goes down, the rest are no different from your average monster.”
As they spoke, the potion that sharpened his senses picked up the presence of enemies again. He signaled the group, and to save supplies, decided to rely on the ridiculously strong Tokihara.
”Ms. Tokihara… looks like it’s your turn.”
But she shook her head, leaned close, and whispered in his ear.
”No. The Weapons Skill can’t be used over and over, Sanai.”
He glanced at the others in disbelief. Their solemn nods confirmed it. Apparently, she was serious.
With no choice, he lobbed a few Valend-made grenades toward the enemy. When the dust cleared, not a single monster was left. Relief washed over him.
”Let’s keep moving. Mineyama is still a little further ahead.”
And so, to guide the three of them, he pressed forward at the lead once more.
Later, he would learn from them that this “Weapons Skill” only activated after defeating a set number of enemies or after a certain time had passed.
So even in another world, things didn’t work out as conveniently as in a story…
Notes:
• Sashima – Family name of Hiyori. A quiet, caring girl from the library committee, empathetic toward Sanai. She followed as a Barrier Technique Adept.
• Ootori – First appears in Chapter 49 of the story. One of Hiyori Sashima’s best friends, alongside Tokihara Misaki. Fuuka is currently experiencing menstrual pain, which slows her down and causes her discomfort, but she persists in moving forward with her friends. Her blessing makes her a target for those with ill intent, so she relies on Misaki’s combat skills and Hiyori’s barrier abilities for protection.
• Tokihara – Family name of Misaki. One of Hiyori Sashima’s closest friends, alongside Ootori Fuuka.
• Mineyama – Vice class rep, serious and disciplined.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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